Abstract
Mainstream religions and their institutions have since the 1960s been gradually bleeding to death because of their members leaving them in search of rather more inspirational experiences elsewhere. Christian educationists are concerned about this development, because it means that these churches have been losing their capacity for entering into meaningful tripartite pedagogical partnerships with family and school. A description of the problem of churches losing members is followed by a brief depiction of spirituality, something that can be experienced both within Christianity and elsewhere. The inability of main- stream churches to let their members experience true Christian spirituality compels the latter to go elsewhere in search of it. It is concluded that spirituality is no “new” religion after all as far as Christianity is concerned. It is in fact the quintessence of Christianity, but has through the ages become deeply buried in the mainstream religions and churches under thick layers of dogmatic and other superficialities.
Highlights
Hoofstroomgodsdienste en hulle inrigtings is sedert die sestigerjare aan die doodbloei as gevolg van die feit dat lidmate hulle verlaat in hulle soeke na meer inspirerende ervarings elders
I contend that while spirituality has always been the quintessence of Christian faith it has been deeply buried in mainstream churches under layers of dogmatic and other superficialities
The spiritual dimension represents the mystical face of religion, the fountainhead of divinity, and the source and essence of the soul. This typology of spirituality that we find in philosophical, religious, theological and educational circles shows that it will require a change in mindset among theologians and mainstream church leaders for them and their sermons to remain relevant to parishioners of the 21st century
Summary
Concerned Christian educationists take note of these developments in the mainstream religions and the churches. The descriptions of family life provided by the Dutch Bureau of Statistics (2003:9, 19 ff.; 2004:14) and by Wagner et al (2005:80) are apt portrayals of the situation in most modern societies (cf Naber, 2004:16 ff.) for a slightly more nuanced and more optimistic description of the situation in the Netherlands She refers to problems experienced by less developed parents (Naber, 2004:11) and the increasing importance of peer group influence. Apart from a small number of private Christian schools (only approximately 4,3% of schools in South Africa are private; cf Colditz, 2008:3), schools worldwide have become secularised, in other words, independent from religion and church in the name of human freedom (unless one regarded “secular humanism” as a religion; cf Shutte, 2005:291) As secularised institutions, they are in principle not able to openly and publicly enter into meaningful pedagogical relationships with (for instance) a particular church or religious denomination. The rest of the article is devoted to a discussion of this strategy
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