Thinking Out Loud Nathan Rittenhouse & Cameron McAllister

A recent article by Ted Gioia on the decadent state of our culture pushed us to ask, “Are things really that bad?” It’s a question on many people’s minds these days, so we decided to explore it on this episode.

Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt continues to churn out bestsellers and his latest book, The Anxious Generation, is adding a new level of urgency to the conversation around parenting. But do we really need Dr. Haidt to tell us that smartphones and social media shouldn’t be in the hands of young children? TOL listeners know we’re fans of Haidt’s work, so this isn’t a knock on him. It is, however, a bit of a nudge to stop outsourcing our parenting to so-called experts. Join us as we discuss this issue.

A conservative Catholic speaking to conservative Catholics at a Catholic university argues for the importance of God and family values. And breaks the internet? Unsurprisingly, those with progressive leanings take umbrage at a popular athlete arguing for the normative place of a traditional family in society. What is surprising, however, are some of the theologically conservative Christians who who have also taken offense at the man's speech. Join us as we parse some of the reactions and consider some of their larger implications.

As the title suggests, we’re delving into the ethics of church security and considering how Christ’s moral vision shapes our approach.

We recently received a thoughtful question from a listener in Canada about the issue of reparations. Though we certainly can’t close the book on such a complex subject, we did our level best to offer some constructive thoughts on the issue. We pray it’s helpful to you. 

We’ve talked about Ayan Hirsi Ali. We’ve talked about a grudging admission from professor Richard Dawkins that he’s now a cultural Christian. And now we’ll add the bubbly, charming, and highly articulate Russell Brand to the discussion. We’ve seen this before, right? Kanye West, anyone? How about Bob Dylan? But something feels different this time. Join us as we talk about that difference.