The Making Every Class Catholic Podcast

In this episode of the Making Every Class Catholic podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Andrew Salzmann of Benedictine College for an engaging conversation on a fundamental question: What is an education? Drawing from theology, philosophy, and classroom experience, Andy invites us to reconsider education not as information transfer or product generation, but as a process of formation—one that shapes how students think, feel, act, and ultimately love.Together, we explore a rich Catholic vision of the human person, one rooted in potential, habit, and growth. Framed by the idea of education as exercise, we explore how students develop intellectual and moral excellence through repeated, meaningful action—much like athletes or musicians. We contrast this with modern “productionist” approaches to schooling, where outcomes and outputs often overshadow the deeper formative purpose of learning. Along the way, we draw connections to everything from Jesuit pedagogy and classical liberal education to contemporary challenges like AI, grading, and student disengagement.We also get concrete: what it looks like for teachers to act as coaches rather than mere lecturers, how imitation serves as the foundation for true creativity, and why practices like competition, repetition, and detailed feedback are essential for real growth. From grammar lessons to baseball fields, we highlight the joy students experience when they gain genuine competence—and how that joy reveals something essential about human flourishing.Finally, we turn to the ultimate aim of education: the formation of our loves. Drawing on thinkers like Aquinas and Bonaventure, Andy shows how intellectual formation opens the door to deeper love—of truth, of others, and of God. Whether through moments of insight, beauty, or awe, education becomes a path not just to knowledge, but to wonder and gratitude. This episode offers both a philosophical framework and practical vision for educators and parents who want to form not just capable students, but fully alive human beings.Music by Braden Kuntz

In this episode of the Making Every Class Catholic podcast, I’m joined by Father Nick Schneider—a priest of the Diocese of Bismarck and elementary school Montessori teacher—for a rich and wide-ranging conversation on Catholic education, human formation, and the enduring relevance of Maria Montessori’s work. Father Nick shares the remarkable story of how a struggling parish school led him, through prayer and providence, into the Montessori method—not just as an advocate, but as a classroom teacher.Together, we explore the Catholic anthropology underlying Montessori education: a vision of the human person rooted in intellect, will, embodiment, and imagination. Along the way, we unpack key concepts like sensitive periods, and the formation of freedom through disciplined choice. As the conversation unfolds we cover everything from the role of the senses in learning to the difference between true creativity and mere mimicry, from the limits of screen-based education to the importance of real, embodied encounters with the world. Over and over again, Montessori emerges as more than a set of techniques, but as the practical outworking of a coherent and deeply Christian understanding of the human person.We also get concrete: what a Montessori classroom actually looks like at different ages, how structure and freedom work together, and why this approach consistently resists being labeled as either “conservative” or “progressive.” Finally, Father Nick reflects on the broader implications of this vision—for parenting, pastoral ministry, and even spiritual healing—while offering practical advice for those who want to explore Montessori education in their own schools or communities.Music by Braden Kuntz

In this episode of the Making Every Class Catholic podcast, I’m joined by Dominic de Souza—web designer, writer, and founder of the Legend Fiction community—for an in-depth conversation about stories, imagination, and the cultural importance of fiction. Dominic is the man behind the beautiful Making Every Class Catholic website, but his deepest passion is helping writers create stories that can help “heal the culture.”We begin with the crisis of meaning facing many young people today and the role stories play in helping human beings make sense of their lives. Dominic proposes four key pillars for healthy storytelling—meaning, myth-making, magic (an enchanted view of the cosmos), and moral good—and argues that the stories that endure in the culture almost always draw on these deeper truths. Along the way we reflect on why stories operate at the level of the soul rather than merely the intellect, why children instinctively hunger for them, and why a rich “diet” of stories helps people interpret and navigate the world.Dominic shares more about his writing community, Legend Fiction, which brings together storytellers who want to explore meaning-rich fantasy and sci-fi worlds while developing their craft in community.Music by Braden Kuntz

In this episode of the Making Every Class Catholic podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Randy Boyagoda—novelist, essayist, book critic, and professor of English at the University of Toronto—for a wide-ranging conversation about literature, language arts, and what it means to read and tell stories as Christians. Randy invites us into a faith-informed way of seeing: a sacramental imagination that recognizes the world as “charged with the grandeur of God,” and that understands words as more than labels—sometimes even as instruments that shape reality, from Genesis’ “let there be” to John’s “the Word became flesh.”From there we get concrete: how Catholic teachers can approach any good literature (not just “Catholic books”) by attending to family life, vocation, and the deep human hunger for coherence. Randy also revisits his famous “I’m sick of Flannery O’Connor” essay—not because he’s tired of the great dead writers, but because Catholics need to read the living and the dead together. Along the way he offers practical pathways for finding contemporary Catholic voices, recommends books across ages and stages, and offers his unexpected (even contrarian) advice for cultivating young writers.Music by Braden Kuntz

Artificial intelligence has become the question everyone in Catholic education feels obligated to address. But beneath the anxiety about cheating, policies, and classroom management lies a much more fundamental issue: What is education actually for? When AI can generate essays, art, music, lesson plans, and arguments instantly, it forces us to confront a confusion that long predates ChatGPT—the temptation to treat the product of learning as the point, rather than the formation of the person doing the learning.In this episode, I’m joined by John Brahier of Longbeard, the parent company of Magisterium AI. Drawing on his experience as a former Catholic educator and his close engagement with recent Vatican teaching, John helps us think clearly—and calmly—about AI in schools. We discuss Pope Leo’s recent document on Catholic education, why Catholic schools must avoid both technophobia and digital reductionism, and how technologies inevitably shape not just what students do, but who they are becoming.John argues that the deepest risks of AI in education are not primarily about cheating, but about mirroring, disruption, and distortion: mirroring, as AI subtly trains us to measure ourselves against machines; disruption, as it short-circuits the slow, iterative processes by which real learning happens; and distortion, as it reinforces the idea that education exists to produce outputs rather than to form persons. Along the way, we consider what responsible AI use might look like for students versus teachers, why education cannot be reduced to content delivery, and why relational, communal formation remains the heart of Catholic education—no matter how powerful our tools become.Music by Braden Kuntz

What does it mean to “teach theology from a Catholic point of view” when theology is already “the Catholic class”? And how might you do that in a school where many (even most) of your students aren’t Catholic in the first place?In this episode, I talk with Deacon Charles Beard, theology teacher at Cascia Hall in Tulsa, Oklahoma, about what makes theology more than “religious facts” or “the Jesus answer,” and how to help students see it as the place where their real questions belong—questions about meaning, suffering, love, vocation, and God’s call in their lives.Together we explore:Why Educating for Eternity has chapters on every subject except theology—and what I’d include for theology teachers in a revised and expanded editionThe methodological difference between theology and religious studies, and why teaching theology as if it were religious studies is dangerousWhy knowledge in theology is always ordered toward caritas (love), not just informationHow Deacon Charles “sells” theology in a context where Catholics are a minority and many students just want to ace AP PhysicsHelping students see theology as “the most practical subject you can study”… because everyone is going to die somedayBuilding trust with colleagues so theology supports, rather than polices, other departmentsPractical ideas for cross-curricular collaboration and “essential questions” that connect theology with every other subjectA creative assignment idea: a “Theology of X” project that invites students to explore something they already love—sports, music, chess, art, business—theologically.Whether you teach theology or another subject area, this episode will help you think more clearly about what theology is, how it serves the whole school, and how every classroom can become a place where the deepest human questions are welcomed and taken seriously.

In Episode 11, I am joined by Jake Tawney, Chief Academic Officer at Great Hearts Academy and author of Another Sort of Mathematics.Join us as we explore how mathematics reveals objective and eternal truth, why proofs matter for both reason and wonder, and how the discipline of math can be seen as a bridge between heaven and earth. We talk about teaching students to encounter math as more than computation, its relationship to truth, goodness, and beauty, and how Catholic educators can help students fall in love with the mystery and elegance at the heart of mathematics.

In episode 12, Fr. Ambrose Christ, O.Praem., director of the Evermode Institute and Norbertine priest, joins Brett to discuss how genuine renewal begins with the conversion of hearts—teachers and administrators rediscovering their vocation as saints in the making. Drawing on the 900-year tradition of the Norbertines, Fr. Ambrose shares how the Evermode Institute’s four-year formation program is helping dioceses rebuild Catholic identity in Catholic schools.Together, Brett and Fr. Ambrose explore:The story of St. Evermode, the missionary bishop whose zeal inspired a new institute for the “new paganism” of our timeHow priests, religious, and laity each bring an irreplaceable charism to the renewal of Catholic schoolsWhy Catholic education must aim at nothing less than the salvation of soulsWhat happens when teachers rediscover the joy and freedom of their missionHow complementary efforts like Making Every Class Catholic and the Evermode Institute can work side-by-side to serve the Church’s renewalThis episode is a hopeful and inspiring look at what can happen when Catholic educators, clergy, and religious collaborate as “neighbors in the same vineyard.”👉 Learn more about the Evermode Institute: discoverevermode.com👉 Subscribe to the Making Every Class Catholic newsletter on Substack athttps://makingeveryclasscatholic.substack.com/Theme music by Braden Kuntz

In Episode 10, I am joined by Dr. Charles Camosy, Catholic bioethicist and prolific author.Join us as we explore how health is never just about the body but is connected to questions of justice, freedom, technology, sexuality, disability, and the very meaning of the human person. We talk about why theology matters for the medical humanities, how Catholic educators can help students think critically about health resources and cultural messages, and how to cultivate habits that support physical, mental, and spiritual flourishing.Subscribe to the free Making Every Class Catholic newsletter at https://makingeveryclasscatholic.substack.com/Theme music by Braden Kuntz.

In Episode 9, I am joined by Dr. Matthew Hoven, Associate Professor and Peter and Doris Kule Chair in Religious Education at St. Joseph’s College, University of Alberta.Together we explore the surprising connectionsbetween sport, play, and Catholic education.From the theology of leisure to the “spirit of play,” Dr. Hoven shares insights from his courses and books—HockeyPriest and On the Eighth Day: A Catholic Theology of Sport. We discuss how sport shapes character and community, how rules can actually foster freedom, why Catholic educators are uniquely positioned to mentor through sport, and how games can point us toward God.Whether you are a Catholic teacher, coach, or parent, you’ll come away with practical wisdom on how to integrate athletics and faith in ways that build virtue, meaning, and joy for your students.Subscribe to the free Making Every Class Catholic newsletter at https:makingeveryclasscatholic.substack.com/.Theme music by Braden Kuntz.

In Episode 8, I am joined by Dr. Jennifer Donelson-Nowicka, Associate Professor and Director of Sacred Music at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, California, where she holds the William P. Mahrt Chair in Sacred Music and serves as the founding Director of the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music. Joins us to think about what music is, it's role in human life and flourishing and how thinking about music from a Catholic point of view can transform your school's music program. Theme music by Braden Kuntz.

In Episode 7, I am joined by Drs. Kelly Kearse and Stacy Trasancos. Dr. Kearse recently published peer reviewed scientific work on Eucharistic miracles which Dr. Trasancos brought to a wider audience in this piece in Crisis Magazine: https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/exaggerations-and-eucharistic-miraclesThe questions raised by Dr. Kearse's research are essential for clear thinking about the relationship between faith and science and how that gets approached in the Catholic science classroom. Join us as we discuss not only Dr. Kearse's findings, but what they do and don't mean for how we think about and teach science in Catholic schools.Theme music by Braden Kuntz.

In Episode 6, I am joined by Dr. David Cloutier, Professor of Moral Theology at the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Cloutier specializes in , among other things, Catholic social teaching. Join us as we talk about how Catholic social teaching can impact our teaching, and in particular how we can use it as a resource for teaching social studies and related subjects in Catholic schools.Theme music by Braden Kuntz.

In Episode 5, I am joined by Dr. Rebecca Rook, Associate Professor in the Education Department at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Dr. Rook has used Educating for Eternity: A Teacher's Companion for Making Every Class Catholic to teach introductory education students at FUS. Tune in as she shares with us about that experience and about the exciting and innovative final projects her students came up with after studying Catholic Academic Integration with her.Theme music by Braden Kuntz.

In episode 4 of the l Making Every Class Catholic podcast, I interview Jared Staudt, Director of Content for Exodus 90 and author of the new book Words Made Flesh: The Sacramental Mission of Catholic Education.https://www.cuapress.org/9781949822441/words-made-flesh/Theme music by Braden Kuntz.

In episode 3 of the l Making Every Class Catholic podcast, I interview Elisabeth Sullivan, Executive Director of The Institute for Catholic Liberal Education (ICLE). Elisabeth and ICLE are at the forefront of the renewal of Catholic education. When I wrote Educating for Eternity: A Teacher's Companion for Making Every Class Catholic, I had initially planned to write a chapter on pedagogy. But every book needs to stop somewhere, and I never did write that chapter. But Elisabeth's article "To Lead a Child" is exactly the piece on pedagogy I wished I could have written. Check it out here:https://humanumreview.com/articles/to-lead-a-child-on-reclaiming-a-human-pedagogyTheme music by Braden Kuntz.

In episode 2 of the l Making Every Class Catholic podcast, I interview Archbishop J. Michael Miller, Archbishop of Vancouver and former secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education. Archbishop Miller has long been a champion of authentic Catholic education and his book The Holy See's Teaching on Catholic Schools is widely used and cited by those working towards the renewal of Catholic education today.Theme music by Braden Kuntz.

In the inaugural Making Every Class Catholic podcast, I interview Dr. Christopher Baglow of the McGrath Center for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Baglow is a leading thinker on Catholic Academic Integration, and leads a team doing professional development work on this in Catholic schools across the United States. His particular expertise is on the relationship between faith and science, but he has been expanding his thinking to include other subjects as well. A great example of his thought can be found here:https://churchlifejournal.nd.edu/articles/...I highly recommend his high school textbook, Faith, Science, and Reason: Theology on the Cutting Edge. (https://www.theologicalforum.org/books/bes....Theme music by Braden Kuntz.