An exploration of Groome's shared praxis approach as contextual Christian education within a South African Baptist township church

Abstract

The study commenced by identifying existing forms of Christian education using top-down education within South African Baptist Convention churches. The research established that current models of education were unsatisfactory, as they were individualist, spiritualised and lacking contextual insight A need for Christian education showing greater sensitivity to context was highlighted. A descriptive study ensued implementing Osmers'descriptive-empirical tasks within the field of Practical Theology. Informed by literature relating to liberation theology, critical pedagogy and South African contextual theology, Groome's Shared Praxis Approach (SPA) to education was selected for exploration as a type of contextual Christian education.The research had two objectives.Firstly it explored the five educational movements of SPA, as they were outworked in the township church. Secondly, it sought to establish whether SPA could potentially serve as a type of contextual Christian education within the South African context. SPA was therefore outworked within a Baptist Convention church in the township of Munsieville. Following a qualitative approach, the research observed two Bible Studies implementing SPA and undertook six semi-structured interviews.These were recorded and analysed. Conceptualisation of the data involved content analysis from which codes and categories emerged, as well as drawing on the literature as a lens to analyse and interpret that data. Inter-linked characteristics of contextual Christian education emerged from the data. These related to:contextual stories told by participants; cultural understandings of the Christian Story, and; critical reflection concerning praxis. The findings highlighted that SPA encouraged participants to engage in a participatory, praxis approach to education. Participants read the Christian Story dialogically; in community 'with' each other, as well as in relation to their context. Accordingly, the Christian education process emerged from the bottom-up, enabling participants and facilitator to co-create knowledge. The consequences of this education process indicated liberativc characteristics. The implications ofthese findings were explored. The study's pra xis cycle concludes by offering recommendations for both implementation and further study.