The RenewaNation Review 2019 Volume 11 Issue 2 | Page 19

American Education: SHAPING THE MIND AND SOUL By Dr. Gary House E DUCATION HAS SERVED many purposes throughout American history including moral and social training, literacy and instruction, cultural conformity, and forming a national character. It has arguably been one of the most significant instruments used to shape generations of Americans and to influence the mind and soul. Ultimately, that’s what education is all about. For this reason, educational institutions are a major battleground where culture wars rage and the future of our children and the character of our country hang in the balance. Foremost in the struggle has been the role of religion in public education. Secular humanism regards Christ and truth as antithetical to one another, having difficulty recon- ciling the integration of faith and reason. Consequently, it seeks to separate religion from education. While forced to the perimeter at most educational institutions today, many still believe that religion is fundamental to the essence of education at any level. A brief historical review might elucidate the ideological and philosophical differenc- es behind this tension and the current crisis we face in educating our families. The formative principles for both a Christian and a secu- lar humanistic culture in America emerged within the Renaissance, which spanned the 14th to 17th centuries, and the Reformation of the 16th century. These ideologies developed in America during the Enlightenment age of the 17th and 18th centuries. While the Renaissance laid the foundation for a secular humanistic, man-centered world- view, the Reformation laid the foundation for a Christian, 19