Book chapter
Towards an Embodied Pedagogy in Educating for Creation Care
Innovating Christian Education Research: Multidisciplinary Perspectives, pp.349-375
Springer Singapore
2021
Abstract
Throughout the history of the Church, those who have devoted their attention to formulating a theology of the Christian faith have concentrated primarily—indeed almost exclusively—on the relationship between God and humanity, with scant attention paid to the place of the natural world in the economy of God. This oversight is remarkable in light of the biblical affirmation of the goodness of creation, and—with some heartening exceptions—its pervasiveness within Christendom today is alarming given the urgency to live more sustainably on Planet Earth. This chapter addresses the need for appropriate educational curricula and strategies designed to increase awareness of—and active participation in—creation care initiatives in order to successfully address the environmental challenges confronting God’s good but groaning creation. Following a two-pronged rationale for creation care based on the scientific biophysical imperative and the biblical/theological mandate to value and care for the natural world, the authors offer a brief survey of a number of seminary syllabi that demonstrate important progress in educating for creation care. The final part of the chapter presents two practical features of an embodied pedagogical approach designed to assist in raising not only awareness but also much-needed action with regards to care for God’s creation. The biblical authors used literary devices to tell God’s story because they recognized that their usage was able to draw the readers [hearers] into the narrative through their senses, imagination, intuition and affective functions. Accordingly, this chapter proposes an arts-based pedagogy, utilizing ideas from theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar, and others, who employ theatrical metaphors and models to describe God’s world and work. The discourse argues that drama, along with the arts, have the capacity to encourage Christians towards a more holistic awareness of creation. A second constructive feature is the incorporation of an embodied learning pedagogy that involves student participation in off-campus creation care projects in order to stimulate practical hands-on learning in which sensory experiences lead to greater depth and meaning in the educational context.
Details
- Title
- Towards an Embodied Pedagogy in Educating for Creation Care
- Authors
- Graham Buxton (Author) - Flinders UniversityJohannes M Luetz (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Social Sciences - LegacySally Shaw (Author) - Adelaide College of Divinity
- Contributors
- Johannes M Luetz (Editor) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Social Sciences - LegacyBeth Green (Editor) - Tyndale University College & Seminary
- Publication details
- Innovating Christian Education Research: Multidisciplinary Perspectives, pp.349-375
- Publisher
- Springer Singapore
- DOI
- 10.1007/978-981-15-8856-3_20; 10.1007/978-981-15-8856-3
- ISBN
- 9789811588563
- Organisation Unit
- School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Social Sciences - Legacy; School of Law and Society
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99500608202621
- Output Type
- Book chapter
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