Journal for Christian reflections in the context of social sciences and humanities

Caritas et veritas 2022, 12(2):52-71 | DOI: 10.32725/cetv.2022.027

Rethinking the Approach to Education by Reversing the Transcendentals and Recalling Another

Stuart Nicolson
University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Theology, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Kněžská 8, 370 01 České Budějovice

The three transcendentals of truth, goodness, and beauty, originally being understood as signs of God in our world, have for centuries been an important element in education, providing structure for education. However, through rationalist thinking they became subjectivised, which has led to negative developments in education such as increasing individualisation and disinterest in Christianity, particularly in postmodern society. Based partly on the author’s experiences of awe and wonder in teaching children, this paper proposes several changes in educational approach and how we understand the transcendentals partly through the work of Hans Urs von Balthasar, including recognising the transcendentals as objective and reinstating unity as a fourth refocuses them as signs of God and a means to know him more. Also, by reversing their order so that beauty leads to goodness and then to truth, which is a more natural way of learning, this enables the least objectionable transcendental –  beauty – to call the learner in whichever setting to learn more effectively, including about Christian themes and content. Such approaches can contribute to answering several Vatican II calls for change in education in both schooling and preparing the faithful to engage as Christians in the world.

Keywords: Transcendentals, beauty, goodness, truth, unity, Balthasar, Second Vatican Council, education, apologetics, learning.

Received: July 1, 2022; Revised: February 16, 2023; Accepted: February 16, 2023; Published: April 15, 2023  Show citation

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Nicolson, S. (2022). Rethinking the Approach to Education by Reversing the Transcendentals and Recalling Another. Caritas et veritas, 12(2), 52-71. doi: 10.32725/cetv.2022.027
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