© 1981 Peter Laurence
© 1981 The Urantia Book Fellowship (formerly Urantia Brotherhood)
There appears to be a growing involvement among readers of The URANTIA Book in the process of education, as manifested by the recent appearances of such educational endeavors as the EDUCATION UPLIFT Newsletter and THE BOULDER SCHOOL, for Students of The URANTIA Book. When added to the ongoing summer workshops sponsored by the Education Committee of URANTIA Brotherhood, these efforts seem to signify the taking of concrete steps toward the socialization of concepts of education presented in The URANTIA Book.
The characteristics of what might hopefully be a more enlightened approach to education are varied, and will require continual exposure to trial and testing. Many of these characteristics have already been discussed and experimented with at the summer workshops and have found their way into the planning of dedicated groups in a variety of settings. It is truly exciting to see these concepts being actualized-to witness the growth of understanding as it is shared through the educational process.
An important concern, however, is that past experience be allowed to shed light on the pitfalls which have traditionally accompanied the art of teaching. For example, there has been a regrettable tendency toward the establishment and defense of pet educational theories similar to the historical crystallization of religious truth, giving rise to a sectarianism in education which rivals the divisions of the church.
Hopefully, our realization of the legitimate diversity of religious expression will carry over into a tolerance for differences of opinion concerning the best way to promote individual progres5. Perhaps one contribution which we all, as devoted students of The URANTIA Book, can make toward the advancement of education is to utilize the best of our understanding of the Father’s purpose in expressing, through the medium of education, a relationship with each other that takes us one step closer to Light and Life. The articles which follow represent two of the pieces in this effort to develop a mosaic of human understanding through spiritual insight.
— Peter Laurence
Armonk, New York