The Christian faith community regards the making of disciples as a prime
directive of Jesus himself, though this theme is not dominant in
contemporary models of teaching in the church. This investigation seeks
to develop a theory of discipling and to test its congruence as an
effective educational strategy with the objectives of modern Christian
faith communities. After briefly examining the discipling model of
teaching as practiced in the world of the Ancient Near East, a detailed
study of New Testament texts investigates the practice of discipling by
Jesus and his followers and in the church of the first century. An
understanding of the concept of discipling is gained by gradually
refining its definition as the study progresses through a contemporary
examination of other informal models of education. Religious and
educational research findings are explored to enable the validity of the
discipling model to be determined. Finally, the definition is used as a
benchmark to examine various contemporary educational theories within
the community of faith. In contrast to the schooling model, discipling
has been shown to be an effective model for teaching attitudes, values,
and behavior as well as knowledge and beliefs in today's church. Its
emphasis on commitment to learning relationships within a nurturing
community and active involvement in the mission of Christ to the world,
and its capacity to adapt to differences in age, culture, ability, and
interests, make it a model of teaching worthy of much greater attention
by the Christian faith community. This study provides a superb biblical
anchorage for a model of teaching and learning in a faith community
which may help to balance the churches over-reliance on the schooling
model. - Brian Hill, Emeritus Professor of Education, Murdoch
University, Western Australia Sylvia Collinson's work brings together a
range of insights not commonly juxtaposed, providing a significant
contribution to both the theoretical appreciation and application of
disciple-making as a contemporary strategy for effective Christian
formation. - Allan Harkness, Editor, Journal of Christian Education
Collinson's creative approach, considering discipleship from an
educational perspective, is original and stimulating with fascinating
insights into Jesus' methodology. An excellent source for all his
disciples, not just for disciplers. - Mary J. Evans, Senior Lecturer,
London School of Theology, UK Sylvia Wilkey Collinson is a visiting
lecturer at Morling College, Sydney, and Associate Pastor of a Baptist
church. She has been vice-principal of a Bible college and lectured in
several Australian theological colleges. She graduated from London
School of Theology (BA), Sydney University (MEd), and Murdoch University
(PhD).
