As the creation narrative unfolds in the book of Genesis, God’s unparalleled work is the formation of man and woman in His image. The creation of two adult humans with no apparent historical knowledge or learning, left God to be their sole teacher and provider. Teaching and learning were part of God’s creative design. The unfolding biblical story relates a beautiful picture of the great I Am diligently instructing His creation in the way of life. In the New Testament, the teaching heart of God became incarnate in the person of Jesus Christ. To the multitudes and to His disciples, Jesus shared the words of eternal life in an uncommonly meaningful way. Modern day Christ-centered teachers strive to do much the same. They seek to share principles of life with students through creative activities and learning tasks.
Classical education, while not outlined in scripture, seeks to teach a student following their pattern of physical and intellectual development. God used a similar approach as He instructed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 1:26 indicates that God created man in His image. As an image-bearer of God, humanity –individually and corporately- are a revelation of God. Biblical scholar Anthony Hoekema says, “Among all creatures only man is the image of God, the highest and richest revelation of God, and therefore head and crown of the entire creation.” God uses man to teach man about who He is. The first instance of this is in the planting of the Garden of Eden. The scriptures share that God planted the garden Himself and placed man in the midst of it. Through His toil, God was exercising His dominion over the created order. He used the best of His handiwork to create a utopia for His crowning achievement. Once completed, God transferred dominion to Adam. Adam’s task was to cultivate and care for the garden God had made. As God had dominion over Adam, Adam now enjoyed dominion over creation.
The cultural mandate of Genesis 1:28 provides a second instance of the divine application of teaching and learning. “God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply…” The triune God created the fullness of the heavens and earth within the context of relational community. Once woman was created to fill the relational void within man, the two were commanded to reproduce according to their kind. While the scriptures are clear that God is the ultimate giver of life, He no longer creates humankind ex nihilo. The ability to propagate human life was bestowed upon Adam and Eve and their posterity. Although the fall has perverted much of God’s original intent, similar conditions of relationship and intimacy are still required. In studying God and His purpose for creation, man learns the best circumstances within which to bring new life into the world.
These two illustrations provide an example of God’s revelation of Himself. The lessons in horticulture and biology were not learned through a didactic exchange nor were they learned through a Socratic process of endless questions. They were learned however, through imagery and physical activity. God created the garden, then Adam followed by cultivating and tilling it. God created woman out of man, then man created children with woman. The physical activity superseded rational explanations. Anthropologist Anthony Moran states, “No mother of an infant begins the practice of teaching by explaining things to her child. She beings by showing the child how to do something, a physical activity in which there may be few if any words. When words initially appear in teaching they are used as direct commands rather than rational explanations.” God also used this pattern of physical activity followed by commands with Adam and Eve.
Classical education is not the only educational methodology. It is, however, a means that seeks to recover the focus of the academy being an environment where students learn to think independently and articulate gracefully. Parents seeking to instill a biblical worldview in their children would do well to consider the classical approach.
