Roman Roads Press Blog

Category: Blog

In what way is Old Western Culture a "Christian Approach" to the Great Books?

by Daniel Foucachon on Posted on

Old Western Culture is a distinctly Christian course. The creators of the course believe in the inerrancy of Scripture, the Providence of God working in history, and that all truth is God’s truth wherever it may be found. A Christian worldview is not “taught” as an afterthought, but assumed throughout and thoroughly integrated in the approach to the material. Below are two small excerpts from the course which demonstrate how this works itself out in Old Western Culture.   Platonic Heresies and the Church (excerpt from The Philosophers). Why the Aeneid Mattered to Early Christians (and still matters today!) The … Continue Reading “In what way is Old Western Culture a "Christian Approach" to the Great Books?”

Germanic Jesus | Peter Leithart

by Peter J Leithart on Posted on

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Germanic presence in Northern Europe posed a significant challenge to Christian missionaries, writers, and poets, which are well described by Peter Brown at the end of his Rise of Western Christendom. On the one hand, there was the intellectual difficulty. Christianity originally arose within the Greco-Roman sphere, and even though it was Jewish, the Judaism in which Jesus and Paul operated was nestled within the Roman Empire, and had been flavored by compromise and  conflicts with various Gentile powers since the Babylonian exile. Sorting through how Christian faith related to Greek and Roman culture was tricky, but there was … Continue Reading “Germanic Jesus | Peter Leithart”

Summer Unit Study + Review = Free Curriculum!

by Daniel Foucachon on Posted on

Each year of the Old Western Culture curriculum is neatly divided into quarters. Because of this every unit can stand alone as its own unit study. Between July 1st and July 15th, purchase any 1 unit from The Greeks (year 1 of Old Western Culture), send an email to reviews@romanroadsmedia.com letting us know you’re planning on doing a review, and submit your review of that unit by August 30th. You will then be able to choose a second unit of your choice from The Greeks or The Romans, and we’ll send it to you for free! Already own Old Western Culture? No problem! Between … Continue Reading “Summer Unit Study + Review = Free Curriculum!”

American Independence: A joyous and solemn occasion

by Daniel Foucachon on Posted on

The words of John Adams in a letter to his wife Abigail the day after the signing of the Declaration of Independence are often quoted by Patriots on the 4th of July, and should be! But the full context of that letter shows a more solemn side that we don’t quote as often. In this letter, dated July 3rd (the Constitution was actually signed July 2nd), John Adams says, “When I look back…and recollect the series of political Events, the Chain of Causes and Effects, I am surprised at the Suddenness, as well as the Greatness of this Revolution. Britain … Continue Reading “American Independence: A joyous and solemn occasion”

John Adams to his son: Read Thucydides

by Daniel Foucachon on Posted on

John Adams wrote to his son, John Quincy Adams, soon after the Declaration of Independence, exhorting him to read Thucydides as a way to be best prepared for the days ahead of him as a leader. Here is the full letter: My dear Son, As the War in which your Country is engaged will probably hereafter attract your Attention, more than it does at this Time, and as the future Circumstances of your Country, may require other Wars, as well as Councils and Negotiations, similar to those which are now in Agitation, I wish to turn your Thoughts early to such … Continue Reading “John Adams to his son: Read Thucydides”

Why Roman Roads Media?

by Daniel Foucachon on Posted on

The goal of Roman Roads Media is to make the classical subjects friendly to the homeschool. Many curriculums are designed by educators with the classroom in mind. The curriculum we produce has the homeschooler in mind from conception to delivery, with emphasis placed upon communicating a love of learning.

Preparing Younger Kids for a Great Books Education

by Daniel Foucachon on Posted on

One question that often comes up as we talk to parents of younger children is “How do I prepare my younger children for a Classical (Great Books) education?” What a great question! There is a lot to consider: do my kids need to learn Latin and Greek, do they need to be learning ancient history now, do we need to study the Trivium (grammar, rhetoric, and dialectic) in elementary? To help families with younger children, we’ve published a wonderful e-book by one of the top thought leaders and teachers in the world of classical, Christian education today – Wes Callihan, author of the Old Western … Continue Reading “Preparing Younger Kids for a Great Books Education”

The Cincinnatus of the West!

by Daniel Foucachon on Posted on

Yesterday I posted a “flash quiz” on Facebook: What US city is named after a Roman citizen from the 5th century BC?) The answer is: Cincinnati! Name after Cincinnatus, the Roman farmer who became dictator of Rome for a 6 month term by request of the senate in order to fight off invading forces. Cincinnatus defeated the enemy, leading the charge himself, and famously resigned from office a mere 15 days after being put into power, and returned to his farm. George Washington was compared to Cincinnatus on many occasions. The comparison is almost painfully obvious in works of art like … Continue Reading “The Cincinnatus of the West!”