The Christopher Perrin Show

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Dr. Christopher Perrin has been a leader in the renewal of classical education in the United States for 25 years. In this podcast, he traces the renewal of the American paideia exploring the recent history of the American renaissance in light of the 2500

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    • Feb 25, 2026 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 30m AVG DURATION
    • 57 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Christopher Perrin Show

    Episode 57: Remembering Well: Restoring History Through Sympathy, Story, and Place

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2026 74:41


    DescriptionAndrew Zwerneman, writer and narrator for HISTORY250® and co-founder and president of Cana Academy, joins Christopher Perrin to argue that America's cultural crisis is, at root, a crisis of memory—and that renewing history education is a work of restoration. Zwerneman traces the teachers, places, and lived experiences that formed him as a historian, then explains why the “liberal discipline of history” must resist ideological reduction and return to observation, sympathy, and fidelity to the past. Along the way, they connect historical remembrance to the deepest human questions: personhood, responsibility, freedom, and the moral imagination that societies inherit. The conversation explores how biblical and classical sources shaped the American founding, how later leaders invoked inherited principles to confront slavery and injustice, and why the West's habit of self-criticism depends on conserving what came before. Zwerneman introduces Cana Academy and its HISTORY250®  project as practical efforts to rebuild shared story through films, primary sources, maps, and teacher formation. The episode closes with a vivid picture of what great history instruction looks like: students learning to read documents, geography, art, and narrative so they can live under a shared story and recover “hallowed ground.”Episode OutlineZwerneman's formation: family travel, early teachers, and awakening to the moral weight of historyWhy remembrance is central to human and Christian life: Exodus, Passover, and “do this in remembrance of me”Rejecting “history as a force”: recovering human agency, personhood, and moral dramaAmerican inheritance: scripture, ordered liberty, common law, and natural law in the foundingLearning from paradox: freedom and slavery at the founding; reform movements that appeal to founding idealsThe liberal discipline of history: observation, sympathy, and resisting ideologyWhat students should study: imagery, narratives, structures, data, geography, and the craft of storyCana Academy and HISTORY250®: films, documents, maps, and a “gift” aimed at cultural renewalA tour of the ideal classical history classroom: what you'd see, hear, and practiceKey Topics & TakeawaysHistory restores identity: A people who lose their story lose a clear sense of who they are—and what they owe to the dead and the unborn.Human agency is central: Against “history as a force,” the episode insists that persons mediate between past and present through decisions, sacrifices, and responsibilities.Ordered liberty requires memory: American freedom is rooted in inherited sources (biblical imagination, British rights, common law, natural law), and it decays when citizens forget the responsibilities that attend freedom.History trains moral realism without moralizing: Sympathy is not excuse-making; it is the disciplined effort to understand the human condition before passing judgment.The classroom must return to concrete realities: Great history teaching works from maps, artifacts, documents, portraits, letters, diaries, and place—so students learn “what actually happened.”Shared story creates shared sympathies: Art, poetry, and narrative shape communal feeling and help students situate their lives in a meaningful inheritance.Renewal is practical: Teacher formation, curated primary sources, and accessible tools (films, documents, maps) are presented as tangible ways to fight cultural amnesia.Questions & DiscussionWhat does it mean to study the past “in its pastness”?Discuss why people in the past may act in ways we do not recognize—or approve. How can teachers pursue truth without turning history into propaganda or therapy?How do observation and sympathy change the way we teach hard topics (war, slavery, injustice)?Identify one topic where your students tend to moralize quickly or dismissively. What sources (letters, diaries, speeches, laws, artifacts) could slow them down into careful understanding?What's the difference between “ordered liberty” and “license”?Describe a modern example where freedom is framed as “doing whatever I want.” What habits, texts, or stories could help students reconnect freedom to responsibility and the common good?Which leaders or movements best model “reform by remembering”? Compare at least two examples discussed (e.g., Douglass, Lincoln, King, Chavez). What did each retrieve from the past to address present suffering?What belongs in a strong history curriculum besides a textbook? Make a list under five headings: imagery, narratives, structural analysis, data, and geography. Choose one heading and propose one new classroom routine (weekly map-reading, document lab, portrait study, artifact analysis, narrative-writing).What would you see in a “great classical upper school” history class?Describe the sounds and practices: seminar discussion, source analysis, narration, map work, interpretive writing, and shared reading. What is one change you could make this term that moves your classroom closer to that ideal?Suggested Reading & ResourcesHistory Forgotten and Remembered by Andrew ZwernemanAmerican Slavery, American Freedom by Edmund S. MorganLand of Hope by Wilfred M. McClayWestern Heritage since 1300 by Donald Kagan, Steven Ozment, Frank M. Turner, and Gregory F. ViggianoThe Second World Wars: How the First Global Conflict Was Fought and Won by Victor Davis HansonHoly Sonnets by John DonneThe Oxford Edition of Blackstone's: Commentaries on the Laws of England: Book I, II, III, and IVPack by William BlackstoneThe book of DeuteronomyThe book of ExodusThe Declaration of IndependenceThe U.S. ConstitutionThe Bill of RightsCana AcademyHISTORY250®The Curious Historian Humanitas

    Episode 56: A Nice Definition of Classical Education: The Language, Metaphors, and Meaning Behind “Classical”

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2026 18:29


    DescriptionChristopher Perrin explores why “classical education” is both widely used and widely misunderstood—and why the language we choose matters. He surveys common assumptions people attach to the word classical (Greek and Roman history, Great Books, elitism, Eurocentrism) and explains why the modern renewal is, for better or worse, “stuck” with the adjective. Perrin argues that we cannot speak clearly about education without metaphor and analogy, since language itself is rooted in metaphor (from lingua, “tongue”). He then turns to the ancient Greek and Latin vocabularies of education—especially paideia (formation) and trophē (nourishment)—to show how earlier cultures understood education as shaping a human person, not merely transmitting information. Using Ephesians 6:4, he compares Greek and Latin renderings (Paul and Jerome) to illustrate how meaning is often “lost in translation” when rich terms are flattened into single English words. Perrin closes by suggesting that if he had to choose one word to gather the tradition, it would be formation—a metaphor that points to education's deepest aim.Episode OutlineWhy “classical education” is misunderstood: common reactions and cultural assumptionsWhy we keep the word classical: branding, public discourse, and the need for clearer definitionMetaphor is unavoidable: language, analogy, and the “dead metaphors” we no longer noticeGreek terms for education: paideia (formation) and paidia (play), plus other educational vocabularyTrophe as nourishment: education as bringing up, feeding, and forming a childEphesians 6:4 as a case study: Paul's Greek terms and Jerome's Latin translation Translation problems: why one English word rarely matches a rich Greek/Latin term The need for “economy with clarity”: using more words (and better words) to describe educationA proposed center-word: formation as the best single term to gather education's aimsWhere to continue learning: the podcast, ClassicalU, and ongoing reflections on definitionsKey Topics & TakeawaysWords carry history—and drift over time: Even identical spellings (like “educate”) may not mean what they once meant.Metaphor isn't optional: We describe complex realities (like education) through images, comparisons, and inherited figures of speech.Education is formation, not mere information: Ancient terms frame schooling as upbringing, cultivation, and shaping character.Greek paideia is richer than a single English equivalent: Translations often require multiple terms (training, discipline, instruction) to approximate meaning.Education is nourishment (trophe): The image of feeding and raising up reinforces education's humane, embodied, relational nature.Translation always involves choices: Comparing Paul's Greek with Jerome's Latin exposes what can be gained—and lost—across languages.Clear speech requires more words, not fewer: When society forgets education's purpose, precision often demands fuller description.Questions & DiscussionWhat does it mean to study the past “in its pastness”?Discuss why people in the past may act in ways we do not recognize—or approve. How can teachers pursue truth without turning history into propaganda or therapy?What do people assume when they hear “classical education” in your context?List the top three assumptions you encounter (e.g., “Great Books only,” elitist, Eurocentric, test-driven). Draft one sentence you could use to clarify what you mean—and what you don't mean.Where do you see metaphor doing “hidden work” in the way educators talk?Identify common metaphors you use (pipeline, outcomes, delivery, rigor, standards, growth). What do those metaphors emphasize—and what might they obscure?If education is “formation,” what exactly is being formed?Name the top three aims you believe education should form (virtue, wisdom, piety, civic responsibility, attention, love of truth). How does your school's daily life (not just its curriculum) support those aims?How does the image of education as “nourishment” challenge modern schooling?What “diet” are students receiving—intellectually, morally, spiritually, culturally? What might “malnourishment” look like in a school (and what would renewal look like)?Suggested Reading & ResourcesMortimer Adler: The Paideia Way of Classical Education by Robert Woods, Edited by David DienerThe Good Teacher: Ten Key Pedagogical Principles That Will Transform Your Teaching by Christopher A. Perrin, PhD and Carrie Eben, MSEd Festive School by Father Nathan CarrAn Introduction to Classical Education: A Guide for Parents by Christopher A. Perrin, MDiv, PhDA Student's Guide to Classical Education by Zoë PerrinThe Liberal Arts Tradition by Kevin Clark, DLS, and Ravi Scott JainLatin Vulgate: Ephesians 6:4 Amplified Bible: Ephesians 6:4Expanded Bible: Ephesians 6:4 ClassicalUClassicalU Course: Introduction to Classical EducationClassicalU Course: ParentU: Is Classical Education Right for Your Children?ClassicalU Course: A Brief History of Classical EducationClassicalU Course: The Liberal Arts TraditionClassicalU Course: Classical Education History and Introduction

    Episode 55: From Fragmentation to Fellowship: The Intellectual Renewal Behind Classical Education

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2026 29:04


    DescriptionDavid Diener, Assistant Professor of Education at Hillsdale College and president of The Alcuin Fellowship, joins Christopher Perrin to reflect on how a philosopher's training can become a vocational doorway into the renewal of classical education. Drawing from years in K–12 school leadership and now higher education, Diener describes why classical schools often foster unusually rich intellectual community—and why that matters in an age of academic fragmentation. He also introduces Hillsdale's Master of Arts in Classical Education (MACE), a program designed to address one of the movement's biggest bottlenecks: forming well-equipped teachers and administrators. The conversation highlights how enduring philosophical anchors—from Plato and Aristotle to Aquinas—can be translated into concrete classroom practice. Diener then traces the role of The Alcuin Fellowship in deepening the movement's historical and theoretical grounding, including its influence on The Liberal Arts Tradition. Finally, they look outward to the global growth of classical Christian education, including partnerships and training initiatives in Africa, such as the Rafiki Foundation, and expanding work across Latin America. David Diener has a forthcoming monograph in Spanish that will provide chapter-length essays on various aspects of classical Christian education. Additionally, he has an upcoming course on ClassicalU.com will release in the spring of 2026.Episode OutlineFrom philosophy to teaching: Diener's academic formation, early teaching experience abroad, and why education became his focusWhy classical schools attract scholars: the “faculty-of-friends” culture and how it can outpace typical undergraduate settingsHillsdale's MACE program: structure, distinctives, and the need for teacher formation at scaleThe Alcuin Fellowship: purpose, retreats, the “scholar-practitioner” model, and the ecosystem role it playsPublications and intellectual consolidation: how collaborative work helped birth The Liberal Arts Tradition by Kevin Clark, DLS, and Ravi Jain Global and Latin American growth: partnerships, conferences, and emerging networks across continentsKey Topics & TakeawaysFormation Through Practices: What we repeatedly do shapes what we love.Classical Schools as Intellectual Communities: Classical faculties often cultivate cross-disciplinary conversation and shared learning in ways that counter modern academic siloing.Theory-to-Practice Formation: Strong programs don't leave philosophy abstract—they press big ideas into classroom realities and school leadership decisions.The Teacher-Leader Pipeline is the Bottleneck: Sustainable growth depends on forming more capable teachers and administrators, not merely opening more schools.Why MACE is Built the Way it is: A shared core creates common language and vision; later specialization prepares teachers and leaders for distinct roles.Fellowship as Infrastructure for Renewal: The Alcuin Fellowship functions as a hub for scholar-practitioners who think deeply and serve schools faithfully.From Local Renewal to Global Opportunity: The movement's growth is increasingly international, with meaningful work underway in Africa and expanding initiatives in Latin America.Questions & DiscussionWhat kind of “fragmentation” have you experienced in education (or your own formation)?What practices have helped you move toward integration?Why might a classical school faculty create stronger intellectual friendship than many modern institutions?Compare your current context to a “lunch-table culture” where teachers learn together across disciplines. What would it take to cultivate that kind of shared learning where you are?What is the role of a fellowship (formal or informal) in renewing an educational tradition?Identify one fellowship function you most need: reading, conversation, research, mentoring, or mutual sharpening. What could be your next practical step to build that community?How should the classical renewal relate to other organizations and conferences in the movement?What do you hope conferences and associations provide beyond inspiration (formation, scholarship, standards, support)? How can leaders prevent “event energy” from replacing sustained local practice?What opportunities—and challenges—come with global growth of classical Christian education?Discuss the difference between exporting a model and serving a local culture with deep roots. What do “curriculum accessibility” and “teacher training resources” mean in practical terms?Suggested Reading & ResourcesThe Liberal Arts Tradition by Kevin Clark, DLS, and Ravi JainThe Liberal Arts Tradition (Audiobook) by Kevin Clark, DLS, and Ravi JainRafiki FoundationThe Rafiki Foundation PodcastAssociation of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS)Society for Classical Learning (SCL)Hillsdale CollegeHillsdale AcademyThe Alcuin FellowshipDr. Christopher Perrin on Substack 

    Episode 54: The Festive School: Prayer, Feasts, and the Recovery of Wonder

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2025 45:08


    Father Nathan Carr, Headmaster of The Academy and often dubbed “the Jack Sparrow of classical education,” joins Christopher Perrin to recount his unexpected path into classical Christian school leadership—and the hard-won lessons of building a flourishing school culture over two decades. Their conversation draws on James K. A. Smith's Desiring the Kingdom to argue that “liturgies” (in church and in culture) quietly train our loves and longings. Carr connects that insight to his own work, The Festive School, where he explores how a school's calendar, habits, and celebrations can become formative—not merely decorative. He also points listeners to his Student Prayer Book as a practical companion for cultivating daily, embodied prayer in the life of a classroom. From The Book of Common Prayer and the daily offices to monastic rhythms like Matins and Compline, he frames education as formation through repeated, prayerful practice. Along the way, they address objections to “rote” ritual, suggesting that repetition can become spiritually alive and deeply consoling over time. The episode closes with concrete snapshots of festivity at The Academy: Lessons & Carols, Stations of the Cross, and campus-wide celebrations of Incarnation and Resurrection. Father Nathan Carr also has a forthcoming course on ClassicalU.com that will release in the early Spring of 2026.

    Episode 53: Teaching Toward Truth as a Living Reality

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2025 65:54


    In this reflective episode, Christopher Perrin interviewed Andrew Kern, his long-time colleague and friend, President and CEO of The CiRCE Institute, in a wide-ranging conversation about the philosophy and practice of teaching. They delve into the meaning of truth—what it is, how it's often misunderstood, and why it remains central to classical Christian education. Drawing from ancient sources and modern confusions, Perrin and Kern challenge the reduction of truth to mere facts, propositions, or private opinion. Instead, they present a more robust vision: truth as reality itself, made known through the Logos, and discoverable in every discipline, from science to poetry.Perrin and Kern explore how this deeper understanding of truth can liberate students, form character, and unify fragmented thinking in a disoriented age. They critique the cultural tendencies toward relativism, scientism, and technocracy, offering classical education as a hopeful and coherent response. Along the way, Perrin and Kern draw on Plato, Augustine, Pascal, and Sayers to recover a compelling view of truth that is beautiful, knowable, and formative. Listeners will be invited to rethink how we teach, how we learn, and how we live in pursuit of what is true.Listeners may also be interested in the book Unless the Lord Builds the House, as well as the Apprenticeship Program and courses taught by Andrew Kern available on ClassicalU. They can also learn more about the newly released book The Good Teacher and the accompanying courses.

    Episode 52: Memory and the Music of Language: A Conversation with Grant Horner and Karen Moore

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2025 63:52


    In this memorable episode of The Christopher Perrin Show, Christopher welcomes Dr. Grant Horner and Karen Moore—two veteran classical educators and authors—for a spirited conversation about the power of language, memory, and the poetic imagination in Christian classical education. Together, they explore how reading, writing, and reciting great texts form not only the intellect but the soul, training students to love truth, beauty, and goodness through embodied habits of attention and delight. As a key method of embodied learning, they consider the importance of doing some teaching in situ and walking the ground where these events and stories originated.Drawing on decades of classroom experience and curriculum development, Dr. Horner and Moore discuss the importance of early exposure to Latin, the recovery of ancient rhetorical arts, and the integration of poetry into daily learning. Their reflections touch on everything from biblical literacy and etymology to Shakespeare, Cicero, and the Book of Common Prayer—showing how the classical tradition equips students not only to analyze language but to inhabit it with grace and conviction.Listeners will come away invigorated to cultivate memory, nourish imagination, and recover the lost arts of eloquence—beginning in their homes, schools, and homerooms.

    Episode 51: Common Humanity at the Crossroads: A Conversation with Dr. Angel Parham

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2025 63:20


    In this special episode of The Christopher Perrin Show, Christopher welcomes Dr. Angel Parham, professor of sociology at the University of Virginia and co-author of The Black Intellectual Tradition. Together, they explore the often-overlooked legacy of classical learning in the Black intellectual tradition, tracing its vital contributions from figures like Anna Julia Cooper and Frederick Douglass to the modern classroom.Drawing on her own journey through homeschooling, historical sociology, and the founding of the Nyansa Classical Community, Dr. Parham advocates for a deeply integrated approach to classical education—one that honors the Mediterranean and African roots of the tradition while inviting all students, especially the marginalized, into its freeing and formative power. The conversation also touches on themes of cultural polarization, the liberating nature of reading and writing, and how ancient texts can shape a student's soul and imagination—especially when engaged through the timeless practice of keeping a commonplace book.Listeners will come away inspired to recover classical education as a unifying, deeply human tradition—and perhaps even begin a florilegium of their own.

    Episode 50: Sing to Learn: Recovering the Ancient Art of Musical Education

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2025 17:38


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin gives a foretaste from his forthcoming book with Carrie Eben, The Good Teacher, as he advocates for singing as a powerful and now neglected pedagogical tool. Drawing from traditional sources like Plato and Augustine, Scripture, and personal anecdotes, he explores how music—especially in the form of singing and chanting—can shape the soul, foster joy, and make learning permanent. Perrin traces the etymological and cultural significance of music (from the Greek muse and mousikē), noting how integral it once was to early education and soul formation. He challenges modern classical educators to break free from their limited educational upbringing and rediscover this method of teaching, particularly in the lower grades. Through vivid examples—such as his daughter's ability to recall scripture, history, and Latin years later through song—Perrin demonstrates how singing enables children to internalize and retain knowledge in a joyful and embodied way. He urges educators to sing far more often than feels natural to the adult mind, to make use of existing resources, and to partner with others in creating musical material. The episode concludes with a compelling invitation: to teach in a way that aligns with the nature of children and the harmonious order of the cosmos—by singing what is true, good, and beautiful.

    Episode 49: What Is Virtue? Recovering a Lost Vocabulary of Education

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2025 25:19


    In this episode, Dr. Christopher Perrin draws upon his forthcoming book with Carrie Eben, The Good Teacher and invites listeners to reconsider the meaning of virtue. It once stood at the heart of education but now often eludes clear definitions. Considering personal experience and the broader tradition of liberal education, Perrin explores how the modern educational landscape has drifted from its roots, leaving many unable to articulate what virtue—or even education—truly is. He explains the classical understanding of virtue as human excellence, rooted in the Latin virtus and Greek aretē, and discusses the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, temperance, and courage.Perrin then turns to the forgotten tradition of the liberal arts, challenging even well-educated listeners to name and understand them. From this foundation, he builds toward a vision of education as the cultivation of virtue—not only moral and civic but also intellectual and even physical and spiritual. He provides a taxonomy of intellectual or academic virtues—including wonder, zeal, humility, attentiveness, courage, and discipline—and discusses how these can and must be cultivated in students and educators alike. Throughout, Perrin emphasizes that true education forms not just the mind, but the whole person, and that the rediscovery of this vision requires a recovery of vocabulary, tradition, and purpose.

    Episode 48: Embodied Learning: Cultivating Beauty in Classical Education

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2025 17:43


    In this episode, Dr. Christopher Perrin explores the often-neglected role of beauty in classical education, emphasizing the importance of engaging all five senses in the learning experience. He challenges the text-centered focus of modern education and invites educators to rethink school environments, advocating for spaces that reflect truth, goodness, and beauty. Through thought experiments and practical suggestions, he encourages schools to move beyond utilitarian aesthetics toward classrooms that feel more like homes, museums, or gardens. He also highlights schools that have successfully integrated beauty into their educational philosophy and provides resources for further exploration. Listeners might also enjoy the book Making School Beautiful by Dr. John Skillen.

    Episode 47: Balancing Rigor and Rest: A Classical Approach to Education

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2025 19:36


    In this episode, Dr. Christopher Perrin explores the tension between rigor and rest in classical education, drawing on Aristotle's concept of virtue as a balance between extremes. He examines how rigor is often emphasized as a corrective to declining academic standards but warns against its overuse, which can lead to a rigid and joyless educational experience. Discussion includes monastic traditions, the etymology of “school” (scholé), and scriptural examples to illustrate how classical education thrives when both rigor and rest are harmonized. By drawing on historical and philosophical insights, as well as practical examples from classical schools, Dr. Perrin advocates for a blended approach that includes contemplation, wonder, and delight alongside academic challenge.

    Episode 46: The Good Teacher: Principles Over Techniques

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2025 47:26


    Great teaching isn't about mastering techniques—it's about embodying principles. In this episode, Dr. Christopher Perrin explores how classical education prioritizes the formation of virtue in both teachers and students through time-tested pedagogical wisdom and Christian tradition. Using the analogy of carpentry, he explains how principles provide the foundation for effective teaching, allowing educators to apply techniques with wisdom. He also introduces The Good Teacher, a book co-authored with Dr. Carrie Eben, which outlines 10 key pedagogical principles that transform the classroom. Tune in for an inspiring and practical conversation on the art of teaching.

    Episode 45: Going Home with Odysseus

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2025 24:54


    In this episode, Christopher Perrin explores the profound theme of the hero's arduous journey home—as depicted in Homer's The Odyssey. He discusses how Odysseus's return to Ithaca not only signifies a physical homecoming but also a reclaiming of identity and status. Consider in this epic tale the timeless human longing for home and the trials faced along the way.

    Episode 44: What We Can Learn from Odysseus, the Man of Many Twists and Turns: The Pros and Cons of Being Curious and Clever

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2024 42:10


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin who teaches the Odyssey to a college class every year, traces the life and quest of Odysseus noting the ways in which his life turns and twists much like our own, and the way his yearning and the story itself anticipate a kind of fulfillment in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

    Episode 43: 20 Words You Must Know to Understand Education: What Education Really Is

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2024 44:31


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin notes the ways we have forgotten the meaning of words that related to education and revives the meaning of about 20 key words we need to know in order to better understand what education really is.

    Episode 42: Education as Hospitality and Healing

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2024 36:12


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin describes the way that Christian classical education must offer hospitality to students seeking an intellectual home and healing to the sickness of their souls. While this is not the whole of a robust classical education, it is integral and vital part. (Also with connections to Augustine: Rejoicing in the Truth by Jeffrey Lehman.)

    Episode 41: Scholé over Schooling: Learning to be Mary in a Society of Martha

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2024 43:50


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin discusses the difficulty and the importance of keeping with classical learning throughout the entirety of a student's education, and of finding times to be wisdom-seeking Mary in a society that expects everyone to be always-busy Martha.

    Episode 40: The Best Teacher is a Good Book

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2024 12:09


    In this episode Dr. Perrin considers this traditional maxim. Can authors and their books become meaningful teachers and even life-long friends? What is the link between an author and authority? Do we still need living teachers if we have really good books?

    Episode 39: Education for the Next Life

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2024 14:48


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin traces that part of the Christian tradition of education that regarded education as a preparation not only for one's earthly life but ultimately for the next, heavenly life. Can such a heavenly focus be of real, earthly merit? The tradition says yes.  

    Episode 38: Repetition Is the Mother of Memory: The Permanent Learning of Petition

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2024 12:00


     In this episode, Dr. Perrin describes the pedagogical maximum of Repetitio Mater Memoriae, noting that repetition can be a delightful activity of seeking and experiencing the same good thing again and again until it is permanently possessed. 

    Episode 37: Multum non Multa: The Pedagogical Principle of Going Deep

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2024 16:30


     In this episode, Dr. Perrin describes the ways that teaching a few things deeply and well accelerates learning much better than by superficially covering or skimming over content.  

    Episode 36: Festina Lente (Make Haste Slowly): The Pedagogical Maxim of Mastering Each Step

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2024 14:16


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin retrieves and describes one of the most essential pedagogical principles every teacher should employ--the art of going farther and faster by going slower.  

    Episode 35: John Henry Newman and True Education

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2024 19:19


    What is an educated mind? Newman says the mature mind "discerns the end in every beginning, the origin in every end, the law in every interruption, the limit in each delay; because it ever knows where it stands, and how its path lies from one point to another." In this episode, Dr. Perrin summarizes Newman on what the grand goal of education truly is--"the perfection of the intellect."  

    Episode 34: Cutting School: Why Classical Schools Fragment Education and Turn Learning into Subjects

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2023 22:54


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin laments the ways that classical schools, like progressives schools, regularly "cut up" the curriculum into too many disconnected fragments that become "subjects." 

    Episode 33: Virtue Formation in Education (Featuring Davies Owens)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2023 50:18


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin hosts a guest speaker, Davies Owens, from Basecamp Live. They touch on many topics in classical education, including friendship, educational theory, and community. 

    Episode 32: Powerful Education in the Great Tradition

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2023 50:18


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin discusses the how formative and powerful a great education can be. He focuses on how tradition is formative while a great tradition is transformative.

    Episode 31: The Canon of the Great Books

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2023 38:28


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin discusses what makes the canon of the Great Books worthy of being studied and discussed. 

    Episode 30: The Canons of the Great Books and Theology

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2023 44:56


    In this episode Dr. Perrin discusses the canon of both the Great Books and theology to explore how they can complement each other in the education of children.

    Episode 29: The Virtue of Faith

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2023 17:02


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin continues to explore faith as a theological virtue. 

    Episode 28: The Theological Virtues

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2023 30:31


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin explores how theological virtues such as faith, hope, and love complement the four cardinal virtues. 

    Episode 27: The Cardinal Virtue of Justice

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 6, 2023 26:24


    In this episode Dr. Perrin describes justice as the virtue that enable us to act properly and fairly after having accurately perceived what is real, or the true state of affairs. 

    Episode 25: The Virtue of Prudence (Part Two): False Prudence

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2023 14:24


    In this episode Dr. Perrin describes how prudence can become falsified so that we are not able to perceive what is truly real. 

    Episode 24: The Virtue of Prudence

    Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2023 22:37


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin discusses the cardinal virtue of prudence.

    Episode 23: The Virtue of Fortitude in Teaching

    Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2023 7:26


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin continues exploring the virtue of fortitude and he discusses the fortitude that is necessary to be a teacher. 

    Episode 22: The Virtue of Fortitude in Classical Education

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2023 19:11


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin discusses the virtue of fortitude in classical education and how it relates to teaching. 

    Episode 21: The Importance of Shakespeare in Classical Education, Part II

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2023 98:02


     In this episode, Dr. Perrin continues his discussion with Tim McIntosh, a former professor at Gutenberg College and a current creative director, actor, and playwright. They discuss the importance of Shakespeare and other great authors in classical education, and particularly how plays and other creative outlets positively impact students.  

    Episode 20: The Importance of Shakespeare in Classical Education

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2023 73:54


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin talks with Tim McIntosh, a former professor at Gutenberg College and a current creative director, actor, and playwright. They discuss the importance of Shakespeare and other great authors in classical education, and particularly how plays and other creative outlets positively impact students. 

    Episode 19: The Importance of Temperance in Life and Education

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2023 17:20


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin describes the importance of temperance in everyday life and in education.

    Episode 18: The Importance of Friendship in Life and Education

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2023 17:43


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin describes the importance of friendship in everyday life and in education.

    Episode 17: Metaphors in Classical Education

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2023 22:13


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin describes how metaphors can be used to understand classical education.

    Episode 16: Classical Education and Christian Nationalism

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2023 16:31


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin explores the meaning of Christian nationalism and how it relates to classical education.

    Episode 15: Remembering Augustine as Historian, Philosopher, & Teacher

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2022 66:27


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin explores the many contributions Augustine made to the modern understanding of history, education, philosophy, and theology.

    Episode 14: The Significance of Augustine and Kuyper in CCE

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2022 18:38


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin describes the ongoing importance and relevance of both Augustine and Kuyper in classical Christian education.

    Episode 13: The Meaning of College

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2022 10:21


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin explores the meaning of the word, "college" and its role in classical education. What does a college curriculum look like today and how does it compare to what it could look like if classical methods were applied?

    The Meaning of Education

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2022 10:52


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin explores the true meaning of the word, "education". What do we mean when we use it and how has this meaning changed over the course of history?

    Episode 11: The History of Educational Vocabulary

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2022 17:52


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin builds upon Episode 10 by exploring the etymologies and histories behind words that are commonly used in education today.

    Episode 10: The Significance of Language in Classical Education

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2022 22:18


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin discusses words and their importance in education. What words do we use in traditional liberal education? How have we lost the meanings of certain words in our lives?

    Episode 09: The Intersection Between Theology and Classical Education

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2022 22:09


    In this episode, Dr. Perrin and Greg Wilbur of New College Franklin discuss the importance of the intersection between theology and classical education. This conversation was recorded at CiRCE Institute National Conference in Charleston.

    Episode 08: Learning to Lament

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2022 20:51


    How have we, as a modern society, forgotten how to lament? What could lamentation do for us, on an individual level and as a whole?

    Episode 07: The Resurgence of Classical Education Among African Americans

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2022 13:10


    What was the earliest classical school for African Americans and what effect did it have on the resurgence of the classical movement today?

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