Welcome to Your Atlas of Western Civilization’s Great Conversation
Classical education asks students to integrate a vast world of knowledge—historical events, dates, people, ideas, great books, methods of learning, virtue formation, and more. What if you could see those connections at a glance in one place? Your wish is granted!
The “Great Conversation,” in the lineage of Robert M. Hutchins and Mortimer J. Adler, is the enduring dialogue of the classical Western tradition, where generations of thinkers and writers engage life’s permanent questions regarding truth, goodness, beauty, justice, God, virtue, freedom, knowledge, the good society, and the good life. It is both a canon of formative texts and a living exchange in which each work extends, clarifies, or challenges what came before.
This Great Conversation Classical Christian Atlas is a groundbreaking, comprehensive, museum-quality poster or canvas designed to introduce readers to the events, authors, works, and ideas that shaped Western civilization—delivered to your doorstep!
Features
Left side: A World History timeline of the 161 key events aligned with Classical Conversations’ “Foundations” history sequence.
Middle left: Eras, movements, 177 authors and 331 classic works, each including a description and themed icons making reference easy.
Middle right: Adler’s “102 Great Ideas” with definitions that anchor the Great Conversation’s concepts, questions, and debates. These definitions intentionally frame the 102 terms from a Christian worldview.
Right side: Spatial “map” of all 15 categories, 36 aspects, and 195 elements of the Great Conversation—each featuring a description and being visually linked, color-coded, and arranged by categories.
Top: Icon legend of 27 recurring themes in all the written works to quickly locate major themes across periods, disciplines, authors, and their writings.
Visual Learning: Feature your atlas where you teach or learn, and watch it become the conversation-starter that helps you “see” how all the pieces of the Great Conversation fit together.
A life-long investment, supplement to your classical education; the perfect gift or addition to your classroom, home, or homeschool spaces!
Options & Sizes
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A premium matte poster printed on advanced card stock paper for crisp detail and a clean, modern finish.
72” x 36“ Poster (smallest font is Helvetica size 7; high readability for average vision)
64” x 32” Poster (smallest font is Helvetica size 6; moderate readability for average vision)
NOTE: A poster hanger is needed and is not included in this purchase:
DIY option (minimal cost): Make your own poster hanger (instructional video).
Or buy a ready-made hanger:
For 72”x36” – 72" Magnetic Poster Hanger Frame (Amazon): $71
For 64”x32” – 64" Magnetic Poster Hanger Frame (Amazon): $64
Or use non-marking poster putty tack (Amazon) to attach your poster to the wall: $6
INSTRUCTIONS: Unrolling and Hanging Your Poster (instructional video here):
1. Arrives rolled in a shipping tube.
2. Remove, gently unroll, and lay the poster flat on a clean table.
3. Lay a few books horizontally on the middle to hold poster down (quality card stock paper initially has memory and wants to roll back up).
4. Use the shipping container to gently roll up the poster in the opposite direction. Hold in place with a few books, and let it rest for 2 hours.
5. Unroll, place a few books to keep flat, and attach top magnetic hanger (the one with the hanger string) to the top (long) edge of poster, clamping evenly across the top edge, centered and straight.
6. Attach the bottom hanger.
7. Find a space on your desired wall at least 6’ wide (72”) and hang on a nail or screw-in hook. Any slight curve in the middle will fully flatten out within 24–72 hours (Normal indoor humidity helps paper relax; very dry rooms may take longer).
8. Enjoy referencing your Atlas of the Great Conversation for years to come!
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A premium gallery-style canvas print that gives your atlas a bold, professional presence.
Pricier production and shipping, but customers report the long-term value is worth the investment for those desiring a quality canvas print of the Atlas.
Font Size Comparison:
80” x 40” Canvas (smallest font is Helvetica size 8; excellent readability for average vision)
72” x 36“ Canvas (smallest font is Helvetica size 7;high readability for average vision)
Shipping and Hanging:
Shipping directly from the printer is ~$200.
No additional hanger purchase needed. Ready to display.
Enjoy referencing your Atlas of the Great Conversation for years to come!
