Podcasts about decadent society

In a world that often feels fragmented, uncertain, and spiritually empty, what if belief isn't just possible - but essential? Today, I'm sitting down with Ross Douthat, New York Times columnist and one of our most nuanced cultural thinkers, to explore a radical proposition: Why everyone should be religious in an age of growing skepticism. We're going beyond the debates of belief versus non-belief. This conversation dives into the mysteries at the heart of human experience - from quantum physics that suggests the universe might be more intentional than we thought, to near-death experiences that challenge everything we understand about consciousness. Douthat brings a provocative, intellectually rigorous perspective that defies easy categorization. We'll explore how ancient spiritual wisdom might hold profound answers for our hyper-individualized, technology-driven world. How can religious thinking help us navigate complexity, find meaning, and reconnect with something larger than ourselves? Expect surprises. We'll uncover scientific discoveries that point toward design, discuss supernatural experiences that defy materialist explanations, and wrestle with life's deepest questions. Whether you're a committed believer, a curious skeptic, or someone feeling spiritually lost, this episode promises to expand your understanding and offer a message of hope. We're not just talking about belief - we're reimagining what it means to be human in a mysterious universe. Ross Douthat is a columnist for The New York Times op-ed page. He is the author of Believe, The Deep Places, The Decadent Society, To Change The Church, Privilege, and Grand New Party. Before joining the Times he was a senior editor for The Atlantic. He is the film critic for National Review, and he has appeared regularly on television, including Charlie Rose, PBS Newshour, and Real Time with Bill Maher.Ross' Book:BelieveRoss' Recommendation:SeveranceSubscribe to Our Substack: Shifting CultureConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, Bluesky or YouTubeConsider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link belowEmail jjohnson@allnations.us, so we can get your creative project off the ground! Support the show

In the work of reimagining, religion can play a significant part. What does it mean to be human? Does God exist? Is the universe good? Is there order and purpose to human life? These are the types of questions that help to shape our imagination about our individual lives and our life together. New York Times columnist Ross Douthat joins Amy Julia Becker to discuss his latest book, Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious. They explore:the current cultural landscape of religion in Americathe rise of secularism and the existential angst many face in a post-religious worldthe importance of engaging with religious questionsthe relationship between religion and politicshow individuals can begin their journey of seeking meaning and purpose__RESOURCES:Amy Julia's Lenten Daily DevotionalAmy Julia's To Be Made Well Lenten Bible Study—Small Group Video Series__MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious by Ross DouthatMere Christianity by C.S. LewisThe Weight of Glory by C.S. LewisPaul KingsnorthJ.R.R. TolkienLooking for Faith? Here's a Guide to Choosing a Religion. by Ross Douthat__CONNECT with Ross on X (@DouthatNYT).__Watch this conversation on YouTube by clicking here. Read the full transcript and access detailed show notes by clicking here or visiting amyjuliabecker.com/podcast.__ABOUT:Ross Douthat has been a New York Times Opinion columnist since April 2009. Previously, he was a senior editor at the Atlantic. He is the author of The Deep Places; The Decadent Society; To Change the Church; Bad Religion; Privilege; and, with Reihan Salam, Grand New Party. He is the film critic for National Review. He lives with his wife and five children in New Haven, Connecticut.___Let's stay in touch. Subscribe to my newsletter to receive weekly reflections that challenge assumptions about the good life, proclaim the inherent belovedness of every human being, and envision a world of belonging where everyone matters.We want to hear your thoughts. Send us a text!Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comRoss is a writer and a dear old colleague, back when we were both bloggers at The Atlantic. Since then he's been a columnist at the New York Times — and, in my mind, he's the best columnist in the country. The author of many books, including Grand New Party and The Decadent Society, his new one is Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious (which you can pre-order now). So in this podcast, I play — literally — Devil's advocate. Forgive me for getting stuck on the meaning of the universe in the first 20 minutes or so. It picks up after that.For two clips of our convo — on the difference between proselytizing and evangelizing, and the “hallucinations of the sane” — see our YouTube page.Other topics: Creation; the improbable parameters of the Big Bang; the “fine-tuning” argument I cannot understand; extraterrestrial life; Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; Hitch; the atheist/materialist view; the multiverse; quantum physics; consciousness; John von Neumann; Isaac Newton; human evolution; tribal survival; the exponential unity of global knowledge; Stephen Barr's Modern Physics and Ancient Faith; the substack Bentham's Bulldog; why humans wonder; miracles; Sebastian Junger and near-death experiences; the scientific method; William James; religious individualists; cults; Vatican II; Pope Francis; the sex-abuse crisis in the Church; suffering and theodicy; Lyme Disease; the AIDS crisis; Jesus and the Resurrection; Peter J Williams' Can We Trust the Gospels?; and the natural selection of religions.Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy (the first 102 are free in their entirety — subscribe to get everything else). Coming up: Jon Rauch on the tribalism of white evangelicals; Evan Wolfson on the history of marriage equality, Yoni Appelbaum on how America stopped building things, Chris Caldwell on the political shifts in Europe, Nick Denton on the evolution of new media, Francis Collins on faith and science, and Mike White of White Lotus fame. Please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.

Ross Douthat has been a New York Times Opinion columnist since April 2009. Previously, he was a senior editor at the Atlantic. He is the author of The Deep Places; The Decadent Society; To Change the Church; Bad Religion; Privilege; and, with Reihan Salam, Grand New Party. He is the film critic for National Review, and lives with his wife and five children in New Haven, Connecticut. We'll be talking today primarily about his new book Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious.  For more parenting resources, go to axis.org.

“A certain degree of faith in Providence and a certain degree of confidence in America … May that combination not be overwhelmed by some disaster.” (New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, offering a blessing for election season) Contemporary political debate and commentary operates from deeply moral sources. People tend to vote their conscience. Our values and ideals, our sense of right and wrong, and our beliefs about what contributes or detracts from the common good often inform our politics. And across the political spectrum, Americans of all stripes exercise their citizenship and public engagement through a religious faith that grounds it all. So, what better space to explore this conjunction of faith, morality, and political life than The New York Times Opinion section? Today on the show, Ross Douthat joins Mark Labberton to discuss how his faith and theological commitments ground his moral and political perspectives. Douthat joined The New York Times as an Opinion columnist in 2009, and regularly appears on the weekly Opinion podcast, “Matter of Opinion.” He's also a film critic for National Review and was previously senior editor at The Atlantic. In this episode, they discuss the spiritual and political background of Douthat's youth and how Roman Catholic Christianity grounded his religious and political views; the challenges for how the Catholic Church and its moral teachings can adapt to contemporary culture; how faith and morality can speak to our dynamic political moment during the 2024 election season; and finally Ross's hope and faith in divine providence met with confidence in America's resilience and capacity for good. About Ross Douthat Ross Douthat joined The New York Times as an Opinion columnist in 2009, and regularly appears on the weekly Opinion podcast, “Matter of Opinion.” He's also a film critic for National Review. Previously, he was a senior editor at The Atlantic. He is the author of several books, including The Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness and Discovery (2021), The Decadent Society (2020), To Change the Church: Pope Francis and the Future of Catholicism (2018), Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics (2012); Privilege: Harvard and the Education of the Ruling Class (2005), and, with Reihan Salam, Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream (2008). His newest book, Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious, will be published in early 2025. Show Notes   Ross Douthat's spiritual background as Episcopalian, Pentecostal-Evangelical, and eventually Roman Catholic   Our “spiritually haunted environment”   How Catholicism has changed from Pope John Paul II to Pope Francis   Adapting moral teachings to contemporary challenges   “Many, many of the problems in our culture and the reasons for people's unhappiness are related to issues of sex and relationships.”   “Jesus says incredibly stringent and strenuous things in the Gospels about sex.”   “I think if the church stops having some sort of countercultural message on those issues, then it won't actually be speaking to the big challenges and derangements of our time.”   “All of the developed world is heading over this demographic cliff…”   People aren't getting married anymore. They aren't forming relationships anymore.”   Pope Francis, pastoral sensitivity, and making moral concessions to contemporary culture   Pope Francis squelching the Latin mass   Commenting on the dynamics and craziness of our political moment   “Over the course of my career, I have tried to spend a lot of time with the idea that Catholicism in particular, and I think Christianity in general, should stand a little bit outside of partisan categories.”   How the Republican Party can address the needs of the working class   Ross Douthat's views during the Trump Era   Providence and appealing to God's control   "Man proposes, and God disposes.”   “The world has grown weirder in general, in the last decade, than it was when I was in my twenties.”   Providence and freedom   Ross's thesis in The Decadent Society: “The Western world and really the whole planet was sort of stuck stagnant. We'd achieved this incredible level of wealth and technological power, we'd filled the earth and subdued it to some degree, but we were suffering from uncertainty, malaise, and ennui because we didn't know what to do next.”   Space travel and Elon Musk   Looking for help from some other power: God, Aliens, or A.I.   The unique perspective Ross Douthat brings to The New York Times   “As the world has grown weirder, I've felt a little more comfortable being weird myself, and that so far hasn't gotten me fired.”   “You know, not to brag, but yeah, I'm probably the weirdest columnist at a major American newspaper.”   Offering a blessing for the nation's experience between now and election day   “Life in the United States is an underrated good. Americans have become very pessimistic, very unhappy with each other, sometimes unhappy with themselves … And I think actually, beneath that difficult surface, America has a lot of real strengths and real resilience and American culture is better positioned, I think, than a lot of cultures around the world to navigate the next 50 to 100 years of human history. So I think that should give people some confidence.”   “A certain degree of faith in Providence and a certain degree of confidence in America.”   Production Credits Conversing is produced and distributed in partnership with Comment Magazine and Fuller Seminary.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveChristine and Damir discuss two personal essays from New York magazine that went viral last week. The first deals with divorce, the second with getting scammed. A flabbergasted Damir can't believe they were published; he wonders if anyone outside New York would care to read them. Christine finds ironic wisdom buried in both essays. The conversation ends on a high note, with Christine explaining how one of the essays breaks new ground in the media monoculture. Required Reading:* Emily Gould, “The Lure of Divorce,” New York magazine.* Charlotte Cowls, “The Day I Put $50,000 in a Shoe Box and Handed It to a Stranger,” New York magazine. * Christine's three theories about the above essays.* Elizabeth Wurtzel, Prozac Nation.* Kristen Roupenian, “Cat Person”.* Ross Douthat, The Decadent Society.

In this week's episode of we kick off with a dynamic duo. Join us as we sit down with Kimberley Strassel from The Wall Street Journal and Ross Douthat from The New York Times. Together, they'll provide unique insights into the ever-evolving landscape of media, as well as, share their perspectives on the Republican Party, Joe Biden and more.Later in the show, Chuck and Sam take the microphone to delve into some pressing current news, including VP Kamala Harris, Larry Sinclair's appearance on Tucker Carlson and New York's migrant “crisis.” In a brand-new segment, we introduce "Kiley's Corner," hosted by the irrepressible Kiley Kipper. Kiley delves into current news stories, offering her unique perspective on the headlines. This week, she takes a deep dive into the Ruby Franke case, a shocking incident involving a Utah mother and YouTuber from "8 Passengers." Join Kiley as she unravels the story and discusses its implications, all from her corner of the studio.-Connect with us:www.breakingbattlegrounds.voteTwitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_BattleFacebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegroundsInstagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegroundsLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds-Kimberley Strassel is a member of the editorial board for The Wall Street Journal. She writes editorials, as well as the weekly Potomac Watch political column, from her base in Alaska.Ms. Strassel joined Dow Jones & Co. in 1994, working in the news department of The Wall Street Journal Europe in Brussels, and then in London. She moved to New York in 1999 and soon thereafter joined the Journal's editorial page, working as a features editor, and then as an editorial writer. She assumed her current position in 2005.Ms. Strassel, a 2014 Bradley Prize recipient, is a regular contributor to Sunday political shows, including CBS's "Face the Nation," Fox News Sunday, and NBC's "Meet the Press." She is the author of "The Intimidation Game: How the Left Is Silencing Free Speech," which chronicles recent attacks on conservative nonprofits, businesses and donors.An Oregon native, Ms. Strassel earned a bachelor's degree in Public Policy and International Affairs from Princeton University. She lives in Alaska with her three children.-Ross Douthat joined The New York Times as an Opinion columnist in April 2009. His column appears every Tuesday and Sunday. He is also a host on the weekly Opinion podcast “Matter of Opinion.” Previously, he was a senior editor at The Atlantic and a blogger on its website.He is the author of “The Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness and Discovery,” which was published in October 2021. His other books include "To Change the Church: Pope Francis and the Future of Catholicism,” published in 2018; “Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics” (2012); “Privilege: Harvard and the Education of the Ruling Class” (2005); “The Decadent Society” (2020); and, with Reihan Salam, “Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream” (2008). He is the film critic for National Review.He lives with his wife and four children in New Haven, Conn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com

Decadence isn't a word most of us use on a daily basis, and yet author and columnist Ross Douthat believes that it perfectly captures the state of a largely stagnant and sclerotic American culture.In his book, The Decadent Society, Douthat explores both the meaning of decadence and the trajectory that led us there. But in addition to diagnosing our state of cultural stagnation, he points with great hope toward societal renewal:“I think the escape from decadence is probably a dynamic thing where technology, politics, and religion are all sort of operating together, but it's hard to imagine it happening without a really strong religious element within it.” - Ross DouthatThis conversation is being released for the first time as part of our podcast series on the Challenges of Modernity, and we hope you'll both enjoy it and that it provokes you to consider those paths toward societal renewal that give Douthat hope.This podcast is an edited version of a conversation recorded in 2020. Learn more about Ross Douthat.Authors and books mentioned in the conversation:The Decadent Society: How we Became Victims of our Own Success, by Ross DouthatFrom Dawn to Decadence: 1500 to the Present: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life, by Jacques BarzunHatchet, by Gary PaulsenSteven PinkerBrave New World, by Alduous HuxleyRobert GordonKarl MarxRod DreherRob BellJames PikePope FrancisPeter ThielMartin LutherIgnatius of LoyolaWatership Down by Richard AdamsThe Great Gatsby, F. Scott FitzgeraldRelated Trinity Forum Readings:A Narrative of the Life of Frederick DouglassCity of God by St. Augustine of HippoChildren of Light and Children of Darkness by Reinhold NiebuhrLetter from a Birmingham Jail by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.Brave New World, by Alduous HuxleyRelated Conversations:Rebuilding our Common Life with Yuval LevinThe Challenge of Christian Nationalism with Mark Noll and Vincent BacoteThe Decadent Society with Ross DouthatScience, Faith, Trust and Truth with Francis CollinsBeyond Ideology with Peter Kreeft and Eugene RiversJustice, Mercy, and Overcoming Racial Division with Claude Alexander and Mac PierHealing a Divided Culture with Arthur BrooksAfter Babel with Andy Crouch and Johnathan HaidtTrust, Truth, and The Knowledge Crisis with Bonnie KristianHope in an Age of Anxiety with Curtis Chang & Curt ThompsonTo listen to this or any of our episodes in full, visit ttf.org/podcast and to join the Trinity Forum Society and help make content like this possible, join the Trinity Forum SocietySpecial thanks to Ned Bustard for our podcast artwork.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveAre big ideas still possible? Are there any “new” ideas left—and what makes an idea new in the first place? If we need new ideas to shake ourselves out of decadence, we should be careful what we wish for. Wokeness is one such “comprehensive framework.” Others might prove similarly frightening.This week, Shadi is joined by New York Times columnist and author of The Decadent Society and the political philosopher . Recently, Sam wrote an essay “Thinking is Risky”, which was cited in Ross's newsletter, calling on academics to be more intellectually courageous. Sam's call to action relates to a recurring theme in Ross's work — namely that society faces “decadent” stagnation (or worse, decay) on a number of fronts. To transcend modern mediocrity, the three discuss a path to renewal, but as Shadi argues, the risks of doing so are real.In the full episode (for paying subscribers only), the three discuss the extent a break from decadence can be achieved through religion. After all, if what makes an idea “big” is that it offers up a metaphysical/cosmic account of the universe, then cultural renewal may require religion. Anything less would be limiting and finite. Ross makes the case that religious belief is “obviously appropriate”, predicting that elites will eventually recognize its value. But is it enough for people to instrumentally appreciate the importance of religion, or must they believe themselves? Video of this podcast will be available later this week.Required Reading:* The Decadent Society, by Ross Douthat (Amazon).* “Thinking Is Risky,” by Samuel Kimbriel (Wisdom of Crowds).* “Why Journalists Have More Freedom Than Professors,” by Ross Douthat (New York Times).* Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life, by William Deresiewicz (Amazon).* “At least it's an ethos” from The Great Lebowski.* “Nude” lyrics, by Radiohead.Wisdom of Crowds is a platform challenging premises and understanding first principles on politics and culture. Join us!

Hour 4 of A&G includes a major red flag for all parents.  Plus, more on the TikTok testimony.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Books ReferencedÉmile Cammaerts, The Laughing Prophet: The Seven Virtues and G.K. ChestertonPhilip Zimbardo, Man Interrupted https://www.amazon.com/Man-Interrupted-Young-Struggling-About/dp/1573246891/Timothy Keller, Counterfeit Gods, https://www.amazon.com/Counterfeit-Gods-Empty-Promises-Matters/dp/0525951369/Wired for Intimacy by William Struthers https://www.amazon.com/Wired-Intimacy-Pornography-Hijacks-Brain/dp/0830837000/Thomas Charmers, The Expulsive Power of a New Affection, https://www.amazon.com/dp/143357067XThomas A'Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, https://www.amazon.com/Imitation-Christ-Dover-Thrift-Editions/dp/0486431851/Ross Douthat, The Decadent Society, https://www.amazon.com/Decadent-Society-America-Before-Pandemic/dp/1476785252/Links Referenced Christianity and the Obesity Epidemic, What We Can Do by Laney Greer https://laineygreer.com/christianity-and-the-obesity-epidemic-what-can-we-do/Feeding and Caring for the Body https://www.gospelunderground.org/podcast/2022/1/17/episode-120-feeding-and-caringRevolution du Corps - https://www.gospelunderground.org/podcast/2022/3/9/episode-122-revolution-of-the-bodyThomas Chalmers, the expulsive power of a new affectionAugustine, Homily 2 on the first epistle of John https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/170202.htmScriptures ReferencedEphesians 4:17-24

Ross Douthat (@DouthatNYT), New York Times columnist and author of The Decadent Society, joins Lucas Bagno and Ian Cinnamon on this episode. Takeaways:- Since the moon landing, we have entered a period of stagnation. Confidence and optimism have declined and culture has entered a repetitive spiral where patterns from the 60s/70s have been repeating themselves.- Government has become less effective and more gridlocked over time.- The world's richest societies are dealing with a population problem. They are not reproducing themselves, which has led to aging societies that are “stable but stuck” because they are resistant to change.- The internet has been more of a conduit to cultural repetition than people think — old music is often most popular music on streaming services.- The traditional story of science has been that it triumphed over religion but science emerged from an extremely religious society and it would be no surprise to Ross if as religion decays scientific progress might as well.- Ross says that we need a renaissance to get ourselves out of the age of decadence — a reaching back into the past while synthesizing all the advancements that have come about in the meantime.Thanks for listening — if you like what you hear, please review us on your favorite podcast platform.Check us out on the web at www.villageglobal.vc or get in touch with us on Twitter @villageglobal.Want to get updates from us? Subscribe to get a peek inside the Village. We'll send you reading recommendations, exclusive event invites, and commentary on the latest happenings in Silicon Valley. www.villageglobal.vc/signup

Ross Douthat (@DouthatNYT), New York Times columnist and author of The Decadent Society, joins Lucas Bagno and Ian Cinnamon on this episode. Takeaways:- Since the moon landing, we have entered a period of stagnation. Confidence and optimism have declined and culture has entered a repetitive spiral where patterns from the 60s/70s have been repeating themselves.- Government has become less effective and more gridlocked over time.- The world's richest societies are dealing with a population problem. They are not reproducing themselves, which has led to aging societies that are “stable but stuck” because they are resistant to change.- The internet has been more of a conduit to cultural repetition than people think — old music is often most popular music on streaming services.- The traditional story of science has been that it triumphed over religion but science emerged from an extremely religious society and it would be no surprise to Ross if as religion decays scientific progress might as well.- Ross says that we need a renaissance to get ourselves out of the age of decadence — a reaching back into the past while synthesizing all the advancements that have come about in the meantime.Thanks for listening — if you like what you hear, please review us on your favorite podcast platform.Check us out on the web at www.villageglobal.vc or get in touch with us on Twitter @villageglobal.Want to get updates from us? Subscribe to get a peek inside the Village. We'll send you reading recommendations, exclusive event invites, and commentary on the latest happenings in Silicon Valley. www.villageglobal.vc/signup

The unlimited choices we face in modernity make us restless, which is why Dr. Benjamin and Dr. Jenna Storey wrote Why We Are Restless: On the Modern Quest for Contentment. The book explores ideas by those who have thought about and written on contentment and the application of those ideas today. Benjamin also shares about his own quest for knowledge and how it culminated in this book. Mentioned in the episode https://www.aei.org/profile/ben-storey/ (Benjamin Storey) https://www.unc.edu/discover/ (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) https://doctorgoldberg.wordpress.com/ (Dr. Larry Goldberg) https://socialthought.uchicago.edu/ (Committee on Social Thought - The University of Chicago) https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michel-de-Montaigne (Michel de Montaigne) https://www.furman.edu/about/ (Furman University) https://www.furman.edu/academics/tocqueville-program/ (The Tocqueville Program) https://www.aei.org/policy-areas/society-and-culture/ (Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies) https://www.aei.org/profile/yuval-levin/ (Yuval Levin) https://www.nationalreview.com/author/joseph-epstein/ (Joseph Epstein) https://www.firstthings.com/article/2014/11/majoring-in-fear (Majoring in Fear by Mark Shiffman) https://psychcentral.com/lib/machiavellianism-cognition-and-emotion-understanding-how-the-machiavellian-thinks-feels-and-thrives (Machiavellianism) https://hertogfoundation.org/ (Hertog Foundation) https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plato/ (Plato) https://www.britannica.com/biography/Herman-Melville (Herman Melville) https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/P/bo81816415.html (Permanent Crisis: The Humanities in a Disenchanted Age) https://www.aei.org/profile/ross-douthat/ (Ross Douthat) https://www.amazon.com/Decadent-Society-Became-Victims-Success/dp/1476785244/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=decadent+society&qid=1597939077&sr=8-1 (The Decadent Society) https://www.worldhistory.org/Renaissance_Humanism/ (Renaissance Humanism) https://www.manhattan-institute.org/classical-education-attractive-school-choice-parents (The Classical School Movement) https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/james/ (William James and the Great Pragmatists) https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/skepticism/ (Radical Skepticism) https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691211121/why-we-are-restless (Why We Are Restless) https://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-happiness/aristotle/#:~:text=According%20to%20Aristotle%2C%20happiness%20consists,the%20enrichment%20of%20human%20life. (Aristotle on Happiness) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrHn3Z_6uYs (Queen Elizabeth: A Lifetime Of Service | Timeline) https://www.britannica.com/biography/Blaise-Pascal (Blaise Pascal) https://info.higheredfacilitiesforum.com/blog/how-universities-can-strengthen-town-gown-relations (Town and Gown Relations) https://scetl.asu.edu/about#:~:text=an%20inclusive%20environment-,The%20School%20of%20Civic%20and%20Economic%20Thought%20and%20Leadership%20is,to%20a%20healthy%20constitutional%20democracy. (The School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership)

In this special Subversive episode, I'm joined by one of the most influential and observant social critics of our age, a man who has seen it all and lived to tell the tale. We speak about crime, anarcho-tyranny, the allure of violence, the concept of evil, religion, liberalism, decadence, mental illness, identity, stigma, and much, much more. This was one of my favorite conversations on this podcast, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Anthony's recommended subversive is Simon Leys, an essayist, and sinologist, one of the first intellectuals to denounce the Cultural Revolution in China and the idolizing of Mao in the West. Anthony Daniels, who is more well known by his pseudonym, Theodore Dalrymple, is a retired prison physician and psychiatrist and the author of many, many wonderful books, among them “Life at the Bottom” and “Our culture, what's left of it." --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/aksubversive/message

Reflections from FreedomFest. Chaos & confusion, even barbarism will overtake a society not rooted in a holy respect for God. Shop my Spiritual Realism Fine Art: https://www.jacquelineclaireart.com Become a patron and sponsor of this podcast: https://www.patreon.com/jacquelineclaireart Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jacqueline-claire/message

Myron Eby preached this sermon on June 26, 2022

Hour 4 of A&G this Tuesday. We read your emails and recap the new study on the lack of sex Americans are having. How much decadence is too much for this country? We briefly touched on it yesterday, and follow up today. The IOC goes light on China, and now Russia? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Hour 4 of A&G this Tuesday. We read your emails and recap the new study on the lack of sex Americans are having. How much decadence is too much for this country? We briefly touched on it yesterday, and follow up today. The IOC goes light on China, and now Russia? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour 4 of A&G this Tuesday. We read your emails and recap the new study on the lack of sex Americans are having. How much decadence is too much for this country? We briefly touched on it yesterday, and follow up today. The IOC goes light on China, and now Russia? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ross Douthat joins Aaron to discuss his new book: The Deep Places. They address the difficulties of living with chronic illness and the weaknesses of modern medicine and the medical establishment. Ross Douthat joined The New York Times as an Opinion columnist in April 2009. Previously, he was a senior editor at The Atlantic and a blogger on its website. He is the author of The Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness and Discovery, which was published in October 2021. His other books include To Change the Church: Pope Francis and the Future of Catholicism, published in 2018; Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics (2012); Privilege: Harvard and the Education of the Ruling Class (2005); The Decadent Society (2020); and, with Reihan Salam, Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream (2008). He is the film critic for National Review. Ross lives with his wife and four children in New Haven. The Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness and Discovery Please visit the Ethics and Public Policy's Bioethics and American Democracy program page for more information.

Ross Douthat, NYT columnist and author of "The Deep Places A Memoir of Illness and Discovery," "The Decadent Society" and more, joins us to talk about his journey dealing with chronic illness. Cohosted by Josiah Neeley of R Street Institute and Doug McCullough. "The Deep Places" can be purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Places-Memoir-Illness-Discovery/dp/0593237366

“Progressives understand that culture war means discrediting their opponents and weakening or destroying their institutions. Conservatives should approach the culture war with a similar realism,” Sohrab Ahmari writes. “To recognize that enmity is real is its own kind of moral duty.”Five years ago, Ahmari was a self-described “secular mainstream conservative” working for The Wall Street Journal. Now a contributing editor at The American Conservative and the recently departed op-ed editor at The New York Post, Ahmari has become a fierce critic of the Republican Party as it existed before the rise of Donald Trump, a champion of right-wing populist leaders like Hungary's Viktor Orban and a devout Catholic who believes social conservatives need to take a far more aggressive posture in the culture war.Ahmari may be singular, but he is not alone. His political evolution is a microcosm for the ways the American right as a whole has been radicalized in recent decades. Many conservatives today are animated by a profound sense of anxiety about the direction of the country: A feeling that something about the American project has gone deeply, terribly wrong. A visceral fear of a “woke” progressivism with seemingly unmatched cultural power and influence. And a willingness to endorse ideas and leaders once considered fringe.But Ahmari isn't just a critic. He's also one of the leading conservative intellectuals trying to chart a post-Trump future for the Republican Party. One that fuses Bernie Sanders-style economic populism with an aggressive social conservatism that isn't afraid to use the power of the state to enforce its vision of the common good.So this conversation begins with Ahmari's religious and political journey but also explores his heterodox political vision for the Republican Party, the surprising similarities in how radical feminists and religious traditionalists understand the legacy of the sexual revolution, his view that cultural and economic deregulation has decimated the American working class, the possibility of a left-right alliance around banning pornography, and why he views the cultural left and its corporate allies as a greater threat to American democracy than anything Donald Trump can offer.Mentioned:From Fire, by Water by Sohrab AhmariThe Unbroken Thread by Sohrab AhmariBook Recommendations:The Adventures of Tintin by HergéThe Charterhouse of Parma by StendhalThe Gnostic Religion by Hans JonasThis episode is guest-hosted by Ross Douthat, a New York Times columnist whose work focuses on politics, conservatism, religion and, more recently, chronic illness. He is the author of “The Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness and Discovery” and “The Decadent Society.” You can read his work here and follow him on Twitter @DouthatNYT. (Learn more about the other guest hosts during Ezra's parental leave here.)You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of "The Ezra Klein Show" at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast, and you can find Ezra on Twitter @ezraklein. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.“The Ezra Klein Show” is produced by Annie Galvin, Jeff Geld and Rogé Karma; fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker and Michelle Harris; original music by Isaac Jones; mixing by Jeff Geld, audience strategy by Shannon Busta. Special thanks to Kristin Lin.

One of the most frightening, least understood aspects of the coronavirus pandemic is what's come to be known as “long Covid.” Stories abound of young, healthy adults who experienced mild or asymptomatic coronavirus infections and recovered fairly quickly, only to experience an onset of debilitating symptoms weeks or even months later. One major study of almost two million Covid patients in the United States found that nearly a quarter sought medical treatment for new conditions one month or more after their initial infection.Scientists still don't fully understand what's causing long Covid or how to best treat it. But in that sense, long Covid isn't all that novel. Today, millions of Americans suffer from chronic illnesses set off by the body's response to infections. Many of these conditions routinely go undiagnosed or are misdiagnosed. And even those who find their conditions identified correctly often struggle to find treatments that work for them.“To have a poorly understood disease,” writes Meghan O'Rourke, “is to be brought up against every flaw in the U.S. health care system; to collide with the structural problems of a late-capitalist society that values productivity more than health; and to confront the philosophical problem of conveying an experience that lacks an accepted framework.”O'Rourke, an award-winning journalist and poet and the editor of The Yale Review, has spent more than a decade of her life struggling with chronic illness, a journey she documents in her forthcoming book, “The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness.” In it, O'Rourke uses her experience to illuminate the facets of American society that often remain invisible to the rest of us: the blind spots in our scientific and medical paradigms, the shortcomings of our individualistic ethos, the way economic inequalities show up in our bodies, our culture's tendency to pathologize suffering.So this conversation begins with long Covid and the debates surrounding it, which O'Rourke has done excellent reporting and writing on. But it is also about what it's like to experience America's hidden chronic illness epidemic firsthand, and what that epidemic reveals about the society that too often pretends it doesn't exist.Mentioned:“Long-Haulers Are Fighting for Their Future” by Ed Yong“Lyme Disease Is Baffling, Even to Experts” by Meghan O'Rourke“Unlocking the Mysteries of Long Covid” by Meghan O'RourkeThe Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness and Discovery by Ross DouthatBook Recommendations:The Journal of a Disappointed Man by W.N.P. BarbellionOn Immunity by Eula BissThe Cancer Journals by Audre LordeThis episode is guest-hosted by Ross Douthat, a New York Times columnist whose work focuses on politics, conservatism, religion and, more recently, chronic illness. He is also the author of numerous books, including “The Deep Places” and “The Decadent Society.” You can read his work here and follow him on Twitter @DouthatNYT (Learn more about the other guest hosts during Ezra's parental leave here.)You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of "The Ezra Klein Show" at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast, and you can find Ezra on Twitter @ezraklein. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.“The Ezra Klein Show” is produced by Annie Galvin, Jeff Geld and Rogé Karma; fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker and Michelle Harris; original music by Isaac Jones; mixing by Jeff Geld, audience strategy by Shannon Busta. Special thanks to Kristin Lin.

Welcome to Season 2!Kicking things off a bit low-key, with Micah and Rosemary discussing Ross Douthat's book “Decadent Society.” The full round table will be back soon, and in the meantime the two of us had a great time talking through the ideas in Douthat's recent book.Check out our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/forgodandcountrypodcastPatrons will get at least two extra episodes a month this season, plus other goodies as we dream them up! Starts at $5/month.  Email us at forgodandcountry@fojf.org !Music and sound effects credit:Gustov Holst's Thaxted, as performed by Kevin MacLeod, and "red tailed hawk" (no, it's not an eagle; eagles don't sound like that) as recorded by Craig Smith, both under the Creative Common License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcodehttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Classical_Sampler/Thaxtedhttps://freesound.org/people/craigsmith/sounds/479610/Image credit: https://www.vecteezy.com/holiday-seasonal/61847-grungy-easter-event-flyer-vector &https://www.vecteezy.com/vector-art/147260-blue-stars-patriotic-grunge-backgroundand our generous graphic designer, Anonymous.

Ross Douthat, New York Times Op-Ed columnist and author of The Decadent Society, joins us to discuss America's steady cultural decline, and whether there is a coming Renaissance on the horizon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ross Douthat, New York Times Op-Ed columnist and author of The Decadent Society, joins us to discuss America's steady cultural decline, and whether there is a coming Renaissance on the horizon.

After a highly anticipated summit between President Biden and Vladimir Putin, here's what we're left with: if Russia's going to cyberattack the United States, they should not target sixteen critical areas of American society and infrastructure, or else. What does that mean? And where does that leave us with Russian hackers that aren't part of the government? Also: The Supreme Court upholds Obamacare after another attempt to shake it down. Is this a win for progressives? Is it a major loss for conservatives? And Senator Joe Manchin proposes a voting rights compromise. Is it a good deal for both sides? Plus: a discussion of Ross Douthat's book The Decadent Society and how the pandemic has left a mark on decadence.

“What fascinates and terrifies us about the Roman Empire is not that it finally went smash,” W. H. Auden once wrote, but rather that “it managed to last for four centuries without creativity, warmth, or hope.” In his latest book, The Decadent Society, Ross Douthat suggests contemporary America may be in a similar spot. He joined Shadi and Damir to discuss the factors contributing to our present state of decadence, and possible avenues out—from wokeness to a new post-liberal politics to UFOs. In Part Two, available here, the conversation continues with Damir asking Ross if wokeness will burn itself out or if it must be countered with a new, more compelling faith. Shadi, Ross, and Damir also discuss why more and more elites are no longer Christian, if meritocracy has failed, the role of rationalism and faith in sustaining the American project, and why—despite his religious conservatism—more liberals don't hate Ross. Recommended Reading: The Decadent Society: America Before and After the Pandemic, by Ross Douthat (Amazon) "Can the Meritocracy Find God?" by Ross Douthat (The New York Times) Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics, by Ross Douthat (Amazon) "Sohrab Ahmari on Liberalism, Tradition, and Political Catholicism" (Wisdom of Crowds) "Sohrab Ahmari on Liberalism, Tradition, and Political Catholicism—Part Two" (Wisdom of Crowds)

On Friday, July 10th we welcomed distinguished professor, author, and scholar Alan Jacobs to discuss his ever-timely book The Year of Our Lord 1943: Christian Humanism in an Age of Crisis. In his book, Jacobs describes how after the second World War, five Christian intellectuals presented strikingly similar visions for the moral and spiritual renewal of their countries.Jacques Maritain, T. S. Eliot, C. S. Lewis, W. H. Auden, and Simone Weil all believed the renewal of their respective societies in the aftermath of World War II would come through education that was grounded in a Christian understanding of the power and limitations of human beings. Alan helped us consider the ways our world is changing due to our current crisis, and look back to these Christian intellectuals and their vision for cultivating a flourishing society and rebuilding a shared sense of the common good after world-wide disruption. We hope you enjoy this conversation!Watch the full Online Conversation and read the transcript here.Learn more about Alan Jacobs.Alan Jacobs' Books:Breaking Bread with the Dead: A Reader's Guide to a more Tranquil Mind, The Year of our Lord 1943: Christian Humanism in an Age of Crisis, How to Think: A Survival Guide for a World at Odds, The Book of Common Prayer: A Biography. Baylor University Great Texts ProgramAuthors and books mentioned in the conversation:Education at the Crossroads by Jacques MaritainThe Abolition of Man by C.S. LewisVocation and Society, a lecture given at Swarthmore College by W.H. AudenChristianity and Culture by T.S. ElliotBetween Past and Future, by Hannah ArendtRationalism in Politics, by Michael OakeshottRoberts Coles - Harvard Professor.Bleak House, by Charles DickensC.S. Lewis - “The Inner Ring,” “Membership,” Abolition of Man, That Hideous Strength.Leszek KolakowskiGeorge Eliot Søren KierkegaardRelated Trinity Forum Readings and Resources: Wrestling with God, by Simone Weil Origins of Totalitarianism, by Hannah Arendt Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley Politics and the English Language, by George Orwell How Much Land Does A Man Need, by Leo Tolstoy A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens Poetry, Imagination, and Spiritual Formation, an Evening Conversation with Dana Gioia featuring the poetry of W.H. Auden. The Decadent Society, an Evening Conversation with Ross Douthat and Christine Emba.  Alan Jacobs is a scholar, English literature, a writer, a literary critic. He's a distinguished professor of the humanities and the honors college at Baylor university and previously taught for nearly 30 years at Wheaton college in Illinois, a prolific author and a wide ranging thinker. He's written for such publications as The Atlantic, Harper's, Comment, The New Yorker, the Weekly Standard and the Hedgehog Review and has published more than 15 different books on a wide range of topics from literature, technology theology and cognitive psychology, including How to Think, The Book of Common Prayer, the book we're discussing today, The Year of our Lord 1943, which was named by the Wall Street Journal is one of their best books on politics for the year of 2018 and many more, including the forthcoming book, Breaking Bread with the Dead: A Reader's Guide to a more Tranquil Mind, which is available now.

DAY 402: THE PEOPLE VS THE STATE: EXPOSING THIS DECADENT SOCIETY & SOLUTIONS TO LIBERATION

Kale discusses a recent Substack in which Ross articulates the dilemmas facing Christian's in light of our current cultural exhaustions, what Ross works out in more detail with his latest book The Decadent Society. Rod joins Kale to continue the conversation and they talk about post-Obergfell, the Integralist response, and pessimism regarding where we stand.   Ross's The Decadent Society: The Decadent Society: How We Became the Victims of Our Own Success: Douthat, Ross: 9781476785240: Amazon.com: Books   Charles Taylor The Secular Age: A Secular Age: Taylor, Charles: 9780674986916: Amazon.com: Books   Ross's Substack on Christian Cul-de-sacs: Reactions (substack.com)   Rod's post on Discord Discord Servers: Woke Friends Consider Her A Leper | The American Conservative   Rod's response to Ross's Substack: Cosmos & Chickadee | The American Conservative   Rod's Sex After Christianity (a MUST read): Sex After Christianity | The American Conservative

DAY 315: PEOPLE VS THE STATE EXPOSING AMERIKKKAS DEVILISH & DECADENT SOCIETY

“Decadence” is one of those familiar terms that is trivialized or rendered comic by overuse—perhaps you'd say from decadence itself. And while most people think decadent is mostly a synonym for “sumptuous,” it has a wider and deeper meaning, which is the subject of Ross Douthat's new book, The Decadent Society: How We Became the Victims of Our Own Success. Douthat, a columnist for the New York... Source

A very recent book that became more relevant overnight—its diagnosis of decadence, and what comes after, is newly relevant in a world changed by the Chinese virus. But Douthat ignores the elephant in the room. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

Peter Kapsner reacts to the closing colleges and cancelling of the NBA season because of the Coronavirus pandemic.  New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, author of The Decadent Society, talks about how our success as lead to decadence, and how we can help reform our nation.

Eric Metaxas talks with Ross Douthat, New York Times op-ed columnist, about his interesting take on the decline of the American culture. Douthat brings evidence from his new book, The Decadent Society: How We Became Victims of Our Own Success.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New York Times op-ed columnist Ross Douthat has an interesting take on the decline of the American culture and brings the evidence from his new book, "The Decadent Society."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New York Times columnist Ross Douthat joins the show to discuss his new book, The Decadent Society.  We chat about what it means to be a decadent society, to what extent the Western world is successful but stagnant, and whether the West can or should worry about working past this decadent phase. If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and subscribe, and consider supporting us at patreon.com/neoliberalproject. Patrons get access to exclusive bonus episodes, our sticker-of-the-month club, and community Slack.  Become a supporter today! Follow us at: https://twitter.com/ne0liberal https://www.instagram.com/realneoliberal/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/1930401007051265/   Join a local meetup group at https://neoliberalproject.org/chapters