"Educators often refer to a concept called the hidden curriculum. This concept suggests that in a classroom, there is a formal curriculum that includes things like math problems, writing assignments, or science experiments. But there's also the hidden curriculum, which involves issues like who wants to sit next to whom, and who does the teacher look at, and who does the teacher tend to call on?
The hidden curriculum teaches students who matters and who does not, who's bright and who's left out.
If there is an inconsistency between the hidden curriculum and the formal curriculum, research shows that students always believe the hidden curriculum."
John Ortberg, "Speaking from my Holy of Holies," Leadership (Spring 2007), 40.
God's common grace means that the world is ordered according to His wisdom and plan. When we have eyes to see this plan/structure, we can get a glimpse of how reality functions. We can also get a glimpse into how God made the world to operate and how we as people have messed up God's good order.
What does this mean? It means that thinking believers should mine deeply in a variety of disciples because good scholarship reveals reality. Whether it is the field of theology, psychology, physics, economics, or chemistry, good scholarship reveals the mind of God by revealing the structure of the world.
Unfortunately, so much of what passes for scholarship has a hidden agenda! In other words, our preconceived thoughts dictate what we see and how we view the information. For example, in theology if we believe the bible is not true, we approach every section of scripture with eyes to prove we are correct. Amazingly enough, no matter what the information, we find evidence to back up our hidden assumptions.
The same is true in every scholarly pursuit. For example in the "hard sciences" we have a raging debate concerning man made global warming. While the side arguing for man made global warming composes the majority of scholars, the doubters are taking the same information and coming to a different conclusion. What can we make of it? I don't know for sure. I do know that each sides hidden curriculum/preconceived thoughts taint/mark their research!
The consequence of everyone's hidden curriculum, particularly in scholarly pursuits, is that some people write off all scholarship as human vanity and pride. What a mistake! In fact, in their ignorant pride, they write off everyone else's thoughts as prideful. There must be a better way!
I would suggest, the better way to be a practicing believer is to be a thinking believer. We should allow the truth of who God is, the reality of fall of creation, and the amazing transformation through redemption in Christ to permeate all our thoughts. If we did, we could look at scholarship without fear. We would know what we believe and why. We would then be in position to glean from all sources of scholarship what is true while identifying and then rejecting what is false.
In other words, we would have theological integration that would help us understand the fallen world in which we live!
The opening quote is an example of good scholarship. There is often a hidden curriculum behind the formal curriculum in education. This observation has implications in every avenue of life. It means that the hidden curriculum or thought behind what we say is vitally important. People instinctively know these hidden curriculums even if we cannot recognize them. People will believe our hidden curriculum more than what we officially say.
What is the application? There are many. What I would like to focus our thought upon is a simple statement.
Much of what passes for "ministry" is marked by a hidden agenda.
We might say we want to reach out to new people, but our hidden agenda says we are a closed system that really does not want new people or ideas. We might say we love families, but our hidden curriculum says that we really love a certain type of family (intact, white, smart, having it all together, who knows what else?). We might claim we wish our church or ministry to grow, but our hidden agenda screams, "We only want you if you agree with us!"
New people who come into our ministry will pick up upon and believe the hidden curriculum more than the "official" statement of belief and intent.
What is the hidden curriculum/thought that dominates your life? Your ministry? Your church? As I stated, we often cannot see it. How can we discover what is hidden?
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you have eyes to see. Humbly confess that you have blind spots that you need the Spirit to reveal. Then ask for outside eyes to see what is really happening. Pray. Trust what the Spirit reveals. Repent. Ask for grace to change the hidden curriculum.
Psalm 139: 23-24 is a great place to start the journey of identifying our hidden curriculum. Why not join me in praying,
Search me, of God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
See if here be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
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