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The Role of Beauty in Formation
April 19, 2026
Beauty
C. Saint Lewis
Education is not merely the transfer of information. It is the formation of the whole person—mind, affections, and will. Classical Christian education understands that what students love is just as important as what they know. And nothing shapes the affections more powerfully than beauty.
Beauty as a Formative Force
Plato understood that the soul is drawn toward what it finds beautiful. A child who grows up surrounded by ugly buildings, discordant music, and vulgar language will develop different appetites than a child who grows up surrounded by beauty. This is why classical education does not treat art, music, and poetry as electives. They are essential because they form the student's capacity for joy.
At Saints Classical Academy in Spring Hill, TN, we surround students with beautiful things: the poetry of Shakespeare, the music of Bach, the art of the Renaissance. We do this not because these things are "cultural capital" to be accumulated, but because they train students to love what is truly lovely.
Truth, Goodness, and Beauty
The classical tradition has always held that truth, goodness, and beauty are the three transcendentals—ultimate realities that point beyond themselves to God. In a Christian context, this means that every true thing, every good thing, and every beautiful thing is a reflection of the One who is Truth, Goodness, and Beauty itself.
When students study a beautiful poem, they are not merely learning literary techniques. They are encountering a reflection of divine beauty. When they sing a beautiful hymn, they are not merely practicing vocal skills. They are participating in worship. Beauty is not a distraction from the serious work of education. It is one of the primary means by which God forms the human soul.
Beauty in the Everyday
Classical education does not relegate beauty to museum visits or special performances. It seeks to infuse beauty into the everyday rhythms of school life: the orderly beauty of a well-taught lesson, the social beauty of courtesy and kindness, the physical beauty of a clean and well-ordered classroom.
This is part of what makes classical Christian education distinctive. We are not merely preparing students for college and career. We are preparing them for a life of joyful discipleship—and joy requires the capacity to perceive and delight in beauty. This capacity must be trained, and training requires exposure to beautiful things.
Beauty
Formation
Classical Education
Experience Beauty in Education
Visit Saints Classical Academy in Spring Hill, TN to see how beauty shapes our classical curriculum. Schedule a tour today.