Strong Gods: The End of the Long 20th Century

Are the "strong gods" returning to American life — and what does that mean for politics, Christianity, and civilization?In this episode of Project Cosmos, host Johnny Burtka is joined by a distinguished panel of scholars to discuss NS Lyons' essay on the long 20th century and the Return of the Strong Gods — building on Rusty Reno's influential work. Guests:Tom West — Paul Ermine Potter and Dawn Tibbetts Potter Endowed Professor of PoliticsKhalil Habib — Allison and Dorothy Rouse Professor in Politics, Associate Professor of PoliticsMiles Smith IV — Assistant Professor of HistoryDaniel O'Toole — Assistant Professor of PoliticsRich Bacigalupi — Director, Deany's Days FoundationTimestamps:0:00 – Introduction: NS Lyons & the Return of the Strong Gods0:19 – Why the left calls conservatives "fascists"3:58 – Malcolm X, identity, and strong gods on the left8:08 – The structure of progressive movements: weak gods as the ideal26:43 – Is traditional Christianity making a comeback?43:09 – Two versions of Christianity & the immigration debate1:08:37 – AI, Silicon Valley & the political realignment1:09:24 – AI as a threat to elections and public opinion1:31:19 – Can the republic be saved? The role of the statesmanProject Cosmos is a production of ISI — the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. Visit isi.org to learn more about our educational programs on Western and American civilization.