Refining Rhetoric with Robert Bortins

What made America different from every kingdom that came before it? Bestselling author and American Minute founder Bill Federer joins Refining Rhetoric for our Celebrating 250 Years series to trace the improbable, providential story of the American experiment. From the invention of writing in ancient Sumer to the empire on which the sun never set, Federer explains how humanity's default form of government has always been kings—until ancient Israel became the first literate, self-governing people in history, and America flipped the flow of power from the top down to "We the People." Discover the providential moments most Americans have never heard: the mysterious fog that shrouded Washington's midnight retreat across the East River, and the last-minute discovery of Benedict Arnold's plot to hand West Point to the British.

Federer unpacks "the laws of nature and of nature's God," why the Founders saw no war between science and faith, and how the First Amendment was written to keep the federal government out of the states' religious affairs, not to scrub God from public life. He charts the nation's drift from a Judeo-Christian past into secular "neutral" and toward an aggressive Islamic future, exposes the psychological "psyops" shaping kids through social emotional learning, and calls families to anchor their children's identity in Christ. If you want to remember why America is worth defending, and to leave your own testimony of what God can do again, this episode is for you.

Resources: https://americanminute.com/

Books mentioned in this episode:
Miracles in American History, Who Is the King in America?, Silence Equals Consent, and What Every American Needs to Know About the Qur'an.

📖 Learn more about classical Christian education: https://classicalconversations.com/blog/classical-education-curriculum/
📖 Homeschool vs. Public School: https://classicalconversations.com/blog/homeschool-vs-public-school/
🎙️ Enjoyed this one? We think you'll love our other podcast! Check out Everyday Educator: https://everydayeducatorpodcast.com/
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What does it actually look like to raise faithful, culture-proof kids when the world — and sometimes even the church — is working against you? In this episode of Refining Rhetoric, host Robert Bortins sits down with Meeke Addison, co-founder of CultureProof and former spokesperson for American Family Association, to talk about biblical worldview, Christian homeschooling, and what it means to disciple your children in a post-truth culture.
Meeke shares the journey that took her from missionary work to national radio to homeschooling all six (now seven!) of her children from home — and the pivotal moment she and her husband realized they couldn't keep pouring into the culture without first pouring into their own kids. She unpacks why so many Christian parents feel stuck, how the failure of discipleship starts in the pulpit, and what it looks like to raise children who understand the time God has placed them in. She also digs into the state of the church today — why so many believers can't accurately define who the church even is, and what family-integrated worship has meant for her own family's faith.
This isn't a conversation about culture war tactics — it's about conviction. Meeke challenges parents to ask the hard question: are you raising arrows, or are you outsourcing that job to institutions that don't share your faith? If you've ever felt the tension between doing good work in the world and being faithful at home first, this one's for you.
 
📖 What is classical Christian education? Classical Education Curriculum
📖 Want to go deeper on discipleship and logic? The Five Common Topics of Dialectic
🎙️ Enjoyed this one? We think you'll love our other podcast! Check out Everyday Educator: https://everydayeducatorpodcast.com/
🔎 Find a CC Community Near You: https://classicalconversations.com/community-search/
📅 Upcoming CC Events: https://classicalconversations.com/events/
📚 Foundations Curriculum: https://classicalconversations.com/collections/foundations/
🛍️ CC Shoppable Catalog: https://classicalconversations.com/pages/shoppable-catalog/
 
CultureProof Website: https://cultureproof.net/

What would it take to raise a generation that's grateful — not just grievance-driven — about America? In this episode of Refining Rhetoric, host Robert Bortins sits down with presidential historian, award-winning screenwriter, and author Jane Hampton Cook to explore America's 250th anniversary, the faith of the Founding Fathers, and why reclaiming gratitude is essential to preserving the republic.
Jane shares untold stories from the American Revolution — including a Quaker woman who helped save Washington's army, the forgotten black heroes of Bunker Hill, and why George Washington referenced Providence over 560 times in his writings. She also unpacks how the Declaration of Independence planted seeds of liberty that took generations to harvest, and why classical Christian education is uniquely equipped to pass these truths on to the next generation.
Whether you're a homeschool parent trying to instill love of country, a classical educator looking for a fresh angle on American history, or simply someone who wants to feel more grateful and less cynical — this conversation will leave you inspired, informed, and a little more proud to be an American.
 
Jane Hampton Cook's Website: https://janecook.com/
 
📖 Learn more about classical Christian education: https://classicalconversations.com/blog/classical-education-curriculum/
🎙️ Enjoyed this one? We think you'll love our other podcast! Check out Everyday Educator: https://everydayeducatorpodcast.com/
🔎 Find a CC Community Near You: https://classicalconversations.com/community-search/
📅 Upcoming CC Events: https://classicalconversations.com/events/
📚 Foundations Curriculum: https://classicalconversations.com/collections/foundations/
🛍️ CC Shoppable Catalog: https://classicalconversations.com/pages/shoppable-catalog/
This episode of Refining Rhetoric is sponsored by Classical Conversations' new 2026 Product Line:
This April, Classical Conversations launched an exciting portfolio of new products designed to strengthen math fluency, develop critical reasoning skills, and equip families with practical tools for classical, Christian homeschooling. From flashcard resources and reasoning curriculum to hands-on manipulatives and a foundational parent resource, these releases deepen the classical learning journey for families at every level.
Visit ClassicalConversations.com/WhatsNew/ to explore the entire April 2026 product collection and start strengthening your family's classical, Christian education today.

What would it take to reclaim education — and America itself — from a system designed to produce dependency instead of thinkers? In this episode of Refining Rhetoric, host Robert Bortins sits down with Sam Sorbo — actress, homeschool advocate, and filmmaker — to talk about public school failure, parental rights, Christian homeschooling, and what America's 250th anniversary should make every parent stop and reconsider.
Sam spent years inside Hollywood, raised three kids through Classical Conversations, and watched her 24-year-old son — who skipped college — buy his own house. She brings receipts. In this conversation, she and Robert dig into the slow erosion of parental authority through compulsory schooling, why school teaches kids "don't ask, don't try, don't read, and don't think," and why the entrepreneurial spirit that built America can't survive inside a classroom. Sam also shares what she's bringing to a DOJ meeting with Kash Patel, Linda McMahon, and Acting AG Todd Blanche — and why she believes parents are being systematically sidelined to give institutions access to their children.
Whether you're a homeschool parent already in the fight, or a dad on the fence wondering if you could really pull this off, Sam's story — and her daughter's unforgettable "bye-bye" to the nanny — will stay with you.
 
Sam Sorbo's website: https://sorbostudios.com/
 
This episode of Refining Rhetoric is sponsored by Classical Conversations' new 2026 Product Line:
This April, Classical Conversations launched an exciting portfolio of new products designed to strengthen math fluency, develop critical reasoning skills, and equip families with practical tools for classical, Christian homeschooling. From flashcard resources and reasoning curriculum to hands-on manipulatives and a foundational parent resource, these releases deepen the classical learning journey for families at every level.
Visit ClassicalConversations.com/WhatsNew/ to explore the entire April 2026 product collection and start strengthening your family's classical, Christian education today.

What does it look like when a classical Christian education meets a national civics competition? In this episode of Refining Rhetoric, host Robert Bortins sits down with two Classical Conversations students — Owen Burrill and Elisha Hoey — who were selected as national finalists in the U.S. Presidential 1776 Award, a civics competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education celebrating America's 250th anniversary. Out of hundreds of thousands of eligible students, only 20 made it this far — and these two CC students are among them.
Owen and Elisha share how they tackled a study library spanning John Locke's Two Treatises of Government to Madison's notes from the Constitutional Convention, what surprised them most about the Founding (hint: virtue shows up everywhere), and how Classical Conversations' emphasis on memory work, primary documents, and impromptu speaking gave them a real edge. They also dish on their private tour of the National Archives and what it was like to see the Declaration of Independence without the crowds.
Whether you're a homeschool parent wondering if the hard work is paying off, or a student looking for a reason to dig deeper into American history, this conversation is proof that a classical education does more than prepare kids for college — it prepares them for the arena.
 
This episode of Refining Rhetoric is sponsored by Classical Conversations' new 2026 Product Line:
This April, Classical Conversations launched an exciting portfolio of new products designed to strengthen math fluency, develop critical reasoning skills, and equip families with practical tools for classical, Christian homeschooling. From flashcard resources and reasoning curriculum to hands-on manipulatives and a foundational parent resource, these releases deepen the classical learning journey for families at every level.
Visit https://classicalconversations.com/WhatsNew/ to explore the entire April 2026 product collection and start strengthening your family's classical, Christian education today.