You live in a story.
Vibe shifts. Religious Renaissances. Meaning Crises. Endless Movie Reboots. Metamodernism. You listening to Creed again. It's all connected.
Cynicism is out, sincerity is back, and there's a new generation looking for hope in unexpected places. We're beginning to find ourselves moving from despair to meaning. As a burned-out culture begins to reject the emptiness of endless deconstruction, people are searching for guidance to rebuild meaning, identity, and community. And believe it or not, your life story and the narrative of our culture are all wrapped up together.
In Based on a True Story, cultural theologian and podcaster Paul Anleitner traces the cultural societal shifts that brought us to this moment and points to the emerging longing in culture to find a better story that can solve our meaning crisis and save us, quite literally, from civilization going completely Mad Max on us all.
Combining humor, cutting-edge insights from science, Christian theology, and philosophy, and a keen cultural eye, Anleitner offers a roadmap for rebuilding our lives and culture around a true story. Based on a True Story is a book for skeptics, seekers, and believers alike— a timely invitation to rediscover what it means to truly live.
From HarperCollins | Nelson Books & available at any of these fine retailers:
and a story lives in you.
Join over 30k followers on X.
Paul Anleitner writes and speaks on the role of culture and story in our quest for meaning.
His unique interdisciplinary approach integrates theology, philosophy, and science to help individuals and institutions navigate cultural shifts and address perennial religious longings.
He has been featured on NewsNation, Fox News, CNN, Christianity Today, and numerous podcasts. He is also a Religion and Culture Fellow for the Human Flourishing Lab at the Archbridge Institute.
Paul is the President & CEO of Goodmakers–an organization dedicated to forming, connecting, and mobilizing leaders for the generational project of cultural renewal. He is also a Religion and Culture Fellow at the Archbridge Institute, and he serves as a pastor who leads teaching and spiritual formation at his local church.
About
it’s time to rebuild.
what others are saying…
“There are unseen forces beneath the surface of culture and thought that govern the way we live in the world. We all kind of assume this is the case, but few explore them like Paul Anleitner.
Paul has a way of uncovering those forces with both insight and optimism, not just analyzing them but illuminating how they shape our imaginations, our beliefs, and our daily lives.
His work has been transformative to me as an artist, a meaning-maker, and a person of faith—helping me see the world more clearly and engage with God in it more deeply.”
-John Mark McMillan
Platinum-selling songwriter and artist“As a leading expert in existential psychology who has spent over two decades studying our deep human need for meaning, I believe Paul Anleitner stands out as one of the most important voices addressing our current meaning crisis.”
-Clay Routledge, PhD
Psychologist, COO of the Archbridge Institute & Executive Vice President of the Human Flourishing LabPaul's expertise and experience enable him to cut through all the noise and elucidate the signal that needs to be heard right now. His guidance is clear, and his character and competence are trustworthy.”
-John Vervaeke, PhD
Cognitive Scientist and Philosopher, The University of Torontoinsights into our cultural moment delivered to your inbox
Sign up for Paul’s free newsletter “Reading the Zeitgeist.”
