Readers interested and involved in biblically reformed Christian education will be familiar with Norman De Jong. His book Education in Truth has sold thousands of copies. De Jong understands Christian education in its fullest setting. He understands its biblical, theological, and philosophical foundation. He understands its purpose or objective, and he knows the ultimate goal. He understands and (as he demonstrates in this book) knows how to articulate the Kingdom of God model for education.

As we do at Christian Education and Publications, DeJong equates Christian education with making disciples. They are the same activity. As he points out, education’s role is not simply to adjust itself to the culture of relativism with a passing attempt to create an acceptable behavior, but to see lives transformed into the likeness of Christ. He understands and reflects clearly that education is more than passing on information. It is more than mere formation of individuals. It is transformational. It aims at following the Apostle Paul’s words in Romans 12 that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

Teaching for a Change compares three different educational models: the Subject-Centered Model, the Child-Centered Model, and the God-Centered Model. Each model includes the primary characteristics, goals, and objectives of that model. It is easy to see which one really focuses on transformation, and to see how different it is from our modern educational models. De Jong explains how Greek thought paved the way for our modern educational models, including the classical model. His description of Plato’s and Aristotle’s approach to learning and of how they view the individual (student) is worth reading in itself.

Though De Jong is writing from a Christian school perspective, his God-centered model aimed at transformational learning is foundational for a Christian education objective at any level. I believe it underscores why so many discipleship programs are not producing disciples with a biblically reformed world and life view.

He writes, “As redeemed and adopted children of God, we know very well that we may not conform any longer to the pattern of this world. We know too that it is equally wrong to try to drag God’s normative standard down to our perverted level. Our only recourse is to become reformed, to be made over, to submit to the irresistible power of the Spirit and allow Him to reshape and remake us in our Father’s image. To be reformed is then to be ever reforming. That is the essence of the Reformed paradigm in education.” Of course as the book points out, to be biblically reformed, we have to understand the concept of antithesis. We cannot be neutral; we are either rightly religious or we embrace false religion. We live in a fallen world that challenges God’s truth. Education cannot be neutral. We either teach God’s truth or we teach other ideologies. Sadly, we often unknowingly teach wrong ideas.

Teaching for a Change is not just about theory or philosophy. It also incorporates the application of the “God-centered” or “transformational” model. It is one of five foundational Christian education, disciple-making books that we recommend to church, family, and school leaders. The other four are: Making Disciples by Norman Harper, Foundations of Christian Education by Louis Berkhof and Cornelius Van Til, Heirs of the Covenant by Susan Hunt, and Christian Education by Larry Richards.

- Charles Dunahoo, CEP Coordinator