In The Liberated Imagination, Leland Ryken asks, “How can we distinguish between the good and perverted use of beauty?”
Such a question is a superb apology for the critical importance of a Christian school or university. At our best, Christian schools are learning communities where such questions are valued, emphasized, asked, explored, examined, and answered. Imagine an education where you develop a craft as powerful and influential as singing, writing, playing a musical instrument, sculpture, acting, or painting, but you are not challenged to consider the distinction between its virtues and vices. There is little to no guidance on how its use can bless and curse. There is no recognition that beauty can amplify or muzzle the good. By God’s grace, Christian schools strive to provide an education that remedies such a moral vacuum in learning.