The Western Canon
Scriptures + Greeks + Medieval Period to Kierkegaard
“Begin with Scripture. Then learn to see the world with Aristotle. The rest of the Western Canon becomes a long, illuminating conversation.
I grew up with a classical education in Catholic school, drifted into a secular one in public school and eventually returned to the tradition through a Catholic university. But despite all the classrooms and degrees, it wasn’t until much later, through repentance, faith, and the strength to do good, that I emerged a born-again Christian. And the tool God used to bring me home was simple: the Authorized King James Version of 1611.
Now that I have children of my own, I want to break the cycle for them. I want to give them a path that is spiritually rooted and intellectually alive; not an education built around chasing credentials, but one shaped around the pursuit of wisdom.
If I were beginning again today, I would start where the West itself begins:
with Scripture and the Greeks. Everything else in the Western Canon grows from those two deep roots. They form the spine of a life anchored in truth, clarity, and moral formation. The foundation I want for my children, and the foundation I now offer here.
The Six Phases
Scripture: the narrative arc of creation, fall, redemption, and life in Christ.
Aristotle: virtue, purpose, logic, and how to see the world clearly.
The Bridge Texts: from early Christians to Augustine and Aquinas.
The Medieval Mind: moral order, metaphysics, meaning.
The Early Moderns: Descartes, Pascal, Locke, Hume.
The Modern & Contemporary Mind: Kierkegaard to Wittgenstein to Lewis.
Premium readers will receive deep-dive guides for all six phases, including notes, audio reflections, study sheets, and reading plans.
Phase I: Scripture
This phase is deliberately simple. The goal is meditative familiarity, not speed. Below is the reading plan I recommend for the first six months:
Month 1-2: The Gospel of John (daily) + 1 John (daily)
Why John?
Because it is theological clarity without unnecessary density. You can read this gospel in one sitting, or savor slowly.
Plan:
John: 1 chapter a day, or the whole gospel every 2–3 days.
1 John: read the entire letter daily. Ten minutes at most.
You will begin to hear the heartbeat of the Christian worldview:
light, truth, love, sin, repentance, eternal life, and the identity of Christ.
Month 3: Genesis (Selected Chapters)
Read: 1–4, 6–9, 12, 15, 22, 37–50.
These chapters give you the architecture of the biblical narrative:
creation, fall, covenant, sacrifice, providence, and God’s sovereignty inside human frailty.
Month 4: Proverbs (31 Days)
One chapter a day. Herein lies wisdom that shapes your instincts, not just your mind.
Month 5: Psalms (Daily)
Read one psalm a day:
Learn to pray.
Learn to lament.
Learn to praise.
Month 6: Romans (Very Slowly)
Romans is not meant to be rushed. Take one chapter per week. Let Paul teach you the structure of sin, grace, salvation, and the resurrected life.
How to Read Scripture During Phase I
1. Ask two questions every day:
What is the author actually arguing?
Can I express that truth with clarity, precision, and conviction (i.e. without jargon)?
If you can’t pass the second, reread.
2. Keep a small reading journal
Only two bullet points per day:
Key idea.
Your explanation of that insight in plain language.
3. Practice slow reading
Read aloud.
Pause on repeated words.
Sit with a passage until one sentence becomes luminous.
Reread the same passage tomorrow.
4. Read in community
Scripture warns us not to become our own sole authority. Whenever possible:
Discuss the text with a friend, spouse, or small group (this is what the New Testament actually means by “church”).
Participate in your church community (e.g. Bible study, men’s group, women’s group, or youth ministry).
Allow others to challenge, refine, or deepen your interpretation.
Share a single insight online or with a trusted believer.
And if you want a digital circle walking this same path, join the Logos & Light community.
The Word is sharper in the presence of others.
5. Once a week, connect the dots
Ask: “How does this reading deepen my understanding of Christ, myself, and reality?”
This keeps the reading centered on spiritual formation, not information accumulation.