EPISODE · Aug 20, 2026 · 1H 2M
#141 - R.R. Reno - What Happens When The West’s Strong Gods Return And Find Nobody Home
from Thinking Class · host John Gillam
R.R. Reno is the editor of First Things, the most important journal of religion and public life in America. He is the author of Return of the Strong Gods, In the Ruins of the Church, and a forthcoming rock climbing memoir. He has taught theology at Creighton University and has written for the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and Commentary.In this conversation, we think out loud about:— What the strong gods look like when they return to a country that no longer has any gods at all — and whether there is a floor below which even the strong gods cannot reach— Why Christianity remains a contested but robust force in American public life while Britain's established church has been abandoned by its own people— How Blair's open society theology disfigured Britain's understanding of itself— Pierre Manent's argument that the modern West has irreversibly chosen the city of man over the city of God— Why the first duty of the sovereign is to preserve the realm — not because it is conducive to greater utility but because the realm has intrinsic value— Alex Karp's observation that Europeans no longer believe their civilisation will last— Why multiculturalism is a theory designed to explain how disintegration is actually the birth of something new — and why it cannot work— The Parmenidean resurgence: classical schools, elite religious revival, and the young men turning to rigorous Christianity— Why Trump is the Vishnu of early 21st century politics — the great destroyer after whom someone must buildFind R.R. Reno and First Things:Website: firstthings.comSubscribe: firstthings.com/subscribeX: x.com/raborennRelated episodes you might enjoy:— Carl Trueman — The West Killed God. Then It Killed Man. Now Something Darker Is Coming: https://youtu.be/zwhbWVc1PgU— Iain McGilchrist — There Is A Great Deal Of Ruin In The Western World And This Is Why: https://youtu.be/yrlmkVl86-0— Pierre d'Alancaisez — The Custodians Of Beauty Became Its Gravediggers: https://youtu.be/KXn2z3mfCDkThe Call of England — a documentary series retracing a 1927 journey through England to discover what remains of the national inheritance:Watch Episode 1 here: https://youtu.be/muBQWIP6ZQQWatch Episode 2 here: https://youtu.be/jbVZfSR3ZF4Thinking Class is a long-form interview podcast on the cultural, historical and civilisational forces shaping England, Britain, the Anglosphere and the wider West. Hosted by John Gillam. ▶ YouTube✍ Substack🎧 Spotify🍎 Apple🐦 XNew episodes every Thursday at 3pm.
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R.R. Reno is the editor of First Things, the most important journal of religion and public life in America. He is the author of Return of the Strong Gods, In the Ruins of the Church, and a forthcoming rock climbing memoir. He has taught theology at Creighton University and has written for the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and Commentary. In this conversation, we think out loud about: — What the strong gods look like when they return to a country that no longer has any gods at all ...
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#141 - R.R. Reno - What Happens When The West’s Strong Gods Return And Find Nobody Home
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