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Between the Lines

Between the Lines

Written by: From the secular to the sacred in education.
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 Welcome to Between the Lines: a podcast for nuanced conversations about education. “The joy of learning is as indispensable in study as breathing is in running,” wrote Simone Weil. At Between the Lines, this joy of learning is the air we breathe: the joy of discovery, of opening one’s mind to new ideas, and of reading, writing, and reasoning about the most important things. Above all, education is a joy because it hones the human powers of rational thinking—learning both what really is, and how to think well about what really is. History attests to the power of learning—for good and for ill. The ideas human beings hold shape the course of history, from philosophical principles to medical breakthroughs. When children (and adults!) learn to reason well from good principles, they build flourishing societies, have sparkling insights, and produce great works of art. On the other hand, bad principles—or bad reasoning—have often led to the great tragedies of history. In our time, education is of more importance than ever. More and more, pursuing truth takes a back seat to picking a side. We need courageous, thoughtful conversations about what children should learn, and above all we need to find the joy of learning once again—in children and in adults. At Between the Lines, we host the nuanced conversations that reawaken that joy of learning. Despite their very different backgrounds—secular and religious—our cohosts, Emily and Joseph, come together over this pursuit of truth and a desire to take on challenging ideas and understand the nuance behind major questions in education sphere today. What makes a good education? How can classrooms incorporate modern technology without compromising pedagogical principles? How can we develop independence through intellectual rigor? Our goal is to provide a space where powerful, constructive conversations can happen. Along the way, we talk to educational practitioners and theorists, forming a broad understanding of what it means to learn well. We take on challenging ideas with open minds aimed at truth.© 2025 From the secular to the sacred in education. Self-Help Success
Episodes
  • Episode 6: Dr. Andrew Seeley

    Episode 6: Dr. Andrew Seeley
    Jan 23 2024

    In this episode, we speak to Dr. Andrew Seeley about the fall of Rome, the Medieval period, and attempt to learn what shift in ideas led to the Renaissance and Scientific Revolution.

    Dr. Seeley is the President of the Boethius Institute and Director of Advanced Formation for Educators at the Augustine Institute. He received a Licentiate from the Pontifical Institute in Medieval Studies in Toronto and a Ph.D. in Medieval Studies from the University of Toronto. Over his three decades as a Tutor at Thomas Aquinas College in California, Dr. Seeley completed teaching every subject in its demanding, integrated Great Books curriculum. He became Executive Director of the Arts of Liberty Project in 2021.

    if you are looking for resources, please have a look at the Boethius Institute and Arts of Liberty Project:
    - https://boethiusinstitute.org
    - https://www.artsofliberty.org
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    57 mins
  • Episode 5: Thomas Roe

    Episode 5: Thomas Roe
    Jan 17 2024

    In this week's episode we speak with Thomas Roe: Latin, literature, grammar, and history teacher since 2011. Thomas is currently a faculty recruiter at Valor Education and wrote his master's thesis, "Sonnets on Sticks: An Apologia for Sentence Diagramming in Classical Education," as part of an M.A. at the University of Dallas.

    If you are interested in learning sentence diagramming, we recommend the following resources:
    https://www.amazon.com/Sister-Bernadettes-Barking-Dog-Diagramming/dp/0156034433
    https://letsdiagram.com/rexBarks.php
    https://letsdiagram.com/getSmart.php
    https://www.amazon.com/Graded-Lessons-English-Alonzo-Reed/dp/1523869941
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    43 mins
  • Episode 4: The Reading Wars

    Episode 4: The Reading Wars
    Jan 10 2024

    Sold a Story:
    https://features.apmreports.org/sold-a-story/
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    45 mins
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