The Aaron Renn Show

Modern Christian Womanhood | Emma Waters

23 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Emma Waters is a Policy Analyst at the Heritage Foundation's Center for Technology and the Human Person, wife, mother of two, and author of the n...

Shaking Up Jesus History | TC Schmidt

16 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Aaron Renn interviews T.C. Schmidt, associate professor at Fairfield University and author of the groundbreaking Oxford University Pr...

AI Skeptics Are About to Be Left Behind | Dean Ball

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

AI isn't just answering questions anymore—it's doing real work that used to take humans hours, days, or even weeks. In this wide-ranging c...

How to Think About Race in America | Albert Thompson

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, historian Dr. Albert Thompson joins Aaron Renn for a deep, honest discussion on race in America—from its English colonial roots thr...

The Boomer Paradox | Jeff Giesea

23 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this insightful conversation, host Aaron M. Renn sits with Jeff Giesea, Stanford grad, entrepreneur, and founder of the Boyd Institute—a policy l...

America's Most Extreme Rust Belt Collapse | Chris Briem

09 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this eye-opening conversation, Aaron sits down with economic historian Chris Bream, author of Beyond Steel: Pittsburgh and the Economics of Transfo...

How Smart Parents Are Giving Wealth to Their Kids Now | Justin Powell

27 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this eye-opening conversation, Ohio businessman Justin Powell joins Aaron Renn to discuss his viral article “Dying to Give” — why waiting unt...

From WASP Elites to AI Kings | Tanner Greer

19 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode I sit down with Tanner Greer, one of America's most insightful public intellectuals. We dive deep into his recent American Affair...

Will America Be the Last Country Standing? | Lyman Stone

12 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this return appearance on the podcast, demographer Lyman Stone joins Aaron Renn to discuss the latest global fertility and marriage trends as of 20...

Why the Left Went Child-Free | Daniel Hess

05 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Aaron Renn welcomes back Daniel Hess, one of the sharpest analysts of global fertility trends, for a deep dive into why birth rates are collapsing—a...

Why Men Dress Like Slobs | O. W. Root

22 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Aaron welcomes men’s style influencer O.W. Root for a deep dive into the dramatic decline of men's dress over the past 30 year...

Why Families Are Fleeing Cities | Bobby Fijan

15 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Aaron welcomes real estate developer Bobby Fijan to discuss one of the most overlooked crises in American urban life: the dramatic de...

A Special Christmastime Podcast: Reflections and Supporting the Mission

08 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A special Christmastime podcast reflecting on some of the guests I've hosted this year, along with a special fundraising appeal during my limited...

How the Gospels Pass the Historical Test | Tim and Lydia McGrew

02 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are the Gospels historically reliable, or just late legends? Philosophers and top apologists Dr. Tim McGrew and Dr. Lydia McGrew join me to dismantle ...

Why You Have to Believe! | Doug DeVos

24 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Doug DeVos, former President and current co-chair of Amway, joins Aaron Renn to discuss the 50th-anniversary re-release of his father Rich DeVos’ 19...

How Society Forgot About Fertility | Darel Paul

17 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this eye-opening conversation, I sit down with Darel Paul, Professor of Political Science at Williams College and author of From Tolerance to Equal...

Every Choice Kills a Universe | Joseph Holmes

10 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Joseph Holmes—film critic, culture writer, and contributing film critic on my newsletter—joins the show to talk about his debut feature film Jim v...

The Dignity of Dependence | Leah Libresco Sargeant

03 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join Aaron Renn as he interviews Leah Libresco Sargeant, author of The Dignity of Dependence: A Feminist Manifesto. In this thought-provoking episode,...

State Laws and Your Religious Freedom | Mark David Hall

27 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join Aaron Renn as he sits down with Dr. Mark David Hall, Director of the Religious Liberty in the States Project at First Liberty's Center for R...

Land, Liberty, and Living Cheap | A. M. Hickman

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join us for an incredible conversation with A. M. Hickman, aka "Shagbark Hick," one of the most unique voices on X. From living as a self-de...

Why America Can't Have Nice Things | Chris Arnade

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join us for a compelling conversation with Chris Arnade, author of Dignity, as he shares his journey from Wall Street quant to amateur ethnographer, w...

The Collapse of Masculinity | John Seel

29 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join host Aaron Renn and cultural diagnostician Dr. John Seel in this thought-provoking podcast episode as they dive into the crisis of masculinity, t...

Presbyterians for the Kingdom | David Yancey and Redeemed Zoomer

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join host Aaron Renn as he sits down with David Yancey, president of Presbyterians for the Kingdom, and Generation Z influencer Redeemed Zoomer to dis...

Capitol Hill Baptist: 150 Years of Unchanging Faith | Caleb Morell

15 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join host Aaron Renn as he sits down with Caleb Morell, author of A Light on the Hill, to explore the rich history of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in W...

Is Evangelicalism Afraid of Hard Questions? | Joel Carini

08 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this provocative episode, Aaron sits down with Joel Carini, "The Natural Theologian," to explore the challenges of truth-seeking within e...

The Hidden Truths Behind America's Housing Crisis | Adam Ozimek

25 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dive into the housing crisis with Aaron Renn and Adam Ozemeck, Chief Economist at the Economic Innovation Group, as they unpack why buying a home can ...

The State of Missions | Ted Esler

18 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ted Esler, President of Missio Nexus, joins me to dive deep into the current state of Christian missions. He explores the history, challenges, and fut...

The Vibe Shift Explained | Michael Foster

11 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join host Aaron Renn as he sits down with Michael Foster, pastor of East River Church in Batavia, Ohio, for a raw and unfiltered conversation about th...

Hard Lessons from the Hurt Business | Ed Latimore

05 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Professional boxer Ed Latimore talks about his inspiring journey from growing up in Pittsburgh’s housing projects during the crack epidemic to earni...

The Battle for Florida's Colleges | Jason Jewell

29 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join me for an insightful conversation with Dr. Jason Jewell, Chief Academic Officer of the State University System of Florida, as we dive into the bo...

What Will We Do With 100,000 Empty Churches? | Richard Reinhard

21 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join Aaron in this eye-opening podcast episode with Rick Reinhardt, an expert on the intersection of urbanism and religion, as they dive into the grow...

A Pastor’s Battle to Save Historic Churches | Rev. Jake Dell

14 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

An inspiring conversation with Reverend Jake Dell, pastor of the First Congregational Church of Woodbury, Connecticut, founded in 1659. Rev. Dell shar...

10 Types of Men Every Man Needs in His Life | Doug Reed

07 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join Aaron Renn as he sits down with Doug Reed, president of Partnership International and author of Ten Men: The Rich Connections Every Man Needs. In...

Faith, Family, and Steel: Understanding America’s Working-Class Heart | Robert Ordway

30 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join Aaron Renn as he sits down with policy wonk Robert Ordway to explore the vibrant and complex world of America's multiracial working class. G...

More Births or Bust | Daniel Hess

23 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join Aaron Renn as he dives into the alarming global fertility crisis with Daniel Hess, the voice behind the More Births X account and Substack. In th...

Why Religion Went Obsolete | Christian Smith

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why did religion become obsolete? Dr. Christian Smith, a renowned sociologist from the University of Notre Dame and author of the new book Why Religio...

Why Industrial Policy Matters | Ian Fletcher

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A fascinating discussion with Ian Fletcher, co-author of the comprehensive new book Industrial Policy for the United States (Cambridge University Pres...

Why America Can't Build Anymore | Philip Howard

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join Aaron Renn as he sits down with Philip Howard, founder of Common Good, to discuss the crippling bureaucratic red tape stifling America’s abilit...

Why Christians Must Rediscover Civics | Elizabeth Landis

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join host Aaron Renn as he sits down with Elizabeth Landis, author of The Forgotten Realm: Civics for American Christians, to explore why Christians n...

How Nietzsche Shaped American Thought | Sheluyang Peng

12 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This fascinating conversation with writer Sheluyang Peng explores the profound influence of Friedrich Nietzsche on American thought. From Emerson’s ...

Why America Needs Moderate Republicans Again | Geoffrey Kabaservice

05 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join Aaron Renn as he sits down with Geoffrey Kabaservice, Vice President of Political Studies at the Niskanen Center and author of Rule and Ruin: The...

How Sports Betting Apps Hook You and Destroy Lives | Saagar Enjeti

28 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this eye-opening episode, Aaron Renn sits down with Saagar Enjeti, co-host of Breaking Points and The Realignment, to dive deep into the explosive ...

VP Mike Pence on Faith, Marriage, and Life in the Public Square

21 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join me for this exclusive conversation with former Vice President Mike Pence, as we dive deep into faith, marriage, and navigating life in the public...

What Killed America’s Can-Do Culture? | Tanner Greer

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why can't America build like it used to? What happened to our mojo? In this eye-opening episode, special guest Tanner Greer dives deep into the c...

Faith, Politics and Southern Baptists | William Wolfe

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join Aaron as he sits down with William Wolfe, Executive Director of the Center for Baptist Leadership (CBL), to discuss the future of the Southern Ba...

Jewish in America | Josh Hammer

31 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Aaron Renn's series on religious minorities in America, he speaks with Josh Hammer, senior editor-at-large at Newsweek Magazin...

Muslim in America | Haroon Moghul

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this first episode in a new series exploring the religious minority experience in America, I sit down with author, educator, and entrepreneur Haroo...

The Managerial Revolution in American Churches | Christopher Schlect

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join host Aaron as he interviews Christopher Schlect, Senior Fellow of History and Director of the Classical and Christian Studies Program at New St. ...

Work Is the Meaning of Life | David Bahnsen

10 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this thought-provoking conversation, wealth manager and author David Bahnsen challenges conventional wisdom about work, retirement, and purpose. Ma...

New York: America's First Post-Secular City | Tony Carnes

03 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tony Carnes, sociologist, journalist, and founder of "A Journey Through NYC Religions," joins us to explore how New York City has transforme...

Christian Liberty vs. Modern License: True Freedom in a Digital Age | Brad Littlejohn

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join Aaron as he welcomes back Brad Littlejohn, author of "Called to Freedom: Retrieving Christian Liberty in an Age of License" and fellow ...

Media Evolution and American Character | Titus Techera

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this wide-ranging conversation, writer and editor Titus Techera explores how media has evolved from America's founding to today's social ...

Making the Case for Religion in a Secular Age | Ross Douthat

10 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

NYT columnist Ross Douthat joins me to discuss his new book Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious. We explore why skeptics and non-believers shoul...

Classical Education's Civil War: Great Books vs Ancient Languages | Alex Petkas

03 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Princeton Classics PhD Alex Petkas argues against the "Great Books" model of classical education and makes the case for returning to traditi...

How Democrats Lost the Working Class | Ruy Teixeira

27 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Ruy Teixeira, one of America's leading political analysts, discusses the dramatic realignment of American political coalitions a...

The Ultimate Christian College Guide | Jesse Rine

20 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

P. Jesse Rine, director of the Center for Academic Faithfulness and Flourishing (CAFF), joins us to talk about the state of Christian higher education...

Populism, Elite Power, and the American Right | Matthew Continetti

13 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, a deep dive with Matthew Continetti on his book The Right: The Hundred Year War for American Conservatism. We explore how American co...

Traditional Conservatism in a Populist Age | Tim Chapman

06 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Tim Chapman discusses how traditional conservatives are engaging with the Trump administration. He's the president of Advancing ...

Is America Actually Woke? | Musa al-Gharbi

23 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, sociologist Musa al-Gharbi discusses his book We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite. How should we unde...

JON ASKONAS: Building a Future in the Face of the Apocalypse

16 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jon Askonas is a professor of politics at Catholic University. He wrote an interesting piece for Comment magazine on how Americans went from seeing te...

ROBERT GEORGE: The Future of Conservatives in Academia

09 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Academia is almost entirely dominated by the left. Robert George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton, has thrived in it as a strong Cat...

RYAN WILLIAMS: How to Run a Dissident Think Tank

03 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan Williams is the president of the Claremont Institute. Claremont is the institutional base of West Coast Straussianism, and has long been known fo...

ROBERT WOODSON, SR.: How American Evangelicals Should Think About Race

25 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Despite major progress in civil rights, black economic uplift, and even electing a black President, the question of race continues to be an ongoing ma...

JUSTIN SHUBOW: Making Buildings Beautiful

18 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Justin Shubow is the president of the National Civic Art Society, a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. that promotes the classi...

ROD DREHER: Living in a Re-Enchanted World

11 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Bestselling author Rod Dreher has a knack for putting his finger on what people are going to be talking about next. He's done it again with his n...

OS GUINNESS: Our Civilizational Moment

04 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Os Guinness is an author and social critic. Yes, he is related to the Guinness brewing family. He has an incredible life story, being born in China to...

DELANO SQUIRES: Manhood in the Modern Age

28 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Delano Squires is a Research Fellow in Life, Religion and Family at the Heritage Foundation, and a contributor to the Blaze. He joins me today to talk...

STEPHEN EIDE: Uplifting the Man Farthest Down

21 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Stephen Eide is a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute who studies homelessness and mental illness. He joins me to discuss his new article in Nati...

AUSTIN KNUPPE: The Fate of Middle Eastern Christians

14 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Austin Knuppe is an assistant professor of political science at Utah State University specializing in Foreign Policy, International Politics, Middle E...

TIM CARNEY: America's Family Unfriendly Culture

07 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Journalist and AEI Senior Fellow Tim Carney joins me to discuss his new book Family Unfriendly: How Our Culture Made Raising Kids Much Harder Than It ...

NATE FISCHER: The Macro Trends Shaping Tomorrow's World

30 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Nate Fischer, Founder and CEO of New Founding, joins us to talk about his firm's investment strategy, and particularly the macro forces that will...

CHRIS BOLINGER: How Christian Men Can Survive Divorce

23 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

While divorce rates have fallen from their peak, they are still very high, with women initiating the vast majority of them. The divorce rate among Ame...

JAMES DAVISON HUNTER: Will America Come Apart?

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

James Davison Hunter is a renowned sociologist at the University of Virginia who introduced the term "culture war" to the US discourse. He&a...

JOSHUA KLEIN: Preserving the Art of Traditional Wood Construction

03 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Joshua Klein, editor of Mortise and Tenon magazine, joins me to talk about his love of traditional wood construction techniques, and the value of craf...

JON TYSON: Urban Church in the Negative World

26 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jon Tyson, founding and senior pastor of Church of the City in New York, joins me to talk about the urban church in today's world. Tyson discusse...

OREN CASS: The Future of the American Worker

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Oren Cass is founder of American Compass, a reformist center-right think tank seeking to look beyond dogmatic adherence to libertarian economics. He j...

DEAN BALL: The Age of Artificial Intelligence

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Artificial intelligence is the hot topic of the tech world today. But how do we make sense of it? Dean Ball is a Research Fellow in the Artificial Int...

JARED MUSGROVE and WILL PESCH: Brothers Under Christ (BYX) - The Christian Fraternity

05 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

BYX (Beta, Upsilon, Chi in Greek, for Brothers Under Christ and pronounced "Bucks") is a Christian college fraternity. National director Jar...

MAYOR FRANCIS SUAREZ: The Miami Model of Urbanism

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Miami and South Florida have been booming. City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez joins me to talk about their success and the "Miami model" of ...

YUVAL LEVIN: The Constitution Is the Solution

22 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

American Enterprise Institute scholar Yuval Levin joins me to discuss his new book American Covenant: How the Constitution Unified Our Nation—and Co...

MILES SMITH: Lessons from Reading Exvangelical Memoirs

15 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Miles Smith is an assistant professor of history at Hillsdale College. He joins me to discuss what he learned from reading exvangelical memoirs and bo...

MATTHEW PETERSON: The Future of Conservative Media

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Peterson, editor-in-chief of the Blaze and founding editor of the American Mind, joins me to talk about the media and conservative media lands...

JOSHUA MITCHELL: The Roots of the Great Awokening

01 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Georgetown Professor Joshua Mitchell, author of the book American Awakening: Identity Politics and Other Afflictions of Our Time, joins me to talk abo...

BATYA UNGAR-SARGON: How the Elites Betrayed America's Working Men and Women

24 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Newsweek opinion editor Batya Ungar-Sargon joins me to discuss her recent book Second Class: How the Elites Betrayed America's Working Men and Wo...

RICHARD REEVES: The Struggles of the Modern American Male

17 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Richard V. Reeves is the president of the American Institute for Boys and Men. He's also the author of the acclaimed book Of Boys and Men: Why th...

FARAH STOCKMAN: What Happens to People When Work Disappears

10 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Farah Stockman is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and member of the New York Times editorial board. She's also the author of the great book A...

JONATHAN WHITEHEAD: The Future of the Southern Baptist Convention

05 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jonathan Whitehead, a lawyer who has been active in Southern Baptist institutional life for many years, joins me to discuss the future of the SBC. We ...

ANTHONY BRADLEY: Evangelicalism's Man Problems

20 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Anthony Bradley joins me to talk about why the evangelical church struggles to attract men. We will discuss the state of men in America, the matri...

DR. EWAN GOLIGHER: A Christian Response to Physician-Assisted Death

13 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Ewan Goligher is a scientist at the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute. He's the author of the book How Should We then Die?: A Chris...

It's Not Your Problem, It's Their Problem

06 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Three years ago I recorded a podcast series on the American postwar conservative moment. One of the episodes focused on the way that the nascent conse...

PAUL CARRESE: How Civics Can Remedy Higher Education’s Decline

29 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Paul Carrese is the founding director of the School for Civic and Economic Though Leadership (SCETL) at Arizona State University. SCETL was establishe...

LUKE ROBSON: Revitalizing Hillsdale, Michigan

22 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Luke Robson is on a mission to revitalize the downtown of Hillsdale, Michigan, the small town where Hillsdale College is located. He joins us to discu...

Identity Is the Foundation of Everything (Newsletter #87)

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Your identity is the foundation and the heart of everything. Because if you don’t know who you are, you don’t know what to do. In this month'...

LEON PODLES: The Deep Roots of Men's Alienation from Church

08 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Leon Podles joins me today to discuss the deep roots of why men don't go to church, focusing on the male quest for honor. He is the author of The...

PETER OSTAPKO: Curating Conversations on Faith, Fatherhood, and Work at Kinsmen Journal

01 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Peter Ostapko joins us to discuss his project Kinsmen Journal, a high quality print magazine for Christian men and broader project to curate conversat...

DAVID MURROW: Why Men Hate Going to Church

25 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is my interview from two years ago with David Murrow, author of the influential book Why Men Hate Going to Church.  Why does the American church...

Cultural Insurgency (Newsletter #86)

18 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Paleoconservative military writer William Lind developed a concept he calls "4th Generation War," which is an insurgency conflict similar to...

BRAD WILCOX: Get Married

11 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sociologist Brad Wilcox joins to discuss his new book "Get Married." He explains why, despite its decline in our society, marriage remains t...

JOSEPH HARTMAN: Why Reinhold Niebuhr Matters Today

04 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Georgetown University professor Joseph Hartman joins me to discuss the 20th century theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, and why he still matters today.

BRAD VERMURLEN: The Reformed Resurgence

26 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sociologist Brad Vermurlen will join me to discuss his new book Reformed Resurgence: The New Calvinist Movement and the Battle Over American Evangelic...