Christian Liberal Arts Education Essay

John Dewey once said “Education isn’t preparation for life; education is life itself.” As human beings we determine our compassion through our virtues. But we learn those virtues through our experiences and knowledge. Seneca talks about how to be put on the right path to virtue in “On Liberal and Vocational Studies”. Seneca proclaims that the path to virtue is founded upon liberal studies, but discovered through the wisdom gained in one’s experiences and walk through life. The effects of virtue are illustrated through the characteristics of kindliness, temperance, and loyalty.

Before coming to Eastern, I attended a Christian School for a majority of my life. When I entered high school the first thing we learned about was a Biblical Worldview. We were taught using the same main points: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration (one added by my school). After understanding what that worldview was we were challenged with the “Now What”. We were taught that our purpose was to Glorify God which was possible by Seeking Truth, Stewarding Creation, and Serving Others. This has become the foundation of my faith and what I see as my life purpose. Since these beliefs are so important to me, I wanted to further my education somewhere where these ideas were accepted, but could also be grown upon. When Ostrander talked about unity throughout the entirety of a school that related to why I wanted to go to a Christian college.

Philosophers of education have been pursuing the ideal curriculum for as long as formal education has been implemented. In that span, it has likely been captured many times; however, given current dropout rates, it can be reasonably stated that the United States has yet to do so. While it is easy to discern where education is lacking, defining what it is to successfully educate is a complex endeavor encumbered by the many conflicting notions of what personal success is. In my experience, these many arguments can be divided into two parties: those who believe the primary contributor to success is economic, and those who believe success is dependent on an individual sense of happiness. The first party often argues that happiness is too intangible

A Liberal Arts education has helped people to lead a life of great circumstances. The message established in “The New Liberal Arts” by Sanford J. Ungar is clear. Throughout the article it talks about the misperceptions of going to a liberal arts school and how it affects the outcome of ones future. Throughout the passage Ungar states misperceptions of a liberal arts education and then after he gives his response on why he disagrees. When addressing “The New Liberal Arts” I agree with Ungar when he states the misperceptions throughout the article. The misperceptions are what society has developed about people who graduated from Liberal

In a world where information can be found at our finger tips, there is still a large deficit in understanding when it comes to literacy. Although possessing the ability to read and write is valuable, it is simply not enough. The truth of the matter is that having the ability to read and write is worth nothing if one does not understand what he or she is reading and writing. As a result of my childhood experiences, religious literacy is possessing a basic understanding of one’s individual religion, and having the capacity to internalize what certain teachings and beliefs means to them. In a narrative of my literary experiences, these moments regarding religion shaped my capacity to read, write, and comprehend. I simply want to share my Catholic faith. Not to convince you or to convert you, but simply to share what the Catholic traditions and beliefs mean to me.

In the Article “Only Connect” by William Cronon, he defines what he considers to be a liberally educated person, as well particular standard of being a liberally educated person. Cronon discusses the values that a liberal education is built on. Cronon goes on to describe the origin of the word liberal which derives from the Latin word liberalis, meaning “of or relating to the liberal arts”. Cronon also states that freedom and growth are one of the two main principles in a liberal education. One of the most intriguing questions he brought up is when he asked whether schools should require certain courses such as History, Writing, etc. He questioned whether some of these courses truly help people who are enrolled in colleges

One of the key core values of the Christian Liberal Arts Curriculum is faith. It is incorporated into every aspect of the experience, yet it is not forced upon me. I am allowed to believe and explore the different religious denominations without getting the cold shoulder. I am

To identify two of the Colorado Christian University's strategic objectives, which are one of the essential foundations of their strategic plan, is to know and understand their vision and mission. CCU's vision was received and written to accomplish God's purpose and goal at an appointed time when recorded because it certainly came without delay (Habakkuk 2:3). CCU’s vision, as an evangelical Christian, has awareness for their graduates to have a transformed mind so that they can be able to believe in themselves so that they can think critically and the process to be able to utilize the ability of creativity. Furthermore, graduates should have the quality of a leader that can lead an exceptional way with ethics and professional standards; as results, will demonstrate the manifestation of Christ’s character and His compassion of being prepared to impact the world (Vision and Mission at Colorado Christian University, n.d.).

The question is often asked: where do the modern day “liberal arts” come from? The liberal arts system originates in the philosophy of ancient Greece, and was born in from certain questions queried by the unique philosophy evolved in Grecian culture. Questions of the human soul were raised: What is the good life? Is ethical truth relative to the culture from which it comes? Do people have free will? What is it for one event to cause another? Why are liberty and democracy important? What constitutes life? What is knowledge? This search for absolute and objective truth within the world led to the search for our place within the world. This unprecedented philosophical undertaking is today associated with the likes of Epicurus, Socrates, Euclid, and Aristotle. Over time, these seeded questions blossomed into a structured form of inquiry. At the height of Greek philosophy in the fourth century B.C.E., scholars, teachers, and thinkers desired to establish a structured curriculum of subjects. This system of learning, teaching, and thinking was to prepare students for studies which were believed that every thinking person should have. From these aims came what was called the enkyklios paideia, or the “general education.” It is from this Greek effort that we are today given “encyclopedia” (Encyclopedia).

Millions of children are waiting to be adopted by a family from the ages of 2 months old until they are released at the age of eighteen. Many of these children have little to no known affiliation or influence of religion. Christ Community Church had interacted with more than sixty outside organizations to help raise financial aid and encourage religious influence in adoptive and pre adoptive families of orphans. The Christ Community Church builds its credibility with the information it provides and the organizations that are affiliated, using a strong appeal to emotion by showing helpless orphans, the ad also provides a logical appeal by giving background information about the organization providing a website for further information.

The liberal arts tradition was born in the philosophy of ancient Greece. It originates in response to certain questions born from human nature, and queried by the unique philosophy born in Grecian culture: What is “being?” What is “wisdom?” What is “virtue?” What is “good?” This pioneering search for truth accessible to reason about the whole world led necessarily to the search for truth about the place of humanity within this world. This unprecedented venture of the human mind, today associated above all with the likes of Epicurus, Socrates, Euclid, and Aristotle, gave rise to a structured and formulaic body of reflection. After Greek philosophy had fully flowered in the fourth century B.C.E., scholars, teachers, and teachers sought to establish a curriculum to prepare students for higher and more hard and strenuous studies. From these efforts came what was called the enkyklios paideia, the learning circle, from which we get our word encyclopedia (Encyclopedia).

From the moment you start kindergarten you are being prepared for what comes next, every year without fail you are asked the same question, “What do you want to do when you are older?” in reality you have no idea what is in store for you. Nobody warned me about all of the choices you had to make when it came to picking the right school, technical schooling, a state school or Christian Liberal Arts. I was fully confident about picking USF, but then I constantly got the question of “Why?”, the easiest response was to just say “I like purple!” and move past the question. I never really stopped to think about the amazing opportunities a Christian Liberal Arts school would have, I just took it as a plus that I was allowed to openly worship God and know that other students were here to do the same. A Christian Liberal Arts education is beneficial in every aspect of life, from vocational to avocational, to purposes and values remain constant.

I studied ethics and the pursuit of happiness in my philosophy class. At the end of the year, I was left with one last question. What is the purpose of education? I answered, “to bring someone from state of imperfection to perfection.” I continued to prove that it is best to learn for the sake of learning. I further concluded that the best education is a study in the liberal arts. This education

This set includes the skills and knowledge taught, but it also includes character traits that must be developed. The knowledge taught is the resources drawn upon for everything else a liberally educated person needs. This knowledge includes a general intelligence of broad subjects, such as science, math, English, history, philosophy, psychology, etc. This wide girth of knowledge allows individuals to connect and communicate with others, make informed decisions, and free themselves from manipulation. The second part of liberal knowledge is a specific depth of knowledge that applied to one’s area of interest. The need for this area of knowledge is obvious but no less important. By having a specific dedication, one is able to develop a craft and have a specific purpose in one’s community. The next criterion for a liberally educated person is a specific set of skills. This set starts with logical thinking, which applies to almost every task in life. With logical thinking, one can apply knowledge, solve problems, communicate influentially, and understand others. The next crucial skill is communication. Most major changes are brought about by groups, and to work well in a group, one must be able to communicate. Another facet of communications usefulness is the ability to influence those around one’s self in order to bring about a common goal or inform one’s community. In a programmer’s life, there is almost always teams of programmers working on one massive project. Lastly, any liberally educated individual must be able to understand their social responsibility. Liberal Education should teach students what they need to do in order to contribute to their community through their craft. The last criterion of any liberally educated student are skills that are gained more than taught. Empathy is the ability to understand others, and is the most important skill for any individual in the world. One

Finally, I would like to share my philosophy of Christian higher education. I believe any philosophy of Christian higher education must start with the affirmation that all wisdom and knowledge come from God (Proverbs 2:6), and all academic disciplines owe their existence to the wisdom and knowledge that precede from Him and His Word. Following the pattern of Colossians 3:17, students, faculty, administrators, and staff should be encouraged to view their studies and work as an act of devotion and worship. Viewing our studies and work as worship should compel us to strive for excellence in all we do, so that we give our best to God. At the end of their career at a Christian institution, students should have a stronger, more mature faith and