Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values

Perhaps no other individual (or person, for the benefit of the Kirkian insider) was more responsible for resuscitating intellectual conservatism back to life in the mid Twentieth century than Russell Kirk.  Today, Kirk’s efforts to recover and conserve the “Permanent Things” lives on at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultura...

Our digital world is saturated in “facts” but there’s little agreement on what constitutes “truth”.  If we can no longer agree on what sources of information can be reliable, is civil debate even possible?  To what degree is the problem exa...

What do Russell Kirk and Martin Luther King Jr. have in common?  Though they’re traditionally depicted as coming from opposing political orientations, National Ambassador for Braver Angels John Wood Jr. believes a deeper understanding of their religious convictions and societal aspirations reveals an important commonality...

The conservative tradition embodies centuries of accumulated wisdom from some of the brightest and most inspiring thinkers you’ll find.  Yet for the young conservative eager to learn more about this tradition, choosing which books to read can be a daunting task.

The conservative tradition embodies centuries of accumulated wisdom from some of the brightest and most inspiring thinkers you’ll find.  Yet for the young conservative eager to learn more about this tradition, choosing which books to read can be a daunting task.

In response to America’s rapidly polarizing political divide a number of organizations have developed to try and turn down the heat.  Braver Angels is the nation’s largest movement dedicated to bridging the partisan gap.  Their website boasts that they are “equally balanced between ...

Populism is on the rise today—or so we’re told.  But what is populism?  Is it something to be feared or should it only be concerning to those dastardly elites?  Is populism a political movement of the Left or the Right?  Is it only a phenomenon of the politics of today, or has populism existed in some form throughout our nation’s history?  Does populism protect the individual from powerful interests or endanger our liberties?  How ...

1st Baron Acton, 13th Marquess of Groppoli, John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton who, for obvious reasons, is more commonly referred to as simply Lord Acton, was a 19th century writer, historian, and member of the British parliament whose contributions to history, faith, and politics are largely forgotten beyond his most famous quote: “Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely”.  Joining Josh to explore just why Acton...

Late last year Jonathan Cole had Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis on his podcast, The Political Animals, to talk about the quirkiness of American conservatism, the rise of the NatCons, and whether there’s any hope for Josh’s brand of fusionist conservatism in the future.  The conversation was simply too good not to share, so here is a re-podcast of Jonathan’s original episode.

While Saving Elephants is targeted to younger Americans, more and more Millennials cannot be counted among “the kids these days”.  Today’s college students belong to Gen Z, and they are coming of age in one of the most turbulent political shifts and ideological realignments over the past half century.  What are conservatives to make of this next generation?  What challenges and opportunities do they present?  Joining Josh to delve ...

In 1953 sociologist Robert Nisbet published his most famous work The Quest for Community, arguing for the necessity of association to the human experience and the harm inflicted upon communities when they are deprived of their function.  Traditional conservatism has long upheld Nisbet’s teachings as a reminder that we are not purely material beings with strictly economic interests.  Josh welcomes Luke Sheahan to this episode to di...

What is the great economic challenge of our times?  Is it inflation?  Rising inequality?  Artificially low interest rates?  Economist David Bahnsen joins Josh to discuss why excessive government debt and our slow-growth or no-growth economy risks the Japanification of the United States.  While some warn of a financial apocalypse, David argues that a more realistic threat is continued lack of productive output and increasing discont...

Mónica Guzmán joins Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis as they reach across the political divide to explore how the Left and Right might better engage one another in respectful debate.  Mónica shares her experiences as a liberal living in deep, blue Seattle yet grappling with her immigrant parent’s support for Trump.  They also discuss the limitations of reason to resolve our differences, why viewing people as complex and not merely ...

American conservatism has long struggled to reconcile the American Revolution with a worldview that defers to the slow accretion of cultural and historical development over generations.  Yet some nations followed this more “conservative” path.  How might American conservatism appear to them?  Joining Josh in this episode is bona fide conservative and Australian Jonathan Cole to discuss how Australian conservatism differs from both ...

In an age where what passes for the archetype conservative are the likes of Candace Owens, Bill Mitchell, Sean Hannity, Matt Gaetz, Tomi Lahren, and Donald Trump, it can be discouraging for those of us who take pride in the rich legacy and colorful history of thinkers on the Right to be associated with such grifters, demagogues, and charlatans.

With the end of Roe, the pro-life movement scores a major victory in the fight to protect the life of the unborn.  But does this victory signify the end or is it merely the beginning of a new set of challenges and uncertainty in a world that doesn’t always embrace life?  Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis is joined by Kimberly Ross to discuss what a post-Roe world looks like for the pro-life movement and where to go from here.

Earlier this summer, Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis joined three other veteran podcasters to launch a new show: Are We Right?  Cal Davenport, Brooke Medina, and Calvin Moore, and Josh debate a wide range of topics from politics to religion to culture and invite the audience to weigh in on whether or not they’re right.  A recent episode featured Calvin quizzing Josh and Cal on why they embrace a conservative worldview.  And even t...

The Orthodox Christian faith is a growing yet tiny minority in the Christendom body in the United States.  Yet they are growing in strength and numbers on the broader American Right.  Which suggests that Orthodoxy may exert its influence on the conservative movement of the future.  What traditions does the faith hold that may bolster and modify conservatism?  What challenges are there in seeking to fuse a predominantly Eastern reli...

Fellow geriatric millennial Eric Kohn joins Josh to discuss what keeps the Acton Institute anchored in turbulent political waters, the proper role for libertarian ideas in conservatism, the dangers of religious zeal in political ideologies, and what’s wrong with conservative kids these days.