Why place an emphasis on Western culture in a Christian school?
The material that will make up our curriculum will focus on the canon of “Great Books” and seek to understand the ideas that have shaped our present culture. Providentially, Christianity was born and raised in a world saturated by the classical mind. Palestine had been Hellenized for generations and it was under the rule of Rome. The New Testament was written in Greek and its doctrines were worked out as it spread westward. Paul was able to quote Greek poets and Augustine defended the faith using classical rhetoric. Virtually all of the early church fathers wrote in Latin or Greek. The predominant expression of Christianity then grew throughout Medieval Europe and the Reformation. Whether one believes that the purest form of Christianity is expressed in Reformation doctrine or some other form, it is impossible to deny the connection between Western culture and Christianity. It is therefore incumbent on Christians, especially American Christians, to know well this heritage. We argue tha
