103: An Interview about Everything—Eric Metaxas

The Patrick Coffin Show | Interviews with influencers | Commentary about culture | Tools for transformation

Eric Metaxas fires on a lot of creative pistons. He writes like a dream, has a knack for distilling a thousand historical facts and personal details both in his fine books (see below) and on his popular nationally syndicated radio show The Eric Metaxas Show, and also has a rapier-like wit. He also spoke with amiable confidence about his now famous biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer at the National Prayer Breakfast a few steps away from President Obama. A strange but impressive mashup if there ever was one.

I hate him.

Okay, back to my show notes. I had interviewed Eric a few years back about his book Seven Women and the Secret of Their Greatness, and remembered vividly his considerable raconteur skills.

Then he caught my attention again with an embarrassingly glowing tweet about my Really Controversial Interview with Milo Yiannopoulos the other week. That was it. With a weakness for public praise by intelligent people, I had to hear more. Within hours, the interview you are about to enjoy was set.

We talked about the way his new book Donald Drains the Swamp fuses adult non-fiction with children’s fiction, and about the knack with which both Mr. Trump and Mr. Yiannopoulos force onlookers to drop their masks—fast.

Pound for pound, I’d say this is the most eclectic of the 103 episodes of The Patrick Coffin Show so far. Per my other Really Controversial Interview with Jordan Peterson, I went Full Metal Catholic and asked the Greek Orthodox cum Evangelical Christian Eric to finish the sentence, “I’m not Catholic, because…”

Let me guess. Hopefully, this good humored exchange of ideas about cultural restoration won’t be tagged as Controversial. But you know how people are these days.

Enjoy and share!

In this episode you will learn:

• Why non-Catholics and Catholics have much more in common than in division and why we must be willing to link arms for common cause—without watering down our respective differences
• How to live a robust, and apology-free Christian faith in a very secular context
• The top Hollywood scribe we discover during the interview as being a mutual friend
• Why “underground Christian” is an oxymoron
• How to use humor as a way to soften your audience and make them more receptive to your message
• The difference between true and false ecumenism

Resources recommended in this episode:

• Donald Drains the Swamp by Eric Metaxas
• Seven Women and the Secret of their Greatness by Eric Metaxas
• If You Can Keep It: The Forgotten Promise of American Liberty by Eric Metaxas
• Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas
• New Errors and Old Labels by Fulton J. Sheen

Question of the week

What does this maxim of Peter Kreeft mean to you: “Feuding brothers reconcile when a maniac is at the door.”

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