Praise for the Handbooks to The Heart of Culture
In this three-volume project, Dr. Adams, as a skilled sommelier, pairs a solid historical vision of Catholic education with tried and true classroom methods and techniques. Faithfully opening up the masterpiece that is The Heart of Culture, she shows how educational philosophy overflows into pedagogy, ideas finding fruition in action. This deserves to be read, pondered, and put into practice not just by Catholics, but by anyone committed to human flourishing. (Dr. Edward Mulholland, Sheridan Chair of Classics, Benedictine College)
If The Heart of Culture sets the table, Gwen Adams’ Handbooks serve the meal. These volumes are erudite, measured, and practical. They are also contagiously joyful. “Resource” is too banal a word for so splendid an accomplishment. Adams has offered a veritable treasure trove to all who seek to renew Catholic education for the glory of God. (John Sehorn, PhD, Academic Dean, Augustine Institute)
One of the most promising and hopeful developments in contemporary education has been the growing attention to the classical liberal arts. Parents and students are increasingly seeking to free themselves from the shackles of an education that stifles logical thought and creative imagination. And they are finding that freedom where generations of students have found it: in the study of classic texts and engagement with the liberal arts. Gwen Adams has done a marvelous service by producing three superb volumes, each of which provides, in addition to a brief historical background to help readers understand the educational practices of the era—Classical to Monastic; Medieval to the Renaissance-Baroque; and The Enlightenment to Modern—a host of creative exercises and ways of teaching this material to students. This combination of serious scholarship on the liberal arts and pedagogical practices to teach them is unmatched. Every homeschool family and Catholic school should have these volumes and should use them, well, liberally. (Randall B. Smith, Ph.D., Michael J. Miller Endowed Professor of Theology, University of St. Thomas, Houston)
The Heart of Culture has long been a favorite of mine to both use as a reference in my own teaching about the history of education and as a book I have recommended to others hundreds of times. With Dr. Adams’ Handbook project, educators everywhere can plumb the depths of The Heart of Culture’s practical consequences with a trusted mentor. We owe gratitude to Dr. Adams for taking on this quest to unpack over two millennia of “best practices” and provide teachers with real classroom-ready activities that bring children (and teachers!) real joy and deep learning. And, like every great teacher, Dr. Adams enriches her efforts by making sure she has consulted many of the leaders in the renewal of Catholic education to help make sure she remains a student while also serving us as a master. (Michael Van Hecke, President/Publisher, Institute for Catholic Liberal Education, Catholic Textbook Project)
As a seasoned educator, Dr. Adams brings her deep knowledge and practical wisdom to help teachers implement the ideals aspired to in The Heart of Culture. With a rare blend of brevity and depth, the Handbook(s) provides a practical guide for teachers to restore their classrooms as places of meaningful encounter capable of forming young minds in the pursuit of beauty, truth, and goodness. (Ryan Hanning, PhD, Liffrig Family School of Education, University of Mary)