In Search of the Good.

From an Ontario religion teacher re In Search of the Good

I just read through Dr. John Shea's review of the Grade 12 textbook In Search of the Good (C.I., Feb. 2005, pp. 42-43). He makes many good and valid points. I have used this book for the past two years and find that it does such a poor job on various areas that I have to supplement it heavily.

It does introduce the student to Aristotle and, if the teacher points it out, the whole idea of Natural Law. That part is good, but the book does not adequately really develop that subject. The section on Levinas is a complete mystery to the students. One fellow religion teacher I went to for guidance on this part of the book said to me, "I don't understand anything in that section either. I just don't do it." I followed suit.

The marriage section stinks. The kids learn little from it. The Sacrament of Holy Orders is also poorly done.

Those teachers in the Catholic system who are loyal to the Church have always worked around the lousy textbooks we have been given by the Ontario bishops. It drives up the photocopy budget, but it is worth it. Much of this textbook seems on the one hand to assume a level of knowledge about philosophy our students just don't have; and on the other is too superficial in other areas for Grade twelve students. The students generally have contempt for the text--actually, for all the religion textbooks, especially the Grade Nine Be With Me. Poor teachers using poor textbooks will not teach the kids much, but the rest of us can still put on a pretty good course despite the poor textbooks. My own school has lots of Bibles and Catechisms. They are more important to us in this course than any textbooks. I just thought you might like to know how some of the Ontario teachers are making out with the text.

Name, location withheld