Educational philosophies are established in terms of three major ideas:
(a) what is the nature of man? (b) what is the nature and function of society?
(c) what is the nature of the universe? These questions may be phrased in
different ways, but the essential substance of them is always present when
men seek to set down a philosophy of education. The philosophy of education
subscribed to by Manhattan Christian College is as follows:
The Institution is committed to the faith that God has revealed Himself
fully and finally in the Hebrew-Christian scriptures, with the culmination
of that revelation expressed through Jesus Christ in the New Testament.
In Christ and His message the truth about the nature of man, society,
and the universe is made manifest.
What and who is humanity? Created in the image of God, but rebellious
against the will of God for his life, humankind is in need of that kind
of redemption which will restore him to fellowship with his Creator and
answer the question of the nature and identity of all people. With the
Bible at the center of its curricular program, MCC answers the cry of
every person for an adequate sense of self-identity, with the invitation
to become children of God through Jesus Christ. Secular education in the
United States cannot give this answer.
What is society? Society is a functioning group of human beings
working together in the pursuit of their major corporate interest, self-maintenance,
self-perpetuation or continuity, and order in associational relationships.
MCC subscribes to the belief that the identity and value of the individual
as revealed in Jesus Christ constitutes the fundamental basis upon which
the social organization and order are established. The political system
known as the democratic process is the most adequate system for the operation
of free nation; but this system is undergirded by the concept of humanity
and society as seen in the Christian scriptures. A philosophy of education
most suited to peoples' needs and society is not complete, therefore,
without the content of scriptural truth incorporated into the educational
program.
What is the nature of the universe? Modern educators are concerned
with the necessity of providing an adequate world-view for those who are
being educated. Manhattan Christian College subscribes to the view that
the total universe is the result of the creative power of God. God is
the giver and sustainer of its order and His revelation of Himself in
Christ and in scriptures is in harmony with all the truth which man may
discover about the universe. Furthermore, it is held that an adequate
world-view cannot be achieved apart from an inclusion of both creation
and revelation. |
