Some Christians are hesitant about going back to the classical authors and theorists for fear of becoming ancient pagans. I understand that hesitation, but have had to ask myself some tough questions.
Especially this: Where do we get our education practices?
Where is the bell in the Bible? Where the classroom? emphasis on fun/entertainment? recess? certification? accreditation?
Where do these things come from? What about our teaching methods?
My argument is simply that the classical educators were much more Biblical than most Christian schools.
Here’s another question: is education by its nature feudal, capitalistic, socialistic or something else? Why?
And here’s one specifically for classical educators: are we exaggerating the power of “associative” theories of memory in the grammar stage and are we using behavioral approaches to teaching and epistemology (theories of knowledge)?
Important questions, I think. What do you think?
