Classical Education

Fundamentally, Classical Christian Education is defined as, "The cultivation of wisdom and virtue by nourishing the soul on truth, goodness, and beauty to the end that, in Christ, the student is better able to know and enjoy God." Wisdom is defined as, "Knowledge of first causes and principles; the capacity to order and to judge" and virtue is defined as, "An excellence; a habit that increases mastery of a natural or supernatural power."*

Each child entrusted to our educational cultivation is a soul that bears the image of God. Truth must be taught and knowledge must be acquired and organized.

• The teaching of organized knowledge is the first column of the Classical Paideia.

  « It is achieved by means of verbal instruction, textbooks and other aids in all subjects.

• The second column of the Classical Paideia is the development of intellectual skills and the skills of learning.

  « This development is accomplished through coaching exercises and supervised practice (reading, writing, calculating, problem solving, observing, measuring, estimating and critical judgment).

• The third Paideia column is understanding.

  « It is the enlarged understanding of ideas and values and it is done through Socratic questioning and active participation in the discussion of books, works of art, music, drama and visual arts.

The child who first acquires knowledge, is then mindfully coached to develop his or her acquired knowledge and is ultimately challenged to understand the acquired, developed knowledge is the child who will truly learn. The Classical model is not new but it is tried and it is true. It is a privilege to be able to teach the Logos; "the rational governing principle of the cosmos." * (John 1)

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue. 2 Peter 1: 2-3

*2004 Circe Institute