Christian Religious Education: Sharing Our Story and Vision [Paperback]

Thomas H. Groome (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 5, 1999

The Classic Guide for Educators of Any Denomination

What mission calls us to teach? How do societal issues-social oppression, poverty, politics-affect what we teach, how we teach it, and how people learn? Who are our students? What and when are they ready to learn? Once we understand these foundations, how can we facilitate an educational experience that has the power to shape and transform people and communities in life-giving ways of faith?

In this classic text, Thomas Groome asks and answers these central questions, providing a comprehensive integration of the history, theory, and practice of modern religious education for a new generation of educators. His self-reflective approach-shared praxis-will inspire school teachers, students of religious education, pastors, parents, and religious educators in local churches who want to understand themselves, their mission, and their surroundings-to inform, form, and transform their students' lives.

"Anyone tugged by the calling at the heart of education or religious life can only cheer for the republication of this classic book."-Robert Kegan, Harvard Graduate School of Education

"Whether returning Christian Religious Education or reading it for the first time, readers will discover freshness leaping from the page; you will soon know why this formative book of the past is a beacon for the future-informative, inspiring, and wise!"-Mary Elizabeth Moore, professor of theology and Christian education, Claremont School of Theology

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Anyone tugged by the calling at the heart of education or religious life can only cheer for the republication of this classic book." --Robert Kegan, Harvard Graduate School of Education

"Christian Religious Education is one of the most important books -if not the most important-on Christian education published during the last fifty years." --Don Browning, University of Chicago, coauthor, From Culture Wars to Common Ground: Religion and the American Family Debate

"Whether returning Christian Religious Education or reading it for the first time, readers will discover freshness leaping from the page; you will soon know why this formative book of the past is a beacon for the future-informative, inspiring, and wise!" --Mary Elizabeth Moore, professor of theology and Christian education, Claremont School of Theology

"Tom Groome combines the great masters of the past with the most creative innovators of the present to provide us with a modern day classic." --Virgilio P. Elizondo, founder, Mexican American Cultural Center

From the Inside Flap

The Classic Guide for Educators of Any DenominationWhat mission calls us to teach? How do societal issues-social oppression, poverty, politics-affect what we teach, how we teach it, and how people learn? Who are our students? What and when are they ready to learn? Once we understand these foundations, how can we facilitate an educational experience that has the power to shape and transform people and communities in life-giving ways of faith?In this classic text, Thomas Groome asks and answers these central questions, providing a comprehensive integration of the history, theory, and practice of modern religious education for a new generation of educators. His self-reflective approach-shared praxis-will inspire school teachers, students of religious education, pastors, parents, and religious educators in local churches who want to understand themselves, their mission, and their surroundings-to inform, form, and transform their students' lives."Anyone tugged by the calling at the heart of education or religious life can only cheer for the republication of this classic book."—Robert Kegan, Harvard Graduate School of Education"Christian Religious Education is one of the most important books -if not the most important-on Christian education published during the last fifty years."—Don Browning, University of Chicago, coauthor, From Culture Wars to Common Ground: Religion and the American Family Debate "Whether returning Christian Religious Education or reading it for the first time, readers will discover freshness leaping from the page; you will soon know why this formative book of the past is a beacon for the future-informative, inspiring, and wise!"—Mary Elizabeth Moore, professor of theology and Christian education, Claremont School of Theology "Tom Groome combines the great masters of the past with the most creative innovators of the present to provide us with a modern day classic."—Virgilio P. Elizondo, founder, Mexican American Cultural Center

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass (February 5, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787947857
• ISBN-13: 978-0787947859
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #223,182 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Propmising Vision for Religious Educaton, October 21, 2003

By 

Claire E Bischoff (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Christian Religious Education: Sharing Our Story and Vision (Paperback)

A basic how-to guide for religious education this book is not. However, I feel strongly that anyone involved in Christian religious education should encounter Groome's work because he so clearly delineates and discusses the foundational questions that inform our practice in religious education. In reading Groome's exploration of answers to these foundational educational questions, the reader will be encouraged to consider these questions for herself or himself and thus come to better understand and more clearly articulate the underlying assumptions, beliefs, and theories that shape his or her practice. The format of Groome's book is clear, with six parts centering on the what, why, where, how, when and who of Christian religious education. These may seem like simple questions with basic answers, but Groome draws upon psychological, philosophical, educational and theological resources to answers them in a way that is thought-provoking, educationally sound, and true to the Story and Vision of the Christian faith.
Particularly useful is Groome's articulation of the shared praxis approach to religious education in the fourth section of the book. This attitude toward religious education (Groome would be hesitant to call it a method) puts the entire lived experiences of individuals and groups of people in critical and constructive dialogue with the Story, understood as the entirety of the Christian faith tradition, and the Vision, Groome's term for God's vision of creation and the kingdom of God and the lived response that this invites from people of faith, of Christianity. In his description of the shared praxis approach, I found much that affirmed and put words to some of my current educational practice, as well as ideas that challenged me to reconsider various aspects of my teaching style. For educators already working unknowingly out of a shared praxis approach, Groome's work is still valuable because it provides a vocabulary and a framework for understanding such practice. For educators who have not yet considered this way of approaching the educational task, there is much that bears pondering and appropriating for one's own practice.
Only one statement of warning is necessary. Groome is a scholar who seems most at home in the philosophical realm. For those readers not as familiar with philosophy and more accustomed to reading books with an ostensibly more practical focus, it will help to read for his main ideas so that one does not get bogged down when Groome traces the philosophical influences of many of his ideas.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Shared Praxis as Christian Religious Education, July 5, 2006

By 

Alex Tang "the reader" (Malaysia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Christian Religious Education: Sharing Our Story and Vision (Paperback)

The Shared Praxis is Groome's contribution to Christian education pedagogy. In this very comprehensive book, Groome examined the nature, purpose and context of Christian religious education. He defined "Christian religious education is a political activity with pilgrims in time that deliberately and intentionally attends with them to the activity of God in our present, to the Story of the Christian faith community, and to the Vision of God's Kingdom, the seeds of which are already among us."(p.25) The key to the understanding of Shared Praxis is the understanding of time. Instead of linear time or kronos, Groome suggested that kairos time, especially the present time being most important. In the present time, which he described as "present of things present, the present of things past, and the present of things future" is where true learning take place.

He suggested that the Shared Praxis approach is the most reasonable way to do Christian religious education.

There are five components or movements in shared praxis. They are (1) present action, (2) critical reflection, (3) dialogue, (4) the Christian Story, and (5) the Vision that arises from that Story. It is in the present time that action takes place. Action is a reflection of our self. Hence critical reflection of such action in terms of past Christian tradition, present situation and the future of what is hoped for in the Kingdom. This is to be done within the context of the Christian Story. The hope is the Vision of the educational outcome. Groome summarised with "Christian religious education by shared praxis can be described as a group of Christians sharing in dialogue their critical reflection on present action in light of the Christian Story and its Vision toward the end of lived Christian faith."(p.184)

It is an innovative approach to Christian religious education and a viable alternative to the more traditional schooling approach.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, January 10, 2005

By 

Melekali - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Christian Religious Education: Sharing Our Story and Vision (Paperback)

Groome has some very practical ideas which can easily be implemented in the classroom, I have found, without too much effort. An excellent book with some limitations, it has helped me in my Masters of Religious Education to acquire a new approach and has synergistically taught me that the purpose of education is to teach the student to think and evaluate all things, being equipped to come to better conclusions, the better the process of thinking works in the individual. I highly recommend the work.