The Sacred is a podcast about our deepest values, the stories that shape us and how we can build empathy and understanding between people who are very different.
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, former director of Theos.
For more information about the people and ideas behind the podcast, visit https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/about/who-we-are or follow us on Twitter @theosthinktank, @sacred_podcast and @ESOldfield.
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Nearly a decade into The Sacred, we’re still doing the same thing: having honest and curious conversations with people who see the world differently. We're wondering why - like the return of spring - seeking to understand another person at a deep level never seems to get old. There's something about learning to truly understand people outside our “tribe” that feels challenging and pleasurable all at once and we're seeing (nine years later!) just how much we need these conversations today. As Maf...
The world wasn’t built for everyone. Leah Libresco Sargeant on feminism, care, and the myth of the “neutral” human. Join our community of people listening curiously to different perspectives: https://www.youtube.com/@thesacredpodcast/videos Leah has spent her life following philosophy to its limits, from Kantian questions of moral truth to reckoning with human vulnerability. Her journey reveals what happens when the world is built for a ‘neutral human’ - and who it leaves behind. This conversati...
What actually shapes the life you’re living - your own choices, or the ones you inherited? In this episode of The Sacred, we are with Dr Rangan Chatterjee exploring the moments that force our values to the surface - births, deaths and major life events - and how they can reset the direction of our lives. An Indian immigrant doctor, his father worked relentlessly to give his family opportunities — but it also came at a cost and contributed to the illness that ended his career and eventually his l...
We spoke to Stig Abell on how to live if nothing is ultimately sacred. Elizabeth Oldfield and Stig explore detective fiction and our longing for justice, the consolations of books in an age of infinite scroll, the quiet crises many of us are living through, and whether “muddling along” might be the most honest way live. This is a conversation about meaning and what remains when you’re not sure there is any. We talk about: • Why Stig feels more profane than sacred • Books as portals out of panic ...
In this episode, Elizabeth Oldfield is joined by political theorist and author Sophie Lewis to explore one of the most provocative ideas: the abolition of the family. Reflecting on her own complicated adolescence, Sophie asks what it would mean to reorganise society around love and collective care rather than accumulation? Drawing on her book, Abolish the Family, Sophie argues that the nuclear family carries impossible burdens in a capitalist society - privatising care, exhausting women, and qui...
In this episode of The Sacred, Elizabeth Oldfield is joined by Jo Colman - great-great-great grandchild of the founder of Colman’s Mustard and now Chief Mint Officer of the family business, Summerdown - to explore a radically different story about generational wealth, power, business and belonging. Jo reflects on growing up with deep security and love, how that shaped his sense of responsibility, and why privilege doesn’t have to turn inward into status-seeking, but can instead become a platform...
Elizabeth Neumann, a former senior official in the Trump Administration, reflects on why she felt called to serve, what she witnessed from inside government, and how her commitment to integrity ultimately led her to step away. In this conversation, she and Elizabeth Oldfield reflect on how extremism takes root, the role of integrity in polarised times, and why love, accountability, and formation matter more than outrage or power. Key moments: - Why Elizabeth Neumann worked in the Trump administr...
Writer and environmentalist George Monbiot shares his deeply personal journey, shaped by a hidden family history of English fascism and Jewish refuge, as well as the trauma of boarding school. These experiences fueled his commitment to exposing power systems and advocating for the living planet, leading to an insightful discussion on effective communication, the nature of humanity, and the role of moral courage in driving social change. He challenges conventional views on persuasion and the dominant narrative of human selfishness.
In this special end-of-year reflection episode of The Sacred, we're slowing down and seeing the season out with some of Elizabeth's favourite poems. Take a moment to sit with darkness and light, to reflect on the year, and to rest in words that have carried us through conversations about grief, migration, identity, hope and moral courage.Elizabeth reads some of the poems that have steadied her this season, from William Stafford and W.H. Auden to John Donne and Alfred Lord Tennyson.Poem credits: ...
Elizabeth Oldfield speaks with Andrew Graystone about his role in uncovering the serial abuser John Smyth and the institutional cover-ups within the Church that kept the truth hidden. Andrew is a Writer, Broadcaster and Activist. He shares the story behind his new book Bleeding for Jesus and the hidden patterns that shape the lives of Christian leaders. He reflects on why institutions so often cover up wrongdoing, what it really costs to tell the truth, and how ordinary people can resist culture...
In this live episode of The Sacred, Elizabeth Oldfield sits down with Channel 4 journalist Cathy Newman to the moments that guided her toward investigative journalism and a lifelong commitment to seeking truth. They talk about: ✍️Investigative journalism and its role in holding power accountable ⛪ Investigating John Smyth's abuse in the Church of England ✖️Navigating public scrutiny, social media abuse, and global debates 🌍The importance of diverse perspectives in newsrooms for more accurate re...
The world is overwhelming. Every day we’re bombarded with noise, outrage, and content designed to distract, numb, or divide us. It’s changing us...and not always for the better.We created the Sacred Podcast as a response to the chaos. It’s more than a podcast - it’s a space to slow down, reflect, and listen deeply. A place to practice empathy, curiosity, and understanding in a world that often rewards the opposite.In each episode, we sit down with someone who has a public voice and ask them: Wha...
How can you reconcile all parts of your identity in an increasingly polarised landscape? After a mystical experience in a Sydney bar, David Bennett found himself shifting from queer theory and student politics towards a surprising new centre of gravity: the Christian faith. Today he describes himself as a gay celibate Christian, someone living between two tribes often assumed to be incompatible.In this deep and tender conversation, theologian David speaks with Elizabeth Oldfield about his long w...
Award-winning journalist and filmmaker Mobeen Azhar and Elizabeth Oldfield to talk about his extraordinary career telling hidden and untold stories - from interviewing white supremacists, extremists, drug dealers, and killers; exposing police corruption, cults, and cover-ups; and told raw stories from inside prisons, mosques, and nightclubs. In an age of outrage and dehumanisation, Mobeen's journalism combats hate and demonisation with empathy and understanding to reveal the human story beyond t...
Grief, peace, and the search for steadiness of soul - comedian, writer and Griefcast host Cariad Lloyd joins Elizabeth Oldfield to talk about the gift and absurdity of grief. Cariad opens up about her father’s death, comedy as survival, and the small, sacred acts that keep her grounded. She also shares what it means to raise her kids with honesty about loss and how humour helps us stay human in the face of death. --- 🎙️ Follow The Sacred: linktr.ee/sacredpodcast 📖 Follow Elizabeth Oldfield: ww...
Why honest conversations about race, class and power make us defensive - and why should we face them anyway. Author, teacher and broadcaster Jeffrey Boakye joins Elizabeth Oldfield to talk about truth, joy, race and power and why he believes we can’t fix what we’re too scared to face. We speak about: 👊🏾 Jeffrey's fusion of Black British identities from growing up in Brixton ✏️ The role of a teacher and finding his voice in a mostly white education system ⚡ Learning how to challenge dominant po...
What can an ancient tradition like Druidry teach us about living well today? In this episode of The Sacred Podcast, Elizabeth Oldfield speaks with Philip Carr-Gomm, psychologist, author, and longtime leader of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. They explore how trees and nature are sacred, the meaning of magic in everyday life, and why ancient wisdom traditions might be exactly what we need in an age of ecological crisis and polarisation. 🌳 Why trees, forests, and nature are sacred 🤝 Why B...
Elizabeth Oldfield and Rod Dreher tackle one of the most urgent and contentious questions of our time: how should nations, and individuals, relate to migrants in our midst? How do we balance compassion for migrants with the protection of vulnerable citizens? How does Christianity shape responsibilities to strangers? And why do honest conversations about these issues so often spiral into demonisation and division? 🤝This bonus episode is taken from Midwestuary 2025 and models honest disagreement ...
In a world where half of young people UK dream of becoming influencers, Jade Bowler delves into the hidden costs of this career - from burnout and loneliness to the struggle for authenticity. Jade Bowler (@UnJadedJade ) is an author, content creator, podcaster, and one of the UK’s first “StudyTubers.” Since starting her YouTube channel at 16, Jade has built a global audience and is shaping a generation interested in spirituality, self-discovery in your 20s, productivity and finding "casual magic...
In this special Ask Me Anything episode, Elizabeth Oldfield sits down with our new producer Joe, to answer some of the most moving, interesting, and challenging questions we’ve ever received.We go deep into topics of loneliness, forgiveness, parenting, the risks and rewards of finding a community, the disappointment of unmet dreams and the question of representation on the podcast.We were surprised by how often we found ourselves nodding, laughing, and even a bit emotional in response to what yo...
We’re putting together a Q+A episode and would love to hear what’s on your mind right now. If you're new here, we're all about deep conversations, exploring spirituality and our values, relational dilemmas and how to live together well, and of course talking about how to be when the world is in crisis. We welcome both big and small questions for Elizabeth and the podcast team! How to send 👇 💌 - Drop them in the comments for this episode - DM us a message / voice note / video on X, TikTok or In...
In this reflection episode, Elizabeth steps back from interviews to ask: what’s really staying with me from these conversations? We explore themes of gender, division, fear, and the deep longing for connection in a time when everything can feel like it’s falling apart - politically, socially and spiritually. We talk about: Why gender is so hard to talk about without blame The “polycrisis” and our collective fight-or-flight How contempt sneaks in and empathy fades Whether old spiritual traditions...
What happens when standing by your principles means losing your community? David French was once a Republican darling - a military veteran in Iraq, a pro-life lawyer, and a defender of religious liberty. But when he publicly opposed Donald Trump in 2016, everything changed. His church turned on him, his family received threats, and he became controversial figure in political and religious debates. In this conversation, David reflects on the cost of choosing virtue over political loyalty, why fre...
After three incredible years, we're saying goodbye to our producer, Daniel Turner. We sat down with him to reflect on his journey, asking what's making young men conservative?In this special episode of The Sacred, we debrief on what it's like to work on the podcast, explore how leadership failures challenged his faith, talk about masculinity, abortion and the influence of figures like Andrew Tate and Jordan Peterson on young men. We discuss generational divides in politics, and reflect on the gu...
In this bonus episode, Elizabeth Oldfield and Christine Emba dive deep into the heart of what it means to live a good life in turbulent times. Recorded in Washington, DC, this intimate discussion explores vulnerability, community, and finding hope when the world feels overwhelming. 🎙️ Follow The Sacred: linktr.ee/sacredpodcast 📖 Follow Elizabeth Oldfield: www.elizabetholdfield.com/ 💡 Produced by the @thinktanktheos www.theosthinktank.co.uk/ ✍️ Follow Christine: https://x.com/christineemba?l...
Fariha Róisín is a poet, Muslim, and survivor of extreme childhood trauma. In this raw, soul-baring conversation, they speak about the long road from abuse to healing - via Islam, queerness, Ayahuasca, and a radical reimagining of wellness. This is not your typical conversation about wellness, it's about what healing really takes and why the current wellness industry often gets it so wrong. 🎧 In this episode: - What Western wellness won’t tell you about trauma - How Islam became a radical site ...
We sat down with Jonathan Rauch - a gay, Jewish atheist - to explore his remarkable journey from accepting his sexuality and rejecting religion to becoming a key voice advocating for same-sex marriage and the vital role of Christianity in sustaining liberal, secular democracy. Key topics include: - Jonathan's personal wrestle with his sexuality and eventual acceptance - His commitment to gay and lesbian equality and the social conservative case for same-sex marriage - The negative effects of sec...
Bestselling author Caitlin Moran made waves with her 2011 feminist classic How to Be a Woman. Now, she’s calling for an urgent conversation about the crisis of modern masculinity.In this special live episode of The Sacred, Elizabeth Oldfield and Daniel Turner sit down with Caitlin for a hilarious, moving, and deeply honest conversation that challenges what we think we know about men, women, gender roles, and society today. Together, they explore: ✖️ The masculinity crisis and the rise of the man...
Driven by a hunger for more, Joshua Luke Smith opens up about his journey with ADHD, addiction, and the unraveling and deconstruction of his faith. In this honest conversation, he invites us to lay down hustle culture, live poetically, and rediscover the sacred in the life we already have.Together with Elizabeth Oldfield, Joshua reflects on his childhood as a missionary kid in Pakistan, the challenges of identity and belonging, and his path toward sobriety, stillness, and spiritual depth. This i...
Elizabeth Oldfield and author Lamorna Ash and take us on an unexpected journey through faith, doubt, and contemporary spirituality. Fresh from writing her groundbreaking book "Don't Forget We're Here Forever", Lamorna shares her search for meaning, her remarkable immersion in Christianity and her exploration of the surprising ways young people are rediscovering religion.--- 🎙️ Follow The Sacred: linktr.ee/sacredpodcast 📖 Follow Elizabeth Oldfield: www.elizabetholdfield.com/ 💡 Produced by the ...
