Cover Story
Education stirs images of schools, classrooms, students, and teachers. For Peter Brian Hegseth, education tilts in other directions. As a matter of fact, whether it’s in his speaking engagements, television appearances, military service, or his career in general, Hegseth’s being revolves around three foundations he deems vital: faith, family, and freedom.
Education: Faith & Family. Pete and Jenny Hegseth live in Middle Tenn. and have seven children—all of whom they pray grow up to love God and country and to value freedom. Hegseth is the biological father of four of the children and stepfather to three; however, he rejects that title—saying they “are a family brought together by the grace of God. There are no ‘steps’ or ‘halves’ in the Hegseth clan.” He believes the lack of fathers—of men—in too many modern American families is a catastrophe. “Fathers chart the course and lead the path for their families and kids; a path that should lead to Jesus Christ.” Brought up by Christian parents whose beliefs paralleled the Baptist church, Pete’s home life was not political but was very faith and family based. Teenaged Pete gave his life to Christ, during the formative part of his upbringing. In retrospect—partly because of the work he has done in education—he recognizes the separation of his church life from school life. He got a secular education with all its influences and concludes, “It’s fair to say I had a Christian veneer but a secular core and thought I was ready to go out into the world and profess Christ. I wasn’t,” he says, adding, “My compartmentalized faith went with me to Princeton where I got involved in policies and took a class on Christianity that I presumed would explain the gospels. Taught by an atheist famous for studying the gnostic gospels, the professor believed Jesus died, was buried in a shallow grave, and was eaten by dogs. I realized I was not prepared to combat such thinking and went to the library to read dusty books that pointed to and explained the veracity of the gospels. Defending my faith became an academic endeavor because I sensed faith and the Bible were good. As my pastor pointed out ‘many people miss Jesus by 12 inches—the distance from their head to their heart.’ I fell squarely into that category.”
“About 2018 I entered the Colts Neck Community Church with my wife (who was wary of what evangelical Baptists were like), and faith became real. Within 20 minutes we felt at home. The pastor spoke about his broken family past—I’m broken, you’re broken, we’re all broken and careening around not living our faith and not being deeply rooted. I thought I had to be perfect. Let’s be candid about it: Seek Christ, fully submit to Him, and allow Him Kingship in life! God’s perfect law of liberty that sets me free is Jesus—not perfection, legalism, or anything else.” He adds that inviting Jesus into his heart and life “has been edifying and liberating. I’m trying to reverse engineer that into my kids—waking up every day and knowing Who’s in charge, and it’s not me.”
“Experiences in academia helped reorder my heart and mind. I lived in a world of politics, culture, and fast-paced media that can become a person’s identity. I didn’t want my kids to think of all that first; faith, family, and freedom became three strands of the cord for my devotion—faith in Jesus Christ, kids in their schools, adults in their country and freedoms. I am devoted to preserving the posterity our country has had. I’m grateful to have a voice on Fox, but the question is still ‘What can I [we] do?’ Begin with faith and family. If we aren’t contributing, then we’re a part of the downfall of our tradition. Our individual family stories are the stories of our nation. If in three generations we can go from faithful Christian households to anti-American households, we are toast. We stand in the wreckage wondering if we can rebuild.” Part of preserving that posterity comes through the Hegseth family’s interest in Classical Christian education. After considerable research and numerous visits to several accredited schools in Fla., N.C., and Tenn., the family found Jonathan Edwards Classical Academy in Whites Creek, Tenn.—a small, country, blue-collar classical Christian school.
A commentator on every major FOX News daytime and primetime show, Hegseth, along with Rachel Campos-Duffy and Will Cain, co-hosts FOX & Friends Weekend (6-10 AM/ET, weekends), a spot he has held since 2017. Pete also regularly guest hosts for FOX & Friends, The Five, Hannity, Ingraham Angle, Jesse Watters Primetime, and other shows. Known for boldly sharing his perspective on myriad cultural and political issues, 43-year-old Hegseth says, “Using my platform to share my Christian faith is the most valuable use of my time and resources.” A realization sparked for Hegseth, in large part, by his role as a father. “I’ve got a bunch of kids and realize the only thing that matters is introducing them to Jesus Christ. I spend time teaching them how to dribble a basketball or to love America—and those are all great—but they’re utterly insufficient.” It’s that perspective that inspired Hegseth’s special, The Life of Jesus, streaming on FOX Nation. Knowing he was utterly inadequate to tell the story, the anchor co-hosted the series with his hometown pastor from New Jersey, Chris Durkin, of Colts Neck Community Church. First and foremost, “this passion of mine reminds me, my family, and our culture… that underneath holiday pageantry is the truth and the birth of a baby in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago and the life that Jesus—fully God and fully man—lived.” In the series, Durkin and Hegseth chronicle some of the most significant stories from Scripture while retracing the steps of Jesus in the Holy Land as accurately as they can.
Education: Country & Freedom. More than a FOX Nation host, Hegseth is an Army combat veteran, who served 12 years as an Infantry Officer in the Army National Guard in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo Bay. He holds two Bronze Stars and a Combat Infantryman Badge for his time in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hegseth reminisces about being a young platoon leader, “On our first night-time air assault mission in enemy territory, we soon realized our helicopter had dropped us off in the wrong spot. We didn’t really know where we were, and it was my job to get us to the objective. I remember feeling a sense of peace and calm that I had no business having in that moment. I didn’t think much about it until weeks later when my mom said she had felt a strong urge to fall on her knees and pray for me,” he remembers, adding, “We realized she was praying at the exact time I was on that raid with my platoon. The power of prayer is real. Parents plant seeds that may take a while to sprout and grow, but God uses it all to make us into who we are.”
“Cultures are defined by what they celebrate and honor. Too often, our culture celebrates actors and professional athletes and influencers who have no grasp of history or how special and exceptional this country is,” Hegseth explains. His flagship annual event, “The Patriot Awards,” is meant to shine the spotlight on those who really are the best and brightest of our country—everyday heroes. Personal for Hegseth, “The opportunity to host the Patriot Awards is my favorite assignment. I’m always humbled and honored. It’s unique, and it’s unifying.”
Education: Author. In addition to his accomplishments as a veteran,compellingspeaker, and newspersonality,Hegseth is a #1 New York Times bestselling author. His most recent book, Battle for the American Mind spent over 12 weeks on the New York Times best-sellers list, including four straight weeks at #1. The book is a field guide for remaking schools in the United States. Hegseth and David Goodwin explain, “We need to recover a lost philosophy of education grounded in virtue and excellence, equipping future generations to fight for freedom…” Classical Christian education is the Hegseth family choice. Hegseth is also the host of multiple educational series including Modern Warriors (military), Battle in the Holy Land (Israel), and most recently Poison Ivy, a look at the controversies surrounding Ivy League schools. “Being patriotic doesn’t just mean waving the flag or cheering for Team USA,” Hegseth emphasizes. “It requires teaching, instructing, and celebrating. In the most difficult times, the best thing we can do is go back to basics: faith, family, freedom- shining a light on those values- what this nation was founded on. If not America, then who? then where? Godlessness ends great nations. The one thing we can all do is get on our knees and pray.”
–Sheila E. Moss: author of Living to Matter: Mothers, Singles, and the Weary and Broken; Interrupting Women: Ten Conversations with Jesus; and international publications derived from teaching Bible and Christian ethics in Africa, Ukraine, Venezuela, and England.
