This dissertation is a study of the historical and theological bases of the Christian religious education program in the public schools of Ontario. The role of the churches in the introduction, maintenance, decline and disappearance of the program is investigated. In the early years, the Christian Churches in Ontario reflected the religious divisions of Europe following the Reformation. The overwhelming majority of citizens belonged to five major churches, but these were often in conflict with each other over doctrine and vied for government support for their own schools. A system of non-sectarian public schools which provided for optional religious instruction outside of the regular school hours emerged by the middle of the nineteenth century. It was not until the late nineteenth century when Canada was expanding in territory and in population that a movement towards unity in the Protestant churches emerged---partly as a strategy to evangelize the West and partly as a result of like-mindedness in combatting social ills. The union of churches and their increased cooperation in moral and social crusades was a pre-condition for their concerted efforts to obtain increased Christian teaching in the schools. Devotion to a common Bible enhanced these efforts. Under wartime conditions, the Conservative government of George Drew introduced a mandatory program of Christian religious education in the schools in 1944. Supporters of the program thought Christian teaching to be a remedy for various ills: the threats of fascism and communism, juvenile delinquency, sexual promiscuity, moral decline in general. Adherence to the regulations grew lax due to increasing opposition from minority religions and secular groups. The factors which led to the establishment of the program of Christian religious education in 1944 included: reaction to the growth of Roman Catholic separate schools, Protestant ecumenism, concern about juvenile delinquency, the institutional aims of the churches, fears about decline in Sunday School attendance, general concern for the spiritual welfare of children, fears about the growth of secularism and atheism. The factors in the decline of the program relate to the exclusivity, christocentrism, and irrelevance of the Teachers' Guides, but more importantly to the rise of secular attitudes, the indifference of the public to the churches, increased diversity in society, and the basis of minority rights in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The program was gradually abandoned and officially dropped in 1990. The factors which led to this development included: the multifaith nature of the society, dated or non-existent curricula and materials, lack of support from society-at-large, the exclusivity of the Christian program, and little interest from teachers and students.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uottawa.ca/oai:ruor.uottawa.ca:10393/9290 |
| Date | January 2000 |
| Creators | Perry, Michael L. |
| Contributors | Choquette, Robert, |
| Publisher | University of Ottawa (Canada) |
| Source Sets | Université d’Ottawa |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 342 p. |
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