Pacifica Humanitites

PACIFICA HUMANITIES ENGLISH / HISTORY / LANGUAGES / THEOLOGY / PHILOSOPHY

Within the Humanities program at Pacifica, students participate in a learning environment that balances the old with the new as they seek what is true, good, and beautiful. As Socrates said, “An unexamined life is not worth living.” Pacifica students, by nature, examine relevant, contemporary applications of their education while engaging in the work of ancient texts and scholars. The Pacifica curriculum creates engaged readers, critical writers, and sophisticated thinkers. Our rigorous and cross-curricular approach is a cornerstone of a Pacifica education, where integration of faith and learning prepares students to think well, live well, and engage in the world around them with meaning, virtue, confidence, and joy.

ENGLISH HISTORY LANGUAGES THEOLOGY PHILOSOPHY

ENGLISH

HISTORY

Students accumulate reading comprehension and writing skills as they encounter increasingly sophisticated forms of writing in their own work and the works they read. At the heart of this endeavor is the department’s conviction that expression through language is intrinsic to the development of well-rounded young adults. The English department vigorously practices and solidifies fundamental and proper writing techniques, equipping students with the artistry to effectively communicate through personal, critical, and analytical writing. The curriculum engages the classics of Western literature, including Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, and Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment just to highlight a few. Our intensive summer reading program challenges students to embrace contemporary and classical writers in order to better develop their own voices as writers, and to enrich their appreciation of the written word.

History not only enlightens students but develops a student’s written and verbal expression, analytical thought, character, and leadership skills. The Pacifica history curriculum values and almost exclusively relies upon the history, culture, and content of primary sources, such as Herodotus and Thucydides. Students assess the ideas of history, not only within their original context, but also within personal, contemporary, and future contexts. Our classes engage students through lectures, the use of Socratic Seminars, and group projects. We demand students to maintain a personal investment in their academic success, which instills disciplined study habits and strong character.

COURSEWORK:

» Ancient Literature and Composition » World Literature and Composition » American Literature and Composition » Great Books » Honors Ancient Literature and Composition » Honors World Literature and Composition » AP Language and Composition » AP Literature and Composition

SCOTT COMER History & Theology B.A. Theology, Vanguard University

“Students are challenged to think and consider, not just memorize. They are trained to analyze and evaluate, not just recall.

Our students are engaged in discussing history not only within its own context, but how those events and individuals of study impacted the world we live in.”

COURSEWORK:

» Ancient and Medieval History » Modern World History » US History » US Government » Foundations of the 20th Century » Honors Ancient and Medieval History » Honors US Government » Honors Foundations of the 20th Century » AP European History » AP US History

HUMANITIES FACULTY HILARY MILLER English, Humanities Department Chair » M.A. English Literature, Pepperdine

KATHERYN PARK, Ph.D. English » B.A. English, University of Texas at Austin » M.F.A. Poetry, The New School for Social Research » Ph.D. French Literature, NYU

KATIE SAVAGE English » B.A. English & Creative Writing, Point Loma Nazarene University » M.F.A. Writing, University of Kansas

KIRSTIN ANDERSON History » B.A. History, Biola University

JOHN REIMERS Economics & History » B.A. American Studies, Stanford Univ. » M.A. History, Stanford University

FOREIGN LANGUAGE

VIOLET COMER

Pacifica’s study of the accumulated knowledge and wisdom of Western civilization using the tools of the liberal arts is demonstrated in the foreign language curriculum. Studying a foreign language is a requirement for graduation from Pacifica, balancing the teaching of Latin as a living language and Spanish as a fundamental skill for our Los Angeles students.

The Pacifica Foreign Language program combines the study of classical literature with the joy of self-expression. Online options bridge the gap from the classical to the modern.

» B.A. Film, Television & Digital Media, Texas Christian University

COURSEWORK:

» B.A. Biblical Studies, Dallas Baptist Univ.

» Spanish 1, 2, 3 » AP Spanish Language » Latin 1, 2, 3, 4 » Online Courses in Chinese & French

Philosophy

History

DAN FREEBORN Philosophy & Psychology » B.A. English, Northwest Nazarene Univ. » M.A. Liberal Arts, St. John’s College

CHRIS McCULLOCH History & Theology

STEPHEN ROBERSON » M.A. TEFL, Columbia International Univ. » M.A. Intercultural Studies, Apologetics, Philosophy, Biola University

JEANNY FUENTES, Ph.D. Spanish

“What is so unique about Pacifica is that open conversations in class are encouraged and are used for learning. Teachers will ask a deep theological or philosophical question, and the students will answer the questions based on their own beliefs and world views. They taught us how to develop valid and sound arguments, and how to point out logical fallacies. The teachers are consistently willing to talk to students outside of class, and in this way I have gained extra teaching from true followers of Christ.”

– Bailey Bland, Class of 2016

» B.A. Hispanic Studies & Psychology, Boston College » M.A. & Ph.D. Spanish Language & Literature, UC Irvine

ARANG KIM Spanish » B.A. Psychology, School Name » M.A. Fine Arts, School Name

LINNEA SCOBEY Latin & Theology » B.A. Latin, Calvin University » M.Div. Biblical Studies, Western Theological Seminary

SOCRATIC SEMINAR The Pacifica Center for Philosophy and Theology seeks to bring together what is being torn apart. Through the integration of philosophy and theology, students are challenged to wrestle with intellectual history for themselves, so they will better understand where we stand and where we might go from here. Through careful examination of ‘first principles’ and engagement with primary texts, students will wrestle with the fundamental question of what it means to be truly human.

CORE VALUES » Leisure in Learning » Intellectual Hospitality » Creative Opposition » Oxford-Style Teaching COURSEWORK:

» Old Testament » Moral Philosophy » Modern Philosophy » Patristic Theology

» New Testament » Ancient Philosophy » Political Philosophy

Learn more: www.philosophyandtheology.org

At Pacifica, we use the Socratic Seminar to achieve a deeper understanding about the ideas and values in a text. Students are challenged to systematically question and examine issues and principles related to a particular subject and articulate different points-of-view. The group setting forces students to construct meaning through disciplined analysis, interpretation, listening, and participation. The students carry the burden of responsibility for the quality of the discussion. A good discussion occurs when students study the text closely in advance, listen actively, share their ideas and questions openly, and search for evidence in the text to support their ideas. The discussion is not about right answers or debate but encountering truth.

“What they are engaging in the classroom is not just opinions, feelings, or “classroom content,” but the truth of each subject—the truth as it manifests itself in mathematics or in the composition of a well-written essay or a work of art. Our job as instructors is to bring students this truth and help them process it. Teachers at Pacifica are neither mere facilitators nor sages on the stage; they are sparring partners and guides. We want each student to improve each day they are with us. We are not just passionate about the subjects we teach, but also the students with whom we share these subjects.”

– Scott Comer, History Department

“Are you not ashamed of your eagerness to possess as much wealth, reputation, and honors as possible, while you do not care for nor give thought to wisdom or truth, or the best possible state of your soul?”

– Socrates (Plato, Apology 29d-30b)

ALEXANDER EARL Director, The Pacifica Center for Philosophy & Theology M.A. Religion and Philosophical Theology, Yale Divinity School

Hilary Miller Humanities Department Chair hmiller@pacificachristian.org 1730 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, California 90403 Tel (310) 828-7015 Fax (310) 829-2063 www.pacificachristian.org 23-24