It is interesting that so many persons, even church laymen, have so limited knowledge and informed respect for the history of Christianity in the West related to the growth and maintenance of education at every level. The Jewish faith (Old Testament), mother of Christianity, has always been supportive of education. Wherever Jewish people have gone they tend to enrich nations in contributions, generating from their education for society. The list of eminent Jewish intellectuals, citizens and professionals is impressive compared to percentages applicable to other peoples.
Robert Maynard Hutchins of the University of Chicago attempted to give improved focus to the period between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance. He protested the implications of historians to downplay the Middle (Dark) Ages partly blaming the Church for alleged stall in human progress. Without the Church during the period, there would have been virtually no formal education. Government leaders did almost nothing about public schools. The Church kept learning alive, and a ministry was given to the general society at little cost to civil governments. Early in my own years, most collegians were in institutions either privately or religiously oriented in their contexts, or so founded. As institutions grew older many abandoned their parental sources, even turning against them. Secular society commonly does that. Early public institutions often included religion. As I recall, Will Durant, the historian and skeptic, partly worked his way through a New York University by taking tally of students attending chapel.
Public education took pieces from religious schools in much of what was done, from the education of teachers to financing programs. Schools were tax supported but eventually went for private funds as well, so became competitive to the free standing schools. Parochial schools are supported by citizens who also pay for public institutions. The Atlantic Monthly noted that in the long history of the Catholic Church the schools of the church had caused improvement across the board: many contexts engendered school competition that ultimately spurred student achievement.
My own experience has included several public and private (Christian oriented) institutions. I am grateful, very grateful, for what I received from both contexts. The intellectual disciplines of education were practiced in both. I had excellent, even personal, rapport with faculty members in both. I would give up neither experience. From the values of the Christian institutions I now find, as my life shortens, the greater appreciation. But, from the scholarship of the universities, from which my doctorate was earned, I found high quality education. I also found as many closed minds, as many prejudices, as many negatives, of which secular critics have accused sectarian institutions. The idealism/values of the faith entities add more values to education that can easily be missed in any context where mankind is the whole measure of self. My disappointment is that scholars have not carried through on research and publication that capture the true and full story of Christianity in various fields of human endeavor, especially for the education and values of its own as well as others. There appears to be some correction of the omission now under way. I am grateful, and believe there may be a Christian Renaissance of some influence that can grow out of scholarly review of the impact of Christian faith and truth upon lives and society. The field for Christian scholarship is open, and may be vital to the mission of the Church in advancing purpose in a global society. When Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses to the church door he did not see the revival of New Testament accents that followed. We too may not see. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020