Creativity and Christian Education

This is a follow-up on a previous post in which I reflected upon economic ideas I heard from clips at the Aspen Ideas Festival…

In the previous post I quoted futurist Richard Florida, who said:

Every single human being is creative. The key task of our time is to move behind an economic model where the creative talents of 30 or 35 percent are harnessed and utilized for economic gains . . . The true challenge of our time is to stoke the creative furnace that lies deep within every single individual.

I then went on to speak about my role as a pastor of a parochial school and my sense of what a Lutheran education can be:

My belief is that the Christian Gospel and the Lutheran understanding of vocation can and should undergird an education that rejoices in the unique gift of God that is each child. Only the Gospel of Christ truly sets one free; only the Word of God which proclaims this Gospel truly understands freedom. I believe this truth calls for teachers who are faithful disciples and passionate learners. I believe this calls for a dramatically different approach to just about every aspect of education. I believe this calls for courage on the part of parents and a true partnership with them in the education of their children. My struggle in this is analogous, I suspect, to that of many a business owner: How do we facilitate transformation?

Another presenter from the Aspen Ideas Festival, a man I am familiar with through the TED podcasts, is education and creativity specialist, Sir Ken Robinson. In the talk below from AIF he presents a summary of his latest book, The Element.

If you are interested in education, creativity, and helping people discover and utilize their God-given gifts, it’s 74 very valuable minutes. Surprising and wonderful is the video shown at about the 68 minute mark by the founders of The Blue Man group and the school they have begun.

Having seen this extended talk I’m rather interested in reading The Element with some others who want to explore the future of Lutheran education. Perhaps my planned Sunday night “Cana Bible Study” for this fall will become the “Cana Book Club.” We’ll see…