Daniel Dignan
America 250 is hosting a contest for students in grades 3 through 12. This is a fantastic opportunity. Visit America250.org for information.
One of the leaders of the associated U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission is Wilfred M. McClay, a historian recommended previously.
This book is an excellent guide to acquiring an education. It describes what classic books are, why they should be read, and how to read them effectively. Moreover, the author shares a short list of classic book recommendations, most of which are suitable for high school students.
The book is concise, well-written, and features helpful quotes from Horace, Augustine, T.S. Eliot, and C.S. Lewis.
The author taught literature at Wheaton College, wrote many books, and was the primary literary advisor for the English Standard Bible translation.
In this book, Ryken provides an organized accounting and general commentary of the English and Western literary canon, helping newcomers make sense of it. Also, he describes key classics such as John Milton’s Paradise Lost. He dedicates chapters of the guide to the Bible, Christian classics, and secular works, helping the reader understand the difference between helpful and less helpful classics.
Finally, Ryken emphasizes that classic literature helps one make sense of life and human experience and live well. I appreciated his emphasis on the enjoyment great books bring to readers. This is a book that a high school student can benefit from significantly.
It’s impossible to exaggerate the influence of the Apostle Paul in the world, and particularly in the West. Only Jesus Christ has had a greater influence, and behind Paul, one would have to say that Aristotle or Plato are close to Paul’s impact, yet trail it. That is quite the company.
After Christ’s death and resurrection, Paul spread Christianity throughout the world. He founded churches in Asia and Europe, writing letters to these churches which have been read ever since in the Bible’s New Testament. The most famous is his letter to the church in Rome, titled Romans. In it, he explains the good news that Christ revealed.
In a nutshell, Paul declared:
“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” “…But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9,10 – English Standard Version)
Paul’s life, leadership, and letters have not only changed the lives of millions, perhaps billions, of people, helping them find happiness, but they have also served as a bulwark of the West’s historical commitment to human dignity and freedom. They are increasingly making their mark on Eastern cultures, the Middle East, and the Global South.
Paul’s letters include Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and 1 and 2 Thessalonians. The cities and, in some cases, the ruins of the ancient cities mentioned in these letters can be seen today. I recently visited several of these locations, and over the next several weeks, I will share highlights.
Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls
Paul’s letters, carefully studied, are enjoyable, fascinating, terrifying, and life-changing. I recommend adding them to a reading plan for your high school and even middle school students.
In conclusion, numerous books have been written about Paul’s teachings and life. Some are intended for scholars, while others are for a popular audience. One of my favorite books is Called to Lead: 26 Leadership Lessons from the Life of the Apostle Paul.
For a young person to gain courage and to lead well, it is helpful to learn the wisdom of the past. Edmund Burke, the great conservative British statesman, said, “People will not look forward to posterity who never look backward to their ancestors.” Reading the West’s history and ancient stories provides great benefits.
Every civilization has ancient stories, some of which are historical and others mythic. Many of the West’s ancient stories come from Greece and Rome. The Greco-Roman stories include tales of gods and heroes, such as Prometheus’ gift of fire to humanity, Theseus and the Minotaur, and Hercules’ labors and battles against the giants. They are enjoyable to read.
The Greeks regarded physical strength, heroism in war, and hospitality as moral virtues. They also recognized the sacredness of one’s word, work, marriage, family, and city. They believed in a supernatural world, sin, and the need for atonement.
Many lessons can be learned: curiosity does not always lead to a good end (Pandora’s box); a happy marriage requires more than physical attraction and emotional attachment (Jason and Medea); individual human dignity matters (Procrustes’ bed); feelings and desires are not always legitimate and often lead to bad ends (Siren’s call); and the road to greatness requires enormous self-sacrifice (Hercules’ labors).
Roger Lancelyn Green’s Tales of the Greek Heroes is a valuable resource for young people. By his admission, it is a simple retelling of the ancient stories. He weaves them into a unified narrative, remaining faithful to the originals, except for minor additions, which he notes.
Lastly, these stories provide the context for two of the most famous Greek tales about the Trojan War and the return of one of its heroes: Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey.
An actor, teacher, and friend of C.S. Lewis, Roger Lancelyn Green was a gifted storyteller who wrote several short stories for children. (He encouraged Lewis to publish The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.) The Tale of Troy is about the Trojan War and the heroes’ return home.
If your son or daughter is not quite ready to read Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, this story is a good place to start. While staying true to the ancient stories, he shortened them, enabling a retelling of the whole. His enjoyable version includes the background, main events, what happened to the heroes, and Odysseus’s journey home to his wife, son, and kingdom.
The tales of the central characters — Agamemnon, Menelaus, Paris, Helen, Achilles, Hector, Ajax, Aeneas, Odysseus, Telemachus, Penelope — are told.
Green’s book offers students a solid foundation in the West’s literature; it’s hard to think of a better choice. The book is well-written, action-packed, and moves quickly. I recommend reading it to your student(s).
Finally, the illustrations are by Pauline Baynes, the original illustrator of The Chronicles of Narnia.
I reread George Washington’s Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior, which a young Washington copied for personal use. According to Wikipedia, the instructions date back to the 16th century. Most of the maxims, except for two or three, apply today.
Some are quite clearly true: “In the presence of others sing not to yourself with a humming noise, nor drum with your fingers or feet.”
Some are humorous: “Do not laugh too much or too loud in public.”
Others are consequential, and for those who desire to lead. “Let your countenance be pleasant, but in serious matters somewhat grave.” “Let thy carriage be such as becomes a man: grave, settled, and attentive to that which is spoken. Contradict not at every turn what others say.” And “Think before you speak; pronounce not imperfectly nor bring out your words too hastily, but orderly & distinctly.”
Toward the end, the maxims help make others comfortable in your presence. This has the added benefit of giving one confidence in social settings. “Be not forward but friendly and courteous; be the first to salute, hear, and answer; & be not pensive when it’s time to converse.”
The most critical maxims deal with justice toward others. “Detract not from others; neither be excessive in commanding.” “Strive not with superiors in argument, but always submit your judgment to others with modesty.”
While behavior like this has become a lost art, it is of timeless importance. The behavior requires acting with kindness and grace. I recommend the book to high school students. The maxims can be read in a single sitting. Their brevity and proverb-like construction make them memorable and enjoyable.
Have you ever wondered whether virtues can be taught and how to do so? David Hein’s book Teaching the Virtues is a good place to start. Hein defines essential virtues, such as faith, love, honor, and gratitude, and explains how to help students acquire them. He believes virtues are necessary for happiness, writing: “The virtues are what enable human beings to achieve their good ends….” (24)
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Hein begins by focusing on schools and learning communities. To improve, schools need to self-assess, learn from better schools, and determine if their students are becoming more virtuous. Schools cannot rely solely on passive learning methods; they must find ways to help students actively acquire virtues.
Next, Hein turns to writing. He believes it’s an active method for students to develop virtue. He argues that to become a good writer, one must build virtue. It requires diligence and patience. (Hein shares the writing advice he gives to college students (e.g., importance of rewriting.)
Honor is the topic of the next chapter. He describes two types of honor: the type motivated by personal glory and the type that comes from self-denial. While a student at the University of Virginia, he was struck by the meaning and significance of the honor code. He shares how it helped him develop integrity.
Descriptions of the theological and natural virtues, beginning with faith, are the core of the book. According to Hein, one’s values influence one’s decisions and behaviors. For example, one who values the God of the Bible tends to respect human dignity. On the other hand, a person who values personal autonomy over all would tend to regard personal desire and will.)
To see virtue in concrete human experience, Hein encourages the study of biographies. The book features short character sketches of George Washington, Hannah More, and Booker T. Washington. He underlines ways one might use them to discuss virtue.
In closing, Hein, a Christian, believes in the importance of piety—enjoying God and gratitude for His work (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1-5; John 3:16). Hein points out that many people demonstrate virtues like courage in the service of evil. The truth and piety orient virtue toward what is good.
Teaching the Virtues sharpens the reader’s understanding of virtues and methods for helping students acquire them. For continued study, Hein shares additional resources.
During the rise of Christianity, a pagan spring festival became a Christian celebration of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. The four gospels–Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John–contain the story of the event that changed the world.
Did Christ, a Jewish carpenter in first century Rome, really rise again from the dead three days after he was crucified? Or is this story a fairy tale? If a fairy tale, Christianity is a lie and not worth bothering about. If the resurrection happened, there is hope beyond the grave.
In Did the Resurrection Really Happen? theologian and seminary professor Timothy Paul Jones, argues briefly that the first-century Christian leaders believed the resurrection happened, not against all evidence, but because of the evidence.
The author shares his own youthful doubts, the quality of the eye-witness testimonies, and the hope Christ’s resurrection offers. This is a short book suitable for high school students and readable in one sitting.
Jones counters major claims that Christ’s resurrection is a mere spin-off of ancient myths of dying and rising gods, that the Jews expected Christ to rise from the dead, that Christ’s followers hallucinated, and more. He shows how the New Testament record, eye-witness accounts, the empty tomb, and the martyrdom of Christian leaders makes claims against the resurrection challenging to believe.
Lastly, the author provides recommended books for those interested in learning more.
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According to Mortimer Adler, a great American educator, the Iliad, Odyssey, Aeneid, the Divine Comedy, Paradise Lost (the epics), and the Bible constitute the most serious reading program. Great thinkers and writers read them carefully and repeatedly.
Most of us only have time to read a small fraction of the great books. Even so, Adler recognized that reading well is more about quality than quantity. This means reading one great book well can seriously increase one’s understanding of the human condition, what ought to be desired, and happiness.
The Aeneid extends the stories of the Iliad and the Odyssey. Aeneas is a Trojan hero who fights to save his city and flees when all is lost, carrying his father on his shoulders. He leads his people across the sea to North Africa, where he is welcomed by a queen who falls in love with him, only to have a tragic end, as he seeks to fulfill his calling to found a kingdom in Italy that would one day become Rome.
Virgil, the poet and author, lived during the reign of Octavian (Caesar Augustus) and likely had him in mind when describing Aeneas’ personality and leadership.
Robert Fitzgerald, the translator, provides a really good reading experience. His work is concise and evokes the sense of destruction, journey, danger, love, regret, sacrifice, battle, and hope. At the end, he provides a helpful synopsis of Rome’s early history and the themes of the Aeneid, like mercy and revenge.
During my teenage years, I was assigned chapters 1, 2, 4, 5, and 12 for a classics camp. Those chapters should not be skipped. The most memorable is chapter two, which is about Troy’s fall; it is an unforgettable reading experience. The reader is made to feel like he is there, seeing the walls fall and the city burn.
The description of hell and judgment in Chapter 6 is terrifying. Chapter 9 is the story of a secret military mission. Knowing the danger, one young man asks:
“This urge to action, do the gods instill it, Or is each man’s desire a god to him, Euryalus? For all these hours I’ve longed To engage in battle, or to try some great Adventure.”
Last week, I attended the 25th anniversary celebration of Patrick Henry College, a top liberal arts college located in Purcellville, Virginia. Started by Mike Farris, constitutional attorney and Homeschool Legal Defense founder, it champions Christian, conservative, and classical education.
Patrick Henry College
While I did not attend the college, as a teenager, I participated in their Teen Leadership Camps, in particular, the spy and literature camps. They combined rigorous learning and instruction opportunities with evening games.
I am a believer in summer camps like these for teenagers. They help kids get out of their comfort zones, open new horizons, and help kids develop socially, spiritually, and intellectually.
