Reading Charlotte Mason’s "The Saviour of the World" in Past and Present Contexts

The central question in this monograph is whether, in a post-Christian, multicultural education system, Charlotte Maria Shaw Mason’s The Saviour of the World can be utilised effectively in biblical studies classes, whether that be through home education or in the classroom. The first section considers Mason’s Christianity in relation to her educational philosophy, pedagogy, and theory of the child. The focus in the second section is on what Mason explicitly says in the Home Education series about the Bible and methods of engaging with it, before turning in the third section to an introduction to the Saviour of the World series. Overall, it is shown how Mason’s child-centred philosophy believes that a long and deep socialisation into the Bible serves to provide the growing child with a love and respect for the Scriptures that will protect them from all contemporary attacks on faith in the Bible and also, as in her own case, enable creative retelling of biblical stories. Following on from this examination, the discussion turns to how Mason’s biblical studies in general, and The Saviour of the World in particular, could be used in the religious education learning environments today.