Virtuous Minds - by Philip E Dow (Paperback)

About the Book

Teacher-administrator Philip Dow explores the implications of setting intellectual character (rather than intellectual content) at the heart of our educational programs. With ample stories and practical suggestions, Dow shows how intellectual virtues like tenacity, carefulness and curiosity are teachable traits that can produce good lives.

Book Synopsis

Templeton Foundation Character Project's Character Essay and Book Prize Competition award winner

What does it mean to love God with all of our minds?

Our culture today is in a state of crisis where intellectual virtue is concerned. Dishonesty, cheating, arrogance, laziness, cowardice--such vices are rampant in society, even among the world's most prominent leaders. We find ourselves in an ethical vacuum, as the daily headlines of our newspapers confirm again and again. Central to the problem is the state of education. We live in a technological world that has ever greater access to new information and yet no idea what to do with it all.

In this wise and winsome book, Philip Dow presents a case for the recovery of intellectual character. He explores seven key virtues--courage, carefulness, tenacity, fair-mindedness, curiosity, honesty and humility--and discusses their many benefits. The recovery of virtue, Dow argues, is not about doing the right things, but about becoming the right kind of person. The formation of intellectual character produces a way of life that demonstrates love for both God and neighbor.

Dow has written an eminently practical guide to a life of intellectual virtue designed especially for parents and educators. The book concludes with seven principles for a true education, a discussion guide for university and church groups, and nine appendices that provide examples from Dow's experience as a teacher and administrator.

Virtuous Minds is a timely and thoughtful work for parents and pastors, teachers and students--anyone who thinks education is more about the quality of character than about the quantity of facts.

Review Quotes

"A timely and thoughtful work for parents and pastors, teachers and students-anyone who thinks education is more about the quality of character than about the quantity of facts."

"Dow has given Christian educators a commendable, thoughtful, quality book that merits wide readership, especially for those interested in intellectual character development. Works of this kind, especially from a Christian perspective, are truly needed, and this book is a valuable contribution to the field of literature on character education."

"It is far easier to be conformed than it is to be transformed. Dow's book is a wake-up call for all of us to be diligent gardeners of our minds and souls."

"Phil Dow has written a provocative, compelling and engaging book that challenges Christians to consider the importance of intellectual character and to encourage them to self-consciously nurture virtuous intellectual habits. The book is a delightful read that addresses a subject that needs careful intellectual inquiry. I would recommend this book to anyone who is intentional about growing spiritually or who is involved in the cultivation of spiritual formation in the lives of young people."

"Philip Dow has given us a really important book, one that is both motivating and a pleasure to read. With excellent illustrations and carefully reasoned arguments, Dow challenges us to examine the way we use our minds. We are confronted with the critical importance of intellectual courage, curiosity, honesty and humility, and we are reminded that the weeds of intellectual carelessness grow effortlessly and bring with them consequences that can be sobering. Although there are other books which address the subject of the Christian mind, I am aware of none that addresses this subject with the clarity, thoroughness or motivational quality of Dow's work."

"The book inspires the pursuit of intellectual virtue--it makes attractive a life characterized by the traits Dow discusses. I wanted to renew my efforts in the direction of intellectual virtue having read it. And I know my students, many of whom enter college with no real aim in sight beyond a degree which promises a high-paying position, would benefit from such inspiration. . . . I can easily imagine using it for an orientation course we offer to freshman philosophy majors."

"The experienced teacher and administrator shows how intellectual attributes like courage, carefullness, tenacity, honesty, fair-mindedness, and humility enrich not only our studies but also our contributions in every realm of life."

"This is the first book of its kind and one that is urgently needed inside and outside the Christian community. . . . Dow's writing is accessible, engaging and fun. It is also intellectually astute, historically informed and packed with wonderful illustrations."

"This won't be an easy read for some, but it is a worthy one. You'll nurture high-level discussions that may be best to take place among your leaders, parents or in a weekend seminar setting. Still there are several practical steps that can give you traction for applying it personally or in your ministry."

"While the Aristotle-inspired pursuit of the good life has generated an enormous literature on moral character, its importance and its development, the other side of the person, intellectual character, has been astonishingly neglected by both academics and (more importantly) the general public. Yet excellence, or 'virtue, ' in both components is essential for leading the best kinds of life open to humans; fine traits of heart alone, without fine traits of mind, cannot get the job done. It is high time that explicit attention was paid--by educators, by parents, by leaders, by all of us--to the habits of mind that help people grab hold of truth, and to what it takes to develop such habits. Virtuous Minds is to be applauded for prompting such attention, and in such an accessible and practical-minded way. May it find the readership it deserves!"

About the Author

Philip E. Dow (Ph.D., Cambridge University) is superintendent of Rosslyn Academy in Nairobi, Kenya. Dow has over a decade of classroom experience, teaching advanced courses in social studies and history at the high school level. He is the author of "School in the Clouds" The Rift Valley Academy Story.