Christian Classical Education can be reduced to a simple and mighty triumvirate:
The transforming power of Great Ideas (Truth)
- The object of our studies is Truth
The Renewing ing power of Great Books and Works of Art (Truth Embodied)
- The tradition we hand on is the truth embodied in masterpieces
The Reviving Power of the Great Virtues (Arts and Habits)
- We cultivate the faculties of reason and will to wisdom and virtue by training them on the verbal and rational arts
We do not believe that knowledge is power, but that it is the apprehension of truth.
We do not believe we should be happy because Johnny is reading “something,” but that what he reads will transform him.
We do not believe that Susie has the wisdom to form her own character naturally, but that she must be mentored and nourished by a wise and loving master-teacher.
We offer, therefore, the only real hope for mankind, which has reduced schooling to the quest for power and position, is desperate to see movement, no matter where it is going, and thinks children will naturally grow into wise and loving citizens if they are raised on principles of self-indulgence.
I do not mean to be flippant in any way. Every day I read more about the souls of young people destroyed by the kind of society the post-human worldview is producing. Only a return to truth embodied by virtue can save us.
Yet these are the very things our post-human world rejects, having traded in truth for relativism and power, embodied truth for self-expression, and virtue for values.
The suffering has only just begun, and most of those who cause it have not the faintest idea that they are to blame. Please do not participate in this cultural, moral, spiritual catastrophe.
Here is my philosophy of education that I wrote out a few months back.
ReplyDeleteWhat is education?
To grasp Truth is to become educated. Truth is everything that is beautiful, good, and real. All Truth belongs to God, and the Gospel {Salvation through Christ's blood) is the core of Truth.
What is NOT education?
Education is not becoming successful according to the world's standards-wealth, recognition, status, external beauty, power, etc. We do not educate our children so that they will have a high-paying job, drive a nice car, have a beautiful home and family, etc.
Why do we educate our children?
We teach our children God's Truth so that they may understand the Gospel. We pray that the Holy Spirit will give them a soul-saving love of the Gospel.
How do we educate our children?
Reading, writing, math, geography, history, art science, language, music, etc. all attest to the Gospel inasmuch as they are True. The organization of information into these categories is imposed and sometimes contrived, but also helpful for tackling the broad spectrum of God's beautiful Truth revealed to us in the world.
How do we know if a student has learned?
To learn is to understand, remember and apply God's Truth in one's life. Our daily living (work, play, and relationships) reveals our depth of understanding of Truth. This understanding increases as we learn more of God's Truth throughout our lives.
I love this, Chrissie. I definitely see similarities Where did you get the questions? Did you come up with them?
ReplyDeleteI wrote out a bunch of thoughts on education, but they felt a little jumbled, so I created the questions to help me organize them.
ReplyDelete