Announcing Hildegard College, the First Ever CLT-Only College!

One of just four women to be formally declared Doctors of the Catholic Church (alongside SS. Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Ávila, and Thérèse of Lisieux), St. Hildegard of Bingen was a twelfth century German nun. She was also a famous polymath: best remembered for her musical compositions, she also wrote theological tomes, natural history, and medical treatises, as well as creating allegorical paintings and brewing beer. This wide field of intellectual accomplishment makes her a natural patroness for a new Christian college soon to open in southern California, and the first institution of higher learning to require the CLT for entry:  Hildegard College!

Founded by Dr. Matthew Smith, whom I just had the pleasure of interviewing for our Anchored podcast, Hildegard is to be a single-major, interdisciplinary liberal arts college, somewhat in the mould of St. John’s here in Annapolis. Welcoming Christians of all stripes, and featuring a board that includes such luminaries as Drs. Jessica Hooten Wilson, Chris Perrin, and Jennifer Frey, the college will emphasize the unity and transformative character of knowledge. The cosmos is an ordered reality—its very name comes from the Greek κοσμέω, “to arrange”—and all learning must point us to the fullest nature of that reality.

Applications will be accepted starting this summer, and classes will begin in the fall of 2023. One of Hildegard’s priorities is small class sizes; the whole student body isn’t expected to exceed a hundred and twenty, so don’t wait to apply! You can also check out Dr. Smith’s recent article at The Gospel Coalition to hear more about his philosophy of Christian education.