FAQs

WHAT IS “OLD WESTERN CULTURE”?

“Old Western Culture” is a literature curriculum named after a term coined by C.S. Lewis to describe the fabric of ideas that shaped Western Civilization. For centuries, a “Great Books” education lay at the heart of what it meant to be educated. It was the education of the Church Fathers, of the Medieval Church, of the Reformers, and of all the Founding Fathers of the Unites States. It is a CLASSICAL EDUCATION, based on the great books of western civilization. It is a CHRISTIAN EDUCATION, which sees the history and literature of the West through the eyes of the Bible and historic Christianity. It is an INTEGRATED HUMANITIES CURRICULUM, bringing together literature, history, philosophy, doctrine, geography, and art. And it is a HOMESCHOOL oriented curriculum, made by homeschoolers with the needs of homeschooled in mind, including flexibility, affordability, and ease-of-use. We bring a master-teacher into your home, and encourage parents to gain an overview of Western Civilization themselves by watching the video lessons with their children.

HOW DOES OLD WESTERN CULTURE WORK?

Old Western Culture is a video course. It is built around a master teacher, Wes Callihan. With decades of teaching experience, he guides students through the story of Western civilization. Each unit of The Greeks (year 1 of Old Western Culture) contains 12 video lessons (48 in year 1, approx 30 min each).Each lesson begins with a brief review before jumping into summary, commentary, analysis, and inter-disciplinary connections of the works covered. After each lesson, students complete the assigned readings, and answer comprehension questions in the Student Workbook.

WHAT BOOKS ARE COVERED IN YEAR 1, THE GREEKS? 

The Greeks is divided into 4 units:

1. The Epics. Works covered: The Iliad and The Odyssey

2. Drama and Lyric. Works covered: A collection of Greek plays and poetry.

3. The Histories. Works covered: Herodotus, Thucydides, and Xenophon

4. The Philosophers. Works covered: selected readings from Plato and Aristotle.

WHY DO PEOPLE LOVE WES CALLIHAN? 

Wes Callihan is a master story teller! With a remarkable ability to communicate a passion for history and literature, he makes profound ideas accessible, relevant, and interesting. Also known for his distinctive “rabbit trailers, ” forays into funny and obscure historical anecdotes, which have a way of showing up at the dinner table. (After all, rabbit trails are “hooks for the imagination and memory.”) Wes Callihan is a true classical scholar, fluent in both Latin and Greek. He lectures only from the notes in the margins of his worn copies of the Great Books.