The Patriot

The 2008 CiRCE Institute conference is in Houston this year and is coming up in only two weeks, Thursday, July 24 through Saturday July 26.

Last night David Hicks gave the keynote address at the classical education forum “What hath Athens to do with Jerusalem?” hosted at Our Savior Lutheran Church & School. Hicks argued that not only should we study and apply the content of Christ’s teaching, we should also the methods He used in teaching. Hicks asked “Why do we embrace His message but dismiss His methods?”

Hicks discussed seven aspects of Christ’s approach to teaching that follow a classical education model.

1. Jesus challenged preconceptions and assumptions of listeners.
2. Jesus taught through paradox.
3. Jesus loved His students and expected them to imitate Him.
4. Jesus taught through dialog more than through lecture.
5. Jesus used probing questions to prepare His students for His lessons.
6. Jesus used the objects and issues at hand to teach.
7. Jesus taught from two books: the book of nature, and the Septuagint scripture.

The 2008 CiRCE Conference on Christian Classical Education is entitled “A Contemplation of Humor: The Laughter at the Heart of Christian Classical Education.” The conference will be in Houston, Texas July 24-26. For more information, see the conference web site.

David Hicks, Andrew Kern, and Wes Callihan will be speaking at Our Savior Lutheran School on February 17 and 18. The conference is entitled “What hath Athens to do with Jerusalem?” echoing Tertullian’s question regarding the role of Greek classics in Christian education.

For more information, see the CCLE site.