The Future is Human

Hello again! I'll be back soon with more podcast episodes, but I had the immense honor of delivering an address at the annual Hanus Days conference in Bratislava, Slovakia. If you’d like to see the video, you can find that here. If you’d like to listen to it, you can check my podcast feed. I also had an interesting conversation with an interviewer from a local Catholic newspaper that you may enjoy.

If you'd like to read this online, head to creedal.substack.com!

Today on the show, Dr. Jason Baxter joins us to talk about his recent (partially published, still ongoing) translation of Dante's epic trilogy.

The author of seven books, Jason is now the Director of the Center for Beauty and Culture at Benedictine College, and spends his time helping to form hearts, minds, and souls to receive beauty.

Read Jason's writings here: https://jasonmbaxter.substack.com/?r=11vmtg&utm_campaign=pub-share-checklist

Buy Inferno here: https://angelicopress.com/products/the-divine-comedy-inferno?srsltid=AfmBOoowHAqUCHyz8Mg5muZ1c0UbdByz4srrm510-AKSKs4ayUT78s4-
Buy Purgatorio here: https://angelicopress.com/products/the-divine-comedy-purgatorio/?variant=51602407555390

Lauren Spohn joins me on the show to talk about her journey to Catholicism (via Oxford) and the craft of filmmaking.

In this episode, Zac and Larry discuss the resurgence of metaphysical belief in modern society, particularly focusing on the two recent articles by Paul Kingsnorth and Ross Douthat. We explore the implications of Kingsnorth's argument in his Erasmus lecture, "Against Christian civilization," discuss the cultural and metaphysical collapse of the West, and the conflict between modernity and Christianity. The conversation also touches on controversial figures in the modern right, the dynamics of techno-feudalism, and the relationship between sin and creativity.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Weather Talk
01:02 Resurgence of Belief in Modern Society
02:58 Exploring Paul Kingsnorth's Perspective
06:03 The Nature of Christian Civilization
08:58 Cultural and Metaphysical Collapse
12:10 The Conflict Between Modernity and Christianity
14:53 Controversial Figures in the Modern Right
17:59 Techno-Feudalism and Political Dynamics
20:57 Linking Civilization and Sin
24:13 Creative Impulse Beyond Sin
30:57 The Role of Sin in Civilization
34:55 Technology and Environmentalism: A Double-Edged Sword
39:52 Understanding Modern Religious Attitudes
44:28 The Crisis of Civilizational Christianity
50:47 Re-Evangelizing Culture: A Call to Action
56:41 Navigating Modern Moral Dilemmas

In this conversation, my friend Dr. Jon Askonas joins me to discuss the "A Future for the Family" project (https://afutureforthefamily.org/). We discuss the impact of technological development on family structures, the need for a proactive approach to technological development that empowers families, the history of technological change, the influence of military and corporate interests on social development, and the importance of economic dynamism. We also talk about space!

Read more at afutureforthefamily.org.

Dr. Jon Askonas is Assistant Professor of Politics at the Catholic University of America and a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background
03:09 The Future for the Family Project
05:53 Technological Impact on Family Dynamics
08:52 Proactive vs Reactive Approaches to Technology
12:05 Military and Corporate Influence on Technology
15:06 Economic Dynamism and Family
17:49 Mortality, Life Extension, and Family
21:03 The Commodification of Human Sexuality
27:21 The Impact of Pornography on Society
30:40 The Role of Technology in Relationships
34:39 Holding Companies Accountable
41:59 Reimagining Space Exploration and "Rewilding"
52:27 Envisioning a Future for Embodied Life