HeightsCast: Forming Men Fully Alive

The Heights School
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  • EDUCATION
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Welcome to HeightsCast, the podcast of The Heights School. With over 200 episodes, HeightsCast discusses the education of young men fully alive in the liberal arts tradition. The program engages teachers and thought-leaders in the educational/cultural space to support our community of listeners: parents, teachers, and school leaders seeking to educate the young men in their care. Instead of downloads, HeightsCast's most important metric for success is the unknown number of thoughtful discussions it prompts in homes, faculty lunchrooms, and communities around the country and the world. Thank you for listening; thank you for continuing the conversation.

  1. Dr. Stephen Smith on Educating Leaders with Thomas More

    6D AGO

    Dr. Stephen Smith on Educating Leaders with Thomas More

    Does a talented person have a duty to serve others? What do leading citizens really need to live well, freely, impactfully—even greatly? How do we, parents and educators, order the educational goods? "When I think of Thomas More's life, writings, and example, I think: here are the materials we need to answer those questions." So says Dr. Stephen Smith, professor at Hillsdale College and co-director for the Center for Thomas More Studies. St. Thomas More not only provided a robust theory of education and duty in his writings, but also a praxis of that education by his heroic actions at the Tower of London in 1535. Dr. Smith joins us this week to discuss how More's life and education can be a pattern for our one-day leading citizens. Chapters: 2:32 The living image of a great man 8:49 More's philosophy of learning 12:50 Virtue in the first place 16:25 Love of good advice 18:48 Leading citizenship: skill and integrity 24:51 Pride as the enemy 29:32 On modern times: "Do not abandon the ship" 35:14 Mentorship: time and attention 46:39 Hope and humor 54:21 Thomas More as a father Links: The Center for Thomas More Studies, featuring video courses, teaching resources, and the written works of Thomas More The Last Riddle: Advice on Living and Dying Well by Stephen Smith, pre-order for June 2026 The Essential Works of Thomas More edited by Gerard Wegemer and Stephen Smith A Thomas More Sourcebook edited by Gerard Wegemer and Stephen Smith On Duties by Cicero Thomas More: A Portrait of Courage by Gerard Wegemer "Letter to William Gonell, 1518" by Thomas More Young Thomas More and the Arts of Liberty by Gerard Wegemer "A Dialog of Comfort against Tribulation" by Thomas More "Erasmus on Thomas More" by Erasmus Also on the Forum: Elon Musk and Mother Teresa Schools by Nate Gadiano Teaching the History of our "Strange New World" featuring Michael Moynihan and Austin Hatch Learning for All Seasons: What We Owe to Thomas More by Dr. Matthew Mehan The Arts of Liberty – Part I featuring Dr. Matthew Mehan Featured Opportunities: The Art of Teaching Boys Conference at The Heights School (May 6-8, 2026) – sold out Teaching Essentials Workshop at The Heights School (June 22-26, 2026) Conference for Teaching Men at The Heights School (November 2026) – link coming soon

    1h 8m
  2. Bill Dardis on Teaching Religion with Multiple Faiths in the Room

    FEB 12

    Bill Dardis on Teaching Religion with Multiple Faiths in the Room

    "Charity and clarity" are the lodestars when teaching middle school boys with various faith backgrounds—and who are developing faith dispositions of their own. Bill Dardis teaches middle school religion and eighth grade core at The Heights. In his sixteen years of experience, he's navigated many tricky waters with the boys, with the ultimate goal to bring them into a deeper and more engaged relationship with faith. Chapters: 3:19 Inviting boys deeper into their faith 8:17 A religion teacher has to pray 9:16 Following student questions 11:27 Charity: respecting parents' moral authority 12:32 Clarity: commitment to the truth 13:28 Avoiding relativism 17:17 Emphasizing essential questions 18:37 Persuasive common ground 25:21 Seeing the familiar as if for the first time 27:30 One, holy, catholic, and apostolic 31:45 When a student's life situation conflicts with the Catechism 37:59 Loving the job Links: The Everlasting Man by G. K. Chesterton (seeing something familiar as if for the first time) Becoming Greece, textbook by Bill Dardis and Tom Cox Becoming Rome, textbook by Bill Dardis and Tom Cox Also on the Forum: Forming Men of Faith by Alvaro de Vicente Pope Benedict XVI and Catholic Education: On the Adventure of Truth featuring Dr. Joseph Lanzilotti Leaving Room for the Holy Spirit by Mark Grannis "The Talk": On the Role of Schools and Fathers featuring Michael Moynihan Featured Opportunities: Fathers Series for Fathers of Current Students at The Heights School (February 2026) The Art of Teaching Boys Conference at The Heights School (May 6-8, 2026)

    41 min
  3. Arthur Brooks on Your Calling and How to Find It

    FEB 5

    Arthur Brooks on Your Calling and How to Find It

    The crisis of meaning among young people gets a lot of press; but a quieter crisis of calling afflicts every generation today. Dr. Arthur Brooks says the causes are the same: not knowing what our life is really and ultimately for. In his talk at The Heights Forum Convivium 2025, Dr. Brooks shares the facts about calling—where neuroscience, psychology, and theology all agree, and how he (finally) found his. He goes on to say that helping young people to discover the true Christian purpose of life and then one's personal calling is the missionary work of teachers. Chapters: 00:04:12 Teaching: a missionary field 00:06:15 Crisis of meaning among the young 00:07:35 Crisis of calling among more than the young 00:14:23 Sanctifying ordinary work 00:18:42 The marshmallow experiment: not all it seems 00:24:40 High achievers with no calling 00:27:55 Three tests for goal setting 00:36:12 Four profiles for career trajectory 00:44:31 Success addiction: when love feels conditional 00:48:33 Arrival fallacy: when the goal doesn't satisfy 00:51:34 Posture of submission to find your calling Links: Arthur Brooks: The Science of Happiness, Work & Life, personal website The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness by Arthur Brooks, pre-order for March 2026 "How to Follow the Right Star" by Arthur Brooks, The Atlantic Also on the Forum: Choosing a College—Or Not featuring Alvaro de Vicente Rethinking College: Why go? How? When? featuring Arthur Brooks Featured Opportunities: The Art of Teaching Boys Conference at The Heights School (May 6-8, 2026)

    54 min
  4. Kevin Twomey on Frantic Families: Three Questions for a More Intentional Life

    JAN 23

    Kevin Twomey on Frantic Families: Three Questions for a More Intentional Life

    Kevin Twomey is a husband, father, and a principal consultant at Table Group, founded by Patrick Lencioni, which specializes in helping executive teams build a healthy operational work culture. Lencioni's book, The Three Big Questions, brings that same expertise to bear on the modern frantic family: helping parents find their family identity, create intentional priorities, and live with more order and purpose. Chapters: 4:01 Typical family operations 9:09 Frantic families in a frantic world 14:36 What makes your family unique? 21:57 Parent leadership 26:02 What is your family's top priority right now? 32:30 "Priority" shouldn't be plural 36:52 Long-standing objectives 38:46 Temporary rally cries 39:49 How do you deploy these answers intentionally? 45:22 Staying on track Links: The Three Big Questions for a Frantic Family: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni The Frantic Family Model, family worksheet PDF Also on the Forum: Family Culture featuring Alvaro de Vicente How to Foster a Family Culture in Your Home by Alvaro de Vicente Featured Opportunities: The Art of Teaching Boys Conference at The Heights School (May 6-8, 2026)

    55 min
  5. Colin Gleason on the Father as Protector

    JAN 15

    Colin Gleason on the Father as Protector

    The first images of a "protector" that flash through our minds might be the warrior, the superhero, the movie star physically holding back evil from invading the world…. Our lower school head, Colin Gleason, casts a different vision: the benevolent king, the merciful brother, the knight at vigil in the sanctuary. Yes, our role as fathers is to protect—most often through a steady presence that communicates security to our children. When we do our job well, they can live with confidence. In his talk from the Fatherhood Conference last fall, Colin identified five battlegrounds for establishing this kind of security, most of which are in our own homes. Also on the Forum: The Father as a Guide to the World featuring Michael Moynihan The Father as Presence featuring Andrew Reed Featured Opportunities: The Art of Teaching Boys Conference at The Heights School (May 6-8, 2026)

    46 min
  6. Tom Cox on an Epic Education: Tolkien in the Middle School

    JAN 8

    Tom Cox on an Epic Education: Tolkien in the Middle School

    To prepare for Homer, Virgil, Beowulf, the Eddas, and Dante—The Heights begins with Tolkien. In a talk from 2016, former middle school core teacher and current upper school classics teacher Tom Cox defends the place of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings in the epic tradition. He then explains why Middle Earth is so uniquely suited to the middle school, using Samwise the Stouthearted as our guide to the heart of a middle school boy. Chapters: 2:46 Rethinking "the middle" 4:01 How LotR prepares boys for upper school 7:57 How LotR meets boys in middle school 12:47 Contrasted with other epics 14:41 Samwise as a middle school model 24:47 Tolkien's lessons for teachers and parents 26:07 Samwise the Stouthearted: earning his epic epithet 31:18 "Bear one another's burdens, fulfill the law of Christ" Links: The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien The Iliad by Homer, prose translation by A. S. Kline Plutarch Podcast by Tom Cox Becoming Greece, textbook by Bill Dardis and Tom Cox Becoming Rome, textbook by Bill Dardis and Tom Cox Also on the Forum: The Forum Faculty Podcast hosted by Tom Cox The Hope of Hobbits and the Despair of Denethor by Tom Cox Featured Opportunities: The Art of Teaching Boys Conference at The Heights School (January 7-9, 2026 / May 6-8, 2026)

    34 min
  7. Michael Moynihan on the Father as a Guide to the World

    12/18/2025

    Michael Moynihan on the Father as a Guide to the World

    From utero and into infancy, babies recognize their mother as being essentially one with them. So, being placed in their father's arms is in fact their first introduction to the "other," the outside world. The father will continue this crucial role as mediator and representative to the outside world throughout a boy's childhood. With decades of experience and dozens of personal anecdotes, Upper School Head Michael Moynihan addressed the 2025 Fatherhood Conference to share how a father's parenting outlook now will shape his son's vocational and professional readiness to enter the outside world as an adult. Chapters: 00:05:47 Mr. Moynihan's background 00:08:17 Fathers represent the outside world 00:12:21 Model God's loving fatherhood 00:17:02 Awaken the child's own agency 00:24:52 Partner with your wife to build this home culture Links: The Talk and Beyond: Raising Children in a Confused Culture by Michael Moynihan Decisive Parenting: Forming Authentic Freedom in Your Children by Michael Moynihan The Father and His Family: A Guidebook for Aspiring, New, and Experienced Fathers by Michael Moynihan Also on the Forum: You're the Man for the Job: The Vocation of Fatherhood featuring Alvaro de Vicente

    28 min
  8. Fr. Thomas Joseph White on Reading into Reality: What Is Intellectual Formation?

    12/11/2025

    Fr. Thomas Joseph White on Reading into Reality: What Is Intellectual Formation?

    Our mission is to assist parents in the intellectual, moral, physical, and spiritual formation of their sons… At The Heights, we repeat these words often, including a paraphrase at the beginning of every HeightsCast episode. But what constitutes intellectual formation? What does educating the intellect look like? Co-founder of the Hillbilly Thomists and Rector Magnificus at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas in Rome, Fr. Thomas Joseph White, joins us for a deep-dive into the rich Catholic understanding of intellectus, habitus, ratio, and what it means to "form" these God-given faculties. Chapters: 1:35 Intellectus: to read into reality 7:41 Modern challenges to intellectus 13:35 Habitus: a stable disposition towards excellence 17:59 Modern challenges to habitus 21:22 Ratio vs. intellectus 27:07 Intuitive "sight" as a function of intellect 32:27 Developing clear "sight" in the young 34:35 Forming the heart alongside intellect 38:47 Whether the heart and intellect fully integrate 44:01 Beauty reveals the life of the mind to itself Links: The Hillbilly Thomists, co-founded by Fr. Thomas Joseph White Contemplation and the Cross: A Catholic Introduction to the Spiritual Life by Fr. Thomas Joseph White Wisdom in the Face of Modernity by Fr. Thomas Joseph White Full catalog of books by Fr. Thomas Joseph White The Regensburg Address by Pope Benedict XVI Beauty for Truth's Sake: On the Re-enchantment of Education by Stratford Caldecott Only the Lover Sings: Art and Contemplation by Josef Pieper Also on the Forum: Why Beauty Matters: The Postmodern Pressure on Our Interior Life featuring Dr. Jason Baxter Teaching Sovereign Knowers, essay series by Michael Moynihan "Fact or Opinion?": Roots of Relativism in an Ethical Dilemma by Michael Moynihan Featured Opportunities: The Art of Teaching Boys Conference at The Heights School (May 6-8, 2026)

    51 min
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About

Welcome to HeightsCast, the podcast of The Heights School. With over 200 episodes, HeightsCast discusses the education of young men fully alive in the liberal arts tradition. The program engages teachers and thought-leaders in the educational/cultural space to support our community of listeners: parents, teachers, and school leaders seeking to educate the young men in their care. Instead of downloads, HeightsCast's most important metric for success is the unknown number of thoughtful discussions it prompts in homes, faculty lunchrooms, and communities around the country and the world. Thank you for listening; thank you for continuing the conversation.

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