Thank you: I love NT Wright and didn't know he had a commentary out. I will be looking into it. It's mostly for my own personal reading, but also so that I can answer tricky questions from the teens :thumbup1:

Reformed Protestant perspective. By up to date, I mean more modern. In the past 50 years there have been many advances in linguistics and archaeology, changing some of the ways we translate or understand the bible, ie after the DSSs were discovered, some of the verses in Isaiah were clearer.

Which is your favourite Bible commentary online? - something that is up to date and not too long winded. Thanks!

The Phantom Tollbooth was my ds's favourite

Thanks so much Lori: that has really helped. And not being one to waste any time, I started it with ds this morning :laugh: I will be tailoring it to suit us and doing a shortened version of it.

Thank you Lori! I have the program here, but I'm weighing up whether to use it. Is it worth doing just 8 weeks of it? And does it improve a teen's comprehension ability? Mine tests slightly below average for comprehension (but above for everything else).

We've done a lot of logic, as my ds enjoys it. The Fallacy Detective is excellent for informal logic. And I think the Introductory Logic by James Nance is the best Formal Logic book. These are both the lightest I have found. Memoria Press logic was too heavy and dry. Peter Kreeft's Logic: confusing.

I know you annotate, and I know it's about literary criticism, but what is its actual purpose and goal? Does it improve comprehension? I've only got 8 weeks left so I'm trying to work out what is best for our remaining time. We already do VP Omnibus, and I don't want to start something that will prove to be redundant. Thanks

I would choose the version that is required in universities today which is the New Revised Standard Version. The NIV, ESV or the NAS are also good. Avoid translations earlier than the past 30 years or so, as these don't use the earliest manuscripts and latest translation technology.That's if you want a historical, theological study. If you want more of a literary study, then the Elizabethan KJV, but this version isn't accepted in theology faculties as there are translation issues. Use an online bible study guide for anything that sounds confusing. I'm not sure which guide is best ... perhaps soemone else could offer that suggestion.

Thanks Jaz. We've just got home from a fun trip to Europe. I was thinking more about the scholarly side of things :-)

I did read Derrida's 40 page essay, and he was saying there is no centre to anything. Many years have passed since I read that, and I'm looking at everything from new eyes these days. If anyone knows Plato's Forms as well as Deconstruction, my question is: is deconstruction a way of either annihilating Forms altogether, or making one material "thing" have many Forms in the abstract? I think it's important for highschoolers to know at least a basic definition, and how to recognise it, or such worldviews can easily swallow your mind.

Anyone? :mellow:

In Australia, the term finishes mid December, and the kids are on holiday for 6 weeks. The year begins 1st Feb. So during that 6 weeks we will do all the fun outings, so it's really between now and mid Dec that I'm looking at.

My ds15 will go to B&M school next year and I have 8 weeks left (he starts in Feb). We have done a lot of great things: read Plato's Republic, lots of Shakespeare, science etc. According to the SAT (NAPLAN here in Oz) is well above average in Maths and Writing, and he will go into extension science next year as he is a couple of years ahead. But he is below average in comprehension, according to the tests. (he has mild HFA if that has anything to do with it) What would you do to help his comprehension levels? What else is essential for kids to know before starting upper highschool? Anything else I should do with these last few weeks, as I won't get them again? :sad: Thanks

I'm looking for a very simple guide to deconstruction. My goal is to 1. define it, and 2. have a go at deconstructing something, preferably something light like a fairy tale. My purpose is, at this stage, just to create a 'cognitive peg' for later knowledge for my 15yo who goes to school next year. I am still confused about the difference between pointing out, say hidden political messages, versus 'deconstruction'. Is there a difference? And if so, what? Also, is deconstruction a way of eliminating Plato's Forms, and saying there is only matter? And if so, then does deconstruction go further than Materialism? Thank you in advance :001_smile:

Thanks for your replies everyone. That's a good question: The one thing that disturbs him more than anything is when animals or children harmed. He will totally freak out. If there's none of that in there, and the fish is not 'personified' when it gets killed, then it should be ok. If it's 'depressive' I'll read it with a lighter tone to my voice :p

Before I read this aloud to my ds15, who has HFA and is quite sensitive, does it have any disturbing parts that I could skip over? Thanks

Ds will be starting school for 10th grade in 4 months time, and I am using the time we have left to give him knowledge that will be useful for his senior years, so that when he hears "existentialist" or "postmodern" etc, it will at least not be .... 'meaningless' :rofl: I hope that's enough background to ask: What would be the best way to teach the meaning of the word Deconstruction in one lesson? I just want to create a 'peg' that can be built on later. So, Derrida's 40 page essay about there being no centre wouldn't work. What would you suggest? Lori, the notes you typed out for my 'existentialist story' question, about nihilism and absurdism were fabulous! It really helped me define existentialism so that I could explain it to my ds via the story The Wall, and that only took one hour, but we will have a revision in a few weeks. Also the postmodern story you suggested for Ruth: 'Schrodinger's Cat' was hilarious! I know my ds will love it when I introduce him to postmodernist literature. Thank you! So Deconstruction is my last hurdle: how to define it in a non-dry manner in one lesson?

Buy Omnibus I, book and CD (CD is essential) Go over the index for semester one and decide which books you like best, tick them. Buy the first book and read. Read the essay from the book Print out the answers to the questions from the CD Read through the questions and suggested answers. Repeat for the next book. I prefer to read the book first, then do the essay and questions, though the questions tell you to read chapters 1-3 and then do the questions. We are on book III now and I've always done it the way I described above. We have loved Omnibus: it has been the highlight of our homeschool. Some of the original books are a little disturbing and contain explicit violence and sex, but if you think this is too much for your kids, you can always use a quality abridged version of the book. Also, you don't have to do the entire collection: just choose the ones you like best.

I read Midnight's Children about 20 years ago and can't remember it being postmodern :unsure: ... more of a family story about life in India.

I'm planning on doing a shortish study on postmodernism as a worldview next month, and am seeking movies and short stories that reflect this worldview. We are Christians, so we will be looking at it from a Christian POV. So, for those who understand postmodernism (not easy), what would you recommend? If possible, something that shows postmodernism in its extreme. addit: not too disturbing or more than PG rated, as ds has HFA and is quite sensitive. thanks!

I would narrow it down to two: The Bible Plato's Republic

Thank you so much, Lori, for pointing out the differences between existentialism, absurdism and nihilism: that really helps! :thumbup: I will now add this information when I read The Wall, as it combines all three worldviews. My ds has read Hitchhikers Guide and we all love it. My beef with existentialism is that it eventually leads to despair. I'm influenced by Francis Schaeffer's views on this.

OK, unless I find something better before tomorrow, this is what I have now planned: I've copy pasted The Wall by Sartre, and eliminated a huge chunk out of it, so that I now only have the intro, a small amount of dialogue with the other prisoners and self dialogue, and how he gets out of being shot. I will warn him beforehand, read it to him, and end by reinforcing that this is 'existentialist' and meant to be absurd (I might even use his favourite word: "stupid"), and that there are much better worldviews than this. The other stories you guys suggested just weren't as extreme existentialist as I was looking for. Thanks for helping me decide! :-)

Thank you Lori and Pegs. I'm looking at these stories now. I also want something that will also show that existentialism is a destructive worldview .... if it's possible to do that with a non-disturbing story.