Christian parents should want what God wants for their children, an education that exalts Jesus Christ in every area of life (Proverbs 3:5-6).
God uses Biblical benchmarks to measure the rightness and wrongness of a school’s philosophical distinctives. Since God is the Creator of the universe and everything therein, it only makes sense that God would examine a school from His vantage point. So what is God’s vantage point? To know this, you must examine the only book that contains God’s feelings about education—the Bible—to gain an understanding of how God views education.
Worldviews Defined
The term “worldview” refers to a set of beliefs that define the way a person thinks about and interprets the events of life. A Christian worldview of education is based on a set of beliefs established in a triune God revealed in His Son (Jesus Christ), in His Word (the Bible), and in His creation (nature). In this worldview, God determines what is right and wrong. Conversely, the humanistic worldview of education is based on a set of beliefs in which man gives allegiance only to himself and to the laws approved by society. In this worldview, society determines what is right and wrong.
Contrasting Worldviews of Education
From God’s perspective, the following series of questions contrasts the two major worldviews of education— Christian and humanism. Does the absence of prayer offend God? Does daily prayer please God? Does the nonexistence of Bible study dishearten God? Does the teaching of the Bible and memorizing Bible verses delight God? Does the teaching of evolution insult God? Does the teaching of creationism revere God? Does the denial of sin disappoint God? Does the teaching of wrongdoing as sin please God? Does the rejection of Jesus Christ grieve God? Does the teaching of salvation through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ glorify God?
Christian school education is based on sincerely held and self-evident Bible truths that are radically different from those embraced in secular education. For example, Christian schools advocate the premise that students are born sinners and as sinners require a personal reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ. Conversely, secular education advocates the new age premise that students are innately born good and are in total control of their own destiny.
The humanistic worldview of education is based on a set of beliefs in which man gives allegiance only to himself.
In Christian schools, priority is given to the revealed Word of God and to the integration of Biblical truths in academics. The teachers in Christian schools accept and revere the Bible as a book of absolute truths. Christian schools unashamedly proclaim Jesus Christ as God incarnate in the flesh, the Savior of mankind. Therefore, everything is interpreted from the viewpoint of creation, the fall of man, and the regeneration of man in Jesus Christ. The complete opposite prevails in public schools, where federal law keeps teachers from discussing Christian beliefs with their students. Thus, public schools promote a humanistic worldview of education.
A Christian Worldview of Education
A Christian worldview of education can be summarized in nine succinct and powerful words, “. . . that in all things he might have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18). Because Christian school teachers believe that Jesus Christ should have preeminence in everything, including the subjects they teach and the policies they enforce, they strive to bring every thought, fact, detail, and concept “into captivity. . . to the obedience of Christ” (II Corinthians 10:5) and within the framework of Bible truths. The handiwork of God is revealed in everything—curriculum, teaching staff, administration, policies and procedures, extracurricular programs, discipline, etc. Teachers endeavor to interpret “all knowledge” from Christ’s point of view by emphasizing the authority of the Bible, by integrating the Bible in every subject, and by applying Biblical principles to classroom policies, procedures, and decisions.
Application
As a Christian school parent, you believe the Bible is an important part of education. You have adopted a set of presupposed ideas and beliefs based on Scripture that guided you in selecting the school where your child attends. These presupposed ideas and beliefs represent your worldview of education. As you know, God is offended by any school that rejects His Son, His Word, and prayer. The Apostle Paul hits the nail on the head in II Timothy 3:7 when he said education without Christ is “ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” The bottom line is simple: Every parent’s worldview of education is either Christian or humanistic reflected in his or her choice of a school.
Dr Charles Walker is the executive director of the American Association of Christian Schools and the Tennessee Association of Christian Schools.
