Faith Informing DisciplineFaith Informing TeachingDiscipline Informing FaithClosingSTATEMENT OF FAITH AND LEARNINGSteven A. HenkelProfessor of Physical EducationBethel College is committed to fostering growth among Christians--learning thatoccurs inside and outside the classroom--or perhaps more accurately, learningwithin a wide variety of "classrooms." In addition to the classrooms within fourwalls, opportunities for learning include talking in the cafeteria, practicing on thefootball field, performing in a play, and ministering in local and internationalcommunities.Since learning at Bethel is viewed holistically, the integration of faith withlearning needs to be evident in all classroom settings. Consequently, individualfaculty should think and function in ways different from those on secularcampuses. To me, the integration of faith and learning may be described byexplaining (a) how faith informs my discipline, (b) how faith informs myteaching, and (c) how the discipline of physical education informs my faith.Faith Informing Discipline Faith and TruthFaith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Heb11:1). My faith is in Jesus Christ--who he is and what he did and continues to do.Jesus is God in human form (Jn 1:14). He died for my sins once for all, and roseagain to intercede to God the Father on my behalf (Heb 7:25-27). I have no othermeans of having a relationship with God (Jn 14:6). My faith is reinforced byfellowshipping with Jesus regularly, relating with other believers, and byunderstanding God's word. All of these experiences help me discover "truth," asdefined by Palmer (1983). Truth is more than objective information held at arm'slength, to be mastered at the discretion of individual knowers. Instead, truth ispersonal and is discovered and proclaimed in the context of interpersonalrelationships:When Jesus said, "I am...the truth," he was not making an idiosyncratic claim about aprivate individual, not inviting us into an isolated relationship that is either thewhole of what we must know or separable from all the rest. He claimed neither thathis mind contained all truths nor that his truth freed us from the need to seek truthin its manifold forms. Instead, he was announcing and incarnating a newunderstanding of reality and our relation to it. Truth--wherever it may be found andin whatever form--is personal, to be known in personal relationships. The search forthe word of truth becomes the quest for community with each other and all creation.The speaking of that word becomes the living of our lives (Palmer, 1983, p.49).Truth, then, is embodied in the way Christians live out what they believe.Biblical truth does not change. Since I can only teach what I understand,however, the truth I am able to share changes as my understanding increases. Faith and Physical EducationMy faith informs the discipline of physical education in significant ways. Faithinfluences what I regard as the most relevant body of knowledge to include in agiven course and in individual lessons. What topics do I want to include, andhow can the topics be developed effectively? Faith alone, of course, does notdetermine what I teach. Instead, it acts as a filter. As I challenge students withwhat I believe to be true in the field of physical education based on research andon experience, the Bible is a screen through which I filter information. So, givenmy faith in Christ, and my interest in the physical education discipline, I amcontinually bringing together two changing bodies of knowledge. What I knowabout the Bible changes as I become more enlightened. What I know aboutphysical education changes as new discoveries are made, and as I learn moreabout previous discoveries. Although my understanding of the bodies ofknowledge change, at any point in time I am committed to intellectual honestyand integrity. I am called to be a steward of all God has given me, including mymind and body. The field of physical education does not have many controversial issues thatchallenge my Christian worldview. Instead, the field is highly operational; thatis, the field presents many opportunities to reinforce biblical principles in thecontext of appreciating and caring for the bodies God made. Even so, somerecommendations in my field are consistent with the Bible and others areinconsistent. For instance, the general recommendation to care for one's body ispromoted by physical educators, and by the Apostle Paul in the context of ourbodies housing the Holy Spirit (1Co 3:16-17). Some recommendations aboutcaring for the body go too far, however. People who believe everyone shouldexercise daily, or eat a vegetarian diet, fail to understand that the Bible calls forindividual discretion on such matters (Ro 14). Consistencies and inconsistenciesmay also be found with respect to dancing. Dancing as a form of art or exercisemay be used to either glorify or discredit the Lord, depending on the motive andcontext in which it is done. That’s why the thought of Bethel sponsoring danceson campus has required careful discussion spanning several years.Many other topics in physical education require the close scrutiny of the Bible.The following examples come to bear on the physical education experience ofchildren, adolescents and adults: competition, cooperation, discipline, fair play,leadership, perseverance, respect for authority and self-control. Discussing all ofthese topics is beyond the scope of this paper. As a representative example, I willaddress how faith relates to some of the issues surrounding competition inchildren's physical education programs.Faith and CompetitionCompetition and cooperation refer to alternative social structures, or ways inwhich players of a game relate to one another. In most traditional games, playerstry to compete or beat each other. The success of one individual or team isinversely related to the success of other players. A cooperative game ischaracterized by mutually compatible goals. The success of one individual orteam contributes to the success of other players. Most proponents of competitiondefend the status quo by claiming that