The Aaron Renn Show

Join Aaron as he sits down with William Wolfe, Executive Director of the Center for Baptist Leadership (CBL), to discuss the future of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), the fight against liberal drift in the church, and the intersection of faith and politics. From grassroots reform to meeting President Trump in the Oval Office, William shares CBL’s mission to revitalize Baptist identity and e...

In this episode of Aaron Renn's series on religious minorities in America, he speaks with Josh Hammer, senior editor-at-large at Newsweek Magazine and author of the book Israel and Civilization . Josh shares his personal journey from an assimilated Jewish upbringing to becoming fully observant, discusses the challenges of practicing Judaism in modern America, and offers insights on Jewish-Chr...

In this first episode in a new series exploring the religious minority experience in America, I sit down with author, educator, and entrepreneur Haroon Mogul to discuss his experiences as a Muslim in the United States. Born to Pakistani immigrant parents in Connecticut and raised in New England, Haroon offers unique insights into navigating dual identities, building community across ethnic lines,...

Join host Aaron as he interviews Christopher Schlect, Senior Fellow of History and Director of the Classical and Christian Studies Program at New St. Andrews College. They discuss Schlect's fascinating doctoral dissertation "Onward Christian Administrators," which explores how business management practices transformed American Protestant churches in the early 20th century. Discover...

In this thought-provoking conversation, wealth manager and author David Bahnsen challenges conventional wisdom about work, retirement, and purpose. Managing $7.1 billion in assets hasn't stopped Bahnsen from questioning our culture's assumptions about work as something to escape from. His book "Full-Time: Work in the Meaning of Life" presents a radical rethinking of vocation as...

Tony Carnes, sociologist, journalist, and founder of "A Journey Through NYC Religions," joins us to explore how New York City has transformed from a secular metropolis into what he calls "America's first post-secular city."  Tony shares fascinating stories from his project documenting every religious site in New York City, revealing the vibrant religious communities that t...

Join Aaron as he welcomes back Brad Littlejohn, author of "Called to Freedom: Retrieving Christian Liberty in an Age of License" and fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. In this thought-provoking conversation, they explore the true meaning of freedom from a Christian perspective and how it contrasts with modern society's understanding of liberty as unlimited choice. Brad u...

In this wide-ranging conversation, writer and editor Titus Techera explores how media has evolved from America's founding to today's social media landscape. We discuss how different forms of media - from Revolutionary War pamphlets to modern podcasts - have shaped American democracy and character. Techera breaks down how technological changes have repeatedly disrupted elite institutional...

NYT columnist Ross Douthat joins me to discuss his new book Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious . We explore why skeptics and non-believers should consider religious faith, examining evidence from science, philosophy, and human experience. Douthat makes the case that religious belief is not only reasonable but arguably obligatory for thinking people in our age. Buy the book: https://www.amaz...

Princeton Classics PhD Alex Petkas argues against the "Great Books" model of classical education and makes the case for returning to traditional classical training focused on Greek and Latin languages. He explains why Plutarch's Lives was one of early America's most influential books and why it deserves renewed attention today. Alex Petkas is host of the Cost of Glory podcast,...

In this episode, Ruy Teixeira, one of America's leading political analysts, discusses the dramatic realignment of American political coalitions and what it means for the future. A longtime Democratic insider and co-author of The Emerging Democratic Majority , Teixeira explains his journey from progressive think tanks to the American Enterprise Institute, unpacks the Democrats' struggles...

P. Jesse Rine, director of the Center for Academic Faithfulness and Flourishing (CAFF), joins us to talk about the state of Christian higher education. He will also showcase CAFF's new online Christian college guide, which is the most comprehensive collection of information about Christian colleges available. Note: This podcast may be best on Youtube because it involves a demonstration of a w...

In this episode, a deep dive with Matthew Continetti on his book The Right: The Hundred Year War for American Conservatism . We explore how American conservatism developed, from its birth in in the 1920s and opposition to FDR's New Deal through today's populist resurgence. Continetti explains why conservative populism keeps returning, how elites lost their grip on the right, and what the...

In this episode, Tim Chapman discusses how traditional conservatives are engaging with the Trump administration. He's the president of Advancing American Freedom, an advocacy group set up by former Vice President Mike Pence. We discuss: What traditional conservatism is and what it's future is in the age of populism and Trumpism What Advancing American Freedom does Engaging with the Trump...

In this episode, sociologist Musa al-Gharbi discusses his book We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite . How should we understand the "woke" phenomenon? Where did it come from? Why do elite whites claim to be marginalized, while showing little care for genuinely marginalized people around them like the service workers they rely on? Article referred to in the p...

Jon Askonas is a professor of politics at Catholic University. He wrote an interesting piece for Comment magazine on how Americans went from seeing technology as a source of progress to viewing it as leading us to an apocalypse. He joins us to discuss: How and why did this shift take place? Why are we so anxious? How should we live in this age of anxiety? Read "Building a Future in the Face o...

Academia is almost entirely dominated by the left. Robert George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton, has thrived in it as a strong Catholic. But is it possible for conservatives and Christians to follow the same path today? What are the signs of optimism both for conservatives in academia, but also for a healthier climate for academia itself? George joins me to discuss these topics...

Ryan Williams is the president of the Claremont Institute. Claremont is the institutional base of West Coast Straussianism, and has long been known for its fellowship programs and quarterly journal The Claremont Review of Books. It has attracted controversy in the Trump era for its willingness to engage with dissident ideas. It published the mega-viral "The Flight 93 Election Essay" and...

Despite major progress in civil rights, black economic uplift, and even electing a black President, the question of race continues to be an ongoing major issue in the United States. There are continuing significant racial disparities between races. A black underclass still remains in America. And political and cultural debates around race continue to be major flashpoints. This includes within the...

Justin Shubow is the president of the National Civic Art Society, a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. that promotes the classical and humanistic tradition in public art and architecture. He was also formerly the chairman of the US Commission of Fine Arts. He joins me to talk about our public buildings and how to make them beautiful. Note that this podcast includes a discuss...

Bestselling author Rod Dreher has a knack for putting his finger on what people are going to be talking about next. He's done it again with his new book on re-enchantment, Living in Wonder . He joins us today to talk about embracing what historian Tom Holland calls the "weird stuff" in Christianity.  What does it mean for the world to be enchanted? Isn't enchantment just supers...

Os Guinness is an author and social critic. Yes, he is related to the Guinness brewing family. He has an incredible life story, being born in China to medical missionaries and living through the communist takeover there. He has a DPhil from Oxford and has been involved with many eminent organizations ranging from the Brookings Institution to the Trinity Forum. He’s also the author of many books, i...

Delano Squires is a Research Fellow in Life, Religion and Family at the Heritage Foundation, and a contributor to the Blaze. He joins me today to talk about the enduring relevance of the call to manhood and family, and how to live that out in today's world. Subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.aaronrenn.com/

Stephen Eide is a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute who studies homelessness and mental illness. He joins me to discuss his new article in National Affairs magazine about how to help the homeless and those who struggle at the very bottom of society. Read Eide's article: https://www.nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/uplifting-the-man-farthest-down Subscribe to my newsletter: https...

Austin Knuppe is an assistant professor of political science at Utah State University specializing in Foreign Policy, International Politics, Middle East Politics, and War. He's the author of a recent book on how Iraqis survived the Islamic State. He joins me to discuss Christians in the Middle East. Once sizable Christian populations there have declined noticeably in the past 100 years. He a...