A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF LAWRENCE O. RICHARDS' CURRICULUM BELIEFS ABOUT ADULT CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IN THE LOCAL CHURCH (RELIGIOUS EDUCATION, CONTINUING EDUCATION, CURRICULUM THEORY, ADULT EDUCATION)

The study sought to determine to what extent, if any, the curriculum beliefs of Lawrence O. Richards represent a curriculum theory for adult Christian education in a local church. The study also asked to what extent, if any, Richards' curriculum beliefs remain in place after comparison to the literature in curriculum planning.;Findings include: (1) Richards' primary concern is process. Although he answers the important curriculum questions, answers to the other categories emerge incidently to that concern. (2) He holds a functional view of the church which neglects the aesthetic dimension and his view of the church neglects some of the models in the typology offered by Avery Dulles. (3) His curriculum beliefs are not concrete or comprehensive enough. They may not be accessible to the average practitioner who must design resource units. (4) Although human development is important in his overall theory he has provided little attention to adult development to date.;Conclusions include: (1) There is a need for a more accessible bridge from Richards' theory to practice. (2) His rejection of the classroom model for a socialization model seems based on false dichotomies both biblically and educationally. (3) Although Richards has in place a theology which can be expected to provide for female leadership in the church, he fails to call for that leadership at the highest levels.;Richards prefers to be known as a theologian. But the study was a conscious attempt to analyze his work from the metaphors of education. It was a descriptive study relying upon philosophical method. The general curriculum theory offered by D. Campbell Wyckoff provided the categories for analysis of Richards' literature. The beliefs that emerged were then subjected to a critical analysis using Virgil E. Herrick's propositions for improving curriculum theory. The reconceptualists, especially Dwayne Huebner, offered important questions which contributed to the study.