Fashion Me a People

Maria Harris provides essential reading for those interested in creative levels of teaching in religious education and theology.

A wonderful book and a valuable tool for all leaders of the church. Harris points out to us in her book that the church curriculum is never ending; education is a lifelong process and found in all forms of ministry. If this is truly the case, then we need to be aware of how we are educating people and how we can improve upon that education in all areas of ministry. Harris' book helps us to do just that. I found this book to contain many practical ideas and ways of building or improving a church curriculum. There are many sound suggestions that any church could use and useful tools are supplied to help you determine how to best use those suggestions to meet the needs of your church. I found three things to be especially helpful and important in this book. First, Harris begins with a scripture verse that guides her theories and the foundation of that scripture is apparent throughout the book. Secondly, Harris places simple exercises at the end of each chapter to help readers go deeper into the ideas presented in each chapter and to discern how they can best apply the ideas to their programs. Finally, Harris separates the book into three sections and then chapters, which makes the book very organized, focused, and understandable.

Calls for one to look at curriculum in a whole new light. Curriculum is more than the printed page. The entire experience of 'Church' in Harris' view is curriculum. She includes a discussion of the multiple meanings of curriculum and curricular challenges.

Dick Murray's book, Teaching tthe Bible to Adults and Youth, presents a wide expanse of ideas and possibilities in Bible study. In this book, an educator should find an array of scenarios to open the Bible up to people. His comments on how Biblically illiterate adults and youth have become in our society are right on. He further commented on how we learn the Bible in seminary (limited as it may be), but we learn to teach from teachers.

This book provides an especially excellent overview of the differnet concepts of curricula, including a history of different definitions and the recent history of the broadening concept of what it is. Harris' vision of teaching encompasses a wide scope of the church. She helps you to see curricula for education not just in books, but in people, worship, group interaction, meetings, and in fact, any aspect of church life. She identifies the present state of education in the church as an in between time, on the edge of a new, holistic view of education in the Church.