New Episodes!
We are two ordinary Christian guys who feel compelled to call men back to true Masculinity. Through raw conversations between a Protestant and a Catholic, we seek Manhood Restored.
About Manhood Restored
Mighty Men of Valor (that’s you!): We invite you to pull up a chair and have a listen—just as if we were talking over cold beers (or hot coffee!). Be entertained, be inspired, be challenged. Then, join us, and let’s get down to some restoration!
Ben Neff
Co-Host
Chad Stolly
Co-Host
Chad Stolly was also a middle school teacher, but got out long before Ben did. He is ONLY an insurance salesman in his five-generation family-owned agency. Podcasting is a welcomed distraction from the always-selling-insurance reality that is his day job. He too is married to his wife of nearly 20 years and is obviously the Catholic because he has 7 children (not just 4).
Recent Episodes
Episode 54 – Sarcasm vs. Sincerity
When it comes to sarcasm, there’s a thin line between funny and hurtful. Yet the use of sarcasm is still alive and well; it’s arguably one of the bedrocks of our collective culture’s sense of humor. Further, sarcasm is so prevalent that it can often be difficult to distinguish when we’re using it, why we’re using it, and how it’s being received. It can get to be so that speech that’s sincere is rare and hard to detect.
Ben, being the “caring one” that he is, “can’t wait” to lead the discussion for this episode, as his “handsome” Catholic co-host, Chad, joins in with an “open mind.” The two “seriously” stare at the “smiling” face of sarcasm to judge its “importance” in the lives of men. What are some of the typical reasons guys employ the use of sarcasm, and when is it appropriate and when it is not? What are the deadliest forms of sarcasm, and what are the motives behind them? Are there forms of sarcasm that can be saved by a different name? And how can one “shape up” (seriously) in his use of sarcasm?
SHOW NOTES:
Example of Satire (acceptable?): Babylon Bee | Fake News You Can Trust
Resource for (sincerely) communicating with kids: Parenting With Love And Logic (Updated and Expanded Edition): Cline, Foster, Fay, Jim: 8581144444445: Amazon.com: Books
Episode 53 – The Parochial Man
In the world of ideas there’s no idea more subtly insidious than “sky’s the limit”. It’s an idea that plays softly in the background of modernity like a subliminal message, hinting to us that reality is but a construct. Saying the world is without limits is a lie. It denies facts, confuses priorities, and promotes perpetual discontentedness. We are called to be men grounded in reality. Men rooted in our particulars. Men who make a difference locally, nearby — that is, parochially.
Chad fancies himself a caped vigilante crusading against bad ideas during this episode. Ben plays sidekick, exclaiming, “holy big words, Batman!”, as the two wonder over the implications of limitations. What about each man’s particular circumstances naturally impose upon him limits? In what ways does the culture foster hatred for our limitations, and why might that be harmful to us? And how can working within (maybe even embracing) our particular limitations make our lives more meaningful?
SHOW NOTES:
Batman fights Bane: Batman VS Bane – The Dark Knight Rises Full Fight 1080p HD – YouTube
1st book reference: The War on the West by Douglas Murray | Goodreads
2nd book reference: Mystery and Manners: Occasional Prose by Flannery O’Connor | Goodreads
Challenge Song: Andrew Peterson – World Traveler – YouTube
Episode 52 – The 52 Finale!
It’s officially been one year of the Manhood Restored podcast! We made it! 52 episodes (the goal set when we started this thing)! Thank you to our listeners, show guests, behind-the-scenes supporters, and everyone who’s been a part of this first year. We’ve decided to keep rolling into year two: the new goal is 104 episodes! We hope you’re as excited as we are to continue making manhood mighty again!
Chad is the Point Man driving this ‘Greatest Hits’ episode (everyone needs a Greatest Hits, right?), while Ben gets dragged along behind with never-before-herd audio (from the MAN TALK on books!). The two move ’em on & head ’em up and celebrate the year by each looking back at three favorite moments – hinting at future episode topics, revealing post-episode feedback, and adding comments to previous conversations. They also announce a GIVEAWAY CONTEST!!! Listen till the end for Chad’s challenge and find out how to enter for 3 chances to win Anthony Esolen’s new book, “No Apologies”!
SHOW NOTES:
Enter the giveaway contest here: Manhood Restored Podcast | We are two ordinary Christian guys who feel compelled to call men back to true Masculinity.
Giveaway prize book: No Apologies: Why Civilization Depends on the Strength of Men by Anthony Esolen | Goodreads
Episode 51 – Dan Teller, Guest Convo
Dan Teller is the founder and director of The Good Shepard Catholic Montessori (GSCM) in Cincinnati, Ohio. Since its founding in 1998, GSCM has grown from 28 students in Preschool and Kindergarten to over 200 students up through eighth grade. Dan has dedicated his career to education, having worked in various public and private school settings, including being a traveling Formation Leader who trains catechists in the “Catechesis of the Good Shepard” program. Dan has been married for 40 years and has seven children and two grandchildren.
Chad carefully curates the conversation for this episode’s exchange of rare ideas. Ben stands guard, baton (still) in hand, ready to swing into action, as the two elicit educational insights from this experienced guest. Where did the Montessori school concept come from and how does it different from more common approaches to schooling? What are some innovative and effective ways to go about transmitting the faith to our youth? What advice does our guest have for dads when it comes to their children’s education?
SHOW NOTES:
School Dan founded: History – The Good Shepherd Catholic Montessori (gscmontessori.org).
Swiss study referenced by Dad: Fathers: Key to Their Children’s Faith | Opinion News (christianpost.com)
Episode 50 – Indoctrination Station, Part 3 (Education)
This is the final destination on the Ben Express, the last in a three-part series on the Marxist March through western institutions. It’s the topic that’s been begging to be discussed, the station to end all stations: the Indoctrination of Education. News Flash: Education in America is in a bad way. Whether it’s schools becoming testing grounds for each new leftist lunacy, or the country’s average test scores falling pitifully below that of its international counterparts, headlines noting the ‘crisis’ abound. What’s really intriguing is the contention that the school system’s failure might not be a failure at all; it might be a failure by design.
Ben puts nails to the chalkboards of every all-in-with-the-latest educator by asking the hard questions in this episode. Chad turns up the Dewey decibels by adding in his own uncomfortably critical commentary. The two put up the challenge (even to themselves) to honestly assess the condition of education in this country. What is the history and ideological underpinnings of modern public (government) education? How can we identity the negative effects of schooling in our society and in our children? If we know the less-than-stellar outcomes that result from these schools, why do we continue to send our children to them?
SHOW NOTES:
“Enemy of the State” movie clip referenced: Because you made a phone call – Enemy of the State – 1998 – YouTube
Ben’s primary book source for episode: Amazon.com: Battle for the American Mind: Uprooting a Century of Miseducation: 9780063215047: Hegseth, Pete, Goodwin, David: Books
Dorothy Sayers text: LostToolsOfLearning-DorothySayers.pdf (pccs.org)
GK Chesterton quote (by Ben): Gilbert K. Chesterton – Education is simply the soul of a… (brainyquote.com)
News Headlines on the “crisis” (don’t just take our word for it!):
