Ross Douthat

Ross Douthat is a New York Times columnist, author, and podcast host. His latest book, "Believe," presents a rational case for faith in an increasingly secular world, drawing on evidence from science, philosophy, and human experience to make a compelling argument for the existence of God. In this conversation, we explore: — Why the strongest case for God rests at the intersection of multiple converging lines of evidence — How the "hard problem of consciousness" challenges purely materialist explanations of reality — Why being "spiritual but not religious" might be a reasonable starting point but not a desirable permanent state — The importance of discernment in navigating the spiritual landscape — How Ross's five-year battle with Lyme disease transformed his relationship with God And more. You can find Ross's work in his New York Times column, his book "Believe," and his podcast "Interesting Times." — Ross Douthat is a best-selling author, columnist, and cultural critic whose work explores the intersections of politics, religion, and society. He has been an opinion columnist for The New York Times since 2009 and was previously a senior editor at The Atlantic. He is the author of several acclaimed books, including Privilege: "Grand New Party", "Bad Religion", "To Change the Church", "The Decadent Society", and his memoir "The Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness and Discovery". His latest book, Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious (2025), makes a compelling case for the enduring importance of faith in modern life. Douthat graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He lectures widely on religion, politics, and culture, and lives in New Haven, Connecticut, with his wife, journalist Abigail Tucker, and their children. --- Interview Links: — Ross' YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@InterestingTimesNYT/videos — Ross' X account: https://x.com/douthatnyt — Ross' book: https://amzn.to/3IlxZCj

Ross Douthat of the New York Times joins Jonah Goldberg to ruminate over the resilience of American democracy, Pope Leo XIV, postliberalism, and Douthat’s recent conversation with Peter Thiel. Plus: their thoughts on wokeness, the Antichrist, and performative apocalypticism. Show Notes: — Ross Douthat's podcast, "Interesting Times" — Ross Douthat's book, Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream — Jonah’s Los Angeles Times column, “Elon Musk’s America Party is a long shot" The Remnant is a production of The Dispatch , a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, conservative perspective. To access all of The Dispatch’s offerings—including Jonah’s G-File newsletter, regular livestreams, and other members-only content— click here . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this conversation, author Ross Douthat draws from the tradition to tackle a foundational question: Why believe? Amid evidence that America’s long trend of secularization has leveled off, a perception of the limits of a strictly materialist worldview, and growing dissatisfaction with “do it yourself” approaches to spirituality, what does traditional faith uniquely offer those seeking truth in our time? New York Times columnist and author Ross Douthat joins us for this conversation, making the case for Christianity and rejecting atheism, all through the lens of reason: “I think secularization as a deep and profound phenomenon is not real, as you can tell. I think the world remains shot through with miracle and mystery and enchantment.” – Ross Douthat We hope this conversation provides a look at faith from a fresh angle, and encourages you in practicing traditional faith as an answer to the search for truth in our time. This podcast is an edited version of an online conversation recorded in February 2025. Watch the recording here . Authors and books mentioned in the conversation: Ross Douthat for The New York Times Matter of Opinion Podcast The Deep Places: A memoir of Illness and Discovery The Decadent Society to Change the Church To Change the Church: Pope Francis and the Future of Catholicism Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious Bethel McGrew, on left vs. right brain of Christianity Related Trinity Forum Readings: The Wager ; Blaise Pascal The Strangest Story in the World ; G.K. Chesterton A Practical View of Real Christianity ; William Wilberforce God’s Grandeur: Gerard Manley Hopkins selection of poems ; Gerard Manley Hopkins Related Conversations: A World Transformed with Tom Holland The Strangest Story in the World: G.K. Chesterton and the Incarnation with Dale Ahlquist Truth and Trust with Francis Collins Faith in an Empirical World with Ard Louis and Tremper Longman

In this episode of Just Asking Questions , we're joined by New York Times columnist Ross Douthat to discuss the cultural, political, and demographic pressures reshaping the modern world. His recent essay, "An Age of Extinction Is Coming. Here's How to Survive," explores how digital life—from AI companions to algorithmic distraction—is accelerating trends toward social atomization, institutional collapse, and even plummeting birth rates. We talk with Douthat about how libertarians should respond to these changes, whether neo-traditionalism offers a credible path forward, and what it means to maintain meaning and community in the 21st century. This interview was recorded on April 29, 2025. Sources Referenced: Douthat's New York Times essay: " An Age of Extinction Is Coming. Here's How to Survive " The New York Times : " The World's Population May Peak in Your Lifetime. What Happens Next? " U.S. college enrollment decline statistics Slow Boring : " Cities aren't back " Just Asking Questions with Derek Thompson: " Democrats Must Change " Just Asking Questions with Tim Carney: " Why Aren't People Having More Kids? " An introduction to G.K. Chesterton's fences Chapters 00:00 Coming up… 00:37 Introducing Ross Douthat and the age of cultural bottlenecks 04:57 Are digital technologies disrupting cultural transmission? 09:57 How the internet reshapes politics and encourages radicalism 15:22 Digital media and the decline of institutional trust and localism 18:42 Demographic decline and the fading urgency to preserve culture 26:52 Free choice or social breakdown? The libertarian tension 34:27 Suburbs, adaptation, and the future of normie culture 41:12 Risk aversion, parenting, and the erosion of community life 47:17 Fertility, tradition, and the rise of large families as a subculture 54:07 Neo-traditionalism in a bespoke age: coping or coping well? 58:32 Can we rebuild meaningful culture in a post-traditional world? Transcript: This is an AI-generated transcript. Check against the original before quoting. Liz Wolfe: What will survive the digital apocalypse? Just asking questions. Our guest today is Ross Douthat, one of the few people living openly as a conservative at The New York Times , and one of my personal favorite writers on Catholicism, faith, and forging meaning and community in an increasingly atomized age. He wrote a piece for the Times called <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/19/opinion/extinction-techn

I have no earthly idea how to describe this conversation. It’s about religion and belief – at this moment in our politics, and in our lives more generally. My guest and I come from very different perspectives. Ross Douthat is a Catholic conservative, who wrote a book called “ Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious .” I’m a … Californian. But I think everyone would enjoy this conversation — believers, skeptics and seekers alike. Some questions touched on: Is the Trump administration Christian or pagan? How do Christian Trump supporters reconcile the cruelties of this administration with their faith? Can religious experiences be explained by misfiring neurons? Should organized religions embrace psychedelics? Can mystery provide more comfort than certainty? And if you do enjoy this episode, be sure to check out Douthat’s new New York Times Opinion Audio show “ Interesting Times ,” available wherever you get your podcasts, and on YouTube. Mentioned: Interesting Times with Ross Douthat “ Donald Trump, Man of Destiny ” by Ross Douthat Living with a Wild God by Barbara Ehrenreich Book Recommendations: Modern Physics and Ancient Faith by Stephen Barr After by Bruce Greyson Mind and Cosmos by Thomas Nagel Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com. You can find the transcript and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast . Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.html This episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” was produced by Elias Isquith. Fact-checking by Kate Sinclair and Mary Marge Locker. Mixing by Isaac Jones, with Aman Sahota and Efim Shapiro. Our executive producer is Claire Gordon. The show’s production team also includes Marie Cascione, Annie Galvin, Rollin Hu, Marina King, Jan Kobal, Kristin Lin and Jack McCordick. Original music by Pat McCusker. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The director of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher . For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today on Upstream, Ross Douthat joins Erik Torenberg to discuss his new book 'Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious,' exploring the decline of new atheism, the intellectual defense of institutional religion, and the intersection between traditional Christianity, Silicon Valley, and modern materialism. This episode originally aired on Moment of Zen (April 12, 2025). — 📰Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess — RECOMMENDED PODCASTS: 🎙️Moment of Zen Every week, Erik Torenberg, Dan Romero, Antonio Garcia Martinez and frequent special guests discuss what's happening in technology, business, politics, and beyond. Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/15KYOzvDzAQvqX0z0SpHEJ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/moment-of-zen/id1661672738 — SPONSORS: ☁️ Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) is a single platform for your infrastructure, database, application development, and AI needs. OCI has four to eight times the bandwidth of other clouds and offers one consistent price. Oracle is offering to cut your cloud bill in half. See if your company qualifies at https://oracle.com/turpentine 🎯 Say goodbye to the headaches of out-of-home advertising. AdQuick combines technology, OOH expertise, and data to enable efficient, seamless ad buying across the globe. Visit https://adquick.com/ to start reaching your customers in the real world. 🕵️‍♂️ Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code UPSTREAM at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/upstream 💥 Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist. — LINKS: Ross Douthat: https://www.nytimes.com/column/ross-douthat Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious: https://www.zondervan.com/p/believe/ — X / TWITTER: @DouthatNYT @eriktorenberg @turpentinemedia — HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE: Ross explains we're at a cultural inflection point where secularization has plateaued and there's evidence of religious revival. New atheism has declined as the world hasn't become more reasonable despite becoming less religious. Ross argues religion is intellectually defensible based on fine-tuning of the universe and the hard problem of consciousness. He contends that merely appreciating religion's social benefits isn't enough—genuine belief is necessary. The AI discussion explores whether consciousness might exist beyond materialist explanations. They examine tensions in the "New Right" between tech-optimists and religious traditionalists.

In this episode of Moment of Zen, New York Times columnist Ross Douthat joins Erik Torenberg to discuss his new book "Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious," making the case that institutional religion is not just socially beneficial but intellectually defensible. They discuss the decline of New Atheism, the tension between traditional Christianity and Silicon Valley's techno-optimism within the "New Right" coalition, and whether AI consciousness points to something beyond materialism. -- 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess 🙏 Help shape our show by taking our quick listener survey at https://bit.ly/TurpentinePulse -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith Join Microsoft Vice Chair Brad Smith as he explores tech's impact on society with Bill Gates and Satya Nadella sharing untold stories and insights on Microsoft's AI-fueled future. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4bYASdhkHwovdSmU4YAjYg Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tools-and-weapons-with-brad-smith/id1632459165 -- SPONSORS: NETSUITE | SHOPIFY | ADQUICK | BREX | INCOGNI Over 41,000 businesses trust NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud ERP, to future-proof their operations. Whether you're earning millions or hundreds of millions, NetSuite empowers you to tackle challenges and seize opportunities. Download the free CFO's guide to AI and machine learning at https://netsuite.com/zen . Shopify is the world's leading e-commerce platform, offering a market-leading checkout system Shoppay and exclusive AI apps. Nobody does selling better than Shopify. Get a $1 per month trial at https://shopify.com/momentofzen . The easiest way to book out-of-home ads (like billboards, vehicle wraps, and airport displays) the same way you would order an Uber. Ready to get your brand the attention it deserves? Visit https://adquick.com/ today to start reaching your customers in the real world. Ready to take your startup to the next level? Visit https://www.brex.com/grow to join the 30,000+ companies already streamlining their finances with Brex. Get high-yield banking, smart expense management, and scalable financial tools designed specifically for founders who want to focus on building, not bookkeeping. Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code MOMENT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/moment -- LINKS: Ross Douthat: https://www.nytimes.com/column/ross-douthat Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious: https://www.zondervan.com/p/believe/ X / TWITTER: @DouthatNYT @eriktorenberg @turpentinemedia -- HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DISCUSSION: Ross explains we're at a cultural inflection point where secularization has plateaued and there's evidence of religious revival. New atheism has declined as the world hasn't become more reasonable despite becoming less religious. Ross argues religion is intellectually defe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.live In 2012, New York Times columnist Ross Douthat published Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics , a book about how mainstream American religion was devolving into the prosperity gospel, superstitious cults and other forms of heterodox faith. Thirteen years later, the American religious landscape has changed, and Ross wrote a new book tackling a much more basic question: why you should be religious at all. He joins Damir Marusic and Shadi Hamid to discuss that book, which is titled Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious . This new book, Douthat says, “assumes a highly individualist culture” as its audience. This individualist culture is one where each person thinks of whether to believe in a god as a highly personal choice. The culture as a whole can no longer support any one person’s faith. The biggest individual challenge to Douthat’s thesis in this episode comes from Damir, who says: “I feel most religious people try to get through … happiness and/or meaning. I am not thirsting for those. I am not hungry for them. I feel I’m ok.” Douthat responds by posing a hypothetical: “Suppose you die and you’re summoned before the judgment throne of God and God says, ‘Seems like were friendly for arguments for being religious, you weren’t one hundred percent convinced, but still: why didn’t you go to church?’” Douthat argues that, while he himself is believing Catholic, there are nevertheless many “commonalities of religious experience. [World religions] are not all saying the same thing, but they are real and suggest something.” This makes common ground with Shadi who, as a Muslim, disagrees with Douthat about the divinity of Christ, but who, as a believer, agrees with Douthat that we should all be religious. In our bonus section for paid subscribers, Damir, Shadi and Ross talk about the philosophy of mind; whether AI will ever be conscious; what consciousness is for; whether Daniel Dennett is in hell; and why being lukewarm about whether God exists is a bad idea. Required Reading and Listening: * Ross Douthat, Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious ( Amazon ). * Damir Marusic, “A Lost Sense of Wonder” ( WoC ). * Nathan Beacom , “The Art of Hiking” (<a target="_blank" href="https://wisdomofcrowds.

In a world that often feels fragmented, uncertain, and spiritually empty, what if belief isn't just possible - but essential? Today, I'm sitting down with Ross Douthat, New York Times columnist and one of our most nuanced cultural thinkers, to explore a radical proposition: Why everyone should be religious in an age of growing skepticism. We're going beyond the debates of belief versus non-belief. This conversation dives into the mysteries at the heart of human experience - from quantum physics that suggests the universe might be more intentional than we thought, to near-death experiences that challenge everything we understand about consciousness. Douthat brings a provocative, intellectually rigorous perspective that defies easy categorization. We'll explore how ancient spiritual wisdom might hold profound answers for our hyper-individualized, technology-driven world. How can religious thinking help us navigate complexity, find meaning, and reconnect with something larger than ourselves? Expect surprises. We'll uncover scientific discoveries that point toward design, discuss supernatural experiences that defy materialist explanations, and wrestle with life's deepest questions. Whether you're a committed believer, a curious skeptic, or someone feeling spiritually lost, this episode promises to expand your understanding and offer a message of hope. We're not just talking about belief - we're reimagining what it means to be human in a mysterious universe. Ross Douthat is a columnist for The New York Times op-ed page. He is the author of Believe, The Deep Places, The Decadent Society, To Change The Church, Privilege, and Grand New Party. Before joining the Times he was a senior editor for The Atlantic. He is the film critic for National Review, and he has appeared regularly on television, including Charlie Rose, PBS Newshour, and Real Time with Bill Maher. Ross' Book: Believe Ross' Recommendation: Severance Subscribe to Our Substack: Shifting Culture Connect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.us Go to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy. Follow on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter , Threads , Bluesky or YouTube Consider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link below Support the show

In the work of reimagining, religion can play a significant part. What does it mean to be human? Does God exist? Is the universe good? Is there order and purpose to human life? These are the types of questions that help to shape our imagination about our individual lives and our life together. New York Times columnist Ross Douthat joins Amy Julia Becker to discuss his latest book, Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious . They explore: the current cultural landscape of religion in America the rise of secularism and the existential angst many face in a post-religious world the importance of engaging with religious questions the relationship between religion and politics how individuals can begin their journey of seeking meaning and purpose __ RESOURCES: Amy Julia's Lenten Daily Devotional Amy Julia's To Be Made Well Lenten Bible Study—Small Group Video Series __ MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious by Ross Douthat Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis Paul Kingsnorth J.R.R. Tolkien Looking for Faith? Here’s a Guide to Choosing a Religion. by Ross Douthat __ CONNECT with Ross on X ( @DouthatNYT ). __ Watch this conversation on YouTube by clicking here . Read the full transcript and access detailed show notes by clicking here or visiting amyjuliabecker.com/podcast . __ ABOUT: Ross Douthat has been a New York Times Opinion columnist since April 2009. Previously, he was a senior editor at the Atlantic. He is the author of The Deep Places; The Decadent Society; To Change the Church; Bad Religion; Privilege; and, with Reihan Salam, Grand New Party. He is the film critic for National Review. He lives with his wife and five children in New Haven, Connecticut. ___ Let’s stay in touch. Subscribe to my newsletter to receive weekly reflections that challenge assumptions about the good life, proclaim the inherent belovedness of every human being, and envision a world of belonging where everyone matters. We want to hear your thoughts. Send us a text! Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

The Bulletin welcomes Ross Douthat for a conversation with Mike Cosper about what makes religion worth pursuing in a hypersecularized world. Find us on Youtube . What makes religion worth pursuing in a hypersecularized world? New York Times columnist Ross Douthat explores this question in his forthcoming book Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious . Today, Mike Cosper sits down with Douthat for a conversation about the elemental human impulse toward belief and why, especially in this modern age, it’s worth pausing to consider it. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN : We want to hear your COVID-19 reflection. Send a written response or voice memo here . Grab some Bulletin merch! Find us on YouTube . Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUEST: Ross Douthat has been a New York Times opinion columnist since April 2009. Previously, he was a senior editor at The Atlantic . He is the author of the forthcoming Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious . He is the film critic for National Review . ABOUT THE BULLETIN : The Bulletin is a weekly (and sometimes more!) current events show from Christianity Today hosted and moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore ( Christianity Today ’s editor in chief) and Mike Cosper (director, CT Media). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry, Publisher of Sphere Media, interviews conservative New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, on a range of topics: the lessons of the 2024 election and Trump’s new populist coalition, why you should believe in God, and why conservatives enjoy reading and writing fantasy. Subscribe to the PolicySphere Morning Briefing: https://policysphere.com/subscribe Follow Ross on X: https://x.com/DouthatNYT Subscribe to Ross’s newsletter: https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/ross-douthat Read Ross’s columns: https://www.nytimes.com/column/ross-douthat Subscribe to receive new chapters of Ross’s fantasy novel, The Falcon’s Children: https://www.falconschildren.com/ Subscribe to the Sphere Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sphere-podcast/id1780831168 Subscribe to the Sphere Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/48eWEcxSYDyrgjC3lO0EJZ Subscribe to the Sphere Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB2gs2TBXeP7vyn9QUaaxjQ