The Political Animals

Former Queensland Premier and Liberal Democrats Senate Candidate for Queensland, Campbell Newman, joins Jonathan for a chat about Australian politics and the 2022 Federal Election. They discuss Newman's decision to leave the Liberal Party and join the Liberal Democrats, the Liberal Democrats' Freedom Manifesto, libertarianism in Australia, differences between libertarians and conservatives on moral questions, the role of the media in contemporary politics and reflections on Newman's time as Premier of Queensland. Campbell Newman, AO is the Liberal Democrats Senate Candidate for Queensland. He is Chairman of Arcana Capital, a Director & adviser to a number of start-up technology companies and a regular commentator on SkyNews Australia. He was Premier of Queensland from 2012 to 2015 and Lord Mayor of Brisbane 2004 to 2011. The Political Animals is hosted by Jonathan Cole, an academic, writer, speaker and translator who specialises in political theology: the intersetion of religion and politics. He is Assistant Director of the Centre for Religion, Ethics and Society at Charles Sturt University, and author of Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality. You can follow Jonathan and the show on Twitter and Facebook.

Intellectual historian Wayne Hudson rejoins the show for a discussion about atheism and modern philosophy. The discussion covers the history of atheism, shifts in its meaning over time and place, the purported role of the enlightenment in its rise, the difficulty of understanding what people actually mean today when they declare themselves to be atheists, common mistakes made by both atheism and theism, the failure of modern philosophy to make any serious advance in knowledge, the challenges facing theology in the 21st century and the role of science and mathematics in our understanding of reality. Wayne Hudson is an adjunct professor at Charles Sturt University, the Australian National University and the University of Tasmania. He is the author of many books, including: The English Deists: Studies in Early Enlightenment (2009), Enlightenment and Modernity: The English Deists and Reform (2009), Atheism and Deism Revalued (2014) and Australian Religious Thought (2016). The Political Animals is hosted by Jonathan Cole, an academic, writer, speaker and translator who specialises in political theology: the intersetion of religion and politics. He is Assistant Director of the Centre for Religion, Ethics and Society at Charles Sturt University, and author of Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality. You can follow Jonathan and the show on Twitter and Facebook.

Mark Spencer, Director of Public Policy at Christian Schools Australia, joins Jonathan to discuss the difficult cultural environment in which Christian schools now must operate. They cover the history, nature and purpose of Christian schools in Australia, the tension between discipleship and mission, the way state-based curricula are taught from a Christian perspective, the place of Christian education in secular Australia, the various controversies surrounding Christian schools, particularly in relation to LGBTIQ issues, the fiasco of the recently failed religious freedom bill and the growing attacks on Christian schools from activists. The Political Animals is hosted by Jonathan Cole, an academic, writer, speaker and translator who specialises in political theology: the intersetion of religion and politics. He is Assistant Director of the Centre for Religion, Ethics and Society at Charles Sturt University, and author of Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality. You can follow Jonathan and the show on Twitter and Facebook.

Lyle Shelton discusses the sorry saga that led to the dissolution of the Christian Democratic Party in NSW, the lessons to be learned from it and future strategies for Christians seeking to make a difference in the political arena.  Lyle Shelton is Director of Campaigns and Communication for the Christian Democratic Party. He is a former Managing Director of the Australia Christian Lobby, a Queensland Senate candidate with Cory Bernardi's Australian Conservatives, a former elected member of the Toowoomba City Council and author of I Kid You Not—Nots from 20 Years in the Trenches of the Culture Wars. The Political Animals is hosted by Jonathan Cole, an academic, writer, speaker and translator who specialises in political theology: the intersetion of religion and politics. He is the author of Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.  You can follow Jonathan and the show on Twitter and Facebook.

Historian Michael Gladwin joins the show for a conversation about the role and impact of Christianity on the European settlement and foundation of Australia. They look at the role of clergy in the early colonial period, the relationship between church and state and the cultural and political impact of Christians in the formation of Australia. They also discuss the failure of Australian historians to take proper account of the importance of religion in Australian history. Dr Michael Gladwin is Lecturer in History at St Mark’s National Theological Centre in the School of Theology, Charles Sturt University, Canberra. A graduate of the Australian National University and the University of Cambridge, his research interests include the religious and cultural history of Australia and the British Empire. Michael is the author of Captains of the Soul: a history of Australian Army chaplains (2013) and Anglican clergy in Australia, 1788–1850: building a British World (2015).  The Political Animals is hosted by Jonathan Cole, an academic, writer, speaker and translator who specialises in political theology: the intersetion of religion and politics. He is the author of Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.  You can follow Jonathan and the show on Twitter and Facebook.

Terrorism scholar Kristy Campion joins the show for a deep dive on right wing extremism. Kristy and Jonathan cover the definition of right wing extremism, its history and its diverse ideologies, including white supremacism, ethnonationalism, Christian Identity, Odinism, Satanism, the sovereign citizen movement, Qanon and ecofascism. They also examine the anti-Islam ideologies of right wing terrorists Brenton Tarrant and Anders Breivik. Dr Kristy Campion is a lecturer in Terrorism Studies with the Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security at Charles Sturt University. She is the author of Chasing Shadows: The Untold and Deadly Story of Terrorism in Australia. Her current research focuses on right wing extremism. The Political Animals is hosted by Jonathan Cole, an academic, writer, speaker and translator who specialises in political theology: the intersetion of religion and politics. Previously, he worked as a Senior Terrorism Analyst at Australian intelligence agency The Office of National Assessments. You can follow Jonathan and the show on Twitter and Facebook.

The Lowy Institute's Sam Roggeveen joins Jonathan to discuss the rise of Chinese military power, its implications for American power, the prospects of great power conflict in the Asia Pacific, scenarios regarding Taiwan, the American response to China's rise and the defence strategy and military configuration Australia should be pursuing in light of changed strategic circumstances in the region. Sam Roggeveen is Director of the Lowy Institute's International Security Program. He specialises in China's military, American defence and foreign policy, Australian defence and foreign policy, and military technology. He has worked at Australian intelligence agencies the Office of National Assessments and the Defence Intelligence Agency, and also Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs, where he worked on arms control.  The Political Animals is hosted by Jonathan Cole, an academic, writer, speaker and translator who specialises in political theology: the intersetion of religion and politics. Previously, he worked as a Senior Terrorism Analyst at Australian intelligence agency The Office of National Assessments. You can follow Jonathan and the show on Twitter and Facebook.

In this episode, intellectual historian Knox Peden joins Jonathan for a deep dive on cultural marxism. Along the way, they explore the intellectual history of marxism, including Western marxism, the political history of marxist revolutionaries, the Frankfurt School, critical theory, cultural studies, right-wing polemical uses of the term "cultural marxism" and the relationship (and tension) between today's progressive identitarian politics and marxist theories of class conflict. Dr Knox Peden is a senior lecturer in European enlightenment studies at the University of Queensland, where he teaches in the program on Western civilisation. He specialises in European intellectual history, including the intellectual history of marxism. He is the co-author of French Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction with Oxford University Press. The Political Animals is hosted by Jonathan Cole, an academic, writer, speaker and translator who specialises in political theology: the intersetion of religion and politics. Previously, he worked as a Senior Terrorism Analyst at Australian intelligence agency The Office of National Assessments. You can follow Jonathan and the show on Twitter and Facebook.

In this throwback episode, Simon Kennedy joins Jonathan for a discussion of Roger Scruton's classic work The Meaning of Conservatism. In particular, they hone in on Scruton's conception of freedom and authority and its potential illumination in the current political turbulence of the covid era. Dr Simon Kennedy is Director of the Millis Institute at Christian Heritage College, a research fellow at the University of Queensland, host of The Millis Podcast and author of the forthcoming Reforming the Law of Nature: The Secularisation of Political Thought, 1532–1689.  The Political Animals is hosted by Jonathan Cole, an academic, writer, speaker and translator who specialises in political theology: the intersetion of religion and politics. Previously, he worked as a Senior Terrorism Analyst at Australian intelligence agency The Office of National Assessments. You can follow Jonathan and the show on Twitter and Facebook.

In this episode, political philosopher and gender critical feminist Holly Lawford-Smith talks to Jonathan about sex, gender and the conflict between the radical feminist movement and transgender activists. They cover gender critical feminism, the conflation of sex and gender, the impact of subjective gender identity on women and the law, biology versus identity, non-binary gender identity, the relationship between LGB and T in LGBT, the transgender movement and why our culture has proved so receptive to gender identity at the expense of sex. Holly also talks about how she came to be banned (for life) on Twitter and efforts to get her fired from her academic job at the University of Melbourne.  Holly Lawford-Smith is an Associate Professor in Political Philosophy in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne. She works in social, moral, and political philosophy, with a particular interest in feminism, climate ethics, and collective action. Most of her current research is centered on the conflict of interests between gender identity activism, on the one hand, and both women’s rights, and lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) rights, on the other hand. Her research can be accessed at https://hollylawford-smith.org.  The Political Animals is hosted by Jonathan Cole, an academic, writer, speaker and translator who specialises in political theology: the intersetion of religion and politics. He is currently Assistant Director of the Centre for Public and Contextual Theology at Charles Sturt University. Previously, he worked as a Senior Terrorism Analyst at Australian intelligence agency The Office of National Assessments. You can follow Jonathan and the show on Twitter and Facebook.