Faith, Hope and Love – Our desire for young people to flourish

A few years ago, the College staff re-articulated the purpose and function of the distinctive education we strive for at Emmaus Christian College. We wanted to define the educational goals and outcomes we desire for our students, which extend beyond ATAR scores or NAPLAN results.

What are these goals? At Emmaus Christian College, we want our students to Belong, Flourish, Think and Respond. We believe these educational goals should stem from, and be integrated with, the idea that ‘Jesus Christ is Lord’. Everything we attempt and strive for at Emmaus Christian College is rooted in this declaration. It is our foundation.

Recently, I’ve been personally investigating the concept of human flourishing. Emmaus is obviously not alone in wanting their young people to flourish. Many schools and education sectors hope their students flourish (or a close synonym). In fact, it is worth noting the current SACE Board seeks for all South Australian Year 11 and 12 students to Thrive. But what does it mean for a human to flourish?

We can actually go all the way back to the Greek philosopher Aristotle to realise that humans have been seeking answers to this question for thousands of years. For Aristotle, the ultimate end or purpose of human life was "eudaimonia," often translated as "happiness" or "flourishing."

At face value, a life focused on personal happiness seems to be a contemporary idea. The axioms, ‘do what makes you happy’ and ‘you do you’, are assumptions deeply embedded in the current Western, secular worldview. A worldview whereby individuals ought to be free to express their unique individuality. From a secular, Western perspective, you are the self-author of your own self.

However, this post-modern idea of expressive individualism is not what Aristotle had in mind when he aimed for the best in life. Rather, his conception of human flourishing was centred around the idea of virtue. To live a virtuous life was to live a flourishing life. For him, the virtues were qualities and dispositions that gave a clear picture of what an excellent life could look like. Aristotle claimed that individuals could flourish when they cultivated the virtues throughout their lives. A simple summary of these qualities is found in the cardinal virtues:

• Prudence, a form of practical wisdom;
• Temperance, a life of moderation and self-control;
• Justice, ensuring the people around us receive what they are due; and
• Fortitude, a form of courage that helps individuals uphold justice and sustain the many challenges that life can throw at us.

Aristotle’s purpose in education was to teach young people how to cultivate virtues in their lives. It was a moral education. He believed that humans could, through the right education, reason their way to a flourishing life. If humans could just act with logic and reason, they could experience a flourishing life. This is the obvious point at which Aristotle’s solution to human flourishing falls down. His conception of human nature was deficient.

The biblical, Christian conception of human flourishing is much more satisfying. Two significantly influential Christian theologians, St Augustine and St Aquinas, showed that when humans rely on the cardinal virtues alone, they will consistently fall short. This stems from the fact that human nature, in its current state, is deeply flawed and will always fall short.

Augustine and Aquinas showed us that it is through the ‘theological virtues’ that the cardinal virtues can become complete.

The theological or supernatural virtues are what the Apostle Paul described in 1 Corinthians 13:13, as Faith, Hope and Love.

These supernatural virtues are not acquired by a moral education, rather faith, hope and love are gifts of grace flowing from the saving work of Jesus Christ.

Before Christ, humility, forgiveness, and self-sacrificial love had no place among the virtues. The early church’s example of radical, self-sacrificial love was immensely countercultural. The love the early disciples of Jesus demonstrated to the ‘Greek thinking’ world of their day mirrored the love they experienced from their risen Lord and Saviour.

Like many educators, we at Emmaus Christian College believe that a key purpose of education should be to support our students' flourishing. But let us not follow secular society's lead and merely empower their self-determined, expressive individualism. Rather, as teachers and caregivers, let us show them that a flourishing life is a virtuous life.

Let our moral education cultivate both virtue and the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Finally, let us partner together to continue praying for our young people at Emmaus so that they may accept the beautiful, good and true gifts of Faith, Hope and Love.

Adrian Cotterell
Director of Studies (ELC - Year 12)