What is a good education? What is it for? To answer these questions, Stratford Caldecott shines a fresh light on the three arts of language, in a marvelous recasting of the Trivium whereby Grammar, Dialectic, and Rhetoric are explored as Remembering, Thinking, and Communicating. These are the foundational steps every student must take towards conversion of heart and mind, so that a Catholic Faith can be lived out in unabashed pursuit of the True, the Good, and the Beautiful. Beauty in the Word is a unique contribution to bringing these bountiful aspects of the Real back to the center of learning, where they rightfully belong. If your concern is for the true meaning of education for your children, here is the place to begin.
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"Beauty in the Word is the fruit of a lifetime's thinking about the relation between faith and life. Those responsible for new initiatives in Catholic education have a chance to recreate its inner spirit and not just its outer frame. They will not easily find a programme more inspirational than the one presented here."--Aidan Nichols, OP
"Stratford Caldecott's words about beauty are themselves beautiful, and also wise; learned and also arresting. He offers a rare combination of intelligence and profound vision, yet combines this with accessibility and luminous transparency."--Catherine Pickstock, University of Cambridge
"C.S. Lewis envisioned modern education as the irrigation of deserts. Caldecott here brings nourishing water to the cry of the modern imagination: 'I thirst'. Drink deeply, from a book brim-full with the living water capable of transforming our educational practices."--Cyrus P. Olsen III, University of Scranton
"In this insightful book, Stratford Caldecott has presented a way to understand education that includes philosophy, theology, the arts, literature, the studies of beauty and truth and what is good. It is a rare book that understands the unity of knowledge; this is one of those rare books."--James V. Schall, SJ, Georgetown University
"Stratford Caldecott's words about beauty are themselves beautiful, and also wise; learned and also arresting. He offers a rare combination of intelligence and profound vision, yet combines this with accessibility and luminous transparency."--Catherine Pickstock, University of Cambridge
"C.S. Lewis envisioned modern education as the irrigation of deserts. Caldecott here brings nourishing water to the cry of the modern imagination: 'I thirst'. Drink deeply, from a book brim-full with the living water capable of transforming our educational practices."--Cyrus P. Olsen III, University of Scranton
"In this insightful book, Stratford Caldecott has presented a way to understand education that includes philosophy, theology, the arts, literature, the studies of beauty and truth and what is good. It is a rare book that understands the unity of knowledge; this is one of those rare books."--James V. Schall, SJ, Georgetown University
About the Author
Stratford Caldecott is an editor of the English edition of Magnificat, and editor of Second Spring and Humanum. His books include The Seven Sacraments: Entering the Mysteries of God (Crossroad, 2006), Beauty for Truth's Sake: On the Re-enchantment of Education (Brazos, 2009), and All Things Made New: The Mysteries of the World in Christ (Angelico, 2011). He lives in Oxford.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is refreshing. Caldecott captures what the modern world has left out of education. He digs up the lost tools of learning and represents them to the needs of our present context. Caldecott mentions that we have "lost ourselves in the world of feeling" and that regaining a confidence in our reason will invigorate us as persons to again fix our lives on wisdom. In this book he emphasizes that true education is based on the correct vision of the human person, it is rooted in a community, and works as a life-giving, even moral, power in the culture. Caldecott draws from the groundwork of the ancient world, Medieval philosophy, and 20th century theology. His ideas are a bit scattered and his prose are vague at times. In the end, however, it is clear that he is tackling a huge issue and a look into the nature of education demands a wide scope and metaphysical explanation. I would highly recommend this book to any educator and anyone interested in studying the humanities. What Caldecott lays out in this book is crucial in understanding how a student learns and how education has veered from its original roots. We tend to educate the young for the sole purpose of becoming successful in a career. Caldecott reminds us that once it was understood that wisdom was worth the reaching for its own sake. It may be more important today than ever to recover this art of learning.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By plpflanagan
Format:Paperback
Whereas most educational conversations tend to focus on how well the educational system may or may not be preparing the next generation (as well as oftentimes what should be added to curricula), Stratford Caldecott's book, Beauty in the Word, is a refreshing examination of the foundations of education, reflecting on the grounding of the educational system of previous generations. Caldecott does not simply mention how education used to be, but what it intended to accomplish: not just the preparation for a future career in the world, but the very forming of the intellect. The focus was on the person being educated rather than only on the subject matter being taught. This point may seem obvious, but perhaps for the very reason that it is so obvious, it also tends to be overlooked--or if not overlooked, it can be such an elusive concept to pinpoint that it oftentimes seems counterproductive and divisive to discuss how this end can best be accomplished. Beauty in the Word gives a framework for such discussions and no doubt offers a remedy to some of the modern day challenges of trying to provide a top-quality education today. For anyone interested in education or education-reform, this is definitely a must-read.
0 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Great book, but arrived damaged. The bottom corner of the book was noticeably bent. Caldecott is always interesting, and I purchased his book on the quadrivium, as well. It's too bad I paid for a new book and received a damaged one.
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