The Value of a Great Books Curriculum | Saints Classical Academy Blog

April 25, 2026 Great Books C. Saint Lewis

The great books are the seminal works of Western civilization—the writings that have shaped our culture, our laws, our art, and our faith. At Saints Classical Academy in Spring Hill, TN, we center our high school curriculum on these books because we believe that wisdom is found not in textbooks but in the great conversation across the ages.

What Are the Great Books?

The great books include works of literature, philosophy, history, science, and theology that have stood the test of time. Homer and Plato, Augustine and Aquinas, Shakespeare and Milton, Austen and Dostoevsky—these authors and many others form the canon of Western thought. They address the perennial questions: What is justice? What is love? What is the good life? What is the nature of God and man?

A great books curriculum does not treat these works as museum pieces to be admired from a distance. Instead, it engages them as living participants in an ongoing conversation. Students read Plato alongside Aristotle, comparing their views on reality. They read the Declaration of Independence in light of Locke and the Bible. They enter the conversation themselves, adding their own voices to the dialogue.

This approach stands in stark contrast to the fragmented, textbook-driven curriculum of most modern schools. Where modern education gives students predigested summaries and isolated facts, classical education gives students direct access to the sources and trusts them to think for themselves.

Formation Through Literature

The great books do more than convey information—they form the soul. When students read The Iliad, they wrestle with questions of honor and mortality. When they read Pride and Prejudice, they consider the relationship between virtue and happiness. When they read The Brothers Karamazov, they confront the problem of evil and the possibility of redemption.

This is what we mean by moral imagination: the capacity to envision what is good, true, and beautiful, and to desire it. The great books expand students' moral horizons, introducing them to heroes and villains, dilemmas and resolutions, that shape their understanding of life. They learn not just what to think but how to feel about what matters most.

At Saints Classical, we read these books in community. Socratic seminars bring students together to discuss what they have read, to question, to challenge, and to learn from one another. The book becomes a shared experience, a common reference point, a source of inside jokes and lasting friendships.

Preparation for College and Beyond

Students who complete a great books curriculum are exceptionally well-prepared for college. They have read the works that university professors assume their students know. They are comfortable with difficult texts, complex arguments, and unfamiliar vocabulary. They can write clearly about abstract ideas and participate intelligently in seminar discussions.

But the benefits extend beyond academics. The great books curriculum produces adults who are culturally literate—who understand the references and allusions that permeate public discourse. They can engage intelligently with contemporary issues because they know the history of ideas. They can distinguish passing fads from enduring wisdom because they have studied what has endured.

For Christian students, the great books provide a unique opportunity to see God's truth reflected in unexpected places. The pagan philosopher who glimpses the natural law, the atheist novelist who portrays the hunger for grace, the poet who captures the beauty of creation—all of these become occasions for recognizing that all truth is God's truth.

The Great Books at Saints Classical

Our great books curriculum begins in the early grades with age-appropriate adaptations and selected excerpts. By middle school, students are reading complete works: The Hobbit, The Wind in the Willows, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. In high school, they tackle the full canon: Greek tragedies, Shakespeare's plays, the Federalist Papers, Paradise Lost, and more.

We do not shy away from difficult books. We believe that students rise to the level of our expectations, and that the struggle with a challenging text is itself educational. Our teachers are guides and fellow travelers, modeling the habits of careful reading and thoughtful discussion.

If you want your child to join the great conversation—to be equipped with the wisdom of the ages and the ability to contribute to it—consider Saints Classical Academy. Our great books curriculum is not an escape from the modern world but a preparation for engaging it wisely and well.

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Explore Our Great Books Program

See how Saints Classical Academy uses the great books to form wise and virtuous students. Schedule a visit to our Spring Hill campus.