Refining Rhetoric with Robert Bortins

What if the best way to change culture isn't through politics or protests—but by faithfully living out a biblical worldview right where you're planted?
Discover how to raise disciples who think faithfully about every area of life. In this episode, Robert sits down with Mike Shcutt, Executive Director of Worldview Academy, to discuss how Christians can bridge the gap between biblical truth and cultural engagement.
Mike shares insights from 30 years of discipling students through Worldview Academy's leadership camps, revealing why intellectual Christianity matters and how families can avoid the entertainment-focused approach that dominates youth ministry today. From homeschooling three children to watching seven grandchildren grow, Mike offers wisdom on passing down faith across generations.
Learn why worldview education isn't about creating "know-it-alls" who argue everyone into submission, but about forming gracious disciples who love their neighbors well. Mike unpacks the difference between being blind versus being dumb, and why asking good questions matters more than having all the answers.
This conversation challenges believers to think faithfully about their specific callings—whether in law, plumbing, teaching, or parenting—and bloom where they're planted. If Christians truly repented and lived according to Scripture in every area of life, what would cultural transformation look like?
 
Resources:
https://worldview.org/
 
This episode of Refining Rhetoric is sponsored by Worldview Academy:
Students call Worldview Academy the best week of their lives. Through week-long summer leadership camps for teens, Worldview Academy trains Christians to think and live in accord with a biblical worldview so they can better serve Christ and engage the culture around them. Worldview Academy reinforces what students are learning at home and at church and trains this generation to apply that knowledge to the challenging cultural issues they're facing.
To find a camp near you or learn more about Worldview's weekend conferences and other resources for families, visit www.worldview.org

What would you give up to stand for truth? For Kayleigh Bush, the answer was a crown. When Kayleigh Bush was crowned Miss North Florida in August 2024, she had no idea she'd soon face a choice that would make national headlines. Just four weeks after her crowning, she was presented with a revised Miss America contract that redefined "female" to include biological males who have undergone surgical procedures — directly contradicting her Christian faith and Florida law. She refused to sign. And she refused to stay silent.
In this episode of Refining Rhetoric, Robert Bortins sits down with Classical Conversations graduate and viral sensation Kayleigh Bush to talk about what really happened, what it cost her, and why she has zero regrets. From a surprise TMZ interview on a Washington D.C. sidewalk to tens of millions of views, Kayleigh shares how her CC education, her faith, and a community rooted in truth gave her the courage to trade a temporal crown for an eternal one.
Whether you're a parent raising kids in a world that's redefining womanhood, a student wondering if standing on convictions is worth it, or simply someone looking for a story of genuine courage — this episode is for you.
Resources:
She Leads America: sheleadsamerica.com
Liberty Counsel (Kayleigh's legal representation): lc.org
This episode of Refining Rhetoric is sponsored by Worldview Academy:
Students call Worldview Academy the best week of their lives. Through week-long summer leadership camps for teens, Worldview Academy trains Christians to think and live in accord with a biblical worldview so they can better serve Christ and engage the culture around them. Worldview Academy reinforces what students are learning at home and at church and trains this generation to apply that knowledge to the challenging cultural issues they're facing. 
To find a camp near you or learn more about Worldview's weekend conferences and other resources for families, visit www.worldview.org

What if the path to healing childhood trauma starts with a truth most people overlook? Join us as Rachel Davidson reveals how Kids Alive International is transforming the lives of sexually abused children across seven countries—and what every parent needs to know about prevention right now. In this powerful episode of Refining Rhetoric, host Robert Bortins sits down with Rachel Davidson, Chief Operating Officer of Kids Alive International, to discuss one of society's most challenging issues: childhood sexual abuse and trauma recovery.
In this episode, you'll discover:
The shocking statistics on child sexual abuse—and why it's closer to home than you think
Kids Alive's four-pillar approach: Prevention, Family Strengthening, Restorative Care, and Advocacy
Critical warning signs every parent should know to protect their children
Why most abuse happens with trusted family friends—not strangers
How faith-based trauma healing is transforming lives in Peru, Guatemala, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Kenya, Zambia, and Lebanon
Practical prevention strategies you can implement with your family today
Inspiring stories of forgiveness and restoration that will move you to tears
Whether you're a parent, educator, church leader, or concerned citizen, this episode provides essential insights into protecting children and supporting survivors of abuse.
Resources:
https://www.kidsalive.org/
 
This episode of Refining Rhetoric is sponsored by Worldview Academy:
Students call Worldview Academy the best week of their lives. Through week-long summer leadership camps for teens, Worldview Academy trains Christians to think and live in accord with a biblical worldview so they can better serve Christ and engage the culture around them. Worldview Academy reinforces what students are learning at home and at church and trains this generation to apply that knowledge to the challenging cultural issues they're facing.
To find a camp near you or learn more about Worldview's weekend conferences and other resources for families, visit www.worldview.org

What if the crisis in education isn't about test scores—but about truth itself? Join Robert Bortins as he sits down with Billy Hutchinson, Education Specialist at the Colson Center, for a timely conversation about the worldview battle shaping our children's futures.
With only 2% of Gen Z holding a biblical worldview (according to Barna research), the statistics are sobering. But this isn't a doom-and-gloom conversation—it's a roadmap for hope. Billy reveals why students today are getting different answers about fundamental questions like "What is a woman?" in every single classroom, and how the fracturing of truth is leaving an entire generation confused, discouraged, and unanchored.
Discover the powerful distinction between secular hope ("I hope my team wins") and Christ-centered hope (anchored in the historical reality of the resurrection), and why that difference changes everything about how we face cultural chaos. Learn from the courageous stories featured in the Colson Center's Truth Rising documentary—including cake artist Jack Phillips and detransitioner Chloe Cole—and why these ordinary people chose courage over fear.
Billy shares practical, free resources available at ColsonEducators.org that equip teachers, parents, and Christian leaders with the clarity, confidence, and courage needed to teach from—not just with—a biblical worldview. From worldview formation courses to the Fellows Program, discover how to become "agents of restoration" in this cultural moment.
This episode is essential listening for anyone who refuses to surrender the next generation to confusion and wants to equip their family, church, or classroom with unshakable truth.
Resources:
Colson Educators: https://courses.colsoneducation.org/
Truth Rising: The Study Educators' Edition: https://courses.colsoneducation.org/truth-rising-educators-study
2026 Rooted Christian Educator Summit: https://www.acsi.org/rooted-educator-worldview-summit
This episode of Refining Rhetoric is sponsored by Worldview Academy:
Students call Worldview Academy the best week of their lives. Through week-long summer leadership camps for teens, Worldview Academy trains Christians to think and live in accord with a biblical worldview so they can better serve Christ and engage the culture around them. Worldview Academy reinforces what students are learning at home and at church and trains this generation to apply that knowledge to the challenging cultural issues they're facing. 
To find a camp near you or learn more about Worldview's weekend conferences and other resources for families, visit www.worldview.org

What if everything we've been told about making college "affordable" is actually making it more expensive and worse?
Robert Bortins sits down with Dr. Ben Merkle, President of New St. Andrews College and Oxford-educated scholar who wrote the foreword to "Woke and Weaponized." As one of fewer than a dozen colleges that refuse all federal student loan dollars, Dr. Merkle offers a rare insider perspective on how government money has corrupted higher education—and why K-12 schools should learn from their mistakes.
Dr. Merkle traces the problem back to the GI Bill after World War II, explaining how federal funding changed the customer of education from students to government. Once colleges became dependent on Title IV money (Pell Grants and student loans), they became subject to Title IX mandates—leading Christian colleges to spend a year teaching students "how to receive consent for fornication" and removing backbones from administrators who now compete to be the most compliant rather than the most excellent.
The financial impact is staggering. While other colleges charge $55,000-$60,000 annually (with fake "scholarships" discounting sticker prices), New St. Andrews provides superior classical education for just $18,600 per year—proving that without compliance officers and administrative bloat, quality education is affordable. Dr. Merkle exposes the Bennett hypothesis: every dollar added to federal grants causes reciprocal tuition increases within 18 months, creating a self-perpetuating cycle that makes education more expensive and worse quality simultaneously.
Most provocatively, Dr. Merkle warns that classical Christian education—"the single biggest cultural victory for the American evangelical church"—is being handed over to the state through school choice programs. Charter schools aren't pulling kids from public schools; they're pulling families from Christian education into secular classrooms. He challenges administrators: stop serving mammon, define your mission clearly, and understand that funding is authority. The institutions we've sacrificed to build will be wasted if we trade them for government money.
Resources:
https://nsa.edu/
This episode of Refining Rhetoric is sponsored by: 
"Woke and Weaponized: How Karl Marx Won the Battle for American Education—And How We Can Win It Back" – A new book written by Robert Bortins and Alex Newman. 
Discover the shocking truth about how current education reform efforts may actually accelerate the destruction of educational freedom. Through meticulous research, Woke and Weaponized traces the philosophical roots of educational corruption from Robert Owen and John Dewey to critical race theory, while offering practical strategies for families ready to pursue genuine educational independence. Join our exclusive list to be notified the moment it becomes available — plus receive special launch updates and insider information. 
www.WokeAndWeaponized.com