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Educating for Life:
A Spiritual Vision for Every Teacher and Parent
By Thomas Groome
Allen, Texas, Thomas More, 1998. 472 pp. $29.95.
Thomas Groome, professor of theology and education at Boston College, is probably best known for his emphasis upon a "shared praxis approach" to religious education described in his extremely popular works, Christian Religious Education (1980), and Sharing Faith (1991). Groome describes shared praxis as "a group of Christians sharing in dialogue their critical reflection on present action in light of the Christian Story and its Vision toward the end of lived Christian faith." (Christian Religious Education, 184) In other words, a key educational task inherent to the Christian life is critically reflecting upon one's life and practice in light of a theological vision. This is important background for appreciating Groome's attempt in Educating for Life to lay out a relatively comprehensive "spiritual vision."
The most refreshing aspect of this work rests not so much in the content of the vision but in the intended audience-teachers and parents. In an age where scholars increasingly write...