The Journal of Negro History, Volume 5, 1920Various
History
The Journal of Negro History, Volume 5, 1920
Various
African Americans -- Periodicals
The results justify the following statement concerning the conception
of religious education in Negro colleges and universities: They
conceive religious education to be no quantum of doctrine but a life
lived efficiently, being animated by the social service motive. Thus
religious education is social evolution, and ninety-nine per cent of
those in charge of these institutions have conceptions of religious
education becoming more efficient than it now is. As proof of this, I
may cite the results of their answers to question; fifteen in the
general questionnaire. This question is: "_In your opinion are the
Negro colleges meeting the needs of definite religious training?_"
Every one's answer except one might be summarized thus: Some good has
been accomplished but we are far from the real goal. We need
reconstruction and a new impetus.
The emphasis which they are putting on expressional activity as an
essential in the process of religious education does seem to indicate
that they regard self activity. Wherever the social service was very
scant the one reporting felt it his duty to give an apology for the
actual conditions and express a hope of better results in the future.
This showed that they felt it the vital factor in the progressive
socialization of the individuals. The place of prominence given to
worship, to religious services on Sunday and in the week is either an
index to their conception concerning the value of worship or else an
index of their habit toward orthodoxy. Circumstances surrounding these
schools would suggest the former for the larger number of these
institutions.
SOME CURRENT CONCEPTIONS OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN RELATION TO GENERAL
EDUCATION
Religious education is considered a part of general education and is
included under that genus. What is general education? For a long time
education was defined in terms of intellect, but that ground is no
longer tenable. Spencer said: "Education is the preparation for
complete living." Modern educators reject this as an inadequate
statement of education. Education does not merely prepare for
something in the future. It endeavors to fill one full of life, and
human experience during the educative process. Education must be
expressed in social terms. James describes education as the
organization of acquired habits of conduct and tendencies to behavior.
This emphasizes the psychological side.
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