Pacifica Stories

Why do Pacifica students read Nietzsche, Marx, and Freud?

Several years ago, a Pacifica alum studying at Cal called me and shared his gratitude for his Pacifica education. I asked him why he was grateful. He explained:

As a religious student at Cal, my two roommates in my first year were atheists. When they discovered that I had read the works of Nietzsche, Marx, and Freud at my Christian high school and worked through atheism, they were surprised and slightly embarrassed. While I had read both sides, including the theism of the Gospel writers, St. Augustine, the desert saints, Thomas Aquinas, and C.S. Lewis, they had read nothing on the side of religion. Thanks to my Pacifica education, I was well-read and well-rounded. I was convicted of my beliefs and ready to engage the world in a hospitable conversation. They asked me to provide them with a list of Christian works to read. I did, and for the rest of my first year, we spent many nights engaged in a thoughtful and creative conversation about life.

The Berlin/Paris school of philosophy set in the late 19th and early 20th Century has profoundly impacted our culture and how we see the world. The atheism of these thinkers, who declared “God is dead and we have killed him,” rooted identity and authority in self-realization without relying on anything transcending this life—such as God or a soul. After all, if God is dead, it is an obvious choice to root life in self and one's thoughts, feelings, and desires.

In contrast, the Athens/Jerusalem school of philosophy of the ancient world rooted identity and authority in something outside oneself—namely, God. Our thoughts, feelings, and desires—some good, some destructive—must be formed through the wisdom of a loving, powerful God. Life is not just a self-focused free-for-all but a journey of seeking God for His glory, our development, and the good of others.

These contrasting beliefs impact how one lives and are essential for Pacifica students to encounter. At Pacifica, we don't believe God is dead—quite the contrary. Human flourishing, meaning, and purpose involve the divine and building a life with and through God.

So why Nietzsche, Marx, and Freud? A well-rounded education? Yes. The pursuit of truth wherever it exists without fear? Yes. The solidifying of beliefs through open and honest conversation? Yes. Students are clear about the road ahead by contrasting the Christian and secular views of life. They are educated, which is the job of a school. Most American students are unaware of these foundational ideas that drive decision-making. At Pacifica, we want students to know the framework and foundation driving their decisions. We want them to think and live well.