Refining Rhetoric with Robert Bortins

What happens when a 20-year Critical Race Theory advocate begins to question everything she believed about race, justice, and the church? In this episode of Refining Rhetoric, host Robert Bortins sits down with Monique Duson — co-founder of the Center for Biblical Unity — to unpack why she left the CRT framework behind and what the Bible actually teaches about racial unity, justice, and the body of Christ. Monique shares her journey from South Central LA to the mission field in South Africa, and how a series of hard conversations with a friend led her back to Scripture — and away from critical social theory. Together, Robert and Monique explore the origins of CRT, how it has infiltrated the church, and why biblical unity is not the same as racial reconciliation. If you're a Christian parent, pastor, or educator trying to navigate conversations about race with a biblical worldview, this episode gives you the theological grounding and practical clarity to do it well. Resources: Center for Biblical Unity: https://centerforbiblicalunity.com This episode of Refining Rhetoric is sponsored by CC Graduate Degree in Latin Studies: Classical Conversations is excited to announce the launch of our new accredited Graduate Program in Latin Studies, an 18-credit hour program designed speciϐically for homeschooling parents who want to deepen their understanding of classical Christian education in Latin writing and translation. This graduate program provides academic recognition for your dedication to classical learning while offering a pathway to advanced study in Latin through our partnership with Southeastern University. Register today to secure your spot in this transformative educational experience. Click Here to Begin Your Classical Journey

The Department of Justice has indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center — and it's a moment many Christian conservatives have been waiting years for. In this special episode of Refining Rhetoric, host Robert Bortins sits down with Wade Miller, Executive Director of the Center for Renewing America and former political director for Senator Ted Cruz, to break down exactly what the DOJ is alleging and why it matters for homeschool families, Christian nonprofits, and free speech advocates. From wire fraud to debanking conservatives, Wade unpacks the SPLC's three major indictment categories and explains how their "hate map" has been used as a weapon against Christian organizations for decades. He also shares what real cultural renewal looks like from inside Washington — and why the battle for America is ultimately a battle for its soul. Whether you're a homeschool parent, a conservative activist, or simply someone who wants to understand what's happening in D.C., this conversation will equip and encourage you. Resources: https://americarenewing.com/

What does it look like to build a family legacy that outlasts you by seven generations? In this episode of the Refining Rhetoric podcast, host Robert Bortins sits down with Bill High — CEO of Legacy Stone and co-author of The Legacy Life with Hobby Lobby founder David Green — to discuss how Christian families can build a multi-generational legacy of faith, generosity, and intentional vision. Bill and Robert dig into why the nuclear family is in freefall (down from 72% to 37% since 1960), why individualism is the enemy of legacy, and how to move your family from consumers to creators. Bill walks through the practical tools families can use — a family vision statement, mission, values, and generosity habits — to unite around something bigger than themselves. Whether you're just starting out or trying to reverse decades of drift, this conversation will challenge you to stop thinking about the next 20 years and start thinking about the next 150. Resources: https://billhigh.com/ https://legacystone.com/ This episode of Refining Rhetoric is sponsored by CC Graduate Degree in Latin Studies: Classical Conversations is excited to announce the launch of our new accredited Graduate Program in Latin Studies, an 18-credit hour program designed specifically for homeschooling parents who want to deepen their understanding of classical Christian education in Latin writing and translation. This graduate program provides academic recognition for your dedication to classical learning while offering a pathway to advanced study in Latin through our partnership with Southeastern University. Register today to secure your spot in this transformative educational experience. Click Here to Begin Your Classical Journey

What happens to your child's faith when they leave home for college? On this episode of Refining Rhetoric, host Robert Bortins sits down with Dr. Finny Kuruvilla — Harvard MD, MIT engineer, homeschool dad of nine, and founder of Sattler College — to discuss the crisis in Christian higher education and why he built a tuition-free, classical Christian college in downtown Boston. From the iron law of discipleship to Greek and Hebrew in the original languages, this conversation is essential listening for any homeschool family thinking about what comes after graduation. Dr. Finny Kuruvilla grew up in Southern California in the public school system — and what he saw there shaped everything that came after. Two things stayed with him: the exposure to harmful content and ideas during those formative years, and the creeping shift from caring what his parents thought to caring what his peers thought. When he and his wife Laura started having children, they were determined to reverse that dynamic. Today they homeschool nine children in Boston, from college age down to nine months old. The conversation opens with Dr. Kuruvilla's counter-cultural view of children as assets rather than liabilities — a biblical recovery of the idea that children are a heritage from the Lord, not a threat to the rainforest. His older kids run a snow shoveling and lawn raking business. The family's goal is human flourishing, not the accumulation of experiences that require both parents to work full time. From there, Robert draws him into the crisis he observed from the inside: seven years as a resident advisor at Harvard, watching bright young Christians have their faith "crash and burn" under the weight of an environment where 99% of faculty would not identify as born-again. The official statistic bears this out — 70% of church-attending students stop attending by the time they finish college. Dr. Kuruvilla calls it the iron law of discipleship: "Everyone, when fully trained, will be like his teacher" (Luke 6). Whether parents intend it or not, the law operates. Sattler College was built as a direct response to the three Cs. On cost: no tuition, with a room-and-board rate of around $9,000 per year in downtown Boston. On discipleship: the learn-do-teach model from Ezra 7, weekly same-gender journey groups for confession and mutual accountability, monthly mentorship meetings, and a campus culture built around the question "how did I share my faith with an unbeliever this week?" On curriculum: Greek and Hebrew required of every student, taught communicatively so that 80% of class time is spent actually in the target language. The freshman class travels to Greece at the end of the year to use their Koine Greek on location in Athens, Corinth, Thessalonica, and Philippi. The results are striking. Sattler is currently ranked number one in the country for MCAT scores — above Harvard and Stanford — and biology students are regularly publishing in peer-reviewed journals while working in Harvard Medical School labs. What You'll Learn • Why Dr. Kuruvilla — after graduating from Caltech, MIT, and Harvard — chose to homeschool all nine of his children • The three Cs that define what's broken in higher education: core curriculum, Christian discipleship, and cost • What the "iron law of discipleship" is and why it should terrify every parent sending a child to a secular university • Why 70% of church-attending students stop attending church by the time they graduate college • How Sattler College addresses all three of those failures — including charging zero tuition • Why Sattler is the only college in America that requires all students to learn Greek and Hebrew • How Sattler students ended up outscoring Harvard and Stanford on the MCAT • What the "learn, do, teach" model from Ezra 7 looks like in practice — and why spiritual obesity is as real as physical obesity • How mission drift destroyed Harvard — and the specific bylaws and "poison pill" structures Sattler uses to prevent the same fate • Why Christian investors are unknowingly funding abortion, pornography, and gambling through their 401(k)s • What the Tower of Babel story in Genesis reveals about the power of organized Christians Resources Mentioned • Sattler College: https://sattler.edu/ • Eventide Funds (faith-based investing): https://www.eventideinvestments.com/ • King Jesus Claims His Church by Dr. Finny Kuruvilla — available wherever books are sold This episode of Refining Rhetoric is sponsored by: Classical Conversations' new 2026 Product Line This April, Classical Conversations is launching 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. Don't miss the special CC Bookstore sale from April 7 - 28!

What does it actually mean to abolish abortion — not just restrict it? In this episode of Refining Rhetoric, host Robert Bortins sits down with Classical Conversations graduate and Students for Abolition president Pate Anglin to discuss why a biblical abolitionist framework goes further than the mainstream pro-life movement — and how student chapters across 8 states are taking that fight to college campuses, state capitals, and beyond. Pate Anglin grew up in a homeschooling household shaped by classical education, faith, and the intentional discipleship of his parents — and he credits that foundation with preparing him for what he encountered at East Tennessee State University. Entering college in 2021 on a full-ride leadership scholarship, Pate quickly found himself navigating pronoun mandates, ideological pressure, and a campus culture hostile to a biblical worldview. Rather than retreating, he leaned in — and what started as a small group of young men praying in a dorm room became Students for Abolition, a rapidly growing network now active on 14 campuses across 7 states and into Canada. In this conversation, Robert and Pate dig into what truly separates the abolitionist position from mainstream pro-life strategy. Pate argues that much of the pro-life movement — though well-intentioned — has unknowingly adopted a humanistic framework, opposing abortion because it "pollutes the water" or "hurts mothers" rather than because it violates God's law. He walks through the abolitionist acronym GATES (Gospel-centered, Aligned through the church, Engaged biblically, Sought immediately) and explains how rooting the argument in Scripture changes everything — including how the law can function as a tool for tutoring society, restraining evil, and even serving as a gateway to the gospel. They also tackle some of the most contested questions in the movement: Should mothers be criminalized? What would an equal protection bill actually look like in practice? Why do so many pro-life organizations oppose abolition legislation? And why does Students for Abolition intentionally place men in leadership roles on the front lines of this cultural battle? Whether you're a CC parent wondering how classical education prepares students for the real world, a student looking to get involved, or a Christian trying to think through the abortion issue with more biblical clarity — this episode will challenge and encourage you. Resources: Pate's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pateanglin/ Pate's X account: https://x.com/pateanglin https://studentsforabolition.org/ This episode of Refining Rhetoric is sponsored by: Classical Conversations' new 2026 Product Line This April, Classical Conversations is launching 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. Don't miss the special CC Bookstore sale from April 7 - 28!