Tending the Heart of Virtue

How Classic Stories Awaken a Child's Moral Imagination

Vigen Guroian

(Author)

Paperback

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Description

From Pinocchio to The Chronicles of Narnia to Charlotte's Web, classic children's tales have shaped generations of young people. In recent years, homeschoolers and new classical schools have put these masterpieces of children's literature at the center of their curricula. And these stories continue to be embraced by parents, students, and educators alike.

In Tending the Heart of Virtue, Vigen Guroian illuminates the power of classic tales and their impact on the moral imagination. He demonstrates how these stories teach the virtues through vivid depictions of the struggle between good and evil, while he also unveils components of the good, the true, and the beautiful in plot and character. With clarity and elegance, Guroian reads deeply into the classic stories. He demonstrates how these stories challenge and enliven the moral imaginations of children. And he shows the reader how to get "inside" of classic stories and communicate their lessons to the child.

For more than two decades Tending the Heart of Virtue has been embraced by parents, guardians, and teachers for whom the stories it discusses are not only beloved classics but repositories of moral wisdom. This revised and expanded second edition includes three new chapters in which Guroian interprets such stories as Hans Christian Andersen's The Ugly Duckling, the Grimms' Cinderella, and John Ruskin's The King of the Golden River. The concluding bibliographical essay has also been expanded.

Product Details

Publisher	Oxford University Press
Publish Date	February 14, 2023
Pages	336
Language	English
Type	Paperback / softback
EAN/UPC	9780195384314
Dimensions	8.3 X 5.5 X 0.8 inches \| 0.9 pounds

BISAC Categories: Literary Fiction , Philosophy , Spirituality & Religion

Product Details

Publisher	Oxford University Press
Publish Date	February 14, 2023
Pages	336
Language	English
Type	Paperback / softback
EAN/UPC	9780195384314
Dimensions	8.3 X 5.5 X 0.8 inches \| 0.9 pounds

BISAC Categories: Literary Fiction , Philosophy , Spirituality & Religion

About the Author

Until his retirement in 2015, Vigen Guroian was Professor of Religious Studies in Orthodox Christianity at the University of Virginia. He is now a Permanent Senior Fellow of the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal, Senior Fellow at the Center on Law and Religion at Emory University, Distinguished Fellow of the John Jay Institute, and Senior Fellow at the Trinity Forum. He also is on the faculty of Memoria College online and is the author of ten books including The Orthodox Reality: Culture, Theology, and Ethics in the Modern World.

Reviews

"We need this book because we need children's books, but we have forgotten how to read them. Guroian writes for humbled giants who want to understand how stories develop the virtues and nurture the souls of children--and their parents" -- Andrew Kern, President, CiRCE Institute

"It's hard not to treasure this book. Guroian conveys profound moral and spiritual truths with impressive scholarship and startling insight in prose as pure and lovely as a child's tale." -- David V. Hicks, author of The Emperor's Handbook

"Not only is this book a delight to read, it will also help educators and parents navigate the principles that make reading the classic stories to children so vital to their development. This is a must-read for religious or secular educators and parents." -- Carroll Smith, Founder, Charlotte Mason Institute

"Tending the Heart of Virtue...promises the surest fruits for Christian teachers and parents, although his focus on mythopoeic writers (including C.S. Lewis and George MacDonald) and the moral imagination will draw a larger audience." -- Sarah O'Dell, Mythopoeic Society

"Guroian's book remains a must-read for those interested in children's literature." -- Choice

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