The Political Animals
By Jonathan Cole
Political Lesbianism
In this, their final episode, Holly and Jonathan discuss political lesbianism. Is lesbianism innate or a political choice? Are political lesbians superior to heterosexual feminists? What is the intersection of lesbianism and feminism? Has the LGBTQ movement domesticated and defanged radical lesbianism?
The Political Animals is co-hosted by:
Jonathan Cole, an academic interested in conservatism, libertarianism, political ideology and political theology; and
Holly Lawford-Smith, an academic working in moral and political philosophy, with a particular interest in feminist theory and movement. You can find Holly on Twitter and YouTube.
Want to see our faces? Check out our YouTube channel.
Want to suggest a topic for a show, provide feedback or say hello? Email us at polanimalspod@gmail.com.
Immigration and Intelligence
Holly and Jonathan discuss a controversial article published in the Journal of Controversial ideas that claims to have found that recent immigrants and refugees in Germany have lower average IQs than the German population, with implications for their participation in the labour market. The journal also published three critical responses that Holly and Jonathan discuss.
The articles can be found here.
The Political Animals is co-hosted by:
Jonathan Cole, an academic interested in conservatism, libertarianism, political ideology and political theology; and
Holly Lawford-Smith, an academic working in moral and political philosophy, with a particular interest in feminist theory and movement. You can find Holly on Twitter and YouTube.
Want to see our faces? Check out our YouTube channel.
Want to suggest a topic for a show, provide feedback or say hello? Email us at polanimalspod@gmail.com.
Far-Right Anarchism
Holly and Jonathan discuss an essay by right-wing libertarian Hans-Hermann Hoppe arguing for a stateless society based on comprehensive private property, along with his view of the different anthropologies that shape the left and the right (and his view that white, heterosexual males are responsible for progress and prosperity).
The Political Animals is co-hosted by:
Jonathan Cole, an academic interested in conservatism, libertarianism, political ideology and political theology; and
Holly Lawford-Smith, an academic working in moral and political philosophy, with a particular interest in feminist theory and movement. You can find Holly on Twitter and YouTube.
Want to see our faces? Check out our YouTube channel.
Want to suggest a topic for a show, provide feedback or say hello? Email us at polanimalspod@gmail.com.
Aleksandr Dugin: The Fourth Political Theory
Is there an alternative to the hegemony of liberalism? Controversial Russian philosophy Aleksandr Dugin proposes a Fourth Political Theory (beyond liberalism, communism and fascism) to address the empty degeneration of postliberalism, construed as the post-ideological form of liberalism that has triumphed and reigns globally today.
Dugin proposes a multipolar civilisational new world order in which various antilibearl traditionalisms can thrive in communities connected by language, religion and culture.
Is his critique of liberalism cogent? Does the Fourth Political Theory only make sense in the Russian context? Is Dugin even able to articular its content as a theory and practice?
The Political Animals is co-hosted by:
Jonathan Cole, an academic interested in conservatism, libertarianism, political ideology and political theology. Jonathan writes for Liberty Itch on Substack; and
Holly Lawford-Smith, an academic working in moral and political philosophy, with a particular interest in feminist theory and movement. You can find Holly on Twitter and YouTube.
Want to see our faces? Check out our YouTube channel.
Want to suggest a topic for a show, provide feedback or say hello? Email us at polanimalspod@gmail.com.
Far-Right Utopias
Jonathan and Holly discuss far-right intentional communities and utopias, using two case-studies that appeared in a recent special issue of the Journal of Political Ideologies focusing on far-right utopias in practice.
One case-study focuses on a Traditionalist community in Indiana in the US and the other looks at the Heralds of the Gospel in Brazil.
The Political Animals is co-hosted by:
Jonathan Cole, an academic interested in conservatism, libertarianism, political ideology and political theology; and
Holly Lawford-Smith, an academic working in moral and political philosophy, with a particular interest in feminist theory and movement. You can find Holly on Twitter and YouTube.
Want to see our faces? Check out our YouTube channel.
Want to suggest a topic for a show, provide feedback or say hello? Email us at polanimalspod@gmail.com.
Abortion
Jonathan and Holly ask whether abortion is more a question of values or science? Whether the ethical or the legal is the most difficult aspect of the issue? Whether men should have any say on abortion? Whether abortion is a question of individual choice or majority opinion? And the role of symbolism in the way people understand the foetus.
The Political Animals is co-hosted by:
Jonathan Cole, an academic interested in conservatism, libertarianism, political ideology and political theology; and
Holly Lawford-Smith, an academic working in moral and political philosophy, with a particular interest in feminist theory and movement. You can find Holly on Twitter and YouTube.
Want to see our faces? Check out our YouTube channel.
Want to suggest a topic for a show, provide feedback or say hello? Email us at polanimalspod@gmail.com.
White Fragility
Do white people need to become race conscious? Is America a white supremacist culture? Is racisim a structure rather than an event? Should white women cry in the presence of women of colour?
Jonathan and Holly discuss the notion of white fragility popularised by Robin Diangelo in her controversial book White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism.
The Political Animals is co-hosted by:
Jonathan Cole, an academic interested in conservatism, libertarianism, political ideology and political theology; and
Holly Lawford-Smith, an academic working in moral and political philosophy, with a particular interest in feminist theory and movement. You can find Holly on Twitter and YouTube.
Want to see our faces? Check out our YouTube channel.
Want to suggest a topic for a show, provide feedback or say hello? Email us at polanimalspod@gmail.com.
Decolonisation
Jonathan and Holly explore decolonisation. What does it mean? What are its goals? Has it overreached and can it succeed?
The article discussed in this episode is “On Decolonisation and the University."
The Political Animals is co-hosted by:
Jonathan Cole, an academic interested in conservatism, libertarianism, political ideology and political theology; and
Holly Lawford-Smith, an academic working in moral and political philosophy, with a particular interest in feminist theory and movement. You can find Holly on Twitter and YouTube.
Want to see our faces? Check out our YouTube channel.
Want to suggest a topic for a show, provide feedback or say hello? Email us at polanimalspod@gmail.com.
Censorship and Counterspeech
This week Jonathan and Holly discuss (debate) the issue of hate speech and in particular whether it should be banned or addressed by counterspeech, especially state-based counterspeech.
The Political Animals is co-hosted by:
Jonathan Cole, an academic interested in conservatism, libertarianism, political ideology and political theology; and
Holly Lawford-Smith, an academic working in moral and political philosophy, with a particular interest in feminist theory and movement. You can find Holly on Twitter and YouTube.
Want to see our faces? Check out our YouTube channel.
Want to suggest a topic for a show, provide feedback or say hello? Email us at polanimalspod@gmail.com.
When Is Political Association a Sin?
Where is the boundary between legitimate and illegitimate political association?
Jonathan and Holly examine the case of the “Let Women Speak” rally held on the steps of the Victorian Parliament in March 2023, which was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis and led to the expulsion of Moira Deeming from the Liberal Party for the alleged sin of political association.
The Political Animals is co-hosted by:
Jonathan Cole, an academic interested in conservatism, libertarianism, political ideology and political theology; and
Holly Lawford-Smith, an academic working in moral and political philosophy, with a particular interest in feminist theory and movement. You can find Holly on Twitter and YouTube.
Want to see our faces? Check out our YouTube channel.
Want to suggest a topic for a show, provide feedback or say hello? Email us at polanimalspod@gmail.com.
Is LGBTIQ a Political Ideology?
Jonathan and Holly pose the question: is LGBTIQ a political ideology? They discuss the concept and meaning of the acronym LGBTIQ, its internal dynamics and conflicts, its incorporation into the state ideology, as well as its broader political connotations, dimensions and ramifications for policy and society.
The Political Animals is co-hosted by:
Jonathan Cole, an academic interested in conservatism, libertarianism, political ideology and political theology; and
Holly Lawford-Smith, an academic working in moral and political philosophy, with a particular interest in feminist theory and movement. You can find Holly on Twitter and YouTube.
Want to see our faces? Check out our YouTube channel.
Want to suggest a topic for a show, provide feedback or say hello? Email us at polanimalspod@gmail.com.
Right-wing Radical, Left-wing Heretic
Welcome to the relaunch of The Political Animals Podcast!
A show where two political philosophers, one a right-wing radical, the other a left-wing heretic, come together to discuss the social, political and cultural issues of our day.
The Political Animals is co-hosted by:
Jonathan Cole, an academic interested in conservatism, libertarianism, political ideology and political theology; and
Holly Lawford-Smith, an academic working in moral and political philosophy, with a particular interest in feminist theory and movement. You can find Holly on Twitter and YouTube.
Want to see our faces? Check out our YouTube channel.
Want to suggest a topic for a show, provide feedback or say hello? Email us at polanimalspod@gmail.com.
Mark Hornshaw: Socially Conservative, Christian Libertarian
Jack Jacobs: An Old Whig Burkean Reformer
Jonathan talks to Jack Jacobs about the influence of Burke on his political thought and why he describes himself as an old whig in the mould of Burke.
Dr Luke Torrisi: TradCon Dissident from Machine Politics
Jonathan talks to Dr Luke Torrisi about living through the demographic and cultural transformation of southwestern Sydney in the 1980s, his involvement on the right of the NSW Liberal Party in the 1990s and 2000s, and finding his spiritual home in traditionalist conservatism.
Alex McEncroe: From Anarcho-Capitalist to Conservative Liberal (via Traditionalist Conservatism)
The second in a series exploring the political ideas of the Right through intellectual biography.
Terrain covered in this episode:
Libertarianism
Anarcho-capitalism
Traditionalist Conservatism
Conservative Liberalism
Ordoliberalism
Jordan Dittloff: How I Became a Rothbardian in Prison
A new series profiling interesting personalities and thinkers on the Aussie Right (conservatives, libertarians, liberals and populists).
Jordan Dittloff is the lead Senate candidate for the Libertarian Party in Victoria.
Australian Political Thought, with Prof Wayne Hudson
Intellectual historian Prof Wayne Hudson returns to the show for a discussion about his latest research project: Australian political thought.
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, an academic, writer, speaker and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authority and Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
Peter Viereck and New Conservatism, with Dr Simon Kennedy
Simon Kennedy joins Jonathan for a conversation about twentieth century American conservative intellectual Peter Viereck and his critique of so-called new conservatism in America.
Simon Kennedy has a PhD in history from the University of Queensland (UQ). He is currently Associate Editor of Quadrant Magazine and a Research Fellow in the Law School at UQ. His academic research is in the area of law and politics and their interaction with Christianity.
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, a scholar, writer and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement.
You can contact Jonathan at polanimalspod@gmail.com.
Eric Voegelin’s Concept of Political Gnosticism: A Conversation with Dr Simon Kennedy
Simon Kennedy joins Jonathan for a conversation about conservative philosophy Eric Voegelin’s essay Politics, Science, and Gnosticism, and in particular his thesis that major 20th century political and intellectual movements are modern manifestations of gnosticism.
Simon Kennedy has a PhD in history from the University of Queensland (UQ). He is currently Associate Editor of Quadrant Magazine and a Research Fellow in the Law School at UQ. His academic research is in the area of law and politics and their interaction with Christianity.
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, a scholar, writer and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement.
You can contact Jonathan at polanimalspod@gmail.com.
Quadrant Magazine and Conservatism in Australia, with Dr Ian Tregenza
Ian Tregenza joins Jonathan for a conversation about the history of Quadrant Magazine and its cultural impact in Australia, and particularly on the nature of conservatism in Australia.
Ian is an Associate Professor at the School of Social Sciences at Macquarie University. He works in the areas of political theory, the history of political thought and religion and politics.
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, a scholar, writer and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement.
You can contact Jonathan at polanimalspod@gmail.com.
Anarcho-Capitalism, with Pietro Angeli
Jonathan talks to Libertarian Party member Pietro Angeli about the anarcho-capitalist alternative to the state.
Pietro Angeli is a member of the Libertarian Party State Executive in Victoria.
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, a scholar, writer and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authorityand Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
You can contact Jonathan at polanimalspod@gmail.com.
Faith and Politics in New Zealand for Australian (and other) Dummies, with Tim Wilson
Jonathan is joined by Tim Wilson, Executive Director of NZ think tank Maxim Institute, for a conversation about faith and politics across the ditch (detch).
Tim Wilson is currently Executive Director of Maxim Institute. Prior to this role, Tim was an award-winning journalist working in print, radio and television. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian and Newsweek.com. He was TVNZ’s first US Correspondent and has been a business development manager and an English teacher. Tim has written three novels, one of which—Their Faces Were Shining—was a finalist in the New Zealand Post Book Awards.
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, a scholar, writer and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authorityand Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
You can follow Jonathan and the show on Facebook and Twitter, and you can email Jonathan at polanimalspod@gmail.com.
Political Theology Part 2
This is part 2 of Jonathan's conversation with Josh Lewis of the Saving Elephants podcast on the topic of political theology.
Check out the Saving Elephants podcast here: "Millennials defending and expressing conservative values."
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, a scholar, writer and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authorityand Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
You can follow Jonathan and the show on Facebook and Twitter, and you can email Jonathan at polanimalspod@gmail.com.
Political Theology Part 1
This is the first of Jonathan's two-part conversation with Josh Lewis of the Saving Elephants podcast on the topic of political theology.
Check out the Saving Elephants podcast here: "Millennials defending and expressing conservative values."
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, a scholar, writer and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authorityand Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
You can follow Jonathan and the show on Facebook and Twitter, and you can email Jonathan at polanimalspod@gmail.com.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, with Prof Nicholas Aroney
Constitutional scholar Nicholas Aroney joins Jonathan for an examination of the legal meaning and implications of the proposed new s129 in the Australia Constitution that establishes the Voice, and which is the subject of a referendum on 14 October.
Nicholas Aroney is Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Queensland. He has published over 100 journal articles, book chapters and books in the fields of constitutional law, comparative constitutional law and legal theory. He has held visiting positions at Oxford, Cambridge, Paris II, Edinburgh, Durham, Sydney, Emory and Tilburg universities.
You can read Nick's co-authored submission to the Senate Inquiry into the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice here and something he has written on First Peoples and the People of Australia here.
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, a scholar, writer and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authorityand Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
You can follow Jonathan and the show on Facebook and Twitter, and you can email Jonathan at polanimalspod@gmail.com.
The Triumph of Technique over Purpose and the Problem with the Moral Language of "Values", with Prof Iain Benson
Jonathan is joined by Iain Benson for a conversation about values and virtues. They discuss the triumph of technique over purpose in our contemporary culture, the problems with adopting "values" as our primary moral language and the need to recover the ancient moral language of virtue.
Iain Benson is Professor of Law at Notre Dame University, Sydney, Australia. He is an academic, lecturer and practicing lawyer in constitutional law and human rights, with a particular focus on freedoms of association and religion, the nature of pluralism, multiculturalism and the relationships between laws, religion and human rigths.
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, a scholar, writer and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authorityand Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
You can follow Jonathan and the show on Facebook and Twitter, and you can email Jonathan at polanimalspod@gmail.com.
Wake Up, Lefties, and Reject Wokeness: A Conversation with Prof Clive Hamilton
Clive Hamilton joins the show to discuss his left-wing critique of wokeness published in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Clive Hamilton is Professor of Public Ethics at Charles Sturt University. He is the found of The Australia Institute and the author of many books, including Defiant Earth: The Fate of Humans in the Anthropocene, Silent Invasion: China's Influence in Australia and Provocateur: A Life of Ideas in Action.
The article discussed in the show is "Wake up, lefties, and reject wokeness."
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, a scholar, writer and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authorityand Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
You can follow Jonathan and the show on Facebook and Twitter.
Reading Edmund Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France with Dr Holly Lawford-Smith
In this episode, Jonathan engages in a conversation about conservatism with political philosopher and radical feminist Holly Lawford-Smith. They do so by discussing Burke's classic text, Reflections on The Revolution in France, which they both read (Holly for the first time) in preparation for the podcast.
The conversation ranges across reform versus revolution, the strengths and weaknesses of liberalism, the role and function of religion in society, social hierarchy and more.
Dr Holly Lawford-Smith is an Associate Professor in political philosophy in the school of historical and philosophical studies at the University of Melbourne. Her latest book is (with Angie Pepper): Is it Wrong to Buy Sex? A Debate (Routledge, 2023). She is also the author of Gender-Critical Feminism (OUP, 2022).
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, a scholar, writer and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authorityand Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
You can follow Jonathan and the show on Facebook and Twitter.
Linguistic tyranny: the fight for free speech, with Brendan O'Neill
Free speech warrior Brendan O'Neill joins Jonathan for a discussion about free speech, cancel culture, linguistic tyranny and the Orwellian assault on reality afflicting contemporary Western societies.
Brendan is a journalist who has written columns for the Australian, the Spectator and the Big Issue. He is best know for his work at Spiked, where he is Chief Political Writer and formerly Editor. He has published several collections of essays, including Anti-Woke, Duty to Offend and most recently A Heretic’s Manifesto: Essays on the Unsayable.
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, a scholar, writer and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authority and Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
You can follow Jonathan and the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Russia: A Guide for the Perplexed, with Dr Andreas Berg
Jonathan is joined by Russian-Australian scholar Andreas Berg for a deep dive on contemporary Russia. They cover the anarchic chaos of the 1990s transition from communism, the rise of Vladimir Putin, the nature and operation of Putin's regime, the complex and fraught relationship between Russia and Ukraine, the current war in Ukraine, the would-be rebellion of Evgeny Prigozhin's Wagner PMC and the fate of Russia post-Putin.
Dr Andreas Berg is an intellectual historian with a PhD from Griffith University on the interplay between the Enlightenment and mystical discourses in eighteen century Russia. For over a decade, he taught the humanities at Griffith and Bond Universities and he is currently pursuing post-graduate study in international relations at the Australian National University.
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, a scholar, writer and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authority and Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
You can follow Jonathan and the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
A Compassionate, Yet Orthodox, Approach to Homosexuality and Gender Incongruence in the Church, with Pieter Valk
Jonathan is joined by Pieter Valk for a conversation about how churches that adhere to traditional Christian teaching on sexuality and sexual ethics can care for and support gay and trans Christians.
Pieter Valk is the founder and director of Equip, a consulting ministry aimed at helping churches to be places where gay and LGBT Christians can thrive in line with the church's traditional and historic sexual ethic. Valk is also the founder of the Family of Brothers, an organisation aimed at fostering family and community among men called to vocational singleness.
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, a scholar, writer and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authority and Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
You can follow Jonathan and the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The Myth of the Sovereign Self (and Other Libertarian Heresies Corrupting Conservatism), with Gray Connolly
Jonathan is joined by conservative commentator Gray Connolly for an examination of the good, the bad and the ugly of contemporary conservatism. They cover the traditional conservative understanding of government, authority, society, family, duty, inheritance and culture and the many libertarian (and populist) heresies perverting this understanding amongst so-called "conservatives."
Gray Connolly is a Barrister in Sydney, Australia. He has a broad public law and commercial law practice, including constitutional law, energy and resources law, and admiralty/shipping law. In particular, Gray has advised the Australian Government on national security law and public law matters. Gray also lectures in constitutional law and he also serves part-time as a Senior Member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal of the Commonwealth of Australia. Gray served previously as a Naval Intelligence officer in the Royal Australian Navy in the South China Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, East Timor, and the Middle East, including service in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Gray writes on what interests him at his blog “Strategy Counsel” and in various publications. Gray’s Twitter is @GrayConnolly. Please note that all of Gray’s opinions are his opinions only and not those of any Australian Government entity.
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, a scholar, writer and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authority and Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
You can follow Jonathan and the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
John Milbank on Christian Political Theology and its Secular Perversions
John Milbank joins Jonathan for wide-ranging tour of political theology, contemporary secular politics, contemporary political problems, cultural decadence and the opportunities and challenges for a Christian contribution to our contemporary political malaise.
John Milbank is an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Nottingham. He is a co-founder of the radical orthodox movement and author of the seminal book, Theology & Social Theory: Beyond Secular Reason. His work traverses systematic theology, social theory, ethics, aesthetics, philosophy, political theory and political theology.
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, a scholar, writer and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authority and Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
You can follow Jonathan and the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Dr Knox Peden on his Journey from Spinoza and Marx to Catholicism
Knox Peden returns to the show to discuss his interesting, and by today's standard unusual, journey from secular intellectual influenced by Spinoza and Marx to practicing Catholic.
Dr Knox Peden is an intellectual historian who has taught philosophy and history at the University of Melbourne, the Australian National University and the University of Queensland. He has published widely on French philosophy and on a variety of topics in intellectual history, including Spinozism and Marxism.
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, a scholar, writer and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authority and Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
You can follow the show on Twitter and Instagram.
Evangelicalism: An Insider's Critique of a Wayward Movement, with Prof Constantine Campbell
Constantine Campbell joins Jonathan for a discussion of his provocative book Jesus v. Evangelicals: A Biblical Critique of a Wayward Movement. They discuss Penal Substitutionary Atonement, the hierarchy of evangelical sins, megachurch culture, Evangelical social and political engagement and more.
Constantine Campbell is a New Testament scholar who has taught at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Chicago, and Moore Theological College, Sydney, Australia. He is currently professor and associate director at the Sydney College of Divinity. He is the author of Jesus v. Evangelicals: A Biblical Critique of a Wayward Movement.
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, a scholar, writer and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authority and Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
You can follow the show on Twitter and Instagram.
Russian Orthodoxy: From Communist Repression to State Ideology and the War in Ukraine, with Prof Kristina Stoeckl
Jonathan is joined by sociologist Kristina Stoeckl for a deep dive on the Russian Orthodox Church, tracing its complex journey from repression under Soviet communism to support for Vladimir Putin and source of an orthodox nationalist state ideology.
Kristina Stoeckl is Professor of Sociology at LUISS Guido Carli University in Rome, as well as an adjunct professor at the University of Innsbruck in Austria. Her main areas of research are sociology of religion, political sociology and social and political theory. She is a leading specialist on Russian Orthodoxy and religion-state relations in Russia. Her most recent book, co-authored with Drmitry Uzlaner, is The Moralist International: Russia in the Global Culture Wars.
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, a scholar, writer and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authority and Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
The Wreck of Western Culture: The Struggle to Find Meaning in a Post-Christian World, with Prof John Carroll
Sociologist John Carroll joins Jonathan for an examination of the decline of Western culture. They discuss the failure of humanism to find meaning on the big metaphysical questions in a post-Christian world, the importance of archetypes and their transmission through a canon of great literature, the way that popular culture has replaced high culture, and why that might be a good thing (it's more conservative than people realise), the role of universities in the decline of Western culture and what is wrong with young people today, plus more!
John Carroll is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at La Trobe University, Melbourne. He is the author of many books, including On Guilt: The Force Shaping Character, History, and Culture, The Existential Jesus and The Wreck of Western Culture: Humanism Revisited. He also writes for The Australian.
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, a scholar, writer and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authority and Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
You can follow the show on Twitter and Instagram.
Symbolism and the Sacred in Cities, Ancient and Modern, with Dr Mario Baghos
Mario Baghos joins Jonathan for a conversation about the symbolic and sacred function of ancient cities and the decline and mutation of this function in modern cities.
Dr Mario Baghos is an Academic Sessional in the Department of Philosophy and Theology at the University of Notre Dame, Sydney, as well as Adjunct Lecturer in Theology in the Faculty of Arts and Education at Charles Sturt University. From 2010 to 2022 he taught patristics and church history at St Andrew's Greek Orthodox Theological College, Sydney. He has also lectured in the discipline of Studies in Religion at the University of Sydney. His most recent book is From the Ancient Near East to Christian Byzantium: Kings, Symbols, and Cities. Use promo code PROMO25 at checkout for a 25% discount!
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, a scholar, writer and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authority and Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
Why Secularism is Good for Religion and its Perversion Bad for Everyone, with Dr Michael Bird
Michael Bird returns to the show for a discussion about secularism. Jonathan and Michael cover the Christian origins of secularism, why it is in the interests of religious people to have a secular government, the threat to the secular compact by militant secularism and the inimical impact of the contemporary perversion of genuine secularism.
Dr Michael Bird is Academic Dean and Lecturer in New Testament at Ridley College, Melbourne, Australia. He is the author and editor of more than thirty books, including Religious Freedom in a Secular Age: A Christian Case for Liberty, Equality, and Secular Government. He writes at michaelbird.substack.com.
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, a scholar, writer and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authority and Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
Sydney Anglicanism, with Rev Dr Michael Jensen
Michael Jensen joins Jonathan for an exploration of the ins and outs of Sydney's unique, and influential, brand of Anglicanism. The conversation covers the historical origins of the Sydney diocese and its distinct character, controversies surrounding the chasuble, lay presidency (administration) and women in ministry, as well as Sydney Anglican politics (ecclesial and secular), and whether Sydney Anglicans (and other Evangelical Anglicans) can, and should, remain part of the Anglican Church of Australia.
Rev Dr Michael Jensen is the Rector at St Mark's, Darling Point, Sydney, a former lecturer in theology at Moore Theological College, and the author of many books, including Sydney Anglicanism: An Apology. He is also the co-host of the With All Due Respect Podcast.
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, an academic, writer, speaker and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authority and Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
You can follow Jonathan and the show on Twitter.
A Pox on Both Their Houses: Libertarianism, with Katherine Mangu-Ward
Katherine Mangu-Ward joins Jonathan for a conversation about libertarianism. They explore the role of reason and free markets in the libertarian philosophy, the role and legitimate scope of government, progress towards libertarian goals over the 20th century, the tension between libertarianism's future-oriented optimism and conservatism's past-oriented pessimism about the future, the libertarian perspective on the contemporary Left and Right in America, the culture wars and why Christians are finding libertarianism increasingly attractive.
Katherine Mangu-Ward is editor in chief of Reason, the magazine of "free minds and free markets." She has worked at The Weekly Standard and the New York Times. Her writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post and she is a frequent commentator on radio and television, including Fox, MSNBC, C-SPAN and HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher. She is also a co-host on The Reason Roundtable podcast.
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, an academic, writer, speaker and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authority and Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
You can follow Jonathan and the show on Twitter.
Liberalism in Australia, with Prof Judith Brett
Jonathan is joined by historian Judith Brett for a conversation about the history of liberalism in Australia. They explore the impact of 19th century liberalism on Australian politics and identity, the political struggle between liberalism and the Labor movement in the 20th century, the idea of the 'moral middle class' and its support for the Liberal Party in the early and mid-20th century, the changing demographics and economy of Australia and their impact on liberalism and the fortunes of the Liberal Party.
Judith Brett is Emeritus Professor at La Trobe University, where she taught Australian politics, political biography and political history. She is the author of Robert Menzies’ Forgotten People, Australian Liberals and the Moral Middle Class and The Enigmatic Mr Deakin.
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, an academic, writer, speaker and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authority and Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
Jonathan posts regularly about political theology, political philosophy and conservatism on Facebook and Twitter.
Gender Clinics and the Politicisation of Medicine, with Bernard Lane
Journalist Bernard Lane joins the show for a conversation about gender clinics and the way that political ideology, activism, social phenomena, medicine and mental health intersect in the treatment of children and adolescents with gender dysphoria.
Bernard Lane is a journalist covering the international debate about medicalised gender change for young people. He writes the newsletter Gender Clinic News on Substack.
Beyond Religion and the Secular: A Conversation with Prof Wayne Hudson
Intellectual historian Wayne Hudson returns to the show for a discussion of his recently published book, Beyond Religion and the Secular: Creative Spiritual Movements and Their Relevance to Political, Social and Cultural Reform (Bloomsbury, 2023). Wayne and Jonathan ponder what religion has to offer humanity in advanced technological societies (a question posed in the book), and along the way explore Wayne's critique of the concept "religion," the role of the Enlightenment in the problematic category of "religion," false ontological and epistemological assumptions underpinning contemporary critiques of "religion," problematic dualistic notions of "religion" and the "secular," problems with the new concepts of "post-religion" and "post-secular" and the positive and essential role of spirituality to the processes of human evolution and our future as a species.
Wayne Hudson is an Adjunct Professor at Charles Sturt University, the Australian National University and the University of Tasmania. His most recent book is Beyond Religion and the Secular: Creative Spiritual Movements and Their Relevance to Political, Social and Cultural Reform.
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, an academic, writer, speaker and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authority and Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
Jonathan posts regularly about political theology, political philosophy and conservatism on Facebook and Twitter.
Help the show thrive and survive by making a financial donation here.
Conservatism vs Liberalism: Reviewing Yoram Hazony's Case for Conservatism, with Dr Simon Kennedy
Jonathan is joined by Simon Kennedy for a discussion of Yoram Hazony's celebrated 2022 book, Conservatism: A Rediscovery. They focus on the the contrast Hazony draws between conservatism and liberalism, with particular emphasis on conservative and liberal epistemologies, the role of public religion, the failure of liberalism and the the influence of neo-Marxist ideas in contemporary Western culture and institutions.
Dr Simon Kennedy is a Research Fellow at the University of Queensland, both in the Law School and at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, where he works on the intersections between law, political thought and religion. He is the author of Reforming the Law of Nature: The Secularisation of Political Thought, 1532–1689. In 2023, he will be a Visiting Fellow at the Mathias Corvinus Collegium in Budapest, Hungary.
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, an academic, writer, speaker and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authority and Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
Jonathan posts regularly about political theology, political philosophy and conservatism on Facebook and Twitter.
Help the show thrive and survive by making a financial donation here.
The Triumph of Nationalist Populism and the Failure of Conservatism: Dissecting the American Right, with Josh Lewis
Jonathan is joined by fellow conservative podcaster Josh Lewis for a discussion about the evolving realignments on the American Right in the wake of the political earthquake that was (still is) Donald Trump. They explore conservative philosophy, fusionism, the rise of nationalist populism, the state of American culture, the place and role of America on the global stage, the Right's loss of faith in the American project and finding hope amidst a profound and pervasive sense of conservative failure in the US.
Josh Lewis is the host of the Saving Elephants podcast: "Re-igniting Conservatism for Millennials."
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, an academic, writer, speaker and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authority and Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
Jonathan posts regularly about political theology, political philosophy and conservatism on Facebook and Twitter.
Help the show thrive and survive by making a financial donation here.
Christian Apologetics in an Age of Secular Ignorance and Hostility, with Dan Paterson
Host Jonathan is joined by Dan Paterson, a pastor, apologist and evangelist, for an exploration of the challenges and opportunities to introduce young people to the Christian good news in a culture now characterised by widespread ignorance of Christianity and growing hostility towards the faith, yet crying out for meaning.
Dan Patterson is the founder of Questioning Christianity, a ministry helping people to connect the Christian story to life’s deepest questions. He has been a pastor, lecturer and public speaker and has studied theology and apologetics in Australia and at Oxford.
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, an academic, writer, speaker and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authority and Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
Jonathan posts regularly about political theology, political philosophy and conservatism on Facebook and Twitter.
Help the show thrive and survive by making a financial donation here.
Trump, Ukraine, Covid Forgiveness and Living in Babylon: A Conversation with Martyn Iles
Martyn Iles joins Jonathan for a wide-ranging conversation about the wisdom of Donald Trump making another presidential bid, the moral equivocation among sections of the Right over Putin's invasion of Ukraine, the need to move on from the trauma of Covid, but also to learn lessons from mistakes in the response, and why Christians need to adjust to living in a modern version of Babylon.
Martyn Iles is Managing-Director of the Australian Christian Lobby and host of The Truth of It. You can watch The Truth of it Live 'Babylon' trilogy here.
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, an academic, writer, speaker and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authority and Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
Anti-Communism, the Labor Party Split, the Rise of the DLP and Catholic Tribalism: Remembering B.A. Santamaria, with Gerard Henderson
Author and political commentator Gerard Henderson joins Jonathan for a conversation about B.A. Santamaria and the seminal political moments in Australia history that he was involved in. Drawing on his personal recollections of knowing and working with Santamaria, as well as the three books he has written on this "most unusual man," Gerard tells the story of communist influence in the trade union movement and Santamaria's efforts to combat it through "The Movement," the Labor Party split and Labor Party leader Bert Evatt's efforts to lay the blame at the feet of Santamaria and Victoria's catholics, the creation of the Democratic Labor Party, as well as the role of Archbishop Daniel Mannix and Santamaria as tribal Catholic leaders in an age of anti-Catholic sectarianism.
Gerard Henderson is an author, columnist and political commentator. He is Executive Director of The Sydney Institute, a privately funded Australian current affairs forum, and author of Santamaria: A Most Unusual Man.
The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, an academic, writer, speaker and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authority and Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.
Jonathan posts regularly about political theology, political philosophy and conservatism on Facebook and Twitter.