The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

opportunity to earn more income. But I believe my children aren’t average. They are heirs of Christ and are expected to pursue Him. The income will follow.

In other words, secular thinkers and leaders have begun to question whether the results of a college education justify the costs.

Where does this leave us as Christian parents? Shouldn’t we also be asking questions about higher education in the U.S. today? Before we follow the expected path, we must ask ourselves questions about our goals for our children: What do we really want for our kids? Do we not want the pursuit of Christ at the front of our children’s desires? Do we want our children to fulfill the mission of knowing God and making Him known to others? How does a university education serve this goal?

Thankfully, educators are designing new higher education options that do serve our goals. Some of these options offer a classical, Christian education through a traditional four-year university degree (such as the programs at New Saint Andrews College and Patrick Henry). Others have chosen to pursue a great books discussion through a two-year associate’s degree (such as Rivendell Sanctuary). Still others, like L’Abri Fellowship, run study centers in which students read, discuss, and think deeply about ideas without offering a degree. This is not meant to serve as an exhaustive list; rather, it is a glance at a few of the higher education opportunities that Christian families should consider.

While all of these offer viable alter-
natives to four-year secular universi-
ties, there is still no option to pursue
the classical, Christian studies of the
Quadrivium. In order to fill this void,
Leigh Bortins has designed the Mandala
www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com
Fellowship, a ten-month residential study
program focused on the Quadrivium
arts—arithmetic, geometry, astronomy,
and music.

For centuries, poets, painters, musicians, mathematicians, scientists, and cathedral architects all shared an understanding that they were creating beautiful reflections of the complexity and unity of God and His creation. We hope this