{"id":194,"date":"2019-01-03T15:03:04","date_gmt":"2019-01-03T21:03:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/?p=194"},"modified":"2023-05-14T20:04:32","modified_gmt":"2023-05-15T01:04:32","slug":"educating-for-self-control-a-lost-christian-virtue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/01\/03\/educating-for-self-control-a-lost-christian-virtue\/","title":{"rendered":"Educating for Self-control, Part 1: A Lost Christian Virtue"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>If there\u2019s any virtue that Christians need, especially in contemporary society, it\u2019s self-control. We have available to us more seductive entertainment, more well-advertised temptations and even more innocent pleasures (like unhealthy foods, which end up being not so innocent in the long run\u2026), than any other people at any time in the history of the world. The average 1st world Christian experiences a higher \u201cstandard of living\u201d than the richest kings of the ancient world and middle ages. Our prosperity itself may be the greatest weapon the enemy ever devised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Educating for Self-control, Part 1: A Lost Christian Virtue\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jnlWHcSY7tM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"196\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/the-self-control-of-jesus-tempted-in-the-desert\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/The-self-control-of-Jesus-tempted-in-the-desert.jpg?fit=522%2C340&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"522,340\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"The self-control of Jesus tempted in the desert\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/The-self-control-of-Jesus-tempted-in-the-desert.jpg?fit=300%2C195&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/The-self-control-of-Jesus-tempted-in-the-desert.jpg?fit=522%2C340&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/The-self-control-of-Jesus-tempted-in-the-desert.jpg?resize=404%2C262&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"self-control of Jesus\" class=\"wp-image-196\" width=\"404\" height=\"262\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/The-self-control-of-Jesus-tempted-in-the-desert.jpg?w=522&amp;ssl=1 522w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/The-self-control-of-Jesus-tempted-in-the-desert.jpg?resize=300%2C195&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 404px) 100vw, 404px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>And unfortunately, at such a moment, self-control is one of the most neglected Christian virtues&#8211;from the pulpit at least, mostly because of a misplaced concern about legalism. Yet self-control is right there, listed in Galatians 5:22-23 as the final, crowning virtue of the fruit of the Spirit. Too often we forget Paul\u2019s admonition right after in chapter 6 of Galatians, what we might call the most anti-legalist book of the Bible:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.  For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (6:7-8 ESV) <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The Christian virtue of self-control, explained in more detail here as like a farmer\u2019s planting process of sowing to the Spirit, rather than the flesh, is not an optional add-on for Paul, but is actually a central requirement for reaping the Christian reward of eternal life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"197\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/01\/03\/educating-for-self-control-a-lost-christian-virtue\/peter-suffering-crucifixion\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Peter-suffering-crucifixion.jpg?fit=899%2C680&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"899,680\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Peter suffering crucifixion\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Peter-suffering-crucifixion.jpg?fit=300%2C227&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Peter-suffering-crucifixion.jpg?fit=899%2C680&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Peter-suffering-crucifixion.jpg?resize=667%2C504&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Peter suffering crucifixion\" class=\"wp-image-197\" width=\"667\" height=\"504\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Peter-suffering-crucifixion.jpg?w=899&amp;ssl=1 899w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Peter-suffering-crucifixion.jpg?resize=300%2C227&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Peter-suffering-crucifixion.jpg?resize=768%2C581&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 667px) 100vw, 667px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The apostle Peter too tells us that \u201cGod has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness [i.e. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.claphamschool.org\/our-community\/blog\/educating-for-piety\">piety<\/a>]\u201d and that through his promises we can \u201cbecome partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire\u201d (2 Peter 1:3, 4). Based on the promises God has given us and our rescue from the world\u2019s corruption and incontinence, he then encourages us, not to rest on our laurels and go with the flow, but to \u201c<em>make every effort<\/em> to supplement [our] faith with <a href=\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2021\/04\/17\/aristotles-virtue-theory-and-a-christian-purpose-of-education\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">virtue<\/a>, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with <em>self-control<\/em>\u2026\u201d (1:5-6a; emphasis added). Peter closes out the paragraph emphasizing not just the connection of these qualities to effectiveness and fruitfulness (v. 9), but also their necessity for entering God\u2019s eternal kingdom (vv. 10-11).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All this should convince us to pay more attention to developing self-control as Christians. Now let\u2019s explore what self-control actually is by looking at the roots of the idea from its earlier Greek philosophical milieu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Greek Roots of Self-control <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The idea of self-control, from the Greek <em>enkrateia<\/em>, was coined by Socrates\u2019 disciples, Xenophon, Plato and Isocrates, and comes from a root word meaning power or mastery. For Xenophon self-control was not just a virtue, but was the \u201cfoundation of all the virtues,\u201d according to Werner Jaeger\u2019s <em>Paideia: The Ideals of Greek Culture<\/em> (Vol. 2: Oxford, p. 54). It\u2019s easy to see why if we think for a moment about how courage, prudence, justice and temperance all require a person to set aside unruly passions, like fear, envy, partiality, laziness and lust to pursue some higher and more rational mode of operating towards ourselves, others and the world. Self-control seems more like a necessary ingredient in the <a href=\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2021\/04\/17\/aristotles-virtue-theory-and-a-christian-purpose-of-education\/\">cardinal virtues<\/a> rather than a virtue itself, even if we might associate it with temperance most of all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"333\" height=\"500\" data-attachment-id=\"198\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/01\/03\/educating-for-self-control-a-lost-christian-virtue\/greek-boxer-the-ultimate-example-of-self-control\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Greek-boxer-the-ultimate-example-of-self-control.jpg?fit=333%2C500&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"333,500\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Greek boxer, the ultimate example of self-control\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Greek-boxer-the-ultimate-example-of-self-control.jpg?fit=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Greek-boxer-the-ultimate-example-of-self-control.jpg?fit=333%2C500&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Greek-boxer-the-ultimate-example-of-self-control.jpg?resize=333%2C500&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"example of self-control, the Greek boxer\" class=\"wp-image-198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Greek-boxer-the-ultimate-example-of-self-control.jpg?w=333&amp;ssl=1 333w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Greek-boxer-the-ultimate-example-of-self-control.jpg?resize=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 333px) 100vw, 333px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>For<a href=\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2018\/10\/05\/aristotle-and-the-growth-mindset\/\"> Aristotle with his growth mindset<\/a>, on the other hand, self-control was more like a stepping stone on the way to complete virtue. That\u2019s partly because his <a href=\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2021\/04\/17\/aristotles-virtue-theory-and-a-christian-purpose-of-education\/\/\">developed virtue theory<\/a> hypothesized that even having wayward emotions in the first place was the result of a disordered soul. The self-controlled person is certainly better than either the \u201cakratic\u201d person, who knows what\u2019s right and reasonable and yet is swept away by some passion, either because they are weak (and after thinking it through, their passion still wins out) or impetuous (i.e. they don\u2019t deliberate about it at all, but simply give in right away). But the need for self-control implies that a person is desiring things that aren\u2019t good, that are in some sense irrational, and therefore such a person is not fully virtuous in that area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This reflection is analogous to the apostle John\u2019s statement that \u201cthere is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear\u201d (1 John 4:18). Of course, from a Christian perspective the experience of temptation or sinful desire is not in itself sinful; this is a necessity if for no other reason than the fact that Christ himself, according to Hebrews, \u201cin every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin\u201d (4:15). But in general reflection, we would probably agree that the person who doesn\u2019t have to fight off the temptation for cupcakes all day long, but instead gets hungry at normal times for good, wholesome food, is in a more excellent or virtuous state. And we all likely expect that in heaven at least we will desire only what is good, and therefore the exercise of self-control will be, for all intents and purposes, unnecessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nevertheless, on the road to perfect bliss, self-control and the will to refrain from giving in to our wayward desires stands clearly before us as Christians. As Paul says of himself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. (1 Cor 9:25-27)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Self-control may have been named by Greek philosophers, practiced by athletes and endorsed by Stoics, but the New Testament has claimed it as a Christian virtue. Therefore, we neglect it at our peril. And peril it is. Like the Sirens of Greek mythology, the lure of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the lust of the world conspire to entrap the Christian through their seductive song, only to shipwreck our lives on the shoals of sin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"506\" data-attachment-id=\"201\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/01\/03\/educating-for-self-control-a-lost-christian-virtue\/odysseus-self-control-agains-the-sirens-song\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Odysseus-self-control-agains-the-Sirens-song.jpg?fit=1820%2C900&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1820,900\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Odysseus&#8217; self-control agains the Sirens&#8217; song\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Odysseus-self-control-agains-the-Sirens-song.jpg?fit=300%2C148&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Odysseus-self-control-agains-the-Sirens-song.jpg?fit=1024%2C506&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Odysseus-self-control-agains-the-Sirens-song.jpg?resize=1024%2C506&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Odysseus' self-control against the Sirens' song\" class=\"wp-image-201\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Odysseus-self-control-agains-the-Sirens-song.jpg?resize=1024%2C506&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Odysseus-self-control-agains-the-Sirens-song.jpg?resize=300%2C148&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Odysseus-self-control-agains-the-Sirens-song.jpg?resize=768%2C380&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Odysseus-self-control-agains-the-Sirens-song.jpg?w=1820&amp;ssl=1 1820w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The School of Self-control<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>These days education doesn\u2019t normally aim directly at inculcating will-power or self-control, partly because of the influence of <a href=\"https:\/\/plato.stanford.edu\/entries\/pragmatism\/\">pragmatism<\/a>. Virtues like self-control, though incredibly practical in nature, still have fallen into neglect, since they&nbsp;are associated with personal values, philosophy and religion. Directly focusing on them is suspect in&nbsp;the modern world, where <a href=\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2021\/03\/06\/when-blooms-gets-ugly-cutting-the-heart-out-of-education\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the avoidance of traditional values<\/a> has become of paramount importance, especially in public schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But for us as Christian educators, the power and ubiquity of the Sirens&#8217; call in our world should cause us concern. There may be other contributing factors to the exodus of some of our youth from church, either after high school or college, but it\u2019s at least worth considering whether the failure of Christian homes, churches and schools to train them in self-control is a prime candidate. People don\u2019t leave the faith for primarily intellectual reasons, but for moral and relational ones. If they are unable to resist the Sirens\u2019 call of a self-indulgent culture, then sooner or later they are likely to abandon ship, or perhaps it would be better to say, make \u201cshipwreck of their faith,\u201d to maintain the image and reference the apostle Paul\u2019s own metaphor from 1 Timothy 1:19 for what happens when someone doesn\u2019t hold on to a \u201cgood conscience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"202\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/01\/03\/educating-for-self-control-a-lost-christian-virtue\/shipwreck\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Shipwreck.jpg?fit=2000%2C1468&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1468\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;high res&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;high res&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Shipwreck\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Shipwreck.jpg?fit=300%2C220&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Shipwreck.jpg?fit=1024%2C752&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Shipwreck.jpg?resize=691%2C508&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"shipwreck\" class=\"wp-image-202\" width=\"691\" height=\"508\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Shipwreck.jpg?resize=1024%2C752&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Shipwreck.jpg?resize=300%2C220&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Shipwreck.jpg?resize=768%2C564&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Shipwreck.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 691px) 100vw, 691px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>But how can we teach self-control? What practical steps can be done to \u201cmake every effort,\u201d as Peter encourages us? Of course, there\u2019s a sense in which every person must deliberately seek self-control for him or herself. But respecting that principle of individual responsibility and the work of grace in each person&#8217;s own life, how can we work at creating little schools for self-control in our homes, our churches, and yes, indeed, our Christian schools?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Again, it may be strange to think of the purpose of a school as a <a href=\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2021\/06\/19\/practicing-in-the-dark-or-the-day-well-worn-paths-or-bushwalking-artistry-and-moral-virtue-continued\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">gymnasium for forming virtues<\/a> like self-control, especially Christian ones, though as we\u2019ve seen self-control is of a Greek philosophical origin and it\u2019s been studied by modern neuroscience and psychology. So in the case of self-control, it\u2019s not as though we\u2019re trying to tackle the science of salvation, or practical tips for manipulating students into saving faith, as if that were possible\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the <a href=\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/11\/09\/the-flow-of-thought-part-4-the-seven-liberal-arts-as-mental-games\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">liberal arts tradition<\/a> of education has often thought in terms of virtues, both moral and intellectual, as key outcomes of the schooling process. For instance, the British Christian educator <a href=\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/charlotte-mason\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Charlotte Mason<\/a> famously wrote:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>We who teach should make it clear to ourselves that our aim in education is less conduct than character; conduct may be arrived at, as we have seen, by indirect routes, but it is of value to the world only as it has its source in character. <\/p><cite><a href=\"https:\/\/amblesideonline.org\/CM\/vol6complete.html#128\">&#8220;The Way of the Will&#8221;<\/a> from vol. 6, Toward a Philosophy of Education<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Self-control, or what\u2019s popularly called willpower, is an element of that character that Mason claims as&nbsp;our \u201caim in education.\u201d Conduct, or what we might call behavior, can be arrived at through easier means, according to Mason; she probably has in mind <a href=\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/12\/21\/marketing-manipulations-and-true-classroom-leadership\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">punishments and rewards<\/a>, which have their place, but may not penetrate to the heart and form the long-term character of the student. And in the same context, she speaks of self-control specifically, saying \u201cit is time that we realised that to fortify the will is one of the great purposes of education.\u201d Here Mason seems to imply that education itself could be carried out in such a way as to strengthen students\u2019 wills or weaken students\u2019 wills, to bolster the virtue of self-control or encourage the vice of giving in to every whim or passion, suggestion or desire that flits into our minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"285\" height=\"200\" data-attachment-id=\"208\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/01\/03\/educating-for-self-control-a-lost-christian-virtue\/school-cafeteria-with-vending-machines\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/school-cafeteria-with-vending-machines.jpg?fit=285%2C200&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"285,200\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"school cafeteria with vending machines\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/school-cafeteria-with-vending-machines.jpg?fit=285%2C200&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/school-cafeteria-with-vending-machines.jpg?fit=285%2C200&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/school-cafeteria-with-vending-machines.jpg?resize=285%2C200&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"school cafeteria with vending machines in the background\" class=\"wp-image-208\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s worth stopping for a moment to consider. Could we be setting up our schools, our classes, our churches and homes, such that there is no requirement for ourselves or our students to exercise discipline and self-restraint? Is every desire and whim satisfied so quickly and easily that no self-mastery is necessary in daily learning and life? Are our students kept in such a stupor of entertainment and stimulation, that they don\u2019t need to exercise their wills to deny themselves and pursue higher goals moment by moment?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If we were seriously to view inculcating self-control as a chief goal of our schools, I think there would need to be some large-scale re-orienting of how we go about education. Commonplace assumptions about what makes learning \u201cbetter\u201d might need to be re-thought. Self-control may manifest itself in a simple act of deferring gratification, but its development requires an intentional environment of support exercising its influence over many years. As Mason says,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>The ordering of the will is not an affair of sudden resolve; it is the outcome of a slow and ordered education in which precept and example flow in from the lives and thoughts of other men, men of antiquity and men of the hour, as unconsciously and spontaneously as the air we breathe. But the moment of choice is immediate and the act of the will voluntary; and the object of education is to prepare us for this immediate choice and voluntary action which every day presents. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>One aspect that Mason brings up here that we have not yet mentioned is the power of example to shape the imaginations of students. Like \u201cthe air we breathe\u201d the culture and curriculum of a school can either endorse the beauty and dignity of self-mastery, or subtly undercut it through neglect and cynicism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Going Further with Self-control<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Educating for self-control is so important a topic that it needs space to be developed more. Not only is it crucial for key educational objectives we\u2019ve already discussed, like <a href=\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2018\/09\/21\/deliberate-practice\/\">deliberate practice<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2018\/11\/23\/deep-reading-in-education\/\">deep reading<\/a>, it has implications for the <a href=\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2018\/12\/15\/rules-for-schools-an-interaction-with-jordan-petersons-12-rules-for-life-part-2\/\">discipline and correction of children<\/a>. In addition, modern neuroscience and psychology have demonstrated its value, even from a secular perspective, for all sorts of positive life outcomes. And they have described in minute detail why so much of the traditional wisdom about cultivating self-control actually works from a brain science perspective. In our <a href=\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/01\/12\/educating-for-self-control-part-2-the-link-between-attention-and-willpower\/\">next blog post <\/a>we unpack more of this material and delve deeper into the tactics for developing self control and their connection to the faculty of attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the meantime, how do you cultivate self-control? In yourself, your children, your students?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/85375ed4784c\/habit-training\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"2351\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2021\/10\/16\/fostering-grit-through-charlotte-masons-practice-of-habit-training\/sm-post-for-habit-training-ebook-3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/SM-post-for-Habit-Training-eBook.png?fit=1080%2C1080&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1080,1080\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"SM-post-for-Habit-Training-eBook\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/SM-post-for-Habit-Training-eBook.png?fit=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/SM-post-for-Habit-Training-eBook.png?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/SM-post-for-Habit-Training-eBook-1024x1024.png?resize=585%2C585&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2351\" width=\"585\" height=\"585\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/SM-post-for-Habit-Training-eBook.png?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/SM-post-for-Habit-Training-eBook.png?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/SM-post-for-Habit-Training-eBook.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/SM-post-for-Habit-Training-eBook.png?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/SM-post-for-Habit-Training-eBook.png?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 585px) 100vw, 585px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If there\u2019s any virtue that Christians need, especially in contemporary society, it\u2019s self-control. We have available to us more seductive entertainment, more well-advertised temptations and even more innocent pleasures (like unhealthy foods, which end up being not so innocent in the long run\u2026), than any other people at any time in the history of the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":423,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[33],"tags":[11,67,65,62,68,63,69],"class_list":["post-194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-biblical-worldview","tag-charlotte-mason","tag-christian-morality","tag-greek-philosophy","tag-self-control","tag-self-mastery","tag-virtues","tag-willpower"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Educating for Self-control, Part 1: A Lost Christian Virtue &#8226;<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Self-control is a neglected virtue in contemporary society. 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It is a great thing to have said it; and our wiser posterity may see in that 'profound and exquisite remark' the fruition of a lifetime of critical effort (Charlotte Mason,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Charlotte Mason&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Charlotte Mason","link":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/category\/charlotte-mason\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Virtues.jpeg?fit=1024%2C305&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Virtues.jpeg?fit=1024%2C305&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Virtues.jpeg?fit=1024%2C305&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Virtues.jpeg?fit=1024%2C305&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":217,"url":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/01\/12\/educating-for-self-control-part-2-the-link-between-attention-and-willpower\/","url_meta":{"origin":194,"position":4},"title":"Educating for Self-control, Part 2: The Link Between Attention and Willpower","author":"Jason Barney","date":"January 12, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"In my last post on educating for self-control, I laid out a Christian case for the importance of self-control from the New Testament, citing Paul\u2019s famous fruit of the Spirit and Peter\u2019s not-as-famous virtue list in the first chapter of 2 Peter. 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