I spent this morning in Adelaide as a member of a reference group for the Uniting Church in Australia’s research fellow Craig Mitchell. Craig has spent the last two years interviewing local Uniting Church leaders and developing an overview of where the Uniting Church is at with Christian education. The UCA has a strong heritage in this field over many many years, with a strong part to play in the publishing of Australian and New Zealand curricula and books through Joint Board of Christian Education (JBCE) and Uniting Education. Christian education, for all ages, became a focus for many Protestant denominations in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, influenced by writers such as Thomas Groome, James Fowler, Paulo Freire and John Westerhoff. Through the 1980s and 1990s we started talking about faith formation, conscientization, inculturation and discipleship. Christian education was often the primary discipline in practical theology courses taught in theological colleges. Over the last fifteen years practical theology has been picking up mission and leadership as a stronger focus, sometimes overshadowing the valuable lessons we picked up through the Christian education discipline. Craig’s research, designed to support a report to the Assembly as well kickstart a PhD, explores the dynamics of Christian education in local and regional learning communities. The report, with a range of recommendations, will be ready in March 2013.
Duncan Macleod on faith and culture