In Teaching for Spiritual Formation, church historian and experienced Christian educator Kyle R. Hughes advances a fresh vision of Christian teaching and learning by drawing upon the riches of the Christian tradition, synthesizing the wisdom of the early church fathers with contemporary efforts to cultivate a distinctively Christian approach to education. Of interest to a wide range of Christian educators, this book examines how the writings of five significant church fathers can illuminat...

Too many students are disappointed. They want to make a difference in their chosen professions. They are inspired by successful visionaries, but they have little idea how to follow in their oversized footsteps. Their colleges and universities promise more professional development than they can possibly deliver, especially in terms of moral development for the professions. Experts coming from a range of perspectives in higher education agree that moral formation for the professions must inc...

Though much has been written about ethic of care and its importance in education, little is available to guide Christian educators who desire to demonstrate a disposition of care toward self, learners, colleagues, and community. As this book makes clear, a Christian ethic of care serves to illuminate our relationship with God while also helping to flesh out what care looks like in various contexts, including and especially teaching and teacher education. How Shall We Then Care? invites eng...

Cultural differences increasingly impact our everyday lives. Virtually none of us today interact exclusively with people who look, talk, and behave like we do. David Smith here offers an excellent guide to living and learning in our culturally interconnected world. / Learning from the Stranger clearly explains what "culture" is, discusses how cultural difference affects our perceptions and behavior, and explores how Jesus' call to love our neighbor involves learning from cultural strangers...

Digital technologies loom large in the experience of today's students. However, parents, teachers, and school leaders have only started to take stock of the ramifications for teaching, learning, and faith.Based on a three-year in-depth study of Christian schools, Digital Life Together walks educators, school leaders, and parents through some of the big ideas that are hidden in our technology habits, going beyond general arguments for or against digital devices to address t...

This book is a practical guide for educators seeking to foster inclusive, supportive classrooms. It invites teachers and school leaders to reflect on how race, trauma, sexual orientation, and cultural background shape classroom experiences and school culture.Rather than offering simple solutions, this book poses transformative questions: How do racism and oppression contribute to student alienation? How can school culture be a catalyst for social change? And most centrally, how can...

Discover how the Christian contemplative tradition can enhance teaching and learningThe goal of Christian education is distinctive: to help students develop into well-integrated human beings and faithful disciples. Yet Christian schools are beset by many of the same challenges that plague virtually all schools today—a culture of distraction and deteriorating mental health, the erosion of community and social bonds, not to mention widespread disaffiliation from trad...

Discover how ordinary moments in the school year can become occasions for making profound connections between faith and pedagogy.In this encouraging and practical book, education expert David I. Smith invites Christian educators on a journey through the school year that will deepen their capacity to make thoughtful connections between their faith and their pedagogy.Mirroring the rhythms of an academic year, the book embraces and explores the mundane moments...

This book offers an energizing Christian vision for the art of teaching. The authors — experienced teachers themselves — encourage teacher-readers to reanimate their work by imagining it differently. David Smith and Susan Felch, along with Barbara Carvill, Kurt Schaefer, Timothy Steele, and John Witvliet, creatively use three metaphors — journeys and pilgrimages, gardens and wilderness, buildings and walls — to illuminate a fresh vision of teaching and learning. Stretching beyond familiar ...

Christian teachers have long been thinking about what content to teach, but little scholarship has been devoted to how faith forms the actual process of teaching. Is there a way to go beyond Christian perspectives on the subject matter and think about the teaching itself as Christian? In this book David I. Smith shows how faith can and should play a critical role in shaping pedagogy and the learning experience.

Discover the Good Life as you learn from the wise voices of the past.We've lost ourselves. Disconnected from the past and uncertain about the future, we are anxious about what our lives will be and troubled by a nagging sense of meaninglessness. Adrift in the world, many Christians have their identity completely wrapped up in work, and their definition of the "good life" is financial success. Fewer of are staying committed to the Christian faith, finding it difficu...

This book sets out to explore the intersections between matters not frequently yoked in academic discussions: spirituality, social justice, and the learning of world languages. The contributing authors contend not only that these intersections exist, but that they are the site of issues and realities that require the attention of language educators and point to avenues of growth for the language teaching profession. The essays included seek to indicate the possibilities of a neglected area...