The Sacred

Tom Shakespeare, is an English sociologist and broadcaster. He is Professor of Disability Research in the medical faculty at the University of East Anglia (UEA)and a member of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics. He is also known for his work and activism around disability rights in the UK. In this episode, he talks about the role of religion in his upbringing, agnosticism and finding solace in Quakerism. He also talks about his work as an activist, and the challenges that people with disabilities face in the age of austerity. This episode also features a conversation with Theos' Natan Mladin about the idea of 'thinking about thinking'. Follow us on @sacred_podcast and on Twitter, follow Elizabeth at @Theoselizabeth. You can also follow Theos at @theosthinktank to keep up to date with news, events and the latest research.

Ronan is the founder of Alter Ego, a global network of progressive leaders exploring the connection between personal, cultural and political renewal. He is also the Head of Strategy at Perspectiva, a research institute building the intellectual foundations for a more conscious society. His background is in political strategy and organisational change. Before the age of 28, he was a consultant scenario planner to the British Foreign Office, and a Director of Futures, Strategy and Animation at RPC, an award winning City Law Firm. In this episode, Ronan talks about growing up in a small town in Ireland, moving to London and his relationship with faith and psychedelic drugs. He also talks about the need for better conversations - not only to advance our politics, but to better ourselves as human beings. This episode also features a conversation between Theos staff Simon Perfect and Anna Wheeler, who talk about how music has helped them navigate their own faith. For more information on Theos, follow @theosthinktank on Twitter. You can also follow Elizabeth Oldfield on Twitter at @theoselizabeth.

Claire Fox is a British writer, and the head of the Institute of Ideas think tank. She was formerly the editor of LM magazine, and is a panellist on the BBC's "Moral Maze'. In this episode, Claire talks about her childhood, growing up with parents on both sides of the political spectrum. She talks about her time as a Trotskyist in university, and how her passion for free expression led her to found the Institute of Ideas, which holds its festival each year in London. She also talks about the nature of offence in free speech debates and our wider political discourse. This episode also features a conversation with Ben Ryan, a researcher at Theos, on Amy Chua's latest book "Political Tribes: Group Instinct and the Fate of Nations".

Tom Chivers is a writer, who specialises in the intersection of science, philosophy and politics. He was a former staff writer at BuzzFeed UK and an assistant comment editor at the Telegraph. He's currently writing a book about Artificial Intelligence. In this episode, he talks about atheism, the value of truth and verification. He also talks about attaining truth through scientific methods, taking principles from both classical philosophy and computer science to interrogate the hard questions. Finally, he talks about the UK's media environment, and how best to handle an altercation on Twitter. The episode also features Nick Spencer, who talks about his upcoming conversation with Stephen Pinker, and his review of the writer John Gray's "Seven Types of Atheism", which is now available on the Theos website. You can follow Theos at @theosthinktank and you can follow Elizabeth at @theoselizabeth on Twitter.

Jonathan Derbyshire is Executive Comment Editor at the Financial Times. He was previously Managing Editor of Prospect, Britain’s leading monthly magazine of politics and ideas, and Culture Editor of the New Statesman. Jonathan has also written for a number of other publications, including the Guardian, the Observer and the Times Literary Supplement. In a previous life, he taught philosophy in several British universities. In this episode, He talks with Elizabeth about his youth, what it means to be a secular liberal, and the experiences that come with working at the UK's leading financial newspaper during the age of post-truth.

Sally Phillips is an English actress, television presenter and comedian. She co-created and was one of the writers of sketch comedy show Smack the Pony. She is also known for her main role in Miranda as Tilly, Parents as Jenny Pope and Set the Thames on Fire as Colette in 2015. Phillips has also worked on films such as Burn Burn Burn as Ingrid alongside Laura Carmichael. Since 2004, she has played the title role in the BBC Radio 4 comedy show Clare in the Community. Since 2018, she has been curator of "The Museum of Curiosity" on the BBC Radio 4 comedy programme of that name. In this episode, Elizabeth speaks to Sally about her relationship with faith over the span of her career, why at times, you may have to give up the things you hold sacred to pursue wider goals, and her experience as an activist, campaigning on issues for parents looking after children with Downs' syndrome.

Neil Griffiths is a British novelist, and the founder of the Republic of Consciousness Prize for Small Presses. He is the winner of the Authors' Club First Novel Award, and has been shortlisted for best novel in the Costa Book Awards. In this episode, Neil talks about love as a sacred value, how writing helped him explore religious ideas and conversations in absence of a religious household. He also talks about his inspirations for writing novels, and how literature can teach patience and compassion. Elizabeth also speaks to Theos' Natan Mladin about an upcoming project on debt, and how money can be reflective of religious and spiritual values. Follow Elizabeth on Twitter at @theoselizabeth and follow Theos Think Tank on @theosthinktank for the latest events, reviews, long reads and research on the role of faith in society.

In this episode, Elizabeth is joined by Guardian columnist and writer, Dawn Foster. Dawn writes on politics and social affairs, and was one of the leading journalists covering the aftermath of the Grenfell tower fire. She talks about her childhood, growing up in poverty, her relationship with catholicism in confrontation with new atheism, and whether social media can facilitate better public conversations. Follow the Sacred on Twitter at @Sacred_Podcast, and follow Theos at @Theosthinktank on Twitter and Facebook.

Andy Crouch is a writer, editor, author and musician based in the United States. He was the editor of Christian Today, one of America's largest faith based publications, and made headlines when he wrote an editorial criticising Evangelical support for Donald Trump. In this episode, Elizabeth talks to Andy about his life in publishing and why he values language so much. He talks about the state of US politics, and why the virtue of patience is more valuable than ever in times of crisis and strife. This episode also features a short interview with Nick Spencer about the American edition of 'Evolution of the West', and how religious terms get politicised by both the right and left.

David Goodhart is a writer, researcher, author and journalist, who currently serves as head of Integration Hub & Demography at Policy Exchange. He was one of the founding editors of Prospect magazine, and the centre-left think tank Demos. In this episode, Elizabeth speaks to David about his work between different areas of the political spectrum, and how his childhood experiences shaped the way he understood the communities around him. He also speaks about the consequences of his changing views on immigration, place and the future of Britain post-Brexit. This episode also features an interview with Theos' head of relationships Natan Mladin. 'The Sacred' is supported by Theos think tank (@theosthinktank) and hosted by Elizabeth Oldfield (@theoselizabeth). It is produced by Hussein Kesvani (@HKesvani) and No Country Media.