On this special episode of Hub Dialogues, New York Times columnist Ross Douthat spoke to The Hub's editor at large Sean Speer while in Ottawa to deliver the inaugural 2025 Ian Shugart Lecture on Faith in the Public Square, hosted by the Cardus Institute. In the conversation, he discusses the key topics from his lecture, from the current moment of religious reconsideration in the West to why secularization has plateaued and the benefits of religion itself. 

He also covers the relationship between declining religious faith and political polarization, and how the rise of artificial intelligence may interact with these trends. Finally, Douthat explores some of the interesting intellectual and political debates occurring within Anglo-American conservatism.

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CREDITS:

Amal Attar-Guzman - Producer and Video Editor 

Elia Gross - Sound Editor 

Sean Speer - Host

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