Many parents attend seminars and workshops to learn how to deal with problems of behavioral discipline. One goal of Christian parent education, however, should be to help parents understand a broader biblical view of the parent-child relationship that transcends the immediate discipline situation. The purpose of this article is to present “parenting as discipleship” as a grounding motif for parent education. The article considers five areas: (a) the biblical teaching on discipline and discipleship; (b) the relational context of discipline; (c) the interactional and multi-determined nature of parenting; (d) the importance of parents’ personal self-reflection; and (e) the role of empathy. Insights from the child psychology literature are used to reinforce the contextual motif.
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