"The process of secularization arises not from the loss of faith, but from the loss of solid interest in the world of faith. It begins the moment men feel that religion is irrelevant to the common way of life and that society as such has nothing to do with the truths of faith." (Christopher Dawson, 1948, The Outlook for Christian Culture, emphasis mine)
Christopher Dawson wrote prolifically in the mid 20th century while watching Western civilization teeter on the brink of and tip towards decline. Trained as a sociologist and historian, his interest in the vitalization of western civilization was only secondary. He was a firm believer in the addage that "Culture is religion externalized" so his primary interest was in Christian vitality. It was only too clear to him that western civlization was the result of a dynamic Christ oriented view of life, and if it was to be brought back to its former glory and vigor, it would be through an enlivened church that carried into every arena of life a vigorous transforming faith. Without that, the church herself would be the reason for the surrounding secularization.
The quote above describes the condition we find ourselves in at the beginning of the 21st century. We live in a society that feels religion is irrelevant to the common way of life; that society has nothing to do with the truths of the Christian faith. Tragically, this happens to be the very condition of the church. How many professing Christians do you know that live as though the only thing that matters is pleasing God? Most of us can't bring ourselves to linger over the Word of God and reflect on the life of Christ to see what it tells us about how we should live in our jobs or in our homes; but we can't wait for the next generation of iPhone or iPad. And so banking suffers, and medicine suffers, and our communities suffer, and our libraries suffer as secularization trickles in and stifles what little spiritual influence faith may have. And so we wonder and are appalled at commercials that utilize illicit allurement to sell hamburgers and near prime time ads promote male medications.
"I passed by the field of the sluggard, by the vineyard of the man lacking sense, and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man." (Proverbs 24:30-34)
In our neglect, our poverty has overtaken us. We have met the enemy, and he is us. We have allowed a secular culture to define for us the purpose of life, and dare I say it, the purpose of education. Once again, Dawson saw it coming 60 years ago.
"The whole tendency of modern life is toward scientific planning and organization, central control, standardization and specialization. If this tendency was left to work itself out to its extreme conclusion, one might expect to see the state transformed into an immense social machine, all the individual components of which are strictly limited to the performance of a definite and specialized function, where there could be no freedom because the machine could only work smoothly so long as every wheel and cog performed its task with unvarying regularity. Now the nearest modern society comes to this state of total organization, the more difficult it is to find any place for spiritual freedom and personal responsibility. Education itself becomes an essential part of the machine, for the mind has to be as completely measured and controlled by the techniques of the scientific expert as the task which it is being trained to perform." (Christopher Dawson, 1948, The Outlook for Christian Culture, emphasis mine)
Our educational structures, in their secular precommitments, have turned us into button pushing monkeys, all for the sake of order and economic productivity, of scientific measure and control. They have measured our worth based upon a single test with a single number, all for the competitive advantage of a $. Are you not more than that?
There is a way out of the morass. There is a way to hack down the nettles and thorns, to rebuild the stone wall, and to bring the vines back to fruitfulness. An education that does not allow a secular culture to define what is worth learning and why, that strives to take every thought captive to Christ, is a means of reintroducing vitality into the church, and consequently a whole society. It has been happening in Malawi for 22 years, and Pakistan for 15. An education that takes Lordship, and wonder, and beauty, and wisdom, and discipleship seriously is one which will revitalize people, especially a people which has been introduced to Life.
Steven Loomis of Wheaton College speaks regularly about education for Human flourishing. By this he means an education that stretches the human mind into perceptions and perspectives that assess each idea, embrace that which is good, and disdain that which is degrading or reductionist. He means an education that forms and shapes a sense of aesthetic, an understanding of human nature, especially that in right relationship to its Creator. He means an education that will continue to bear wholesomeness long after the student has commenced from the classroom. This is the kind of education which is suitable for those bearing the Image of the divine.
Such an education is not easy. It is HARD. It is hard work. When one cuts across the grain of culture, is counter cultural, there is resistance. Nobody likes their boat rocked! But an education for Human flourishing in a day of mediocrity and unthinking control requires such rocking. It doesn't look like what is expected, but brings with it a stirring vigor and a disturbing vitality, and over time, transformation.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Foundations of Thought
Our office had a request recently from the admissions department of a major University asking for a course description of our Logic class. It seems that they didn't quite understand why high school Logic was categorized as an English class and they were trying to detemine how they could justify giving English credit for it. This came on the heels of a discussion with my good friend C-vard on the very necessary and practical application of predicate Logic.
The humor of it was too much to pass by. This admissions department fell prey to consequences of reductionist training. Most people fit Logic into Math. They think in terms of set theory and the relationship of elements to, within and between sets of numbers. For nearly all of us who have been trained in a "progressive" model of education, this has been our only exposure to Logic. Yet if one looks at the expected course of university study for philosophy, theology, systems analysis or computer programming, logic is an essential component of the training simply because it is the art of thinking properly. It's absurd to think of a philosophy major not taking logic.
Logic is concerned with the classification and categorization of words, statements and arguments. It addresses the matter of truth and fallacy, consistency of reasoning, validity and invalidity, cogent and uncogent arguments, weak and strong arguments. Any carefully thinking person must give attention to such things, which is why logic is so indispensible for success in debate and rhetoric. It deals with thought, ideas, expressions and whether something is reasonable or unreasonable. If this isn't the skeleton of the art of language (. . . English!), I can't imagine what is.
The humor of it was too much to pass by. This admissions department fell prey to consequences of reductionist training. Most people fit Logic into Math. They think in terms of set theory and the relationship of elements to, within and between sets of numbers. For nearly all of us who have been trained in a "progressive" model of education, this has been our only exposure to Logic. Yet if one looks at the expected course of university study for philosophy, theology, systems analysis or computer programming, logic is an essential component of the training simply because it is the art of thinking properly. It's absurd to think of a philosophy major not taking logic.
Logic is concerned with the classification and categorization of words, statements and arguments. It addresses the matter of truth and fallacy, consistency of reasoning, validity and invalidity, cogent and uncogent arguments, weak and strong arguments. Any carefully thinking person must give attention to such things, which is why logic is so indispensible for success in debate and rhetoric. It deals with thought, ideas, expressions and whether something is reasonable or unreasonable. If this isn't the skeleton of the art of language (. . . English!), I can't imagine what is.
But in so many ways, the stream of logic runs much deeper than that. The entire process of clear reasoning is indispensible to every area of advance and order. Logic is the working context for process of comprehending the natural world, forming the basis for sound math and science reasoning. It is for this reason that classical students turn out to be so effective in their fields of pursuit.
And add logic to the Christian pursuit of truth, and you have a key component for an effective church leader.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
ACT, SAT, TGB
I don't know a family that isn't aware of the ACT (American College Test) and SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) which are "standardized" tests and presumed to be a measure of college readiness. Tests such as the ACT and SAT are genuinely helpful if one really is assessing college readiness in certain basic disciplines (the operative concept). The ACT folks say as much in their literature.
Such tests are acceptable servants if skill assessment is all that is in view. They are often used, however, as discrimination tests for college entry;competitive measures of suitabilityand deservedness. In other words, "Who do we let in?" and "Who do we give the money to?" For the unwary student or parent, these can become unmerciful masters that dictate and drive one's view of the purpose, expected outcomes, and "usefulness" of education. After all, there are worldview implications in what questions are included and what are excluded. Thus the test dictates the presumed expectations.
As Christians, we are compelled to use a more demanding and discriminating measure of readiness for our students who are completing high school. The ACT or SAT are okay enough for their limited purpose, but over and above these we ought to use TGB. TGB is a measure that extends well beyond college and into real life, because in addition to the academic endeavor, it assesses the quality of business effectiveness, science effectiveness, as well as readiness in fine arts, leisure, medicine, public policy and everything else we touch.
TGB stands for Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. These are the objectives of a Classical Christian education. These qualities are to be learned, embraced and infused into the life of every teacher and student. To restate what Robert Maynard Hutchins has said so well in The Great Conversation, “The aim of liberal education is human excellence, both private and public. Its object is the excellence of man as man and man as citizen. It regards man as an end, not as a means, and it regards the ends of life, and not the means to it." The ends of life are TGB. TGB is the measure of human excellence.
We must not treat Truth, Goodness and Beauty as abstract concepts, but as qualities permeating everything we are as human beings and carried into every arena of our calling. This is a complex dynamic since as human persons we are intricate and complex creatures who interact with one another in intricate and complex ways. Truth, goodness and beauty are discerned and then built into our character, perceptions, thought life, all our relationships, service and leadership. We then carry them as individuals into our families, churches and communities. Family, church and community, as little societies influenced by individuals, bring truth, goodness and beauty to one another.
It is ever the goal of Classical Christian education to bring this, along with the skills of learning and thinking, to the forefront, which is why we cannot ever explain what we do in a sound bite. Irrespective of how high an SAT or ACT might be, to the degree that our education fails to instill TGB, we fail everywhere else that's important.
Such tests are acceptable servants if skill assessment is all that is in view. They are often used, however, as discrimination tests for college entry;competitive measures of suitabilityand deservedness. In other words, "Who do we let in?" and "Who do we give the money to?" For the unwary student or parent, these can become unmerciful masters that dictate and drive one's view of the purpose, expected outcomes, and "usefulness" of education. After all, there are worldview implications in what questions are included and what are excluded. Thus the test dictates the presumed expectations.
As Christians, we are compelled to use a more demanding and discriminating measure of readiness for our students who are completing high school. The ACT or SAT are okay enough for their limited purpose, but over and above these we ought to use TGB. TGB is a measure that extends well beyond college and into real life, because in addition to the academic endeavor, it assesses the quality of business effectiveness, science effectiveness, as well as readiness in fine arts, leisure, medicine, public policy and everything else we touch.
TGB stands for Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. These are the objectives of a Classical Christian education. These qualities are to be learned, embraced and infused into the life of every teacher and student. To restate what Robert Maynard Hutchins has said so well in The Great Conversation, “The aim of liberal education is human excellence, both private and public. Its object is the excellence of man as man and man as citizen. It regards man as an end, not as a means, and it regards the ends of life, and not the means to it." The ends of life are TGB. TGB is the measure of human excellence.
We must not treat Truth, Goodness and Beauty as abstract concepts, but as qualities permeating everything we are as human beings and carried into every arena of our calling. This is a complex dynamic since as human persons we are intricate and complex creatures who interact with one another in intricate and complex ways. Truth, goodness and beauty are discerned and then built into our character, perceptions, thought life, all our relationships, service and leadership. We then carry them as individuals into our families, churches and communities. Family, church and community, as little societies influenced by individuals, bring truth, goodness and beauty to one another.It is ever the goal of Classical Christian education to bring this, along with the skills of learning and thinking, to the forefront, which is why we cannot ever explain what we do in a sound bite. Irrespective of how high an SAT or ACT might be, to the degree that our education fails to instill TGB, we fail everywhere else that's important.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Confirmations
This morning I was given double joy in the work we do at Wildwood.
First, I had the privilege to spend about half an hour in face-to-face conversation with Dr. Robert Littlejohn, co-author of Wisdom And Eloquence, which the staff is reading this semester. He was one of the speakers at the Educational Policy Conference hosted annually by the Constitutional Coalition and held here in St. Louis. Most of my questions centered around Classical education and Science, since this is of perennial interest in Classical Education circles. As a side bar, he is associated with Trinity Academy located in an industrial research triangle in North Carolina. He asserted the practical appropriateness and desirability of Classical method in high school Science education to the needs of his region. His accounts were a much needed affirmation for an old science-type like me. I'll share much more on this in future posts.
In the course of the discussion, Dr. Littlejohn reinforced the Classical Christian worldview approach that Wildwood adopted at it's founding. He confirmed the need to define the endpoint of the educational process, hold true to that goal, and include in the curriculum those things that get you to that goal irrespective of whether or not they fit with standardized assessments. In our case, the endpoint of vigorous thinking skills, upright character, practical wisdom in every endeavor, Biblical stability and the ability to communicate them all effectively should clearly drive everything else we do.
The second confirmation was a delightful and unlooked for surprise. While waiting for my meeting with Dr. Littlejohn, I was approached by Wildwood alum Blake Bachman (2005) who recently graduated from Taylor University. She had just recently landed a position in town as the St. Louis - Washington D.C. communications director for a local political organization. She is perfect for the position to which she will be able to apply all her thinking and communication skills. Congratulations, Blake! It's good to see former Wildwood students step into their calling.
First, I had the privilege to spend about half an hour in face-to-face conversation with Dr. Robert Littlejohn, co-author of Wisdom And Eloquence, which the staff is reading this semester. He was one of the speakers at the Educational Policy Conference hosted annually by the Constitutional Coalition and held here in St. Louis. Most of my questions centered around Classical education and Science, since this is of perennial interest in Classical Education circles. As a side bar, he is associated with Trinity Academy located in an industrial research triangle in North Carolina. He asserted the practical appropriateness and desirability of Classical method in high school Science education to the needs of his region. His accounts were a much needed affirmation for an old science-type like me. I'll share much more on this in future posts.
In the course of the discussion, Dr. Littlejohn reinforced the Classical Christian worldview approach that Wildwood adopted at it's founding. He confirmed the need to define the endpoint of the educational process, hold true to that goal, and include in the curriculum those things that get you to that goal irrespective of whether or not they fit with standardized assessments. In our case, the endpoint of vigorous thinking skills, upright character, practical wisdom in every endeavor, Biblical stability and the ability to communicate them all effectively should clearly drive everything else we do.
The second confirmation was a delightful and unlooked for surprise. While waiting for my meeting with Dr. Littlejohn, I was approached by Wildwood alum Blake Bachman (2005) who recently graduated from Taylor University. She had just recently landed a position in town as the St. Louis - Washington D.C. communications director for a local political organization. She is perfect for the position to which she will be able to apply all her thinking and communication skills. Congratulations, Blake! It's good to see former Wildwood students step into their calling.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wisdom and Eloquence
This blog title has been borrowed from a book of the same name by Robert Littlejohn and Charles Evans. It is a phrase that sums up what I believe we are doing at Wildwood. Every time you log onto the Headmaster's blog, I want you to see that what we want for your student is wisdom and eloquence.
The question that we as a staff always ask is: When we are done with our work, what should the finished "product" look like? What is it that we want for each student who comes through our program?
For any who think this results in "cookie-cutter students" you must remember that the question comes in the context of the image-bearing character of each individual, and in the context of Christian convictions. Each student must be permitted his unique interests and abilities while at the same time receiving the time tested tools of thinking and learning. Irrespective of his degree of skill he must be aided in his acquisition of wisdom and eloquence and aided in his application of these in his calling.
Wisdom and eloquence come with much exercise of looking at the world through a Biblical perspective. Because a worldview is a network of presuppositions about life and how we engage it, the student must be taught to discern what the basic presuppositions are in nearly every field of study. Doing this at the high school level is only a beginning, however. In the words of others: when the student finishes here, it's not the finish line, it's the starter's gun.
In eleven years of operation, we have seen such an outcome in dozens of students. If wisdom and eloquence is the desire, for all involved, teachers, staff, parents and students, it has been a worthy pursuit.
The question that we as a staff always ask is: When we are done with our work, what should the finished "product" look like? What is it that we want for each student who comes through our program?
For any who think this results in "cookie-cutter students" you must remember that the question comes in the context of the image-bearing character of each individual, and in the context of Christian convictions. Each student must be permitted his unique interests and abilities while at the same time receiving the time tested tools of thinking and learning. Irrespective of his degree of skill he must be aided in his acquisition of wisdom and eloquence and aided in his application of these in his calling.
Wisdom and eloquence come with much exercise of looking at the world through a Biblical perspective. Because a worldview is a network of presuppositions about life and how we engage it, the student must be taught to discern what the basic presuppositions are in nearly every field of study. Doing this at the high school level is only a beginning, however. In the words of others: when the student finishes here, it's not the finish line, it's the starter's gun.
In eleven years of operation, we have seen such an outcome in dozens of students. If wisdom and eloquence is the desire, for all involved, teachers, staff, parents and students, it has been a worthy pursuit.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Home Run! ... sort of ...
(originally posted November 3, 2009)
Yesterday we played wiffle ball. Students, teachers and administrators. We simply stopped classes and went outside in the sunshine to enjoy the afternoon and one another. What a pick day! We could not have asked for anything better.
Now mind you, we don't do this often, but it will usually take place once a semester. One could almost sense the outpouring of jealousy from the occupants of the school buses that zipped by on the state road above our play field.
What was fun is that you cannot take wiffle ball seriously. First, it's almost impossible to pitch a wiffle ball with any consistency. The slightest breeze will carry it into the next county. Second, no degree of baseball skill aids in batting. The poorest batter can get a great hit and the one who swings hardest can wiff his way into a quick out. I mean, did anybody see my second At Bat? ... sad ... Finally, age and athleticism are irrelevant. All one needs is a good attitude and a willingness to miss the pitch for the sake of the fun; our prime example being Mr. Morris with Josh G as his pinch runner!
Aside from who got how many runs, the most important outcome was community. We work hard at Wildwood. We spend hours reading and writing and wrestling with ideas and giving presentations on the work we have done. But we also play, because in Christ, we weren't saved to be labor slaves. G.K. Chesterton claims, "The true object of all human life is play. Earth is a task garden; heaven is a playground." In Christ, alienation is removed and we are restored to enjoy God and the delight of one another's company.
Hitting a wiffle ball ( ... or trying to... ) can be as much Christian education as hitting the books.
Yesterday we played wiffle ball. Students, teachers and administrators. We simply stopped classes and went outside in the sunshine to enjoy the afternoon and one another. What a pick day! We could not have asked for anything better.
Now mind you, we don't do this often, but it will usually take place once a semester. One could almost sense the outpouring of jealousy from the occupants of the school buses that zipped by on the state road above our play field.
What was fun is that you cannot take wiffle ball seriously. First, it's almost impossible to pitch a wiffle ball with any consistency. The slightest breeze will carry it into the next county. Second, no degree of baseball skill aids in batting. The poorest batter can get a great hit and the one who swings hardest can wiff his way into a quick out. I mean, did anybody see my second At Bat? ... sad ... Finally, age and athleticism are irrelevant. All one needs is a good attitude and a willingness to miss the pitch for the sake of the fun; our prime example being Mr. Morris with Josh G as his pinch runner!
Aside from who got how many runs, the most important outcome was community. We work hard at Wildwood. We spend hours reading and writing and wrestling with ideas and giving presentations on the work we have done. But we also play, because in Christ, we weren't saved to be labor slaves. G.K. Chesterton claims, "The true object of all human life is play. Earth is a task garden; heaven is a playground." In Christ, alienation is removed and we are restored to enjoy God and the delight of one another's company.
Hitting a wiffle ball ( ... or trying to... ) can be as much Christian education as hitting the books.
Know What You Want - Part 2
(original post October 1, 2009)
What is it that we should most desire for our children in their education?
As Christians we must always be careful to take our cue from the Bible and not simply take the easy or seemingly attractive path. We are people who live in the world and must make our way in the world, but our thought life and motivations should always be drawn from a heavenly realm. We are not to adopt the world's ways. In the words of one sage, "Only dead fish swim with the stream."
So what do we want? A few verses of Scripture will help chart the course here. "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?"(Matthew 16:26) "We will tell the next generation the wonderful deeds of the Lord." (Psalm 78:4) "He grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." (1 Sam 2:26, Luke 2:52) "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition and not according to Christ." (Colossians 2:8) "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom, nor the strong man of his might, nor the rich man of his riches. But let him who boasts boast that he knows me, a God of lovingkindness, righteousness and justice." (Jer. 9:23,24)
From these let me suggest an educational target for parents. At the end of his training, the student should have gained in wisdom and be cultivating a heart of wisdom, which includes having fundamental skills to make his way in the world. He should know himself and he should know God in the way a good friend is known, which is more than simply accepting that God exists, but includes being able to articulate particulars about Him and His ways. The student, on finishing his education, should be able to discern the ideas that are presented to him, to assess them, and accept or reject those through the grid of truth. He should be able to stand in Christ, undistracted from eternal things by wealth, fame, power and what C.S. Lewis calls the Inner Ring. Finally, he should see his gifts, strengths and abilities as tools for blessing others and for moving the boundaries of Christ's kingdom forward.
If this is the educational trajectory chosen for a student then Math, Science, Literature, History, Reading and Writing will fall into place. And if you don't mind my saying so, this is where a Christian Classical education is most beneficial.
What is it that we should most desire for our children in their education?
As Christians we must always be careful to take our cue from the Bible and not simply take the easy or seemingly attractive path. We are people who live in the world and must make our way in the world, but our thought life and motivations should always be drawn from a heavenly realm. We are not to adopt the world's ways. In the words of one sage, "Only dead fish swim with the stream."
So what do we want? A few verses of Scripture will help chart the course here. "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?"(Matthew 16:26) "We will tell the next generation the wonderful deeds of the Lord." (Psalm 78:4) "He grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." (1 Sam 2:26, Luke 2:52) "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition and not according to Christ." (Colossians 2:8) "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom, nor the strong man of his might, nor the rich man of his riches. But let him who boasts boast that he knows me, a God of lovingkindness, righteousness and justice." (Jer. 9:23,24)
From these let me suggest an educational target for parents. At the end of his training, the student should have gained in wisdom and be cultivating a heart of wisdom, which includes having fundamental skills to make his way in the world. He should know himself and he should know God in the way a good friend is known, which is more than simply accepting that God exists, but includes being able to articulate particulars about Him and His ways. The student, on finishing his education, should be able to discern the ideas that are presented to him, to assess them, and accept or reject those through the grid of truth. He should be able to stand in Christ, undistracted from eternal things by wealth, fame, power and what C.S. Lewis calls the Inner Ring. Finally, he should see his gifts, strengths and abilities as tools for blessing others and for moving the boundaries of Christ's kingdom forward.
If this is the educational trajectory chosen for a student then Math, Science, Literature, History, Reading and Writing will fall into place. And if you don't mind my saying so, this is where a Christian Classical education is most beneficial.
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