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Society & Culture

The Sacred

Theos Think Tank

A podcast about our Sacred values and how we can talk to people who are different from ourselves.

Each episode features a conversation with someone who has a public voice, from academics to journalists, playwrights and politicians. We ask them where they have come from, what they are trying to do and what might help heal our very divided public conversations.

The Sacred is hosted by Elizabeth Oldfield and produced in partnership with Comment Magazine, and with support from The Jerusalem Trust and Open Society Foundation

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  • 245 episodes
  • Updated Wednesday

Episodes245

Newest first
  • Dec 31, 2017 · 41 min

    The Sacred Francis Spufford

    In this episode, your host Elizabeth Oldfield (@theoselizabeth) talks to professor Francis Spufford. Francis teaches creative writing at Goldsmiths University in London, and has also written a number of acclaimed, award winning books. In 2016, he won the Costa debut novel prize for his fiction volume "Golden Hill", and he has received high praise for his defence of religion in "Unapologetc : Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense". In his office at Goldsmiths, Elizabeth talks to him about his journey into faith, his life in writing, as well as on contemporary issues around faith - including the rise, and demise of the "New Atheist" movement in the age of Trump. The Sacred is supported by Theos, the UK's leading religion and society think tank. It is produced by Hussein Kesvani (@HKesvani) and No Country Media.

  • Dec 17, 2017 · 21 min

    #3 Tim Farron

    Welcome to The Sacred, a new podcast about the things we cherish, hold dear, and how they bring us together. In this episode, Elizabeth speaks to former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, who led the party until 2017, when he stepped down after claiming he could not be a committed political leader and a committed Christian. This came after a controversial interview in which he was grilled on his position on same-sex relations. 7 months on, Tim reflects back on that moment, as well as British politics as a whole. He talks about the crisis of liberalism, how 'identity politics' can prevent the free exchange of ideas in the public space, and how Christians wanting to enter politics should be willing to exert grace, and embrace humility, if they wish to make a real change. You can listen, watch and read Tim Farron's Theos annual lecture here: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/events/2017/11/28/tim-farron-what-kind-of-liberal-society-do-we-want The Sacred is produced in association with Theos think tank, the leading religion and society think tank in the UK. The show is produced by Hussein Kesvani and No Country Media.

  • Dec 10, 2017 · 57 min

    #2 : Pippa Evans

    In the second episode of The Sacred, Elizabeth talks to comedian, writer and founder of the Sunday Assembly, Pippa Evans. Pippa is a regular on BBC radio 4 and has written and presented series for other broadcasters and networks. She also helped found the Sunday Assembly, which had been dubbed the "atheist church" on its inception. The organisation has grown to become a global movement for people who value faith and spirituality, in spite of not identifying as 'religious'. This episode also features an interview with Theos researcher Simon Perfect, on his project about free speech and university campuses. The Sacred is a podcast about the things we cherish and hold dear to us. It is supported by Theos, the religion and society think tank, and is produced by Hussein Kesvani and No Country media.

  • Dec 8, 2017 · 47 min

    #1: Jonathan Rowson

    Jonathan Rowson is a Scottish Chess grandmaster, an author, and the director of Perspectiva, an organisation that aims to "research the relationship between complex global challenges and the inner lives of human beings and highlight why this matters in society". In the first episode of The Sacred, hosted by Elizabeth Oldfield, Jonathan talks about his religious and spiritual past, how chess helped him make sense of himself, and how talking to people of faith made him reevaluate his own. We also catch up with Theos' head of research, Nick Spencer, on his new book "The Political Samaritan". He talks about how the parable has been hijacked by politicians from all spheres of the conversation, and how this tale has helped shape contemporary British politics. The Sacred is a podcast about the things we cherish and hold dear to us. It is supported by Theos, the UK's leading religion and society think tank. The Sacred is produced by Hussein Kesvani and No Country Media.

  • Dec 6, 2017 · 2 min

    The Sacred : Trailer

    Hello, and welcome to The Sacred. The Sacred is a new podcast hosted by Elizabeth Oldfield, the director of Theos, the UK's leading religion and society think tank. This podcast is interested in the state of our public conversations, the way we might do them better and the role the things that we hold sacred but don’t always know how to talk about might play. Each episode will feature an in depth interview with writers, thinkers, activists, comedians, community leaders and others, in which we discuss the things we hold dear, and to examine the things that hold us together- not just as individuals, but as a society. You can follow Elizabeth at @TheosElizabeth and Theos at @Theosthinktank. 'The Sacred' is produced by Hussein Kesvani and No Country Media. You can follow Hussein at @HKesvani