logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2025
20m 12s

An Atheist’s Case for More Christianity ...

NEW YORK TIMES OPINION
About this episode

We’ll be back next week with a new episode, but in the meantime we’re kicking off 2025 with a great conversation from our friends at “The Opinions.” 

In this episode, the New York Times Opinion columnist David French, a lifelong evangelical, speaks to Jonathan Rauch, an atheist and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, about the crisis of Christianity in the United States and how faith might be the only way to redeem democracy.

(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) 

Thoughts about the show? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Up next
Jul 3
Why Trump’s Blood-and-Guts Strategy Worked
Happy Independence Day! We’ll be back next week with a new episode, but today we’re sharing the episode that started us on the path to “Interesting Times.” Ross Douthat talks to Reihan Salam, the president of the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. Together they wrote the bo ... Show More
55m 30s
Jun 26
A Mind-Bending Conversation with Peter Thiel
The billionaire Peter Thiel is unimpressed with our pace of innovation. In this episode, he critiques artificial intelligence, longevity science and space travel — and warns that our lack of progress could lead to catastrophic outcomes, including the emergence of the Antichrist.0 ... Show More
1 h
Jun 19
The Progressive Regulator Winning Over the Populist Right
Is the key to freedom a life without Amazon? This week, Ross talks to Lina Khan, former Chair of the Federal Trade Commission about how unchecked corporate power has limited choice in our day-to-day lives, and how her fight against Big Tech unites left and right.02:41 - What’s wr ... Show More
1 h
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2024
Unb Classic Replay -- Is God Dead? - John Lennox and Dave Rubin Debate on The Big Conversation - Part 1
From the Archives: This week we play one of our all time favourite episodes: a discussion hosted live in California, between Christian apologist John Lennox and US talk show host Dave Rubin, from 2019. In Part 1 of this Big Conversation, Professor Lennox and Rubin discuss the que ... Show More
1h 5m
Oct 2024
Cultural Update: Can AI be blamed for suicide?; Religious comeback?; Political word games
This week's topics: A tragic story about a 14-year-old's suicide raises questions about the role of AI in human relationships.Exploring the possibility of a religious comeback: Are we seeing signs of renewed interest in faith?Political word games and the language used b ... Show More
43m 51s
Feb 2019
Matthew Bowman, "Christian: The Politics of a Word in America" (Harvard UP, 2018)
The intersection of religion and politics in the United States is one of the nation's most enduring conversations. Christian: The Politics of a Word in America(Harvard University Press, 2018) by Dr. Matthew Bowman at Henderson State University, was recently named one of the five ... Show More
1h 1m
May 2024
In New York w/ Slavoj Žižek
This week we're joined by Slavoj Zizek! We discuss his new book, Christian Atheism, Judith Butler, the mafia, and where to find a good diner in New York. To support the podcast and gain access to many more episodes, join our Patreon Enjoy! 
55m 9s
Apr 16
HOT TOPICS | Wrongfully Deported—and Still Left Behind - April 16th, 2025
The Trump administration wrongfully deported Abrego Garcia—and they know it. They’ve even admitted it was a mistake. But despite a 9-0 Supreme Court ruling ordering the administration to facilitate his return, they’re refusing to bring him back. So now the question is: can Trump ... Show More
1h 4m
Mar 2025
The “Enlightenment” of the Western World
Some thinkers claim that by casting God out of its thinking, the Western world has finally entered maturity. Today, R.C. Sproul shows that our culture is actually in a state of juvenile rebellion. Listen on Apple Podcasts or your podcast platform of choice. Read the transcript: h ... Show More
1m 38s
Dec 2024
The Appeal of the Smaller Breasts: From ‘The Daily’
This week on the “Modern Love” podcast, we’re sharing an episode from another New York Times podcast: “The Daily.”For decades, breast augmentations have been one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries in the United States. But in recent years, a new trend has emerged: the breast ... Show More
29m 50s
Jun 1
How Gen Z found religion
For the first time in decades, American Christianity is not in decline. What are young people looking for–and finding–at church? Further reading: The surprising chasm splitting Americans along religious lines by Christian Paz. Pew report: Decline of Christianity in the U.S. Has S ... Show More
29m 53s
Jan 2025
The Embodied Life with Christine Rosen
Being human in a disembodied world.Find us on Youtube.Technology has developed so quickly over the past 15 to 20 years that it can make your head spin. With so many apparent benefits embedded in technological advances, few of us pause long enough to wonder if there might be any c ... Show More
42m 27s
Mar 2025
American Capitalism in Decay: An Analysis (Pokepreet X Rev Left)
(There was a small audio issue at the end of this episode, we fixed it and are re-releasing it) Breht goes on the Pokepreet Podcast as a guest to have a fun and fiery conversation about his ideological development, why the United States is so hostile to socialism even relative to ... Show More
2h 18m