On Charitable Teaching

Abstract

IN EARLIER WORK on the hermeneutics of charity, the author explored the relevance of Augustine's insistence on charity in reading Scripture for interpreters of non-biblical texts. This article shows how one might bring such charitable reading into the classroom and reframe the teacher's task in its light. The article discusses some implications for our understanding of teaching “methods,” close attention to students, the nature of syllabi, and the role of attentive playfulness play in learning.