A Christian practice theory for Christian moral education: Changing the stakes and issues in the Valparaiso Project Literature

This project advances a Christian Practice theory of Christian education. It expands the conversation in the field about how Christian socialization in fact shapes the Christian moral life. By focusing in particular on the contribution of the work of Craig Dykstra, Dorothy Bass, and The Valparaiso Project Literature on Christian education, this dissertation connects historic positions in Christian education, with philosophical analysis of the concept of practice, and offers suggestions for a Christian practice theory.;This position in Christian education is connected to socialization approach to Christian education and its seminal proponents who defined that faith and life are taught and learned through experience. Yet, a fundamental question for this approach is how does experience teach? I seek to define that by not only offering the contributions of this approach, the dissertation critiques the conception of practice employed by The Valparaiso Project and its founders as well as their use of the conception of practice defined by Alsadair MacIntyre. On the way to a Christian Practice theory, the dissertation thus describes and clarifies the use of practice in thinkers such as MacIntyre, Pierre Bourdieu, Stephen Turner, and Joseph Rouse.;The dissertation illustrates this Christian Practice theory with attention to cognitive neuroscience to and the deiform virtue of love. It focuses upon current consensus views among neuroscientists, such as Michael Gazaniga and Christian Keysers, and neuro-ethicists Josuha Greene and William Casebeer. That engagement helps this Christian Practice theory with anthropology and proffers that the practice of reading Christian scripture can teach the theological virtue of love.