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We live in a world characterized by a paradoxical mixture of globalization and fragmentation; a world in which global communication is possible but universal understanding is not. Our post-modern culture bases its creed in the notion that there is no absolute law of truth or justice. It is popularly believed that everyone has the right to his own opinion as long as we all recognize the fundamental 'truth' that there is no such thing as universal truth.

Although this view commends itself as pluralistic and tolerant its inner contradiction makes it a self-defeating position, devoid of any consistent sense of meaning or direction. Our present view of civilization has no place to advance. Like a serpent eating its own tail, it is left to feed upon itself until the reserve of its past runs out. Meanwhile, the struggle for power becomes the ruling principle for action, filling the meaningless void created by the loss of hope in truth in a fragmented world limited to its temporal uses.

Since education is both the cause and effect of our cultural existence, we need to keep in mind that the educational system of a state develops in conformity to its basic idea of civilization. As Western Civilization has moved away from its Christian roots the educational apparatus has evolved accordingly. The Church has increasingly lost its influence upon the educational philosophy of our culture.

Our prevailing philosophies of education follow upon the lines of pragmatism, behaviorism and materialistic naturalism. These perspectives coincide in their opposition to religion as the ground of education. This rejection forces the division of existence into the separate spheres of 'secular' and 'religious' life, which has been the tacit presupposition of education since the Enlightenment. Meanwhile under the rule of expedience the aims of education have become heterogeneous and casual.

The secularization of Western Culture is an obvious fact. What is less obvious is that this secularization is not primarily linked with the resistance of culture to the message of the Church, but with the Church's compromise concerning the truth entrusted to her. Like salt that loses its flavor, the truly dangerous threat to Christianity comes from within, from the adulteration of its heart and mind.

Fundamentalism has reacted to this threat in a defensive retreat, accentuating the divorce between faith and reason. Liberalism embraces the trend of secular thought retaining religious terminology but losing the meaning of the Christian message. A reformation path should avoid both of these extremes following a middle way of passion for truth built upon fidelity to Christ.

There can be no doubt about the relationship between education and the Protestant Reformation. The latter's influence on culture has always been related to its mission and capacity to educate people in the understanding of Scripture so that everyone may have a personal encounter with Christ.

The Reformation rightly turned the attention away from the corruption of the Church to the life of Christ, opening once again a way for the dynamic transforming power of the Gospel of truth to affect each individual. But in doing so it also opened the door to a form of individualistic Christianity that believes that all that matters is the personal dimension of religion.

The medieval Church ran into excesses of power, abusing its authority and tradition. However, in attempting to call the Church back to faithfulness to the original truth of the Gospel, the Reformation also opened the door for a radical break with tradition, making possible an opposition to authority that has enabled the pendulum to sway to the other extreme.

This in turn has caused a chain of action and reaction, in which charity and love of truth have not been the prevailing spirit. The end result has been the fragmentation of Christendom with a corresponding weakening of its power to inform culture. A divided Church is an easy target for the world.

This is demonstrated in the attempt by later Enlightenment thinkers to discredit the Church's academic credentials, preaching a divorce between faith and reason, and in turn affecting the Church's own understanding of the faith. The post-Reformation era has seen popular education slip from the hands of the Church as the new sciences displace theology as the organizing power of a life now limited to temporal aims.

It is time for the Church to reclaim a unity of faith and reason which provides a solid basis for tolerance and dialogue. Diversity of opinion only becomes a vice when we assume that human understanding is the ultimate measure of truth. When we recognize that God is the ultimate answer to every question that baffles human understanding we can then resume our quest for knowledge in a spirit of charity.

Tolerance is possible because we acknowledge that, as faith seeks understanding, diverse opinions spring from our constant struggle to gain a clearer comprehension of things from our limited human perspective. Hence our denominational differences should be approached with a renewed sense of humility, love of truth and willingness to learn from one another, allowing us to agree in the essentials while respecting our disagreements. Only God has all the right answers.

The basic educational challenge of the contemporary Church in a secularized society is to overcome the fragmentation that has fallen upon our culture as a result of the Enlightenment's attempt to build another Babel in the name of autonomous reason. The divorce between faith and reason has created great family afflictions.

It is time for us to move forward and regain the treasure that has been neglected. Christian education stands in a tradition more powerful and abiding than any of the philosophical fads that sway contemporary educational reform. We are heirs of a great heritage. Christianity has at its head the greatest teacher ever to walk on the face of the earth; the greatest teaching ever entrusted to mankind; and the greatest minds the world has ever seen in its service.

We must learn from our past errors and move forward to reclaim the lost ground of the educational world. Learning needs to be brought once again into the worship of God.

Christian teaching is constructive. It knows that it has a unique message to offer. Although it is closed in its foundation, it is open in its scope. It is strong enough to offer a basis for dialogue, exploration and new learning. It is clear, simple and profound. It is persuasive, but not manipulative.

It gives the kind of knowledge one can live by. It provides a clear orientation that is universal and illuminating. It does not give ready-made answers to every question, but it blesses life with a faith in truth that provides true hope for the future.

I believe we are witnessing an awakening of the Christian mind. It is increasingly clear that the antagonistic dichotomies of heart and mind, the intellectual and the spiritual, science and religion, are artificial. There is no reason to force a decision for one against the other.

For Christianity all truth is God's Truth. Human knowledge is not the measure of all things, nor is there a legitimate separation between secular and religious life. Reason, even when struggling to assert its autonomy, is always subservient to faith, because reason always argues on behalf of its initial trusted ideas and inclinations.

The challenge of education for the Church today has more to do with faithfulness to its heritage and calling than with creating new alternative systems of education. The Church needs to remember that Sunday School is not just a school; that religious education is more than sending children to Christian schools; and that education is more than acquiring a degree.

Christian Education means the nurture of every person from the crib to the grave in the admonition and the fear of the Lord. There is no area of knowledge that is beyond the concern of faith. This vision should provide direction to all our educational endeavors. Every one of us has a part in the educational mission of the Church, both by word and by personal example. The Old and the New Testaments command its ministers to instruct each member in the truth that illumines and transforms all life. A narrower concern with personal salvation neglects the nature of Christian vocation.

As with any other major issue, education might seem to be too large for our modest contribution to make any difference. But this is not true. A new reformation involves every Christian in every sphere of influence. From the child going to school to the scholar delivering a lecture, all educational work needs to be done in the spirit of Christian vocation as a service to our King.

The Church must nourish ministers, teachers, parents and children with the rich heritage of a Christian mind. It should be obvious that a revival of religious life has little chance of gaining ground for posterity unless the Church follows its calling to teach all nations all that the Lord has taught her. As long as the mind of the Church acquiesces to the secularized philosophy of education, along with encouraging a narrow view of personal truth, it will see its educational endeavors fail.

Education, both as cause and effect of civilization, will consistently prove to be beyond our reach. God has called every one of us to love him with our entire mind, heart and strength. When the Church's vision of education once again aims for nothing less than this basic principle we shall be living in the light of a new and better reformation.

Providence Reformed Episcopal Church
1201 Morgan Ave. Corpus Christi, TX 78404; Tel. 1 (361) 888-7421