Christian education

[Non Sequitur]

I am currently writing a paper on a man named Charles Finney. Finney is primarily responsible for the revivalist movement, and by extension an influential force in modern Evangelical and Charismatic Christianity in America. Finney argued that true Christian education can only begin once a person is convicted of their sin. In response to this attitude, a man named Horace Bushnell wrote: "we certainly know that much of what is called Christian nurture [read education] only serves to make the subject of religion odious." I am wondering how many people had the experience that Bushnell describes? I think that religious education falls into this trap often.

For the record Bushnell wrote: "that the Child is to grow up a Christian, and never know himself as being otherwise."

[Zarquon]

I can't speak of Christianity in particular,my experience with religion and I suspect, of most others in the world, is primarily through indoctrination rather than education and or choice.
I am not a fan of the whole 'Home-school' movement(originally a liberal movement in response to conservative schools in the 1950's) that is so popular among American Evangelicals; it reeks of not only insecurity but is also inhibiting a child's development to have him cut-off from the rest of the world and deny him scientific education just because it contradicts your beliefs.
Also, this is but an aspect of the wider goal of some Evangelicals to create a parallel culture and reality and separate from the 'sinful' popular culture; a reactionary stance I'm sure you don't approve of.

[Michael]

I am currently writing a paper on a man named Charles Finney. Finney is primarily responsible for the revivalist movement, and by extension an influential force in modern Evangelical and Charismatic Christianity in America. Finney argued that true Christian education can only begin once a person is convicted of their sin. In response to this attitude, a man named Horace Bushnell wrote: "we certainly know that much of what is called Christian nurture [read education] only serves to make the subject of religion odious." I am wondering how many people had the experience that Bushnell describes? I think that religious education falls into this trap often.

For the record Bushnell wrote: "that the Child is to grow up a Christian, and never know himself as being otherwise."
I agree completely - particularly the last line. I've always believed that religion is inherited with mother's milk or not at all.

Btw, I've mentioned previously my own (negative) religious education experience - even if it was only at the 'Sunday School' level - I definitely locked horns with the logic issues and never got any satisfactory answers. They ended up 'excusing' me from Sunday School (no doubt for fear that I'd infect the others). Some of my neighborhood friends were jealous that I didn't have to go to Sunday School like they did! Instead, I had to sit upstairs in the Church with the adults and be bored to death (counting bricks on the walls).

[Non Sequitur]

I can't speak of Christianity in particular,my experience with religion and I suspect, of most others in the world, is primarily through indoctrination rather than education and or choice.
I am not a fan of the whole 'Home-school' movement(originally a liberal movement in response to conservative schools in the 1950's) that is so popular among American Evangelicals; it reeks of not only insecurity but is also inhibiting a child's development to have him cut-off from the rest of the world and deny him scientific education just because it contradicts your beliefs. Also, this is but an aspect of the wider goal of some Evangelicals to create a parallel culture and reality and separate from the 'sinful' popular culture; a reactionary stance I'm sure you don't approve of.

Yeah you're right. I really don't approve of the separate culture movement. It falls into the trap of dualism. While I think the church needs to be critical of popular culture, abandoning it all together doesn't make sense.

My own experience in Christian education has not been bad. I went to public schools and am finishing up at a Christian college. i chose my Christian education.

[Michael]

My own experience in Christian education has not been bad. I went to public schools and am finishing up at a Christian college. i chose my Christian education.
If I was born in any century before my time, I would certainly have liked to have been a Jesuit. :D

[Greendruid]

If I was born in any century before my time, I would certainly have liked to have been a Jesuit. :D

There's a frightening thought!

As for my own experiences, as per the OP, I went to Catholic elementary and high schools. Both of them fostered in me a deep interest in religion and the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment. However, I went through a stage of profound change in the direction of that interest about the age of 13. I wanted to be a priest and had a very deep drive to continue with my spiritual exploration throughout life. When I became a teenager though, all that changed. I abandoned my religion but stuck it out at the high school I had chosen to attend because I enjoyed the curriculum over the other choices at public school. I became completely atheist for about 4 years. Then I found out about paganism and have been pagan ever since then. Perhaps what is most interesting to me about this change is that the common thread was always an interest in religion proper. I don't think it ever became odious to me, only the specific strand that I was brought up in did.

[Michael]

There's a frightening thought!
I think I would have made a rather successful Jesuit. :angel:

[The Drunk Guy]

I think I would have made a rather successful Jesuit. :angel:
Thirty-four page letters to a colleague about the specific geographic relation of Sodom to Gomorrah? Yeah, I suppose you would have done well. :D

[Michael]

Thirty-four page letters to a colleague about the specific geographic relation of Sodom to Gomorrah? Yeah, I suppose you would have done well. :D
Sophistry has always been one of my strong suits. ;)

The point about Jesuits was that they were (well) trained to use logic and reason to argue in favor of God and/or religion. They were notoriously good at it. :D

Alas, that we are creatures of only our own time period. :shrug:

[Non Sequitur]

Sophistry has always been one of my strong suits. ;)

The point about Jesuits was that they were (well) trained to use logic and reason to argue in favor of God and/or religion. They were notoriously good at it. :D

Alas, that we are creatures of only our own time period. :shrug:

I met a Jusuit recently. They are still pretty good and using logic and reason to argue for God. Unfortunately, even though I believe, I find such arguements to be unhelpful.

[Michael]

I met a Jusuit recently. They are still pretty good and using logic and reason to argue for God. Unfortunately, even though I believe, I find such arguements to be unhelpful.
We are all products of our times. Jesuit arguments tend to ring hollow in our present day and age.