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The Value of the Old Liberal Education

“The value of the old liberal education was not that it made men ‘well-rounded,’ like a ball-bearing, but that it gave them the freedom of the height and breadth and depth of human experience, including man’s mysterious encounter with his Creator. To be free is not to live in no place and at no time but to live in one place as in the shadow of all places, and to live in one time as in the morning twilight of eternity.”

Anthony Esolen; Life Under Compulsion, Ten Ways to Destroy the Humanity of Your Child

A Government of Laws and not of Men

Since we’re already in the protracted electoral process, I thought I’d go a little far afield for this blog and say a thing or two about statecraft in the abstract and let my readers apply it to the current process.

The founders of America were students of history who generally shared a Christian worldview. Key elements of that worldview include: Continue reading “A Government of Laws and not of Men”

The Puritans – Why We Need Them

There is a saying that winners get to write the history. The Puritans didn’t win much in the struggles they were engaged in during their day.  If you were looking for a particular historical example to prove the saying that begins this paragraph, you could look no further than the Puritans.  There might not be another example in history of a people that have been so misrepresented and misunderstood as they have been.

Yet, there remains a small part of the body of Christ that continues to mine the wealth that is contained in Puritan writings. The Puritans have been both a direct and an indirect influence on MHA. Many of the early leaders of the C&C school movement were influenced by Puritan writings and they’ve been influential in the lives of many of the early MHA families. In fact, our confession of faith, the Westminster Confession of Faith, is one of the enduring legacies of the Puritan movement in England.

I’m linking to an article titled, “8 Reasons We Need the Puritans”. I would encourage everyone to read it. But, don’t stop there. Read one of the books recommended at the end on the Puritans. The books by Packer and Ryken are particularly good. If you get through one of those, hopefully, you’re palate will be whetted and you will pick up a book by one of the Puritans. The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, referred to in the article, is a great first read.

Here’s the link: 8 Reasons We Need the Puritans.

 

 

MHA Gala Speech Part II – Today and Into the Future

[See the prior post for Part I of this speech]

For 20 years, we’ve been striving, by the grace of God, to faithfully do these things. We started with 27 students in grades K-6 and we now have over 350 students in grades K-12. We rented 4 different facilities in the early years and now we have our own campus and facility and, a week from Monday, our own Gym! We’ve got basketball teams, volleyball teams, CC & Track teams, soccer teams, jump rope teams, a thriving music and choir program, a theatre program that’s second to none, and much more! We’ve graduated 13 classes and now, a number of our graduates are having their own children! We’re looking forward to the day when our first MHA legacy will be enrolled in Kindergarten! It’s not too far away. Continue reading “MHA Gala Speech Part II – Today and Into the Future”

MHA Gala Speech Part I – Why Start a C&C School?

As the primary founder of the school, I was asked to reflect back on the founding of the school, to provide some observations on where we are 20 years later, and to peer into the future to see what the future might hold.

In 1995, we were homeschooling our 2 oldest children, Tom & Abby, when we read Doug Wilson’s book, Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning. It immediately rang true to us and soon, we were on our way to starting a C&C school in Cincinnati. Why would a couple with 4 young children, a very busy professional career, and a “normal” suburban life, decide to start a school? Continue reading “MHA Gala Speech Part I – Why Start a C&C School?”