Christian teachers in public school have unique challenges to their faith. They are to be "salt and light" in a professional setting that places strict limits on open expression of their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. How do we serve our God in such a situation?
The answer is "Christology". This term was used by adversaries of Christianity in public school. I had never heard the term before. It means a Christian way of thinking and expressing ourselves.
There are philosophical concepts that agree with both world philosophy and simultaneously with scripture which are perfectly legal. They are nothing but positive and uplifting in nature. These are useful for guiding the thinking of students and these can be applied in at least one, usually more than one, academic subject areas. I believe it was St. Augustine who wrote that before he was a Christian, his mind had been prepared to become Christian by the way of thinking he had learned from the Greek philosophers of Aristotle and Plato.
So, we can become effective in Christology. How? Here are some concepts to consider. Identify empiricism. Empiricism means only accepting ideas that are obvious because they can be seen, touched, heard, tasted, or smelled (the five senses). You might say to students that empiricism has limitations because it cannot even explain how it believes these ideas because belief itself is not empirical. Neither is an idea. In order to understand wisdom requires understanding that goes beyond feeling and the five senses. That is why spiritual understanding is so natural for people to use in their search for meaning in life.
Another concept is the meaning of truth. One concept is that the only, or at least the first, source of truth is the individual person. People say, "That may be true for you but not true for me." Well, we may agree that truth within our own mind is truth in that it truly is our perception. We can call that subjective truth. However, it is obvious that there is also truth outside ourselves. The telephone pole does not care about what you think or feel about it. But, if you crash your car into it, you will discover the objective truth that it is really there. Wisdom would be to do our best to make connections between our subjective truth and the objective truths in the world around us.
Another concept is the use of Thomas Jefferson's own words: "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." This is from the Declaration of Independence which is not just some irrelevant piece of paper, it is the basis upon which the sovereignty of the United States rests. It is not part of the Constitution. Therefore, it cannot be judged unconstitutional by the U. S. Supreme Court.
We must not be content to speak about such ideas. We must live the motivated life that comes from Christ within us. The fruits of the Spirit must be evident. Anger is not policy. The fruits of the Holy Spirit must be our policy: love, joy, peace, gentleness, faithfulness, self control. We need to actively pursue the Holy Spirit's motivation of our feelings and thinking so as to be able to forgive, to reach out to students without retaining grudges, or suffering damaged learning relationships that ruin our effectiveness in the classroom. We will need His healing in our souls to become greater as teachers than we ever could by our own strength.
For example, the Holy Spirit will help us to be involved in the daily lives of our students. It is the Holy Spirit that brings us to pray for our students. It is Christlike to sacrifice personal time to speak to students during our lunch time or break time, or after school about their student needs. It is the wisdom found in scripture that directs us to find justice in relationships between students, teachers, and staff. It is the love, joy, peace, faithfulness, and more that we gain from prayer with the fellowship of the Holy Spirit that gives us strength, direction, and personal peace to share with others. Students will see a lack of profanity. They will experience a genuine concern for their well being. They will see a teacher who does not "put down" their students. Students will see a teacher who takes care to record grades in a timely fashion and accurately so. They will see a teacher who earns the right to correct them.
It is Christ in us that is the hope of glory and it is Him our students and colleagues will see every day. Christology: the logical and motivational way of thinking that comes from the scriptures will be a benefit to our students, our colleagues, parents, and ourselves.