Two Histories of Education Compared

Michael J. Anthony and Warren S. Benson's Exploring the History and Philosophy of Christian Education: Principles for the Twenty-First Century provides an overview of Western philosophical thought and historical events to show how each era contributed to contemporary Christian Education.[1] In a similar manner, in The American School: From the Puritans to No Child Left Behind, Joel Spring offers an account of how Western (i.e. Anglo-Saxon) philosophy and historical events have shaped American education, but he argues they have led to cultural imperialism that has created injustice in the American educational system for numerous marginalized groups, from African Americans to gay and lesbian Americans.[2]

Both books cover a wide span of philosophical thought and historical events, with Anthony and Benson beginning in Hebrew, Greek, and Roman antiquity and Spring starting his survey in the Colonial era. Anthony and Benson's work is structured into fourteen chapters that cover different eras of philosophical thought and historical events that have shaped Christian education today. The final two chapters address the philosophical foundations of Christian education and developing a personal philosophy of ministry, because Anthony and Benson argue, "No ministry setting is fixed, so at some point the inability to apply theory to practice leads to frustration and stagnation."[3] Each chapter in the work has three main areas of focus, which are "What in the World?

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schools as promoters of social justice and human rights. As Anthony and Benson write, "Scope and sequence of Bible-related curriculum must consider basic tenants of human development."[11] However, while Anthony and Benson advocate Christian development with human development and social justice, Spring approaches development from more of a socioeconomic framework for change that does not fail to include the impact in the tension between culture and religion on education. In cumulative lessons from the past for 21st century education, Anthony and Benson also outline a number of other key points, including "God's words is [sic] preeminent" where education is concerned and educators must learn how to "exegete culture."[12] Making God's word relevant to culture both historically and in modern times, to exegete culture veers more along the lines of Spring's framework of education. Where Spring's The American School is concerned, most of the key points made by the author revolve around his argument that injustice pervades the institution of education because it is shaped by dominant social, political and economic forces that also influence the dissemination of knowledge. In a way, Spring offers a form of servant

Category: History - T