spot in many a course in most institutions— Chris tian and secular. The distinctive o f Christian concern and Bibli cal study parallels a dominant element throughout the history o f education, that o f morality. To many, education is basically a moral business. Unless man is improved, becomes more virtuous and sensitive, the educational experience has failed. O f course, the distinct Christian college believes that man is transformed and matures only when he accepts Christ as his Saviour and becomes thoroughly ac quainted with the Word o f God. Nevertheless, it is significant that morality is a dominant theme in the history o f education. And wisely so, fo r unless education involves the matter o f morality, the graduate may simply acquire skills that enable him to become more proficient in his pursuit o f spe cious, i f not ignoble, ends. Education that simply involves the acquisition o f certain hallowed facts, principles, and skills without evaluation is poor education; but education that does not concern itself with the ultimate use o f these tools and the moral responsibility o f the student is no education at all. Werner Jaeger, a renowned German scholar, in his significant three-volume study o f Greek educa tion ( Paidea, I. 3) begins by stating that the con tent o f education “ is roughly the same in every nation— it is both moral and practical. It consists partly o f commandments like Honour the gods, Honour thy fa th er and thy mother, Respect the stranger; partly o f ancient rules o f practical wis dom and prescriptions o f external morality; and
partly o f those professional skills and traditions which (as fa r as they are communicable from one generation to another) the Greeks named techne.” The early universities and colleges o f our nation were founded by religious men fo r the advancement o f religious as well as general educational ends. It was not until after the Civil War that distinctly “ secular” institutions emerged in prominence. Commenting on our country’s academic history, John Gustad, a Dean at Ohio State University, writes that “ Morality and respectable behavior were also accepted concerns o f the college. There fore, again as an agent, the professor was respon sible fo r seeing to it that students behaved respect ably, that their faith, whatever it might be, was not undermined but even strengthened. (The Edu cational Record, XLV II [Fall 1966], 441 ).” Plato, in discussing the subject o f virtue in his dialogue Meno, suggests that the proper use o f knowledge is the improving o f the soul. Education to Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle was fa r more than the acquistion o f skills. It embraced the moral ele vation o f man. In fact, the Greek word arete, or virtue, embraced the heart o f quality education. Among the many virtues suggested by the Greeks were their four cardinal virtues: courage, justice, self-control and wisdom — each o f which, by the way, is reflected and elevated in the New Testa ment. Much later, the great English writer John Mil- ton wrote in his essay “ O f Education” that the pur pose o f learning is “ to know God aright, and out o f that knowledge to love Him, to imitate Him, to be like Him, as we may the nearest by possessing our souls o f true virtue, which, being united to the heavenly grace o f faith, makes up the highest per fection.” The Bible, o f course, states more suc cinctly and forcefu lly than all when it states that “ the fear o f the Lord is the beginning o f wisdom.” Further, Christ states that He is truth (John 1 4 :6) and urges his disciples to learn o f Him (Mat thew 11 :29 ). Indeed, good education is a moral, or more specifically fo r us, a spiritual business. It is axiomatic to state that education prepares man fo r life— any institution worth its salt ought to be able to make that claim. The crucial distinc tive o f the Christian institution is that it prepares man both fo r life as a productive member o f society and as an earnest and knowledgeable Christian who is by nature a witness to, and the salt of, the earth. HD
Dr. Chase is
academic vice
president fo r
Biota Schools
and Colleges,
La Mirada,
California.
JUNE, 1967
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