The inner meaning of the sacred myths which had once been told as a mere story will now be felt; the story of the flood as interpreted by St. Peter, and quoted in our baptismal service, the deliverance from the bondage in Egypt, typifying redemption from the slavery of sin, the New Testament teaching of the synoptical gospels, especially the parables, will have supreme educative power.
Written work.It is essential that in this, as in other subjects, written exercises which require thought be set, and corrected and criticised—this is often the only subject in which pupils are not required to formulate their thoughts—hence there exists a vast amount of current religious phraseology to which no definite meaning is assigned; the words may be true in themselves, but not true for the person using them. An American writer tells of one who for years was a regular attendant at church, and often encouraged him by her attentive and responsive expression; when he came to know her later, he found to his surprise that she was as ignorant of the fundamental truths as if she had been brought up in a heathen land.
Sceptical phases.The later period, that of ripening experience, of adolescence, will give the maximum of reflective, as the earliest childhood, the maximum of the sensitive power. As the mysteries of their own being are more and more unfolded, the problems of philosophy and metaphysics have an attraction which should not be disregarded: there is a desire to be alone; the young feel that they must work out the problems for themselves, and they resent the attempt to force on them other people’s solutions. They must question ere they can fully believe; we must never give utterance to the profane idea, that God is angry with those who make mistakes in seeking truth, only show that truth like light is a good, that we may not rest in an indolent agnosticism, for we cannot grow vigorous and strong out of the sunlight; we must encourage them, in this as in all studies, to be ever seeking a fuller knowledge of truth, to live by the truth they have attained, and then they will gain more and more, even through the mistakes. The function of the teacher now is as Socrates described it, to be ready to give help, when needed, to bring to the birth the great thoughts which oppress the soul.
Need of leisure.Later the deep spiritual experiences of St. John and the arguments wherewith St. Paul convinced himself, will come home to the religious experience at least in some degree, and the words in which he describes the vision of God as seen from the spiritual heights, which he had reached in his later epistles. But there must be for the ripening of the character time for quiet, and the incessant activities of to-day, the filling up of every hour, the deprivation of quiet even on Sunday, are much to be regretted, and all educators should see that those who need time for spiritual thought, for working out the great questions which come to every thoughtful person, should not be deprived of it, because some would misuse it. There are two excellent articles in the Pedagogical Review for July, 1891, on the “Psychology and Pedagogy of Adolescence,” by E. Lancaster, and another, a study in “Moral Education,” by J. Street, both Fellows of Clark University; the second article is especially emphatic on this subject.
Systematic reading.In the highest classes, some systematic reading regarding the history and foundations of philosophy in general and Christian philosophy in particular should not, I think, be omitted: one cannot do better than begin with Plato; taking the Apology, the Crito and parts of the Phædo, or the two volumes of selections by Professor Jowett, or some less expensive edition. The Memorabilia of Xenophon is obtainable for 3d. Selections might be made from Aristotle’s Ethics, and some good history of philosophy be made accessible, e.g., Schwegler’s, edited by Dr. Hutchinson Stirling, which is not too long; and some such inspiring book as Fichte’s Vocation of the Scholar may be recommended; other books I might mention, e.g., Henry Jones on Browning; Professor Frazer’s selection from Berkeley; Mackenzie’s Social Philosophy and the series of small hand-books edited by Professor Knight. There might be meetings for discussion and reading under the presidency of one versed in such matters; this would give definiteness to thought, and would at least lead to the kind of wisdom which made the oracle pronounce Socrates the wisest of men; such meetings would be specially useful for the staff. Some effort should be made to establish the primary convictions which alone make life worth living, enable one to possess one’s soul in patience, live in the faith that each is working out the will of the All-Wise and All-Good—if willingly, then with the fullest joy and reward.
Higher teaching.The subject is not ignored at the University Colleges of the States, and there is much of deep interest in the article to which I have referred, viz., “Psychology of Adolescence”. In an article by Caswell Ellis, the special training of teachers of religion is insisted on, and the establishment of professorships. “A department of pedagogy cannot be called complete that does not deal with this important part of its field. Religious training is as much a problem for the pedagogue, as is physical or mental training. Surely we cannot entirely separate them. We have already at our command in the Universities, many helps in the study of the Bible, of theology, of philosophy, of psychology, etc.; why cannot there be found some man of broad culture, wide sympathies, reverent spirit, to focalise these in a chair of religious pedagogy, or whatever it may be called? it would give the opportunity while in college to look at the larger phases of the problem of religious training. No subject is more vital, and our best men need not leave college ignorant of the problem or the possibility of its solution—and find in the decline of life that (as editors, preachers, etc.) they have been spending their energies on reformation, while the great work of formation was never considered.”
Foundations of faith.The means of giving a thorough and systematic teaching regarding the strong foundations of faith, is one that should be considered by all educators. It is true that the emotions and affections are, as in the case of all personal relations, the appropriate means of intercommunion; but the religious life, if it is not to become weak and sentimental, needs the bracing power of intellectual study, and the Scriptures, especially the writings of St. John and St. Paul, afford such exercise.
I may perhaps summarise the lines on which the grounds of a rational faith seem to be established, and which should surely be formulated, as we formulate the principles on which we base our faith in matters of science. They may be arranged under two heads—objective and subjective:—
1. Sense compels us to recognise the existence of a universe, to which we can set no bounds of space or time. We find everywhere at work forces adapted to produce results immeasurably greater, yet similar in character, to those produced by our own exercise of thought and will; we are unable to conceive of either except as ultimately proceeding from a personal mind and will.
Since our mind interprets the phenomena of sense, which is the language of Nature; since the intelligent mind is related to an intelligible universe, the finite mind must be related to the infinite, man must be the child of God.