Topic: The lessons for Module/Week 1 have explained many important reasons for Christians to study secular literature. Choose something from the lessons that you agree or disagree with and explain you

A Christian Holistic Approach to

the Study of Literature

1. There are three primary considerations to keep before us regarding the nature of this course.

1. 1. God has constructed the mind in such a way that it controls what comes in as well as what goes out.

1. 1. While learning is a result of good study, it is more a result of good thought processing.

1. 1. The job of the Christian educator is not to force the student into the assimilation of x amount of sterile facts; rather, the teacher should stimulate thinking—thinking that is designed for life.

1. Much of the emphasis in education now, however, is upon the parts that make up life.

1. 1. Within these fragments of history, the humanities, the sciences, etc., the emphasis is upon quantity: the number of pages covered and the amount of facts assimilated.

1. 1. When life is dissected into sterile components, it dies.

1. History does provide examples of education which were holistic, interdisciplinary, and designed for life.

1. 1. One clear example is Jewish education under the Old Testament economy:

1. 1. 1. In Jewish education, a twelve- or thirteen-year-old boy was considered a man.

1. 1. 1. His school was conducted six days a week, twelve hours per day, and about one half of the day was spent in practical application of the Pentateuch.

1. 1. 1. The overall purpose and objective of this school was life as a whole with an emphasis upon character building.

1. 1. Another clear example is found in the teachings of Jesus Christ.