Paideia Classical Academy

South Floridas First Orthodox, Classical, Green School

The Roots of Classical Education

At its roots, Classical education is Orthodox education. Because of Christians, who believe in Eternal, Unseen things, the Western world has a concept of classicism. Classicism = works that are of value because they are so great that they stand outside their own time and remain valuable today.

Address to Young Men on Reading Greek Literature

by St. Basil the Great1

St. Basil writes about why his students should study pagan literature as Christian youth. The scriptures teach us through mysteries, which he says his students are not yet able to understand the mysteries of, by reason of their age. He likens the reading of other literature, then, to a sort of preliminary training to the eye of the soul

St. Basil, continued

How do we choose which pagan literature? [those writers] from whom there is any prospect of benefit with reference to the care of our soul. whenever they recount for you the deeds or words of good men the soul must be watched over with all vigilance take rather those passages of theirs in which they have praised virtue or condemned vice

The Crucial Difference

A classical educator assumes that there are some things that are good for the childs soul that one must teach children that they would not discover on their own. We believe that we have something of value to get to the children, things that are greater than us that we need to submit to. We have loftier goals.

How This Difference Plays Out

The education offered by Orthodox Christian schools should have as one of its intentions to pull children out of their native selfcenteredness and redirect their focus to God and neighbor.
Broad Understanding Of Christian Civilization Focus on Languages and Mathematics Old Books Theology

The Difference Changes Everything

Not just as slight adjustment Fundamental and all-inclusive change in paradigm
What we teach How we teach How we govern How we assess

The Spirit of the Age

1. There is no such thing as a body of knowledge which reflects the structure of reality and which everyone therefore needs to learn. 2. This being so, the object of education is not to teach knowledge, but to teach students. As they translate this into practice, it means that everything should be adapted to the child as child. There are no ideals or standards of performance which these are bound to measure themselves by or respect. 3. As a corollary of the above principle, the child should be encouraged to follow his own desires in deciding what he should study, and what aspects of what subjects, and at what times. 4. The teacher should not think of himself as being in authority, because authority is evil. The teacher is only to synchronize and cooperate with the work of the group.2

The Spirit of the Age, cont.

5. Marks and competitions are bad because they instill feelings of superiority and inferiority, which are undemocratic. 6. The mind is not to be exalted over the senses: democracy requires that sensory and activist learning be valued on a par with intellectual learning. 7. Consequently there should be less education through symbols like language and figures and more through using the hands on concrete objects. It is more important to make maps than to learn them, said John Dewey. 8. The general aim is to train the student so that he will adjust himself not simply to the existing society, as is sometimes inferred from their words, but to society conceived as social democracy.

Orthodox Educator Assumptions

Humans are united in one common nature,
all being made in Gods image, all being addressed by the one Eternal Logos, all having free will.

Truth is rooted in the person of Jesus Christ. Statements can be true or false, and language is a crucial part of keeping our thoughts in line with the nature of things. The incarnation teaches us that the physical world too must be our concern. Our bodies are related to the cosmos as a matter of nature. Through our wills and our actions we may also apprehend, appreciate, and sanctify our world.

Orthodox Assumptions, cont.

Our souls are complex and can be properly or improperly ordered. Proper ordering of the soul calls for building up the intellect, training the emotions, and redirecting the desires. We are persons, not individuals, and meant to live as citizens in the Church culturally adapted to the historic life of Christendom

The Results of Those Assumptions

It teaches humility in the face of what is greater It puts language in a hierarchy above other kinds of intelligence (think how Orthodox this is!) It teaches visual literacy so crucial for Orthodox

The Bottom Line

Are You Worried About the Future of Your Parish?

Do you have
Younger generations leaving the church? Difficulty getting through to young adults and teens? The future is here

How can you expect them to stay when the schools they attend are:
Rationalizing dishonesty Lionizing the individual Indulging sexual profligacy Excusing violence Exhibiting vulgarity Winning at all costs Conspicuous consumption stewardship Cultural tribalism vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. Expecting honorable behavior Promoting participation in the community Expecting abstinence Eschewing violence Insisting on civility Promoting fair play Encouraging moderation and Building a school community

How You Can Help

Advertise the schools presence and recommend it to your parishioners Monetary donations Prayers

References
1. Address to Young Men on the Use of Greek Literature St. Basil the Great http://anaphorapress.com/music/education/arti cles-and-essays/address-to-young-men-onreading-greek-literature/ 2. The Vision Bryan Smith http://kronstadtconsult.org/1/post/2012/06/59vision-for-orthodox-christian-educationtoday.html