Introduction When I began teaching in Christian schools, my course of study was “Bible.” But over the passage of my instructional years, I renamed the course CLAWS or “Christian Life and World Studies.” As I would say to my students, “The Bible does not sit on a shelf by itself but applies to the whole world and all of life.” I have been training students and teachers in the same mindset with the question, “How should I teach my classes from a distinctively Hebraic-Christian viewpoint?” In this brief essay I am suggesting at least five ways of beginning to think Christianly to teach Christianly. 
Biblically Our assumptions about everything in life begin under the authority of God’s Word. What we believe about reality, humanity, ethics, knowledge, purpose, death, and eternity reside within Heaven’s communication to us in the Bible. Every subject of study from the sciences to math to literature to history to the arts to every vocational arena is dependent upon the presuppositions and principles of Scripture (Ps 147:15-20). Consider: What is the source or origin of my subject? Why are initial points of reference from Genesis 1 – 11 important? What is the first mention of the idea in Scripture?
Wholistically Mysteries, for instance, remind us that without sin (wrongdoing), there is no story (tension or drama). Interpreting the whole world and all of life through the lens of biblical truth is the focus of Christian education. Christians unite the fragments of truth scattered by The Fall via the regenerative thinking of Christian minds (Col 1:19-21). As a thinking Christian I am concerned for “wholeness.” Consider: How has sin corrupted, fragmented, or distorted thinking on a topic? How is the idea repaired, completed, or unified by Hebraic-Christian thought? 
Synthetically God’s design is woven in life’s fabric “held together” by its Creator (Col 1:17). What we do, who we are, where we live, how we work is infused with the imprint of The Triune Personal Eternal Creator. “Why does God have to be brought into everything?” the question is raised. We are not “bringing God into our subjects; He is already there. From sub-atomic particles to expansive galaxies God created them. From Hammurabi’s law code to the American Constitution, God’s influence affects the minds of people. Consider: How do I write syllabi that show The Trinity’s superintendence over life? How do I show the intersection of my discipline with Hebraic-Christian understanding?
Incarnationally God taking upon Himself complete, uncorrupted human nature, coming to earth in flesh, sanctified material things forever. Jesus’ incarnation is an important linkage between creation and eternity. Jesus coming in physical body re-secured the delight in the totality of life The Father intended from the beginning (Col 2:16-23). Consider: the doctrine of Incarnation should produce at least three guidelines for thinking Christianly, (1) a renewed application of Christ’s lordship to the totality of life in the academy; (2) a reinstated teaching about the importance of training for devotion to God in all fields of study; and (3) a recommitment to destroying the contamination Gnosticism and legalism foster in Christian thinking. 
Intentionally The old saw “we do what’s inspected not what’s expected” is true in every vocation, including education. My PhD dissertation sought to measure the impact of intentionality between K-12 Christian school teachers, comparing those who graduated from Christian and public universities. One of the overwhelming takeaways from the study was that unless administration was directly involved in oversight, teachers did not practice faith-learning integration, intentionally. I taught for 20 years in K-12 Christian school settings. For the same length of time, I have taught in undergraduate and graduate programs, both in Christian and public university settings. I can tell you that higher education is no different than education at another level. Planning is essential to every part of life (i.e., Prov 27:23-27). Consider: As I prepare to teach, have I developed biblical-theological foundations for my course? As I teach, am I actively pointing students toward Scriptural principles for my subject’s study?
Conclusion I can think of no better words to summarize thinking-teaching Christianly than those of the churchman James Orr.
“No duty is more imperative on the Christian teacher than that of showing that instead of Christianity being simply one theory among the rest, it is really the higher truth which is the synthesis and completion of all the others; that view which, rejecting the error, takes up the vitalizing elements in all other systems and religions, and unites them into a living organism, with Christ as head.”[i]
We find pieces of truth everywhere since all truth is God’s Truth. If our teaching in any discipline is to be distinctive from any other institution, we must give careful, continual attention to our research and instruction under the authority of Heaven.
[i] James Orr, The Christian View of God and the World, 3rd ed. New York: Charles Scribner’s, 1897, pp 11-12.
I was asked to write this essay for the advancement of faculty thought at Lancaster Bible College | Capital Seminary. The essay will appear in two parts beginning 14 September 22. Part One. Part Two.