The Consortium Podcast

Ep. 80 - Mandi Gerth on Cultivating a Classical Classroom

This is Episode 80 of the Consortium Podcast, an academic audio blog of Kepler Education.

In this episode, Mandi Gerth discusses how to create a love of reading in the home, delves into her newest book Thoroughness and Charm, expresses her concerns of the rapidly-growing, therapeutic age in education, and gives us a sneak peek into her current writing projects.

Read Dr. Scott Postma's review of Thoroughness and Charm here.

Mandi's current most recommended book:

• Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren't Growing Up - Abigail Shrier
• Everything Sad is Untrue - Daniel Nayeri

Kepler's Consortiums provide resources and regional connections for Christian families, teachers, and educational organizations to expand the reach of classical education and foster human flourishing for generations to come.

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Mandi Gerth is a teacher, author, and classical education consultant who lives in Dallas, Texas. She holds a Master of Humanities degree from the University of Dallas with a classical education concentration.

Ep. 79 - Andrew Pudewa on The Future of Writing and AI

This is Episode 79 of the Consortium Podcast, an academic audio blog of Kepler Education.

In this episode, Andrew Pudewa recounts his own educational experience, discusses the nine units of learning to write taught at the Institute for Excellence in Writing, and shares his concerns about AI and the future “think nots” produced by modern schooling.

Andrew's current most recommended book:

• Against the Machine by Paul Kingsnorth

Kepler's Consortiums provide resources and regional connections for Christian families, teachers, and educational organizations to expand the reach of classical education and foster human flourishing for generations to come.

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Andrew Pudewa is the founder and director of the Institute for Excellence in Writing. Presenting around the world, he addresses issues related to teaching, writing, thinking, and spelling. Although he is a graduate of the Talent Education Institute in Japan (Suzuki Method) and holds a Certificate of Child Brain Development, his best endorsement is from a young Alaskan boy who called him “the funny man with the wonderful words.” He and his beautiful, heroic wife, Robin, homeschooled their seven children and are now proud grandparents of nineteen, making their home in Northeastern Oklahoma’s picturesque Green Country.

Ep. 78 - Dr. David Russell Mosley on Teaching the Classics

This is Episode 78 of the Consortium Podcast, an academic audio blog of Kepler Education.

In this episode, Dr. David Russell Mosley discusses his love of poetry and especially Dante, describes his pilgrimage into loving and teaching Classical Christian Education at Chesterton Academy of Notre Dame, and gives us an inside look into his current and upcoming writing projects. 

Dr. Mosley's current most recommended book:

• Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Kepler's Consortiums provide resources and regional connections for Christian families, teachers, and educational organizations to expand the reach of classical education and foster human flourishing for generations to come.

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David Russell Mosley has a PhD in theology from the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom, and is a humanities teacher at the Chesterton Academy of Notre Dame. Mosley is the author of several liturgical and poetic works. He is married to his wife Lauren and the father of twin boys, Theodore and Edwyn. In his spare time, he likes to read fiction and poetry, as well as write fiction and poetry; work in the garden; smoke pipes; drink good ale and whiskey; write hand-written letters; and read to his children.

Ep. 77 - Carrie Eben on The Good Teacher

This is Episode 77 of the Consortium Podcast, an academic audio blog of Kepler Education.

In this episode, Carrie Eben discusses what it means to be a good teacher. She dives into just a few of the ten pedagogical principles found in her and Dr. Christopher Perrin's new book The Good Teacher. Learn more about the principles here. As a Master Teacher at the CiRCE Institute, Carrie invites homeschool teachers, brick-and-mortar teachers, and even just life-long learners to explore what it means to be a truly good teacher. Visit her website here.

Carrie Eben's current most recommended book:

• Reaching Out: The Three Movements of The Spiritual Life by Henri Nouwen

Kepler's Consortiums provide resources and regional connections for Christian families, teachers, and educational organizations to expand the reach of classical education and foster human flourishing for generations to come.

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For over twenty-six years, Carrie Eben has championed classical education in both the private school classroom and homeschool arenas. She currently serves as founding board member at Sager Classical Academy in Siloam Springs, AR and is a Head Mentor for the CiRCE Institute Master Teacher Apprenticeship for the Ozark Mountain region. As a consultant, she develops and delivers customized workshops and mentorship for administrators, teachers, and parents in both classical school and homeschool settings. Carrie holds a BSE in Intermediate Education, a MSEd in Curriculum and Instruction from Oklahoma State University and is currently a PhD (ABD) candidate in the Great Books Humanities program at Faulkner University. She is co-author of The Good Teacher: Ten Pedagogical Principles That Will Transform Your Teaching with Dr. Christopher Perrin. She loves to sing, read, horseback ride, and provide hospitable places for transformative conversations in her home.

Ep. 76 - Cosmos or Chaos: Words Create Worlds, by Dr. Scott Postma

This is Episode 76 of the Consortium Podcast, an academic audio blog of Kepler Education.

This episode is a monologue by Dr. Scott Postma, entitled "Cosmos or Chaos: Words Create Worlds" taken from Volume 4 Issue 1 of The Consortium Journal. Do words have intrinsic meaning or are they defined only by the general consensus? How important is language to individuals' effective fight back against evils and manipulations? Find this essay and other Classical Christian works in The Consortium Journal here.

Kepler's Consortiums provide resources and regional connections for Christian families, teachers, and educational organizations to expand the reach of classical education and foster human flourishing for generations to come.

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Dr. Scott Postma is a veteran educator living in northern Idaho with his bride of more than 30 years where he leads Kepler Education and practices the ancient art of Tsundoku. He earned a PhD in Humane Letters at Faulkner University and blogs at scottpostma.net.

Ep. 75 - Louis Markos on Literature in Classical Christian Education

This is Episode 75 of the Consortium Podcast, an academic audio blog of Kepler Education.

In this episode, Dr. Louis Markos discusses his introduction to Classical Christian Education through Greek Mythology and his own personal heritage, the absolute necessity of the Great Books in education, and his hopes and cautions for the future of Classical Christian Education. Find Dr. Louis Markos' written works here.

Louis Markos' current most recommended books:

• The Way of Dante by Richard Hughes Gibson

Kepler's Consortiums provide resources and regional connections for Christian families, teachers, and educational organizations to expand the reach of classical education and foster human flourishing for generations to come.

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Dr. Louis Markos is a Professor of English and Scholar in Residence at Houston Christian (formerly Houston Baptist) University, where he holds the Robert H. Ray Chair in Humanities. He is a teacher, author of thirty published books and two lecture series, and a popular speaker in Houston. Louis holds a BA in English and History from Colgate University and an MA and PhD in English from the University of Michigan.

Ep. 74 - Andrew Zwerneman on the Value of History in a Classical Christian Education

This is Episode 74 of the Consortium Podcast, an academic audio blog of Kepler Education.

In this episode, Andrew tells the story of how he became a devoted teacher via the pursuit of his now wife, delves into the meaning of “seminar” or “socratic discussion” which is the backbone of the Cana Academy, and takes us behind the scenes of his remarkable, developing HISTORY250 project.

Andrew Zwerneman's current most recommended books:

• Remembered Past: John Lukacs On History Historians & Historical Knowledge
• Mark Twain

Kepler's Consortiums provide resources and regional connections for Christian families, teachers, and educational organizations to expand the reach of classical education and foster human flourishing for generations to come.

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Andrew Zwerneman is the co-founder and president of Cana Academy and the Writer/Narrator for HISTORY250. For 40 years, he has taught and consulted in secondary schools that emphasize classic humanities. He is the founder and owner of The Academy Project, LLC, which wrote the original curricula and trained faculties for 2 academies. Andrew is a popular keynote speaker and workshop director. Since 2020 he has concentrated much of his work on the renewal of history as a central field of study in our schools. Andrew holds a B.A., A.B.D. from University of Notre Dame and an M.A. from St. John’s University. He blogs weekly and is the author of History Forgotten and Remembered (2020) and The Life We Have Together: A Case for Humane Studies, A Vision for Renewal (2022).  

Ep. 73 - Joshua Gibbs on the Future of Classical Christian Education

This is Episode 73 of the Consortium Podcast, an academic audio blog of Kepler Education.

In this episode, Josh Gibbs discusses how he received a Classical Christian Education from Logos School, his journey into teaching literature, founding Gibbs Classical and The Classical Teaching Institute, and his thoughts on the future of Classical Christian Education.

• 2026 CiRCE Youth Conference
• Josh Gibbs most recommended book to date: Class by Paul Fussell

Kepler's Consortiums provide resources and regional connections for Christian families, teachers, and educational organizations to expand the reach of classical education and foster human flourishing for generations to come.

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Joshua Gibbs is the director and co-founder of The Classical Teaching Institute at The Ambrose School in Meridian, Idaho. He is the creator of the Proverbial podcast, the In the Trenches podcast, and the author of How to Be Unlucky, A Parley with Youth, and Love What Lasts. In 2019, Gibbs authored Something They Will Not Forget, in which he described his pioneering use of classroom catechisms, which are now found in many classical Christian schools in America and abroad. His pamphlet, “A Short Introduction to Classical Christian Education,” is used by hundreds of schools to introduce prospective families to classical education. For the last six years, Gibbs has been teaching classical literature online at Gibbs Classical, where an extensive back catalog of classes are available.

Ep. 72 - Marlin Detweiler on Classical Christian Education

This is Episode 72 of the Consortium Podcast, an academic audio blog of Kepler Education.

In this episode, Marlin Detweiler discusses how he discovered Classical Christian Education by reading Doug Wilson's Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning, starting a Classical Christian School with R. C. Sproul, and founding Veritas Press and Veritas Scholar's Academy.

Kepler's Consortiums provide resources and regional connections for Christian families, teachers, and educational organizations to expand the reach of classical education and foster human flourishing for generations to come.

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Marlin Detweiler has been a forerunner in classical Christian education for more than 30 years, serving the movement through leadership, curriculum development, and school formation. With his wife, Laurie, he helped found three classical schools and has been deeply involved in writing, editing, and publishing curriculum used worldwide. He is the president and founder of Veritas Press, which provides classical educational resources for homeschools and Christian schools and operates Veritas Scholars Academy, an online school serving more than 10,000 students. Marlin has spoken in dozens of cities on classical education and served for 22 years as a founding board member of the Association of Classical and Christian Schools, including two years as its initial chairman. He and Laurie have raised four Christian sons—Jameson, Brandon, Travis, and Parker—and are blessed with four daughters-in-law and five grandchildren.

Ep. 71 - Timothy Knotts on Responsible Rhetoric: Persuading Toward Truth

This is Episode 71 of the Consortium Podcast, an academic audio blog of Kepler Education.

In this episode, Timothy Knotts gives a plenary talk on Responsible Rhetoric: Persuading Toward Truth. This talk was given at the 2024 Consortium conference in Maynard, MA on July 12-13, 2024.

Kepler's Consortiums provide resources and regional connections for Christian families, teachers, and educational organizations to expand the reach of classical education and foster human flourishing for generations to come.

The New England Consortium of Classical Educators (NECCE) exists to point New England to the unifying Truth found in Christ and His creation, the Good of fellowship with like-minded individuals, and the Beauty reflected in great works of literature, science, and art, through teaching, conversation, and conferences.

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Timothy Knotts is a co-founder of the Consortium, and lives in Windsor, Connecticut with his wife, Cynthia, and their four protégés. He is the author of Reasoning Together: Philosophy, a soon to be released high school introduction to philosophy, and is occasionally published on the CiRCE and Kepler blogs. Timothy is a Lead Curriculum Developer for Classical Conversations, a CiRCE Institute certified master teacher, a recovering attorney, an amateur poet, and lover of the beautiful.