Reflective Paper
Reflective Paper: Teaching Biblical Principles
Jolie A. Thorpe
Liberty University
Education 531
September 2, 2012
Professor Kelly Bingham
Reflective Paper: Teaching Biblical Principles
According to Websters Dictionary a principle is defined as a “comprehensive and fundamental law, doctrine, or assumption,” (principle, 2012). There are two different ways to understand the concept of principle, worldview and Biblical perspective. The worldview of principles focuses on human direction, and it is influenced by Satan. Teaching students principles that are established in the Word of God provides spiritual guidance. Christian schools or homeschool forms of education can deliver Biblically based principles throughout the curriculum. Whereas in the public school educators are limited to moral or character education.
History of Character Education From the Pilgrims to the Founding Fathers, America had its beginnings in Christianity. Up until the 20th century, Christian principles were unquestionably a part of education. Students received character education through discipline, the teacher’s example, and the daily school curriculum, which included the Bible (Lickona, 1993). However, Darwinism introduced evolution, a lie of Satan. The theory of Darwinism catered to man’s sin nature of self, and people openly questioned God. As God’s existence became a doubt, morality also became an uncertainty (Lickona, 1993).
Another blow to character education was the postmodern thinking. Postmodern theory is based on the idea that reality is not reflected in human understanding. Reality is constructed as the person tries to interpret their own reality, (Aylesworth, 2012). According to Wilhelm and Firmin, the “backlash of postmodernism asserts that Christian virtue and absolute truth cannot be held as exclusive morality,” (Welhelm & Welhelm, 2008, p.190). Teachers became concerned with forcing any absolutes or morality. In the absence of absolutes or morality
Jolie A. Thorpe
Liberty University
Education 531
September 2, 2012
Professor Kelly Bingham
Reflective Paper: Teaching Biblical Principles
According to Websters Dictionary a principle is defined as a “comprehensive and fundamental law, doctrine, or assumption,” (principle, 2012). There are two different ways to understand the concept of principle, worldview and Biblical perspective. The worldview of principles focuses on human direction, and it is influenced by Satan. Teaching students principles that are established in the Word of God provides spiritual guidance. Christian schools or homeschool forms of education can deliver Biblically based principles throughout the curriculum. Whereas in the public school educators are limited to moral or character education.
History of Character Education From the Pilgrims to the Founding Fathers, America had its beginnings in Christianity. Up until the 20th century, Christian principles were unquestionably a part of education. Students received character education through discipline, the teacher’s example, and the daily school curriculum, which included the Bible (Lickona, 1993). However, Darwinism introduced evolution, a lie of Satan. The theory of Darwinism catered to man’s sin nature of self, and people openly questioned God. As God’s existence became a doubt, morality also became an uncertainty (Lickona, 1993).
Another blow to character education was the postmodern thinking. Postmodern theory is based on the idea that reality is not reflected in human understanding. Reality is constructed as the person tries to interpret their own reality, (Aylesworth, 2012). According to Wilhelm and Firmin, the “backlash of postmodernism asserts that Christian virtue and absolute truth cannot be held as exclusive morality,” (Welhelm & Welhelm, 2008, p.190). Teachers became concerned with forcing any absolutes or morality. In the absence of absolutes or morality