Erik Matson and Jordan Ballor on the History of Christian Political Economy

Erik Matson and Jordan Ballor on the History of Christian Political Economy

Summary: Modern economics is often presented as a product of the Enlightenment, emerging with figures such as Adam Smith and David Hume. But what if many of its central ideas have much deeper roots? In this conversation, Erik Matson and Jordan Ballor discuss their new books on the history of Christian political economy and the thinkers who wrestled with questions of trade, prices, property, interest, work, and human flourishing long before economics became a distinct discipline. Drawing on sources that span nearly two millennia, they explore the complex relationship between theology and economic thought, challenge familiar narratives about the origins of modern economics, and reflect on what contemporary scholars can learn from a tradition that once treated moral, social, and economic questions as part of a common conversation. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humanepursuits.substack.com [https://humanepursuits.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

BONUS: From Polarization to Resilience: Lessons from Benjamin Klutsey’s Work on Civic Dialogue

In this bonus conversation, Benjamin Klutsey reflects on several projects that grew out of his work on pluralism and polarization. We discuss the origins of his podcast Pluralist Points, the lessons he drew from conversations with leading thinkers on civic life and democratic disagreement, and his experience helping to create the documentary Undivide Us. Along the way, Klutsey shares what surprised him most about bringing people with opposing views together and why he remains optimistic about Americans’ capacity to reconnect across differences. The conversation concludes with a preview of his emerging work on resilience and what America’s approaching 250th anniversary can teach us about the institutions, habits, and relationships that help a free society endure and adapt. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humanepursuits.substack.com [https://humanepursuits.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Ben Klutsey on Political Polarization, Pluralism, and Civil Discourse

Before becoming executive director of the Mercatus Center, Benjamin Klutsey spent years studying a question that has become increasingly urgent in American life: how can people who disagree deeply still live, work, and govern together? In this conversation, Klutsey reflects on his work leading the Pluralism and Civil Exchange Project, explains what pluralism means beyond mere diversity, and explores the difference between political disagreement and the more troubling rise of affective polarization. Along the way, we discuss what social science can teach us about division, why many Americans misunderstand one another, and what Klutsey learned from bringing people with conflicting views into conversation. The discussion offers a thoughtful look at the habits, institutions, and relationships that make coexistence possible in a democratic society. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humanepursuits.substack.com [https://humanepursuits.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Bonus Episode: Films of the American Revolution

Summary: In this bonus episode, Garrett Brown continues his conversation with historian Al Zambone, turning to film portrayals of the American Revolution. Zambone explains why the era has proven resistant to compelling cinematic treatment, critiques films such as The Patriot and Drums Along the Mohawk, and reflects on adaptations like Johnny Tremain and the musical 1776. The discussion closes with a more favorable assessment of HBO’s John Adams, highlighting what it gets right about the period — particularly legal culture — while acknowledging the limits of film as a medium for conveying historical ideas. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humanepursuits.substack.com [https://humanepursuits.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Al Zambone on the Great Historians of the American Revolution

Summary: More than two centuries after the American Revolution, historians continue to return to the same events with new questions, methods, and insights. In this episode, historian Al Zambone helps us trace how some of the most important works on the Revolution have approached the subject — from early participant accounts to modern studies shaped by political ideas, social experience, and the wider Atlantic world. What do these different layers of interpretation reveal about the Revolution itself? How have historians expanded the story without discarding what came before? And how do these works deepen our understanding of the American past — and of the variety and ambition of the American experiment? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humanepursuits.substack.com [https://humanepursuits.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]