Reading through matt's article on puritan roots makes me wonder what the curriculum for a puritan was at oxford or cambridge?

blade

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Nathan Olaf Brandal
First Baptist Church of Kirkland

"Man is nothing: he hath a free will to go to hell, but none to go to heaven, till God worketh in him to will and to do his good pleasure"
GEORGE WHITEFIELD TO JOHN WESLEY

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Memorize the entire Bible?

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Jeff Bartel
Mechanical Engineer
Member - Trinity Reformed Church - RPCNA

"To believe in the power of man in the work of regeneration is the great heresy of Rome, and from that error has come the ruin of the Church. Conversion proceeds from the grace of God alone, and the system which ascribes it partly to man and partly to God is worse than Pelagianism" (The Reformation in England (London, 1962), Vol. 1, p. 98)

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

...yeah, but then what did they do after 3rd grade?

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Bob Howes
Framingham, MA

A reoccurring thought:

Rev 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Memorize it in Latin, Greek and Hebrew

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Steve Tijerina
<a href="http://www.nccopc.org/" target="_new" style="text-decoration: underline;color:blue;">New Covenant Community Church (OPC)</a>
New Lennox, IL

[i]Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
(Hebrews 12:1-3 ESV)

I don't know about university curriculum, but I can tell you what was studied at an average "Grammer School" during the late 16th century. A grammer school would be for boys preparing for university. Grammer school consisted of about 5 years, and entering "scholars" were expected to know how to read and write.

The following description of the curriculum of a south-east English grammer school at the end of the 16th century comes from Bremer's biography of John Winthrop. The first form, or grade, students learned the "rudiments and principles of the Latin tongue." In the second form they were exposed to Cato and other classic authors and Aesop's Fables. The third form included works of Erasmus and Ovid, and some works of Plautus or Terence, and instruction in the Greek alphabet. The fourth form progressed in learning Greek and continued to read classic works, including Erasmus, Virgil, and Horace. The fifth form studied Cicero, Sallust, Caesar, and Socrates. Boys would then go on to university which they would enter when around 14 years old.

Good one!

You can get a feel for how different it was by reading the New England Sampler. Times have certainly changed.

You can get a feel for how different it was by reading the New England Sampler. Times have certainly changed.
[/quote]

Thanks for that link. I've read and heard of children in that era that had a better grasp of language and wider vocabulary than even adults have today. I believe children can do much more than our school system expects. A lot of the information on that page is great and I plan to run through some of it with my 6 year old. Again thanks.

[Edited on 6-6-2005 by reformedman]

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Frank
member/Reformed Baptist Church, NJ
1689 BCF
Technician in NewYork
Titus 2:13
...looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus...

In my book "A Spectacle Unto God: The Life and Death of Christopher Love," there is a chapter devoted to what a typical student at Oxford and Cambridge would have studied during his tenure there.

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Dr. Don Kistler

Some funny answers here.

You know, when I was in school we were given the impression that people were quite dense back then. That the famous people who contributed something to society were just exceptional rarities and not everyone was intelligent to that degree. I'm starting to question whether we were taught the truth.

by John Morgan looks applicable. I have it on my wish list. You can look inside it to grab its TOC.

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Chris Rhoades -33
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church (PCA) Nashville, TN-Under Care

Vera theologia non theoretica, sed practica est; Finis siquidem eius agere est hoc est vitam vivere deiformem. - Martin Bucer
""True theology is not theoretical, but practical. The end of it is living, that is to live a godly life."

See my question on this thread:

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Andrew Myers
Husband of Jessica, Father of Jackson, Katie and Samuel
Member, Presbyterian Reformed Church of Northern Virginia
Warrenton, VA USA
Editor, The Matthew Poole Project

"Let your Morning Thoughts, and your last Evening Thoughts, be what shall become of you to all Eternity." -- Matthew Poole

DOH! That's probably why I added it to my wishlist the first go round. Hard to remember where one gets all of his bibliographic ideas from! Usually I immediately attribute them to you, but not this time...oopsie!

It's ok, brother! Our research overlaps a lot, which is good: iron sharpens iron!

Ran into this at a bookstore today. Looks good. Thin on colonial and revolutionary time but looks good overall. This is the new 2nd edition.

I'm interested in getting this -- any further thoughts?

No further thoughts. Still on my wishlist at Amazon. I keep finding great books that I have to get...darn!