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First Things Podcast

First Things
Catholic Church
Christianity
Higher Education
Social Media
Education
Liberalism
Classical Education
Catholic Education
Conservatism
American Politics
Israel
Trump Administration
Identity Politics
Mental Health
Western Civilization
Marxism
Civic Education
Lord's Supper
Hollywood
Donald Trump

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

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes585Founded11 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Religion & Spirituality

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Latest Episodes

In this episode, Matthew Schmitz joins R. R. Reno on The Editor's Desk to talk about his recent review, “Our Strange Catholic Moment” from the June/July 2026 issue of the magazine.

In this episode, Sam Zeno Conedera joins R. R. Reno on The Editor's Desk to talk about his recent review, “Ratzinger in the Whirlwind” from the May 2026 issue of the magazine.

In this episode, James R. Wood joins R. R. Reno on The Editor's Desk to talk about his recent essay, “Liberalism Is Christianity’s Prodigal Child” from the June/July 2026 issue of the magazine.

In this episode, First Things brings you the recording of the 2026 Neuhaus Lecture presented by Bishop Robert Barron. Please subscribe to access more information about future lectures and many great pieces!

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Recent Guests

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)
Sean McMeekin
Author and historian; Bard College history professor; author of Stalin's War and Goodbye to the Postwar Consensus
Bard College; author
Episode: Is Churchill America’s Hero? (ft. Sean McMeekin)
Brad East
Author discussing his review of Ryan Burge's book, The Vanishing Church
First Things Magazine
Episode: The Return of the Mainline? (ft. Brad East)
Michael Mazza
Author of article in First Things Magazine
First Things Magazine
Episode: The Sexual Abuse Crisis Is a Law Crisis (ft. Michael Mazza)
Glenn Arbery
Professor of English and former president of Wyoming Catholic College
Wyoming Catholic College
Episode: Disclosure in Modern Poetry (ft. Glenn Arbery)
Matthew Crawford
Author and philosopher offering the episode's central insights on mass migration and political life
VCI (as discussed in episode context)
Episode: The Countryman–Foreigner Distinction (ft. Matthew Crawford)

Host

Rusty Reno
Host of The Editor's Desk, editor of First Things Magazine

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 868 ratings
  • 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 States15 days 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 States7 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 States8 months 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 States9 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.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Oopsawally
    United States9 months ago

Listeners Say

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

The host sometimes interrupts guests, which can hinder dialogue.
Listeners note mixed audio quality but valuable, high-level conversations.
There are concerns about bias and how discussions are steered.
Audiences praise the intellectual rigor and guest variety.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

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.
Disclosure in Modern Poetry (ft. Glenn Arbery)
Q: What is disclosure?
Dislessness is a state where truth appears as a givenness before interpretation, a moment when what is disclosed is evident in itself and not merely as a symbol or correctness.

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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?

Audiences can expect thoughtful, intellectually driven conversations centered on religion, public life, and culture. Episodes frequently blend scholarship with contemporary critique, featuring historians, literary critics, theologians, and public intellectuals who challenge mainstream narratives about religion, politics, and society. A standout aspect is the emphasis on philosophy, metaphysics, and classical wisdom applied to modern issues, from immigration and governance to art and motherhood. The format tends toward deep-dive discussions with guests who are professors, authors, or editors, offering rigor and nuance over sensationalism. This makes it attractive to listeners who want rigorous, ideas-forward dialogue and are comfortable with... more

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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. The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture
3. Evangelization & Culture Podcast
4. The American Mind Podcast
5. Pints With Aquinas

How many episodes of First Things Podcast are there?

First Things Podcast launched 11 years ago and published 585 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. James Wood
2. Robert Barron
3. Veronica Clarke
4. Micah Mattix
5. Sean McMeekin
6. Brad East
7. Michael Mazza
8. Glenn Arbery

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