Sword&Spade

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 E...

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...

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 rur...

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 adoles...

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...

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...

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 ca...

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 th...

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 ...

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 a...

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...

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 auto...

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, homesc...

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 Mass The role of faith and community in over...

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...

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 en...

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 commi...