Philosophy and First Things

I have taught a class called PWC—Philosophy, Worldview, and Culture—for many years on rotation. I am always seeking to improve the curriculum. There is always plenty to talk about, but it is challenging to find just the right book for each component of the class. I have had success using Sproul, Ryken, and Crouch, but I am still not quite satisfied.

This leads me to my newest read—Christian Philosophy as a Way of Life: An Invitation to Wonder by Ross D. Inman. The secondary title drew me in. After all, we are educating on the path from "wonder to Wisdom," and here I have a text that appears to embrace the connection between the love of wisdom and wonder.

Chapter 1: An Invitation to Wonder—highly quotable. I am not even sad that this text will not make the cut for the classroom curriculum. It will become a part of me and, therefore, find its place.

"When rightly ordered, wonder can indicate to us that we are in the presence of something truly excellent and worthy of our sustained attention. Wonder is also a window through which we can see reality in its proper light; what is genuinely good, true, and beautiful-and subsequently worth pursuing-tends to evoke wonder." (5-6)

When I contemplate a quote like this, here is what comes to mind...

Rightly ordered? Worthy pursuit? Now I am contemplating the purpose of our educational model.

It is possible that our wonder might not be rightly ordered. What does that look like?

Attention. Wonder is a constant focus of our habits of learning and is worthy of attention—SUSTAINED attention, which is something more.

A window? A metaphor that returns me to the idea of "seeing" that permeates much of my thinking about education these days.

The Transcendentals—good, true, and beautiful? We are on an ongoing quest for definition—reality in its proper light; that which is worth pursuing—full circle back to our mission statement.

I love reading and the fruit that it bears.

I thought I was pre-reading a potential pick for philosophy class. Instead, it appears I have picked up a text that will inform my thinking on philosophy, education, and life. I continue on in high hopes.

Update 6/5/2025: Oral surgery fast-tracked some reading. I have now finished my FIRST reading of this text and am ready to begin again. Heavily annotated, 5 star read!