WHAT IS CLASSICAL CHRISTIAN EDUCATION?

It is historical - The Classical method, as its name suggests, is a tried and true method of education which trained such noteworthy figures as Shakespeare and Isaac Newton. It was adopted by the Church when it took upon itself the task of re-introducing learning into the Western Roman Empire, which had fallen into illiteracy. It was abandoned in principle during the Enlightenment through the influence of such as Rousseau, but its practical dismantlement was not accomplished until the 20th century.

It is based on the Trivium - The Trivium organizes learning into three parts:
1.    Grammar - the data of knowledge,

2.    Logic - the meaning of the data,

3. Rhetoric - the communication, integration, and defense of data and its meaning.

At a deeper level, the Trivium recognizes that all learning is based on language; hence, the study of language, with the aid of Latin and Greek is foundational.

It is the Natural Way that Children learn - The Trivium is suited to the three stages of childhood development. In the early years children learn to read, write, and do arithmetic. They also learn the facts about the world around them. This is the Grammar stage. As they enter into adolescence they begin to question and challenge. This is the Logic or Dialectic stage. The Rhetoric stage is prominent during the teen years as the students' need to express themselves and their beliefs become apparent.

It is Integrated - Subjects, in the Logic stage especially, are integrated as much as possible. Chronological history provides the framework, with literature, science, art, and music introduced at corresponding points. The intimate study of language provides the connection.

It is Comprehensive - All learning is related to Scripture with the purpose of showing the broad themes and principles of human experience. Because "All things are ours, we are Christ's and Christ is God's" (I Corinthians 3:22-23), and because "Whatever was said aright, by any man, at any time, belongs to us Christians" (Justin Martyr), we are able to study and enjoy the very best of human endeavor in art, literature, and music.

It is Contemporary and Essential for Christians - It is critical that children be given the tools of logical analysis. Christian youths need to see that Christianity is not mere subjective feeling; rather it is intellectually defensible and offers rational understanding where other systems fail. The Trivium prepares our young people for the challenges that they will face as they engage an unbelieving world and they "shape the future" for Jesus Christ.

WHAT IS THE PRINCIPLE APPROACH?

THE FOUNDATIONAL METHOD OF BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW BUILDING

All Christian schools claim to use and integrate scripture in their teaching. Some offer scripture through special classes like Bible or Theology. Others use chapel times to preach and teach God’s word. Still others integrate scripture by discussing Biblical truth when it shows up or is prompted by something students are studying along the way.

Bethel Prep is intentionally a worldview-shaping Christian academy. We are committed to helping students create and rely upon a Biblical worldview. Therefore, we are concerned about laying a foundation upon which students can construct a sturdy Biblical worldview. Students need to know that Biblical truth is something they can stand on, trust in, and depend on as a basis for making decisions and finding guidance for everyday living.

When he taught his disciples how to receive his words, Jesus said, "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.” Matthew 7:24-25.

Understanding the foundational nature of God’s word is essential to building a Biblical worldview for students. Biblical truth is as indispensable to living for Christ as a sure foundation is indispensable to supporting a secure building so it will stand firm during a severe storm. The never-changing truths of God’s word will support a Biblical worldview as it is impacted by the storms and trials of everyday life and the attacks of secular and worldly thinking students will face at university and beyond. At Bethel Prep we intentionally show students that Biblical truth is foundational to everything they study.

WHAT IS OMNIBUS?

You may have heard that our new middle school program is centered on a core study called Omnibus. This is the Latin word that means “for all, for everyone or of, relating to everything”. So, in short, Omnibus is the study of everything, or at least everything we believe a serious student must study in order to build a strong Biblical worldview.

The Omnibus is an integrated program of reading through the most important works of Western Theology, History and Literature in unison for middle and upper school students at Bethel Prep. At many schools, subjects like History and Literature are taught randomly, with little interdisciplinary relevance and students do not learn about the connections between these core subjects. Many Christian schools follow a similar pattern where students might be studying the Civil War in a History class, Shakespeare in a Literature class, and Paul’s Epistles in a Theology or Bible class. In the Omnibus, students engage directly with the greatest teachers of our culture and think through the arguments that have shaped the Western world across subject areas. The integration of history and literature with Scripture encourages a strong Biblical perspective in our students.

Theology
God has commanded Christian parents to teach their children about Him and about the way of salvation. Because God has created and rules over everything, the study of anything should lead students toward a better knowledge of Him (John 17:3). Through this kind of study, with the Lord’s help, the student gains wisdom to avoid the sin of the past, improve upon the thinking of forefathers, and to instill godliness in future generations.

Literature
The study of great literature is an essential part of education because it introduces the student to the common cultural consensus of our western world. It also provides a context for understanding other types of studies since the great ideas in all areas of knowledge find their popular expression in literature. Finally, the appreciation of beauty in language and literature is a critical part of the complete Christian life.  Scripture often conveys truth through poetry, image, and symbol, and God has made us to desire and need beauty; consequently, we must learn to discern kinds and qualities of beauty in order to glorify God in our aesthetic life, and systematic study of great literature is one of the best means to do so.

The Trivium

Omnibus is used during the 2nd and 3rd stages of the classical method of learning known as the Trivium. In the Dialectic (middle-school) stage, lots of discussion and debate sharpen skills along with reading and analyzing the writings that are foundational to western history and culture. Students learn to discern the big ideas encased in the Bible and classical literature and recognize how different peoples were influenced by them and what they believed about them. In the Rhetoric (upper-school) stage, additional works are studied and by writing essays, prose, fictional tales and poetry students learn to work with the big ideas and begin to build and articulate ideas of their own. The Omnibus or Great Books course is equivalent to three courses in History, Literature, and Theology; while the student practices and sharpens the skills of Composition, Logic, and Speech.

A good example of how this integrated approach works can be found in studying the history of our U.S. Constitution. Discovering how the concepts of self-government from the Bible, democracy from the ancient Greeks, and republic from the Romans all came together in this foundational document gives our students a deeper understanding of our nation’s place in history, a firm grasp of what it means to be a good citizen in a democratic republic, and insight into God’s purpose for our nation as a leader in a diverse and complex world.

Course Description:
Omnibus I:   Theology, history, and literature of Ancient history through Rome

Omnibus II:  Theology, history, and literature of the Church Fathers through the Reformation

Omnibus III: Theology, history, and literature of the Reformation through the present

Primary Texts:

Variety to include Bible, The Iliad and The Odyssey, Histories, The Chronicles of Narnia, Confessions, The Divine Comedy, Canterbury Tales, Macbeth, The Federalist Papers, Pilgrim’s Progress, Communist Manifesto, The Great Gatsby, and much more

Evaluation:
Class participation in discussion and debate, student journal, mid-term and final exams, recitation, composition, dissertation, and much more