On the Square Today

Rachel Lu on seizing the Mormon moment :

The good news for Mormons is that America does not hate them. A year ago many Democrats were hopefully predicting that Americans would be unwilling to elect a Mormon president. In the end, though, Romney’s Mormonism does not seem to have been a serious obstacle. It may even have been a mild asset, insofar as it added a truly “American” note to his polished, upper-class image. In any event, conservatives were clearly willing to rally around their Mormon candidate in the heat of a close election.

Also today, Brian Douglas on five temptations for classical Christian education :

Due to its understanding of education as the reshaping of a child’s soul (in contrast to “discovery” models of education, for example), the method tends to develop thinkers defined by who they are instead of workers defined by what they do. Its focus on the Great Conversation gives students respect for history and helps them see themselves as contributors to that conversation. Unlike inward-facing fundamentalist approaches to education, this movement does not shy away from the world, but instead teaches students to interact thoughtfully with contemporary culture.