Building Worldviews

In this episode, George Weigel discusses  human freedom, the four principles of Catholic social doctrine, and how Pope John Paull II saw human creativity as the generator of wealth and the human flourishing that a Christian worldview sustains.

Other topics we cover: The human condition, Catholic social doctrine, the common good, limited government, orthodox Christianity, Michael Novak and “The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism,” th...

The first of a three-part conversation with George Weigel, we discuss the dilemma of modernity that Pope John Paul II addressed in his life, the collapse of communism in Europe and the revolution of moral conscience that occurred, and how John Paul II was involved and what he believed about a rich understanding of human freedom.

Other topics we cover: worldview, the importance of Pope John Paul II to modern history, modernity, an...

This is the final episode of a three-part series with Erika Bachiochi where we discuss modern feminism, the sexual revolution, and the role men and women play together in a free and healthy society.

Other topics we cover: Judith Butler, the history of coverture, the temperance movement, abortion, gender equality, the Industrial Revolution, shared parenthood, new wave feminism, and some of the great influential leaders of the wome...

In this episode with Erika Bachiochi, we get the history of early feminist Mary Wollstonecraft and the similarities between a modern day champion of similar beliefs, Mary Ann Glendon. Erika also discusses the connection between the Industrial Revolution and the women’s rights movement, as well as walking us through the  four phases of feminism. 

Other topics we cover: Rights Theory, modernity, abortion, sex as a construct, and th...

This is the first episode of a three-part conversation with Erika Bachiochi. Erika discusses her personal history and her intellectual journey through the political spectrum. She also discusses the 18th century author and advocate, Mary Wollstonecraft, the origins of the feminist movement, and the rights and duties in a free and just society.

Other topics we cover: her personal background, the Abigail Adams Institute, Catholic fe...

This is the second of a two-part conversation with Heather Mac Donald. In this discussion, Mac Donald challenges popular opinion and conventional wisdom as we wade into several cultural controversies like the consequences of diversity over meritocracy, the breakdown of the family, and women’s vs. trans’ rights.

Other topics we cover: race, gender, higher education, feminism, toxic masculinity, and the future of America’s politics...

This is the first of a two-part conversation with Heather Mac Donald about her personal background, the people who shaped her, her worldview, and love of music.  We also have an interesting conversation about why, unlike many of our previous Contributors, she does not believe in either capital “T” truth or the existence of God.

Other topics we cover: studying the deconstruction of language, the source of courage in her work, the ...

This episode is the third of a three part conversation with Eric Metaxas, advocate for living a Christian life and the best-selling author whose biographies, children’s books, and works of popular apologetics have been translated into more than 20 languages. In this episode, Praxis Circle’s Doug Monroe asks Eric about “Religionless Christianity,” the culture wars in America, and why many in our society ignore evidence for the exist...

This episode is the second of a three part conversation with Eric Metaxas. He continues the discussion about his worldview and personal responsibility to write about faith in our secular age. Eric also explains why atheism, not faith in God, is the enemy of science. He ends the episodes describing the origin and purpose of his two books, “Letter to the American Church” and “Religionless Christianity.”

Other topics covered: the ro...

This episode is the first of a three part conversation with prolific author and speaker Eric Metaxas. We discuss Eric’s personal story of growing up the child of immigrant parents, attending Yale University, and the miraculous experience that brought him to God. He explains also what led him to write biographies of Christian heroes and why he remains committed to telling these stories.

Other topics covered: the current trouble wi...

The final part of our five episode series with Dr. Stephen Meyer, a former geophysicist turned philosopher of science, who offers profound insights into the intersection of science, philosophy, and faith. We discuss the importance of a good theology of nature, how a “non-materialistic” explanation can still be scientific, and our ultimate problem: Men have forgotten God. Lastly, Meyer answers the question, “Are you optimistic or pe...

In this episode of our five-part conversation with Dr. Stephen Meyer, we discuss his “Return of the God Hypothesis,” the Big Bang, Darwin’s system, and the argument on behalf of theistic intelligent design.

Other topics we cover: arguments for the existence of God, biology, astronomy and the Big Bang theory, theistic design, quantum cosmology, fine-tuning of the universe, multiverse theory, problems with Darwinism, and more.

Dr...

This is the third of a five-part conversation with Dr. Stephen Meyer, a former geophysicist turned philosopher of science, who offers profound insights into the intersection of science, philosophy, and faith. In this episode, Dr. Meyer explains science and faith throughout the history of mankind and how the understanding of Christian God led to the Scientific Revolution in much of Europe. From St. Augustine to Robert Boyle to Dr. M...

In this episode of our five-part conversation with Dr. Stephen Meyer, we discuss the innate sense people have for morality and God, as well as some of the scientific beliefs of Newton, Leibniz, and Einstein.

Other topics we cover: the importance of good philosophy, the relationship between relativism and materialism, the fact-value divide, and moral knowledge.

Dr. Stephen Meyer is the Director and Senior Fellow of the Discovery...

This is the first of a five-part conversation with Dr. Stephen Meyer, a former geophysicist turned philosopher of science, who offers profound insights into the intersection of science, philosophy, and faith. Meyer has emerged as a leading intellectual voice presenting compelling evidence for God via intelligent design in the creation, development, and sustaining of the universe and of life on earth.

Topics we cover: the Discover...

In the last part of our interview, Mary Eberstadt concludes by discussing the reason for the rise in religious “nones,” the historical impact of religious vs. secular wars, the future of the Catholic Church, and both the progress and backsliding the United States has made in the past decade.

Mary Eberstadt holds the Panula Chair in Christian Culture at the Catholic Information Center and is a Senior Research Fellow at the Faith &...

In the second part of our interview, Mary Eberstadt discusses her book “Primal Screams” and her argument that the Sexual Revolution of the 1960s has created identity politics. We also have a conversation on contemporary feminism, how the summer of 2020 was a fulfilled “prophecy,” the turmoil people are facing because of loneliness, and how her faith helps her live a life free of fear.

Other topics we cover: What policy changes co...

Mary Eberstadt is an essayist, novelist, public speaker, and author of several nonfiction works. In the first part of her interview with Praxis Circle, Eberstadt discusses her growing up years in upstate New York, important life influences, pursuing both a career and motherhood, and her thoughts on how and why the younger generations today have been robbed.

Mary Eberstadt holds the Panula Chair in Christian Culture at the Catholi...

From philosophy to the sacred, part three of our interview with Sir Roger Scruton now turns to a discussion on politics. As a British outsider looking in, Scruton examines the uniqueness of the  American political system, our culture (defining it as “ghost-haunted”), and the connection between Donald J. Trump and Brexit. Finally, Scruton offers an answer at the very end of our episode to the question: “Are you optimistic or pessimi...