"Mr. Thomas Manton's Epistle to the Reader of the Westminster Confession of Faith and Larger and Shorter Catechisms" is a persuasive essay for parents to engage themselves in the catechizing of their families. This letter served as the preface to the second edition (1658) of Westminster Assembly's Confession of Faith. In this short essay, Manton presented three metaphors to serve as springboard for his exhortation to catechize children.

The Family is the Citizen's Training Program of the State

Manton sees the family as the ontological beginnings of the society's condition. The family is the first location of instruction so that if the family fails in the instructions of their children, the society will most likely fail in the instruction of the citizens. What was spoiled in the first line (Home) of defense will be difficult to repair in the second line (State). Manton calls the neglect to the training of children as a "presage" of bad things to happen in the Commonwealth of England. Disobedient children at home will become disobedient citizens of the state.

The Family is a Society That Must be Sanctified to God

Families are like societies in the sense that parents serve as governors. Manton censures the neglectful parent for abandoning their duties as the leader of their families. They offer their children to the church in the many sacraments but turn over the education to the world. One thinks these days of children who spend a great deal of time on the television and gaming consoles but without the training coming from the parents. Manton further censures them for passively seeing themselves as parents only in the "world and flesh" but not governing their families as a sanctified society.

The Family is the Seminary of the Church

Discipline at home is training for life in the church. In Acts 21:5, the disciples are said to have accompanied Paul and company, along with the disciples' wives and children, out of Tyre. Moments before they left, they had a short prayer meeting on the shore. Manton explains that the inclusion of the children was a parental training on how to give respect to pastors like Paul.

It is in this metaphor that Manton spends a great deal of time presenting a seeming calumny of the mischief brought about by untrained children in the church. He censures the families for producing arrogant, unruly and self-praising children whose only claim is aged ignorance. He implores the families not to distress them with these kinds of children.

Empower Education with Metaphors

December 31st, 2009 • Comments • by Shahib

I was watching James Geary at TED talking about metaphor, and how it help in communicate, learn and understand. (watch the video embeded below)

But things that strike my mind and giving the eureka moment is that, we never realize the power of using metaphor in Islamic education well. Yes we give some analogies and example.But if we done it well through out our education system it would done a great job in associating student’s mind and the things they should learn and understand.

As always, I googled the word “metaphor and islam” amazingly I found a great quote from a great scholar. Imam Al-Farabi said in his book, Falsafat Aristutalis (page 85):

“The Power to represent things by their metaphors is useful in two fields: for instruction and guidance & for confronting someone who stubbornly denies the way of truth.”

And also i would like to give some deep though about this matter with some quotes from avicenna a book from Lenn E. Goodman. (You can search “metaphor” from this page)

Let me know what’s your experience in teaching and the best metaphor that you ever used at the comment box below.

Update: Learn about using google book video tutorial (Malay) below

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Syukran! and Please share.