Every publisher has a set of standards by which a manuscript will be examined or accepted for publication. Here are some of the things we at CEP look for.
CONTENT:
CEP is the education and publications arm of the PCA, so we MUST be very careful about the content of everything on which we put our name. This is especially true of the doctrinal content. We will scrutinize this most closely.
TRANSLATION:
CEP is publishing everything in the English Standard Version of the Bible. Please make sure that this is the primary version used.
STUDY QUESTIONS:
There are several ways of evaluating these questions. From an educational viewpoint, we want to make sure that these question are not lower level questions, but rather move the learner up the scale towards higher critical thinking. This pyramid will help you understand what we are looking for, and the following pages will give you ideas about what “actions verbs” go with each level. Keep in mind that the lowest level of memorization is necessary as a foundation, but it is not adequate for real learning beyond basics.
Keep in mind that the goal of all Christian education is changed lives and not just learning of facts!
Asking the right questions begins with having a Covenantal Understanding of the Bible. This means we do not begin asking questions about us. For example: we don’t begin by asking the three questions many of us were taught to ask: What does the text say?; What does the text mean?; and What does it mean to me? This is what we must ask:
- The Bible is God’s self-revelation; therefore, what does this passage teach me/us about God?
- God reveals Himself through His Son, the Mediator of the covenant; therefore, what do I/we learn about Christ?
- God reveals Himself as the covenant making and keeping God; therefore, what does God teach about Himself in His covenant with His people, including their/my privileges and responsibilities related to the covenant?
- How does this specific passage of Scripture fit into God’s self-revelation through His covenantal story of redemption and restoration?
- As a result of what I have discovered, what will I do with this information in my life today? This week? This month?
The Bible is a revelation of God to us about HIM. We must always start with Him.
The following pages will explain each of the levels of learning mentioned above.
Click here to download the complete article in PDF format (Acrobat Reader required).