This Great Books study will be unique in that it will take a thematic rather than chronological approach. Every consideration has been made to choose what might arguably be the greatest of the Great Ideas. The books (both fiction and non-fiction), the short stories, and the poetry have all been selected to help the student explore these topics. Some may be found to be more relevant than others. The choices of literature for this course are not carved in stone. In time we hope to add studies in art and music for they are also powerful ways for expressing Great Ideas.
The ideas have been divided into four categories: each idea or groups of related ideas are studies in one academic year. The plan is as follows:
Year One: The Ideas of God and Man
Year Two: The Ideas of Truth and Lies
Year Three: The Ideas of Good and Evil
Year Four: The Ideas of Beauty and Ethics
Why these ideas? First of all it is in God that we live and move and have our being. Everything begins and ends with him. To deny God is to deny our entire existence. Therefore, we must first and foremost come to an understanding of what we believe about God. Ultimately this will shape and determine how we perceive Truth. Truth gives us a basis for determining Good and Evil. Together they shape our understanding of what is Beautiful and how to live Ethically.
Truth, Goodness, and Beauty, singly and together, have been seen by many as the heart of the age old controversy concerning such topics as the absolute and the relative; the objective and the subjective; the universal and the individual. In a postmodern culture a right understanding of these three ideas is foundational to living Godly lives in this present age. It is hoped that the student’s life will be enriched by these studies and he will be better equipped to be a biblical agent of change in our culture.