Exploring the History and Philosophy of Christian Education: Principles for the Twenty-First Century [Paperback]

Michael J. Anthony (Author), Warren S. Benson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0825420237 | ISBN-13: 978-0825420238 | Publication Date: November 1, 2003

Written by two leading scholars in the field, this volume integrates the history and philosophy of Christian education and explores the contemporary applications. (20040603)

Editorial Reviews

Review

. . . Highly readable, engaging, and practical. . . certainly one of the best survey texts for History and Philosophy of Christian Education classes, particularly at the undergraduate level. (Christian Education Journal )

"Anthony and Benson were determined to make this study a transforming experience. Thus came a new approach, focused on understanding lessons from the past to make them relevant to ministry today." (Pam Campbell Leader Magazine )

From the Back Cover

“The purpose of this book is to provide the reader with more than just valuable insights regarding the past. . . . The future is the emphasis of this history book.”

—from the Introduction

In this insightful book, two leading scholars in Christian education trace the history of the discipline from the Old Testament to the present. Presented against the backdrop of wider philosophical thought and historical events, Anthony and Benson show how each successive era shaped the practice of Christian education today. The result is a book brimming with insights that reveal the historical roots and philosophical underpinnings of issues relevant to current practice in Christian education ministries today.

Michael J. Anthony (Ph.D., Developmental Psychology, Claremont Graduate School; Ph.D., Educational Administration, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is professor of Christian education at Biola University/Talbot School of Theology and former president of the North American Professors of Christian Education. He is the author or general editor of several major works, including the Evangelical Dictionary of Christian Education and Introducing Christian Education: Foundations of Ministry for the Twenty-first Century.

The Late Dr. Warren S. Benson was professor emeritus at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He was senior professor of Christian education and Leadership at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

(20041201)

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Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Kregel Academic & Professional (November 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0825420237
• ISBN-13: 978-0825420238
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #651,002 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Helpful Tool, July 21, 2006

By 

Randolph Leong (Troy, MI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Exploring the History and Philosophy of Christian Education: Principles for the Twenty-First Century (Paperback)

The authors strive to make this book a very practical tool. They look upon the past to gather valuable insights to better equip the future servant. Having learned valuable lessons from those who have gone before them, the readers will be better prepared to meet the challenges that lay ahead.
Each chapter has three major emphases that are very helpful:
1.Historical context- Each chapter is introduced with a section titled "What in the World?" to introduce the reader to what else was happening in the world in the era being reviewed, beyond the scope of the particular chapter.
2.Frequent Summaries- The authors make frequent use of text boxes to provide a summary of the material being discussed. This is a very useful tool to refer back to in the future.
3.Contemporary relevance- Each chapter concludes with a section labeled "So What? Lessons from the past for 21st Century Christian Education" These sections draw out principles or lessons derived from the particular historical era.
In the final chapter the authors encourage the reader to develop a Personal Philosophy of Ministry divided up into seven categories and to support their view with scripture. The categories include the Role and Nature of the Teacher, Role and Nature of the Learner, Pupose and Goals of the Lesson, and Outcomes Assessment. This will help the servant to apply theory to practice.
The book ends with an Epilogue, which attempts to pull together the lessons learned from this study. It is broken down in seven summarizing points. It has an 8-page textbox titled "So What? Cumulative Lessons from the Past for 21st Century Education" which contains seven points. Among those summarizing points are that Ministry leaders should lead the way in demonstrating servant leadership (point 2), God's Word is preeminent (point3), and that change is necessary (point 7).
I definitely recommend the book as it is a very helpful tool in looking at the history and philosophy of Christian Education. As the authors state "The emphasis of this history book is the future." We will be able to learn from the lessons of the past and apply it to our future ministry.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars fine, May 10, 2010

By 

Jason R. Pisani "Mr. Jason" (LOUISVILLE, KY, US) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Exploring the History and Philosophy of Christian Education: Principles for the Twenty-First Century (Paperback)

Everything was fine. There are stickers on it I did not expect, but no big deal.

7 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not the perfect one, March 24, 2005

By 

Israel Galindo (Richmond, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Exploring the History and Philosophy of Christian Education: Principles for the Twenty-First Century (Paperback)

It is always gratifying to see attention paid to the perennial ideas and ideals, the importance of understanding the events and lessons of history, and to the appreciation of the classics in any educational enterprise. Perhaps more so today, it is cause to celebrate when that attention happens in the context of theological education. An informal survey of courses of study in theological schools will reveal a diminishing opportunity for being introduced in any systematic way to the history and philosophy of educational thought and Christian education.

So it was with some anticipation that this reviewer read Anthony and Benson's volume on the history and philosophy of Christian education. While the organization and coverage of the text offers a traditional Western approach that is recognizable to those who appreciate "old school," sadly, it has little to contribute by way of new insight, interpretation, or challenge to the contemporary reader. The coverage of history and philosophies which impact Christian education extends up to the twentieth century, but ends with a cursory treatment of the very influential impact of existentialism, and almost no treatment of substance of postmodernism, a school of thought that, regardless of what extent one sees as relevant, should nevertheless be dealt with critically by any student of history, philosophy, and education.

This is at best an introductory college-level textbook. The coverage and treatment of the subject at hand is much too simplistic, at times understated to the point of inaccuracy, to allow for deep understanding of the subject. For example, the extent of the reference to the Odyssey is the statement that it is "the account of Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, who makes an arduous journey home from the battlefield" (p. 47). There are too many oversimplifications like, "People worshiped Greek gods more out of fear for how the gods could hurt them than out of a genuine desire to express their appreciation and affection for the gods. They presented offerings more to avoid future punishment than to express heartfelt thanksgiving" (p. 48). The book also suffers from an over reliance on educational, theological, and philosophical dictionaries and general works as well as some puzzling sources like the All Color Book of Greek Mythology (Pattrick, London: Octopus, 1972).

The authors provide what they call "three major emphases" throughout the book. The first is the placing of the historical content under examination into a broader context through the use of a timeline list under the caption "What in the world?" This is a sidebar feature that is somewhat helpful. The second is the use of textboxes (sidebars) that provide an (overly) interpretive summary of the material under discussion. The third feature is a final chapter section labeled "So What?" in which the authors summarize and attempt to apply "principles or lessons" (hence the subtitle) from the material-a sort of whack on the side of the head for those who may have difficulty connecting the dots on their own. Unfortunately, the principles offered are not helpful generally. More often than not they seem disconnected from the content coverage and intended more to reaffirm a predisposed philosophical stance. For example, the "So What?" list for Chapter 1, Hebrew Origins of Christian Education includes, "1. God desires to use people to accomplish His purpose on earth," and "3. Ministry is about relationships." Likewise for Chapter 2, Greek Education and Philosophical Thought, the "So What?" list includes, "1. Christian education must be more than rote memory," "2. The curriculum of Christian education must be fully integrated," and "3. Scope and sequence of Bible-related curriculum must consider basic tenants of human development."

The book has a decidedly conservative evangelical perspective, including a lack of attention to inclusive language (God is always "He"). This work may provide a good introductory text for Christian and parochial high schools or a college religion course. But we'll have to continue to wait for a more critical contemporary review treatment of the history and philosophy of Christian education for advanced programs of study.