“The great recognition, that God the Holy Spirit is Himself, personally, the Imparter of knowledge, the Instructor of youth, the Inspirer of genius.” It’s an idea that infuses education with meaning and life. What could more powerfully transform the daily routine of a home educator than the thought of “the divine teaching as co-operating with …
“Two years ago I had the privilege of visiting the Spanish Chapel of Santa Maria Novella in Florence,” wrote Rose Amy Pennethorne in 1935. “I was shown over the Chapel by a policeman, and having never seen the colours of the frescoes before, I was struck by the prevailing colours of green, white and red. …
In 1917, the Times newspaper published a letter by Charlotte Mason in which she made four bold claims: (a) That our people are capable of receiving a liberal education in a generous sense of the term. (b) That no limitation of vocabulary or environment need be an obstacle. (c) That the method and means of …
A paper submitted to Dr. Bruce Hindmarsh in fulfillment of the requirements for the Graduate Diploma in Christian Studies from Regent College April 2023 “My dear, my life does not matter… It is the work that matters and, I say it with all reverence, it will some day (not in my lifetime) be seen to …
We all know the story. A young, impressionable Miss Mason travels to Florence. With guidebook in hand, she beholds a glorious fresco, the embodiment of a medieval philosophy of education. Her eyes are opened and in her heart she cries, “Eureka!” Unlooked for, unasked for, yet marvelously presented to her mind, she receives as if …
Knowledge awakens. It’s the inspiring, startling, audacious claim of Charlotte Mason, a claim that’s at the heart of her method. “We know that religion can awaken souls,”[1] she writes. That claim isn’t so controversial, even today. But knowledge? I have to tell of the awakening of a ‘general soul’ at the touch of knowledge. Eight …
Ice surfaces are a scarce resource, even in the Detroit area. Figure skaters compete with hockey skaters for access to this precious commodity. Junior skaters compete with senior skaters. And singles skaters compete with ice dancers. The quest for ice is so difficult that school hours are enticing. Many skating families choose to homeschool just …
Editor’s Note: From time to time I am asked about apparent contradictions in Charlotte Mason’s writings. For example, we are told that narrations are to be in the child’s own words. And yet when it comes to Bible lessons, Mason says that while narrating, the child should be “keeping as close as he can to …
A listener asked, “If Charlotte wanted us to rely most of all on the Holy Spirit for guidance, why was she so specific (e.g. the timetables etc.)? If we were handed her 20 principles alone, I think there would be a wider array of practices, but she expounded on the specifics of her methods. Should …