audiobook coming soon
Why This Book?
What is classical Christian education? What does it mean to train? Who is Jonathan Edwards? What do these three things have in common? In this book we discover a confluence of classical education, spiritual formation, and the theology of Jonathan Edwards. Moreover, the purpose of this little primer is twofold: 1) to encourage teachers and 2) to provide timeless tools for teachers to teach and train the next generation.
This book is not a history of nor a formal apologetic for classical Christian education (CCE) but rather an encouragement for teachers and a morsel of lembas bread to strengthen you for the journey ahead. It is designed to give nuggets of practical wisdom but also offer lists of resources for more—tips and tools to help educators hone their trade—when they are ready—as teachers go on their teaching journey.
The book begins with an autobiographical account of how the author surprisingly stumbled into teaching, and soon after into classical Christian education. The book is further divided into two main sections. Part One is dedicated to ten pedagogies (teaching methods) that are common to both Edwards’ time and today. Part Two offers practical resources for teachers, including lists of top ten, fifteen, and even twenty-five books to read, pitfalls to avoid, questions to ask, answers to questions, and more.
Train: Classical Christian Education and Jonathan Edwards
by Stephanie Boss
JESociety Press, 2025
Paperback, 191 pages
ISBN 979-8-218-68921-6
About the Author
Stephanie Boss teaches fifth grade—and currently fifth and sixth grade literature—at Covenant Classical School in Fort Worth, Texas. She has taught fifth grade for 20 years, 18 of which have been in classical Christian education. She received a B.A. in Psychology from Louisiana Tech University and an M.A. in Religious Education with a Childhood Education concentration from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. She has presented at the Society of Classical Learning summer conference on the two following topics: “Jonathan Edwards as Teacher” and “Surrender to the Stories: The Powerful Pedagogy of Storytelling.” She has a deep love of literature and enjoys sharing this love with her students. Stephanie and her husband, Rob, have two grown daughters, both of whom have graduated from Covenant and have taught at several classical schools.
