I. Catalog Description II. III. IV. HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION A survey of the history of religious education from Old Testament times to the present and a study of theories of Christian Education. Emphasis is placed on developing a biblical philosophy of Christian Education. (3 hours) Course Objectives Students will... A. Review the basic eras of thought in the history of education, including key names, dates and ideas. B. Examine the basic schools of thought, their underlying assumptions and consequent conclusions, and their correlation (positive or negative) with biblical principles. C. Demonstrate the ability to harmonize biblical truth and the discipline of education. D. Begin to synthesize and articulate a distinctly evangelical philosophy of Christian education. E. Evaluate their basic attitudes about Christian Education through biblical, theological and historical lenses. Course Rationale Biblical and theological tools, historical perspectives, and philosophical insights must be brought to bear in the production of a true philosophy of Christian Education. This course provides those foundational elements for developing sound thinking about the key issues involved. Each assignment is designed to foster philosophical and theological reflection. You will be wise to write down as many thoughts and questions as you can along the way (be sure to keep a record of any citation data for quotes or paraphrases you will use in assignments). Building a philosophy of Christian Education requires effort over time. Course Textbooks A. Required Anthony, Michael J. and Warren Benson. Exploring the History and Philosophy of Christian Education for the 21st Century. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 2003. 443 pp. Estep, James R. Jr., Anthony, Michael J. and Allison, Gregg R., A Theology for Christian Education. Nashville, TN: B & H Academic, 2008. 316 pp. Knight, George R. Philosophy and Education: An Introduction in Christian Perspective, 4th Ed. Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 2006. 301 pp. B. Suggested Benson, Warren and Kenneth O Gangel. Christian Education: Its History and Philosophy. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1983. Estep, James Riley and Jonathan H. Kim. Christian Formation: Integrating Theology and Human Development. Nashville, TN: B&H academic, 2010.
V. Course Requirements Parrett, Gary and Stephen Kang. Teaching the Faith, Forming the Faithful: A Biblical Vision for Education in the Church. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2009. Pazmiño, Robert W. Foundational Issues in Christian Education: An Introduction in Evangelical Perspective, 3rd Ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2008. Pazmiño, Robert W. God Our Teacher: Theological Basics in Christian Education. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2001. Reed, James E. and Ronnie Provost. A History of Christian Education. Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1993. Tucker, Ruth A. and Walter L. Liefeld, Daughters of the Church, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1987. Wolterstorff, Nicholas P. Educating for Life: Reflections on Christian Teaching and Learning. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2004. A. Reading Read the required texts according to the module schedule. B. Lecture Video Sessions Attend the lecture video sessions in each module. These sessions are the online equivalent to class attendance. Information gained in lecture attendance and reading of texts should be evident in your written assignments. C. Interactions 1. Classmates Some modules require interaction with other classmates. You will be asked to answer questions or express opinions in a post. You must also read or view the posts written by your classmates and discuss their work. Interaction is a vital part of the online experience. Here you will meet you classmates, discuss class material, and hopefully develop a sense of community. Students are expected to submit each post before the final due date according to the weekly outline. So, your initial post and your posts to classmates must all be posted early enough to finish by the due date. Failure to submit a post or interact with the posts of your classmates will result in a zero for the interaction assignment. The modules that have interactions are 3, 5, and 11. a. Interaction #1 for Module 3 From the lectures and your reading, what contribution does the Old Testament make to your philosophy of Christian Education? b. Interaction #2 for Module 5 From the lectures and your reading, what contribution does the New Testament make to your philosophy of Christian Education?
c. Interaction #3 for Module 11 2. Autobiography At this point, how does your philosophy of Christian education affect your choice of curriculum and methods you use in your current ministry context? Be sure your answer includes thoughts from your reading and the lectures as well as your own thinking. In the process, interact with a minimum of three other classmates questions. Post a brief autobiography. Read other autobiographies and have casual discussion with them. Respond to at least 2 other people regarding their stories. D. Assignments - A title page is necessary for each assignment. The Turabian style manual and Seminary addendum should be followed for citations and bibliography. Whenever the assigned text is quoted or paraphrased it must be cited. Wikipedia and similar reference websites or blogs are not acceptable research sources. 1. Timeline - using the Anthony text and other credible outside sources (peer reviewed articles, scholarly works, and books from the suggested reading list), create a timeline with three strands. One strand will reflect the historical context, the second strand will reflect the philosophical perspectives and key philosophers, and the third strand will reflect the educational systems and practices of each era. Footnotes are not necessary but sources used must be listed on a bibliography page. 2. Pick one from the following three options: a. Critique a curriculum (DTS, Sunday School, elementary or secondary school, Awana, Pioneer Club, Women's Bible Study, Home Group, Men's Ministry, etc.) by identifying the philosophical perspectives it reflects. Give examples of curriculum elements that demonstrate the philosophy or philosophies you see and why. (Essentialism, Perennialism, Progressivism, Existentialism, Postmodernism, Pragmatism, Idealism, or Realism) b. Critique at least one popular movie, docudrama, or television series from all three of these perspectives: Idealist, Realist and Postmodern. Identify the perspective and give examples of how it is demonstrated in the story plot, characters, dialogue, etc. c. Design your own course or curriculum from an Essentialist, Perennialist, or Progressivist perspective. Identify and explain how the elements of the curriculum reflect the philosophical perspective you have chosen. 3. Paper - Your Philosophy of Christian Education Failure to submit this assignment will result in a failing grade for the course! This paper is your philosophy of Christian education. It is to be a brief and concise statement you can use to explain the foundational beliefs that guide your practice of Christian education. This should be no more than one page (approximately 250 words). Ideally, this will be a short document that you can
use whenever you are asked to produce or explain your philosophy of Christian education. Each statement should have reference endnotes using Turabian style. The statement is limited to one page but the endnotes will be on another page and may exceed one page. Your philosophy should express your biblical and theological perspective on the nature of reality (Metaphysics), the nature of knowledge (Epistemology) and the nature of value (Axiology) as applied to Christian Education. You must include endnote citations for all Scripture references and sources used in creating your philosophy. Failure to supply citations will result in a failing grade. In order to help you formulate your philosophy, do some analytical and reflective thinking before you begin to write. The list below contains some questions to guide your thinking. You will not write about these specific questions, they are just here to help you think about the areas your philosophy of education will address or impact. What would Christian education look like to you if you were the design artist? Use the information you have from your personal experience, what you've seen practiced in church/and or in other formal education settings, what you've learned from class notes, lectures, and reading, what you've discovered from research from other outside sources (scriptural, theological, and general education), and what you learned from other classmates to consider how your philosophy would address these areas: What is the goal of Christian education? What is the role of the student? What methodologies are appropriate? How have the philosophies (those listed for Paper 2) affected your view of Christian education? Would evaluations and assessments be included in your philosophy? Why and what kind? If not, why not? What is the role of the Christian educator? What would the curriculum look like? How do the theological truths about God impact the aspects of Christian education: teacher, student, methods, materials, etc.? VI. Supplemental Information A. Students with Disabilities What is your view of Christian education in an online context? DTS does NOT discriminate on the basis of disability in the operation of any of its programs and activities. To avoid discrimination the student is responsible for
informing the Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities and the course instructor of any disabling condition that will require modifications, such as extra time. B. Disclaimers The selection of textbooks should not be interpreted as implying the professor s endorsement of any of the views of the authors. Textbooks are selected for their perceived value in helping to meet the course goals and objectives. This syllabus may be modified or corrected at the discretion of the professor. Such changes will be posted on online.dts.edu and will be announced via email. Students are responsible for announced changes C. Purpose of the Department The purpose of this department is to encourage students to think theologically, to help them develop systematic theology from the dispensational, premillennial interpretation of biblical revelation, and to help them comprehend the implications of theology for Christian living, for ministry in the body of Christ, and for addressing contemporary issues (Catalog). D. Previous Work Work that has been done (or is being done) for other classes may not be used to earn credit in this class. However, students are encouraged to wisely use ministry- or workrelated preparation in concert with coursework, and if minor adjustments to course requirements can be made to accommodate this arrangement, the professor will be open to reasonable proposals. E. Late Assignments All assignments, unless otherwise noted, are to be turned in by the due date in your module task list. Special circumstances may be considered but only if you contact and obtain approval from your professor or GTA, before the assignment is due. Without a valid reason, late assignments will lose 1 point per day. After seven days, late assignments will only be accepted with professor or GTA approval. Work diligently, plan your schedule, and anticipate emergencies. F. Plagiarism The DTS Student Handbook describes how plagiarism and cheating are handled at DTS. Plagiarism is academically dishonest and contrary to biblical standards of integrity. Any course work involving dishonest, academic practices will be graded as zero without any resubmission permitted. In each case the Office of the Dean of Students will be notified. Take note that plagiarism (copying from Internet, articles, or books) or any form of deception or cheating is strictly prohibited and can be grounds for expulsion from the Seminary. All sources should be fully documented and quotation marks used when appropriate. See www.plagiarism.org for current issues in plagiarism. Ignorance of guidelines is not a defense against charges of plagiarism. When in doubt, cite your source for any material you quote or paraphrase. G. Letter/Numerical Grade Scale A+ 99-100 B+ 91-93 C+ 83-85 D+ 75-77 F 0-69
A 96-98 B 88-90 C 80-82 D 72-74 A- 94-95 B- 86-87 C- 78-79 D- 70-71 H. Checklist and value of various assignments for final grade: Requirements Point Value Autobiography... 3 Readings... 35 Anthony... 15 Estep... 10 Knight... 10 Classmate Interactions... 15 Module 3... 5 Module 5... 5 Module 11... 5 Papers... 40 Timeline... 10 Critique or Create... 10 Personal Philosophy 20 Failure to submit a Personal Philosophy will result in a failing grade for the course! Video & Audio Sessions... ½ pt. each = 7 Total... 100 NOTE: All assignments must be satisfactorily completed for full credit. They must be free of spelling or grammatical errors; show clarity of thought; economy of words; properly documented; demonstrate critical thinking; and turned in on time. Partial credit may be awarded for less than satisfactory work on all but the final assignment.