How the Reformation Changed Education
By Avery P.
Old School Table by Getty Images (fury123) Created in Canva
Education is a big topic of debate. Whether it’s going to school full-time, part-time, or being fully homeschooled, you have probably heard your family discuss the topic of school. It is a major part of children's lives. It is essential that a person's education is solid. A biblical education is also important, but how did Christian schools come to be? How did the Reformation play a part in that?
Imagine you live in Europe during the Middle Ages. At the same time, a new invention was introduced: the university. The first European university was started during the Middle Ages, and these universities trained many scholars (Lillback 2018). Education was for the very wealthy. It was an honor and privilege to attend school. However, with the introduction of the Protestant Reformation, theologians wanted everyone to experience schooling. The man who first introduced this idea was none other than Martin Luther. He believed that everyone should have a fair chance at an education so that everyone could read the Bible. Luther is known as the father of modern education (Criss). He translated the Bible into German and knew the common person could read it. This changed people’s perspectives on biblical education and the importance of the Bible.
Luther and other theologians played a big part in the beginning of free education. Luther believed that everyone should have a chance at an education. He and other theologians by the name of Philip Melanchton transferred the power of education over to the political authorities of countries (Musse). This allowed for free education. It also allowed the Protestant beliefs to be taught in the educational system. The reformers created theological content for the new educational system (Lillback 2018). For example, catechisms were created to be presented and taught in schools. Heinrich Bullinger created the Second Helvetic Catechism, and The Westminster Catechism was also written and taught in the new schools.
By now, you are probably wondering how this impacts our school and other schools around the world. If not for Martin Luther and other reformers, our education may not be the way it is now. These reformers ushered in ideas no one had thought of. These reforms of education allowed the poor and girls to go to school. However, these theologians provided a firm Biblical foundation for education. It opened the door to new possibilities when it came to school. NorthStar is evident of these changes. In addition, the ideas of Biblical education spread like wildfire through Europe and beyond. The Puritans brought these ideas over to America when they came (Polyzoidou 2021). This provided a solid foundation for American education. In conclusion, the reformation changed schools and how people view schools.
To learn more about why the Protestant Reformation is important today, check out this article.
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Avery P lives in Memphis, Tennessee, with her parents, and three siblings. This is her second year at Northstar and her first writing for the Navigator. Avery enjoys reading, hanging out with friends, and being at church. In the future, Avery hopes to pursue a future in education.