Classical and Christian Education: Recapturing the Educational Approach of the Past

by Gregg Strawbridge, Emily Fischer

Strawbridge has put in this succinct essay what many have spent hours describing the value, benefits, and definitions of classical Christian education. Every parents, teacher, administrator, and pastor should read this. A great required read for parents registering students at classical schools.

Genres: Education

11 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Chris Comis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short but informative introduction to classical Christian education. I can tell that Gregg really wanted to ground his approach to classical education more in the Scriptures, which I commend. I liked his use of the three stages of biblical education - from knowledge, to understanding, to wisdom - as the biblical paradigm for the trivium, instead of just resorting to the same old grammar-logic-rhetoric formula that most classical educators use.

I think though that the emphasis on learning Latin in the early years needs to be supplemented with learning Greek and Hebrew in the later years. I can understand the importance of learning Latin because of its saturation in English and some 50% of the world's languages. But I think it would be good to also know enough Greek and Hebrew before the kids graduate so that they can get "back to the sources" of the Bible. Besides, what better time to teach Greek than in the logic stage? And since the first poem ever was probably spoken in Hebrew (Gen 2:23), then what better language could we be teaching our children to better understand the glories of rhetoric? I'm just sayin'.

[Jake Busch]

Short little book explaining classical education & the trivium in particular. Would be a good book for classical Christian schools to hand out to parents of new students.

[Sean Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief and beneficial booklet. Basic point:

The classical and Christian approach to education is about equipping children for the future with what has been successful in the past. (2)

Hits the Trivium, references Sayers, advocates Latin, and addresses the myth of neutrality. As an example of the latter:

Many educators and parents act as though schools can teach a kind of vanilla education and then parents can pour on values and even sprinkle on God a s topping if they so choose. ... [V]anilla education is not only undesirable, it's simply impossible. Someone's values get through-one way or the other. It is simply educationally unavoidable that world and life view values are communicated, both in what is stated and what is implied. (8)

Strawbridge gives the "nutshell":

the trivium provides the tools of learning, Scripture and the classics furnish the core content, and Biblical truth is the fixed point of reference. The trivium is the hammer, the classics are the wood, and the Bible is the ruler. (10))