Christian Philosophy: A Suggestion for a Distinctly Christian Educational Philosophy

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Both Christian and worldly schools have curriculum divisions. That is, both kinds of schools divide their teaching into different subjects. For example, the most popular division of subjects in elementary schools goes like this: reading, math, science, history, etc.

However, is there a distinctly Christian curriculum division? There may be, and I want to explain that potential one here. That's not to say that Christian schools are acting unbiblically by employing curriculum divisions other than the one that will be described here, or that they are unbiblical by not using this division; rather, this is merely a believer's suggestion for a direction that Christian education can go in.

All this introductory information finished, I think I can now explain what this curriculum division is. Ecclesiastes 12:13 tells us that the whole duty of man (both male and female) is to fear God and keep His commandments. In this short and simple Scriptural passage, we have the answer to one of the most important questions: what is my purpose? And this answer is the right answer, for it is the answer of the Creator and Lord of the universe. "Yes, but what does all this have to do with a Christian curriculum division?" The purpose of education (in all subjects) is to train man to accomplish his purpose. Therefore, the purpose of Christian education is to train us to accomplish our true purpose, the purpose that the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9; cf. 2 Timothy 3:15-17 and 2 Peter 1:19-21) says we're created for in Ecclesiastes 12:13. In other words, Christian education teaches us to fear God and keep His commandments. Since the goal of Christian education includes instruction in obedience to God's commands, we need to be thoroughly educated in all God's commands. In other words, the curriculum division I'm suggesting here is the body of God's commands in His Word. That is, each command will be a separate subject for the Christian student to study. And God's commands will be studied as a whole as well. Also, all commands shall be studied in light of the two greatest commandments, on which two commandments hang the whole Bible, Old and New Testaments (Matthew 22:36-40). This is the curriculum division I suggest here. May God use this idea to edify His church!