Chaos Theory, Theology, and Curriculum: Striving Towards the Impossibility of the Gift

<p>It was once thought that small influences could not have a large impact on a grand scale. However, in the 1960s Edward Lorenz discovered that very small disturbances in weather conditions could have a great effect on huge weather systems. With an understanding of chaos theory, which posits that everything matters, I argue that a life based on the lessons of a theology inspired by postmodernism can provide a lens through which to see and act in this chaotic world. By living by this belief, the ability to give the true gift, which is an impossibility and is always to come, becomes meaningful. Curriculum studies allows for many wide ranging topics to be discussed and because of its wide ranging influence it is the avenue through which creating positive change in the world could occur. Inspiring, or even more specifically, resacralizing education is a mission to awaken the spirit, passion, love, creativity, and imagination that has for so long been deadened to standardization, test scores, and the factory model teaching.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Education in Curriculum Studies (Ed.D.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation (open access)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Department of Curriculum, Foundations, and Reading

Year dc:date.available

2014

Author dc:creator

• Jones, Thomas B

Contributors dc:contributor

• Marla Morris
• Daniel Chapman
• Reta Whitlock

• ETD
• Chaos theory
• Theology
• Curriculum
• Education
• Gift
• Impossibility
• Resacralization
• Curriculum and Instruction
• Curriculum and Social Inquiry

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/1115

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu:etd-2090