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First Things Podcast

First Things
Catholic Church
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First Things is America's most influential journal of religion & public life.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes591Founded11 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Religion & Spirituality

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Latest Episodes

Further reading:

• Darel E. Paul, “Jason Arday and the Therapeutic Academy” (First Things)

• Carl R. Trueman, “How the Therapeutic Killed Academic Standards” (First Things)

• Bethel McGrew, “Jason Arday and the Merciless Lie” (First Things)

• Tyler... more

In this episode, Brad Littlejohn joins R. R. Reno on The Editor's Desk to talk about his recent essay, “Left to Our Own Devices,” from the August/September 2026 issue of the magazine.

In this episode, James F. Keating joins R. R. Reno on The Editor's Desk to talk about his new bimonthly topical newsletter for First Things, The Fourth Watch.

In this episode, Dana Gioia joins R. R. Reno on The Editor's Desk to talk about his most recent piece for Portico, "The Last of the Lost Generation."

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People also subscribe to these shows.

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Recent Guests

Brad Littlejohn
Program director and policy advisor at American Compass; founder of the Davenin Institute (Emeritus)
American Compass; Davenin Institute
Episode: Of Things and Devices (ft. Brad Littlejohn)
Jim Keating
Author of The Fourth Watch newsletter
First Things
Episode: The Fourth Watch (ft. James Keating)
Dana Gioia
Former Poet Laureate of California; former head of the National Endowment for the Arts; essayist and critic
First Things Magazine
Episode: The Critic as Artist (ft. Dana Gioia)
JJ Kimche
Author of one of the Templeton-funded newsletters under the title The Jew From Nowhere
First Things Magazine
Episode: The Jew from Nowhere (ft. J. J. Kimche)
Father Sam Conedera
Catholic priest and scholar
First Things Magazine
Episode: The Church of Ratzinger (ft. Sam Zeno Conedera)
James Wood
Literary critic and author (guest on discussion about post-liberalism review)
The New Yorker (implied)
Episode: Postliberalism and its Discontents (ft. James Wood)
Robert Barron
Bishop of the Catholic Church, founder of Word on Fire
Word on Fire
Episode: Recovering the University’s Soul | 2026 Neuhaus Lecture
Veronica Clarke
Reviewer for First Things Magazine, guest on Secret Third Thing
First Things Magazine
Episode: Disney Adulting (ft. Veronica Clarke)
Micah Mattix
Guest discussing Portico, a literary quarterly
Institute on Religion and Public Life (publisher of First Things)
Episode: Why Portico? (ft. Micah Mattix)

Host

Rusty Reno
Host of The Editor's Desk

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 878 ratings
  • Subversive Post-Liberal, Anti-American Podcast

    This show is intellectually subversive. Conversations are rife with post-liberal ideas and Catholic Integralism, both of which are hostile to America’s founding values. These guys are leading young Gen Z men astray with bad ideas that will be the undoing of our country.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    AmericanBoyMom
    United States3 months ago
  • Millennial inarticulacy

    The millennials hosting are painfully inarticulate. Within a couple minutes I heard a full, “you know, kind of, like, umm.” Four consecutive, painful fillers. I can’t be expected to keep listening to that.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    willow-sc
    United States3 months ago
  • How to be a host

    Can Rusty Reno please stop speaking over every guest and let them get a word in once in a while?

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    aktualiak
    United States10 months ago
  • the bias is sometimes not Godly

    The Charlie Kirk death is horrible! But to hear Julia say that it's partly the fault of inflammatory lefties saying "it's gonna be over; they'll never get to vote again if T wins the election"...that rhetoric was said over and over again by Republicans before Biden won. This sort of moralizing is not helpful. It is bias. And it is not going to set the example of the love Jesus said to portray.

    and finally, her saying that she hates her enemies as much as Trump hates his and identifying with tha... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Oopsawally
    United Statesa year ago
  • Reno is the worst

    This publication should have ended when Fr. Neuhaus died. Rusty Reno is boring, cowardly, and uninteresting as is this podcast.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Steve Skirvin
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some feedback points to sound quality and interview pacing as areas for improvement.
Guests and topics are generally strong and offer valuable critique across religion, literature, and public life.
Critiques frequently target perceived bias or stylistic issues, rather than substantive content.
Positive reviews often highlight the host's ability to prompt thoughtful discussion with experts.
The episodes are intellectually rich and provocative, appealing to listeners who want depth over surface-level takes.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Fourth Watch (ft. James Keating)
Q: Let's shift to another topic that you recently covered, JD Vance and his new book, Communion, Finding My Way Back to Faith.
The guest notes that Vance finds value in Catholic teaching and social doctrine, recognizing both traditional and economic dimensions, while acknowledging that some commentators dismiss him as a grifter; the discussion sees this as a test case for how Catholicism is interpreted in American politics.
Disney Adulting (ft. Veronica Clarke)
Q: Why did it catch your attention? What about the book called to you?
Veronica explains that the book's exploration of infantilization and the seemingly harmless pursuit of joy through Disney taps into a larger social dynamic where adulthood is being renegotiated, with many finding relief in a consumer-driven sense of meaning.
Why Portico? (ft. Micah Mattix)
Q: Tell us what Portico is and what you hope it will achieve.
Portico is a literary quarterly that aims to publish a mix of art, book pieces, architecture, history of ideas, and philosophy from a Judeo-Christian perspective but written for a broad audience, with a goal to instruct and delight and to avoid turning literary culture into a political battleground.
Is Churchill America’s Hero? (ft. Sean McMeekin)
Q: One of the provocation points in your essay is Calvin Coolidge as a model for executive foreign policy for the 21st century. What virtues of Coolidge do you see as instructive today?
The guest highlights Coolidge's distrust of entangling alliances, emphasis on domestic consolidation, prudent restraint in international commitments, and skepticism about unfinanced empire-building, suggesting these traits could inform a more cautious US posture in today's global environment.
Is Churchill America’s Hero? (ft. Sean McMeekin)
Q: I guess the big thing here is the figure who looms so large in the conservative imagination is Winston Churchill. Do you think that he is not an auspicious role model for American statesmen in the 21st century?
McMeekin pushes back on the uncritical hero-worship of Churchill, arguing that American policy and actions in the 20th century often pursued its own imperial and strategic interests, sometimes at odds with preserving the British Empire or supporting allied leaders. He emphasizes that Churchill's legacy is mixed and must be weighed against broader US foreign policy choices.

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Frequently Asked Questions About First Things Podcast

What is First Things Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful, idea-forward program that often centers on religion's role in public life, literary criticism, and cultural criticism. Episodes frequently explore Catholic thought, post-liberal political philosophy, university culture, and the interplay between literature, philosophy, and public policy. Noteworthy is a willingness to challenge prevailing liberal narratives while engaging long-form, scholarly discussions with guest scholars, critics, and religious thinkers. Listeners who appreciate rigorous, concept-heavy dialogue and cross-disciplinary perspectives on culture, religion, and politics are likely to find this show compelling.

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Which podcasts are similar to First Things Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with First Things Podcast:

1. The Thomistic Institute
2. Evangelization & Culture Podcast
3. The American Mind Podcast
4. The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture
5. Uncommon Knowledge

How many episodes of First Things Podcast are there?

First Things Podcast launched 11 years ago and published 591 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on First Things Podcast?

Recent guests on First Things Podcast include:

1. Brad Littlejohn
2. Jim Keating
3. Dana Gioia
4. JJ Kimche
5. Father Sam Conedera
6. James Wood
7. Robert Barron
8. Veronica Clarke

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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