By way of introduction, I wrote the book on how the classics –the great books –stack up against the Bible. Some have referred to my book, Keys To The Classics, as the "Christian Cliffs Notes" and today it forms the heart of the classical studies program at King's Way Classical Academy.
So what makes classical, Christian education so special? Informal research conducted by the Oregonian newspaper in Portland, Oregon has revealed that the two most important items missing in the government school curriculum are 1) training in skills of logical thinking, and 2) the ability to communicate the results of critical analysis in debate, speech and the written word.
The dialectic and rhetoric components of the classical trivium speak directly to these deficiencies. With a classical education your children are given the priceless gifts of ability to think for themselves and then communicate their thoughts with power and persuasiveness.
The dialectic and rhetoric components of the classical trivium speak directly to these deficiencies. With a classical education your children are given the priceless gifts of ability to think for themselves and then communicate their thoughts with power and persuasiveness.
A classical Christian education can serve as a “finishing processl” for home school students and a Biblical “inoculation” for public school students. The classical core subjects are:
- LATIN: The best way to build a powerful vocabulary – after the Bible, and a key predictor of success in life.
- LOGIC: Critical thinking skills give your children overwhelming advantage in the workplace – and in life.
- RHETORIC: Make your child a force to be reckoned with in the political arena and on the job.
- GREAT BOOKS: Analyzing the classics in light of Scripture grounds your student in the Biblical worldview.
Classical was the educational model that prevailed for centuries, prior to the late1800s. That was when John Dewey foisted his disastrous Progressive Education system on American schools. There can be no true knowledge apart from the Author of all knowledge (Proverbs 1:7). Public schools and secular education in home schools pretend neutrality, but Jesus said, "he who is not with me is against me."
