The cultivation of virtue and wisdom by nourishing the soul on truth, goodness, and beauty.
This is how Westminster Academy, a classical Christian school in Memphis, Tennessee, partly defines classical education. Notice there’s nothing there about getting a high-paying job, respecting cultural differences, or being useful in the local church, although all of those things are highly-likely secondary benefits.
Virtue and wisdom.
Isn’t that what we really want for our kids? When your little man is all grown up, wouldn’t you love for someone to observe: “Your son is full of virtue. He has a pure heart and he loves righteousness.” Or, “Your son is wise. He has wisdom beyond his age.” We settle for so little. We need more faith!
Truth is Beautiful
God didn’t reveal Himself through eye-catching pamphlets, doggeral poetry, or clever songs. He made a world of stunning beauty, the likes with which all of Solomon’s grandeur could not compete. And His Word is beautiful. When I was a child, I remember wondering why God didn’t just spell out what we were supposed to do: why in the world did I need to read Lamentations? Now I see that the Scriptures are a work of art, all pointing to the beauty of Jesus Christ.
When I teach my children truth and goodness, I want it to be dressed in something beautiful, not something cheesy! Along with my big list of facts and moralisms, I want to show them true beauty, for God doesn’t always tell us straight out the answers to our questions. We must search for truth and learn the disciplines of appreciating and learning from literature, music, and art.
Beauty, Not Utility
Since John Dewey and Horace Mann, education means something primarily pragmatic. We want to be good citizens, good workers, not necessarily virtuous and wise, lovers of truth, goodness, and beauty. Despite efforts to bring back the fine arts, they are still considered “enrichment” classes, not part of our core curriculum.
The fine arts include arts that are intended primarily for beauty, not utility. Jamie Mulfinger will be contributing many of the posts on music and the fine arts. Devoted to music since she was a child, Jamie is an accomplished and award-winning flutist. Jamie contributes her passion for beautiful music partly to her mother, who provided ample opportunities for Jamie and her four siblings to listen to and take lessons in music. Jamie’s husband, Daniel, comes from a large family of accomplished musicians and artists. The Mulfinger’s music includes some of my all-time favorite CD’s. Jamie and Daniel and their son live in California.
