Heroes of the City of Man: A Christian Guide to Select Ancient Literature

Description

Trusted by Classical Conversations for thousands of CC Challenge students. To be fully educated, it is necessary to read the great pagan classics of Homer and Virgil and the ancient Greek playwrights. However, many Christians are often disgusted by the barbarity and violence, put off by the emphasis on honor and man-centered glory, and simply baffled by the long and tedious descriptions of battle scenes and elaborate ceremonies. In this book written for high school students, Leithart gives a patient, yet critical examination of some of the greatest classics of ancient literature, including Hesiod's Theogony , Homer's Iliad and Odyssey , Aechylus' Eumenides , Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus , Euripdes' The Bacchae , Aristophanes' The Birds , and Virgil's Aeneid . While Leithart expounds the deep and interesting symbolism, tropes, and deeper meanings of these classics, he never forgets the theological themes. The pagans were very concerned with salvation, but it was a salvation that depended above all on man, and thus there was a gaping hole that only the gospel could really fill. This book is perfect for high school students and includes numerous review and discussion questions for curricular use. Review: Classic Literature Guide for Christians - QUESTION: Should Christian young people be exposed to classical works depicting various worldviews against our belief system? If they are not, how will they be prepared with a ready answer and be well-educated to culturally important works? ANSWER: Peter Leithart Leithart enters the debate with an excellent resource for the education of Christian young people. He takes "important" classical works and examines them by practically contrasting them against the Biblical worldview. I use the word "important" as a term meaning that the philosophies in these works dramatically impacted worldview shifts in the course of history. By contrasting these thoughts to the Biblical truths, Leithart assists in preparing young adults to give a defense for the "hope that is within them." Leithart also brings excellent literary information, as well. He examines literary devices and references other well-known works as part of the study. Review: Great read! - So far so great!!! Love this book and all the insightful things this author has written.