Old Ideas, New Practices: When Religion Is for Relationships
A Handbook of Instructional Strategies for Teachers and Parents
- Discipleship & Christian Education
- Publisher: Resource Publications (Wipf and Stock)
- Published: 2021
FritzSearch.com earns a commission on purchases made through Bookshop.org links.
Publisher's Description
This book is an upstream solution to the problems, issues, and questions young people struggle with downstream--alienation, boredom, and mistrust of religion. It includes over a hundred teaching strategies, tactics, logistics, and relationship builders that teachers in homes, schools, and churches can use. This book is a treasure chest of old ideas cast into new and proven teaching practices, each to be mined for the gem in it. Potvin's interest in writing this book, however, is not to focus on what is broken and ineffective in Christian religious education (and a lot of education is broken and ineffective) but on what he has learned to be proven to be effective. He has drawn from his PhD studies, parenting with its perturbations and insights, and over forty years of teaching in universities, public, and faith-based schools. Jesus gave us our program of studies, with much to think about and practice what could work--to bring us to our true self, friendship with the Creator, love for others, and justice for all. And given the unprecedented trend towards home education and online teaching, designed for and led by parents, new practices based on old ideas may be just what the doctor ordered.
Endorsements (4)
“Dr. Potvin is not trying to feed his readers with teaching theories and techniques. The practical advice he offers to his readers comes from who he is and what he experienced. If ‘loving’ is the best evidence that teaching is effective, those who know Dr. Potvin can tell you how effective he is as an educator.”
“A crucial companion for parents, educators, and all others who care about the formation of healthy persons free to love bravely, capable of sustaining life-giving relationships, and oriented to live well in the world.”
“I appreciate the constructive approach in this book, focusing on adapting to the challenges ahead rather than the deficiencies we are already aware of. Preparing students for ‘right relationships’ is a profound objective and one we can pivot toward as teachers.”
“This is a book unlike any that you’ve read before. It is a unique, personal combination of theology, autobiography, psychology, and instructional design. . . . This is not a book to read quickly and then put on the shelf; it requires reading, reflection, then application. If you choose to do so, you will be a better teacher, parent, and follower of Christ, more able to build loving relationships with those around you.”
See something wrong on this page? Report a problem