High School
Humanities Seminar
Fortune, Folly, and Faith: The Rebels, Rulers, and Pilgrims of the Great Books of Christendom
-What is our greatest enemy, deepest fear, or most challenging obstacle to overcome?
-Why live a life of virtue, duty, and sacrifice if death is the common destiny of all mankind?
-Who is God and what does He want from me?
These are the questions mankind has pondered for thousands of years and will no doubt contemplate for millenia to come. By engaging the classics of the Christian West, we hear directly from authors who have thought more profoundly on the human condition and who wrote down their words more persuasively than most others in history.
Through reading and discussing, studying and debating the Great Books and their timeless ideas, we participate in an ancient conversation, adding our own voices in the present to what’s been shared by the voices of the past.
FAQs
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We invite all rising 9th-12th graders in Central Illinois to join us for the seminar. It doesn’t matter if you attend a government, private, or home school, curious minds from any educational background are welcome!
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To become better (a.) readers, (b.) critical thinkers, (c.) writers, and (d.) speakers through our study of some of the Great Books of Christendom.
To become more virtuous people by putting into practice the five White Horse virtues of prudence, humility, courage, fidelity, and gratitude, the four Classical virtues of wisdom, justice, self–control, fortitude, and the three Christian virtues of faith, hope, and love.
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The seminar will meet from 6:30-8:30 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from September 1st until Memorial Day.
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The seminar costs $400 per student. Additionally, students are expected to purchase quality copies of the books they will read for class, a total curriculum expense of approximately $100.
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Over the course of the year, students will read numerous classic texts, including works by Dante, Milton, and Bunyan, then write and defend numerous thesis papers. Students are expected to actively participate in small group discussions. This is an advanced high school course, and students who earn a passing grade will receive high school credit in language arts and writing.