CLT's Year in Review

By Jeremy Tate

A Look Back at 2020

In September 2020, CLT launched its official podcast, Anchored. It has been a wonderful opportunity to discuss crucial topics in education and culture with thought-provoking guests. We’re excited to have reached a global audience and have entered the top 5% of podcasts! More great conversations are in store for 2021. Below are the top five episodes (based on downloads) for 2020:

1. Robert P. George

Influential scholar and Princeton University professor Robert P. George discussed the consequences of society’s abandonment of liberal arts education, the deeper streams of thought that informed the American Founding and what that means for building unity, and the texts that informed his enduring friendship with philosopher Cornel West.

2. Daniel Buck

Teacher and author Daniel Buck discussed the conversations that were facilitated when he began publicly addressing the “echo chamber” of education, and how this led to the founding of The Chalkboard Review, an online journal of educational commentary that features a diverse range of voices on all things education.

3. Anika Prather

Howard University Classics professor and the Living Water School founder Anika Prather detailed her time at St. John’s College and how that experience led her to shift her educational research focus to the history of classical education within the African-American community. She also described the academic pushback which followed that decision and recounts the inspiration she gained from such seminal minds as W.E.B. Du Bois and Frederick Douglass.

4. Louis Markos

An authority on C. S. Lewis and a professor in English at Houston Baptist University, Louis Markos discussed his new book The Myth Made Fact: Reading Greek and Roman Mythology through Christian Eyes. He also discussed the manner in which a famous conversation between J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis inspired him to write a book which seeks to connect the wisdom of Greco-Roman mythology to Christian faith.

5. Anthony Bradley

Anthony Bradley, professor of religious studies and director of the Center for the Study of Human Flourishing at The King’s College NYC, discussed the problem with overcriminalization and why criminal justice reforms have often proven difficult—he discussed the ways in which civic institutions can avert people’s continued entry into the criminal justice system while also reducing recidivism rates. He also illustrated his research on fatherhood and academics.

We’re also excited to present the top 10 colleges and universities to which CLT-takers send their scores. These institutions represent a dedication to formation and academic excellence:

1. Hillsdale College

2. Christendom College

3. Benedictine College

4. Franciscan University

5. Cedarville University

6. Thomas Aquinas College

7. Grove City College

8. The University of Dallas

9. Ave Maria University

10. Belmont Abbey College

Also, the following blogposts from the CLT Journal were the most visited and most shared for 2020:

1. Ten Books of Impact for Educational Leaders