Looking into their revelation, members of the General Church of the New Jerusalem pieced together a new idea of how a child's mind develops from birth into adulthood.
The main purpose of New Church education is to help students learn, love, and live the teachings of the Jesus Christ as revealed in the Old and New Testaments and the Heavenly Doctrines of the New Jerusalem.
According to New Church doctrine, while a newborn's will is considered inherently flawed and self-centered, they are not guilty of sin due to their innocence.
The New Church's concept of innocence refers to a state of mind that is free from sin due to a willingness to be led by the Lord.
Specifically, childhood is a time of "innocence of ignorance," that is, children are free from sin because they do not yet fully understand the difference between good and evil and cannot accurately see the future consequence of their choices.
Because children are innocent and thus willing to be led, they are most open to learning the difference between right and wrong and practicing that understanding into lifelong habits.
During the 1800s over thirty day schools were operating in England, offering a basic education but most of these closed in the early 1900s.
Schools opened in London and Colchester which continued to offer education in the light of New Church teachings for many years.
But as the quality of public education improved and it became more accessible, most congregations decided to focus on their Sunday School programs as a way to teach children about the Lord and His Word.
They wanted children to hear or read stories from the Lord’s Word each day and have a supportive environment to help them apply these teachings in their lives.
The Academy offers education for high school and college students as well as those wanting a post-graduate degree in New Church theology.