The Appeal of Classical Christian Education
In a 2019 CT cover story, Houston Christian University professor Louis Markos explored “the rise of the Bible-teaching, Plato-loving, homeschool elitists,” to quote the title given to the web version.
The article commends an unapologetically old-fashioned approach to education, one that delights in studying the classic books and rich philosophies that gave shape to Western civilization. In the view of its supporters, too many contemporary schools risk squandering a precious inheritance in their devotion to progressive ideologies and trendy theories of curriculum development and classroom management.
Markos—whose long corpus includes works on C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and ancient Greek philosophy—extends his Great Books advocacy in a new volume, Passing the Torch: An Apology for Christian Classical Education.
Chad Ashby, a former pastor who leads a Christian high school in western Pennsylvania, reviewed the book for CT. Although he and Markos share a passion for the glories of classical education, he wonders whether Markos has gone about defending this tradition in the best manner.
“Although Markos models lively engagement with a host of educators and texts,” writes Ashby, “my guess is many readers of this apology for Christian education will be struck by the stark absence of scriptural engagement. The omission is deliberate. As Markos explains his approach, ‘I will follow the model of The Abolition of Man and draw on the wisdom of a wide range of Christian, non-Christian, and pre-Christian thinkers.’
“In leaving the Bible largely to one side, Markos aims for broad-minded guidance that both public and private schools can usefully apply. However, I wonder whether this choice to pursue a middle way could narrow his readership, leaving Christians wanting something more scriptural and non-Christians wanting something more general.
“This attempt at broad appeal also leads to some confusion when Markos uses pronouns like we and our. Some readers might reasonably assume he means “we Christians,” while others—also with good reason—might infer ‘we Americans’ or ‘we educators.’ Only as Markos’s argument develops does it become obvious that his primary focus is preserving American culture and heritage.
“Given how Markos affirms the ‘centrality of definition to the educational enterprise,’ it is surprising to find him largely assuming the meanings of foundational concepts—like the liberal arts, the humanities, and even goodness, truth, and beauty—rather than carefully defining them. One fascinating assumption he seems to share with John Dewey himself is that schools are the gatekeepers of culture. Readers wondering what role families and churches might play in the educational endeavor will need to look elsewhere.”
Tim Keller’s ‘Jesus Turns’
Tim Keller, the famed Manhattan pastor and skilled apologist, died two years ago this week. Over the next few decades, I suspect we’ll see several biographies and other book-length treatments that delve into his winsome gospel witness and its profound impact on evangelical life and thought.
Even now, however, readers have multiple good options on hand. Just before Keller’s death, The Gospel Coalition’s Collin Hansen came out with Timothy Keller: His Intellectual and Spiritual Formation. More recently, pastor and TGC podcast host Matt Smethurst released Tim Keller on the Christian Life: The Transforming Power of the Gospel, which combs through his books, sermons, and other public remarks to distill his views on a host of essential topics.
Reviewing Smethurst’s book for CT, Marvin Olasky reflects on Keller’s appeal as a “non-shouting pastor exceptionally effective in reaching the ears of educated and elite New Yorkers for nearly three decades.”
He also shares this charming anecdote: “My wife and I sat in [Keller’s] congregation from 2008 to 2011 and never fell asleep as he sometimes wandered far afield but always made what we came to call ‘a Jesus turn’ at the end: We sometimes whispered to each other, ‘Wait for it; wait for it,’ and exchanged nudges when it happened.
“We also learned from Keller our tendency toward pharisaism, which he diagnosed most clearly when explaining that the parable of the Prodigal Son is a misnomer: Christ speaks of two wayward sons: a younger brother who lived wastefully and an elder brother who wallowed in anger and pride rather than attending the celebratory feast. Keller had congregants like himself who had come from small towns to the fleshpots of Manhattan, but he neither indulged the tendency to squander nor expressed superiority to those who went astray. Christianity is superior, but Christians aren’t—and those who put on the airs of the elder brother may be even further from God than the younger.”
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