Podcasts

Conversations

Mark Bauerlein converses with the most important and prescient writers and thinkers of today to elucidate our crazy times and essential matters.

The Editor’s Desk

First Things editor in chief, R. R. Reno takes a deeper dive into the pieces published in the print edition along with the authors of these essays, opinions, and reviews.

The First Things Podcast

First Things editors and staff gather to discuss this month's most important topics. From politics to pop culture, nothing is off the table.

Super Bowls and Bad Samaritans

The editors discuss Super Bowl 59—why we watched, who tried to rig the outcome, and what Taylor Swift will do next. Then we talk JD Vance, Pope Francis, and...

Architecture for Real People

Host: R.R. Reno GUEST: Anselm Audley
In this episode, Anselm Audley joins Rusty Reno on The Editor’s Desk to talk about his essay “Cities for Humans” from the January 2024 issue of the magazine. The conversation...

From Science to God

Host: Mark Bauerlein GUEST: Spencer A. Klavan
The latest installment of an ongoing interview series with contributing editor Mark Bauerlein. Spencer A. Klavan joins in to discuss his recent book, Light of the Mind, Light of the...

The Reboot

The editors discuss the new Trump administration and how it came to be. What are the vibes, and why did they shift? What are the prospects for the pro-life...

The Bible Throughout the Ages

Host: Mark Bauerlein GUEST: Bruce Gordon
The latest installment of an ongoing interview series with contributing editor Mark Bauerlein. Bruce Gordon joins in to discuss his recent book, The Bible: A Global History. The conversation is...

Redemption Before Christ

Host: Mark Bauerlein GUEST: Gerald R. McDermott
The latest installment of an ongoing interview series with contributing editor Mark Bauerlein. Gerald R. McDermott joins in to discuss his recent book, A New History of Redemption: The Work...

Theater of the Divine

Host: Mark Bauerlein GUEST: Peter Kreeft
The latest installment of an ongoing interview series with contributing editor Mark Bauerlein. Peter Kreeft joins in to discuss his recent book, God on Stage: 15 Plays That Ask...

The Truth Is in the Classics

Host: Mark Bauerlein GUEST: Paul Krause
The latest installment of an ongoing interview series with contributing editor Mark Bauerlein. Paul Krause joins in to discuss his new book, Finding Arcadia: Wisdom, Truth, and Love in the...

Science Says God Is Real

Host: Mark Bauerlein GUEST: José Carlos González-Hurtado
The latest installment of an ongoing interview series with contributing editor Mark Bauerlein. José Carlos González-Hurtado, joins in to discuss his new book, New Scientific Evidence for the Existence of...

Taylor Ends the Gender Wars

Host: R.R. Reno GUEST: Patricia Snow
In this episode, First Things Patricia Snow joins R. R. Reno on The Editor’s Desk to talk about her essay “Taylor Swift’s Sexual Revolution” from the November 2024 print edition...

Back to the Church Fathers

Host: Mark Bauerlein GUEST: Joseph Carola, S.J.
The latest installment of an ongoing interview series with contributing editor Mark Bauerlein. Joseph Carola, S.J., joins in to discuss his new book, Engaging the Church Fathers in Nineteenth-Century Catholic...

Parents Without Authority

Host: Mark Bauerlein GUEST: Leonard Sax
The latest installment of an ongoing interview series with contributing editor Mark Bauerlein. Leonard Sax joins in to discuss his new book, The Collapse of Parenting: How We Hurt Our...

The Case for Protestantism

Host: Mark Bauerlein GUEST: Gavin Ortlund
The latest installment of an ongoing interview series with contributing editor Mark Bauerlein. Gavin Ortlund joins in to discuss his new book, What It Means to Be Protestant: The Case...

Anxiety: A Philosophical Problem

Host: Mark Bauerlein GUEST: Samir Chopra
The latest installment of an ongoing interview series with contributing editor Mark Bauerlein. Samir Chopra joins in to discuss his new book, Anxiety: A Philosophical Guide.  The conversation is...

Overcoming the Sixties

Host: Mark Bauerlein GUEST: Timothy S. Goeglein
The latest installment of an ongoing interview series with contributing editor Mark Bauerlein. Timothy S. Goeglein joins in to discuss his new book, Stumbling Toward Utopia: How the 1960s...