The Sacred

Theos Think Tank
  • 4.5 (25)
  • Relationships
  • Updated Weekly

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

  1. 1d ago

    "I'm Painfully British": What it Means to be British and Muslim Right Now | Mehreen Khan

    What does it mean to be visibly Muslim in British public life right now? Mehreen Khan has been living that question since she was eleven years old - when 9/11 turned her faith into something she had to defend. She's now Economics Editor at The Times, the first woman and first person of colour in the role, and one of the most outspoken Muslim voices in mainstream British journalism. We cover: • What Islam really means to her — the concept of fitrah and why faith makes you a better journalist • How 9/11 turned Islam into a punk identity for Mehreen and ego death • Being the first woman and first person of colour as Economics Editor at The Times Davos, elite financial circles, and what you see when you're inside the room • Money: why economics is never morally neutral, and what it might look like to bring moral imagination back to capitalism • What it means to be visibly Muslim in Britain right now • Why Mehreen is quietly rooting for the revival of Christianity in British public life --- Our guests and listeners to our podcast come from all kinds of perspectives and what draws us together is a desire to be self-aware about our own values and curious about other peoples. Comment your reflections below, we read them all👇 The Sacred is produced in partnership with Comment Magazine, and with support from The Jerusalem Trust and Open Society Foundations. 🎙️Listen to The Sacred: linktr.ee/sacredpodcast 📖 Follow Elizabeth Oldfield: www.elizabetholdfield.com/ 💡Produced by Theos Think Tank in partnership with Comment Magazine 👉 See Mehreen's writing: https://www.thetimes.com/profile/mehreen-khan

    1h 9m

  2. Jun 10

    Boarding School Britain and The Things We Normalise | Hugo Rifkind

    Hugo Rifkind has spent his career observing power. He also grew up inside it — and never quite felt he belonged there. In this episode, he talks about: • The Scottish boarding school where violence was a point of pride... until a public inquiry forced the question • About being Jewish in public life since October 7th, and what it felt like when the people his community relied on weren't there • The thing he values most — connection — and his honest admission that what he often really means is something more one-sided than that 🎙️Listen to The Sacred: linktr.ee/sacredpodcast 📖 Follow Elizabeth Oldfield: www.elizabetholdfield.com/ 💡Produced by Theos Think Tank in partnership with Comment Magazine and with support from The Jerusalem Trust and Open Society Foundations 👉 Follow Hugo Rifkind: https://www.instagram.com/p/DXmPHlqo1Jf/?hl=en-gb

    1h 9m

  3. May 27

    Psychedelics, Consciousness and Changing Your Mind | Michael Pollan

    Michael Pollan tried psychedelics at 55. What he found changed everything he thought he knew. Michael is not a mystic or a guru. He is the kind of writer that scientists, doctors and serious intellectuals trust - someone who changed the way millions of people think about food, farming and the natural world. So when Michael Pollan tried psychedelics at 55 and came back saying the certainties had started to dissolve - the world began to listen in a way they simply wouldn't have for anyone else. In this conversation, Michael and Elizabeth explore what it actually means to be conscious — and whether we're squandering it. Why does every psychedelic trip seem to arrive at the same slightly cliché and yet, beautiful conclusions? What have we lost by building a science of the mind that brackets out the body, the emotions and everything that actually feels like something? Why is the cool, analytical part of our brain so much louder than the part that knows how to be present — and who benefits from keeping it that way? And what are the algorithms really stealing when they steal our attention? They cover: • Why science keeps getting within reach of explaining consciousness — and then losing its nerve • What psychedelics reveal that embarrasses serious researchers (and why that embarrassment is the clue) • The Silicon Valley bid to upload consciousness • How to protect your attention in an age designed to steal it • Why not-knowing might be the most important skill of our time -- Our guests and listeners to our podcast come from all kinds of perspectives and what draws us together is a desire to be self-aware about our own values and curious about other peoples. Comment your reflections below, we read them all👇 The Sacred is produced in partnership with Comment Magazine, and with support from The Jerusalem Trust and Open Society Foundations. 🎙️Listen to The Sacred: linktr.ee/sacredpodcast 📖 Follow Elizabeth Oldfield: www.elizabetholdfield.com/ 💡Produced by Theos Think Tank: www.theosthinktank.co.uk/👉 Michael Pollan's book on Consciousness: https://michaelpollan.com/books/how-to-change-your-mind/ -- Chapters 0:00 - Intro trailer 01:45 - What is Sacred to you? Michael Pollan answers 3:45 - When the ego dissolves: what psychedelics actually do 4:25 - Growing up with an alcoholic father and becoming the man with all the answers 6:01 - 'How to Change Your Mind; shifted culture 6:25 - Michael's lifelong obsession with nature 7:22 - Why feelings became an embarrassment to science 8:16 - First experience of psychedelics 9:18 - Is consciousness being polluted — and do we even notice?10:18 - Silicon Valley wants to upload the soul. Here's why that's terrifying 26:13 - Why being a sceptic, not an expert, made the psychedelic book so influential 28:33 - How writers sense a cultural shift before it happens 30:25 - The president who colonised our consciousness and won't leave 32:06 - Elizabeth's encounter with God at age 11 36:33 - The Zen cave, Roshi Joan Halifax, and learning to not know 41:27 - We can't afford to be anything less than present 43:24 - How men get scripted out of their own inner lives 46:10 - Consciousness as the secular word for soul 49:04 - Protect your inner life from the algorithm 52:12 - Why don't they just make a baby? The funniest moment in the book 54:24 - Ayahuasca, idealism and the scientist who changed his mind twice 56:06 - Cultivating the don't-know mind 56:32 - Elizabeth's reflections

    1h 3m

  4. May 13

    Bake Off, Alopecia & Learning to Be Yourself with Jasmine Mitchell

    What happens after winning Bake Off? Jasmine Mitchell joins us to talk about perfectionism, alopecia, self-image, and learning to be fully yourself in a world obsessed with image. Jasmine reflects on growing up in a home shaped by hospitality, losing her hair as a teenager, learning to let go of perfection, and the unexpected journey that took her from medical school to winning British Bake Off 2025. Elizabeth Oldfield and Jasmine explore: • Why “go slow” became Jasmine’s grounding philosophy • Her journey with alopecia and being fully seen • Reality TV, public image and is Bake Off different from the rest?• Why hospitality and shared meals matter so deeply -- 🎙️Listen to The Sacred: linktr.ee/sacredpodcast 📖 Follow Elizabeth Oldfield: www.elizabetholdfield.com/ 💡Produced by Theos Think Tank: www.theosthinktank.co.uk/👉 Follow Jasmine: https://www.instagram.com/jasmine.mitchell/tagged/?hl=en

    55 min

  5. Apr 16

    Why I’m Still Hooked On This Podcast (After 9 Years!)

    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 Maff Potts says, “the answer to our problems is each other.” So this is a practice, a community and a place to sit with the hard questions and we're really glad you’re doing it with us. — The Sacred Team - Elizabeth, Josh, Amari & Joe 👀 You may notice that our visuals have been levelled up. We’re delighted that our team is growing and The Sacred will be getting a lot more beautiful and creative! ✍️ Substack: https://thesacredpodcast.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips 💡 Theos Think Tank: www.theosthinktank.co.uk/

    12 min

  6. Apr 1

    The Myth of the Neutral Human with Leah Libresco Sargeant

    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 conversation explores feminism, gender difference, care, and what it really means to take morality seriously. Leah is the writer of Dignity of Dependence, works in of family policy and is the host of Other Feminisms on Substack. -- ✍️ Find us on Substack: https://thesacredpodcast.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips 📖 Follow Elizabeth Oldfield: www.elizabetholdfield.com/ 💡 Produced by Theos Think Tank: www.theosthinktank.co.uk/👉Check out Leah's substack: https://www.otherfeminisms.com/

    1h 11m

  7. Mar 18

    Are You Living a Life You Didn’t Choose? With Dr Rangan Chatterjee

    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 life. This left Dr Rangan with the question 'Dad, was it worth it?" This conversation opens up topics that many of us choose to avoid: • Workaholism and the drive for more • What it really means to define “success” for yourself • What it takes to consciously choose what we carry forward from our parents Dr Rangan Chatterjee is a former GP, bestselling author and one of the UK’s most recognisable voices on a holistic approach to health. -- 🎙️Listen to The Sacred: linktr.ee/sacredpodcast\ 📖 Follow Elizabeth Oldfield: www.elizabetholdfield.com/ 💡Produced by Theos Think Tank: www.theosthinktank.co.uk/👉 Check out Dr Rangan's podcast, Feel Better Live More: https://drchatterjee.com/podcast-epis... Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:50 What is Sacred to You? Dr. Rangan Chatterjee answers 1:31 Staying connected to family roots 2:09 Career sacrifices and setting boundaries 5:14 Being non-judgmental around boundaries 6:23 Understanding empathy from a most-wanted criminal 9:11 Everyone's story makes sense 12:06 Indian upbringing vs western culture at school 13:41 Integrating eastern values into modern life 15:35 Teaching respect and kindness to children 17:29 Father's work ethic and health impact 19:41 "Was it worth it?" 22:29 Recognising overworking and knowing what is enough 24:51 Surprising personal interests and finding joy 27:30 Spiritual awakening, introspection and personal growth 29:19 Whose life are you leading? 33:39 Are you religious? 36:23 Responding to negative comments with kindness 39:56 Meaningful living and the importance of relationships, humour, and belief Keywords:values, grief and growth, redefining success, what is enough, living with intention, family and sacrifice, work life balance, burnout and overwork, meaning of life, personal growth, self reflection, life purpose, inner work, emotional wellbeing, mental health, lifestyle medicine, holistic health, parenting and values, legacy and inheritance, immigrant family story, identity and belonging, cultural identity, compassion and empathy, curiosity over judgment, relationships and connection, modern life stress, slowing down, presence and mindfulness, gratitude practice, life transitions, dealing with loss, grief and clarity, success vs happiness, redefining ambition, work ethic rethink, conscious living, self awareness, asking better questions, deep conversations, philosophy of life, spirituality and meaning, living authentically, personal values, making better choices, life design, happiness and contentment, avoiding burnout, healing generational patterns, carrying forward what matters

    1 hr

  8. Mar 4

    I Don’t Believe in the Sacred | Doubt, Reading and Muddling Through with Stig Abell

    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 • Detective fiction and our longing for resolution • The exhausting, competitive condition of modern life --- 🎙️Listen to The Sacred: linktr.ee/sacredpodcast 📖 Follow Elizabeth Oldfield: www.elizabetholdfield.com/ 💡Produced by Theos Think Tank: www.theosthinktank.co.uk/ 👉 Check out Stig’s work: https://www.instagram.com/thestigabell/?hl=en Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:28 What is Sacred to You? Stig Abell Answers02:48 Questioning the Concept of the Sacred 04:32 Suspicion of Institutions and Freedom in Randomness 06:13 The Principles of Fairness and Kindness 08:56 Work ethics, Loughborough roots, and the story behind “Stig" 12:11 Reading and the Pre-internet childhood 14:35 Reading as Empathy and Sacred Practice 15:58 The Nature of Doubt and Certainty 17:42 Evolution, Randomness, and Meaning Without Agency 19:59 Do “holy” moments require God? 23:54 The Press and Public Appetite For Bad News 29:56 Navigating the Complexities of Journalism 32:02 Navigating the Media Landscape 36:05 Being unboxable, tribal politics, and scepticism as a way of life 37:58 Highbrow, Lowbrow, and the Freedom to Read Widely 39:32 Imposter Syndrome and Self-Perception 43:17 The Comfort of Genre Fiction 46:42 The Search for Justice in Storytelling 49:24 The Human Need for Narrative 54:03 The Crisis of Modern Existence 56:41 Quiet Struggles and the Fear of Being Useless 58:51 Recognising Flaws in Ourselves and Others Keywords: A wide-ranging conversation with Stig Abell on doubt, belief, meaning, secularism, faith and scepticism, fairness and kindness, journalism and media ethics, detective fiction and crime novels, books and reading as refuge, panic attacks and anxiety, modern life and burnout, human rights and Christianity’s cultural legacy, tribalism and political identity, institutions and individual conscience, and how to live well - or at least muddle through - in an age of uncertainty and infinite scroll.

    1h 6m
See All (242)

Trailer

4.5
out of 5
25 Ratings

About

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

Information

  • Creator
    Theos Think Tank
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    242
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Theos Think Tank
  • Show Website
    The Sacred

You Might Also Like