Luther Classical College

This month Luther Classical College distributed a list of books to be purchased for the 2025–2026 academic year to current applicants and recently accepted students. The list includes the Bible and Book of Concord, plus Greek and Roman classics spanning the disciplines of history, literature, and philosophy. For mathematics, students will purchase two time-tested tools: an abacus and a slide rule. Choir students will learn to sing from Liber Hymnorum: The Latin Hymns of the Lutheran Church. The total cost for required books and tools comes to just $785.98, which is 35% less than the $1,215 average cost for first-year books among American private colleges. “We are pleased to guide our students in purchasing a ‘Great Books curriculum’ that they will treasure in college and keep in their homes for a lifetime,” says Dr. Ryan MacPherson, LCC’s academic dean. Hesiod and Homer, Herodotus and Thucydides, Plato and Aristotle, Augustine and Aquinas will all be read at Luther Classical College under the mentorship of orthodox confessional Lutheran professors. “The Lutheran Reformation relied upon Scripture as the sole norm and rule for doctrine and practice, while also recognizing God’s gift of natural revelation that enabled Aristotle, Cicero, and others to see deeply into some areas of life,” notes Dr. MacPherson. “Lutherans are, therefore, uniquely equipped to read, evaluate, and apply the best of our western heritage.” Dr. William Lipke, LCC’s director of admissions, hosts two live videoconferences per month with prospective students. Some of the first-year readings are being sampled by current and prospective faculty, giving students a taste of what they’ll experience in college. “It is a great joy to get to know these students, and to have them meet each other, through these pre-admission seminars,” says Dr. Lipke. Prospective students begin their admissions journey by completing a brief survey at https://lnkd.in/gF55tFNe. Applications for admission may be submitted at https://lnkd.in/g5PVTNey. The academic catalog, including a uniquely Lutheran and distinctively classical “Philosophy of Education,” is available at https://lnkd.in/gCK_VkjG.

Dr. Ryan MacPherson, LCC’s academic dean, begins with humorous insights from Socrates and Cicero as he leads 150 classical Lutheran educators through the “Art of Teaching” at the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education. As emphasized in the presentation and the Q&A afterward, these methods will be used at Luther Classical College and also are adaptable for K-12 levels in home schools and parochial schools alike. Watch Dr. MacPherson's presentation here: https://lnkd.in/gGAWACiu

Luther Classical College, which is scheduled to open in August 2025, offers a unique set of educational opportunities, ranging from pre-seminary studies in biblical languages to trade school partnerships for students aspiring to careers in plumbing, welding, diesel mechanics, and the like. All students share about eighty per cent of their coursework (https://buff.ly/3YUYOl2) in common, spanning Lutheran theology and the classical liberal arts. A handful of track-specific courses offer opportunities to prepare for specific careers after college. The A.A. Trade Partnership Track includes the requirement that students begin a trade certificate program at another school, with the aim of completing an A.A. at LCC within two years and a trade certificate at the partner school by the end of year three. LCC assists students in finding a trade school and selecting trade courses that suit individualized plans. While LCC does not limit students to any particular list of trade schools, LCC is in active communication with faculty and administrators at Casper College (https://buff.ly/491iQyZ) in Casper, Wyoming, and Tarkio Technology Institute (https://buff.ly/492y8Dw) in Tarkio, Missouri. Tarkio Tech is located just thirty minutes away from the Lutheran Institute of Regenerative Agriculture (LIRA) (https://buff.ly/4ePy0s9), another LCC partner organization. “Faculty and administrators at Casper College have been eager to work with us,” notes Dr. Ryan MacPherson, academic dean at LCC. “With their campus just a five-minute drive away, we look forward to an easy integration of their trade courses with our liberal arts curriculum.” LCC’s other partner, Tarkio Tech, is located halfway across the nation in Missouri, but its proximity to the LIRA opens up exciting possibilities. “Imagine a student learning organic farming in the morning, taking a welding course in the afternoon, and returning to the farmhouse for evening devotions and a readers’ theater performance of Shakespeare in the evening,” explains MacPherson. Luther Classical College recognizes the importance of preparing students for gainful employment, but above all the new school intends to train students to be God-fearing husbands and wives who lead their children in home devotions and are active volunteers in their congregations. “Picture a man who owns his own HVAC business, sings in the choir, serves as chairman of the church council, and reads great literature to his children for bedtime stories—that’s the sort of person Luther Classical College seeks to train,” says MacPherson.

40 Weeks Until Classes Begin … at Luther Classical College! Here are some highlights of our activity: - Dr. Caleb Karges has been appointed Dean of Students and Associate Professor of Humanities: https://lnkd.in/gBvb_R5p - A list of books for 2025-2026 has been sent to accepted applicants, retail cost of $786.98, including elective courses—35% cheaper than the national private college average for first-year books: $1,215! - 28 applicants have been accepted, as LCC’s Admissions Department aims for 60-70 students for August 2025. To join the historic inaugural class: https://lnkd.in/gkdk_zhc - In addition to the campus residence under construction, LCC will offer student housing in the Westwood Hills Apartments in Casper. Also, LCC staff will be meeting with potential host families for the Homestay Program later in November. https://lnkd.in/gqrR8Uxc

Theology at Luther Classical College Luther Classical College will be a college of orthodox confessional Lutheran theology. The Lutheran Confessions approach theology differently from the prevailing medieval, modern, and postmodern alternatives. The Confessions return to Scripture alone, pursuing theology as God (theos) talking (logos) to us about Who He really is, not man talking about whom he mistakenly supposes God to be. Lutherans deploy reason as a servant to faith, not a master over faith, gathering from the plain patterns of Greek and Hebrew grammar what the Holy Spirit’s words mean. The Scriptures proclaim Christ: the Son of God who became the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. The plain words of Him Who is the Word mean that “baptism now saves you” (1 Peter 3:21), and likewise that “is means is” in Christ’s institution of the Holy Supper. The core teachings of the Old and New Testaments have best been summarized in the Six Chief Parts of Luther’s Small Catechism. Just as a heartfelt compassion for souls and the pastoral care of troubled consciences receive repeated emphasis in the Lutheran Confessions, so also Lutheran theology simultaneously serves both the mind and the heart of man. The modernist’s choice between rationalism and pietism need not be made, because a third option, orthodox confessional Lutheranism, shall be preserved for all eternity, to be taught and preached, chanted and sung, lived and passed down the generations. To learn more, see our academic catalog: https://lnkd.in/gUm4QENR

Dr. Caleb Karges, who holds a Ph.D. in Modern History from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and completed his undergraduate studies at Concordia University Irvine, has been named Luther Classical College’s Dean of Students! Dr. Karges has extensive teaching experience in the areas of history, political science, and German. He will serve as Associate Professor of Humanities at LCC, teaching part-time while also supervising student housing and student activities as Dean of Students. “Dr. Karges brings not only academic strength, but also a track record of caring for students both inside and outside of the classroom,” LCC Academic Dean Dr. Ryan MacPherson said. To read the full announcement on Dr. Karges’ hiring, click here: https://lnkd.in/gtu2D5nK

LCC has lots of scholarships available! If your congregation is interested in supporting our Scholars’ Congregation Scholarships, click here: https://lnkd.in/gRm4CYgS. To learn more about all of our available scholarships, keep reading. From LCC’s Academic Catalog (https://lnkd.in/gUm4QENR)... Academic Merit Scholarship (Automatic Award): Academic merit scholarships automatically will be awarded to all applicants who score within the following ranges on one or more of the standardized tests indicated. LCC will consider each applicant’s highest composite score on record for the CLT or SAT; for the ACT, LCC will consider the applicant’s “superscore composite.” Tier I Academic Merit Scholarship: $1,062.50 (25% of tuition) per semester (104+ CLT, 34+ ACT, or 1490+ SAT) Tier II Academic Merit Scholarship: $850.00 (20% of tuition) per semester (98–103 CLT, 32–33 ACT, or 1420–1480 SAT) Tier III Academic Merit Scholarship: $425.00 (10% of tuition) per semester (93–97 CLT, 30–31 ACT, or 1360–1410 SAT) Tier IV Academic Merit Scholarship: $212.50 (5% of tuition) per semester (88–92 CLT, 28–29 ACT, or 1300–1350 SAT) As a condition of maintaining these scholarships, LCC Merit Scholars must satisfy the criteria of “The President’s List” (for Tiers I and II) or “The Dean’s List” (for Tiers III and IV) for each semester preceding the scholarship renewal. If a recipient of a Tier I or Tier II Academic Merit Scholarship fails to satisfy the criteria for “The President’s List” but instead satisfies the criteria for “The Dean’s List,” then that student’s scholarship will be renewed at the amount indicated above for Tier III. See p. 67 for further details. Scholars’ Congregation Scholarship (Automatic Award): The supporting congregations of LCC include Tier I Scholars’ Congregations (donating $5,000+ annually to LCC) and Tier II Scholars’ Congregations (donating $2,500 to $4,999 annually to LCC). Each student whose home church was a Scholars’ Congregation during the fiscal year (July–June) preceding the current academic year will automatically receive a Scholars’ Congregation Scholarship as follows: Tier I Scholars’ Congregation: $425.00 (10% of tuition) per semester Tier II Scholars’ Congregation: $212.50 (5% of tuition) per semester This scholarship is automatically renewed at the applicable tier for returning students who remain in academic good standing (see “Good Standing,” p. 68) and whose home congregation continues supporting LCC as a Scholars’ Congregation. Similarly, a returning student becomes newly eligible for this scholarship if the home congregation becomes a Scholar’s Congregation during the fiscal year preceding the academic year in which the scholarship is granted.

LCC is now accepting applications for Standard Admission. Instructions and Online Application Form:https://lnkd.in/gkdk_zhc

Rev. Dr. John Stephenson, professor emeritus of our sister seminary, Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (CLTS) in St. Catherines, Ontario, preached a beautiful sermon at the Vespers service of Rev. Dr. Harold Ristau’s presidential inauguration ceremony earlier this month. “In the Providence of Almighty God Who does not abandon His fallen creatures to the chastisement they, we, deserve, the bold venture of striking out onto uncharted territory by establishing Luther Classical College is one of many signs that the lay folk and clergy who make up the mystical Body of Christ here below are taking up arms, however belatedly, against the wiles of the old evil foe in the sphere of education and the school.” Read or listen to his sermon here: https://lnkd.in/gSQ6ja7s

Most colleges do not require an admissions interview. Why does LCC? An interview (via video conference if not possible in person) is conducted as a part of the application process. The interview process allows LCC to meet its future students in a conversational setting. It gives students the opportunity to use their live voices and conversation as a supplement to their applications. A college admissions interview is also a helpful exercise for students as they grow into adulthood where the skill to demonstrate one’s abilities in such a manner, both informally and formally, is invaluable.