Podcast Summary: "Are We Seeing a Religious Revival?"

Podcast: The Commentary Magazine Podcast
Date: September 22, 2025
Hosts/Participants:

• John Podhoretz (Host, Editor of Commentary)
• Abe Greenwald (Executive Editor)
• Matthew Continetti (Washington Columnist)
• Christine Rosen (Social Columnist)

Overview

This episode addresses the question: Is America witnessing a new religious revival? Using the staggering turnout and explicitly Christian tone of Charlie Kirk’s recent funeral as a starting point, the Commentary panel explores the cultural, religious, and political implications of the event, interrogates the resonances with historic American revivalism, and considers whether current trends truly represent a return to faith. The second half of the discussion moves to the UN General Assembly’s recent symbolic recognition of a Palestinian state, examining its actual impact and the declining relevance of the UN in global politics.

1. Charlie Kirk’s Funeral: Spectacle, Revival, or Turning Point?

(Main segment: 00:45–41:00)

Key Points and Insights

• Funeral as Christian Revival

  • The event was described as less a memorial and more a mass Christian revival, with speaker after speaker calling explicitly for religious renewal and salvation through Jesus (01:47–07:31).
  • Comparison to Billy Graham’s mid-20th-century tent revivals. An explicit return to this kind of mass, communal religiosity that once defined American evangelicalism (07:31–10:20).

• Performance vs. Authenticity

  • Christine Rosen points out the theatrical, almost Billy Sunday-style spectacle, blurring the lines between showmanship and spiritual call, incorporating both personal stories and overtly political themes (10:20–12:20).

• Erica Kirk’s Forgiveness and Power

  • The most powerful moment came from Erica Kirk, who publicly forgave her husband’s alleged killer, citing her Christian faith (12:24–15:24).
    • Quote: “Charlie was trying to save the lost boys of America, including…the young man who shot him. And she said, I forgive him.” —Abe Greenwald (07:31)
    • Her authenticity is credited with upstaging even Donald Trump.

• Trump’s Contrasted Approach

  • Trump directly contrasted himself with Erica, declaring, “She loves her enemies, not me. I hate my opponents…Maybe she could teach me and others how to love our opponents, but I hate our opponents.” (07:31–08:45)
  • Quote: “He was basically saying, you’re a better person than I am, and I might have something to learn from you.” —John Podhoretz (15:24)

• Tucker Carlson’s Controversial Remarks

  • Carlson likened Kirk’s death to the crucifixion, implying powerful forces schemed to kill him “while eating hummus” — a phrase widely interpreted as a veiled anti-Semitic dog whistle (07:31, 26:59–30:11).
  • Quote: “[Tucker] took his shot, he had his moment, and he used it to not so subtly implicate the Jews in Christ Jesus and Charlie’s death…I have to say…It was a real dissonant note.” —Abe Greenwald (01:47)

• Scale and Historic Comparison

  • The turnout — an NFL stadium filled with about 90,000 people — was compared to state funerals, highlighting Kirk’s invisible influence outside established intellectual circles (12:47–13:18).
  • “In historical perspective, it is akin to like a president dying or, you know, a state funeral type gathering.” —Matthew Continetti (12:55)

• Media and Cultural Impact

  • The panel wonders if this marks a watershed moment for a new religious movement, or if it will fade — with future metrics being church attendance, Republican voter registration among the young, and follow-on stadium revivals (38:24–39:43).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Erica Kirk’s Eulogy:

  • “Delivered with dignity and courage…her message of no revenge but love…should be spread far and wide.” —Christine Rosen (12:20-13:20)

• On Revivalism:

  • “It’s a return to what made evangelicalism…a potent force in American life as in the post-war era…” —John Podhoretz (07:31)

• On Tucker Carlson:

  • “There was some weird revelation of the deep darkness and evil…inside Tucker’s soul…that this sound emerged naturally from his body as he was delivering this.” —John Podhoretz (27:52)

2. Signs of a Religious Revival?

(Focused discussion: 39:43–48:15)

Key Points and Insights

• Plateau in Secularization

  • Data shows “the decline in religious belief has plateaued in recent years” (39:43). Young people are converting, with “huge spikes in conversions among young people” reported in Catholicism and traditional Judaism.

• Cultural Shift Away From Atheist Influencers

  • Public intellectuals from the New Atheist movement (e.g., Dawkins, Hitchens) have faded, while influential figures like Jordan Peterson advocate for reconsidering religion, especially among wayward young men (43:20–43:58).
    • “Jordan Peterson…became this massive sigma…telling wayward Western male young males, ‘consider God, consider religion. And by the way, don’t blame the Jews.’” —Abe Greenwald (43:47)

• Politics as “Replacement Faith”

  • The left’s embrace of “woke politics” is seen as an insufficient substitute for true meaning, possibly fueling today’s readiness to revive traditional religion (43:58–44:34).

• Warning: Possible Culture War Escalation

  • Podhoretz warns that if a “fourth religious awakening” is coming, the culture wars may get even uglier, as “the nuns are full of their own virtue and believe that the faithful are evil…That’s why Tyler Robinson shot Charlie Kirk in the head.” (44:34–48:15)

3. The UN, Recognition of Palestine, and the Waning of International Clout

(Transition & main segment: 50:13–59:03)

Key Points and Insights

• General Assembly Recognizes Palestinian State

  • Hundreds of nations at the UN voted to recognize a Palestinian state; the US, Germany, Italy, and Japan voted against (50:13).
  • The panel is largely unfazed, seeing the move as symbolic and toothless.

• Weakness of Recognizing States

  • The UK, France, and Canada are cited as diminished powers; popular opinion in these countries doesn’t favor the recognition of Palestinian statehood, revealing a disconnect between elites and their populations (52:32–55:09).
    • “It’s actually reassuring to see that the publics in these nations aren’t with the leadership on the question of the Palestinian state.” —Matthew Continetti (55:14)

• Speculation: US Pulling Out of the UN?

  • Potential for Trump to escalate and propose the US leave the organization (55:42–58:43).

• United Nations’ Moral Bankruptcy

  • Citing Antonio Guterres’ selectively moralizing statements about Gaza, the panel laments the organization’s continued delegitimization (55:42–57:53).

4. Media Coverage and Political Violence—A Note on Motives and Spin

(Final discussion: 60:27–63:16)

Key Points and Insights

• Media Downplays Political/Identity Motivation
  • The aftermath of the Kirk assassination and a separate New Hampshire shooting featured media reluctance to frame events as ideologically motivated, especially when perpetrators are connected to marginalized identities (60:27–63:16).
    • “The effort continues in the media…saying we shouldn’t talk about the trans aspect because that’s a threat to trans people.” —Christine Rosen (63:01)

5. Notable Quotes and Takeaways

Erica Kirk’s Oratory

“I forgive him.” (07:31) —Erica Kirk (via Abe)

Trump’s Authentic Admission

“I hate my opponents… maybe [Erica] can teach us something about how to behave better. I’m sorry.” (15:24) —Donald Trump (via John)

On Tucker Carlson

“There was some weird revelation of the deep darkness and evil…inside Tucker’s soul…that this sound emerged naturally from his body...” (27:52) —John Podhoretz

On Revivalism’s Return

“It’s a return to what made evangelicalism a potent force in American life as in the postwar era…” (07:31) —John Podhoretz

On Possible Culture War Escalation

“If America does actually go through like a fourth religious awakening, that is not going to happen easily…” (48:15) —John Podhoretz

6. Timestamps for Key Segments

• Charlie Kirk’s funeral recap and analysis: 00:45–21:17
• Erica Kirk’s remarks and authenticity vs. performance: 12:24–21:17
• Tucker Carlson controversy and antisemitism discussion: 26:58–37:44
• Is this a real religious revival? Data and history: 39:43–48:15
• UN, Palestine, and Western decline: 50:13–59:03
• Media framing of violence and identity: 60:27–63:16

Conclusion

The episode offers an in-depth reflection on the spectacle and meaning of Charlie Kirk’s funeral – as both a sign of spiritual hunger and a staging ground for renewed American religiosity. The panel identifies both opportunities for societal healing through forgiveness and love, and hazards posed by new forms of extremism and revived antisemitic tropes. The broader context — political, religious, and cultural — is understood as tumultuous and revolutionary, with much to watch in terms of social trends and the possible further intensification of the culture war. The discussion of the UN’s recent move closes the episode with a sense of historic institutions’ declining authority and the persistent challenge of finding credible, authentic leadership.