Question

In what way can Christian worldview be in corporated into a social studies lesson to foster and expand learning? How does Christian worldview, values, and culture influence social studies instruction?

Answer 1

Answer.

While it can be a highly contested field to design a pedagogy based on a particular religious viewpoint, one can nonetheless discuss the implications of theology in academic subjects such as the social sciences. To this end, Christianity can be revised as a ‘social and historical text’ which contains specific doctrines or ‘thesis’ about the social and political life of the people. The Word of Truth provides the cornerstone of a complete Christian education. students of the social sciences can be encouraged to see how Christianity is the tread that holds all spheres of life together.

A Judeo- Christian approach to the social sciences would pertain to organising the curriculum around an exploration of the history and culture of humans with or without God

Choosing to live for the one true God or to not has tremendous ramifications. The biblically integrated study of social studies shows the consequences of the choices different societies make when they choose who they will serve, obey and support.

Within the social sciences, questions pertaining to major social institutions like the family particularly the structure of the family, the government and law can emerge as crucial areas of focus. A biblical discussion on the family would pertain to the historical development of the family, who are the legitimate and appointed authority, what I said the chin of authority, what are the norms governing the members within a family etc. similarly, a Christian viewpoint on the government would help to answer key questions about the different forms of government and leaders, how are laws defined and what is moral in a society.

In this way, it would emerge that a religiously integrated curricular programme could encourage the students to appreciate the development of their own social selves by connecting it with their own religious world views and possibly help them to bridge the gap between private faith and the larger organisation of their public life.