Will Our Children Have Faith Westerhoff

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Title: Will Our Children Have Faith?

Author: Westerhoff, John H.

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Synopsis

Originally written in 1976, revised in 2000, and translated in six languages, this classic critique of Christian education is newly revised and expanded and includes Westerhoff’s overview and perspective on the state of Christian education over the past forty years—plus his role in that history.

According to Westerhoff, instead of guiding faith formation within the family, the church, and the school, we relegate religious education to Sunday morning classes. There, children learn the facts about religion, but how will they learn or experience faith? How can we nourish and nurture the faith of children, instead of only teaching the facts?

Content

The shaking of the foundations update

  • Beginnings
    • 1903 the Religious Education Foundation was founded in recognition of problems with "Sunday school"
    • Modeled off of public school "modern pedagogy"
    • in 60s & 70s church schools flourished
  • The Problem
    • Since the turn of the century, in spite of nods to other possibilities, Christian educators and local churches have functioned according to a schooling-instructional paradigm.
    • Other models have been considered but have not caught on.
    • John Dewey began his important career by assuring us that all of life educates, and that instruction in schools represents only one small part of our total education.
    • A church school with teachers, subject matter, curriculum resources, supplies, equipment, age-graded classes, classrooms, and, where possible, a professional church educator as administrator, has been the norm. All this must change.
  • Anomalies
  • The small church
    • church schools became divorced from the people and from church life
    • Small churches don't have resources to do "church schools"
  • Ethnic cultures


  • Beginning and ending with faith update
  • In search of community update
  • Life together update
  • Hope for the future update.

Other facts


Bibliographic info

  • Personal name: Westerhoff, John H.
  • Main title Will our children have faith? / John H. Westerhoff III.
  • Edition 3rd rev. ed.
  • Published/Created: Harrisburg, PA : Morehouse Pub., c2012.
  • ISBN: 9780819228000 (pbk.)
  • LC classification (full): BV1475.3 .W47 2012
  • LC classification (partial) BV1475.3
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