My favorite books challenging the traditional definition of education

Why am I passionate about this?

My field of work involves research in self-development and in devotional improvement. I write and lecture about the need to allow the devotional conversation to feel its living experience; in this way knowledge, above a perception created through tradition, about what is believed can keep and sustain the conversation. My joy is in allowing people to think about the nature of their human being and of their devotional conversation. Liberty of the mind to experience life through no other lens but that of what self has discovered, examined, and proven, is the type of liberty we should all strive for, and I feel as though these books, in their own way, get this done.


I wrote...

Justification

By Linwood Jackson Jr.,

Book cover of Justification

What is my book about?

We are to have, as is said and believed when it comes to life and religion, "faith," but when it comes to exercising faith on anything, a very crucial aspect of having and exercising "faith" isn't normally mentioned. In order to have faith in anything, we need to possess a living and working knowledge of what we would have faith in. 

Justification looks into how the Bible defines the process of acquiring and maintaining "faith." Introducing the reader to a pattern of thoughts revolving around the idea that the sufficiency of the conversation is based upon the knowledge and  experience in that philosophy, making personal knowledge an integral part of having and exercising "faith."

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

Linwood Jackson Jr. Why did I love this book?

This is a brilliant book explaining why scientific thought processes never escape the realm of their paradigm. I’m recommending this book because, if interested in pushing thought, if interested in examining personal belief, if interested in learning how to live without traditional standards, then this book is an eye-opener. Traditional thought, whether religious or secular, rules how we react to what occurs in life, and this book helps shed light on the fact that responses can be structured, but that an unstructured response is something generating original and unique knowledge to live by.

By Thomas S. Kuhn,

Why should I read it?

10 authors picked The Structure of Scientific Revolutions as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A good book may have the power to change the way we see the world, but a great book actually becomes part of our daily consciousness, pervading our thinking to the point that we take it for granted, and we forget how provocative and challenging its ideas once were-and still are. "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" is that kind of book. When it was first published in 1962, it was a landmark event in the history and philosophy of science. And fifty years later, it still has many lessons to teach. With "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions", Kuhn challenged long-standing…


Book cover of Mosheim's Church History, of the First Two Centuries

Linwood Jackson Jr. Why did I love this book?

The theme of climbing out of traditional thought to discover new and better ways of thinking continues through Mosheim, even if indirectly accomplished. I’m recommending this book because my field of research has to do with the exercising of correct devotional habits, and to know what is decent, what is indecent must surface. This book thoroughly takes the reader through the development of the philosophy within the early church. This book educates on the negative doctrinal influences within the church, opening up the reader to better understanding how the age influenced the development of the Christian religion. 

By Mosheim, Johann Lorenz, Archibald , MacLaine

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Mosheim's Church History, of the First Two Centuries as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and…


Book cover of Deschooling Society

Linwood Jackson Jr. Why did I love this book?

If interested in reflecting on the point of “education,” this book is a must-read. Giving to the reader a philosophical take on “schooling,” Illich forces you to think about just what “school” is about. Is “school” about achieving grades or character? Is “school” about self-discovery, or is “school” about leading minds into becoming the perfect “citizen”? Illich challenges the current educational paradigm to awaken minds to realize that there is more to “school” than burdening children with a curriculum that fails to relate to them.

By Ivan Illich,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Deschooling Society as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?


Schools have failed our individual needs, supporting false and misleading notions of 'progress' and development fostered by the belief that ever-increasing production, consumption and profit are proper yardsticks for measuring the quality of human life. Our universities have become recruiting centers for the personnel of the consumer society, certifying citizens for service, while at the same time disposing of those judged unfit for the competitive rat race. In this bold and provocative book, Illich suggest some radical and exciting reforms for the education system.


Book cover of Emile: Or Treatise on Education

Linwood Jackson Jr. Why did I love this book?

Another brilliant book challenging the traditional definition of “education” that is a must-read for anyone seeking to meditate on the meaning of “school.” Rousseau brilliantly challenges traditional educational thought by bringing into the picture a philosophy that true education is holistic in nature, informing the student about their relationship not only to the material, but to the elements of life in general. Education should transform the mind, which transformation assists in the transformation of the body, allowing the individual to discover their essence within. I’m recommending this book because of its ability to enlighten on “learning,” and because of how my understanding of the term “education” found correction through its spirit. 

By Jean-Jacques Rousseau, William H. Payne (translator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Emile as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In his pioneering treatise on education the great French philosopher presented concepts that had a significant influence on the development of pedagogy, and yet many of his ideas still sound radical today. Written in reaction to the stultifying system of rote learning and memorization prevalent throughout Europe in Rousseau's time, Emile is a utopian vision of child-centered education, full of the sentiments of Romanticism, which Rousseau himself inspired.

Imagining a typical boy named Emile, Rousseau creates an ideal model of one-on-one tutelage from infancy to manhood with himself as the child's mentor. "Everything is good as it comes from the…


Book cover of Religion and the Constitution

Linwood Jackson Jr. Why did I love this book?

This is a brilliant textbook. Digging into my studies, I found a philosophy of law, in regards to the respect due to the nature of the human being, within the Bible, and sensing the same philosophy within the U.S. Constitution, I purchased this book. Much like the other books, these authors do a good job, through their presenting and reviewing of various cases, and of other documents, of setting the Constitution in the right light. I am recommending this book because it is a good read for anyone wanting to better understand the context of the Constitution’s ideology. I found this book to be not only educational but personally edifying. 

By Michael W. McConnell, John H. Garvey, Thomas C. Berg

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Religion and the Constitution as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Religion and the Constitution, Third Edition, written by a team of well-known Constitutional Law scholars, thoughtfully examines the relationship between government and religion within the framework of the U.S. Constitution. This classroom-tested casebook is suitable for courses in Religious Liberty, Religion and the Constitution, or Religious Institutions and the Law.

The Third Edition has been completely updated with discussions of recent important cases and includes expanded discussion of key topic areas.

Professors McConnell, Garvey, and Berg bring years of experience and insight to teaching students about Religion and the Constitution:

Broad recurring themes place current debate in context: Free exercise…


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I Am Taurus

By Stephen Palmer,

Book cover of I Am Taurus

Stephen Palmer

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Philosopher Scholar Liberal Reader Musician

Stephen's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

The constellation we know as Taurus goes all the way back to cave paintings of aurochs at Lascaux. This book traces the story of the bull in the sky, a journey through the history of what has become known as the sacred bull.

Each of the sections is written from the perspective of the mythical Taurus, from the beginning at Lascaux to Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, and elsewhere. This is not just a history of the bull but also a view of ourselves through the eyes of the bull, illustrating our pre-literate use of myth, how the advent of writing and the urban revolution changed our view of ourselves, and how even bullfighting in Spain is a variation on the ancient sacrifice of the sacred bull.

I Am Taurus

By Stephen Palmer,

What is this book about?

The constellation we know as Taurus goes all the way back to cave paintings of aurochs at Lascaux. In I Am Taurus, author Stephen Palmer traces the story of the bull in the sky, starting from that point 19,000 years ago - a journey through the history of what has become known as the sacred bull. Each of the eleven sections is written from the perspective of the mythical Taurus, from the beginning at Lascaux to Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Greece, Spain and elsewhere. This is not just a history of the bull but also an attempt to see ourselves through…


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