A New E-Book: Thinking Biblically About Education
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My new e-book has been released on Amazon for $4.99. It is a short read at seven chapters and 66 pages. So this is the kind of book that everyone can read within a sitting or two. You can download it for your Kindle or use Amazon's app to read it on your computer or iPad.
The goal of the book is, as the title suggests, to get Christians Thinking Biblically About Education. However, the subtitle tells the reader more about the book's argument—Why Parents Should Abandon Government Schools and Take Back Control of Education.
This is a book in opposition to public schools. But it is also more than that. Thinking Biblically examines what the Bible says about education and helps parents to understand the goal of educating their children—which is to raise godly men and women who hold a biblical worldview. It is the Bible's teaching on the subject of education that leads to the conclusion that public schools are a poor option for parents today.
Here are the chapters:
- The Bible and Education
- The Myth of Government Neutrality
- The Engine of Atheism
- Blind to the Problem
- Money and Missions
- Restoring Education to the Family
- Homeschool vs. Christian School
The 1st chapter, “The Bible and Education,” looks at Bible passages (particularly Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and Ephesians 6:4) that command parents to provide their children with a Christian education.
The 2nd chapter examines the origins of America's public schools and shows how the system is at odds with God’s design for education. This chapter interacts with the words of Horace Mann, who is considered the father of American public education. It also discusses the impact of past Supreme Court rulings on religion in schools. Essentially, this chapter shows how American public schools interfere with parental responsibility in education and instead train children in an atheistic worldview. Hence the title, “The Myth of Government Neutrality.”
The 3rd chapter, “The Engine of Atheism,” quotes from men of the late 1800s—A.A. Hodge and R.L. Dabney—and shows how they foresaw the outcomes of the public school system from its inception. These men read like prophets.
The 4th chapter, “Blind to the Problem," deals with the church’s failure to address the problem of secular public schooling.
The 5th chapter deals with bad arguments that parents make for sending children to public schools, namely "Money and Missions."
The 6th chapter argues for “Restoring Education to the Family” through a free-market system.
And finally, the 7th chapter deals with the question of “Homeschool vs. Christian School.” This chapter discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each, with some recommendations along the way.
Overall, I think this should prove to be a helpful and informative read for Christian parents (and even non-Christians). It will challenge those who currently send their children to public schools. But it will also sharpen the arguments of those who already oppose the public school system. It is short and succinct enough that parents can recommend the book to their friends.
For a little more provocative description of the book, here is what I wrote for Amazon:
America’s public school system is corrupt at its root. The government confiscates our money and our children, and then it indoctrinates them into an atheistic, immoral, and statist worldview. Though the public schools claim to be “neutral,” nothing could be further from the truth. Since the system began in the mid-1800s, leftists have hijacked the curricula and teacher-training programs in an effort to undermine America’s Western and Christian heritage. As predicted by men of old, the government school system has been the engine behind the progressive changes in American society.
Thinking Biblically About Education examines what the Bible says about education and shows how modern public schooling is at odds with God’s design. Education belongs to the family, not the state. And education should have the moral aim of glorifying God, a concept entirely foreign to modern secular schools.
Rather than seek to reform a corrupt system, this book urges parents to abandon government schools and take back control of education. Whether they choose to homeschool or send their children to a private school, freedom from the government system will enable parents to provide their children with a Christian education. How you educate your children is one of the biggest decisions you will make. Do not leave this decision to government bureaucrats.
You can purchase the book here.
