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Shaping Hearts and Minds: Why It Matters Where Your Child Goes to School
In Shaping Hearts and Minds, Monica and Shawn Whatley give a brief introduction to the purpose and nature of classical Christian education. They argue that the decision parents make regarding their child's education is of immense importance, and they argue that classical Christian education is the best option for the children of Christian families.
- GenresEducationNonfiction
115 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
October 4, 2021
We love CCA.
December 10, 2016
For those who have no background in classical Christian education (CCE), this is a fantastic introduction to some of the basics. For those who are familiar with CCE, this is a good reminder and reinforcer of key aspects of the goal of CCE, but it doesn't provide new insight. This is definitely a helpful book for administrators of CCE schools to put into the hands of parents interested in the school.
November 6, 2021
Eh. An OK book if you want a quick, somewhat fluffy, survey introduction to classical Christian education and the problems of other forms of education. Might be helpful especially to someone who has never thought about these things before. Not my style, though.
April 22, 2025
A very brief and high-level overview of classical education, but unfortunately with almost zero practical examples. After finishing this book I understand that classical education involves learning from the greats throughout history and literature, and that it is solidly grounded in a Biblical Christian worldview. I understand that its goal is to create Christian thinkers and evaluators who love the good, the true, and the beautiful. I understand that, unlike public schools, the goal is not to churn out people who fall in line and take orders without thinking. In this way, this book has given me a good overview of the goals of Classical Education.
What's unfortunately missing is the process and the "How" of Christian Classical Education. After finishing this book I am still completely in the dark as to how schools and homeschool parents achieve these goals, except for perhaps reading classic books. I would really have appreciated some more practical examples, even stories of lessons, discussions, conversations, etc that show how the lofty goals set forth are achieved.
From an organizational perspective, I also could not figure out the flow to the chapters. Many seemed disjointed. The chapters seemed to jump back and forth between ripping on public ed and giving various goals and positives to Christian Classical Ed. Some chapters seemed to flow nicely and then others did not. The flow overall left something to be desired.
Overall, not a bad read for understanding the goals and aims of Christian Classical Education, but I'll have to look elsewhere for more of a practical guide.
What's unfortunately missing is the process and the "How" of Christian Classical Education. After finishing this book I am still completely in the dark as to how schools and homeschool parents achieve these goals, except for perhaps reading classic books. I would really have appreciated some more practical examples, even stories of lessons, discussions, conversations, etc that show how the lofty goals set forth are achieved.
From an organizational perspective, I also could not figure out the flow to the chapters. Many seemed disjointed. The chapters seemed to jump back and forth between ripping on public ed and giving various goals and positives to Christian Classical Ed. Some chapters seemed to flow nicely and then others did not. The flow overall left something to be desired.
Overall, not a bad read for understanding the goals and aims of Christian Classical Education, but I'll have to look elsewhere for more of a practical guide.
September 14, 2022
A good, thorough introduction to Classical Christian education - the philosophy, pedagogy and critical view of secular and non-Classical Christian education. The title is a bit misleading as it does not thoroughly delve into 'why it matters where your child goes to school' - there are many arguments left out. It also did not address or acknowledge minority voices who may have been left out of the classic 'greats' - what does CCE say about them? Is there room in CCE for diversity - of race, educational ability (are students with disabilities allowed a place in CCE?), etc? This book does not answer those questions.
March 16, 2018
Monica Whatley and Dr. Shawn Whatley do an excellent job making a case for Classical Christian education in a clear and simplistic way. This case supports our family’s conviction to have our children in a Classical Christian school. As a public school teacher, I have begun unlearning the progressive “modern” educational jargon that denies and ignores God and now see revelations of how the Creator and Biblical truth are integrated in every facet of life.
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November 4, 2021This book was a helpful resource for me as I think through classical Christian education. I didn’t have an informed opinion on it before reading, and I now feel I have a better grasp on the goals of CCE, and the potential barriers for our family when we start to educate our children. There are a lot of well supported arguments for CCE in the book, and I appreciated the acknowledgments of other arguments/thoughts on training children. I think it’s worth the read for any parent!
April 11, 2022
This book is a helpful guide to those wanting to learn more about Classical Christian Education. I would recommend this to parents who need a quick resource on the subject. It does an excellent job of highlighting the educational philosophy and gives a concise case for abandoning the anti-Christian public schools of our time. The authors also pointed out the cancerous influence of critical theory before it became a partisan stumping point.
July 25, 2022
This was a helpful introductory book to classical Christian education that covered a good amount of ground. It's not a deep dive but more like an extended brochure/pamphlet, but the authors present some good connections, including influence of Frankfurt School and Critical Theory before it was front and center in the public discussion. I particularly appreciated the last couple of chapters, including an argument for why a parent might NOT want a classical Christian education.
January 23, 2025
3.5/5 a good thought provoking book with interesting facts. Though as with most books where the author is sold on their idea I question the conclusions that are sometimes seen to quickly jump to. Even though I already agree with the premise 😆 I am always so resistant to be sold something. But for real, I’m a fan of classical education and this book affirmed many of the reasons why I like it and have chosen it for my kids
January 5, 2017
Quick intelligent read about the goals of Classical Christian Education.
Some thoughtful bits that I appreciated:
p. 39+: "Students have the potential to gain perspective through the study of these influential people including [Herodotus, Hippocrates of Kos, Aristotle, Alexander the Great, Archimedes, Julius Casesar, Constantine the Great, Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo Galilei, Isaac Newton, John Stuart Mill, Abraham Lincoln]... This does not mean that everything that they said was true or good. We need to sift through what they said, guided by the light of revelation. But we cannot do this if we are not exposed to it. These and other influential people spent a great deal of time thinking, writing and learning, and building upon past theories and ideas--many grappling with issues we struggle with today, such as justice, faith, truth, civil rights, and freedom. This was done through the filter of two thousand years of learning in Western civilization and in the conversation that has taken place throughout the centuries. The conversation is being cut off in modern education without us even realizing it."
p. 49+: I could not pass that 1895 8th grade exam!!!
p. 52+: "Curriculum focuses less and less on producing independent thinkers as it works increasingly to socialize children. Modern education assumes children depend on technology to find information. Most everything students want to know can be found on the Internet. But the new curriculum only suggests ways to manipulate media and ignores the fact that students lack context and perspective and have not learned how to synthesize the information they now have access to. They also lack the tools to critique that information. Our current society is expected to thrive when children grow up and get along with others as they work within the system. Modern education does not equip them to think for themselves or to challenge it. Central planners trim content to make more room to socialize children. This socialization trains students in values antithetical to a Christian worldview."
p. 59: "Classical Christian education is centred on the philosophy that we can only know where we are going when we know where we have been. Classically educated students have a huge knowledge base. They become socialized through exposure to classical Western content, not modern, progressive social fads. As C.S. Lewis writes, 'Most of all, perhaps, we need an intimate knowledge of the past. Not that the past has anything magic about it, but we cannot study the future, and yet need something to set against the present, to remind us that the basic assumptions have been quite different in different periods and that much which seems certain to the uneducated is merely temporary fashion. A man who has lived in many places is not likely deceived by the local errors of his native village; the scholar has lived in many times and is therefore in some degree immune from the great cataract of nonsense that pours from the press and the microphone of his own age.'"
p. 65: "Are we too busy to care? We get swept along with modern thinking and don't even realize the unraveling of the net that holds society together. We go from activity to activity, forgetting about any time outside our own short lives. Even the most committed amongst us become self-serving."
p. 69+: "'[Evildoers] are more pained if their villa is poor than if their life is bad, as though man's greatest good were to have everything good except himself.' (St Augustine) A thorough study of revelation throughout time is not enough. A head full of knowledge and the ability to argue one's case is extremely valuable...ad potentially very dangerous without virtue. According to Arthur Wellesley, 'Educate people without religion and you make them but clever devils.' Our current culture doesn't need another clever devil. Building one's intellect is counterproductive if one has no virtue. As Theodore Roosevelt said, 'To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society.' Morals or 'character traits' intended to shape our public-schooled children today are not enough. Students work to show 'goodness' and integrity' and struggle to understand what they really mean. Again classical Christian education works to shape the heart. It labours to nurture and grow the love of Christ, from whom virtue flows. But morals unconnected to a moral lawgiver become relative. We look to the circumstances to decide if it is a good idea to tell the truth. Emphasis focuses on benefits, and ethics become situational. Moralism insists that we can achieve righteousness with good behavior. Combined with modern relativism, moderns believe that one is a better person purely because of what one does. improved behavior seems to supersede the need for sanctification. As believers, the core to our faith--the redemptive power of the cross of Jesus Christ--is replaced by an attempt to be 'good' people. Since 'good' has become relative, it drifts and changes with time. The lines of right and wrong blur, and truth depends on the philosophy of the teacher or politician who shares it. The core of classical Christian education is to cultivate wisdom and virtue resulting from growing in relationship with our Creator, as we understand truth as revealed throughout time."
Some thoughtful bits that I appreciated:
p. 39+: "Students have the potential to gain perspective through the study of these influential people including [Herodotus, Hippocrates of Kos, Aristotle, Alexander the Great, Archimedes, Julius Casesar, Constantine the Great, Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo Galilei, Isaac Newton, John Stuart Mill, Abraham Lincoln]... This does not mean that everything that they said was true or good. We need to sift through what they said, guided by the light of revelation. But we cannot do this if we are not exposed to it. These and other influential people spent a great deal of time thinking, writing and learning, and building upon past theories and ideas--many grappling with issues we struggle with today, such as justice, faith, truth, civil rights, and freedom. This was done through the filter of two thousand years of learning in Western civilization and in the conversation that has taken place throughout the centuries. The conversation is being cut off in modern education without us even realizing it."
p. 49+: I could not pass that 1895 8th grade exam!!!
p. 52+: "Curriculum focuses less and less on producing independent thinkers as it works increasingly to socialize children. Modern education assumes children depend on technology to find information. Most everything students want to know can be found on the Internet. But the new curriculum only suggests ways to manipulate media and ignores the fact that students lack context and perspective and have not learned how to synthesize the information they now have access to. They also lack the tools to critique that information. Our current society is expected to thrive when children grow up and get along with others as they work within the system. Modern education does not equip them to think for themselves or to challenge it. Central planners trim content to make more room to socialize children. This socialization trains students in values antithetical to a Christian worldview."
p. 59: "Classical Christian education is centred on the philosophy that we can only know where we are going when we know where we have been. Classically educated students have a huge knowledge base. They become socialized through exposure to classical Western content, not modern, progressive social fads. As C.S. Lewis writes, 'Most of all, perhaps, we need an intimate knowledge of the past. Not that the past has anything magic about it, but we cannot study the future, and yet need something to set against the present, to remind us that the basic assumptions have been quite different in different periods and that much which seems certain to the uneducated is merely temporary fashion. A man who has lived in many places is not likely deceived by the local errors of his native village; the scholar has lived in many times and is therefore in some degree immune from the great cataract of nonsense that pours from the press and the microphone of his own age.'"
p. 65: "Are we too busy to care? We get swept along with modern thinking and don't even realize the unraveling of the net that holds society together. We go from activity to activity, forgetting about any time outside our own short lives. Even the most committed amongst us become self-serving."
p. 69+: "'[Evildoers] are more pained if their villa is poor than if their life is bad, as though man's greatest good were to have everything good except himself.' (St Augustine) A thorough study of revelation throughout time is not enough. A head full of knowledge and the ability to argue one's case is extremely valuable...ad potentially very dangerous without virtue. According to Arthur Wellesley, 'Educate people without religion and you make them but clever devils.' Our current culture doesn't need another clever devil. Building one's intellect is counterproductive if one has no virtue. As Theodore Roosevelt said, 'To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society.' Morals or 'character traits' intended to shape our public-schooled children today are not enough. Students work to show 'goodness' and integrity' and struggle to understand what they really mean. Again classical Christian education works to shape the heart. It labours to nurture and grow the love of Christ, from whom virtue flows. But morals unconnected to a moral lawgiver become relative. We look to the circumstances to decide if it is a good idea to tell the truth. Emphasis focuses on benefits, and ethics become situational. Moralism insists that we can achieve righteousness with good behavior. Combined with modern relativism, moderns believe that one is a better person purely because of what one does. improved behavior seems to supersede the need for sanctification. As believers, the core to our faith--the redemptive power of the cross of Jesus Christ--is replaced by an attempt to be 'good' people. Since 'good' has become relative, it drifts and changes with time. The lines of right and wrong blur, and truth depends on the philosophy of the teacher or politician who shares it. The core of classical Christian education is to cultivate wisdom and virtue resulting from growing in relationship with our Creator, as we understand truth as revealed throughout time."
October 2, 2017
This book is ideal for anyone who is new to classical Christian education and would like to learn more about it without being overwhelmed. Although the entire book can be read in just over an hour, it's so packed with excellent content, that readers will likely return to important portions of the book time and time again. Highly recommended!
May 18, 2017
Excellent short-form apologetic for classical education.
June 27, 2017
Short intro to arguments to Classical Christian Education.
February 7, 2018
One of the best summaries of classical Christian education available. Very helpful.
June 6, 2019
Great introduction to Classical Christian Education. The appendix is also helpful in covering Dewey and others and their design of the modern day educational system. Great primer to dig deeper.
August 12, 2019
Good book that I picked up at school
June 16, 2020
A short introduction to the concept of classical education.
March 15, 2022
This was a pretty quick but very informative read. It makes a strong case for choosing the right education for your kids.
August 25, 2023
A solid introduction.
June 17, 2024
Good, basic introduction to classical Christian education. Written for folks who are brand new to the movement.
January 17, 2026
Bit of manifesto vibes, but solid. Very quick read.
March 12, 2022
Loved this. I’m sold. I like that this book is shorter than others describing classical education. When it talks about what students learned in 8th grade back in the late 1800s in Chapter 8, I was like 🤯 The fact that most of us think all educations are pretty similar and don’t research or ask many questions about the purpose of the education our child is receiving is remarkable. You cannot “unknow” what you learn in books like these.
November 30, 2025
First things first, my mum must've written her review on my account accidentally . . . keep reading to see it. Second, this was my first time through this book. It makes me realize all the things I've been fighting for and never realized. The times I knew my values didn't line up with my friends but I couldn't explain why, the times I felt something was missing but I didn't know where next to go, what I deemed the chief end of man, everything I value lies in this book. Parents are in dire need of understanding how education shapes their children. This book summarizes it beautifully: the goal of education, the lifelong learner, the pursuit of wisdom and our loss of its value. Now I just need to spend another few hours thinking about how I, someone well past elementary school, can give myself a classical education to make up for the lost time and the "unlearning" I've done in recent years.
A great read!!! This is an excellent resource for parents who are passionate about their kids' education and, especially, faith. It's in a easy format, quickly consumed by any reader (even the most reluctant), yet it's very rich with a clear understanding of why education is the way it is today, how this impacts our kids' souls, and what we can do about it. This resource is key for parents considering school options, and it is particularly valuable to anyone wanting to know more about classical education. It would be a very useful tool for schools to share with their parents. I enjoyed the read and wish I had learned through this method myself!!!
A great read!!! This is an excellent resource for parents who are passionate about their kids' education and, especially, faith. It's in a easy format, quickly consumed by any reader (even the most reluctant), yet it's very rich with a clear understanding of why education is the way it is today, how this impacts our kids' souls, and what we can do about it. This resource is key for parents considering school options, and it is particularly valuable to anyone wanting to know more about classical education. It would be a very useful tool for schools to share with their parents. I enjoyed the read and wish I had learned through this method myself!!!
June 25, 2017
A must read for parents considering classical Christian education.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews