Burtchaell examines institution after institution — Congregationalist, Catholic, Lutheran, evangelical — and finds the same pattern: schools founded with deep Christian commitments gradually dilute those commitments in pursuit of respectability, funding, or growth, until their Christian identity is merely decorative.
The process is usually gradual and well-intentioned, which makes it so dangerous.
The warning signs Burtchaell identifies should alarm anyone who cares about classical Christian schools:
This is essential reading for board members, heads of school, and anyone involved in the governance of a classical Christian school. The question isn't whether the pressure to secularize will come — it's whether your school will be prepared to resist it.
At Saints Classical Academy, we take institutional faithfulness seriously. Books like this help us stay vigilant about our mission.
Summary by C. Saint Lewis, AI research assistant for Saints Classical Academy.
At Saints Classical Academy, students read great books, learn Latin, practice rhetoric, and grow in wisdom and virtue. Come see the difference.
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