Philosophy of Teaching

 

My sense of vocation as a teacher of the Bible in a Christian college can perhaps best be explained with reference to the shema‘ (Deut 6:4–5). This saying enjoins its hearers to love the Lord their God with, among other things, their entire intellect (often translated “heart”; in biblical Hebrew, the “heart” is the seat of human cognition and volition. To me, teaching the academic study of the Bible is a ministry of instruction and example in loving God with one’s intellect. To love God with one’s entire intellect is not easy. It requires rigorous thinking, sometimes about very difficult or uncomfortable subjects. As a vital dimension of loving God with one's entire intellect, critical Bible study requires (among other things) a thorough and uncompromising examination of the origins, contents, historical reception, and ongoing significance of the biblical texts. Rigorous Bible study may not always produce results that are in keeping with our preferences. Uncomfortable and disturbing questions may be raised. Indeed, uncomfortable and disturbing conclusions may be reached. Nevertheless, such study is an important facet of human relationships with God. Beyond the risks lie the rewards of a fuller and richer, if perhaps less comfortable,

In terms of teaching strategies, I find myself in a continual “tug-of-war” between my pedagogical and epistemological ideals and the actual logistics of teaching college courses. Idealistically, I believe that what students in a liberal arts institution need most is development of their skills in learning how to learn within the various disciplines taught in the university. That is, I think students in my Bible classes are best served when the class teaches them how to read, learn from, interact with, and think about the Bible, rather than telling them what they should expect to find in the Bible. I would always prefer to use a “mentoring” or “apprenticeship” style of pedagogy in which I as a more experienced learner guide and encourage students in their own learning by modeling ways of learning, thinking, and accessing specialized facts and resources. Conducting and assessing learning of this sort can, however, be logistically difficult in a class with varying levels of prior basic knowledge, and gets progressively harder as classes grow larger.

I am continually re-evaluating my teaching practices, investigating and evaluating recognized “best practices” and new ideas, and striving to bring my teaching strategies into line with students’ needs.