Presentation Transcript

1. Integrating Faith and Learning By Rick Ostrander Academic Dean, John Brown University August, 2008
2. Background: Where did the notion of “integration” come from?
3. The Colonial Era The Puritans: Harvard, 1636 1600s and 1700s: Yale, Princeton, etc. Foundation: A Christian framework and worldview
4. The Harvard Seal, 1692
5. The 19th Century: Christian Colleges Proliferate
6. The 19th Century: Christian Colleges Proliferate Evangelical Christianity as the “Establishment” Education: Fusion of Christian and American values
7. The Secularization of the Academy, late 1800s
8. The Secularization of the Academy, late 1800s Modern science Growth in size and stature of universities Public land grant universities, 1860s New private universities A new purpose A new faculty role: the “objective” scholar
9. The Secularization of the Academy, late 1800s Modern science Growth in size and stature of universities Result: elevation of learning, marginalization of faith.
10. The Harvard Seal, 1900
11. Responses Mainstream colleges: Adaptation, secularization Learning trumps faith.
12. Responses to Secularization Conservative colleges: isolation, withdrawal
13. Anti-intellectualism: Faith trumps learning
14. The Revival of Explicitly Christian Higher Education Abraham Kuyper, late-19th century Jesus Christ as Lord of all creation Reconquest of culture and institutions “Integrate” a Christian worldview and academic disciplines
15. The Revival of Explicitly Christian Higher Education Abraham Kuyper, late-19th century Calvin College, 20th century The Big Three: Plantinga, Wolterstorff, Marsden Marsden, The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship
16. The Revival of Explicitly Christian Higher Education Abraham Kuyper, late-19th century Calvin College, 20th century From Calvin College to the CCCU, 1970s Wheaton College: Holmes, The Idea of a Christian College Conferences, symposiums, faculty workshops, etc. “Through the Eyes of Faith” book series
17. Integration of Faith and Learning: The Current Situation Challenges to the Integration Model, 1990s
18. Integration of Faith and Learning: The Current Situation Challenges to the Integration Model, 1990s The Baylor University controversy Sloan’s vision: Baylor 2012 Yankee Evangelicals vs. Texas Baptists
19. Integration of Faith and Learning: The Current Situation Challenges to the Integration Model, 1990s The Baylor University controversy Messiah College: “Enlarging the Conversation”
20. Integration of Faith and Learning: The Current Situation Challenges to the Integration Model, 1990s Criticism #1: Too narrow Criticism #2: Too negative Military metaphors: “taking captive,” “battle of ideas,” etc. Christians should build bridges, not fortresses
21. Integration of Faith and Learning: The Current Situation Challenges to the Integration Model, 1990s Criticism #1: Too narrow Criticism #2: Too negative Criticism #3: Too philosophical “It turns professional scientists into amateur philosophers.”
22. Conclusion: Integration vs. integration Integration: A worldview-based model of relating faith and learning based on Reformed Protestantism but applicable in part to all Christians. integration: The act of relating one’s Christian faith to one’s academic life in a variety of ways, depending on one’s institution, Christian tradition, and field of study.
23. Varieties of integration By institution: Public institutions: Accommodation, resistance, “intentional reframing”
24. Varieties of integration By institution: Public institutions Christian institutions: more public, explicit, and systematic
25. Varieties of integration By institution By faith tradition Roman Catholic: the “sacramental principle”
26. Varieties of integration By institution By faith tradition Roman Catholic: the “sacramental principle” the created world and human culture can serve as a mediator of God’s grace
27. Varieties of integration By institution By faith tradition Roman Catholic Reformed: The Kingdom of God vs. Kingdom of Satan The Christian scholar plays a role in this conquest by analyzing and critiquing (taking captive) the philosophical foundations of one’s discipline.
28. Varieties of integration (small “I’) By institution By faith tradition Roman Catholic Reformed Anabaptist: the Kingdom of God is among the poor and powerless; living brings understanding. Emphasize practical application (ethics, social sciences)
29. Varieties of integration By institution By faith tradition By academic discipline Calculus vs. sociology of religion
30. So What? The Practice of integration at a Christian College
31. Integration at the institutional level Faculty hiring: potential over practice. Faculty development is essential. Faculty evaluation (after development). Course evaluations, position papers, portfolios
32. Integration of Faith and Scholarship A synthesis of the literature: Three levels that apply to all institutions, faith traditions, and disciplines.
33. Integration of Faith and Scholarship The motivational level Because the world is God’s creation, the Christian scholar is motivated to pursue truth in one’s discipline as an act of worship and to know him better.
34. Integration of Faith and Scholarship The motivational level Charles Murray, “For God’s Eye: The Surprising Role of Christianity in Human Achievement”
35. Integration of Faith and Scholarship The motivational level The 50-yard line prayer vs. quiet excellence on the field.
36. Integration of Faith and Scholarship The motivational level The danger: The “separate spheres” fallacy. Faith Learning
37. Integration of Faith and Scholarship The motivational level If Christianity is a body of truth (not just an attitude), then it will sometimes have substantive implications for the world of ideas. Ex.: Archaeology and the Resurrection.
38. Integration of Faith and Scholarship The foundational level
39. Integration of Faith and Scholarship The foundational level Worldviews, paradigms, interpretive frameworks
40. Integration of Faith and Scholarship The foundational level The Christian worldview: Creation Fall Redemption/Consummation The natural world: real, but finite Human beings: in God’s image, but corrupted
41. Integration of Faith and Scholarship The foundational level The Christian worldview: Creation Fall Redemption/Consummation The natural world: real, but finite Human beings: in God’s image, but corrupted
42. Integration of Faith and Scholarship The foundational level The more a discipline deals with foundational, worldview assumptions, the more explicit the role of Christian faith will be.
43. Integration of Faith and Scholarship The foundational level The Implicit/Explicit Continuum Implicit ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Explicit Mathematics Natural Social History Arts and Philosophy/ Sciences Sciences Literature Theology
44. Integration of Faith and Scholarship An example: American History in a Mennonite key. Juhnke and Hunter, The Missing Peace
45. Integration of Faith and Scholarship The foundational level Implication: The Christian scholar must be an amateur theologian/philosopher.
46. Integration of Faith and Scholarship The Applied/Ethical Level E = mc2: practical consequences Biology: How does a Christian view of human nature affect the use of biotechnology? Communications: How does a Christian view of sexuality affect the use of images in advertising?
47. Integration of Faith and Scholarship An example: Francis Collins Motivation: DNA research as an act of worship. Foundational: God as designer Application: The human genome project Genetic Information Non-discrimination Act
48. Integration of Faith and Scholarship An analogy: Jazz music Christians often have special insight into the meaning of their field of study. This insight may be implicit or explicit, depending on the nature of their scholarship. Despite this special insight, Christians can learn valuable truths about their discipline from non-Christians. That insight should generate greater interest in scholarship, not less.
49. Integration of Faith and Teaching Integration at the general level: Locating a subject in a Christian framework.
50. Integration of Faith and Teaching Integration at the general level: How does “X” connect to God’s original design for Creation? “naming the animals”: knowing Creation “tending the garden”: developing Creation
51. Integration of Faith and Teaching Integration at the general level: How does “X” connect to God’s original design for Creation? How does “X” connect to God’s plan for redeeming Creation? “making disciples” “healing the sick” “feeding the hungry” “setting free the captives” Etc.
52. Integration of Faith and Teaching Integration in the classroom. The three levels, but at times more intentional and explicit.
53. Integration of Faith and Teaching Integration in the classroom. Motivational level: Opening prayer. The classroom as a Christian vocation. Share your passion. Not just a class but a campus ethos.
54. Integration of Faith and Teaching Integration in the classroom. Motivational level Foundational level The Implicit/Explicit Continuum Implicit ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Explicit Mathematics Natural Social History Arts and Philosophy/ Sciences Sciences Literature Theology
55. Integration of Faith and Teaching Integration in the classroom. Motivational level Foundational level Applied/Ethical level In the discipline itself (science, history, etc.) In its application (business, law, nursing, etc.)
56. Integration of Faith and Teaching Integration in the classroom. Some practical suggestions…
57. Integration of Faith and Teaching Integration in the classroom. Generally, small, frequent exercises and reminders are more effective than “Christian foundations of X.”
58. Integration of Faith and Teaching Integration in the classroom. Keep a file of articles, films, etc. that illustrate motivations, foundations, and applications in your field.
59. An example: Engineering Value On Life 11 Percent Lower Than 5 Years Ago Listen Now [4 min 21 sec] All Things Considered, July 11, 2008 · The Environmental Protection Agency has put the value of a human life at $6.9 million, 11 percent lower than five years ago. Seth Borenstein, science reporter with The Associated Press, says the number is how much a person is willing to pay to reduce his or her risk. Foundational: Does a Christian value human life higher, lower, the same? Ethical: How much value do we place on a human life when designing a car? How does a Christian engineer balance the need to value human life with the need to make a profitable automobile?
60. Integration of Faith and Teaching Integration in the classroom. Reflection papers, essay questions: In what ways does this subject help us to fulfill God’s creation mandate? In what ways is this subject affected by the ripple effects of the Fall? How could this discipline be “redeemed”? How could one apply this subject to advance God’s redemptive activity on earth?
61. Integration of Faith and Teaching Integration in the classroom. The “integrative question” (Harold Hie)
62. Integration of Faith and Teaching Political Science: Is representative democracy the most “Christian” form of government possible? If so, then how far should one go to create such a system in non-democratic nations? Is a “war for democracy” worth the cost?
63. Integration of Faith and Teaching Economics: Is a tax system that takes money from the wealthy to distribute to the poor a proper application of biblical social ethics, or is it an infringement on the Christian notion of human freedom and accountability?
64. Integration of Faith and Teaching Literature: To what extent are we obligated to read a text according to the author’s original purpose? Is it possible to transcend the bounds of race, class, gender, and culture and truly understand an author’s intent?
65. Integration of Faith and Teaching Music and Visual Art: Is beauty simply in the eye of the beholder, or are there external, objective standards of beauty that can be applied to all works of art? Does the eight-note major scale sound “right” to us simply because we have been conditioned that way, or because it corresponds to some universal standard created by God?
66. Integration of Faith and Teaching Integration in the classroom. Demonstrating the process of integration: A two-way street. Faith  Learning / Learning  Faith
67. An analogy: Crossword puzzles
68. Integration of Faith and Teaching Integration in the classroom. Demonstrating the process of integration: In real life: Astronomy Observation, calculation  Psalm 104 (“He has set the earth …”)
69. Integration of Faith and Teaching Integration in the classroom. Demonstrating the process of integration: In the classroom: “How does what we learn in psychology/economics/philosophy affect our Christian worldview?”
70. Integration of Faith and Teaching Integration in the classroom. Not a formula but a process; a habit of mind.
71. Integration of Faith and Teaching Integration in the classroom. Much of our integration in the classroom will consist of vocational scholarship.
72. Conclusion Find an approach that is appropriate, natural, and distinctive to your institution.