Our Ancient Faith

More lexicological exactitudes and spelunking.

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Jonah invites prolific historian, scholar, and author Allen C. Guelzo, to discuss his new book, Our Ancient Faith: Lincoln, Democracy, and the American Experiment, and has plenty of questions: What does Abraham Lincoln tell us about democracy? Why did Lincoln call himself a conservative? What went wrong with the revolutions of the 1840s?  What does Lincoln tell us about the rise of post-liberalism? Stay tuned for the usual highfalutin discussions on conservative intellectual history.

Show Notes:
—Our Ancient Faith: Lincoln, Democracy, and the American Experiment
—Guelzo’s website
—Christopher DeMuth: Why America Needs National Conservatism

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Comments (92)
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  1. Avatar photo
    Larry.Jones

    This was absolutely fantastic. Please have the prof. G back. Humility, resilience, “who we are is who we were” when we made it through the other crises. All those things I believe but could never have said so well. I had to hold back tears in the prof’s summation. Maybe we’ll make it after all. Thank you Jonah. Bravo.

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    Loganrjudy

    I would love love love a follow-up podcast to further expand on why Grant is underappreciated.

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  3. Todd Chambery

    Too short.

    (Seriously. I listened through twice)

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    The Bell Tower

    The idea that Democrats are going to import a bunch of Christian Hispanics from central and South America and they’re gonna embrace a movement that’s hostile to traditional values and religion and that embraces revolutionary ideology seeking to overthrow the government these people are fleeing to seeking stability is just batshit crazy. Welcome to America Mr. Devout Catholic. Your daughter is gonna get an abortion and your son can chop off his genitalia and call himself your daughter and compete in women’s lacrosse. This is a winning strategy?

    I’m struggling to discern the difference between romanticism and idealism here. But I think a lot of these “economic” schools and philosophies are far more religious than scientific.

    What’s more faith based than Marxism, where these people actively supported revolutions they hated (bourgeoise) just because their patron saint said that had to come first? Meanwhile, communists claim to hate imperialism while embracing that silly French notion of exporting the revolution. Why isn’t that imperialism? Because it’s organic - with a little help from my friends? Sure.

    And that philosophy is in part what laid the ground work for the Nazi backlash. Hitler was embraced partly because he was fighting against the right enemy to the mind of many patriotic Germans. They couldn’t have forgotten Rosa Luxembourg. This should sound unsettling familiar to Americans living in 2024.

    Anyway, I love this podcast. So much food for though, as always. Happy Birthday, Jonah (it’s my birthday too, yeah)!

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  5. Mary Stine

    I LOVED this episode! I could listen to Prof. Guelzo forever, but I have the strong feeling that my Grandfather Morgan and William F. Buckley were listening in from another dimension with deep approval to this paean to the Grand Old Party of Lincoln. Please have Mr. Guelzo on again!

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    Jack

    This was a great episode. You should definitely have him back on at some point.

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    Michelle O

    Very good interview. I like it when you get reasonable pushback on some of the ideas you regularly espouse (the Locke question, the English common law question, for example) because I think it helps you develop stronger arguments. Looking forward to listening to the Ruminant now and hearing what you took from that discussion after a few days' thought.

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    1. Photo of Jonah Goldbergcircle-angle-nib
      Jonah Goldberg vertical-nib Author

      Thanks. I will say that I don't agree with Professor Guelzo on everything, but I could listen to him on anything. I may have flubbed my point on Locke, but he didn't really move me very far off of my position. I do think he misunderstood my point on the common law stuff, but I take blame for that as well. This may be only the second episode of the Remnant that (that I hosted) I feel compelled to listen to.

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    Kurt S

    Though I'm just getting around to leaving this comment, I felt that I must chime in to say how fantastic this interview was and that I can't wait to learn more from future conversations with Dr. Guelzo.

    It also seems to me that Jonah should *definitely* write that next book on the revolutions of the 1840s -- who's with me?

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      Larry.Jones

      Agree

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    Theirnscott

    Yes, this was the best Remnant I've ever listened to. I expect to listen to it again.

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    Steven Potter

    Loved the episode. I bought the Audible for his book, Our Ancient Faith, as soon as I finished the episode. This episode will be one that I know I will re-listen to in the future. There was a lot of depth to the conversation.

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