In this final episode in our Royal Jubilee series, we explore the Jubilee of King George III. A Service of Thanksgiving was held at St Paul’s, on the 49th anniversary and the first day of the 50th year of his reign on the 25th October 1809. Discover these celebrations as well as our silver screen connection to the monarch. Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Aug 30, 2022•4 min
On the 22nd June 1897, a Service of Thanksgiving was held at St Paul’s for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. However, because of the Queen’s frail health, it was not held inside the Cathedral, but outside at the foot of the West steps. Find out more about the service and this momentous day in this fourth Jubilee themed podcast episode. Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson. Image: Andrew Carrick Gow, 'Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Service, June 22 1897,' (1897-99), Guildhall Art Gallery,...
Jul 26, 2022•4 min
Find out all about the Silver Jubilee of King George V in May 1935 in this podcast episode in our Stories from St Paul’s series. It was the first ever Silver Jubilee to be celebrated by a British monarch, and the celebrations began with a special Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s on the 6th May – where the two young royal princesses, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret were in attendance – along with a congregation of 4,500. Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Jun 28, 2022•4 min
London was at the UK epicentre of the pandemic in 2020. Amid the suffering it was a time when profound questions were asked about how we might live better: economically and politically, culturally and spiritually, individually and collectively. What does a healthy society look like now? Panellists are: Deborah Bull - Vice President, Communities & National Engagement and the Senior Advisory Fellow for Culture at King's College London; Crossbench Peer. Stephanie Flanders - Senior Executive Edi...
Jun 21, 2022•1 hr 25 min
In 2022, Her Majesty The Queen will become the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee after 70 years of service. To mark this extraordinary occasion, we will hold a historic Service of Thanksgiving for The Queen’s reign on Friday 3rd June. In this podcast episode, we explore Services of Thanksgiving from The Queen’s Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees, and the role St Paul’s has played in them all. Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
May 31, 2022•5 min
Physicist Tom McLeish and Biblical scholar Paula Gooder talk about the relationship between science and faith, and how much each has to learn from each other. They explore the nature of truth, the role science plays in the Kingdom of God, how the art of asking good questions is at the heart of both science and faith, and draw insights from the Creation stories in the Old Testament, the Book of Job and St Paul’s life and letters. Professor Tom McLeish FRS is Professor of Natural Philosophy in the...
May 17, 2022•45 min
To mark Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, our new exhibition Jubilee: St Paul’s the Monarch and the Changing World explores the vital role the Cathedral has played in the Jubilee celebrations of British monarchs throughout history – George III, Victoria, George V and Elizabeth II. Included with sightseeing admission, the exhibition opens on the 25th May 2022. Explore with us behind the scenes in this first podcast episode in our new Jubilee series, with a new episode each month until Aug...
Apr 26, 2022•4 min
Bishop Lusa Nsenga-Ngoy and Dr Paula Gooder in conversation the resurrection and all things hopeful, including the movements for social and racial justice and contemplative prayer.
Apr 20, 2022•39 min
The dramatic and mysterious events of Holy Week and Easter are at the heart of Christian faith. Andrew Nunn says that Holy Week is like a pebble thrown into a pond and its effects are felt in Jesus’ resurrection, the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost, and all the way into the present day and our own lives. Andrew Nunn and Paula Gooder explore what happens at the Last Supper, on the Cross, and at Easter and Pentecost, including some of what it means to them personally, and how we can keep the sea...
Mar 22, 2022•46 min
This is the story of one small book, a book that would become known as the most dangerous book in England: Priest and scholar William Tyndale’s New Testament, translated from Hebrew and Greek into English in 1526. Discover how this work – one of three surviving copies in existence – in the collection of the St Paul’s Library, challenged established religious and political power and authority, and made the Bible accessible to ordinary people in England for the first time, and how Tyndale’s legacy...
Mar 16, 2022•6 min
Where can we find hopeful, transformative stories in the dark times we live in? How can we read the ‘signs of the times’, and act for the good? Theologians Anna Rowlands and Paula Gooder explore the roots and universality of Catholic Social Teaching, its foundations in the Gospels, and what it can teach us about working for justice, freedom and the common good when the world seems dark. Dr Anna Rowlands is the St Hilda Professor of Catholic Social Thought & Practice at Durham University, and...
Feb 23, 2022•40 min
The wonder of St Paul’s is famous the world over, but what about the hidden St Paul’s? There’s much to marvel at in the vast areas of the Cathedral not normally open to the public. Some of them can be visited during our weekly Triforium tours, high above the Cathedral Floor. Here we have our Trophy Room and Christopher Wren’s Great Model, the Library and much more. Get a glimpse into these hidden areas in our latest episode. Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Feb 09, 2022•6 min
Can stories reveal deeper truths than facts? Novelist Catherine Fox and Biblical theologian Paula Gooder talk about the importance of stories in our lives, in understanding ourselves, our relationships with other people, our faith, and even God. Exploring their own writing processes in The Lindchester Chronicles and Phoebe: A Story, they talk about the power of good stories to change us, and explore the invitation and challenge of some of their favourite Bible stories including Jonah, the Prodig...
Jan 25, 2022•45 min
Christmas is one of the defining points of the year, for believers and non-believers alike. Archbishop Stephen Cottrell and Biblical scholar Dr Paula Gooder explore the Advent themes that turn our thoughts to eternity and the real meaning of our lives, and the Christmas stories themselves: what Jesus’ birth means, how the world changes because of it, why Christmas is much more hopeful but also darker than we may think, and why it’s all about love. Stephen Cottrell is the Archbishop of York and t...
Jan 14, 2022•43 min
The Artists’ Corner in the Crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral is not just a final resting place for some of the world’s greatest artists, it is also somewhere where one can be reminded and inspired by the exceptional art made by those buried and remembered there; whose work continues to transcend time, and is not just relevant for today, but always. Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Jan 12, 2022•4 min
St Paul’s Cathedral is a magical place all year round, but perhaps during the Christmas, just a little bit more so. It’s also a very busy time of year, with an array of services and events. In this festive edition of our podcast, discover more about our choral and Christmas traditions. Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson
Dec 09, 2021•5 min
St Paul’s Cathedral is a magical place all year round, but perhaps during the Christmas, just a little bit more so. It’s also a very busy time of year, with an array of services and events. In this festive edition of our podcast, discover more about our choral and Christmas traditions. Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Dec 09, 2021•5 min
A Famine of Grace: Jarel Robinson-Brown and Paula Gooder talk about identity, grace, bodies, vulnerability, being Christian, Black and LGBTQ+, and dreams for the church.
Nov 18, 2021•47 min
St Paul’s Cathedral: a place of worship and a major world tourist attraction, but also a building with substantial running costs. Sightseeing ticket income is vital to the upkeep of the Cathedral, but it might surprise you to learn that sightseeing tickets are not a recent occurrence – but in fact, 1709, whilst the Cathedral was still in its final stages of construction. Find out more about the history of tourism at St Paul’s, and how it has long been a part of our story. Produced and presented ...
Nov 10, 2021•5 min
Paula Gooder is in conversation with Richard Coles about the parables and their enduring power to shock and surprise, and how they challenge us to live our faith in the 21st century.
Nov 03, 2021•45 min
Have you ever heard the strange architectural tale which connects St Paul’s Cathedral with Colborne Lodge in High Park, Toronto? Discover the story of shipwreck, salvage and the re-purposing of railings in this Stories from St Paul’s podcast episode. Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Oct 11, 2021•3 min
Justin Welby in conversation with Paula Gooder about how real reconciliation can be achieved whether between nations, in our personal relationships or within ourselves, as well as what difference the pandemic has made, whether religion is a part of the solution or the problem, and where he finds hope.
Sep 27, 2021•48 min
Stories from St Paul's - Season 2 In this first episode of Season 2 of 'Stories from St Paul's', discover more about American pilot Billy Fiske, who died in the Battle of Britain and is memorialised at St Paul's. Billy Fiske was an American solider and Olympic gold medallist for the American bobsleigh team. He claimed to be Canadian so he could join the Royal Air Force, and became one of the first American pilots killed in action during World War II during the Battle of Britain. He is buried in ...
Sep 15, 2021•5 min
The state funeral of former Prime Minister and wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill took place at St Paul’s on the 30th January 1965. Churchill’s connection to the Cathedral began some years earlier, however, when he wrote of his admiration for Sir Christopher Wren’s designs in his book, History of the English Speaking Peoples – and became intrinsically linked as symbols of resilience and resistance during the Second World War. Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Jul 22, 2021•5 min
St Paul’s has a long association with the American people, formed largely after the Second World War, a conflict in which thousands of Americans based in the UK were to give their lives. The most striking reminder of this sacrifice can be found at the very East end of the Cathedral: The American Memorial Chapel – a space rebuilt after being destroyed in the Blitz, and dedicated in its entirety to the American dead of World War Two. Find out about this beautiful Chapel and the American Roll of Ho...
Jul 02, 2021•3 min
Power and Prophecy: Black and White Women in the Church - what does it mean to say that women are made in the image of God? Join Rosemarie Mallett, Chine McDonald, Lucy Winkett and Paula Gooder for a conversation about race and gender, power, prophetic voices, naming injustice, and where hope can be found. Rosemarie Mallett is the Archdeacon of Croydon in the Diocese of Southwark. Before ordination she was an academic, research sociologist, specialising in international development and ethno-cul...
Jun 29, 2021•1 hr 3 min
St Paul’s Cathedral is a place of worship and a tourist destination, but it’s also a place to experience and enjoy art in many mediums from different time periods, created by an array of talented artists and craftspeople like Grinling Gibbons, Sir James Thornhill and Henry Moore, to name just a few. More recently, contemporary interventions from Yoko Ono, Rebecca Horn, Antony Gormley, Gerry Judah and Bill Viola have enriched the pattern of worship in the Cathedral. Discover the many facets to th...
Jun 17, 2021•5 min
Admiral Horatio Nelson and Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington are forever associated with their most famous military battles. For Nelson, at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, in which he lost his life, and for Wellington, in 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo. Perhaps surprisingly, the two men only met once briefly in 1805, but in death they have lain at rest beside each other for over 150 years in the Crypt of St Paul’s. Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Jun 03, 2021•4 min
Bishop Rachel says that encounter and relationship are at the heart of faith and of life. At a time when ‘social distancing’ is our daily reality, she calls us to celebrate community, intimacy and the discovery of ourselves and each other through close encounter with God and our neighbour - the adventure of faith that Jesus calls us to - and to find hope even in times of darkness. Rachel Treweek is the Bishop of Gloucester, was the first woman to become a Diocesan Bishop in the Church of England...
May 25, 2021•47 min
Rowan Williams and Paula Gooder in conversation about the meaning of the story at the centre of our faith: what Jesus' resurrection means to how we live, how we pray, how we change the world, and how we die. Rowan Williams is a poet, theologian, Honorary Professor of Contemporary Christian Thought at Cambridge University, the Chair of Christian Aid, and was the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury. His latest book is Candles in the Dark: Faith, Hope and Love in a Time of Pandemic (SPCK 2020). Paula Go...
May 25, 2021•44 min