Stories, Belief, and Meaning: A Reformed Perspective on Literature

From the beginning, God has been telling a story, and that story is etched into the heart of every culture and individual throughout history. We are drawn to stories that reflect the human story: a story of creation and calling, of loss and longing, of grace and redemption. And every story, if it contains any truth, seeks a deeper understanding and application of the human condition and God’s sustaining hand. A literature classroom at Eastern Christian approaches every studied text with the ultimate goal of discerning the biblical truth reflected in the text. We ask, “How does this written text reflect the human condition and God’s created order?” And we provide age appropriate answers, and show the biblical values in all the stories and poems we study.

Eastern Christian’s Approach

First, we seek beauty in the language. At its most practical level, an EC literature course is going to present authors and written works which are exemplary in their use of language. We want our students to be as effective communicators as possible, because God calls us to pursue excellence in every area of our lives. We aim to teach them how to fill the world with beauty, because true beauty always points to Christ.

On a deeper level, the recurring themes found throughout literature, from ancient civilizations to today, are ultimately reflections of the Biblical story: how human beings, however great they may appear on earth, are flawed and in need of a savior; how different worldviews and perspectives lead towards or away from human flourishing; how an individual can take on responsibility and self-sacrifice to restore some small extent of God’s creation.

Biblical Values Across Cultures

For example, a core pillar of studying Homer in grade 9, is examining Greek values, not because we want to emulate exactly the Greek’s culture and values, but because we want to highlight the values that align with our Christian perspective and use Greek culture and society as a disconnected example on analyzing them. We can point out how ambition can be used correctly to glorify God, or how ambition can lead to an individual’s downfall. Simultaneously, we are teaching a cultural touchstone that has been used for thousands of years. Ultimately, we seek to instill a balance of values in each student that advances God’s kingdom and blesses society.

When asked about how her faith influences the way she teaches literature at EC, Mrs. Westra responded, “In a practical sense, studying literature here at EC teaches us empathy for one another and a deeper understanding of what it means to be a fallen, sinful human being. We want to empathize and recognize the image of God in everyone we meet, and through our actions, glorify God and share the gospel.”

EC’s Christ-Centered Curriculum

At the core of each classroom and program is EC’s dedication to a faith-based education. Stay tuned for future posts to explore what this looks like in other subject areas and how the spiritual-life at EC thrives through an intentional Christ-centered curriculum.