16Mar 2022 by
\nPHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATIONtheir thought process, ministry activities, and rationale for action is neither capable of walking on water nor calling down fire from heaven. They are neither mystical nor magical. They simply take the time to examine the \u201cwhy\u201d of their life and ministry. The result is a more reasoned response and intentionality toward their life and ministry endeavors. They know how to adjust their methods to meet changing social conditions and can articulate why a particular instructional methodology works in one location but not in another. They understand how to remain relevant and do not feel threatened when unplanned circumstances force them to change their plans. They will have a strategic plan laid out that explains why they do what they do, and they will know what resources they will need to arrive at their destination successfully. They don\u2019t get carried away with every new seminar or tangent that comes through town because they can determine whether the new idea is needed or useful in their ministry setting.TRADITIONAL CATEGORIES OF PHILOSOPHIC INQUIRYTo develop this critical philosophy of ministry, one must first gain a basic understanding of some basic philosophical concepts and key terms. Having done that, the student is able to begin to articulate the definitions of terms, describe the rationale for activities, and formulate an understanding for what is done in the ministry context. From a traditional point of view, philosophy has been classified into three main categories of thought: metaphysics, epis-temology, and axiology. We will explore each in greater detail to help the readers formulate their own personal philosophy of ministry at the end of this chapter.MetaphysicsLiterally defined as \u201cafter physics,\u201d metaphysics is the branch of philo-sophic inquiry that asks, \u201cWhat is real?\u201d It is concerned with examining the essence of existence. Metaphysical questions can be divided further into four subcategories of inquiry. Ontology deals with seeking an answer to the problem of being. The ontological task is to determine whether an object has existence and being. Questions central to this form of inquiry include the following: \u201cIs its reality found in matter or physical energy ( e.g., the world we can experience through the use of our senses), or is its realness387Anthony, Michael J., and Warren S. Benson. Exploring the History and Philosophy of Christian Education : Principles for the 21st Century, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central, http:\/\/ebookcentral.proquest.com\/lib\/amridge\/detail.action?docID=6339650.Created from amridge on 2022-03-11 05:42:15.Copyright \u00a92011. Wipf and StockPublishers. All rightsreserved.
\nEXPLORING THE HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATIONfound in transcendent matter?\u201d \u201cIs its realness limited to one realm (mo-nism), such as physical matter, or does it exist in two forms (dualism) such as matter and spirit?\u201d \u201cIs its reality limited to a finite existence, or does it transcend time as we know it?\u201dCosmology is the second subcategory, and it is concerned with the origins of the universe. Cosmological inquiry asks such questions as \u201cIs the universe orderly and systematic or random and dynamic?\u201d \u201cDo universal laws govern its operation, or do things occur without preliminary sequence?\u201d Beyond the existence of the universe, cosmology also investigates issues relevant to its purpose by asking such questions as \u201cWhat is the ultimate meaning or purpose of the universe?\u201d As Christians, we believe that the universe was created for a distinct purpose and that it exists toward fulfilling this purpose. This belief is referred to as teleological because the Bible speaks of God\u2019s created purpose for the world as reflecting His glory. However, some people in the realm of science disagree with a teleological perspective and hold to a random ( e.g., Big Bang theory) or circulative (i.e., it repeats itself) philosophy. Two other popular discussions regarding the cosmological argument involve the realm of time and space. 10Two additional subsets of metaphysics are anthropology and theology. Anthropology deals with a philosophical understanding of the existence, meaning, and purpose of humanity. Anthropological questions that a phi-losopher ponders include \u201cWhat is the essence of human nature?\u201d \u201cIs man inherently good or evil?\u201d \u201cWhat is the relationship between body and mind, and which one operates or controls the other?\u201d \u201cDoes man have a soul; if so, how does it function in relation to the other components of body and mind?\u201d Theology is the philosophical understanding of the existence, nature, and character of God. Metaphysical questions concerning God include such in-quiries as \u201cDoes God exist?\u201d \u201cCan God be known?\u201d \u201cWhat are the character qualities of God?\u201d \u201cDo other spirit beings besides God-such as angels, de-mons, or other entities-exist?\u201d \u201cDo these other entities interact with man-kind; if so, under what conditions or limitations do they exist?\u201d 11In summary, the philosophical concept of metaphysics deals with the issue of realness and existence. It is further subdivided into categories of10. George R. Knight, Philosophy and Education (Berrien Springs, Mich.: Andrews University Press, 1998), 16.11. Ibid., 15.388Anthony, Michael J., and Warren S. Benson. Exploring the History and Philosophy of Christian Education : Principles for the 21st Century, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central, http:\/\/ebookcentral.proquest.com\/lib\/amridge\/detail.action?docID=6339650.Created from amridge on 2022-03-11 05:42:15.Copyright \u00a92011. Wipf and StockPublishers. All rightsreserved.
\nPHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATIONinquiry to determine the meaning and purpose of the universe (cosmology), the nature and purpose of humanity (anthropology), the existence of a spirit realm (theology), and whether an object has existence and being (ontology). Metaphysical reality is concerned with knowing what lies beyond the realm of the observable world; it is a reality that is the foundation for physical objects.EpistemologyEpistemology refers to the investigation of the origin, structure, methods, and validity of knowledge. Over the years, considerable debate has occurred regarding the importance of epistemology in relation to metaphysics. The most popular view-held by Descartes, Locke, Kant, and Dewey-was that an investigation of the sources and validity of knowledge must come before metaphysical speculation. The opposite view was espoused by philosophers who placed a higher priority on metaphysics, including Spinoza and Hegel. A compromised view allows both views to have equal importance. 12Epistemology is philosophy\u2019s attempt to determine whether what we know is credible. Stated simply, epistemology asks two critical questions about knowledge:1. \u201cCan we know?\u201d (i.e., \u201cIs the knowledge we receive really valid?\u201d). 2. \u201cHow do we know?\u201d (i.e., \u201cWhat is the best means for obtainingknowledge?\u201d).The first question is answered by one of four means: skepticism (knowl-edge and truth is not knowable by the mind), relativism (knowledge and truth is relative to the human mind), dogmatism (accepting knowledge and truth without any substantiating proof), and positivism (knowledge and truth are valid once they have been proven by the sciences). 13The second question (\u201cHow do we know?\u201d) is really concerned with the means by which we know that something is true. For example, \u201cIs this newly acquired knowledge valid?\u201d We can know if it is valid through four means of12. Bowyer, Philosophical Perspectives for Education, 14. 13. Arnold Griese, Your Philosophy of Education: What Is It (Santa Monica, Calif.:Goodyear Publishing, 1981), 136.389Anthony, Michael J., and Warren S. Benson. Exploring the History and Philosophy of Christian Education : Principles for the 21st Century, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central, http:\/\/ebookcentral.proquest.com\/lib\/amridge\/detail.action?docID=6339650.Created from amridge on 2022-03-11 05:42:15.Copyright \u00a92011. Wipf and StockPublishers. All rightsreserved.
\nExPLORING THE HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATIONanalysis. The first test of its validity is empiricism; the new knowledge comes to us through the senses but also involves some degree of intellectual pro-cessing. Sensationalism allows us to test this knowledge when it comes to us through our sensory receptors. Rationalism allows us to test this knowledge when we apply our human reasoning abilities. Finally, transcendentalism is the means by which we verify knowledge when it comes to us from a source beyond either the sensory receptors or the human intellect. From a historical point of view, the two most popular means of determining its validity have been empiricism and rationalism. For obvious reasons, scientists have been reluctant over the years to wander far from that which can be replicated under the strict confines of a laboratory environment. 14AxiologyAxiology is the theory and science of value. It asks questions related to what is right and wrong in a given circumstance. It is also concerned with determining what is of natural or man-made beauty. For that reason, axiology is subdivided into two subsets of study: ethics-the study of right and wrong behavior, and aesthetics-the study of art and beauty. \u201cAxiology is the mod-ern term for search into: (1) the nature of value; (2) the types of value; (3) the criterion of value; and ( 4) the metaphysical status of value.\u201d 15Coming to a concise definition and conceptualization of what determines value depends to a large degree on one\u2019s philosophical perspective. For ex-ample, noted idealist J. Donald Butler makes a strong case for two generic types of values: ultimate values, which are God-based ( God alone has abso-lute existence), and social values, which are rooted in man\u2019s interpersonal and societal relations. Noted pragmatic empiricist John Dewey outlined a theory of valuation based upon man\u2019s human experience. Charles L. Stevenson, a noted logical empiricist, analyzes ethical arguments from the perspective of attitudinal differences. For this reason and others, the study of value has been difficult for philosophy students because valuation is heavily influence by personal philosophical bias. 1614. Ibid., 137. 15. Bowyer, Philosophical Perspectives for Education, 14. 16. Hobart W. Burns and Charles J. Brauner, Philosophy of Education (New York:Ronald Press, 1962), 196.390Anthony, Michael J., and Warren S. Benson. Exploring the History and Philosophy of Christian Education : Principles for the 21st Century, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central, http:\/\/ebookcentral.proquest.com\/lib\/amridge\/detail.action?docID=6339650.Created from amridge on 2022-03-11 05:42:15.Copyright \u00a92011. Wipf and StockPublishers. All rightsreserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
16Mar 2022 by PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATIONtheir thought process, ministry activities, and rationale for action is neither capable of walking on water nor calling…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-147404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/academicwritersbay.com\/answers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147404","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/academicwritersbay.com\/answers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/academicwritersbay.com\/answers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/academicwritersbay.com\/answers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/academicwritersbay.com\/answers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=147404"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/academicwritersbay.com\/answers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147404\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/academicwritersbay.com\/answers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=147404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/academicwritersbay.com\/answers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=147404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/academicwritersbay.com\/answers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=147404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}