Teaching That Transforms

by Debra Dean Murphy

Book Overview

This is an important book! With a generous spirit and discerning eye, Murphy unmasks the ways in which the biblical and theological context of Christian education has been co-opted, on the one hand, by a focus on learning experiences and, on the other hand, by modernity's understanding of what it means to be human. She summons Christian education back to its integral relationship with Christian worship, drawing it out of the church basement and into the sanctuary where Christian persons and communities are most regularly formed and where the content of Christian formation -- Bible and Theology -- are 'practiced' by the church. Murphy's critique of contemporary religious education theory is provocative; her interpretation of the 'lessons' of the liturgy are prophetic. I will be recommending it to my colleagues in Christian education and liturgical studies alike. -- E. Byron Anderson, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary Few tasks facing the contemporary church are more urgent than coming to an understanding of the critical importance of Christian formation. Yet as Debra Dean Murphy demonstrates so ably in these pages, this task is too often undermined by the alien assumptions that reside at the core of the 'religious education establishment. Murphy's penetrating analysis and profound proposals will be welcomed by anyone who had ever longed for a theory and practice of Christian education that would flow out of and do justice to the deep and abiding mysteries at the heart of Christian worship. -- Philip D. Kenneson, author of Life on the Vine Debra Dean Murphy is Adjunct Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Meredith College and director of Christian education at Fuquay-Varine United Methodist Church, a 1,500-member congregation in suburban Raleigh, North Carolina. She holds a PhD in theological and religious studies from Drew University.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1556350996
• ISBN13: 9781556350993
• Release Date: December 2006
• Publisher: Wipf & Stock Publishers
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Keen insights

The connection between liturgy and learning is one that has long been of interest to me. One of the reasons church is increasingly irrelevant in the lives of many is the disconnect between what goes on there and what happens outside in the world. The sense of ministry of all the church to the world has been lost, and part of this is due to a lack of education taking place in the church. Debra Dean Murphy describes in the prologue the church in which she grew up where Sunday school rather than the 'preaching' part was the heart of the place - they were on a Methodist circuit where the minister wasn't able to attend each week. Even here, however, there was a sense of disconnect between the task of 'Christian education' and worship. Murphy argues for the use of the term 'catechesis' over 'Christian education' as it seems more connected, more 'integrally linked to worship, praise ad doxology' that constitutes the important part of Christian formation. Murphy edges away from some more 'traditional' senses of catechesis as rote memorisation of dogmatic statements toward a more wholistic idea of discipleship. Similarly, the term 'liturgy' is not a particular worship pattern, but rather the work of the whole people of God in worship in 'the identifiable, recognisable continuation of the historic forms of Word and Table.' Murphy argues that the liturgical renewal movement of the past generation helps recovery aspects that more minimalist, pietist Protestants have lost. In the first major section of this text, Murphy looks at the problems with religious education in the modern/postmodern world. Religious education, as a term and as a project, is ambiguous and problematic. 'To promote "religious education" in general, universal terms is to participate (however unwittingly) in the modern project of dissolving difference...' Problems also arrive with universals from the Enlightenment, such as freedom and justice, that these are self-evident truths that require no context or tradition. Looking at the ideas and constructs of Gabriel Moran, Thomas Groome and Mary Boys, Murphy accepts some of their intentions, but highlights the pitfall that they exist within the very structure they attempt to overthrow. The second major section looks at pedagogy in broad strokes laid out as a liturgical pattern. Much of the effort at education fails to take into account the powerful aspects of the church for catechesis, according to Murphy. Part of this goes to the epistemological question, how do we know what we know? It also gets to the pedagogical question, how do we learn what we learn? Murphy argues against the 'objectivist' model of learning as being too limiting and increasingly irrelevant for church life. Learning and formation takes place in worship when worship is intentional toward this purpose. The proclaimed word needs to call us into community, not simply transmit information for us to remember (or, more likely, forget). Prayer, ritual and sacraments help emb