Rod Dreher on Soft Totalitarianism and the Cost of Comfort

Unbelievable?

Premier Unbelievable?

Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.6 • 2.3K Ratings

🗓️ 15 January 2026

⏱️ 81 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Recorded in Premier’s new London studios, John Nelson welcomes Rod Dreher for a wide-ranging conversation about freedom, faith, and the West’s growing spiritual hunger. Drawing on his bestselling book Live Not By Lies, Dreher argues that today’s greatest threat is not Orwell-style tyranny but Huxley’s “soft totalitarianism” a culture that trades liberty for comfort, safety, and approval. Together, they explore the cost of discipleship, why suffering still matters (from Solzhenitsyn to Bonhoeffer), and how “therapeutic” Christianity leaves believers unprepared for pressure and loss. Dreher also reflects on meeting Nick Cave, the search for transcendence, and why many young adults are moving from scepticism to spirituality sometimes via the occult. He concludes by introducing themes from his new book Living in Wonder, calling Christians to recover beauty, liturgy, prayer, and a hopeful (not naïve) vision for the future. SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: https://twitter.com/unbelievablefe Facebook: / https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Instagram: / https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: / https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable 👉 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes—absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 🎉📢 • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://www.premier.plus/unbelievable • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate

Transcript

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0:00.0	My dad died when I was nine years old and it broke something in me.
0:05.0	I spent lots of times homeless, causing even bigger rifts in the family.
0:10.0	I was out of control.
0:12.0	Green Pastures is a Christian charity providing homes and support for people facing homelessness across the UK.
0:20.0	As soon as I walked in that place,
0:21.6	I knew there was something different about it.
0:23.6	Through Green Pastures,
0:25.6	Andy found a home,
0:26.6	freedom from addiction,
0:28.6	and a new beginning in faith.
0:30.6	It's the best thing I've ever done.
0:31.6	It released me from that 23 years of addiction.
0:35.6	And now I'm senior support worker here at Green Pastures Derby.
0:39.3	Find out more at greenpastures.co.uk.
0:43.3	When you're juggling everyday life, carrying your faith isn't always easy.
0:50.3	Introducing Jurner, Premier's new devotional journaling app, created in partnership
0:56.0	with World Vision. Each day, Jurner gives you a Bible verse, a short reflection, a question to sit
1:02.5	with, a written prayer, and space for your thoughts, all in one place, wherever you go. Find Jurner in your
1:09.8	app store today, available on iOS and Android. Jurner in your app store today available on iOS and Android.
1:13.7	Jirna, an app to help you stay connected.
1:18.3	Hello and welcome to this special edition of Premier Unbelievable. I'm John Nelson and today I'm
1:24.4	joined by Rod Dreher, long-time cultural critic and author of several books,
	...

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