Mr. Gant
Dead Mentors
“The first use of good literature is that it prevents a man from being merely modern. To be merely modern is to condemn oneself to an ultimate narrowness”
- G. K. Chesterton
In a classical school, scholars enter into the Great Conversation. They read and learn from the great books as well as from the great philosophers of history. This means that Homer’s Iliad has something to teach us about pride, war, and the human heart as we study WW1 and WW2. Beowulf helps us understand our own need for a King who can rise from the dead and bring salvation. Aristotle can help us practice the virtue of courage without falling into the ditch of cowardice or recklessness on either side. Once students enter into this conversation, they see that the books are not only speaking to them, but the books talk to each other. Augustine’s notion of evil as an inward turn away from God that leads to non-existence shows up all over the place. Dorian Gray’s soul withers away as he sinks deeper and deeper into sin. Gollum and the Sauron are pale imitations of who they once were because of their obsession with the ring. At Telos, our goal is to introduce these students to this conversation. Learning from the wisdom of the past, sitting with the great authors in the literary tradition, is like sitting under a dead mentor, and this week our scholars got to do this in a unique way.
The Hall of Heroes is an exciting event for our Telos community. Our scholars pick one historical figure, study their life and impact, and dress up like them for the afternoon. Have you ever wanted to know what it was like to capture electricity with a key on a kite? Do you have questions for the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans? Parents and friends are invited to have real life conversations with Benjamin Franklin, Amelia Earhart, and many other important people. Walking into the school is like entering a time machine (and sometimes a cloning machine if there are multiple Benjamin Franklins walking around). Our scholars put so much effort into learning about their heroes’ lives, and they were thrilled to be that person for half an hour. It is a unique way for the students to enter this Great Conversation and to invite you in as well. If you missed it this year, make it a point to put the Hall of Heroes on your calendar for 2026!
“You can find all the new ideas in the old books; only there you will find them balanced, kept in their place, and sometimes contradicted and overcome by other and better ideas”
- G. K. Chesterton
