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Reforming Classical Education: Toward A New Paradigm
We educate by equipping new generations to name the world rightly.
We are now in the third generation of the great educational awakening often called the "classical Christian education movement." As with all successful movements, rival visions for its future direction have emerged, and fundamental questions beg for answers. Many hail classical education as a panacea for the intellectual and moral degradation of modernity. Others champion it above contemporary education by arguing that it ultimately produces greater career success. Others promise it will create profound thinkers by exposing children to great literature. But will reading Plato really train a Christian child in virtue? Will learning Latin ready them for success in any field—and is that even something for which we should ready them? And literature is well and good, but why doesn't classical education seems to say much about the sciences?
The essays in this volume address these questions and more, exploring the issue of what a distinctly Protestant form of classical education may look like today. Christian educational renewal undoubtedly involves bringing out treasures old—and there remain som which are still neglected. Yet renewal must also be open to treasures new, as we creatively respond to the challenges and circumstances of our time.
We are now in the third generation of the great educational awakening often called the "classical Christian education movement." As with all successful movements, rival visions for its future direction have emerged, and fundamental questions beg for answers. Many hail classical education as a panacea for the intellectual and moral degradation of modernity. Others champion it above contemporary education by arguing that it ultimately produces greater career success. Others promise it will create profound thinkers by exposing children to great literature. But will reading Plato really train a Christian child in virtue? Will learning Latin ready them for success in any field—and is that even something for which we should ready them? And literature is well and good, but why doesn't classical education seems to say much about the sciences?
The essays in this volume address these questions and more, exploring the issue of what a distinctly Protestant form of classical education may look like today. Christian educational renewal undoubtedly involves bringing out treasures old—and there remain som which are still neglected. Yet renewal must also be open to treasures new, as we creatively respond to the challenges and circumstances of our time.
194 pages, Paperback
Published July 26, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 9, 2023
Read with Zach and Luke.
This Front Porch Republic review spends most of its time criticizing Colin Redemer's chapter on Plato.
If you'll follow me down (and back up) the rabbit hole for a minute: At American Reformer, Redemer challenges Jeremy Tate's American Conservative article, which was a response to Matthew Freeman's claim that CLT may have "caught the wokeness bug." That claim arises from a Current article written by Jessica Hooten Wilson at the beginning of 2023. Essentially, JHW raises the question of representation within the classical Christian tradition, arguing that without women and BIPOC in the reading lineup (and she stresses "equal inclusion" and "equality of perspectives"), the curriculum is a misrepresentation at best, and misogynistic and racist at worst.
To begin coming back up the rabbit hole: Freeman argues, "Whether or not ‘traditionally excluded groups' embrace the tradition is a matter of indifference. The tradition is there to show us heroes for our veneration, and thereby, when we are lucky, to produce new ones. . . . The existence of the hero presupposes the excellence of the few and the inferiority of the many. That is hierarchy. Without hierarchy, you cannot have hero-worship, and without hero-worship, you cannot have the classical tradition."
Tate pushes back, arguing that the mission of CLT "requires a selection of works diverse in subject and author." Interestingly, although Ben Merkle, president of NSA, is a committee member of CLT's author bank, he nevertheless thinks that "the author bank methodology has a problem." Merkle believes that it is a mistake to avoid the Christian part of Classical Christian Education: "True Classical Christian Education knows that it is passing down the intellectual tradition of a Christian people (warts, pagan ancestors, and all)."
Redemer addresses both Freeman and Tate, with his response to Tate appearing about halfway down his article. Redemer challenges Tate's understanding and usage of Aristotle, and Redemer concludes by writing, "If [CLT] choose[s] to aim at diversity as an end they will drift into irrelevance. They will be one among the many institutions confusing America's students, leaving them at best tangled in the branches of the tree of knowledge." Redemer's article has links to other responses in this whole debate.
Here is a related source that can be applied to the issue of canon diversity. The review links to a blog post, which contains many more links to related follow-up conversations. Too many rabbit holes to keep track of.
This Front Porch Republic review spends most of its time criticizing Colin Redemer's chapter on Plato.
If you'll follow me down (and back up) the rabbit hole for a minute: At American Reformer, Redemer challenges Jeremy Tate's American Conservative article, which was a response to Matthew Freeman's claim that CLT may have "caught the wokeness bug." That claim arises from a Current article written by Jessica Hooten Wilson at the beginning of 2023. Essentially, JHW raises the question of representation within the classical Christian tradition, arguing that without women and BIPOC in the reading lineup (and she stresses "equal inclusion" and "equality of perspectives"), the curriculum is a misrepresentation at best, and misogynistic and racist at worst.
To begin coming back up the rabbit hole: Freeman argues, "Whether or not ‘traditionally excluded groups' embrace the tradition is a matter of indifference. The tradition is there to show us heroes for our veneration, and thereby, when we are lucky, to produce new ones. . . . The existence of the hero presupposes the excellence of the few and the inferiority of the many. That is hierarchy. Without hierarchy, you cannot have hero-worship, and without hero-worship, you cannot have the classical tradition."
Tate pushes back, arguing that the mission of CLT "requires a selection of works diverse in subject and author." Interestingly, although Ben Merkle, president of NSA, is a committee member of CLT's author bank, he nevertheless thinks that "the author bank methodology has a problem." Merkle believes that it is a mistake to avoid the Christian part of Classical Christian Education: "True Classical Christian Education knows that it is passing down the intellectual tradition of a Christian people (warts, pagan ancestors, and all)."
Redemer addresses both Freeman and Tate, with his response to Tate appearing about halfway down his article. Redemer challenges Tate's understanding and usage of Aristotle, and Redemer concludes by writing, "If [CLT] choose[s] to aim at diversity as an end they will drift into irrelevance. They will be one among the many institutions confusing America's students, leaving them at best tangled in the branches of the tree of knowledge." Redemer's article has links to other responses in this whole debate.
Here is a related source that can be applied to the issue of canon diversity. The review links to a blog post, which contains many more links to related follow-up conversations. Too many rabbit holes to keep track of.
July 11, 2024
Great essay collection. The intro, final chapter, and two on the quadrivium are absolute corkers. A few of them (Redemer and Lynch) are intriguing, Redemer’s more convincing.
Strong recommendation.
Strong recommendation.
July 20, 2025
Read excerpts for class. A wonderful collection of essays on classical education as a developing field. Really enjoyable read.
August 30, 2022
Helpful. All the essays are useful in provoking thought - I found them a bit uneven - quite different in style, some more useful than others, sometimes coming at similar topics from quite different frameworks etc. But that's the nature of this kind of book and it means you get a bunch of different conversation partners.
Definitely helpful as I think through/tailor what we do in home education.
Definitely helpful as I think through/tailor what we do in home education.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews