Each fall my dad gave me a stack of books to read and write papers about. Fields of study included theology, philosophy, science, history, math, Koiné Greek, German, literature, logic, film studies, music, and art history. This was NOT a classical education in the sense most people mean it—promoting Western civilization to a pedestal it doesn't deserve, marginalizing other (equally important) world cultures, and breeding snobbery.
In addition to talking about everything I read, my dad (who remains one of the best-read individuals I've met) gave me a variety of opportunities to grow intellectually outside his direct supervision by spending time with many thoughtful people, most notably Tom and Kief Crabtree. The point of all this wasn't intellectualism for its own sake, but to cultivate in me the ability to think, and to subject all knowledge to the Word of God.
Students need foundational knowledge to make sense of God, the world, and their relation to both. I want my children to have the ability to reason and communicate well, and the knowledge and understanding to have something worth communicating. Learning isn't a perfunctory task children should be made to complete. Instead, learning is intrinsic to our nature as Christians, and my great hope is to raise young people who love Jesus Christ and are eager to spread His Gospel.
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