Document Type
Article
Abstract
The early Greeks saw the essence of education as Paideia: the process of forming a whole person into an ideal citizen. They emphasized the formation of virtues like prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance in preparation for active citizenship. Later, in the Medieval era, the Christian tradition saw education as formation for the glory of God, adding Christian virtues of faith, hope and love along with character traits like humility, gratitude, generosity and chastity. But something shifted after the Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution. Knowledge became increasingly instrumental, valued for its practical application primarily as information needed to “get a job.” I suspect that the ongoing advances in artificial intelligence (AI) will expose the limited value of a strictly utilitarian education. It turns out, many technical and practical skills are likely to be displaced by AI. AI is disrupting the labour landscape, and the jobs people train for today may no longer exist in the not-so-distant future.
Publication Date
2-18-2026
Recommended Citation
Schuurman, Derek, "A possible renaissance for Christian higher education" (2026). University Faculty Publications and Creative Works. 1046.
https://digitalcommons.calvin.edu/calvin_facultypubs/1046
Comments
https://www.christiancourier.ca/a-possible-renaissance-for-christian-higher-education/