At Schola, The Great Conversation is more than a high school humanities course—it’s where faith, reason, and imagination meet. Your student can participate in the 2500-year-old conversation of Western Civilization's foundational principles.
Grounding Students in Never-Changing Truth
The Great Conversation is Schola’s signature high school humanities program, rooted in the classical tradition and shaped by a Biblical worldview. Through great literature, rich history, and meaningful dialogue, students sharpen their minds and deepen their faith as they explore the ideas that have shaped the world.
Students explore great works of Western literature and thought—through a distinctly Christian lens—asking deep questions and seeking enduring truth. From ancient epics to modern novels, every text becomes a launch point for rich class discussions and thoughtful written reflections, guided by Scripture and wisdom.
This hybrid course blends weekly in-person class time with meaningful at-home assignments, helping students grow as:
- Critical thinkers grounded in biblical truth
- Skilled writers and articulate speakers
- Disciples who see God’s providence in history and culture
Preparing Students for an Ever-Changing World
In a world that constantly redefines truth and discards what is old, The Great Conversation calls students tto appreciate and defend the enduring wisdom rooted in the past.
We go back to the classics—not out of nostalgia, but because they form the sturdy foundation every young Christian needs to face an age that says “new” is always better.
Through the study of Scripture, history, philosophy, and the great works that have shaped civilization, students learn that there is nothing new under the sun. They discover how to:
- Think critically and independently in a culture that tells them what to think
- Recognize and resist false ideas by testing them against biblical truth
- Appreciate and defend the enduring wisdom of the past in an age that quickly forgets it
These courses equip students not only with knowledge but with discernment—anchoring them in truth so they can navigate the world with courage, clarity, and conviction.
Students completing all four years of The Great Conversation at Schola will earn 17 credits toward the 22 to 26 credits customary for graduating students in Texas. Add science, math, and language, and the high school program is complete!
TGC Primer (Grades 8–9)
Worldview Primer
In this introduction to The Great Conversation program at Schola, students will:
- Develop a Biblical World View
- Examine literature through a Biblical lens
- Apply the Biblical World View to culture
- Explore the founding of a nation on Biblical principles
Students also receive writing instruction, an overview of Western Civilization, supplemental literature, and training in rhetoric, informal fallacies, and public speaking.
3 Credits Earned: English, History, Bible/Apologetics
TGC 1 (Grades 9–10)
Ancient Greece, Rome, and the Middle Ages (1200 BC – 1200 AD)
Students explore the twin pillars of Western Civilization—the Hebrews and the classical world of Greece and Rome—and trace their worldviews toward the defining question: “Who is Lord—Caesar or Jesus?”
Through readings in Genesis, Job, the Gospels, Romans, and classics such as The Iliad, The Odyssey, Plato’s Republic, The Aeneid, and Augustine’s City of God, students compare biblical and Greco-Roman thought and witness how Christianity transformed the ancient world.
4 Credits Earned: English, History, Bible/Apologetics, Philosophy
TGC 2 (Grades 10–11)
Renaissance, Reformation, & Revolutionary Age (1300–1800s)
Students trace the shift from Medieval Christian thought to Renaissance and Reformation ideas through literature, music, and art, studying figures like Dante, Shakespeare, Milton, Bunyan, and Dickens; composers from Medieval to Classical periods; and artists such as Giotto, Durer, and Bruegel.
The course also examines the impact of Reformation and Enlightenment thought on society, politics, and revolutions, from the Magna Carta to the U.S. Constitution, including works by Locke, Marx, and Engels.
5 Credits Earned: English, History, Political Theory, Art/Music Appreciation, Theology
TGC 3 (Grades 11–12)
The Age of Reason to the Present (1800s–Now)
Students compare biblical theism with 19th- and 20th-century naturalistic ideas. Students begin by reading Skinner’s Walden Two, Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, Camus’ The Plague, and analyzing Lucas’ Star Wars trilogy to trace major 20th-century shifts in thought. They then examine the effects of this cultural loss of truth and purpose on science, philosophy, and theology, study how Darwin and modern philosophers influenced art, music, government, and economics, and conclude by applying Christian apologetics to philosophy, theology, psychology, ecology, and sociology.
5 Credits Earned: English, History, Philosophy/Theology, Government, Economics, Art/Music Appreciation