Religion and Theology

In her book, Teaching and Learning in Communities of Faith, Linda Vogel discusses the importance of adult education. This book serves to answer the usual questions of ones purpose in life ( Why are we here ,  What is our higher purpose ,  How can we lead lives of integrity and wholeness ), especially when one is now in that stage of adulthood where he or she needs to determine their direction in life.  It is said that when reason and logic has reached its limit and could no longer provide answers, this is where faith steps in and takes it from there.  In this fast-paced material world, there are people who appear to have everything they want in life yet feel there is still something missing to make their happiness complete there are others who have been going through the motions and could not decide which direction to take.  It is at this point that they turn to religion for answers as no one could seem to offer a meaningful answer to the questions mentioned above.

The book is divided into three parts. Part 1,  The Growing Hunger for Adult Religious Education,  focuses on the needs which adult religious education needs to address. According to Vogel, Religious education is about hearing and sharing stories about talking together, listening, and making connections ... about sharing hope for the future and seeking peace ... about a journey toward wholeness. Religious education needs to pay attention to context, to language used within the community and outside of it, and how people deal with certain  psyschological issues that would be the source of trouble such as being in denial, reluctance to change ones way of living and take risks, etc. (Vogel, 1991, pp.21-25).

When one thinks of  religious  in education, one may think it would be the kind of education laced with profound theological theories.  This not exactly the case as there is more to religion than merely worship.  Religion is also about establishing and maintaining a meaningful relationship with God but, as stated before, it is not limited to worship and reading the Bible.  It can also be expressed through ones daily activities in life. 

God has endowed one with talents to get by in life but when one is too caught up with the hurly-burly of the realities of the world, one needs to fall back on faith to reorient themselves on where they should go in life (Vogel, 1991, pp.22-23).  It is all about surrendering to Gods will.  It has been said that one of the reasons people have problems in this world or are not getting anywhere is that they tend to rely too much on their own abilities without turning to God for guidance.  What is emphasized then is that people need to depend on God, for everything emanates fro, Him and without him, everyone is nothing.

The second chapter,  How Religious Education Nourishes Life and Faith,  shows how religion can be a positive influencing factor in any kind of educational level.  As stated before, this is not about imposing dogma on the learner but intended to enlighten him or her on the real meaning of (Christian) teachings.  As the title of the chapter suggests, religion can nourish ones life and faith.  It is supposed to provide one the strength from within to endure the rigors of the harsh realities of life.   This is part and parcel of reorienting onself on the direction in life and enables one to keep going despite the difficulties which will always be encountered and experienced in life.  The point here is that religious education seeks to help one to apply ones faith in everyday life, not merely limiting oneself to worship and contemplation.  This is what makes ones religion  alive  and dynamic, not limited to the confines of ones church or scripture (Vogel, 1991, p.50).

From here, a transition is made into Part 2,  Fostering Adult Learning in Communities of Faith.    The chapters here provide a brief review of adult learning, confirming, clarifying expectations (Chapter 3), defining expectations (Chapter 5), assuming the role of an advocate (Chapter 4), and personal sharing by the teacher to break the proverbial ice in classes (Chapters 5 and 6). The likely challenge would entail creative cognitive dissonance, suggesting alternate explanations, inviting learners to tell their own stories and frame their own questions, and the willingness to introduce risk. Vogel recommends sessions wherein the teacher  walks along  with the learner in order to know where they are coming from and from there prescribe an alternative  map  and provide a new language to get them set in the new direction they would take (Vogel, 1991, p.23).

Part 2 also involves the use of four metaphors used as an aid in adult religious education.  Metaphors are proven to be very effective tools in delivering the message because it simplifies the complicated using the appropriate language the learner can understand.  Schooling puts emphasis on the need to transmit every aspect of the community to the learner.  This includes, the norms and values practiced here.  One would notice that each of these metaphors are not perfect as each one entails risks.  In this case, it would be confusing learning as an encounter which is not the case and the teacher should make a clear definition so as not to let the learner get the wrong idea (Vogel, 1991, pp.78-80). 

With regards to pilgrimage, the word itself connotes a journey, but it is a journey with the purpose of seeking something.  In this case it would be enlightenment and in these sessions, it can be achieved through holistic learning which would be evidenced by the development of ones beliefs, actions and values.  This means that the learner is able to integrate religious teachings to his or her way of life.  Like the first metaphor, this also has risks in the sense that the session would be too focused on the learners story and forget about the  big picture  that revolves around the community and could possibly create self-cetneredness (Vogel, 1991, pp.82-83).

The third metaphor used is the household of faith. This is where the community of faith is essentially based.  When the learner picks up every aspect of the community, in effect, it creates ties that bind with the community yet encourages self-identity despite adapting to this community.  The risks found in this metaphor is that the learner, being saturated with the norms of the community he or she is transplanted in, may think that the community where he or she lives is the only one that sets the standard and everything else is minor or nothing.  This would be bordering close to dogmatism, if not fanaticism if the learner is not guided properly in this regard (Vogel, 1991, p.85-87).

The fourth metaphor is called  new earth.   In the purview of Hebrew and Christian teachings, this would be the new world that would come when Christ would come again where sin and suffering would be gone once and for all and this has been stated in the Scriptures several times from Isiah to Revelation.  In applying it in the learning sessions, it stresses transformation from within which would lead to liberating oneself from their past life and stepping into a new one.  The risk involved here would be people would make a wrong assumption about this new earth.  Given its profoundness, they might be intimidated and lose their enthusiasm, if not hope.  They have to realize that this is a gift, freely given by God, not a reward to be earned from exerting effort or having to pay a price.  It is a matter of ones willingness to acknowledge this gift that would truly effect liberation (Vogel, 1991, pp.88-90).

Part 3,  Strengthening Religious Education and Experiences,  is concerned with ways to strengthen religious education experiences through new visions, putting emphasis in openness with God and the world having an open-mind and be willing to welcome and accept changes in every level, as well as the willingness to serve the community in the pursuit of peace and justice.   It also stresses the need for connectedness which can be accomplished through relationships which is more important or effective than hierarchy or structure.  Sessions also aim to encourage imagination and creativity.  In allusion to the Bible, to have a child-like, not childish, mindset for it is said that children can easily enter heaven before adults because of their openness and their mental pliability.  Being open-minded would make one discover that nothing is absolute in this world, especially when seeking answers.  Nothing is definite and there can be more than one right answer to the questions one faces, and being a community of faith, the pursuit of peace is required but at the same time promotes justice (Vogel, 1991, pp.26,90).

All in all, Vogel presents a very sensible, if not credible, work on how to integrate the teachings of ones faith in education for adults.  As stated earlier, religion, or the profession of ones faith is not limited to attending worship services and reading scripture.  It is about living ones faith and this is what Vogel is advocating.  By applying religion in education, it would make the learner appreciate their faith more and in the long run, discover the answers to all their questions as they embark on their life journey.  Adult religious education also helps reorient ones sense of direction in life and puts God in the center, not outside it.  The only issue with Vogels work is it is  too Christian  for non-Christians to appreciate and appear biased.  But she clarified, religion here is more on the application, not on the teaching of religion, which is best left to cathecism classes.