Few may realize that Cornelius Van Til published a work on a reformed approach to education titled The Dilemma of Education. Â The first edition was published by the National Union of Christian Schools and the second was picked up by Presbyterian and Reformed Publishers.
Van Til marches through several approaches to education including “instrumentalists” such as John Dewey and “idealists” such as Plato. His criticism and comparison of the two is reminiscent of his dissertation God and the Absolute, which appears in modified form in Christianity and Idealism. Â In that work, Van Til compares idealism and pragmatism in order to show how they they both have the same fatal problem. Â Interestingly, Van Til makes a similar statement in his work on education. Â ”The modern view of education then, whether pragmatic or idealistic or a combination of the two, is subject to the criticism that it cannot teach.” (13)
Van Til continues to treat other contemporary approaches to education and makes his way to Roman Catholicism. Â Finally, as the salve to the problem that is education, Van Til presents what he sees as the Reformed position. Â Regardless of your philosophy of education, the booklet is definitely worth a read. Agree or disagree, you will be challenged to think about a very critical issue.
Readers should note that this work is not simply something Van Til theorized about in academic discussions. Van Til was involved in founding a school that represented this philosophy. Philadelphia-Montgomery Christian Academy was founded in 1940 following a series of lectures by Dr. Van Til, and continues serves the Philadelphia area with a fine education based upon his insights.
post photo by ne*
I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naïve. (Romans 16:17-18)