Customer Reviews

Teaching for Faith: A Guide for Teachers of Adult Classes

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Osmer's book is an attempt to do two things: 1) provide a basic theology of Christian Education for Adult Learners and 2) provide four different teaching methods (lecture, discussion, life story, and paradox) to transmit knowledge to adults. For someone who has no background in adult education and specifically adult Christian education, this is a good book to get one started. Osmer provides numerous examples and outlines on how to implement giving a lecture, leading a discussion, using life review, and paradox to teach and deepen faith. The book contains a chapter on how to use the book alone or to instruct and train a group of teachers. The suggested reading list at the end of the book provides the teacher with many more sources to explore as their capacity and ability to teach and transmit faith grows.

The theological mode of a Faith Cube is helpful in understanding adult faith development and the role that good solid Christian Education plays in helping adults grow and mature in their faith. As a pastor with minimal Christian Education training I found this book education and helpful but it did tend to drag toward the end as the examples got detailed and numerous. Others may find that helpful and it did not detract from the usefulness of the book, just made it a bit `dry' to read.

If you are looking for a basic book on Adult Christian Education and want to gain a solid theological understanding of its need and how to begin teaching adults, I would recommend starting with this book.

Preparing the lecture of the next semester, I am reading Professor Osmer's book, Teaching for Faith. At first, I thought that that book was the only guide book for Christian education of adult classes. However, reading Professor Osmer's book, I have known that my first thought is not right. Professor Osmer's book is beyond the only guide book for adult students. His book is the "storehouse" of new insights and information of Christian education as well as general education. His style is not difficult so that a foreigner out of U.S.A. like me can understand author's main theme. I am experiencing the new surprising findings in his book's page by page. And I am surprised at his faithfulness and modesty. Professor Osmer's book, Teaching for Faith, is a happy place for my mind and soul. I deeply appreciate Professor Osmer. God's blessing of peace will be with Professor Osmer, his family, and his academy.

Rev. Moon Son, Ph.D. (He is teaching Christian Education at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, and is serving Jesus Love Methodist Church in Seoul as a pastor of Korean Methodist Church.)