Faith & Learning at Concordia University

Bernard BullBernard.bull@cuw.edu

Mission

“Concordia University Wisconsin is a Lutheran higher education

community committed to helping learners develop in mind, body and

spirit for service to Christ in the Church and the world.”

Group Brainstorm

What is “distinct” about an education at Concordia University?

Eight Perspectives on Faith and Learning in Lutheran Education

1. Uncertainty

Instructor – Has a Christian faith but is fearful of talking about it with students and/or uncertain about the implications of the faith for the discipline. (Faith Sojourner)

Learner – The learner focuses upon the course content apart from Christian implications, and/or works through faith implications alongside the instructor.

(Student of the Discipline and/or Fellow Faith Sojourner)

2. Private Faith

Instructor – Strives not to contradict or undermine the mission and values of the Christian school despite personal differences. (Silent Dissident)

 Learner – The learner focuses upon the

course content apart from Christian implications.

(Student of the Discipline)

3. Personal Witness

Instructor – Serves as a positive witness to the Christian faith through words and actions. Implications of the Christian faith for course content are not necessarily explored. (Christian Role Model)

Learner – The learner observes the witness of the instructor. (Observer of Christian Role Model)

4. Faithful Service

Instructor – Recognizes his/her role as a Christian vocation, called to excellence in scholarship for service to Christ in the church and/or in the world. This scholarship need not have a theological component in order glorify God. Instead, the focus is upon faithfulness within one’s calling whether it be historian, physical therapist, theologian, or milkmaid. (Scholar)

Learner – The learner has the vocation of student, called to excellence and the responsibility of thought and conduct consistent with that vocation. (Student)

5. Christian Environment

Instructor – Creates an environment that promotes Christian values and character. (Christian Community Builder)

Learner – The learner participates in and learns from being part of a Christian community. (Participant in the Community)

6. Christian World View Presentation

Instructor – Informs learners of Christian world view perspectives on the content and afford students choice on what to do with this information. (Informer)

Learner – The learner discovers Christian perspectives related to the content...and possibly makes intellectual decisions about the validity or usefulness of the Christian perspectives. (Informed Learner)

7. Christian World View Apology

Instructor – Informs learners of Christian world view perspectives and defend them as Truth. Instructor seeks to convince learners of the significance and relevance of the Christian world view as it relates to course content. (Apologist)

Learner – The learner discovers Christian perspectives and intellectually grapples with and takes a position on the implications of the Christian world view for the content area. (Seeker of Truth)

8. Christian Discipleship

Instructor – Seeks to engage learners in growth of mind, body, and spirit in service to Christ in the church and in the world. This encompasses Christian world view thinking, but other forms of spiritual formation also. The focus is upon “making disciples” of Jesus Christ. (Disciple-maker)

Learner – The learner develops in mind, body, and spirit in service to Christ in the church and in the world. (Disciple)

“You teach who you are.” – Parker Palmer

“Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity,

dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to

shame, having nothing evil to say about us.” – Titus 2:7-8

“I would advise no one to send his child where the Holy Scriptures are not supreme. Every

institution that does not unceasingly pursue the study of God’s word becomes corrupt…I greatly fear that the universities, unless they teach the Holy Scriptures diligently and impress them on

the young students, are wide gates to hell.” (Letter to the Christian Nobility, Luther)

"Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason - I do not accept the authority of the

popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other - my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant

anything for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. God help me. Amen.“

– Martin Luther

“Now the Bereans were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was

true.” (Acts 17)

The Christian educator…

• knows and embraces the school/University mission,

• welcomes and elicits dialogue about matters of faith and learning,

• promotes a positive Christian classroom environment,

• engages in appropriate integration / exploration of matters of faith, and

• seeks to educate the whole person.

Model and/or Mentor

Christian Scholarship

Christian World View

“Big Ideas”Disciplinary Expertise

Pekari’s WIFES Model for Faith Formation

Worship – The Language of

Prayer

Instruction – The Language of

Q & A

Fellowship – The Language of

Loving One Another

Evangelism – The Language of

Listening and Sharing Jesus

Service – The Language of

Caring for Others

Faith and Learning in the Classroom

Vocational and Ethical Integration

World View

Integration

Devotional Integration

Scripture Content / Discipline Learners

Preparing to Integrate the Faith - Three Deep Wells of Knowledge

What is the purpose of an eye doctor?

“Open my eyes that I might see wonderful things in your

Word.” – Psalm 119:18

2 Kings 6

Elisha and his servant woke up early in the morning to find King Aram’s army surrounding the town, prepared to capture Elisha. Upon seeing the soldiers and chariots, Elisha’s servant was clearly distraught. “What shall we do?”

The SIT Approach to Worldview and Vocational IntegrationBrainstormingSurface

• What are the possible faith and learning issues related to this lesson?

Prayerful selectingIntegrate• Which one or two of these topics are most important for my students right

now? Write a learning objective.

Intentional planning and teachingTeach• How will I help students reach this learning objective alongside the other

learning objectives?

Three Levels of Integration

Assess

Teach

Expose

Knowing the Scriptures

Topical

Study

Expositor

y Stud

y

Where does doctrine fit into this?

Intersecting the Two Kingdoms-Russ Moulds, CUNE

http://wp.cune.edu/twokingdoms

10 Reformation Principleshttp://wp.cune.edu/twokingdoms/files/2013/03/Ten-Reformation-

Principles.pdf

The Pedagogy of Teaching the Faith (coming in the fall of 2015)

Reading List About Lutheran Education

http://www.researchinlutheraneducation.com/reading-list

/

Faith & Learning at Concordia University

Dr. Bernard BullBernard.bull@cuw.edu