Nascantur in AdmirationeVALOR RHETORIC

Let them beborn in wonder.The meaning of life. The purpose of work. Our place in society. The essential questions of identity and legacy that have accompanied humankind since the dawn of time. Made in the image of God, we wonder at the mysteries of human existence. And we hunger for epignosis, for knowledge honed and hallowed by wisdom.

They went before us, casting their ideas in wax and chalk, then on papyrus, and later with quill and ink. They spoke prophetically to future generations they could scarcely have imagined. As we listen to and learn from our progenitors within and outside the Christian tradition, we affirm Augustine’s observation that all truth is God’s truth. We glimpse the very mind of God, not freed from but rather embodied in all cultures and across every epoch.

We discover that ideas, born from the mind of God and written on human hearts, can be told from generation to generation. We unearth the common denominators that shape a nascent human life into an examined one, a life befitting its Creator. This, then, is the lofty aim of the Valor Rhetoric endorsement — nothing less than instilling habits of mind and character that produce young men and women able to discern truth and compel a new generation to listen with ears to hear.

In our yearning, we engage a vast company of thinkers, dreamers, and travelers.

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“The unexamined lifeis not worth living.”

S O C R AT E S

Rhetoric in the Classical TriviumThe goal of education in classical antiquity was to produce leaders with the intellectual and verbal skill to participate in a liberal democracy. The classical curriculum was known as the liberal arts -- literally the ‘practices of free men’ -- and included seven subjects divided into two stages:

• The Trivium, which included Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric• The Quadrivium, which included Arithmetic, Geometry, Music, and Astronomy

The Trivium still undergirds contemporary liberal arts education.

Grammar is the purview of elementary students. These young learners focus on mastering what we think of as “the facts” -- foundational elements of reading, writing, and mathematics that will enable them to achieve higher levels of analytic thinking and persuasive communication as they grow.

Logic is the purview of middle school students. These early adolescents focus on integrating facts learned in earlier years into a larger worldview -- examining increasingly complex ideas and testing them with the tools of rationality to gain a more mature and nuanced understanding of the world around them.

Rhetoric is the purview of high school students. These emerging adults focus on integrating the knowledge they have accumulated, and contending for well-reasoned points of view in the public square. Their task is to step into adulthood with the intellectual and verbal skill to lead effectively in civic society.

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A Principled ApproachThe Valor Rhetoric endorsement offers students an intellectually rigorous course of study and praxis that weaves together traditional Humanities subject areas, including English, History, Theology, and Classical Languages, into an integrated, multi-year program. Students develop 21st century skills applicable to a variety of post-secondary pursuits, including the ability to think critically, communicate persuasively, and synthesize and apply knowledge from disparate academic and professional fields.

The Valor Rhetoric endorsement is guided by four principles:

All learning is integratedWhen God created the world he created a cosmos, a unified orderly state with everything interconnected. This is true, too, of our knowledge of the world. Therefore, each discipline within a school is teaching a student more about the unity of knowledge and one side of the multi-faceted glory of God.

All truth is God’s truthThis idea, often attributed to Augustine, acknowledges that wherever we encounter truth, we are encountering something created by God. As such, we mine texts from within and outside the Christian tradition and from across a variety of cultures and philosophies.

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Tradition informs modernityThe twentieth century Christian author G.K. Chesterton wrote that “tradition is only democracy extended through time.”* This program works against the tyranny of what C.S. Lewis called “chronological snobbery,” the idea that only what is modern is worthwhile. While not apologizing for the errors of the past, we seek to find beauty in old things.

“A good man speaking well”This is the Roman rhetorician Quintilian’s definition of rhetoric, and while we expand the pronoun to include men and women, we could not agree more. Speaking well in and of itself is insufficient; to truly glorify God through our acts of speech—speaking, writing, conversing, debating, arguing—we must combine art with virtue.

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Academic AchievementThe Valor Rhetoric endorsement is achieved through completing specific coursework tailored to a traditional field of study in the classics. Along with advanced, Honors, and AP coursework in areas including English, History, Bible, and World Languages, students can also participate in an Integrated Humanities course in 9th and 10th grades, as well as advanced courses in Formal Logic and Classical Rhetoric.

Honors Humanities CourseworkThe Honors Humanities course integrates English, History, and Bible into a single, cohesive class beginning with earliest history and extending to the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Students will read closely a variety of ancient texts—poetry, history, philosophy, and theology—as well as more contemporary interpretive texts. The focus in writing will be analytical—diving into individual texts and learning important literary devices names and functions—but will also focus on synthesizing across the disciplines and bringing those humane threads together. Further, in conversation, students will utilize both Socratic and Harkness methods of class discussion.

Program Highlights

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Impactful ServiceSince service is a vital piece of the mission of Valor, students will be encouraged to apply their knowledge in service to others. This includes tutoring or mentorship programs with younger students in the community, school support functions, and service learning opportunities in Europe and Israel.

Experiential EngagementStudents will have ample opportunity to learn outside the classroom through various means of practice, application, and further intellectual engagement. This primarily takes the form of clubs, internships, lecture seminars, competitions (such as Speech and Debate), and other elective coursework in Latin, Greek, Bible, Fine Arts, and History. Experiential engagement is measured by Experiential Units (EUs).

Capstone ProjectStudents pursuing a Rhetoric endorsement major will spend senior year in a specially designed Senior Thesis course. Students will select a topic and invest several months in research and writing. Their work will culminate in a written thesis and formal oral defense before a panel of Valor faculty and community members with relevant expertise.

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“While we are examining into everything, we sometimes find truth where we least expect it.”Q U I N T I L L I A N

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Major Endorsement Courses• Intro to Logic

• Advanced Formal Logic

• Rhetoric

• History

• Honors Humanities I and II preferred)

Experiential Engagement

• 5 E.Us

Service

• 2 Qualifying Activities

Capstone thesis required

Minor Endorsement Courses• Intro to Logic

• Advanced Formal Logic

• Rhetoric

• History

• Honors Humanities I and II preferred

Experiential Engagement:

• 3 E.Us Service:

• 1 Qualifying Activity

Capstone thesis not required

Program Details

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Diploma EndorsementsStudents work toward either a major or minor endorsement

Courses OfferedHonors English, 9th Grade • Honors English 10th Grade • AP English • Honors Humanities

(integrated English, History & Bible) • Honors History • AP History • Latin • Art History • Introduction to Logic • Advanced Formal Logic • Rhetorical Criticism

Clubs, Competitions and Affinity GroupsDECA • Speech & Debate • Latin Club

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To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!

—Proverbs 15:23