Faithful Parents Faithful Children
Faithful Parents Faithful Children: Why We Homeschool
by Donald W. Schanzenbach
Mr. Schanzenbach is not a new author to Heritage Covenant high schoolers. He also wrote the book, Advancing the Kingdom, which we use as a Worldview text.
Faithful Parents is first of all a testimony of the experiences of the Schanzenbach family as they taught their children. But more importantly it is an exposition of the scriptures on the topic of teaching, learning and wisdom. Only 110 pages plus pages of resources, it is a quick read, but will bring some conviction along the way.
The first chapter of Faithful Parents is titled “God Commands Parents to Educate.” In numerous references from scripture, Don emphasizes the parental responsibility in education and he doesn’t go softly with fathers. He writes, “...bringing up children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord requires much more than just a little Sunday school….In fact the word nurture indicates personal care, teaching by example, and involvement in the life of the one being taught.”
Mr. Schanzenbach does not spend much time recounting the failure of public education. He simply points out the thorough depravity of its curriculum and philosophy and reminds us that there is no such thing as a neutral worldview. Instruction and textbooks either present the truth and wisdom of the Christian faith or they do not. There is no middle ground and no amount of passive (or active) influence by a Christian teacher will make up for a bad foundation.
Faithful Parents Faithful Children does not tread lightly on the serious topic of how we ensure our children’s education. Some parents will disagree with the application of some scriptures, but they will be wrong to dismiss the points made without serious and prayerful discussion.
I recommend that every Christian parent read Faithful Parents Faithful Children. And to make getting the book easier for you, Heritage Covenant will have copies on hand for purchase.
(Reviewed April 2007)