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On Secular Education
R.L. Dabney (1820-1898)—preacher, theologian, soldier, poet, and essayist—strongly condemned the public education of his day. He saw with prophetic insight that State education could not help but be secularized since it was designed to please the people. As a result, he argued, public education would begin to teach its students not truth, but the values and virtues which were palatable to society at large. Although a century has passed since Dabney first wrote this essay, the questions that parents face haven't changed. Secular education still seeks to indoctrinate our children under the pretense of objectivity, and truth is still sacrificed for the sake of social "unity." We must acknowledge with Dabney that proper education is about heart and soul, not just propositions and facts. Only then will our children learn truth and be equipped to live out our faith.
40 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 1996
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About the author
Robert Lewis Dabney
158 books43 followersRobert Lewis Dabney (March 5, 1820 – January 3, 1898) was an American Christian theologian, a Southern Presbyterian pastor, and Confederate Army chaplain. He was also chief of staff and biographer to Stonewall Jackson. His biography of Jackson remains in print today.
Dabney studied at Hampden-Sydney College and the University of Virginia (M.A., 1842), and graduated from Union Theological Seminary in 1846.
He was then a missionary in Louisa County, Virginia, from 1846 to 1847 and pastor at Tinkling Spring, Virginia from 1847 to 1853, being also head master of a classical school for a portion of this time. From 1853 to 1859 he was professor of ecclesiastical history and polity and from 1859 to 1869 adjunct professor of systematic theology in Union Theological Seminary, where he later became full professor of systematics. In 1883, he was appointed professor of mental and moral philosophy in the University of Texas.
By 1894 failing health compelled him to retire from active life, although he still lectured occasionally. He was co-pastor, with his brother-in-law B. M. Smith, of the Hampden-Sydney College Church 1858 to 1874, also serving Hampden-Sydney College in a professorial capacity on occasions of vacancies in its faculty. Dabney, whose wife was a first cousin to Stonewall Jackson's wife, participated in the Civil War: during the summer of 1861 he was chaplain of the 18th Virginia regiment in the Confederate army, and in the following year was chief of staff to Jackson during the Valley Campaign and the Seven Days Battles.
After the Civil War Dabney spoke widely on Jackson and the Confederacy. He continued to hold racial views typical in the South before the Civil War, and his continued support of slavery in speeches and a book published after the war and his strong loyalty to the Confederacy until the 1890s made him a visible figure in the post-war South (Hettle, 2003).
While at the University of Texas he practically founded and maintained the Austin School of Theology (which later became Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary), and in 1870 was Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States.
Major works
Memoir of Rev. Dr. Francis S. Sampson (1855), whose commentary on Hebrews he edited (1857);
Life of General Thomas J. Jackson (1866)
A Defense of Virginia, and Through Her, of the South, in Recent and Pending Contests Against the Sectional Party (1867), an apologia for the Confederacy.
Lectures on Sacred Rhetoric (1870)
Syllabus and Notes of the Course of Systematic and Polemic Theology (1871; 2nd ed. 1878), later republished as Systematic Theology.
Systematic Theology (1878)
Sensualistic Philosophy of the Nineteenth Century Examined (1875; 2nd ed. 1887)
Practical Philosophy (1897)
Penal Character of the Atonement of Christ Discussed in the Light of Recent Popular Heresies (1898, posthumous), on the satisfaction view of the atonement.
Discussions (1890-1897), Four volumes of his shorter essays, edited by C. R. Vaughan.
Dabney studied at Hampden-Sydney College and the University of Virginia (M.A., 1842), and graduated from Union Theological Seminary in 1846.
He was then a missionary in Louisa County, Virginia, from 1846 to 1847 and pastor at Tinkling Spring, Virginia from 1847 to 1853, being also head master of a classical school for a portion of this time. From 1853 to 1859 he was professor of ecclesiastical history and polity and from 1859 to 1869 adjunct professor of systematic theology in Union Theological Seminary, where he later became full professor of systematics. In 1883, he was appointed professor of mental and moral philosophy in the University of Texas.
By 1894 failing health compelled him to retire from active life, although he still lectured occasionally. He was co-pastor, with his brother-in-law B. M. Smith, of the Hampden-Sydney College Church 1858 to 1874, also serving Hampden-Sydney College in a professorial capacity on occasions of vacancies in its faculty. Dabney, whose wife was a first cousin to Stonewall Jackson's wife, participated in the Civil War: during the summer of 1861 he was chaplain of the 18th Virginia regiment in the Confederate army, and in the following year was chief of staff to Jackson during the Valley Campaign and the Seven Days Battles.
After the Civil War Dabney spoke widely on Jackson and the Confederacy. He continued to hold racial views typical in the South before the Civil War, and his continued support of slavery in speeches and a book published after the war and his strong loyalty to the Confederacy until the 1890s made him a visible figure in the post-war South (Hettle, 2003).
While at the University of Texas he practically founded and maintained the Austin School of Theology (which later became Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary), and in 1870 was Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States.
Major works
Memoir of Rev. Dr. Francis S. Sampson (1855), whose commentary on Hebrews he edited (1857);
Life of General Thomas J. Jackson (1866)
A Defense of Virginia, and Through Her, of the South, in Recent and Pending Contests Against the Sectional Party (1867), an apologia for the Confederacy.
Lectures on Sacred Rhetoric (1870)
Syllabus and Notes of the Course of Systematic and Polemic Theology (1871; 2nd ed. 1878), later republished as Systematic Theology.
Systematic Theology (1878)
Sensualistic Philosophy of the Nineteenth Century Examined (1875; 2nd ed. 1887)
Practical Philosophy (1897)
Penal Character of the Atonement of Christ Discussed in the Light of Recent Popular Heresies (1898, posthumous), on the satisfaction view of the atonement.
Discussions (1890-1897), Four volumes of his shorter essays, edited by C. R. Vaughan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
December 1, 2020
Dabney warned us.
Christians—if you send your children to Caesar’s schools, you ought not to be surprised when they emerge as Romans.
Christians—if you send your children to Caesar’s schools, you ought not to be surprised when they emerge as Romans.
March 13, 2021
Incredibly insightful read! Especially intriguing is the time period in which Dabney wrote and how true his conclusions about the consequences of secularizing education. I admit I had to re-read several portions of the text to truly understand the high vocabulary and arguments he made. And I did ultimately disagree with some of his assertions about God’s intentions and purposes for the government. Yet, overall I highly recommend this read for anyone working in education or who is interested in examining how public education in America has become what it is today.
October 4, 2017
I don't believe I disagreed with, or could have improved on a single line. I am just astonished that this has been around so long, and yet otherwise apparently sane and reasonable people still support state schools. Every parent should read this. Again.
December 20, 2024
A quick, but poignant read, packed with powerful language detailing the nature and important of education and the vast riches we lose if we pretend that schools can be and are best managed as secular institutions (spoiler: they can’t be, and they’re not).
Education is innately moral and is a teaching and guiding of the whole soul, not merely “brains on sticks” and this little book (essay?) articulates the finer points of such an argument much better than I can.
Highly recommend for every Christian.
Education is innately moral and is a teaching and guiding of the whole soul, not merely “brains on sticks” and this little book (essay?) articulates the finer points of such an argument much better than I can.
Highly recommend for every Christian.
November 17, 2021
This is a short but excellent pamphlet considering whether secular education is possible or admissible. Dabney absolutely called it right when making predictions about education provided by the State. Here are a few memorable ideas that I enjoyed:
-Dexterity in art is not the same as education. This is precisely what I see everywhere—even as people graduate from decidedly Christian institutions. Reading, writing, etc. are tools for education, not education itself—and seemingly everywhere, supposed educators are releasing young people into the world who can get angry when someone writes “it’s” instead of “its”, but are incapable of logic. A person can be literate and yet uneducated.
-“Every line of true knowledge must find its completeness as it converges on God, just as every beam of sunlight leads the eye to the sun. If religion is excluded from our proper study, every process of thought will be arrested before it reaches its proper goal. The structure of thought must remain a truncated cone, with its proper apex lacking.” Absolutely right. The data of a world created for God’s glory necessarily leads us back to God. The wind tussling a field of grass leads us to praise the Creator—but so should elegant mathematical equations.
-Education as touching upon and nourishing our very souls. There aren’t facets of our souls left untouched by true education. I'm not pretentious enough to think that there won't be times when you just need to watch a quick YouTube video to learn how to change your taillight--but this point gets to the true scope of education in its fullest sense. If education in its fullest sense nourishes our souls with truth, secular education is oxymoronic. (My wife just chipped in that true education leads to a well ordered life with well ordered affections. My takeaway from her insight is that if God be true and Lord, secularism can't accomplish this.)
-“How much of the noblest literature must be excluded if this plan is to be carried out? The public-school teacher must not mention to his people Shakespeare, nor Bacon, nor Milton, nor Macauley. The censorship of free democracy will be far more stringent than that of despotic Rome.” This one’s notable simply because of how prophetic it turned out to be, even though “Knowledge of these constitute beneficial and essential part of our civilization.” Also, note the theme of public libraries to get rid of old books in general.
-Dabney predicted a system where teachers can’t even be trusted to teach secular subjects with integrity. It’s always a blast when public schools deny propagating CRT, and whistleblowers contradict them with undeniable evidence.
-“While we have no right to ask the State to propagate our theology, we have a right to demand that it shall not oppose it.” Evangelicals at large think politics are icky for some reason. Hard not to think that a robust understanding, appreciation, and utilization of our political system could have helped us avoid a lot of the human suffering in our culture today.
“…A non-Christian training is an anti-Christian training.” Anti, of course can mean against, but also seeking to take the place of. I really do think we need to see secularism as this dangerous. It’s not neutral and unassuming—and it doesn’t just want to push religion away. It wants to replace religion. Because, of course, it’s a religion too.
-“Humanity always finds out, sooner or later, that it cannot get on without religion—and it will take a false one in preference to none.” What a profound insight into human nature. The growing number of people in America who identify as pagans and the growing interest in the occult are just the tip of the iceberg—materialism and secularism have already held on to us at a national level for a while.
-“What is vital to a true theory of human rights? The real independence of the smallest, but highest realm, that of the parent, must be respected.” The family unit, as conceived of by biblical theology, is not well understood or respected. Consequentially, I see a lot of Christians who seem to believe they get their family rights from the government, instead of being endowed with God given rights that the government can only touch if given permission.
-A political maxim: “When an organism is applied to a function for which it was not designed, it is injured, and the function is done poorly.” It all gets back to what Dr. Glenn Sunshine describes as “sphere sovereignty” in his small history of Protestant resistance theory, “Slaying Leviathan”. One “sphere” of life tends to try to take upon itself the responsibilities of other spheres when they fail to do a good job. But, not being suited to the task, it does a bad job, and even hurts itself. Ladies and gentlemen, the American government.
-Dexterity in art is not the same as education. This is precisely what I see everywhere—even as people graduate from decidedly Christian institutions. Reading, writing, etc. are tools for education, not education itself—and seemingly everywhere, supposed educators are releasing young people into the world who can get angry when someone writes “it’s” instead of “its”, but are incapable of logic. A person can be literate and yet uneducated.
-“Every line of true knowledge must find its completeness as it converges on God, just as every beam of sunlight leads the eye to the sun. If religion is excluded from our proper study, every process of thought will be arrested before it reaches its proper goal. The structure of thought must remain a truncated cone, with its proper apex lacking.” Absolutely right. The data of a world created for God’s glory necessarily leads us back to God. The wind tussling a field of grass leads us to praise the Creator—but so should elegant mathematical equations.
-Education as touching upon and nourishing our very souls. There aren’t facets of our souls left untouched by true education. I'm not pretentious enough to think that there won't be times when you just need to watch a quick YouTube video to learn how to change your taillight--but this point gets to the true scope of education in its fullest sense. If education in its fullest sense nourishes our souls with truth, secular education is oxymoronic. (My wife just chipped in that true education leads to a well ordered life with well ordered affections. My takeaway from her insight is that if God be true and Lord, secularism can't accomplish this.)
-“How much of the noblest literature must be excluded if this plan is to be carried out? The public-school teacher must not mention to his people Shakespeare, nor Bacon, nor Milton, nor Macauley. The censorship of free democracy will be far more stringent than that of despotic Rome.” This one’s notable simply because of how prophetic it turned out to be, even though “Knowledge of these constitute beneficial and essential part of our civilization.” Also, note the theme of public libraries to get rid of old books in general.
-Dabney predicted a system where teachers can’t even be trusted to teach secular subjects with integrity. It’s always a blast when public schools deny propagating CRT, and whistleblowers contradict them with undeniable evidence.
-“While we have no right to ask the State to propagate our theology, we have a right to demand that it shall not oppose it.” Evangelicals at large think politics are icky for some reason. Hard not to think that a robust understanding, appreciation, and utilization of our political system could have helped us avoid a lot of the human suffering in our culture today.
“…A non-Christian training is an anti-Christian training.” Anti, of course can mean against, but also seeking to take the place of. I really do think we need to see secularism as this dangerous. It’s not neutral and unassuming—and it doesn’t just want to push religion away. It wants to replace religion. Because, of course, it’s a religion too.
-“Humanity always finds out, sooner or later, that it cannot get on without religion—and it will take a false one in preference to none.” What a profound insight into human nature. The growing number of people in America who identify as pagans and the growing interest in the occult are just the tip of the iceberg—materialism and secularism have already held on to us at a national level for a while.
-“What is vital to a true theory of human rights? The real independence of the smallest, but highest realm, that of the parent, must be respected.” The family unit, as conceived of by biblical theology, is not well understood or respected. Consequentially, I see a lot of Christians who seem to believe they get their family rights from the government, instead of being endowed with God given rights that the government can only touch if given permission.
-A political maxim: “When an organism is applied to a function for which it was not designed, it is injured, and the function is done poorly.” It all gets back to what Dr. Glenn Sunshine describes as “sphere sovereignty” in his small history of Protestant resistance theory, “Slaying Leviathan”. One “sphere” of life tends to try to take upon itself the responsibilities of other spheres when they fail to do a good job. But, not being suited to the task, it does a bad job, and even hurts itself. Ladies and gentlemen, the American government.
February 3, 2012
This was written back in the 19 century and it is prophetic even for our day.
May 2, 2022
A quick and easy read. Worthwhile for every Christian parent to read.
June 27, 2021
Dabney’s eerily prophetic warnings about the relationship between Christianity, secularism, and education or worth reading. I’m not where Wilson is on a lot of issues and we have a different understanding of the Christian life but he seems to has done a nice job with the language.
May 24, 2022
Good start.
May 10, 2017
Terrific read. I'm thankful Douglas Wilson brought this into print. It's amazing to me that R.L. Dabney saw the danger of state-controlled education back in the 1800's, and yet so many today - even after experiencing it their whole lives - still do not understand how important distinctively Christian education is.
I hope this short work gets a large audience. Highly recommended.
I hope this short work gets a large audience. Highly recommended.
December 18, 2021
Great. Read this as a free audiobook.
You can listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GV80...
You can listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GV80...
February 26, 2024
Excellent.
February 12, 2018
Wow; amazing read. As an education major I can say this was so insightful against the backdrop of Dewey and his contemporaries. This quotes sums it up: “Until the magistrate can feel a love, and be nerved by it to a self-denying care and toil, equal to that of a father and a mother, he can show no reason for assuming any parental function.” The secular public school system undoubtedly sees their role as parental. Dewey, signer is the Humanist Manifesto, advocated strongly for his idea of the “common faith.” His ideals strips any sort of parental influence from civil education. Dabney is so prophetic here it’s scary. Best piece on secular education I’ve ever read or think I will read, honestly. He sums up perfectly the goal of true education here:
“Every line of true knowledge must find its completeness as it converges on God, just as every beam of daylight leads the eye to the sun. If religion is excluded from our study, every process of thought will be arrested before it reaches its proper goal.”
If you do not start with, “Thus says the Lord” first, you aren’t talking about true education.
“Every line of true knowledge must find its completeness as it converges on God, just as every beam of daylight leads the eye to the sun. If religion is excluded from our study, every process of thought will be arrested before it reaches its proper goal.”
If you do not start with, “Thus says the Lord” first, you aren’t talking about true education.
February 23, 2022
Great essay on why secular education really doesn't make any sense, from a Christian perspective as well as a general theist perspective. Many of Dabney's concerns regarding this truly novel pursuit have come to fruition in the past 5 years or so.
July 13, 2023
Dabney against secular education. Sounds almost prophetic.
July 20, 2024
Will be referenced again and again. Worth an hour of listening.
December 3, 2022
Astounding and prescient in many ways. A necessary read for Christian parents and thought leaders.
October 2, 2025
Fantastic.
March 6, 2012
Fantastic little booklet on the inevitable self-defeating or self-deifying nature of godless education.
Without a god, the State has no authority though she must teach and govern the school with authority. "Says who? What gives you the right?" Without a god, the State cannot teach toward a man's highest end though she must act like she can or else lose her reason for existence. "What can you do for me? How will I use this later?"
As Dabney writes,
Without a god, the State cannot mention information or perspective on a host of issues, which is not actually education.
Because of these problems (and more), without a god, the State must eventually become one.
Dabney's prophecies have now been fulfilled in the "glory" of America's public schools.
Without a god, the State has no authority though she must teach and govern the school with authority. "Says who? What gives you the right?" Without a god, the State cannot teach toward a man's highest end though she must act like she can or else lose her reason for existence. "What can you do for me? How will I use this later?"
As Dabney writes,
Every line of true knowledge must find its completeness as it converges on God, just as every beam of daylight leads the eye to the sun. If religion is excluded from our study, every process of thought will be arrested before it reaches its proper goal. (17)
Without a god, the State cannot mention information or perspective on a host of issues, which is not actually education.
The instructor has to teach history, cosmogony, psychology, ethics, and the laws of nations. How can he do it without saying anything favorable or unfavorable about the beliefs of evangelical Christians, Catholics, Socinians, Deists, pantheists, materialists, or fetish worshippers, who all claim equal rights under American institutions? His teaching will indeed be "the play of Hamlet, with the part of Hamlet omitted." (17)
Because of these problems (and more), without a god, the State must eventually become one.
Humanity always finds out, sooner or later, that it cannot get on without a religion, and it will take a false one in preference to none. (27)
Dabney's prophecies have now been fulfilled in the "glory" of America's public schools.
May 13, 2009
Before schools were federalized, Dabney predicted they would become thoroughly secular and antithetical to Christianity. Well, it seems he was right. This is a great, short read, arguing that religiously neutral education is inherently hostile to religion. Education is primarily the responsibility of parents, and should only be given to others with great thought and care. Surrendering your children to secular teachers is to surrender them to anti-Christian teachers. This is an important read.
June 20, 2025
Good essay on secular education and why Christians should oppose it.
November 23, 2020
Very solid.
Some of the best quotes:
"It is properly the whole man or person that is educated, but the main subject of work is the spirit. Education is the nurture and development of the whole man for his proper end. That end must be conceived rightly in order to understand the process, and even man’s earthly end is predominantly moral.
…dexterity in art [i.e., “trade skills”] is not education. The latter nurtures the soul; the other only drills a sense organ or muscle. The one has a mechanical end; the other, a moral purpose."
“Every line of true knowledge must find its completeness as it converges on God, just as every beam of daylight leads the eye to the sun. If religion is excluded from our study, every process of thought will be arrested before it reaches its proper goal.”
“Because all truths converge towards God, the teacher who cannot name God must have fragmented teaching. He can only construct a truncated figure. In history, ethics, philosophy, and jurisprudence, religious facts and propositions are absolutely inseparable from the subject at hand.”
“The actual and consistent secularization of education should not be tolerated. But nearly all public men and preachers declare that the public schools are the glory of America. They are a finality, and in no event to be surrendered. We have seen that their complete secularization is logically inevitable. Christians must prepare themselves then, for the following results: All prayers, catechisms, and Bibles will ultimately be driven out of the schools.”
“The competitions of the State and the Church for power over education have been so engrossing that we have almost forgotten the parent, the third and rightful competitor. And now many look at the parental claim almost contemptuously. Because the spheres of Church and State are so much wider and more populous than that of the parent, they are prone to regard it as every way inferior. But have we not seen that the smaller circle is, in fact, the most original and best authorized of the three?”
Some of the best quotes:
"It is properly the whole man or person that is educated, but the main subject of work is the spirit. Education is the nurture and development of the whole man for his proper end. That end must be conceived rightly in order to understand the process, and even man’s earthly end is predominantly moral.
…dexterity in art [i.e., “trade skills”] is not education. The latter nurtures the soul; the other only drills a sense organ or muscle. The one has a mechanical end; the other, a moral purpose."
“Every line of true knowledge must find its completeness as it converges on God, just as every beam of daylight leads the eye to the sun. If religion is excluded from our study, every process of thought will be arrested before it reaches its proper goal.”
“Because all truths converge towards God, the teacher who cannot name God must have fragmented teaching. He can only construct a truncated figure. In history, ethics, philosophy, and jurisprudence, religious facts and propositions are absolutely inseparable from the subject at hand.”
“The actual and consistent secularization of education should not be tolerated. But nearly all public men and preachers declare that the public schools are the glory of America. They are a finality, and in no event to be surrendered. We have seen that their complete secularization is logically inevitable. Christians must prepare themselves then, for the following results: All prayers, catechisms, and Bibles will ultimately be driven out of the schools.”
“The competitions of the State and the Church for power over education have been so engrossing that we have almost forgotten the parent, the third and rightful competitor. And now many look at the parental claim almost contemptuously. Because the spheres of Church and State are so much wider and more populous than that of the parent, they are prone to regard it as every way inferior. But have we not seen that the smaller circle is, in fact, the most original and best authorized of the three?”
January 14, 2022
Dabney is one of the absolute most underrated Theologians in American history. Due in large part to his erroneous views of black people and slavery. I'll grant they were atrocious views, as most serious Christian historians would likewise admit. However, it's fallacious to dismiss him outright on account of these views, seeing as to how they were wholly inconsistent with his most fundamental beliefs. Thankfully, unlike many [theologically] liberal Yankee Theologians, he didn't hold to polygenesis or a belief that blacks were of less value before God and an altogether different race. He likewise believed the South came under heavy judgment from God for their mishandling of the institution of slavery.
Be all this as it is, his views on education in America were prescient. Dabney could see the handwriting on the wall, so to speak. His uncanny predictions should be a wake-up call for American/Western Christians. Unfortunately, our people are so wrapped up in passivity and End Times hysteria that they're willing to give their children over to Caesar.
Regardless, the point of this booklet is simple. Secular education isn't neutral. It's blatantly anti-Christian. Dabney proves this with little effort.
Be all this as it is, his views on education in America were prescient. Dabney could see the handwriting on the wall, so to speak. His uncanny predictions should be a wake-up call for American/Western Christians. Unfortunately, our people are so wrapped up in passivity and End Times hysteria that they're willing to give their children over to Caesar.
Regardless, the point of this booklet is simple. Secular education isn't neutral. It's blatantly anti-Christian. Dabney proves this with little effort.
September 4, 2022
“By what standard?” It’s clear that the state school system teach according to a standard of humanism grounded in evolutionary theory.
This book served as a warning back then and should’ve been a warning flag. It’s crazy what Dabney saw and what was going on in his day, let alone 2022. It’s quite prophetic. He’s spot on that the state teaches morals, and a morality grounded in anything other than the Bible is anti-Christian. It’s mind blowing that this was occurring in his day and he saw this far ahead where a state school cannot be anything but secular and therefore anti-Christian and would remove Bibles, prayer and catechism.
The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Not fill our heads with knowledge that’s void of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, and the forgiveness of sins that He offers.
Christian, get your children out of government schools. Lord willing, this book will serve as a warning to you as well.
This book served as a warning back then and should’ve been a warning flag. It’s crazy what Dabney saw and what was going on in his day, let alone 2022. It’s quite prophetic. He’s spot on that the state teaches morals, and a morality grounded in anything other than the Bible is anti-Christian. It’s mind blowing that this was occurring in his day and he saw this far ahead where a state school cannot be anything but secular and therefore anti-Christian and would remove Bibles, prayer and catechism.
The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Not fill our heads with knowledge that’s void of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, and the forgiveness of sins that He offers.
Christian, get your children out of government schools. Lord willing, this book will serve as a warning to you as well.
August 27, 2024
Originally written by Dabney in the 1800's, this little piece prefigured the state of secular education as we find it today: anti-Christian. He wrote that the God-given institution for education was meant to be the parents, not the state or the Church. He also posited that if you take morality out of a child's education (teaching facts devoid of the concept of right and wrong) you end up with evils, and that education should not be separated from moral teaching. Education, as he puts it, is training up the whole human being, spiritually as well as intellectually.
We can see where we are now, with post-modernism and relativism defining truth and goodness. What we have in our schooling system as far as morality is concerned is what has been decided by those for whom "might makes right," something that Dabney also prefigured as would be an issue. This was definitely an interesting read!
We can see where we are now, with post-modernism and relativism defining truth and goodness. What we have in our schooling system as far as morality is concerned is what has been decided by those for whom "might makes right," something that Dabney also prefigured as would be an issue. This was definitely an interesting read!
September 22, 2025
R.L. Dabney’s On Secular Education is a fantastic read that dives into the big questions about what education should really be about. It’s smart, clear, and packs a punch without being stuffy or hard to follow. Dabney makes a solid case for why education shouldn’t just be about cramming facts into kids’ heads but should also focus on building character and values.
What I love about this book is how Dabney breaks down his ideas with a mix of sharp thinking and genuine care for the topic. He’s not just throwing shade at secular education; he’s offering a vision for something better—one that shapes the whole person, not just their brain. His writing is easy to get into, whether you’re an educator, a parent, or just someone curious about how we teach the next generation. Worth the read!
What I love about this book is how Dabney breaks down his ideas with a mix of sharp thinking and genuine care for the topic. He’s not just throwing shade at secular education; he’s offering a vision for something better—one that shapes the whole person, not just their brain. His writing is easy to get into, whether you’re an educator, a parent, or just someone curious about how we teach the next generation. Worth the read!
December 8, 2020
Dabney sees and expresses clearly the way that education can’t be neatly disentangled from how a community raises up the next generation in its cultus, the way that many contemporary evangelicals seem to think it is.
“No training of any faculty takes place without some government. On what moral basis shall the teacher who wholly suppresses all appeal to religion rest that authority which he must exercise in the school-room? He will find it necessary to say to the pupil, "Be diligent. Be obedient. Lie not. Defraud not," in order that he may learn his secular knowledge. But on whose authority? There is but one ground of moral obligation, the will of God […]”
“No training of any faculty takes place without some government. On what moral basis shall the teacher who wholly suppresses all appeal to religion rest that authority which he must exercise in the school-room? He will find it necessary to say to the pupil, "Be diligent. Be obedient. Lie not. Defraud not," in order that he may learn his secular knowledge. But on whose authority? There is but one ground of moral obligation, the will of God […]”
February 5, 2022
Is the case overstated at points? Maybe. But the thrust of the argument is spot on. If the state is going to be secular, it’s education is going to be secular. If education is going to be secular, it’s going to be either anti-religious or else something less than true education. Those who are closest to and most responsible for the well-being of children (ahem, parents) must be the ones to take the lead in their education. It is more than learning skills; it is soul-forming.
July 23, 2023
I have never read something so succinct on the issue of secular education while hitting the nail on the head with every paragraph. I want to show this to every person who does not understand the dire consequences of a secular education system, and then you remember that it was written in the 19th Century! Dabney understood the problem and proclaiming the results with the accuracy of an Old Testament prophet! I highly recommend this book to anyone involved with this subject.
November 27, 2025
Polemic, Prophetic and Powerful!
“The education of children for God is the most important business done on earth. It is the one business for which the earth exists. To it all politics, all war, all literature, all money-making, ought to be subordinated; and every parent especially ought to feel, every hour of the day, that, next to making his own calling and election sure, this is the end for which he is kept alive by God- this is his task on earth”.
“The education of children for God is the most important business done on earth. It is the one business for which the earth exists. To it all politics, all war, all literature, all money-making, ought to be subordinated; and every parent especially ought to feel, every hour of the day, that, next to making his own calling and election sure, this is the end for which he is kept alive by God- this is his task on earth”.
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