Why integrate faith and learning?
Many influences have secularized the way we tend to think about education today. But Christian educators argue that there is a need to transform such thinking. They believe that without a foundation of faith growing out of a biblical worldview, teaching and learning is meaningless, fragmented, and self-centered. But renewal does not happen by accident. It calls for thoughtful reflection, vision, and coordinated action.
What is faith integration?
Faith integration, or the integration of faith and learning as it is sometimes described, represents a conscious and systematic effort to provide a form of education that honors and nurtures every facet of humanness – cognitive, emotional, social, physical, and spiritual – in a balanced, God-centered, faith-community environment. These are not viewed as separate facets, but interdependent parts of a cohesive whole. The goal of such effort is to foster in all thought and activity, the kind of integrity and maturity that consistently reflects the character of the Creator and the values of His kingdom.
How do we integrate faith?
Faith integration cannot be achieved in isolation. It is dependent on the faithful support and contribution of all members of the learning community, all sharing the same vision, and all actively participating and contributing according to their respective roles. In the classroom, the organization and management of the curriculum, the presentation and teaching of subject matter, and the modeling of kingdom-values are vital elements. Beyond the classroom, the physical, aesthetic, social, and religious environment, the policies and the style of leadership and management should all consistently represent the life and ethos of an authentic community of faith.
The integration of faith and learning is a deliberate and systematic process of approaching the entire educational enterprise—both curricular and co-curricular—from a Christian perspective.
— Humberto M. Rasi