Increasingly across sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Europe, schools paired training in behaviour with traditional instruction in reading and writing. Not only did the Council of Trent highlight the importance of training children in Christian comportment, but theological and philosophical tracts argued that the senses, rather than reason,…

This paper explores the challenges of cultivating ecological engagement in the context of congregations and describes pedagogical strategies for cultivating transformational approaches to care for the Earth. Working with data from clergy taking part in an online program for education and support on climate and environmental issues, we imagine what…

An Augustinian understanding of original sin can significantly contribute to the purpose of the teaching of the humanities. It helps at the point where Martha Nussbaum's understanding of the humanities is inconsistent. She argues that the humanities should cultivate a "world citizen," that is, a people aspiring towards a universal…

This essay surveys C. S. Lewis's statement and critique of British education as found in "Screwtape Proposes a Toast" (Lewis, 1961) and other works within his oeuvre. In this short story, Lewis elaborates on the state of education in postwar English society through the eyes of his protagonist: a demon. In distilling Lewis's Christian…

This essay builds upon previous work introducing the hermeneutic of Divine relationship, a lens by which systemically oriented Christian therapists can begin to understand the connections between the relational nature of God and their systemic worldview. Specifically, we explore what liberation theology has to offer each of the five domains of the…

We make two interventions in two evolving scholarly literatures. First, we show how fractal metaphors escape a recurring dichotomy in Christian pedagogical scholarship, the either/or of alienation from one's object of study versus union with it in "an act of love." Second, we try to replace recent interdisciplinary work's emphasis on…

There is a longstanding discussion in child theology around the role of cognition for faith formation. This article explores research in the area of disability theology in order to examine potential benefits for Christian ministry to the child. It suggests three areas which may be profitable: the importance of increasing information to accompany…

Higher education in the 2020s remains deeply divided on the role of religion, or what the Council on the Advancement of Standards (CAS) in 2023 describes as "religious, secular, and spiritual identities." In two previous articles in this Journal, one 2010 article by the late Peter Magolda and one in 2014 by Perry Glanzer, detail the ways…

This book turns to political theory as a framework for understanding the rise of political and religious extremism, and in particular the Christian Nationalist position, identifying solutions to civic challenges, and arguing for the vital role that public schools play in providing the civic education that prepares young people for participation in…

This paper addresses the urgent reality of the environmental crisis, underscoring its irreversible nature and the critical need for transformative action. It explores the complex intersections of capitalism, consumer culture, and climate justice, highlighting the profound societal challenges these forces create. Through case studies of two…

This article aims to utilize an adapted version of Trentham's Inverse Consistency Protocol (ICP) as a way in which any ecclesial organization can act productively when confronted with seemingly controversial paradigms such as social emotional learning (SEL). The ICP can help Christian leaders discern potential areas of inconsistency or affirm…

The Black Holiness Pentecostal Christian (BHPC) tradition is a focal point through which I illustrate(ed) multiple excursuses beyond Westerly notions of religion. Just as the word "excursus" is usually defined as an appendix to or digression within a written text, this text is designed to nudge the field of literacy research to extend…

The blame appended to anthropocentric leanings of traditional Christian thought for our ecological woes challenged me to do a reality check of our context and religious education's offering for an ailing world. I begin by looking at our ecological crises in the Philippines and searching for glimmers of hope from young Filipino environmental…

With the goal of working towards decolonizing educational practices, this article considers the Indigenous medicine wheel as inspiration for a cyclical model for learning and assessment. Many current assessment practices highlight individual achievement rather than ongoing and relational learning. This article suggests using a "Learning…

This introductory chapter provides a framing of non-Christian students in higher education. It begins by providing data on the current contexts on the religious identities of college students. Additionally, the chapter examines the concept of Christian privilege and how religious discrimination is institutionalized in the organizational structures…