2022 Most Loved: Beyond the End of Liberalism with Andrew Willard Jones

01/03/23 • 63 min

The liberal tradition frames the story of modernity as the gradual victory of freedom against state hegemony. Liberty, the consent of the people to be governed, and individual rights are the mainstay of western society. But are we really more free than before? What if freedom isn’t what we think?

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The Surprising Future of Irish Christianity with Gaven Kerr

For some, Ireland is the archetype of Christianity’s decline in the wake of modern secularization. But is it possible that there is a resurgence of theological and philosophical fervor in this traditionally Catholic country?

Gaven Kerr, a lecturer in philosophy at St. Patrick's Pontifical University in Maynooth, Ireland, recently hosted a conference called "The Future of Christian Thinking." Gaven has a surprisingly optimistic, up-to-date, on-the-ground evaluation of Christianity's prospects in Ireland. In this episode, he and Ryan ask: What caused the loss of Irish Catholic identity? What role does Irish superstition and folklore play in the country’s Christian faith? In the world of head and heart, modernity and tradition, what is the future of Christian thought?

Next Episode

The Fate of the Post-Industrial Man with Richard Reeves

Do men need equal opportunity? Dr. Richard Reeves answers with an emphatic “yes.” His work as senior fellow at the Brookings Institute and director of the Future of the Middle Class Initiative has encouraged him to author the book Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It.

In this conversation, Grant and Dr. Reeves respond to the fact that men are underrepresented in higher education and struggling in the professional world, asking: What does affirmative action for men look like? How does child education harm or empower boys, and is the academic world donning a feminine identity? Should we celebrate “toxic” masculinity?

Modernity calls for a new contract between men and women. What is the fate of the post-industrial man?