Why Memory and Language Matter for Education, Democracy, and Faith

This week we are reading Chapter 2 of Stratford Caldecott’s Beauty in the Word, along with the sections The Habits of Application and The Habit of Thinking in Home Education.

MEMORY & LANGUAGE

In Chapter 2 of Beauty in the Word, Stratford Caldecott reimagines the Grammar stage of the Trivium. He calls it “remembering,” and he discusses the importance of both language and memory (and the connection between the two) in a true education.

Caldecott believed that attaching language to the world around us, especially as we learn to name, is the foundation of education. Language helps us “remember” something’s essence and place in the world, and it helps us to better see and understand the world around us. Language gives us the power of interpretation. “To fill a word with meaning,” writes Caldecott, “is an act of remembering the being of the thing itself.”1

LANGUAGE & DEMOCRACY

On the day after America’s 250th celebration, I think it is worth reflecting on the implications of language and literacy for democracy. According to Northrop Frye, we don’t just study literature and language for the sake of acquiring an “elegant accomplishment.” It is actually necessary for free speech.

“You see, freedom has nothing to do with lack of training; it can only be the product of training. You’re not free to move unless you’ve learned to walk, and not free to play the piano unless you practice. Nobody is capable of free speech unless he knows how to use language, and such knowledge is not a gift: it has to be learned and worked at….For most of us, free speech is cultivated speech, but cultivating speech is not just a skill, like playing chess. You can’t cultivate, beyond a certain point, unless you have something to say, and the basis of what you have to say is your vision of society.”2

And that vision? That vision comes from an educated imagination, fed with the stories and literature Caldecott describes. When those stories are shared, we truly become a nation. According to E.D. Hirsch, “Shared knowledge is the essence of nationality.”3 It is remembering, and this act of remembering is crucial for the building of civilization.

TRADITION & LITURGY

Civilizations are largely built on tradition, and this passing of tradition is one of the key tasks of both parents and teachers. We use our language to pass down our stories, knowledge, wisdom, and revealed truth to the next generation. Education is the transmission of culture that binds generations and people together, creating a community of shared cultural memory that transcends time and place. This is the heartbeat of families, communities, and nations.

But our cultural traditions are at risk. Families, communities, and nations are often at odds with each other. Technology erodes tradition by eroding our ability to live fully present, connected, and embodied lives. We no longer have shared knowledge or a shared memory. We have lost many of the rituals and stories that bind us together.

Caldecott believed this is why liturgy is so important. He believed liturgy should be a key element in our homes and in our schools as we work to preserve memory and “the traditions that nourish our humanity.”

“If the spirit of tradition is to be preserved and revived, liturgy is going to be the key, for this is the school of memory, the place where we recollect ourselves, where we learn to accept the past and existence itself as a gift calling for a response of gratitude. Prayer and worship are therefore not extraneous but should be a central element in the life of the school or family. As we pray, so shall we be.”4

Caldecott claims the humanity of our children depends on their ability to remember. So let’s help them recover both language and memory, and let’s recover them for ourselves, too, along the way.

RESOURCES & DOWNLOADS

• Church Year Cookbook (paid subscribers): 12 visual recipes for the liturgical year! Complimentary for paid subscribers during the month of July.

• What’s in a Name?: This previous post about the importance of naming quoted this week’s chapter heavily.

• Home Education Audio: You can listen to the audio version of Home Education for free on LibriVox. This week we are reading sections 36 and 37.

• Red, White, & Blueberry No-Bake Fruit Kabobs (all subscribers): This patriotic visual recipe will help children of all ages and abilities put something festive on the table for the Fourth of July!

• Printable Bookmark (paid subscribers): The bookmark for Beauty in the Word has been added to the printable bookmarks page in the Downloads section.