In their study of the mixed fortunes of the humanities in University education, Klassen and Zimmermann, trace the troubled relationship between the sciences and other ways of knowing such as in the humanities. The move in educational intention from the formation of the person towards a deper knowledge of self and the other, to education as acquiring knowledge and skills to fit the person towards a more effective economic contribution, indicates the triumph of the technological, the pragmatic and the utilitarian. The Passionate Intellect is a patient exposure of the consequences of this long evolving dichotomy between literary humanism and scientific humanism, between self knowledge and practical knowledge, between knowing who I am (verb, to be) and knowing how to do. Put at its simplest, the book contends that education for literary humanists was conceived as a process of growth in self understanding leading to wisdom and the enrichment of human relations and culture; for scientific humanists education was a process of gaining information about the world, derived from understanding observed objects and phenomena in the world, such knowledge tested and applied with a view to controlling and using the material world towards human benefit.
My interest in these contrasting educational commitments is the tension that is thereby created. The tension between the humanly formative goals of education in virtue and character which have no immediate material or pragmatic benefit to a society. This contrasted with the socially advantageous and humanly beneficial consequences of instilling technological and practical know-how, though with no immediately required prior formation of character, as to how such skills are later to be used. Yet in a theological education we are seeking to combine just such tensions which are not easily held together in the 21st Century University;
- academic excellence in theology and pastoral studies as a chosen subject field
- personal formation in values, virtues and character
- training and acquisition of requisite practical skills and competences.
All of which raises some questions that keep me thinking......
What kind of course would be needed to integrate three such desirable educational goals - the intellectual, the ethical and the practical?
Can the inward journey of self-understanding take place at the same time as a process of practical and applied training; can wisdom for its own sake co-exist with utilitarian pragmatism?
Is there such a thing as ethical and theological competence, and if so, how do we help people towards such maturity?
How does the "can do" mentality so valued by technological culture (and the contemporary church), relate to the more hesitant ethical "should I" based on a different scale of values?
In training people for Christian ministry today, is it more important to focus on instilling practical skills and competences or to form and shape a mind towards a way of thinking that is demonstrably, even radically Christian?
If we aim at both, which of the two is fundamental, Christian character or vocational competence?
Can modular delivery and competence based outcomes be shaped to enable a process of Christian theological and ethical formation which is value and virtue focused?
An interesting post Jim. Having benefitted from both scientific and theological education, I think there are strengths and weaknesses in both.
In training for Christian ministry today, surely Christian character is far more important than competence. Doing the right things for the wrong motives will ultimately prove to be unsustainable.
Finally, I'm not sure I'm entirely comfortable with including theology and pastoral studies as a "literary humanist" field of study.
Posted by: Tony Maude | September 28, 2009 at 10:41 AM
Hello Tony and thanks for your comments. Literary humanism bears little relation to atheistic humanism - indeed theology was first taught in the University as incorporating both humanities and the sciences. But in relation to education as such, the humanities intentionally focus on the study of that which enriches understanding of human nature, culture and moral experience. In fact Christian humanism is a more ancient form of such study than its more modern negative counterart atheistic humanism. And Christian humanism as study of the humanities presupposes both natural and revealed theology as major premises in the literary, formative,reflective and creative processes of a humanities based education. And it does so by paying careful attention to text and interpretation, literary activity and artistic expression as vehicles of articulated human experience. Not for nothing did earlier generations require a liberal arts education in the humanities before a Divinity degree.
Posted by: Jim Gordon | September 28, 2009 at 11:55 AM