While grateful for Sayers' contribution, Littlejohn and Evans argue that her developmental stages are a modern interpretation, not the historical Trivium itself. The original Trivium was a set of subjects (grammar, logic, rhetoric), not developmental stages.
They propose a richer framework rooted in Augustine and the broader Christian intellectual tradition, with wisdom and eloquence as the overarching goals of education.
Drawing on Augustine's De Doctrina Christiana, the authors argue that education should form students who can understand truth (wisdom) and share it with others (eloquence). This framework gives classical schools a richer vision than mere academic rigor.
The book also addresses practical questions of assessment, teacher formation, and how to build school culture around these ideals.
This book is especially valuable for schools that want a historically grounded approach to classical education without being locked into one modern interpretation. It opens up the tradition and invites schools to draw deeply from its sources.
At Saints Classical Academy, we aim for both wisdom and eloquence — forming students who not only know the truth but can articulate it with grace and power.
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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