Paideía (peh-dee-uh) is an ancient Greek word that lacks an adequate English equivalent. We see it within the admonition of Ephesians 6 (amongst other places), to “Raise your children in the nurture (paideía) and admonition of the Lord.” It is an upbringing and education that forms us. A forming of not only our minds, but our souls, our beings, our affections, and our cultures. It is not merely knowledge, but a way of life.

For the ancient Greeks, paideía was the holistic process of shaping young citizens into well-rounded and virtuous members of society, as well as the means of passing down and preserving culture, values, and traditions from one generation to the next. The Romans embraced this means of educating as well, or as Cicero referred to it: “humanitas”—that which makes one fully human. This conveyance of formation was taken up by the early Church Fathers and “baptized” in the light of Christ, whose Incarnation reveals to mankind what it truly means and looks like to be fully human: Behold, the Man!” (John 19:5).

For Christians, it is this formation into the image, the “eikon,” of Christ that becomes the purpose of all knowledge and education—the purpose of life. This brings us to Praxís (PRAH-ksis). Another Greek word packed with meaning, it refers to the enacting, realizing, or embodying of knowledge, as opposed to things known that remain theoretical. This word is deeply important in Orthodox Christianity, as it describes faith that is lived and practiced. As St. Maximus the Confessor so bluntly puts it, “Theology without action is the theology of demons.” 

While Orthodoxy is “right worship,” orthopraxy is “right practice.” Our Orthodoxy forms our praxís, and in turn, becomes both the source and aim of our paideía. They are intrinsically intertwined. One cannot be truly formed (or fully human), without embodying and living what we are taught, and true knowledge can only come from seeing reality and glory rightly, as we are formed into the image of Christ. Our educational efforts can support this and look to this, however, it can only be achieved and realized through the grace of God and within the sacramental life of the Church, the body of Christ. This is the starting point of education and where it finds its fulfillment.

We believe that Paideía & Praxís (while difficult to spell) expresses this goal of formation that we desire not only for our children, but for ourselves. It is nothing new, it is merely an acknowledgment of the truth, culture, and inheritance we have been given, with the purpose of making it the foundation that forms us, so that we may embody it and pass it down rightly (rather than simply another subject to add on or substitute, as that could never impart a culture).

It is our intention for this to be an educational collaboration and project that continues to grow with the support of the Church and in support of the Church, for the Orthodox formation of our families and our children. Orthodoxy is the gospel rightly lived, and we pray this permeates all of our aims and actions in this endeavor.

Next: Our Goal