a] According to the authors, the "implied message" of
Ephesians 6:4 is that "when children are raised consistent with God’s ways they
will not become exasperated or frustrated. Said differently, frustration and even wrath
and bitterness are natural outcomes of not being raised consistent with God’s
ways." To what degree are ‘wrath and bitterness’ a part of the psyche of
the nation’s youth? Of what characteristics of society are they a ‘natural
outcome’: that is, what aspects of contemporary Western society are not
‘consistent with God’s ways’? What are God’s ‘answers’ to
such aspects?
b] Why do people "often resist being raised to reflect God’s
nature"? In what ways can the types of resistance described - the desire to be
independent, and the self-protection which results from hurt - be expressed?
c] Why is "the process of learning to surrender to God’s
ways…at times uncomfortable if not forthrightly painful"? Recall from your own
experience, or from observations of students’ experiences, examples of this process.
What was the issue at the heart of the struggle? What was it that brought resolution to
the struggle?
d] Consider the ‘themes’ of the survey questions used in this
study. Use the table below to indicate some of your own ideas regarding these themes:
e] The thesis of this chapter is that "love is the foundational
medium…for human development" and, as such, should form the basis of a
‘nurturance’ model of teaching. In this model, godly love "serves as both
the foundational developer and healer in the teacher-learner dynamic". The
application of this love is found in the aspect of gifts: if students are to be
raised ‘in the Lord’ (Ephesians 6:4) and if they are to be trained ‘in the
way they should go’ (Proverbs 22:6), then they are to be equipped to function
according to their gifts (Romans 12:6-9). The acceptance of this principle, say the
authors, "is the first step in promoting the use of the imago Dei
qualities of each individual", which is identified as the "instructional
recommendation" of Ephesians 6:4.
To what degree is the aim of developing imago Dei
qualities in students compatible with more ‘traditional’ perceptions of the
goals of schooling, related both to the needs of the individual and to those of the wider
society, or are such views at odds with each other? What implications would such an
approach have for the nature and character of school curriculum, and for teachers’
daily work?
f] Consider the "example list of gifts" included in the text.
What is the connection between each "academically related behavioral indicator"
and the gift with which it is associated? That is, why is each indicator a
‘sign’ that a student possesses the particular gift? Can you identify traits in
your own students which suggest that they possess certain gifts? As an exercise in
evaluating the ideas contained in this chapter, you might like to select a particular
student as a case study for the application of the nurturance approach.