What can a 19th-century history of a 16th-century Lutheran school teach us about education today? More than you might expect. 

Dr. Gene Edward Veith, Jr. joins us to discuss a new translation from Concordia Publishing House — The History of the Gymnasium and Educational Institutions of Wittenberg, written in 1830 by Franz Spitzner. The Wittenberg Latin School was one of the first distinctly Lutheran classical schools, born out of the Reformation. Dr. Veith wrote the preface to this volume, and today he helps us understand not only the school's fascinating history, but why it's essential reading for anyone who cares about classical Christian education in our own time.

0:00 — Introduction & Welcome to the Concordia Publishing House Podcast. Sponsored by the LCMS Foundation.

1:42 The History of the Old Latin School, as told in the History of the Gymnasium and Educational Institutions of Wittenberg, written in 1830 by Franz Spitzner.

2:42 —Dr. Veith sets the scene: how Luther and Melanchthon built the first classical Lutheran school in Wittenberg — bringing literacy and education to ordinary people for the first time.

8:08 — Why Classical Education Matters Today. The philosophical crisis driving today's educational decline: postmodernism's rejection of objective truth, and how classical Christian education offers a grounded alternative.

11:06 — Education for All: Luther's Vision Luther's radical idea that every child deserved a full "liberal" education. A baptized child of God is worthy of the best.

15:35 — Vocation, Freedom, and Social Mobility. How education enabled social mobility and the development of vocation — not just as a job, but as service to God and neighbor in every area of life.

17:25 — The Prussian Reforms and the Decline of Classical Education. How Frederick William III's authoritarian reforms dismantled classical Christian education, invented the modern research university, and set education on a path away from truth.

24:50 — Why Parents Must Be Invested in Their Children's Education. Preparing children not just for work, but for citizenship, faith, and the next generation. Why parents — not schools alone — are the key to passing on what is precious.

Learn more about The History of the Gymnasium and Educational Institutions of Wittenberg.

About the Guest

Gene Edward Veith Jr. is a retired English professor and college administrator, most recently at Patrick Henry College and Concordia University Wisconsin. He is the author of twenty-seven books, including Embracing Your Lutheran Identity, Authentic Christianity: How Lutheran Theology Speaks to a Postmodern World; Christianity in an Age of Terrorism, and God at Work. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Kansas and currently lives in St. Louis with his wife, Jackquelyn. He has three grown children and twelve grandchildren.

Concordia Publishing House – Bringing you God's enduring Word in a changing world. 👉 cph.org

Follow CPH on social: @concordiapub

LCMS Foundation – Helping congregations grow long‑term funding to support ministries:
👉 lcmsfoundation.org/podcast