What Child is This? – A Rahnerian Interpretation of the Child in Lasallian Pedagogy

Alfred K. M. Pang

ABSTRACT

The child lies at the heart of the Christian educational vision of John Baptist De La Salle. Yet, what does not get sufficient critical attention is De La Salle’s operative anthropology about children in his writings, and the need for rethinking in light of recent scholarship on childhood, theology, and education. This paper contends that a Lasallian educational mission that takes seriously the contemporary concerns of social justice and children’s liberation requires a more expansive anthropology that reflects critically the complexity of meanings constructed around the identities of children and childhood experiences today. It explores how twentieth-century German theologian Karl Rahner’s theological conception of childhood as openness to mystery might be a productive key to conceptually unlock a more expansive anthropology that clarifies, balances, and deepens De La Salle’s understanding of the child, while renewing the integrity of his Christian educational vision for children in today’s world.

KEYWORDS

de LaSalle; Lasallian pedagogy

FULL TEXT

What Child is This? – A Rahnerian Interpretation of the Child in Lasallian Pedagogy

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