The Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation - with James Orr (7x10 - season finale!)

The Optimistic Curmudgeon

#OptimisticCurmudgeon2021 #Podcasting Education

39:33

"The basic premise of the event is that hunters hunt rattlesnakes from the surrounding environment all across West Texas, and bring them into the roundup for the weekend. And during the roundup, these snakes are kept in a pit and then, one by one, beheaded and skinned in front of in front of audiences." - Elizabeth MeLampy Elizabeth MeLampy is a lawyer dedicated to animal rights and protection, and her passion for this work shines through in her latest book, Forget the Camel, the Madcap World of Animal Festivals and What They Say About Being Human . To research the book, Elizabeth traveled across the country, immersing herself in a wide range of animal festivals — from the Iditarod dog sled race to the rattlesnake roundup in Sweetwater, Texas. Elizabeth examines these festivals as revealing microcosms of our broader relationship with animals. Whether it's rattlesnake hunts, frog-jumping contests, ostrich races, or groundhog celebrations, these events reflect the ways humans use animals to express cultural identity, community pride, and historical traditions. Yet beneath the pageantry and excitement lies a deeper question: Is our fascination with these spectacles worth the toll it takes on the animals involved? With compassion and insight, Elizabeth invites readers to consider whether there’s a more ethical and empathetic way to honor our stories — one that respects both animals and the traditions they inspire. Please listen, share and read, Forget the Camel. It will be released on April 8th, 2025. https://apollopublishers.com/index.php/forget-the-camel/…

about a year ago 1:14:41

MP3•Episode home

- Islam and the West

- The Face of God

- Fighting Communists by teaching philosophy in Hungary

- Scrutopia

- CS Lewis, friendship, and The Four Loves

- Architecture and "Building Better, Building Beautiful"

- Wine, terroir, and place

- The origin story of the Roger Scruton Legacy

- The relationship between Sir Roger and practical politics

- Performing Sir Roger's opera!

- Scruton's ecology

- JD Vance's VP debate

- The impact of overturning CHEVRON on the EPA

- Jordan Peterson winning the Scruton Prize

- Is Jordan Peterson a conservative? Is he a Christian? Thoughts on He Who Wrestles with God?

- How do function and essence relate in the perception of beauty? - Protestants and beautiful churches

- Why have the Scruton lecture become the Oakeshott lectures?

- Just how many books did Sir Roger write?

Find James Orr on X at @jtworr .

Check out the work of the Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation here: https://www.scruton.org/

Thank you to America's Christian Credit Union for sponsoring this episode! Be sure to check out their website here: https://americaschristiancu.com/every/

88 episodes

The Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation - with James Orr (7x10 - season finale!)

The Optimistic Curmudgeon

published about a year ago

MP3•Episode home

- Islam and the West

- The Face of God

- Fighting Communists by teaching philosophy in Hungary

- Scrutopia

- CS Lewis, friendship, and The Four Loves

- Architecture and "Building Better, Building Beautiful"

- Wine, terroir, and place

- The origin story of the Roger Scruton Legacy

- The relationship between Sir Roger and practical politics

- Performing Sir Roger's opera!

- Scruton's ecology

- JD Vance's VP debate

- The impact of overturning CHEVRON on the EPA

- Jordan Peterson winning the Scruton Prize

- Is Jordan Peterson a conservative? Is he a Christian? Thoughts on He Who Wrestles with God?

- How do function and essence relate in the perception of beauty? - Protestants and beautiful churches

- Why have the Scruton lecture become the Oakeshott lectures?

- Just how many books did Sir Roger write?

Find James Orr on X at @jtworr .

Check out the work of the Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation here: https://www.scruton.org/

Thank you to America's Christian Credit Union for sponsoring this episode! Be sure to check out their website here: https://americaschristiancu.com/every/

88 episodes

#OptimisticCurmudgeon2021 #Podcasting Education

All episodes

1
Marriage, Contraception, and Modernity: A Conversation with Dr. Michael Ward on C. S. Lewis and THS (8x4) 57:33

4 days ago57:33

57:33

Dr. Michael Ward discusses his essay in Life on the Silent Planet: Essays on Christian Living from C.S. Lewis's Ransom Trilogy . The conversation focuses on themes of marriage, contraception, and Lewis's cosmological mythology. Lewis predicted so many of our modern ills, and Dr. Ward's research helps us reckon with the woes of modernity. Dr. Ward walks us through the history of contraception within Protestant theological consideration, and then traces Lewis's engagement with those ideas in Abolition of Man and That Hideous Strength. Link to Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C.S. Lewis - https://www.amazon.com/Planet-Narnia-... Link to After Humanity: A Guide to C.S. Lewis's Abolition of Man - https://www.amazon.com/After-Humanity... Link to Life on the Silent Planet: Essays on Christian Living from C.S. Lewis's Ransom Trilogy : https://www.amazon.com/Life-Silent-Pl... Sponsor Link Many thanks to the C.S. Lewis Institute for sponsoring this episode! Check out their Fellowship here: https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/fell... The C.S. Lewis Institute Fellows Program offers a year of intensive discipleship that leads to significant life-change. Unlike many discipleship programs, the Fellows program focuses on discipleship of both heart and mind. It involves Bible Study, classic readings, lectures, group processing, personal spiritual mentoring and accountability – all in the context of a small group of like-minded believers. This year-long program is designed for those who want to live as fully committed disciples of Jesus Christ and make an impact for Him in the world.…

1
Lewis, Love, and Lear: A Conversation with Dr. Sarah Waters (8x3) 54:18

11 days ago54:18

54:18

Dr. Sarah Waters explains Lewis's love for Shakespeare, and the conversation focuses on King Lear as an inspiring source source text. She traces Lewis's use of Hamlet and King Lear, with an eye towards the theme of love in Lewis's thought. Waters proves that the better we know Shakespeare, the more easily we see what Lewis is doing. Follow Dr. Waters on X at @srawaters Resource mentioned in the show: "Lewis, Lear, and The Four Loves " in An Unexpected Journal (Dec. 14, 2022): https://anunexpectedjournal.com/lewis-lear-and-the-four-loves/ Sponsor Links America's Christian Credit Union - https://americaschristiancu.com/personal/…

1
Life on the Silent Planet - with Rhys Laverty (8x2) 1:04:31

18 days ago1:04:31

1:04:31

Rhys Laverty, Senior at Ad Fontes, Senior Managing Editor at Davenant Press, and Director of Communications at the Davenant Institute, describes his work on Life on the Silent Planet: Essays on Christian Living from C.S. Lewis's Ransom Trilogy . Rhys explains the need for a volume of literary essays on Lewis's Ransom Trilogy, his experience beginning to read Lewis seriously, and then explains three approaches to pleasure highlighted in Perelandra. The Ransom Trilogy, Rhys argues, has direct bearing on helping Christians follow Christ more closely. Mentions in episode: Life on the Silent Planet Amazon purchase link: https://shorturl.at/QM68d Davenant Institute: https://davenantinstitute.org/ Follow Rhys on X here - https://x.com/RDLaverty Sponsor Links America's Christian Credit Union - https://americaschristiancu.com/personal/…

1
The Re-Enchanting Inklings, with Dr. Josh Herring (8x1) 28:57

23 days ago28:57

28:57

Josh Herring introduces Season 8 of The Optimistic Curmudgeon as a themed season around the idea of re-enchantment as modeled by the Inklings. He argues that the most important move Conservatives can make in this moment, when the Right is ascendant, is to rediscover how to tell excellent stories. C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Owen Barfield remind us that through stories we rediscover the complexity of reality. Sponsor Links America's Christian Credit Union - https://americaschristiancu.com/personal/…

1
The Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation - with James Orr (7x10 - season finale!) 1:14:41

12 weeks ago1:14:41

1:14:41

Dr. James Orr discusses his friendship with Sir Roger Scruton, his work with the Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation, philosophy, and theology. It's a marvelous conversation that covers a breadth of topics. Enjoy! Topics of conversation include: - Islam and the West - The Face of God - Fighting Communists by teaching philosophy in Hungary - Scrutopia - CS Lewis, friendship, and The Four Loves - Architecture and "Building Better, Building Beautiful" - Wine, terroir, and place - The origin story of the Roger Scruton Legacy - The relationship between Sir Roger and practical politics - Performing Sir Roger's opera! - Scruton's ecology - JD Vance's VP debate - The impact of overturning CHEVRON on the EPA - Jordan Peterson winning the Scruton Prize - Is Jordan Peterson a conservative? Is he a Christian? Thoughts on He Who Wrestles with God? - How do function and essence relate in the perception of beauty? - Protestants and beautiful churches - Why have the Scruton lecture become the Oakeshott lectures? - Just how many books did Sir Roger write? Find James Orr on X at @jtworr . Check out the work of the Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation here: https://www.scruton.org/ Thank you to America's Christian Credit Union for sponsoring this episode! Be sure to check out their website here: https://americaschristiancu.com/every/…

1
God and Science - with Spencer Klavan (7x9) 1:01:13

13 weeks ago1:01:13

1:01:13

Spencer Klavan of @YoungHereticsShow discusses his newest book, Light of the Mind, Light of the World. Does science actually support the idea of a godless universe? What happens to the universe when an intelligent mind is present? Why is a classicist writing a book about science? We get into all these questions, and a fun digression on theology, hermeneutics, and #evolution. Great conversation! Link to buy the book: https://shorturl.at/d7bNF…

1
Choosing to Have Children and Defying the Birth Dearth - with Catherine Pakaluk (7x8) 1:19:16

16 weeks ago1:19:16

1:19:16

Dr. Catherine Pakaluk tells the story behind her book Hannah's Children: The Women Quietly Defying the Birth Dearth. The birth rate decline is not a result of policy changes, and cannot be fixed by policy. Dr. Pakaluk conducted a qualitative studying to discover why women choose to have large families. She describes her findings, and tells some of the stories from her research. There is a clear cost of having children, and the turning point for mothers came in seeing each child as a gift and being open to the gift of another child. This was a great conversation! This episode is sponsored by the Acton Institute and their podcast, Acton Line. Acton Line is a weekly interview podcast from the Acton Institute featuring a wide variety of guests whose work and expertise help to move us toward a free and virtuous society. From theology and philosophy to economics and law, church and state to business and culture. Acton Line brings the Acton Institute’s unique synthesis of piety and technique to every sphere of life. For engaging and illuminating conversations that connect good intentions with sound economics subscribe to Acton Line on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify or anywhere else you listen to fine podcasts. Links: Hannah's Children: https://shorturl.at/RfSKH The Acton Institute: https://www.acton.org/ Acton Line: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_ufxTLt-Fs&list=PL2YhagjmWvB8HoOCzJ-tY-Y1CVqdC8wgn…

1
America's Nuclear Future - with Emmet Penney (7x7) 1:04:22

17 weeks ago1:04:22

1:04:22

Emmet Penney discusses America's failing electrical power grid, the possibilities of a nationwide network of nuclear power plants, and the way those power plants would restore dignity to the American workforce. Penney has opinions on which nuclear model should be template - listen to find out! We also briefly discuss his journey out of the Democratic Party, and hopes for what a Trump administration can do. We recorded this well before the 2024 election. #nuclear #energy #politics #crisis #Electricity #TrumpAdministration This episode is sponsored by America's Christian Credit Union - check them out here: https://americaschristiancu.com/every/ Emmet's Substack: https://nuclearbarbarians.substack.com/ Follow Emmet on X here: https://x.com/nukebarbarian…

1
Educational Entrepreneurship - With Bob Luddy (7x6) 37:19

19 weeks ago37:19

37:19

Bob Luddy, founder of Captiveaire, St. Thomas More Academy, Franklin Academy, Thales Academy, and Thales College, defines and discusses the "educational entrepreneur." He explains the role eduction plays in changing culture, the significance of finding the right people for leadership roles, and the value of persistence in building an organization. At the close of the episode, Bob explains why he wanted to found a college. Making entrepreneurs is in one sense impossible, but the conditions for entrepreneurship involve immersion in liberal education and vast experience in business. That's what Bob wants Thales College to be. #entrepreneur #reader #liberalarts #Business #college #highereducation #wisdom #virtue Links: https://www.thalescollege.org/ https://captiveaire.com/ Bob's autobiography, An Entrepreneurial Life - https://tinyurl.com/ywmyx3zz Bob's latest book, The Thales Way - https://tinyurl.com/mtnvbfhd…

1
Money and the Deep State - Tyler O'Neil (7x5) 53:01

22 weeks ago53:01

53:01

Tyler O'Neil discusses his forthcoming book The Woketopus: The Dark Money Cabal Manipulating the Federal Government . Covid policy, education, budget funding, the LGBTQ+ agenda, and teachers' unions that have broken American education - Tyler explains the many ways the deep state has corrupted the constitutional governance of America. Tracing the money forms quite the map, and is the key to seeing influence. #administrativeState #conservatism #DeepState #Education #LGBTQ+ #draintheswamp #Project2025 Pre-Order here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFVK74TZ/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk This episode is sponsored by America's Christian Credit Union - check them out here: https://americaschristiancu.com/every/…

1
Transhumanism, P**n, Loneliness, and Big Tech - With Emily Jashinsky (7x4) 51:20

22 weeks ago51:20

51:20

Emily Jashinsky of Unherd discusses the unique challenges pornography and big tech pose to our culture; she suggests that the loneliness epidemic is directly connected to these problems. Transhumanism as a rejection of the natural goodness of the body fits directly into our cultural malaise. Join Emily and Josh for a great conversation about the problems facing the 21st century and the hope that remains! Emily hosts Undercurrents, which can be found here: https://unherd.com/undercurrents/…

1
Forming the Moral Imagination - feat. Sean Hadley (7x3) 1:28:41

23 weeks ago1:28:41

1:28:41

Dr. Sean Hadley discusses the effects the key texts of literature have on the moral imagination: Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Vergil's Aeneid, Dante's Divine Comedy, Spenser's Faerie Queene, Milton's Paradise Lose, Sophocles' Oedipus Cycle, The Song of Roland (Anon). Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, Shakespeare's The Tempest, and Lewis's Till We Have Faces. Enjoy this discussion of the formative power great books have on the imagination! Sean's Substack - A Southern Knickerbocker - https://hadleyonfire.substack.com/ This episode is based on the following two Substack articles: https://hadleyonfire.substack.com/p/10-books-for-the-classical-imagination https://hadleyonfire.substack.com/p/10-books-for-the-classical-imagination-b4c We are grateful for the sponsorship for this episode provided by the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal. Check out their website here: https://www.jamesgmartin.center/ The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal educates citizens and decision-makers to improve higher education. The Martin Center is dedicated to promoting knowledge over credentials, restoring genuine liberal learning, and ensuring that public investment in higher education provides value to students, taxpayers, and society. A recent report from the Martin Center explores Great Books programs across the country. This report is designed for students who desire a deep and broad understanding of the Great Works of Western civilization. It will direct them to almost 50 colleges and universities that offer a substantive education in “the best which has been thought and said.” These programs invite students to become participants in a centuries-long conversation that begins with Plato, Aristotle, and Homer and extends to Dante, Shakespeare, and Jane Austen. The report can be downloaded from the Martin Center’s website at go.jamesgmartin.center/GREATBOOKS or here: https://www.jamesgmartin.center/2023/04/preserving-the-canon-great-books-programs-at-americas-colleges-and-universities/…

1
Ministry in a Hostile World - Urie Brito of the CREC (7x2) 57:49

24 weeks ago57:49

57:49

Ministry in the negative world is often difficult. Pastor Urie Brito explains his story of getting into ministry, why he loves the CREC (Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches), and details the argument of his latest book, The War of the Priesthood: An Exposition of the Armor of God. Towards the end of the episode, Uri explains why he is willing to go into overtly political spaces, and what role he sees pastors playing in shepherding their flocks through political seasons. With shoutouts to Meg Basham's Shepherds for Sale, National Conservatism, and New Saint Andrews College, this is a conversation you don't want to miss! Links: https://kuyperian.com/ https://drbrito.substack.com/ https://www.amazon.com/War-Priesthood-Exposition-Armor-God/dp/1956611053/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2F1G8L1GG6A9Q&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.TWyZnRucm4iTkcGaxE49DeDJe-nzptqCL2b1bhAACeA.tX2QE5DsVTG0FuCVCHs8HC3F-0Rg5jHqHJB9ZZvnMr0&dib_tag=se&keywords=war+of+the+priesthood+uri+brito&qid=1728404845&sprefix=the+war+of+the+priesthood+%2Caps%2C204&sr=8-1 https://crechurches.org/…

1
Beauty and Aesthetics: Mike Young (7x1) 1:05:15

26 weeks ago1:05:15

1:05:15

Dr. Michael Young discuss beauty, Roger Scruton, and aesthetics as a natural desire of the human soul. Our longing for beauty signifies our desire for something higher, something more meaningful to the human condition, than mere utility. We were made for more! This conversation was inspired by Roger Scruton's book Beauty: A Very Short Introduction. #beauty #aesthetics #philosophy #thegoodlife #moralimagination #rogerscruton #scruton…

1
SECCE - Kristen Rudd: Stop Leaving your Students in Hell, or Read the Whole Comedia! 47:40

34 weeks ago47:40

47:40

At this SECCE breakout talk, Kristen Rudd argues that classical schools do their students a disservice when they only teach The Inferno . To really grasp Dante, students need to ascend through Purgatorio into Paradiso .

The Optimistic Curmudgeon

1
SECCE - Marc Fusco: Shakespeare is Still the One 51:02

34 weeks ago51:02

51:02

At this SECCE breakout talk, Marc Fusco argues that Shakespeare is the best guide to understanding human nature. Classical schools ought to teach, read, and perform Shakespeare to help students understand the complexity of what it means to be human.

The Optimistic Curmudgeon

1
SECCE - Jim Ranieri: Re-Enchant the World by Reading Tolkien 34:15

34 weeks ago34:15

34:15

In this SECCE breakout session, Jim Ranieri argues that the world stands in need of re-enchantment after the ravages of modernity. Tolkien's The Lord the Rings , read as a distinctly Catholic novel by Catholic teachers, has the potential to rightly re-enchant our minds and help us perceive the sacramental nature of reality.…

The Optimistic Curmudgeon

1
SE Consortium: Jason Jewell - The Canon as an Antidote to Contemporary Rootlessness 42:59

34 weeks ago42:59

42:59

In this plenary address at the inaugural SE Consortium of Classical Educators conference at Thales College, Jason Jewell argues that our modern culture is marked by a rootlessness; the literary canon pushes against that rootlessness, encouraging us to find home through the pursuit of tradition, place, and things divine.…

The Optimistic Curmudgeon

1
SE Consortium: Sean Hadley - The Word for Heritage is Canon 25:09

34 weeks ago25:09

25:09

In this plenary address at the inaugural SE Consortium of Classical Educators conference at Thales College, Sean Hadley builds a metaphorical view of the canon as a forest. The forest requires tending, and appreciation. Sean draws from Lewis's Experiment in Criticism to distinguish how classical educators bring their students into the forest to foster a certain kind of reading.…

The Optimistic Curmudgeon

1
SE Consortium: Robert Woods - Being a Loving Resistance Fighter During our Culture and Canon Wars 38:29

34 weeks ago38:29

38:29

In this plenary address at the inaugural SE Consortium of Classical Educators conference at Thales College, Robert Woods draws on Neil Postman's Technopoly to argue for a certain attitude that classical educators ought to adopt as they engage in the fight for what is good, true, and beautiful.

The Optimistic Curmudgeon

1
SE Consortium: Josh Herring - Books which Nourish the Soul 42:55

34 weeks ago42:55

42:55

In this opening plenary address at the inaugural SE Consortium of Classical Educators conference at Thales College, Josh Herring draws from C.S Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, David Hicks, Russell Kirk, and Robert Hutchins to describe the kind of book worth requiring in a K-12 educational context. This talk was delivered on 8/3/2024.…

The Optimistic Curmudgeon

1
Katherine Bradshaw: Learning to Play in Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew 1:20:47

38 weeks ago1:20:47

1:20:47

Katherine Bradshaw of the Ancient Language Institute joins Josh Herring for a discussion of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. They summarize the play, discuss interpretive difficulties, read several passages, and generally have a delightful time laughing at one of Shakespeare's best (and most controversial) comedies. If you are interested in knowing more about the gender wars, let Shakespeare be your guide! Petruchio, Katherine, Bianca, Grumio and the rest shed light on some of today's most pressing questions. Links to the things mentioned in the podcast: The Ancient Language Institute - https://ancientlanguage.com/about/ New Humanists podcast from ALI: Katherine Bradshaw been a guest on this podcast a few times to talk about Coriolanus, Julius Caesar, and Antony and Cleopatra, as well as to interview Eric Adler about Irving Babbitt - https://newhumanists.buzzsprout.com/1791279 Article for the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal about alternative paths open to the academically inclined - https://www.jamesgmartin.center/2023/07/diary-of-a-freelance-language-scholar/…

The Optimistic Curmudgeon

1
Eric Wearne - Developing New Models of Teacher Training (6x9) 47:43

41 weeks ago47:43

47:43

Eric Wearne, director of the National Hybrid Schools Project, discusses his edited volume New Pathways in Teacher Preparation and Certification . There is a functional monopoly on training teachers, and Wearne argues that a school choice friendly America needs new approaches to training teachers and school leaders. With specific shoutouts to the CiRCE Institute's Apprenticeship program, Thales College's Certificate in Classical Education Philosophy, and several new options on the horizon, this episode presents solutions to the problem it diagnoses. Dr. Wearne also provides a brief survey of the history of teacher formation in America. Enjoy: Links: 1. The Book - https://www.amazon.com/New-Pathways-Teacher-Preparation-Certification/dp/1032335661/ref=sr_1_2?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.JHeitO9YIhKqAUAHotAH7Pp9tTRbnErTYZyTJs7tbFLGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.8jtnCbsG_gmEx0h8CvOKHEZZr5aUktA9011US0mmefs&dib_tag=se&keywords=eric+wearne&qid=1718644623&sr=8-2 2. The National Hybrid Schools Project - https://www.kennesaw.edu/coles/centers/education-economics-center/national-hybrid-schools-project/index.php 3. Thales College's Certificate in Classical Education Philosophy - https://www.thalescollege.org/academics/classical-education/philosophy…

The Optimistic Curmudgeon

1
Winston Brady: The Inferno - Theological Novel and Hidden Puzzles (6x8) 1:25:47

42 weeks ago1:25:47

1:25:47

Winston Brady explains the story behind his Inferno, the importance of sin, redemption, and divine grace for ultimate happiness, and several puzzles hidden within Evan Esko's journey across Hell. Featuring lust, gluttony, murder, an Ent, Mephistopheles, suicide, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Thomas Jefferson, LBJ, Ernest Hemingway., and more. Here is the link to order your copy: https://shorturl.at/wL2I8…

The Optimistic Curmudgeon

1
John Wilsey: Religious Liberty and Conservatism in the Negative World (6x7) 1:01:01

45 weeks ago1:01:01

1:01:01

John Wilsey discusses the nature of religious conservatism, its place in the American tradition, and why conservatives are the best disposed group in America today to defend everyone's religious liberty. He explains the nature of patriotism, defending the idea of being American, and roots his arguments in Burkean conservatism. With callbacks to episode 5x5 featuring Ben Cnreshaw, Dr. Wilsey explains his take on Christian Nationalism. What does Wilsey think about Stephen Wolfe's Case for Christian Nationalism? Listen and find out!…

The Optimistic Curmudgeon

1
Joe Rigney - Leadership, Anxiety, and Headship in a Therapeutic Age (6x6) 1:03:09

46 weeks ago1:03:09

1:03:09

Joe Rigney discusses his new book, Leadership and Emotional Sabotage: Resisting the Anxiety That Will Wreck Your Family, Destroy Your Church, and Ruin the World, and the need for men in particular to rediscover their authority. Rigney argues that rightly used authority is a blessing to those under it and in the absence of that authority chaos reigns. He is concerned that those in leadership need to develop fortitude, enabling them to stay the course when storms arise. He also gives a beautiful response to President Biden’s proclaiming Easter Sunday as the Transgender Day of Visibility in 2024.…

The Optimistic Curmudgeon

1
Andrew Zwerneman: On Teaching History (6x5) 59:11

46 weeks ago59:11

59:11

Andrew Zwerneman discusses the nature of history, how it should be taught, and its role in a classical education. History is a primary method of shaping the moral imagination, and Zwerneman describes the pivotal role of the classical educator in forming students to cultivate historical consciousness. Find all of Andrew resources and more at Cana Academy - https://www.canaacademy.org/…

The Optimistic Curmudgeon

1
Rob Thornett - Classical Education Renews Culture (6x4) 1:04:52

47 weeks ago1:04:52

1:04:52

Rob Thornett, a classical educator with Great Hearts Academies, explains how classical methods and approaches help students discover the good that education can give them. Rob is a global traveler, and has taught in various international settings. This conversational episode is based on Rob’s article in Quillette: https://quillette.com/2024/02/09/the-odyssey-of-classical-education/ Find more of Rob's resources at Robertthornett.com…

The Optimistic Curmudgeon

1
Scott Yenor - California’s Woke Educational Agenda (6x3) 1:00:58

48 weeks ago1:00:58

1:00:58

Scott Yenor describes more than 20 woke pieces of legislation passed in California in recent years and the terrible effects they have on California education. Dr. Yenor explains what’s really going in some key educational buzzwords: culturally responsive teaching, social emotional learning, action civics, critical social justice, and restorative justice. Here is the report this episode is based on: https://idahofreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/California-Report-23-09.pdf…

The Optimistic Curmudgeon

1
Paul Krause - Gulliver's Travels, Misanthropy, and Satire (6x2) 1:01:23

50 weeks ago1:01:23