Educating for Life: A Spiritual Vision for Every Teacher and Parent.

by Thomas Groome

Thomas More, $29.95, 472 pp.

Lawrence S. Cunningham

Thomas Groome is one of the premier religious educators writing in English today. His current book lays out a comprehensive spiritual vision for the educator rooted, as he says, in the "depth structures" of the Catholic tradition. Borrowing from the work of Langdon Gilkey and Richard McBrien (but, curiously, not making use of Avery Dulles's excellent The Catholicity of the Church), Groome sees those depth structures as valuing the relationship of reason and faith, a sense of tradition, an emphasis on mediation, a keen sense of sacramentality, and so on. When we educate, Groome argues, we can do so through a holistic approach that goes well beyond the handing on of information. I like his observation that when someone asks what a teacher's subject is the correct answer is that our students are the subject of our labors.

In separate chapters Groome argues for an education that includes within it the element of justice, the pursuit of wisdom, a love for the world, and a belief in the humanity of each person. These would be standard cliches save for Groome's insistence that we must first appropriate these values as teachers before handing them on to others. One is reminded of the old scholastic axiom that nobody can give what he or she does not possess. Hence, Groome's approach is to argue for education of the self before one undertakes the education of others. As he develops his theses, he makes use of a nice blend of pedagogical theory, storytelling, philosophy, social science, and theology. The result is a rich text which is made all the more appetizing by the frequent inclusion of questions and meditation points.

Although Groome writes from an explicitly Catholic perspective, he is convinced that what he has to say might bear hearing from all educators. His reliance on Catholic sources may be a bit much for some, but his pages on such topics as education as a conversation, how to understand contemplation, his notes on wisdom, his concern for hospitality, and much more should resonate with anyone interested in a pedagogy that goes beyond mere mechanics.

It took me a long time to finish Groome's book. There are pages that deserved due rumination (and some copious note taking!), and the book itself is quite long. Indeed, if I have any criticism it is that Groome is unnecessarily prolix. The book's bulkiness might discourage those who have the least leisure to read and profit from it (for example, teachers in elementary and secondary schools). Perhaps Groome could be persuaded to issue a pared-down version (excising, for example, the frequent potted histories of various movements within the church) while maintaining the excellent format and user-friendly elements.

Lawrence S. Cunningham teaches theology at the University of Notre Dame.