Know Thyself: Catholic Classical Education and the Discovery of Self

by Andrew Youngblood

Across the United States and around the world, there has been an ongoing resurgence in classical education, including among Catholics. The classical model, rooted in the ancient Socratic method, is flourishing, and classical Catholic schools continue to multiply and grow. But classical education also has its detractors. Some parents and teachers worry that it is impractical, outdated, or, worse, judgmental.
In Know Thyself , Andrew Youngblood, an educator with decades of experience in classical learning as both a student and teacher, introduces readers to this exciting education alternative and its intellectual and spiritual benefits. Youngblood defines the essence of classical Catholic education, explores its integrated and narrative approach to learning, and presents its transformative power and beauty.
Through brief vignettes, personal anecdotes from students and teachers, and examples from the classroom, Know Thyself makes a positive case for an education journey that teaches students to see themselves through God’s eyes―and to truly know themselves and who they are called to be.

Genres: Education, Catholic

184 pages, Hardcover

Published October 23, 2023

Reviews

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Know Thyself is the newest voice in the Great Conversation regarding the resurgence of Catholic Classical education as an essential component to restoring the culture. If restoring the culture is important, we must get on with the work. We have our blueprint in literature by Josef Pieper, Simone Weil, John Senior, Stratford Caldecott, Anthony Esolen - they show us the problem and the solution. While these and many others have given timeless contributions to the canon of authentic educational philosophy for our Catholic schools, Andrew Youngblood’s offering is more practical: however much school administrators are inspired by the passionate, intelligent, and convincing philosophies, they need security in stepping out of the “approved”, “accredited” modes. And this is the unique value of this book – not only does it articulate highly practical, focused instruction on how to get on with this most important work, it includes testimonies with proven results. Yes, this work will be hard in the sense that it is radically different than the current modern educational system that is in place in nearly every Catholic school. Like all prophets, they aren't telling us it is easy; they are showing us it is worth it.

The classical classroom necessarily looks different than the current classroom in every diocesan school. Much like Christianity contrasted so sharply with the pagan culture ruled by Rome in the first century, our renewed Catholic culture should stand out in stark contrast to the pagan culture ruled by the current occupying forces of relativism. It is the air we breathe. It is, as Pope St. John Paul II coined it, the culture of death and it is rotting Western Civilization, which is simply the secular term for Christendom.

John Senior explains that "culture, as in 'agriculture', is the cultivation of the soil from which men grow." We are growing humanity. For humans to flourish, we need to understand what man is and what he is intended to become. Unlike pre-Christian culture, with its oblique glimpses of truth, we actually know the full answer. Our holy mother Church tells us who we are and what we are to become - we are made in the image and likeness of God, to know, love, and serve Him in this world to be happy with Him in the next. Culture, therefore, clearly has this end: Christian culture is the cultivation of saints. Senior continues, "The function of the garden of souls is to cultivate not only the great, publicly canonized saints, but the hidden life of sanctity in everyone according to his gifts." Youngblood fleshes this out, showing us how to properly do this for the high school person: using the trivium and quadrivium, as beautifully articulated by Stratford Caldecott, the classical curriculum in a Catholic school presents the fullness of truth coherently. By integrating literature, theology, history, math, science, art and music, patterns begin to emerge. Where modern schools present fragments that amount to nothing, permeating the air with the stench of nihilism, Catholic Classical education is light through a stained-glass window - multiple pieces of varying shades in every color of the universe work together; a picture emerges. By gazing at illumined truth, we see Truth. In everything. Even ourselves. Just as darkness cannot overcome the light, Classical Catholic schools are a burning candle showing us the way out of a culture of death, into a culture of life.

John Senior tells us that in the absence of culture you do not get lovely wild grass. If you cease to cultivate, you rot. The whole Western world is rotting. Andrew Youngblood shows us a way out. We must plow current educational philosophy and pedagogy under. It is rotten. We must tend the garden of souls once again. We must get on with the hard work of restoring Christian culture to cultivate saints. This should be the mission of each and every one of our Catholic schools.

[Fr. Jeffrey Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall helpful, which some flaws.

Helpful overview of what constitutes classical education at the high school level. Hampered by trying to do too much: some explanation of the system, some anecdotes, some overall hashing out of the author's own philosophy of education.

This book would have benefitted from more organization and more straightforward information presentation, rather than trying to do everything through analogies to classical education topics. Read more like a sales pitch than actual information.

[Nick Padrnos · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those drawn to classical education for its intellectual rigor, Andrew Youngblood helps you discover that it’s actually salve for the soul. Classical pedagogy, not just the classics, is what will heal young minds who are hopeless and launch them on an incredible journey to “know thyself.”

[John McLain · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author is a great storyteller, but this book definitely feels all over the place, almost like it's trying to do too much or maybe never knew what it was trying to do in the first place. That doesn't mean it's lacking decent elements. They simply don't have much of a collective effect. Seemingly the book is meant to serve as an introduction to classical education. The first half of the book does this decently, but the second didn't feel like it fit, meandering through history but always coming up short of a strong practical implication. In the end it was an enjoyable read, but not one that left me feeling any clearer on what classical education should look like on the ground.

[Cj Miguel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makes a very strong case for reintroducing a classical education. I'm convinced and have already made plans for how I will learn the trivium. Youngblood also advocates for the renewal of a Catholic view regarding education. That the purpose of education is to embark on a lifelong pilgrimage to learn about ourselves and return home. Not merely to understand ourselves within a secular anthropology; as disjointed and fractured creatures chasing pleasure. No, we are to understand ourselves through the eyes of our loving Father.

[Maura Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good intro to Catholic classical education. It is about 40 pages too long for those who already agree that the secular embrace of nihilism is detrimental for teens and also understand how church teaching counteracts such beliefs by reminding us of our dignity and purpose as human beings in relation to God. I would definitely recommend as a resource for those who are trying to make high school decisions for their kids though!