Christian rulers who “changed society” had no intent of “changing society” in the sense that most modern Christians use the expression;

Can We Make Classicism Into A Fan Club Instead Of A Movement?

By: Joshua Gibbs

Is starting a movement the only way to change society? If your goal is changing society, then sure, although I’m skeptical that changing society is even possible. The concept of “changing society” doesn’t seem to be much older than the Enlightened economists who tanked late eighteenth century France after “changing society” again and again and again until the wheels fell off. Was Constantine trying to change society? What about Leo III and Charlemagne? In his essay on early Medieval Europe for The Oxford History of Christianity, Henry Mayr-Harting suggests that Charles was simply convinced that an impiously governed empire would, as the Old Testament repeatedly confirms, invite God’s anger. When the Jews lost in battle, exactly no one said, “Well, that’s how it goes sometimes.” Rather, everyone went back to camp and the trial began; when the discreet thief in their midst had been outed, they put him to death and returned to making war, now successfully. So, too, Christian rulers who “changed society” had no intent of “changing society” in the sense that most modern Christians use the expression; Theodosius and Charles were being practical, trying to please God so their empires would be safe. When the Israelites lost in battle, none of them returned to camp with the intent to “change society.” They just had to find the fly in their ointment.

I would like to suggest the fan club as an alternative to the movement.

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I don’t want classical Christian education to be a movement (at least not on purpose) because I don’t want to sacrifice any planks to reach a wider audience. Explaining classical education is one thing, selling someone on it is another. I love books and I love high school students and the pursuit of virtue and knowledge of God. Next Fall, I’m going to start my fan clubs all over again. My Plato fan club. My Rousseau fan club. My Burke fan club. My Lewis fan club. My Athanasius fan club. My wisdom, justice and courage fan club. My faith, hope and love fan club. My divine infinitude fan club. The pressure’s off. You can read bad young adult novels and listen to Kesha and still be part of the Lewis fan club. You’re not a traitor to a movement. You’re not impeding social change. You’re not part of “the problem,” because classical education is not a solution anymore than the Bruce Springsteen club is a solution. We don’t have to change the world. We have to love God.

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