A question of identity

Alfonso Aguiló is an authoritative voice in the field of education and Christian reflection. An engineer by training, educator by vocation and president of the Spanish Confederation of Educational Centers (CECE). His perspective combines humanistic training with an open attitude to the changing reality of our time. A question of identity is part of this effort to provide current Christian responses to the cultural, educational and spiritual challenges of the 21st century.

From the very beginning, the author clearly assumes that “transmitting the faith while assuming that we are in the minority”.” does not mean to give up, but to propose from authenticity, coherence and respectful dialogue. 

One of the great achievements of the book is its ability to put in conversation the contemporary mentality - marked by pluralism, relativism and an often exclusive secularism - with a Christian faith that is not afraid to assume its convictions with strength and joy. Aguiló does not present a faith that fights, but one that convinces. His proposal is not a trench, but one of encounter.

The book is structured in several thematic blocks. In the section dedicated to the Christian humanism and education, Aguiló asks about the place of religion in schools, the compatibility between Christian identity and secularism, and the need to build a “culture of dialogue. Chapters such as ”A faith that makes culture“, ”Christian identity in school management“ and ”Public discourse on identity“ stand out.

Another part focuses on the Christian values and character education. Topics such as “the hidden power of kindness”, “the exercise of authority”, “education and frustration” or “personal vocation and emotional life” show the author's intention to form complete persons, not only technically prepared, but emotionally and ethically mature. This formative, integral and profoundly human dimension of education is one of the main contributions of the book.

In the section on the spiritual dimension, Aguiló dismantles many current prejudices: he affirms that faith is not a “code of obligations and prohibitions,” but a living relationship with God. He invites us to speak clearly but without hurting, and to not “shut up to no one, nor speak only for like-minded or convinced people”. This attitude of openness, so necessary today, finds in Aguiló a lucid and serene formulation.