The Sacred

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.

This is a remastered edition of our conversation with award winning author Francis Spufford. Francis is a professor at Goldsmiths University, and the author of a number of books including "Golden Hill" and "Unapologetic: Why, despite everything, Christianity can still make surprising emotional sense" Please follow us on Twitter @Sacred_Podcast, and our host, Elizabeth Oldfield (@theoselizabeth). This podcast is supported by Theos, the UK's leading religion and society think tank (@theosthinktank)

Giles Fraser is an Anglican priest, a columnist, author, and broadcaster. It's unlikely you haven't come across his work in one way or another. He wrote a frequent column in the Guardian called 'Loose Canon', dealing with issues around faith, spirituality and progressive politics. He's also a panellist on BBC Radio 4's 'Moral Maze' and has contributed to 'Thought for the Day'. In this episode, Elizabeth speaks to Giles about growing up with a Jewish identity, how bullying during his childhood shaped his view of the world, and how he thinks people with opposing views and perspectives could communicate with each other better. He also talks about his controversial decision to vote and defend Brexit - one of the few public left wing intellectuals to have done so. You can follow The Sacred on Twitter at @sacred_podcast. You can also follow Elizabeth Oldfield @theoselizabeth. You can follow Theos Think Tank on Facebook and Twitter @theosthinktank or at www.theosthinktank.co.uk.

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

Katharine Birbalsingh is the founder and headmistress of the Michaela Community School. She is known for promoting ’small-c’ conservative values in the her school, and has subsequently been dubbed Britain’s Strictest Headmistress, which later became the title of an ITV documentary exploring her and her methods. She spoke about the underlying philosophy of Michaela Community School, her journey from being a ‘lefty’ to now a ‘small-c’ conservative, and the lessons she learnt from her dad’s parenting. Read the full transcript here: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/comment/2023/02/22/katharine-birbalsingh-on-smallc-conservatism-and-the-philosophy-of-michaela-community-school CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 02:35 What is sacred to you? Tanni Grey Thompson’s answer 08:31 Childhood, privilege and dealing with nosiness 15:23 The surgery and about getting on 19:27 Faith, sport and self-discipline 25:33 Un-selfing in sport 32:13 The medical model and disabled people’s autonomy 41:08 Assisted suicide and proper care 44:24 Woke culture, de-platforming and listening to difference 48:50 Reflection and outro ***** The Sacred is a podcast produced by the think tank Theos. Be sure to connect with us below to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events. CONNECT WITH THE SACRED Twitter: https://twitter.com/sacred_podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sacred_podcast/ CONNECT WITH ELIZABETH OLDFIELD Twitter: https://twitter.com/ESOldfield Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethsaraholdfield/ CONNECT WITH THEOS Theos monthly newsletter: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464 Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/ Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/ CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108 Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185