Philosophy of Adventist Education

64 Pages·2016·4.38 MB·English

T H E J O U R N A L O F
Website: http://jae.adventist.org October/November 2010
ADVENTIST EDUCATION
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H E H I L O S O P H Y
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O F D V E N T I S T
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D U C A T I O N
B Y G E O R G E R . K N I G H T
S C E I
P E C I A L O N T I N U I N G D U C A T I O N S S U E
http://jae.adventist.org The Journal of Adventist Education • October/November 2010 1
The Journal of
ADVENTIST EDUCATION
EDITOR
Beverly J. Robinson-Rumble October/November 2010 • Volume 73, No. 1
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
(INTERNATIONAL EDITION) C O N T E N T S
Luis A. Schulz
SENIOR CONSULTANTS
John Wesley Taylor V
Continuing Education Issue on the Philosophy of Adventist Education
Lisa M. Beardsley, Ella Smith Simmons
CONSULTANTS by George R. Knight
GENERAL CONFERENCE
John M. Fowler, Mike Mile Lekic, Hudson E. Kibuuka, Redemptive Education (Part I):
Luis A. Schulz
A Philosophic Foundation
EAST-CENTRAL AFRICA
EURO-AFRICA Page 4
Barna Magyarosi
EURO-ASIA Redemptive Education (Part II):
Branislav Mirilov
Implications of Philosophy for Adventist Education
INTER-AMERICA
Gamaliel Flóres Page 22
NORTH AMERICA
Larry Blackmer Redemptive Education (Part III):
NORTHERN ASIA-PACIFIC Implications of Philosophy for Adventist Education
Chek Yat Phoon
(Continued)
SOUTH AMERICA
Edgard Leonel Luz Page 38
SOUTH PACIFIC
Barry Hill
SOUTHERN AFRICA-INDIAN OCEAN
Ellah Kamwendo E D I T O R I A L
SOUTHERN ASIA
Nageshwar Rao
SOUTHERN ASIA-PACIFIC Introducing the New Team
Lawrence L. Domingo the empowering and equalizing
TRANS-EUROPEAN and Game Plan force of education that should en-
Daniel Duda courage girls and women to study
By Lisa M. Beardsley
WEST-CENTRAL AFRICA well, in preparation for service
Chiemela Ikonne
wherever the Lord may lead.
COPY EDITOR
We salute and say good-bye to
Randy Hall
W hile many teachers were Dr. C. Garland Dulan, who dedi-
ART DIRECTION/GRAPHIC DESIGN
Harry Knox enjoying a well-deserved cated 35 years of uninterrupted
ADVISORY BOARD break from school, a new service to the cause of education
John Wesley Taylor V (Chair), General Conference (GC) in the Seventh-day Adventist
Lisa M. Beardsley, Larry Blackmer, Erline Burgess, Hamlet Canosa,
John M. Fowler, Dunbar Henri, Hudson E. Kibuuka, Linda Mei education team was voted Church that culminated in leading
Lin Koh, Mike Mile Lekic, Michael Ryan, Luis A. Schulz, Carole in this summer. Every five the global work of education as di-
Smith, Charles H. Tidwell, Jr., Bonnie Wilbur
years, the global Seventh-day Ad- rector of education. Dr. John
ventist family convenes (this time Fowler has not yet retired but
in Atlanta) to elect the president of plans to, having worked for the
the church and other leaders who church for over half a century. His
will serve around the world. Educa- past 15 years have been here in
THE JOURNAL OF ADVENTIST EDUCATION publishes ar-
ticles concerned with a variety of topics pertinent to Ad- tion is well represented in the final the Department of Education.
ventist education. Opinions expressed by our writers do line-up. The newly voted president, Long-time readers of the JOURNAL
not necessarily represent the views of the staff or the offi-
Dr. Ted Wilson, earned a doctorate will recognize his name as author
cial position of the Department of Education of the General
Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. in religious education. Three gen- and consultant, if not having met
THE JOURNAL OF ADVENTIST EDUCATION (ISSN 0021- eral vice presidents have spent sig- him or heard him speak some-
8480) is published bimonthly, October through May, plus a nificant parts of their careers in ed- where in the world.
single summer issue for June, July, August, and September
by the Department of Education, General Conference of Sev- ucation: Drs. Ella Smith Simmons, Along with fond farewells, we
enth-day Adventists, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, Delbert Baker, and Benjamin also welcome new associate direc-
MD 20904-6600, U.S.A. TELEPHONE: [phone]; FAX:
Schoun. For the first time in the his- tors who join the GC Education
[phone]; E-mail: rum bleb@ gc.ad ventist.org. Sub-
scription price: U.S.$18.25. Add $3.00 for postage outside tory of the church, a woman was Team: Drs. John Wesley Taylor (edi-
the U.S. Single copy: U.S.$3.75. Periodical postage paid at elected to head the General Confer- tor of Dialogueand chair of the
Silver Spring, Maryland, and additional mailing office. Please
send all changes of address to P.O. Box 5, Keene, TX 76059, ence Department of Education JOURNALAdvisory Board), Mike
including both old and new address. Address all editorial and (me!). This is evidence indeed of Lekic (executive secretary of the
advertising correspondence to the Editor. Copyright 2010
Adventist Accrediting Association),
General Conference of SDA. POSTMASTER: Send address
changes to THE JOURNAL OF ADVENTIST EDUCATION, P.O. and Hudson E. Kibuuka (our expert
Box 5, Keene, TX 76059.
Photo and art credits: Cover design, Harry Knox; p. 3 (large),
Mark Kellner; p. 62, Ansel Oliver.
2 The Journal of Adventist Education • October/November 2010 http://jae.adventist.org
in math/science education and Our GC team was selected on the ate and professional programs;
board training). But not everyone is basis of their capacity to serve a d. Adventist philosophy of edu-
new. Continuing on the team are global church. Among them, nine cation in distance education, deliv-
Associate Director Dr. Luis A. languages are spoken (English, ery of intensives for non-residen-
Schulz (editor of the international Finnish, French, German, Kiswa hili, tial cohorts, and urban campuses;
edition of the JOURNAL), Beverly J. Luganda, Portuguese, Serbo-Cro - e. Academic quality;
Robinson-Rumble (editor of the a tian, and Spanish), and eight pass- f. Spiritual master plans appro-
English edition of the JOURNAL), and ports are in constant use (Argentina, priate for the level and type of stu-
Susana Schulz, editorial assistant Canada, Finland, Germany, Switzer- dent; and
for our “other journal,” Dialogue. land, Uganda, the U.K., and the g. Use of the Bible and Advent -
This journal equips university/col- U.S.A.). ist textbooks.
lege students and young profession- Those are the players—a very The second goal is to
als to successfully deal with the in- international team of dedicated strengthen leadership and adminis-
tellectual, spiritual, and lifestyle and well-qualified Adventist educa- tration, and demonstrate accounta-
issues that challenge them as they tors. We also have a four-point bility and effective governance
study on secular campuses. game plan for the new quinquen- through robust institutional deci-
Our team works with 13 world nium. Foremost is to reinforce Ad- sion-making processes and struc-
division directors of education (see ventist identity and mission, char- tures, supported by journal arti-
sidebar on page 61). They oversee acterized by: cles, handbooks, and board
accreditation of K-12 education in a. Meaningful integration of training workshops.
their region, along with many other faith and learning in the various Third, we seek to expand the
aspects of the educational work. We disciplines and a biblical world- capacity of all teachers to achieve
work together with them on accred- view overall; the redemptive purposes of Advent-
itation of higher education, as well b. Balanced, whole-person, re- ist educationand to model Advent-
as supporting teachers and adminis- demptive education that develops ist values and lifestyle; and to in-
trators through publication of the the ability “to think and to do” and crease, where needed, the
JOURNALand presentation of confer- restores in students the image of
Continued on page 61
ences, workshops, and meetings. God (Education, p. 17);
c. Adventist essentials in gradu-
Left to right: Beverly J. Robinson-Rumble, Editor, The Journal of Adventist Education:Lisa M. Beardsley, Director of Education; Esther Rodriguez, Administrative
Assistant; Mike Mile Lekic, Associate Director of Education; John Wesley Taylor, V, Associate Director of Education; Luis A. Schulz, Associate Director of Education;
Susana Schulz, Editorial Assistant, Dialogue; Chandra Goff, and Linda Torske, departmental secretaries. Inset: Hudson E. Kibuuka, Associate Director of Education.
http://jae.adventist.org The Journal of Adventist Education • October/November 2010 3
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Philosophic
Foundation
B Y G E O R G E R . K N I G H T
A P P R O V E D F O R 0 . 5 C O N T I N U I N G E D U C A T I O N U N I T S *
4 The Journal of Adventist Education • October/November 2010 http://jae.adventist.org
I N T R O D U C T I O N
This article is the first of three on the philosophy of Seventh-day Adventist education.
Part I examines the importance of the topic, describes the basic shape of philosophy, ex-
amines the foundational philosophic categories from a biblical perspective, and indi-
cates the importance of the biblical worldview in shaping an Adventist approach to edu-
cation. Parts II and III will develop the implications of a biblical philosophic perspective
for educational practice. Many of the topics covered in the first article are treated in
greater depth in the author’s Philosophy and Education: An Introduction in Christian
Perspective, 4th ed. (Berrien Springs, Mich.: Andrews University Press, 2006).
W
hy study philosophy of education? losophy, when I concluded, as I still believe,
After all, time is short, and there are that a sound philosophy of education is the
so many practical things to learn. most useful and practical item in a teacher’s
Why waste precious hours on some- repertoire. That is true in part because philoso-
thing so esoteric and useless? phy at its best deals with the most basic issues
Those are good questions that re- of life—such as the nature of reality, truth, and
mind me of the multitude of laws value. Closely related to philosophy is the con-
that populate our world. The world, as we all cept of worldview, which “roughly speaking,
know, is full of laws; not only in the physical . . . refers to a person’s interpretation of reality
realm, but also in the social. I have been col- and a basic view of life.”1
lecting these enlightening laws for some years. People’s beliefs about the philosophic issues
Take SCHMIDT’S LAW, for example: “If you of reality, truth, and value will determine every-
mess with a thing long enough, it will break.” thing they do in both their personal and profes-
Or WEILER’S LAW: “Nothing is impossible for sional lives. Without a distinctive philosophic
the man who doesn’t have to do it himself.” position on those three categories, a person or
And then there is JONES’S LAW: “The per- group cannot make decisions, form a curricu-
son who can smile when things go wrong has lum, or evaluate institutional or individual
thought of someone to blame it on.” progress. With a consciously chosen philoso-
Of course, we wouldn’t want to overlook phy, however, a person or group can set goals
BOOB’S LAW: “You always find something in to be achieved and select courses of action to
the last place you look for it.” reach those goals.
Having been enlightened by such wisdom, I Of course, a human being can choose to
eventually decided to try my hand at developing merely wander aimlessly through life and a
some cryptic and esoteric sagacity of my own. professional teaching career. Or he or she can
The result: KNIGHT’S LAW, with two corol- operate on the basis of someone else’s decision
laries. Put simply, KNIGHT’S LAW reads that making. The first of those options, if taken se-
“It is impossible to arrive at your destination riously, suggests a philosophic belief that life
unless you know where you are going.” Corol- itself is aimless and without clearly defined
lary Number 1: “A school that does not come purposes, while the second may cause a person
close to attaining its goals will eventually lose to act on a well-thought-out philosophy of ed-
its support.” Corollary Number 2: “We think ucation but one that has the disconcerting re-
only when it hurts.” sult of leading in the wrong direction.
Those bits of “wisdom” were created in my I would like to suggest that a consciously
days as a young professor of educational phi- thought-out philosophy of education is not only
H O W I T W O R K S :
After you have studied the content presented here, send for the test, using the form on page 60. Upon successful completion
of the test, you will receive a report on the Continuing Education Units you’ve earned, and the certification registrar of your
union conference office of education will be notified (North American Division only).
*Approved by the North American Division Office of Education. The tests for Parts I, II, and III must be successfully completed to
meet alternative teaching certification requirements as outlined in Section 5.1 of the K-12 Educators Certification Manual.
http://jae.adventist.org The Journal of Adventist Education • October/November 2010 5
C O N T I N U I N G E D U C A T I O N — P A R T I
an educator’s most practical acquisition, but also sues of philosophy, it is important to point out
his or her most important one. Ellen White that a philosophy of education is much broader
(1827-1915), Seventh-day Adventism’s proph etic than a philosophy of schooling. Schools are only
thought leader, held the same viewpoint. “By a one aspect of any social group’s educational sys-
misconception of the true nature and object of tem. The family, media, peer group, and church
education,” she wrote, “many have been led into also share the responsibility for educating the
serious and even fatal errors [eternally fatal in next generation, with the family holding the
the overall context of her writings]. Such a mis- dominant role. That fact must be recognized
take is made when the regulation of the heart or even though these study materials will use cate-
the establishment of principles is neglected in gories that are most often linked with schooling.
the effort to secure intellectual culture, or when But the insights being shared are just as impor-
eternal interests are overlooked in the eager de- tant to educators in the church and family as
sire for temporal advantage.”2 they are to teachers in the school. The best over-
Again, she wrote, “the necessity of establish- all educational experience, of course, takes place
ing Christian schools is urged upon me very when parents, teachers, and church leaders all
strongly. In the schools of today many things are Philosophy share the same concerns and provide a learning
taught that are a hindrance rather than a bless- environment in which each student experiences
ing. Schools are needed where the word of God deals with the most a unified education rather than a schizophrenic
is made the basis of education. Satan is the great one in which the significant educators all es-
enemy of God, and it is his constant aim to lead pouse different views. With that in mind, it is no
basic issues
souls away from their allegiance to the King of accident that Seventh-day Adventists have gone
heaven. He would have minds so trained that to the effort and expense of establishing a system
men and women will exert their influence on the faced by human that currently has almost 8,000 schools.
side of error and moral corruption, instead of Different systems of education have varying
using their talents in the service of God. His ob- goals, and those goals are based on differing
beings.
ject is effectually gained, when by perverting philosophies of education. With that thought in
their ideas of education, he succeeds in enlisting mind, we now turn to an examination of the is-
The content of
parents and teachers on his side; for a wrong ed- sues basic to philosophy, followed by a look at
ucation often starts the mind on the road to infi- the Christian/Adventist understanding of those
delity.”3 philosophy is issues. Lastly, we will examine the educational
It is such thoughts that have led various practices that flow out of those understandings.
Christian denominations, including Seventh-day
better seen as
Adventists, down through history to go to great Philosophic Issues and Their Relevance
expense and effort to establish their own for Education
schools. Providing greater urgency has been Ad- asking questions Philosophy deals with the most basic issues
ventists’ conviction that each of the church’s faced by human beings. The content of philos-
children (as well as the church itself) is caught rather than ophy is better seen as asking questions rather
in the midst of a great struggle between good and than providing answers. It can even be said that
evil. Therefore, the church moved proactively to philosophy is the study of questions. Van Cleve
providing answers.
establish an educational system based on not Morris has noted that the crux of the matter is
only a general Christian understanding of reality, asking the “right” questions. By “right” he
truth, and value, but one that also reflects dis- meant questions that are meaningful and rele-
tinctively Adventist understandings. vant—the kind of questions people really want
Coming to grips with the undergirding ideas answered and that will make a difference in
that have led to the establishment and operation how they live and work.4
of Seventh-day Adventist schools is the realm of Philosophical content has been organized
an Adventist philosophy of education. Of course, around three fundamental categories:
grappling with basic ideas is only part of the task. 1. Metaphysics—the study of questions con-
Other aspects include developing practices in har- cerning the nature of reality;
mony with those foundational understandings 2. Epistemology—the study of the nature of
and implementing them in the life of the school. truth and knowledge and how these are at-
The first two of those goals fit under the rubric tained and evaluated; and
of educational philosophy. The practical aspect is 3. Axiology—the study of the question of
the educator’s responsibility to implement after value.
consciously thinking through not only his or her Without a distinctive philosophy of reality,
basic beliefs, but also how those beliefs can and truth, and value, a person or group cannot make
should impact daily life and professional practice. intelligent decisions either for their individual
Before moving to a discussion of the basic is- lives or for developing an educational system.
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C O N T I N U I N G E D U C A T I O N — P A R T I
The questions addressed by philosophy are so these questions is beyond the realm of human
basic that there is no escaping them. As a result, demonstration or proof. But that does not make
all of us, whether we consciously understand our the discussion of these issues irrelevant or a mere
philosophic positions or not, conduct our per- exercise in mental gymnastics since people,
sonal lives and our corporate existence on the whether they consciously understand it or not,
basis of “answers” to the basic questions of life. base their daily activities and long-range goals
There is no decision making that is unrelated to upon a set of metaphysical beliefs. Even people
the issues of reality, truth, and value. To put it seeking answers to more specific questions—
succinctly: Philosophy drives decision making. physicists or biologists or historians, for exam-
For that reason alone, the study of the founda- ple—cannot ignore meta phys i cal questions.
tional questions of philosophy is important. After Thus, undergirding science is the philosophy of
all, it is better to function with understanding science, and foundational to historical under- M
than to wander through life in ignorance of the standing is the philosophy of history. It is the phi-
factors that shape our choices. losophy of science and history that provides the
With the importance of understanding the theoretical framework for understanding and in-
basic issues in mind, in the next few pages we terpreting the meaning of the facts in each field.
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will briefly describe the three main philosophic Metaphysical questions may be divided into
categories and then move on to an Adventist four subsets. First, the cosmological aspect. Cos-
perspective on each of them. mology consists in the study of theories about
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the origin, nature, and development of the uni-
METAPHYSICS verse as an orderly system. Questions such as
these populate the realm of cosmology: “How A
One of the two most basic philosophic cate- did the universe originate and develop? Did it
gories is metaphysics. That rather threatening- come about by accident or design? Does its ex-
sounding word actually comes from two Greek istence have any purpose?”
P
words meaning “beyond physics.” As such, A second metaphysical aspect is the theologi-
metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that cal. Theology is that part of religious theory that
deals with the nature of reality. “What is ulti- deals with conceptions of and about God. “Is
mately real?” is the basic question asked in the there a God? If so, is there one or more than one? H
study of metaphysics. What are the attributes of God? If God is both all
At first glance, the answer to that query good and all powerful, why does evil exist? If
seems rather obvious. After all, most people God exists, what is His relationship to human be-
Y
seem to be quite certain about the “reality” of ings and the ‘real’ world of everyday life?”
their world. If you ask them, they will probably People answer such questions in a variety of
tell you to open your eyes and look at the clock ways. Atheistsclaim that there is no God, while
S
on the wall, to listen to the sound of a passing pantheists posit that God and the universe are
train, or to bend down to touch the floor be- identical—all is God and God is all. Deistsview
neath your feet. These things are, they claim, God as the maker of nature and moral laws, but
what is ultimately real. assert that He exists apart from, and is not par- I
But are they? Their answers are located on the ticularly interested in, the daily events of human
plane of physics rather than metaphysics. There lives or the physical universe. On the other hand,
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are surely more foundational questions. For ex- theistsbelieve in a personal Creator God who has
ample, where did the material for floors, the a deep and ongoing interest in His creation. Poly-
power that runs trains, and the regularity of time theism disagrees with mono theism in regard to
ultimately originate? It makes no difference if the number of gods, with poly theists holding S
your answer is related to design, accident, or that deity should be thought of as plural and
mystery, because once you have begun to deal monotheists insisting that there is one God.5
with the deeper questions, you have moved be- A third subset of metaphysics is the anthro-
yond physics to the realm of metaphysics. pological. Anthropology deals with the study of
We can gain a glimpse into the realm of meta- human beings and asks questions like the follow-
physics by examining a list of major questions ing: “What is the relation between mind and
concerning the nature of reality. The queries of body? Is mind more fundamental than body,
the metaphysician are amongst the most general with body depending on mind, or vice versa?”
questions that can be asked. It is important to re- “What is humanity’s moral status? Are people
alize, however, that people need the answers to born good, evil, or morally neutral?” “To what
these questions before they can find satisfactory extent are individuals free? Do they have free
answers to their more specific questions. Yet will, or are their thoughts and actions deter-
complete verification of any particular answer to mined by their environment, inheritance, or a di-
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C O N T I N U I N G E D U C A T I O N — P A R T I
vine Being?” “Does each person have a soul? If suasions. After all, they are dealing with mal-
so, what is it?” People have obviously adopted leable human beings at one of the most impres-
different positions on these questions, and those sionable stages of their lives. Views about the
positions influence their political, social, reli- nature and potential of students form the foun-
gious, and educational ideals and practices. dation of every educational process. The very
The fourth aspect of metaphysics is the onto- purpose of education in all philosophies is
logical. Ontology is the study of the nature of ex- closely tied to these views. Thus, anthropolog-
istence, or what it means for anything to exist. ical considerations lie extremely close to the
Several questions are central to ontology: “Is aims of education. Philosopher D. Elton True-
basic reality found in matter or physical energy blood put it nicely when he asserted that “until
(the world we can sense), or is it found in spirit we are clear on what man is, we shall not be
or spiritual energy? Is it composed of one ele- clear about much else.”6
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ment (e.g., matter or spirit), or two (e.g., matter It makes a great deal of difference whether
and spirit), or many?” “Is reality orderly and law- a student is viewed as Desmond Morris’s
ful in itself, or is it merely orderable by the “naked ape”7or as a child of God. Likewise, it
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human mind? Is it fixed and stable, or is change is important to know whether children are in-
its central feature? Is this reality friendly, un- nately evil or essentially good, or good but rad-
friendly, or neutral toward humanity?” ically twisted by the effects of sin. Variations in
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anthropological positions will produce signifi-
Metaphysics and Education cantly different approaches to the educational
Even a cursory study of either historical or process. Other examples of the impact of meta-
L contemporary societies will reveal the impact of physics upon education will become evident
the cosmological, theological, anthropological, further on in our study.
O and ontological aspects of metaphysics upon
their social, political, economic, and scientific EPISTEMOLOGY
be liefs and practices. People everywhere em-
brace answers to these questions and then live Closely related to metaphysics is the issue of
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their daily lives in keeping with those assump- epistemology. Epistemology seeks to answer
tions. There is no escape from metaphysical deci - such basic questions as “What is true?” and
sions—unless one chooses to vegetate—and even “How do we know?” The study of epistemology
that choice would be a metaphysical deci sion deals with issues related to the dependability of
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about the nature and function of humanity. knowledge and the validity of the sources
Education, like other human activities, cannot through which we gain information. Accordingly,
T operate outside the realm of metaphysics. Meta- epistemology stands—with metaphysics—at the
physics, or the issue of ultimate reality, is central very center of the educative process. Because
to any concept of education, because it is impor- both educational systems as a whole and teach-
S tant for the educational program of the school ers in those systems deal in knowledge, they are
(or family or church) to be based upon fact and engaged in an epistemological undertaking.
reality rather than fancy, illusion, error, or imag- Epistemology seeks answers to a number of
I ination. Varying metaphysical beliefs lead to dif- fundamental issues. One is whether reality can
fering educational approaches and even separate even be known. Skepticismin its narrow sense is
P systems of education. the position claiming that people cannot acquire
Why do Adventists and other Christians reliable knowledge and that any search for truth
spend millions of dollars each year on private is in vain. That thought was well expressed by
E systems of education when free public systems Gorgias (c. 483-376 B.C.), the Greek Sophist who
are widely available? Because of their meta- asserted that nothing exists, and that if it did, we
physical beliefs regarding the nature of ultimate could not know it. A full-blown skepticism would
reality, the existence of God, the role of God in make intelligent action impossible. A term closely
human affairs, and the nature and role of related to skepticism is agnosticism. Agnosticism
human beings as God’s children. At their deep- is a profession of ignorance in reference to the ex-
est levels, men and women are motivated by istence or nonexistence of God.
metaphysical beliefs. History demonstrates that Most people claim that reality can be known.
people are willing to die for those convictions, However, once they have taken that position,
and that they desire to create educational envi- they must decide through what sources reality
ronments in which their most basic beliefs will may be known, and must have some concept of
be taught to their children. how to judge the validity of their knowledge.
The anthropological aspect of metaphysics A second issue foundational to epistemology
is especially important for educators of all per- is whether all truth is relative, or whether some
8 The Journal of Adventist Education • October/November 2010 http://jae.adventist.org
C O N T I N U I N G E D U C A T I O N — P A R T I
truths are absolute. Is all truth subject to faith in the dependability of human sensory
change? Is it possible that what is true today mechanisms. The advantage of empirical
may be false tomorrow? If the answer is “Yes” know ledge is that many sensory experiences
to the previous questions, such truths are rela- and experiments are open to both replication
tive. If, however, there is Absolute Truth, such and public examination.
Truth is eternally and universally true irrespec- A second influential source of knowledge
tive of time or place. If Absolute Truth exists in throughout the span of human history has been
the universe, then educators would certainly revelation. Revealed knowledge has been of
want to discover it and make it the core of the prime importance in the field of religion. It dif-
school curriculum. Closely related to the issue fers from all other sources of knowledge be-
of the relativity and absoluteness of truth are cause it presupposes a transcendent supernat-
the questions of whether knowledge is subjec- ural reality that breaks into the natural order.
tive or objective, and whether there is truth that Christians believe that such revelation is God’s
The study of
is independent of human experience. communication concerning the divine will.
A major aspect of epistemology relates to the Believers in supernatural revelation hold
sources of human knowledge. If one accepts the epistemology that this form of knowledge has the distinct
fact that there is truth and even Truth in the uni- advantage of being an omniscient source of in-
verse, how can human beings comprehend such deals with formation that is not available through other
truths? How do they become human knowledge? epistemological methods. The truth revealed
Central to most people’s answer to that through this source is believed by Christians to
issues related
question is empiricism (knowledge obtained be absolute and uncontaminated. On the other
through the senses). Empirical knowledge ap- hand, it is generally realized that distortion of
pears to be built into the very nature of human to the revealed truth can occur in the process of
experience. Thus, when individuals walk out of human interpretation. Some people assert that
doors on a spring day and see the beauty of the a major disadvantage of revealed knowledge is
dependability of
landscape, hear the song of a bird, feel the that it must be accepted by faith and cannot be
warm rays of the sun, and smell the fragrance proved or disproved empirically.
knowledge
of the blossoms, they “know” that it is spring. A third source of human knowledge is au-
Sensory knowing for humans is immediate and thority. Authoritative knowledge is accepted as
universal, and in many ways forms the basis of and the true because it comes from experts or has been
much of human knowledge. sanctified over time as tradition. In the class-
The existence of sensory data cannot be de- room, the most common source of information
validity of the
nied. Most people accept it uncritically as repre- is some authority, such as a textbook, teacher,
senting “reality.” The danger of naively embrac- or reference work.
ing this approach is that data obtained from the sources Accepting authority as a source of knowl-
human senses have been demonstrated to be edge has its advantages as well as its dangers.
both incomplete and undependable. (For exam- through which Civilization would certainly stagnate if people
ple, most people have been confronted with the refused to accept any statement unless they
contradiction of seeing a stick that looks bent personally verified it through direct, firsthand
we gain
when partially submerged in water but appears experience. On the other hand, if authoritative
to be straight when examined in the air.) Fatigue, knowledge is built upon a foundation of incor-
frustration, and illness also distort and limit sen- information. rect assumptions, then such knowledge will
sory perception. In addition, there are sound and surely be distorted.
light waves that are inaudible and invisible to A fourth source of human knowledge is rea-
unaided human perception. son. The view that reasoning, thought, or logic
Humans have invented scientific instruments is the central factor in knowledge is known as
to extend the range of their senses, but it is im- rationalism. The rationalist, in emphasizing hu-
possible to ascertain the exact dependability of manity’s power of thought and the mind’s con-
these instruments since no one knows the total tributions to knowledge, is likely to claim that
effect of the human mind in recording, interpret- the senses alone cannot provide universal, valid
ing, and distorting sensual perception. Confi- judgments that are consistent with one another.
dence in these instruments is built upon specu- From this perspective, the sensations and expe-
lative metaphysical theories whose validity has riences humans obtain through their senses are
been reinforced by experimentation in which the raw material of knowledge. These sensations
predictions have been verified through the use must be organized by the mind into a meaning-
of a theoretical construct or hypothesis. ful system before they become knowledge.
In summary, sensory knowledge is built Rationalism in a less extreme form claims
upon assumptions that must be accepted by that people have the power to know with cer-
http://jae.adventist.org The Journal of Adventist Education • October/November 2010 9
C O N T I N U I N G E D U C A T I O N — P A R T I
tainty various truths about the universe that the lieve in revelation as a source of valid knowl-
senses alone cannot give. In its more extreme edge, they will undoubtedly choose a curriculum
form, rationalism claims that humans are capa- and a role for the Bible in that curriculum that
ble of arriving at irrefutable knowledge inde- differs substantially from the curricular choices
pendently of sensory experience. of nonbelievers. In fact, the philosophic world-
Formal logic is a tool used by rationalists. view of their faith will shape the presentation of
Systems of logic have the advantage of possess- every topic they teach. That, of course, is true for
ing internal consistency, but they risk being dis- teachers from every philosophic persuasion and
connected from the external world. Systems of thus constitutes an important argument for edu-
thought based upon logic are only as valid as cating Adventist youth in Adventist schools.
the premises upon which they are built.
A fifth source of knowledge is intuition—the The Metaphysical-Epistemological Dilemma
direct apprehension of knowledge that is not de- The careful reader has probably realized by
rived from conscious reasoning or immediate now that humanity, so to speak, is suspended
sense perception. In the literature dealing with in midair both metaphysically and epistemolog-
intuition, one often finds such expressions as ically. Our problem: It is impossible to make
“immediate feeling of certainty.” Intuition occurs In a statements about reality without first adopting
be neath the threshold of consciousness and is a theory for arriving at truth. On the other
often experienced as a sudden flash of insight. Christian hand, a theory of truth cannot be developed
In tuition has been claimed under varying circum - without first having a concept of reality. We are
stances as a source of both religious and secular caught in a web of circularity.
epistemology,
knowledge. Certainly many scientific break- Through the study of basic questions people
throughs have been initiated by intuitive hunches are forced to recognize their smallness and help-
that were confirmed by experimentation. the findings of lessness in the universe. They realize that noth-
The weakness or danger of intuition is that ing can be known for certain in the sense of final
it does not appear to be a safe method of ob- reason must and ultimate proof that is open and acceptable
taining knowledge when used alone. It goes to all people, not even in the natural sciences.
astray very easily and may lead to absurd Trueblood affirmed that point when he wrote
always be checked
claims unless it is controlled by or checked that “it is now widely recognized that absolute
against other methods of knowing. Intuitive proof is something which the human being does
knowledge, however, has the distinct advantage against the not and cannot have. This follows necessarily
of being able to bypass the limitations of from the twin fact that deductive reasoning can-
human experience. not have certainty about its premises and that in-
truth of
At this juncture, it should be noted that no ductive reasoning cannot have certainty about its
one source of information is capable of supplying conclusions. The notion that, in natural science,
Scripture.
people with all knowledge. The various sources we have both certainty and absolute proof is sim-
should be seen as complementary rather than ply one of the superstitions of our age.”8 Every
antagonistic. It is true, however, that most people person—the skeptic and the agnostic, the scien-
choose one source as being more basic than, or tist and the businessperson, the Hindu and the
preferable to, the others. That most basic source Christian—lives by a faith. The acceptance of a
is then used as a benchmark for testing other particular metaphysical and epistemological po-
sources of knowledge. For example, in the con- sition is a “faith-choice” made by each person,
temporary world, knowledge obtained empiri- and entails a commitment to a way of life.
cally is generally seen as the most basic and re- The circular nature of the reality-truth
liable type. Most people denigrate any purported dilemma is certainly a distressing aspect of
knowledge that does not agree with scientific philosophical thought; but since it exists,
theory. By way of contrast, biblical Christianity human beings are obligated to make them-
sees revelation as providing the basic framework selves aware of its implications. Of course, this
against which other sources of knowledge must dilemma comes as no surprise to mature scien-
be tested. tists who have come to grips with the limita-
tions of their discipline and the philosophy
Epistemology and Education upon which it is built. Neither does it pose a
Epistemology has a direct impact upon edu- threat to believers in certain religious persua-
cation on a moment-by-moment basis. For exam- sions who have traditionally viewed their basic
ple, assumptions about the importance of vari- beliefs in terms of personal choice, faith, and
ous sources of knowledge will certainly be commitment. The whole problem, however,
reflected in curricular emphases and teaching does come as a source of shock and distress to
methodologies. Because Christian teachers be- the average secular individual.
10 The Journal of Adventist Education • October/November 2010 http://jae.adventist.org