I have decided that I want to take some time to reflect on Christian education, what it is, and why it is important. I may not complete this task in one post, nor complete it in consecutive posts. It is simply something that I feel like doing, so here goes.
As the discussion begins, I feel that a defining of the term "Christian education" is needed. This is not to say that my particular definition is the only possible definition, nor that it is the best stated definition. It is only to say that it is my definition. As a compound term, "Christian education" must be defined as both words and as a term. The full understanding of the term comes from an understanding of the words. For our discussion, I will begin with "education" and work toward the complete definition. The historical definition of education has been "the act of acquiring knowledge." Simply put, that means that we are educating every time we open our mouths to speak and every time we model a behavior. Education is the act of communicating knowledge or behavior to another person. In the formal sense, that act takes place in a school setting. However, it must be noted that most education takes place outside of the classroom. We educate when we mention, when we mentor, and when we model. The best method of education is the combination of all three. Defining education is not truly difficult; what is difficult is limiting the definition so that it is meaningful. Soon we will look at the "Christian" part of Christian education, then we will join the two parts of the term to come to a working definition of Christian Education.
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