In America March 14th is known as Pi-day. This is because Pi is 3.14, the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Coram Deo Classical School is having some fun and renaming Pi-day as Paideia Day. Here is a brief description of Paideia and how you can help us celebrate by supporting our school.
Paideia Defined
In Ephesians 6, we see the call to fathers to raise their children in the paideia of God. Various translations call this ‘education’ or ‘training’ or ‘fear’ or ‘admonition’.
Paideia is key to the formation of a culture. It is a description of the values we actually love, the truth we actually believe, and what we assume about the nature of our world.
What does education have to do with culture? All schools reinforce some type of paideia. The difference is that classical Christian schools intentionally design their programs to form a Christian paideia.
At its core, paideia motivates our decisions and behavior, through our affections. Because it influences each person in a culture, paideia forms a culture. It is the blueprint of thought, affections, and narrative through which every one of us views everything. Because it is the building block of culture, it determines the future of a people.
Paideia at Work
When we see younger generations embracing things that are not true, or condemning things that they should accept, we’re watching paideia at work.
Classical Christian education considers the whole person, including their worldview, habits, thought patterns, character, and culture. As a person grows up, they absorb their surroundings, not just the answers to test questions. Their education shapes who they are, and how they see the world and act within it. Education should be first and foremost about the cultivation of virtue and a deep appreciation of truth, goodness, and beauty in the souls of our kids. The objective, then, is to shape the virtues and sharpen the reason of students so that these things are in line with God’s will — a Christian Paideia.
If we return to placing our hope in Jesus Christ, in and for all things, we have real hope for future generations. We must look through the lens of Christianity at everything. We must think. We must love that which Christ loves and hate what He hates. We must rightly order our loves so that we will be prudent. We must labor diligently and with fortitude. We must love justice and with it, truth. We must temper all our loves with grace. Above all, we must love our God first, and then our neighbors. Our faith and our hope will only then become salt, influencing the world around us. This is Christian paideia— the cultivated affections, and the leanings of our hearts, toward rightly ordered virtue in the soul. When ideas conflict — and especially when we don’t even realize we are making a choice — what love reigns supreme?
Paideia at Coram Deo
Please consider supporting Coram Deo Classical Christian School on Paideia Day (3/14) and throughout the year. Our school does not receive any government funds, so our budget expenses are met by student enrollment and generous donations. Here are some ways you may consider donating:
o $31.41 (Bronze Level)
o $314.15 (Silver Level)
o $3,141.59 (Gold Level)
o $31,415.92 (Scholarship Level) We would be happy to have scholarship funds available for current and future Coram Deo students in your name or in memoriam of someone that you love!
o Other amount $________________________
Donations may be cash, check, or made online here. Coram Deo Classical School, Inc. is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization and your donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law.
Thank you for taking the time to read about Paideia Day and for considering advancing Christian Paideia by supporting classical Christian education!
If you would like to know more about Coram Deo Classical School, have any questions, or would like to schedule a tour, please contact us!
Coram Deo Classical School
1600 Salem Rd.
Mt. Vernon, IL 62864
(618) 244-9338
coramdeoclassicalschool@gmail.com
www.coramdeoschool.org
