The Hazards of Being a Religious Educator

Keywords

Religious Educator, Religious Education, Religious studies, Professor of Religion, Teaching Religiom

Abstract

Every occupation, every endeavor, every profession has its risks and rewards, but the reward-to-risk ratio between occupations can vary considerably. Whether we choose to engage in an occupation often depends on whether or not we feel that the potential for reward justifies the associated risks. For example, recently I have chosen to try to learn how to golf. I understand that it is possible to experience the joy of consistently hitting long straight drives on the golf course, a phenomenon that has eluded me to date, but I still choose to risk the embarrassment of playing the game in hopes of someday reaping that reward. On the other hand, I would never choose to be a skydiver. While, I’ve been told that throwing one’s body out of an airplane and floating safely to the ground can be tremendously thrilling, in light of my natural and well-developed propensity for error, it seems wise to me to avoid any occupation where mistakes are fatal.

Original Publication Citation

Ball, T.B. 2013. "The Hazards of Being a Religious Educator." The Religious Educator 14(1):35-44.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2012

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/6357

Publisher

Religious Studies Center

Language

English

College

Religious Education

Department

Ancient Scripture

University Standing at Time of Publication

Full Professor

Link to Full Text

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