Wherever you are come to Senior Thesis at Westminster Presbyterian Church this Monday and Tuesday!!! (Seniors, you are almost done.)
Here is a great video by Jeff Yoder (the multi-talented) on senior thesis. Enjoy:
Classical Christian Education
May 5th, 2012
Here is a really good article by Bradley Green on the importance of receiving a classical Christian education. This is the time of year when this sort of article makes most sense to me–senior doing senior thesis. Juniors looking at colleges. I am blown away by the work that they produce–especially when I think back to what I did in high school. Here is the article:
Great Article by George Will
May 3rd, 2012
Read George Will’s article today in the paper (link below). It is on the life of his son Jon who has Down Syndrome. Will is a moral unbeliever (last I heard he was a sort of an agnostic–a Cicero of sorts). His love for his son and wonder that people with disabilities bring to the world comes across in a powerful way in this article.
Providentially, I am reading Chesterton’s Everlasting Man right now. His retelling of the history of the ancient pagan world and its deep darkness is an excellent counterpoint to Will article. Christ’s love has made a difference in the world. I hope that you enjoy the article as much as I did:
Classical v. Modern Education
April 28th, 2012
The classical Christian education offered at schools like Veritas Academy is different than the modern education offered at so many other (public, private, and Christian schools). Sometimes these differences are harder to see because some of what the kids are doing looks similar–eating lunch, reading books, doing math problems. The aims, however, are often radically different. Modern education is often aimed eventually (and sometimes almost immediately) at technical training. Classical education is pointed toward giving a student very broad skills that prepare them for live, for freedom, and for whatever calling God places on their lives. Here is article from a friend, Mrs Cheryl Lowe, from the Highland’s Latin School in Louisville on Latin and Math in a classical education. It is a good read:
St. Wendell
April 26th, 2012
Here is what Wendell Berry did before he delivered the Jefferson Lecture. Some of this is odd, but if you a fan of Berry’s you will no doubt enjoy it:
Big News
April 26th, 2012
I am happy to announce that N.D. Wilson will be visiting Veritas Academy and talking with our 9th through 12th graders about classical education and New St. Andrews College (where he is a fellow). His books have really caught fire. If you would like to know more about New St. Andrews, let me know and I will make a place for you!
Here is Nate’s recent interview on the Today Show: Today Interview
St. Wendell
April 26th, 2012
The stories and lauds are pouring out concerning Berry. I am going to post a few. I read his Jefferson Lecture last night. It is classic Berry. The fact that they did not know what he is going to say is classic government bureaucracy. Here is one cheer from Wendell from Mark Bittman of the New York Times:
More on Berry
April 25th, 2012
Here are a few paragraphs of fall out after the Jefferson Lecture last night in DC. Berry (now patted on the back by right and left as a sage and thinker) kept on pointing out that the economy (which of course is now somewhat synonymous with the government and the corporations) is horribly broken and that we are all guilty for not having the guts to stand up to these interests that should be serving us. Note the reaction of the National Endowment of the Humanities representative who stood up after Berry…bet these folks had no idea who they had invited. The people that kill the prophets are the ones that put the biggest wreaths at their wondrous tombs. This “prophet”, however, is not dead yet. They should have waited to honor him…
“That we live now in an economy that is not sustainable is not the fault only of a few mongers of power and heavy equipment. We all are implicated. We all, in the course of daily economic life, consent to it.”
With such a stern rebuke of the U-S culture, it’s no wonder that after Berry’s remarks the Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Jim Leach put some distance between the lecture and the government.
“As an official of the United States Government I’m obligated to note that the views are those of the speaker and do not reflect that of the United States government or any agency thereof.”
Here is the whole article:
Berry’s Jefferson Lecture
April 25th, 2012
I am still reading this, but Berry is so good that I wanted to post it now. He gave the lecture last night. Take an 45 minutes and soak in this tonight.
Protestantism and the Arts
April 24th, 2012
Here is an excellent post by Douglas Wilson on Protestantism’s liberation of the arts. I think that he is right, but I might want more to be said. Recent Protestant forays into the arts been worse than mixed, but I do not think that this has much to do with Protestantism in any historic. Rather, it has to do with cultural capitulation to worldly standards of beauty in the arts, a deep and abiding desire to make money, and to be respected by unbelieving artists (see the phrase “crossover”). The post is, all in all, excellent and well worth reading:
