Lessons about Education That Christianity Can Learn from a Defector

Abstract

HORACE MANN, FATHER of American public schools, favoured allowing only that religious content in public education that met the agreement of all its constituents. Then as well as now, Christians noticeably conflict with Mann, a defector from Christianity, in arguing that biblical world views and practices should prevail. Ironically, Mann's position better approximates the application of the biblical Golden Rule to public education. Following Mann's lead, application of the biblical Golden Rule prefigures the same implications about religion in education as proposed by C.S. Lewis fifty years ago. From out of this conflict there is a lesson for Christianity regarding a biblical view of education.