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Mark Paalman's avatar

You are so blessed with this opportunity in Bowling Green. Chesterton Academy of Annapolis, started in 2018, saved our son (now a junior) from the swirling drain that has become our local public school system, and also the hyper-sports-centric local Catholic high school. Prayers coming your way!

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THPacis's avatar

Much to commend in this educational project and yet I must call out the shifting of the goal posts in this piece... You claim that “every generation” of western elites were “classically educated” but in your description of what that entails here and now you emphasize Catholic identity. This may give the impression that what you describe as your take on classical education is essentially no different than the American (or even western) tradition. And yet American elites back in the day were rarely catholic themselves and commonly hostile to Catholicism (and to Catholics) to a greater or lesser extent… same goes to most of the English speaking world from the reformation and well into the 20th century. Even in Catholic majority counties such as France many of the great writers and thinkers (who made it into the “great conversation” and the canon) were anti clerical at a minimum if not outright anti catholic. In fact your project tries to bridge the inherent tension between classicism and Catholicism. This may well be a worthwhile and potentially successful endeavor, but honesty and humility would demand you fully acknowledge the challenge rather than gloss over it. Your project lionizes the works of mostly pagans Protestants and others who were indifferent to or frankly had a low opinion of Catholicism.

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