Verdieping van die begrip 'tradisie' in Christelike onderwys vanuit HG Stoker se insigte

Abstract

In the historical-philosophical thematic analysis of the development of tradition as a concept, it has been demonstrated that the loss of traditions reached its peak during Postmodernism. This led to the popularization of creating new traditions. However, these new traditions being formed are superficial, as they only represent symbolism without true depth in the participation of the tradition itself. This has resulted in the symbolism representing the tradition having more meaning than the tradition itself. From a Reformed Christian perspective, primarily presented in this article through the works of H.G. Stoker, tradition is understood as a broader concept. Here, tradition is not limited to a superficial symbolic act without meaning. The broader concept includes insights from Stoker's works, namely: “continuity”, “discontinuity”, and “responsibility”; the relationship between tradition and progression as well as tradition's commitment to God’s covenant faithfulness. Tradition is considered as the responsible transmission of a worldview within the philosophical concepts of continuity and discontinuity, accompanied by the symbolic acceptance of the responsibility of the tradition. Christian schools whose traditions are reduced to superficial commodities or symbolism that aligns, for example, with secular schools, must reflect on whether they can truly be considered as Christian schools. Christian schools marketing themselves as tradition-bound schools should therefore have an integrated Christian worldview in all aspects of their teaching and learning.