Article April 24, 1948 Issue

Questions and Answers on the Lesson-Sermon

Questions and answers quicken thought. This is the reason they have proved so effective in teaching. Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, in the Manual of The Mother Church (Art. XX, Sect. 3) makes specific provision for questions and answers in the Christian Science Sunday School. After defining the initial instruction, she says, "The next lessons consist of such questions and answers as are adapted to a juvenile class, and may be found in the Christian Science Quarterly Lessons, read in Church services."

Obviously, then, a part of the teacher's preparatory work in the classes where the "next lessons" are taught is to give consideration to questions. Many teachers find it helpful to bring to class a few written questions on salient topics of the Lesson or perhaps a few notations from which to formulate questions. These questions then furnish a nucleus from which others are developed in the class.

The Quarterly Bible Lessons cover twenty-six important subjects so comprehensive as to bring the impetus of the Christ, Truth, into all the activities of human experience. In the teaching of each of the Lessons spiritual discernment will guide the teacher so that, by means of questions and answers, the subject may be presented in a way that will be most understandable and helpful to youth. As the children's instructor, it is the responsibility of the teacher to direct the discussions. This does not mean that pupils may not ask questions. On the contrary, pupils may well be encouraged to ask questions, for this helps the teacher to make the lessons clear and practical. But if the teacher asks interesting and thought-provoking questions, the pupils' queries will naturally follow the trend of the main questions. To permit pupils to direct the discussions is no more feasible in teaching the Sunday School lessons than it is in teaching mathematics.

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