Dr. Bret Saunders

Dr. Saunders grew up the oldest of eight siblings in California and Idaho. Though he enjoyed tennis, baseball, and surfing, he favored reading fiction and translating Latin. He was blessed to drink deeply from the well of classical education at New Saint Andrews College and the University of Dallas—where fellowship and mentorship brought knowledge to life and where his circle of friends eventually included Homer, Plato, St. Augustine, Jane Austen, and Flannery O’Connor. After receiving his Ph.D, he taught humanities for eight years at John Witherspoon College in Rapid City, SD. His scholarly interests often integrate literature with biblical theology, and he has published in venues such as Touchstone, Cultural Encounters, and FORMA. He lives in Moscow, ID with his wife and three (soon to be four) children. And many books.

Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy is that a teacher must love and know God, love and know the subject, and love and know the student. Education is not job training but paideia—the enculturation or formation of heart, soul, mind, and body (Eph. 6:4). Classical Christian paideia is as much about directing the heart as filling the mind—directing the heart through the various domains of creation to God. This points to the importance of integration: because one God is expressing himself in every story, every artifact, every equation—all subjects are analogous at some level, and this integration needs to be impressed on the heart of the student. Whenever I create course objectives, write lectures, or design assignments, I ask how students will develop the tools of learning and deep formative skills, how they will form a fully Christian understanding of the good life, and how they will be nurtured by the perennial wisdom of the tradition refracted through the lens of Scripture. When it comes to Scripture’s take on education, I am particularly struck by the role of imitation in paideia (Matt. 6:40) and the knowledge that I am shaping lifelong morals and loyalties. And so my goal is to model the humility, passion, and critical acumen that I believe God expects in those who will one day rule with Christ.

Statement of Faith

I hold to the classical creeds on the Trinity of God, deity and humanity of Christ, and God as creator. I hold to a literal six-day creation, as well as to the coherence, inspiration, and inerrancy of Scripture. When it comes to hearing, believing, and interpreting Scripture, I think it essential that we regard God as our Father. As Reformed protestant in the CREC, I hold to the Westminster standards as a sound expression of biblical teaching. As a biblical Christian, I hold to salvation by grace through the gift of faith.