Philosophy of Education

Pursuing Christ with a Classical Education for ALL!

A Phenomenal Education

Classical education has always prioritized virtue formation. Since antiquity, classical educators have sought to educate the young to know what is good, to serve it above self, to reproduce it, and to recognize that in knowledge lies this responsibility. This intentional training first recognizes truth, beauty, and goodness in the created world, then in all spheres of society: art, literature, history, mathematics, science, music, and language. Based on quality timeless literature, classical education proffers worthwhile knowledge which leads to understanding and eventually to wisdom. Ultimately, a classical education liberates students to think critically, to converse meaningfully, and to live virtuously. 

A classical Christian education combines a classical education with a biblical worldview. Classical Christian education trains students to recognize that God presides over all knowledge and that He is the source of all truth, goodness, and beauty. The truths of Scripture are integrated throughout all academic subjects as subjects are, in turn, integrated. This integration ensures that students develop an appreciation for the centrality and applicability of God’s Word. Classical Christian education’s ennobling aim is to instill a love of learning that links knowledge to responsibility and culminates in a life of virtue. Re-establishing the vital link between knowledge and action, classical Christian education grounds students in imago-Dei identity and purpose and empowers them to reach their God-given potential. A classical Christian education beautifully trains both head and heart, mind and morals.

  • Classical educators equip students with the tools of learning. These tools teach students how to think, not what to think. Latin for ‘three roads’ and loosely based on the stages of development, the trivium is comprised of the grammar, logic, and rhetorical stages which roughly correspond to the elementary, junior high, and high school ages. 

    First, the grammar or knowledge stage, which loosely corresponds to elementary students, primarily involves memorizing basic facts of all subjects. Next, junior high students naturally develop into the logic or understanding stage, in which they ask questions, sort facts, and analyze arguments. Last, in the rhetoric or wisdom stage, high school students hone written and oral rhetorical skills as they learn to express themselves persuasively, eloquently, and winsomely.

  • The Dialectic

    The dialect involves questioning and wrestling. Using classical tools like the Five Common Topics (definition, comparison, circumstance, relationship, and testimony), students question the religious, social, and political ideologies of their parents and society, ultimately rejecting them or embracing them. The dialectic introduces questions of value, judgment, and discernment, all of which fundamental to normative education.

    Normative Approach

    Normative education teaches the student to assess not only what can be done, but also what ought to be done– the latter being the more crucial consideration. Just because something is possible does not mean it is beneficial. A normative-based education empowers a student to articulate informed opinions and to make intelligent and virtuous judgments. Normative thinking links value-based decision-making to responsibility-based living.

    Literature-Rich Curriculum

    Students learn to reason, speak, and write well through continuous exposure to quality, timeless literature. This literature includes the great texts from Western, African, Hispanic, and Asian writers who express their ideas winsomely and persuasively.