Refining Rhetoric with Robert Bortins Robert Bortins

What should your child’s classical education look like in the modern world? In this episode, Robert talks with Andrew Kern, founder and president of the CiRCE Institute, co-author of The Lost Tools of Writing, and one of the leading figures in the classical education movement. Here, Andrew identifies why the true purpose of classical education is to cultivate wisdom and virtue through the nourishment of students’ souls. Throughout this packed conversation, expect to learn where government-funded education in America first went wrong, why training your child to fight against distraction is crucial to their spiritual and intellectual development, how to become better at any skill such as writing, how to actually get your child to pay attention, why students still need to practice the lost tools of learning in an AI-driven world, and why the terms “artificial intelligence” and “virtual reality” are not only misleading but, in fact, don’t really mean anything at all.
Show notes: RefiningRhetoric.com/Andrew-Kern
Get a homeschool family the gift of Scribblers at Home: Recipes from Lifelong Learners this Christmas! Learn more at ScribblersatHome.com.

Is the earth really only a few thousand years old? In this episode, Robert speaks to Eric Hovind, founder of Creation Today, a Christian apologetics ministry with a mission to share the Gospel to the entire world. Eric relates his personal testimony and journey with apologetics, clarifies what “apologetics” really means, delves into his approach to apologetics in the digital age, underscores the contemporary relevancy of creation theory, and points out why the creation vs. evolution debate is a necessary spiritual battle. He also discusses the young earth and old earth theories of the age of the earth, how these theories impact one’s faith, how evolution destroys the doctrine of salvation, and why young earth theory is pro-science, explaining that “real science is a believer’s best friend.” If you’re a homeschool parent, expect to also learn ways to engage your children in conversations about creation vs. evolution and discover several resources to guide you in this journey.
Show notes: RefiningRhetoric.com/Eric-Hovind
CC parents, tutors, and Directors—sign up for the Classical Learning Cohort to level up your skills in guiding and assessing your student’s learning at home and in community! Register today at ClassicalConversations.com/cohort.

Is there hope for Gen Z? In this current events episode, Robert explores the reasons why Gen Z boys are leaning conservative twice as much as liberal, as discovered by a recent survey that contradicts the widely held narrative that Gen Z has a leftist bent. Then, in Classical Crypto, Will returns to consider what might happen to the crypto market if the government shuts down and to give a quick overview of Stellar (XLM).
Show notes: RefiningRhetoric.com/why-gen-z-males-prefer-the-right
Classical Conversations® members—get started with the beta release of The Math Map: Naturals, an exclusive lookinto our upcoming math curriculum from Classical Conversations! To access these materials, log in to your CC Connected account, navigate to the Learning Center, and search for “The Math Map.”

We plan for all the major goals in our lives—retirement, a career, a new car or home purchase. So, why don’t most of us create plans for raising our children, which is far more important? In this episode, Robert speaks to Dr. Josh Mulvihill, an author, speaker, and advocate for family discipleship and biblical parenting. Josh was a church pastor for twenty years and now serves on the board of Awana, as the Executive Director of Church and Family Ministry at RenewaNation, and as an author of several books on biblical parenting, the most recent of which is 50 Things Every Child Needs to Know Before Leaving Home: Raising Children to Godly Adults. In this conversation, Josh sheds light on why many Christian parents are failing to disciple their children well and what we can do as the church to turn this around. Discover how to master the art of biblical parenting from what Scripture says, Josh’s own childhood experiences, his efforts in raising his own children, and many, many book recommendations about taking a Christ-centered approach to parenting. Josh also shares a glimpse into his own family life, including why his family started their own farm, how each of his children is saving for college by running their own enterprise, what family worship looks like in the Mulvihill household, and much more.
Show notes: RefiningRhetoric.com/Josh-Mulvihill
You’re invited to our 2024 National Events Weekend in sunny Southern Pines, North Carolina! Head over to ClassicalConversationsFoundation.org to learn more.

Can movies save education? Here, Robert talks for the second time on Refining Rhetoric with Hollywood actress, podcast host, and Classical Conversations® parent and Director Sam Sorbo about her family’s upcoming film Miracle in East Texas. The film, delayed due to COVID-19, is now coming to theaters nationwide for an exclusive release on the weekend of October 29–30 and tells the true story of the biggest oil strike in the history of the United States. In this episode, Sam talks about working with her husband Kevin and son Braeden on Miracle in East Texas, why she created a homeschool curriculum to accompany the film, and how movies can serve as powerful tools to educate our students and encourage discussions about truth. Sam also recalls how Classical Conversations came into her life at just the right moment and gave her children the skills to succeed in their education, careers, and lives. Additionally, she and Robert discuss why cancel culture—a culture rooted in unforgiveness—is antithetical to Christianity and why the public school system demeans the true meaning of the word “education”.
Show notes: RefiningRhetoric.com/Sam-Sorbo-2

Go see Miracle in East Texas at a theater near you on October 29–30! The film stars Kevin, Sam, and Braeden Sorbo, as well as John Ratzenberger of Pixar voice-acting fame. You can find tickets at SorboStudios.com.

Are Christianity and humanism compatible worldviews? In this episode, Robert sits down with Scott Postma, a Christian humanist writer and president of Kepler Education. Scott explains why Christian humanism is probably not what you think, putting it up against another philosophy more are familiar with—secular humanism. He discusses the origins of Christian humanism and the great thinkers behind this philosophy, including the brilliant minds of J. R. R. Tolkien and Flannery O’Connor. Scott also explores what he believes the future of online classical education will look like and how Kepler Education, “a marketplace for live online classical Christian education,” is giving teachers and students of the classics a safe place to learn and discover truth, beauty, and goodness. Of course, no Refining Rhetoric episode is complete without book recommendations. Here, you’ll find great entry points to discovering Flannery O’Connor, the philosophy of Christian humanism, and why classical education is just as important now as ever.
Show notes: RefiningRhetoric.com/Scott-Postma
Classical Conversations® members—you’re invited to our 2024 National Events Weekend in sunny Southern Pines, North Carolina! Head over to ClassicalConversationsFoundation.org to learn more.