What is Christian classical education?

When we talk about classical Christian education, what do we mean?

One of the best ways to define something is by its purpose.

When we build an educational movement, we make it to fulfill a task and bring about certain results. We design its form, shape, and structure in a way that serves that purpose.  For example, if I design a bike, I'll give it the best shape to get a person from point A to point B easily. I'll give it an aluminum alloy frame to keep it light, and then use large rubber wheels to keep it efficient. All of these serve the main purpose-- to get to point B.

We can find the purpose of classical Christian education by looking at its three words.

1. Education

First, what is the purpose of "education"?

There are a number of reasons for education: to get into college, to learn, to figure out what to do when you're older, to get a job.  All of these are important purposes of education that classical Christian education is meant to achieve.

But we know that these are not the most important things in life. Even students know there has to be a different purpose.

2. Christian education

When we add "Christian" to the term "education," the idea of education suddenly becomes a little more human.

A Christian wants to educate his or her child to be fully human, not just a brain or employee. We hope our child will end up wanting to be good-- and not simply because we tell them to be. We want them to become 18-year olds who are loving, but not blind in their love; who are well-informed, but humble; and who have learned to put their faith in God. A Christian education is one that is free to pursue these purposes.

Classical Christian schools today are seeing an influx of students from public schools. You can guess why. A school can either be a good influence or a bad influence-- and the influences of social media, gender confusion, racial politics, and expressive individualism are getting worse.

A Christian education is built, then, for the most important purposes of education.   A student at a Christian school will be helped to become a good human being, created to glorify God and enjoy him forever.

3. Classical Christian education

What, then, makes classical Christian education different? What does "classical" mean?

At first I thought the word "classical" only referred to the "how" of teaching. I thought it was just a classical method. But "classical" education is built around a purpose. The proper order here is important: the purpose goes first, and the method follows.

The word "classical" points to the purposes that the West had for education for over a thousand years. Schools existed to help students:

-Think logically

-Appreciate literature, art, music, and nature

-Enter into a life of learning with the great minds of the Christian West

-Speak eloquently

These are some of the goals that classical Christian education is designed to reach.

Summary

When we talk about classical Christian education, this is what we mean:

Classical Christian education is what it looks like when education is directed towards the purpose of helping students become

     virtuous men and women in Christian community

who think well, speak well,

and are lifelong learners alongside the great minds of the Christian West.

When a classical Christian school serves this purpose, it will look a certain way. Just like a bike takes its shape from its purpose of making transportation easy, a classical Christian school will add and subtract things and take a different shape in order to serve that purpose.

The only way that students can become those things is by having a school that is truly reformed along the lines of purpose. That is what we aim to do at Arete.