living into transcendence 20191004 - associated christian …€¦ · 8 graham leo: living into...

GrahamLeo:LivingintoTranscendence©20191


LivingintoTranscendence:

AFrameworkforChristianEducation

GrahamLeo

GoldCoast,Australia,2019.

Thisversioniscurrentat4October,2019.

2GrahamLeo:LivingintoTranscendence©2019


ListofContentsAbouttheauthor.....................................................................................................3

PublishingandCopyrightInformation...........................................................4Preamble...................................................................................................................5ChapterOne:OnceUponaTime........................................................................7ChapterTwo:WhatStoryCouldChristianSchoolsLiveInto?...............12ChapterThree:TurningNarrativeintoTheology.....................................16ChapterFour:ACulture,Curriculum,andLeadershipModel...............27ChapterFive:TheLivingValuesModelinPractice...................................43ChapterSix:OtherApplicationsoftheLivingValuesModel.................51ChapterSeven:WhereToFromHere?..........................................................55Appendix:ACriticalReviewofLocatingLearners....................................58References..............................................................................................................87



AbouttheauthorDr Graham Leo served as a Principal for 25 years in independent,Christian schools. He completed a Doctor of Ministry in 2017 on thetopicofFaithandWork.Hehas taught in fourdifferentuniversitiesortertiary colleges in Education, Literature and Theology. Graham hasauthored scores of articles and papers, as well as publishing a fictionnovel, abookofpoetry and fourotherbooks in theareasof theologyandschoolmanagement.He has addressed education conferences in the USA, Korea, Japan,Philippines,andtheUK,aswellasinmostStatesofAustralia.GrahamismarriedtoMieke,andtogethertheyhavebeenblessedwiththreechildrenandninegrandchildren.MoreofGraham’swritingscanbeaccessedatwww.grahamleo.comHemaybecontactedviaemailat:[email protected]



PublishingandCopyrightInformationBiblepassagesquotedinthisbookcomefromtheNewRevisedStandardVersion(NRSV)unlessstatedotherwise.LivingintoTranscendence:AFrameworkforChristianEducationCopyright2019.PublishedbyGrahamLeo.GoldCoast,Australia.All rights reserved with following notes. Quotations of small parts fornormal academic or journalistic usage is permitted as under standardreferencingandcopyrightlaws.For larger amounts of material, the following conditions are asserted:This book may be digitally or print-copied and shared in schools andtertiary colleges or universities anywhere in the world only on thecondition that it is reproduced in complete form, with fullacknowledgement of author and all publishing details, or in wholechapter excerpts with clear indication that such copies form part of alongerwhole.Theauthorreservestherighttopublisharevisedversionofsomeorallofthismaterial inacommercial format.Theauthormaybecontactedviatheemailaddressshownonthepreviouspage.Otherthaninschoolsortertiaryteachinginstitutions,thebookmaynotbereproducedinanyform.TheLivingValuesModelprovidedinFigure1mayonlybecopiedorusedwiththefullcitationasfollows:TheLivingValuesModel.©GrahamLeo2019.Citingorreferencingforacademicorsimilarpurposesshouldidentifytheworkasfollows,subjecttoparticularprotocolsofthereferencingsystembeingused:Leo,Graham.LivingintoTranscendence:AFrameworkforChristianEducation.E-book.PublishedatGoldCoast,Australia.2019.www.grahamleo.com



PreambleThise-bookhasbeenwrittenaftermorethanfourdecadesof thinkingaboutChristianeducation.Idonotclaimtobeproducinganythingreallynewinthislittlevolume.The ideasareasoldasGenesis.Psalm119 isanextendedreflectionoftheentrancingbeauty,thedeepgoodness,andtheabidingtruthoftheTorah,theWordofGod.Thatisessentiallythebaseofthesereflections,too, but brightened with the Light that came into the world at theadventofourLordJesusChrist.OutsideoftheJewishrevelationoftruth,PlatoandotherGreekscholarsmulled on these ideas in a pagan culture long before Jesus Christwasborn.TheprologueoftheGospelofJohnbroughttheancientHebrewsand the Greek philosophers together in a tour de force of theologicalinsight:

In thebeginningwastheWord,andtheWordwaswithGod,and theWord was God. … And theWord became flesh andlivedamongus,andwehaveseenhisglory,thegloryasofafather’sonlyson,fullofgraceandtruth(John1:1&14).

InthisbookIamstandingontheshouldersoftheseancientgiantsandpointingoutawayofthinkingthosethoughtsagaininthecontextof21stcenturyschooling.I am making this e-book freely available to schools and tertiaryinstitutionsinAustraliaandoverseasatleastuntilIdevelopthecontentinto amore permanent form. It ismy gift to Christian education aftermostofmyprofessionallifetimeofservice.IamwillingtobeengagedtospeaktoschoolstafforconferencestodiscussthemodelthatIproposeinthisbook.Somereadersmayvalueabriefsketchofmyprofessionalbackground.IwasborninQueensland,Australia,andeducatedatStateschoolsandattheUniversityofQueensland,whereIearnedseparatedegreesinArtsandEducationalStudies,aswellasaDiplomaofEducation. I taught inQueenslandStateschoolsfrom1972until1982,andthentookuparoleasPrincipalof LauncestonChristianSchool inTasmania. I served therefrom 1983 until 1989, when I moved to Launceston Church GrammarSchool (1990 – 1995) asHead of English andHead of Boarding.While



thereIearnedaMasterofEducationfromtheUniversityofTasmania.Ithen took the roleofPrincipal at EmmanuelCollege,GoldCoast, from1996tillmyretirementin2013.After retirement, (following on from an earlier studies in Divinity) IcompletedaDoctorofMinistry (AdelaideCollegeofDivinity)usingmyoriginal research to write a thesis in the area of Faith andWork. Myresearch for this degree relates closely to the theological issuesdiscussed in this book. In retirement I have served for a term asTheologian-in-Residence at Monkton Combe School in the UK, wasemployedforalmosttwoyearsasaHospitalChaplain,andhavewrittenthreebooks.BecauseIwanttokeepthisbookreadablebybusy,workingteachers,Ihavetriedtoavoidanyacademicponderousnessasfaraspossible,buthaveprovidedalloftheusualacademicreferencesandbibliographytoenable further study. It is not ‘dumbed down’, but I hope it is de-jargonised!Iloatheeducationaljargon,butIloveteachingandI'veneverstoppedlearning.Ipromiseyouwon'treadabouthowto ‘pushtheenvelopetocreateavisionary professional learning community which will create space toachieve transformative leadership goals’. You won't find the words‘teaching-learninginterface’evenonce!IamverywillingtoengagewithreadersaboutanythingIhavecoveredinthisbook,ortheimplicationsthatmightarisefromit.Ihaveincludedmy own contact details on the third page of this publication,immediatelyfollowingtheTableofContents.Mypurposeinwritingistoengage, not to declaim and disappear. I hope that you will see fit tocontactmewithyourthoughtsonthislittlebook.DrGrahamLeoGoldCoast,Australia.September,2019.



ChapterOne:OnceUponaTime... Everythingstartswithastory.Everyonelovesagoodstory. IthinkthatenoughtimehaspassedbyformetobeabletotellthestoryIamgoingtotellinamoment.My story is about Christian schools. That phrase needs someexplanation, however, asmy story will show. But I need to tell you alittlemorebeforeItellmystory.When Australians talk about Christian schools, as opposed to otherindependent or church schools, they generallymean a school that hasbeenestablishedtoprovideaprofoundly ‘Christ-centred’1educationtoitscommunity.AlmostallChristianschoolsofthiskindhavebeensetupbychurchesorgroupsofChristianparentswhowanttohavetheirownversionof‘uncompromisedChristianeducation’fortheirchildren.The firstsuchschool inAustraliaopened in1962,andcameoutof the(mainly Dutch) Reformed Church in Kingston, just south of Hobart –CalvinChristianSchool. Thiswas the firstof theAssociationofParent-ControlledSchools,nowcalledChristianEducationNational(CEN).TheyquicklymovedtoestablishothersimilarschoolsinotherStates.In1976,thefirst‘non-parent-controlled’schoolcommencedinRegentsParkinwesternSydney,aministry(mainly)ofBaptistchurches.Thiswasthe start of a movement of church-based schools known as ChristianCommunitySchools.MostofthesewouldbeassociatedwithBaptistorPentecostalchurches.Bythemid-90’salargenumberofschoolshadbeenestablishedaroundthe nation, mostly, but not all, connected with a local church.Queenslandhadalargenumberofindependentschools,notconnectedwith either of the two large associated bodies mentioned above, butsimilar inpurposeandethos.Thevastmajorityof thesecontained thewordsChristianSchool(orCollegeorAcademy)intheirnames.In1985,anationalbody,theAustralianAssociationofChristianSchoolswasestablished.Theircurrentwebsitedescribesitshistoricalpurpose:

1Whatthatmeansinpractice,is,ofcourse,extremelydifficulttodefine–andcertaintovarygreatlyamongstdifferentgroupsofChristians.



The new wave of schools operating under the name"Christian schools" has been established by ProtestantChurches and groups of parents so that children fromAustralianfamiliescanaccessaneducationdeliveredfromaChristianworldviewataffordablerates.2

These schools are Protestant, inexpensive, seek to employ Christianstaff,andfocusonaChristianworldview.Nowit’stimetotellthestorythatIpromisedabove.At the time it occurred (about 1984 or ’85), I had been Principal ofLauncestonChristianSchoolforabouttwoorthreeyears,andIhadjustsucceeded inhaving theschoolacceptedas the first ‘ChristianSchool’,intomembershipoftheAssociationofIndependentSchoolsofTasmania(AIST). It was seen by many as a bold move by a rank outsider, astorming of the bastions of respectable, even prestigious, privateschooling.I was greeted reasonably warmly by the Rev. Dr Dudley Clarke, theHeadmasterofthehighlyrespectedHutchinsSchoolinHobart.Hewasavenerablegentleman,eventhen,withalonganddistinguishedhistoryineducation.HewastoearnanOBEforhiscontributionstoschools.Heaskedwho Iwas,andonhearing that IwasPrincipalofaChristianschool,hewasthoughtfullysilentforabit,almostasifheweredecidingtotellmesomething;thenhetoldmethisanecdote.Hedidnotgivemeany introduction to it, nor did he tellmewhy he told it. After he hadfinished,he shookmyhand, toldmehewaspleased tomeetme,andwalkedaway.Iwaslefttoponderhiswords.Thisiswhathetoldme:

In 1962, Iwas invited to attend the opening of a new school inKingston, theCalvinChristianSchool. I thinkyour schoolmaybeassociatedwiththatgroup. Iacceptedtheinvitation,ofcourse. Iwas sitting with the Catholic Archbishop, the Anglican Bishop,Heads of other independent schools, and guests from localchurches.Wewereallhappytosupport theopeningof thisnewschool.

2AACS,AustralianAssociationofChristianSchools,https://www.aacs.net.au/about-us/who-is-aacs.html.



I was quite surprised to hear the first words of the OfficialOpeningSpeech,givenbytheministeroftheReformedChurch.HewasfromHollandofcourse,andinaverystrongDutchaccent,hetoldusproudly,‘Ladiesandgentlemen,todayisahistoricalevent.Onthisday,ChristianEducationhascometoTasmania.’Weallsatthereabitstunned,allthesechurchleaders,andHeadsof Anglican, Catholic, Methodist and Presbyterian schools. Ourschools had been educating scholars in Tasmania for over 100years.3Butonthisdayin1962,weweretold,ChristianEducationhadarrivedinTasmania.

I couldn't know then, but our paths would merge more closely thaneitherofuscouldenvisageatthatstage.DrClarkehadearlierservedasChaplainatMonktonCombeSchoolnearBath,UK,whereIwastoservebriefly as honorary Chaplain and Theologian-in-Residence thirty yearslater.Heleftsuchapowerfullegacyatthatschoolthatwithinacoupleofdecadesofhis time there, itwasestimated thatoneper centof allChurchofEnglandministersintheUKweregraduatesofthatschool.HewasadeeplyChristianman.Butonthisday,asanervousandquiteover-awednewPrincipal, Iwaslefttowonderathisreasonsfortellingmethislittlereminiscence.Ofallthestoriesthathecouldhavetoldme,andallthethingshecouldhavesaid tome at our firstmeeting, why did this thoughtful and dignifiedmantellmethatstory?Well, ithadtheeffectthatIthinkhemusthaveintended.Ihaveneverforgotten his story, and I have thought about it probably hundreds oftimessince.Icanbarelyusetheterm‘Christianschool’withoutaflashofmemory–thatfineheadofwhitecurlyhair,theclearvoiceandroundedvowels,tellingmeoftheDutchmanwhoboastedofChristianeducationcomingtotown.Australian ‘Christian schools’ have always assumed that they heldsomewhatofamonopolyonChristianeducationinAustralia.Therehasbeen an embarrassing tinge of newcomer’s arrogance tomuch of our

3LauncestonChurchGrammarSchoolwasestablishedin1846.Itclaimstobetheoldestcontinually-operatingschoolinAustralia.Therehad,ofcourse,beenchurcheducationwellbeforethatdate.TheRev.RichardJohnstonopenedthefirstChurchofEnglandschoolinAustraliainSydneyin1793.



posturing.DrClarkeclearlyheldadifferentview–andhadsoundreasontodoso.Iwasforcedtothinkthen,andIhavethoughtagreatdealsince,ofthemessagehewasgivingme,andofthequestionshewasaskingtometoconsider.WhatdoesitmeantobeaChristianschool?IsaChristianschooltheonlyplacethatcanofferChristianeducation?IstheremorethanonewayofofferingChristianeducation?Didthe‘ChristianSchool’movementinAustraliamakeacategoryerrorinallowingitselftobecalledbythatname?This last question is an interestingone, and I think Imay knowwhy ithappenedthewaythatitdid.As it happened, I married into a Dutch family from the ReformedtraditioninHolland,andIoftenlistenedtomymother-in-lawtalkinginher thickDutch accent about schools as I sat around the familymeal-table,learningtocomprehendherhalf-Englishandhalf-Dutchwordsandphrases. She talked about the schools that she was familiar with inHolland before the Second World War: the Christelijke schol, theKatholieke schol and the stateschol.4(Shedidn'tuseaDutchword forthestateschool,orifshedidI’veforgottenit.)Forher,asforallhercompatriotsofthaterainHolland,itwasasimpleenoughchoice.IfyouwereCatholic,youwenttotheKatholiekeschool;if you were Protestant (i.e. Reformed Church) you went to theChristelijke school, and if youweren't at all religious youwent to thegovernmentschool.Whenthegreatwaveofpost-warDutchmigrationcame to Australia in the 1950s, the newcomers looked towhere theywouldsendtheirchildrentoschool.TheCatholicshada simplechoice.Thenon-religiousones justwent tothe State school, but the Reformed church families – of whom thereweremanyhundredsinTasmania,decidedreasonablyenoughthattheyneededaReformedChurch school. So they translated theDutchwordtheywerefamiliarwith,theChristelijkeschol intoEnglish,andcameup

4Pronounced,respectively:Krist-luh-kuhandKat-oal-i-kuh.



withChristianSchool.Theysavedtheirpenniesweekbyweek,andtheyfinally built their first school: their very own Reformed or Christelijkeschool.I suspect that Australian Christians have come to talk about ChristianSchoolsaswedo,becauseofatranslationofaphrasefromanenergeticand productive migrant group who came to our shores over a half-centuryago.5When the sincere and faithful Dutchman unwittingly insulted hisaudience of educators and churchmen in 1962 with his declarationaboutChristianEducationhavingatlastarrivedonAustralianshores,hewas telling the truth inhisowntranslation.But thatwasnotwhat thelisteners heard. They heard an insult from a newcomer, devaluing thegoodworktheyhadbeenengagedinforthelast120yearsorso.In 1985, 23 years later, one of his audience still remembered thesmarting effect of those words. He thought he had been engaged inChristianeducationallofhis life,andbelievedthathestillwas.Andheinvitedmeintohismindandhisemotionstoconsiderthosewords.I'mstill considering them,Dudley.And I'mabout towriteabout them.Pace,old friendandcolleague.Wecame together in theend, thewaythatGodchosetoweavethetale.

5Ofcourse,IamfamiliarwiththetermbeingusedearlierinCanadaandotherplaces–butwiththegreatDutchReformedtraditioninformingmanyoftheschoolsinthoselocations,thesamelanguagetranspositionmaywellhaveoccurredthere,too.



ChapterTwo:WhatStoryCouldChristianSchoolsLiveInto?I'm going to assume that everything that I say about Christian schoolsandChristianeducationfortherestofthisbookwillberelevanttothekindofschoolsandthekindofeducationthatcouldbeassociatedwiththe full range of Christian institutions. This will include Catholic andProtestant, old and recent, church and independent. It will includeschoolsinAustraliaandoverseas.I'mguessingthatthemajorityofmyinitialaudiencewillbethosenewerschoolsthatclaimthetitleof‘ChristianSchools’,butthereisnoreasonthatthecontentofthisbookshouldnotbeadoptedbyanyschoolwhichdesires topresent education through theprismof theGospel of JesusChristtothemindsofchildrenandfamilies.Thisismystartingpoint,onethatIthinkDrClarkewouldhavegivenhisapprovalto:I am convinced that Christian education must maintain a firmcommitmenttopreparingstudentsforafullandactiveengagementintheworld,onthebasisofthebestpossibletrainingbothinthenaturalworldthroughtheartsandsciences,andthetruthofGodasrevealedthroughscripture,traditionandscholarship.Further,thiscommitmentwillremainequallyvalidwhetherornotthestudentschoosetofollowJesusChristintheirownpersonallives.

Most Australians remember theMillennialfireworks display in Sydney in 2000, thatfeaturedthewordEternity,emblazonedontheHarbourBridge. It commemorated the

work of Arthur Stace, the alcoholic drifter who became a Christian in1930,afterstepping into theback rowsofa revivalmeeting.Heheardthe preacher, John Ridley, say, Eternity, Eternity, I wish that I couldsoundorshoutthatwordtoeveryoneinthestreetsofSydney.You’vegottomeetit,wherewillyouspendEternity?For more than 35 years after that night until his death in 1967, thisreformeddrunkardwrotetheword,Eternity,scoresoftimeseverynight

Eternity



in copperplate script on the pavements of Sydney. 6 He became amysterious legend to Sydneysiders. It is estimated that he wrote theword over half a million times on Sydney streets. He was accused ofdefacingpublicpropertymanytimes,butwasneverconvicted.What fewpeopleknow is that the festivaldesignerwhocameupwiththe idea to emblazon Eternity across the Harbour Bridge in fireworkswas a graduate of St Ignatius College, Riverview, in Sydney. His namewasIgnatiusJones.WhenhewasgiventhetaskofDirectorforSydney’smillennium celebrations, it was the story of Arthur Stace and EternitythatcametoJonesasbeingso‘incrediblySydney’.Regardless ofwhether Jones himselfmayormaynot have led a post-school life closely linked with Christian practice, his schoolingnevertheless enabled him to ‘see’, to imagine into reality, theconnectionthatenlightenedtheentireworldwiththenotionofEternity.ThatChristianschoolingalsoenabledhimtoperceivethetranscendentvalue of theword ‘Eternity’.Without those years of being exposed tothe mystery and beyond-ordinary-human experience of the Christianfaithinformalschoolworshipanddailylife,Jonesmayhavechosenanyof a dozen things about Sydney to exemplify its character. It was hisschoolingthatmadehisdecisionforhim–whetherherealiseditornot.This kind of outcome is the work of Christianeducation that we should all be seeking in ourschools. The fireworks display was not especiallyreligious. It was certainly not designed by theCommittee which organised the display in Sydneywith any evangelical or religious intent. But itpromotedsomething thatwasworthwhile in thecityandthusenrichedAustraliancommunitylife.EffectiveChristianeducationbrings light and truth to society. It shinesthelightofbeautyandgoodnessintodarkplaces.Itrevealstruth,evenifitisnotalwaysawareofwhatitisdoing.Since the beginning of Calvin Christian School in 1962, we have hadalmost 60 years of this radical kindof ‘Christian education’. It’s a fairquestion to ask, now,whether therehas beenenough to show for it?6Hisstorymaybereadindetailhere:https://theculturetrip.com/pacific/australia/articles/meet-arthur-stace-the-man-behind-sydneys-iconic-eternity-graffiti/

EffectiveChristianeducationbringslightandtruthtosociety.



HowmanyPrimeMinisters?Howmanyresearchscientists?HowmanySupremeCourtjudges?HowmanyRhodesscholars?I suspect thatwe justdon'tknowtheanswer to thesequestions,but Ithinkthatweshouldbeseekingtofindtheanswers.That’sataskforanationalbodysuchastheAustralianAssociationofChristianSchools.Wemightbeverypleasedwiththeanswersthattheydiscover.Orwemightnotbe.Eitherway,itistimeforsomeresearch.I readashortbooklet recentlywhichclaims topresentaworldviewtoundergird Christian education. It called its metanarrative ‘God’s BigStory’anditscurriculum,‘God’sCurriculum’.7Itishardnottoimaginethatmanypeoplewouldfindthephrase‘God’sCurriculum’distastefulandpotentiallyoffensive.Itsmacksoftheworstof fundamentalisms – the kind of description that suggests the usersclaim to know exactly what the Bible ‘says’ and ‘means’, and whichallowsnodeviationfromliteralismanditsownnarrowthoughts.The phrase implies that whatever any other Christian educator mightadopt in good faith as an approach to a Christian curriculum (or evenanyreligiousone), itcouldnotbeas ‘correct’or ‘true’asthisone. It isexclusivist and elitist. It rubs the noses of other Christian educators inState or independent schools in the murk of implied faithlessness,apostasy,syncretismorcompromise.It sounds like exactly the kind of thing that Dr Dudley Clarke wouldexpect might come from a group which felt that it had just inventedChristian education and that no-one else could possibly have a clueabouthowtodoit. Icanseehimwithoneeyebrowraised,asking:‘Doyouthinkthattheremightjustbemoretoitthanthat?’I've included as an appendix a critical review of that booklet forAustralianreaderswhomaybeinterested.It’snotthemainpurposeofthisbook,whichIhopemightbeofinteresttoeducatorsallaroundtheworld,butmyreviewwillbeofinteresttothosewhohaveheardofit.Indeed, it may still have some interest for those who haven't comeacross it, because my comments might reflect some light ontosomethingsimilarwithintheirowncontext.7Iamreferringtothefollowingpublication:D.Bensonetal.,LocatingLearnersinGod'sBigStory2.0:IlluminatingEducationinAustralianChristianSchools,(Sydney:ChristianSchoolsAustralia,2017).



Whatistheworldview,thewayofseeingreality,theframeworkoftruththatwecanuse inour schools topresent the truthofGodandof thekingdomthatJesusChristcametoinaugurate?Whatlanguage,whatsymbols,whatconceptswillspeaktothemodernperson, to the young person in the 21st century? What will lift theirsightstothatwhichiseternallytrueanddeeplyattractivetotheirsoul?My answer to these questions constitutes the remainder of this shortbook.



ChapterThree:TurningNarrativeintoTheologyThe purpose of this chapter is to provide a reading of Genesis, inparticular,butactuallyareadingoftheentireBible,thatwill leadustothe worldview and curriculum approach that will be recommended inthenextchapter.Inordertoreadscripturewell,whetherreadingNeworOldTestament,weshouldalwaysaskthefollowingquestions:

1. Whowrotethis?2. Whowastheintendedaudience?3. Whatistheculturalsettingofthataudience?84. Whywasitwritten?5. What genre is it (history, letter, poetry,

narrative,drama,etc.)?6. Howwould the intendedaudiencehavebeen likely to interpret

it?The best readings of Genesis take all of these questions into account,along with all the sub-questions that arise from each. This is not theplace to go into those sub-questions, but there are several veryimportantquestionsthatmustarisefromeachmajorquestion.I will approach the text from a high view of the inspired authority ofscripture.Myreadingwillbewell-supportedbyacademicwriting–butIask readers to remember that this is a short e-book, not a fully-developed text. Despite its brevity, though, this little book is well-supported by global academic and theological research. I have beencareful toprovide frequent footnotereferences for thosewhowanttoresearchfurther.Myintentionistoprovideasimplebutwell-supportedbasisoftheologythat can be taught in all schools, allowing the content of Biology andScience classes to be consistent with what is taught in Religion andHistoryclasses.Going well beyond curriculum, I will propose an approach to thinkingaboutschoolsthatcantransformnotonlytheclassroom,butallaspects8TheologianscallthistheSitzimLeben;itisoneofthemostcriticalelementsinreadingscripturewell.

TheSixCriticalQuestionsforSoundBiblicalExegesis.



ofaschool’soperations.Hence thesubtitleof thisbook:AFrameworkfor Christian Education; I hope that by the end, readerswill recognisethat themodel Iwill unfold in the followingpagesholds relevance foreveryaspectoforganisationallife–notonlyforChristianschoolsbutforallChristianorganisations.

TheImportanceofImagoDeiinUnderstandingChristianEducationStanding at the beginning of the complex creation saga9– the firstelevenchaptersofGenesis–isoneoutstandinglysignificantelement.Inthe first act of creation of humankind, God declared the male andfemalehumanbeings tobe rulers, in the imageofGod– in imagoDei(Gen. 1:28). Theword used for rulers is not one that implies force orabuse of power.10 The doctrine of rulership in Imago Dei is not amandateforruthlessdominationorpillageofthenaturalworld.Rather, humans are to take their place as image-bearers of the HighKing.11In the ancient world, a wood or stone image was commonlydeployedasadefactopresenceofthelocalgod.12Ifyouwantedtoberemindedof thepresence,or thehoped-forblessing,ofa localgodonyour harvest or flocks, you would place an image of the god in yourfields; ifyouwantedthepresenceofthegodinyourhouse,youwouldplaceanimageofhim/herthere.Thecarvingandcraftingofimagesofgodswasathrivingbusinessintheancient world. (It still is, today, but our ruling prosperity and fertilityimages are nowmore likely to be found on Facebook, Instagram andSnapchat!)The imago Dei principle of Genesis acts in exactly the sameway thatancientpeopleswouldhaveexpectedanimagetoworkintheirworld–9IwillgenerallyrefertothefirstelevenchaptersofGenesisas‘thecreationsaga’.Thereareseveralstoriesinthesechapters,allrelatingtoeachother.10VictorP.Hamilton,TheBookofGenesis:Chapters1-17(GrandRapids,MI:WilliamB.Eerdmans,1990),139.AlsoinClausWestermann,Genesis1–11:ACommentary,trans.JohnJ.Scullion(London:SPCK,1984),161.11Iprovideamuchmorecomprehensivetreatmentofthistopicinmyforthcomingbook:LettersPatent:APracticalTheologyofWork.Thoseinterestedinthistopicareurgedtoreadthistext.12PeterEnns,TheEvolutionofAdam:WhattheBibleDoesandDoesn'tSayAboutHumanOrigins(GrandRapids,MI:BrazosPress,2012),139.AlsoexplicatedatlengthinJ.RichardMiddleton,TheLiberatingImage:TheImagoDeiinGenesis1(GrandRapids,MI:Brazos,2005).



asyouwouldexpectfromanancienttext.Humanbeingsaredeclaredtobe God’s vice-regal presences13ruling ‘over all creationwith power tocontrolitandregulateit,toharnessitsclearpotential.’14NotehowthisreadingrespondspreciselytoQuestions2,3,4and5aslistedonthefirstpageofthischapter.Thisissoundbiblicalexegesis.Such is the tremendous glory which God has invested in his createdhumans–wearetoperformaroleratherlikealocalgodinapaganland– to manage and care for it as the one, true God would, ‘if he werepresent’.Weare tobringblessing,prosperity,growth,andproduceanenvironmentof careand safety for all creaturesand theenvironment.Wearetobevice-regalleadersandmanagers,runningthewholeshowinGod’sstead,asitwere.

LearningtoLiveasVice-RegentsChristians have commonly spoken about thehuman role in terms of stewardship. A simpleGooglesearchusingkeywordssuchas ‘Christians’and ‘steward of creation’ will reveal over tenmillionentries.Butstewardshipdoesnotgonearlyfar enough to coverwhatGodhasplacedhumanbeingsinplacetodo,inthissoundbiblicalreading.Reading Genesis in the way being promoted in this book, takes thehuman role far beyond mere stewardship. Stewards are only everservants, or at best, managers. They have to constantly report to anoverseer. Stewardsdon'thaveunlimitedopportunities for initiative,orthefreedomtoengineer,invent,re-construct,govern,innovatewithoutconstantlyreferringtoaMaster.A proper understanding of the glory of humankind as beingsmade inimago Dei, requires that we see our responsibility to act in, into andupon theworldas if Godwere acting through us. Of course, God still

13‘Vice-regal’istheadjectiveof‘viceroy’.TheOxfordDictionary’sdefinitionof‘viceroy’reads:Arulerexercisingauthorityinacolonyonbehalfofasovereign.OxfordDictionaries,(OxfordUniversity,2016),http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/viceroy.Cited5September,2016.14WilliamJ.Dumbrell,TheSearchforOrder:BiblicalEschatologyinFocus(Eugene,OR:WipfandStock,2001),20.

ReadingGenesisinthewaybeingpromotedinthisbook,takesthehumanrolefarbeyondmerestewardship.



ultimately requires an accounting from us, but it is a vastly differentrelationship from merely being stewards. We operate within a royalpermit,asitwere,fromtheHighKinghimself.Human beings are notborn of the royal family, butwe are appointedwithfullauthoritytoactonitsbehalf.

What are human beings that you are mindful of them, ormortals,thatyoucareforthem?Youhavemadethemforalittlewhile lowerthan theangels;15youhave crowned themwithgloryandhonour,subjectingall thingsundertheir feet.Hebrews2:6–8

AustralianscanunderstandthisperhapsbetterthancitizensoftheUSAmight.We remember the national shock in 1975when the Governor-General,actingunilaterally,butlegallyonbehalfof(i.e. intheplaceof)theQueen, dismissed the democratically-elected PrimeMinister.MostAustralians had never before recognised the potential power of theGovernor-General.Almostno-onehadseentheG-Gasmuchmorethanafigurehead.It is precisely this level of responsibility which the creation narrativeconfers upon humanity – note this carefully – upon all humanity, notjust those who acknowledge God. This is a human calling, not just aChristianorJewishone.Already,wecanstarttoseeoneofthestrengthsofthiswayofreadingthebiblicalstory foraworldviewconstruction. It isoftenthecasethatstudentswhodonot exhibit an activeChristian faith at their Christianschool seem tobe leftoutof, or somehow limited in their capacity toengageinthefullarrayofofferingsattheschool.Furthermore,schoolsdealwithveryyoungstudents,aswellasthoseinmoremature years. Theneedsof very young children fitwell into themodelthatwearestartingtoframe.All students, ashumanbeings, aremade in the imageofGod. Schoolscanpresent thismodel toall students regardless of their faith stance,regardlessof theirage.YoudonotneedtobeaGod-believertoact inGod’s image. You can live out your role as God’s image from a veryyoungage.15ThispassagereferencesPsalm8,wherethewordtranslatedangelsisElohim,thesamewordasisusedforGodinthefirstchapterofGenesis.



Agency commenceswellbeforeschoolage,even though itmayyetbevery undeveloped. A young Princewill act as a royal personage, eventhoughnotyetwithallthematurityandpowerofaKing.AyoungVice-Regentmaybetaughttodothesame.ThepointoftheGenesisnarrativeofhumansactinginimagoDeiisthatGod has, in effect, handed over leadership rights of the earth (andprobably the universe, too, though that raisesmany other questions),leavinghumankindtoact inGod’splace.Thispoint isdemonstratedbyexpressionssuchas‘Letusgodown…’in11:5-7,andinthepreambletothefloodnarrative.Jesus’parableabouttheabsenteevineyardowner16isbasedonasimilarconcept.Ofcourse,weknowthatGodreallyisomnipresentintheworld.Thereisnosuggestionheisactuallyabsentorwithdrawn,likesomepagandeity,leavingustogetonwiththings,whilehelivesalifeofeaseelsewhere.The sustainingpowerofGod in creation17is real, butdoesnotdetractfrom this delegated responsibility. God has chosen – and the Genesistextisclearaboutthis–togranttousashumanstheresponsibilityandaccountability to rule (manage, administer, develop) the physicalcreationon this planet (at least). In otherwords,we are to act onhisbehalf,asGovernor-Generals,asifhewerenothere.

TakinguptheRoleThinkaboutwhatitmeanstobeahumanlivingintheworldthroughthemodelbeingdescribedinthischapter.Evenmoreimportantlyforusaseducators,thinkabouthowanystudentfrom any background might feel upon being invited to live into thisstory.Itisastoryofhopeandpotential,ofgraceandopportunity.Ifevertherewasatimeinhistorywhenyoungpeopleneededtoperceivehopeandpurposefortheirfutures,itisinthisearly21stcentury.Imaginetellingthisstoryoverandoveragaintostudentsinyourschool,in scores of different ways, over different year-levels, in differentacademic,sportingandculturalcontexts:16Matthew21:33–46.17Colossians1:17;Hebrews1:3.



TheGenesisnarrative,properlyunderstood,describesallhumankindashavingbeengivenataskoftremendousresponsibility,nothinglessthanthe vice-regal responsibility to manage the world as the directrepresentativesoftheCreatorGod.Thisiswhatismeantbybeingmade‘inimagoDei’,intheimageofGod.Eventhoughwemustmanagewithsinandevilasever-presentthreats,Godhasgivenus thecapacity tochooseHimandtochoose life, ratherthanfalsegodsormerematerialismorhumanism.Theworlditself,withallitslife,energyandrichnessofresources,isunderourcontrolandweare expected to use it in all its parts for the betterment of humankindandforsocialhappiness.Everysinglehumanbeingwhohaseverlived,regardlessoftheirabilities,intelligence or socio-economic or ethnic background, is invited to beengagedinthisproject.TherelationshipofhumanitywithGodisboundup intheveryfabricofthe world, with heaven and earth temporarily separated. But thepromise of the future is that there will be a marriage of heaven andearth to bring them together again, on the basis of the death andresurrectionof JesusChrist.Themostelementalrelationshiponearth–themarriageofamanandawoman–hasbeengivenasaprototypeofthis futurerenewal.18Thecomingof Jesusreinforcedthispromiseusingtheverysamesymbolsandmetaphors.This reading of a foundational scripture provides the purpose andsignificance that is the deep desire of every human being, especiallyteenagersatschool.Thisconceptofhavingajobtodo,ofhavingresponsibilitytostepupto,isofenormoussignificancetocurriculumandeducationalphilosophy.Itilluminateswhatit isthatpeoplecanactuallyaspireto,andachieve, intheirday-to-daywork.‘Secular’ careers matter to God and to the world equally as much as‘spiritual’ tasks. Indeed, the further one travels along the path ofunderstandingwhat itmeans to be living in imagoDei, themore oneseesthatallsuchdistinctionsarehuman,notbiblical,constructions.18Thoseinterestedinthedeeptheologyofthismayliketoconsult:EphraimRadner,HopeamongtheFragments:TheBrokenChurchandItsEngagementofScripture(GrandRapids,MI:BrazosPress,2004),pp121–28.



Imago Dei work tasks are not limited to grand,impressive, spiritual tasks – being celebrity youthpastors or foreign missionaries. They are theordinarystufffromwhichtheeverydaylifeofanyhumancommunityismade.Electricians, hairdressers, volunteers are all performing thework ‘thatGodwoulddoifhewerehereinourplace’.Three years of Jesus’ life ‘in kingdom ministry’ do not displace theincarnationalvalueof30yearsspentasanobedientchild,asastudentlearninghislettersandhistrade,andasamanexercisinghistradeinafamilybusiness.Ofcourse,Jesuswasauniquehumaninsomanyways,buthewasstillahuman,being.Hisincarnationasababy,growingintoadulthood,meanssomething. If it did not, he could just as well have appeared as anincarnatedadult,readytocommencehis‘ministry’.LivinginimagoDeiimpliesmorethanwork,however.The concept of having relationships to develop, the closest onesculminatinginthemarriageofmanandwomanandthedevelopmentofa family, is fundamentally a part of the humanpsyche. It is a conceptthatstudents,especially in thesecondandthirddecadesof their lives,can especially imagine as part of their own future.19One of the greattasksofschoolingistoenablestudents‘tolearntobe’.Wewillreturntothislater.Furthermore, in Imago Dei is a universal principle that applies to allhumankindon the basis of their humanity, not their Christianity. It isnot just Christian people who act in imago Dei. Atheistsmay, too. Asmay Muslims and Hindus and pagans. Not all do it in consistentobedience,butalldoitbynatureandvocation,eveniftheydoitpoorlyorrebelliously.

19Whilstitisnotthetopicofthisbook,educatorsshouldsurelyhaveglimpsedbynowthepotentialforadeeplyChristiannarrativeofthedistinctivenessofgenderedmaleandfemaleisdeeplyembeddedintothiscurriculummodel.Ithasturnedupsubliminallyinthistextnowseveraltimes,andalertreaderswillhavepickeduponit.Thisisamassivelyimportantelementinthistheologicalapproach.IhavedevelopeditfurtherinmyLettersPatent:APracticalTheologyofWork.(Inpublication.)

ImagoDeiworkisnotlimitedtogrand,impressive,spiritualtasks…



All work, all human activity, all relationships – when done with aprofound consciousness of acting in imago Dei – honour God, andalwaysseektoactinobedience20tohiswordandwill.Whether the activities/work are manual, technical or theoretical,whether they are paid or voluntary, and regardless of who performsthem,theywillreflectsomeaspectof,andresponseto,theblessing-to-rule (Gen. 1:28).21All relationships, when lived out in response to thecharacterofGodreflecthiscalltohumanitytobehisimages.The most effective (and truthful) school curriculum is ultimatelyconcerned with preparing students to live in the world that God hasmade,ashisimages.We‘dohisworkforhim’,faithfullyandobediently;not merely as stewards, but as his images; we live faithfully intorelationshipsthathonourthecharacterofGodandthetruenaturesofwomenandmen.Hehasentrusted thisworkand this responsibility tous,ashisvice-regalagents.Throughouttheentirecreationsaga–theentirefirstelevenchaptersofGenesis–workisseenasthenaturalhumanresponsetothewordandwillofGodevenifthis‘wordandwill’issometimesignoredordebased.‘Work’,ofcourse,ismuchmorethanmerelythepaidactivityonedoestomakealiving.Thisbiblicalnotionofworkincludesallhumanactivity–includingsport,voluntary work or care of others, caring for animals, gardening orconservation.AllworkdoneinresponsetothewordandwillofGodisthecuratingofcreation,donebythecaretakers in responsetotheRoyalCommission,givenbytheHighKingtomaleandfemalehumanbeings,administeredinimagoDei.

20TheHebrewwordforobeycomesfromthesamerootashear,exactlyasinEnglishourwordobeycomesfromtheLatinaudire,tohear,andob-inthedirectionof.21ThisunderstandingofimagoDeihasenormousrelevancefordiscussionsofvocationandthecontemporaryconfusioninchurchesoverwhatmightcomprisesecularandspiritualwork,butthatisnotourtopichere.Buttobeclearaboutabasicprinciple,thisconceptproperlyunderstoodallowsfornodistinctionbetweensecularandspiritualwork–inanycontext.Again,seemyforthcomingLettersPatent:APracticalTheologyofWork.



The ultimate goal of school culture andcurriculum (particularly in a Christian school) isto enable students to grasp their highestpotentialandpurpose.Withthisvision,theycanplan their careers and imagine purposeful,relational lives – whether they are engaged intheworldofscienceandtechnology,mediaandentertainment, social and public service, orpracticaltradesandlabour.This is our human calling. It is what N. T. Wright described as the‘covenantofvocation’.22Whenthiscovenantisbroken,byourrefusaltoworkwithinhisboundaries,byourfailuretoactasresponsibleimages,itis a ‘vocational failure asmuch as …amoral failure’.23Failure to workwellandlivewellisafailuretoworshipwell;itbetraysourfundamentalhumanpurpose.Oncestudents(andteachers!)graspthedeeptheologicalsignificanceofthis calling, theywill understand that as his vice-regalmanagers, theyhave freedomof choice to actwithin hismoral boundaries to take upwhatevercareertheychoose,makingtheworldabetterplace.Theywillnotbedeludedorderailed intoweighingupwhetherservingGodinachurchormissionsettingismorevaluablethanservingGodasanaccountant,electrician,nurseorteacherina‘secular’environment.Theywill grasp that in aworldwherewe live everymoment in imagoDei, there is no such thing as a secular environment. There are onlyobedient and disobedient actions and responses to our particular andpresentsetting.In the Old Testament we see in practice how work is never far frompraise andworship. Human tragedy occurswhen God’s images, God’sagents, act in rebellion, rejecting God, choosing idolatry rather thanobedience: ‘Avodahis the transliterationof theHebrewword for bothworship andwork. The rootwordmeans toworkor to serve.…Workinvolvestheideaofservingsomeone.’2422TomWright,TheDaytheRevolutionBegan(London:SPCK,2016),102.23Ibid.,103.24WilliamD.Bjoraker,"WordStudy:(Avodah)-Work/Worship,"(2016),http://ag.org/top/church_workers/wrshp_gen_avodah.cfm.Cited26August,2016.

Theultimategoalofschoolcurriculum(andparticularlyaChristianschoolcurriculum)istoenablestudentstograsptheirhighestpotentialandpurpose.



Engagingstudents inthenarrativeofbeingagents(i.e.actors) inGod’skingdom,equippingthemforalifetimeofservicetoGod,isthegloriousopportunityandprivilegeofChristianeducationcurriculum.There is a very great difference, however, between education andevangelism.Educationisaboutequippingpeopleandpreparingthemforlife:developingtheirabilitytodosumsandtoreadandwrite, learningabout the history of the world, learning about science and how theworldworks,learningaboutmakingandsellingthings;preparingtolivewellbothnowandintheworldbeyondschool.Education is what schools are established for; it is whygovernmentfundsthem,forthegeneralgoodofsociety.Christian education absorbs and accepts that socialcontract;but then itoverlays thatwithhelping studentsto develop a Christian worldview to enable them toengagemeaningfullyandtruthfullyintheworld.Educationisfundamentallyaboutteachingandlearningtobe.Evangelism,ontheotherhand,isaboutsharingthegoodnews of the kingdom of God. It happens in all kinds ofsettings, includingschools–bothChristianandsecular–but it cannot be the core goal of Christian education. Itmay (andhopefullywill) beaby-product,but it isnotakeypurpose.Christianschoolsexistaspartofthesocialcontractthatexistswithinthenation to educate the nation’s children. It is why governments fundschools and the community accepts that within fair and reasonableboundaries.Faithconversionsmaywellhappenasaresultofwhatwedoinschools,especially all those interactions and activities that happen outside ofclassrooms, but spiritual ‘conversion’ has almost nothing to do withschoolcurriculum.Schoolcurriculum is todowith learninghowto liveintoourcallingascreaturesmadeintheimageofGod.EvangelismhastodowithencouragingotherstoenterthekingdomofGod.Eachyoungpersonatacompetently-managedChristianschool,learningto write or do sums, investigating biology and genetics, geology andpoetry,history,sport,musicanddance,isbuildingthebasicsofalifeofsurrendertotheKing,bringingtheirworkasanofferingofservice.

Educationisfundamentallyaboutteachingandlearninghowtobe.

Evangelism,ontheotherhand,isaboutsharingthegoodnewsofthekingdomofGod.



AllofthisisthegloriouspotentialofChristianeducationalcurriculum.InthenextchapterIwillputashapearoundthistheologythatcanbeputintopracticeinschools.



ChapterFour:ACulture,Curriculum,andLeadershipModelThe model offered in this and following chapters provides all of thefollowing:

1. A recognition of the equal value of all human beings, based ontheir divinely-ordered humanity, not their willingness to accepttheChristianfaith.

2. A way of reading the Bible faithfully, fully acknowledging itsdivine inspiration and authority,while also recognising that it isan ancient document that depends on recognition of genre,audienceandhuman-authorialintentforitsbestinterpretation.

3. Awayofthinkingaboutorganisationalcultureandstructuresthat

isdeeplyandtraditionallyChristian.

4. Acurriculumthatcanenablestudentstoenteruniversityorothertertiarystudywithaconfidencethattheirbiblicalunderstandingsare not critically dependent on out-dated or seriouslycompromisedinterpretationsinregardtoscienceorhistory.

5. A worldview of divine purpose for human beings which is as

equally relevant in the Science lab as it is in Religious Studies,AncientHistory,MathsorTechnologyclasses;andwhichprovidesa way of thinking about leadership and organisational culturewhich will produce a human environment that will be deeplysatisfyingtoallpartsofitscommunitybothwithinandwithout.

I’vecalledthismodel:theLivingValuesModel.I’llexplainthistitleinamoment.Butlet’sgettoknowitfirst.



Figure1:LivingValuesModel.©G.Leo2019

TheologicalBasisfortheLivingValuesModelThetraditional transcendentvaluesofBeauty,GoodnessandTrutharecoreelementsoftheChristianfaith,astheyarealsooftheHebrewswhograndfathered the Christian faith. Plato is often regarded as apopulariser of the Three Transcendent Values, but the Greeks did notinventthem.Theyarecalledtranscendentvaluesbecausetheytranscendortakeusbeyond,ordinarylife.Theypointtothatwhichisgreaterthanus.Theypoint us towards God, towards Eternity. We live through and intobeauty,goodnessandtruth,andwemovefromtheretoanawarenessoftheeternalBeingofGodhimself.Beingisanimportantwordhere.Itremindsusthatwecanonlylearntobe,whenwetrulyknowGod.TheBritishpoet,DavidGascoynecapturedthisinapoem:



…trulytobemanistobemanawareofTheeandunafraidtobe.SohelpmeGod.25

TheHumanBeing, is however, only part of the story. That iswhy thecrossinthecentreofthisimageissocritical.Tousethemodelwithoutthe crosswould still be great education; but itwould not be Christianeducation.TheBeingthatthesethreetranscendentvaluesleadustoisthegloriousBeing of God himself. Ordinary people in Old Testament times had toperceiveGodthroughTorahorthroughthecultusoftheTabernacleorTemple. Since theadventof JesusChrist inhis incarnated self,we cansee God more clearly through the person of the Son who is theperfectly-reflectedimageofGod.26RememberthestoryabouttheSydneyfireworksdisplayusingthewordEternitythatItold inthesecondchapter. IgnatiusJoneslearnedvaluesathisChristianschoolwhichenablehimtoperceivethatthemerewordEternitycontainedtheseedsofhopeforanewmillennium.Throughhiseducation,hehadsoabsorbed thesevalues intohis spirit thathewasable to seehowthewholeworldmightbeinspiredifhecouldjustwritethatonewordforaglobalaudiencetoseeatthe start of a new millennium. That vision forEternity, that capacity to imagine divinely-transcendent Truth, was the result of a Christianeducation.ThethreequalitiesofBeauty,GoodnessandTrutharecentraltothetwostoriesofcreationinGenesis.It was these qualities that were attacked so comprehensively in theGardenofEdennarrative.They came under sustained attack in the other narratives in the firstelevenchapters.TheywerereinstatedintheformandfabricofthetabernaclethatGodinstructedMosestoconstruct,andthecodeoflawgivenonSinai.25Quotedin:RuthEtchells,UnafraidtoBe:AChristianStudyofContemporaryEnglishWriting(London:Inter-VarsityPress,1972),p95.26John1:1–14;Hebrews1:1–4;1John1:1–3.

ThatvisionforEternity,thatcapacitytoimaginetruth,wastheresultofaChristianeducation.



Theywere revealed perfectly to humankind in the person, words andworkoftheMessiah,theLordJesusChrist.They will form the foundations of the New Creation, when earth andheavenarereunitedagain.I'musingtheminthisorder:Beauty,Goodness,andTruth.Thesequencefortalkingaboutthesevalueshasvariedovertimeandacrosscultures.ThetheologianHansUrsvonBalthasarwasadamantthattherewasonlyonepropersequence.Thefirststep,heargued,involvedthepersonalperceptionofthebeautyof the Christian narrative. Once we are aesthetically engaged by theimageofJesusChristandofGodasCreatorandSustainer,thenwemaymove to a personal response. We will choose to live out a life ofgoodness,inresponsetothebeautyoftheholinessofGod.Eventually,afterwehavewalked in thepathsof righteousness for some time,webecome intellectually convinced of the truth of the entire Christiannarrative.All of this is why the cross centred in this image is so essential to itsmeaning and application in Christian living. Without it, the Being towhichwearedrawntoworshipistheonlyBeingthatwecanidentify–ourselves. Classical education fell over on this very stumbling-block.Enlightenmenteducationdidlikewise.IfweseekthegloryofMan(humankind,ifyoumust)throughthequestforbeauty,goodnessandtruth,wewillendupworshippingafalseGod,an insufficient transcendence. The cross reminds us of the true Beingwhomweseekandforwhomwelong.He alone is the sehnsucht, the object of our longing desire, that C. S.Lewiswrotesopassionatelyaboutinmanyplaces,butperhapsnonesointenselyasinhisinspiredsermon,‘TheWeightofGlory’.

Inspeakingofthisdesireforourownfaroffcountry,whichwefindin ourselves even now, I feel a certain shyness. I am almostcommittingan indecency. I am trying to ripopen the inconsolablesecretineachoneofyou—thesecretwhichhurtssomuchthatyoutake your revenge on it by calling it names like Nostalgia andRomanticism and Adolescence; the secret also which pierces withsuch sweetness that when, in very intimate conversation, thementionof it becomes imminent,wegrowawkwardandaffect to



laugh at ourselves; the secret we cannot hide and cannot tell,thoughwedesiretodoboth.Wecannottellitbecauseitisadesireforsomethingthathasneveractuallyappearedinourexperience.Wecannothideitbecauseourexperienceisconstantlysuggestingit,andwebetrayourselves likeloversatthementionofaname.Ourcommonestexpedientistocall itbeautyandbehaveasifthathad settled thematter.Wordsworth’s expedientwas to identify itwith certain moments in his own past. But all this is a cheat. IfWordsworthhadgonebacktothosemomentsinthepast,hewouldnothavefoundthethingitself,butonlythereminderofit;whatherememberedwouldturnouttobeitselfaremembering.Thebooksorthemusicinwhichwethoughtthebeautywaslocatedwillbetrayus ifwetrusttothem; itwasnot inthem, itonlycamethroughthem,andwhatcamethroughthemwaslonging.Thesethings—thebeauty, thememoryofourownpast—aregoodimages of whatwe really desire; but if they aremistaken for thething itself they turn into dumb idols, breaking the hearts of theirworshippers.Fortheyarenotthethingitself;theyareonlythescentof a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have notheard,newsfromacountrywehaveneveryetvisited.27

ThecrossatthecentreofthisLivingValuesModelremindsusconstantlythat our human experience of beauty, goodness and truth is alwaysgrounded in our life on this earth. That iswhere all of our experiencemustbegin–becausewearehuman,madeofdust,inhabitantsofEarth.But it is not where that experience ends. The earthed experience ofthese values draws us on, leads us out, seeking the sunlit uplands oftheirfullglory.There is a gestalt principle in this, where the ultimate whole is muchgreater than the mere sum of the parts. Our minds, our bodies, ourimaginationsandourspiritsareallopeneduptothegloryoftheInfinite.The deft interweaving of these three transcendental values byspiritually-perceptive leaders,constantly linkedtotheInfiniteOnewhobecame flesh, becomes the daily presentation of the Gospel to andwithinourcommunity:

27C.S.Lewis,TranspositionandOtherAddresses(London:GeoffreyBles,1949),pp23–4.



And in this regard, Jesus Christ, whose Gospel has enabledmillionsinmanyagesandculturestofindsuchmeaning,isasit were, an open window on the transcendentals, joiningtogether webs of human sensibility so that people canapprehendthetranscendentalsintheirfullreality.28

Further,afterhumanpersonsenterourcommunitywhichhasbeensosuffusedwiththedivinecountenanceinitstriunerevelationofBeauty,GoodnessandTruth,theyareopentobecoming,indeedtheydesiretobecometransformedbythatexperience.Or,moreproperly,bytheOnewhomtheyhaveencountered,earthedinthiscommunity.Their human selves are now open to being re-formed, renewed, as aresult of their encounter with these transcendent values which areunashamedly centred on and consciously pointing towards the Christenfleshed on the cross. The three values have done the work of theGospel;theyhavebeentheencounterwiththeDivineOneaboutwhomtheoldapostleJohnwritessowarmly:Wedeclaretoyouwhatwas fromthebeginning,whatwehaveheard,whatwehaveseenwithoureyes,whatwehavelookedatandtouchedwithourhands,concerningthewordoflife—thislifewasrevealed,andwehaveseenitandtestifytoit,anddeclaretoyoutheeternallifethatwaswiththeFatherandwasrevealedtous—wedeclaretoyouwhatwehaveseenandheardsothatyoualsomayhave fellowshipwithus;andtrulyourfellowshipiswiththeFatherandwithhisSonJesusChrist.(1John1:1–3)Thusthefullsequenceofourmodelbecomes:Beautyà Goodnessà Truthà Being.TheBeingpartof thisprocess isontheonehand, theencounter with the One who is the source of all Being. On the otherhand, it isthefulfilmentofourownhumanbeing,asweareenabletoliveoutourtruehumanityasintendedbyourCreator.Ourtask in leadingormanagingaChristiancommunity is toenable, tobring into practical reality, the means by which this humantransformationcanoccur.Oncehumansareengagedwithanyvisionoftruebeauty,wearemovedto live ingreaterpersonalgoodness,whichitself nudges us towards living more truthfully. This pattern may besimplistically seen in the following imaginary stories,whichmostofuswillrecogniseasbeingfairlytypicalanecdotesofreallife:28AidanNichols,AKeytoBalthasar:HansUrsVonBalthasaronBeauty,GoodnessandTruth(London:Darton,LongmanandTodd,Ltd,2011),p20.



Apersonwalksintoabeautifulpark,orawell-keptcampus.Thereis no litter; the gardens are neat and attractive. The lawns aremowed.Rather thandropapieceof litter,or stepoffawalkingpath,thepersonisinclinedtodotherightthing,puttinglitterinabinorstayingonthewalkingpath.Theyhavesubtlymovedfrombeautytogoodness.Butitdoesn'tendthere.Theymeetsomeonewhoworks there, orwhoownsormanages this place, and theyask how it is that the grounds are so beautiful. They have nowmovedfromtheirexperienceofgoodnesstoasearchfortruth.A person joins a large group sitting around a table at a party.Afterawhiletheynoticethatthepeoplearealltastefullydressed,withouteitheroutlandishfashionoruntidysloth.Theysoonnote,too, that the conversation is notmarkedwith swearing or crassjokes. They are surprised. They've been to parties before whereguestshavenotconductedthemselveslikethis.Theysoonrealisethattheyarekeepingtheirownlanguageandconversationtopicsalittlemorecarefullywithinpoliteandpleasanttopicsandstyle.Theycan’thelpbutwonderwhythisgroupbehaveslikethis.Theywonderifthey,too,couldbecomelikethem.

In both these simplistic but recognisable anecdotes, the personencounteringbeauty,soonmovesontoanapplicationofgoodnessandthenfindstheneedtoseekfortruthtobetterunderstandwhattheyareencountering.Iftheymanagetoachievetheirpersonalquest,theymayencounter the Divine Being from whom all this beauty and goodnessflows, or at least they will find that their own being has beentransformeda little towards those samequalities. Their ears and theirheart have been tuned into the frequency of the good news of theKingdomofHeaven.It is thevisionof theKingdomofHeaventhateachof uswill so embody these qualities than anywhomeetuswillseeinusthosequalitiesandaskforthewaytothekingdom.Inthesameway,letyourlightshinebeforeothers,sothattheymayseeyourgoodworksandgiveglorytoyourFatherinheaven(Matt.5:16). Thus we reflect the daily practice of theembodiedorincarnatedSonofGod.Thisisthepathlaidoutforusinthe23rdPsalm.Inthisshortreflection,eachofusmovesfromthequietjoyofcontemplationofbeautifulgreen

Thepurposeofthethreevaluesistoleadustowardsthesource,towardsGodhimself.



pastures and still waters where He restores my soul, to the love ofgoodness,thepathsofrighteousnessforhisname’ssake,andfinallytothe intellectual and logical certainty that Surely your goodness andmercywillfollowmeallthedaysofmylife,andIwilldwellintheHouseoftheLordforever.C. S. Lewiswas also convinced of this sequence of Beauty to Truth toGoodness.PeterKreeftwritesaboutLewis’sunderstandingofthis:

Truthisgoodandbeautiful;goodnessistrueandbeautiful;beauty is true and good. But there is an ontological (nottemporal) order: it flows from Being to truth, truth togoodness, and goodness to beauty. Truth is judged byBeing, goodness by truth, and beauty by goodness. Thepsychological order of our experience of them is thereverse:wearemovedtogoodnessby itsbeauty, totruthbyitsgoodness,andtoBeingbyitstruth.29

Itshouldbeveryclearnowthatthissequence:Beauty,Goodness,thenTruth, becomes important when we consider their role in a schoolcommunity–orindeed,anycommunity,evenacommercialornot-for-profitorganisation.Thepurposeof the reification in theorganisationallandscape of these three values is to lead us towards the source,towards the Being of God himself. Thus we re-affirm the criticalapplicationofthecrossatthecentreofourLivingValuesModel.Any school communitywill include in its composition, awide rangeofpeople.SomewillbefirmlycommittedtoChristianfaith,sometoamoreor lessnominal faithcommitment,andsomewill standsomewhereonthe spectrumofagnosticism through toatheism.Otherswillbelong toother non-Christian religious faiths, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and soon.One of the benefits of this approach that I am proposing is that itengages the entire school community gradually, if we manage ourschoolwell.Itshouldbeclearnowthatallbecomepilgrimsonthisquestthrough the three transcendent values to the ultimate Source of theirTranscendence.

29PeterKreeft,“Lewis’sPhilosophyofTruth,GoodnessAndBeauty”inAnthonyEsolen,IroniesofFaith:TheLaughterattheHeartofChristianLiterature(Wilmington,Delaware:ISIBooks,2007),153-71.



ThoseparentsandstudentswhoarenotcommittedtoJesusChristareoftenfirstattractedbysomebeautywithinthe lifeof theschool.Theyappreciate perhaps the appearance of the campus, with beautifulgardens and clean grounds; they appreciate the pleasant, winsomecharacterofthestaff;theyareseducedbytheideathatthisplace,thispeople,thisenvironmentisthefulfilmentofthedesiretheyhavebeenpursuingalltheirlives.Then they are enticed by the sheer goodness of this school and all itoffers. They value the honesty and plain-but-gentle-speaking of thePrincipalandthestaff.Theynoticethefairnessandtransparencyofhowtheyandothersaredealtwithincomparisontothelastschoolinwhichtheywereinvolved.Theyappreciatethevalue-for-moneythatunderpinsthecommercialaspect.Genuinenessandsincerityseemtocharacterisethisschool.Theyseethatstaffaretreatedfairlyandaregivenfairandrespectableworkingconditions.Finally,perhapsafterseveralyears,theyaresowonoverbyallthattheyseeandexperiencethattheythinkitisworthlisteningmorecarefullytothenarrativebeingtoldbytheschoolatpubliceventsandintheformalcommunications. They recognise thewisdom in thewords of teachersandPrincipal.TheybecomegraduallyconvincedthatfollowingtheGodofthisschoolmakesgoodsense.TheyareinexorablydrawntotheOnewhomtheycanseenowistheonlywaytoquenchthatdesirewhichhasbeensetonfirewithinthem.Wewill see enacted on our campuses the narrativewhich C. S. Lewiswrote so entrancingly about in The Silver Chair. To set the scene: theyounggirl, Jill, is desperately thirsty, and comes toa stream.But lyingnext to the stream is ahuge lion. She stopsdead, tooafraid tomove.Eventually,thelion(for it is,ofcourse,Aslanhimself)speaks: ‘Ifyou’rethirsty, youmay drink’. Then follows an exchangewhich speaks to usaboutthecharacterofthelion:

“Areyounotthirsty?”saidtheLion.“I’mdyingofthirst,”saidJill.“Thendrink,”saidtheLion.“MayI–couldI–wouldyoumindgoingawaywhileIdo?”saidJill.The Lion answered this onlyby a look anda very lowgrowl.Andas Jill gazedat itsmotionlessbulk, she realised that shemightaswellhaveasked thewholemountain tomoveasideforherconvenience.



The delicious rippling of the stream was driving her nearlyfrantic.“Willyoupromisenotto–doanythingtome, if Idocome?”saidJill.“Imakenopromise,”saidtheLion.Jillwassothirstynowthat,withoutnoticingitshehadcomeastepnearer.“Doyoueatgirls?”shesaid.“I have swallowedup girls andboys,womenandmen, kingsand emperors, cities and realms,” said the Lion. It didn’t saythis as if itwereboasting, nor as if itwere sorry, nor as if itwereangry.Itjustsaidit.“Idaren’tcomeanddrink,”saidJill.“Thenyouwilldieofthirst,”saidtheLion.“Ohdear!”said Jill, cominganotherstepnearer.“I suppose Imustgoandlookforanotherstreamthen.”“Thereisnootherstream,”saidtheLion.30

WhyCallthisModeltheLivingValuesModel?If you glance back at the words and concepts in the three circles inFigure 1 above, you will see there all of the qualities I have beendescribing in school life: peace, mercy, harmony, generosity, fairness,loyalty,integrity,wisdom,trust…Of course, there is a great responsibility on schools to ensure thateverythingtheydoactuallyrepresentsthispatternwell.Iknowfrompersonalexperience,thatwhenyourunaschoollikethis,peoplewhohavelongsinceabandonedthechurchandtheChristianfaithareenticed back. I have met them; they have toldmehowtheirexperienceasparentsattheschoolwas just so beautiful and good that they couldnot help but bebrought to kneel at the feet ofthe Godwhom they saw there.More than onehashadtears intheireyesastheytoldmehowthey had come to know God, or come back toknowing him as a result ofwhat they had seenandheardattheschool.30C.S.Lewis,TheSilverChair(London:Collins,1980),pp23–24.

Iknowfrompersonalexperience,thatwhenyourunaschoollikethis,peoplewhohavelongsinceabandonedthechurchandtheChristianfaithareenticedbacktoseektheGodwhohasbeenseekingthem.



Hadwe startedwheremany churchesandevangelical programs try tobegin–withattemptingtoproveGodviaanapologeticsprogram–theywouldneverhavebeen soattracted. LogicandargumentareneverasattractiveasthevisionofBeauty.OnceweareentrancedbyBeautyweareeasilyledtoimaginethesheernoveltyofGoodness,andencouragedtolayholdof itforourselves.ThisopeningupofoursoulspreparesusfortheentryoftheBridegroomhimself,Truth.It should be clear nowwhy I have called themodel the Living ValuesModel.IhadoriginallythoughtofcallingittheLivingintoTranscendenceModel.ButthatwasabitclumsyandIwasnotsurethatitwouldbeunderstoodbytheordinaryday-to-dayfamilieswhoenroltheirchildreninschools.Iwantschoolstoownamodellikethisandtalkaboutitwithparents.The word ‘Living’ is important, because it is a present participle (forthose who remember their grammar). That is to say, it is partly anadjectiveandpartlyaverb.Itcontainstheseedsofactioninitaswellasthelaid-backqualitiesofadescription.These values are living in the sense that they contain life. If properlyabsorbedandexperienced,theywillleadtotheGiverofLifehimself,theOriginal Being. But you don't have to know that to appreciate them.Theydon'thave tosoundreligious– in fact it’sprobablybetter if theydon't. These values invite people into their ‘living-room’, theirlebensraum;theyencourageacceptancebecausetheyarealive.Infact,youdon'thavetobepersonallyacquaintedwiththeGiverofLifetoappreciatethemoreventolivethem.Butoncetheyformpartofyourlivedexperience, theywill so fill your soulwith longing thatyouwon'trest until you meet the Life-Giver himself. Their effect is evangelistic,whiletheirpurposeandpracticeiseducational.They are also living values because they are values for life. If you livethem out, your life will be better, more fulfilled. They are values forliving, values to be lived. The more they are lived in, the more theybecomelikeacomfortably-wornsetofclothesorshoes.

HowtheseLivingValuesTakeRootintheSoulofaSchoolAsmost people understand aboutVenndiagrams, any of these circlesmay be moved in any direction. They may move so that they stand



entirely separate from each other. This is the way that they typicallyworkintheday-to-daysecularworld.While they are kept apart, any of them is open to ideological orsociological attack. Any person is able to identify with one circle, onevalue,butnottheotheratanygivenmoment.Itisonlyastheyintersectwitheachotherthattheycaneachdrawontheother’sstrength.Furthermore,asoneortheothercircleisallowedtoshrink,sometimesalmost to nothing, society becomes at that point more and moreimpoverished,dangerousandugly. Ifonecircle isallowed togrowtoofarbeyondtheothers,thenitbecomesitsowngod,anditsworshippersbecomeidolaters.Ifanyoneofthecirclesisallowedtogrowtoolargeastheothersshrink,thensocietysuffers.Too great a focus on beauty with insufficient attention to goodnessmakesanunsustainableidol.Thinkofthefashionindustryorthecurrentpreoccupationwith‘selfies’,endlesslypostedonsocialmedia.The destructiveness of goodness without beauty may be seen inhouseholdswhere authoritarian parents insist on good behaviour, butdonotallowforfun,laughterandthejoyoflifetomoderatetherules.IvisitedaChristianschoolintheUSAoncewherethebookofschoolrulesandassociatedpunishmentsconsistedofabout40pagesof close typeandsmallfont. Itwastryingtoforceyoungpeopletobegood,buttheschoolwasveryuglyandunhappy.Even too much truth, separated from its own beauty and with aninsufficientbaseofgoodnessbecomesharshlyoppressive.Manypeopleare still struggling to be healed of over-exposure to authoritarian,controllingchurchesorsectswhosufferedfromexactlythatproblem.Atanygivenmoment,anon-ChristianpersonsuchasaGhandiorSufiortheDalaiLama–or indeed,thepersonwhooperatesthephone-repairstall at the local shopping mall – may act in ways that demonstrategenuine Beauty, Goodness or Truth. The man down the road, thewomaninthenextoffice,thestudentinYearThreeorTen–thesemayall exhibit qualities of Beauty, Goodness or Truth from time to timewithoutanyconnectiontotheGospel.They exhibit these qualities because they are human beings made inImagoDei.Thereareexamplesofthesequalitiesallaroundtheworld,inallclassesandracesandkindsofpeople,andthroughoutallhistory.



Anotherpossibility inpractice is that the circlesmaymoveever closertogether,asoughttobethecaseinanygivenChristiancommunity.31Atthosemoments,thespacewhereallthreecirclesintersectinthecentreof the diagram, is that place of ideal Christian unity of spirit, thought,wordanddeed.It is no accident that this point of intersection is also the place of thecross.Thecloserthecirclesintersectorconverge,thelargerthatplaceofunitybecomes, and thegreater the cross appears inour focus. If the circlesconverge completely so that the centre space is at the one time thespace of all three circles, then the complete potential of humanity asImago Deo is achieved. This is perhaps what Jesus was praying for inJohn17:20–3.The circles have come together in perfect unisononly once in history.This is certainlywhat Jesus livedout,andwhyhecanbesaid tobesoperfectlythereflectionofGod’sgloryandtheexactimprintofGod’sverybeing (Hebrews 1:3). Each circle fitted over the other in harmony;ultimatelyallthreebecameone.JesusChrist istheperfectHuman,theeternalWordwhoisallbeauty,truthandgoodnessinhisverybeing.Aswemoveeverclosertohis likeness,32wecanbecomelikehim,both inanindividualsenseandinourvariouscommunalshapes.

Beauty,GoodnessandTruthSpeaktheLanguageofAllAudiencesThesequalitiesareusually alsoadmiredandvaluedbypeoplewhodonotownaChristian faith.Theyresonatetoparentsandstudentsalike,regardlessoftheirfaithposition.31MostpeoplewillthinkofChristiancommunitiesaschurchesorChristianschoolsorsomeothernot-for-profitChristiancommunity.Theseareallgoodexamples.Butitalsowillincludemarriage–theultimateChristiancommunity.Thereisadeeptheologicaltruthhere,forthosewhowanttothinkitthrough.Thereisalsoasenseinwhicheachperson–body,mind,spirit–mayliveinsuchawaythatthecirclesmoveclosertoeachotherinthatindividualperson’slife.Ofcourse,theFamilyisanothercommunitywherethesethreevaluesmayshine.32Nowallofus,withourfacesunveiled,reflectthegloryoftheLordasifweweremirrors;andsowearebeingtransformed,metamorphosed,intoHissameimagefromoneradianceofglorytoanother,justastheSpiritoftheLordaccomplishesit.2Corinthians3:18(myparaphrase).



ThisiswhatmakesthemsopowerfulinaChristianschoolwithanopenenrolmentpolicy. Itwaswhatmade Jesus’ministry sopowerful to thedown-and-outs,therejectedonesofhisday.It is true that in our society, there are some people for whom thesequalitiesactassparks,ignitingbarely-controllableanger.Wesometimessee this demonstrated in journalism, comedy shows or TV paneldiscussions.Whenpeoplehavebecomeso filledwithhatredofGod, theywill alsohatetheBeauty,GoodnessandTruththatherepresentstothem.Thesearedeeplywoundedanddamagedhumanbeings.Butformostpeople,theirrejection–or, inmanycases,theircareless ignoring–ofGodhasnotgonesofarastodamagetheirspiritssobadly.Christian schools, of course, will insist on interpreting and portrayingthesevaluesthroughthe lensoftheChristiannarrative.Theyaremostrichlyreadthere,buttheycansurviveinharsherenvironments,too.Thefollowing briefly shows how these values work in both Christian andnon-Christiansettings.Beauty–intheChristiansetting:Beautyhaslongbeenacharacteristicof Christian worship in hymnody, liturgies, church architecture andChristian art, music and literature. Truly lived, the Christian Gospelleaves breathtaking beauty in its wake. A Christian community that isdivided,oppressiveorjudgemental,isveryugly.Most of us will have had the privilege of meeting a Christian person,usuallyanolderperson,whosebeautyshines intheirgrace,generosityandgentlenessofspirit.Thisisnotnecessarilyaphysicalbeauty;itisanattractivenessthatcomesfromdeepwithin.Thusthescripturespeaksofthe beauty of holiness – first of God, but potentially in us, too, as hisimages.Beauty–inthesecularsetting: Itisahumancharacteristictoloveanddesire beauty.Whether it is in the human face, in clothing, in art, inarchitecture or landscape, beauty is the common currency of humanengagement. It even survives in ancient cave art and the contents oftombsandgravesfromtensofthousandsofyearsago.Beauty has often been degraded by secular culture, however, forexampleinarchitectureandthearts,andtheotherareasmentionedin



the previous paragraph. The 20th and 21st centuries have often beencharacterisedbytheabandonmentofthequest forbeauty,orevenbydeliberateuglification,especially intheartsandmedia, inarchitecture,andincounter-culturalfashionpractices.Goodness – in theChristian setting: Goodnesshas longcharacterisedChristianactivity.Consider theseasonlya fewpossibleexemplars: theactions of early Christians rescuing babies from Greek and Romanhillsides after they had been abandoned because they were of thewrong gender or had a physical defect; Christian establishment ofhospitals andhospices from theearliest times rightup to thepresent;Christians who have established aid agencies such as the Red Cross,World Vision, Compassion, and hundreds more; Christians who havefought for justice against such social scourges as financial oppression,racism,slavery,sexslavery,addictions…Goodness – in the secular setting:Goodnessmaymost commonly beassociated in the contemporary, consumption-obsessed West, withwholesomefoodsratherthanhumanbehaviour,butgenuinegoodnessisadmired inhumancharacterwhen itappears.Weyearn for it inourpoliticians,oursportsheroesandourneighbourhoodsandworkplaces,often idolising it when it surfaces. In the commercial world, theSanitariumbrand(healthyfoodsdevelopedbySeventhDayAdventists)hassuccessfullymanagedtobridgethe‘spiritual’and‘secular’divideinthegroceryaisles.Goodness has often been degraded by secular culture, mocked asprudery, while its counterfeits are lauded, given awards and popularrecognition. Goodness is sometimes hard to find in contemporary art,music, film and drama, but easy to find in thework of theOldDutchMasters, Baroque and Renaissance music, Milton, Tennyson, Hopkins,EliotandShakespeare.In our culture, it is often caricatured in repressive attempts to coercepolitically-correct behaviour and beliefs, but in this petty, diminishedguiseitappearsmoreasa‘giant’srobeuponadwarfishthief’.Truth – in the Christian setting: Truth is foundational to Christianthought.Godisboththesourceandessenceoftruth;hisWordistruth;Jesus spoke and lived truth. When Christians act at their best, theirwordsarealwaystruthfulandreliable.



WhenChristiansdonotspeakoracttruthfully,thelossanddamagearedevastating.Theearly21stcenturyrevelationsoflong-termchildsexualabuseatthehandsofpriestsandministersisatragicexample.TheChristiannarrative is the truestoryof thehumanrace,andof theuniverse.Attheirbest,science,literatureandtheartsallseektruth.Truth – in the secular setting: Truth is more often lamented for itsabsenceinthesecularworld,butitshighvalueismeasuredwellbytheregret and sorrow that people feel and declare in its absence.Advertisers and marketers pretend it, lovers declare it, politicianssacrificeit,socialmediafakeit.ThosewhoseekTruthoften lament its corruption in lawcourtsand inlegislation. When Truth genuinely appears in the public square, it islaudedandloved–thoughoftenthenissoonsacrificedbecauseitistoosharp aweapon tohold in barehands. It hasoftenbeendegradedbysecularculture,butthatdoesnotdiminishthehungerandthirstforitinthehumanheart.

SummaryTheLivingValuesModelthathasbeenpresentedhereisamodelthatcan be adopted in any school (or any other corporation orcommunity). Its natural home is a Christian school because thevaluesarederivedfromtheBeingthatisbeforeandaboveallotherbeings.Theyarehumanvaluesbecause theyaregodlyvalues, first.Ultimately,theyleadbacktotheirSource,tothefaceofGodhimself,whereallwhogomayfindpurejoy.Schoolswhichdesiretoattractfamiliestotheircampuseswillfindanunendingsourceofpossibilitiesastheythinkabouthowthesevaluescanprovidethebasisforhowtheyconducttheirbusiness.Whetheritisaschoolfete,asportingcarnival,amusicprogramoralanguageormathematicscurriculum, thesevalueswillenhanceandgroundthatelementofschoollifeinwaysthatwillbebothattractiveandnurturing.Spoken about sensitively, they will never be abrasive or divisive.Theyare inherentlyattractive.Governmentbodieswill findnothingin themtoargueabout.Theybecomethebridge toevangelismthatmany Christian schools struggle to construct between themselvesandthewidercommunityinwhichtheylive.



ChapterFive:TheLivingValuesModelinPractice.Ihavebeenstressingthroughoutthepreviouschapterthatthismodelisnot only useful as a philosophy to undergird curriculum, but also forapplication to awide rangeof school practices, including for example,wholeschoolappraisalandrenewal.ItcanserveastheframeworkofausefulmetrictoapplytoStrategicPlansandnewventures.Itservesasawhole school philosophy which is readily communicated to students,parents,andthecommunityatlarge.I have provided some indications in the table below of how thiseducationalphilosophymightbeoverlaidasaframeworkonthewholeschool, as well as in various school subject areas, such as literaturestudies,science,history,andsoon.StafforBoardDirectorscouldaddacolumntotherightlabelled,‘HowToAchieveThis’.Pleasenote:thefollowingtableisnotintendedtobeacompletelist;itisrepresentativeonly.Itismerelyanindicatorofhowanyschoolcouldmapitsowncampus,cultureandprograms,bothasafirststepofself-appraisal, and later for a revised Strategic Plan. Schools and teacherscould quite easily generate further applications within their owncontexts. In presenting this table, I am trying to show the breadth ofapplicationthisLivingValuesModelhasforanyschool.IntheCurriculumsectionsespecially,teacherswillreadilyseewheretogo for further ideas if they pause to reflect onwhat I’vewritten. Thecurriculum content is meant to be just the very first sweeps of theharvesting-scytheoftheseideas.Therearemany,manymorewaitingtobereaped.Iworkedhardovermanyyearsatbuildingthistrinityofwholenessinmyown Principalships. I didn't always inform the community aboutwhy Iwas doing a particular thing, but these valueswere always inmyownmindasremindersofhowtomeasureandgaugewhatIwasplanningordoing.Ihaveliterallybeendevelopingthismodelforover30years.In many settings, the best way to proceed may be simply to embedthesequalitiesinthecultureandoperationalstructuresofyourschool,without widely advertising what you are doing. This is not beingdeceptive.YouaremerelyachievingyourendswithoutusingtheGospeland the truth of God as hammers. You are, in effect, living out theKingdomofGod,allowingitsyeasttoworkitswaythroughthewhole.



ItemDescription ElementtoCherishandPromoteBEAUTY

Physicalcampus Visitors are greeted with welcoming signs, beautiful gardens,placestositandberefreshed.Receptionareasarecomfortableandwelcoming.Therearecleantoilets (allday, including justafterbreaksandespeciallybeforeeveningpublicevents).Old, dilapidated furniture and paintwork, unkempt gardens,wornplaygroundsandpavingareregularlyrenewedorreplaced.Thereisanabsenceoflitterinthegrounds.Hallways and corridors are not blocked with old furniture orboxeswaitingforsomeonetotidythemaway.

Public Face of theOrganisation

Signs,posters,noticesareclean,up-to-dateandattractive.Thewebsiteiscurrent,withsignsofdailymonitoring.Colours,logoandvisionstatementsareinherentlyattractiveandmemorable.Student uniforms, Office uniforms, corporate colours anddesignsarebright,attractive,andwornwell.Personal presentation of staff and students is neat, smart andclean.

StaffCulture Staffarehappy.Moraleishigh,turnoverislow.Trust and contentment characterise theworkplace. Smiles andgreetingsarethenorm.Staffarewillingtogotheextramileforstudentsandparents.

StudentCulture Students respect the environment of the school grounds androoms.Thereisnograffitiandnolitter.Manners, personal greetings from students, and a sense ofpeacepervadestheatmosphereandistangibletovisitors.

CurriculumFocus Humanities:Texts,lessons,curriculumcontentdeliberatelyseekafterthatwhich isbeautiful inthehumancondition.Literaryormusical creations promote beauty, truth and goodness in themindsofthestudents.Visualandperformingartsfocusonthings



thatarepositive, and thatexaltwholesomeness.NB:Thisdoesnotmeanthatonly‘sanitised’textsarestudied,butitdoesmeanthat teachers seek to identify beauty and ugliness and bringstudents to an awareness of them, always valuing beauty overugliness. Orwell’s 1984, Miller’s Death of a Salesman andMunsch’s The Scream or Du Champ’s Nude Descending aStaircasemaybediscussed for the lossof this trinityofvalues,but they are capable of being used by skilful teachers to pointtowards the depression of ugliness, the terror of evil, and thedeep sadness of the loss of truth. Student compositions in art,writingandmusicareencouragedtowardswholenessoflifenotnegativityanddarkness.Sciences: The natural world is studied with an emphasis onguiding students towards a greater appreciation of naturalbeauty, of the fine-tuningof theuniverse, and the eleganceofmathsandscience.Technologies: Technological innovationsare chosenandvaluedforhowtheycontribute tohumanhappinessandpleasantness,andusedinsuchwaysastopromotethesequalities.Legal, Business and Commerce: Teachers deliberately leadstudents towards an appreciation of economic models and ofbusiness practices which create a sense of delight and wideparticipation.

GOODNESS

SchoolOutputs Thecommunityvalueshighlythetypicalgraduatesoftheschool,becauseoftheirintrinsicandtypicalgoodqualities.Studentswill find that theyare soughtafter for job interviews,justbecauseoftheirschoolaffiliation.Theschoolcarefullydiscriminates towardsall thingsgood in itsenrolmentpatterns,dailypracticeandfutureplanning.

Service of the PublicGood

The school is seen to contribute to the overall economic andqualitativevalueofthenationorcommunityorsector.Withoutthisschool,thenationorthecommunitywouldbethelesser.Theschool isknownfor its integrity inbusinesspractice, in thetrustworthiness of its senior staff, and in the behaviour of itsstudents,bothinthecommunityandonthesportingfield.The school is a model corporate citizen, environmentally,



behaviourally,relationally.Theschooloffersserviceprogramswithinthecommunity.

Altruism Theschoolputsbackintoitscommunitymorethanittakesoutofit.The school demonstrates an awareness of its status in globalwealthandprivilegecomparisons,andactsaccordingly.

MediaTechnologies Theschoolrequiresstudentsandstafftousemediatechnologiesforgood,notselfishordestructiveends.Students learn responsibility in self-management of mediatechnologies.Parentsareguidedandencouragedtowardsgoodusesofmediatechnologies.

StudentCulture Students demonstrate honesty and openness in their dailyinteractions,bothwithstaffandwitheachother.Studentsareencouragedtomakecareerand lifechoiceswhichwilladdtothegeneralbettermentoftheworldandsociety.

CurriculumFocus Humanities: Texts, lessons, curriculum content deliberatelycelebrategoodness,andidentifyoutcomeswhichcreatehumanflourishing.Teachersidentifynegativeexpressionsofhumanlifein texts and name them as such. Teachers use opportunityprovidedbystudentcompositions increativeworkssuchasartand drama to encourage students towards the good andbeautiful,ratherthantowardsthedarkornegative.Sciences: Students are directed towards how they can engagewith the sciences to increase the good of society and improvehumanwelfareandsocialwellbeing.Technologies: Technological innovations are measured againsthowtheyaddtohumanflourishing,notjustwhethertheymakemoneyorprovideentertainment.Legal, Business and Commerce: Teachers deliberately leadstudents towards an appreciation of economic models and ofbusiness practices which increase social wellbeing andprosperity,whiledoingnoharm.



TRUTH

InternalCommunication

Staffandmanagementworkinanatmosphereofmutualtrust.There isasharedbeliefandtrust inwhattheothersays,andagenerosityofspiritinhowcommunicationisreceived.Communication is characterisedby clarity, a lackof jargon andcleartimelinesandcommitments.

ExternalCommunication

Theorganisationisgenerallytrustedbythelocalcommunityandtheparent/studentcommunity.Documents and publications are in Plain English, and providereliable information about future or current activities. They donot rely on spin; nor do they confuse readers with jargon ormedia-hype. Images are real representations of organisationalreality;theyendeavourneithertodeceivenormanipulate.

BusinessPractice Theorganisationpractisespromptpaymentofaccounts.The organisation’s practices in regard to listing of costs andservices is fair and transparent. It does not conceal costs orfudgemeaninginregardtoservices.

Community The school adds to the netwisdomof the community throughwhatitsays,andtheproductsthatitdelivers.There is a general sense of liveliness, vitality of spirit andintelligenceassociatedwiththisschool.The school has built up a sense of deep trust within thecommunity.Thisisanimportantprotectiveagainstsocialmediaslursornegativenews.

StudentCulture Students are constantly encouraged to speak and to livetruthfully.Students are encouraged to use social media and treat otherstudentsinwaysthataretruthful.Sport(andothercompetitiveactivities)areplayedinwayswhichhonourtruth-tellingandintegrity.

CurriculumFocus Humanities:Texts,lessons,curriculumcontentdeliberatelyseekafter truth, and promote it in the minds of the students.Literature and the arts are assessed against their truth-telling



abouthumanlifeandtheworld.Sciences: Thenaturalworld is studiedwith adeep respect forthe work of scientists and mathematicians who are genuinelyseeking to know the world truthfully. Truth is honouredregardlessofwhereitcomesfrom.Untruth,poorscholarshipordeceptivewritingsareshunned,regardlessoftheirsource.Technologies: Technological innovations are measured againsthow they add to the sum total of truth in the world, not justwhethertheymakemoneyorprovideentertainment.Legal, Business and Commerce: Teachers deliberately leadstudents towards a deep respect of economic models and ofbusinesspracticeswhichpromoteandpractise truth.Dishonestbusinesspracticesareclearlyrecognisedandnamed.

WhythisModelissoEffectiveThismodelispredicatedonanunderstandingoftheChristianscripturesas inspiredby theHolySpirit forour learningand instruction. ItallowsforproperrespecttobegiventoScienceandHistoryamongotherfieldsofenquiry,sothatour interpretationof theBiblemaybemediatedbyancienttraditionaswellasbythebest learningthatwehaveachievedoverthecenturies.Thismodelisbasedonthemostancientandfundamentalvalues.Itwillnot be threatened or made obsolete by the next fad in educationalfashion, or the next findings of science or any other field of humanenquiry. Students trained in it will not find that they need to jettisontheirvaluesatuniversitybecauseofwhattheyaretaughtthere.Rather,itwillholdthemonsafeground.This model is not merely acceptable to the average person in thecommunityat large; it ishighlydesirable tothem,because itspeaksofwho they could be and who they really desire to be. It uncovers thedeeplongingthatisineveryhumansoultoencounterthedeepbeautyofGod.The model allows us to acknowledge the work of philologists, oftranslators,of socialhistorians,ofexperts inancientdocuments inouracceptance of the most reliable texts of scripture and the besttranslations.



Similarly, the model allows us to acknowledge the best work ofscientists, of astro- and quantum-physicists, of geneticists, biologists,chemists,geologistsandhistorians.Wecanusetheirworktohelpustointerpretvariouspartsof theBible, inexactly thesamewayasweusetheskillsofthetranslatorsandexpertsinancientlanguages.Buildinganeducationalframeworksuchasthiserectsabulwarkagainstmuch of what passes for educational philosophy in the contemporaryWest.Beauty,GoodnessandTruthareoftendegradedbythecurrentfadsandfashionsoftheintelligentsiaandculturalzeitgeist.Becausewemeasurethesevaluesagainstscripture,andagainst thewordandworkof JesusChrist,thismodelwillmaintainanorthodoxythatisreliableandstable.The key tenets of contemporary humanistic thoughtwhich are deniedandrejectedbythisframeworkinclude:

• matterormaterialasultimatereality;• physicalbodyandmindasthesumofhumanbeing;• therejectionofabsolutesinfavouroftherelativityoftruth;• thepreferenceofemotionalresponseovertruthfulanalysis;• theprimacyoftheeconomy,atnationallevel,orthebottomline

atcorporatelevel;• socially agreed or politically-correct standards as substitutes for

absolutes.ThekeytenetsofChristianthoughtwhichareaffirmedandnurturedbythisframeworkinclude:

• acknowledgementofaCreatorwhoisbothdivineandpersonal;• beingmade inthe imageofGod, in imagoDei,withall that this

impliesforhumans,being;• a sense of purpose, telos, deriving from our createdness as

imagesinaworlddesignedbyGod;• the individualpersonalityand identityofeachandeveryhuman

beingthatisofworthandvaluedespitedifferences;• theexistenceofanimmortalspirit,whichformspartofourwhole

being but which is not necessarily more important than ourbodies,whichanticipatethegloryofresurrection;

• the authority and inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, especiallywhenreadinwaysconsistentwiththeirpurposeandgenre;

• theexistenceandrealityofmoralabsolutes.



SummaryIn this chapter, I have presented a philosophy or a philosophicalapproachwhichreadily isturnedintoaframeworkthatcanbeusedtoconstructandcritique,notonlyschoolcurriculum,butall thepracticesandactivitiesofaschool.Thisapproachdoesnotattempt todistinguishamongst the studentorparentbody,dividingthemintoarbitrarygroupsofChristiansandnon-Christians.Whileacknowledgingthedesirabilityoffaith inthecrucifiedandresurrectedChrist,itdoesnotmandatesuchabeliefasanessentialcomponenttobeabletogainvaluefromthisschool.



ChapterSix:OtherApplicationsoftheLivingValuesModelAs suggested in the previous chapter, the Living Values Model is notmerely a framework for a curriculum. It is awhole-school framework,againstwhichvirtuallyeverythingthataschooldoescanbemeasured.Justsomeoftheareasotherthancurriculumforwhichitcouldbeusedinclude staff appraisals, staff appointmentprocesses, cultural practicesin such diverse areas as sport, performing arts, personal presentation,management of personal communication devices. The list is virtuallyendless, once teachers and administrators begin to imagine thepotential.A thoughtful leader will initiate staff thinking about how to use thisLivingValuesModelasawaytore-framejustabouteverythingthattheschool does, or that area for which their section or department isresponsible.Theremainderofthischapter isgivenovertoanextendedexampleofjust one of these possible uses – the conducting of an entire schoolreview. It is intended as amodel formanyother possible uses. Again,readersareencouragedtoconsiderwidelythepossibilitiesofthisLivingValuesModelintheirownsetting.Christianleadersinsecularsettingswillconsiderhowitmaybeadaptedto their own particular environment to further the purposes of theKingdomofGod.

ConductingaSchoolReviewThe followingproposal is just oneway that a schoolmight commencesucha self-analysis.Again, this ispresentedonlyasanexemplar. Eachschoolshouldrewriteittosuititsownsettingandparticularplaceinitsownstageofdevelopment.Imaginethattheschoolpresentedto itscommunitythefollowingPlanforaWholeSchoolReview:



TwelveStepstoOrganisationalSuccessfollowingAncientWords

Of course, the passage above comes from the Bible (Jer. 6:16). Thewordingintheboxis justmyparaphrase.Presentingit inthisformisawayof using scripture that can engage the school communitywithoutsoundingtoo‘preachy’.Itismorelikelytoelicitquestionsfromavariedparentpopulation,ratherthancriticisms.I have used a Twelve Question approach for a very simple reason.Everyone is familiar with the idea of Twelve Step programs. This is a‘catchy’wayofengagingyourschoolcommunityinyourschoolreview,whileusingtheLivingValuesModel.Following the advice of Jeremiah, schools can assess how their schoolanditsprogramsreallyarealignedtotrulyhumanvalues.(Yes,Iknow,theyaregodlyvaluesfirst,butyoudon'tneedtopointthatoutjustyet.Remember the sequencewe identified earlier in Chapter Four: BeautyàGoodnessàTruthàBeing.)Thefollowingchecklist issufficienttostartalongprocessofreviewforany school, in keeping with its commitment to the Living Values ofBeauty,GoodnessandTruth.Again,Istressthatwhatisofferedhereisabeginning step, not a complete program. It is meant to be used as athought-starter. Each of these 12 areas could easily have additionalquestionsaddedassubsetstothemaintopic.BEAUTY

1. Think aboutwhat Beautywould look like in your organisationalsetting;howandwherewoulditbeevidentifitwerethere.

2. Examine your organisation for evidence of Beauty (or forshortfalls,failuresorjustplainugliness).

3. How could we actively and deeply wed this organisation toBeauty?LoveBeauty?EnhanceBeauty?AdmireBeauty?InvestinBeauty?Whatwouldweneedtodotoridourorganisation– its

Standatthecrossroadsandwatch.Askfortheancientpaths.Seekoutthegoodwaytowalkinit.Refreshyourselvesandyourpeople.

JeremiahbenHilkiah.(6thcenturyBCHebrewphilosopher)



physical resources, its processes and its media – of all that iseitherplainorugly.

GOODNESS

4. Understand what Goodness could mean, within the context ofyourorganisationalsetting.

5. Examine your organisation for evidence of Goodness. Root outanysporesofmoralrotormouldwhichshowevidenceofdisease.

6. Howcouldwechangeourappetiteforoutcomessothatweonlydesirethatwhichisgood?WhatwouldwehavetodotoembraceGoodnesswithinandwithout?Tohonouritanywherewefindit?

TRUTH

7. Think about what Truth would look like in your organisationalsetting.Who would notice if it were there or not there?Whatwoulditspresence(orabsence)looklike?

8. Examine your organisation for evidence of Truth. Search forAbsentTruthandPresentTruth.TheabsenceofTruthisapparentwhere there any kinds of falsehoods (including silences or non-inclusions)built intoyourorganisational, relationalormarketingstructures. The presence of Truth is evident where clear,transparenttruthandfactualityarebuiltintothoseareas.

9. How couldwe straightenwhat is bent, and create new straightpaths? Can we get rid of anything that is not True and ensureeverywordandimagereflectsacommitmenttoTruth?

REFRESHING(i.e.RevivingyourBeing)

10. Havingconsideredalloftheabove,andhavingthusconductedaBeauty,GoodnessandTruthsurveyofyourorganisation,youarenowinaplacetobegintorefreshyourorganisationalcommunity.Start by examining your organisational vision and missionstatementstoseewhethertheyreflectyourdesiredcommitmenttoBeauty,GoodnessandTruth.

11. Conduct an audit of all areas of your organisation and create atable such as that in the previous chapter, with additional



columnsforActionSteps,todeterminewhatyouneedtodoandinwhatsequence.

12. Conduct a staff retreat, focussing on these three spiritualqualities.33Engagestaff inadeliberateprocessofslowingdown,and a reviewof their own lives, both as private persons and asprofessional teachers and administrators or ground staff. Thenmovetoa reviewof theschoolasaplacewherethesequalitiesarefoundineverypartoftheschool’slife.

SummaryItshouldbepossiblebynowtoimagineawiderangeofwaysthatyourschoolcouldengagewiththisLivingValuesModelinwaysthatwilltrulybenefityourschoolandhelpittoimprove.Ifschoolscanstepupintothismodel,theymayfindthattheyreallyareLivingintoTranscendence.

33Schoolsmaycontactmetocheckavailabilitytoassistschoolswithprocessessuchasthis,iftheychoose.



ChapterSeven:WhereToFromHere?Thisbookhasattemptedtoprovideamodelofworldviewandtheologyforschoolmanagementandoperation,which:

• canawakentheheartsandspiritsofmenandwomen,boysandgirls, teenagers and young adults to the glorious beauty of theholiness of the one, true God, revealed to us in the Son, JesusChrist.

• canberelevantandofreal,practicalvaluetoallcurrentstudents,

parents and graduateswhether or not they choose to embracetheChristianfaith.

• demonstrates a reliance on foundational principles that are not

contentious in their interpretation of scripture, and (b) are notantagonistic towards some elements of the school community,and(c)arenotlikelytoraisequestionsregardingappropriatenessforfundingbygovernmentauthorities.

• can be used alongside whatever the best of science and other

researchwill revealover time.Themodel reliesonancientcorevalues of biblical truth, rather than on specific narrowinterpretationsofscripturewhicharethesubjectofdeepdivisionaroundtheChristianandthesecularworld.

• islikelytopreservegraduatesintheChristianfaithlongafterthey

leavetheshelteroftheirschool.There are still many questions to be explored by teachers andadministratorsonthefrontline,attheworkface.Someoftheseinclude:

1. HowcanIusetheLivingValuesModel to informmycurriculumprograminaspecificanddetailedmanner?

2. HowcanIusetheLivingValuesModeltoframeparticularlessonsorunitsthatIteach?

3. HowcanIbringtobeartheLivingValuesModelonourSporting

orPerformingArtsprograms?



4. HowcanIusetheLivingValuesModeltomanageotherareasofschool life, e.g. student management structures, leadershipprograms, school culture development, landscape or capitalprograms…

5. HowcanIusetheLivingValuesModeltoassistmeinmattersof

staffappointment,staffmanagement,staffappraisal…?BoardsandCouncilsmayalsowanttoaskhowtheycanusethis LivingValues Model to enhance the conduct of Board meetings, thegovernanceoftheschoolgenerally,andframequestionsforappraisalofseniorExecutivesandthedevelopmentofnewStrategicPlans.

WhatarethebenefitsofmovingtotheLivingValuesModeloutlinedinthisbook?Therearemanyadvantagesforthismodel.Iwillsummarisesomeinverybrieftermsbelow:

1. The first great advantage is that it is easily demonstrated toanyone–whethertheysharetheChristianfaith,orpossesseithernon-Christian faith or no faith – that it is a positive force forhuman betterment. No-one wants to be seen to be arguingagainstBeauty,Goodness,andTruthascorevalues.

2. Maximising the presence of the cross in the centre, Christians

mayeasilytiethemodelcloselytotheircoreChristianvaluesandfaith perspectives, and to their own particular distinctives aschurch-based schools, vocational schools, special schools orwhateverkindofschooltheyhappentobeoperating.

3. The model is able to be held in close association with current

scientific knowledge, butwill not need to be alteredwhen thatcurrentknowledgechanges.Thevaluesinthemodelareuniversalandeternal.

4. ThemodelwillbeinherentlyattractivetotheaverageAustralian

parentandcommunity.Regardlessoftheirapproachtoreligiousmatters,thesevaluesarewhateveryhumanbeingaspiresto.

5. The model is not divisive. It does not segregate parts of the

community,regardingoneasmorefavouredthananother.



6. Themodel isalmost infinitelyadaptabletoallkindsofschools–

indeedtoallkindsofbusinessesandserviceenterprises.

7. Thismodelhasthecapacitytochangethelocalcommunityorthenation. As students graduate with these principles inherent intheirminds, or as business and enterprises adopt the practicesandapproaches theyhavewitnessed in their local school, theseancient transcendentqualitiesmaybecomemoreentrenched inhuman society. They will succeed, simply because they areattractive.This is thesimplestdefinitionthat I could imagine,ofthekingdomofGodinoperation.

Whatshouldbedonenow?IexpectthatmyLivingValuesModelcaneitherbeimproved,orbenefitfromaddedintellectualandspiritualideas.I would like be in communication with Christian education bodiesaroundthenation,andengageothereducatorsindiscussionaboutthisModel. I am confident that after a 12 month period, the collectivewisdomofteachersandacademicswillhaveeitherimprovedthemodelorexpandeditsimplicationsfarbeyondwhatIhavepresentedhere.This version of the e-book is dated on the Title Page. Other revisedversions thatmayappear from time to timewill bedatedaccordingly.Youshouldcheckwhetheryourversionisthemostcurrentversion.Themost current version will always be posted at my website:www.thethinkingleader.orgSearchundertheBookstab.IntheclosingdecadesofmylifewhereImustexpectthatmypotentialforcontributions toChristianeducation is limited, IampleasedtogivethisLivingValuesModeltothecommunityofChristianeducatorsforthebenefitofyoungpeopleeverywhereintheworld.I have provided my email address in the opening pages and invitecommentabout thisbookand its core ideas for thebenefitofallwhoareinvolvedinthegreatenterpriseofChristianEducation.Let us goout into theworld, to lovemercy, to act in justice andwalkhumbly with our God. These three goals represent the simple dailyoperation of the values of Beauty, Goodness and Truth in the LivingValuesModel.



Appendix:ACriticalReviewofLocatingLearnersAs indicated inChapterTwoabove, thisAppendix isdevoted toaverybriefsummaryandcriticalreviewofthebookletLocatingLearners.It isnot a full critique, because I have no particular interest in publishingsuchadocument.However, theflawsthat Iperceive inthatdocumenthaveencouragedmetoproducethealternativeapproachthatoccupiesthemainpartofthisbook.However, even for those readers who have never read the LocatingLearnersdocument,thecritiquemadeinthefollowingpagesmaystillbemeaningfulasIwillgivesufficientcontexttomakeitso.MuchlikeC.S.Lewis’sreferencetoanunnamedEnglishtextinthefirstchapterofTheAbolitionofMan34,onedoesnotneedtohavereadtheoriginal text to follow the arguments of how particular ideas can leadeithertowrongortounintendedconsequences.Locating Learners in God’s Big Story 2.0, was published by ChristianSchools Australia (CSA) in 2017. The authors of that text included: DrDavid Benson, Dr Darren Iselin, Dr Ryan Messmore and Dr CraigMurison.IwillrefertothisbookletthroughoutthisAppendixasLocatingLearners,andthewritingteamasBensonetal,orsimply‘thewriters’.AsIreadLocatingLearners IbecameincreasinglyawareofhowmuchIfelttheapproachbeingrecommendedwasmissingthemarkatwhichitwasaiming.Further,Iamconvincedbymyownexperiencethattheapproachbeingrecommendedislikelytoproducenegativeresults,eventothepointofbeingtheexactoppositeofwhatishopedfor.Iwanttomakehereanimportantdisclaimerofapersonalnature.I have known three of the fourwriters of Locating Learners formanyyears,andcountallofthemasmygoodfriends.ImetDrDavidBensonbrieflyonlyacoupleofyearsago,andhavehadalmostnocontactwith

34C.S.Lewis,TheAbolitionofMan(Glasgow:Collins,1978).



himsince,butIamsurethatheandIwouldbefriends,asIamwiththeotherthree,giventheopportunitytodoso.Inwritingthisreview,Iamconsciousoftherisktorelationshipsoflongstanding.Ineedtomakeitclearthatthisbookiswritteninthecontextof thesewarm relationships, nurturedovermany years (more than20years in two instances). I respect and honour each of themas sincereand honest scholars, professional educators, and seekers of truth.Nothinginthisbookisintendedasapersonalcritique.Iamtrustinginthequalityofourfriendships,ourcommonloveofJesusChrist, and our shared confidence in the reliability and authority ofChristianscripture,thateachonewillunderstandthatIwritethisbookin humility and grace, to initiate polite and informed debate, and toofferwhatIbelievetobeabetterway.Iamquietlyconfidentthat,even ifweallultimatelyagreetodisagree,we will remain good friends, respectful and gracious to each other.Christianseverywheredowelltoremembertheancientadage:Inessentials–unity;Innon-essentials–diversity;Inallthings–charity.

MyReflectionsonLocatingLearnersThe text of Locating Learners raises five key questions for carefulreaders:

1. WhatisthepurposeofChristianEducation?

2. Whatexactlyismeantby‘God’sCurriculum’(p3335)?

3. WhatexactlyisGod’sBigStory?(Isiteffectivelythe‘FourLenses’(p34)?)

4. Howwelldoesthisversionof‘God’sBigStory’,the‘FourLenses’,

and ‘God’s Curriculum’ fit into the 21st century educationallandscape?

35Toreducefootnotingthroughout,pagenumbersinbracketsandin-text,willrefertoBensonetal.



5. How can this curriculum cope with the reality of day-to-dayschoolenvironmentsthatincludepeopleorallfaiths,nofaithandChristian faith? How can it deal honestly with the demands ofreceivinggovernmentfunding?

WewilladdressbelowhowLocatingLearnersdealswiththefirstfourofthese.Thefifthwillalsobeaddressed,butinamoregeneralistmannerinthelastpartofthisAppendix.

1.WhatisthepurposeofChristianEducation?Locating Learners quotes an excerpt from the Vision statements ofChristianSchoolsAustralia(CSA)aspartofitsfoundationalsetting:‘Thehope of a Christian school is that students will find their purpose inChrist,inresponsecommittingtoworshipandserveHim.’(p8).It would have been better if they had based the document on thePurpose segment of the CSA website: ‘Thus Christian schools aim toprepare students to live full, productive and purposeful lives,contributing to the wellbeing of their families, communities and asglobalcitizens.’36A ‘Hope’ is a very different concept from a ‘Purpose’. Purposes guidethinking; hopes drive feelings. Educational curriculamust be based onthought,notemotions.Itwill becomeclear later in this chapter that this latter statement is amuch better base point from which to guide the thinking of schooladministrators and teachers. Effective Christian schools are ultimatelyabout education, not evangelism. Nor should we expect theCommonwealthGovernmenttofundevangelism.ItismyviewthatChristianeducationmustmaintainafirmcommitmenttopreparingstudentsforafullandactiveengagementintheworld,onthebasisofthebestpossibletrainingbothinthenaturalworldthroughthe arts and sciences, and the truth of God as revealed throughscripture, tradition and scholarship. Further, this commitment willremainequallyvalidwhetherornotthestudentschoosetofollowJesusChrist.

36CSA,"VisionandPurpose,"ChristianSchoolsAustralia,https://csa.edu.au/about/vision-and-purpose/.Cited15November,2017.



2.Whatexactlyismeantby‘God’sCurriculum’(p33)?It is hard not to imagine thatmany peoplewill find the phrase ‘God’sCurriculum’inLocatingLearnersdistastefulandpotentiallyoffensive.This title smacks of the worst of fundamentalisms – the kind ofdescriptionthatsuggeststheusersclaimtoknowexactlywhattheBible‘says’and‘means’,andwhichallowsnodeviationfromliteralismanditsownnarrowthoughts.The phrase implies that whatever any other Christian educator mightadoptingoodfaithasanapproachtoaChristiancurriculum(orevenareligious one), it could not be as ‘correct’ or ‘true’ as this one. It isexclusivist and elitist. It rubs the noses of other Christian educators inState or independent schools in the murk of implied faithlessness,apostasy,syncretismorcompromise.In a global contextwhereCatholic,Orthodox andProtestant schools –and,forthatmatter,Jewishschools–mightadoptwhattheybelievetobecurriculahonouringtoGod,thisunhelpfultitlesuggeststhatonlythiscurriculum is truly worthy of being called ‘God’s Curriculum’. Itmarginalises and deprecates every other attempt to write curriculumthatseekstohonourGod.Perhapsthisiswhytheauthorsintroduceitthus:‘Let’splayfullycallthiscollectivemetaphor, ‘God’s Curriculum’ (p33). ‘Playfully’ suggests thattheauthorsrecognisethatthisclaimisanover-reach.Yetanyassertedplayfulnessquicklyshows itselfasdisingenuous,becauseover thenextthree pages, ‘God’s Curriculum’ is used as a title on two key diagram-models;withinapageorso ithasdropped its invertedcommas (p34);within tenpages ithasbecome ‘a richmetaphor’,with itsown ‘divinepedagogue’toteach‘God’sBigStory’(p42).

3.Whatexactlyis‘God’sBigStory’?The writers regard ‘God’s Big Story’ as being summarised by the‘frameworkof four lenses:Creation,Fall,RedemptionandRestoration’(pp34&42). It is fair tosay that this frameworkunderpinsand formsthebasisoftheentirecurriculumapproachinLocatingLearners.ThereisanumberofdifficultieswiththisastheabsolutemetanarrativeofGod.



Anyprocesswhich commenceswith ‘CreationandFall’ creates serioustheologicalandpracticalissuesforChristianorJewishthinkerswhoarealsocommittedtoanevolutionaryunderstandingofhumanorigins.ThereisatthismomentamajortheologicaldebateinprocessacrosstheglobeabouthowtoreconciletraditionalunderstandingsoftheFallwithwhat is now generally accepted both in the secular academy and bytheologians about human origins. The writers appear to be eitherignorantofthisimportantdebateorunwillingtotakeitintoaccount.In the traditional Fall model, Adam’s and Eve’s sin(s) were real andoriginal, though original sin is attributed to Adam alone. That Eveactually sinned first is generallydisregarded.Adam’s sin is regarded tohaveresultedincertainpunishments,whichhaveflowedontoallhumanbeingswhohavebeenbornsince,alongwiththeguiltandshameofthatfirstsin(s).Inparticular,deathwasamajorconsequence,andthusallhumanbeings(and perhaps also all animals37) must die. Furthermore, no ordinaryhumanbeingsinceAdamandEvehasbeenabletoavoidsin.Originalsinisinevitableandinescapableforallordinaryhumanbeings.Theologiansacrosstheworldhaverecognisedthatthismodelpresentsserious problems. For example, global evidence abounds of thecontinueddeathofhumanbeingsandanimalsovervastperiodsoftime.There isavibrantdebateafootamongstChristianswhoarecommittedto belief in the inspired Biblical text. They are re-thinking a doctrinewhichwasformulatedsome400yearsaftertheapostolicera.Pleasenotecarefully– this is very important:whereyouor I standonthesequestionsofcreatedoriginsandFallisirrelevant.

37Manyrecentsix-daycreationistswouldarguethatitwasnotonlyhumanbeings,butthatanimalsalsohadnotsuffereddeathbeforetheFall.JustoneexampleofseveralarticlesthatcanbefoundontheAnswersinGenesiswebsitestates:‘Thispaperwilldemonstratethathumanphysicalandspiritualdeath,togetherwiththedeathofanimals,cameaboutthroughthedisobedienceofoneman…’See:SimonTurpin,"DidDeathofAnyKindExistbeforetheFall?,"AnswersResearchJournal(2013),https://answersingenesis.org/death-before-sin/did-death-of-any-kind-exist-before-the-fall/Cited13March,2018.



Theessential point is this: indevelopinga school curriculum,wemustcommencewithdataandphilosophicalpositionswhicharenotblatantlyinconsistentwith known realities; andwemust give to students a fairandfullexplanationofcurrentknowledgeandthinking.What is presented in Locating Learners is a narrow and incompleteversionof howChristians across the globe think about humanhistory.Thatnarrownessshort-changesstudentsinaneducationalsetting.Thewriters’ representationof ‘God’sBig Story’presents serious issuesfor any thoughtful andwell-read educator. Later in this chapter, Iwillmentiondifficultiesarisingfromthelasttwo‘lenses’.

4.Howwelldoesthisversionof‘God’sBigStory’,the‘FourLenses’,and‘God’sCurriculum’fitintothe21stcenturyeducationallandscape?It is a given thatany curriculum framework for thegeneral instruction of Australian schoolchildrenshould be both logically defensible and consistentwith known and accepted bodies of humanknowledge.Christianschoolsmakeastrongpointoftheir intention to serve all Australian families, notjustthechildrenofanarrowly-definedgroup.The Creation—Fall—Flood—Tower sequence as described in ‘God’sCurriculum’ requires a fairly literalist reading ofGenesis 2—3 tomakeanyconsistentsense.The debate engaging theologians and Christian scientists runs alongthese lines:Theconceptofaspace-timemomentofFallwith inheritedsin and death for all subsequent humans cannot be sustained by anymodelofhumanoriginsthatmovessubstantiallyawayfromanoriginal,innocent pair who sinned at a space-time moment in recent, knownhistory.38

38Manyattemptshavebeenmadetodothis,includingthepositingofaspecialpairofhominidswhowereselectedbyGodandgivenamoralcompass,butsuchattemptsallfaceacompletelackofevidenceofanykind,andsmackoftheGod-of-the-Gapstypeofsolution.(Thatis,whenyouhaveaninsolubleproblem,stoptryingtosolveit,andjustsay:Godsteppedinanddidwhateverwasneededtofixthisissue,butwedon'tknowwhathedid.)

ChristianschoolsmakeastrongpointoftheirintentiontoserveallAustralianfamilies…



Ifhumanity(andtheuniverse)canbereasonablyshownbyphysicalandbiological sciences (especially in the field of genetics) to have notoriginated in this way, which is what all students will be taught atuniversity, even if their school does not teach it, then studentswill beconfronted with the cognitive dissonance of trying simultaneously toholdtwocontradictorybeliefs.Schools using the Locating Learners curriculum document must beprepared to answer the questions that will inevitably arise from theteachingof‘God’sCurriculum’and‘God’sBigStory’asoutlinedabove.Theywillneedtodemonstratehowtheycanaffirmtotheparentsandthe children of all their enrolled families that their curriculum is theONLY possibleway of thinking about theworld – after all, that is theclear implication as shown above of the use of the term ‘God’sCurriculum’.Once that hurdle is passed, they will then have to convincingly arguethattheonlypossibleapproachtohumanoriginswillrequireacceptanceoftheideathatdeathisaquiterecentphenomenon,notmorethan6–10,000yearsold,despitethelongrecordofhuman(andanimal)historyoflifeanddeaththatapparentlyexistsacrosstheglobe.TheywillneedtoidentifyhowaliteralAdamandEvecouldexistinthegeological,paleontologicalandgenetichistoriesofhumanity.TheywillneedtoshowhowtheimmediatedescendantsofCain,withinfewer than ten generations hadmastered bronze and ironmetallurgy(Gen. 4:22) despite the historical record of bronze and iron agedevelopmentbeingarelativelylatedevelopment,spreadoverhundredsoreventhousandsofyearsacrosswideareasoftheancientworld.Theywillneed to locate the flood ingeologicalhistory,andshowhowthedescendantsofNoaharetheantecedentsofalllivingpeople,withinonlythelast5,000yearsorso.They will need to demonstrate persuasively that the events at Babelshow the origins of all different human languages within just the last5,000 years or so, despite what we have learned about languagedevelopment over many thousands of years (e.g. the Proto-Indo-European[PIE]languagetheory).



TherecordsofNeanderthalsettlements,ancientstone-agesettlements,Australian aboriginal stories, ancient cave art across Europe and thefossilrecordsinAfrica,Indonesiaandmanyotherplaceswillallneedtobeaccommodated.Thefindingsofgeneticscienceandbiologywillneedto fit into this narrative. Several centuries of research into globallanguagediversityanddevelopmentandphilologicalsciencewillneedtobereconciledwiththeTowerofBabelnarrative.Noneoftheaboveevenbeginstoanswerthemassiveastro-physicalandcosmological problems required to accept the creation of the entireuniverse fewer than10,000years ago,with theearthexistingalone intheuniverseforthreefulldaysbeforethestars,sunandmoon.There can be no logical or cognitive dissonancebetween the actual content of a reasonable 21stcentury curriculum and its foundations as ‘God’sCurriculum’.Suchacurriculumcannotbewrong,forit is, after all, God’s Curriculum. It must,axiomatically, be accurate in all its parts!What istaughtinReligiousStudiesmustnotbeatoddswithwhatistaughtinScienceorAncientHistory.Pleasenote carefully thatnoneof thoseengaged in thisdebatedoubtthatGodistheCreatoroftheuniverseandoflife.That is never in question. Of course the God of the Old and NewTestaments is the Creator! The entire Bible shouts this claim frombeginningtoend(quiteliterally,ImeanfromGenesistoRevelation).Thequestions being asked quite legitimately are about the processes andtime-framesthatheusedtocreate,thatisall.Manywritershavepointedoutthatwefaceabinarychoiceinregardtoourunderstandingofhumanorigins.Eitherhumanityoriginatedrecentlyfromaunique,perfectpairwhosesinglesinintroducedtheinevitabilityofdeathanduniversalwrongdoingtothespecies,orwehaveoriginatedvia someotherprocessof slowdevelopment, inwhichdeathplayedaconstantandessentialpart.Noamountofsophistrycanalterthis–andolderstudentsunderstanditabsolutely and implicitly. If theydon't yet grasp it fully at school, theycertainlywillwithintheirfirstsemesteratuniversity.

WhatistaughtinReligiousStudiesmustnotbeatoddswithwhatistaughtinScienceorAncientHistory.



There may be minor variations within these two options, and ourunderstanding of the latter optionwill no doubt be further developedover time, but the central two alternatives remain the same. Bothcannotbetrue inany literalsense.Forathoughtful,enquiringmindtotrytoholdontobothsimultaneouslycreatesapsychological,emotionalandintellectualtensionthatisdeeplydamagingoverasustainedperiod.ThisispreciselytheproblemthatmanyofourChristianschoolgraduateshaveconfrontedandwillconfront if theirschools leadthemthroughaLocatingLearnerscurriculum.Thosestudentsareentitledtohear,whiletheyarestillatschool,someevangelical voices, most modern but some ancient, writing from theacademic world. These voices will show them how to read the Bible,including Genesis, faithfully but not literalistically. Here are just a fewsuchvoices:

Peter Enns is an evangelical theologian, and Professor ofBiblicalStudiesatEasternUniversity,USA:One cannot read Genesis literally – meaning as a literallyaccuratedescriptionofphysical,historicalreality– inviewofthestateofscientificknowledgetodayandourknowledgeofancient Near Eastern stories of origins. Those who readGenesis literally must either ignore evidence completely, orpresent alternate ‘theories’ in order to maintain spiritualstability. Unfortunately, advocates of alternate scientifictheories sometimes keep themselves free of the burden oftainted peer review. Such professional isolation canencourage casually sweeping aside generations and evencenturiesofaccumulatedknowledge.Literalism is designed to protect the Bible, but in realitysubjects the Bible and its literalist interpreters to ridicule.AugustinemadethispointmorethanoneandahalfmillenniaagoconcerningthecosmologyofGenesis1:Itisadisgracefuland dangerous thing for an infidel to hear a Christian,presumably giving the meaning of Holy Scripture, talkingnonsenseon these [cosmological] topics,andwe should takeallmeanstopreventsuchanembarrassingsituation,inwhichpeople showupvast ignorance inaChristianand laugh it toscorn.(Augustine,approx.400AD)39

39Enns,137-8.



ToddWood is a self-declared recent six-day creationist. HeholdsaPh.D.inBiochemistryfromUniversityofVirginia:Evolution is not a theory in crisis. It is not teetering on thevergeofcollapse. Ithasnot failedasascientificexplanation.There isevidence forevolution,gobsandgobsof it. It isnotjust speculation or a faith choice… There has really been nofailureofevolutionasascientifictheory.Itworksanditworkswell.I say these things, not because I'm crazy or because I'veconverted to evolution. I say these things because they'retrue. I'm motivated by reading yet another clueless, well-meaning person pompously declaring that evolution is afailure.Peoplewhosaythatareeitherunacquaintedwiththeinnerworkingsofscience,orunacquaintedwiththeevidencefor evolution…. It ismyown faith choice to reject evolution,becauseIbelievetheBiblerevealstrueinformationaboutthehistory of the earth that is fundamentally incompatiblewithevolution.40

ScotMcKnightisanevangelicaltheologian,ProfessorofNewTestament at Northern Seminary: [referring to at least fourancientnearEasterncreationstories41]IdonotassumetheauthorofGenesis1—3knewthesetexts,knew about them, had read them, or was consciouslyinteractingwiththem.Iassumeonlythegenerallyrecognisedconclusion that these texts express the kinds of ideas ‘in theair’whenGenesis1and2weredrafted.…A [historical] contextual approach to reading Genesis 1—3immediately establishes that the Adam and Eve of the Bibleare a literary Adam and Eve. That is, [they] are part of anarrativedesignedtospeakintoaworldthathadsimilaranddissimilar narratives. Making use of this context does notmeanAdamandEveare ‘fictional’,andneitherdoes itmeantheyare‘historical’.…weneedtobeginwiththeundeniable:

40ToddC.WoodtoTodd'sBlog,2009,http://toddcwood.blogspot.com.au/2009/09/truth-about-evolution.htmlCited18December,2017.ItshouldbenotedthatWoodisinpreciselythepositionoutlinedabove.Heistryingtoholdtwooppositeviewsinplace–hisevidence-basedscientificviewandhis‘faith-based’biblicalview.IsuspectthatTodd’sstoryhasnotreacheditslogicalendyet.Ihopeandprayitendswellforhim.41TheBabylonianEnumaElish,GilgameshEpic,Atrahasis,andtheSumerianAssurBilingualCreationStory.



Adam and Eve are literary42– are part of a narrative that isdesigned to revealhowGodwantshispeople tounderstandwhohumansareandwhathumansarecalled todo inGod’screation.43

Walter Brueggemann is a prolific author and evangelicaltheologian; he is Emeritus Professor of Old Testament atColumbiaTheologicalSeminary[commentingonGenesis1:1-2:4…]:There is no doubt that the text utilises older materials. Itreflects creation stories and cosmologies of Egypt andMesopotamia.However, the textbeforeus transforms theseoldermaterialstoserveaquitenewpurpose,apurposemostintimatelyrelatedtoIsrael’scovenantalexperience.…The text is dated to the sixth century BC, and addressed toexiles. It served as a refutation of Babylonian theologicalclaims. … this text is not an abstract statement about theoriginof theuniverse.Rather, it isa theologicalandpastoralstatement addressed to a real historical problem. … At theoutset,wemustseethatthistextisnotascientificdescriptionbutatheologicalaffirmation.Itmakesafaithstatement.…itisimportanttohearthistextasadeclarationoftheGospel.Ourinterpretationmustrejecttheseductionsofliteralismandrationalism to hear thenews announced to exiles. The goodnews is that life inGod’swell-orderedworldcanbea joyousandgratefulresponse.44Brueggemann,again, this timecommentingonGenesis2:4-3:24:NotextinGenesis(orlikelyintheentireBible)hasbeenmoreused, interpreted, and misunderstood than this text. Thisappliestocareless,populartheologyaswellastothedoctrineofthechurch.…

42McKnightmakesitclearelsewhereinthechapterthatbysaying‘literary’,hedoesnotmeanliteral.Hemeansthattheyareprimarilycharactersinastory,anarrative,andtheexactnatureofthatnarrativeisnotentirelyclear,andmayevenbeseveralthings.43DennisR.VenemaandScotMcKnight,AdamandtheGenome:ReadingScriptureafterGeneticScience(GrandRapids,MI.:BrazosPress,2017),113-18.44WalterBrueggemann,Genesis:Interpretation,aBiblicalCommentaryforTeachingandPreaching(Atlanta,GA:JohnKnox,1982),24-6.



The text is commonly treated as the account of ‘the fall’.Nothingcouldbemoreremotefromthenarrativeitself.…Ingeneral, the Old Testament does not assume such a ‘fall’.Deuteronomy 30:11-14 is more characteristic in itsassumptionthathumankindcanindeedobeythepurposesofGod…. Frequently, this text is treated as though it were anexplanation of how evil came into the world. But the OldTestament is never interested in such an abstract issue. Infact,thenarrativegivesnoexplanationforevil.…Similarly thenarrative is takenasanaccountof theoriginofdeath in theworld. That assumption is in turn basedon themechanisticconnectionofsinanddeath.Butagain,theBibledoesnotreflectonsuchaquestioninanysustainedway.…Itisespeciallyworthnotingthatno-onediesinthistext.45

Professor N. T. Wright is one of the foremost evangelicaltheologiansintheUK:I think the difficulty we have is that questions about thehistoricityofGenesisandquestionsaboutthehistoryofAdamandEvegetcaughtupincontemporary,particularlyAmericanculture.…Whenanthropologiststalkaboutmyth,whattheymeanisnot‘anuntrue story’.What theymean is a storywhich is full ofpowerforhowweunderstandourselvesindividually,forhowwe understand ourselves as a community, for how weunderstandwhatthehumanprojectisallabout,andsomeofitsparadoxesandtragediesandsoon.…Toflattenthatout,asin:‘Thisissimplytellingusthatthattheworldwasmadeinsixdays’,isalmostperverselytoavoidtherealthrustofthenarrative.…I say, ‘Clearly you just haven't been reading the same Bible.The meaning of Genesis is that this world was made to beGod’s abode,God’s home,God’s dwelling.He shared itwithusandHenowwantstorescueitandredeemit.’Wehave to readGenesis forall it’sworth.Tosay it iseitherhistoryormythisawayofsaying,‘I’mnotgoingtostudythistextforall it’sworth.I'mjustgoingtoflattenitoutsothatit

45Ibid.,41-2.



conforms to the cultural questions that my culture today istelling me to ask.’ I think that’s actually a form of beingunfaithfultothetextitself.46John Walton is Professor of Old Testament at WheatonCollege,USA:Some Christians approach the text of Genesis as if it hasmodern science embedded in it or it dictates what modernscience should look like. … The problem is, we cannottranslatetheircosmologytoourcosmology,norshouldwe.IfweacceptGenesis1asancient cosmology, thenweneed tointerpret itasancientcosmologyratherthantranslate it intomodern cosmology. If we try to turn it into moderncosmology, we are making the text say something that itneversaid.47… Genesis 1 was never intended to offer an account ofmaterial origins and … the original author and audience didnotviewitthatway.Infact,thematerialcosmoswasoflittlesignificance to themwhen it cametoquestionsoforigins. Inthisview, sciencecannotofferanunbiblical viewofmaterialorigins, because there is no biblical view ofmaterial origins,aside from the very general view that whatever happened,wheneverithappened,andhoweverithappened,Goddidit.48

Whatthesevoicestellusisthat,attheveryleast,thereisavastbodyofintelligent, educated Christian thought, coming from the evangelicalsector of the church, not the liberal sector, which holds to a view oforiginswhichisatoddswithaliteralistinterpretationofGenesis1—11.It ismy view as an educator that it is these voices that deserve to beairedanddiscussedinclassroomsinChristianschools.If it be objected that the question of recent six-day creationism (orIntelligentDesign)wasneverraisedinLocatingLearners,myresponseisthateveniftheywerenotdeclared,theyareinevitableimplications.ThelinkingofthetwowordsCreationandFall,asanhistoricalsequenceinonly twowords,describing thechange fromaconditionof innocent

46Partialtranscriptofavideofoundat:N.T.Wright,"AdamandEvewithN.T.Wright,"TheBioLogosFoundation,https://biologos.org/resources/videos/nt-wright-on-adam-and-eve/.Cited15March,2018.47JohnH.Walton,TheLostWorldofGenesisOne:AncientCosmologyandtheOriginsDebate(DownersGrove,IL:InterVarsityPress,2009),14-15.48Ibid.,112.



perfection to one of sinful perdition requiring redemption, leaves noalternative to a model of creation based in a literalist reading of thenarrativesofthefirstthreechaptersofGenesis.LocatingLearnersstronglyimpliesthattwohumanbeingswerecreated;atleastoneofthemcommittedsinwhichresultedindeath,andthatsinanddeathhasbeeninheritedforalltimebyallsubsequenthumans.To make this narrative even more suspect to a contemporary worldsuspiciousofallpatriarchies,thesinofthewomanisvirtuallyignoredintraditionalFalltheology,eventhoughitwascommittedfirst.Itisthesinof the man which came after that of the woman, which became sodevastatingly definitive for all subsequent humankind. It is as though,right from the beginning in this biblical account, whatwomen do justdoesn'tcount.IfanyoneweretoarguethattheinferencesIhavedrawninthepreviousparagraphs were unreasonable, and that Locating Learners does notrequire such an assumption, I would respond by pointing out that noschoolexistsinasocialorintellectualvacuum.Thefirsttwolenses,CreationandTheFall,existasintellectualconceptsin thegeneral social, religiousand intellectual frameworkof theWest.Furthermore, in the West, the debate between recent six-daycreationismandevolutionaryscienceiscommonknowledgeeveninthegeneral public. Christian Schools, in particular, have to be aware of it.Most Australian Christian schools are probably crisply aware of it,because their staffwill almost certainlybedividedover it, unless theyhaveverysmallstaffnumbers,allrecruitedfromsimilarbackgrounds.TheconceptofCreation inevitably raises religion-related issuesaroundquestionsofcosmology, theoriginsoftheuniverse, thenatureoftimeandofreality,andtheoriginsofhumankind,forthesimplereasonthataCreationrequiresaCreator.Thatiswhyseculartextsusetermssuchas‘originsoftheuniverse’or‘humanbeginnings’or‘theemergenceoflife’.TheconceptofTheFallisself-evidentlyareligioustopic.Itcanhavenobasis in science because it is not a scientific matter. It requires atheological perspective to which no element of a school curriculumcouldcontribute,otherthanareligiousstudiessubject.



Ultimately, students will face basically four choices in thinking abouttheir human origins if they are committed to following ‘God’sCurriculum’.Theymustchoosefromoneofthefollowingfouroptions:

a) Jettisontheirliteralistnarrativeofcreation;afterwhichtheywillimmediatelyhavetoabandontheirunderstandingofhowhumanbeings bear moral guilt before a holy God, because theireducation has inextricably linked the Fall with moral guilt forthem. In theabsenceof strongmoralandspiritualanchors, it istooeasyfor18-20year-oldyoungadultstosimplyabandontheirfaithandjointhepeergroupinenjoyingalifewithvariablemoraland spiritual boundaries. It’s a simple enough logic: if God’sCurriculumisfoundtobeinsupportable,thenGod’sotherclaimsabouttruthorhowweshouldlivemustalsobeindoubt.

b) Abandonanystudyofthesciencesandchangetoanareaofstudywhere questions of humanoriginsmay bemore easily avoided,andtheirfaithcanbeclungontowithquiet,privatedesperation.

c) Abandontheirtertiarystudyaltogether,seekingasafeemotional

andpsychologicalplacetohide.49

d) Manage an intellectual transition to a new way of readingscriptureandunderstandingChristianfaithinwaysthatarenotinconflictwiththeirtertiarystudy.

Option(d)aboveistheonlyoptionthatwillpreservetheirfaithaswellasallowthemtoengageintheacademiccareeroftheirchoice.Unfortunately,thisalmostneveroccursatthisearlystageoflife.Suchashift requires significant emotional and intellectual maturity, widereading, and personal stability. It also generally requires competentinstruction from evangelical Christian teachers and mentors who arecompetentinbothscienceandtheology.Noneofthisisreadilyavailableinmostchurchoruniversityenvironments.Becauseofthereasonsgivenabove,itisanextremelyrareeventtoseea young Christian person, once they have left school and are in auniversity environment, manage this transition successfully. At theirstageoflife,thetemptationsofthefirstoptionaresimplytooattractive.49Churchinternships,youthministries,short-termmissions,timeawayfromstudy‘toseekGod’swillformylife’aretypicalescaperouteschosentosaveface,byyoungChristianschoolgraduateswhoencounterthisdilemma.



Thesirencallsofpeers,partiesandplayarefarmorelikelytowinovertheaveragestudent.Many teachers who have been around for a while can name thosestudentswhomwehavetaughtdiligentlyandfaithfullyinsomanywaysatschool,butwhohavefacedpreciselytheselimitedoptions–andhavefallenfromfaith.ThereisamajorfaultlineamongChristiansthatisfocussedpreciselyonthis question of human origins and the origins of our planet anduniverse. The line is perhaps drawn most sharply in the USA, quitesharplyinAustralia,andsomewhatlessso,thoughstillevidentinsomepartsoftheUK. Ihavevisitedmanyschools inthosethreenationsandunderstandthisissueveryclearly.Forsomeschoolsineachofthosecountriesthequestionoforiginsisacriticalshibboleth.Eitheryouareabelieverinrecentsix-daycreationismor you are not; merely to suggest that there may be some truth inevolutionaryscienceisenoughinsomecirclestoassumethatyouhavesold out to liberal theology, and have abandoned the essentialfoundationsofChristianity.Churches have for too long avoided upsetting some parts of theircongregations, and just abandoned deep thinking and appropriateanalysisofcurrentscienceandhowitrelatestotheology.50Thatthis isnot justanAustralianproblemisshownbyrecentresearchfromtheBarnaGroupfocussingonNorthAmericanyoungpeople.Thereportstated:

…theperceivedconflictbetweenscienceandChristianityisalso a factor for Christian teens. More than one third ofengaged Christian teens (37%) and more than half ofchurchgoing teens (53%) say that the church seems torejectmuchofwhatsciencetellsusabouttheworld.51

50Thepastorofalargecharismatic-stylechurchrecentlyreportedinaprivateconversationthatoneofhiscongregationbelievedinaflatearth;theministerconsequentlyfeltthathehad‘tobecarefulwhatIspeakaboutfromtheplatform’.51D.Kinnaman,R.Stone,andB.Hempell,"GenZ:YourQuestionsAnswered,"BarnaGroup,2018,https://www.barna.com/research/gen-z-questions-answered/?utm_source=Barna+Update+List&utm_campaign=51e28f1451-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_12_28&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8560a0e52e-51e28f1451-180663961&mc_cid=51e28f1451&mc_eid=04d831818e.



These figures are not surprising given the hold that recent six-daycreationism,orYoungEarthCreationism(YEC)asitisoftencalled,hasinAmerican evangelical circles. It seems reasonable that similar figureswouldapplytoAustralianChristianteens.The data that we have for Australia seems to bear this out. TheAustralian figures are only a little less concerning than the Americandatacitedabove.McCrindleResearch52askeda largegroupofAustraliansabouta rangeofissuesinresponsetothegeneralquestion:Towhatextentdoeachofthe following issues and Christianity's stance on themblock or engagewith your interest in Christianity? Specifically responding to the sub-question:Scienceandevolution–HowdoesscienceandChristianity fittogether?theresponseswereasfollows:

• 34% replied that they felt that the church’s response to scienceand evolution either blocked completely or significantly theirengagementwithChristianity.

• Another19%feltthatitblockedtheirengagementslightly.Inotherwordsoverhalfofrespondentsfeltthatthewaythatthechurchand science interacted was sufficient to disengage them from beinginvolvedwithchurch.Participantswerealso givena rangeof religious attitudesorbeliefs toconsider under the broad heading of the question: When you thinkabout Christians and Christianity, to what extent do the followingnegatively influence your perceptions? Specifically in response to theprompt:Outdated–Thechurchinitsbeliefsandpracticesisnotalignedwiththeworldtoday,theresponseswereasfollows:

• 32%reportedamassivenegativeinfluence.• 23%reportedasignificantnegativeinfluence.• 27%reportedaslightnegativeinfluence.• Only 17% could report that there was no significant negative

influenceinthisarea.

52MarkMcCrindle,"FaithandBeliefinAustralia,"(Sydney:McCrindleResearch,2017),p33.



In otherwords, 83%ofAustralians think that theway that the churchdealswithsciencehasnegativelyaffectedthewaythattheythinkaboutthechurch. Is itanywonder thatchurchesare losingmembers?SurelyChristian schools might sense an opportunity, if not a responsibility,here,toredressthispoorimpression?When both Science and Biblical Studies are properly taught andunderstood, there shouldbeno conflict between them. Theremaybeunansweredquestions,butaslongasthesearehonestlyacknowledged,conflictcanbeavertedanddoubtsmanaged.Itisadmittedlyacomplexmatterforchurchestodealwellwith,thoughclearlythegeneralpublicthinksthatmore could, or should have been done. But inChristianschools–that issurelyourgreatadvantageandourbestopportunity!Wehavetimetoteachandto read, andwe can lay strong foundations fordeeptrust in the Christian scriptures as true andauthoritative,whilealso teachingwellabout science,historyandhumandevelopment.I am certain thatmy intentions in this bookwill bemisunderstood bysomeatthispoint.ItisnotmyconcerninthisbookthatsomeChristiansbelieveonethingandsomebelieveanotherabouthumanorigins. Iamnot saying that it doesn't matter – it matters greatly, as I will showbelow.ButthemerefactthatChristiansdifferonthematter isnotmyconcernhere.Let me make my position clear at this point. It is not my concern toconvert anyone to either point of view in this little book. If it were, Iwouldbewritinganentirelydifferentkindofbook.My only concern in this book is that Christian schools should developcurricula which are truthful, fair, balanced, and attractive to theircommunities.Everyschool’scurriculumdocumentsshouldbebasedonprinciples that are representative of current academic and theologicalknowledge.Schoolsshouldacknowledgethattherehasbeenaverysignificantriftinthetrustthatthecommunityatlargeplacesinthechurchwhenitcomestobeinghonestaboutscience,especiallythescienceoforigins,bothofthecosmosandofhumans.Theyshouldbeattemptingtoaddressthathistoricalproblem,notworseningit.

WhenbothScienceandBiblicalStudiesareproperlytaughtandunderstood,thereshouldbenoconflictbetweenthem.



TheGospelshouldappeartothecommunityatlargeasbeingattractiveandreasonable.JudgingontheMcCrindledatacitedabove,thishasnotbeenthecase,at least inthisarea.TheGospel isGoodNews,afterall,andshouldappeartobeso inthecurriculumdocumentsofaChristianeducation.Thankfully, such an approach is possible, as I have outlined in thepreviouschapters.

TheHighStakesofBasingaCurriculumonaParticularViewof‘Creation’Whenwesaythatallhumanbeingsnowalivecamefromasinglehumanpair sometime in the last ten thousandyearsor so, andwere infectedbothwithan inheritablesin-guiltandanunavoidable inclinationtosin,weareabsolutelyatoddswitheverything thatwehave learnedaboutgeneticsinthelasttwentyyears.Note that we are not just talking about a few atheistic scientists likeRichardDawkinswhoareprejudicedagainstChristianity.Wearetalkingaboutthevast,interconnectedglobalcommunityofscientists,whodailypractise the science that produces the medical, technological,communication,physicalandastro-physicalresearchthatundergirdsourentiresociety.The medicine we take, the cancer research we fund, the spaceexploration we watch, the earth sciences that we use to learn aboutvolcanoes,tectonicplates,riversandsoils,oilandmineraldeposits,thehistorical records and investigations we undertake to investigateclimate,thegeneticmanipulationweperformonplantstoincreasecropyields – all these are predicated on contemporary scientificunderstandings of an old universe, an old earth, and all life formedslowlyoverlongages.Wemust,aseducators,atleastbehonesttoourstudentsaboutthis.As Christian educators,wemust also concede that theOld Testamentprophets and writers also did not enshrine the concept of the Fall intheirwritings.TheconceptdidnotemergeuntilthesecondcenturyAD,via the teachings of Irenaeus, who approached the idea with somevagueness. ItwastolierelativelydormantuntilAugustineformaliseditinthefourthcentury.



The Old Testament writers insisted on saying things like this, afterseveral chapters of outlining the covenant responsibilities of followingGod’slaw:

Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today isnot toohard for you, nor is it too far away.It is not in heaven,thatyoushouldsay,“Whowillgouptoheavenforus,andgetitforussothatwemayhearitandobserveit?”Neitherisitbeyondthesea,thatyoushouldsay,“Whowillcrosstotheothersideofthe sea for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it andobserveit?”No,thewordisveryneartoyou;it is inyourmouthandinyourheartforyoutoobserve.Deut.30:11–14

AcarefulreadingofthePsalmswhichhaveagreatdealtosayaboutsinwill show no consistent sense of guilt arising from an original sin.Instead,theindividualistypicallycalledtoresponsibilityforhis/herownguilt.53Sohereisthecriticalpoint:Whenacurriculumdocumentdesignedforschools links the twowords ‘Creation’ and ‘Fall’, in capital letters andsequential order, accompanied by historical re-tellings of a garden inEden and The Tower of Babel, it inevitably implies a recent, six-daycreation in general accordancewitha literalist readingofGenesis (seepp44-5 of Locating Learners as examples). It inevitably suggests tostudents that (only) twooriginalhumanbeings sinned, suffereddeath,andbydoing so, left anunavoidable legacyof sinanddeath foreveryotherhumanbeinginhistory.Furthermore, if this is a school’s formalposition, it cannothave it twoways. It cannot teach this as fact in Biblical Studies classes, whileteachingsomethingelseasfactinScience.Norcanitjustsaytostudentsthat they canmakeup their ownmindswhich view to accept, thoughthis is exactlywhat some schools do. That is not an option open to aresponsibleeducator.Anethicalteacherisobligedtoplacefacts,competentresearch,andfulldisclosures in frontofstudents. It isoneofthemostdeceptiveofcop-outsforteachersandchurchestoblithelytellstudentstheycanmakeuptheirownmindsonmattersofscienceandknownhistory.

53AreadingofthesevenPsalmsknownasthePenitentialPsalms(6,32,38,51,102,130,143)willdemonstratethisclearly.



Wedon'tgivethemthatchoiceaboutotherhistoricalevents.Wedon'ttell them they can choosewhether or not to believe in the theory ofgravity. We tell them they can develop their own theories, based onsolidacademicevidence,aboutwhytheFirstWorldWarhappened,butwe don't tell them they can make up their mind about whether ithappened.WetellstudentstheycanmakeuptheirownmindswhethertheypreferMozart to rapmusic;we allow them freedomof choice overwhethertheychoosetoplayfootballortennis;weletthemhoverbetweenidealsof capitalism or socialism, while constantly seeking out data andopinions to guide them; but no school tells its students that they canmakeuptheirownmindsonwhetherornot theearth is flat,whetherAmericanastronautsactuallylandedonthemoon,whethervaccinationswork,orwhetherornottheHolocaust54reallyhappened.WedonotaskthemtochoosewhethertheyacceptthePythagorastheoremornot.Wherehistoryorscienceisuncertain,forexample,regardingthecausesof the First World War or the behaviour of light, we teach them toassemble the various different opinions from respected sources andthen to assess the arguments, presenting a reasonable and logicalanalysisoftheexpertopinions.Itistheologicalandeducationalbetrayalnottodothesamethingwithaccountsofhumanorigins.Christian school administrators and teachers have to be really honestwith themselves at this point. And we have to be honest with thegovernmentbodiesthatfundourschoolsthroughthetaxesofAustralianpeople.We now know vast amounts about ancient societies, about geneticcodesand themappingof thehumangenome,aboutarchaeologyandanthropology,aboutastrophysicsandspace.Arewe reallyprepared to teachour studentswithabsolute convictionthat there can be no doubt about there being no human (or animal)deathonplanetearthuntilabout6,000yearsago?Indeed,arewe reallyprepared to saywithabsolute certainty, that lifeon earth, and indeed the earth itself, did not exist until about 6,000yearsago?

54Or,withgreaterculturalsensitivity,theShoah.



Are we prepared to teach students to ignore all that we now knowabout astrophysics and cosmology, and to believe that the sun,moonanddistantgalaxieshavenotexistedforlongerthan6–10,000years?Whatevidencewillweusetoshowstudentsthattheearthhungalonein space for a few days at the beginning of creation, defying everyknown principle of Physics, before the sun, moon and stars evenexisted?Howwill we teach students to investigate space if there is simply nomodel in our curriculum to explain the light from ancient stars, theevidence of historicalmicrowave radiation in the ancient cosmos, andthedevelopmentofcarbononearthasabasicbuilding-blockoflife?Norwill itdo ifwe try toholda ‘religious’ theory,sanitised for chapelandReligionclasses,butholdadifferentviewwhenitcomestoscienceandhistory.Therewillalwaysbeteachersandpreacherswhosay,withallthegoodintentions in the world, ‘It doesn't matter whether you believe in aliteral six-day creation or in evolution. What matters is whether youbelieveinJesus.’Butthisisaredherringinthisdiscussion,whichyoungstudentsarenotlikelytobeabletoidentifyeasily.It istruethatyourbeliefonhumanoriginsdoesnotmatter for salvation;butnordoes itmatterforsalvationifyoubelieveinaflatearthorinnotvaccinating your children against diseases suchasmeaslesorpolio.Whetherornotyouwanttodrink fluoridated water is not a matter forsalvation.But such thingsarenotunimportant! They reallydomatter,whenyouare training young people to enter university and train as medicaldoctorsandscientists!Ifyourfaithforcesyouintosayingsomethingthatisatoddswithsomeotherphysicalreality,thenyoufinishuplivingalie.Oratleastlivinginaschizophrenic mental state, with two opposing worldviews kept inseparaterooms,oronupperandlowerfloors.

Ifyourfaithforcesyouintosayingsomethingthatisatoddswithsomeotherphysicalreality,thenyoufinishuplivingalie.



No thoughtful person can survive for long holding a particularfoundational idea in amental upper storey,while trying to live in thepracticallowerstoreyworldholdinganoppositesetoffoundations.Eventually, the cognitivedissonancebecomes sogreat thatoneor theotherhastobeabandoned.Foryoungpeoplewithenquiringmindsandentering tertiary education, it is the Christian story which is mostcommonlyabandoned,usually inthefirstcoupleofyearsatuniversity.That ispreciselywhatthestatisticsweexaminedearliershowustobethecase.ThegoodnewsisthatfaithfulChristianitydoesnotrequireustoholdanupperstoreyreligiousview,whilelivingandworkingdaybydaywithanopposite view. Christianity properly understood, on a firm biblicalfooting, allows us to hold compatible views both in our upper storeymindsandourlowerstoreyeverydayliving.OneofthereasonsthatwehavetoofewChristiantheoreticalscientistsand researchers in Australia is because our Christian schools55havefailedtogivethemasetofintellectualaswellasspiritualtoolsatschoolwhichweresufficientforthetaskahead.Some schools gave them sufficient intellectual tools, but failed toinculcateadeeptrustintheBibleandChristianfaith.Othersmajoredonbuildingpersonalfaith,butfailedtoshowhowtheBibleandintellectualenquirycouldbeheldtightlytogether.MarkNolldevotestwochapterstothisprobleminhisbookTheScandaloftheEvangelicalMind.ChristianschoolPrincipalsandteachersshouldread this book closely, especially the two chapters entitled: TheIntellectualDisasterofFundamentalismandThinkingaboutScience.56He castigates the fundamentalist world for producing almost nosignificant contributions to science, to history, to philosophy, toliterature, in fact to almost every facet of intellectual life during thetwentieth century. Noll’s book is now 25 years old, but it is doubtfulwhether the situation he describes so passionately has changedsignificantly.55Imeantoincludehere,allchurchorreligiousschoolsaswellastheyoungerschoolswhicharegenerallyknownasChristianschools.56MarkNoll,TheScandaloftheEvangelicalMind(GrandRapids,MI:Wm.B.Eerdmans,1994).



Withoutdoubt,ifwetookLocatingLearnersasourmeasure,Nollwouldbeaseriouslydisappointedman.

OtherProblemswithLocatingLearnersThe Third and Fourth Stages of Locating Learners are entitled‘Redemption’.and‘Restoration’.Thewriterssuggestthattheeducators’maintaskinStageThreeinvolves‘re-forming shalom, absorbing evil and enacting justice to bless theworld’(p45).Andhereinliestheproblem.Iwilltreatthisproblemverybrieflyinthisreview,butitinvolvessomeveryseriousissues.Thistask,of(re-)buildingshalom,appearstobeopenonlytothosewhoclaim to be Christian. The work of this stage is done only ‘throughChrist’ssalvation’(p45).Thissurelycreatesarealdilemmaforschools.There is an obvious difficulty (not to mention spiritual arrogance!) ofdecidingwho,amongourstudentshasagenuineChristianfaithandwhodoes not. Further, what are schools to dowith thosewho attend ourschools,butfailtoshowoutwardsigns57ofacceptingtheChristianfaith?ThatnotallstudentswillturntoChristianfaithisacknowledgedbythewriters(p24).Theteenyearsareatimewhenstudentsareworkingthingsoutintheirminds.WhoamI?What is theworld like?Howdo I fit intheworld? IsthereaGod?HowdoIrespondtotheideaofGod?How is the school tohelp those studentseitherwhoareresistantto,orwhorejectChristianfaithoutright,in ‘journeying towards and re-learning to live inShalom’ (p51-3)? In my experience, the practice ofadults forming judgements about a student’s faith,even up to Year 12, is fraught withmany risks, andoughttobeavoidedatallcosts.

57Inmyexperience,somestudentsexcelatshowingoutwardsignsoffaithiftheyperceivethatbydoingso,theyaremorelikelytobegivenaleadershippositionorsomeotherbenefit,suchasselectioninachapelband.Equally,someotherstudentsmayobserveaquietfaithwhichtheyeffectivelyconcealfromothers,eitherfromadesiretoappear‘cool’orbecausetheyrejectthehypocrisytheyperceivearoundthemfromtheloudpretend-Christianvoices.

Formingjudgementsonthefaithofstudentsisgenerallyunwise.



Inanyevent,forthosewhoarestillapparentlyrejectingChristianfaith,there seems to be little hope for them to be able to engage in StageThreeof‘God’sCurriculum’.Theremustpresumablybenohopeatallforanystudentsofother,non-Christian faiths who are enrolled. Again, our minds inevitably turntowardCommonwealthGovernmentfundingissues.Christian schools which adopt Locating Learners face two very realproblemsatthispoint.Thewritersseemtohavebeenunabletoresolvethefirst,anddonotappeartohaveevenconsideredthesecond.The first problem is thatnotall students inour schoolswill choose tofollowtheChristianfaith. InthecurrentsocialclimateofAustralia,andespecially in some urban localities, some students are very likely tocome from other faiths, e.g. Islam, Hinduism, etc. Indeed, some willreject religionaltogether.Somewill come fromfamilieswhereeachoftheirparentsidentifystronglywithdifferentfaiths.

Thesecondproblem isanevenmoreseriousissue.AustralianChristianschools accept significant amounts of government funding. There isunease (notunreasonably,perhaps) in thecommunityabout taxpayer-fundedreligiousschoolsattemptingtocoercetheirenrolledstudentstoadopt the faith of the College or school attended. This communityanxietyprobablycentresonwhereonthespectrumofteachingthefaithschool focuses its level of instruction: encouragement, training,persuasion,indoctrination,coercion,brainwashing…It is generally (though not universally) accepted that religious schoolsmay reasonably teach and promote the faith of the founding body. ACatholicschoolmayteachtheCatholicfaith,andsoonthroughvariousdenominations.Nevertheless, the Australian community does not expect religiousschoolstotrainyoungpeople intofundamentalistwarriors.Butwhat ifthe entire curriculum were to be structured around ‘conversion’?Indeed, if itwere impossible to achieve in the curriculumwithout such‘conversion’, then the community at large would have real concerns.(Again,notunreasonably,itseemstome.)

Christian schools should be very wary (not to mention socially-responsible and fair) around this complex issue. Howwould they feelabout government-funded schools from other religions becoming



centresofnarrow,sectarian, fundamentalist indoctrination, ignoringorsuppressingvastsectionsofWesternlearningandtradition?It is open to question whether the declared goals that undergird theLocatingLearnerscurriculummodelareinaccordwiththegeneralthrustof the CommonwealthMinisters’ Declarations on Australian educationoroftheACARApurposes.Havingasakeyeducationalgoal‘toseestudentsfindtheirlife’spurposeinChrist’ (p20)orof getting children to liveChristian livesof ‘holinessand wholeness’ (p52) may not be seen to be within those officialguidelines.Ifso,thatmaywellplaceinjeopardythefundingofschoolsusingthiscurriculum–nottomentiontheconcomitantfundingofotherfaith-basedschoolswhichmaybecaughtinthatnet.Thereissomeacknowledgementbythewritersthatnotallstudentswillcome on this path towards redemption and restoration: ‘Granted, notevery learner iswalking intheSpirit,orwantstocooperatewithGod’sworkintheworld.Wemustnevercoerce’(p50).Thehopeiswellexpressedthatthrough‘commongrace’thesestudentswill nevertheless contribute to the world. This is an importantreservation,anditisgratifyingtoseeitmade.Nevertheless,itseemstobe a reluctant nod to a problem that their curriculum finds virtuallyimpossibletomanage.ItisclearthatLocatingLearnersexpectsthateachstudentmustrespondpersonallytoacalltofollowJesusChristiftheyaretobeablefollowthecurriculum.Seeforexample,

‘…askhow,throughthissubject,youcanhearthecallofGodto co-labour as peacemakers, exercising their fledgling faith.’(p50)‘Howcanyougrowstudentintentionality,fosteringanewselfwithagodlysecondnature(cf.Colossians3)?’(p51)Insum,then,howdowelocatelearnersinGod’sBigStory?Wemustknowthestory,getthecurriculum,andmakethelinks.Inallthesewayswe’veexploredandmore,wecanilluminateandrepurpose theAustralianCurriculum to form learners aswisepeacemakers in a community of practice, journeying towardshalom(p53).



The Third Lens, ‘Redemption’, requires teachers to direct studentstowards ‘effective salvation’ (sic p48 – is there any other kind ofsalvation?).Itremainsdifficulttoseehowstudentswhohavenotmadethekindofparticular Christian commitment that the school demands, can beanything but second-class members of the student body in a schoolusing ‘God’s Curriculum’. The entire curriculum is simply not open tothem.In fact, the final item in theLocating Learnersdocument tellingly relates to assessment.Teachers are to ‘use formative assessment tofind evidence of learners becoming wisepeacemakers’ (p64). Presumably, a studentwhohasnotembarkedonthisjourneytowardsredemptionor‘effectivesalvation’musteitherfail the course or pretend to hold a faith thattheyreallydonotown.Alertthinkerswillbynowhavespottedyetanotherproblem.Sofarwehaveconfinedourthinkingtostudentsinlateryearsofschooling.Mostschoolsenrolchildrenfromtheageoffive–orevenyounger,ifthereisa child care centreon campus.Howcan theseyoung childrenpossiblyengageinthiscurriculum,ifitrequiresaknowingassenttoGod’scallontheirlifeforredemption?Anyexperiencedteacheroryouthworkerknowsthatitiseasytogetanentire year level of ten year olds around a campfire on a weeklongschoolcamptoraisetheirhandsandofferto ‘givetheir livestoJesus’.But whether this is fair methodology for evangelism, (or fair use ofgovernmenteducational funding) isveryopentoquestion.Thewritersacknowledgethat‘faithintegrationmustbeageappropriate’(p36).58Wise Christian education (especiallywhen funded by taxpayer dollars)doesnotplaceyoungpeopleunderunreasonableemotionalpressureto‘become Christians’. It certainly would never predicate evidence ofreligiousconversionasarequirementfortheirsummativeassessment.58Furtheradmonitionstotemperradicalevangelismarenotedelsewhere,e.g.pp24and41,butitishardnottoregardthesecautionssomewhatdoubtfullysincetheentirecurriculumdependsoneverystudentmakingthe‘pilgrimage’successfully.

Astudentwhohasnotembarkedonthisjourneytowardsredemptionmusteitherfailthecourseorpretendtoholdafaiththattheyreallydonotown.



Society reasonably expects schools to respect legitimate parentalresponsibilityforfaith-guidance,aswellasdifferingchurchpracticesofinfantbaptism,catechism,and ‘growing into faith’. Italsoexpects thatstudentswillbegivenfreeandopenchoicesinregardtoreligiousfaithwithoutacademicorsocialconsequences.

WhataretherisksofadoptingorcontinuingwithLocatingLearners?The first risk flows from my conviction that it is simply a flawedtheologicalmodel foreducation. If it is flawed,as Ihavearguedabovethatit is,thenitcannotbeanacceptableapproach.Ifweareawareofsomethingthatiswrongorflawed,thenwemustchallengeorchangeit.Of course, I recognise that not everyone will agree that it is flawed.However,thatisnottheendofthematter.Thenext risk is equally serious. It is this: Thepurposesand contentoftheLocatingLearnerscurriculumframeworkofferadevastatingtooltothosewhoareopposedtoChristianitytoarguethatallChristianschoolsshouldlosetheirtaxpayerfunding.Itisdifficulttorefuteanargumentagainstpublicfundingbeingusedtorulesomepeopleinoroutofafaith,andthenonthatbasistoseverelydisenfranchisethosestudentsenrolledandpayingfeesintheirschool.There is a strong argument to be made that Locating Learnersencompassesaviewofscienceandhistory that isoutofstepwiththecurrent global academicworldviewand that public funding should notbeusedtosupportit.(Again,thisargumentwillhavestrengthregardlessofwhetheryouorIagreewiththatclaim.)It seems highly likely to me that the Locating Learners approach ifadopted widely in Christian schools must ultimately bring about anegative response from observers outside our schools who may nothavethebestinterestsoffaith-basedschoolsinmind.The program is a gift to hostile media or academics to show thatChristianschoolsarenotpresentingtoAustralianstudentsaphilosophyof educationwhichdeserves public funding. It is anopen invitation todenigrateChristianeducationinthepublicmind.



SummaryChristianschoolsneedacurriculummodelthatwillserveallstudentsintheir care, for their entire time at school and beyond school, not justthosewhohappentobebelievers.Thatcurriculumneedstobestrongenoughtocontinuetogroundthem,eveniftheylaterdecidetojettisonsomeaspectsofthefaiththeyweretaughtatschool.SuchacurriculumwouldmeetthegeneralgoalsofAustralianeducation,training young people for careers of all kinds, for living well andunderstandingwhat other people believe and how they live. It woulddevelopglobalcitizens,withabroadunderstandingoftheworld.What if the real task of Christian education were not to recoversomethingthatwaslostataninstantofFallbyourfirstparent(s)?What if it were not about looking towards the final achievement of aheavenlycityofshalom?What if itwere really about the potential of all humanbeings to fulfiltheirdivinecallinginthisworldashumanbeingsmadeintheimageofGod,managing,nurturinganddevelopingtheworld?What if thecorehope is thatat school studentsaregiven the tools todiscovergenuineChristianfaith,eithernowor later,andarealsogiventoolstolivealifeworthyofbeingahumanbeingmadeintheimageofGod,whetherornottheyareyet(orever)readytoownhimasLordandKing?TheLivingValuesModelapproachtoworldviewandcurriculumtheoryin schools resolves all of the difficulties identified in the LocatingLearners proposal. It does so by remaining faithful to a high view ofbiblical truth as well as maintaining a deep respect for currentscholarshipandlearning.The Living Values Model that I have outlined in this book provides aphilosophical approach for schools to follow thatwill standall of theirstudents–andtheirparentsandthegeneralcommunity–ingoodsteadnotonlynow,butintotheirfutures.



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