Socrates in the City

Latest Episodes:

Eric Metaxas and Hugh Ross: An Astrophysicist Explores the Science of the Bible Apr 24, 2026

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How does the book of Genesis line up with modern science? In this Socrates in the City conversation, Eric Metaxas is joined by astrophysicist Hugh Ross as they explore the surprising truths found in the Bible. The two explore the multitude of ways Genesis gets the science right, but still challenges us, from the origins of the universe to the reality of the Ice Age, along with a personal story about Ross’s Gideon Bible that’s been carried for years. This conversation explores the nuances, mysteries, and surprising truths of the relationship between science and faith.

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Jonathan Pageau and Mary Harrington: Reality in a Disenchanted Age Apr 20, 2026

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Episode three of Socrates Dialogues with Mary Harrington returns, this week with artist Jonathan Pageau, for a conversation that is as delightful as it is wide-ranging. From medieval cosmology to internet memes (we love how Mary describes them as “clusters of meaning”), from Dante to C.S. Lewis, we wonder if there’s a topic that wasn’t covered. The duo discuss how one of the modern world’s troubles lies in forgetting how to see, having traded a symbolic vision of reality for a mechanistic one that leaves the soul rather undernourished.

Along the way, there are conversation detours into the importance of words and language, war, and the apocalyptic imagery of Revelation, and even a surprisingly tender conclusion: that even amidst the thorniest political questions, a shared orientation toward what transcends us may yet allow for unity and love.

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Nina Power and Mary Harrington: The Ponzi Scheme of Modern Institutions Apr 20, 2026

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In this episode of Socrates Dialogues with Mary Harrington, she is joined by philosopher and writer Nina Power, who examines the changing philosophies of education and academic life, questioning the sustainability of what she describes as the “Ponzi scheme” of woke institutional culture. She reflects on the value of intellectual freedom, the dignity of varied vocations, and the necessity of a society that honors different paths, priorities, and forms of excellence beyond the narrow confines of elite academia.

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Eric Metaxas and Martin Shaw: Discovering the True Myth Apr 20, 2026

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What are the stories that make up your life? In our newest Socrates in the Studio episode, Socrates in the City founder and host Eric Metaxas sits down with writer, poet, and mythographer Martin Shaw for a conversation that is as searching as it is spellbinding. Shaw’s latest book, Liturgies of the Wild, traces the astonishing and often unbelievable tales that have marked his own journey—from a 101-day immersion in oral storytelling to his unexpected homecoming in the Orthodox Church. Together, Eric and Martin explore the sacred threads that run through storytelling and the way ancient tales continue to speak into modern restlessness. This expansive and captivating interview reveals the surprising ways our lives are woven together by narrative and the One True Myth at the heart of them all.

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Mary Harrington and Justin Brierley: The Quiet Revival of Christianity Apr 10, 2026

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In this premiere episode of Socrates Dialogues with Mary Harrington, author and broadcaster Justin Brierley joins her to explore the shifting terrain of the New Atheist movement and the surprising cracks forming in its once-confident certainties. Drawing on years of conversations and cultural observation, Brierley examines what he calls a “quiet revival”—a renewed openness to faith, meaning, and transcendence emerging beneath the surface of our secular age.

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Roger Kimball and Heather Mac Donald: How Political Correctness Hijacked the Arts Apr 10, 2026

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What gets to be called art—and who decides? In this wide-ranging Socrates Dialogues conversation, New York-based thinkers, writers, and art admirers Heather Mac Donald and Roger Kimball explore the definition of art and the history of the unmaking of beauty in modern contemporary art. Drawing on examples from Duchamp, Warhol, Serrano, Hirst, and others, the two discuss how the banal, the transgressive, and the political have reshaped the aesthetic experience of art, often robbing it of spiritual resonance.

This episode of Socrates in the City is brought to you by Cornerstone University. Cornerstone University students are not only tomorrow’s Christian influencers; they are today’s Christian leaders. Prepare for your God-given calling with 65+ accredited market-ready degree programs from associate to doctorate offered online and on campus in the vibrant city of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Join us in boldly influencing the world for Jesus Christ at cornerstone.edu.

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Peter Kreeft and Eric Metaxas: Charlie Kirk, Martyrdom, and Dying for the Truth Apr 10, 2026

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What does it mean to speak the truth in an age hostile to the Truth? And why is it that those who dare to do so — whether Socrates, Jesus Himself, or our own contemporary, Charlie Kirk — find themselves at odds with the powers that be? In this Socrates in the Studio conversation, professor of philosophy Peter Kreeft joins host Eric Metaxas to reflect on the cost of truth-telling. Throughout the conversation, Dr. Kreeft shares his own remarkable journey from Calvinist to Catholic, gives insights into why a good God allows suffering, and reminds us that history tells the story of martyrdom as the seed of the Church. The two make the case for why Socrates merits recognition as a martyr, and how, although some may disagree theologically, we can find common ground in Truth.

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Massimo Pigliucci: What is Stoicism? Oct 24, 2025

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What is the history of Stoicism and how does one practice it today?

Socrates in the City host Eric Metaxas sits down with professor and philosopher Massimo Pigliucci, author of the popular How to be a Stoic and Beyond Stoicism, to discuss the history and development of Stoicism, and the line between emotion, reason, and virtue. They discuss the influence of stoicism in pop culture, from ancient Greek icons to modern-day Star Trek. Throughout Pigliucci’s work, he highlights the balance of skepticism and trust as a road to wisdom, as exemplified by Socrates himself.

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Paul Kingsnorth: Against the Machine Oct 21, 2025

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Is there an unnamed force ― which we all feel ― reshaping what it means to be human? Socrates in the City host Eric Metaxas is joined by the furiously gifted writer, Paul Kingsnorth, to discuss his newest book, Against The Machine: On the Unmaking of Humanity. Throughout the compelling ― and at times chilling ― discussion, Kingsnorth asks if society is unmaking humanity by replacing a Christian worldview with technical progress, creating a type of technological tower of Babel. The two discuss advances in AI, humanity’s bent to create God from the Garden of Eden, Frankenstein, transhumanism, and Kingsnorth’s hope for the future of our modern world. This episode of Socrates in the City is brought to you by Cornerstone University. Cornerstone University students are not only tomorrow’s Christian influencers; they are today’s Christian leaders. Prepare for your God-given calling with 65+ accredited market-ready degree programs from associate to doctorate offered online and on campus in the vibrant city of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Join us in boldly influencing the world for Jesus Christ at cornerstone.edu.

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Joe Loconte: The War for Middle – Earth Oct 03, 2025

Show notes

“Evil labors with vast power and perpetual success – in vain: preparing always only the soil for unexpected good to sprout in.” —J.R.R. Tolkien

What does it mean to cling to truth, beauty, and goodness in the shadow of history’s darkest hours? Can goodness truly spring forth from evil?

These questions lie at the heart of this Socrates in the City conversation with historian Joseph Loconte. The discussion focuses on J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, two literary giants who wrote their masterpieces in the aftermath of World War II. In his latest book, The War for Middle-earth: J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Confront the Gathering Storm, 1933–1945, Loconte—together with SITC host Eric Metaxas—traces how the devastation of World War II shaped both the friendship and the imaginations of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, inspiring them to create works that continue to illuminate the battle between good and evil.

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