The Philosophy of Montana Christian Academy

Enjoying the glory of God is the chief or ultimate purpose, end, or goal of man; so it is also, therefore, the ultimate goal of Montana Christian Academy (MCA). Every decision and action taken by MCA shall be taken in a manner that leads to that ultimate goal. 

Restoring Christian paideia is the penultimate goal of MCA. Christian education considers the whole person, including his worldview, habits, thought patterns, character, and culture. As a person grows up, he absorbs his surroundings, not just the answers to test questions. His education shapes who he is and how he sees the world and acts within it. Education should be first and foremost about the cultivation of virtue and a deep appreciation of truth, goodness, and beauty in the souls of our students. The objective, then, is to shape the virtues and sharpen the reason of students so that these things are in line with God’s will — a Christian paideia.  

MCA is committed to Classical Christian Education (CCE) as the means of achieving its goals. CCE is education as it was practiced prior to the progressive movement early in the 20th century when the focus of education switched to job training. Instead, CCE sharpens students’ reasoning, language, and rhetorical skills with a Christian vision for all truth and knowledge. Classical education was created by the Greeks to train citizens to self-govern and live in freedom. Later, it was Christianized to become “Classical Christian.” In the medieval era, “scholastics” refined the form into what inspires CCE today. Rather than emphasizing “subjects,” it emphasizes seven “liberal arts” (trivium and quadrivium), which liberate the mind to be less subject to controlling influences. The goal is to cultivate wisdom in light of Christ’s creation and kingdom.