Religious Education in the FamilyCope, Henry Frederick
Religion
Religious Education in the Family
Cope, Henry Frederick
Families -- Religious life; Religious education
The class should be composed of parents and other adults, inasmuch as
the work is designed for them. It may be a class in connection with the
Sunday school in a church, a class conducted by a mothers' club or
congress or by a parent-teacher association, or it may be organized
under other auspices. Or it might be organized by a group of parents in
any community. The class need not consist of either fathers or mothers
alone, as the work is planned for both. In any case the work of teaching
will be facilitated if, in addition to the customary officers of the
class, the teacher will appoint a librarian, whose duties would be to
ascertain for the members of the class where the books for study and
for reference may be obtained, that is, whether they are in the public
library, church library, or in private collections, and also, whenever
it is desired to purchase books, where they may best be secured.
§ 2. THE TEACHER
The primary requisite for the teacher will be an eagerness to learn, a
sufficiently deep interest in the subject to lead to thorough study. No
one can teach this class who already knows all about the subject. A
spirit sympathetic with the child and the life of the family and a mind
willing to study the subject will accomplish much more than facile
rhetorical familiarity with it. The best teacher will not often be "an
easy talker" on the family; class time is too precious to be occupied
with a lecture. While, naturally, one who is a parent will speak with
greater experience than another, the ability to teach this subject
cannot be limited to fathers and mothers; physiological parenthood is
less important than spiritual parenthood. The teacher must have, then,
willingness to study the subject, ability to teach as contrasted with
mere talking, sympathy with parenthood, and a passion for the religious
personal values in life.
§ 3. GENERAL METHOD
The teacher's aim will be to make this course definitely practical. The
book is not concerned so much with theories of the family as with the
present problems of the family, and especially with those that relate to
moral and religious education. There must be a sense of definite
problems to be concretely treated in all lessons. The teacher will
therefore encourage discussion, but will also avoid the tendency to
drift into desultory conversation. Direct the discussion to avoid
tedious détours on side issues. Direct the discussion to avoid the
tendency to treat superficially all the subject at one session. It will
be necessary frequently to insist that attention be focused upon the
immediate problems suggested by the lesson for the day, and to ask the
class to wait until the subjects which they in their eagerness suggest
shall come in their due order.
Encourage personal experiences as sidelights and criticisms on the text,
but remember that no single experience is conclusive. Beware of the
over-elaboration and detailed narration of experiences.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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