Bill Dardis on Teaching Religion with Multiple Faiths in the Room

"Charity and clarity" are the lodestars when teaching middle school boys with various faith backgrounds—and who are developing faith dispositions of their own.

Bill Dardis teaches middle school religion and eighth grade core at The Heights. In his sixteen years of experience, he's navigated many tricky waters with the boys, with the ultimate goal to bring them into a deeper and more engaged relationship with faith.

Chapters:

3:19 Inviting boys deeper into their faith

8:17 A religion teacher has to pray

9:16 Following student questions

11:27 Charity: respecting parents' moral authority

12:32 Clarity: commitment to the truth

13:28 Avoiding relativism

17:17 Emphasizing essential questions

18:37 Persuasive common ground

25:21 Seeing the familiar as if for the first time

27:30 One, holy, catholic, and apostolic

31:45 When a student's life situation conflicts with the Catechism

37:59 Loving the job

Links:

The Everlasting Man by G. K. Chesterton (seeing something familiar as if for the first time)

Becoming Greece, textbook by Bill Dardis and Tom Cox

Becoming Rome, textbook by Bill Dardis and Tom Cox

Also on the Forum:

Forming Men of Faith by Alvaro de Vicente

Pope Benedict XVI and Catholic Education: On the Adventure of Truth featuring Dr. Joseph Lanzilotti

Leaving Room for the Holy Spirit by Mark Grannis

"The Talk": On the Role of Schools and Fathers featuring Michael Moynihan

Featured Opportunities:

Fathers Series for Fathers of Current Students at The Heights School (February 2026)

The Art of Teaching Boys Conference at The Heights School (May 6-8, 2026)