Educating for Life: A Spiritual Vision for Every Teacher and Parent

I have a love-hate relationship with this book. On the one hand, it inspired a great deal of thought and has really changed the way I look at religious education, and my own job as a religious educator. On the other hand, Groome can be *very* long-winded. This book could have been half as long without sacrificing very much at all. But I have to recommend it -- it is one of the best books about religious education I've ever read.

Educating For Life: A Spiritual Vision For Every Teacher And Parent by Thomas Groome (Professor of Pastoral Theology and Religious Education, Boston College), is an informed and informative examination of what it truly means to have a Catholic education. Examining modern spiritual concerns both at home and at the school, Professor Groome offers a wealth of insights to help the reader cope with the latest flood of distractions that modern, hyper-connected life throws at the faithful. Education For Life is a highly recommended, accessibly readable, thoughtfully insightful, and quite personable look at the meaning and future of Christian education.

In this work, Tom Groome proposes to offer a philosophy for catholic education and a catholic philosophy for education. He does a fine job of offering both and it will be of interest to any Christian educator who seeks to integrate universal principles of Christian faith into his or her spirituality of teaching. It is simple to read, yet offers more than just a simplistic rendering. As one of Tom's students, and as a professional religious educator myself, I heartily recommend it.