Christian Mathematics Teachers

Celebrate God’s Truth

God is the source of truth and Jesus is the truth. 
Christians respond by worshiping God in spirit and truth. John 1:14; 4:24

Worldview

How did we (and the rest of the world) get here?

What’s our purpose for being here?

What, if anything, is wrong with the way things are now, and how did they go wrong?

How can things be fixed or made better?

A worldview gives us a framework for interpreting our experiences, and it gives guidance to our lives, both in our day-to-day activities and in our professional work.

Worldviews mould the ways we think about the students we teach and the way they learn. They direct how we think about issues even when we don’t explicitly articulate them.

We shouldn’t conceive of mathematics and Christian religion, therefore, as two companion bodies of knowledge that need to be joined in order to make our mathematics Christian. Rather, Christian faith is central and should work itself out in our mathematics (p. 23).

Read more of Jongsma’s (2007) excellent article…

Mathematics: Always Important, Never Enough – A Christian Perspective on Mathematics and Mathematics Education

What do we present as ‘truth’ without thinking about it?

What truths, half-truths, and lies do we need to bring out into the open and expose to students?

Through prayer, teachers can expose the truth claims given by the world and guide students to critically examine them against the Bible.

Some problematic “worldviews” that may be implied and absorbed by students in mathematics:

  • Mathematics is “truth”; mathematical equations need to be accepted by faith.
  • Statistics can be trusted.
  • The textbook with consumer applications is a “normal” way to view the world.
  • Human reason is glorified and is sufficient to make sense of the world and control the future.
  • Mathematical learning is all about the future. The purpose of studying is to find a “good” job, which will lead to economic wealth and prosperity.
  • Sadly, students may measure their self-worth by their performance in mathematics.
  • Mathematical problems are ridiculous and disconnected from reality.
  • Religion is private and separated from ‘school subjects’ (dualism).
  • The secrets of the universe can be unlocked through mathematics.

The Christian teacher needs to expose and challenge these ideas and re-story them within a biblical epistemology (Colossians 1). For instance, God built patterns and laws into aspects of the universe that are absolute; they await revelation, and their discovery will lead to the worship of their Creator (Romans 1:20–22). Further, humans, who are made in God’s image, use and create other mathematical ideas to serve in their communities and steward God’s world. A truth that students need to be continually told and experienced.

“Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you”

Romans 12:2 (The Message Bible)

Here are some tools to help you draw out ‘truth’ claims presented in mathematics:

Explore other pedagogical practices

Christian Mathematics Teachers