Knowledge of one’s own church.—­The first knowledge of the church as an institution given the child should be of the church as a whole, and should have no denominational bias.  We should first aim to make out of our children Christians, and only later to make out of them Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, or Congregationalists.

There comes a time, however, when the child should become informed concerning his own particular church or denomination.  He should learn of its history, its achievements, its creeds, its plan of organization and polity.  This is not with the purpose of cultivating a narrow sectarianism, but in the interests of a self-respecting intelligence concerning the particular branch of the church which is one’s spiritual home.  That the great mass of our people to-day possess any reasonable fund of knowledge about the Christian Church or their own denomination may well be doubted.  This is a serious fault in religious education.

KNOWLEDGE OF RELIGIOUS MUSIC AND ART

Not all of the child’s religious impressions come through direct instruction in the facts and precepts of religion.  Religious feeling and comprehension of the deeper meanings and values often best spring from their expression in music and art.

Music essential to religion.—­No other form of expression can take the place of music in creating a spirit of reverence and devotion, or in inspiring religious feeling.  So closely is music interwoven with religion that no small part of the world’s greatest musical masterpieces have a religious motive as their theme.  Even among primitive peoples music is an important feature of religious ceremonials.  The Christian Church has a large and growing body of inspiring hymnology.

The child needs to be led into a knowledge of religious music.  He needs this knowledge as a stimulus and a means of expression for his own spiritual life.  But he also needs it in order to take part in the exercises of his church and its organizations.  He needs it in order to enjoy music and do his part in producing it in the home and the school.  This means that children should come to know the hymnology of the church; they should know the words and the music of such worthy and inspiring hymns as are adapted to their age and understanding.  They should finally, during the course of their development to adulthood, learn to know and enjoy the great religious oratorios and other forms of musical expression.

The place of art in religion.—­Art, like music, owes much of its finest form and development to religion.  Religious hope, aspiration, and devotion have always sought expression in pictorial or plastic art and in noble architecture.  We owe it to our children to put them in possession of this rich spiritual heritage.  They should know and love the great masterpieces of painting dealing with religious themes.  They should not only have these as a part of their instruction in the church school classes, but they should also have them in their homes and in their schools, and see them in public art galleries and in other public buildings suitable for their display.