2023-02-28

Last updated Aug 15, 2023

#DLQ10 #religion #spirituality #philosophy

• Sources/Being the Beloved
• Sources/Henri Nouwen on Brokenness

#EDUC101i #history #philosophy #education

Then, we will see how the “comeback” of Religion as a force in education comes to be, with a special mention of the role of the Jesuits in this movement.

• In response to humanism, what follows is what is referred to in history as the “reformation”. In this module, we look into 2 movements, led by 2 religious groups: the Protestants and the Catholics.
• Here’s an interesting thought exercise to get you started: If you were part of a religious group, observing the movements during the Renaissance, how would you react? What would you critique?
• Your logic will probably lead you to why these two religious groups felt the need for “reformation”.

History 101: The Protestant Reformation | National Geographic

• The Reformation was a revolution of religion in Western Europe. Essentially, it was the result of ==centuries worth of political and social grievances against the Christian Church== as it existed.
• This tension was exacerbated by the transformative social and intellectual period known as the Renaissance. In particular, this period involved the rise of Humanism: a philosophy that shifted man’s faith from being determined by religious doctrine to being ==determined by man himself==
• However, one of the most well-known advocates for a reformed Christian church was a German priest named Martin Luther. Martin Luther began to question the church in the early 1500s. He believed it was abusing its power and disagreed with some of its practices.
  • E.G. he challenged the church’s doctrine that stated the Pope, not the Bible, was the ultimate spiritual authority
  • Plus he criticized the church for selling indulgences: the practice of purchasing forgiveness for one sins by giving money to the church
• Luther believed the church needed to revise its doctrine by returning to the Bible’s teachings and by saying that ==salvation could be granted by faith in Christ alone.==
• So on October 31st 1517, Luther took a stand – what’s considered the birth of the Protestant Reformation. Luther is said to have nailed ==95 theses or arguments against the church== on to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany.
  • Luther was later put on trial in front of church officials to defend his theses but in January 1521 the church declared Luther a heretic and excommunicated him
• Unlike Luther’s predecessors who challenged the church, Luther had one tool at his disposal – that they didn’t have the printing press. This new invention allowed his arguments to be ==copied and spread across Europe==
• This unprecedented access to ideas such as Luther’s inspired many others to challenge the church there by splitting Christianity into two major denominations: Catholic and Protestant (from the word protest).
• Also the Bible became more accessible. Luther and other reformists translated biblical text from Latin (which was only known by nobility and church officials) to German, English, and French languages (spoken by the general public).
• While the Protestant Reformation revolutionised the Christian faith, it had ramifications that extended beyond religion.
  • Prior to the Reformation, ==many Europeans were dependent on an educated upper class.==
  • But perhaps the most resounding impact of the Reformation was that ==the common people were empowered to question religion and other aspects of life.==
• The Reformation (along with technological innovations and the introduction of other new ideas) gave many in Europe’sgeneral public the freedom and power to decide their own fate

After watching the video, read The Reformers Attitude Towards Education

Guide questions:

1. In what way was Protestant education different from the prevailing educational thought at that time (renaissance/humanism)?
2. What educational issues did the reforms addressed?

Additional reading

• How the Reformation Reformed Education
• How Reformation Shaped Education

So, how did the Catholic Church respond to the protestant reformation? Here, we’ll learn about another reformation (referred to as the counter-reformation), this time within the Catholic Church (Watch out for a special mention of the Jesuits).

Aside from the Jesuits, three other groups contributed to the propagation of the educational thought of the catholic reform movement.  These were the Brethren of Christian Schools, the Port Royalists and the convent schools. Read The Catholic Reformers Attitude Toward Education (Wilds & Lottich, pp. 190-197) to find out about the contribution of these congregation to contemporary education.

Think about the education during the counter-reformation period and answer the following questions: N-  What  new idea that you learned about education during the reformation/counter-reformation period? E  - What do you find exciting about education during this period? W - What do you find worrisome ? S  - What suggestion can you give to improve contemporary education based on the ideas of the Catholic reformers?

N-  What  new idea that you learned about education during the reformation/counter-reformation period?

A new idea I learned was how the religious teaching orders’ genius for organization served as the foundation for the structure of modern American education.

Examples of contributions from the Protestants:

• The Saxony system was the first state school system of history.
• Strum initiated the first development of a graded school system of organization by projecting a ten-class organization (a class-a-year plan).
• Strum’s school also served as one of the first examples of school consolidation, being the combined result of three inefficient classical schools.

Examples of contributions from the Catholics:

• Schools run by Catholic teaching orders were considered effective institutions for learning. This is because of their highly structured educational organization. This can be seen in the hierarchy of these orders, which were typically based on the military. The organizations of their schools were also documented in manuals such as the Jesuits’ Ratio Studiorum and the Christian Brothers’ Conduct of Schools.
• Noteworthy features of the Jesuit organization were the careful selection and placing of teachers, along with the close supervision of all instruction by the Prefect of Studies.
• Meanwhile, the Christian Brothers were known for their flexibility, constantly modifying and expanding their education organization to keep pace with new conditions and demands. This can be seen in their inclusion of industrial schools, reform schools, commercial schools, secondary schools, and colleges.

E  - What do you find exciting about education during this period?

What I find exciting are the innovative contributions Roman Catholic teaching orders made to the development of educational method. I believe that all their teaching devices and methods are still worthy of study because they are still applicable to education today.

One example I love is how the Jesuits advocated for high quality learning. The steps of their teaching method, prelection and repetition, ensured that the process of acquiring knowledge was realistic, progressive, and effective process. What makes this even more appealing to me is how teaching was always adapted to the pupils’ abilities and interests.

Another Jesuit method that appeals to me is the development of devices for producing motivation, particularly the stimulation of rivalry and emulation. As a naturally competitive person, I can definitely say that this instinct has constantly pushed me towards pursuing excellence.

However, I acknowledge that cultivating individual or group rivalry can get unhealthy. Because of this, I lean more towards the Jansenist method of auto-emulation, or desire to surpass one’s past efforts.

W - What do you find worrisome?

What I find worrisome is how classrooms became places of gloom and terror for children during this period. Martin Luther wouldn’t have wanted this, having advocated tor student-centered ideas (e.g. attractive classrooms, pleasant study, adaptation of subject matter, consideration for disposition). But due to excessive formalism and severe theology, students were subjected to institutional control. They were no longer taught to think for themselves. This even happened in Protestant schools, given that they no longer followed their founder’s ideals (i.e. exaltation of individual reason and faith).

S  - What suggestion can you give to improve contemporary education based on the ideas of the Catholic reformers?

Inspired by the ideas of the Catholic reformers, a suggestion I have for improving contemporary education is the Jansenists’ prioritization of reason over memory. They insisted that “nothing be memorized except what was understood”; the new textbooks they wrote were based on this idea. Much of contemporary education (especially in the Philippines) consists of rote learning; this can be seen everywhere, from our history textbooks to our college entrance exams. As a neurodivergent student, this focus on memory has made learning a struggle for me. No matter how hard I review or study, I cannot retain information as well as my neurotypical peers. Thus, in order to make contemporary education more accessible, I believe prioritizing the development of reason (particularly critical thinking) is crucial.