Dr. David Scott points out that the Puritan Circle of
Knowledge provided “a philosophical foundation for the
working vocations. The human being as an artisan can follow
in the footsteps of the Divine Artist. Through this circular
pattern of the created order, humanity can fulfill its cultural
mandate (Gen 1:26-28) and returns glory back to God.” 2
So the shoemaker imitates God by making beautiful
and functional “secondary creations” out of God’s primary
creation. The shoes serve the needs of people and glorify the
Prime Creator through the imitation of Him, thus bringing
glory full circle from God back to God through vocation.
The furniture maker imitates God by making beautiful and
functional “secondary creations” out of God’s primary
creation. The furniture serves the needs of people and glori-
fies the Prime Creator through the imitation of Him, thus
bringing glory from God back to God through vocation. The
banker, the lawyer, and the businessman each glorify God by
serving the financial needs of people, bringing justice to the
world, and creating employment for the community through
“We don’t
ge
meaning f t
rom
our work,
we
bring mea
ning
to our w
ork.”
38
the imitation of God via their respective occupations. And in
so doing, God is glorified, and communities flourish.
I have no doubt this is why the Puritan pastor George
Swinnock declared, “The pious tradesman will know that
his shop, as well as his chapel, is holy ground.” Done in the
right way, with the right attitude, for the right reasons, any
“secondary creations” that imitate God rightly will glorify
Him and bless humanity. This is true whether making shoes,
running banks, or rearing children.
John Milton, the great Puritan leader, summed it up
well when he wrote in his essay, Of Education: “The end
[purpose] then of learning is to repair the ruins of our first
parents by regaining to know God aright, and out of that
knowledge to love him, to imitate him, to be like him, as
we may the nearest by possessing our souls of true virtue.”
And he continued, “I call therefore a complete and generous
education that which fits a man to perform justly, skillfully,
and magnanimously all the offices both private and public
of peace and war.” It doesn’t get more all-inclusive than that.
This understanding of the purpose for education
provided a backdrop for the flourishing of the United States.
To recover such a compelling purpose for learning could
change the course of history once again.
This lost purpose for learning needs to be restored, first
in Christian schools and churches. This can be done if
we will understand what has been lost, and then take the
necessary steps to restore this lost purpose in ways that are
systemic, intentional, and repeatable. This will not be a quick
and easy fix. But we must begin by making modifications
in thousands of schools and churches without further delay.
If these words whet your appetite, I invite you to read
more about this in the essay, The Lost Purpose for Learn-
ing, available at no charge to all Renewanation Review
magazine readers at issuu.com/christianoverman/docs/
the_lost_purpose_for_learning.docx. Hard copies can be
purchased at biblicalworldview.com/bookstore.html.
Dr. Christian Overman is the Founding Director of Worldview
Matters® (biblicalworldview.com). He is the author of Assump-
tions That Affect Our Lives and God’s Pleasure At Work & The
Difference One Life Can Make. Dr. Overman has taught on
the topic of biblical worldview and Christian education across
America, as well as in Central America, South America, Eu-
rope, Africa, and Asia. He and his wife, Kathy, have four adult
children and twelve grandchildren. Contact Dr. Overman at
[email protected].
FOOTNOTES
1. David Mashburn, “The Five Pillars of Happiness: Meaning and Purpose,”
http://www.workpuzzle.com/the-five-pillars-of-happiness-meaning-and-purpose.
2. David Hill Scott, “A Vision of Veritas: What Christian Scholarship Can Learn
from the Puritan’s ‘Technology’ of Integrating Truth,” http://www.leaderu.com/
aip/docs/scott.html.