Educating for Commitment: Insights from Postmodernity

Secular pluralism in contemporary culture and current theological divisions within churches have important implications for Christian education. This paper addresses the question of how religious commitments can be made and convictions held outside of polarizing and exclusionary understandings of truth, and without the presence of uncontested doctrines. What habits, practices and dispositions should Christians cultivate in this context? It brings resources from postmodern theology and philosophy into conversation with the Anglican tradition, in order to propose ways that Christian education can foster faith commitment in the midst of pluralism and disagreement. The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.—W. B. Yeats, The Second Coming Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there.—Rumi