Definitions
Worldview: The beliefs about reality on which a person bases their understandings and actions.
Christian Worldview: The worldview gained by a hermeneutic study of the Bible. That is, a study which ensures the original meaning of the documents is understood.
Premises
- Bible knowledge is essential for a balanced, informed life.
- In the Queensland education system, Bible knowledge needs to be integrated into the academic curriculum as a cross curriculum element so that it is viewed in a real context by students.
- Integration must be natural not contrived.
Principles
- Staff are the most important agents of biblical integration. The most effective staff fit the following profile:
- Fully committed to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.
- Committed to their local Christian church.
- Competent in their academic disciplines.
- Doctrinally informed.
- Worldview aware i.e. they understand the significance of beliefs to knowledge and actions.
- Committed to Christian Schooling i.e Education within a Christian worldview.
- Equipped to present their subjects within a Christian worldview.
- Staff select and present materials and learning activities for their subject which are consistent with their Christian worldview.
- Staff take opportunities, when ‘teachable moments’ occur, to explain Christian concepts to students, when and where they are interested.
- Biblical integration is one of the 10 main tenets of the College vision, ‘The Way Ahead’. This is interpreted by Heads of Departments and inserted as an aspect of the rationale for each subject and senior work program.
- Each Unit of work has a spiritual objective in a form defined by the Head of Department responsible. These may be general or specific depending on what is appropriate for the Department, Subject and Unit.
- Bible knowledge or doctrine is taught in appropriate places in the curriculum where alignment naturally occurs between that information and the required academic knowledge of a particular subject.