How would modern human civilization be like if the Bible did not exist? Vishal Mangalwadi opines how the Bible shaped and molded the western civilizations throughout the ages up to the modern state that the world is in his book ‘The Book that Made Your World.’ From the development of modern medicine and abolition of slavery to the originating of the United States of America and the formation of governments in which citizens participate, the Bible breathed life into the western world. In the absence of the Bible, the world as we know it today would simply never exist.
As a Christian and philosopher from India, Vishal Mangalwadi examines the role that the Bible played in the development of modern-day universities worldwide. Mangalwadi (2012) states that neither the imperialists nor the merchants advanced education, but the advancement of knowledge was carried out through the efforts of Christian missionaries. In chapter 12 of his book, Vishal Mangalwadi examines the development of the university system throughout the world, from the founding of Harvard, Yale, and Oxford to Korea, India, Turkey, and Medieval Europe.
Education as a Religious Enterprise
In the early years, education was available only to the most privileged few, just as it is in modern society. Although education has become available to all, it is still an expensive undertaking that not so many people can afford. Mangalwadi (2012) found that for all practical purposes, all education was typically church education. Mangalwadi (2012) also stated that the church furnished a strategy of popular instruction, institutions of higher learning, and an approach towards the academic conversation. The church-based education was not available to everyone who desired it, especially women; it was only available to the rich families and clergy in society.
The overhaul of medieval education brought about the development of modern education. Mangalwadi (2012) states that Martin Luther’s passionate appeal to the Christian nobility in 1520 led to the reformation of education. Luther argued that to reform the university, the Bible would have to be included as the center of its curriculum. Mangalwadi (2012) opined that the university he attended in Allahabad had a church but not a Hindu temple or a Muslim mosque because Christians built it. Education was a fruit of the Biblical missionaries, and it was integral to their Christian missions. Missionaries took the Bible to all corners of the globe and with it education.
Christians came up with the notion of bringing education to colonial subjects. According to Mangalwadi (2012), the Christian’s response to the lack of education in the colonies met with resistance. The colonial overlords at the time did not want to educate their subjects. They figured that it would lead to their struggle for independence, and they did not want to lose the vast amounts of land that they owned.
The early Christians wanted to educate the masses and bring them closer to God. Just as the western society was built through education, they opined that if the subjects were educated in their ways and beliefs, they could thus spread the word of God, as Jesus had wanted. Modern churches continue to spread education where it has not reached through the development of schools and universities the world over. Nearly all modern-day universities credit their founding to the early Christian missionaries and evangelicals.
On the other hand, the secular world positively responds to education. Most communities and nations now believe that education is the key to living a blessed life. Modern education systems are built upon the early teachings and ways that were developed by early missionaries. The school systems that we know of today were established by missionaries as most of the early schools were built and operated by Christian missions.
The main purpose of these schools was to teach a few of the natives in the culture and ways of the Christian faith, and the students, in turn, would go on and teach the same to others. With the Bible as the center of the curriculum, the Gospel spread, and this led to the development of societies. Educated locals were in a better position to get the best jobs, while their mindset and thought patterns were shaped by the Christian education they received.
In response to reading the chapter, I am not surprised much because I went to a school founded and funded by the Catholic Church. We had to attend mass twice a week in the school chapel, complete with an ordained catholic priest. This mass attendance was compulsory whether one was Christian or Muslim, Catholic or Protestant. This fact just goes to show that although time has gone by since the early development of education, the church still has a far wider reach within the school systems the world over and will continue to do so for a long time to come. As Mangalwadi (2012) states, everything good in his hometown is a result of the Holy Bible, even the secular universities that undermine it. To maintain modern society, we cannot ignore the scriptures and the teachings within.
After reading Mangalwadi’s book, my opinion on my culture and other culture has changed a little. Although I recognize the important role that the Bible has played in societies the world over, there are some facets of our forgotten cultures that were good. Mangalwadi (2012) states that missionaries believed that education had moral, political, and commercial overtones. Although some cultural beliefs are better off forgotten, not everything was horrible for these cultures, and incorporating them would have led to a more peaceful and sustainable development worldwide.
The challenges, that leaders are facing today, come in a contemporary form where more and more people are deviating from the biblical teachings. Modern societies are embracing homosexual relationships which are in direct contradiction to the Bible which advocates that relationships should be between a man and a woman. Nothing has changed about how I see myself, although I have come to appreciate and accept just how interconnected our world today is through linkages in the Bible. Without the scriptures, we would not have the modern trappings of life that we enjoy today, and we should not take anything for granted.
Truly, the kingdom of God has spread to the descendants of Abraham in all nations of the world. The biblical word is truly the foundation of modern society, and although there are different opinions, a study of the Holy Bible can result in one being a better leader. As Mangalwadi (2012) noted, the holy book turned meaningful knowledge into wisdom. Applying the knowledge in the Holy Scriptures can result in a very prosperous leadership for ages to come.
Reference
Mangalwadi, V. (2012). The book that made your world: How the Bible created the soul of western civilization. Thomas Nelson.