Culture is around us and within us. It is what has formed us and continues to form us as human beings, as family members, and as parts of our communities. Because we live in the intersection of current and historical cultures, it is very difficult to distinguish what is desirable culture from what is not. The character- and life-altering forces of cultural paideia are at work in us all the time.

In the Classical, Christian renewal are we preserving western culture or are we merely navigating its ruins? Are we finding or making a middle path between the new and the old? More importantly, as Christians, are we a leavening to the culture around us or are we a city on a hill?

As pilgrims, parents, and pedagogues, what we choose to hold onto and pass on is our paideia. Choosing carefully what aspects of culture are worthy of preservation is never an easy task, but it is imperative that we do it with purpose. At the Consortium Conference 2026, we will explore the traditions that we have received and how we decide what we ought to deliver to the next generation.