Refining Rhetoric with Robert Bortins

Latest Episodes:

Do Regular Moms Stand a Chance Against The Experts? Dec 06, 2023

Show notes

Are you your child's best teacher? In this episode, Robert reacts to a video of Leigh Bortins and Corey McKeown, director of the Trinity Homeschool Academy (T.E.A.C.H.) in Tampa, Florida, discussing the rise of homeschooling with Pete Hegseth on Fox and Friends. In the video, Corey explains why there has been an explosion of homeschooling in her state due to the success of homeschool co-ops where students can take classes from expert teachers. Unconvinced, Robert analyzes whether it's necessary to send homeschool students to a co-op to learn from an expert instead of "just another mom." In other words, can everyday parents rely on the classical tools of learning and community support to teach their children any subject? Finishing it up, Robert reflects on the true reasons why homeschooling is seeing a surge not just in Florida but nationwide as parents wake up to the nonsense in the traditional school system. In "Classical Crypto," Will catches us up on the latest news on the downfall of Sam-Bankman Fried, the collapse of FTX, and the ultimate trial results.

Show notes: RefiningRhetoric.com/Leigh-on-Fox

Plan a trip to Museum of the Bible this Christmas! To get 50% off tickets as a Classical Conversations family, visit ClassicalConversations.com/motb.

How to Increase Your Child's Attention Span with Andrew Kern Nov 29, 2023

Show notes

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.

Young Earth vs. Old Earth: Why Your Take Matters! with Eric Hovind Nov 15, 2023

Show notes

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.

Why Gen Z Males Prefer The Right Nov 08, 2023

Show notes

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."

Biblical Parenting Wisdom with Josh Mulvihill Nov 01, 2023

Show notes

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.

Miracle in East Texas, Cancel Culture, and Movies That Make You Think with Sam Sorbo Oct 25, 2023

Show notes

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.

Christian Humanism: Not What You Think! with Scott Postma Oct 18, 2023

Show notes

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.

Hamas is Using U.S. Funds to Slaughter Israel Oct 11, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, Robert uses the fifteen classical tools of learning to examine the recent tragic events in Israel and Palestine. He considers the following questions: Why has the U.S. funded Palestine, and how has this impacted the current conflict? Who is the oppressor and the oppressed in this situation? Is critical theory to blame? And is there a possibility of Palestinian terrorist attacks in our own country?

Show notes: RefiningRhetoric.com/israel-palestine

Overhauling Workplace Culture with Troy Meachum Oct 04, 2023

Show notes

Business leaders, listen up! In this episode, Robert welcomes his longtime friend and business mentor Troy Meachum to the show. Troy is the CEO of ACR Supply Co., North Carolina's leading wholesale distributor for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration which, last year, exceeded $45 million in revenue. In their conversation, Troy shares how to turn a company culture around and transform the workplace into somewhere employees want to show up every day. Expect to learn what it was like for Troy to incorporate faith into his work culture, how to glorify God at work, how to hire employees who fit a company's culture, how to maintain a company's culture while scaling, how to boost employee satisfaction and engagement, and why it's crucial for C-level leaders to communicate clearly to and care about the personal lives of their employees. Plus, discover Troy's top five best books for business leaders.

Show notes: RefiningRhetoric.com/Troy-Meachum

Classical Conversations® members—get started with the beta release of The Math Map: Naturals, an exclusive look into 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."

Devastating Blows for Pro-Life and Financial Freedom Sep 27, 2023

Show notes

It's time for another stand-alone episode of current events and Classical Crypto! First, Robert analyzes why Ohio voters attempted to raise the threshold percentage for making amendments to their state's constitution (an effort to protect abortion rights in their state). Then, Robert takes a closer look at the EU's "quiet and slow" approach to deciding on a digital euro (a CBDC), considering why this proposal, made silently right before an election, seems a little off.

Show notes: RefiningRhetoric.com/devastating-blows-for-pro-life-and-financial-freedom

Get tickets for the upcoming film Miracle in East Texas, directed by Kevin Sorbo and starring both Kevin and Sam Sorbo (a Classical Conversations® family), at SorboStudios.com.

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