Tag: Western civilization
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The Story of Civilization: The Golden Age of Greece
If someone were to stop you on the street and ask, “What is classical education?” I might have just described a nightmare scenario for a classical school parent. “Umm,” you begin. “It’s the trivium—grammar, logic, and rhetoric.” “It’s…classical art and music. Like Beethoven and Mozart. Plus math and science.” “It’s the pursuit of goodness, truth,…
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On the Beginning…and End of Civilizations
“Civilization is social order promoting cultural creation. Four elements constitute it: economic provision, political organization, moral traditions, and the pursuit of knowledge and the arts. It begins where chaos and insecurity end. For when fear is overcome, curiosity and constructiveness are free, and man passes by natural impulse towards the understanding and embellishment of life.” …
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Preserving the Inheritance: Christian Education in the Post-Christian West
In The Air We Breathe (The Good Book Company, 2022), author Glen Scrivener explains how western society came to believe in the core values we now take for granted: equality, compassion, consent, enlightenment, science, freedom, and progress. He contends that belief in these values is not self-evident, trans-cultural, or historically necessary. So where did these…
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Training the Prophetic Voice, Part 2: Speaking Truth to Power
Among the primary aims of our educational movement is to train our students in the art of rhetoric so that they can contribute meaningfully to the major cultural debates of our society. Enacting real and lasting change occurs as people dare to promote and defend what is true, good and beautiful in a world that…
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The Black Death and an Educational Renaissance
An infectious disease causes a pandemic that decimates the major urban centers in northern Italy. Doctors are recognized by their masks. The economy is disrupted through the loss of a workforce. The social order is overturned. Many turn to religion as a response to the pandemic, yet dogmatic norms are questioned. The pope issues indulgences…
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Why Study Western Civilization?
The classical Christian movement has at its core a commitment to teaching Western civilization. Even though we teach Western civ, its distinctive qualities are not always clear. As a result, many educators (even within the classical movement) question why we would teach Western civilization. Here I will lay out what I think are the three…