In this episode of the ClassicalU Podcast, Jesse Hake welcomes Zach Howard, professor at Bethlehem College and Seminary, to explore the formation of teachers and the continuing renewal of classical Christian education. Howard traces his own path from homeschooling and Hillsdale College to teaching at Mars Hill Academy and studying Augustine, experiences that deepened his conviction that education should form students for human flourishing rather than merely prepare them for careers. Drawing on his scholarship on Augustine, he considers how rhetoric, memory, imagination, and vivid images can shape our loves and direct our desires toward what is true and good. 

The conversation also introduces Bethlehem’s new Master of Arts in Classical Christian Education, launching in summer 2027 to provide teachers and school leaders with theological, philosophical, and practical formation through in-person summer intensives. Howard explains Bethlehem’s particular emphasis on theological grounding, face-to-face formation, and cultivating educators who are both deeply rooted in the classical tradition and prepared for the realities of the classroom. 

Zach also hosts the Midwest Educators Seminar, co-hosted with the Society for Classical Learning, October 9–10, 2026, at Bethlehem College and Seminary. Speakers include John Piper, Eric Cook, Eric Twist, Keith Phillips, and two Classical Academic Press authors who also present on ClassicalU: Kevin Clark (co-author of The Liberal Arts Tradition) and Tammy Peters (author of Well-Ordered Language). Registration is open now.

Listeners may also be interested in other ClassicalU courses mentioned such as “Spreading the Feast: Classical Education for all”, “The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis”, and “The Festive and Praying School”.