Sword&Spade

Daniel Padrnos—co-founder of Supra Dinner Society and trained Tamada based in Seattle—joins Jason to explore the Georgian Supra: an ancient tradition of ritual feasting and toasting shaped by 1,700 years of Christian civilization in the Republic of Georgia. Daniel makes the case that hospitality is a distinctly masculine act and that the table your family already sits around is more powerful than you think.In This Episode, We Cover:What the Georgian Supra is—its origins, its structure, and the role of the Tamada as the host who sees every person at the table and draws out the best in themWhy ritual and shared etiquette don't constrain authentic encounter—they're the very conditions that make it possibleHow to give a good toast: what Daniel has learned from hundreds of Supras and from Georgian masters of the traditionThe toast as a theological act: what Josef Pieper's philosophy of affirmation reveals about why men raise a glassHow to bring the Supra into your home, your men's group, and your family table—and why it may recover a virtue men have abandonedChapters:00:00: Introduction01:47: The Tamada and the Marekipe03:57: "The Guest Is a Gift from God"06:16: Ritual as the Condition for Real Connection11:11: Inside a Supra: Themes, Structure, and Flow15:08: How to Give a Good Toast17:58: The Toast as Elevation and Affirmation27:20: Masculine Hospitality and the Tamada as Head40:20: Brotherhood, Family Supras, and Training Tamadas44:21: Leadership Means Pouring OutResources Mentioned:Supra Dinner SocietyFraternusJOIN 2500+ MEN READING SERIOUS, YET ACCESSIBLE ESSAYS ON VIRTUE, CULTURE, AND LIVING WELL: https://fraternus.org/sword-and-spade/Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios.

James Taylor Foreman is a writer, the voice behind The Metaphor on Substack, and a contributor to Sword & Spade magazine. In this conversation with Jason Craig, James traces his journey from being born Catholic, through years as an atheist, and back to the Catholic Church — and the more personal story underneath: a recurring dream, a two-week wedding, and a move back to Louisiana to finish the house his father left incomplete.In This Episode, We Cover:How reading Aquinas, Augustine, and Athanasius made James's conversion to Catholicism intellectually inevitable and what both Protestants and materialists have in common when they skip everything between Aristotle and KantThe two-week wedding, the relocation to Louisiana, and why time pressure sometimes produces more beauty than years of planning ever couldWalker Percy, Louisiana Catholic culture, and the tragedy of a people who possessed one of the richest Catholic inheritances in America and nearly let it rot from the insideAbstraction as the defining spiritual disorder of modernity — what it is, why it fuels everything from addiction to political outrage, and why embodiment is the only real remedyRight relationship with technology: why the tools that "disappear" are more dangerous than the ones we can see, and what it means to be a faithful steward rather than a tool yourselfChapters:00:00: Introduction and James's Background 06:02: From Louisiana Catholic to Teenage Atheist 08:40: A Slow Conversion, the Presbyterian Church, and the Church Fathers 14:45: Meeting Riley and the Two-Week Wedding 21:56: Finishing His Father's House in Louisiana 27:28: Walker Percy, St. Francisville, and Louisiana 34:58: What We Squandered: Retention, the Dance Hall, and Louisiana Catholic Culture 42:20: Walker Percy and the Problem of Despair 43:43: Abstraction, Embodiment, and Escaping Yourself 54:14: Right Relationship with Technology: The Tools That DisappearResources Mentioned:The Metaphor by James Taylor ForemanLost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Book by Walker PercyMorning Offering with Fr. Brad DoyleJOIN 2500+ MEN READING SERIOUS, YET ACCESSIBLE ESSAYS ON VIRTUE, CULTURE, AND LIVING WELL: https://fraternus.org/sword-and-spade/Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Devin Schadt, founder and executive director of Fathers of St. Joseph, joins Jason Craig to trace the wounds men carry into marriage, the spirituality of St. Joseph, and what it actually means to be a son of God the Father. Drawing on his own story—a difficult childhood, a broken early fatherhood, and a daughter's life-threatening premature birth that cracked everything open—Devin unpacks why men chase the world's validation, what it costs them, and how God the Father offers something far better. This is an hour for any man still trying to earn what he can only receive.In This Episode, We Cover:How to recognize the Six P's of the world's path (prestige, prominence, power, profit, possessions, pleasure) and stop letting worldly validation drive your identity as a husband and fatherWhy the wounds from your own father don't have to define your fatherhood—and what it looks like when a man finally lets God the Father inThe one thing every son needs his father to initiate—and how to make sure your boys aren't still searching for it at 40The difference between servile faith and filial faith, and why moving from slave to son is the hinge point of a man's entire spiritual lifeThe Four P's of God's testing (pain, personal poverty, patience, perseverance) and how to stop running from suffering and start letting it make you the father your family needsChapters:00:00: Introduction03:00: Twenty Years His Own Boss—Then a Desperate Prayer Changed Everything08:27: The Danger of Counting Your Fruit11:31: The Six P's: Seeking Validation in the Wrong Places13:48: Jesus in the Desert: Identity, Not Performance21:52: What Devin's Father Gave—and Couldn't Give26:38: The Father's Job: Choosing His Son33:32: The One Thing: Relationship with God the Father44:37: Servile Faith vs. Filial Faith55:34: The Four P's: Pain, Poverty, Patience, PerseveranceResources Mentioned:Fathers of St. JosephFraternusJOIN 2500+ MEN READING SERIOUS, YET ACCESSIBLE ESSAYS ON VIRTUE, CULTURE, AND LIVING WELL: https://fraternus.org/sword-and-spade/Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios.

In a world engineered to keep men indoors and inside their heads, philosopher and author Sebastian Morello—student of the late Roger Scruton and author of The Woodland Philosophy—argues that the path back to reality, to genuine culture, and to God runs through the wild. Drawing on a life of fox hunting, deer stalking, and spearfishing, Sebastian makes the moral and philosophical case that the huntsman is not a relic but a model. He is one of the few men left who still lives in right relation with the created order.If you've ever suspected that something essential has been lost in modernity and that the fix won't come from a screen, this conversation is for you.In This Episode, We Cover:How Sebastian came under the mentorship of Roger Scruton—and why that relationship changed his philosophy, his faith, and his life outdoorsWhy hunters and small farmers develop a deeper moral bond with animals than any Disney-fied conservationist ever couldThe difference between a mechanistic and an organicist worldview—and why it explains everything wrong with modern politics, land management, and cultureWhy recovering Catholic culture requires men to first recover their bodies, their places, and their patient relation to the landPractical advice for the man who wants to become a huntsman and why no amount of YouTube videos can replace a real mentorChapters:00:00: Introduction07:19: Meeting Roger Scruton and the meaning of mentorship12:13: Why hunt? The philosopher's question18:55: Modernity's disease—ideology, atomism, and lost reality26:07: The hunter's moral relation with his quarry33:27: Conservation and the attack on rural England47:49: Organicist vs. mechanistic—two visions of the world59:19: Recovering culture—becoming bodies again01:08:15: Why mentorship cannot be replaced01:15:41: Brotherhood forged through the huntResources Mentioned:The Woodland Philosophy by Sebastian MorelloOn Hunting by Roger ScrutonPersons: The Difference Between Someone and Something by Robert SpaemannFraternusJOIN 2500+ MEN READING SERIOUS, YET ACCESSIBLE ESSAYS ON VIRTUE, CULTURE, AND LIVING WELL: https://fraternus.org/sword-and-spade/Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios.

The men who shaped you left you something—a set of stories, images, and convictions you draw on long after they're gone. Dr. Jason Baxter, Dante scholar and author of The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis and Why Literature Still Matters, joins Jason Craig to make the case that literature is the hidden architecture of masculine formation—and that fathers who neglect it are leaving their sons with less than they think. This is a conversation for every father who wants to give his children more than rules.In This Episode, We Cover:Why a father alone is never enough—and how the men who surrounded Dr. Baxter as a boy shaped him in ways his own father couldn'tWhat an all-boys classroom reveals about how young men actually learn, compete, and form brotherhood—and what co-education quietly costs themHow fathers can take an active role in courtship culture, not as enforcers but as patrons who set the stage for their daughters and the men around themWhy the "invisible library" a man builds through literature is the very thing he'll reach for when a friend's marriage is falling apart and platitudes won't doHow the medieval integration of beauty, ethics, science, and poetry offers a richer model of formation than any list of commandments—and what that means for how we raise our sonsChapters:00:00: Introduction03:49: Introducing Dr. Jason Baxter06:55: The Men Who Made Him18:52: Boys, Girls, and the Classroom27:06: Fathers, Courtship, and the Dating Market36:41: Why Literature Still Matters48:27: The Medieval Mind: Integration vs. Fragmentation01:02:08: Marriage as the School of Manhood01:09:46: Forming the Imagination at Home01:13:29: The Invisible LibraryResources Mentioned:A Beginner's Guide to Dante's Divine Comedy by Jason M. BaxterThe Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis by Jason M. BaxterWhy Literature Still Matters by Jason M. BaxterThe Crisis of Narration by Byung-Chul HanJasonMBaxter.comJOIN 2500+ MEN READING SERIOUS, YET ACCESSIBLE ESSAYS ON VIRTUE, CULTURE, AND LIVING WELL: https://fraternus.org/sword-and-spade/Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Jason Craig sits down with Stephen Crotts—illustrator of Malcolm Guite's Galahad and the Grail—to talk about what it means to be a maker in an age of AI slop, why creativity is a duty rooted in the Imago Dei, and how recovering a sense of place is essential to being human. In This Episode, We Cover:Why AI can never bear the Imago Dei—and what that means for human art and expressionThe difference between dominion and domination, and how a Christian view of creation shapes an artist's workHow building a home culture of making—music, art, and craft—forms children and familiesThe ancient process of woodcut printmaking and why embodied craft matters in a disembodied ageWhy art belongs in its proper context and what we lose when it's pulled from worship into the museumChapters:00:00 Introduction02:23 AI and the Image of God04:00 Growing up in a creative family08:30 Dominion vs. domination: a Christian view of creation16:30 Building a culture of music and making at home24:15 The woodcut printmaking process27:40 "It's not expression if it's not made by humans"34:10 Art at its highest is devotional38:40 What it means for art to have meaning45:08 Finding local stories and images to focus onResources Mentioned:Galahad and the Grail by Malcolm Guite, illustrated by Stephen CrottsStephen Crotts' website"A British Eucharistic Odyssey: Galahad and the Grail Reviewed" by Theo HowardJOIN 2500+ MEN READING SERIOUS, YET ACCESSIBLE ESSAYS ON VIRTUE, CULTURE, AND LIVING WELL: https://fraternus.org/sword-and-spade/Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios.

Rick Seigmund spent two decades on the front lines of federal law enforcement fighting human trafficking and online predation — and came home with a message most men aren't ready to hear. Now a woodworker, finish carpenter, and founder of the Family Readiness Project, Rick joins Jason to connect what might seem like two very different callings: building something permanent, and protecting something priceless. In This Episode, We Cover:How an engaged, present father is the single greatest deterrent to online predators and groomersThe tactics of online predators operating through gaming platforms, and what fathers need to know about the openly Satanic 764 groupWhy building trust and honest communication with your sons before the storm is the only real family readiness that mattersThe "enshittification" of the American home, what reclaiming craft actually looks like, and why the way forward is the way backWhy historic wood windows outperform every modern replacement — and the class-action lawsuits that prove the industry liedChapters:00:00: Introduction and Rick Seigmund's Background05:01: Why Historic Wood Windows Beat Modern Replacements11:08: Throwaway Homes and the Loss of Craft16:50: The Way Forward Is the Way Back24:00: Building Your Forever Home36:57: From Craftsman to Defender: The Full Man45:00: Law Enforcement, Human Trafficking, and the Birth of FRP47:10: The Engaged Father Is a Predator's Worst Nightmare01:04:52: Online Dangers: Gaming Platforms, Groomers, and the 764 Group01:12:09: Culture Is the Best DefenseResources Mentioned:Family Readiness ProjectBrent Hull — Historic PreservationEnshittification by Cory DoctorowJOIN 2500+ MEN READING SERIOUS, YET ACCESSIBLE ESSAYS ON VIRTUE, CULTURE, AND LIVING WELL: https://fraternus.org/sword-and-spade/Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

David Russell Mosley—convert, poet, and teacher —joins Jason Craig to discuss the cultural heritage of the Church, the importance of aesthetic choices, and what it means to be present as a father. They explore how classical education should prepare children not to live in the past, but to make new things worthy of the tradition they've inherited.In This Episode, We Cover:The "tweed-y pipe" aesthetic and why how we dress reflects what we aspire to beDavid's conversion journey from evangelical Christianity to Catholicism through beauty and liturgyWhy classical education isn't about romanticizing the medieval past but equipping students to create the futureThe critical importance of fatherly presence—being there to discuss, encourage, and walk alongside your childrenHow the father-son relationship mirrors the Trinitarian life and the doctrine of deificationChapters:00:00: Introduction to David Russell Mosley01:16: Sword and Spade Magazine Explained03:41: The Tweed-y Pipe Aesthetic and Cultivating Taste08:59: David's Conversion to Christ and the Church29:50: The Doctrine of Deification and Becoming Little Christs42:50: Conversion to Catholicism in Nottingham49:22: Teaching at a Chesterton Academy in Spokane52:50: Understanding Myth as a Way of Engaging Truth01:07:35: Myth, Household, and the Domestic Church01:13:05: Fatherly Presence and the Filial ImageResources Mentioned:Mosley's Marginalia — David Russell Mosley's SubstackHow Catholic liturgy helped a father through family tragedyJOIN 2500+ MEN READING SERIOUS, YET ACCESSIBLE ESSAYS ON VIRTUE, CULTURE, AND LIVING WELL: https://fraternus.org/sword-and-spadeProduced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Dr. Jacob Imam of The College of St. Joseph the Worker and New Polity joins Jason to talk about a school that refuses to choose between the life of the mind and the life of the hands. The College of St. Joseph the Worker trains men in both the Catholic intellectual tradition and the skilled trades, graduating students with two certifications and no debt.In This Episode, We Cover:Dr. Imam's origin story: raised by a lapsed Muslim father and an evangelical Protestant mother in Seattle, and the conversion that followedThe founding vision of the College of St. Joseph the WorkerThe ancient pagan contempt for manual labor, from Aristotle's Politics to Cicero's On Duties, and how Christ's years at a carpenter's bench eradicated all of itWhy the liberal arts and the manual arts don't compete but strengthen each otherThe crisis in American construction, the rootlessness at its root, and the debt every graduate carries back to the community that formed himChapters:00:00: Introduction01:29: Jacob Imam's Origin Story13:09: What Is the College of St. Joseph the Worker?16:41: How Higher Education Has Failed19:56: The Ancient Case Against Manual Labor—and Why Christ Changed Everything28:45: The Active and Contemplative Life32:37: Students Arriving at the College35:33: The Trades Crisis: Why Now37:28: Why Modern Homes Are Built to Fail49:42: Going Away to Come Back BetterResources Mentioned:College of St. Joseph the WorkerNew PolityJOIN 2500+ MEN READING SERIOUS, YET ACCESSIBLE ESSAYS ON VIRTUE, CULTURE, AND LIVING WELL: https://fraternus.org/sword-and-spade/Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Joe Heschmeyer has spent nearly two decades at the forefront of Catholic apologetics—first as a blogger and lawyer, now as an apologist for Catholic Answers. In this conversation with Jason Craig, Joe unpacks what the explosion of online apologetics has gotten right, where it  goes wrong, and what Catholic men most need to hear about bringing the faith from the internet into actual life.In This Episode:How Catholic apologetics went from the fringes to a dominant force online—and what that shift has produced in the pewsThe ego trap inside apologetics culture: when defending the faith becomes about winning arguments rather than winning soulsPascal's method for correction: why understanding what someone gets right is the key to showing them where they errSt. Thomas Aquinas's four marks of a man growing in wisdom, and how they apply to every conversation you'll have todayWhat new converts most need after RCIAChapters:00:00: Welcome & Jason's Conversion Story02:22: The Rise of Catholic Apologetics Online08:11: Church Architecture as Theology14:28: Joe's Journey From Law to Apologetics24:58: When Apologetics Becomes About Ego32:57: Translating Online Zeal Into Real-Life Witness35:43: Pascal's Method for Winning Hearts45:40: St. Thomas Aquinas on Growing in Wisdom01:10:39: Advice for New Converts01:14:31: Rootedness, Community, and the Faith That BakesResources Mentioned:Catholic AnswersShameless Popery PodcastFraternusThe Rise of Christianity by Rodney StarkPensées by Blaise PascalJOIN 2500+ MEN READING SERIOUS, YET ACCESSIBLE ESSAYS ON VIRTUE, CULTURE, AND LIVING WELL: https://fraternus.org/sword-and-spade/Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Gregory Wolfe has spent 40 years hunting for something most men assume doesn't exist anymore: serious, beautiful, Catholic literature written by people still alive. As the founder of Image journal and now publisher of Slant Books, he's found it—and he's here to make the case that the Church's artistic tradition isn't in a museum. It's being written right now by people you've never heard of. That's on us to fix.What We CoverWhy newness is not the enemy of tradition and never has beenWhy Waugh, Greene, and O'Connor were condemned by Catholics before they were celebrated by themHow T.S. Eliot's conversion to the Church of England unlocked a new way of reading modernist poetryWhy Michelangelo's Pietà caused riots in Rome — and what that tells us about art todayThe Catholic writers most Catholics have never heard of — and why that's a problemChapters00:00: Who Is Gregory Wolfe?04:29: From Mimeograph to Magazine: A Life in Publishing10:23: The Church of What's Happening Now14:21: Why Newness Matters in Art19:46: T.S. Eliot and the Living Tradition25:32: The Shock of the New (Even Michelangelo's Pietà)31:24: Waugh, Greene, and O'Connor Were Condemned—Then Celebrated39:01: The Still Small Voice: What Contemporary Fiction Whispers44:36: Catholic Writers You've Never Heard Of (But Should Know)49:51: Tell It Slant: The Mission of Slant BooksResources MentionedSlant BooksChild of These Tears by Molly McNettWe Shall Not All Sleep by Tony WoodliefRedeployment by Phil KlayImage JournalJOIN 2500+ MEN READING SERIOUS, YET ACCESSIBLE ESSAYS ON VIRTUE, CULTURE, AND LIVING WELL: https://fraternus.org/sword-and-spade/Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Ross Arlen Tieken is a writer, educator, and seventh-generation Texan whose path into the Church ran through paganism, medieval scholarship, and a profound encounter with beauty. In this conversation with Jason Craig, Ross traces how a childhood hunger for something worth worshiping—cultivated on a farm in Shiner, Texas—led him from neo-paganism and a grant-funded expedition to study druids in rural England to the sacramental universe of Catholicism. Chapters:00:00: Introduction and Ross's Texas Roots07:11: Catholicism in the Family and the Wound of Rejection09:58: A Search for Something Worth Worshiping13:40: Studying Neo-Paganism in England18:35: Medieval Magic, the Saints, and the Path to Conversion31:51: Distinguishing Magic from Sorcery37:55: The Sacramental World vs. the Technological Mindset46:05: Agriculture, Liturgical Cycles, and Participating in Creation51:37: The Occult, Spiritual Warfare, and Political Convictions01:05:41: Rootedness, Wealth, and Parting Advice for FathersResources Mentioned:Ross Arlen Tieken on SubstackOur Lady of Walsingham, HoustonJOIN 2500+ MEN READING SERIOUS, YET ACCESSIBLE ESSAYS ON VIRTUE, CULTURE, AND LIVING WELL: https://fraternus.org/sword-and-spade/Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Jason Craig sits down with Joshua Gibbs, a classical literature teacher of 19 years, author, and director of the Classical Teaching Institute at the Ambrose School to talk about what it actually takes to form young men and women. Drawing from his book A Parlay with Youth and his essay "Overgrown Adolescence," Gibbs offers hard-won wisdom on taste, discipline, coeducation, and what perpetual adolescence is costing the rising generation.What We Cover:Why the sophomore year is the critical window for forming young men, and what happens if they miss itHow consuming bad things dulls the mind, and what it looks like when a student finally wakes upThe case for sex-segregated education and why coed classrooms make boys harder to form and disciplineWhat the rise of the "18-to-34" demographic reveals about arrested development and perpetual adolescenceWhy over-praising children is more likely to stunt their growth than almost anything else a parent can doChapters:00:00: Introduction01:33: Gibbs' background and the making of A Parlay with Youth09:35: How bad consumption creates dullness12:23: The sophomore year awakening17:28: The age of accountability and middle school19:55: A second crack at life at age 26–2726:53: The first rule: adults must genuinely like youth34:24: The case for sex-segregated education49:51: The rise of the 18-to-34 demographic58:48: What perpetual adolescents are missing01:12:31: Closing advice for fathers: on over-praiseResources Mentioned:A Parlay with Youth by Joshua GibbsSomething They Will Not Forget by Joshua GibbsLove What Lasts by Joshua GibbsIn the Trenches podcastGibbs ClassicalDivini Illius Magistri by Pope Pius XIJOIN 2500+ MEN READING SERIOUS, YET ACCESSIBLE ESSAYS ON VIRTUE, CULTURE, AND LIVING WELL: https://fraternus.org/sword-and-spade/Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Walker Larson is a writer, former classical school teacher, and the voice behind The Hazelnut Substack, a journal dedicated to the pursuit of the good, the true, and the beautiful in literature and culture. In this conversation, Jason and Walker reflect on what it means to build rather than merely critique, the dangers of internet narratives, Wendell Berry's "age of divorce," and why every father owes it to his soul to pick up a great novel.In This Episode, We Cover:Walker's fertility journey, devotion to Our Lady of La Leche, and the hidden cross of infertility for Catholic men and their wivesThe temptation to critique and "get clicks" — and the harder, more necessary work of building cultureHow the "hermeneutics of suspicion" is rooted in Marxist literary theory and has leaked into internet discourse and conservative mediaLocalism, medieval guilds, and what Rerum Novarum says about protecting communities from consolidating powerWalker's case for why busy fathers need great literature—and what it does that no self-help book or YouTube video canChapters:00:00: Welcome01:22: Walker's Fertility Journey: Our Lady of La Leche and the Gift of Daughters07:39: Infertility as a Hidden Cross12:38: "Beyond Apocalypse": The Case for Cultural Restoration Over Critique16:41: The Hermeneutics of Suspicion28:06: Conspiracy Thinking, Victimhood, and the Work Only You Can Do35:26: Localism, Guilds, and Rerum Novarum58:16: Why Busy Fathers Need to Read Great Literature01:03:39: Literature as a Trial Run for Life01:17:56: Two Planes of Knowing: Abstract Facts vs. Lived TruthResources Mentioned:"Beyond Apocalypse: Believing in Cultural Restoration" by Walker Larson — Crisis MagazineThe Hazelnut Substack — Walker Larson's writing on literature, culture, and the permanent thingswalkerlarsonwriting.comJOIN 2500+ MEN READING SERIOUS, YET ACCESSIBLE ESSAYS ON VIRTUE, CULTURE, AND LIVING WELL: https://fraternus.org/sword-and-spade/Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Jason Craig sits down with longtime friend and fellow veteran of the Catholic men's online world, Sam Guzman, the founder of The Catholic Gentleman and now a practicing counselor. They take an unflinching look at where the Catholic Manosphere started, where it's gone wrong, and why resentment and pseudo-wisdom are poor substitutes for real masculine formation. In This Episode, We Cover:The rise and dark side of the Catholic Manosphere—resentment, red-pill Catholic opinions, and the problem of influencers without experienceSam's journey from communications work at Pro-Life Wisconsin and Covenant Eyes to becoming a Catholic counselor through Divine Mercy UniversityThe origins of therapeutic culture in the aftermath of the World Wars and the collapse of institutional meaningSelf-knowledge as the essential foundation of holiness, drawing on Augustine, Dietrich von Hildebrand, and AquinasThe two most common wounds counselors see in men—emotional numbness and emotional overwhelm—and what fathers can do about it nowChapters:00:00: Introduction and Origins of the Catholic Men's Online Space09:25: The State of Catholic Men Online: From 2013 to Today12:18: The Dark Side of the Manosphere — Resentment, Red Pill, and Bitterness15:00: The Problem of Pseudo-Wisdom and Influencers Without Experience32:39: Sam's Journey From Marketing to Counseling37:29: The Therapeutic Society: Origins, Excesses, and Real Value47:29: The Case for Counseling54:09: Self-Knowledge, Augustine, and the Path to Holiness59:10: Two Common Wounds Counselors See in Men01:08:22: Aquinas on the PassionsResources:The Catholic GentlemanDivine Mercy UniversityJP2 Healing CenterCovenant EyesLeaving Boyhood Behind by Jason M. CraigLitanies of the Heart by Dr. Gerry CreteTransformation in Christ by Dietrich von HildebrandJOIN 2500+ MEN READING SERIOUS, YET ACCESSIBLE ESSAYS ON VIRTUE, CULTURE, AND LIVING WELL: https://fraternus.org/sword-and-spade/Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

What does it actually mean to be literate, and do men in the trenches of daily life actually have time for it? Jason Craig sits down with John Clarke of Cluny Media to make the case that reading is less a cultural pastime and more a spiritual necessity, as essential to a man's formation as physical training is to his body.In This Episode, We Cover:Why literacy is like athleticism: a trainable capacity, not an elite clubWhether men today genuinely need to wrestle with ideas on the pageHow books and screens form the mind and imagination in fundamentally different waysWhy you need a guide, not just a book listPractical advice for literary nerds on how to share ideas without alienating everyone around themChapters:00:00: The Bridge a Literary Publisher Builds04:34: Defining Literacy—The Athleticism Analogy14:26: Christianity's Relationship with the Written Word18:13: How We Are Formed (Whether We Choose It or Not)22:45: Books as a Lifelong Habit, Not a Checklist29:13: Why You Need a Guide, Not Just a Book List31:30: What Books Do That Screens Can't37:07: Screen Recommendations for Young Kids50:48: Advice for Literary Nerds: Integrate and Trust54:20: Don't Read Alone. Ideas Belong in ConversationResources Mentioned:Cluny MediaThe Holy Spirit by Luis MartinezThis Dear-Bought Land by Jean Lee Latham"Sunday" by Father Frederick William FaberJOIN 2500+ MEN READING SERIOUS, YET ACCESSIBLE ESSAYS ON VIRTUE, CULTURE, AND LIVING WELLProduced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Mark Adderley is an English convert to Catholicism, high school literature teacher, and author of a 10-book Catholic adventure series for boys. In this episode, he traces his unlikely path from militant atheism to the Church through Arthurian legend, C.S. Lewis, and the power of story. In This Episode, We Cover:How Mark went from the Church of England, to atheist, to convicted Catholic through the legend of King Arthur and the Screwtape LettersWhy a well-formed imagination is essential for genuine faith and virtueHow to form sons through story: reading aloud, Saturday movies, poetry, and classic literatureThe fruit of intentional fatherhood: raising children who are still Catholic as adultsThe origin and purpose of the McCracken adventure series for Catholic boys in 6th–10th gradeChapters:00:00: Introduction & Meet Mark Adderley02:40: From England to America: King Arthur and Graduate School06:05: From Atheist to Catholic: C.S. Lewis and the Screwtape Letters16:25: Why Imagination Matters More Than Data22:07: Forming Sons Through Story: Movies, Poetry, and Reading Aloud29:46: The Fruit: Four Sons, Three Families, One Seminarian37:25: "Stabs of Joy": How Catholicism Magnifies the Beautiful47:53: We're Not Raising Children, We're Raising Adults56:40: The Birth of the McCracken Series01:09:14: Why Catholic Boys Need Catholic FictionJOIN 2500+ MEN READING SERIOUS, YET ACCESSIBLE ESSAYS ON VIRTUE, CULTURE, AND LIVING WELL: https://fraternus.org/sword-and-spade/Resources Mentioned:The McCracken Adventure Series by Mark AdderleyThe Once and Future King by T.H. WhiteThe Screwtape Letters by C.S. LewisLe Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas MaloryForbidden IslandProduced by Saint Kolbe Studios

In this episode, we discuss: Why the virtue of religion falls under justice Why tithing is not generosity but justice What Christian Smith's research actually shows determines whether children keep the faith—and why Catholic schools and youth groups rank second How moralistic therapeutic deism has quietly replaced authentic religion, even inside the Church, and what we've lost in the process How to build a Catholic culture in the home through daily prayer and mentorship Chapters Chapters:00:00 — Introduction & Opening on Justice and Marxism00:45 — Introducing Dr. Jared Staudt02:28 — What Is the Virtue of Religion?07:00 — Sacrifice, Natural Religion, and the Heart of Worship10:50 — The Modern World and the Turn Toward Self18:31 — Why Do You Go to Church? The Justice Framework23:54 — Is Religion Just Paying a Debt? Justice, Love, and the Dark Night30:17 — Disenchantment, Technology, and the God Who Feels Far Away35:27 — Piety: What We Owe God, Parents, and Country41:47 — Abstract Charity vs. Concrete Justice in Community45:50 — Tithing as an Act of Worship, Not Generosity57:27 — Almsgiving, the Offertory, and Catholic Giving in America01:03:18 — Forming Children in the Virtue of Religion01:11:15 — Mentorship, Adolescence, and Building a Catholic Culture in the HomeJOIN 2500+ MEN READING SERIOUS, YET ACCESSIBLE ESSAYS ON VIRTUE, CULTURE, AND LIVING WELL: https://fraternus.org/sword-and-spade/Resources:The Primacy of God: The Virtue of Religion and Catholic Theology by Dr. Jared StaudtYoung Catholic America and the Notre Dame report on Catholic religious parenting, w/ Christian SmithWhat is Moralistic Therapeutic Deism Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Cody and Sebastion share their journey from schooling to careers in framing and construction instead of college. They discuss starting in the trades as teenagers, launching a construction company, Atlas, choosing to stay rooted in their local community, converting to Catholicism, and building a culture of craftsmanship. The conversation explores work-life integration, mentorship, competency over artificial self-esteem, and the future of skilled trades.Chapters00:00 - Introduction & Background03:34 - Cody's Journey into Construction08:01 - The College Question14:30 - Starting Atlas Framing Company19:49 - Sebastian's Path26:03 - From General Contractor to Specialist33:37 - Faith & Conversion45:58 - Community & Rootedness49:23 - Catholic Trade Schools & Durable Trades56:13 - The Future of Construction1:07:45 - Competency Over Self-Esteem1:11:25 - Work Culture & Faith on the Job SiteFind more conversations like the one in this episode by joining the readership of Sword&Spade Magazine! Resources Letters to a Young Catholic by George WeigelDurable Trades by Rory Groves Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew CrawfordFraternusProduced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Jason sits down with Joel Stroot, a permaculture farmer and dentist from Dallas, North Carolina, who runs an 85-acre beyond-organic farm called Faith Family Farm. They explore what it means to live authentically as Catholics in modern America, particularly when it comes to raising families.Joel shares the wisdom passed down from his father about living by faith, family, and farm—in that order. He connects his dental practice to his farming philosophy, showing how nutrient-dense soil creates nutrient-dense food, which impacts everything from our teeth to our overall health and spiritual wellbeing.Chapters:(0:00) Introduction & Background(4:00) Living Authentically Catholic(5:00) Joel's Father's Legacy(7:30) The Problem with Modern Formation(1:10:00) Work, Vocation, and Stability(1:13:00) Being Truly Open to Life(1:15:30) Closing ThoughtsFind more conversations like the one in this episode by joining the readership of Sword&Spade Magazine! Resources:Faith Family FarmWeston A. Price FoundationFed Up (Documentary)Food Inc. (Documentary)Fraternus Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Sean Tario, a seasoned digital privacy advocate, and Jason Craig discuss the influence of tech giants, including Facebook, Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon. With over 20 years of experience, Sean shares his journey from Silicon Valley to becoming a co-founder of Mark37.com, focusing on digital sovereignty and localism. In this episode, we explore the control of big tech on our privacy and autonomy, the importance of understanding where our data goes, practical steps for protecting our families, and the crucial need for real community in combating digital overreach.

Whether you’re a father, educator, or simply interested in the relationship between faith, work, and family, this episode offers thoughtful insights and practical wisdom for building a life rooted in purpose.In this episode, Jason welcomes Chad Rosamond for a candid conversation about fatherhood, education, and guiding children into adulthood. Drawing from their own experiences as fathers, homeschoolers, and community builders, Jason and Chad discuss:The evolving role of fathers in helping children discern their paths, from college to trades and beyond.The value of classical education, hands-on work, and the integration of faith, family, and community.Personal stories of raising children, including successes, struggles, and the importance of ongoing parental involvement—even as kids become adults.The changing landscape of higher education, the rise of Catholic trade schools, and the practical realities of preparing children for economic independence.The importance of local community, generational bonds, and finding meaningful work that serves others.Reflections on homeschooling, academic rigor, and the balance between virtue and achievement.The role of family businesses, farm life, and teaching economics through real-world experience.Advice for parents on staying engaged, offering guidance without control, and fostering wisdom and self-knowledge in their children.Join the Readership of Sword&Spade Magazine In a world increasingly shallow and distracted, Sword&Spade offers an antidote—deep, thoughtful engagement with the topics that matter most to Catholic men and their families.https://fraternus.org/sword-and-spade/About Fraternus We are the largest, oldest, and most effective Catholic brotherhood of its kind: helping Catholic fathers lead in their homes and communities and inspire sons to grow into men of virtue, strength, and service—through a unique framework of prayer, mentoring, and formation.https://fraternus.org/

In this episode, Jason Craig welcomes John Oliver, a veteran voice actor and Catholic convert. John shares his remarkable story of faith, his candid struggle with addiction and recovery, and his passion for telling forgotten stories of the American Revolution through film.Topics Include:John’s conversion to Catholicism through a profound encounter at MassThe role of faith and community in overcoming addictionLife in Hollywood and the evolution of media and voiceover workThe making of his upcoming film on the Battle of King’s MountainMen who enjoy this podcast also enjoy the quarterly magazine that started it all. JOIN 2500+ MEN READING SERIOUS, YET ACCESSIBLE ESSAYS ON VIRTUE, CULTURE, AND LIVING WELL: https://fraternus.org/sword-and-spade/

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Fraternus Commander Rob Green, author of Defending the Constitution Behind Enemy Lines, to hear his story of conscience and courage during the COVID-19 pandemic. From the pressures of government and military mandates to the deeper call of virtue, faith, and family, Green shares hard-earned lessons on what it means to stand firm when it matters most.Key Topics CoveredCommander Rob Green’s military background and connection to the Sword&Spade communityThe impact of COVID-19 mandates on service members and their familiesConscience, faith, and legal rights in the face of government pressureWhy fortitude is the essential virtue for fathers and leaders todayChallenging unlawful orders and navigating legal battles for justiceThe role of family support during times of exile and uncertaintyReflections on authority, accountability, and careerism in leadershipInsights on Catholic fatherhood and family cultureSubscribe to Sword&Spade Magazine 

In this episode of the Sword&Spade Podcast, host Jason Craig sits down with neighbor and friend Craig Taffaro, founder of Melvin Hill Meats, to discuss the challenges of running a small, community-based butcher shop. Their conversation explores the intersection of tradition, law, and local business, revealing how modern regulations often hinder family enterprises while highlighting the enduring value of local economies, generational knowledge, and community support.About the GuestCraig Taffaro is a banker turned butcher who advocate for local, sustainable, family-based businesses. Learn more about his work at melvinhillmeats.com.Support your local butcher shops, family farms, and small businesses—and recognize the challenges they face in today’s regulatory climate. Share this episode with friends who care about food traditions, sustainable agriculture, and local economies.Key Topics CoveredThe story behind Craig’s butcher shop and how he integrates work, family, and community life.The philosophical question of laws, freedom, and the common good—are regulations oppressive, or can they promote flourishing?The evolution of liberalism and its effects on rural traditions, family businesses, and local culture.Craig’s personal journey: from banking and robotics to butchery, including zoning, building codes, and agricultural regulations.How community support helped overcome resistance from local government.The disconnect between industrial-scale regulations and the needs of affection-driven small businesses.The role of tradition, generational wisdom, and affection in shaping meaningful businesses.Reflections on sustainable practices, composting, and technology vs. natural, community-based solutions.The long-term consequences of bureaucracy: decline of family businesses, loss of tradition, and erosion of community.

Jason Craig (Executive Director) and Trae Bailey (Content Editor) get to the heart of what Catholic brotherhood really means. Why do men need fraternity? How does it shape our lives as sons, brothers, and fathers? And what happens when we try to go it alone? Drawing from experience and the life of the Church, they name obstacles that keep men from recognizing their true identities, and why a committed band of brothers is more than a luxury in the modern world—it’s a necessity.Show Notes:What is Fraternus?Busyness, sloth, and the excuses men makeIdentity: rediscovering sonship, brotherhood, and fatherhoodServile faith vs. filial faithFaith in community vs. faith in isolationWhy brotherhood is not optionalThe weekly rhythm of “Frat Night”Why all-male formation and mentorship matterHow Fraternus strengthens families and parishesShallow social life vs. real friendshipBrotherhood in times of suffering and lossMen and women: equality and distinct rolesWhat commitment to Fraternus looks likeA direct challenge: stop hiding behind busyness—commit to what mattersClosing thoughts: love, truth, and brotherhood lived day by dayResources & Links:See and read more at fraternus.org. Subscribe to Sword & Spade Magazine