Rethinking Confirmation in Light of the Classical Education Model

Rethinking Confirmation in Light of the Classical Education Model

By Rev. Lance Armstrong O’Donnell

30 April, A.D. 2009

There is quite a debate going on over at the blog four and twenty + blackbirds concerning the age at which someone is admitted to Holy Communion (cf. http://four-and-twenty-something.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Holy%20Communion ). This debate touches on a host of issues that I have been pondering for some time…

Of particular interest to me as the Pastor of Emmanuel Lutheran Church of Van Wert, Ohio is my sorrow, regret, angst, fear, hope, and love regarding our catechumens’ (i.e., those being taught The Faith) ability to understand, articulate and practice the Christian faith in a pluralistic culture.

Recently I attended all the lectures of Dr. Susan Wise Bauer (scion and apologist of classical education in the home) at the 2009 Midwest Home School Convention. These lectures are helping me articulate long-pondered thoughts and ideas related to Christian catechesis. In her lecture, “The Joy of Classical Education at Home,” Dr. Bauer outlined the basic structure of the classical model, which she likened to a house with roof and foundation. Here is her outline from www.welltraningmind.com:

WHAT IS CLASSICAL EDUCATION?

The foundation: principles of teaching

Language intensive (reflective, not reactive)

Trains the mind to learn

Demands self-discipline

The walls:

Grammar stage learning

Logic stage learning

Rhetoric stage learning

Use of living books and original sources

Distinction: skills vs. content

The roof:

The chronological study of history

(Source: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/classicaledintro.pdf)

Here I depict Dr. Bauer’s outline graphically:

From Recently Updated

In further posts I will ponder how this model may adapted for catechesis in my congregation.