It’s very common for Christians new to unschooling to distrust their own children’s abilities and inclinations, simply because they’ve never experienced an environment that allowed them to build that mutual parent-child trust around learning. Often, this doubt takes the form of a theological complaint, as follows. Continue Reading
Category: Unschooling and Scripture
Unschooling Faith: A Candid Conversation Part 3
(Go here for Part 1, and go here for Part 2.)
What would you say to a fellow Christian who believes in unschooling, just not when it comes to teaching them about God and his word? They believe it needs to be structured. -Jill
Unschooling Faith: A Candid Conversation Part 2
<<Back to Part 1 OR forward to Part 3 >>
How do you help guide your children to love the Lord? So far we have bible studies, talk about God and his word, and pray together. I’m always getting asked to Boy Scouts which my son is not interested in. Then when we go to church it’s again school-like. Any advice, words of wisdom you can bestow on me? Thank you. -Jill S.
Does Unschooling Spoil the Child? A Candid Conversation
This discussion appeared recently on the Christian Unschooling Facebook Group:
SARAH D: So, I’m reading a lot regarding unschooling at the moment, most of it seems to be geared towards giving our children all their wants/needs – first thing is this scriptural? Wants not needs – I mean, should we get our children all their wants? Will they not turn into spoilt brats? Secondly, what if you just can’t facilitate them? Financially, space-wise, time etc?
Unschooling and Unchurching: Parallels
The gradual development of our philosophy on unschooling has paralleled our God journey to a place free from the obligations of religious institutions that we like to call “unchurching.” We didn’t deliberately set out to do this, but rather God has gently called us out of the comfort of the structures that held us, and He has brought us into a place of true freedom. Continue Reading
Jesus Was an Unschooler
Sometimes the objections are loud and brazen: “Unschooling as a Christian is a SIN!” Sometimes they are cautious and confused, a quietly whispered, “Isn’t that… you know… unbiblical?”
Either way, they both stem from the same place: Fear. Fear and a basic misunderstanding of what the Bible does and does not have to say about education. The fact is, the Bible has lots to say about how we should conduct ourselves our Christians, lots to say about how we treat others….. and not so much to say about how we learn the three R’s.
And when we do look to the Bible for those answers? Like most answers, we need not look further than Jesus himself. And while he of course never had children of his own … Continue Reading
The Life of Jesus: Biblical Unschooling
There was once a bloke who knew just about everything there was to know about … well, everything! He liked to hang around with his mates having a yarn about stuff. They went fishing and boating together, he washed their stinky feet, spoke wisely, told stories, encouraged questions, fed the hungry, rested, cared for the destitute, and welcomed grotty kids. He loved sharing life with his mates and chatting as they walked along the road getting dust in their sandals. Continue Reading
Walking in Dad’s Shoes: Biblical Unschooling
What wisdom does the Bible offer on how we should teach our children?
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Following the Rabbi: Biblical Unschooling
Anyone who has journeyed down the road of Christian Unschooling has been met with evangelical opposition at one point or another. I recently heard a conservative pastor say that it was a “violation of scripture.” Obviously, I disagree and think his opinion is based on a few misconceptions (as are most people’s when it comes to unschooling).
So imagine my delight when I picked up an interesting book this week called Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewishness of Jesus Can Transform Your Faith. It’s about understanding the Jewish culture of Jesus’ time, traditions, and way of life so that you can understand the impact of some of the things that He did and said in a Jewish context.
But that’s not what this post is about. Continue Reading
Discovery Channel Doesn’t Count
Reading a friend’s homeschooling blog I spotted a troll who commented, “Who ever learned anything at home? Discovery Channel doesn’t count.”
I didn’t enter unschooling with a lot of skepticism, and I haven’t received many surprises from unschooling that are not common to parenting in general, but statements such as that one do rather stun me to disbelief. Continue Reading