The Will Spencer Podcast

Modern extremism did not survive by remaining political. It survived by becoming mystical.In this episode, Will Spencer examines how post-war extremist movements transformed themselves into a religious worldview built on myth, mysticism, and occult hierarchy.Rather than remaining tied to historical regimes or discredited ideologies, these movements deliberately rebuilt themselves through myth, mysticism, and occult spirituality—rejecting Christianity while absorbing pagan mythology, cyclical cosmology, and hierarchical visions of reality.Continuing the Book Club reading of Black Sun by historian Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, this session explores how post-war figures reshaped extremism into a transnational religious system; how symbolism and ritual replaced politics; and how popular culture later helped mythologize and sanitize these ideas, allowing them to persist beneath the surface of modern life.Will also reflects on why many Christians misdiagnosed this phenomenon as merely political or reactionary, failing to recognize it as a rival spiritual framework—and why that failure of discernment mattered.This episode is part of an ongoing Book Club devoted to slow, serious reading for Christian spiritual and intellectual formation in an increasingly disordered culture.In this episode, you’ll hear:How modern extremism survived after World War II by becoming mystical rather than politicalWhy myth, symbolism, and occult hierarchy replaced ideology and policyHow pagan mythology and cyclical cosmology displaced biblical creation and linear historyThe role of post-war figures who reshaped extremism into a transnational religious worldviewHow popular culture helped mythologize and sanitize evil for later generationsWhy many Christians misdiagnosed these movements as merely political or reactionaryWhat it means to recognize extremism as a rival spiritual framework, not just an ideologyWhy discernment requires asking what spirit is animating this, not simply who is in powerPurchase Black SunAmazon: https://a.co/d/06mG32IXJoin the Book ClubIf this episode resonates, the full discussion continues in my Book Club, where we read difficult books slowly and seriously for Christian spiritual and intellectual formation.You can learn more and join at willspencer.blogThe Will Spencer Podcast was formerly known as "The Renaissance of Men."EXITING THE NEW AGE COURSEI spent twenty years in the New Age. This is what I learned on the way out.13 chapters, study guide, practices inventory, 30+ book bibliography.A new section on Christian apologetics to the New Age is in production. Buy now at $29 and get the upgrade free when the price goes to $49.https://willspencer.co/exitMENTORSHIP FOR MENI mentor men one-on-one through 12 weeks of biblical mentorship, with daily accountability.If you've built something real but you're stuck at a transition that competence alone can't solve, book a free clarity call:https://willspencer.co/mentorshipCONNECTYouTubeTwitter/XSubstackInstagramWebsiteSPONSORS

What looks like online extremism, grievance politics, or internet trolling is something much older, and much darker.In this episode, Will Spencer shares audio from the first two sessions of his Book Club reading Black Sun: Aryan Cults, Esoteric Nazism, and the Politics of Identity by historian Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke. The discussion explores how Nazism functioned not merely as a political movement, but as a religious system, complete with ritual, myth, demonology, and a vision of racial salvation.Drawing from history, theology, and personal experience, Will explains how neo-Nazi movements reorganized almost immediately after World War II, how figures like George Lincoln Rockwell and Julius Evola fused politics with occult spirituality, and why many modern online movements cannot be understood politically alone.This conversation is about spiritual formation, discernment, and clarity—and why Christians must take the religious roots of extremist ideologies seriously.Topics CoveredWhy Nazism functioned as a religious system, not just a political ideologyHow extremist movements regrouped immediately after World War IIGeorge Lincoln Rockwell’s mystical “conversion” and American neo-NazismJulius Evola, occult philosophy, and anti-Christian spiritual elitismHow grievance politics distorts spiritual developmentWhy these ideas persist in modern online masculinity cultureThe personal and relational cost of extremist belief systemsBooks MentionedBlack Sun — Nicholas Goodrick-ClarkeAmerican Veda — Philip GoldbergThe Myth of Mental Illness — Thomas SzaszThe Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment — Jeremiah BurroughsThe Christian Mind — Henry BlamiresWeird Scenes Inside the Canyon — Dave McGowanAbout the Book ClubThe Book Club is a private reading group where we work through serious books slowly and carefully, not for hot takes, but for Christian spiritual and intellectual formation. The goal isn’t information alone, but depth, clarity, and long-term stability in a culture designed to keep us reactive and distracted.Learn more and join at willspencer.blogProduction NoteThese conversations were recorded live on Zoom and lightly edited to remove long pauses. Audio quality is not studio-perfect. The substance of the discussion is the focus.

What is the Manosphere, and why are so many men drawn to it?In this episode, Bob the Baptist interviews Will Spencer about his journey into — and ultimately out of — the Manosphere, the sprawling online ecosystem of male self-improvement, dating advice, and cultural commentary.The conversation traces how online communities offering guidance on confidence, fitness, success, and identity increasingly became substitutes for real-world formation and authority. From the influence of figures like Jordan Peterson to the rise of influencer-driven masculinity models, the Manosphere reflects a deeper hunger among men for structure, meaning, and direction.Bob and Will explore:How the Manosphere developed and why it expanded so rapidlyThe divide between “inner work” psychology culture and performance-driven masculinityWhy algorithm-driven communities create ideological silosThe dangers of personality-centered authorityWhy biology and psychology alone cannot sustain a moral vision of manhoodPart 2 (coming next week) continues the conversation by examining what ultimately exposed the limits of the Manosphere and what a Christian account of masculinity offers instead.CONNECT WITH BOB THE BAPTISTYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BraveNewTubeVideo: The Dark Trajectory of New Calvinism Video: How the Manosphere Became MainstreamThe Will Spencer Podcast was formerly known as "The Renaissance of Men."EXITING THE NEW AGE COURSEI spent twenty years in the New Age. This is what I learned on the way out.13 chapters, study guide, practices inventory, 30+ book bibliography.A new section on Christian apologetics to the New Age is in production. Buy now at $29 and get the upgrade free when the price goes to $49.https://willspencer.co/exitMENTORSHIP FOR MENI mentor men one-on-one through 12 weeks of biblical mentorship, with daily accountability.If you've built something real but you're stuck at a transition that competence alone can't solve, book a free clarity call:https://willspencer.co/mentorshipCONNECTYouTubeTwitter/XSubstackInstagramWebsiteSPONSORS

Eddie LaRow joins Will Spencer for a wide-ranging conversation about masculinity, rootlessness, and the collapse of moral authority in modern life.Rather than reacting to headlines or personalities, this episode examines a recurring historical pattern: when men lose roots in family, church, and community, power rushes in to replace authority. Drawing on thinkers such as Max Picard, Robert Nisbet, Philip Rieff, and Augustine, Will and Eddie explore why Gen Z men are drawn toward radical politics — and why this crisis did not begin online.The conversation moves through history, theology, and culture to clarify the difference between authority and power, how modern speed distorts the inner life, and why formation requires discipline, community, and time. This is a discussion about responsibility, rootedness, and how men can recover moral clarity in a disordered age.Topics DiscussedWhy many young men feel rootlessAuthority vs. power and why the difference mattersHistorical patterns behind modern radicalizationSpeed, chaos, and the modern inner lifeMasculinity, formation, and disciplineThe Church’s role in restoring moral authorityGuestEddie LaRow is an editor and writer whose work has appeared in First Things, Modern Age, and The American Mind. He writes on history, theology, culture, and Generation Z, with a focus on authority, community, and formation.Eddie's LinksSubstack — https://eddielarow.substack.com/ First Things: — https://firstthings.com/archive/?_author=eddie-larowThe Will Spencer Podcast was formerly known as "The Renaissance of Men."EXITING THE NEW AGE COURSEI spent twenty years in the New Age. This is what I learned on the way out.13 chapters, study guide, practices inventory, 30+ book bibliography.A new section on Christian apologetics to the New Age is in production. Buy now at $29 and get the upgrade free when the price goes to $49.https://willspencer.co/exitMENTORSHIP FOR MENI mentor men one-on-one through 12 weeks of biblical mentorship, with daily accountability.If you've built something real but you're stuck at a transition that competence alone can't solve, book a free clarity call:https://willspencer.co/mentorshipCONNECTYouTubeTwitter/XSubstackInstagramWebsiteSPONSORS

Public school did not fail by accident. It did exactly what it was designed to do.Robert Bortins—CEO of Classical Conversations and co-author of Woke and Weaponized—joins me to explain why education is never neutral, how parental authority was displaced by the state, and why efforts to reform public schooling consistently miss the point.We trace the historical and ideological roots of the modern education system, discuss social-emotional learning, AI, homeschooling, and classical education, and examine what happens to families, faith, and culture when formation is outsourced.This is not a rant or a political argument. It’s an explanation of how education actually works—and who it ultimately serves.If you’re a parent, a father, or anyone trying to understand why education feels increasingly disconnected from truth and responsibility, this conversation will bring clarity.CONNECT WITH ROBERT BORTINShttps://classicalconversations.comhttps://robertbortins.com/woke-and-weaponized/https://x.com/TheRobertBshowhttps://refiningrhetoric.com/The Will Spencer Podcast was formerly known as "The Renaissance of Men."EXITING THE NEW AGE COURSEI spent twenty years in the New Age. This is what I learned on the way out.13 chapters, study guide, practices inventory, 30+ book bibliography.A new section on Christian apologetics to the New Age is in production. Buy now at $29 and get the upgrade free when the price goes to $49.https://willspencer.co/exitMENTORSHIP FOR MENI mentor men one-on-one through 12 weeks of biblical mentorship, with daily accountability.If you've built something real but you're stuck at a transition that competence alone can't solve, book a free clarity call:https://willspencer.co/mentorshipCONNECTYouTubeTwitter/XSubstackInstagramWebsiteSPONSORS

Andrew Crapuchettes is a pioneer in labor market analytics and the visionary founder of Red Balloon, a job platform connecting freedom-loving employers with employees who won't compromise their values. In this conversation, he shares how he transformed from a Silicon Valley entrepreneur to building a company that rejects woke ideology in the workplace. The episode explores the false promise of workplace neutrality, the $800,000 difference between A-level and B-level engineers, and why young men must reject the lie that prosperity ladders have been pulled up.CONNECT WITH ANDREW CRAPUCHETTESRed Balloon - https://redballoon.workLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/acrapuchettes

Doug Wilson is a Reformed pastor in Moscow, Idaho, and author of over 100 books on theology, culture, and family. In this conversation, he discusses his recent whirlwind of mainstream media appearances including CNN, The New York Times, and his conversation with Sam Harris.Wilson explains why the media's panic reveals a shifted Overton window, shares wisdom on generational faithfulness from his first-generation Christian parents to his fifth great-grandchild, and offers practical advice to young men navigating the modern dating landscape while critiquing both big-box evangelical feminization and toxic incel resentment.CONNECT WITH DOUG WILSONhttps://noquarternovember.comhttps://douglaswils.comThe Will Spencer Podcast was formerly known as "The Renaissance of Men."EXITING THE NEW AGE COURSEI spent twenty years in the New Age. This is what I learned on the way out.13 chapters, study guide, practices inventory, 30+ book bibliography.A new section on Christian apologetics to the New Age is in production. Buy now at $29 and get the upgrade free when the price goes to $49.https://willspencer.co/exitMENTORSHIP FOR MENI mentor men one-on-one through 12 weeks of biblical mentorship, with daily accountability.If you've built something real but you're stuck at a transition that competence alone can't solve, book a free clarity call:https://willspencer.co/mentorshipCONNECTYouTubeTwitter/XSubstackInstagramWebsiteSPONSORS