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
mission and vision will inspire our Mandala Fellowship students and their families.
For more information about Mandala Fellowship, please visit our website:
www.mandalafellowship.com.
References:
•;Caldecott,;Stratford.;Beauty for Truth’s Sake: On
the Re-enchantment of Education. Grand Rapids,
MI: Brazos Publishing Group, 2009.