The Eric Metaxas Show #114 - Daniel Darling
May 8, 2026
Daniel Darling, pastor and author of In Defense of Christian Patriotism, argues Christians can love God and country and explains ordered loves and civic duty. Papa Tom Clark, minister and podcaster (The Father's Heart), talks about fatherhood, America's covenant roots, and a national rededication on May 17. They discuss patriotism, gratitude, dangers of cynicism, and preserving the republic.
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Episode notes
Christian Loves Are Ordered Not Divided
- Loving God and loving country are not mutually exclusive and love is not a zero-sum game.
- Daniel Darling cites C.S. Lewis, Augustine, and Chesterton to argue ordered loves let supreme love of God enable healthy patriotism.
Choose Gratitude Over Cynicism For Reform
- Do cultivate healthy patriotic gratitude rather than cynicism to motivate repair and reform.
- Daniel Darling points to Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King as reformers who loved the country while calling it to higher ideals.
Childhood DC Trip Sparked Lifelong Patriotism
- Daniel Darling recalls a childhood trip to Washington, DC that sparked his love for American monuments and history.
- He also remembers a World War II veteran grandfather whose stories reinforced patriotic commitment and service.
