Author Archives: marklangley

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About marklangley

Most recently the founding Headmaster of Our Lady of Walsingham Academy in Colorado Springs (see www. OLWclassical.org), former headmaster and Academic Dean at The Lyceum (a school he founded in 2003, see theLyceum.org) Mark loves sacred music and Gregorian Chant and singing with his lovely wife, Stephanie, and their children.

Textbooks and Fast-Food Restaurants

Posted on February 10, 2013 by marklangley

As much as I try I now find it nearly impossible to get enthusiastic about any textbook. There is something about the whole textbook genre that just seems almost intrinsically boring- or at the very best, interesting for a very … Continue reading →

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The Olive Wreath

Posted on February 4, 2013 by marklangley

When Xerxes discovered that the Greeks were celebrating the Olympic Festival  the first day after the battle of Thermopylae he asked a Greek deserter “for what do the Greek athletes contend?” When told that they were not competing for money … Continue reading →

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Wisdom is the Most Honorable and Best Knowledge.

Posted on January 6, 2013 by marklangley

What better subject to contemplate on the Epiphany- a feast in which kings from the east found wisdom lying in a cradle and worshiped Him as that which is most honorable. Wisdom is in fact the most honorable kind of … Continue reading →

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Wisdom is Not a Human Possession

Posted on January 3, 2013 by marklangley

As one reads through the little section on St Thomas Aquinas’ commentary on the Metaphysics where he sets forth the four attributes of wisdom (from which we have been shamelessly borrowing- without even the slightest acknowledgement), one runs across this … Continue reading →

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Wisdom is about causes

Posted on January 1, 2013 by marklangley

Forgive me for having skipped what I think is the most obvious characteristic of wisdom – namely that it is a knowledge of causes. Therefore we now have three characteristics of wisdom- to wit: It is a knowledge about causes … Continue reading →

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Wisdom is Liberal

Posted on December 30, 2012 by marklangley

Well I hate to say it, but the second (or third) characteristic of wisdom is that it is liberal. But of course we don’t mean ‘liberal’ as in ‘Teddy Kennedy liberal.’ We mean liberal as opposed to servile or what … Continue reading →

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The first Characteristic of Wisdom

Posted on December 28, 2012 by marklangley

Speaking of wisdom, perhaps it would be good to review four characteristics that will help us to distinguish the kind of knowledge that it is. I do but merely transcribe from the fading memory of a certain lecture these humble … Continue reading →

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How Must Wisdom be Loved?

Posted on December 26, 2012 by marklangley

On this second day of Christmas, what better thing than to meditate upon Wisdom whose birthday we have just celebrated and draw attention to the fact that He must be loved in the same four ways that the philosopher loves … Continue reading →

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Liberal Education Works

Posted on December 24, 2012 by marklangley

The late philosopher Marcus Berquist once made a remark about how working with ones hands has a significant value for the one pursuing philosophy. I wish I could remember his words exactly- but the point was that hard work never … Continue reading →

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Herodotus and History

Posted on December 13, 2012 by marklangley

Reading Herodotus with students in the ninth and tenth grade presents some challenges. I always tell them not to worry if they don’t feel like they are understanding it on the “first read.” That is the way Great Books are. … Continue reading →

Posted in classical education, History, Literature | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment