Karen Elliott House on MBS, Saudi Arabia, and the Future of Faith and Power

Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Karen Elliott House joins Frank Schaeffer to talk about her remarkable new book, The Man Who Would Be King, Muhammad bin Salman and the Transformation of Saudi Arabia. Across four decades of reporting on the Middle East and Saudi Arabia, Karen has developed rare access to the kingdom’s inner world — including seven in-depth meetings with Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman (MBS), often late at night inside the palace. In this conversation, Frank and Karen dive into:How a strict Texas church girl became one of the world’s sharpest Saudi observersWhy MBS is part Peter the Great, part Napoleon, and part ruthless modernizerWomen’s stunning rise in the Saudi workforce — and how religious men are left behindThe murder of Jamal Khashoggi, internal repression, and the culture of “disappearing” criticsHow MBS is navigating Gaza, Hamas, Israel recognition, and the Wahhabi clericsParallels between Islamic fundamentalism and American evangelical extremismWhether America is in decline — and why Karen still believes in renewal, history, and family Karen’s book: The Man Who Would Be King, Muhammad bin Salman and the Transformation of Saudi Arabia I have had the pleasure of talking to some of the leading authors, artists, activists, and change-makers of our time on this podcast, and I want to personally thank you for subscribing, listening, and sharing 100-plus episodes over 100,000 times. Please subscribe to this Podcast, In Conversation… with Frank Schaeffer, on your favorite platform, and to my Substack, It Has to Be Said.   Thanks! Every subscription helps create, build, sustain and put voice to this movement for truth.   Subscribe to It Has to Be Said. The Gospel of Zip will be released in print and on Amazon Kindle, and as a full video on YouTube and Substack that you can watch or listen to for free. Support the show _____ In Conversation… with Frank Schaeffer is a production of the George Bailey Morality in Public Life Fellowship. It is hosted by Frank Schaeffer, author of The Gospel of Zip. Learn more at https://www.thegospelofzip.com/ Follow Frank on Substack, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and YouTube. https://frankschaeffer.substack.com https://www.facebook.com/frank.schaeffer.16 https://twitter.com/Frank_Schaeffer https://www.instagram.com/frank_schaeffer_art https://www.threads.net/@frank_schaeffer_art https://www.tiktok.com/@frank_schaeffer https://www.youtube.com/c/FrankSchaefferYouTube In Conversation… with Frank Schaeffer Podcast