Why this curriculum?

It is my intention to use this blog to explore the nature of a Charlotte Mason Christian Liberal Education. But before I focus my attention on this particular branch of Christian education I thought it would be beneficial to identify the nature of Christian education in general. Once we have delineated our expectations of any Christian education, we can more easily present and discuss a Charlotte Mason curriculum in the context of these ideas.

So now, with these lofty ideals I am going to quote another. I didn't write this aim, but I do agree with it.

The aim of Christian education...will be to educate the student to live the Christian life. We shall not attempt to cultivate the religious in the student apart from the the cultural, not the cultural apart from the religious. We shall not even attempt to cultivate the religious and the cultural side by side. The religious in and through the cultural - that is our aim. For only in and through one's cultural endeavors does the full potential of one's choice for Christ come to fruition. Whether it be by recreation, or commerce, or politics, or art - all of these are to be brought within the scope of faith. And so, in the school, we shall have to pursue the implications of the biblical revelation for recreation, for commerce, for politics, for art, for every area of human life. The development of Christian culture will be our ultimate aim. Not faith added to understanding. Not just faith seeking understanding. Rather, faith seeking cultural expression.

Christian Liberal Arts Education (Report of the Calvin College Curriculum Study Committee 1970) p33

That is what we are attempting to do in our education of our daughter, to educate her to live a Christian life, seeking to glorify God in everything she does - not only when we study Bible, sing Psalms or pray, but as she studies French, does maths or copywork or reads history. We are educating her to become a fine Christian wife and mother, or a fine Christian rocket scientist or nurse. We are educating her to live a life of faith where the pattern of her choices and decisions is determined by her faith in God as written in the Scripture. That's why we do what we do.