The Stories That Hold a Civilization Together

About this episode

Dr. John Patrick explores the collapse of shared meaning in modern culture and the implications of abandoning objective moral truth.

Join our weekly book club and keep thinking deeply about faith, culture, and truth: 🔗 https://pxllnk.co/bookclubpod Considering college? Explore Augustine College, a one-year classical Christian program in Ottawa that prepares students to think and live faithfully in a secular age: 🔗 https://pxllnk.co/augustinepodcast 🎓 Join the Book Club with Dr. John PatrickLearn how to read, think, and wrestle with the big ideas alongside Dr. John Patrick and a private community.→ https://pxllnk.co/johnpatrick In this wide-ranging and reflective episode, Dr. John Patrick explores the collapse of shared meaning in modern culture and asks what is lost when societies abandon objective moral truth, historical memory, and transcendent ideals. Dr. Patrick reflects on his years in academia, the fading of a unifying cultural narrative, and the role universities once played in forming character rather than merely transmitting information. // LINKS // Website: https://www.johnpatrick.ca/ Podcast: https://doctorjohnpatrick.podbean.com/ Biblical Literate Quiz: https://www.johnpatrick.ca/meaning-metaphor-and-allusion/ Recommended Reading list: https://www.johnpatrick.ca/book-list/ Ask Doctor John…

People in this episode

Host: John Patrick

Topics covered

• faith
• culture
• truth
• moral truth
• historical memory
• transcendent ideals

Keywords

• civilization
• shared meaning
• cultural narrative
• character formation
• secular age

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Augustine College, Doctor John Patrick

More episodes of Doctor John Patrick

• Why Britain Wants Its Country Back · June 10, 2026 · 44 min
• Why Liberalism Needs Faith to Survive · June 3, 2026 · 19 min
• Why Aid Money Fails Africa · May 27, 2026 · 34 min
• Why Teaching Is A Natural Gift · May 20, 2026 · 42 min
• Big Life Questions Kids Don’t Ask · May 13, 2026 · 55 min
• Why We Believe: The Restlessness That Leads Us to God · May 6, 2026 · 40 min