Welcome to Classical Essentials, a special Best of Basecamp Live series! For many classical Christian educators, truth and goodness take center stage, while beauty is often treated as an afterthought. Yet beauty is not just an aesthetic extra—it is foundational. When rightly understood, beauty deepens our understanding of truth and goodness, shapes our affections, and offers an antidote to the anxiety and meaninglessness so prevalent in today’s culture.
In this episode, Nick Duncan, a professional chef and humanities teacher, shares how recovering beauty in education and daily life transforms how students perceive the world and cultivate virtue. He explains why beauty is more than personal preference, how it awakens our longing for God, and why it is essential in shaping the next generation. From art to music to literature—even to food—beauty matters. If we want students who love what God loves, we must give them the tools to recognize and embrace true beauty.
🎧 Join us as we revisit this must-hear episode and rediscover why beauty is essential in shaping wise, virtuous, and flourishing students.
Nick Duncan received a BBA in Entrepreneurship Management from Boise State University in 2012 and an MDiv in Global Studies from Liberty University School of Divinity in 2016. He previously taught at the College of Western Idaho for four years. Most recently, he taught Greek I at The Ambrose School in 2017-2018 and currently is their 10th Grade Humanities. A major focus of study for him in Divinity school was how the New Testament authors, specifically Paul, were partially influenced by Greco-Roman philosophers, literature, and rhetoric. As such, he is able to teach his students about the ancient Greek and Roman philosophers and literature from a biblical perspective. This works well for 10th Grade Humanities as the main question they focus on for the year is, “How did God prepare the world for the coming of the Christ?” They answer that question in every Greco-Roman work they cover. He is happily married to his wife Jorie, and they have two children: Grady and Ainsley.
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