world.... Christ is the type of perfected manhood._ The history of the
individual reflects and repeats the history of humanity, just as the
history of humanity is a reflection of the history of the Cosmos, and
the history of the Cosmos is an image of the life of God; all history,
be it that of humanity or of the individual, of the starry heavens, or
of the earth, is development of life toward God." "Where there is
development, there is progress. Progress in history is only the more
visible, audible, perceptible embodiment of God in humanity."[1]

In the study of the education of a people it is necessary first to
become acquainted with their social, political, and religious life. To
this end a knowledge of the geography and history of their country is
often essential, because of the influence of climate, occupation, and
environment, in shaping the character of a people. Examples of this
influence are not wanting. The peculiar position of the Persians,
surrounded on all sides by enemies, required a martial education as a
preparation for defensive and offensive measures. Physical education was
dominant among the Spartans, because of serfdom which involved the
absolute control of the many by the few. No less striking are the
effects of physical conditions upon all peoples in stimulating mental
activity and in developing moral life, both of which processes are
essential to true education. The intellectual product of the temperate
zone differs from that of the torrid zone, the product of the country
from that of the large city. For these reasons stress is here laid upon
the geographical and historical conditions of the peoples considered.

For the same purpose we must study the home and the family, the
foundations upon which the educational structure is built. The ancient
Jew looked upon children as the gift of God, thereby teaching the great
lesson of the divine mission of children and of the parents'
responsibility for their welfare. This race has never neglected the home
education, even when it became necessary to establish the school. The
family was the nursery of education, and only when diversified duties
made it no longer possible to train the children properly in the home
was the school established. Even then the purpose of the school was but
to give expression to demands which the home created. The spirit and
purpose of the education of a people can be understood only when the
discipline, the ideals, and the religion