Existential Vs. Christian Approach To Education

An Existential vs. Christian Approach to Education The industrial era's "factory model of education" is widely criticized by proponents of a more modern approach to schooling. There has been a shift, albeit a slow one, from vocational training that resulted in students who only had the skills to operate and develop machinery to "school choice" and the concept of choosing one's educational path. The modern approach to education is existential in the way that it emphasizes individual freedom, identity, and search for meaning in the world. Because of this, students are encouraged to apply personal meaning and sense of self to subjects of study. This is not inherently bad, but problems arise when students are told to wrestle with reason
and the absurdity of the world to the point of insanity and/or what can be referred to as "existential depression." I don't think I'm alone when I say that the more I try to analyze a subject, the more disoriented it becomes. Existentialism encourages this by focusing on an individual's personal understanding of the world, as opposed to objective knowledge. Students who have been taught to think from this viewpoint characterize the concepts of reality, ethics, and truth for themselves. Intelligent people tend to be idealists, and when they see that the world fails to reach its full potential, they become fearful or angry. This leads to my next point. The phenomenon called "existential depression" is becoming increasingly common, namely among intelligent youth. When students attempt to figure out their role in the world around them, they tend to separate their subjective experiences from the objective world. "Often, though, the more they try to pull themselves out, the more they become acutely aware that their life is finite and brief, that they are alone and are only one very small organism in a quite large world, and that there is a frightening freedom regarding how one chooses to live one's life" (Webb). Speaking from personal experience, I know that freedom to choose your own path can be terrifying. All of my attempts to reason my own plan for my life have fallen short because of overanalyzing. The ability to make choices is a gift that should not be disregarded, but that doesn't mean that choices are simple. Over analytical minds, such as my own, are plagued by thoughts such as: Are my studies pointless? What am I hoping to achieve through hard work? These thoughts are existential because they are centered around me. America was founded under the pretenses that you can make yourself who you want to be, change the world if you work hard enough, and pushing through suffering is the way to achieve "glory." This idealistic, "American dream" way of thinking claims that there is no real truth, and all that matters is one's subjective truth, a philosophy that is held by many students and teachers alike.
Conversely, as Christians, we believe that there is truth which comes from God-given reason, Scripture, and special revelation. The world and time are not absurd constructs, but rather, products of intelligent design by God. Humans are a valued part of creation, but human experiences can not replace God. The present reality is not eternal, but it is something to be engaged and enjoyed. As the article "The Christian Philosophy of Education" says, "The purpose of Christian education is the directing of the process of human development toward God's objective for man: godliness of character and action." A Christian approach to education is one that is focused on understanding both God and His creation of the world around us.

EDST 200 Existentialism in Education: https://youtu.be/5OHTrQLmSoE

Works Cited
John, Joby. "The Relevance of Existentialim in a Modern Education." ASCD Edge. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2017.
"The Christian Philosophy of Education." BJU Press. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2017.
Webb, James. "Existential Depression in Gifted Individuals." SENG. N.p., 12 Oct. 2016. Web. 06 Mar.
2017.