Students, what is the chief end of Man? “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” An elementary review, perhaps, but a foundational principle and reminder nonetheless. Now, who can tell me what is the chief end of education?
Turning to origins, ‘educare’ in Latin translates, ‘to train or to mold.’ This calls to mind how God created man–not the Westminster catechism answer this time but practically–He molded or formed him from the dust and declared him ‘good.’ After unlawfully partaking of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, however, man no longer appealed to God as the sole source of Truth; man began to do what was right in his own eyes, as if he were omniscient, and not God. Measured in biblical chapters, it takes no time at all for the devastating effects of God “giving us over” to our deceitful hearts to manifest–just ask poor Abel.
Thus, in our fallen state, education takes on a new-old meaning. Milton phrased it thus, “the end, then, of learning is to repair the ruins of our first parents by regaining to know God aright and out of that knowledge to love Him, to imitate Him, to be like Him.” If we are the sole creatures in all of creation to bear the image of God, and fulfilling our chief end necessitates the restoration of that sin-marred image to its original glory, then education–the molding or making of men–is image repair. To offer a perspective contra-mundum, often we just assume education is the mere dissemination of knowledge or information, that we as humans are some kind of organic computers downloading the facts from one older brain into a younger brain. But once you realize that education’s aim is far loftier and weightier than simply the transferal of information–that, in actuality, education is the formation of a human person into the fullness of a human being, namely Christ–then suddenly the means of every aspect and every stage of education bear more significance than previously understood.
The chief end of education, then, friends, is inherently theological, as are the necessary means of accomplishing this end. All of education–really, all of life–is inescapably religious because of mankind’s unavoidable governance by his worldview. As Doug Wilson writes, “directionless, non-aligned education is, by definition, impossible. Certain worldview assumptions must always be made. They will either be based on biblical truth, or they will not. There is no neutrality” (Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning, Wilson).
Trinitas students and parents, you are in a unique position for our conversation today, for you understand in theory and action this reality. You have either chosen to educate or are being educated in a distinctly Christian manner (and classical education is arguably the highest or best means of accomplishing a truly Christian education, but that is a discussion for another time). Before we delve into how to best prepare for college, I urge you not to take this lightly, and to continue in this current vein. Our culture stumbles blindly along the broad path of destruction, leading the way in worldliness, and they hunger as Molech: for the blood of children. They show their hand in all they do, seeking to seduce young minds and hearts, ‘suppressing the truth in their unrighteousness with futile thinking and darkened hearts.’ As you consider attending a college, I encourage you to carefully and prayerfully evaluate the merits of continuing the pursuit of a Christian education. Why would you willingly, and knowingly take a four-year long evening stroll with Lady Folly? Plant your tree by the living stream. We do all else in a Christian community–family, church, school–so in these highly formative years, continue pursuing the good and God.
As another personal caveat before we continue, I want to add that I firmly believe that not everyone ought to attend college; God calls us each in unique ways, but He also gives us general callings to which we all must answer. God universally made man to work and learn, but neither technically requires a bachelor’s degree. However, for the sake of time, I shall assume that most of you are at least interested in pursuing higher education and so stick to my purpose now in discussing how best to prepare for college.
Since we have touched on thinking rightly about education, let’s turn our attention to college specifically. After all, college is a specifically unique form of education. Never before has your school environment also been your home, your family, your leisure, your community, your entire life. Though phones are great for long-distance communication, parents will no longer be physically present to lead you in the way of parent and child. Until college, you students have had a partner (who pulls a lot of weight, by the way,) in your parents along the path of your own governance. But college marks the beginning of the next and longest phase: that of self-governance. You must be governed and aim at governing yourself well for the rest of your life, and usually in one big, dramatic day, you go from being under your parents’ wing and in their presence to being parentless, surrounded by strangers, and now expected to rule your own life and self, and to do so well. This is one reason why choosing the right college for you, and then applying in such a way that, Lord willing, you earn admission, is such an essential topic. College marks the moment you leave the nest, learn to fly, and build your own. ‘Birds of a feather flock together,’ so choose your new flock carefully.
Now to conclude: as Lewis warns in his excellent little thesis, ‘The Abolition of Man,’ be men and women with chests. Govern yourself. Work hard, reason well, run fast, sing loud, speak truth, and seek beauty. Live fully and freely in Christ Jesus for the sake of His glory that, in the fullness of time, through formal and informal education alike, you may be transformed by the renewing of your minds; then you will be able to test and approve what is the will of God–His good, pleasing, and perfect will–including for your college experience. May we all bear the image of Christ (1 Cor 15:49), repairing the ruins of our first parents to know and love God aright.
Jo Macaluso graduated from a classical Christian High School before attending Hillsdale College and now serves as an Assistant Interviewer and Application Consultant for her alma mater.
