Designing the Revolution

In this episode of Spirit of Revolution, Roger confronts one of the hardest questions in spiritual philosophy. If Zen teaches detachment from the self, how did Zen Buddhism become entangled with Japanese militarism and atrocities such as the Nanjing Massacre? Drawing on Buddhist, Christian and existential thought, he explores how transcendence can become either an escape from morality or the found...

The real question isn't whether everyone should have air conditioning. It's why we're still accepting the choices offered by those overseeing ecological collapse. --- For my latest updates and to support my work, sign up to my email list at rogerhallam.com/#/portal/signup You'll get a free copy of my books, like Common Sense for the 21st Century, and my film, The Troublemaker. Thousands are enteri...

In this episode of Spirit of Revolution, Roger turns to Zen Buddhism, and the wider eastern traditions of Daoism and Hinduism, to ask what happens when reason reaches its limit. Drawing on his own uneven history with Buddhism (a teenage conversion, a very difficult book, and a great deal of irritated friends) he traces a path from western philosophy's insistence on a fixed, sacred self through to...

A week of the elite's death project: historic heat across Europe, a Good Morning Britain call about air conditioning that ended before it began, and the mathematics of civilisational collapse. --------- For my latest updates and to support my work, sign up to my email list at rogerhallam.com/#/portal/signup You'll get a free copy of my books, like Common Sense for the 21st Century, and my film, Th...

The liberal press knows the scale of the problem. It just won't say what comes next. ---- For my latest updates and to support my work, sign up to my email list at rogerhallam.com/#/portal/signup You'll get a free copy of my books, like Common Sense for the 21st Century, and my film, The Troublemaker. Thousands are becoming revolutionaries across the world. Want to get involved? Sign up at https:/...

The dysfunctional state is held up less by police and security forces than by the lawyers, journalists and politicians who refuse to call this moment what it is. --- For my latest updates and to support my work, sign up to my email list at rogerhallam.com/#/portal/signup You'll get a free copy of my books, like Common Sense for the 21st Century, and my film, The Troublemaker. Thousands are enterin...

Burnham wins. The crowd cheers. The planet burns. Labour has had decades to sort this out. It hasn't. It won't. The future is populist democratic socialism or fascist barbarism. There is no third option. ---- For my latest updates and to support my work, sign up to my email list at rogerhallam.com/#/portal/signup You'll get a free copy of my books, like Common Sense for the 21st Century, and my fi...

Why progressive parties keep failing the communities they claim to represent --- For my latest updates and to support my work, sign up to my email list at rogerhallam.com/#/portal/signup You'll get a free copy of my books, like Common Sense for the 21st Century, and my film, The Troublemaker. Thousands are entering civil resistance around the world. Want to get involved? Email me at roger@rev21.ea...

The most extreme climate scenarios are off, according scientists in the conservative IPCC. However, the Godfather of Climate Science says otherwise. --- For my latest updates and to support my work, sign up to my email list at rogerhallam.com/#/portal/signup You'll get a free copy of my books, like Common Sense for the 21st Century, and my film, The Troublemaker. Thousands are entering civil resis...

A jury heard the agreed facts — 4 billion deaths at 3°C — and acquitted in under an hour. The Green Party heard the same facts and ran a scaled-back campaign. One of these responses makes sense. ==== For my latest updates and to support my work, sign up to my email list at rogerhallam.com/#/portal/signup You'll get a free copy of my books, like Common Sense for the 21st Century, and my film, The T...

This episode of The Spirit of Revolution continues the argument that the crisis we face is not only political but spiritual — in the old sense of that word. It is about what a human being is, what we are for, and why most “resistance culture” currently fails to become fit for purpose. After the Second World War the Catholic project faced a decisive temptation: to capitulate to the secular world, e...

In this episode of The Spirit of Revolution, I move from abstract questions of transcendence to how they played out historically — and politically — in the first half of the twentieth century. Following the catastrophe of the First World War, the belief that human reason alone could organise a moral world collapsed. The resulting vacuum produced both nihilism and totalitarianism. In this context,...

In this episode of The Spirit of Revolution, I begin a mini series looking at what revolutionary movements can learn from religious traditions — starting with Catholicism. This is not about belief, conversion, or theology as identity. It is about effectiveness. After Extinction Rebellion took off, journalists often asked me what climate or activist books I’d been reading. The honest answer was: ha...

This is me thinking out loud, carefully and practically, about how real political change actually happens — based on history, organising in Brixton since I was imprisoned, and a lot of experience inside movements that worked… and some that didn’t. I’m trying to lay out a usable framework for building people power in the conditions we actually face now: climate collapse, democratic breakdown, and t...

In this episode of Spirit of Revolution, Roger continues the journey beyond the Citadel — not to replace one system of power with another, but to refuse a dominant power itself as the organising principle of life and resistance. Recorded from prison, this chapter explores why real liberation does not mean arriving at a new truth, ideology, or belief system. It means staying suspended, open, and in...

Recorded from prison, this episode explores what Roger Hallam calls the Citadel: the dominant way we are taught to see the world, ourselves, and time — and how that way of seeing silently maintains power. This is not a political argument in the usual sense. It is a metaphysical one. Roger argues that real resistance does not begin with tactics or policies, but with breaking the frames that limit w...

He got five years in prison for a Zoom call. After serving 14 months, Roger Hallam reveals what prison taught him about freedom, God, and revolution. In this unfiltered talk filmed just weeks after his release, the Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil co-founder explores: 🎬 Chapters 00:00 – Introduction 00:06 – “14 Months for a Zoom Call” 03:16 – The Tipping Point 05:33 – Climate Reality Check...

This is my first full talk after being released from prison. Here's what I learnt inside, why civil disobedience matters more than ever, and why materialism on its own has failed to move people. I go into the climate science (yes, billions dead), why prison isn’t what you think it is, and why faith and transcendence still hold the key to revolution. Some people hate prison. Some people love it. I’...

How do we find the courage to act when it feels like the world is crumbling around us? In this powerful talk, Roger shares their journey from fear to resilience, the failures of modern activism, and why we must reclaim a deeper sense of purpose in our resistance. It’s not about winning or losing—it’s about doing what’s right, simply because it’s right. Join us as we explore the revolutionary power...

In this episode, Roger reflects on the profound role of ritual in life, community, and the fight for justice. From the subtlety of pouring tea in Japan to the unexpected humanity of a lunch break during a civil rights protest, Roger explores how rituals create space for connection, play, and meaning—especially in times of struggle. Ritual shields us from life's raw edges, offering moments of calm...

Trump’s re-election could feel like the end of hope, but is it really? In this talk, I explore how this moment could be the trigger we need to build a new world—one rooted in love, not power. By shifting our thinking, organising assemblies, and fostering deep connection, we can counter despair and fascism alike. I discuss the foundational human need for love and how it transforms politics, drawing...

In this podcast, I explore the deep and often confusing relationship between suffering, resilience, and transformation. We live in a world where the rational, calm approach to life doesn’t seem to be working – in fact, it’s taking us to the edge. So, what happens when we embrace vulnerability instead of avoiding it? How can suffering, something most of us wish to escape, actually become a source o...

In this episode, I reflect on the power of emotion in shaping social change. After receiving a five-year sentence, I explore how modern culture is evolving to embrace emotionality, moving beyond the cold rationalism of past centuries. Through the lens of personal experience, feminist thought, and revolutionary activism, I argue that reason and emotion are not opposites but inseparable in decision-...

In this episode of Spirit of Revolution, I challenge the materialist worldview we've all been taught to accept. I'll dive into the mind-bending implications of quantum physics, the illusion of "stuff," and how our entire social system is built on shaky ground. Together, we'll explore how changing our perception of reality—of self, the world, and even time—can free us from the prisons we've been lo...

In this episode, I explore the nature of the self and how understanding it is crucial for both personal and collective action. I share my own struggles with depression and burnout, and how I discovered the power of transcendence—separating the "I" from the emotions and beliefs that trap us. This isn’t just about mental well-being; it's about finding the inner strength to resist the crises we face....