Encyclopedia of Christian Education

Edited by George Thomas Kurian, Mark A. Lamport

Publication date:

07 May 2015

Length of book:

1678 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9780810884922

Christianity regards teaching as one of the most foundational and critically sustaining ministries of the Church. As a result, Christian education remains one of the largest and oldest continuously functioning educational systems in the world, comprising both formal day schools and higher education institutions as well as informal church study groups and parachurch ministries in more than 140 countries. In The Encyclopedia of Christian Education, contributors explore the many facets of Christian education in terms of its impact on curriculum, literacy, teacher training, outcomes, and professional standards. This encyclopedia is the first reference work devoted exclusively to chronicling the unique history of Christian education across the globe, illustrating how Christian educators pioneered such educational institutions and reforms as universal literacy, home schooling, Sunday schools, women’s education, graded schools, compulsory education of the deaf and blind, and kindergarten.

With an editorial advisory board of more than 30 distinguished scholars and five consulting editors, TheEncyclopedia of Christian Education contains more than 1,200 entries by 400 contributors from 75 countries. These volumes covers a vast range of topics from Christian education:

History spanning from the church’s founding through the Middle Ages to the modern day
Denominational and institutional profiles
Intellectual traditions in Christian education
Biblical and theological frameworks, curricula, missions, adolescent and higher education, theological training, and Christian pedagogy
Biographies of distinguished Christian educators

This work is ideal for scholars of both the history of Christianity and education, as well as researchers and students of contemporary Christianity and modern religious education.

About the Editors, Prologue/Foreword Contributors, Editorial Advisory Board, and Editorial Consultants
Prologue by J.I. Packer
Foreword by Stanley Hauerwas
Foreword by Richard Mouw
Foreword by Ronald Sider
Foreword by Will Willimon
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Volume 1: A-G
Volume 2: H-R
Volume 3: S-Z
Appendix A:
Appendix B:
Appendix C:
Appendix D: Index of Entries by Author
Notes on Contributors
Index

Christian education takes place in Sunday schools of small country churches and in the classrooms of major universities. This encyclopedia effectively covers both types and so much more besides. It accomplishes this by casting a wide net that reveals a preference for quantity of A–Z entries over depth in the case of most entries. The average length of an article is hardly more than one full page, which is only occasionally problematic. Articles for Catechism and Jesus Christ, for example, are limited to a single page each, which is surprisingly light. There are rare exceptions, such as the nine-page treatment of Christian education in the ancient world. Entries focus heavily on people and places. Personalities with at least some influence in the field include people like Augustine, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, John Calvin, and Thomas Merton (as well as many lesser-knowns). The geographical coverage highlights seemingly every meaningful region in the world: Australia, Belgium, Chile, Germany, Uganda, and approximately 100 others. More than 25 denominational groups are profiled as well, including Assemblies of God, Lutheran, and Mennonite groups. Many of the groups covered predate the 'denominational era,' such as the ancient schools of Alexandria, Caesarea, Ephesus, and Rome. And speaking of schools, more than 60 universities and seminaries receive special attention. True researchers in the field will appreciate the encyclopedia’s scope extending well past people and places. The content and message of Christian education is dealt with systematically (e.g., Atonement, Baptism, Holiness, Ethics). Methodology is explored in a variety of ways, too, covering mentoring, different learning styles, pedagogy, and small groups. Demographic entries include numerous aspects of working with children, adolescents, and families. Accompanying each article are approximately five references for further study. In sum, this specialty set has no serious rivals in the reference realm, and it is highly recommended for academic and religious collections.