Classical Christian education is a generational journey – and in this BaseCamp Live episode, we get a rare, behind-the-scenes glimpse of how a love for the true, good, and beautiful is passed from parent to child. Dr. Louis Markos, professor, author, and longtime advocate for the great books, is joined by his son Alex, now a humanities teacher, to share how formative family habits, road-trip literature, and a Christian worldview shaped Alex’s path from public school to a deep embrace of the classics.
Together, they explore why Christians should read pagan literature, the difference between formation and information, and how ancient texts can lead students toward truth and scripture. With memorable stories – from Marcus Aurelius-inspired dance moves to processing grief through The Iliad – this conversation offers both encouragement and practical ideas for parents and educators seeking to form thoughtful, faithful young people.
🎧 Tune in to discover:
- How classical education forms hearts and minds across generations
- Why reading pagan literature can prepare students to receive the gospel
- Ways families can naturally instill a love for great books
- The difference between simply learning information and being formed in virtue
- Real-life classroom moments where ancient texts shaped faith and character
Special Thanks to our partners who make BaseCamp Live possible:
Although a devoted professor who works closely with his students, Dr. Markos is dedicated to the concept of the professor as public educator. He firmly believes that knowledge must not be walled up in the academy, but must be freely and enthusiastically disseminated to all those “who have ears to hear.” As a specifically Christian professor he also adheres to a second goal: to fuse into a single stream the humanist strivings of Athens and the Christian truths of Jerusalem.
Believing that “all truth is God’s truth,” Dr. Markos seeks to measure all human knowledge against the touchstone of orthodox Christian doctrine (the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Atonement, and the Resurrection). Believing further that Christianity is not the only truth but the only COMPLETE truth, he seeks to discover in the cultures, mythologies, religions and philosophies of the ancient (and modern) world intimations and foreshadowings of the greater truths revealed in Christ and the Bible.
In pursuing this goal, his three principle mentors have been Plato, Dante, and C. S. Lewis, his central vision has been that of the Magi (whose pagan wisdom proved a partial guide to encountering the Christ child), and his core biblical passage Paul’s address to the Areopagus at Athens (Acts 17).
Connect with Louis:
Alex Markos is part of the Humanities faculty at the Geneva School of Boerne, TX, where he currently teaches 9th grade Greek and Roman history and literature. This fall (2025), he will begin his tenth year teaching, his fourth year in Rhetoric School after teaching Grammar School Latin for six years, all at Geneva. He holds a B.A. in History and Classics from Hope College and an M.A. in Apologetics from Houston Christian University. For his Apologetics capstone project, he developed a curriculum for teaching virtue through Scripture and Greek mythology. He has published several articles and poems in publications such as An Unexpected Journal and the St Austin Review. He has spoken four times for the nationwide Society for Classical Learning summer conference on topics including Greek mythology, The Chronicles of Narnia, incorporating leisure in the classroom, and the art of crafting a new class. He has a passion for classical Christian education and aims to inspire his students to love learning and to grow in virtue.
Connect with Alex: