Encyclopedia of Christian Education (3 Volumes) - Hardcover

9780810884922: Encyclopedia of Christian Education (3 Volumes)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0810884925 ISBN 13: 9780810884922

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2015

Christianity regards teaching as one of the most foundational and critically sustaining ministries of the Church. As a result, Christian education remains one of the largest and oldest continuously functioning educational systems in the world, comprising both formal day schools and higher education institutions as well as informal church study groups and parachurch ministries in more than 140 countries. In The Encyclopedia of Christian Education, contributors explore the many facets of Christian education in terms of its impact on curriculum, literacy, teacher training, outcomes, and professional standards. This encyclopedia is the first reference work devoted exclusively to chronicling the unique history of Christian education across the globe, illustrating how Christian educators pioneered such educational institutions and reforms as universal literacy, home schooling, Sunday schools, women’s education, graded schools, compulsory education of the deaf and blind, and kindergarten.

With an editorial advisory board of more than 30 distinguished scholars and five consulting editors, TheEncyclopedia of Christian Education contains more than 1,200 entries by 400 contributors from 75 countries. These volumes covers a vast range of topics from Christian education:

History spanning from the church’s founding through the Middle Ages to the modern day
Denominational and institutional profiles
Intellectual traditions in Christian education
Biblical and theological frameworks, curricula, missions, adolescent and higher education, theological training, and Christian pedagogy
Biographies of distinguished Christian educators

This work is ideal for scholars of both the history of Christianity and education, as well as researchers and students of contemporary Christianity and modern religious education.

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About the Author:

George Thomas Kurian (1931–2015) was president of the Encyclopedia Society and the editor of sixty-five books, including numerous encyclopedias and dictionaries. He was also a fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science. He was the editor, among others, of The World Christian Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia of Christian Civilization, and Encyclopedia of Christian Literature.

Mark A. Lamport is professor of practical theology at graduate schools in Colorado, Arizona, Virginia, California, Indiana, Belgium, Wales, England, and Portugal. He has published for 30 years in the discipline of Christian education.

Review:

Christian education takes place in Sunday schools of small country churches and in the classrooms of major universities. This encyclopedia effectively covers both types and so much more besides. It accomplishes this by casting a wide net that reveals a preference for quantity of A–Z entries over depth in the case of most entries. The average length of an article is hardly more than one full page, which is only occasionally problematic. Articles for Catechism and Jesus Christ, for example, are limited to a single page each, which is surprisingly light. There are rare exceptions, such as the nine-page treatment of Christian education in the ancient world. Entries focus heavily on people and places. Personalities with at least some influence in the field include people like Augustine, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, John Calvin, and Thomas Merton (as well as many lesser-knowns). The geographical coverage highlights seemingly every meaningful region in the world: Australia, Belgium, Chile, Germany, Uganda, and approximately 100 others. More than 25 denominational groups are profiled as well, including Assemblies of God, Lutheran, and Mennonite groups. Many of the groups covered predate the 'denominational era,' such as the ancient schools of Alexandria, Caesarea, Ephesus, and Rome. And speaking of schools, more than 60 universities and seminaries receive special attention. True researchers in the field will appreciate the encyclopedia’s scope extending well past people and places. The content and message of Christian education is dealt with systematically (e.g., Atonement, Baptism, Holiness, Ethics). Methodology is explored in a variety of ways, too, covering mentoring, different learning styles, pedagogy, and small groups. Demographic entries include numerous aspects of working with children, adolescents, and families. Accompanying each article are approximately five references for further study. In sum, this specialty set has no serious rivals in the reference realm, and it is highly recommended for academic and religious collections. (Booklist, Starred Review)

The arrangement of the 1,200 entries is alphabetical, but an appendix provides 19 introductory essays and a list of relevant entries for each. . . .A list of the credentials of the 400 contributors is also provided. . . .Recommended...for evangelical ministers and seminaries of public libraries that have a demand for evangelical literature. (Library Journal)

It is most unusual for a reference work to contain five forewords, and even more striking when each is written by a prominent figure in the field of Christian education. Another distinctive feature is the work's nearly two-dozen ‘Lead-in Introductions,’ which stand separately from the A-Z arrangement of encyclopedia articles. Comprising approximately 1,200 entries written by 400 authors from 75 countries, the content can be accessed either alphabetically or by broad subject. The introductions permit readers to approach the content thematically, but their inclusion towards the end of the third volume makes it less likely that they will be discovered by students or used as extensively as intended. Alphabetical entries vary in length; all conclude with a short references and resources list. The scope of topics covered is global, ecumenical, and immense; the roster of contributors is equally impressive. It is striking that biographical entries include figures as diverse as philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein and entrepreneur John Wanamaker, and perhaps a bit surprising that organizations as prominent as the YMCA and YWCA warrant an entry shorter than ‘Metaphors for Learning.’ But since two primary functions of an encyclopedia are to offer quick reference and provide a springboard to further research, the eclectic range of topics covered more than compensates for such small inconsistencies. There are three appendixes: ‘World Statistics on Christian Populations,’ ‘World Listing of Christian Universities by Continent,’ and a list of entries by contributing author. Among the encyclopedia's objectives is to foster ‘further research on Christian education at all levels by providing a flagship resource,’ and the breadth and caliber of the work go a long way toward achieving just that. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All libraries. All levels. (CHOICE)

Contributions of teachers and teaching are explored in all their multi-colored facets impacting curriculum, canons, literacy, training, outcomes, and standards. . . .The exclusive chronicling of Christian education with its universal and singular import is an unprecedented addition to pansophic knowledge. Questioning an encyclopedic endeavor such as the Encyclopedia of Christian Education will be answered as soon as its pages are opened. (Christian Education Journal)

Libraries that serve students of the Christian faith, whether in the context of a seminary, undergraduate institution, or public library, are well advised to purchase a copy of the landmark, three-volume Encyclopedia of Christian Education. . . .I found the set a treasure, from the front matter described above to the A-Z entries, the 17-page bibliography, and the appendixes with statistics on the global Christian community, its populations, and universities. . . .Highly recommended. (American Reference Books Annual)

Summing up this impressive work, the sentiment 'horses for courses' must spring to mind: for the library, for the study or research programme, self-consciously embedded within the Christian tradition, it has a lot to offer; for a library or institution where English-language teaching dominates, and where an understanding of and sympathy with Christian (and American Christian) values and practices are present, again it is a useful purchase. On the other hand, as a reference work, probably as much because of its field as the treatment of the field, it opens up and reveals a number of interesting critical questions that are bound to impact on acquisition decisions. In any event, a reference work for the specialist and theological library and more for the student and teacher and researcher than for any member of a Christian church community. (Reference Reviews)

The historical information...has some good introductions to individual topics, and good-to-excellent and interesting information on many specific items.... There are many...that are balanced, thoughtful, and useful. Every article examined was clearly written. And the encyclopedia passes the browse test, which is that one can open a volume at random and find interesting material. Readers wanting substantial information and discussion about contemporary Christian education and its issues will find this work informative and stimulating. (Journal of Jesuit Studies)

Nothing the Church does is more important than educating in faith – it’s lifeblood. Written and compiled by leading scholars, The Encyclopedia of Christian Education brings together the best wisdom of the ages to enhance the scholarly foundations and pastoral praxis of this vital ministry. It will be an invaluable resource and reference for all Christian educators - scholars and practitioners alike. (Thomas Groome, professor of theology and religious education and chair of the Department of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry, Boston College; author of Will There Be Faith: A New Vision for Educating Disciples)

The notion of Christian Education has long deserved authoritative treatment as a developed and established body of knowledge, rightly positioned alongside other fields of theology and pedagogy. This Encyclopedia fulfills that crucial function by bringing together leading scholars, writing within a well-considered and clearly organized structure. Kurian and Lamport are to be congratulated on their monumental achievement. (Leslie J Francis, professor of religions and education, University of Warwick, England, and canon theologian, Bangor Cathedral, Wales)

It has been some 25 years since the Harper Encyclopedia of Religious Education was published. This new survey assumes the pluralism, diversity, and global awareness in the field, which allows it to focus on Christian education without confusion or defensiveness. I expect the Encyclopedia of Christian Education, abled edited by Kurian and Lamport, to serve our profession well for at least the next quarter of a century. (Jerome W. Berryman, Episcopal priest and founder of the classic movement Godly Play)

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