Richard J. Edlin is the Director of Edserv International, a mission-based organisation serving Christian education communities around the world. Prior to that, for 10 years, he was Director of the National Institute for Christian Education (NICE), a postgraduate Christian teacher training institution based in Australia and offering accredited MEd degrees via distance education to hundreds of Christian teachers across the world. Originally from New Zealand but having lived with his family in several places around the world since 1987, Dr Edlin is a well-known international speaker on topics relating to a Christian worldview and education from a reformational Christian perspective.
Of his many writings, The Cause of Christian Education, which has been translated into several languages is his most well-known work. His areas of special interest include philosophy, contending with cultural idolatry, the religious nature of secularism, cultural sensitivity training, and effective teacher professional development strategies in culturally diverse settings. His two doctoral degrees are from the US and South Korea. At the present time he is particularly interested in the concept of reformed critical realism; the development of symbiotic teacher education partnerships, especially train-the-trainer schemes, between countries across the Asia/Oceania region; the essence of Christian schooling, imagination and the Christian school, and critical friend institutional support.
His most recent book, Sally and Sam go to Christian School, is a picture book for children explaining what happens at a Christian school. It was published in 2019.
Online articles
2023. It’s a matter of the heart – thinking Christianly about ChatGPT & AI —an html version is here an updated pdf is here
2021. Don’t talk about faith-based schools
2020. Is cultural engagement biblical?
2020. In pursuit of an authentic Christian paradigm: the place of Reformed critical realism
2019. Christian Education Declaration
2019. Curiosity – vice or virtue?
2018. How we understand the idea of work or vocation in a Christian School
2018 (rev end) Worldview and Christian education
2018 (updated) Disequilibrium as a teaching strategy; presentation and activity paper
2018. Constructivism – a teaching and learning theory
2018. Imagination and its place in the Christian school
2018. Secularism – Australia’s established religion
2017. Keeping the Faith: The Christian scholar in the academy in a postmodern world
2016. A mindset for evaluating the world around us
2015. The rise and alienation of Christianity in Western culture – a cautionary tale
2008. Ethnicity forming a learning community
Towards the development and relevance of a Christian Schools typology
Selected bibliography
2020
Secularism – Australia’s established religion. In Chris Benge (Ed), A reformational key. New Zealand: Kapiti Print.
Thinking About Schooling, IADCE, Ukraine.
2019
Sally and Sam Go to Christian School. Tullimbar, Australia: Edserv International
2017
Third Thoughts on Curiosity. CACE Teachers’ Lounge.
Thinking Christianly in Curriculum Design. CACE Roundtable, September
Imagination and its place in the Christian school. In K. Goodlet, J. Collier, & T. George (Eds.), Better learning: Trajectories for educators in Christian schools (pp. 206-219). Canberra, Australia: NTC Publishing.
Religion, secularism, and Australian education. In K. Goodlet, J. Collier, & T. George (Eds.), Better learning: Trajectories for educators in Christian schools. Canberra, Australia: NTC Publishing
2016
Thinking About Schooling – Christians Considering Schooling Options for their Children. Tullimbar, Australia: Edserv International.
2015
Christian Schools are Good News for Society at large, CACE USA, May
2014
Foundations of Education and Understanding 21st Century Youth. In Delphine, A. M. (Ed.). Empowering Youth in Higher Education to Combat Social Iniquities. Madurai, India: St Justin’s College.
Teacher Training and Professional development. In Goodlet, K., & Collier. J. (2014) (Eds). Teaching well – Insights for educators in Christian schools. Canberra: Barton Books.
The Cause of Christian Education (4th edition) Sioux Center, IO: Dordt College Press.
2013
The Critical Friend Consultancy in Education (Edserv International revised website, new site due for completion January 2016)
Our utmost for his highest – Faculty and the Christian University. Published proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Christian Higher education and Scholarship, Gyenogju, Korea, June 24-26.
2012
Christianity and Worldview. Worldview Magazine, August
2011
Is Cultural Engagement Biblical? IAPCHE Academic Insert, March.
2009
Christian Academia and the relevance of a Christian university. Proceedings of the Foundations of Christian Higher Education Conference, Handong, June, pp.127-143.
Keeping the faith: The Christian scholar in the academy in a postmodern world. Christian Higher Education, 8(3) 2009, pp. 203-224
Towards a Christian Schools Typology. Journal of Christian Education, vol. 50. No. 2, pp. 55-67
2008
Rudd’s 20/20 Blindness. Sydneyanglicans.net, July
Christian Education and Worldview. ICCTE Journal, 3(2). Ideology and the New Scientist. Access Magazine, June 2008
Making Professional Development Work. Christian School Education, 11(3).
The Myth about Faith-Based Schools. Christian Teachers Journal, 16(2).
2007
Common Catch-cries and Education. NICE Newsletter, May 2008. Christian Education and Worldview. Christian Teachers Journal,
15(3), 28-31.
2006
What’s with this “reformed” idea in Christian education? In R. Edlin & J. Ireland (Eds.), Engaging the culture: Christians at work in education (pp. 1-6). Blacktown, NSW: National Institute for Christian Education.
Inhabiting the mindfield: Why we think the way we do and what to do about it. In R. Edlin & J. Ireland (Eds.), Engaging the culture: Christians at work in education (pp. 53-74). Blacktown, NSW: National Institute for Christian Education.
In pursuit of an authentic Christian paradigm: The place of reformed critical realism. In R. Edlin & J. Ireland (Eds.), Engaging the culture: Christians at work in education (pp. 91-108). Blacktown, NSW: National Institute for Christian Education.
2005
Fishing for the main game. Christian Teachers Journal, 13(4), 22-23. 2004
Why Christian schools? In J. Ireland, R. Edlin & K. Dickens (Eds.), Pointing the Way: Christian Education for a New Millenium (pp. 1-16). Blacktown, NSW: National Institute for Christian Education.
Postmodernism and education: A step further. In J. Ireland, R. Edlin & K. Dickens (Eds.), Pointing the Way: Christian Education for a New Millennium (pp. 201-208). Blacktown, NSW: National Institute for Christian Education.
2003
Beliefs and core values of a Christian philosophy of education. In J. Layman, Foundations of Christian Education, ACSI: Colorado
Springs.
2002
Can teachers change? ACSI World Report, Spring 2002, 1-4.
1999
The cause of Christian education (3rd edition). Colorado Springs, ACSI.
1998
The Christian school in a missions context. In J.M. Bowers (Ed), Raising Resilient MKs, ACSI: Colorado Springs, 249-59.
A framework for culturally sensitive curriculum. In J.M. Bowers (Ed), Raising Resilient MKs, ACSI: Colorado Springs, 260-63.
1997
The cause of Christian education (2rd edition). Tuscaloosa, AL: Vision Press.
1994
The cause of Christian education. Tuscaloosa, AL: Vision Press.
1989
Bulletin Series on Christian Education. Dunedin, New Zealand: APCS.
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