The Catholic Culture Podcast: Ep. 74 – What Is Classical Christian Education?

May 4, 2020

Modern education treats children as blank slates, flexible objects to be shaped according to the will of those with the authority to determine educational policy. Classical Christian education treats children as human beings made in the image of God, as mysteries to be awed, and invites them to develop their already endowed nature by leading them toward wisdom and virtue. I will try my best.

Andrew Kahn, founder of the CiRCE Institute (Independent Research Center for Classical Education), is one of the best guests Thomas has ever interviewed. In this episode, he takes us through the deep fundamentals of classical Christian education, offering a radically different view of humanity and reality itself than the one that prevails today.

content

[5:31] What is the relationship between Athens and Jerusalem?

[10:31] What is classical education? Is it just a list of great books to study?

[15:58] Teaching “subjects” vs. 7 liberal arts

[21:18] Use music to illustrate different ideas about classical education

[28:20] The need for the art of rhetoric in a sophisticated political system like ours

[31:04] Generative power of form

[37:35] Respecting the “holy of holies” within the child: the image and mystery of God

[42:38] Each of the seven liberal arts has its own form and skill and tends toward wisdom and virtue.

[55:14] How Mastering the Liberal Arts Increases the Glory of God

[59:35] There is no “method” in classical education.

[1:09:39] Seven stages of the lesson

[1:15:13] Services provided by CiRCE Institute

[1:23:09] How do traditional schools teach “practical” skills like finance?

[1:30:19] Practical concerns of parents who want a classical education for their children

link

Ask Andrew your own questions. Live Streaming – Tuesdays and Thursdays in May at 9 a.m. ET https://www.circeinstitute.org/ask-andrew-live

Old Ask Andrew Podcast Feed https://www.circeinstitute.org/podcasts/ask-andrew

CiRCE Institute https://www.circeinstitute.org/

Books recommended by Andrew:

Best books on classical Christian education: norms and nobility Written by David Hicks https://classicalconversationsbooks.com/products/3s032

CiRCE’s upcoming book, edited by David Kahn, includes essays by past Catholic Culture Podcast guests James Matthew Wilson and Anthony Esolen (as well as poetry by past guest Dana Gioia). 30 poems to memorize (before it’s too late) https://www.circeinstitute.org/30poems

C.S. Lewis, abandoned image

https://www.amazon.com/Discarded-Image- Introduction-Renaissance-Literature/dp/1107604702

This podcast is produced by CatholicCulture.org. If you like our show, please consider supporting us. http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio