Cultivating Wisdom by Stuart Elliott

Cultivating Wisdom by Stuart Elliott

Cultivating Wisdom

(Click the link above to read the full transcript.)

I encourage you to read and contemplate this transcript of a talk given by Stuart Elliott at the recent ACCS Regional Training Conference, hosted by St. Stephen’s Academy on October 6th. Mr. Elliott is a semi-retired teacher and most-time farmer living in central Washington, where he and his wife raise children, sheep, hogs, chickens, grapes, and many thoughtful questions. This particular talk is a distillation of Stuart’s thoughts when he was writing and teaching a 7th grade Bible class on Wisdom and Poetry in the Bible.

To whet your appetite, consider the following quote from page 9:

“Our​ ​schools​ ​must​ ​serve​ ​as​ ​life​ ​rafts​ ​that​ ​move​ ​upstream​ ​against​ ​the​ ​wisdom​ ​of​ ​this​ ​age. Where​ ​the​ ​wisdom​ ​of​ ​the​ ​world​ ​tells​ ​us​ ​that​ ​the​ ​past​ ​is​ ​irrelevant​ ​and​ ​has​ ​nothing​ ​of positive​ ​importance​ ​to​ ​give​ ​to​ ​us,​ ​we​ ​provide​ ​a​ ​place​ ​that​ ​draws​ ​deep​ ​from​ ​the​ ​wells​ ​of history​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​more​ ​of​ ​who​ ​we​ ​are,​ ​where​ ​we​ ​came​ ​from​ ​and​ ​where​ ​we​ ​are going.​ ​We​ ​make​ ​known​ ​the​ ​mighty​ ​acts​ ​of​ ​God​ ​in​ ​history​ ​as​ ​he​ ​has​ ​revealed​ ​himself and​ ​his​ ​redemptive​ ​purpose​ ​for​ ​the​ ​world.​ ​Where​ ​the​ ​wisdom​ ​of​ ​the​ ​world​ ​tells​ ​us​ ​that words​ ​are​ ​inadequate​ ​to​ ​convey​ ​meaningful​ ​truth​ ​and​ ​that​ ​truth​ ​itself​ ​is​ ​​not​​ ​something that​ ​comes​ ​from​ ​outside​ ​of​ ​you​ ​but​ ​something​ ​you​ ​construct​ ​for​ ​yourself​ ​from​ ​within,​ ​we dig​ ​our​ ​paddles​ ​in​ ​the​ ​water​ ​and​ ​push​ ​against​ ​the​ ​current​ ​of​ ​relativism​ ​and​ ​autonomy​ ​by submitting​ ​to​ ​God’s​ ​word​ ​and​ ​the​ ​fear​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Lord. Where​ ​the​ ​wisdom​ ​of​ ​the​ ​world​ ​tells​ ​us​ ​that​ ​traditional​ ​forms​ ​of​ ​authority,​ ​especially​ ​in the​ ​form​ ​of​ ​old​ ​institutions​ ​like​ ​the​ ​church,​ ​are​ ​highly​ ​suspicious​ ​and​ ​not​ ​to​ ​be​ ​trusted, we​ ​build​ ​upon​ ​the​ ​ultimate​ ​authority​ ​of​ ​God’s​ ​word,​ ​submitting​ ​to​ ​his​ ​ordinary​ ​means​ ​of growth​ ​in​ ​knowledge​ ​and​ ​wisdom​ ​and​ ​the​ ​structures​ ​of​ ​authority​ ​he​ ​has​ ​built​ ​into creation​ ​and​ ​revealed​ ​in​ ​his​ ​word. … We​ ​have​ ​developed​ ​a​ ​much​ ​grander vision​ ​for​ ​what​ ​it​ ​means​ ​to​ ​cultivate​ ​wisdom,​ ​one​ ​that​ ​answers​ ​our​ ​need​ ​to​ ​make​ ​sense out​ ​of​ ​life​ ​in​ ​terms​ ​of​ ​a​ ​cohesive​ ​story,​ ​that​ ​brings​ ​us​ ​into​ ​the​ ​sweeping​ ​narrative​ ​of redemptive​ ​history​ ​and​ ​confronts​ ​us​ ​with​ ​its​ ​central​ ​character,​ ​wisdom​ ​incarnate. Therefore, we must​ ​not​ ​turn​ ​the​ ​secret​ ​hidden​ ​wisdom​ ​of​ ​God​ ​into​ ​something​ ​to​ ​do​ ​when​ ​indeed​ ​it​ ​is someone​ ​to​ ​know. ​It​ ​is​ ​in​ ​knowing​ ​this​ ​person,​ ​Jesus,​ ​and​ ​being​ ​brought​ ​into​ ​the​ ​story of​ ​the​ ​Gospel,​ ​made​ ​to​ ​be​ ​“in​ ​Christ​ ​Jesus”,​ ​that​ ​he​ ​becomes​ ​for​ ​us​ ​wisdom​ ​from​ ​God.”

Travis Koch, Dean of Academics