Few people have influenced the development of Christian schools in the Reformed tradition in North America and around the world as much as Nicholas Wolterstorff. As a tribute to his contributions, Calvin College education professors Gloria Goris Stronks and Clarence W. Joldersma have drawn together the world-renowned Christian philosopher's thoughts and reflections on Christian education over the last three decades. The guiding principle in making selections was the inclusion of pieces that discuss what makes education truly Christian. Wolterstorff's writings on education are divided into four sections that focus on the nature of Christian education, the criticisms of Christian education, Christian learning within a pluralistic society, and the goals of Christian education. Of special interest is Wolterstorff's increasing concern with the role of justice in Christian education. Educating for Life portrays Wolterstorff's evolving thinking on education while paying tribute to him as one of the premier Christian philosophers of our day. Nicholas P. Wolterstorff, longtime professor of philosophy at Calvin College, is Noah Porter Professor of Philosophical Theology at Yale Divinity School. His teaching and writing have influenced countless evangelical students and scholars throughout the years. He is the author of many books including Educating for Responsible Action, Until Peace and Justice Embrace, and Divine Discourse. Gloria Goris Stronks and Clarence W. Joldersma are professors in the education department at Calvin College

Help for parents and teachers
How does a worldview become a way of life? This question is at the heart of scholar Steven Garber's book Fabric of Faithfulness, and it shaped the recent Lives of Commitment grant that Whitworth University received from the Murdock Charitable Trust. Garber found that people who were identified by others as living with integrity between their beliefs and actions often had had a number of similar life experiences:
- They developed a worldview that was sufficient for the questions or crises of the next 20 years.
- They had parents or other mentors who helped them practice behaviors that matched their worldview.
- They had first-hand knowledge of the struggles of those with less in our society because they engaged in service of some sort.
- They found friends who shared their worldview and the practices that went with it.
With Garber's permission, Gloria Goris Stronks, former Calvin College education professor, and Julia Stronks, Whitworth political science professor built on the theme of his book. They surveyed hundreds of people to determine how they had worked to shape their families, living and raising their children along the lines of their Christian worldview.
Christian parenting helps children learn to connect knowing with doing and belief with behavior. The trouble is that the values of the world around us influence all of us. At times our own behavior demonstrates a disconnect between what we say we believe and how we live. This book examines the way that different Christians try to parent and raise families in keeping with their beliefs.
The people who shared their ideas and concerns did so with an honesty that was beautiful and also sometimes painful. Most of us believe that if we have children, raising those children is among the most important things we will ever do. But most of us also recognize that we have made so many mistakes along the way. This book captures moments in time as we live in a world that has been redeemed but not yet fully reconciled to God. It captures our hopes, our beliefs, our struggles. And, it lets us learn not only from scholars but also from each other.

In addition to his notable work as a premier Christian philosopher, Nicholas Wolterstorff has become a leading voice on faith-based higher education. This volume gathers the best of Wolterstorff's essays from the past twenty-five years dealing collectively with the purpose of Christian higher education and the nature of academic learning. Integrated throughout by the biblical idea of shalom, these nineteen essays present a robust framework for thinking about education that combines a Reformed confessional perspective with a radical social conscience and an increasingly progressivist pedagogy. Wolterstorff develops his ideas in relation to an astonishing variety of thinkers ranging from Calvin, Kuyper, and Jellema to Augustine, Aquinas, and Kant to Weber, Habermas, and MacIntyre. In the process, he critiques various models of education, classic foundationalism, modernization theory, liberal arts, and academic freedom.

A guide for Christians teaching in public schools to (1) bring their faith to bear on their work and (2) understand the legal issues governing religion and public schools.