173 episodes
The Sacred Theos think tank
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- Society & Culture
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4.8 • 167 Ratings
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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 think tank.
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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Elizabeth Oldfield on Values, Vulnerability, and the Limitations of Social Media
This series of The Sacred Elizabeth spoke with eight fascinating individuals about their core values, and how the messages, philosophies and experiences from their childhood shaped them into the people they are today.
She spoke with Greg Wise, Clementine Morrigan, Chris Packham, Katherine May, Freddie Sayers, Elizabeth Alker, Sunder Katwala and Jonathan Haidt.
In this reflection episode, Elizabeth takes a look back at all these conversations and dwells on a couple key threads that were prominent throughout.
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The Sacred is a podcast produced by the think tank Theos. Be sure to connect with us below to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events.
CONNECT WITH THE SACRED
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sacred_podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sacred_podcast/
CONNECT WITH ELIZABETH OLDFIELD
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ESOldfield
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethsaraholdfield/
Substack: https://morefullyalive.substack.com/
Pre-order her book Fully Alive: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fully-Alive-searching-twenty-first-Turbulent/dp/1399810766/ref=asc_df_1399810766/
CONNECT WITH THEOS
Theos monthly newsletter: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/
Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/
CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS
The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108
Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185 -
Jonathan Haidt on Religion, Psychedelics and the Anxious Generation
Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist, author and professor at New York University Stern School of Business. He is the author of a number of highly influential books including The Happiness Hypothesis (2006), The Righteous Mind (2012), The Coddling of the American Mind (2018), and The Anxious Generation (2024).
Jonathan spoke about the importance of truth, his atheism, experiences of using psychedelics, and why he thinks we are over protecting children in the physical world and under protecting them and in digital and online spaces.
Read the full transcript here: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/comment/2024/03/27/jonathan-haidt-on-religion-psychedelics-and-the-anxious-generation
Learn more about The Anxious Generation here: https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/
Buy The Anxious Generation here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/9780241647660?sv1=affiliate&sv_campaign_id=117976&awc=3787_1711364129_0b812600adff731b0dbd345a0ad86d49&utm_source=117976&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=Penguin+Books
Subscribe (for free) to his Substack After Babel here: https://www.afterbabel.com/
Follow Jonathan on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/JonHaidt
*****
The Sacred is a podcast produced by the think tank Theos. Be sure to connect with us below to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events.
CONNECT WITH THE SACRED
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sacred_podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sacred_podcast/
CONNECT WITH ELIZABETH OLDFIELD
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ESOldfield
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethsaraholdfield/
Substack: https://morefullyalive.substack.com/
CONNECT WITH THEOS
Theos monthly newsletter: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/
Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/
CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS
The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108
Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185 -
Sunder Katwala on Race, Identity and Reimagining Patriotism
Sunder Katwala is the Director of the think tank, British Future. who have worked on issues such as immigration and identity. He was formerly General Secretary of the Fabian Society, and before that, he was a journalist and a leader writer for The Observer.
Sunder spoke about growing up Irish Catholic, why he's broadly optimistic about the trajectory around race and identity in the UK, and why football is so central to who he is.
You can buy Sunder's book How to be a Patriot here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Patriot-country-British-culture/dp/0008553866#:~:text=Book%20overview&text=How%20to%20be%20a%20Patriot%20offers%20a%20new%20way%20of,some%20questions%20to%20work%20through.
Read the full transcript here: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/comment/2024/03/20/sunder-katwala-on-race-identity-and-reimagining-patriotism
*****
The Sacred is a podcast produced by the think tank Theos. Be sure to connect with us below to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events.
CONNECT WITH THE SACRED
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sacred_podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sacred_podcast/
CONNECT WITH ELIZABETH OLDFIELD
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ESOldfield
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethsaraholdfield/
Substack: https://morefullyalive.substack.com/
CONNECT WITH THEOS
Theos monthly newsletter: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/
Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/
CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS
The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108
Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185 -
Elizabeth Alker on Fairness, Foster Care, and Accent Stigma
Elizabeth Alker is a BBC Radio 3 presenter, and previously spent several years working at BBC Radio 6 Music.
Elizabeth spoke about growing up with parents who fostered, the role of faith in her life, fairness as a sacred value and her reflections on being northern.
Read the full transcript here: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/comment/2024/03/13/elizabeth-alker-on-fairness-foster-care-and-accent-stigma
*****
The Sacred is a podcast produced by the think tank Theos. Be sure to connect with us below to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events.
CONNECT WITH THE SACRED
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sacred_podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sacred_podcast/
CONNECT WITH ELIZABETH OLDFIELD
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ESOldfield
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethsaraholdfield/
Substack: https://morefullyalive.substack.com/
CONNECT WITH THEOS
Theos monthly newsletter: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/
Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/
CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS
The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108
Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185 -
Freddie Sayers on Political Tribalism and Questioning the Status Quo
Freddie Sayers is Editor-in-Chief of UnHerd and host of the podcast UnHerd with Freddie Sayers. He was the former Editor-in-Chief of YouGov and founder of Politics Home.
Freddie spoke about his sacred value of beauty, his unconventional path into political journalism, why he began to question some of the underlying logic and culture of liberalism, his outspoken criticism of lockdown policy's during COVID-19, and how he navigates being unorthodox and questioning without descending into tribalism.
Read the full transcript here: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/comment/2024/03/06/freddie-sayers-on-political-tribalism-and-questioning-the-status-quo
** Listen to Freddie's podcast UnHerd with Freddie Sayers here https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/unherd-with-freddie-sayers/id1540134798
*****
The Sacred is a podcast produced by the think tank Theos. Be sure to connect with us below to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events.
CONNECT WITH THE SACRED
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sacred_podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sacred_podcast/
CONNECT WITH ELIZABETH OLDFIELD
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ESOldfield
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethsaraholdfield/
Substack: https://morefullyalive.substack.com/
CONNECT WITH THEOS
Theos monthly newsletter: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/
Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/
CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS
The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108
Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185 -
Katherine May on Everyday Wonder and How to Not Be a Guru
Katherine May is the author of multiple books, both fiction and memoir, including the much celebrated Wintering and The Electricity of Every Living Thing. She most recently authored the book Enchantment: Reawakening Wonder in an Exhausted Age, and is the host of the very popular podcast How We Live Now.
Katherine spoke about seasons of life, finding wonder in the everyday, class, autism, the weirdness of becoming a 'person of wisdom' to many and how to avoid becoming an internet guru.
** You can buy a copy of Katherine's book 'Enchantment' here: https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571378357-enchantment/ **
** And check out her podcast How We Live Now here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-we-live-now-with-katherine-may/id1516642192 **
Read the full transcript here: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/comment/2024/02/28/katherine-may-on-everyday-wonder-and-how-to-not-be-a-guru
*****
The Sacred is a podcast produced by the think tank Theos. Be sure to connect with us below to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events.
CONNECT WITH THE SACRED
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sacred_podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sacred_podcast/
CONNECT WITH ELIZABETH OLDFIELD
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ESOldfield
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethsaraholdfield/
Substack: https://morefullyalive.substack.com/
CONNECT WITH THEOS
Theos monthly newsletter: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/
Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/
CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS
The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108
Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185
Customer Reviews
Waking, driving, cooking companion
This has been a phenomenal season - loved all the episodes in different ways and have been hugely helpful in navigating cultural and theological ideas which bubble away in my life. Will miss it! Come back soon!
Wider range of voices needed
The conversations here are worth listening to and the way the interviews are handled is impressive. I am always left with something to think about as a result of listening. I don’t think the range of voices is as wide as suggested with most guests leaning to the right, even as they claim they do not or claim the label is redundant. Some space for other voices would be refreshing.
Always enlightening and humanising.
Grateful for this wee podcast with a big heart. Elizabeth is so interested in the people she interviews, and accomplished in setting aside her own agenda. We always find out something new about our shared and varied human experiences. I only wish the interviews were longer.