How to Achieve Schole Amidst the Chaos of Culture

Posted on by Society for Classical Learning

Ironically the Greek word scholé is the root of our word “school”. Scholé as articulated by Aristotle and then adapted and transformed by the early church, means something like undistracted time to study the things most worthwhile (usually with good friends, usually in a lovely place, usually with good food and drink). In this presentation, we will consider how scholé is related to contemplative and restful learning that complements the active learning that is also part of education. We will also consider the practical ways we can bring restful learning or scholé back into our schools. 

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Chris Perrin

Christopher Perrin, MDiv, PhD, is CEO with Classical Academic Press, and a national leader, author, and speaker for the renewal of classical education. He is the author of An Introduction to Classical Education: A Guide for Parents, Greek for Children Primer A, and co-author of the Latin for Children series. He serves as a consultant to classical Christian schools, and to schools converting to the classical model. He is the director of the Alcuin Fellowship, former co-chair of the Society for Classical Learning, and an adjunct professor with the honor's program at Messiah College. Chris previously served for ten years as a headmaster of a classical Christian school in Harrisburg, PA

Lessons from America

Posted on by Society for Classical Learning

Over the last 40 years, classical Christian education has been recovered and renewed in North America. What has been learned in this process? Dr. Perrin presents key lessons gleaned from this resurgence. Educators from around the world seeking to recover this ancient tradition will find these lessons insightful and helpful.

Chris Perrin

Christopher Perrin, MDiv, PhD, is the CEO with Classical Academic Press, and a national leader, author, and speaker for the renewal of classical education. He serves as a consultant to classical Christian schools, classical charter schools, and schools converting to the classical model. He is the director of the Alcuin Fellowship, former co-chair of the Society for Classical Learning, an adjunct professor with the honor's program at Messiah College, and previously served for ten years as a classical school headmaster.

Slimming Down the Curriculum

Posted on by Society for Classical Learning

Like so many secular schools, classical schools often pack their curriculum to include up to 10 subjects per semester spread over seven or eight periods per day. Like so many of our modern school practices, it turns out that this is not a traditional, classical practice. The classical tradition insisted upon multum non multa (much not many) as a meaningful approach to study. C.S. Lewis wrote that “no one has time to do more than a very few things well before he is twenty, and when we force a boy to be a mediocrity in a dozen subjects we destroy his standards, perhaps for life.” In another place he encourages us to teach “fewer subjects and teach them far better.”

In this seminar, we will spend most of our time exploring the various ways classical educators in the past have sought to do this and the ways we mighty revise our curriculum to do the same or something similar. We will also note (and hear from) several contemporary classical schools that have made meaningful strides to “slim down” and teach fewer subjects far better.

Chris Perrin

Christopher Perrin, MDiv, PhD, is the CEO with Classical Academic Press, and a national leader, author, and speaker for the renewal of classical education. He serves as a consultant to classical Christian schools, classical charter schools, and schools converting to the classical model. He is the director of the Alcuin Fellowship, former co-chair of the Society for Classical Learning, an adjunct professor with the honor's program at Messiah College, and previously served for ten years as a classical school headmaster.

The Seven Liberal Arts: Liberty and Justice For All

Posted on by Society for Classical Learning

We have heard of the liberal arts – but can we name them? We live in a fuzzy moment in which even college professors at “liberal arts” colleges often cannot name the seven liberal arts, nor tell us precisely why they are called “liberal” and why they are called “arts.” In this seminar, we will name and describe them all. (Hint: They are contained in the Trivium and Quadrivium.) We’ll also learn why they are “liberating” arts and fully-capacitated to do what only humans can do. (Hint: This has much to do with mastering words and numbers.) We will also note the ways that a liberally-educated person can become just and bring about meaningful justice in our world.

Chris Perrin

Christopher Perrin, MDiv, PhD, is the CEO with Classical Academic Press, and a national leader, author, and speaker for the renewal of classical education. He serves as a consultant to classical Christian schools, classical charter schools, and schools converting to the classical model. He is the director of the Alcuin Fellowship, former co-chair of the Society for Classical Learning, an adjunct professor with the honor's program at Messiah College, and previously served for ten years as a classical school headmaster.

The Monastic Tradition of Education

Posted on by Society for Classical Learning

In this seminar, we will trace the history of classical education as it resided in the Western monastic tradition. At a time when many are considering “The Benedict Option,” it is worth studying Benedict (480–543 AD) and the tradition of monastic education that preserved and extended classical Christian education. In one of the great ironies of history, Benedict sees the corruption of his university education in Rome and simply prays for three years at Subiaco (near the ruins of Nero’s “party palace”) and then emerges to become the one who safeguards the best of Christian and Roman culture. Remarkably, it is a man who seeks God in prayer while Rome is crumbling who becomes the leader of a monastic movement that preserves learning and piety for centuries to come. Benedict starts 12 monasteries in his lifetime, each with a school for educating the monks. By 1300 AD, many thousands of monasteries permeate Europe. Through several cycles of growth, stagnancy, corruption, and renewal, we will see that without Benedictine education, we would lack many of the riches that we inherit as classical educators. In this seminar, we will note the pedagogical and liturgical practices that characterized monastic education—many of which may serve to inspire and renew our own classical schools today.

Chris Perrin

Christopher Perrin is the publisher with Classical Academic Press, and an author and speaker for the renewal of classical education. He serves as a consultant to classical schools, schools converting to the classical model, and classical homeschool co-ops. He is the director of the Alcuin Fellowship and former the vice-chair of the Society for Classical Learning. Christopher received his BA in History from the University of South Carolina and his MDiv and PhD in Apologetics from Westminster Theological Seminary. He was also a special student in literature at St. John’s College in Annapolis. He has taught at Messiah College and Chesapeake Theological Seminary, and served as the founding headmaster of a classical school in Harrisburg, PA, for 10 years. He is the author of the books An Introduction to Classical Education: A Guide for Parents, The Greek Alphabet Code Cracker, Greek for Children, and co-author of the Latin for Children series published by Classical Academic Press.

A New Apology for Classical Christian Education

Posted on by Society for Classical Learning

In this seminar I present a defense of Classical Christian Education that features seven reasons why it the best educational approach for our sons and daughters: 1) It provides a coherent means of understanding God, the world and ourselves 2) It cultivates the human 3) It develops and imparts powers (arts) to students 4) It cultivates a love of beauty 5) It develops character 6) It trains leaders 7) It cultivates community. I will also refute several familiar objections to CCE such as 1) CCE is elitist 2) CCE is old-fashioned and out of touch 3) CCE was discredited by the educational establishment 100 years ago 4) Studying classical subjects like Latin are a waste of time in this cultural moment. The goal of this seminar is to give participants a clear, concise and cogent defense of CCE that presents is superior qualities and refutes common objections.

Chris Perrin

Christopher Perrin is the publisher with Classical Academic Press, and an author and speaker for the renewal of classical education. He serves as a consultant to classical schools, schools converting to the classical model, and classical homeschool co-ops. He is the director of the Alcuin Fellowship and former the vice-chair of the Society for Classical Learning. Christopher received his BA in History from the University of South Carolina and his MDiv and PhD in Apologetics from Westminster Theological Seminary. He was also a special student in literature at St. John’s College in Annapolis. He has taught at Messiah College and Chesapeake Theological Seminary, and served as the founding headmaster of a classical school in Harrisburg, PA, for 10 years. He is the author of the books An Introduction to Classical Education: A Guide for Parents, The Greek Alphabet Code Cracker, Greek for Children, and co-author of the Latin for Children series published by Classical Academic Press.

Latin: The Dead Language Lives

Posted on by Society for Classical Learning

This seminar will argue that Latin is perhaps the most important subject a student should study. Why? Because as a student studies Latin he is doing advanced study in a dozen different subjects. How can this be the case? Come and see. This seminar will also trace the history of Latin and note the ways it is reviving in education.

Chris Perrin

Christopher Perrin is the publisher with Classical Academic Press, and an author and speaker for the renewal of classical education. He serves as a consultant to classical schools, schools converting to the classical model, and classical homeschool co-ops. He is the director of the Alcuin Fellowship and former the vice-chair of the Society for Classical Learning. Christopher received his BA in History from the University of South Carolina and his MDiv and PhD in Apologetics from Westminster Theological Seminary. He was also a special student in literature at St. John’s College in Annapolis. He has taught at Messiah College and Chesapeake Theological Seminary, and served as the founding headmaster of a classical school in Harrisburg, PA, for 10 years. He is the author of the books An Introduction to Classical Education: A Guide for Parents, The Greek Alphabet Code Cracker, Greek for Children, and co-author of the Latin for Children series published by Classical Academic Press.