By Harold Klassen, July 2000
There are vast differences in people’s understanding of each term in the title so it is appropriate to briefly describe the perspective of this paper to eliminate uncertainty or confusion. The definition of education will be directly related to Jesus Christ so it is authentically Christian. The philosophic presupposition is that ultimate reality is intimately related to the triune God who has revealed Himself[1] through His created world—the spiritual and physical universe, His written word—the Bible, and the living Word—Jesus Christ. Because the scope of this paper is limited, the implications of this perspective will be considered instead of arguments for this presupposition. The unity and consistency of a perfect God’s self-revelation requires that the Bible be accepted as the infallible measure of the accuracy of the perception we have of God from our environment or from our personal relationship to Him. Thus the strengths of mysticism and pragmatism are preserved while their limitations are avoided by depending on the Bible as the final authority in all matters which it addresses. This paper, therefore, quotes the Scriptures as justification for the concepts that are presented.