Fr. John Nepil on Theology at Elevation

"One of the best places to cultivate a Catholic worldview in the hearts and minds of young people … is in the backcountry," writes Fr. John Nepil in his recent release, To Heights and unto Depths. Fr. Nepil, who has led dozens of group treks through the mountains of Colorado and said Mass atop every fourteener in the state, joins us to talk about adventure and a young man's theological education. The backcountry, he says, is rich in lessons of creation, dependence, suffering, and beauty—restoring our sense of being created and loved by a self-giving God. Chapters: 5:18 What draws us to the mountains 9:04 "Nature" vs. "creation" 13:16 Fatherhood 16:00 Dependence 20:44 Cultivating a worldview 25:54 Guiding the conversation (or not) 28:13 Redemptive suffering 31:23 Starting with beauty 38:59 Physical vs. metaphysical limits 46:46 Men doing hard things together 48:29 The backstory of the book 50:39 A habit of reading Links: To Heights and unto Depths by Fr. John Nepil Rethinking Mary in the New Testament by Edward "Ted" Sri Daughter Zion: Meditations on the Church's Marian Belief by Joseph Ratzinger Poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins Orthodoxy by G. K. Chesterton Also on the Forum: Why We Go: Seven Benefits of the Backcountry by Elias Naegele The Way of Encounter by Joe Breslin Why We Need Exposure to Nature by Eric Heil Featured Opportunities: Convivium for Teaching Men at The Heights School (November 13-15, 2025)