"All Truth is God's Truth" - Heritage Christian School

"All Truth is God's Truth" Heritage Christian School’s

Philosophy of Biblical Integration in School Curriculum By: Greg Bitgood

(Pastor of Christian Education for Kelowna Christian Center Society) Outline:

• Biblical Integration Defined o Integration as it relates to “All Truth.” o Biblical Integration is a Synthesizing of Truth to Life o What Biblical Integration is Not o Integration as it relates to the Bible o Integration as it relates to Worldviews o The three Superintending Principles of the Christian Worldview

• Three Approaches to Integration and Outside Viewpoints of Truth o Presuppositional Integration (Compatibilist) o Complementary Integration (Transformational) o Direct Interaction Integration (Reconstructivist)

• The Dimensions of Integration o Integration in Theoretical Disciplines (Subjects)

The foundation of a Christian Worldview The existing foundations within Specific Disciplines

o Integration in Applied Disciplines (Subjects) The Philosophy behind the Practice The Attitudes, Ethics and Values of the Discipline

o The contribution to the Kingdom of God through the Discipline • How Biblical Integration relates to the Christian School Environment

o Who is the Integrator? o What is the Content? o How is it applied to the Educational Environment?

• Examples of Biblical Integration in Christian School Curriculum o Administration: Conflict Resolution o Primary: Language Acquisition o Elementary: Mathematics o Middle School: Science o High School: Social Studies & History

• The Student Learning Outcomes of Heritage Christian School o Spiritual Learning Outcomes o The Intellectual/Academic Learning Outcomes o Physical Fitness Learning Outcomes o Social and Relational Learning Outcomes o Vocational Learning Outcomes

Page 2 of 22 Greg. Bitgood, Pastor of Christian Education, Heritage Christian School

I. Biblical Integration Defined

“All truth is God’s truth, as all life is God’s life; but God’s truth and God’s life are

incarnate in Jesus.”1

“Faith-learning integration may be briefly described as a scholarly project whose goal is to ascertain and to develop integral relationships which exist between the

Christian faith and human knowledge, particularly as expressed in the various aca-demic disciplines.”2

“There is not one square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over

which Christ, who is Sovereign, does not cry out, Mine!”3

Integration as it relates to “All Truth”

The idea of Biblical Integration begins with the premise “All truth is God’s truth.” This implies that everything in the world and outside of the world has been created by God and, as the Designer of all things, He is the first authority on under-standing the true nature of everything. Therefore any and all disciplines of learning must start and end with Him who has the sole distinction in the universe as “The Truth” (John 14:6). The Scripture points us to creation itself as a means to knowing God and his attributes (Psalm 19:1-6, Rom. 1:20-21), conversely God’s attributes teach us about the nature of creation (Gen 1-3, Prov. 8:22-31, Heb 1:3).

It is our task as Christian Educators to present God’s world and all of it’s principles, disciplines and applications to our students as succinctly and biblically as is possible in our limited understanding. This means that we are to figuratively “go into all the world…” (Matt. 28:19) and take our disciples with us as we try to understand it through the means God has given using the tools of “special revela-tion” and “general revelation.”4 It also means that “truth” is not exclusive to Chris-

1 Bruce, F.F. 1983. The Gospel of John, Basingstoke: Pickering & Inglis. (Bruce GJohn). 2 Hasker, William; Faith-Learning Integration: An Overview, Christian Scholars Review, XXI:3 (March 1992): 231-248 http://home.apu.edu/~bsimmerok/facdevweb/Mntr/FathLrn/FaithLInteg.htm Dr. Hasker teaches philosophy at Huntington College and is a fellow of The Christian Scholars Program. This article was sited on most of the other writings and web sites on faith and learning integration as the most definitive work on the subject. 3 Kuyper, Abraham, the Dutch theologian and political leader is quoted here by Chuck Colson in the Erasamus Lec-ture held at the Institute for Religion in Public Life, New York, New York, November 1999. Colson went on to say “Christians must recognize this in order to know the fullness of life in Christ, to be able to formulate a defense of Christian truth in every single area of life, and to begin taking back our culture in the name of the King of Kings.” 4 Special Revelation defined: those means of knowing and understanding truth that God has given to specific indi-viduals and with specific conditions, i.e. the Scriptures are considered special revelation because they were first given to a chosen few under specific conditions (II Peter 1:20-21). The scriptures themselves are available to all but require an adherence to its beliefs and teachings to understand its principles and truths within the context of life it is intended for together with the aid of the Holy Spirit. (Matt. 13:13-15, John 14:16, 26, 15:26, I Cor. 2:13-15). Gen-eral Revelation defined: as God revealing eternal truths through that which is available to all men everywhere through the faculty of our senses combined with reason (Rom. 1:20-21, Psalms 19, Gen 1-3).

http://home.apu.edu/~bsimmerok/facdevweb/Mntr/FathLrn/FaithLInteg.htm

Philosophy of Biblical Integration in School Curriculum Page 3 of 22

tian teaching or the Bible itself. We can know truth outside of the Bible and, in fact, to seek truth exclusively within the confines of scripture would be to rob the reality and splendor of such statements in scripture as:

The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring

the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night re-veals knowledge. Psalms 19:1-2

J.P Moreland, noted Christian scholar and philosopher, explains the difficult

nature of integration; “To be engaged in the task of integration is to embark on a journey that is at once exciting and difficult. Integration is no easy task and it is a life-long project that should occur within an individual believer’s life and among the various members of the Christian community working together. Part of the diffi-culty of this journey is due not only to the massive amount of information and vast array of studies that need to be consulted, but also the fact that there are many dif-ferent aspects of and attitudes toward integration itself.”5

Our journey must take us into any discipline that renders creation or the creature in a truthful light. This will take us through the great discoveries of sci-ence and mathematics, the language arts and humanities, the fine arts and crafts-man’s skills; the theoretical and practical aspects of learning. And we are to do this always in the light of our Christian world-view coming out of the Scriptures as re-vealed to us through the Holy Spirit and sound orthodoxy.

Biblical Integration is the Synthesizing of Truth to Life The process of Biblical Integration is really a synthesizing of our Christian Worldview into everything around us, although this may be a misnomer because in all aspects of reality there is no need for synthesis. Truth and reality are synony-mous. There is no need to integrate a singular, unified reality. We must be careful not to slip into the subtle error of dualism6 even in the process of integration. Noted Christian philosopher William Hasker is helpful here, “There is a single reality, all of which is created by God and under his dominion, and all of which we as his chil-dren and image-bearers must seek to understand…And yet there is ample justifica-tion for speaking of ‘integration.’ First of all, though there is a unity of truth there is nevertheless a diversity in our ways of knowing that makes the unity of truth a dif-ficult and demanding achievement for us humans…So as a matter of fact we as hu-man knowers are confronted by diverse and apparently unconnected bodies of knowledge achieved through different means; it is precisely and only by ‘integrating’ such diverse bodies of knowledge that the vision of a unity of truth is gained.”7 This 5 Moreland, J. P.; in his article published at the Christian Leadership Ministry’s Academic Integration Web Site: http://www.facultylinc.com/discipline/aip.nsf, Philosophical Apologetics, the Church and Contemporary Culture; April 29th, 1996 found at http://capo.org/premise/96/april/p960406.html 6 Dualism is defined here as the separation of the “secular” from the “sacred” or the “spiritual” from the “natural.” While seeing our disciplines apart from the Biblical aspect of truth and then somehow trying to synchronize or har-monize the two separate truths is in fact a subtle form of dualistic thinking. In reality the Bible’s truth and the truth within any discipline is already one, for truth itself is unitary. 7 Hasker, William, ibid.

http://www.facultylinc.com/discipline/aip.nsf

http://capo.org/premise/96/april/p960406.html


“diversity in our ways of knowing” is easily seen in how we can know theology (through Biblical studies and philosophy; special revelation) and how we can know chemistry (through experimentation; general revelation). Biblical Integration is further necessary for us to bring together the various disciplines. The Christian Worldview places all things within the proper context of life itself giving everything its reason for existence and thus becomes the integrat-ing force of all truth. Without it we see a fragmented approach to life without any singular purpose to different realms of study. The physicist has little to do with the artist, the fitness teacher sees little use for the philosophy teacher; but when theol-ogy breathes purpose and meaning into all aspects of life relevance is seen in the most sublime disciplines of creation and human thought.

Therefore, Biblical Integration is a synthesis of thought and understanding not an integration of reality itself. Hasker continues: “Integration is concerned with integral relationships between faith and knowledge, the relationships which inher-ently exist between the content of the faith and the subject-matter of this or that discipline; such connections do not have to be invented or manufactured. But they do need to be ascertained and developed; unless this is done faith and knowledge may appear to be, and for practical purposes may be in fact, alien and unrelated to each other.” What Biblical Integration is Not

As we carefully define what Biblical Integration is it seems to be necessary to define what it is not. This phrase is often misunderstood as a www.google.com search will reveal. The internet search renders a number of spurious ideas as well as boiler-plate creedal statements made in various Christian educational institu-tions. Here are some of the common misconceptions made about integration and the Bible:8

• Integration is using the Bible metaphorically. The teacher will take a concept from the Bible to illustrate a particular topic such as: the triangle is like the Trinity or Noah had to bring the animals two by two into the arc so let’s prac-tice our times-tables. This can happen in the reverse by using subject matter to explain the Bible such as two plus two is always four, and God is always the same, you can depend on Him. In these examples there is no integral re-lationship between the issues being taught.

• Integration is using the Bible to show a relevant correlation between life and the Scriptures. The teacher is trying to make both their topic and the Bible relevant by using one to inspire the other. Example: teaching the Bible as lit-erature because the Bible uses language in many different ways, poetry, nar-rative, instructive, prose, etc. and thus it teaches us that we must use lan-guage the same way. Again this is done in reverse. Example: using modern day examples of war to teach the art of warfare as it is found in Biblical

8 Special credited here needs to be given to Mark Eckle in his work The Whole Truth, Classroom Strategies for Bib-lical Integration, Self Published, 2002, particularly chapter 6, pgs. 77-83. Though I combine some of the issues pre-sented in His book he is helpful in outlining for us what others often call integration when it is really something else.

http://www.google.com/


times. Often we try to correlate history to Bible events and timelines. In these examples there is obvious correlation but there is no integral or founda-tional meaning being applied from the scriptures to the particular subjects.

• Integration is creating a Christian Environment for learning. This is where a school will emphasize that it integrates a Christian lifestyle both in its staff and clientele. Example: we only hire Christian teachers or we only accept students that go to a particular type of church and profess their Christian faith. In this example we see an external emphasis on the nature of teaching that may lack the internal necessities for true Biblical Integration. Often ap-plication is emphasized in this environment such as service projects or mis-sions trips. But the deeper Christian issues embedded in subjects themselves, the curriculum, the learning outcomes and teaching methods may never be addressed.

• Integration is including Bible as a core subject in our school. This is the school whose overall scope teaches what is considered neutral disciplines like math and reading using standardized learning outcomes but adds Bible classes to the curriculum. It may go as far as to exclude anti–Christian ide-ologies such as evolution or secular humanism. The problem here is that there is no such thing as “neutral disciplines.” This approach lends itself to a dualistic6 approach towards life. It still leaves the disciplines and subjects taught in the school without an integrated foundational perspective.

The above four misconception are all valid aspects of the Christian School. There is nothing wrong with drawing illustrations and metaphors from scripture and life or developing relevant correlation between the Bible and life. In fact, these are often good teaching tools to be used to help promote both Biblical literacy and relevance with our students. Certainly who we hire and the environment we cultivate must be Christian through and through. Nevertheless this does not mean that concentrated efforts are being made towards good Biblical Integra-tion. I am a big proponent of teaching the Bible as its own subject because of its central importance to all of life. But this must not be a substitute for the schol-arship that has to be done in every discipline and subject in our school. These ideas are all part of what makes a Christian School Christian but they should not be confused with true Biblical Integration.

Integration as it relates to the Bible Because we hold to the inerrancy9 of the Scriptures10 and the Bible is so much more than a book of philosophy or religion we are faced with the daunting task of reconciling the statements and context of Scripture with the world as we ex- 9 Inerrancy is defined as: the Bible is without error when it was first transmitted from the original authors and in-spired by the Holy Spirit in its full cannon. This does not mean that our present day versions are completely free from error in the copied manuscripts or the translations. However, the sciences of textual criticism and original lan-guage studies have given us a very accurate rendering of the Scriptures and all orthodox Christian doctrines have been upheld through more thorough research in these fields. 10 The Cannon of Scripture is 39 books of the Old Testament held by Protestants and Eastern Orthodox Christians and the 27 books of the New Testament as outlined by Protestants, Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics.


perience and know it. The challenge is presented to us because of the following points:

• A profound ignorance of the Scriptures within the modern day church and its teachers keeps us “from rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Tim. 2:15).

• The Bible is not the starting point of truth in many of the disciplines we teach. Most teachers, curriculum and disciplines do not start with the under-lying universal principles of scripture to guide them. They do not begin with a biblically sound perspective of the fundamental ideas of the subject matter.

• We possess a dualistic approach towards reality separating “secular truth” from “sacred truth” which relegates the Bible null and void of those concepts beyond theology and religion.

• We fall into faulty hermeneutics in scriptural interpretation and understand-ing. The cultural context we find ourselves in may make it difficult for us to see the context that scripture was written in. We bring to the Bible a cultural bias that comes from the age in which we live and the religious influences and traditions we aspire to. It is theoretically impossible to be truly objective in our understanding of the Bible yet this must be every Christian scholar’s quest.

• We encounter contradictory aspects of the Bible and “accepted knowledge” within the particular discipline, such as, contradictions between the Genesis account of the origin of the universe and contemporary scientific theory.11

These challenges must be overcome by Christian school teachers if they are to

bring true Biblical Integration into their classrooms. We must dedicate ourselves to thorough understanding of the scriptures especially in the disciplines and fields of study that we teach. In order to truly know something we must see it from the Designer’s perspective as given to us in the Bible. We must integrate our knowledge of the subject with the Bible in all aspects of purpose, history, function and application. The Bible gives us the “principles”12 through which we can know the true nature of all things as God created them.

Biblical Integration as it relates to Worldviews Worldview is always at the center of what we know and teach. It is the framework, the paradigms, in which we approach our understanding of reality. Every discipline, subject and skill we teach has been affected by the various world-

11 “If our study of the Bible and of nature seems to lead to a contradiction, we do not need to give up our faith, nor do we need to panic. It is more likely that our interpretation of one or the other is wrong, rather than that God has contradicted himself. The wisest course (and the most difficult), may be for us to suspend judgment until more data becomes available. Meanwhile, we need to go back to the Bible and the natural world, to see whether we have mis-understood one or the other.” Facing the Challenge Web site publish by Focus Radio’s director David Couchman took his first degree in Theology and Natural Sciences at Cambridge University, and has a Masters' degree in Elec-tronics http://www.facingthechallenge.org/bacon.htm 12 “Biblical Principles permeate everything. ‘Permeation’ suggests that the foundation of truth is God’s and God accomplishes the unification of all truth. ‘Principled permeation’ identifies errors and codifies instruction from books or ideas with tenets established in God’s Word.” Mark Eckel, Associate Professor of Educational Ministries, Moody Bible Institute, The Whole Truth, self published edition 2002, pg. 76.

http://www.facingthechallenge.org/bacon.htm


views around us. Because we find ourselves in a pluralistic culture we must always navigate our way through any topic with the Christian worldview at the helm. This requires us to first and foremost know how the Christian perspective integrates into the topic. This is found through the aforementioned process of embracing scripture led by the Holy Spirit. It will also require the broader shaping of Christian doctrine so that both the big picture and the specifics of the subject are accurately understood within the context of a Christian framework. Obviously, much of what we teach has been inculcated with many of the plu-ralistic viewpoints of a fallen and misled culture (II Cor. 4:4, Eph. 2:1-3, I John 5:19). We must be on guard in our own thinking that we do not possess these per-spectives about the subjects to which we teach. Our own minds have at one time ex-perienced the alienation from God and we must redeem our minds from the fash-ionable, worldly way of thinking (“at war with God in your minds” Col. 1:21 BBE; “Do not conform to the fashion of this world;” Rom. 12:2, Twentieth Century Ver-sion). Our minds must undergo a “spiritual revolution;”13 a literal overthrow of the ideologies that have governed our perspectives. Once our own thinking has been “sanctified”14 we are able to present the things we teach from the Christian World-view. Biblical Integration involves the important task of unraveling those world-views that have invaded the subjects to which we want to bring our students. Such erroneous perspectives as naturalism, dualism, secular humanism, relativism, exis-tentialism and the many other “isms” that have invaded our culture’s collective be-lief systems have to be rooted out and exposed in the various disciplines we teach. It is not enough to teach the Christian worldview; we must prepare our students for the deluge of “anti-christ”15 thinking that they will encounter the minute they step from the classroom, church and home.

The Christian worldview is more than a mental framework or philosophy it is also where we teach from. It affects what we teach, where we teach, who we teach and how we teach. John Van Dyk is helpful in his explanation of worldviews in the classroom, “Now remember, your worldview is not limited to sweeping generalities about God and humankind, or to a set of theological truths. As a teacher, your worldview controls what you believe not only about the big picture, but also about subject matter, about children, and about the purposes of your efforts in the class-room.”16 Often our pedagogical training reflects ideologies that are contrary to our

13 Eph. 4:24 “Your mind must be renewed by a spiritual revolution.” Jerusalem Bible 14 Sanctify (grk. Hagiazo, from Hagios:“To make holy, or to set apart for God.” ATSBD) Sanctify has a twofold meaning to separate from and to be called unto something. I Peter 3:15 “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;” places the word in a very interesting context. Notably, this verse is a favorite pas-sage for demonstrating the importance of a worldview defense of our faith using the Greek word “apologia.” The implied process of separating our heart (mind) unto Christ will enable us to give that answer. 15 Antichrist is being used here in the context of “contrary to” Christ. I John 2: 20-22 “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.” The context of the passage is that of truth and non-truth, the idea being that any ideology that denies Christ is antichrist. There is no neutral ground, there are no neutral worldviews. 16 Van Dyk, John, The Craft of Christian Teaching, Dordt Press, 2000, pg. 87


faith and employs methods of teaching and thinking that are based in faulty world-views such as behaviorism, perennialism, progressivism and essentialism.17 We cannot just possess a Christian perspective of a given subject; our pedagogy18 must also reflect our worldview in order to teach in a fully biblically integrated manner.

The Three Superintending Principles of a Christian Worldview Charles Colson’s definition of all worldviews helps us understand the three aspects of the Christian viewpoint: “…every worldview can be analyzed by the way it answers three basic questions: Where did we come from, and who are we (crea-tion)? What has gone wrong with the world (fall)? And can we fix it (redemption)? These three questions form a grid that we can use to break down the inner logic of every belief system of philosophy that we encounter, from the textbooks in our classrooms to the unspoken philosophy that shapes the message we hear on Oprah.”19 These great themes are found in all worldview perspectives though they may be called by a different name. These three superintending principles must govern every aspect of our un-derstanding of the world as we know it and present it to our students:

• God is the creator and origin of all things and thus he gives all things pur-pose and intention.

o God created the universe as we know it: Gen. 1-3, John 1:1-3 o God created all things good: Gen. 1:31 o God created man in His image thus distinguishing man from all other

aspects of creation: Gen. 1:26-28 o God gave mankind the authority over all else in the created universe

as a stewardship: Gen 1:26, 2:15 o God created all things to follow its order of kind: Gen. 1:11-12, 21-22

• Mankind fell through sin and rebellion from relationship with God and caused spiritual death to enter into himself and thus into all of creation.

o The nature of man’s rebellion was one of choice, Gen 2:17 o Spiritual death first entered man thus causing physical death and cor-

ruption of all of man’s stewardship (creation). Gen. 2:17, 3:1-8, 5:3

17 Behaviorism, commonly associated with B.F. Skinner, is derived from the belief that free will is an illusion. Ac-cording to a pure behaviorist, human beings are shaped entirely by their external environment. Alter a person's envi-ronment, and you will alter his or her thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Provide positive reinforcement whenever students perform a desired behavior, and soon they will learn to perform the behavior on their own. Perennialism, commonly associated with Mortimer Adler, is the theory that teaching should entirely occupy itself with passing on the past wisdom of the ages. Progressivism, commonly associated with John Dewey, is the belief that we will con-struct our best understanding of reality as we relate to and evolve within our world. Education is merely a means to facilitate progressive change. Essentialism, commonly associated with William Bagley, is grounded in a conserva-tive philosophy that accepts the social, political, and economic structure of society. It contends that schools should not try to radically reshape society. Rather, essentialists argue, schools should transmit the traditional moral values and intellectual knowledge that students need to become citizens. 18 Pedagogy is defined as the art and training of educators. The word is often used for teaching methods and educa-tional philosophy. 19 Colson, Chuck and Nancy Pearcey; How Now Shall We Live, Tyndale House Pub. 1999, pg. 14.


o All of Adam’s offspring have been affected by his decision and have likewise entered into his rebellion. Rom. 3:23, 5:12

• Christ came into the world in order to restore what mankind lost in the gar-den of Eden.

o He came to deliver us from our sin and the spiritual forces of the devil to which we were held bondage; Rom. 5:6-8, I John 3:8

o He came to restore spiritual life and redeem us from the fall of Adam and the effects of our own sin; John 10:10, I John 2:1-2, 5:10-12

o He gives us a new regenerated spirit and brings us into union with Himself through which all of God’s inheritance is restored to us. II Cor. 5:17, I Cor. 6:17, Eph. 1:3

o He restores our relationship to God as our spiritual Father and brings us into His covenant family. II Cor. 5:19, Gal. 3:26-28, Eph. 2:19

o We will one day see this salvation extend itself into our bodies when Christ returns again to this world. Phil 3:20-21, I Cor. 15, I Thes. 4:14-18.

o He will either judge or destroy that which was affected by the fall or he will redeem and restore it. II Thes. 1:5-10, Rev. 20-22, II Peter 3:4-18

These themes must inculcate every “truth” we bring forth in the classroom. This

does not mean every class need be a Bible study but rather an integration of these three superintending principles:

• Everything we teach about was first created by God with an original inten-tion specified by God. In order for our students to understand the true nature of a subject they must see it in the light of God’s original intention.

• Everything we teach about has been affected directly or indirectly by the fall of man. In order for our students to understand the flaws, degradation, sin-fulness and corruption in a particular subject they must see it in its past and present fallen state.

• Everything we teach has been or will be affected directly or indirectly by the redemption provided in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Students must see the redemptive aspects of the subject matter as it applies to their own ex-perience as Christians and how it must undergo its own redemptive process.

There are many more aspects and principles involved in a Christian Worldview and one may argue that there are other ways of classifying the essentials of world-view.20 Nevertheless these three concepts permeate all truth and all the various dis-ciplines of study. As one fellow put it, “the reason I believe the Bible is because it is the most consistent with everything I can see and know.” 20 Harro Van Brummelen in his of noteworthy book Steppingstones to Curriculum, Alta Vista College Press, c.1994, pg. 26, categorizes Christian worldview as: “four Biblical charges or “great injunctions” that are essential to a Bibli-cal worldview. These are the Great (Cultural or Creation) Mandate, the Great Commission, the Great Command-ment, and the Great Community.” These categories lack an emphasis on the fallen nature of man and may seem to emphasize man’s role rather than the Divine intervention into creation by Christ Jesus. Van Brummelen does outline sound theological substance as he explains these categories and includes the concepts of the fall of man, the incarna-tion and redemption in his explanations. I find his ideas of the Cultural or Creation Mandate very helpful particularly because we spend most of our efforts in Elementary and Secondary school preparing students for this mandate. It is within this mandate that most people spend their lives in their vocations.


II. Three Approaches to Integration and Outside Viewpoints of Truth

“We must understand that the great battle going on in the world today is not the culture war. Rather, it is a cosmic struggle over first principles… At root are com-

peting answers to the question of how we understand reality itself.”21

The Christian School does not find itself in some isolated vacuum that exists apart from the viewpoints of the culture around it. More often than not the teachers are trained in their particular disciplines in Universities that have long since left their Christian roots. Even some of the “Christian” Universities will still use a great deal of content from non-Christian perspectives in the various disciplines they are preparing teachers for. Often we select textbooks that do not originate from a Chris-tian perspective. We are strongly influenced by our government-mandated learning outcomes that we must legally meet in order to have an equal certification with the public system. As one student who had transferred into our school from a public high school pointed out, “You guys teach more about evolution here at Heritage than at my old public school. You just teach it differently.” Our task does not stop at just teaching everything from the Christian per-spective we must also prepare students for the worldviews they will encounter out-side the classroom, church and home. Particularly in high school, we must prepare our students for their inevitable encounter and confrontation with anti-Christ worldviews. The teacher must continually evaluate prevailing worldviews within the sub-jects being taught, the curriculum and textbooks being used, the cultural bias and their student’s preconceptions. What form the integration between the scriptures and the subject takes will be determined by the perspectives and worldviews that are inherent within the subject. The following are the three main approaches to in-tegrating two seemingly separate disciplines of learning.22

Presuppositional Integration (Compatibilist23) This form of integration occurs when the Biblical perspective and the subject matter being taught both have the same, compatible presuppositions24 or the Bible 21 Colson, Charles; in his Erasamus Lecture held at the Institute for Religion in Public Life, New York, New York, November 1999 22 J.P. Moreland’s work in the previously quoted article (see footnote #5) was very helpful in giving an outline of the different approaches to integration. He included two more divisions: “The Two Realms View” presents the idea that there would be no integration necessary because the two concepts have nothing to do with each other. I rejected this category because my position is that all things have worldview implications no matter how basic or seemingly unre-lated. His other classification is “The Practical Application View” which I found to be identical to Presuppositional Integration as it is applied to the discipline. 23 These three divisions were made by William Hasker in the aforementioned article, Faith-Learning Integration: An Overview. He defines Compatibilist strategy: “the integrity of both faith and discipline are in large measure pre-supposed and the scholar’s task is one of showing how shared assumptions and concerns can be profitably linked.” 24 Presupposition is defined as to believe or suppose something in advance, syn: assumption. Every worldview starts with basic presuppositions in epistemology – the authority of knowledge; ontology – the nature of reality;


itself creates the presuppositions in the specific discipline. A good example of this is found in mathematics. God does not change and He has created the universe to be consistent within His patterns and designs that can be mathematically understood and explained. When studying mathematics the learner must employ logic that is consistent and unchanging.25 These presuppositions align themselves between the discipline and the Biblical, Christian worldview. Another more specific example within the subject of literature would be a study of William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies. The presuppositions in this literary classic are compatible with the Chris-tian truth of the “falleness” of mankind. Most of our teaching in the Christian School will take on this presupposi-tional approach because, as Christian teachers, we will want to teach our disciplines from perspectives that reflect our worldview. Nevertheless we cannot ignore the need for good scholarly work in this task of showing the aspects of Biblical Integra-tion. We can no longer assume that everybody sees things this way. In fact, the cul-ture around us is becoming more antagonistic to clear Christian perspectives on life’s most basic suppositions. It is the duty of the teacher to first firmly understand the Biblical perspective on what she teaches and then carefully outline those con-cepts to her students. Students need to have more than the presuppositions; they need to understand where these came from and how they are conceptualized. Thus every teacher within the Christian School becomes a Bible teacher presenting the Scriptures as the foundation for the presuppositions within the subject being taught. Complementary Integration (Transformational26) This type of Biblical Integration takes place when aspects of the discipline and the Christian worldview complement each other but may not be directly re-lated. Hasker uses the word transformational, in that, the Biblical perspective will transform many of the basic ideas of the subject while still keeping in tact many of its integral concepts. A good example of this process could be found in the teaching of biology. Many aspects of biology are complementary to the Biblical view of under-standing a species or a category of living things. Genesis 1:11-12, 24-25 teaches that all living things produce after their own kind, and nature itself bears this out creat-ing a complementary view from both perspectives. Nevertheless modern ideas of evolution and natural selection must be addressed in this particular discipline and in fact create non-complimentary perspectives. A transformation of the discipline cosmology – the origin and meaning of the universe; theology – the idea of a supreme or ultimate being and anthro-pology – the study and understanding of what man is. All of these disciplines are philosophical and cannot have their initial basis in anything but assumption. Thus all subjects and disciplines begin with basic presuppositions. 25 Mark Eckel’s Biblical Integration Poster on Mathematics gives a clear outline of the comparison of God’s characteristics of immutability, truth and justice between the consistencies of mathematics in the natural universe. The quote on the poster reads: “The precision, accuracy, and exactitude of measurement are rooted in God’s justice, shown through His perfection.” What is especially helpful here is that he sites: Deut. 32:3-4; Is. 59:1-15; Matt. 5:48; Rom. 2:1-11; 3:19-20, passages that on the surface seem to have little to do with mathematics yet everything to do with the presuppositions to which mathematics are based upon. Here is an excellent example of Biblical Integration. 26See footnote #23 Hasker, “…Transformationist strategy as when the scholar finds the relationship between his faith and his discipline to be somewhat problematic. He does for sure find some basic validity and integrity in the discipline but he also finds the discipline to be lacking insights and perspectives which are vital to the Christian….”


from an evolutionary worldview to that of a Christian worldview of all living things must be undertaken by the teacher. The teacher can still use many of the classifica-tions, systems and interspecies relationships within the discipline once the presup-positions are corrected and explained. Another way complementary integration takes place is when a particular study casts light on the discipline that is not part of the Biblical explanation such as calculus or an applied skill like woodworking. The discipline is complemented by the existing presuppositions in the Christian worldview but it does not have direct and specific references from the Scriptures. This is often when people will argue that a particular discipline is said to be neutral or that worldview does not affect the concepts or skills being taught. It may be true that Christians or non-Christians apply the same methods in calculus or woodworking. Nevertheless the larger ques-tions of why these methods work and the purpose for the disciplines themselves will never be answered without understanding the “God behind the numbers27” and the tree being fashioned for man’s purposes. Direct Interaction Integration (Reconstuctionist28) Here is when the teacher must undertake the discipline of apologetics29. The area of study is in direct conflict with the Biblical, Christian worldview and the teacher must reconstruct most of what is commonly taught within the disciple in order to maintain a Christian perspective. An obvious example of this would be in the subjects that emphasize evolutionary theory and naturalism30. In teaching the sciences in particular the discipline must often undergo a complete reconstruction of thought and theory because evolutionary presuppositions lurk behind many of the ideas and conclusions being offered our students.

The Christian teacher must do three things when engaging and reconstruct-ing contrary disciplines:

• The presuppositional foundations within the topic must be carefully dis-covered and exposed to the students. This can be done by either present-ing the Christian presuppositions to the discipline first and then the false premises of the non-Christian perspectives or starting by refuting the false presuppositions. The latter approach would be taken at an age

27 James Nickel’s book Mathematics, is God Silent (Ross House Books, c.2001) was written to dispel this myth that mathematics is a neutral discipline: “The bible also proclaims that, in Jesus Christ, “all things consist [cohere, are held together – J.N.]” (Colossians 1:17). In context, the universal quantifier (i.e., all things) refers to things created, both visible and invisible. Since mathematics deals with things visible (the structure of the physical world) and things invisible (the structure of human thought), it would be reasonable and befitting to deduce that the person of Jesus Christ is the “cohesive” that holds the structure of mathematics together.” Pgs. 4-5. 28 See footnote #23, Hasker, “…Reconstructionist strategy is when a fundamental tension exists between the as-sumptions and claims of a secular discipline and the Christian.” 29 Apologetics comes from the greek word “apologia” meaning to make a defense. Its most common application in Evangelical circles can be found in 1 Peter 3:15. “always being ready to make a defense...”. See also footnote #14. 30 Naturalism, also referred to as “materialism,” is the philosophical idea that all that exists is the natural world or realm. It is the monist position that there is no spiritual realm. Teachers and students should note that naturalism doesn’t invade just the sciences but that it has shaped our cultural views of nearly every other discipline in our cur-riculum. The most predominant naturalist and educator was none other than John Dewey who brought evolutionary theory into pedagogy through behaviorist and progressivist approaches to teaching. See footnote #17.


level31 where critical thinking skills have begun to develop. Example: In studying the origin of the universe Christianity teaches that God (a spiri-tual being) created everything that exists, thus everything natural comes from the spiritual. Naturalism teaches that there is no spiritual realm which then means that all of creation must have a natural explanation. These two concepts compete at every juncture of scientific thought. Stu-dents must be taught that neither point can be proven scientifically thus, the disciplines of science are directly affected by the initial presupposi-tions.

• Secondly, the teacher will have to show how the presuppositions affect the discipline being taught; what ideas exist because of the views being taken. In the previous example we see how naturalism will lead to a view of the universe that is contrary to the Biblical perspective. Teachers will have to show how these conclusions work themselves into the things commonly taught, such as, we now think of man as a highly evolved animal. Again these ideas and conclusions must be contrasted with the Christian world-view. In this specific example we teach that man is first a spiritual being in the image of God and is thus distinct from all other living creatures.

• Finally, after the presuppositions have been outlined, the Christian con-struct of the discipline must be developed and applied. To conclude our example: the study of the sciences need to be investigated from a Biblical view and resources need to be found or developed in order to aid the teacher in the discipline. This does not mean that the teacher cannot use non-Christian textbooks and materials but they will have to be carefully interpreted through our Christian perspective. The teacher will have to do the scholarly work of developing their curriculum with the Christian worldview at the helm.

Some have made the case that we need not integrate the disciplines at all but

rather all we should do is start with the Bible and let it establish our curriculum. Certainly this would make things easier for the teacher but it would also ignore the great work, contributions and discoveries that those outside of Christianity have made. Justin Martyr points out: “Whatever has been well said anywhere or by any-one belongs to us Christians.”32 Integration enables us to see truth everywhere!

31 It is important to note that primary and elementary age children have not developed in their critical thinking skills and will not have much use for the competing perspectives. This is not to say that we don’t present them. Children are constantly being exposed to the false premises in the world particularly in our media driven culture. It is more of a question of how we present them to our younger children. A rational argument presented to younger children will probably not have much effect. Younger children are more inclined to accept authoritative arguments. Who teaches this verses what the Bible teaches. Nevertheless it is naive to think that our children have had no exposure to ideas like evolution that are so prevalent in our media driven culture. 32 Justin Martyr, Apology II, 13


III. The Dimensions of Integration

“The purpose of a Christian education would not be merely to make men and

women pious Christians: a system which aimed too rigidly at this end alone would become only obscurantist. A Christian education must primarily teach people to be

able to think in Christian categories.”33

“The Christian worldview works because it is true. Relevance to real life is impor-

tant. Belief benefits most when practiced.”34

Where the previous section covered the different approaches to Biblical Inte-gration this section is more of a “how-to” integrate within the two fundamental35 aspects of education; academic or theoretical development of the student and appli-cation or skill-based development of the student. One could make a good argument that the differences between academic and application are contrived. What good are academics if they have no application and what good are skills if we have no context to use them for? I am forever telling my students why they need to know what I am teaching them. Nevertheless, we recognize there are significant pedagogical differ-ences teaching History or Christian Studies than teaching computers or French. Studying history in our Social Studies curriculum does not always practically fit in some career path but it is absolutely necessary for the student to go on to politics, law or business. Conversely, arithmetic in its early stages is very skill based, memorizing numbers, symbols and equations, learning times tables. Nevertheless it becomes a very necessary skill that will eventually be the means to which the stu-dent will navigate the theoretical (academic) sciences. Integration in Theoretical Disciplines (Subjects) As the teacher develops the curriculum of a theoretical discipline their job is to incorporate integrative principles. They will often come at the subject from differ-ent starting points nevertheless these integrative principles should be evident in the process or we won’t have the “complete package.” More often than not, new teachers coming out of secular universities, armed with truths and ideologies, are beginning with the existing foundations within the disciplines they will teach. This 33 T.S. Eliott, Christianity and Culture (New York: Harcourt Brace, 1940), pg.22. 34 Eckel, Mark; Biblical Integration, Understanding the World through the Word, (Self published, 2001) pg. 5. 35Again William Hasker’s article (see note #2) is very helpful in understanding the differences as they relate to Inte-gration: “But the distinction is clearly seen in the criteria by which students are evaluated. A history major, for ex-ample, is better able to do all manner of things as a result of having studied history—practice law, for example, or serve in government, or administer a college. (If you doubt this, just ask your favorite historian!) But a graduating history major is not evaluated by her ability to do any of these things, but rather by her knowledge of history. The voice performance major, on the other hand, is expected to know a good deal of theory and music history, but his program has been a failure if he knows all this but just can’t sing at all well. One discipline aims primarily at teach-ing its students to know something, the other at teaching them to do something.”


means that the development of curriculum will probably start from the existing foundations within the discipline as opposed to starting with the Christian, Biblical viewpoint. In an ideal educational system this would be backwards. Ideally, teach-ers would learn the Christian foundations, then on to the various outworkings within the disciplines to be taught, then application. In the real world of education we find ourselves having to go back and reinterpret our disciplines and subjects and somehow find the congruence that integration provides.36

The foundation of a Christian Worldview

For the purposes of this section I am not interested in the specifics of world-view (see Section I, The Three Superintending Principles of a Christian Worldview) but rather the application of the view to the discipline being taught.

As the teacher begins the journey of preparing a course of study they embark on the task much like the cartographer maps out the landscape.37 Their first prior-ity is to survey the landscape to get the larger view and scope of what will be mapped. At this stage of curriculum development she must resist the tendency to-wards reductionism,38 a habit that almost all teachers fall into. We must stand back and take the broad panoramic view of God and His attributes, creation, the fall of mankind, the redemptive work of Christ and the unending eternity before us. All truths must start here as their center for all truth finds its reality in Jesus Christ, (John 14:6, Col 1:15-16). As she views the landscape obvious routes and applications for the discipline being taught begin to emerge. It is at this point of emergence that our dependence upon the Holy Spirit (the Divine Teacher, John 14:26, 15:26) be-comes invaluable. “He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). He will help us see the relationships between the various disciplines and the Scriptures. This is not to diminish the work of good scholarship and study. But when we strive for the big pic-ture, for an objective perspective, we are really trying to see things from God’s viewpoint. In fact this is the ultimate goal of all Biblical integration.

Next our cartographer must draw out the obvious contours and pathways of his guiding map. The teacher needs to see the obvious interrelated aspects of the

36 Special care for hermeneutical integrity must be exercised when educators find themselves reinterpreting the dis-cipline. We must resist the persistent habit of trying to make the Word of God some how fit the discipline. We need to do all that we can to resist the bias that we have been trained under when a discipline has taught to us outside of good Biblical Integration. 37 John van Dyk in The Craft of Christian Teaching (see footnote #16) includes a chapter entitled: “Discovering your Metaphor; What is your Teaching Style.” He uses two somewhat unrelated metaphors to describe the work of the Christian teacher: first a craftsman then a guide. The Cartographer stands out to me as the ultimate “craftsman guide.” 38 Reductionism is defined as the pursuit of breaking everything down to the smallest common denominator. Pro-fessor Albert-Laszlo Barabasi in his groundbreaking book on network structure in everything, Linked (Perseus Pub-lishing, 2002) pg. 6: “Reductionism was the driving force behind much of the twentieth century’s scientific research. To comprehend nature, it tells us, we first must decipher its components. The assumption is that once we understand the parts, it will be easy to grasp the whole. Divide and conquer; the devil is in the details. Therefore, for decades we have been forced to see the world through its constituents. We have been trained to study atoms and superstrings to understand the universe; molecules to comprehend life; individual genes to understand complex human behavior; prophets to see the origins of fads and religions. Now we are close to knowing just about everything there is to know about the pieces. But we are as far as we have ever been from understanding nature as a whole. Indeed, the reassembly turned out to be much harder than scientists anticipated.”


Bible to the subject matter. If she was teaching Language Arts, she would see and highlight that God himself uses language to create and He defines Himself as the Word (John 1:1). That man is a creature of speech and his first recorded activity with God involved naming the animals (Gen. 2:19). The fallen state of man precipi-tated the confusion of languages at Babel (Gen. 11) and so on. She would incorpo-rate these critical pathways into her curriculum as foundational presuppositions to understanding language just as the cartographer creates his maps based upon the presuppositions of true north, elevation, latitude and longitude. If our worldview does not find its way into the basic presuppositions of the discipline being taught then we really don’t have Biblical Integration.

The third phase of mapping out curriculum involves direct statements of Scripture regarding the discipline itself. Just as our map maker might place arrows for directions or warnings as signposts on the map so the educator must include these Biblical directives in their curriculum. Continuing our example of language arts we can see a plethora of comments with direct implications in language and how we are to think and speak. (Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”) In every discipline a Biblical ethic will emerge. The story of the tower of Babel teaches us that mastery of a discipline can facilitate a furtherance of our falleness. The scripture gives us ex-plicit do’s and don’ts, rights and wrongs with the expression of language.

Now that our worldview map is drawn, it is the task of the teacher to guide the students through the discipline itself. To finish our metaphor, the teacher is now going to outline the starting point, the route and the finishing point on the map. The existing foundations within Specific Disciplines The Bible is not an encyclopedia39; it is a book revealing God and His rela-tionship to creation. God does not intend it to be the only source of information in understanding “all truth” else He would never tell us to consider nature as a means of knowing Him (Ps. 19.1-6, Rom. 1:20-21, I Kings 4:29-34). In most cases teachers are not pure researchers. They take what was taught before and help pass those ideas on to the next generation. This is not to say that a teacher cannot be an origi-nal thinker, in fact, it is this inward desire for discovery that probably carried them on to this high calling. Nevertheless, teachers generally apply their views and un-derstanding of the disciplines being taught using the existing foundations as a spring board for their perspective.

It is these existing foundations that must be scrutinized. Here the teacher must take what has been taught and said about the discipline and directly apply 39 “The role of encyclopedias: Of the various types of reference works—who's whos, dictionaries, atlases, gazet-teers, directories, and so forth—the encyclopedia is the only one that can be termed self-contained. Each of the oth-ers conveys some information concerning every item it deals with; only the encyclopedia attempts to provide cover-age over the whole range of knowledge, and only the encyclopedia attempts to offer a comprehensive summary of what is known of each topic considered. … Francis Bacon's purpose in writing the Instauratio magna was “to com-mence a total reconstruction of sciences, arts, and all human knowledge, raised upon the proper foundations” in or-der to restore or cultivate a just and legitimate familiarity between things and the mind.” Encyclopædia Britannica Online. http://www.search.eb.com/eb/article?eu=108517.

http://www.search.eb.com/eb/article?eu=108517


their Christian view of truth to the specifics. If he were teaching the physical sci-ences he would point out how the idea of an orderly structured universe that works upon consistent natural laws is harmonious with the Biblical view of creation. God created the universe to work within the framework of principles we call the “laws of physics.40” On the other hand, the teacher would point out that these laws are not absolute and can be suspended if God so chooses. Jesus walked on water. Joshua and the Israelites needed a longer daylight (24 hours) for their victory in battle. This is how we define a true miracle. The idea of miracles is not generally accepted in scientific circles. Most scientists find it difficult to see a universe with things in it that cannot be explained or comprehended with the natural mind. Because this view of the world is implicit in most science recourses the teacher must expose it for his students and contrast this tendency with the Biblical view at every encounter. The cultural context of where we teach has a dynamic influence on the exist-ing foundational expectations in education. In our neck of the woods41, we have mandated learning outcomes from our Provincial Government and standardized testing (more will be said about this later). These are regularly inspected and must be reached in our curriculum if we want to continue to give “BC Dogwood”42 gradua-tion certificates and, secondly, maintain our level of Provincial Independent School funding. These mandated learning outcomes are often very appropriate for a com-prehensive approach towards the discipline being taught. We are instructed by the Independent School Branch of our Ministry of Education that, as religious schools, we are to reach these outcomes using our own religious curriculum and teaching methods. Nevertheless, something or rather someone other than the Bible is dictat-ing to us what the broader scope of curriculum should be, though the details of the content are left to us. As long as we can agree with this broader scope within our educational system here in BC we can carry on an uneasy alliance. As the curricu-lum advances the Prescribed Learning Outcomes43 become more detailed as to what content should be covered.

A classic example of contrary Learning Outcomes to our worldview can be found in our Biology 11 course.44 The very first set of outcomes distinctly implies

40 The Laws of Physics – “Physics attempts to describe and explain the physical universe. Physicists therefore try to discover one or more laws (meaning invariable principles of nature at work) which will explain a large class of phe-nomena. Newton's law of gravitation is a fine example. Another is the law of mirrors—‘the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.’ ” Britannica Student Encyclopedia from Encyclopædia Britannica Online. http://www.search.eb.com/ebi/article?eu=298480. 41 Though these issues are specific to British Columbia many other Provinces and States face similar challenges to Biblical Integration. As certain regions move closer to inclusion of Independent Schools through funding structures like Alberta’s Alternate Schools or Charter Schools in the U.S. system we will see more and more insistence on meeting prescribed learning outcomes. The conferred authority to graduate and especially receiving funding will not come without strings attached. Christian School Authorities should “count the cost” before diving in. 42 The “Dogwood” is the BC Provincial flower and the title for a Secondary School Graduation Certificate. 43 The British Columbia Ministry of Education Learning Outcomes for K to 12 are found here: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/curric/lo.html 44 Biology 11 Learning Outcomes: The Provincial government lists as the first outcomes in this course as follows: “Adaption and Evolution It is expected that students will: 1. describe the basic structure of DNA 2. identify the roles of DNA in evolution 3. explain the role of sexual reproduction in variation and evolution 4. describe the proc-ess of natural selection 5. suggest conditions under which the allelic frequencies of a population could change, in-cluding genetic drift, differential migration, mutation, and natural selection 6. differentiate among and give exam-ples of convergence, divergence, and speciation 7. compare and contrast the gradual change with the punctuated

http://www.search.eb.com/ebi/article?eu=298480

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/curric/lo.html


that Biology cannot be understood without a firm grasp upon evolutionary theory. It is obvious that these outcomes cannot be taught from a Biblical perspective. All that we are able to do is apply ‘Direct Interaction Integration’ (see previous section II) as outlined in the following steps:

• The concepts must be understood by the students; this can be done through the aid of the government recommended textbook.

• The concepts must be seen in light of the Biblical perspective. • The presumptions in the discipline must be exposed and understood. • The discipline must then be taught with Christian presuppositions. • The interpretations of the data or phenomenon being examined should be

looked at from the various presuppositions. • Final comparisons should be made between the two positions with careful

analysis of the results of such thinking. The government mandated learning outcomes do give us an opportunity for

integration in that they outline the existing foundations of what most other stu-dents are learning in our educational system. It gives us a backdrop of comparison. As Christians we are to be salt and light to our culture. We are to be the “body of Christ” in this fallen world. In order to do this our students must interact with this world and in order to interact with the world we must have some framework of how the world thinks. As we prepare our students to engage this culture they must be versed in an “apologetic” that will not only defend what they believe but also expose the false presuppositions within the existing foundations or our cultural disciplines.

A final point of difficulty that we face as Christians is what I call “competitive comparison” or standardized testing. In order to advance ourselves within our cul-ture we must adopt a competitive mindset. This competition works itself out through comparisons such as S.A.T.s in the US and Provincial Exams here in Can-ada. The prominent idea in education today is that of assessment and accountability which turn into achievement oriented standards. Recently our Foundation Skills Assessment45 tests became part of the public domain so that even elementary schools are now being “graded” by achievement standards. This has a direct effect on curriculum because we must spend considerable time in preparation for these tests. The tests themselves become the curriculum because we want our children to achieve high marks thus enabling them to move on to the next levels of education. How this effect Biblical Integration? We simply don’t have the time to teach what we feel needs to be taught about the subject because we have to prepare for the standardized test. This is especially true in disciplines that are more theoretically based rather than skills based such as sciences and socials curriculum. In the lan-guage arts and mathematics the testing tends more to skills but even here we have worldview implications being tested. There is no easy answer to this dilemma. As equilibrium of evolution 8. identify the role of extinction in evolution. http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/curric/biolo.htm 45 Though these are primarily skill based tests they are used in such a way that we may push Christian schools from using these tests to their fullest advantage. They were designed to give the school critical data on individual student progress and school wide trends. Because these tests are now being graded by the Fraser Institute (http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/reportcards) to create a media based report card schools will have to relook at their policies in giving these tests. We will have to orient our curriculum to suit this competition among schools. A reality that all schools in the private sector have to live with, lest they lose students.

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/curric/biolo.htm

http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/reportcards


an administrator I want to “compare” well with the other schools. Parents have a somewhat misguided expectation that because their children are in a “private” school they should have better results on such testing. I also want to see my stu-dents achieve well within this system so that they may transform the system. True Biblical Integration within the existing theoretical disciplines is absolutely neces-sary for us to achieve this goal of transformation within culture. Integration in Applied Disciplines (Subjects) Applied Disciplines are those fields of study that focus more on skill devel-opment, natural aptitude and career focus in such subjects as: foreign language studies, physical education, music, drama, art, journalism, information technology, etc. Our pedagogical approach to these disciplines concentrates more on skill devel-opment rather than theoretical knowledge though we cannot avoid the theory in the application.46 Good music theory can do much for a musician but without the con-stant development of the student’s musical skill they will not grow into an accom-plished musician. One could argue that they might become a good musician without the theory but it is equally arguable that they could not become a great musician without it. The Philosophy behind the Practice Every applied discipline still has basic philosophical presuppositions. Like the theoretical disciplines these are shaped by worldview perspectives. We can never stop asking the questions of why something works or what was it intended for. There is no such thing as neutral disciplines for every activity comes from our view of the world. Our judgment of the value of the discipline comes from our pre-suppositions. An easy example of this is found in our approach towards the arts. The idea that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is a humanistic idea that breeds a sense of relativism in the arts. God created beauty in the universe and this has a definitive context in the scriptures by the repeated statement in Genesis 1, “And God saw that it was good.” God created and defines aesthetics, thus the arts have an absolute standard by which they can be judged. This is why a photo of excrement is offensive and a sunset is beautiful. As educators we must search out the often hidden presuppositions in the ap-plied disciplines. Like the theoretical disciplines these presuppositions are often prevalent within the disciplines themselves. Common theoretical ideas must be rooted out and exposed. A similar process (perhaps on a lesser scale) outlined in the previous subsection must be undergone in those disciplines where anti-Christian ideas are most prevalent. Physical fitness curriculum can often deify the human body. The overdependence and beliefs in technology reign in the computer world. These ideologies must be addressed as we instruct students in these disciplines.

46 Hasker, Willam, ibid. “Most disciplines have both theoretical and applied aspects, and so also the integrative di-mensions: A discipline which would be classified as “theoretical” may have practical applications which require the Christian scholar to give consideration to one or more of the integrative dimensions associated with the applied dis-ciplines and vise versa.”


Applied disciplines often “borrow” the philosophical ideologies from theoreti-cal disciplines such as education often “borrows” from psychology or journalism “borrows” from sociology. As educators we have to go deeper into these borrowed disciplines and see the presuppositional ideologies. These biases will show up in every aspect of our teaching experience. Think of how the reshaping of the defini-tion of family in sociology will affect our home economics curriculum or how extreme environmentalism in our geography curriculum (a form of pantheism, the worship of the creation itself) can affect our views of woodworking or auto mechanics. The Attitudes, Ethics and Values of the Discipline Whenever we are concerned with skill development, practice or action we must give substantial consideration to attitudes, ethics and values. Hasker is help-ful here, “The assumption, common in secular education, that one simply equips students with neutral tools or skills which are to be used purely according to their personal whims and desires, is just not acceptable in a Christian education.47” In any aspect of Christian discipleship attitude is always at the core. “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:” (Phil. 2:5 NIV). We have all been the recipients of service or work done in a generous and godly attitude and the contrasted negative, complaining attitude that pervades many in this world. One might make the case that attitude really doesn’t meet the criteria of Biblical Inte-gration in the context we are speaking. But in the words of one of my former profes-sors: “We cannot be found preaching Christ crucified in an uncrucified manner.” If we follow the Integration model that all of school and life itself must be filled with His presence and His Word we cannot leave our attitudes unchecked. Much of our task is to prepare students for their vocations and clearly one of the most important aspects of employment preparation is a Christ-like attitude. Much of our culture teaches extreme individualism which translates into a self-centered approach to-wards many community activities. All of our goals in Christian education should re-flect the nature of community in all that we do. Attitudes can be both taught and caught. Ethics are a crucial part of the educational process in the applied disciplines. David Noebel in his exposé of differing worldviews, Understanding the Times, states, “Christian morality (ethics) is founded on this belief in an absolute moral or-der existing outside of, and yet somehow inscribed into, man’s very being. It is a morality flowing from the nature of the Creator through the nature of created things, not a construction of the human mind. It is part of God’s general revelation to man.”48 Every profession has its written and unwritten code of ethics. As we teach the applied disciplines we must always emphasize the ethical responsibilities embedded in these disciplines; such as the Info-tech teacher who teaches not just the hardware and software but also the moral implications of using technology49. 47 Hasker, Willam, ibid 48 Nobel, David; Understanding the Times, ACSI and Summit Ministries, c.1995 pg. 117 49 Though it only contributes to the illustration I cannot avoid the opportunity to quote Neil Postman, Five Things We Need to Know About Technological Change, at http://itrs.scu.edu/tshanks/pages/Comm12/12Postman.htm. “And so, these are my five ideas about technological change. First, that we always pay a price for technology; the greater the technology, the greater the price. Second, that there are always winners and losers, and that the winners always

http://itrs.scu.edu/tshanks/pages/Comm12/12Postman.htm


What should be our ethical position on such issues as downloading MP3 music or occasionally surfing into a pornographic site? Teaching the ethics involved in such subjects is often the only lasting impression that we will make upon our students. In physical education we emphasize fitness and competition but within these ideas there are always serious ethical issues that cannot go silent, such as ideas like “win at all costs,” or the consuming drive towards body-building and the overindulgences of our physical appetites. The teacher needs to teach ethics in such a way that stu-dents can learn to make their own decisions though we should not shrink back from speaking to these issues. Moral relativism rules the day in our culture. It has no place in the Christian School. Teaching values may be the most challenging aspect of our job because it cannot just be taught, it must be displayed over time. Jesus was speaking of values when He said, “for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:21 NAS) What are my ultimate objectives? What am I willing to sacrifice? How will I distinguish myself and my beliefs in the thing which I am doing? Am I work-ing in such a way as to bring credit and glory to the Lord? These are all questions about values. In the truest sense we cannot really “teach” these into our students but we can constantly remind them to be asking these essential questions. The contribution to the Kingdom of God through the Disciplines Education is not an end in itself. The underlying, implicit goal and purpose of school integrates itself into everything and everyday of our teaching. The resound-ing “WHY?” is asked day after day in each and every class over and over in the typi-cal school. If you ask this question of those at the helm of the Ministry of Education we would probably hear the distant echo of Eleanor Roosevelt’s famous speech on education made in 1930: “the true purpose of education is to produce citizens.50" Others might propose that education is about economic advancement. Certainly, the social engineers of the past have put forth the ideas that education is about reshap-ing our society such as John Dewey who believed that what was essentially wrong with America could be fixed by his Progressivist51 approach towards education.

Christian Schools also have a social agenda for education. This agenda is out-lined in Scripture as the Great Mandates52 or the Great Commission. Harro Van Brummelen’s four great biblical injunctions of worldview clearly outline our purpose for education: “A Christian school will, in short, consciously ask whether all aspects of the content and structure of its curriculum contribute to helping students be and try to persuade the losers that they are really winners. Third, that there is embedded in every great technology an epistemological, political or social prejudice. Sometimes that bias is greatly to our advantage. Sometimes it is not. The printing press annihilated the oral tradition; telegraphy annihilated space; television has humiliated the word; the computer, perhaps, will degrade community life. And so on. Fourth, technological change is not additive; it is ecological, which means, it changes everything and is, therefore, too important to be left entirely in the hands of Bill Gates. And fifth, technology tends to become mythic; that is, perceived as part of the natural order of things, and therefore tends to control more of our lives than is good for us.” 50 The History of Education website, http://fcis.oise.utoronto.ca/~daniel_schugurensky/assignment1/ created by the The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (OISE/UT). 51 See footnote #17. An excellent website for educational philosophies: http://edweb.sdsu.edu/LShaw/f95syll/philos/phintro.html 52 See footnote #20.

http://fcis.oise.utoronto.ca/~daniel_schugurensky/assignment1/

http://edweb.sdsu.edu/LShaw/f95syll/philos/phintro.html


become responsive disciples of Jesus Christ. The curriculum develops “knowledge-that” (concepts), “knowledge-how” (skills), and creative talents. But it does not do so as an end in itself. Through these concepts, skills and experiences, the curriculm develops values, dispositions, and commitments that reflect God’s calling for our lives: to obey the Great Mandate, the Great Commission, the Great Commandment, and the Great Community.53”

The end of Biblical Integration is not just so that our students think Chris-tianly but also that they may act Christianly. We must see our classrooms become effective springboards into doing the will of God in every aspect of our culture. As our students develop in the theoretical disciplines, they become ambassadors of truth (II Cor. 5:20). As they serve within the applied disciplines they become living examples of the redeemed life in Christ (Gal. 2:20).

Christianity transforms everything. As our students become disciples of the living Christ they will inculcate every discipline of study and vocation with His presence. It is this transforming power that shaped our western civilization so many years ago. In his book, Building the Christian Academy, Arthur Holmes speaks to the role of reintegration as a means of restoring our Christian cultural foundations: “The integration of faith and learning (“reintegration” may be more appropriate in our secularized culture) involves far more than the conjunction of liberal learning and student formation. The unity of truth (our traditional concern) in the mind of an all-knowing creator underlies the reintegration of Christian beliefs with the foundations, the content, and the practice of academic disciplines. Christian beliefs provide theological foundations for knowledge and art, they reintroduce truths that would otherwise be ignored, and they give coherence to a worldview.54”

53 Harro Van Brummelen, Steppingstones to Curriculum, Alta Vista College Press, c.1994, pg. 52 54 Arthur Holmes, Building the Christian Academy, Eerdmans Publishing, c.2001, pgs. 113-114.

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"All Truth is God's Truth" - Heritage Christian School

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