REFLECTION ON FAITH INTEGRATION IN CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

Over the past two decades, there has been an ongoing discussion about “faith-learning integration” in Christian colleges and universities. As Christian academics realized the danger of becoming secularized, they began to pursue higher education that is firmly grounded in Christian perspectives. Christian institutions, therefore, ask their faculty of all disciplines to approach their fields within the framework of Christian principles and doctrines. Thus, it is now imperative that Christian faculty be able to integrate their Christian faith into their academic vocation. On the surface, this seems an effortless task in the field of Christian education, since Christian education is inherently grounded in the faith. However, given that Christian education needs to have deliberate, continuous dialogue with other disciplines such as philosophy, theology, and social sciences, Christian educators need to find new connections with the purpose of advancing His Kingdom. Since the ultimate goal of Christian education is transformation of a person for the work of God, faith integration within the field of Christian education must also ultimately aim to transform the individual through right teachings (orthodoxy), right actions (orthopraxy), and a right heart (orthokardia). Creative interaction between faith and a given discipline (e.g., Christian education) will enable students to develop a Christian worldview and to see the interconnectedness of God’s truth in different disciplines. Christian scholars have practiced faith-learning integration through their lesson plans, assignments, readings, researches, and publications. Yet too often, they have done so without a clear understanding of academic faith integration – not certain about what faith integration entails or how it is to be executed. This article offers critical personal reflection on the perception and the practice of faith-learning integration in the academic setting, focusing specifically on Christian education. I will present my own work in integrating faith within the larger disciplines of education and the social sciences, making it reasonable and applicable within the Christian context.