Cross Section

Evangelical Alliance

Cross Section - Conversations at the intersection of faith, news and culture. A podcast from the Evangelical Alliance

  1. 3 DAYS AGO

    Ep 136: Faith under pressure: from antisemitism to Christian workplace rights

    In this week’s episode of Cross Section, Peter Lynas, Danny Webster and Alicia Edmund sit down to discuss the latest headlines. The episode begins with some light-hearted stories: Peter reviews the Devil Wears Prada 2, and the rest of the panel discuss the Met Gala outfits that caught their eye.   Conversation turns to the sad news that broke yesterday around Sam Allberry being stepped down from leadership at Immanuel Nashville. They reference the helpful statement that Living Out have put out, encouraging us to think about this prayerfully, with compassion.    The main discussion focuses on the Liberal Democrats admitting they unlawfully discriminated against former BBC journalist and prospective candidate David Campanale because of his Christian beliefs. In this polarised climate, with pressures and fear of cancel-culture, it can be hard to know how to talk about faith. The panel encourage us in speaking openly about Christianity, pointing to our resources that help us do so.  The episode concludes with a conversation on the recent attacks against the UK’s Jewish community. How can we respond as Christians to rising antisemitism, security fears, political responses and the wider impact of protests on community safety?    Chapters:  00:00 Welcome and agenda 01:21 Met Gala banter 02:54 Sam Allberry steps down 08:31 Lib Dems admit discrimination 18:21 Faith at work and moral leadership 27:12 Attacks on UK Jews 34:48 Polarisation and closing thoughts

    37 min

  2. 28 APR

    Ep 135: Assisted dying, a divided Britain and Russell Brand

    In this week’s episode of Cross Section, the team discuss the stopped assisted suicide bill. How has this happened? Could a similar bill come into the next parliamentary session? The team discuss the likelihood of assisted suicide returning and the fact that even if it doesn't return as a political conversation, it is still a cultural one. They also reflect on the church's role in talking about the value of life. The conversation then widens to political polarisation, governance and social cohesion. How can Christians engage and speak into our fractured, political climate? This leads into a chat about street preaching and two cases that have hit the headlines – an abortion buffer zone case in Northern Ireland and the Bread of Life Church in Essex. The episode ends with a news roundup including Russell Brand’s viral interview with Piers Morgan in which he struggled to find Isaiah and reflections on the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. https://open.substack.com/pub/zannameynell/p/from-the-femosphere-to-raye-navigating?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=post%20viewer https://www.eauk.org/news-and-views/is-the-assisted-suicide-bill-finished   Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:12 Why the bill ran out of time 03:12 Democracy and drafting legislation 09:00 Will it return? 13:17 Church response and cultural impact 17:10 Polarisation and political health 21:00 Street preaching legal cases 28:48 Gospel freedom and wise witness 31:19 News roundup 35:42 Closing encouragement

    37 min

  3. 21 APR

    Ep 134: Starmer under pressure over Mandelson - and AI ethics

    In this week’s episode, the Cross Section team discuss integrity in public life. This week we have seen the Peter Mandelson vetting controversy, the sacking and parliamentary testimony of Foreign Office civil servant Olly Robbins, and questions around Starmer’s leadership. Will the prime minister survive? What are the political implications for government authority and the upcoming King’s Speech? Could the assisted suicide bill be reintroduced in the next parliamentary session?     They also discuss the upcoming Scottish, Welsh and English local elections and the expected fragmentation amongst our five‑party politics. Check out our election page for more information on how to engage.    Conversation then turns to the proposed smartphone restrictions in schools and wider concerns about AI chatbots, including Anthropic’s meeting with Christian leaders. They debate how churches and Christians should use AI. Where can it become dangerous and unhelpful? The episode concludes with the encouragement that amongst the global chaos, many are coming to faith.    00:00 Welcome   01:32 Mandelson scandal  05:27 Competence versus integrity  09:19 Will Starmer survive?  15:16 Assisted suicide update  16:16 Scotland, Wales and local elections  19:02 Smartphone ban  21:13 Can AI have a soul?  26:41 AI in church life  33:02 Free speech and immigration  34:33 Apple CEO

    38 min

  4. 14 APR

    Bonus episode: Scottish Parliament elections and the role of the church

    This special Cross Section episode focuses on the upcoming Scottish Parliament elections on 7 May. Lynne Patterson and Chris Ringland from the Evangelical Alliance Scotland team join Zanna as they discuss their vision for Scotland, the current church and cultural context, and the political landscape. Lynne describes spiritual openness, Church of Scotland closures and mergers, and growing ethnic and cultural diversity alongside Scotland’s distinct national identity and left-leaning political culture.   Chris explains the Scottish Government’s devolved responsibilities, the role of MSPs and the additional member voting system. They highlight major election issues including the cost of living, health and social care, the economy, immigration, housing and ongoing division over independence, as well as Scotland’s high drug- and alcohol-related death rates.   They encourage prayerful voting, attending hustings and praying for leaders and the vulnerable.  Check out our election page for more information and to sign up for the prayer event.

    25 min

  5. 31 MAR

    Ep 133: Is the ‘Quiet Revival’ fake news?

    In the final episode of Season 13, Peter Lynas, Alicia Edmund and Danny Webster unpack the recent news from the Bible Society – that the YouGov data from The Quiet Revival report was invalid and has been discounted. How can we respond to this news? While this is hard to process, we must remember that the findings haven’t been proven ‘wrong’ but are unreliable. The team point to other surveys, church leader feedback and recurring stories suggesting increased spiritual openness, particularly among younger adults. The team also discuss the London ‘Together’ rally against the far right, questioning claims of unity, contested crowd sizes and the growing role of religion in public demonstrations. How, in our churches, can we bring unity amidst serious political differences? They close with reflections on church division, moving from protest to prayerful engagement, and standout news headlines from the last week. Is the 'Quiet Revival' fake news? - Evangelical Alliance https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/the-q... Chapters: 00:00 Welcome 00:29 Quiet Revival report withdrawn 01:08 Why the data failed 04:44 How surveys get skewed 06:18 Church response and hope 18:01 ‘Together’ rally 22:10 Unity, politics and faith 27:28 From protest to prayer 31:07 News picks and Easter

    37 min

  6. 27 MAR

    Bonus episode: From PIP payments to SEND: reframing the conversation on disability

    Kay Morgan-Gurr, co-founder of the Additional Needs Alliance, and Alicia Edmund discuss the politics of disability and the attitudes that underly how we approach disability within the church. They also cover how proposed changes to both Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) provision and disability benefits will impact those living with disabilities. Chapters: 0:00     Welcome 1:04     Kay's faith journey and lived experience with disability 2:52     The Get Britain Working white paper and PIP payments 9:14     Priorities for a government disability plan 11:33   Cultural attitudes and destigmatising disability 16:08   Discipleship and the role of the church for those with disabilities 24:35   Special Educational Needs reform 29:42   Practical advice for churches and closing remarks

    32 min

  7. 25 MAR

    Ep 132: Public prayer, dominance and the prince’s “quiet faith”

    Peter Lynas, Danny Webster and Zanna Meynell discuss the row over the Iftar prayer in Trafalgar Square. They talk about Nick Timothy's comment 'mass ritual prayer in public places is an act of domination.' How do we respond to this? What is the line with freedom of religion and speech? The team also talk about the Evangelical Alliance's new report Confident faith, contested culture and what this shows about how evangelicals' find sharing their faith in this cultural moment. Finally, the team discuss Prince William's comments about having a 'quiet faith'. Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 1:11 - Assisted Suicide and abortion votes 4:36 - Capybara on the loose 5:29 - Muslim prayer in Trafalgar Square 17:06 - Confident faith, contested culture report 25:50 - Prince William's 'Quiet Faith' and new Archbishop 31:33 - Closing thoughts and Easter encouragement

    32 min

  8. 17 MAR

    Ep 131: Theroux's manosphere doc and the Archbishop on abortion

    Join Alicia Edmund, Danny Webster and Peter Lynas as they discuss stories at the intersection of faith, news and culture. They discuss Louis Theroux's 'Inside the Manosphere' Netflix documentary. What has it revealed? How does the Bible speak into it and this cultural moment? The team also talk about the significant vote in the House of Lords regarding the decriminalisation of abortion. There have been some headlines around whether or not the new Archbishop of Canterbury will be there for the vote. This is a conversation Christians need to be speaking into and praying about. Chapters: 0:00 - Welcome 2:11 – Assisted suicide vote in Scotland 3:20 - Mass wedding at Lakepointe Church 5:34 - Louis Theroux and the manosphere 12:36 – Christian response to the manosphere 20:22 - Abortion and decriminalisation vote 25:09 - Archbishop of Canterbury and the vote 32:51 - Closing thoughts and encouragement

    33 min
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5
out of 5
23 Ratings

About

Cross Section - Conversations at the intersection of faith, news and culture. A podcast from the Evangelical Alliance

Information

  • Creator
    Evangelical Alliance
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2022 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Cross Section

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