Publication Details
Etherington, M.
(2008).
Is Christian schooling really at loggerheads with the ideas of diversity and tolerance? A rejoinder.
Education Research and Perspectives, 35 (2), 112-137.
Abstract
This article builds on the foundations and evaluations laid recently by Symes and Gulson in their 2005 article, Crucifying Education: The rise and rise of new Christian schooling in Australia. It evaluates the warrant of Christian schooling within a liberal democracy and offers a rejoinder for defending the rights of Christian particularism within a secular educational system such as operates in Australia. In similar vein to Pike’s (2004) challenge against the discrediting of Christian schooling in England, this article also questions the fundamental liberal tenet of individual autonomy as the supreme goal of education.
The main thesis of this paper is that Christian schools are in fact a vital part of a diverse, tolerant and inclusive society in Australia. Moreover, any reflection of tolerance leads to other issues such as the nature of truth, values based education, belief and the warrant for one’s belief, and the separation of secular and religious education.
Keywords
Peer-reviewed, Christian doctrines, educational philosophies, faith and teaching
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