In recent years classical Christian schools have been one of the fastest-growing educational sectors. Over the last 14 years, there has been an 851% increase in classical Christian schools, from 140 schools in 2010 to 1,332 schools in 2024 (combining the number of classical Catholic schools and classical evangelical schools). With such rapid growth, it is timely that PCA pastor Nate Walker sets forth a biblical basis for classical Christian education in his book “Gospel Education: Jesus as Lord of the Classical Christian School” (Baker, 2026). Written in a style that is readable and accessible, this book serves as an excellent introduction to both Christian education in general and classical Christian education in particular.
The overall vision presented in the book is built upon Walker’s experience founding Trinity Classical School, a PCA-affiliated classical Christian school in Bellingham, Washington. As an alumnus of a PCA-affiliated classical Christian school and a current board member of a classical Christian school, I was eager to read Walker’s book.
Some books on classical Christian education tend to focus on the classical part of this education as most important and foundational, while other books focus on classical Christian schools as a means of political reform in the United States. In contrast to these approaches, Walker argues that the gospel is the proper foundation for classical Christian education. Unlike many classical Christian schools where “classical and Christian were two friends that got along well,” Walker seeks to show that “the gospel is the seed, and classical education is the natural fruit that grows out from it; the DNA of the one generates the other” (pg. XII).
Thematically, the book can be divided into four sections. Chapters 1-3 describe how the gospel shapes the culture and learning environment of the classical Christian school. Chapters 4-5 describe how the gospel is the foundation of the content and pedagogy of the classical Christian school. Chapters 6-10 show the practical outworking of a gospel-centered education in the seven liberal arts, namely the trivium (chapters 6-8) and the quadrivium (chapters 9-10). The book concludes with nine theses summarizing its overall argument and two appendices remarking on the nature of the gospel and church-affiliated schools.
In the opening chapters of the book, Walker sets forth a gospel-centered and covenantal understanding of Christian education. He states that “educational formation is the foundation of any civilization. Jesus is building a civilization ruled by love. Therefore, Christian education is primarily about a child being formed in the love of Jesus” (pg. 4-5). Noting that Christianity is its own culture that is shaped by the gospel, Walker argues that our covenantal responsibilities include passing this Christian culture down to our children.
For those who are unfamiliar with Christian education as a practical outworking of covenant theology, the first few chapters of the book provide an excellent overview. Since these chapters introduce Christian education in general, not necessarily classical Christian education in particular, those who embrace non-classical forms of Christian education will heartily agree with everything stated in these chapters.
Walker goes on to describe how the communal atmosphere and daily activities of the Christian school are shaped by the gospel. He provides practical, scripturally-based insights about the Christian school’s rules, songs, prayers, chapel services, Scripture meditations, meals, work, and uniforms, all of which serve to form students in the image of Christ. In this discussion, I appreciate how Walker grounds each part of the classical Christian school in Scripture as the ultimate standard. This stands in contrast to other approaches that tend to ground classical Christian schools in the pagan classical tradition, which is similar to the approach of historic secular humanism.
While a gospel-shaped learning environment is a necessary component of a Christian school, it is not a sufficient one. The content and pedagogical approach of the Christian school must also be formed by the gospel. Walker demonstrates this by showing how the Christian worldview as revealed in Scripture provides the foundational assumptions for each area of study. This stands in contrast to non-Christian schools which view and interpret each subject according to secular assumptions. Consequently, neutrality in education is impossible. It will either serve the god of logic, reason, science, etc., or the living and true God as its ultimate authority (Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13). If education is not with Jesus, it is against him (Matthew 12:30, Mark 9:40, Luke 11:23, James 4:4).
What does the content and pedagogy look like for a school grounded in the Christian worldview? Walker argues that “the shape of classical education … is a natural outflow of a culture that believes the gospel of Jesus Christ. … the kind of education the gospel produces is a classical one” (pg. 6-7). He states that “classical education is a long-proven training method by which God forms young people in the wisdom of Christ” (pg. 62).
The remainder of the book describes how the historic Christian strategy for shaping young people in wisdom has focused on the seven liberal arts. These arts are comprised of the trivium (grammar, logic, and rhetoric) and the quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music, which together include the sciences). Through these seven liberal arts, Walker shows how the gospel shapes the intellectual life of the classical Christian school.
As an electrical and computer engineer, I appreciated the time Walker spent showing how the gospel shapes the quadrivium. However, since modern-day classical Christian schools have tended to place a much heavier emphasis on the trivium than the quadrivium, I would have appreciated seeing the book spend a little more time addressing the quadrivium. Only two chapters address the four parts of the quadrivium, while three chapters are dedicated to the three parts of the trivium.
If Walker is correct in arguing that the liberal arts and classical learning is “the most powerful vehicle and the most suitable method for … gospel-centered education” (pp. 135, 160), this raises an interesting question. Does this thesis imply that other forms of Christian education are not as biblical or are less optimal?
The majority of Christian schools today are not classical Christian schools. It would be interesting to see if the culture, pedagogy, content, and outcomes of a non-classical Reformed Christian school are potentially less effective or less gospel-centered than those of a Reformed classical Christian school. Detailed answers to these questions lie outside the scope and purpose of this book, but the book certainly invites further dialogue regarding these questions.
A further question arises from the discussion of church-related schools in the appendix. In this section, Walker argues that classical Christian education “is best administered in the context of a local church and under the oversight of a local session of elders” (pg. 167). Here his argument is largely pragmatic in nature, showing the many practical benefits of being governed by a church. However, the notion of sphere sovereignty is not mentioned anywhere in the book, which surprised me.
Sphere sovereignty is a Reformed concept that directly addresses questions of governance and authority, stating that one institution/sphere does not have the God-ordained right to impose itself in other spheres in which it does not have jurisdiction. Each institution is to stay in its own lane. Consequently, sphere sovereignty would imply that it is unbiblical for a Christian school to be governed by a church. This conclusion runs contrary to Walker’s argument, raising further questions about the relationship between churches and Christian schools.
In summary, this is an excellent book that provides the biblical basis for classical Christian education, grounding it in the gospel. For those who are interested in learning more about this Christ-centered vision for classical Christian education and implementing it in schools and communities across the world, I highly recommend this book.