Serampore College, Faculty of Theology

Paper Presentation
Subject : Christian Education for Social Change
Teacher : Mrs. Nukshijungla Longkumer
Presenters : Milton Mark, Lakungthanuama Nampui, M. Christu Mohan,
Sharailang Sawkmie and, Nonpi Chena
Group No. : 06
Topic : Christian Education: An Activity of Mutual, Critical
Enrichment.
Date of Presentation : September 27, 2022.

1. Introduction

Christian education is an essential component of Christian ministry, which is founded on

God's presence in the world. Christian education takes occur in the context of a Christian
community. There are two types of exercises in Christian parenting: grounding exercises and
flow-out activities. In other words, Christian education entails the deliberate practice of faith
formation and conversion. The grounding movement promotes involvement and engagement
in holistic ministry by giving a systematic basis in the doctrines, histories, and traditions of
faith groups. The function of Christian education in effecting social transformation is
described briefly below.

2. Christian Education: An activity of faith formation and social change

Christian education occurs in the home, classroom, and church. The fundamental goals of
Christian education are to help people develop their faith and to influence the social, political,
economic, and religious aspects of society. Additionally, education is for community
transformation and system development through faith formation. Christian education, which
is faith-learning, therefore, must be concerned with transformation. The students' perspectives
on the world should be changed as a result. The learners should be able to alter how they
react to the difficulties of living a Christian life as a result. It ought to empower the students
to alter the way they react to the Creator, to other people especially to those who are unlike
themselves and to all of creation. In other words, it ought to help the students change their
spirituality.1
1
Peter Olutayo Adewunmiji, A Biblical Approach and Response to Social Change (Texas: Carib
Baptist Publication,1974),7.

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 Christian education does not happen in a vacuum; it happens in the home and in the
community. Christian education emphasizes learning in community, both the local and global
one. Therefore, the family would be the agent of this task for the purpose of transformation,
and the church is a community that has a significant role to play in the process of faith
formation for transformation. Other challenges that are emerging as a result of the impact of
changes in other social institutions, such as political and economic institutions, should be
covered through family-centered education. Growing individualism is one such modification.
It is debated if individualism is a byproduct of westernization and globalization. However,
the neighborhood was of the opinion that individualism has an impact on all facets of our
social and religious lives. However, there are certain ramifications for individualistic
education.2

The so-called "remote families," in which members of the nuclear family are
temporarily divided for the purposes of study and better employment possibilities overseas,
are the root cause of individualism. The sex role is another development that is happening.
Changes in women's status and a focus on children's human rights are altering family life in
general and Indian families in particular. The media landscape is undergoing quick changes.
Not only in intelligence, but also in viewpoint, children are surpassing their parents. These
adjustments benefit economic stability, equal participation, and other factors.3

Christian education that aims to create inclusive communities must therefore take the
integrity of the entire creation into account. Faith-based education must strive to transform all
facets of human existence and must promote an inclusive community. Therefore, Christian
education must be a purposeful action of faith-education for transformation.4

3. Christian education: A practice that promotes human empowerment

Empowerment is characterized as a multifaceted social process that aids individuals in taking

charge of their own life. It is a process that develops people's ability to act on the issues they
see as being crucial in their own lives, communities, and societies. The appropriation of the
gospel of the reign of God by empowering and supporting social transformation for the

2
Lydia Mapile, “Response to Poverty-Role of Christian Education,” in Education that Transforms,
edited by Edith Woods (Bangalore: Theological Book Trust, 1995), 86-87.
3
James D Allen, The Intersection of Liberation Theology, Structural Social Work, and Empowerment
Practice (Lindell Boulevard: St.Louis School of Social Work, 2008), 23.
4
Mapile, “Response to Poverty-Role of Christian Education,” 94-95.

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growth of freedom, justice, and peace is one of the key components of the overall goal of
Christian education.5

An empowerment action is education. Christian education is a process of

empowerment and learning to live a life of faith. This calls into question the way we typically
think of the church, society, and educational systems as dominance-based control
mechanisms. Our understanding of human connections as multinational corporations, military
alliances, and an economic system run by the so-called "powerful" is challenged by learning
as an activity of empowerment. The reasoning behind this view is that they get together to tell
the helpless what to do. This occurs on both a global and local scale.6

Instead of changing the world for an inclusive community, Christian education that is
built on domineering and controlling is following worldly techniques. Christian education
should be founded on the ideas of sharing and solidarity in order to foster an inclusive
community. The unity it seeks should emerge from a true sense of mutual regard,
acknowledgment, acceptance, and trust rather than compromise or adjustment. The idea of
the oikos (home or household) or a worldwide family, where the weak, the impoverished, the
lame, the leper, and the disadvantaged find a "home," inspires cooperation and sharing for an
inclusive community (Samson Prabhakar). A vision like this demonstrates its sympathy with
the "groans" of the entire "inhabited earth," as foretold by the prophet Isaiah (11:6-8).7

As a means of empowering individuals, Christian education aims to eliminate all the

factors, biases, ideologies, and notions that separate people from their cultural kin. It makes
an effort to make it easier for people to connect with their regional cultural heritages. The
goal of empowerment is to educate people about their human rights and provide them the
ability to take part in the divine mission of freedom. Christian education should therefore
strive to be an activity that empowers students to act responsibly in disobedience.

Christian education that seeks to empower people must see the plights of the
downtrodden in the society8

5
Zoe Oxaal, Education and Poverty: A Gender Analysis (Brighton: Institute of Development Studies,
1997) 6.
6
Zoe Oxaal, Education and Poverty: A Gender Analysis, 8.
7
Daniel S. Schipani, “Educating for Social Transformation,” in Mapping Christian Education
Approaches to Congregational Learning, edited by Jack L.Seymour (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1997), 28.
8
Schipani, “Educating for Social Transformation,” 33.

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 (i)  Children: Involvement in forced work or even bonded labor affects millions of
youngsters around the world. There are almost 50 million working children in India.

(ii)   Women; The condition of the female children has received a lot of attention lately. They
are regarded as second-class citizens from birth. In several Indian states, domestic violence
against women is rife.

(iii)   Dalits: The victims of India's caste-based society are Dalits, who are viewed as outcasts
and untouchable.

Christian education should uphold the dignity of all individuals and foster an inclusive
sense of community as part of its mission to empower people.9

4. Christian Education: An activity of mutual-critical enrichment

Christian education is faith-based instruction for transformation; without consideration for

human empowerment, it loses its full potential, and in a similar way, neither of these two
gains its full potential without consideration for mutually-critical enrichment. In India, there
are many different religions, civilizations, ethnic groups, histories, and ideologies. Our rigid
identities are being tested by the changes brought about by the boom of communication,
technological development, and liberal economic policies. Whether we like it or not, diversity
presents certain problems to a community's practice of religion.10

We as groups and communities should work to accept the reality of plurality and
differences and use them as resources for the mutual enrichment of our members, as opposed
to the fact that some of the effects of plurality resulted under colonial rule in third world
countries with the unpleasant memories of domination we underwent. Racial prejudices,
religious prejudices, communalism, and even violent conflicts would result from viewing
"others" as adversaries of "us" and as threats to our own identities, which runs counter to our
idea of mutual enrichment. Rather than seeing diversity as a threat to the safety and limited
identity of the community, our Christian education should welcome it as an opportunity for
mutual enrichment.11

9
William W. Graves, The Church Teaching and Training (New York: Theological Education Fund,
1965), 35.
10
Graves, The Church Teaching and Training, 77.
11
KK. Geoge, “Curriculum preparation in the Years to Come,” in Looking Ahead in Christian
Education, edited by Lal Rinmawia (Delhi: ISPCK, 1984), 41.

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 The diversity of religions should not be viewed as a threat to faith-formation but
rather as an opportunity for mutually enriching critical dialogue, similar to the variety of
ideologies that exist in the pluralistic setting of our nation in particular and in third-world
countries generally. Every religion's practice contains elements that are detrimental to life.
Fundamentalism in Christianity is just as deadly as fundamentalism in Islam or Hinduism. As
a result, mutual enrichment and criticism go hand in hand. The diversity of religions should
be viewed as a chance for "learning-together-as-one-community" by opposing partners in the
pursuit of life's fullest potential. Focusing on cultivating a "attitude of openness towards
people who are different" and an attitude of tolerance towards those who view life and its
ultimate goal differently should be the main goals of Christian education that seeks to
improve society. It ought to help students understand that "the others" are fellow travelers in
our quest to understand the secrets of life.12

5. Conclusion
Christian education has grown to be one of the world’s most powerful social change agents.
People's desires for progress and change have been mobilised as a result. As a result, in
modern complex national cultures, Christian education cannot be understood as a controlling
force preserving cultural heritage, nor as an instrument of social transformation. It can only
be seen as a cooperative force in bringing about social changes decided by more powerful
forces in society.
Bibliography
Adewunmiji, Peter Olutayo. A Biblical Approach and Response to Social Change. Texas:
Carib Baptist Publication,1974.

Allen, James D. The Intersection of Liberation Theology, Structural Social Work, and
Empowerment Practice. Lindell Boulevard: St.Louis School of Social Work, 2008.

Geoge, KK. “Curriculum preparation in the Years to Come.” In Looking Ahead in Christian
Education, edited by Lal Rinmawia. Delhi: ISPCK, 1984.

Mapile, Lydia. “Response to Poverty-Role of Christian Education,” in Education that

Transform. Edited by Edith Woods. Bangalore: Theological book Trust, 1995.

Oxaal, Zoe. Education and Poverty: A Gender Analysis. Brighton: Institute of Development
Studies, 1997.
12
Geoge, “Curriculum preparation in the Years to Come,” 43.

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Schipani, Daniel S. “Educating for Social Transformation.” In Mapping Christian Education
Approaches to Congregational Learning. Edited by Jack L.Seymour. Nashville:
Abingdon Press, 1997.

Graves, William W. The Church Teaching and Trainning. New York: Theological Education
Fund, 1965.

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