implications of philosophy for adventist education · even christian philosophy of education, but...

Implicationsof Philosophy for

Adventist Education

R E D E M P T I V E

E D U C A T I O N

P A R T I I

B Y G E O R G E R . K N I G H T

A P P R O V E D F O R 0 . 5 C O N T I N U I N G E D U C A T I O N U N I T S *

22 The Journal of Adventist Education • October/November 2010 http:// jae.adventist.org

23http:// jae.adventist.org The Journal of Adventist Education • October/November 2010

he need to implement a bibli cal/ Chris -tian/Adventist philosophy in Seventh-dayAdventist schools ought to be obvious.But all too often that synthesis is not ev-ident in the schools themselves or in thepractice of the professional educatorswho operate them. Addressing that point

in the context of Lutheran education, one of theprincipal speakers at a meeting of the Associa-tion of Lutheran College Faculties observed thatthe denomination’s American colleges “oper-ated according to no distinctive Luth eran oreven Christian philosophy of education, buthad simply imitated secular patterns to whichthey had added chapel services, religion clas -ses, and a religious ‘atmosphere.’”1

That observation, unfortunately, also de-scribes a number of Adventist schools. All toooften, Adventist education has not intentionallybeen built upon a distinctively Adventist philos-ophy. As a result, many of the church’s schoolshave offered something less than Adventist edu-

cation and have thereby failed to achieve thepurpose for which they were established.

Philosopher Gordon Clark once noted thatwhat goes by the name of Christian educationis sometimes a program of “pagan educationwith a chocolate coating of Christianity.” Headded that it is the pill, not the coating, thatworks.2 Adventist education tends to sufferfrom this problem as well. Adventist educatorsand the institutions they serve need to conducta thorough and ongoing examination, evalua-tion, and correction of their educational prac-tices to ensure that they align with the church’sbasic philosophic beliefs. These articles willhelp you flesh out a basis for that ongoing eval-uation and orientation.3

While this article focuses on Adventist educa-tion in the school, much of its content can be ap-plied within the framework of the home andchurch since parents and church workers arealso educators. The home, the church, and theschool all deal with the same children, who have

T

H O W I T W O R K S :

After you have studied the content presented here, send for the test, using the form on page 60. Upon successful completionof the test, you will receive a report on the Continuing Education Units you’ve earned, and the certification registrar of yourunion conference office of education will be notified (North American Division only).

*Approved by the North American Division Office of Education. The tests for Parts I, II, and III must be successfully completed tomeet alternative teaching certification requirements as outlined in Section 5.1 of the K-12 Educators Certification Manual.

This article is the second of a three-part continuing education course on the philosophy ofAdventist education. The first article dealt with the importance of the topic; described thebasic shape of philosophy in terms of reality (metaphysics), truth (epistemology) and ethi-cal and aesthetic values (axiology); provided a biblical approach to each of those philo-sophic issues; and pointed out the importance of that philosophic worldview in shaping anAdventist approach to education.

While the first installment of this series on “Redemptive Education” laid the philo-sophic basis for a genuinely Adventist schooling, Part II will begin to develop the implica-tions of that philosophy for educational practice, especially in regard to the needs of thestudent, the function of the teacher, and the aims of Adventist education. The final articlewill focus on the philosophic implications for the curriculum, along with their impact onteaching methodologies and the social function of the Adventist school.

A more complete discussion of many of the topics covered in this article may be foundin the author’s Philosophy and Education: An Introduction in Christian Perspective, 4thed. (Berrien Springs, Mich.: Andrews University Press, 2006) and Myths in Adventism: AnInterpretive Study of Ellen White, Education, and Related Issues (Hagerstown, Md.: Re-view and Herald Publ. Assn., 1985, 2010).

I N T R O D U C T I O N

Although she

had no formal train-

ing as a philoso-

pher, Ellen White hit

the pivot point of

educational philoso-

phy when she

placed the human

problem of sin

at the very center of

the educational

enterprise.


the same nature and needs in the several differ-ent venues of their education. Furthermore, thehome and church have a curriculum, a teachingstyle, and social function akin to that of theschool. There is a great need for parents, churchworkers, and professional educators to gaingreater insight into the interdependent nature oftheir educative functions and to develop effectiveways to communicate and reinforce one an-other’s work. A collaboration between the Ad-ventist teacher in the school and Adventist teach-ers in the home and church is important becauseAdventist education is more than Adventistschooling. The home, church, and school are en-trusted with the responsibility of working withthe most valuable things on earth, God’s chil-dren, and ideally each is founded upon the sameprinciples. Having said that, I need to point outthat the educative categories that I will be deal-ing with in the following pages are consciouslytied to schooling rather than to the wider realmof education. However, the same principles areimportant within the various educative contexts.

The Nature of the Student and theGoals of Adventist Education

The Heart of Ellen White’s Educational Philosophy

In defining the goals of Adventist education,Ellen White’s opening pages in Education areas good a place to start as anywhere. One of themost perceptive and important paragraphs inthe book is found on the second page. “In orderto understand what is comprehended in thework of education,” she writes, “we need toconsider both [1] the nature of man and [2] thepurpose of God in creating him. We need toconsider also [3] the change in man’s conditionthrough the coming in of a knowledge of evil,and [4] God’s plan for still fulfilling His gloriouspurpose in the education of the human race.”4

She fleshes out the core of her philosophy ofeducation by refining those four points in the nextfew paragraphs. First, in reflecting upon humannature, she emphasizes that Adam was created inthe image of God—physically, mentally, and spir-itually. Second, she highlights the purpose of Godin creating human beings as one of constantgrowth so they would ever “more fully” reflect“the glory of the Creator.” To that end, God en-dowed human beings with capacities that werecapable of almost infinite development.

“But,” thirdly, she notes in discussing theentrance of sin, “by disobedience this was for-feited. Through sin the divine likeness wasmarred, and well-nigh obliterated. Man’s phys-ical powers were weakened, his mental capac-

ity was lessened, his spiritual vision dimmed.”While those three points are foundational to

Ellen White’s philosophy of education, it is herfourth and last point that is absolutely crucialand that, for her, fully expresses the primarypurpose of education. She notes that, in spiteof its rebellion and Fall, “the race was not leftwithout hope. By infinite love and mercy theplan of salvation had been devised, and a lifeof probation was granted. To restore in man theimage of his Maker, to bring him back to theperfection in which he was created, to promotethe development of body, mind, and soul, thatthe divine purpose in his creation might be re-alized—this was to be the work of redemption.This is the object of education, the great objectof life.”5

Ellen White returns to that theme in thefourth chapter of Education, where she de-scribes each person’s life as the scene of a mi-crocosmic great controversy between good andevil, and every human being as having a desirefor goodness but also possessing a “bent toevil.” Building upon her earlier insight thatGod’s image is not totally obliterated in fallenhumanity, she notes that every human being“receives some ray of divine light. Not only in-tellectual but spiritual power, a perception ofright, a desire for goodness, exists in everyheart. But against these principles there isstruggling an antagonistic power.” As the her-itage of the Edenic Fall there is within each per-son’s nature an evil force which “unaided, hecannot resist. To withstand this force, to attainthat ideal which in his inmost soul he acceptsas alone worthy, he can find help in but onepower. That power is Christ. Co-operation withthat power is man’s greatest need. In all edu-cational effort should not this co-operation bethe highest aim?”6

On the next page, she develops this point abit more, writing that “in the highest sense thework of education and the work of redemptionare one, for in education, as in redemption,‘other foundation can no man lay than that islaid, which is Christ Jesus’. . . . To aid the stu-dent in comprehending these principles, and inentering into that relation with Christ which willmake them a controlling power in the life,should be the teacher’s first effort and his con-stant aim. The teacher who accepts this aim isin truth a co-worker with Christ, a laborer to-gether with God.”7

Although she had no formal training as aphilosopher, Ellen White hit the pivot point ofeducational philosophy when she placed thehuman problem of sin at the very center of theeducational enterprise. Illustrative of that in-

C O N T I N U I N G E D U C A T I O N — P A R T I I


sight is Paul Nash’s Models of Man: Explo-rations in the Western Educational Traditionand The Educated Man: Studies in the Historyof Educational Thought, which Nash developedin conjunction with two other authors.8 Bothbooks demonstrate the centrality of views ofphilosophical anthropology or human nature toall educational philosophies. Exemplifying thatpoint are such chapter titles as “The PlannedMan: Skinner,” “The Reflective Man: Dewey,”“The Communal Man: Marx,” and “The Natu-ral Man: Rousseau.” Even though the focalpoint of education ought to be the needs of stu-dents, to my knowledge, no one has yet pub-lished a synthesized, systematic approach toeducational philosophy from the perspective ofvarying views of the nature and needs ofhuman beings.

It’s not difficult to insert Ellen White’s phi-losophy in Nash’s framework. The title for hischapter on her would be “The Redeemed Man:Ellen White” (“Redeemed Person” for modernreaders). The problem of sin and its cure—re-demption and restoration—dominate her ap-proach to education.

That same emphasis, of course, is found inthe very framework of Scripture, which beginswith humans being created in the image of Godwith infinite potential, continues with the Falland the entrance of sin, and moves on to God’sgreat redemptive plan as He seeks through amultitude of agencies to rescue humans fromtheir predicament and to restore them to theirlost estate. That sequence represents the planof the Bible, in which its first two (Genesis 1,2) and last two chapters (Revelation 21, 22) de-pict a perfect world. The third chapter from thebeginning (Genesis 3) presents the entrance ofsin, and the third chapter from the end (Reve-lation 20) focuses on sin’s final destruction. Inbetween, from Genesis 4 through Revelation19, the Bible sets forth God’s plan for redeem-ing and restoring the fallen race.

Although all these points represent basicChristian doctrine, surprisingly enough, theyhave too often escaped significant treatment byChristian philosophers of education. In fact, Iknow of no book that gives them the same cen-trality as Ellen White’s Education. Allan HartJahsmann’s What’s Lutheran in Education?comes closest, noting in one essay the samebasic points as Ellen White and concludingwith the dictum that “the first concern ofLutheran education must always be the leadingof a people to a conviction of sin and a personalfaith in Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God.”9 Un-fortunately, Jahsmann’s insights on the Fall andthe restoration of God’s image are not widely

represented in evangelical educational theory.But, as noted above, these concepts stand atthe very center of Ellen White’s understandingof education and are implied in the Bible. It waswith those teachings in mind that I wrote someyears ago that “the nature, condition, and needsof the student provide the focal point for Chris-tian educational philosophy and direct educa-tors toward the goals of Christian education.”10

Before moving away from the big picture ofEllen White’s understanding of educational phi-losophy, we need to examine one other state-ment. Education’s very first paragraph presentsanother foundational pillar in her approach toeducation. “Our ideas of education,” we read,“take too narrow and too low a range. There isneed of a broader scope, a higher aim. True ed-ucation means more than the pursual of a cer-tain course of study. It means more than apreparation for the life that now is. It has to dowith the whole being, and with the whole pe-riod of existence possible to man. It is the har-monious development of the physical, the men-tal, and the spiritual powers. It prepares thestudent for the joy of service in this world andfor the higher joy of wider service in the worldto come.”1 1

The key word in that paragraph is whole, aword she uses with two dimensions. First, Ad-ventist education must emphasize the “whole”or entire period of human existence. Thus it isnot merely focused on helping students learnhow to earn a living or become cultured by thestandards of the present world. Those aimsmay be worthy and important, but they are notsufficient. The realm of eternity and prepara-tion for it must also come under the purviewof any Adventist education worthy of churchsupport. On the other hand, some pious butmisdirected individuals might be tempted tomake heaven the focus of education while ne-glecting the present realm and preparation forthe world of work and participation in humansociety. Ellen White asserted that neither ex-treme is correct. Rather, preparation for boththe earthly and the eternal worlds must be in-cluded in Adventist education and placed inproper relationship to each other.

The second aspect of wholeness in the aboveparagraph is the imperative to develop the entireperson. Adventist education needs to aim at de-veloping all aspects of human beings rather thanfocusing merely on the intellectual, the spiritual,the physical, the social, or the vocational. Inshort, the goal of Adventist education is to de-velop whole persons for the whole period of ex-istence open to them in both this world and theworld to come. In that sense it transcends the




possibilities of secular education, as well asmany forms of Christian education, and, unfor-tunately, some so-called Adventist education.

One other key word in Education’s openingparagraph is service (“the joy of service in thisworld and . . . the higher joy of wider servicein the world to come”). It should be noted thatthe centrality of service is not only featured inthe book’s first page, but also on the last, whichpoints out: “In our life here, earthly, sin-restricted though it is, the greatest joy and thehighest education are in service. And in the fu-ture state, untrammeled by the limitations ofsinful humanity, it is in service that our greatestjoy and our highest education will be found.”12

That emphasis on service should come as nosurprise to any reader of the Bible. Jesus morethan once told His disciples that the very essenceof Christian character was love for and serviceto others. Such characteristics, of course, are notnatural human traits. “Normal” people are moreconcerned with their own needs and beingserved than they are in a life of service to others.The Christian alternative outlook and set of val-ues does not come about naturally. Rather theBible speaks of it as a transformation of the mindand heart (Romans 12:2). And Paul appeals to usto let Christ’s mind be our mind, pointing outthat even though Christ was God, He came as aservant (Philippians 2:5-7).

In our brief overview of the key concepts ofEllen White’s understanding of education, threeitems stand out:

• Proper education is, in essence, redemption.• Education must aim at the preparation of

the whole person and the whole period of exis-tence possible for human beings.

• The joy of service stands at the very heartof the educative process.

Those concepts are not only central to edu-cation but also to life itself. Thus they must in-form any genuine approach to Adventist edu-cational theory and practice.

Additional Observations Regarding Human Nature

Jim Wilhoit points out that the biblical“view of human nature has no parallel in sec-ular theories of education and is [therefore] themain obstacle to the Christian’s adopting anysuch theory wholesale.”13 For that reason, Ineed to re-emphasize the truth that the ele-ments of an Adventist approach to educationmust always be consciously developed in thelight of human need and the human condition.We will return to the goals of Adventist educa-tion when we examine the work of the teacher.But before moving to that topic, we need to

scrutinize several aspects of human nature thatare of importance to Adventist education.

First is the confused status in which educatorsand students find themselves. On the one handare negative perspectives on human nature. Inthat realm is the dictum of 17th-century philoso-pher Thomas Hobbes, who insightfully observedthat human life is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish,and short.”14 And then there are such leadinglights as 20th-century psychologist B. F. Skinnerand 18th-century theologian Jonathan Edwards.The first claimed that people have neither free-dom nor dignity,15 while the second in his mostfamous sermon pictured humans as loathsomeinsects suspended over the pit of hell by anangry God.16 Also, consider the view of biologistDesmond Morris, who wrote that “there are onehundred and ninety-three living species of mon-keys and apes. One hundred and ninety-two ofthem are covered with hair.” His point was thathuman beings comprise the exception in thatthey are in essence “naked apes.”17

But are they? Holding a contrary view abouthuman nature, the Enlightenment scholars de-veloped the doctrine of the infinite perfectibilityof humanity and the essential goodness anddignity of humans. Such modern psychologistsas Carl Rogers affirmed that perspective, advo-cating learning theories built upon the assump-tion that leaving children “free” enough in alearning environment will cause their naturalgoodness to assert itself.18

So what are we to believe as educators?What is the basic nature of our students? Ani-mal or a bit of divinity? Good or evil? The shortanswer is “all of the above.”

Moving beyond our emotional response toDarwinism, it is difficult to deny that humanbeings are animals. We share much with theanimal world, from structural similarities in ourphysical bodies to our digestive and respiratoryprocesses. Furthermore, we participate in manyof the same activities. Both people and dogs,for example, enjoy riding in automobiles, eatinggood food, and having their heads rubbed af-fectionately. Clearly, we share a great deal withour canine (and other animal) friends.

The point that needs to be emphasized,however, is not that people are animals but thatthey are more than animals. What does thatmean? Jewish philosopher Abraham Heschelnoted that “the animality of man we can graspwith a fair degree of clarity. The perplexity be-gins when we attempt to make clear what ismeant by the humanity of man.”19

Social theorist E. F. Schumacher wrote thathumans share much with the mineral realm,since both people and minerals consist of mat-


The point that

needs to be

emphasized,

however, is not

that people

are animals but

that they are

more than

animals.


ter; that humans have more in common withthe plant world than the material realm, sinceboth plants and people have life in addition toa mineral base; and that humans have evenmore yet in common with the animal world,since both people and animals have conscious-ness as well as life and a mineral base. But, ob-served Schumacher, only humans have reflec-tive self-awareness. Animals undoubtedlythink, he claimed, but humanity’s uniquenessis people’s self-conscious awareness of theirown thinking. Schumacher pointed out that wecan learn a lot about humans by studying themat the mineral, plant, and animal levels—“infact, everything can be learned about [them]except that which makes [them] human.”20 Forthat essential insight, we noted earlier, we needto go to the Bible, in which Genesis describesessential human nature as being created in theimage and likeness of the divine (Genesis 1:26,27), although that image that has been “well-nigh obliterated” by the Fall (Genesis 3).21

The question that we as Christian educatorsneed to face is how to deal with the complexi-ties of human nature. One thing we need to rec-ognize is that no one lives up to his or her fullpotential as God’s image bearer. In fact, manyexist at subhuman levels—at the mineral levelthrough death, at the vegetable level throughparalyzing and brain-destroying accident, or atthe animal level through living primarily to sat-isfy their appetites and passions.

Few, of course, choose to live at the mineralor vegetable stages, but many opt for the ani-mal level. The proverb that “every man has hisprice” is no idle jest. It is based upon experi-ence and observation. Think about it for a mo-ment. If I offered you $5 to commit a one-time-only indecent or dishonest act that would neverbe exposed, you would probably refuse. But ifI offered you $500, you might begin to thinkabout it. By the time I got to $50,000, I wouldhave many takers. And even the die-hardswould begin to waver as the offer rose to $5million and then $50 million.

Behavioral psychologists have discoveredthat animal behavior can be controlled throughrewards and punishments. In other words, an-imals do not have freedom of choice; theirneeds and environment control them. Throughrewards and punishments people can train ananimal to do anything on command that it iscapable of—including starving itself to death.

The question that has divided psychologists,educators, philosophers, and theologians is,“Can human beings be trained to do anythingthey are capable of?” Regarding those who liveat the animal level, the answer is a definite Yes.

Like animals, people who operate at the levelof their appetites and passions can be con-trolled by rewards and punishments.

Unfortunately, most people live most of theirlives at the level of their “animalness.” This factunderlies the apparent validity of behaviorism’sclaim that human beings are not free and thata person’s behavior can be shaped to any de-sired pattern if the controller has enough timeand sufficient knowledge of that individual andhis or her environment.

But the crucial point for educators to remem-ber is that their students can rise above the ani-mal level of existence. They can do so becausethey are uniquely related to God and because Hehas given them both self-awareness and the aidthat Christ supplies through the Holy Spirit.

Since people bear the image of God, they canreason from cause to effect and make responsi-ble, spiritually guided decisions. Their freedomof choice is not absolute in the sense that theyare autonomous and can live without God. Butit is genuine in that they can either choose JesusChrist as Lord and live by His principles, orchoose Satan as master and be subject to the lawof sin and death (see Romans 6:12-23).

The Adventist educator functions in a schoolfull of young people in the midst of an identitycrisis that impacts their lives simultaneously atseveral levels. One of the most important issuesthey face is choosing whether to live primarilyat the level of their animal propensities or riseto their divine possibilities. Closely related arechoices between good and evil. It doesn’t helpmatters that educators themselves are also in-volved in a daily ongoing struggle over thesame issues.

But the great truth of the gospel is that eachperson can become fully human through apersonal relationship with God through JesusChrist. That fact is a central pillar in an edu-cation whose primary purpose is helping peo-ple achieve a restored relationship with God,that sees every person as a child of God, andthat seeks to help each student develop to hisor her highest potential. Ellen White forcefullypointed out the infinite and eternal possibili-ties inherent in every person when she wrotethat “higher than the highest human thoughtcan reach is God’s ideal for His children. God-liness—godlikeness—is the goal to bereached.”22 To transform that ideal from poten-tiality to actuality is the function of Adventisteducation in the home, school, and church.

A second aspect of human nature that af-fects Adventist education is closely related tothe first: In the time that has elapsed since theFall, the problems of the human race have not

Christian

educators see

beneath the veneer

of outward

conduct to get at

the core of the

human problem—

sin, separation from

the life and

character of God.


changed. Throughout history, human beingshave been affected by the struggle between theforces of good and evil. Ever since the introduc-tion of sin, there have been two basic cate-gories of human beings—those who are still inrevolt, and those who have accepted Christ asSavior. Most schools and classrooms containstudents from both orientations. Sensitivity tothat fact is vital to Adventist educators sincethey must deal daily with the complex interac-tion between the two types of students.

Tied to the recognition of the two types ofhuman beings is the fact that the underlyingprinciples of the great controversy between goodand evil have remained constant despite changesin the particulars of the human predicament overtime. Thus, people today face the same basictemptations and challenges that confrontedMoses, David, and Paul. It is because of the un-changing nature of the human problem throughboth time and space (geographical location) thatthe Scriptures are timeless and communicate auniversal message to all people. The Bible is avital resource in education because it addressesthe heart of the problem of sin and its solution—issues that all persons in every educational insti-tution must face every day.

A third aspect of human nature that must beconsidered in the Adventist school is the ten-sion between the individual and the group. Onthe one hand, the Christian educator must rec-ognize and respect the individuality, unique-ness, and personal worth of each person.Throughout His life, Jesus revealed His regardfor the individuality and worth of persons. Hisrelationship both with His disciples and withthe population at large contrasted with thementality of the Pharisees, Sadducees, andeven the disciples, who tended to see “others”in terms of “the herd.” As it seeks to relate ed-ucation to the learner, a distinctively Christianphilosophy can never lose sight of the impor-tance of human individuality.

A proper respect for individuality does not,however, negate the importance of the group.Paul, in writing to the Corinthians concerningspiritual gifts, uplifted the value of the socialwhole as well as the unique value of each person(1 Corinthians 12:12-31). He wrote that the body(social group) will be healthy when the impor-tance and uniqueness of its individual membersare respected. That holds true for educational in-stitutions as well as for churches. The whole-some classroom, from that perspective, is notone of unlimited individualism, but rather onein which respect for individuality is balancedwith respect for the needs of the group.

A final significant point about human nature

is that the whole person is important to God.We touched upon that topic earlier in dealingwith Ellen White’s emphasis on wholeness ineducation. But we need to expand upon it. Tra-ditional education elevated the mental dimen-sion of students above the physical, while somemodern approaches have done just the oppo-site. Yet others have focused on the spiritual.But whatever affects one part of a human beingwill eventually affect the whole. Balanceamong the spiritual, social, physical, and men-tal aspects of a person is the ideal as illustratedin the development of Jesus (Luke 2:52). Partof humanity’s present dilemma is that since theFall, people have suffered from a lack of healthand balance in each of these areas as well as intheir interrelationship. As a result, part of theeducative function of redemption is to restorepeople to health in each of those aspects andin their total beings. Restoration of God’simage, therefore, has social, spiritual, mental,and physical ramifications, as does education.Such an understanding will have a definite im-pact on curriculum choices.

Christian educators, understanding the com-plexity of students, realize that each one is a can-didate for God’s kingdom and deserves the verybest education that can be offered. Christian ed-ucators see beneath the veneer of outward con-duct to get at the core of the human problem—sin, separation from the life and character ofGod. In its fullest sense, Christian education isredemption, restoration, and reconciliation. As aresult, each Adventist school must seek toachieve a balance between the social, spiritual,mental, and physical aspects of each student inall of its activities and through its total program.The purpose and goal of Adventist education isthe restoration of the image of God in each stu-dent and the reconciliation of students with God,their fellow students, their own selves, and thenatural world. Those insights take us to the roleof the Adventist teacher.

The Role of the Teacher and theAims of Adventist Education

Within the school, the teacher is the key ele-ment in educational success for he or she is theperson who communicates the curriculum to thestudent. The best way to ensure better educa-tional results is not improved facilities, bettermethods, or a more adequate curriculum, as im-portant as those items are, but to hire and retainquality teachers. Elton Trueblood spoke to thatpoint when he remarked that “if there is any oneconclusion on which there is conspicuous agree-ment in our current philosophy of education it



concerns the supreme importance of the goodteacher. It is easy to envisage a good college withpoor buildings, but it is not possible to envisagea good college with poor teachers.”23 The same,of course, holds true of elementary and second-ary schools. Trueblood wrote in another con -nection that “it is better to have brilliant teachingin shacks than to have sloppy teaching inpalaces.”24

Some years ago, James Coleman’s massivestudy of American schools empirically sup-ported those observations. He found that theschool factors with the greatest influence onachievement (independent of family back-ground) were the teacher’s characteristics, notfacilities or curriculum.25 Employing qualityteachers is also the primary element in improv-ing the spiritual impact of an educational pro-gram. Roger Dudley, in his study of Adventistacademy students in the United States, foundthat “no other factor was as strongly related toteen-age rejection of religion as was the religioussincerity of their academy teachers.”26

If quality teachers are the crucial factor forsuccess in a school system that aims merely atpreparing people for living and working on thisearth, how much more important in an educa-tion that is preparing young people for eternity!With that thought in mind, it is of the utmost im-portance that Adventist parents, teachers, admin-istrators, and school boards understand the min-istry of teaching, how that ministry facilitates aschool’s reaching its goals, and the essentialqualifications of those called to undertake theawesome task of shaping the next generation.

Teaching Is a Form of MinistrySince education and redemption are one,27

Adventist teaching by definition is a form ofChristian ministry and a pastoral function. TheNew Testament clearly defines teaching as a di-vine calling (Ephesians 4:11; 1 Corinthians 12:28;Romans 12:6-8). Furthermore, the Scriptures donot separate the functions of teaching and pas-toring. On the contrary, Paul wrote to Timothythat a bishop (pastor) must be “an apt teacher”(1 Timothy 3:2).28 In writing to the Ephesiansthat “some should be apostles, some prophets,some evangelists, some pastors and teachers”(Ephesians 4:11), Paul used a Greek constructionthat indicates that the same person holds boththe office of pastor and teacher. F. F. Bruce, incommenting on this passage, has remarked that“the two terms ‘pastors (shepherds) and teach-ers’ denote one and the same class of men.”29 Bycontrast, Scripture lists the other gifts separately.The significance of this point is that we cannotdivide these two gifts if they are to remain func-

tional. Pastors must not only care for the soulsof their flock, but also teach by precept and ex-ample both to individuals and the corporatebody of the church. Teachers, likewise, must notmerely transmit truth but also commit them-selves to caring for the individuals under theirtutelage. Thus, Christian teachers function in apastoral role to their students.

The major difference between the roles ofpastors and teachers in our day has to do withthe current division of labor. In 21st-century so-ciety, the Christian teacher may be seen as onewho pastors in a “school” context, while thepastor is one who teaches in the “larger reli-gious community.” It is important to rememberthat their function is essentially the same, eventhough by today’s definitions they have chargeof different divisions of the Lord’s vineyard.

Teaching young people is not only a pastoralfunction but also one of the most effective formsof ministry, since it reaches the entire populationwhile at its most im pres sionable age. ReformerMartin Luther recognized that fact when hewrote that “if I had to give up preaching andmy other duties, there is no office I wouldrather have than that of school-teacher. For Iknow that next to the [pastoral] ministry it isthe most useful, greatest, and best; and I amnot sure which of the two is to be preferred. Forit is hard to make old dogs docile and oldrogues pious, yet that is what the ministryworks at, and must work at, in great part, invain; but young trees . . . are more easily bentand trained. Therefore let it be considered oneof the highest virtues on earth faithfully to trainthe children of others, which duty but very fewparents attend to themselves.”30

The clearest and fullest integration of the giftof teacher-pastor appeared in the ministry ofChrist. One of the terms by which people mostoften addressed Him was “Master.” The actualmeaning of the word is “Teacher.” Christ maybe seen as the best example of teaching interms of both methodology and meaningful in-terpersonal relationships. A study of theGospels from the perspective of Christ asteacher will contribute a great deal to our un-derstanding of ideal Christian instruction.

We will examine Christ’s teaching method-ology in a subsequent section. But here we willstudy the relationship aspect of His teachingministry, an especially important topic sincegood relationships stand at the very center ofsuccessful teaching. Several statements fromEllen White offer insight into this topic.

Part of the reason for the success of Christ’sministry was that people knew that He reallycared. For example, we read that “in His work



as a public teacher, Christ never lost sight ofthe children. . . . His presence never repelledthem. His large heart of love could comprehendtheir trials and necessities, and find happinessin their simple joys; and He took them in Hisarms and blessed them.”31 Children are quiteperceptive. They can tell after talking to anadult whether that person is just listening totheir “small” joys and concerns to be polite orfeels genuine interest—if he or she really cares.How many times have we as parents or teach-ers listened to our children, nodded our heads,and then sent them off to play without havingthe slightest idea what they were trying to com-municate? An excellent way to alienate childrenis to let them feel that grown-ups are more con-cerned with “important” adult thoughts thanwith their well-being. Ellen White has sug-gested that even if teachers have limited literaryqualifications, if they really care for their stu-dents, realize the magnitude of their task, andhave a willingness to improve, they will suc-ceed.32 At the very heart of Christ’s teachingministry was the caring relationship.

That relationship in His case exuded a spiritof confidence regarding the possibilities of eachlife. Thus, even though “Christ was a faithful re-prover,” in “every human being, however fallen,He beheld a son of God, one who might be re-stored to the privilege of his divine relationship.. . . Looking upon men in their suffering anddegradation, Christ perceived ground for hopewhere appeared only despair and ruin. Whereverthere existed a sense of need, there He saw op-portunity for uplifting. Souls tempted, defeated,feeling themselves lost, ready to perish, He met,not with denunciation, but with blessing. . . .

“In every human being He discerned infinitepossibilities. He saw men as they might be,transfigured by His grace. . . . Looking uponthem with hope, He inspired hope. Meetingthem with confidence, He inspired trust. Re-vealing in Himself man’s true ideal, He awak-ened, for its attainment, both desire and faith.In His presence souls despised and fallen real-ized that they still were men, and they longedto prove themselves worthy of His regard. Inmany a heart that seemed dead to all thingsholy, were awakened new impulses. To many adespairing one there opened the possibility ofa new life. Christ bound men to His heart bythe ties of love and devotion.”33

That quotation highlights the very spirit ofChrist’s teaching ministry that made Him sucha force for good in the lives of those He taught.The statement itself contains the ultimate chal-lenge for teachers, parents, and everyone elsewho works with human beings. To see infinite

possibilities in every person, to see hope in thehopeless, takes an infusion of God’s grace. Butit is the key to good teaching. The alternativeis to look upon people with hopelessness andthereby inspire hopelessness.

Psychologist Arthur Combs cites several re-search studies that indicate that good teacherscan be clearly distinguished from poor ones onthe basis of what they believe about people.34 Ina similar vein, William Glasser, the psychiatristwho developed “reality therapy,” believes thatfailures in both school and life find their roots intwo related problems—the failure to love and thefailure to achieve self-worth.35 We develop ourself-worth from our perceptions of what othersthink of us. When parents and teachers con-stantly give messages that children are stupid,delinquent, and hopeless, they are shaping theseyoung people’s sense of self-worth, which theyouth will act out in daily living.

Fortunately, the self-fulfilling prophecy alsoworks in the positive direction. Earl Pullias andJames Young note that “when people are askedto describe the teacher that did the most forthem, again and again they mention a teacher,often the only one in their experience, who be-lieved in them, who saw their special talents,not only what they were but even more whatthey wanted to be and could be. And theybegan to learn not only in the area of their spe-cial interest but in many others.” As such, ateacher is an inspirer of vision.36

On the other hand, Christ’s ability to see thepotential in each person did not entail a blind-ness to human limitations. Within the biblicalframework, no one has every talent, even thougheach has some. At times students need definiteguidance into areas where their personalities andnatural gifts will make them most effective. So itwas in Christ’s ministry. He knew the specialneeds and potentials of Peter, John, and Andrewand guided them accordingly.

While the caring relationship was central toChrist’s teaching ministry, that relationship wascarefully balanced in daily practice. Thus EllenWhite writes that “He showed consistency with-out obstinacy, benevolence without weakness,tenderness and sympathy without sentimental-ism. He was highly social, yet He possessed a re-serve that discouraged any familiarity. His tem-perance never led to bigotry or austerity. He wasnot conformed to the world, yet He was attentiveto the wants of the least among men.”37

Adventist teachers and others concerned withthe church’s education system will gain muchthrough a study of Christ as master teacher. Suchstudy will also put them in direct contact withthe aims and goals of Christian education.


At times

students need

definite guidance

into areas

where their

personalities and

natural gifts

will make them

most effective.


The Primary Aim of Education and the Adventist Teacher as an

Agent of Redemption

We have already noted that from both theBible and Ellen White’s perspective that thegreatest human need is to get into a right rela-tionship with God. Said in another way, humanlostness provides the purpose of Christian edu-cation. The greatest human need is to become“unlost.” Thus Jesus claimed that He came “toseek and to save that which was lost” (Luke19:10, KJV). Such seeking and saving is thetheme of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

Luke 15, which records the parables of thelost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son, is es-pecially pertinent as we think about the role ofthe Christian teacher. The teacher, from the per-spective of that chapter, is someone who seeksout and attempts to help those lost and caughtin the web of sin, whether they are like (1) thesheep (those who know they are lost but do notknow how to get home); (2) the coin and olderson (those who do not have enough spiritualsense to realize their own lostness); or (3) theyounger son (those who know they are lost andknow how to get home, but do not want to re-turn until their rebellion has run its course).Lostness has many varieties, all of which areexhibited in each school and classroom. Butboth rebels and Pharisees and all the othertypes of human beings have one commonneed—to get “unlost.” Thus, it is little wonderthat Christ identified the core of His mission asseeking and saving the lost (Luke 19:10).

To those passages may be added Jesus’ ex-perience with the ungrateful and inhospitableSamaritans when they refused to provide Himwith a place to stay because they perceived Hewas on His way to Jerusalem. On that occasion,James and John were incensed with the ingrat-itude of the Samaritans and sought Jesus’ per-mission to call down fire from heaven to de-stroy them. Jesus responded that “the Son ofman is not come to destroy men’s lives, but tosave them” (Luke 9:51-56, KJV).

The primary goal of Christ’s life and of Chris-tian education can also be found in the keynoteverse of the Gospel of Matthew, which predictedthat Mary would bear a son who would “save hispeople from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Thesame thought is brought out by John’s Gospel,which claims that “God so loved the world thathe gave his only Son, that whosoever believes inhim should not perish but have eternal life. ForGod sent the Son into the world, not to condemnthe world, but that the world might be savedthrough him” (John 3:16, 17).

Adventist teachers are God’s agents in theplan of redemption and reconciliation. LikeChrist, their primary function is “to seek andto save that which was lost.” They must bewilling to work in the spirit of Christ, so thattheir students can be brought into harmonywith God through the sacrifice of Jesus and berestored to God’s image.

Teaching is much more than transmitting in-formation and filling students’ heads withknowledge. It is more than preparing them forthe world of work. The primary function of theChristian teacher is to relate to the MasterTeacher in such a way that he or she becomesGod’s agent in the redemptive plan.

Edwin Rian caught that point when he notedthat most writers in educational philosophy, re-gardless of their philosophical and religiousperspectives, “agree on considering the prob-lem of ‘sin and death,’ which is the problem ofman, according to Pauline and ReformedProtestant theology, as irrelevant to the ques-tions of the aims and process of education.”Such a position, he indicated, cannot help pro-ducing “miseducation and frustration for theindividual and for the community.” From theperspective of humanity’s predicament, Rianuplifted “education as conversion.”38 HerbertWelch, president of Ohio Wesleyan Universityearly in the 20th century, made the same pointwhen he claimed that “to win its students fromsin to righteousness is . . . the highest achieve-ment of a Christian college.”39

Christian education is the only education thatcan meet humanity’s deepest needs, becauseonly Christian educators understand the core ofthe human problem. The redemptive aim ofChristian education is what makes it Christian.The primary aim of Christian education in theschool, the home, and the church is to lead peo-ple into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.That restored relationship heals the principalalienation in Genesis 3—that between humansand God. And the healing of the God/human re-lationship sets the stage for the removal of hu-manity’s other basic alienations. Thus, educationis a part of God’s great plan of redemption oratonement. Its role is to help bring people backto at-one-ness with God, other people, one’s ownself, and the natural world. The whole messageof the Bible points forward to the day when thework of restoration will be complete and theEdenic condition will be restored in the realm ofnature because of the healing of humanity’smanifold lostness (Revelation 21, 22; Isaiah 11:6-9; 35).

The essence of the Fall was human beings’decision to place themselves rather than God at


The primary

function of the

Christian teacher is

to relate to the

Master Teacher in

such a way that he

or she becomes

God’s agent in the

redemptive plan.


the center of their lives. Redemption reinstatesGod as the focal point of personal existence. Itis a dynamic experience called by many names,including conversion and new birth. The Biblealso refers to it as the obtaining of a new heartand mind. Paul vividly described the experi-ence when he claimed that the Christian is onewho has had his or her entire way of thinkingand living transformed (Romans 12:2). TheGreek word he used for transformation is“metamorphosis,” the term we use in Englishto indicate the change that takes place when acaterpillar becomes a butterfly. It is a radicalchange that involves a discontinuity with thepast and a new beginning. Carlyle B. Haynescaught the central nature of the experiencewhen he wrote that “the Christian life is notany modification of the old life; it is not anyqualification of it, any development of it, notany progression of it, any culture or refinementor education of it. It is not built on the old lifeat all. It does not grow from it. It is entirely an-other life—a new life altogether. It is the actuallife of Jesus Christ Himself in my flesh.”40

The student’s greatest need, then, is for aspiritual rebirth that places God at the center ofdaily existence. Paul noted that such renewal isa daily experience (1 Corinthians 15:31), andJesus taught that the Holy Spirit accomplishesthe transformation (John 3:5, 6). Christian ed-ucation is thus impossible without the dynamicpower of the Holy Spirit.

Ellen White wrote that the “all-importantthing” in education “should be the conversionof . . . students, that they may have a new heartand life. The object of the Great Teacher is therestoration of the image of God in the soul, andevery teacher in our schools should work inharmony with this purpose.”41 Adventist edu-cation can build upon the foundation of thenew birth experience to achieve its other aimsand purposes. But if it fails at this foundationaland primary point, it has failed entirely.

Some Secondary Aims of Adventist EducationThe healing of humanity’s alienation from

God sets the stage for treating its other basicalienations and thereby helps to define the sec-ondary purposes of education. We have repeat-edly noted that education is a part of God’s greatplan of redemption or atonement; that educa-tion’s role is to help bring people back to at-one-ness with God, their fellow humans, their ownselves, and the natural world. Within that con-text, the focal point of Christian teaching is thehealing of broken relationships between individ-uals and God. This, in turn, prepares the way forChristian education to accomplish its secondary

purposes, such as character development, the ac-quisition of knowledge, job preparation, and thenurturing of students socially, emotionally, andphysically.

Character development is certainly a majorgoal of Adventist education. Ellen White notedthat character determines destiny for both thislife and the one to come and that “characterbuilding is the most important work ever en-trusted to human beings.”42 C. B. Eavey relatedcharacter development to the fundamental pur-pose of education when he stated that “thefoundational aim in Christian education is thebringing of the individual to Christ for salva-tion. Before a man of God can be perfected,there must be a man of God to perfect; withoutthe new birth there is no man of God.”43 Inother words, true character can develop only inthe born-again Christian. When we equate theprimary objective of Christian education—tobring students into relationship with Christ—with such theological concepts as conversion,new birth, and justification, it follows that char-acter development, as a secondary aim, mustbe synonymous with sanctification and Chris-tian growth in grace.

Such an equation is exactly what we find inthe writings of Ellen White. “The great work ofparents and teachers,” she penned, “is charac-ter building—seeking to restore the image ofChrist in those placed under their care. Aknowledge of the sciences sinks into insignifi-cance beside this great aim; but all true educa-tion may be made to help in the developmentof a righteous character. The formation of char-acter is the work of a lifetime, and it is for eter-nity.”44

Character development and sanctification areessentially two names for the same process. Ed-ucators and theologians have, unfortunately, de-veloped different vocabularies to describe thesame process. At this point, it is important to re-member that the concept of Christian characterdevelopment is antithetical to the humanisticview, which implies merely a refinement of thenatural, unrenewed person. Christian characterdevelopment never occurs outside of the conver-sion experience or apart from Christ and theagency of the Holy Spirit (Philippians 2:12, 13;John 15:1-17). Only the dynamic power of theHoly Spirit can develop the image of God in theindividual and reproduce the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—in thelife of each student (Galatians 5:22-24). HansLaRondelle has indicated that at least part of therestoration process occurs as we behold the “at-tractive loveliness of Christ’s character.” Through



that experience we assimilate His image.45 Thusit is imperative that every phase of Adventist ed-ucation—the character of the teacher, the cur-riculum, the methods of discipline, and everyother aspect—reflects Christ.

Jesus Christ is the beginning, the middle, andthe end of Adventist education. The Holy Spiritseeks to implant the likeness of Christ’s characterin each of us as educators and in our childrenand students. The Spirit uses parents, teachers,and other educators as agents or mediators ofsalvation. But each person must continuouslysurrender the will to God’s infilling power andthen follow the directions of the Holy Spirit inhis or her life. Character development is an actof God’s grace just as much as justification. Be-cause of its vital role, the science of character de-velopment should form a central pillar in thepreparation of teachers, parents, and others inpositions of educational influence.

Adventist education obviously has other,secondary, goals such as the acquisition ofknowledge and preparation for the world ofwork, but such goals sink into “insignificance”when compared to the redemptive work of ed-ucation, which relates to conversion and char-acter development.46 After all, “what is a manprofited, if he shall gain the whole world, andlose his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26, KJV).

Beyond character development, another sec-ondary goal of Christian education is the devel-opment of a Christian mind. While that task doesinvolve the transmission of information, it is farbroader than that. It means helping students gaina way of viewing reality and organizing knowl-edge within the framework of the Christianworldview. Gene Garrick pointed out the second-ary importance of knowledge acquisition whenhe wrote that “there can be no truly Christianmind without the new birth since spiritual truthis apprehended and applied spiritually (1Corinthians 2:1-16).”47

We will return to the discussion of develop-ing the Christian mind at greater length in thesection on curriculum. But before leaving thetopic, it is important to point out that a Chris-tian never views gaining knowledge—even bib-lical or Christian knowledge—as an end in it-self. In acquiring knowledge and in developinga Christian mind, Christian teachers must neverlose sight of their ultimate goal for their stu-dents: more effective service to both God andtheir fellow beings. Thus knowledge, from aChristian perspective, is instrumental ratherthan an end in itself.

Another secondary aim of Adventist educa-tion is to maximize physical and emotionalhealth. Ellen White wrote that: “since the mind

and the soul find expression through the body,both mental and spiritual vigor are in great de-gree dependent upon physical strength and ac-tivity; whatever promotes physical health, pro-motes the development of a strong mind and awell-balanced character. Without health no onecan as distinctly understand or as completelyfulfill his obligations to himself, to his fellowbeings, or to his Creator. Therefore the healthshould be as faithfully guarded as the character.A knowledge of physiology and hygiene shouldbe the basis of all educational effort.”48

Because human beings are not merely spiri-tual, or mental, or physical machines but wholis-tic creations in which imbalance in one aspect oftheir nature affects the whole, it is also crucialthat the educational system promote emotionalhealth. After all, angry, depressed individualscannot relate to either God or their fellow humanbeings in a functional manner. Just as the Fallfractured God’s image spiritually, socially, men-tally, and physically, so must education aim atrestoring health and wholeness in each of thoseareas and their interrelationship with one an-other.

A final secondary aim of Adventist educa-tion is to prepare students for the world ofwork, a topic on which Ellen White had a greatdeal to say. From her perspective, useful laboris a blessing to both the individual and thecommunity and “a part of God’s great plan forour recovery from the Fall.”49 Career prepara-tion, however, like every other aspect of theChristian life, cannot be separated from the is-sues of the new birth, character development,the development of a Christian mind, theachievement of physical and mental well-being,and the development of a sense of social re-sponsibility. The Christian life is a unit, andeach aspect of it interacts with the others andthe total person. Thus, Adventist teachers willencourage their students to view even so-calledsecular occupations within the context of an in-dividual’s wider vocation as a servant of Godand humankind. That idea brings us to the ul-timate and final goal of Adventist education.

The Ultimate Aim of Adventist EducationThe life of Jesus was one of service for hu-

manity. He came to our planet to give Himselffor the betterment of others. Thus, His follow-ers have the same function, and the ultimateend (i.e., final outcome) of education is to pre-pare students for that task. Along that line, Her-bert Welch concluded that “education for itsown sake is as bad as art for art’s sake; but cul-ture held in trust to empower one better toserve one’s fellow men, the wise for the igno-



rant, the strong for the weak,” is education’shighest aim. “The Christian character,” he pos-tulated, “which does not find expression inservice is scarcely worthy of the name.”50

Ellen White agreed. Beginning and endingher classic Education with the “joy” of service,she considered it the “highest education.”51

“The true teacher,” she noted, “is not satisfiedwith second-rate work. He is not satisfied withdirecting his students to a standard lower thanthe highest which it is possible for them to at-tain. He cannot be content with imparting tothem only technical knowledge, with makingthem merely clever accountants, skillful arti-sans, successful tradesmen. It is his ambitionto inspire them with principles of truth, obedi-ence, honor, integrity, and purity—principlesthat will make them a positive force for the sta-bility and uplifting of society. He desires them,above all else, to learn life’s great lesson of un-selfish service.”52

Figure 153 (page 35) indicates that conversion,character development, acquiring a matureChristian mind and good health, and occupa-tional preparation are not ends in thems elves.Each is, instead, an essential element in a per-son’s preparation for service to humanity as partof God’s plan to heal the alienation between peo-ple that developed at the Fall. The essence ofChristian love and of the Christlike character isservice to others.

Teachers should help their students realizethat most people have gotten their educationalpriorities backward. We hear the following sen-timents: “Society owes me a good living be-cause of all the years I spent getting an educa-tion.” “I deserve the benefits of the good lifebecause of what I have accomplished.” Eventhose who claim to be Christians often make—or at least imply—such sentiments. Unfortu-nately, these ideas represent the antithesis ofthe ultimate aim of Christianity.

It is morally wrong for people to use the ben-efits of society’s gift of education for self-aggran-dizement. George S. Counts wrote from a hu-manistic perspective that “at every turn the socialobligation which the advantages of a college ed-ucation impose must be stressed: too often havewe preached the monetary value of a college ed-ucation; too widely have we bred the convictionthat the training is advantageous because it en-ables the individual to get ahead; too insidiouslyhave we spread the doctrine that the collegeopens up avenues to the exploitation of less ca-pable men. Higher education involves higher re-sponsibility . . . ; this cardinal truth must be im-pressed upon every recipient of its advantages.In season and out of season, social service, and

not individual advancement, must be the motifof college training.”54 If Counts from his secularperspective saw that fact so clearly, then thecommitted Christian should recognize it evenmore distinctly.

The message of the parable of the talents isthat the greater a person’s natural endowmentsand his or her opportunities for their develop-ment, the more responsibility he or she has torepresent Christ in faithful service to those withmental, spiritual, social, emotional, or physicalneeds (Matthew 25:14-30).

The Christian teacher has the responsibilitynot only to teach the ideal of service, but alsoto model it. Thus, a major task of Christian ed-ucation is to “help students unwrap their God-given gifts” so that they can find their place inservice to others.55

In conclusion, it should be emphasized thatChristian service is a response to God’s loverather than an altruistic humanitarianism thatstill allows people to congratulate themselvesfor their personal goodness and sacrifice. TheChristian’s gratitude to God for salvation in-spires him or her to become a channel of God’slove by participating in His ministry of recon-ciliation.

In one sense, as we note in Figure 1, char-acter development lays the foundation for serv-ice. But such service also helps to develop char-acter (thus the two-way arrow betweencharacter development and service). As a re-sult, the two work in tandem, each contributingto the other. It is a truism that character devel-opment cannot occur without service, but it isequally true that character leads to service.

Teachers should seek to instill in their stu-dents the conviction that Christian service isnot something that begins after graduation orwhen they are older. Rather, it is an integralpart of a Christian’s life from the time of con-version. Teachers in the church, home, andschool need to provide their students with op-portunities for serving others both inside andoutside of their religious communities. In short,a crucial function of Christian teaching is tohelp students not only internalize God’s lovebut also to externalize it. Teachers, as agents ofredemption, need to help their students dis-cover their personal roles in God’s plan of rec-onciliation and restoration.

Qualifications of the Adventist TeacherBecause of the centrality of the teacher to

the educational process, it is absolutely essen-tial that teachers be in harmony with the phi-losophy and goals of the schools for which theyteach. With that in mind, Frank Gaebelein



wrote that there can be “no Christian educationwithout Christian teachers.”56 It is just as truethat there can be no Adventist education with-out Adventist teachers. That is true because ofthe distinctive doctrinal understandings andapocalyptic mission that set Adventism apartfrom other Christian perspectives and must in-form the content of Adventist education.

The selection of qualified teachers and conse-crated school employees is of crucial importance,given their powerful role in the educationalprocess. Along that line, Ellen White stressedthat “in selecting teachers we should use everyprecaution, knowing that this is as solemn a mat-ter as the selecting of persons for the ministry.

birth (John 3:3, 5). C. B. Eavey has written that“only one who has been made a new creature inChrist can mediate to others God’s grace or nur-ture others in that grace.” As a result, those whominister in Christian education “must have inthemselves the life of Christ and be possessed bythe Spirit of God. Christian education is no mat-ter of mere human activity but one of individualsmeeting God in Christ.”58

Ellen White expands upon that idea whenshe writes that “it is only life that can beget life.He alone has life who is connected with theSource of life, and only such can be a channelof life. In order that the teacher may accom-plish the object of his work, he should be a liv-ing embodiment of truth, a living channelthrough which wisdom and life may flow. Apure life, the result of sound principles andright habits, should therefore be regarded as hismost essential qualification.”59

Thus, qualification number one for Advent -ist teachers is that they have a personal savingrelationship with Jesus. If their spiritual life isin harmony with God’s revealed will, they willhave a reverence for the sacred, and their dailyexample will be one from which their studentscan profit.

A second qualification relates to their mentalcapabilities and development. “While rightprinciples and correct habits are of first impor-tance among the qualifications of the teacher,”Ellen White wrote, “it is indispensable that heshould have a thorough knowledge of the sci-ences. With uprightness of character, high lit-erary acquirements should be combined.”60

But Adventist teachers must not only be wellversed in the general knowledge of their cul-ture. They must also have a grasp of the truthsof Scripture and be able to communicate thesubjects they teach in the context of the Chris-tian and Adventist worldview. They should beindividuals who can lead their students beyondthe narrow realm of their field of study by re-lating each course to the ultimate meaning ofhuman existence.

A third area of development underlying thequalification of Adventist teachers is the social.The social relationships of Christ with His“pupils” in the Gospels make an interesting andprofitable study. He did not seek to isolate Him-self from those He was teaching. Rather, Hemixed with them and engaged in their socialevents.

Ellen White has written that “the trueteacher can impart to his pupils few gifts sovaluable as the gift of his own companionship.. . . To strengthen the tie of sympathy betweenteacher and student there are few means that

. . . The very best talent that can be secured isneeded to educate and mold the minds of theyoung and to carry on successfully the manylines of work that will need to be done by theteacher in our . . . schools.”57 No one wants tohire underqualified physicians, lawyers, or air-plane pilots, even if they are “cheaper.” Whyshould there be a blind spot in hiring qualifiedteachers—individuals who work with the mostvaluable entities on earth, the future generation?

First in importance among the qualificationsis the spiritual. That is true because the essenceof the human problem is sin or a spiritual disori-entation from God. It is sin, as we noted earlier,that is at the root of all the other alienations anddisorientations that are so destructive both to in-dividuals and societies. The Bible teaches thathumanity in its “natural” condition is sufferingfrom a form of spiritual death (Genesis 3), andthat the greatest need of people is a spiritual re-

Figure 1. Purposes of Christian Education That Inform Teaching

Primary Aim Secondary Aims Ultimate Aim orFinal Outcome

Leadingyoung peopleinto a savingrelationshipwith JesusChrist

Service to God and otherpeople for both here and the hereafter

Character Development

Development ofa Christian mind

Development of gifts for social responsibility

Development of physical,

emotional, andsocial health

Development forthe world of work


Why should there

be a blind spot

in hiring qualified

teachers—

individuals who

work with the most

valuable entities

on earth, the future

generation.



count so much as pleasant association togetheroutside the schoolroom.”61 On another occa-sion, she suggested that if teachers “wouldgather the children close to them, and showthat they love them, and would manifest an in-terest in all their efforts, and even in theirsports, sometimes even being a child amongchildren, they would make the children veryhappy, and would gain their love and win theirconfidence. And the children would sooner re-spect and love . . . [their] authority.”62 To alarge extent, the relationship between teacherand student outside the classroom colors andconditions the one inside it.

A fourth sphere of teacher qualification isgood physical, mental, and emotional health.Without balanced health, it is well-nigh impos-sible to maintain a sunny disposition and eventemper that reflect the image of Christ.

Christian teachers must strive for the contin-ual improvement of their personal qualifica-tions. That is the same as the goal that theyseek for their students—a restoration of theimage of God physically, mentally, spiritually,and socially. That balance, as it is found in thelife of Christ, will form the basis for their pro-fessional activity. Because teaching is the art ofloving God’s children, Adventist teachersshould have a desire to let God make them themost effective “lovers” possible.

Said in another way, an overall qualificationof Christian teachers is to be a good model orexample of what they want their students to bein every aspect of their lives. It is almost im-possible to overestimate the power of a teacheras an example for either good or evil. Pulliasand Young note that “being an example arisesout of the very nature of teaching” and that“being a model is a part of teaching that noteacher can escape.”63 Ellen White highlightsthe facts that “the teacher should be himselfwhat he wishes his students to become” andthat “in His life, Christ’s words had perfect il-lustration and support. . . . It was this that gaveHis teaching . . . power.”64

What has been said about the qualificationsof teachers also applies to other employees in anAdventist school. They, too, make a significantimpact on students and thus need to be not onlyspiritual leaders but also healthy and balancedin every way. Teachers are only one part of aneffective, integrated educational team.

This second installment in the philosophy ofAdventist education has examined, from theperspective of a biblical philosophy, the natureof the student, the role of the teacher, and theaims of Adventist education. The final install-ment will develop an Adventist approach to

curriculum, explore the implications of a bibli-cal perspective for teaching methodology, anddiscuss the social role of Adventist educationin the context of the great controversy betweengood and evil. �

POINTS TO PONDER• In what specific ways will the Adventist

view of human nature shape Christian educa-tion?

• In what ways does the Bible’s teaching onhuman nature “demand” that Christian educa-tion be different from other philosophies of ed-ucation?

• In what ways is Christian teaching a formof ministry?

• How does the ministry function affect ateacher’s aims?

• In what ways does the view of teaching asministry enrich our understanding of the im-portance of Adventist education?

• In your own words, describe the pur -pose(s) of Adventist education.

• What are the implications of that/thosepurpose(s) for you personally as a teacher?

Dr. George R. Knight hastaught at the elementary,secondary, and universitylevels, and has also servedthe Seventh-day AdventistChurch as a school admin-istrator and pastor. He haswritten widely in the areasof Adventist educational

philosophy as well as Adventist educational andchurch history. Now retired, but still writing andspeaking at conventions and camp meetings, helives in Rogue River, Oregon.

NOTES AND REFERENCES1. Harold H. Ditmanson, Harold V. Hong, and Warren A.

Quanbeck, eds., Christian Faith and the Liberal Arts (Min-neapolis, Minn.: Augsburg, 1960), p. iii.

2. Gordon H. Clark, A Christian Philosophy of Education(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1946), p. 210.

3. This series of articles is not the first time an Adventistphilosophy of education has been formulated. See especially“A Statement of Seventh-day Adventist Educational Philoso-phy,” developed by a group of Adventist educators for consid-eration at the First International Conference on the Seventh-day Adventist Philosophy of Education, convened by theGeneral Conference Department of Education and held at An-drews University, April 7-9, 2001. That statement was pub-lished in the Journal of Research on Christian Education, vol.10, special edition, pp. 347-355, and is available at the GeneralConference Department of Education Website. Go tohttp://edu ca tion.gc.adventist.org; click on “Publications”; andchoose the title of the document as listed above.

4. Ellen G. White, Education (Mountain View, Calif.: Pa-



cific Press Publ. Assn., 1952), pp. 14, 15.5. Ibid., pp. 15, 16.6. Ibid., p. 29.7. Ibid., p. 30.8. Paul Nash, Models of Man: Explorations in the Western

Educational Tradition (New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1968);Paul Nash, Andreas M. Kazamias, and Henry J. Perkinson, TheEducated Man: Studies in the History of Educational Thought(New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1965).

9. Allan Hart Jahsmann, What’s Lutheran in Education?Exploration Into Principles and Practices (St. Louis: Concordia,1960), p. 8.

10. George R. Knight, Philosophy and Education: An Intro-duction in Christian Perspective, 4th ed. (Berrien Springs,Mich.: Andrews University Press, 2006), p. 207.

11. White, Education, p. 13.12. Ibid., pp. 13, 309.13. Jim Wilhoit, Christian Education and the Search for

Meaning, 2d ed. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker, 1991), p. 61.14. Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, Richard E. Flathman and

David Johnston, eds. (New York: W. W. Norton, 1997), p. 70.15. B. F. Skinner, Beyond Freedom and Dignity (New York:

Bantam, 1971).16. Jonathan Edwards, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry

God,” in Thomas H. Johnson, ed., Jonathan Edwards, rev. ed.(New York: Hill and Wang, 1962), pp. 155-172.

17. Desmond Morris, The Naked Ape (New York: Dell,1969), p. 9.

18. Carl R. Rogers, Freedom to Learn (Columbus, Ohio:Charles E. Merrill, 1969).

19. Abraham J. Heschel, Who Is Man? (Stanford, Calif.:Stanford University Press, 1965), p. 3.

20. E. F. Schumacher, A Guide for the Perplexed (New York:Harper Colophon, 1978), pp. 18, 20.

21. White, Education, p. 15.22. Ibid., p. 18.23. David Elton Trueblood, The Idea of a College (New

York: Harper and Brothers, 1959), p. 33.24. __________, “The Marks of a Christian College,” in

John Paul von Grueningen, ed., Toward a Christian Philosophyof Higher Education (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1957), p. 168.

25. James Coleman, et al., Equality of Educational Oppor-tunity (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health, Educa-tion, and Welfare, 1966).

26. Roger L. Dudley, Why Teenagers Reject Religion andWhat to Do About It (Washington, D.C.: Review and HeraldPubl. Assn., 1978), p. 80.

27. White, Education, pp. 16, 30.28. Unless otherwise indicated, all Bible texts in this article

are quoted from the Revised Standard Version. Bible texts cred-ited to RSV are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible,copyright © 1946, 1952, 1971, by the Division of Christian Edu-cation of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in theU.S.A. Used by permission.

29. F. F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Ephesians (Westwood,N.J.: Fleming H. Revell, 1961), p. 85.

30. Martin Luther, “Sermon on the Duty of Sending Chil-dren to School,” in Luther on Education, F. V. N. Painter, ed.(Philadelphia: Lutheran Publication Society, 1889), p. 264.

31. Ellen G. White, Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Stu-dents (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Publ. Assn., 1943),p. 179.

32. __________, Education, p. 279.33. Ibid., pp. 79, 80.34. Arthur W. Combs, Myths in Education: Beliefs That

Hinder Progress and Their Alternatives (Boston: Allyn andBacon, 1979), pp. 196, 197.

35. William Glasser, Schools Without Failure (New York:Harper and Row, 1975), p. 14. For more on Glasser, see JimRoy, Soul Shapers: A Better Plan for Parents and Educators

(Hagerstown, Md.: Review and Herald Publ. Assn., 2005).36. Earl V. Pullias and James D. Young, A Teacher Is Many

Things, 2d ed. (Bloomington, Ind.: Indiana University Press,1977), p. 128.

37. White, Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p.262.

38. Edwin H. Rian, “The Need: A World View,” in JohnPaul von Grueningen, ed. Toward a Christian Philosophy ofHigher Education (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1957), pp. 30,31.

39. Herbert Welch, “The Ideals and Aims of the ChristianCollege,” in The Christian College (New York: Methodist BookConcern, 1916), p. 21.

40. Carlyle B. Haynes, Righteousness in Christ: A Preacher’sPersonal Experience (Takoma Park, Md.: General ConferenceMinisterial Association, n. d.), pp. 9, 10.

41. Ellen G. White, Fundamentals of Christian Education(Nashville, Tenn.: Southern Publ. Assn., 1923), p. 436.

42. __________, Education, p. 109, 225.43. C. B. Eavey, “Aims and Objectives of Christian Educa-

tion,” in J. Edward Hakes, ed., An Introduction to EvangelicalChristian Education (Chicago: Moody, 1964), p. 62.

44. White, Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p.61.

45. Hans K. LaRondelle, Christ Our Salvation: What GodDoes for Us and in Us (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific PressPubl. Assn., 1980), pp. 81, 82.

46.White, Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, pp.49, 61; __________, Fundamentals of Christian Education, p.27.

47. Gene Garrick, “Developing Educational Objectives forthe Christian School,” in Paul A. Kienel, ed., The Philosophyof Christian School Education, 2d ed. (Whittier, Calif.: Associ-ation of Christian Schools International, 1978), p. 73.

48. White, Education, p. 195.49. Ibid., p. 214.50. Welch, “The Ideals and Aims of the Christian College,”

in The Christian College, op cit., pp. 23, 22.51. White, Education, pp. 13, 309.52. Ibid., pp. 29, 30.53. From George R. Knight, Philosophy and Education: An

Introduction in Christian Perspective, 4th ed. (Berrien Springs,Mich.: Andrews University Press, 2006), p. 216. Reproducedby permission.

54. J. Crosby Chapman and George S. Counts, Principlesof Education (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1924), p. 498.

55. Gloria Goris Stronks and Doug Blomberg, eds., A Vi-sion With a Task: Christian Schooling for Responsive Disciple-ship (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker, 1993), p. 25.

56. Frank E. Gaebelein, The Pattern of God’s Truth: Prob-lems of Integration in Christian Education (Chicago: Moody,1968), p. 35.

57. Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church (MountainView, Calif.: Pacific Press Publ. Assn., 1948), vol. 6, p. 200; cf.__________, Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, pp.150, 151.

58. Eavey, “Aims and Objectives of Christian Education,”in An Introduction to Evangelical Christian Education, op cit.,p. 61.

59. White, Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 31.60. Ibid., p. 199.61. White, Education, p. 212; cf. __________, Counsels to

Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 502; __________, Funda-mentals of Christian Education, p. 116.

62. __________, Fundamentals of Christian Education, pp.18, 19.

63. Pullias and Young, A Teacher Is Many Things, op cit.,p. 68.

64. White, Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p.65; __________, Education, pp. 78, 79.

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