An Augustinian Culture of Learning for Interdisciplinary Honors Programs

Autor/in	Ste. Antoine, Tom
Titel	An Augustinian Culture of Learning for Interdisciplinary Honors Programs
Quelle	In: Journal of Education & Christian Belief, 14 (2010) 2, S.69-82 (14 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1366-5456
Schlagwörter	Stellungnahme; Honors Curriculum; Subcultures; Academically Gifted; Autobiographies; Interdisciplinary Approach; Christianity; Educational Philosophy; Religious Education; Program Descriptions; Teaching Methods; Florida + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Subculture; Subkultur; Autobiography; Autobiografie; Autobiographie; Fächerübergreifender Unterricht; Fächerverbindender Unterricht; Interdisziplinarität; Christentum; Bildungsphilosophie; Erziehungsphilosophie; Kirchliche Erziehung; Religionserziehung; Religionspädagogik; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode
Abstract	Any attempt to discern the purpose of honors education and to integrate it with the unique ethos of a Christian institution can prove to be difficult. Yet, describing and articulating a sense of purpose is essential for an honors program to justify itself. This essay contends that a philosophy of education based on Augustine's "Confessions" can provide such a sense of purpose to an honors program, not to supplant its modern aims but to complement them. The "Confessions" can be seen not just as a spiritual autobiography but also as an intellectual autobiography. Augustine's intellectual journey narrates a kind of Christian education that strongly contrasts with the utilitarianism and materialism of the contemporary academy. The major elements of Augustine's approach to learning have been the basis for a distinctive culture in the honors program at Palm Beach Atlantic University. By pursuing an Augustinian kind of education, the university's honors program has tried to define itself as a distinct subculture within, and an enhancement to, the university's interdenominational Christian mission. In this essay, the author describes how Augustinian values help to shape a distinctive subculture in the honors program of his nondenominational institution. With its emphasis on formative (as opposed to instrumental) knowledge, and its concentration on cultivating a "well-ordered soul," the honors program at Palm Beach Atlantic seeks to promote what Augustine calls a life of "rest in the Lord." (Contains 8 notes.) (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	Kuyers Institute for Christian Teaching and Learning. 3201 Burton Street SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546. Tel: 616-526-7500; Fax: 616-526-7502; e-mail: jecb@calvin.edu; Web site: http://www.jecb.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10