Socrates in the City

Socrates in the City is the acclaimed series of conversations on “life, God, and other small topics,” hosted by Eric Metaxas. Starting with the philosopher Socrates’s famous words that “the unexamined life is not worth living,” Metaxas thought it would be valuable to create a forum that might encourage busy New Yorkers in thinking about the bigger questions in life. He founded Socrates in the City in 2000. Metaxas is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of MARTIN LUTHER, IF YOU CAN KEEP IT, BONHOEFFER, AMAZING GRACE, and MIRACLES. His books have been translated into more than twenty-five languages. His writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The New Yorker, and Metaxas has appeared as a cultural commentator on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC. He is the host of The Eric Metaxas Radio Show, a nationally-syndicated radio program heard in more than 120 cities around the U.S. and via podcast in over 80 countries.

Arthur Brooks: What is Happiness?

What is happiness? Socrates in the City host Eric Metaxas sits down with Dr. Arthur Brooks to discuss one of the most prevalent questions in our society: What is happiness? The question behind his newest book, The Happiness Files. Based on his long career and his lived experience as a Professor and scholar, Dr. Brooks shares not […] The post Arthur Brooks: What is Happiness? first appeared on Socrates in the City.

09-19
01:01:05

William Lane Craig: Is the Existence of God Provable?

Can we prove the existence of God? In this Socrates in the City conversation, host Eric Metaxas speaks with William Lane Craig—Emeritus Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, renowned Christian apologist, and one of today’s most influential philosophers. Drawing from his new book, Systematic Philosophical Theology, and more than four decades of […] The post William Lane Craig: Is the Existence of God Provable? first appeared on Socrates in the City.

09-05
01:02:41

Robert P. George: We Need Free Speech the Way the Body Needs Oxygen to Survive

Is there an innate human knowledge of Truth? Socrates in the City host Eric Metaxas sits down with Robert P. George, Princeton University Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program, to discuss his new book, Seeking Truth and Speaking Truth. Their conversation delves into the nature of humanity, examining how our understanding […] The post Robert P. George: We Need Free Speech the Way the Body Needs Oxygen to Survive first appeared on Socrates in the City.

08-22
01:08:51

Olivia Reingold: What Political Polarization Means for America

How did Socialism become mainstream in New York City? In this timely and insightful conversation, Socrates in the City host Eric Metaxas speaks with NYC-based journalist Olivia Reingold about her coverage of the 2026 NYC Mayoral race’s front runner, Zohran Mamdani. Reingold unpacks the shifting tide in the political and economic thought of Gen Z, […] The post Olivia Reingold: What Political Polarization Means for America first appeared on Socrates in the City.

08-08
41:01

Melanie Phillips: How Jews and Christians Built the West—and Why Only They Can Save It

What are the Jewish and Christian foundations of Western society—and why do they matter today? In this insightful conversation, Socrates in the City host Eric Metaxas speaks with journalist and author Melanie Phillips about her newest book, The Builder’s Stone. Phillips explores Jewish identity, the history of Israel, and the spiritual roots that have shaped […] The post Melanie Phillips: How Jews and Christians Built the West—and Why Only They Can Save It first appeared on Socrates in the City.

07-25
01:11:40

Larry Arnn: The Progressive Assault on the American Idea

What is the relationship between the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution? Are these simply historical documents, or could they reflect something divinely inspired? In this conversation, Socrates in the City host Eric Metaxas sits down with Hillsdale College President Dr. Larry Arnn to explore the spiritual architecture of America’s founding in his book, The […] The post Larry Arnn: The Progressive Assault on the American Idea first appeared on Socrates in the City.

07-11
01:02:04

William Hurlbut: The Boundaries of Humanity

Is there an ethical way to approach the boundaries and limitations of humanity? William Hurlbut is a Senior Research Scholar in the Dept. of Neurology and Neurological Sciences and an Adjunct Professor in the Dept. of Neurobiology at Stanford University Medical Center as well as an expert on the intersection of theology and science. He […] The post William Hurlbut: The Boundaries of Humanity first appeared on Socrates in the City.

06-27
54:58

Ross Douthat: Why Everyone Should Be Religious

Do all roads lead to Rome? And do all paths lead to faith? Ross Douthat, a New York Times Opinion columnist joins Socrates in the City host Eric Metaxas to discuss his new book, Believe, and share his case for why a renewed religious society aligns better with scientific data, history, and our desires for […] The post Ross Douthat: Why Everyone Should Be Religious first appeared on Socrates in the City.

06-23
53:19

John West: Stockholm Syndrome Christianity

Has toxic empathy led modern Christians to live in a Stockholm Syndrome-like way towards an opposing world? John West, Vice President of the Seattle-based Discovery Institute, where he also serves as Managing Director of the Institute’s Center for Science & Culture, shares how the overwhelming influence of toxic empathy and desire to appease popular culture […] The post John West: Stockholm Syndrome Christianity first appeared on Socrates in the City.

05-30
59:08

Andrew Klavan: Finding God in the Literature of Darkness

What do Woody Allen, Dostoevsky, and Cain and Able have in common? What are the underlying psychological themes and influences in modern horror? Andrew Klavan, an award-winning writer, screenwriter, and media commentator joins Socrates in the City host Eric Metaxas to discuss his new book, The Kingdom of Cain. Klavan explores how artists’ imaginative engagement […] The post Andrew Klavan: Finding God in the Literature of Darkness first appeared on Socrates in the City.

05-23
01:05:32

James Lindsey: Exposing the Insanity of Modern Academia

Is the West in decline? Dr. James Lindsay is the author of books like Cynical Theories, The Marxification of Education, and most recently, The Queering of the American Child. He joins Socrates in the City host, Eric Metaxas to discuss his experiences in uncovering the hypocrisy of academic journals and the critical theory, cultural and […] The post James Lindsey: Exposing the Insanity of Modern Academia first appeared on Socrates in the City.

04-18
57:51

Iain McGilchrist

Iain McGilchrist is a former Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, an associate Fellow of Green Templeton College, Oxford, and a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists to name a few. A leading scholar in the field of neurology he has published original research on neuroimaging in schizophrenia, the phenomenology of schizophrenia, and is […] The post Iain McGilchrist first appeared on Socrates in the City.

03-27
42:30

Katherine Birbalsingh: Is Classical Education the Key to Reviving the West?

Headmaster of Michaela school, Katherine Birbalsingh sits down with host Eric Metaxas to discuss the challenges of speaking about the deficiencies in the UK school system and how it led her to begin her school and initiate a reform of Classical Education against the ‘soft bigotry of low expectations’.        The post Katherine Birbalsingh: Is Classical Education the Key to Reviving the West? first appeared on Socrates in the City.

03-20
45:54

James Orr: Maintaining Orthodoxy in an Evolving West

What has Athens to do with Jerusalem? What does the world of philosophy have to do with the world of religion? Professor of Philosophy of Religion at the Faculty of Divinity, Dr. James Orr joins host Eric Metaxas to have a conversation on the Twilight of the West, the relationship between orthodoxy and orthopraxy, and […] The post James Orr: Maintaining Orthodoxy in an Evolving West first appeared on Socrates in the City.

03-13
01:01:46

Konstantin Kisin: Can Western Civilization Survive without Free Speech?

Is the West inherently bad? Konstantin Kisin, Writer, social commentator, co-host of TRIGGERnometry and comedian, sits down with Socrates in the City host Eric Metaxas to discuss how the rise of ‘woke culture’ undermines the multifaceted history of the West. They explore the limits of free speech, the balance between fear and change, and the relationship of […] The post Konstantin Kisin: Can Western Civilization Survive without Free Speech? first appeared on Socrates in the City.

03-06
59:54

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – America: Past, Present, and Future

Host Eric Metaxas welcomes lawyer, activist, and Independent Presidential candidate Mr. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the Socrates in the City stage with a standing ovation for a conversation on America. In keeping with the forum’s history, Mr. Metaxas asks Mr. Kennedy the big questions, questions on “life, God, and other small topics”. Conversation topics […] The post Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – America: Past, Present, and Future first appeared on Socrates in the City.

08-30
01:24:23

Roger Kimball: The Intellectual Life

The esteemed editor of The New Criterion — a monthly review of the arts and intellectual life – and president of Encounter Books, Roger Kimball, and Socrates host Eric Metaxas, sit down for a delightful conversation on the intellectual life, touching on subjects from the inversion of virtue to political correctness to the effects of the sexual revolution […] The post Roger Kimball: The Intellectual Life first appeared on Socrates in the City.

06-02
28:48

Michael Wilkerson: Why America Matters

Wallstreet businessman turned author Michael Wilkerson sits down with host Eric Metaxas to answer the question of if and why America matters. After his business in Africa was paused during the 2020 Covid shutdowns, Wilkerson’s eyes were opened to the partisan, cultural, and ideological divides in America, and he wondered if the nation could still be […] The post Michael Wilkerson: Why America Matters first appeared on Socrates in the City.

06-02
49:36

John West: Human Zoos: America’s Forgotten History of Scientific Racism

The day after his Socrates in the City event on C.S. Lewis and Scientism, The Discovery Institute’s Dr. John West sits down with Host Eric Metaxas to discuss his documentary Human Zoos: America’s Forgotten History of Scientific Racism. Human Zoos tells the shocking story of how thousands of indigenous peoples were put on public display in […] The post John West: Human Zoos: America’s Forgotten History of Scientific Racism first appeared on Socrates in the City.

05-28
51:55

Casey Luskin: The Comprehensive Guide to Science and Faith

Scientist and attorney Casey Luskin sits down with Socrates in the City host Eric Metaxas to explore these big questions: Is science objective? How did humans come into existence? How do you reconcile faith and science? Luskin is the editor of The Comprehensive Guide to Science and Faith and co-author of Science and Human Origins and Associate Director […] The post Casey Luskin: The Comprehensive Guide to Science and Faith first appeared on Socrates in the City.

05-28
38:09

Marc Ruiz

Dinesh D’Souza vs Peter Singer

08-15 Reply

Marc Ruiz

Mosab Hassan Yousef - Son of Hamas

07-15 Reply

Paul Kyle

while the exchanges between eric and dick were funny, the overall depth of the conversation was very shallow. I couldn't tell after a 90 minute podcast if I wanted to read the book. in the least, as a marketing piece for the book, this episode was not very good.

02-23 Reply

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