Refining Rhetoric

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 the Classical Conversations Inc 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.

Hear the episode at the link in the comments.

What does it actually take to raise boys who become faithful, purposeful men in a generation that’s been told they have no purpose? In this episode of Refining Rhetoric, host Robert Bortins Freedom Maximalist sits down with Braeden Sorbo: CC graduate, author of "Embrace Masculinity", and cultural commentator with over 2 million followers. They talk about Christian masculinity, Gen Z’s real struggles, and what parents of teenage boys need to understand right now.

Braeden shares what homeschooling through Classical Conversations Inc gave him that public school couldn’t: the flexibility, the community, and a foundation in truth, beauty, and goodness that still shapes how he thinks and creates. He opens up about what his generation is actually up against: a third of Gen Z aborted before they were born, a housing market that locks most of them out, and a culture that tells young men they have no purpose. But rather than despair, Braeden draws on the saints of old — St. Justin Martyr, St. Moses the Black — and the classical tradition to make the case that none of this is new, and none of it is unsurmountable.

If you’re a parent of a teenage boy, or a young man trying to find your footing, this conversation is packed with clarity, conviction, and real talk from someone who’s been in it. Braeden’s challenge to parents: stop leading with “pick yourself up by your bootstraps” and start by understanding what your kids are actually up against. The burden of proof that this country is worth saving? He says it lands on you.

Is the psychedelic renaissance a spiritual threat...or just medicine? In this episode , host Robert Bortins sits down with Gary Stockton, a Classical Conversations Inc Challenge IV graduate, to discuss his senior thesis: "Stay Sober, Stay Alert: A Christian Guide to Mysticism." Gary’s 32-source academic argument — drawing from Johns Hopkins research, C.S. Lewis, Voddie Baucham, and Hebrew and Greek primary sources — makes the biblical case that Christians should reject the spiritual experiences offered by psychedelic-assisted therapy.

From the ancient cult of Asclepius and pharmakia to Margaret Sanger, N**i eugenics, and the modern therapeutic boom, Gary traces a chilling historical thread connecting serpentine deities, manufactured spiritual states, and demonic deception across cultures and centuries. Robert Bortins Freedom Maximalist and producer Chris Blackburn join Gary to explore what Scripture actually says about mysticism, what Galatians 5 and Deuteronomy 18 reveal about pharmakia, and why the very “benefits” of psychedelic therapy may be part of a much darker bait-and-hook.

If you’ve heard about Joe Rogan’s advocacy for psychedelic therapy, Trump’s executive order on psychedelics for PTSD treatment, or the growing number of Christians open to these practices, this episode will give you the biblical framework to think clearly and respond wisely.