A Theological Analysis of the Educational Method of Maria Montessori Using an Inverse Consistency Protocol

Abstract

The Montessori approach to education has been embraced by a wide variety of educators around the world. Ironically, though, as secular educators have accepted Maria Montessori’s pedagogical methods, little research has been conducted by Christians especially in relation to the driving force of her approach: the intrinsic spirituality of children. Through the consideration of Montessori’s primary source writings, the aim of this thesis is to summarize this often-neglected component of children’s spirituality in Montessori’s own words. In so doing, the spiritual nature of the Montessori method is articulated and compared to an orthodox Christian view of children’s spirituality. The researcher examines Montessori’s educational perspective with specific attention to her view of the child, environment, and teacher as well as her Catholic Christian foundations. Utilizing the Inverse Consistency Protocol, the researcher provides a theological analysis of the Montessori method to determine what is congruent/incongruent with the Christian faith and identify what is potentially useful in Christian contexts. The hope is to provide Montessori-curious evangelical Christians some insights into the spiritual nature of this educational phenomenon.

Chapter 1 provides a brief introduction and background of the Montessori method. In chapter 2, the researcher attempts to articulate Montessori’s key principles and assertions from her published works (books, articles, and lectures), giving special attention to how her Catholic faith influenced her view of the spiritual nature of children. Chapter 3 interacts with past Christian sources that have sought to provide analyses of what Montessori said in her writings. Some of these include individuals such as Sofia Cavalletti, Gianna Gobbi, Jerome Berryman, Sonja Stewart, Catherine Stonehouse, and Scottie May. Chapter 4 builds upon the prior two chapters by employing the Inverse Consistency Protocol as a method to analyze and evaluate the final iteration of Montessori’s writings from an orthodox, Christian perspective. Lastly, chapter 5 concludes this study by considering implications for Christian educators and suggests potential avenues for further study.