There is much vague talk about religious teaching, its relation to other branches, the time that can be given to it, its character, etc.
In order to show what we think about it, we venture to give extracts from our last annual circular to the teachers of the American schools at S. Paulo on the subject.
General considerations to which the attention of young teachers is called:
1.—The opening of school is not a religious ceremony, but a devotional exercise. If arranged with skill it may be made so attractive to children that none will want to miss it (thus tardiness may be diminished); if it holds attention, it cannot fail to teach the lesson.
2.—We may easily overestimate the value of perfunctory religious exercises, as we may also overestimate the capacity of children to understand formulated religious truth. The child's perceptions are duller in this than in other branches of knowledge, where his senses are engaged, hence the necessity of grading it more carefully and watching its effects more closely.
3.—Schools are not chiefly, nor primarily, to teach religion, i. e., to instruct in creeds. Considered in its relation to courses of study, religious instruction is a means for the development of character and for giving a sure foundation for moral training; but, in its relation to the pupil, it is an absolute end; giving to him, as he can comprehend it, the saving truths of Christianity.
The first is directly related to courses of study and from it definite results may be expected; the other depends upon the subtle and immeasurable spiritual power of the Christian teacher, and no definite results can be demanded. The first has a recognizable, educational value and its correlates are easily found; the other has no appreciable relation to hours of recitation or quantity of matter and cannot enter into any plan of correlation of studies. It touches all studies and permeates all methods, the greatest result often coming from the least matter; its educational value, therefore, cannot be measured.
4.—We may not safely assume that the child has received from parents or church proper religious instruction, but we may suppose, in nominally Christian lands, that it has some ideas, however vague and erroneous, of God. It is the duty of the teacher to adjust these ideas to the truth, and so relate them to the child that he may feel sure that there is a God,—though he cannot see Him,—Who is All-wise, All-seeing, All-powerful: who is everywhere and who loves him, the child, personally; that God is his Heavenly Father; that the Bible is God's Word, sent to him, the child, and to everybody else; that God sent His Son to save the world; that Christ is God and God is Christ; that God made everything,—even we ourselves are the work of His hand. These are fundamentals, and must precede all other instruction. The clearness with which the children perceive these truths will depend largely upon the skill and spiritual power of the teacher.
5.—The teacher should carefully avoid lecturing little children on religious subjects. Do not let the idea that the Bible is a Protestant get a foothold in the school. The three things essential to religious teaching are: 1.—The Holy Bible, God's Word. 2.—Sacred Song. 3.—With very small pupils, in fact with any pupils, the most important factor is the Christian teacher, who works through personal influence, contact, example of Christian living and doing—(slow to anger and quick to forgive). Every child must be made to feel that the teacher is interested in him personally; and the teacher must watch closely the child's growing power to appreciate spiritual things.
6.—The Bible furnishes abundant material for all grades of religious instruction, from the kindergarten to the college. It abounds in romantic and intensely interesting episodes calculated to excite the imagination, interest the young and fix the attention,—if the teacher have the skill to adapt it to the demands of the child, as he is obliged to adapt other branches of school work.
7.—Every Christian teacher should be a diligent student of the Bible, particularly the New Testament. Very little formal instruction can be given in religion in the lower primary grades, much, however, is taught by seeing the conduct and feeling the touch of the teacher who has heard the "follow Me" spoken to Andrew and Simon.
8.—No revival or pulpit methods, no pressure of an emotional kind is to be made in any department of the school to induce children to become Protestants. Protestantism is not to be lauded nor Romanism attacked. The Word of God is a cure for all false beliefs and a sure guide to right living.
The above precedes the specific directions for the organization of the work in the different grades,—selections of Scripture, hymns, Bible narrative, etc., and is enough to show the principles on which we proceed.—Dr. H. M. Lane.
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