In this episode of Socrates in the Studio, host Eric Metaxas is joined by philosopher and author Carrie Gress to discuss her book Something Wicked: Why Feminism Can’t Be Fused with Christianity and to explore the complicated history and ideological roots of the feminist movement.

What explains the decline—and surprising resurgence—of conservatism in the modern West? In this episode of Socrates in the Studio, host Eric Metaxas sits down with historian and author Ed West to discuss his book Small Men on the Wrong Side of History: The Decline, Fall and Unlikely Return of Conservatism. Together they explore what West has dubbed the “Great Awokening,” examining the rise of ideological conformity, the growing pressure to police speech, and the consequences of losing a shared cultural inheritance rooted in the works of Shakespeare, Homer, and the great thinkers of Western civilization. The discussion also takes an unexpected turn into the early history of Christianity, considering why the faith proved so compelling to women from its earliest days and how women often became its first and most influential converts. Throughout the conversation, we discover that a healthy society depends not on silencing opposing viewpoints but on the willingness to engage them—reminding us that genuine dialogue, intellectual humility, and the pursuit of truth are only possible when we are willing to listen to those with whom we disagree.

What is education truly for? In this episode of Socrates in the Studio, host Eric Metaxas sits down with Stephen Blackwood—founding president of Ralston College, distinguished scholar, and champion of classical education—to explore why so many young people today are searching for meaning in an age of uncertainty. Reflecting on his journey to establish a new kind of college, Blackwood makes the case for an education that forms character as much as intellect and revives the timeless pursuit of truth, wisdom, and beauty. They dive into Blackwood’s work on The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius, the philosopher who penned one of history’s most influential books while imprisoned on the eve of the fall of the Roman Empire. A bestseller for centuries and often considered the original self-help book, Boethius’s masterpiece wrestles with questions that remain as urgent today as they were fifteen hundred years ago: Is there an order beneath the world’s apparent chaos? Can we find meaning in suffering? And what can the wisdom of the past teach us about navigating the crises of the present?

What makes a good interview, good? In this episode of Socrates in the Studio, Eric Metaxas sits down with writer, cultural commentator, and Socrates in the City contributor, Mary Harrington to explore the mission and heart behind Socrates in the City and the enduring value of meaningful conversation. Harrington reflects on her journey—from a mother writing a political blog to becoming one of the most compelling intellectual voices of our time—and discusses the surprising path that led her there. Together, they delve into the craft of interviewing, the mutual discovery that unfolds through genuine dialogue, and the fascinating science behind Mary’s “mind palace” as a tool for memory and learning. The conversation explores the wisdom of the medieval worldview, what modern society has forgotten about scholarship, intellectual formation, the pursuit of truth, and why the oldest forms of wisdom may be more timely than ever.

For decades, Western culture has asked, “What is my purpose?” Many have been told that meaning is subjective, truth is relative, and every grand narrative should be questioned. Yet in the midst of rising skepticism, anxiety, and the rapid growth of the religious “nones,” a surprising shift seems to be taking place: people are searching for meaning once again. In this thought-provoking Socrates in the City conversation, Eric Metaxas is joined by Paul Anleitner, who discusses the ideas behind his new book, Based on a True Story: Vibe Shifts, the End of Deconstruction, and the Reboot of Meaning, exploring why our deepest human longing is not merely for comfort or success, but for purpose. From the cultural revolutions of Woodstock to the enduring appeal of Rocky Balboa and the music of the Eagles, and from the moral worlds of The Cosby Show to the ironic detachment of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Anleitner traces how popular culture has reflected—and shaped—our changing understanding of truth, identity, and fulfillment. Why has deconstruction become such a defining feature of modern life, and why does it seem to be losing its grip? Are we finally moving beyond nihilism toward a renewed search for transcendent meaning? Together, they examine why Christianity continues to offer a compelling answer to humanity’s oldest and most important question: What is the meaning of life?

What if the story of the world has been told from the wrong starting point? In this episode of Socrates in the Studio, Eric Metaxas sits down with historian Peter Frankopan to discuss his groundbreaking book, The Silk Roads: A New History of the World, and the compelling case for rethinking the story of world history. Rather than viewing history through a predominantly Western lens, throughout this conversation Frankopan invites us to look eastward, where the great trade routes connecting Asia, the Middle East, and Europe shaped civilizations, economies, and empires for centuries. From the luxurious goods that inspired Columbus to sail in search of India and China—not America—to the surprising connections between Eastern commerce and events like the Boston Tea Party, this conversation uncovers the hidden networks that transformed the world. As global power continues to shift in the twenty-first century, the conversation explores how understanding the Silk Roads is essential to making sense of today’s geopolitical landscape, while also confronting the often-overlooked costs of empire, slavery, economics, and the countless unseen people whose labor built the modern world.

In this profound and deeply personal episode of Socrates in the Studio, Eric Metaxas sits down with renowned philosopher, professor, and bestselling author Peter Kreeft to wrestle with one of humanity’s oldest and most difficult questions: How can a good God allow suffering? Blending philosophical depth with wisdom born from lived experience, Dr. Kreeft offers a thoughtful and compassionate exploration of pain, loss, love, and the mystery of human suffering through the lens of faith. Drawing from sources as varied as The Chronicles of Narnia, the biblical story of Book of Job, and the life and suffering of Jesus himself, the conversation moves beyond abstract theology into the deeply personal realities that shape every human life. Together, they examine whether suffering is merely something to endure—or whether it can become a path toward wisdom, transformation, compassion, and ultimately a deeper understanding of the love of God.

In this Socrates in the Studio conversation, host Eric Metaxas is joined by author and editor of The Epoch Times, Jan Jekielek, to discuss his new book, Killed to Order: China’s Organ Harvesting Industry and the True Nature of America’s Biggest Adversary, which explores the disturbing realities behind one of the world’s most controversial transplant systems. This conversation discusses the hidden costs of life-saving organ replacement surgeries, exploring the dark truth of forced organ harvesting tied to political repression, corruption, and state power in modern China. Moving through the intersections of history, ideology, and authoritarian control, Jekielek unpacks how vulnerable populations — including Falun Gong practitioners, Uyghurs, and other marginalized groups — have allegedly become targets within a vast and deeply opaque transplant industry. The conversation also explores the rise of transplant tourism, the ethics surrounding global medical demand, and the broader moral questions raised when medicine, profit, and political power converge.

In this Socrates in the Studio conversation, host Eric Metaxas is joined by author and professor Carl Trueman to discuss his newest book, The Desecration of Man, exploring the modern crisis of meaning through the lenses of philosophy, theology, art, and culture—tracing humanity’s journey from enchantment to disenchantment, from sacred order to nihilism. Drawing on figures like Thomas Aquinas and the great philosophers of the Western tradition, they examine how religious symbolism, artistic expression, and moral imagination once shaped a vision of what it meant to be human—and how that vision has eroded in the wake of Darwinian materialism, technological obsession, and the decline of transcendent belief. From the haunting symbolism of the Belfast Cathedral’s stained glass to the ideological architecture of the European Parliament, the conversation probes the rise of herd mentality, the loss of spiritual sight, and the phenomenon of “Promethean shame”: the growing suspicion that humanity sees itself as flawed, obsolete, or inferior to its own machines. As transhumanism promises a redesigned future beyond the limits of the human person, the discussion asks a deeper question: what happens when man attempts to replace God—and in doing so, forgets himself?

In this episode of Socrates in the Studio, Eric Metaxas sits down with author and longtime friend Peter Giersch to explore his striking new book “Talking of Michelangelo: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell in the Burgundy Region.” What begins as a journey through the quiet beauty of Burgundy unfolds into something far more profound: a meditation on mortality, meaning, and the soul’s ultimate destination. Part memoir and part travelogue, Giersch recounts a pivotal week spent on an Ignatian retreat—a week that became a turning point in his life of faith. Together, he and Metaxas wrestle with enduring questions: What does it mean to truly confront judgment? How should we understand sin—not merely as doctrine, but as lived reality?

In this Socrates in the City conversation, Eric Metaxas is joined by Margarita Mooney Clayton, author and founder of the Scala Foundation, to discuss her new book, When Mary Calls: Surprising Encounters with the Mother of God. In our current day, more and more people are looking to Mary as a spiritual mother and guide. Throughout this conversation, Mooney Clayton shares the enduring and often miraculous influence of Mary in times of danger, loss, and spiritual renewal.

Bridging theological differences across Christian traditions, their conversation considers Mary’s mysterious yet deeply personal role, not only as the second Eve in the story of redemption, but as a living spiritual mother who continues to call, guide, and draw souls closer to God.

How has the West drifted from its grounding in God, and what has been lost along the way? In this Socrates in the Studio conversation, author and scholar Mary Eberstadt joins Eric Metaxas to examine one of the most pressing cultural and spiritual questions of our time. Drawing on her influential works, including Adam and Eve After the Pill, How the West Lost God, and others, Eberstadt unpacks the far-reaching consequences of the sexual revolution, particularly its impact on relationships between men and women and on the broader redefinition of intimacy, identity, and family. She challenges prevailing assumptions by asking who has truly benefited from these cultural shifts, and the answers may surprise you. They present a compelling case for embracing challenge and struggle, not as obstacles to avoid, but as essential forces that shape us into deeper, more fully realized human beings. The conversation ultimately turns to the question of womanhood, exploring which vision of religion most authentically uplifts and supports women, and how competing cultural narratives continue to shape — or sometimes distort — our understanding of what it means to flourish.

What is behind society’s obsession with monkeys? In this thought-provoking conversation, Socrates in the City host Eric Metaxas sits down with author and playwright Jonathan Leaf to explore the ideas behind his provocative new book, The Primate Myth, and to ask what lies beneath the persistent effort to connect humanity and primates. They discuss why this fascination has endured so powerfully across culture, science, and media.From the mass popularity of Punch the Monkey to a broader cast of famous animals that have captured the public imagination, they examine the historical, cultural, and even political forces shaping this narrative, questioning whether the perceived relationship between humans and primates is grounded in genuine scientific insight or something more constructed. Along the way, they uncover surprising animal behaviors, trace unexpected ideological influences, and grapple with why this idea continues to resonate so strongly, inviting listeners to reconsider what they think they know about human origins, identity, and the stories we choose to believe.