Educational Philosophy
Classical and Christian
Classical Christian Education (CCE) is the traditional and historic model of education that began with the emergence of the ancient Christian faith in the early Middle Ages and continued to develop throughout the centuries, maintaining several persisting themes such as the teaching of the seven liberal arts, natural science, '“great books,” and cultivation of wisdom and virtue in human beings.
By bringing together both the Classical and the Christian, CCE attempts to instill within students the ‘Paideia’ of the Lord. ‘Paideia’ is found in Ephesians 6:4 and it is the underlying Greek word for ‘discipline’ when the Apostle calls parents to ‘bring up your children in the discipline of the Lord.’ Paideia is not just head knowledge but the cultivation of souls and the enculturation of students into Christ and His Kingdom.
Classical
“In Him we live and move and have our being.” - Acts 17:28
The above words of the Apostle Paul are in someway a testament to our approach to education. “Classical” calls to mind something old or ancient, and that’s exactly where our model originates, in the ancient times of the Greeks and Romans. The Greco-Roman world was the world that Christ was born into and the world the church began and advanced, so much so that Christianity became the dominate religion and worldview in 300 years. The thinkers of the past, though wrong on many things, were asking all the right questions about the world; questions whose answers are ultimately fulfilled in Christ. This is what the Apostle draws on in his speech to the people of Athens in Acts 17. In verse 28 Paul quotes from two Greek philosophers, Epimenides and Aratus, trying to convince his audience that the ultimate fulfillment of the words of their own philosophers are fulfilled in Christ.
Those educated in the Middle Ages would have been familiar with the “Trivium” or the subjects of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. Classical Education takes those three subjects and treats them as a model of the natural development a child goes through. The Grammar stage for elementary age, the Logic stage for middle school, and the Rhetoric stage for high school students.
Grammar: The fundamental rules of each subject.
Logic: The ordered relationship of particulars in each subject.
Rhetoric: How the grammar and logic of each subject may be clearly expressed.
Classically educated students will learn grammar, logic, and rhetoric in all subjects, learn the Latin and Greek languages, become accustomed to the great books and ideas of Western Civilization, explore the natural world through science and math, cultivate a keen awareness of beauty, and develop an appreciation for their own history as Americans and Western people, but also for world history.
“I am much afraid that schools will prove to be the great gates of hell unless they diligently labor in the explaining the Holy Scriptures, engraving them in the hearts of youth.”
-Martin Luther
Christian
“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” - Philippians 3:8
The ultimate desire of the Apostle Paul was to know Christ, and that’s what VCA’s ultimate desire is too. We want to know, study, and understand who Jesus Christ is more and more everyday so that we can properly orient the whole of our lives around Him and His purposes for our students, families, school, and community.
By a Christian education we mean:
A. Teach all subjects as parts of an integrated whole with the Scriptures at the center. [II Timothy 3:16-17; Colossians 1:15-20, 2:3]
The Scriptures are central to all subjects, and Christ is the center of the Scriptures.
Christ is the beginning, foundation, end, and telos of all education; an education without reference to Christ, is by nature an insufficient education. Instead of placing man or job training at the center of education, as the modern education system does, we place Christ at the center of education. He not only is the foundation upon which all education rests, but He is also the main subject of education. All truth is God’s truth and it is our task to seek out that truth in science, math, literature, art, history, etc.
B. Provide a clear model of the biblical Christian life through our staff and board. [Matthew 22:37-40, Matthew 5:13-16]
Jesus said, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40).
Education is not neutral and it is not done in a sterile lab. In the classroom teachers are not just teaching with their words, whiteboards, books, and ideas, but they are teaching with their lives. Education is producing a certain kind of person, not just a certain kind of mind. From infancy, human beings are hardwired to mimic others and parents of young children know that children mimic very well. As our students are taught by teachers who love the Lord, when they are fully trained and are like their teachers, they too will love the Lord.
C. Encourage every child to begin and develop his relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ. [Matthew 28:18-20; Matthew 19:13-15]
God is author of salvation and apart from His work we are dead in our sins.
But, God uses means to accomplish His ends. In the classroom our students will constantly hear the gospel and be called upon to put their trust in Jesus Christ. We are seeking to produce people who love and know the Lord, not who just know about Him.
Click here to see how Classical Christian schools stack up against other types of schools.