It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out.

So writes the fictional devil Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood in C. S. Lewis’s epistolary novel The Screwtape Letters.

But where devils may wish to keep the good out, Heights headmaster Alvaro de Vicente highlights the ways we as parents can keep the good in. By aligning our family culture with the good voices we hope our sons will hear—and leaving space to allow the Divine voice and the voice of one’s own conscience to be heard—we help our sons form a good vision of themselves and the world.

Chapters:

• 4:55 Why The Screwtape Letters
• 8:18 A devil’s job is keeping the good out
• 11:09 Three voices: people, the Divine, and the conscience
• 14:58 Unpacking the term ‘voice’

Advice for keeping the good in:

• 18:05 Slow down the noise
• 23:45 Promote contemplative times
• 26:20 Reserve time to read
• 29:41 Cultivate the art of conversation
• 32:12 Conspire for the good with their teachers
• 36:40 A slow roll-out for new family initiatives

Links:

• The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis

Featured Opportunities:

• Headmaster’s Lecture at The Heights School (October 5, 2024)
• The Art of Teaching Conference at The Heights School (November 13-15, 2024)

Also on the Forum:

• Who am I?: The Question of Persona featuring Alvaro de Vicente
• Ways to Foster a Family Culture by Alvaro de Vicente
• Raising Contemplative Sons featuring Colin Gleason