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Teaching As A Sacramental Act
textbook
242 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2004
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May 26, 2017
The concept and idea of the book are cool. To think of teaching, and living in general as Moore argues, as a sacramental act is inspiring and opens up plenty of new avenues in teaching.
There are plenty of thoughtful and useful elements in this book as well. Thinking of the liturgical seasons in terms of how and when to teach various sacramental ways of living is useful. Thinking in broad strokes what the role of teacher/preacher is also proves provoking and useful. Some of the suggestions for teaching are also good.
Unfortunately, while there are useful bits to this book, it serves far more as a theological work than a practical one. As a theological work, it's good. But it is not just a theological work. It is clearly and explicitly intended to also be practical. Yet there is a clear division between the theological and practical sides. For instance, in chapter two, Moore discusses the roots of sacramental understanding--what the sacraments can and do mean. Then, after exploring the roots, she then explores teaching as a sacramental act, based on the roots but WITHOUT any reference back to the roots on which the teaching is based. Each chapter from there is then structured the same way: a theological exploration and then teaching suggestions that don't much reference the theology. The book would be shorter, more understandable, more provocative, and more usable if the sections on theology and teaching were connected rather than separated, or at least if there were a clear thread drawn between the two. In chapter two, particularly, it almost seems as if she forgets the theology as she develops understanding teaching as a sacrament because she doesn't draw on or even much use the language from the theological discussion. Why bother? Why do it that way?
Plus, there are five or more implications and suggestions for teaching as a sacrament for each of the six roots. If I were to add them all up, we'd probably get up to forty or more, each of them expansive in character. How is any one teacher/preacher/leader supposed to be aware of and use all of them? Nearly impossible.
Essentially, this book suggests a way of living and understanding God's grace and intent for our lives. But as such, the complicated structure and process distract from and unnecessarily add to what could have been a far more simple work.
There are plenty of thoughtful and useful elements in this book as well. Thinking of the liturgical seasons in terms of how and when to teach various sacramental ways of living is useful. Thinking in broad strokes what the role of teacher/preacher is also proves provoking and useful. Some of the suggestions for teaching are also good.
Unfortunately, while there are useful bits to this book, it serves far more as a theological work than a practical one. As a theological work, it's good. But it is not just a theological work. It is clearly and explicitly intended to also be practical. Yet there is a clear division between the theological and practical sides. For instance, in chapter two, Moore discusses the roots of sacramental understanding--what the sacraments can and do mean. Then, after exploring the roots, she then explores teaching as a sacramental act, based on the roots but WITHOUT any reference back to the roots on which the teaching is based. Each chapter from there is then structured the same way: a theological exploration and then teaching suggestions that don't much reference the theology. The book would be shorter, more understandable, more provocative, and more usable if the sections on theology and teaching were connected rather than separated, or at least if there were a clear thread drawn between the two. In chapter two, particularly, it almost seems as if she forgets the theology as she develops understanding teaching as a sacrament because she doesn't draw on or even much use the language from the theological discussion. Why bother? Why do it that way?
Plus, there are five or more implications and suggestions for teaching as a sacrament for each of the six roots. If I were to add them all up, we'd probably get up to forty or more, each of them expansive in character. How is any one teacher/preacher/leader supposed to be aware of and use all of them? Nearly impossible.
Essentially, this book suggests a way of living and understanding God's grace and intent for our lives. But as such, the complicated structure and process distract from and unnecessarily add to what could have been a far more simple work.
Displaying 1 of 1 review