In the three weeks since the assassination of Charlie Kirk, something is rippling across the nation that many are calling the “Charlie Kirk Effect.” On social media, individuals are professing Christian faith, returning to church, or going to church for the first time, citing Charlie Kirk’s life and public death as their inspiration.
While many Christians are celebrating this effect and even calling it a revival, others are wrestling with Kirk’s full legacy, even expressing dissatisfaction with other Christians’ public admiration of Kirk’s life and work.
In this episode, Liberty asks the question: How should Christians think about the “Charlie Kirk Effect?” Looking at Scripture and history can help, because when we look closely at the so-called “heroes” of the faith, what we see are people who have failed again and again…and still been used by God. And maybe that’s the point.
What does it mean to be a woman? The culture has wrestled with this point for decades. Ironically, diametrically opposed sides often make the same mistake: conflating the aesthetics of femininity with its definition.
Many who embrace transgender ideology argue that feeling feminine and dressing the part are all it takes to identify oneself as “woman.” On the other hand, many reacting against modern feminism display their “trad wife” life on Instagram, striving to divide household labor along stereotypically gendered lines.
Joining the Know Why Podcast, Rachel Schroder argues that both camps miss the true definition of femininity, trading its aesthetics for its full meaning and purpose. She helps us know why the full definition of femininity is broader than what is often portrayed by “trad wife” extremes, and also more family-oriented than modern feminism allows.
Listen for a thought-provoking and encouraging conversation about what it means to be a woman, how women can embrace both their biological nature and their God-given talents inside the home and in the workforce, what balancing family and career might look like, and how developing virtue matters more than following stereotypes.
You can’t have healthy marriages without healthy individuals, and healthy individuals are people who understand themselves and their purpose in life.
Perhaps one reason more young men aren’t getting married, despite many desiring to do so, is because they lack understanding about who they are and what they were made for.
The left tells men that being masculine is “toxic.” On the far right, misogynistic influencers like Andrew Tate respond by telling young men to embrace those “toxic” traits without apology. Often missing from the masculinity conversation is a character trait that provides the much needed balance: meekness.
In this episode, guest Andrew Warthen explains why “Meek is not Weak,” why good should not always equal safe, and how men can find purpose in fully understanding the meaning of their masculinity.
Listen to this next installment of our “Know About Family Formation” series, and check out the links below if you’d like to dive deeper into this topic.
Be sure to rate the podcast, subscribe, and comment or email Know Why with your thoughts or requests for future topics!
Young men on the far right and young women on the far left have little in common—except for their views on marriage. Leading voices in the “manosphere” argue that marriage is of no benefit to men, especially when it comes to finances. Many women believe the same lie.
According to a robust body of research compiled by Dr. Brad Wilcox in his book “Get Married,” men who get married experience a significant financial boost called the “marriage premium,” and women who get married are less likely to experience poverty. While financial gain isn’t and shouldn’t be ultimate reason for marriage, it’s important to combat pervasive lies with facts.
Listen to for the specifics in this latest installment of Know Why’s “Know About Family Formation” series.
More Resources:
Get Married by Brad Wilcox
Why is Marriage Good? Interview with John Mancini
Why Men (And All Humans) Need Sacrificial Relationships
Why is marriage good? Is it only good for the material benefits it may provide individuals, like relational security and legal protection? Or is there an intrinsic good to marriage that can’t be analyzed with science?
Social and political philosopher John Mancini joins the podcast to kick off the next series, Know About Family Formation. John argues that there is a transcendent good to marriage that can’t be fully explained by its extrinsic benefits, and invites us to understand why in this conversation.
A 22-year-old founder of two multi-million dollar businesses recently made headlines for claiming that “Work-Life Balance Will Keep You Mediocre.” In this last episode of Know Why’s 2025 summer series, Liberty looks at whether Emil Barr’s extreme sacrifices, including giving up relationships and even sleep, are worth it.
Noting that Mr. Barr makes a few good points, Liberty argues that such an extreme focus on future material success can distract from our true purpose as human beings. In fact, the life some call “mediocre” could be a life of immeasurable eternal impact. Listen to know why.
This episode looks at the issues of medically-assisted suicide, also called doctor- or physician-assisted death, and euthanasia. Referring to a recent feature in The Atlantic, Liberty uses examples from Canada to show three problems that arise when medically-assisted death is legalized in a society, and three reasons why it is wrong.
TW: The episode includes several mentions of medically-assisted death, including real-life anecdotes, and mentions of suicidal ideation.
Book Review: You Have a Calling by Karen Swallow Prior (Summer Series 2025)
Are you trying to find your calling in life? Are you just trying to find a job? Either way, it can be a frustrating time.
The job market is changing. AI is threatening many collar jobs. A bachelor’s degree isn’t the ticket to success it once was. Meanwhile, culturally accepted wisdom about passion, vocation, and job satisfaction isn’t always rooted in the truth—about happiness, about God, or even about ourselves.
Thankfully, Karen Swallow Prior offers wisdom and clarity in her new book, You Have a Calling: Finding Your Vocation in the True, Good, and Beautiful. In this episode, Liberty shares some key takeaways from the book, tying them into previous series on the Know Why Podcast.
In a world where large amounts of young people spend more time “connecting” online than in physical life, where we are constantly plagued by FOMO and the urge to share every moment on social media, we risk losing the very life we are trying to preserve in digital memory.
While convenient and sometimes helpful tools, social media and smart technology can present a counterfeit to our needs for identity, connection, and purpose if we’re not careful.
Do you agree or disagree? Share your thoughts below!
What makes people happy in life? In this episode, Liberty highlights research from the Global Flourishing Study, a 5-year research project that measures human flourishing using a broad range of questions.
Led by social scientists from Harvard and Baylor University, and in partnership with Gallup and the Center for Open Science, the Global Flourishing Study has produced findings indicating that our idea of what makes someone “happy” could be all wrong.
Listen to find out what it really takes to flourish, and how this new evidence underscores what the Know Why Podcast has previously highlighted: namely, the importance of relationships, meaningful connection, and religious belonging.
