Teaching World-Views : H. Richard Niebuhr's Paradigm

概要

論文の詳細を見る
The span of dissimilarity in Western value systems, most visible in political parties and religious organizations, often baffle Japanese students majoring in Policy Studies. An appropriate model to help students sort out important differences is hard to find, particularly one that is non-doctrinaire. H. Richard Niebuhr (1894-1962), an American theologian, articulated a paradigm, based on typology, for understanding various approaches of Christianity to culture in Christ and Culture (1951). Niebuhr's paradigm is easily enlarged to include the secular world, as I have been doing with my advanced English classes for many years. Though Niebuhr himself was ambivalent about categorizing people, his model is an ideal pedagogical tool to help students appreciate fundamental ways of looking at life. While I regret oversimplifying his profoundly thoughtful approach, I believe it can introduce undergraduate students to basic world-views, helping them gain valuable reference points from which to generalize. I hope my introduction of the paradigm here will encourage teachers to aim higher with advanced English students, to focus more on teaching critical thinking skills.
関西学院大学の論文