The Sunday school Movement which started in England, along with Religious Awakening Movement, reached France in early 19th century. in the year 1852 the French Society of Sunday Schools was established, and is still carrying on with its actions until today. However, it is now placed in a social and cultural situation very different from the past.
This research mainly focuses on how the Sunday schools changed their educational model, both theologically and pedagogically.
The Sunday school association has prominent aspects, including perspective missionary which deliver gospels and the fact that it is interdenominational. The association establishes publishing houses in order to create educational devices for children and the youth who learn about the Bible. In addition, the publishing houses print out journals for Sunday school teachers. The year 1881 marked a big shift in the Sunday school system. Due to the French government's separation of State and Religion, the teaching of religion was eliminated from the curriculum of public schools. Therefore, the Sunday school assiociation came up with Thursday school. The students were divided according to their ages, and the teachers developed their way of teaching. The association also required the teachers to read deeply into the Bible and to discover hidden meanings in it.
During the 20th century the churches were separated from state. At that time, the Protestant and the Sunday school association had a dispute related to the relationship between theology and education. The Reformed churches planted into the Sunday schools a positive image, and that was because the Reformed churches owned several public schools which did not obtain the teaching that could be found in Sunday schools. The churches insisted that people should see catechesis as a part of the church's function, and also insisted that many should continually support the Sunday school association.
Experiencing the World War I and World War II, the Sunday school association criticized totalitarianism, fascism, and bolshevikism, the political ideologies that were being imbued into the hearts of the youth. The Sunday school association asserted that like following the theological line of Karl Barth which was to make the Bible the center of worship, the Bible should also be the center of catechesis.
Ever since World War II, people increasingly started to participate in family activities, and thus children began to participate in one of Sunday school or Thursday school. Because of this social change, since the 1960s, the churches started to reflect on their traditional model of catechesis, and began to create more changes. (1) Theological change : Within the lives of adolescents, whenever they have questions, they look it up in the Bible. This is a change in hermeneutical position. (2) Educational change : By applying playing and communication methods, the boredom easily noticed in churches was eliminated. (3) Institutional change : By replacing baptism and confirmation with festivities, there was a change in making these ceremonies more commonplace.
Since the 1980s the Sunday school association and churches cooperated with each other to alter the quality of Christian education. (1) Biblical and Theological references : The Bible, through confession, proves its existential character within catechesis. The Bible is liberal about the various interpretation of readers. (2) Ecclesiastical conformity : Education, being part of the church's functions, is not only a task for teachers but also a task for the whole community. The Sunday school association plans its education so that it is in contact with the whole Europe, all other denominations, and other religions too. (3) Educational Psychological conformity : Catechesis opens itself to everyone for it strives to be partnered with teachers, children, parents, the church, and also actors who change the society. In the past, Sunday schools had their unique theological and educational opinions and philosophies pertaining to the church, but now churches in France support the Sunday school association and aids it, altering the quality of its educational activities.