Counting the Cost

The Advanced Training Institute, or ATI, was a homeschool curriculum developed by Bill Gothard and the IBLP. Instead of textbooks, the curriculum was delivered through “wisdom booklets” that had a heavy religious emphasis. As of 2021, ATI is no longer operating as a homeschooling system. They have an extremely limited mathematics section along with inaccurate historical, medical, and scientific information. It is unclear to what extent, if at all, the Duggars’ education relied on sources outside of these booklets.

In Christian fundamentalist communities, courtship is a type of romantic relationship. It bears some similarities to dating but is much more heavily restricted. Young men may ask young women to enter an official courtship (if they have permission from the woman’s father). Courtship is intended to lead to engagement and marriage, usually within a matter of months. Courting couples may not hold hands or kiss. They are not allowed to have any unsupervised conversations (including text and phone conversations), and they cannot spend time together without an adult or sibling chaperoning them. Jill and Derick started courting in November of 2013, and they got engaged in March of 2014. Engaged couples may hold hands, but they are not permitted to kiss until their wedding day.