At a Glance
Most of us have received twelve or more years of “education.” But why did we go to school? What is the purpose of education? And is there a difference between schooling and education? We argue that there is a difference, and in fact, education is more closely related to discipleship than schooling. If that is the case, then can we even call the twelve-plus years of learning we underwent an education? Today Darrow Miller and guest Christian Overman unpack their book, Don’t Let Schooling Stand in the Way of Education: A Biblical Response to the Crisis in Public Education. Crisis is not hyperbolic, and as the church, we urgently need to understand the theology of education.
What You'll Hear
- Introduction (00:25)
- Schooling vs. Education (5:00)
- Why do we have a crisis in education? (7:18)
- Can you be educated separately from a biblical worldview? (25:51)
- What is the purpose of education? (28:05)
- When was the last time education recognized God? (39:24)
- How can we reclaim a biblical philosophy of education? (50:15)
- Advice for parents in this educational crisis (59:55)
- Conclusion (1:16:32)
After serving as a Christian school principal for 14 years, Dr. Overman began giving workshops for training teachers on how the Christian worldview uniquely informs and guides the learning process from the earliest years through high school.
While a school principal, Overman wrote his first book, Assumptions that Affect Our Lives, which was published by Tyndale House in 1989, under the title, Different Windows.
Several years after establishing Worldview Matters®, Christian went back to school, at Bakke Graduate University (BGU), to study Theology of Work. At BGU, he earned a Doctor of Ministry degree, but more importantly, Christian became increasingly motivated to bridge the gaps between biblical worldview, theology of work and education.
Using the link above, you can read the transcript, listen along, and adjust the speed of the podcast while you listen.
"The purpose of education is to equip the next generation to rule well over this material world."
Christian Overman (28:46)
Any school system that neglected Christianity was essentially defective (17:14).
Quotes
- 20:56 “I don’t believe there is a secular world… there is only one world.” Chrisitan Overman
- 21:26 “The secular-sacred split got us into this division of reality where the church said, ‘we’ll take care of the metaphysical issues, we’ll let the public schools deal with all this other stuff.’ That was the beginning of the end [for education].” Christian Overman
- 25:16 “But prior to all of that was the sacred-secular split, which divorced Christianity from math, science, history, algebra and everything… And that, I believe is why we’re in a crisis. We have forgotten God, we have forgotten how God connects to math, how He connects to history, how He connects to science, and everything else in school–it is not a separate world. It’s all His world.” Christian Overman
- 28:46 “The purpose of education is to equip the next generation to rule well over this material world.” Christian Overman
- 38:38 “Public schools have done a tremendous job–effective job of raising up three generations of dualists. By dualist, I mean, people in the church, who would separate all of reality into these two spheres, the sacred sphere, which we do in church and at home, and the so-called secular sphere.” Christian Overman
- 53:58 “We need souls saved, but it’s so lopsided now that we’ve forgotten that God’s created us to be Earth tenders.” Christian Overman
- 56:03 “The name of this podcast is Ideas Have Consequences. And what are the consequences of postmodernism or the results of the Frankfurt School or NeoMaxism? When you say that there’s no distinction between male and female what are the consequences of that concept? And we’re seeing that in spades today, and it’s not beautiful. It’s cruel–it’s horrible.” Darrow Miller
- 1:15:14 “I would say… if you’re a Christian teacher and want to work in state-sponsored schools, it’s a wonderful calling, but don’t do it naively. Are you going to maintain your integrity as a Christian? Or are you going to stick your head in the sand and go along with things that you know you shouldn’t go along with just to keep your job?” Darrow MIller
- 1:15:51 “We are at that moment in history. Where we need to speak prophetically–we need to take stands that are difficult stands. And if we’re not willing to do that, God help us.” Darrow Miller
Go Deeper
Don’t Let Schooling Stand in the Way of Education: A Biblical Response to the Crisis in Public Education
Darrow L. Miller, editor
STATE-RUN SCHOOLING IS IN CRISIS.
With alarming speed, our public schools have dropped any pretense of religious neutrality. As a result, our children are adrift in a sea of relativism. Many are abandoning Christianity, and those who don’t are left with an enfeebled faith that matters only one day a week.
Genuine educational reform will require more than a new curriculum. It will demand an entirely different philosophy of education.
Darrow Miller and a group of outside-the box educational revolutionaries will help you re-discover a compellingly biblical approach. Begin your journey of educational rediscovery in the pages of this book.
Assumptions that Affect Our Lives: How Worldviews Determine Values that Influence Behavior and Shape Culture
By Christian Overman
Examining worldview assumptions is critically important to understanding the world and culture in which we live, knowing what to do, and how to “create culture.” It is essential that Christ-followers be clear-thinking in these postmodern times. Contrasting the thinking of the ancient Greeks and ancient Hebrews will provide fresh ways to evaluate the messages that continually come our way.
Are you aware of the underlying assumptions that shape your values and behavior? Have you given much thought to how your assumptions about what’s ‘really real’ influence your daily actions?
We often underestimate the importance of presuppositions that lie behind the values and behavior of ourselves and others. Like an iceberg floating in the ocean with just ten percent visible and ninety percent below the surface, we sometimes lose sight of the fact that words and actions are first shaped by beliefs that lie deep within the reaches of an inner concept of reality called a worldview.
Going beyond values and behavior to examine the underlying beliefs and assumptions that shape one’s worldview is what this book is all about. Examining worldview assumptions is critically important for understanding the times and the culture in which we live. Assumptions That Affect Our Lives has helped thousands to make a difference in the way they live, by making a difference in the way they think.
In a personal letter to the author, Chuck Colson wrote: “I pray the Lord will continue to open every door to get your message to the masses. As the cultural sweep toward postmodern thinking continues to infect our educational institutions, homes and churches, the need for what you are doing is greater today than ever.”
Purchase on Amazon. Purchase the digital Nook version from Barnes and Noble.
Recommended links from Christian Overman
- Free resource from Dr. Overman, Eliminating the Sacred/Secular Divide
- Part Five: “Honey We Shrunk the Kingdom!” is a small-group study focus for Christ-followers in churches, schools, businesses, civil service organizations, and families who want to understand more fully what it means to be “salt and light” in the world, beyond the four walls of the local church.
- Includes a link to a 44-minute video with discussion questions. This is part of a larger series, but may stand on its own. This video provides a “deep dive” into 40 years of Dr. Overman’s work on this issue.
- RenewaNation.org
- Vision: Transform our culture by giving millions of children a biblical worldview
- Mission: Inspire and equip the family, church, and school to give millions of children a biblical worldview
After doing our podcasts on education, I came across this article on Classical Christian Education vs the Marxist education of state run schools. Hope you find it an encouragement and as an alternative to public school systems.
https://thefederalist.com/2023/08/23/schools-that-teach-the-classics-instead-of-marxism-see-exponential-growth/