We want to give our children the best education possible. Such an education, when taught in the light of God’s word, should provide them with tools of learning appropriate to their stage in life. The study of formal logic provides young teens with such age-appropriate tools as defining terms, determining truth, analyzing arguments, identifying fallacies, developing proofs, and solving practical puzzles. This workshop introduces these tools of logic, with examples from the Bible, the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Aquinas, and more.

The study of classical rhetoric is one step to helping students become masters of words in their intellects, and living all of life with biblical wisdom. In this workshop I tell several stories, including the birth of the art of rhetoric, remembering my first school speeches, and my speaking experience as an engineer. I then summarize the skills learned in the study of rhetoric, and defend the use of unbelieving sources for believing students. I close with a description of my new rhetoric curriculum, Fitting Words.