Media literacy from Saint Basil the Great and other pedagogical advice from saints that are relevant todaytranslated
Can we scold a child for mistakes? Should we shield him from harmful information? Why can one teacher engage a class while another is completely ignored by the students? For these very relevant questions, Christian authors provided answers over a thousand and a half years ago. For Teachers' Day, we have chosen five pedagogical pieces of advice from saints and tried to look at them through the eyes of a modern parent and educator.
Fr. Evgeny MURZIN
Editor of the "Faith and Church" Direction
1. Saint Basil the Great: instead of limiting information sources, one should teach the younger generation media literacy.
Source: Saint Basil the Great, "To the Youth on Benefiting from Pagan Writings," 4th century.
What does the saint propose?
During Basil the Great's time, Christian youths were educated in classical pagan literature. Naturally, as they studied philosophy, rhetoric, and other sciences, they encountered information in the works of pagan authors that did not align with Christian values. Unlike those church figures who called for a ban on young people reading the ancient heritage, Saint Basil, on the contrary, advocated for freedom in this sphere and proposed consuming...
