Book Review: Maverick: A biography of Thomas Sowell by Jason L. Riley

Abstract

what He came to accomplish as the Messiah (Matthew 5:17–20). Jesus then calls those listening to speculate on the teachings of the law and on how He calls them to think deeper about issues such as hatred, lust, and love (level three), and then put into action the practical steps (level four) to avoid sin (barriers) in order create a habit (level five) of Christlikeness (ultimate goal) as we emulate His example (Matthew 5:21–6:4). Practically, this model is simple enough to aid lay Sunday school teachers at a local church as readily as it can support the work of university professors. Educators must begin to understand their role as more than just disseminating information. Instead, with the help of models like The Learning Cycle, teachers can begin to help students interact with new concepts, develop an appreciation for new information, speculate on the usefulness of this material for their future, identify and overcome barriers that may hinder their growth, develop practices of recall, repetition, and recital to deeply ingrain the content, and cultivate life-changing habits as a result of the new ideas with which they wrestle in order to become more Christlike in their wisdom, integrity, and character. As the authors close this insightful model, they succinctly summarize their work as teaching for three specific concepts—orthodoxy (correct knowing or believing), orthopathos (appropriate emotions or feelings stemming from correct knowing and believing), and disciplined orthopraxis (living truthfully) (197). Helping students learn for life-change is the goal of any field; but as a Christian, helping students pursue a deeper sense of Christlikeness should be our chief aim and The Learning Cycle is a timely and significant model that does just that. As Christian educators and pastors, teaching for transformation must characterize everything about our work so that eventually our students look, live, and lead like Jesus.