History of Religious Education

 

As a latter-day Saint, I believe that before I was born on the earth, I existed as a spirit and lived with my Father in Heaven.  During the time spent in His presence, I received a divine education.  As part of that education, I began to learn the doctrines of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Once man was formed and placed on the earth, God sent angels and the Holy Ghost to teach Adam and Eve the Plan of Salvation.  Afterward, Adam and Eve taught their children what they had learned.  After Adam, God continued to call prophets to teach His holy word and establish His true church on the earth.  The scriptures show that the cycle of religious education largely continue throughout history through family lines and in organized religious assemblies.  

I believe the majority of the religions found on the earth today (as evidenced by shared core values and similarities in basic beliefs) can all be traced back to the gospel revealed to Adam.  Over time, beliefs gradually drifted away from what was originally taught, and "new" religions were established.  Generation after generation continued to receive religious instruction, greatly contributing to the traditions and culture embraced by people around the world.  This led me to ask, is the history of seminary teaching found exclusively in LDS church history and in other Christian churches?  Apart from Christianity, which religions, civilizations, and ancient practices have contributed to and most closely mirror the format of in-class religious instruction currently taught by seminary/institute teachers?

I was amazed by some of my findings.

For example, in the Islamic culture, aspiring Muslims would learn to read and write in order to more fully access the blessings of the Koran.  In order to make the Koran more accessible to the Islamic community, kuttābs were organized.  Sometimes these gatherings were held in mosques, private homes, shops, tents, or even out in the open.  The curriculum of the kuttāb was directed at studying the Koran and on religious obligations such as ritual ablutions, fasting, and prayer.  Historians aren't sure when these gatherings were first organized, but by the middle of the eighth century they could be found in nearly every part of the Islamic empire.  Religious education continues to be a vibrant part of their culture.

 Shawn Dorman (who happens to be my father), who has been teaching seminary/university classes at BYU-I for nearly twenty years, shared with me the recent history of seminary teaching.  Over a hundred years ago, in order to help the youth have greater access to the blessings contained in the standard works, the first released-time seminary program was launched at Granite High School in Salt Lake City.  From humble beginnings, the program has since grown into a worldwide system of religious education.  Seminary and institute attendance is consistently promoted by church leaders. 

Seeing these similarities helped me recognize that, in addition to divine revelation, other religions and their history of teaching, and their efforts to preach their beliefs has provided us great examples of how to better engage students in learning.