Stories are a Bootcamp for Life | Wes Callihan (Old Western Culture)
In this excerpt from The Philosophers, unit 4 of The Greeks (Old Western Culture series on the Great Books of Western Civilization), Wes Callihan talks about how imaginative literature is like bootcamp for life. Children get to practice the emotions of life, such as pity, terror, pain, guilt, love, redemption, heroism, glory, honor, shame, etc. in stories. In literature we don’t have the demands for action on us the way we do in real life, giving us the opportunity to meditate on those emotions, and what is right and wrong, from a distance.
A Chronological Confession of Faith
ADVENT SEASON AND THE CHURCH YEAR Guest post by Wesley Callihan [dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Advent season marks the beginning of the church year. As my pastor once said, one of the most important things we can learn in our celebration of the seasons of the church year is the basic truth that calendars are not silent – they always tell a story. Calendars are not neutral. The question is, what story do they tell? Or to ask it another way, who is the Lord of time and does our answer show in the way we mark the passing of time? Philip Schaff, one … Continue Reading “A Chronological Confession of Faith”
Questions with Wesley Callihan: Why Should we Study Pagan Authors?
Questions with Wesley Callihan: Why Study Pagan Authors? Or as it has been said (by Tertullian), “What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?” We are Christians, after all. This is a frequent question asked of proponents of Classical Education. Should we not only study Christian authors? Wesley Callihans offers some insight into this good question. Make sure and follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and sign up for our newsletter on the left collumn.
All Truth is God's Truth
“A person who is a good and true Christian should realize that truth belongs to his Lord, wherever it is found, gathering and acknowledging it even in pagan literature, but rejecting superstitious vanities and deploring and avoiding those who ‘though they knew God did not glorify him as God.” St. Augustine, On Christian Teaching, II.75
Penelope – Weaver of Remembrance & Life
CiRCE Institute posted this great article, “The Odyssey – On Dangerous Women & Their Looms.” Here is an excerpt: “Penelope is no “black widow”, weaving the destruction of her husband. She is no Clytemnestra. Penelope is crafty and clever, perhaps more so than any other woman in the story, but she protects her husband and her household. Penelope’s loom was a tool of death, but only for the wicked suitors who ate up the wealth of Odysseus and sought to steal his wife. Her loom was an instrument of life for her long-awaited Odysseus, whose return marked triumph over war, … Continue Reading “Penelope – Weaver of Remembrance & Life”
The Anger of Achilles and Farewell of Hector and Andromache
Here are two pages from the “Guide to the Art” of our first unit of Old Western Culture, The Epics. The Iliad and The Odyssey inspired a wealth of art during the Renaissance, and the 117 classical paintings woven into The Epics barely scratch the surface.
The Unusual Use of the Trireme in Thucydides
In this excerpt from The Histories, unit 2 of The Greeks in the Old Western Culture great books series, Wes Callihan talks about the unusual use of the Trireme in this episode from Thucydides that saved the people of a city from certain death.
The Priestess at Delphi
Ever wondered about the prophecies from Delphi mentioned in ancient Greek literature? Here is an extract from the “Guide to the Art” which accompanies Drama and Lyric, Unit 2 of The Greeks, part of the Old Western Culture great books series taught by Wes Callihan.
Why Study the Ancient Greeks? Wes Callihan on Old Western Culture
Homeschoolers are increasingly thinking about classical education. The roots of classical education predate the incarnation of Christ, classical education flourished over the next 2,000 years, and was specifically developed by Christianity throughout the centuries. Yet it was abandoned in the last hundred years or so as Marxist teachings entered our schools. We now think of education as a means of getting a job, and in that mindset, studying Plato and Aristotle is a little hard to justify. After all, “What is the meaning of life?” doesn’t help you be an engineer. But there are many reasons why the Christian student … Continue Reading “Why Study the Ancient Greeks? Wes Callihan on Old Western Culture”
Scythians Distracted by a Rabbit | Tales from Herodotus – Wes Callihan
In this rather humorous story from Herodotus, Wesley Callihan tells the story of the fearless Scythians who left the field of battle for chase a rabbit. This clip is an excerpt from “Greeks: The Histories,” part of “Old Western Culture: A Christian Approach to the Great Books,” a highschool (and above) video course designed for the homeschool.