Christian Philosophy of Education Explained

by Stephen C. Perks

A used book in good condition. All pages are intact, and the spine and cover are also intact. The dust cover, cover, pages and binding are like new. In addition, there is few highlighting and none or few markings.

Genres: Education

169 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Adam T. Calvert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books on Christian Education I think I’ve read. Stephen C. Perks is a gifted communicator and deep thinker. This book is a terrific primer on putting the subject of education in a Christian perspective - from a strictly Biblical worldview. His chapter on Adam naming the animals as a test case for God’s paradigm for man to learn and have dominion over the creation is truly eye-opening, and alone worth the price of the book.

[Josiah Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading quite a bit on Christian education for the past 3 or 4 months and this particular book has helped me see the underlying philosophy behind it. Yes, there is a biblical reason to educate in a Christian way with Christian presuppositions, but what is the Sophos of the thing? What is the knowledge and wisdoms that must be understood, readily equipped to students, and easily defended from "non-conformists"?

Perks, although a very aggressive polemicist on basically anything (He would argue that whatever cereal he's eating at any particular breakfast is the best and only good cereal to eat), was able to confirm my understanding and provide good arguments against deistic or atheistic education.

[Kevin Fulton · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is ok. At times, I would wholeheartedly agree. Other times I wasn't sure about his applications of scripture. And then, many areas he is simply too extreme.
The book does not focus on the classroom, but focuses on how parents should approach educating their child.

I did find the book to be useful, but there must be better Christian philosophies of education out there.

[Jim Becker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good. Helpful.

[Mark Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good, one of the best new finds over the course of my provisional ACCS certification.

[Ryan Handermann · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is written from a Christian reconstructionist perspective, heavily influenced by R J Rushdoony. As such, it has some sound basic ideas, like that since man is a moral and dominical creature, education must take these facts into account, and we must not accept atheistic education (which denies that man is a moral or dominical creature) as a legitimate form of education for our kids. I skimmed through some of this, but the book did not seem to have much help beyond this. I want to know more precisely what education looks like when we accept that man is under God and supposed to take dominion.

He did emphasize that education is normally and should normally be done through the family - again, very Rushdoony. He says that Christian schools are not God-ordained institutions, and hence, only have delegated authority from their parents. This makes some sense, but does not take into account when parents have abdicated their authority, or when kids are in divorced homes. It seems that church should take responsibility here. But he did mention that in special circumstances, the church may fulfill this duty, for instance, when offering welfare education to poor families. Here, the Christian School becomes more missional in its focus as well.

[Marilyn Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the other must read book on Christian education along with Rushdoony's The Philosophy of the Christian Curriculum.