An Integrated, Classical, Liberal Arts Education
Preparing Students for College—and for Life

The study of literature at Chesterton Academy is woven closely with history and the other humanities. Students begin with the classical epics of Homer and move through early English and medieval works such as The Canterbury Tales, progressing to Dante, Shakespeare, Dickens, Dostoyevsky, G.K. Chesterton, and classic American literature. Reading and writing are inseparable in our program, and students develop clear, articulate expression through regular writing assignments across all subjects, mastering the art of the essay as they grow.

History forms the backbone of the Chesterton Academy curriculum. Over four years, students study ancient civilizations, Greek and Roman culture, early Church history, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. In the senior year, students examine the modern era, including the American and French Revolutions, the Industrial Revolution, the rise of Communism, and the Sexual Revolution. Each course provides a rich historical framework that brings depth and context to literature, art, philosophy, and science.

Philosophy—the love of wisdom—trains the intellect while elevating the soul. Through the study of abstract ideas, students develop habits of clear, logical, and disciplined thinking that carry across all areas of study. Philosophy serves as a unifying thread within the humanities and reveals its close relationship to logic and mathematics. Students explore philosophy from its classical foundations in Plato and Aristotle, through its encounter with the early Church, its synthesis under St. Thomas Aquinas, and its challenges and fragmentation in the modern era.

Theology—the study of God—provides the lens through which all other disciplines are understood. Students engage deeply with Sacred Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church as primary texts, while also reading selections from the Church Fathers, Ecumenical Councils, and Papal Encyclicals. Theology anchors every subject in faith, helping students see all truth as unified and ordered toward God.

All students study a foreign language for three years as part of the humanities curriculum. Students complete two years of Latin, then choose either Latin III or Spanish, as resources allow. Because students may arrive with prior language experience, placement is based on proficiency rather than grade level whenever possible, ensuring appropriate challenge and growth from the outset.

Mathematics is the study of order, proportion, and measure. While closely connected to the sciences, mathematics also plays a vital role within the humanities by forming habits of logical and disciplined thinking. Through mathematical study, students encounter principles of logic fundamental to philosophy and balance essential to beauty and design. The mathematics curriculum at Chesterton Academy progresses from algebra and Euclidean geometry through advanced topics, including calculus, equipping students with both precision of thought and intellectual confidence.

Science is the study of the physical world—of God’s creation—and is approached with a spirit of wonder and inquiry. Students begin by looking to the heavens through astronomy, then explore the earth through geology, living organisms through biology, the composition of matter through chemistry, and the laws governing matter and energy through physics. Throughout the sciences, students come to see creation as intelligible, ordered, and purposeful, deepening their appreciation for the harmony between faith, reason, and the natural world.