What happens when we stop asking children to do hard things, develop strong habits, and take responsibility for their choices? In this episode of Socrates Dialogues with Mary Harrington, she joins Katharine Birbalsingh, often called the “strictest headmistress in the United Kingdom,” for a conversation about education, virtue, discipline, and what it means to live a meaningful life. From the negative influence of Rousseau on modern education to the distinction between big-C Conservatism and small-c conservatism, Katherine challenges the assumptions behind much of contemporary thinking about children, morality, and human nature. And what might this have to do with Christianity? Have we made Jesus too “nice,” forgetting His call to virtue, accountability, sacrifice, and transformation? Throughout the conversation, they explore the seemingly ordinary, and perhaps even ‘boring’, virtues that form a good life, why they matter, and why we may need to start teaching them to our children.
The post Katharine Birbalsingh and Mary Harrington: We’ve Made Jesus Too Nice first appeared on Socrates in the City.