SENIOR THESIS

Senior Thesis is the capstone rhetorical exercise of a classical education at Providence Academy. It is the opportunity for a student to take the cumulative knowledge and skills they have acquired, and to become as Quintilian says, “a good man speaking well” for the glory of God. Why do we do this? When did it start? It may have been a part of Providence Academy since day one in 1994, but it really began between 340 and 380 BC, when Aristotle significantly and unequivocally influenced the art of rhetoric. Aristotle defined Rhetoric as “the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion.” He, with the Peripatetic philosophers that followed, developed rhetorical theory that suggested, “eloquence is so potent a force that it embraces the origin and operation and development of all things, all virtues and duties, all natural principles governing the morals and mind and life of mankind.” Since the classical era, Greeks saw the disciplines of virtue and rhetoric as the tapestry through which we unite knowledge and ethics, thus wisdom and eloquence began to work in tandem. In effect, since true and beautiful expression emerges solely from Truth in the form of Jesus Christ, Providence Academy embraces and exemplifies Senior Thesis as a culminating experience of studies, a project in which Christ is glorified via the restoration of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.

In this, students join with the Church, as stated in Ephesians 4:11-16, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."

The scope of creating and defending a senior thesis is large. Students are intentionally placed on a trajectory that prepares them to display logos (the logical deductions and connections that allow discernment and address fallacy), pathos (the emotional appeal), and ethos (the credibility of sources). From elementary through high school, students are given opportunities to participate in rhetorical exercises such as:

Speech Meet (3rd-5th grade) -developed to help students prepare and deliver a recitation in which they strengthen techniques to speak audibly, articulately, expressively, and with confidence in front of an audience.

Poetic and Bible Recitations (implemented from K-12) -help students appreciate the beauty of language as well as commit biblical Truth to memory; through this, students understand and appreciate the peace associated with practice and preparedness.

Scored Discussions -integrated to assist students in preparing to articulate thoughts regarding book themes, character analysis, worldviews, controversial topics, patterns in society, philosophy, and biblical foundations.

Socratic Circles -developed to provide open-ended questions that inspire thinking; these questions secure engagement and promote skills in learning, discernment, understanding, and listening.

Harkness Tables -established to allow organic conversation in which only occasional or minimal teacher intervention occurs; the environment breeds an encouraging environment to discuss various topics.

Debate -founded to allow healthy debate between two distinct sides of an argument and bound by rules previously agreed upon; a winning side is declared to resolve issues and problems.

As developmentally appropriate, PA students gain opportunities to develop understanding via Bible, logic, and apologetics classes. This progression allows for seamless transition into philosophy courses in which secular worldviews are contrasted with a biblical worldview and used to develop recognition and discernment of ageold problems with Modern Era faces. In our Rhetoric syllabus, the following objective charges students with the task: Write and defend a senior project: selecting a topic, defending the topic’s importance and relevance to a biblical world view and applying biblical truth to the topic, writing an arguable thesis statement, selecting and utilizing a mentor, completing relevant research and an annotated bibliography, completing the written argument in MLA format, and preparing and presenting an oral defense of the thesis before an appropriate professional audience.

This is a big task. This is a necessary task. Senior Thesis affords students the unique opportunity to independently select, research, write, present, and defend a position. It prepares them to meet a world desperately in need of adults who will defend what is true, good, and beautiful. While many classical Christian schools offer this program, each is unique to a degree. Here is an inside look at what a Providence Academy student of rhetoric will accomplish in the process of Senior Thesis:

• Junior year, 4th quarter: Select a topic; commence summer research and reading

• Senior year, 1st quarter: Daily rhetoric class with instruction, research, and reading

• Senior year, 2nd quarter: Complete research and finalize an initial draft

• Senior year, 3rd quarter: Constructive commentary as well as written and verbal feedback allow for revising, editing, and multiple drafts

• Senior year, 4th quarter: Finalize and publish the written thesis (15 to 25 page document); prepare and present a 15 to 20 minute oral presentation with a digital aid; defend the work in front of peers; defend the work via Q&A in front of a thesis committee

Throughout their senior year, PA students are requested to present on various topics, both prepared and impromptu. Incorporating scored discussions into the class allow students to practice conversation, discernment, and listening skills. With each assignment, feedback provides a path of progress, and the result is a monumental accomplishment for high school students.

Both the faculty and staff, and the board of PA applaud these students for the enormous amount of work, dedication, and character development that are required to present and defend their thesis. School of Rhetoric teacher, Ruth Stevenson enjoys every step of the process. It is truly a gift to guide students through a formative challenge that will equip them for life-long achievement. Seniors often reflect on their sense of success and confidence felt after completing the task. More than that, alumni often remark on how much more prepared they are than their fellow classmates for their collegiate coursework. May the Lord continue to bless PA with graduates who are well prepared to enter a secular culture that they must work hard to live in and fight for the glory of God.

Here are some examples of the Class of 2023 Senior Thesis Topics:

Ashby Bonin-Artificial Intelligence: Made in the Image of Man

John Ingram-Christians Engagement with Social-Political Issues

Emma Raines-Fact or Fiction: Man’s Endless Quest for Certainty

Holden Reid-A Mass Exodus from Indoctrination

Halle Grace Williams-LGBTQInclusive Education: The Dilemma of Social Corruption

Jacob Pottinger-The Constitutional Argument for Nullification