My Top 10 Books for Families and Teachers New to Classical Christian Education
An Evergreen Resource List You Can Save
Since we’re gearing up for the homeschool conference season, and because the number of people (teachers and parents) migrating to Classical Christian Education (CCE) is astounding—and joyfully so!—I thought this post was worth reviving from the archives and giving it a slight update.
Talking with a colleague a while back, he pointed out how the families attending homeschooling conferences over the past few summers are drastically different than the families who attended the same conferences pre-COVID. For example, fewer large families with a train of kids in tow, daughters in long dresses and sons in denim, boots, and button-ups.
What he was observing was a new wave of families who have fled or are fleeing public schools; many who are discovering in classical Christian education (CCE) a scratch for the itch they couldn’t put words to, previously. Many teachers are discovering the same.
My conservative guess is that I have interviewed nearly 400 teachers since we launched Kepler Education in 2020. A number of these teachers have an understanding of CCE, but an equal number of those interested are looking for a way to jump out of the cesspool that is public education into the refreshing pool that is CCE.
One of the questions I am most frequently asked by these educators is, “What books should I read to learn more about Classical Christian Education?”
Like many of us who now know our way around the CCE world a little better today than we did a few years ago, these new families and educators are just as hungry as we were to read the books that will guide them into this new old way of educating.
In my own journey, I have collected more than a couple hundred books on education in general, CCE, homeschooling, the history of education, and cultural issues related to education. In the spirit of sharing something of my own journey, I want to offer a short series on the books I believe every family or teacher should read to become well-versed in CCE.
In this post, I’ll start with my top ten picks for new families and teachers who want/need an introduction to the landscape and the philosophy of CCE.
Why Christian Kids Need a Christian Education by Douglas Wilson. This is a small book, a worldview primer really, explaining why Christian faith is essential to education and secular education will never do—especially for Christian families.
Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning by Douglas Wilson. Love him or hate him, Douglas Wilson is one of the premier voices in the renewal of Classical Christian Education and the school he helped found, Logos School in Moscow, ID, is one of the flagship Classical Christian Schools. In some sense, this is the book that launched the modern revival of CCE. It too is a must-read.
The Case for Classical Christian Education by Douglas Wilson is a companion to the first book in this list. In some sense it is an expansion of the primer I shared in the first entry in this series, but it’s worth adding to your reading list.
Classical Education: The Movement Sweeping America by Gene Edward Veith Jr. and Andrew Kern is like having a topographical map complete with a compass. This little work is a “who’s who” and a “what’s what” for helping families and teachers navigate the full landscape of CCE.
The Liberal Arts Tradition: A Philosophy of Christian Classical Education by Ravi Jain and Kevin Clark is one my all-time favorites for providing a simple, cogent philosophy of Christian Classical Education. Be sure to get the 3rd edition. It is much more comprehensive, with practical helps included. This is also one of the first times I started seeing educators making a distinction between Christian Classical Education and Classical Christian Education. The main difference in the expression—as I understand it—is an attempt to distinguish between classical education that is informed by a Christian worldview and an expression of liberal arts education specifically tied to the classical Christian period in history. tomato, tomâto!
Wisdom and Eloquence: A Christian Paradigm for Classical Learning by Robert Littlejohn and Charles T. Evans is up next. This book’s subtitle reveals its nuanced approach to CCE. Drawing from St. Augustine’s assertion that Christians should be every bit as, if not more, wise and eloquent than the pagans since we own the truth, this book advocates for the kind of wisdom and virtue we should be striving to instill in our children. All truth is God’s truth and a proper education is what prepares our children for this subversive world.
Mortimer Adler: The Paideia Way of Classical Education by Robert M. Woods, PhD and published by Classical Academic Press in their Giants in the History of Education series. Mortimer J. Adler was a modern pioneer in the recovery of the Great Books and liberal arts traditions, and one of the most influential leaders in education reform in the twentieth century. I will mention some of his more important books later in my series, but this little book, written by one of my mentors in CCE, is a helpful introduction to his life, writings, and teaching philosophy.
The Well-Trained Mind by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer. This is one of the classic texts on the subject and provides a comprehensive picture of what CCE is and how families can provide their children with such an education. This is a must-read.
Simply Classical by Cheryl Swope. This is a unique and extremely important book in the conversation on CCE because the author demonstrates (from her personal experience) how CCE is not just for “smart kids,” but is an education even for children with disabilities. By virtue of its liberating power, CCE is for everyone, regardless of their special needs or situation.
The Art of Humane Education by Donald Philip Verene. Not everyone will agree with me for placing this book this close to the top of the reading list. I chose this book because it is a short but elegant read. It is certain to have a rich impact on one’s thinking about the philosophy of education early in their journey.
Stay tuned in. I still have another 40 or so titles to share with you. And, I have yet to mention a few of the most renowned or respected books on CCE yet. I chose the ones I did because they are thorough and accessible; and, someone unfamiliar with the territory will be able to navigate the CCE landscape fairly successfully by reading just these five books.