Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston UniversityAlthough, in theory, the chUrch has laid stress upon democratic methods in group education, it has consistently relied in its technic upon educative systems designed to transmit information and help the individual gain sufficient information concerning the Christian tradition and culture. This procedure has been questioned by George A. Coe, W. C. Bower, Harrison Elliott, E. J. Chave, and others. Following the lead of Dewey, Froebel, and Pestalozzi, they translated a theory of social and functional education for the church. Theoretically, their findings hold with the Christian view of the religious life. However, they set forth no technic through which their basic theories could function, and as a consequence, learning groups in the church have continued to employ technics that are authoritarian and highly indifferent to the dynamics resident in group interaction. [TRUNCATED
