Classical Christian Dictionary #3

We will get there eventually . . .

Boy, n. boi

A young human child with XY chromosomes, a future man.

Covenant, n. CUV e nuhnt

A solemn bond, sovereignly administered, with attendant blessings and curses.

Education, n. edj oo KAY shun

1. A process of formal instruction, in which the student acquires a body of knowledge, along with the faculty of reasoning and evaluating new material; 2. In a Christian setting, education is the process of seeing to it that a child grows up in an environment dominated by the Word of God. This process of instruction in a biblical worldview is to be all-encompassing (Dt. 6:4-9), not excluding the time the student spends in the classroom.

Femininity, n. FEM in IN i tee

The glad reception of sacrificial authority. This is the center of femininity, but it is then attended by an embrace of the particular roles assigned to women by Scripture, as well as being comfortable with the cultural badges of that femininity.

Freedom, n. FREE duhm

1. An attribute of Almighty God. The ability to act with total independence and authority; to do as He sees fit in accordance with His nature. 2. to be at liberty to do the right thing, (i.e. follow God’s Law) and not be under the control of sin. 3. The ability to act without restriction 4. A state of being released from another’s control; no longer under the subjugation or command of another. [Contributed by Jonathan Sutton]

Girl, n. gurl

A young human child with XX chromosomes, a future woman.

Grades, n. graydz

A means by which a teacher communicates to a student and his parents how successful that student has been in mastering the material that was taught. Grades are an instrument to help to achieve the end of education; they are not the end of education.

Homeschool, n. HOHM skool

An approach to the education of children in which the bulk of the instruction is provided at home, principally by the parents.

Masculinity, n. MASK yu LIN i tee

The glad assumption of sacrificial responsibility. This is the center of masculinity, but it is then attended by an embrace of the particular roles assigned to men by Scripture, as well as being comfortable with the cultural badges of that masculinity.

Paideia n. pie DAY ah

1. In the ancient world, this word was used to describe the enculturation of a child into the ways and customs and worldview of his people. It included all of his formal eduction, but also extended well beyond that; 2. In the resurgent classical Christian school movement, the fact that the apostle Paul required Christian fathers to provide their children with the “paideia of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4) is one of the foundation stones for a strong commitment to Christian education.

Parents, n. PAIR uhnts

A human father and mother to a child. And when functioning according to the biblical order, the father and mother of a child are also husband and wife. In this scriptural order, the parents are responsible for the well-being of the child. They are the ordained ministry of health, education, and welfare.

School, n. skool

1. An organization devoted to the instruction of the young, particularly those in K-12; 2. A building where such instruction is given, e.g. “I can meet you down at the school.” 3. A college or university; 4. a department within a college or university, one dedicated to a particular discipline, e.g. the school of architecture; 5. a group of artists, whether writers, painters, etc. who share common influences or techniques, e.g. the impressionist school; 5. certain groupings of animals, e.g. a school of fish.

Secularism n. SEK yoo lar ism

1. Broadly speaking, secularism is the belief that a society can function reasonably without reference to God. This claim can appear more plausible in pluralistic societies, where there are many different claims about God or the nature of transcendent realities; 2. This conviction requires any schools maintained by a secular society to be be officially agnostic on all such questions, committing such schools to the “myth of neutrality.” A deracinated core curriculum is taught, with any religious supplements being provided at home. An inescapable structural lesson of this is that it must treat all transcendent claims as mere supplements, which is absurd.

Trivium, n. TRIV ee um

1. During the medieval period, this represented the first three of the seven liberal arts. They were, respectively, grammar, dialectic (or logic), and rhetoric. The upper division of the liberal arts were music, astronomy, geometry, and arithmetic. 2. In the resurgent classical Christian school movement, taking root in the 1980’s, the Trivium is used to describe the insights of Dorothy Sayers, who applied the content of the three elements of the Trivium to the stages of child development—grammar in the elementary years, dialectic or logic in the junior high years, and rhetoric in the high school years.

Virtue, n. VUR choo

1. In the Christian framework, the virtues are the fruit of the grace of God in an individual’s life. We are not saved by our good works or virtues (Eph. 2:8-9), but we are nevertheless saved to good works (Eph. 2:10). As such, Christian schools that keep the gospel of grace central to their mission and operations are schools that are in fact academies of true virtue; 2. In classical circles, there are some schools that are attempting to inculcate the virtues as a simple function of training and education. To the extent they fail, they fail. To the extent they succeed, they only succeed in establishing a system of works righteousness, which can only end in moralism.

Worldview, n. wurld vue

The framework of assumptions about how life should be both lived and understood. Such a framework can either be biblical or idolatrous. A worldview is both understood intellectually and lived out practically. The two aspects of the intellectual side of worldview is doctrinal and narratival. The two aspects of the lived out side of worldview is made up of lifestyle and ritual. When all four are governed by the authority of Scripture, the result is a Christian worldview.