Loading ...October 29th, 2007Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: Classical Education’s Past
The contemporary classical Christian home schooling model was born in antiquity. Nearly 3500 years ago, Yahweh (The Great “I Am” of Exodus 3:14) chose a special people, Israel, and commanded the fathers to teach their children His Law in both morning and evening, whether they were at home or away. Torah was their primary text of study. As they memorized, recited, narrated, and discussed His Word, they interpreted meaning and applied His Word to their lives. Memorization, recitation, narration, discussion, interpretation, and application (tools of the modern classical Christian home education model) originated in ancient Mesopotamia.
Soon thereafter, the Greek and Roman civilizations arose, and like their predecessors, the Hebrews, they too searched for meaning and purpose in life. They wrote epics, philosophies, histories, and legislation that still impacts us today. The Greeks borrowed the Hebrew method of inductive reasoning (observe, interpret, and apply) which Plato immortalized in the dialogues of the philosopher Socrates. The Romans read the Greek classics and organized education into 7 Liberal Arts.
After the resurrection of Jesus and the birth of His Church, medieval Europeans rediscovered these Hebrew, Greek, and Latin classics and began studying them in depth. They organized their education into two phases: the trivium and the quadrivium. Christian texts were added to the ancient classics as the search for meaning and purpose continued. The 7 Liberal Arts were studied, and around 1300 A.D. three advanced areas of study were added: theology, law, and medicine. It was this “new and improved” classical Christian education paradigm that was carried by colonists across a vast ocean to a young nation, and it is on the shoulders of these past giants that we now gratefully stand.
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November 1st, 2007 at 11:07 am
I just love the classics!
November 12th, 2007 at 5:07 pm
Me, too! There are several opinions as to what books qualify as classics, but one of my favorite reference books when selecting classics to read is “Invitation to the Classics,” edited by Louise Cowan and Os Guinness.
November 14th, 2007 at 6:21 pm
I really appreciate your tying classical learning back to Hebraic learning. The two are not mutually exclusive. I enjoy your blog, and I’d like to see more on how classical education involves learning classical languages, not just read “classic” literature.
November 14th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
No edit feature: make that “reading.”
November 14th, 2007 at 9:07 pm
Thanks, Sherry, for the suggestion. Classical languages (Latin, Greek, and Hebrew) will definitely be discussed in future posts as the kids and I are in the process of mastering Latin right now with Greek coming up soon and Hebrew a possibility before graduation. My husband knows all 3, but the kids and I haven’t tackled Greek and Hebrew yet. We’re looking forward to reading NT and OT someday along with Dad in the original language.
April 6th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Hi Sherry,
I’ve just been discovering information about NWO and how Jesuits, et al are bringing about the prophecies of the bible. Because I no longer wanted my son subject to the onslaught of liberal agenda taught daily in his public school, I have just enrolled him in a small Classical Christian school. However, I have some concerns that the CCE might somehow be linked to the Jesuit control of things to come (they use a celtic cross in their school literature and the NIV in class, among other things) and I wonder if you might have knowledge or an opinion to the contrary. I just want my son to get the best education he can, while staying completely true to biblical standards. Is that even possibly today short of homeschooling, I wonder? Thank you.
April 6th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Sorry… To Diane, not Sherry.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:20 am
Hi Michele,
I assume by NWO that you mean “New World Order?” I am not familiar with a Jesuit plot, so I am unable to respond with any knowledge or opinion on what’s happening or planned in classical private Catholic schools. I can say, however, that anytime you turn over your parental authority to a surrogate whether a public or private school, you lose complete control of the curriculum, so if you want to use the private school for his education, you have to concede certain theological and philosophical points. Only you and your husband can decide which teaching you are comfortable subjecting your son to and which teachings fall short of your hopes for him. The administrators and educators of the school may not agree with your interpretation of biblical standards. If after having examined their principle beliefs, you are uncomfortable with their position, I would suggest that you consider a classical Christian education at home. It is a great joy and privilege ! Blessings on you and your husband, Michele, as you wrestle with these important questions.
Diane