Education as a Work of Love a Theological Perspective

Abstract

The author shows educating a man as a work of love. What he means is formation of the humanity by God who loves each man, and the cooperation of teachers and pedagogues in this work. He bases his argument on analysis of Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI's thought, and he clearly indicates education as a special form of evangelization, in which the teacher and the pedagogue's role is to bring the pupil to Christ and to emerge him in His love, which requires a living faith on the part of the educator. Being faithful he looks at the pupil with Christ's eyes and notices a lot more than can be seen on the outside.

The article consists of four parts. In the first one the author presents basic elements of the Christian message on education. In the second part he points to the harmful mechanisms of the Polish schooling system. In the third part he develops the basic elements of his interpretation of education understood as forming humanity by God's love and he defines man's contribution to this work. The whole is concluded by suggestions for a modern educator.