SS #32: Paideia Is All Greek to Me
In today’s episode, Mystie Winckler and Brandy Vencel discuss Werner Jaeger’s introduction to his three-volume series, what Paideia: The Ideals of Greek Culture, Jaeger’s definition of education, what culture is, why Christians are resistant to honoring the Greeks, and much more. Download to listen, subscribe and be a Sister!
Thank you to our sponsor:
This episode is sponsored by The Afterthinker’s Guide to Charlotte Mason’s Home Education. That’s right! Brandy has a NEW Charlotte Mason study guide out for 2018! Home Education, Charlotte Mason’s seminal work on educational philosophy and character development, is a must-read for every homeschooling parent seeking to nurture her children with the rich nutrients of life and literature. The Afterthinker’s Guide to Charlotte Mason’s Home Education is your key to unlocking these nourishing educational truths in your home! Tested and refined through her own research and group leadership, Brandy Vencel has developed a pair of guides for this valuable endeavor: one for group leaders and one for group members. Don’t let the different versions fool: these guides can be used for group or individual study. Click here to get your copy!
Listen to the podcast:
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Show Notes:
- Scholé Everyday
- Podcast episode #29: Educating for Virtue (I’m Not the Holy Spirit)
- Mystie:
- Commonplace notebook for:
Paideia: The Ideals of Greek Culture by Werner Jaeger
The Great Tradition by Richard Gamble
- Brandy:
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FlexBook Sketchbook
- Please note: Brandy didn’t actually pay this much for the Sketchbook. Unfortunately, the place she bought hers isn’t carrying them right now, so this is the best link we could find.
Papermate Flair! felt markers
The Paideia of God by Doug Wilson (also mentioned)
Staedtler Fineliner Pens
Tombow Brush Markers
Black Micron pens
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- Commonplace notebook for:
- Topical Discussion: Paideia Is All Greek to Us
History of the World by Susan Wise Bauer
The Art of Teaching by Gilbert Highet
Norms and Nobility by David Hicks
Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder
- Christians say we should prefer return to the education of the Hebrews
Dante’s Inferno
- Our episodes on Charlotte Mason’s three tools of education:
Life of Marcus Cato the Censor (study guide by Anne White)
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I really wanted to listen to this podcast but I have to say that as a homeschooling mom I just don’t have the time. I would really appreciate your episodes to be more succinct. Or at least specify that you don’t actually dig into the content that you’re advertising until 20 minutes in? An hour to listen to a lot of “side notes” that are mostly your own personal interjections but necessarily helpful feels like a a waste of time. Sorry! Just trying to give constructive feedback.
I would think Cato’s concerns about adopting the Greek culture and the diminishment of the Roman culture is probably due to the fact that the Romans had a history of destroying other cultures by assimilating them into their own culture eg. the Etruscans. Whether realistic or not, that might explain his concern with a wide adoption of Greek culture and philosophy.
Interesting thought. I’m not sure, because I don’t think that was the case at the time Marcus Cato live (234-149 BC).
Your notebook is made in Greece!
Haha! I totally didn’t notice that!
I really enjoyed this. A man at my church recently asked my husband and I if we had heard of Paideia and I had heard it mentioned, but have not thought much about it. I regularly listen to your podcasts while I clean Friday nights (it makes cleaning enjoyable). I now plan on joining the forum and buying the book in the near future in order to follow your study.
The Christian cultural balance between the H & G was a needed revelation for me, as I’ve been struggling through the reasons for celebrating, for instance, Purim vs Lent… Hebrew vs. early church traditions. It does not have to be an either/or (in my book), but there are some Protestant vs Catholic feelings involved here for many people I think. It was fascinating to think of the Greeks being prepared also for Jesus, as a balancing force to the Hebrews. Even though I would have assented that, it seems freeing to me in my Protestant world.
Woohoo!
We haven’t posted any more conversations yet, but when we do, feel free to contribute to the discussion in the post comments — it’ll be like a little book club, even if it’s 2 months later! 🙂
Your conversation was so interesting. You both brought up a lot of good points.
One thing that fascinated me was Jaeger’s observation that the Greeks were able to exercise individuality and freedom in their various art forms not by trying to be free, per se, but rather by first discovering the objective universal laws and standards that govern the world. Their understanding of the parameters by which they were bound was precisely what allowed them true freedom to develop as individuals. That’s something that I’m going to spend some time contemplating.
You know, I LOVE that your comments always give me a reason to think. ♥
Haha thanks! I have so many more thoughts now that I’ve read chapter 1! I posted over on the forum thread with those.