Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values

The Saving Elephants Podcast features engaging conversations about conservative values with a mercifully modern twist. Tired of political shock-talk and rank punditry on your radio and TV? Curious about what conservative thinkers of yesteryear had to say but don't have time to read some terribly long, boring book they wrote? Want to learn why conservatism still holds value for Millennials today? Join us as we re-ignite conservatism for Millennials!

144 – Conservative Historian Redux with AD Tippet 12/05/2023

143 – The Conservative Mind at 70 with Michael Lucchese 11/21/2023

142 – Jiving with Jaffa with Seth Root 11/07/2023

141 – The Soul of Civility with Alexandra Hudson 10/17/2023

140 – Back to Burke 10/03/2023

140 – Back to Burke The name Edmund Burke is used quite liberally on the Saving Elephants podcast as host Josh Lewis makes no bones about being a “Burkean” conservative. But who was this Irish statesman, economist, and philosopher? What were his contributions to conservative thought? Why does Josh hold him in such high regard? And why do some conservatives argue there’s no place for Burke in conservatism? Rather than inviting one guest to tackle these pressing questions, Josh explores the various conversations had on the podcast with past guests about Burke to help us navigate this rather complex and often misunderstood political thinker. The lineup includes: Wes Siler Podcast appearance: Wes is the founder and Director of The Burkean Conservative, a website, social media presence, and video platform that produces content focused on educating and expanding the conservative movement on the basis of Edmund Burke's principles. You can follow The Burkean Conservative on Twitter @TheBurkeanCon. Yuval Levin Podcast appearance: Yuval Levin is a political analyst, public intellectual, academic, and journalist. He is the founding editor of National Affairs, director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a contributing editor of National Review, and co-founder and a senior editor of The New Atlantis. He also holds the Beth and Ravenel Curry Chair in Public Policy. Yuval served as a member of the White House domestic policy staff under President George W. Bush. He was also executive director of the President’s Council on Bioethics and a congressional staffer at the member, committee, and leadership levels. Yuval’s essays and articles have appeared in numerous publications, among them, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Commentary. He is the author of five books, two of which are discussed in detail in the episode: and . Jonah Goldberg Podcast appearance: Jonah Goldberg hosts , a podcast featuring a “Cannonball Run”-style cast of stars, has-beens, and never-weres to address the most pressing issues of the day and of all-time, mixing history, pop culture, rank-punditry, political philosophy, and, at times, shameless book-plugging, and the nudity is (almost) always tasteful. In October of 2019 Goldberg co-launched and became founding editor of the online opinion and news publication . He was the founding editor of National Review Online, and from 1998 until 2019 he was an editor at . A prolific writer, Goldberg writes a weekly column about politics and culture for the Los Angeles Times as well as a frequent “newsletter” . He has authored three books, the No. 1 ; ; and , which also became a New York Times bestseller. Goldberg is also a regular contributor on news networks such as CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC, appearing on various television programs including Good Morning America, Nightline, Hardball with Chris Matthews, Real Time with Bill Maher, and . Goldberg is an occasional guest on a number of Fox News shows and a frequent panelist on . Bo Winegard Podcast appearance: Bo Winegard obtained his PhD in social psychology from Florida State University, under the tutelage of Roy Baumeister. Formerly a professor at a small college in the Midwest, Bo is now an independent scholar interested in human evolution, human variation, the rise of political order, and political conservatism. He also enjoys literature, film, sports, and mediocre detective fiction. Bo has many peer-reviewed publications on motley topics and often writes for the online media publication . He is currently working on the first of several books on human nature and political ideology. Visit Bo’s website: And his YouTube channel: You can also find Bo on Twitter @EPoe187 David Bahnsen Podcast appearance: David L. Bahnsen is the founder, Managing Partner, and Chief Investment Officer of , a bi-coastal private wealth management firm with offices in Newport Beach, CA, New York City, Minneapolis, and Nashville managing over $3.5 billion in client assets. David is consistently named as one of the top financial advisors in America by Barron’s, Forbes, and the Financial Times. He is a frequent guest on CNBC, Bloomberg, and Fox Business and is a regular contributor to National Review and Forbes. He has written his own for over a decade. David serves on the Board of Directors for the National Review Institute and was the Vice-President of the Lincoln Club of Orange County for eight years. He is a committed donor and activist across all spectrums of national, state, and local politics, and views the cause of Buckley and Reagan as the need of the hour. David is passionate about opposition to crony capitalism, and has lectured and written for years about the need for pro-growth economic policy. Every part of his political worldview stems from a desire to see greater freedom as a catalyst to greater human flourishing. He is the author of the book, and his most recent book, . His ultimate passions are his lovely wife of 18+ years, Joleen, their gorgeous and brilliant children, sons Mitchell and Graham, and daughter Sadie, and the life they’ve created together in Newport Beach, California. Jeff Nelson Podcast appearance: Jeff Nelson co-founded the Kirk Center with Annette Kirk and is currently Vice Chairman of the Center’s Board of Trustees. He served in 1986 and again in 1989 as Dr. Kirk’s personal assistant. Dr. Nelson is Executive Vice President of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (Wilmington, Delaware). He also served as president of the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts (Merrimack, NH). He received his B.A. at the University of Detroit, an M.A. at Yale University Divinity School, and was awarded his Ph.D. in American History at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Dr. Nelson founded ISI Books, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute’s now nationally recognized publishing imprint, in 1993. Under his direction, more than 110 books were published. During that time he also edited two respected journals of thought and opinion: The Intercollegiate Review and The University Bookman, and is publisher of Studies in Burke and His Time. He also is senior fellow of both the International G. K. Chesterton Institute (Toronto, ON) and the Centre for the Study of Faith and Culture in Oxford, England; and he is secretary of the Edmund Burke Society of America. Dr. Nelson has edited two book collections: Redeeming the Time by Russell Kirk, and Perfect Sowing: Reflections of a Bookman by Henry Regnery; he co-edited an award-winning treasury of the historian John Lukacs’ writings entitled Remembered Past; and was project director of the popular national college guide, Choosing the Right College: The Whole Truth About America’s Top Schools. Dr. Nelson was featured in a New York Times front-page news article about a major reference work he co-edited, American Conservatism: An Encyclopedia; and he is series editor of The Library of Modern Thinkers. Jeff Nelson is a frequent and popular guest on radio and television talk shows across the country. You can follow Jeff on Twitter @JeffOttoNelson /episode/index/show/savingelephants/id/28207268

139 – Perspectives from Across the Pond with Sarah Stook 09/19/2023

138 – The Conservative Historian with Belisarius Aves 09/05/2023

137 – Political Theology with Jonathan Cole – Part 2 08/15/2023

136 – Political Theology with Jonathan Cole – Part 1 08/01/2023

136 – Political Theology with Jonathan Cole – Part 1 “I never discuss anything else except politics and religion,” English writer, philosopher, and Christian apologist G. K. Chesterton once quipped. “There is nothing else to discuss.” For some sensible, genteel Americans, politics and religion are precisely what you don’t discuss in public and—perhaps even—in private company. Others discuss both with ease yet may have trouble thinking through what their politics might say about their religion, or how their religion ought to inform their politics. The discipline of political theology specializes in studying the intersect between politics and religion. Joining Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis is returning guest from the land Down Under, Jonathan Cole. Jonathan briefly discusses the history of political theology before turning to how we might understand political theology and how Christianity in particular has shaped the governments of Western civilization. This is the first of a two-part conversation. Catch part 2 in the next episode. About Jonathan Cole From : Dr Jonathan Cole is a scholar, writer, translator and lecturer specializing in political theology—the intersection between religion and politics. He is currently Assistant Director of Research at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture at Charles Sturt University, Canberra, Australia, and host of : "Honest conversations about the political, theological and cultural ideas that shape who we are in the 21st century." He has a PhD in political theology from CSU, an MA in Islamic theology and Middle Eastern politics from the Australian National University and a BA Hons in Modern Greek language and history from La Trobe University. He speaks Greek. He spent 13 years working in a number of Australian federal government departments and agencies in Canberra, including seven years in intelligence, most recently as a Senior Terrorism Analyst at the Office of National Assessments (2010–2014). Follow Jonathan on , , or for his latest content. /episode/index/show/savingelephants/id/27620187

135 – Cool Ellul with Jason Thacker 07/18/2023

135 – Cool Ellul with Jason Thacker Modern views on how future technology is likely to change our lives range from bloviatingly aspirational visions of utopia to musings on whether the latest advancement in AI will destroy humankind in our lifetime or merely enslave us all in Matrix-style battery capillaries. Yet debates on whether technology is a neutral tool for our benefit or a near-unstoppable force leading us to a particular destiny are nothing new. In 1964, French philosopher and sociologist Jacques Ellul wrote , in which he argued technology had a totalizing effect that could potentially dehumanize our world in its never-ending effort to make all things efficient and “useful”. While he’s somewhat critical of Ellul’s determinism, this episode’s guest—Jason Thacker—gleans much wisdom from Ellul’s warnings. Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis and Jason Thacker discuss competing views of technology and how they might help us for a foundation for dealing with the technological challenges we face in our digital public square. About Jason Thacker From Jason Thacker serves as an assistant professor of philosophy and ethics at in Louisville, KY. He also is a research fellow in Christian ethics and director of the research institute at . He is the author of several books including and . He also serves as the editor of The Digital Public Square: Christian Ethics in a Technological Society and co-editor of the Essentials in Christian Ethics series with B&H Academic. He is the project leader and lead drafter of , and his work has been featured at Slate, Politico, The Week, USA Today, Christianity Today, World Magazine, The Gospel Coalition, and Desiring God. He is a graduate of The University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies. He also holds a Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he is currently a PhD candidate in ethics, public theology, and philosophy. He serves as an associate fellow with the Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology in Cambridge, an advisor for AI and Faith, fellow in science and technology at the Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Seminary, and a research fellow with the ERLC Research Institute. He is married to Dorie and they have two sons. You can follow Jason on Twitter @jasonthacker About Brooke was one of the contributing writers to the recently published book . In The Digital Public Square, editor Jason Thacker has chosen top Christian voices to help the church navigate the issues of censorship, conspiracy theories, sexual ethics, hate speech, religious freedom, and tribalism. Many of the contributing writers (David French, Bonnie Kristian, Bryan Baise, and Brooke Medina) have been prior guests on the Saving Elephants show. /episode/index/show/savingelephants/id/27495513

134 – Gilding a Mess with Avi Woolf 07/04/2023

133 – Grappling with Hate Speech with Brooke Medina 06/20/2023

133 – Grappling with Hate Speech with Brooke Medina In this brave new digital world, opportunities for hate speech seem ubiquitous and increasingly dangerous. How should a conservative balance their values of limited-government and protection of the vulnerable in social media? How do we answer the charges of “silence is violence”, or that speech and equal violence from a legal, cultural, and moral framework? Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis is joined by frequent guest Brooke Medina to grapple with the problem of hate speech. Josh shares his experiences of being harassed while (briefly) identifying as a woman on Facebook and Brooke draws from her contributing chapter in the recently published book . About Brooke Medina Brooke Medina serves as Vice President of Communications for the John Locke Foundation, an independent, nonprofit think tank in North Carolina. There Brooke manages a team of talented communications, design, and media professionals. Brooke oversees the implementation of the organization’s strategic communications efforts and regularly engages with the press and public through written commentary, television and radio interviews, as well as public speaking engagements. In addition to these roles, Brooke is responsible for creating and implementing the foundation’s marketing strategy. Brooke is a graduate of Regent University, holding a B.A. in Government and a minor in English. While in college, she attended both the Koch Leaders Program and Koch Communications Fellowship, programs that focus on the philosophical underpinnings of market-based management and classical liberalism. She is currently a member of the American Enterprise Institute’s Leadership Network. Brooke’s writing has been published in outlets such as The Hill, Entrepreneur, Washington Examiner, WORLD, Daily Signal, FEE, and other publications. She is a frequent podcast guest on a variety of shows, a C. S. Lewis aficionado, and, along with Josh, part of the quartet that make up the hosts of the podcast. You can follow Brooke on Twitter @Brooke_Medina_ About Brooke was one of the contributing writers to the recently published book . In The Digital Public Square, editor Jason Thacker has chosen top Christian voices to help the church navigate the issues of censorship, conspiracy theories, sexual ethics, hate speech, religious freedom, and tribalism. Many of the contributing writers (David French, Bonnie Kristian, Bryan Baise, and Brooke Medina) have been prior guests on the Saving Elephants show. /episode/index/show/savingelephants/id/27205542

132 – Classical Period Non-Perverts with Jack Butler 06/06/2023

131 – Witnessing Whittaker with Sam Tanenhaus 05/16/2023

131 – Witnessing Whittaker with Sam Tanenhaus In 1948 Whittaker Chambers shocked the nation when, while testifying before Congress, he gave the names of individuals he claimed were working within the United States government as Communist spies for the Soviet Union. Among those named was Alger Hiss, Chamber’s close friend and former Communist comrade. The ensuing trial quickly divided the nation into competing narratives. Who was lying and who was telling the truth? Was Chambers insane or, perhaps, seeking to destroy Hiss due to some personal grievance? Was this merely a pretext to the coming Communist “purges” under the McCarthy hearings that took place a few years later? Or had Chambers alerted the nation to the fact there were Soviet spies deep within the government and the prevailing liberal elite of that era had failed completely to respond to the threat? Sam Tanenhaus, American historian, biographer, and journalist joins Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis to take a deep dive into the remarkable life of Whittaker Chambers, including how Chambers came to break with Communism, whether Hiss was truly guilty, the real threat of Communism of that era, what the Chambers/Hiss trial came to represent for the nation as a whole, Chamber’s association with William F. Buckley and the burgeoning conservative movement, and his lasting impact on the Right. About Sam Tanenhaus Sam Tanenhaus is the US Writer at Large for Prospect and the editor of both The New York Times Book Review and the Week in Review section of the Times. From 1999 to 2004 he was a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, where he wrote often on politics. His work has also appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Republic, The New York Review of Books, and many other publications. Tanenhaus’s book, Whittaker Chambers: A Biography, won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and was a finalist for both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. His books also include The Death of Conservatism and a soon-to-be-released biography of William F. Buckley Jr. and is the US Writer at Large for Prospect. /episode/index/show/savingelephants/id/26850942

130 – Cultivating Kirk with Jeff Nelson 05/02/2023

130 – Cultivating Kirk with Jeff Nelson Perhaps no other individual (or person, for the benefit of the Kirkian insider) was more responsible for resuscitating intellectual conservatism back to life in the mid Twentieth century than Russell Kirk. Today, Kirk’s efforts to recover and conserve the “Permanent Things” lives on at the . Co-founder and Vice Chair of the Russell Kirk Center, Jeff Nelson, joins Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis to explore the legacy of Russell Kirk and its lasting impact on the conservative movement today. About Jeff Nelson : Jeff Nelson co-founded the Kirk Center with Annette Kirk and is currently Vice Chairman of the Center’s Board of Trustees. He served in 1986 and again in 1989 as Dr. Kirk’s personal assistant. Dr. Nelson is Executive Vice President of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (Wilmington, Delaware). He also served as president of the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts (Merrimack, NH). He received his B.A. at the University of Detroit, an M.A. at Yale University Divinity School, and was awarded his Ph.D. in American History at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Dr. Nelson founded ISI Books, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute’s now nationally recognized publishing imprint, in 1993. Under his direction, more than 110 books were published. During that time he also edited two respected journals of thought and opinion: The Intercollegiate Review and The University Bookman, and is publisher of Studies in Burke and His Time. He also is senior fellow of both the International G. K. Chesterton Institute (Toronto, ON) and the Centre for the Study of Faith and Culture in Oxford, England; and he is secretary of the Edmund Burke Society of America. Dr. Nelson has edited two book collections: Redeeming the Time by Russell Kirk, and Perfect Sowing: Reflections of a Bookman by Henry Regnery; he co-edited an award-winning treasury of the historian John Lukacs’ writings entitled Remembered Past; and was project director of the popular national college guide, Choosing the Right College: The Whole Truth About America’s Top Schools. Dr. Nelson was featured in a New York Times front-page news article about a major reference work he co-edited, American Conservatism: An Encyclopedia; and he is series editor of The Library of Modern Thinkers. Jeff Nelson is a frequent and popular guest on radio and television talk shows across the country. You can follow Jeff on Twitter @JeffOttoNelson About The Russell Kirk Center The Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal is located in Kirk’s ancestral village of Mecosta, Michigan. It is at its heart a residential research and study center, a community of fellow travelers that lives together in the Center’s six cottages, and gathers in the Kirk Library of some 15,000 books and in the family house, where ideas and community join in what Dr. Kirk used to describe, borrowing from Tolkien, as the Last Homely House. Like his hero Edmund Burke, Kirk is a perennial thinker, anti-materialist and a Christian humanist. At the Kirk Center and in the writing of Kirk, generations connect, community and tradition live, the politics of prudence and humility extolled, and imagination, religion, and key societal beliefs, practices, and institutions studied with a view toward cultural renewal. Inspired by Russell Kirk, the Kirk Center cherishes the Permanent Things as the best way to enliven the conservative mind and to re-enchant our world. And so I hope listeners of this podcast will visit the Kirk Center website, . Sign up for the Center’s newsletter, Permanent Things, and find great classic Kirk content regularly curated by Cecilia Kirk Nelson. Finally, one of the premier conservative book review publications, The University Bookman, posts new book reviews each weekend and has its own weekly e-newsletter that features reviews and interesting content from other groups and podcasts, including the occasional Saving Elephants episode. Book Recommendations Here are four of Jeff Nelson’s book recommendations on Russell Kirk: First, James Person’s is a wonderful introduction to Kirk and the key areas of his thought. Second, as mentioned, Bradley Birzer’s is a thoroughly researched standard biographical treatment that is both insightful and lively. Third, Gerald Russello’s is one of the best analyses of Kirk’s thought and the role that both ideas and imagination play in it. Finally, for a discussion and application of Kirk’s understanding of the Moral Imagination, especially as a kind of process or mode of knowledge, through the prism of great children’s literature, Vigen Guroian’s is especially good. /episode/index/show/savingelephants/id/26699340

129 – Epistemological Musings with Bonnie Kristian 04/18/2023

128 – Reconciling Kirk and King with John Wood Jr 04/04/2023

127 – 40 Must-Read Conservative Books – Part 2 03/21/2023

127 – 40 Must-Read Conservative Books – Part 2 The conservative tradition embodies centuries of accumulated wisdom from some of the brightest and most inspiring thinkers you’ll find. Yet for the young conservative eager to learn more about this tradition, choosing which books to read can be a daunting task. Most online lists of top conservative books contain familiar titles of classic tomes that inspire and challenge readers to this day. Yet far too often such lists also include authors such as Charlie Kirk, Ann Coulter, Sebastian Gorka, Dinesh D’Souza, Dan Bongino, and Mike Lindell who, while they may be gifted at inflicting liberal tears, have nothing of value to say on behalf of their supposed conservative convictions. There is so much more to conservatism than owning the libs and brandishing firearms in your social media profile picture. What’s more, many lists are inflated with works on libertarian, patriotic, religious, or cultural topics that, important though they may be, are only tangential to conservatism. It is particularly challenging for us younger conservatives to cut through the noise on the Right today to explore the deeper, auspicious truths of our rich heritage. As such, I’ve compiled a list of 40 must-read conservative books worth your time and attention for this episode. Whether you read all, some, or only one below, you will be getting a healthy dose of conservative thought that cuts through the banality of most political discourse and gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a conservative. It would be an impossibility to rank these books in order of importance, relevance, insightfulness, readability, etc. As such, I have opted to list the titles alphabetically. There is no perfect place to start; just find a book that strikes your interest and dive in! In this episode I cover the second twenty books in the list. If you want to hear the first twenty check out . Here are the books I cover in this episode: – Christopher Owen – Roger Scruton – Leonard Read – Richard Weaver – Frank Meyer – Thomas Sowell – Leo Strauss – Irving Kristol – Robert Nisbet – Michael Oakeshott – Leo Strauss – Edmund Burke – Matthew Continetti – F. A. Hayek – Jonah Goldberg – Thomas Sowell – Joseph Sternberg – Ben Sasse – Frank Meyer – Whittaker Chambers /episode/index/show/savingelephants/id/26290128

126 – 40 Must-Read Conservative Books – Part 1 03/07/2023

126 – 40 Must-Read Conservative Books – Part 1 The conservative tradition embodies centuries of accumulated wisdom from some of the brightest and most inspiring thinkers you’ll find. Yet for the young conservative eager to learn more about this tradition, choosing which books to read can be a daunting task. Most online lists of top conservative books contain familiar titles of classic tomes that inspire and challenge readers to this day. Yet far too often such lists also include authors such as Charlie Kirk, Ann Coulter, Sebastian Gorka, Dinesh D’Souza, Dan Bongino, and Mike Lindell who, while they may be gifted at inflicting liberal tears, have nothing of value to say on behalf of their supposed conservative convictions. There is so much more to conservatism than owning the libs and brandishing firearms in your social media profile picture. What’s more, many lists are inflated with works on libertarian, patriotic, religious, or cultural topics that, important though they may be, are only tangential to conservatism. It is particularly challenging for us younger conservatives to cut through the noise on the Right today to explore the deeper, auspicious truths of our rich heritage. As such, I’ve compiled a list of 40 must-read conservative books worth your time and attention for this episode. Whether you read all, some, or only one below, you will be getting a healthy dose of conservative thought that cuts through the banality of most political discourse and gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a conservative. It would be an impossibility to rank these books in order of importance, relevance, insightfulness, readability, etc. As such, I have opted to list the titles alphabetically. There is no perfect place to start; just find a book that strikes your interest and dive in! In this episode I cover the first twenty books in the list: – Thomas Sowell – Yuval Levin – C. S Lewis – Thomas Sowell – Thomas Sowell – Charles Murray – Barry Goldwater – Willmoore Kendall – George H. Nash – Russell Kirk – F. A. Hayek – Alexis de Tocqueville – Russell Kirk – F.A. Hayek – Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay – Roger Scruton – Milton Friedman and Rose Friedman – William F. Buckley Jr. – Yuval Levin – Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn /episode/index/show/savingelephants/id/26149023

125 – Braver Angels with Elizabeth Doll 02/21/2023

124 – The Unpopulists and the New Right with Shikha Dalmia 02/07/2023

124 – The Unpopulists and the New Right with Shikha Dalmia Populism is on the rise today—or so we’re told. But what is populism? Is it something to be feared or should it only be concerning to those dastardly elites? Is populism a political movement of the Left or the Right? Is it only a phenomenon of the politics of today, or has populism existed in some form throughout our nation’s history? Does populism protect the individual from powerful interests or endanger our liberties? How does populism fit into the conservative tradition? Josh is joined by Shikha Dalmia of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University to delve into these very questions. While the first half of this atypically long episode explores populism, the latter end of the conversation covers the various factions of the New Right. Factions Shikha has dubbed the Flight 93ers, the Integralists, the National Conservatives, and the Red-Pilled Anarcho Bros. While traditional conservatives can find some value in all four groups, ultimately they represent a departure from the conservative view. About Shikha Dalmia From Shikha’s bio at the : Shikha Dalmia is a visiting fellow with the Mercatus Center’s Program on Pluralism and Civil Exchange whose work focuses on populist authoritarianism. Previously, Dalmia was a writer at Reason Magazine and a senior analyst at Reason Foundation, a nonprofit think tank. She is a columnist at The Week, and writes regularly for Bloomberg View, The New York Times, USA Today, and numerous other publications. From 1996-2004, Dalmia was an editorial writer at Detroit News. Dalmia has an M.A. in Mass Communication from Louisiana State University and a B.S. in Chemistry and Biology from the University of Delhi. You can subscribe to Dalmia’s substack, , dedicated to defending open liberal societies from populist authoritarian attacks. And can follow Shikha on Twitter @shikhadalmia /episode/index/show/savingelephants/id/25852860

123 – Judging Lord Acton with Dan Hugger 01/17/2023

123 – Judging Lord Acton with Dan Hugger 1st Baron Acton, 13th Marquess of Groppoli, John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton who, for obvious reasons, is more commonly referred to as simply Lord Acton, was a 19th century writer, historian, and member of the British parliament whose contributions to history, faith, and politics are largely forgotten beyond his most famous quote: “Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely”. Joining Josh to explore just why Acton was important and why he’s worth studying today is Dan Hugger from the apply named . About Dan Hugger From Dan’s : Dan Hugger is librarian and research associate at the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion & Liberty. He writes and speaks on questions of education, history, political economy, and religion, and is the editor of two books: and . About the Acton Institute From Acton’s : The Acton Institute was founded in 1990 in Grand Rapids, Michigan as a think-tank whose mission is to promote a free and virtuous society characterized by individual liberty and sustained by religious principles. This direction recognizes the benefits of a limited government, but also the beneficent consequences of a free market. It embraces an objective framework of moral values, but also recognizes and appreciates the subjective nature of economic value. It views justice as a duty of all to give the one his due but, more importantly, as an individual obligation to serve the common good and not just his own needs and wants. In order to promote a more profound understanding of the coming together of faith and liberty, Acton involves members of religious, business, and academic spheres in its various seminars, publications, and academic activities. Links to resources mentioned in the conversation: Russell Kirk’s last public address—at the Acton Institute—offering his critiques of Lord Acton Lord Acton: A Study in Conscience and Politics Lord Acton: Historical and Moral Essays Selected Writings of Lord Acton Lord Acton: Historian and Moralist Lord Acton Bradley Birzer’s piece on Seven Conservative Minds /episode/index/show/savingelephants/id/25629678

122 – The Political Animals with Jonathan Cole 01/03/2023

122 – The Political Animals with Jonathan Cole Late last year Jonathan Cole had Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis on his podcast, , to talk about the quirkiness of American conservatism, the rise of the NatCons, and whether there’s any hope for Josh’s brand of fusionist conservatism in the future. The conversation was simply too good not to share, so here is a re-podcast of Jonathan’s original episode. About Jonathan Cole From : Dr Jonathan Cole is a scholar, writer, translator and lecturer specializing in political theology—the intersection between religion and politics. He is currently Assistant Director of Research at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture at Charles Sturt University, Canberra, Australia, and host of : "Honest conversations about the political, theological and cultural ideas that shape who we are in the 21st century." He has a PhD in political theology from CSU, an MA in Islamic theology and Middle Eastern politics from the Australian National University and a BA Hons in Modern Greek language and history from La Trobe University. He speaks Greek. He spent 13 years working in a number of Australian federal government departments and agencies in Canberra, including seven years in intelligence, most recently as a Senior Terrorism Analyst at the Office of National Assessments (2010–2014). Follow Jonathan on , , or for his latest content. CenterClip Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis is honored to share he’s joined the small but growing team of contributors at , an exciting, new audio content platform featuring elevated political discourse. CenterClip is a free app with short audio clips from established political pundits, journalists, commentators, and politicians from across the political spectrum. All content is created and heard within the CenterClip app, including contributors interacting with each other’s posts covering political commentary in real time. Download the app today and enjoy its elevated discourse. /episode/index/show/savingelephants/id/25489326

121 – Kids These Days with Scott Howard 12/20/2022

120 – Why Associations Matter with Luke Sheahan 12/06/2022

120 – Why Associations Matter with Luke Sheahan In 1953 sociologist Robert Nisbet published his most famous work , arguing for the necessity of association to the human experience and the harm inflicted upon communities when they are deprived of their function. Traditional conservatism has long upheld Nisbet’s teachings as a reminder that we are not purely material beings with strictly economic interests. Josh welcomes Luke Sheahan to this episode to discuss his efforts to pick up where Nisbet left off in fighting for the viability and flourishing of human associations, how the courts have gotten off-kilter in rulings regarding our freedom to associate, and why associations matter to each and every one of us. About Luke Sheahan : Luke Sheahan is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Duquesne University and a Non-Resident Scholar at the Program for Research on Religion and Urban Civil Society (PRRUCS) at the University of Pennsylvania. He researches the intersection of First Amendment rights and political theory. Sheahan’s scholarly articles and reviews have appeared in The Political Science Reviewer, Humanitas, Anamnesis, and The Journal of Value Inquiry and he has lectured widely on religious liberty, freedom of speech, and freedom of association. He is author of . He is writing a second book tentatively titled “Pluralism and Toleration: Difference, Justice, and the Social Group.” From 2018-2019, Sheahan was Associate Director and Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Freedom Project at Wellesley College and from 2016-2018, Sheahan was a Postdoctoral Associate and Research Fellow in the Department of Political Science at Duke University. He received a PhD and MA in political theory from the Catholic University of America and a B.S. in political science from the Honors College at Oregon State University. He is a five-time recipient of the Humane Studies Fellowship from the Institute for Humane Studies, a 2014 recipient of the Richard M. Weaver Fellowship from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI), and a 2018 recipient of the Leonard P. Liggio Memorial Fellowship. In July of this year the the appointment of Dr. Luke C. Sheahan as the fifth editor in the history of , originally established by none other than Russell Kirk, seeking to redeem the time by identifying and discussing those books that diagnose the modern age and support the renewal of culture and the common good. You can follow Luke on Twitter @lsheahan /episode/index/show/savingelephants/id/25234587

119 – Inflating the Apocalypse with David Bahnsen 11/15/2022

119 – Inflating the Apocalypse with David Bahnsen What is the great economic challenge of our times? Is it inflation? Rising inequality? Artificially low interest rates? Economist David Bahnsen joins Josh to discuss why excessive government debt and our slow-growth or no-growth economy risks the Japanification of the United States. While some warn of a financial apocalypse, David argues that a more realistic threat is continued lack of productive output and increasing discontents if we don’t reverse course. Also discussed are how supply side economists can respond to the Left’s critiques of the free market in the wake of the Great Recession and how Edmund Burke best represents American conservatism. About David Bahnsen From : David L. Bahnsen is the founder, Managing Partner, and Chief Investment Officer of , a bi-coastal private wealth management firm with offices in Newport Beach, CA, New York City, Minneapolis, and Nashville managing over $3.5 billion in client assets. David is consistently named as one of the top financial advisors in America by Barron’s, Forbes, and the Financial Times. He is a frequent guest on CNBC, Bloomberg, and Fox Business and is a regular contributor to National Review and Forbes. He has written his own for over a decade. David serves on the Board of Directors for the National Review Institute and was the Vice-President of the Lincoln Club of Orange County for eight years. He is a committed donor and activist across all spectrums of national, state, and local politics, and views the cause of Buckley and Reagan as the need of the hour. David is passionate about opposition to crony capitalism, and has lectured and written for years about the need for pro-growth economic policy. Every part of his political worldview stems from a desire to see greater freedom as a catalyst to greater human flourishing. He is the author of the book, and his most recent book, . His ultimate passions are his lovely wife of 18+ years, Joleen, their gorgeous and brilliant children, sons Mitchell and Graham, and daughter Sadie, and the life they’ve created together in Newport Beach, California. Listener Mail At the end of the episode, Josh responds to a listener’s question about book recommendations for those interested in conservatism. Below are the books included in his response: by Russell Kirk by Roger Scruton by Frank Meyer by Irving Kristol by George Nash by Matthew Continetti by Edmund Burke by Yuval Levin by Russell Kirk by Thomas Sowell by F.A. Hayek by Leonard Read by Jonah Goldberg by Thomas Sowell by Thomas Sowell by Roger Scruton by Ben Sasse by Yuval Levin /episode/index/show/savingelephants/id/25013721

118 – Fearlessly Curious with Mónica Guzmán 11/01/2022

117 – Conservatism Down Under with Jonathan Cole 10/18/2022

117 – Conservatism Down Under with Jonathan Cole American conservatism has long struggled to reconcile the American Revolution with a worldview that defers to the slow accretion of cultural and historical development over generations. Yet some nations followed this more “conservative” path. How might American conservatism appear to them? Joining Josh in this episode is bona fide conservative and Australian Jonathan Cole to discuss how Australian conservatism differs from both the American and British models and what each of us might learn from the other. Also discussed are how Jonathan defines conservatism, whether it’s an ideology or the negation of ideology, why conservatives are over-focused on power dynamics and have lost sight of the whole-life perspective of conservatism, how Australians view the politics of America, how American political culture impacts Australia, and the implications of the rise of China. About Jonathan Cole From : Dr Jonathan Cole is a scholar, writer, translator and lecturer specializing in political theology—the intersection between religion and politics. He is currently Assistant Director of Research at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture at Charles Sturt University, Canberra, Australia, and host of : "Honest conversations about the political, theological and cultural ideas that shape who we are in the 21st century." He has a PhD in political theology from CSU, an MA in Islamic theology and Middle Eastern politics from the Australian National University and a BA Hons in Modern Greek language and history from La Trobe University. He speaks Greek. He spent 13 years working in a number of Australian federal government departments and agencies in Canberra, including seven years in intelligence, most recently as a Senior Terrorism Analyst at the Office of National Assessments (2010–2014). Follow Jonathan on , , or for his latest content. /episode/index/show/savingelephants/id/24720705

116 – Fifty Conservative Thinkers 10/04/2022

116 – Fifty Conservative Thinkers In an age where what passes for the archetype conservative are the likes of , , , , , and Donald Trump, it can be discouraging for those of us who take pride in the rich legacy and colorful history of thinkers on the Right to be associated with such grifters, demagogues, and charlatans. Trying to define conservatism is challenging and trying to compile a list of individuals who best exemplify conservatism is problematic. Yet this is becoming increasingly important in a world where “conservatism” is quickly being coopted by reactionary nationalist populists who have little to nothing in common with the namesake. In this episode Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis offers his list of conservative thinkers well worthy of your time and attention. Disclaimer This list is imperfect and incomplete. If I were to revisit the list next year or possibly even next week, I’m sure there are plenty of names I’d believe should supplant the names here. Some of these individuals may even be uncomfortable with the label “conservative”, though they all share aspects of the broader conservative worldview. The names below are not listed in order of preference or importance, but they are all insightful and noteworthy. The fifty individuals discussed in this episode are noted below. If you’d like to learn more about each one you can check out the original blog post of for a brief bio and links. Josh’s (Incomplete) List of Fifty Conservative Thinkers Worth Your Time Edmund Burke Milton Friedman Wilhelm Röpke David Bahnsen F.A. Hayek John Adams Frederick Douglass Thomas Sowell James Madison Barry Goldwater Ronald Reagan Bradley J. Birzer Russell Kirk Matthew Continetti David French Gertrude Himmelfarb George Nash Stephen J. Tonsor Roger Scruton Jacques Ellul Whittaker Chambers Michael Oakeshott Eric Voegelin Timothy Carney C.S. Lewis G.K. Chesterton Jonah Goldberg Wendell Berry T.S. Eliot Ross Douthat Mary Eberstadt Stanton Evans Irving Kristol George Will William F. Buckley Kristen Soltis Anderson Robert Nisbet Carly Fiorina Arthur Brooks Marian Tupy Charles Marohn Patrick Deneen Harry Jaffa Walter Williams Frank S. Meyer Alexis de Tocqueville Lord Acton Leo Stauss Willmoore Kendall Yuval Levin /episode/index/show/savingelephants/id/24576480

115 – A Post-Roe World with Kimberly Ross 09/20/2022

Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values

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