I enjoyed reading this on Dr. William Evan’s blog this morning. I am reminded why I prefer Calvin to the other commentators and why I insist that a strong liberal arts education remains one of the foundation stones for a free society:
“Indeed, men who have either quaffed or even tasted the liberal arts penetrate with their aid far more deeply into the secrets of the divine wisdom.” (John Calvin, Institutes 1.5.2)
Lead your children on a tour of the Great Books—at least some of them—and take time to reflect on each of them after they read the book. When did the author live? What else was happening in history at that time? What were the main issues in the book? Which issues in the book do you face today? How does this book help us to respond to the issues today?
You will never regret the time invested in reading through the Greats with your child or entering into a conversation about the big ideas of Western Civilization along the way. The blessing will be not only that you get to talk with your children about things more meaningful, but also that—according to John Calvin—you may just cultivate a mind for grasping the knowledge of God more deeply. This is a compelling portrait of a fruitful believer, when combined with an ever-increasing consecration of the whole person to Jesus Christ.