Mary Boys offers a new way of thinking about what it means to educate religiously. Utilizing the metaphor of "map-making" to broaden the context of American religious education, Boys defines a process that incorporates each instructor's own experiences, perspectives, and analytical insights to develop more compelling teaching methods.
"All theory," writes Boys, "is a kind of map extended over space and time. Thus I am using the metaphor of the map to present a Particular way of thinking about a fascinating and complex endeavor, educating religiously. I have sought to sketch this map in a way that is sufficiently inclusive, since religious education is an interplay of so many factors; properly historical, so as to provide an appropriate context for understanding; and simultaneously analytical and imaginative, so as to show relationships among theorists and movements in a way that stimulates fresh visions. Readers, therefore, can anticipate clarification, perspective, and coherence from the map-qualifications all too often absent from discussions of religious education."
By placing Protestant and Catholic religious education in both a historical and conceptual framework, the author establishes a theological and educational basis for analysis, providing vital new answers to such important questions as: What does it mean to educate in faith? Why does one educate in (or for) faith? How much emphasis should be given to psychology, anthropology, and sociology in developing a theory of religious education? What is the teacher,s role, and how significant is teaching toward religious education? And toward what view of society is a theory of religious education oriented?
Expanding on the premise that to be religious is to be involved in “educating in faith," Boys stresses that religious education as it is traditionally defined and practiced (i.e., transmitting dogma and rules to youngsters), is only a minor part of a more dynamic whole. She explores what has been happening in Christian education in America, clarifies the foundational dimensions of Christian approaches, articulates a new definition of the field of Christian education in light of her findings, and outlines a ground breaking agenda for the future.