The Aaron Renn Show

Latest Episodes:

RORY GROVES: Durable Trades Dec 01, 2021

Show notes

Occupations are regularly created and destroyed in modern industrial America. But Rory Groves went back to the jobs that existed at the founding of the country to see which ones have stood the test of time for over 200 years, compiling them into his book Durable Trades: Family-Centered Economies That Have Stood the Test of Time. From farmer to midwife to coachman to brewer, Rory and I talk about trades that have proven themselves durable and how they are still alive in the world today. And how many of them still support creating functional, productive households in the 21st century.
Buy Durable Trades on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1725274140/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=theurban-20
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- On Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/masculinist
- On Gumroad: https://gumroad.com/masculinist/membership

An Elite Church for the Elite Nov 29, 2021

Show notes

Tell people you are starting a church to reach the homeless, a new immigrant ethnic group in town, a neighborhood, etc. and you'll be praised. But people would look at you sideways if you said you wanted to start a church to reach the elite.
This episode discusses the need for more Protestant elite formation, why existing elites who are still theologically orthodox continue to stay with mainline denominations like Episcopalianism, the functions of elite institutions, what conservative Protestants needs to change in their elite formation approaches, and why they should study Catholic approaches.
Become a Member or Subscriber on Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/masculinist
Or on Gumroad at: https://gumroad.com/masculinist

Don't Give in to Apocalyptic Thinking Nov 22, 2021

Show notes

As we approach the US Thanksgiving holiday, I again remind people not to give into despair, to apocalyptic thinking, etc. Things are in some ways far worse than people think in the US, but there's more room for hope than people believe. Deliberately going through all that we have to be thankful for is a good way to avoid giving into apocalyptic thinking and stay hopeful.
Also: Indiana under Republican rule and the controversies at World magazine.
My article on Indiana under Republican rule: https://americanaffairsjournal.org/2021/11/indiana-under-republican-rule-pro-business-policy-disappoints-outside-the-sunbelt/

MICHAEL FOSTER & DOMINIC TENNANT: It's Good to Be a Man Nov 17, 2021

Show notes

Michael Foster and Dominic "Bnonn" Tennant join me to discuss their web project and forthcoming book It's Good to Be a Man. We discuss:

How they got interested in men's issues
How they met and launched It's Good to Be a Man
The "war of the patriarchies"
The relationship of Fatherhood to manhood
Gravitas
Fraternity
Mission
The manosphere and pagan masculinity movement.

Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1954887051/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=theurban-20

Lessons from the Way Mormons Choose Elites Nov 16, 2021

Show notes

Religion is in decline in America, but there's an exception: the Mormon church. Mormonism is growing, has strong family formation dynamics, healthy communities, good aesthetics, and strong finances.
One factor in Mormon outperformance is the way Mormons choose elites. Rather than relying on a self-selected professional leadership pool, Mormons screen for, identify, develop, and promote people who have demonstrated leadership competence and skin in the game. They also rely largely on unpaid lay leader instead of a paid, professional clergy.
A result of this has been a church whose leaderships ranks are staffed with highly talented and accomplished people. Mitt Romney, for example, served as the equivalent of a parish priest for several years while also running Bain Capital, something unthinkable in the Christian church.
While Christianity has its own theological and ecclesiastical reasons for the way it chooses elites, there are some lessons that could be learned by analysis of the Mormon case study.

JOHN MOODY: Resistance Is Fertile Nov 11, 2021

Show notes

John Moody is Kentucky a homesteader with an M.Div. who founded an organic food buying club in Louisville. He joins the show to talk about equipping your family for the 21st century world through creating a fertile and productive household by acquiring skills, growing food, etc.

Passing on Your Patrimony Nov 09, 2021

Show notes

Using the recent celebrations of Reformation Day and All Saints Day, I discuss why the church (especially the Protestant evangelical church) needs to be more attuned to its history and cultural patrimony. This includes things like the great English language hymns, but also simply a greater awareness of the incredible legacy of faithfulness and sacrifice that previous generations made to bring us into being and enable us to be Christians today.
Links:
American Reformer: Evangelicalism's Second-Class Status in Conservatism - https://americanreformer.org/evangelicalisms-second-class-status-in-conservatism/
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9uGNb8Zfic
For All the Saints: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPjCQ_SRGqM
The Lion King: "You Don't Even Know Who You Are" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmWKvvXzlyg

Who Are the Evangelical Elite? And Are They Failing? Nov 02, 2021

Show notes

There's been a recent flurry of articles and podcasts discussing the failure of evangelical elites, whether they have in fact failed, wondering who these so-called elites are, disclaiming that people are elites, etc.
This week I look at the question of who the evangelical elite are, and whether or not they are doing a good job. I start by reprising the elite theory of E. Digby Baltzell, and also the views of others elite theorists like James Burnham, Robert Michels, C. Wright Mills, and Robert Dahl.
From this I create a definition of what an elite is and how elite power functions and apply it to America as a whole. Then I apply it to evangelicalism to show how the elites of various evangelical subdomains can be identified.
Looking specifically at the group often labeled Big Eva, I name names in terms of who is doing poorly, who is doing well, and who is struggling to adapt to the times.
I also examine and apply a different definition of the elite adapted from Kevin DeYoung, and discuss institutional constraints elites operate under, as well as virtues and perils of being inside vs. outside of institutions.
American Reformer: The Evangelical Embarrassment Reflex - https://americanreformer.org/the-embarrassment-reflex-evangelicals-and-culture/
The American Conservative: Church, State, and the Future of American Evangelicalism - https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/church-state-and-the-future-of-evangelicalism/
Mark Galli on Evangelical Elites: https://markgalli.substack.com/p/the-galli-report-100821
Carl Trueman: The Failure of Evangelical Elites - https://www.firstthings.com/article/2021/11/the-failure-of-evangelical-elites
Life Books and Everything Podcast on Evangelical Elites (segments starts at 29:00) - https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/life-and-books-and-everything-evangelical-elites/
Mere Fidelity on Evangelical Elites - https://soundcloud.com/mere-fidelity/evangelical-elites
American Affairs: E. Digby Baltzell's Sociology of Elites - https://americanaffairsjournal.org/2021/02/rediscovering-e-digby-baltzells-sociology-of-elites/

Kids These Days Oct 26, 2021

Show notes

There's a low grade moral panic about the state of Generation Z, fueled by bizarre Tik Tok videos, stories of teen girls suffering depression from not getting enough likes on Instagram, etc. But moral panics over the degeneracy of the youth are recurring features of our society. The hippies, the goths, etc. surely inspired similar reactions.
This is not to say that all is well with Generation Z. They have had too much unfiltered, unrestricted access to social media technology, but if the past is a guide, there will be something of a correction going forward as parents and societies try to foster a healthier relationship between kids and technology. Just as many of the hippies ended as yuppies, many of these Generation Z kids will surely end up much different in mature adulthood than they are today.

Women Openly Dumping Their Husbands for Selfish Reasons Oct 19, 2021

Show notes

Women initiate the vast majority of divorces. It used to be that women felt the need to give a justification for divorcing their husbands. For example, they might say that he was emotionally abusive or neglectful. But today they increasingly no longer feel compelled to do that. Recent articles in the New York Times from Lara Bazelon and Vogue about the British singer Adele feature women proudly stating that they divorced husbands who did nothing wrong for purely selfish reasons. These powerful culture shaping organs are broadcasting to women that openly divorcing for selfish reasons is acceptable. They no longer need have a reason to dump their husbands.
Lara Bazelon: Divorce Can Be an Act of Radical Self-Love: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/30/opinion/divorce-children.html
Vogue: Adele on the Other Side: https://www.vogue.com/article/adele-cover-november-2021
Amazon Alexa Superbowl Ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxNxqveseyI
Subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.aaronrenn.com/

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