Biblical Psychology of Learning

by Ruth Beechick

Beechick, Ruth

Genres: Education, Parenting, Nonfiction, Psychology

159 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Dr. Ruth Beechick spent a lifetime teaching and studying how people learn. She taught in Washington state, Alaska, Arizona and in several colleges and seminaries in other states. She also spent thirteen years at a publishing company writing curriculum for churches. In "retirement" she wrote for the homeschool movement. Her degrees are A.B. from Seattle Pacific University, M.A.Ed. and Ed.D. from Arizona State University.

Reviews

[Steven H · Rating 2 out of 5]

A CHRISTIAN EDUCATOR SETS FORTH A BIBLICAL OUTLINE FOR LEARNING THEORY

Dr. Ruth Beechick taught in Washington, Alaska, Arizona and in several colleges and seminaries in other states. She also spent thirteen years at a publishing company writing curriculum for churches, and now continues to write for the homeschool movement. [NOTE: pages numbers below refer to the 159-page 1982 edition.]

She explained about this 1982 book, "I realized that we need a theory of learning based on the Bible. The shortcomings of secular theories are due mostly to their various secular views of man. We Christians have a higher view of men. We attribute to him God-like qualities... So I determined to see what the Bible said about learning... Now, I don't think secular learning theories are entirely wrong. I have profited from studying them, too... [But] If we start from the Bible, I believe we can supply the missing base, and work out other problems, too, in learning theory. That's the story of this book." (Pg. 8-9) She explains, "In this book I do not intend to be theological about soul---or about mind, heart, personhood, or spirit... Just one point concerns us here: man DOES have his immaterial side. That is important for learning theory. That is where current popular learning theories go wrong." (Pg. 20)

She suggests, "A biblical psychology ought to be superior to secular psychology, then. We have the revelation from God, and we can pick the best from scientific studies. We no doubt would be farther along in our science if we based our scientific research on biblical principles." (Pg. 24) She adds, "the humanist knows nothing about the human spirit. The Christian has another dimension in his view of the human. So he has another dimension in his education. He has a far richer education, but he need not throw out everything that humanists might use." (Pg. 32-33)

She admits, "I think our problem is that too few Christian researchers are working in the psychological and social sciences. We all want to do things the Bible way, but when we're hooked on learning... we want to use our intellects as fully as we can. Our hearts tell us we should." (Pg. 139) She argues, "We yearn for a science so much that we grasp at straws put out by non-Christians... without the Bible to guide them [secularists] are in for long detours and disappointing dead ends. We can follow stumblingly along, or we can strike out on our own in a Bible direction." (Pg. 141)

This is an interesting proposal for a Christian approach to psychology, and will interest a wide variety of readers (including homeschooling teachers!).

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book as it's on North Carolina's homeschooling reading list. It's a quick read, and a good review of learning theory, citing the research of many theorists in behavioral learning theory. Beechick takes issue with the behaviorists, however, and presents a "heart element" to learning which I found interesting and could identify with. She does refer to numerous behaviorists and educational theorists that I wasn't completely familiar with so this made her references to them a little vague for me as she doesn't delve deeply into their research. For that reason, this book may deserve a second read. Besides that, it's a quick and relatively easy read for anyone interested in learning theory.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first 70 pages or so are slow going, as she wades through an analysis of the current behaviorism in education. But the remainder is tremendously insightful as it discusses the biblical viewpoint of education!

[Marty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the books my mother read in the earlier years of homeschooling. I think it's really a treasure.