Teaching Redemptively

274 Pages·2003·6.404 MB·English

by  Donovan L. Graham

Contents
· Preface to the Second Edition ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xv
Part 1: Beginning Considerations
1. The Complaint: All That Claims to Be Christian May Not Be 3
2. Building Something Biblical 11
3. Creation-Fall-Redemption: A Framework for Building 21
4. The Grace of the Gospel and Redemptive Teaching 35
Part 2: Biblical Beliefs That are Foundational for Redemptive Teaching
Beliefs About Purpose
5. Biblical Norms for Educational Purpose 49
6. Secular Distortions of Purpose 57
7. Distortions in Christian Thinking About Purpose 65
Beliefs About the Learner
8. God's Image in Individuals 73
9. God's Image in Relationship to Others 83
10. The Image Marred 91
11. The Image Restored 101
Beliefs About the Teacher
12. An Image Bearer Who Is Also Fallen 109
13. Personal Characteristics of a Redemptive Teacher 117
14. The Roles Teachers Fulfill 125
Beliefs About the Learning Process
15. Basic Ideas About Learning 135
16. Motivation and Learning 145
17. A Conceptual Framework for Learning 159
18. Engaging in Learning 167
Beliefs About Subject Matter
19. Perspectives on Content 177
20. Content and the World Around Us 185
Part 3: Redemptive Teaching at Work: Building on Norms
and Teaching with Grace
21. A Different Kind of Place: Omega Christian School 195
22. Curriculum Design 203
23. Learning Activities 215
24. Measurement, Evaluation, and Grading 227
25. Classroom Behavior and Discipline 239
26. The Heart of a Disciple Maker: Walking with God 253
27. Bringing It to Life-Individually and Together 267
Appendix 281
References 287
Contact the Author 290
Introduction
When I first became a professor in the teacher education department of Covenant
College in 1976, I soon became aware of the difference between a teacher who is a
Christian and a genuinely Christian teacher. I also learned much about the biblical
doctrines of the creation, fall, and redemption of humankind. Much later I began to
learn something about the grace of God and "living" the gospel. Eventually, under the
influence of these convictions, I came to believe that as God's image-bearing agents,
Christian teachers are called to teach "redemptively," the subject of this book.
While we shall see that teaching redemptively means many things, the cornerstone
of our understanding is that it means to teach in a fashion that reflects the character of
the creative-redemptive God. "Creative" and "redemptive" are carefully chosen words.
They suggest that we are to teach in accord with God's creational ordinances and in a way
that demonstrates His grace in redemption. We are called to apply biblical truth to the
whole educational process, not just parts of it. A Christian philosophy of education,
Christian thinking about a particular subject, and Christian morality in the classroom
are not sufficient in themselves. Let me try to illustrate why.
Suppose we are teaching a course in which the nature of human beings is a topic
of discussion. As Christians, we of course would say that human beings are created
in the image of God. If we would unpack that idea a bit, we would probably discuss
with our students what it means to be active, creative, purposeful, free, moral beings
among other things.
What happens, however, if we teach them these ideas through means that
require them to passively absorb what we tell them, allow no input from them
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Teaching Redernptively
concerning what they will study about human beings or how they will study it, allow
discussion of only the "correct" biblical thoughts, and reward them with good grades
and privileges for reproducing well? If we follow these methods, what have we told
them? In other words, if we subject them to an educational process that treats them
as objects rather than as God's image bearers, what will we have? In all likelihood, we
will have students who know how to talk about being image bearers and who live like
objects and treat others as the same-not a very acceptable result.
Redemptiondoesnotlead us to say one thing and do another. God did not redeem
us so that we might teach Christian ideas through a process that is decidedly-albeit
perhaps unknowingly-not Christian. Rather, it would seem that redeemed, image­
bearing teachers have been given the challenge of creating an educational process
that reflects redemption.
The root of the term redemption means literally "to buy back;' returning
something to the original owner, or restoring it to its original state. Redemption
through Christ restores our relationship with God and empowers us to once again
fulfill our calling in creation as He intended. The distortions of the fall still plague us,
but we are no longer bound or ruled by them. We are called to live according to the
truth, and living redemptively means living by that truth.
Teaching redemptively, therefore, requires that we teach by that truth, in accord
with God's norms as revealed to us in His Word. Such norms would be applicable to
all components of the educational process:
1. The purpose of education
2. The learner
3. The teacher
4. The learning process
5. The subject matter
This book is written to encourage and challenge Christian teachers in any setting,
public or private, secular or Christian, to teach redemptively (i.e., to utilize biblical
principles in dealing with all components of education), thereby thinking and acting
like God in the educational process as well as in the educational content.
To go about this, my intention in part 1 is to illustrate the problem, discuss ideas
that are important in building something more biblical, and briefly describe some
foundational biblical themes on which all our thinking about these components
should be built. Those basic themes are the creation, the fall, redemption, and the
meaning of God's grace in teaching redemptively.
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Introduction
As we then examine the several components of the process in part 2, I will try to
identify some biblical and creational norms relevant to each component, for teaching
redemptively involves teaching according to those norms while recognizing the
impact of the fall on every aspect of the educational process.
In part 3, we will consider some implications of these biblical norms for the
classroom. We will explore those implications in regard to the following:
1. Curriculum design
2. Learning activities
3. Measurement, evaluation, and grading
4. Classroom behavior and discipline
In addition to looking at the implications for the classroom, I will try to show
why teachers might do certain things in the classroom based upon the norms
identified and the reality of grace. While the earlier discussions of creational norms
and grace are supported biblically and through the writings and research of other
authors, I readily accept the responsibility for what is presented in part 3. These
are my thoughts, and no one else need be held accountable for them, though I do
not necessarily think I am alone in adhering to them. Some of the implications
are upsetting and difficult and will undoubtedly be labeled with terms that I am
not entirely willing to accept. If a reader thinks I am too attached to some worldly
philosophy, I will simply ask that the ideas be measured against the biblical
principles espoused. If they are supportable with biblical principle, we must attend
to them.
Finally, part 3 will also contain some thoughts and means to entice readers to
create plans for their own classrooms, as this book will serve little redemptive purpose
if it does not provide opportunity for all of us to improve our own teaching. To aid
in that task, I have included some self-examination and application questions at the
end of each chapter. They may be used for discussion, but their greater purpose is to
engage readers in an evaluation of what they are doing as teachers in light of what
they have been reading in the book, and then to ask them how they might respond. It
is my hope that dealing seriously with the questions will lead to some changes in the
way things are done in classrooms.
For those readers who are college students and have not taught in the
classroom, the questions could be reworded to allow you to examine some of the
educational experiences you have had in your life up to this point. When asked
to approach things differently, you may respond in terms of what you would like
to do if you were the teacher in charge. Professors who use this book in teacher
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leaching Redemptively
education courses are encouraged to create your own discussion and application
questions. Doing so would be in line with the philosophy undergirding this book!
Teaching Redemptively is not a manual or recipe book. To create a book that
outlines seven effective ways to do this or ten steps to success in that would significantly
violate the essence of the book. If you are looking for another "how to" book, this one
will not satisfy you. Rather, I will try to involve teachers in the process of creating
their own teaching guidelines and activities. This book invites the reader to deal with
three simple questions: What? So what? Now What? That is, what are the ideas that
should inform us as Christian teachers (parts l and 2)? What are the implications of
those ideas for the classroom, and what should we do about them (part 3)? Teachers
who are willing to respond to the ideas in this book will be carrying out their own
image-bearing task as agents of the creative-redemptive God.
Just as this bookis not a recipe for what to do, neither is it meant to be a critique
of all the distortions that exist in the educational world today (though some are
hinted at throughout). Much is happening in both secular and Christian schools
that deserves critique, but my goal is to identify biblical ideas and discuss their
implications. I hope to provide an opportunity to build something new rather than
simply attack what is already there.
I pray that those who take up this challenge might experience teaching as a
dynamic activity that provides endless opportunities for responding redemptively
to fallen people in a fallen world. If we do so, we can become a living picture of God,
dealing with His creation according to His own truth.
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Beginning Considerations

The Complaint:
All That Claims to Be Christian May Not Be
What is the great concern for building a biblical framework for Christian
teaching? Why must we talk about teaching "redemptively"? Can we not simply
assume that Christian people will develop curriculum, devise teaching methods,
and set standards that the rest of us can accept? Or since I am a Christian, am I not
automatically a "Christian teacher"?
I am convinced that such is not necessarily true at all. In fact, some well-meaning
and devout Christians may be further from teaching redemptively than their non­
Christian counterparts. The problem is also exacerbated by the cover-up of God-talk.
The use of Christian language can easily delude us into thinking that what we are doing
is more Christian than it actually is. Let me illustrate by describing the operations of a
fictional, yet all-too-real school that we shall call Alpha Christian School (ACS).
Life at Alpha Christian School
The parents, teachers, and administrators at ACS are all competent, committed
Christians who know the value of a good education. They believe that God's standards
are high, and they are determined to provide an excellent education for their children.
Much evidence supports their claim that ACS provides a superior education.
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