Living Fountains or Broken Cisterns: An Educational Problem for ProtestantsSutherland, E. A. (Edward Alexander)
Religion
Living Fountains or Broken Cisterns: An Educational Problem for Protestants
Sutherland, E. A. (Edward Alexander)
Church and education; Education -- History; Religious education
“The Jesuit system of education, based not upon a study of man, but upon
the interests of the order, was necessarily narrow. It sought showy
results with which to dazzle the world. A well-rounded development
was nothing. The principle of authority, suppressing all freedom and
independence of thought, prevailed from beginning to end. Religious
pride and intolerance were fostered. While our baser feelings were
highly stimulated, the nobler side of our nature was wholly neglected.
Love of country, fidelity to friends, nobleness of character, enthusiasm
for beautiful ideals, were insidiously suppressed. For the rest, we
adopt the language of Quick: ‘The Jesuits did not aim at developing
_all_ the faculties of their pupils, but merely the receptive and
reproductive faculties. When the young man had acquired a thorough
mastery of the Latin language for all purposes; when he was well versed
in the theological and philosophical opinions of his preceptors; when
he was skillful in dispute, and could make a brilliant display from the
resources of a well-stored memory, he had reached the highest points
to which the Jesuits sought to lead him. Originality and independence
of mind, love of truth for its own sake, the power of reflecting and
of forming correct judgments, were not merely neglected, they were
suppressed in the Jesuits’ system. But in what they attempted they were
eminently successful, and their success went a long way toward securing
their popularity.’”[143]
[Sidenote: Wherein Jesuit schools worthy of imitation]
One can not condemn without reserve the Jesuitical system of education;
for all false systems contain some points of truth, and the strength of
all these systems lies in their close counterfeit of the true. Hence
we can agree with these words: “Whatever its defects as a system of
general education, it was admirably suited to Jesuit purposes, and in
some particulars it embodied valuable principles.” As the progress of
the papacy through the Jesuitical schools is followed into one country
and then another, one admires the constancy and self-sacrifice of those
who have committed their lives to the order. Had Protestants been one
half as diligent in advocating the principles of Christian education
as the Jesuit teachers have been in counteracting the influence of the
Reformation, far different results would to-day be seen in the world.
[Sidenote: Spread of Jesuit schools]
In tracing the growth of the schools of the Jesuits we begin with
Germany, the heart of the reform movement, and follow quite carefully the
history as given by Ranke: “Bishop Urban became acquainted with Le Jay
and heard from him, for the first time, of the _colleges_ the _Jesuits
had founded in several universities_.
[Sidenote: Jesuit college in Vienna]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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