1

Student ID: 92185

Dr. Chase

Senior Seminar

2 December 2020

Essay #2

The history and precise definition of a liberal arts education has evolved and been

debated over time. Scholar Bruce A. Kimball says that the most prominent view of liberal arts

attributes its origins to ancient Greece. Kimball ultimately claims that “the history of what has

empirically been called ‘liberal arts’ or ‘liberal education’ can be understood in terms of two

basic traditions:” one tradition emphasizing reason in order to gain knowledge and find truth, and

the other emphasizing speech in order to ultimately be a good citizen and make the world better

(Kimball 9). In other words, the liberal arts can be used to find truth or to improve the world.

Reverend and priest John Bradley makes the following claim: “A liberal arts education, properly

understood, embraces a wide range of subjects. It aims at teaching us to think effectively,

harmonize our thinking about these various branches of knowledge, communicate our thoughts

well, and make sound judgments. Equally important, the process aims at assisting us to

discriminate among values” (Bradley 176). A liberal arts education is a way to educate people to

think critically and widely in order to develop citizens who can synthesize and apply their

knowledge.

A Christian liberal arts education has further implications. At its most basic, the term

“liberal” comes from a Latin word meaning free (Scheuer 36). A liberal arts education is for the

free woman or man, and as Christians, we are called to live in freedom. The apostle Paul writes

to the Galatians, “For you were called to freedom […]. Only do not use your freedom as an
 2

opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (English Standard Version, Gal.

5.13). A Christian liberal arts education can help followers of Christ live into their freedom more

tangibly and practically. It has the potential to create citizens who live in anticipation of God’s

future kingdom. These citizens are able to think critically and learn continuously while

passionately making an impact on their home, community, and world.

A Christian liberal arts education can help me live out my vocation faithfully. For me,

vocational calling is the way in which I live in light of my identity in Christ. This call means

cultivating habits and practices that speak to the hope and renewal of God’s coming kingdom.

More specifically, my personal vocation is to live in diverse spaces of hospitality. In these

spaces, each person has the freedom to grow, learn, and develop. I am able to fulfill my vocation

more fully by engaging in a liberal arts education. Professor Stephen J. Hartnett, PhD, believes

we need scholars who are “multiplying the number of voices we welcome to the table, and, just

as importantly, embodying the courage and commitment required to make a joyful long-term

commitment to building social justice” (Hartnett 78). Education has the ability to create people

who embody diverse hospitality, who seek to engage with their community and listen to others

intentionally. A Christian liberal arts education has the potential to equip me to live in diverse

spaces of hospitably and community where everyone is welcome at the table in order to bring

about long-term change.

When thinking back on my curriculum at Wheaton, three specific classes come to mind

that have shaped my calling and provided resources to help me live out my vocation faithfully.

First, Race and Justice with Dr. Cartagena taught me to live with justice, mercy, and compassion

in light of the pain, brokenness, and injustices in the world. This class also equipped me with the

practical skills to address injustices interpersonally when they occur. Second, Spiritual
 3

Formation in Community with Professor Dan Haase taught me how to live well in community. I

learned about the importance of living in diversity, how to embody hospitality, and that I must

make my own personal commitments to community life. Thirdly, Media Effects: Sex, Politics,

and Violence with Dr. Sietman showed me how scholarship can be part of the fight against

injustices. Communication theories and practices can be applied to make a difference in the

world. Each of these classes, as a part of my Christian liberal arts education, has developed my

critical thinking skills and better equipped me to live out my personal vocation more fully.

The idea of a liberal arts education has a complicated history. Put simply, a liberal arts

education includes a wide variety of subjects and teaches us to think critically so we can live

effectively as citizens of the world. A Christian liberal arts education has the further potential to

shape individuals who live out their calling faithfully in light of God’s coming kingdom.

Personally, through various classes and experiences at Wheaton, my liberal arts education has

equipped me to live out my vocation of engaging in my community hospitably.

 4

Works Cited

Bradley, John P. “Why Liberal Arts?” International Social Science Review, vol. 60, no. 4, 1985,

pp. 176–180. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41881666. Accessed 13 Nov. 2020.

Hartnett, Stephen. “Communication, Social Justice, and Joyful Commitment.” Western journal

of communication 74.1 (2010): 68–93. Web.

Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Crossway, 2001.

Kimball, Bruce A. The Liberal Arts Tradition: a Documentary History. Lanham, Md: University

Press of America, 2010. Print.

Scheuer, Jeffrey. “Critical Thinking and the Liberal Arts.” Academe, vol. 101, no. 6, 2015, pp.

35–39., www.jstor.org/stable/24643125. Accessed 13 Nov. 2020.