Classical education is one of the most effective educational tools available to sharpen a Biblical mind. It is the system of education that provided the mental discipline and wisdom of our forefathers. It has been wisely stated that "As Christians, we must see it as our duty to conquer the intellectual arena for Christ."

Christopher A. Perrin, Ph. D., writes in his excellent book, An Introduction to Classical Education, "Education is that vast undertaking of the passing on of wisdom and knowledge of one generation to another. It involves discovery, but also instruction; it is cultural transmission."

Why A Return To Classical Education?

G. K. Chesterton said that every revolution is a restoration – the capturing and re-introduction of something that once guided and inspired people in the past. The word revolution is from the Latin word re-volvere –to re-roll or re-turn. A revolution is that thing which goes around, comes around—again. To put it another way, C.S. Lewis says that when we have lost our way, the quickest way forward is usually to go home. We are returning, we are revolving and going back to what has worked in the past. Classical education is the system that educated our forefathers, and we can see the foundation that has been laid for our country.

Gratitude, according the renowned G.K. Chesterton, is the truest sign of happiness in individuals. Through classical education, we pay our respect and express our gratitude to the past. Tracy Lee Simmons from the Hillsdale College states, "If, in fact, ‘the past is prologue,’ it is only the past that can instruct and guide us." It provides a moral compass in a world that has lost its way.

Is Classical Education Relevant Today?

It has taken modern education fifty years to disassemble an education system that was established and refined for thousands of years. Classical education was born in ancient Rome and by the 16th century was used throughout the Western World. This is the system that educated world’s philosophers and scientists between the 10th and 19th century in which the greatest advancements in literature, art, music and philosophy took place.

The education of our children must be rooted in a strong moral foundation that answers the significant questions of life and must be rigorously committed to equipping students with the intellectual tools to live influential and meaningful lives in our world.

Classic implies anything that has enduring value and excellence. Christopher A. Perrin, Ph.D. writes, "Classical Education is authoritative, traditional and enduring form of education, begun by the Greeks and Romans, developed through history and is now being renewed and recovered in the 21st century."

Classical connotes something worthy of our respect. Great art, music and literature inspire the imagination and train the brain for higher thoughts. History reveals the providential hand of God. Through the Trivium, students are educated, learn to evaluate ideas and express their thoughts in an intelligent manner. Dr. John Seel writes that "The goal of classical Christian education is to equip our students with a pre-modern intellect of truth and knowledge so they can engage in a post-modern relativistic culture."

Classical education provides an education that prepares strong thinkers with Christ-like character to develop godly wisdom as they seek the Lord’s calling upon their lives.