The Sacred

Daryl Davis shares a unique perspective on the motivations behind white supremacy and what it takes to see the gradual transformation of KKK members. Hosts Elizabeth Oldfield and Alex Evans, delve into the extraordinary story of Daryl Davis, a Blues musician who has spent decades befriending and dialoguing with members of the Ku Klux Klan. Driven by a deep curiosity to understand the roots of raci...

Sarah Ditum delves into her journey through the strands of feminism, the misogynistic "upskirt decade" - the invasive celebrity culture of the late 90s and 2000s that often exploited and shamed young women, and her views on the role of pornography and its impact on mainstream culture. Sarah is a critic and columnist for The Times and The Sunday Times, and author of the book "Toxic: Women and the N...

Rod Dreher and Elizabeth Oldfield delve into Rod's coverage of the Catholic sex abuse scandal, converting to Eastern Orthodoxy, his views on immigration and Donald Trump and supernatural experiences. If you enjoy episodes of The Sacred don't forget to hit subscribe to be notified whenever we release an episode! 🎙️ Follow The Sacred: linktr.ee/sacredpodcast 📖 Follow Elizabeth Oldfield: www.elizabe...

Father James Martin and our host, Elizabeth Oldfield discuss his journey to becoming a Catholic priest and the Jesuit motto of finding God in everything. We spoke about the difficulty of living a life of chastity, becoming a vocal advocate for LGBTQ inclusion within the Catholic Church and navigating backlash as a public figure. If you enjoy episodes of The Sacred don't forget to hit subscribe to...

Elizabeth Oldfield sits down with renowned Islamic theologian Dr. Timothy Winter (Abdal Hakim Murad) to explore his journey to Islam and the depth and richness that he finds within the Islamic spiritual tradition. Dr. Winter shares the story of his own transformative journey, from attending a Christian school to a deep immersion in the world of Islam. Beyond his personal narrative, Dr. Winter delv...

From two different spiritual perspectives, we explore what it means to remain connected, rooted and to live a meaning-filled life in these turbulent times. Drawing from their personal experiences and spiritual journeys, they delve into the nature of the sacred, the importance of relationships and community, and the practical steps we can take to resist being poorly formed in these times of uncerta...

We sit down with Dr. Kate Tomas, a philosopher and spiritual mentor, to discuss her experience as a psychic, and the rising discussion about younger generations and New Age/spiritual practices. Elizabeth Oldfield speaks to Kate about her upbringing and what led her to psychic work, how 'intuitive wisdom' is used by many of the world's wealthiest people, why young people are drawn to astrology and...

We sit down with Dr. Gwen Adshead, a renowned forensic psychologist and psychotherapist, to explore her remarkable approach to understanding and treating the most disturbing human behaviours and experiences. Elizabeth Oldfield speaks to Gwen about finding the sacred and the transcendent even in the darkest corners of the human experience. Through her unique lens, she bridges the divide between vic...

In this episode, recorded at the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival, Elizabeth Oldfield chats with Sam Kimbriel about how nature shapes his worldview, the growing loneliness epidemic, and the power of vulnerable friendships. Discover why philosophy is more than just an academic exercise—it’s a tool for thinking deeply and living fully. Sam Kimbriel is a political philosopher, author, and founding director...

Dear Sacred Podcast listeners, We are growing and we need your help! Whether you're a long-time listener or a new follower, we would love to hear your thoughts and feedback on the podcast. Take the survey here👇 https://biblesociety.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0V8qbAgA8S3MIw6 A massive thank you for being here from Elizabeth and The Sacred Team 🌿🤍

Join Elizabeth Oldfield and her housemates as they dive into their unconventional living arrangement, where two couples share a home in a close-knit, intentional community. In this episode, we explore the motivations behind choosing such a radically interconnected lifestyle and the profound impact it has on combating loneliness, pride and fostering connection. We discuss the challenges and rewards...

In this episode, Elizabeth Oldfield interviewed Tim Dixon about the limitations of politics in creating change, the tragic death of friend Jo Cox, and the importance of addressing the issue of polarisation and division in politics. Tim Dixon is a social entrepreneur and the co-founder of More in Common, an organisation, in the US, UK, Germany and France, that is working to unite our increasing pol...

Elizabeth Oldfield speaks to Lakwena Maciver about processing emotions, navigating comparison and using her artwork to speak powerful messages to herself and wider culture. Lakwena is a London-based artist who combines colour and bold text to inspire joy and the gentle subversion of cultural messaging. Her work has been shown internationally with brands such as H&M, Fiorucci & Mini, and at institu...

Peter Hitchens, Conservative journalist and author, is interviewed by host of The Sacred podcast, Elizabeth Oldfield. In this episode, we spoke about Peter's finding and losing faith in socialism, the role of journalism in forming our opinions, and his unexpected encounter with God. 🎙️ Follow The Sacred: linktr.ee/sacredpodcast 📖 Follow Elizabeth Oldfield: www.elizabetholdfield.com/ 💡 Produced b...

Caroline Lucas, British Politician and former leader of the Green Party is interviewed by host of The Sacred podcast, Elizabeth Oldfield. In this episode, Caroline talks about the formation of an MP, the challenges of the political system, the role of imagination and spirituality in tackling the climate crisis, and how we can reimagine a different story about England. 🎙️ Follow The Sacred: linktr....

Dacher Keltner is interviewed by Elizabeth Oldfield about counter-cultural upbringings, individualism awe, and the benefits of connecting to something bigger than yourself. Dacher is a Professor of Psychology and a leading Emotion Scientist. He hosts a podcast and has written the book 'Awe', calling us to cultivate lives that are guided by the powerful force of awe. 🎙️ Follow The Sacred: linktr.ee...

Luke is a Music Journalist, Co-Founder of The Quietus and Writer of 'Out of the Woods', a memoir about sexuality, shame and the lure of the trees. 🎙️ Follow The Sacred: linktr.ee/sacredpodcast 📖 Follow Elizabeth Oldfield: www.elizabetholdfield.com/ 💡 Produced by the Theos Think Tank: www.theosthinktank.co.uk/ ✨ Find out more about Luke's work: https://twitter.com/LukeTurnerEsq

In this episode, Gretchen speaks about her love of children's literature, why St Therese of Lisieux is her spiritual teacher, and why we might need a seminary for accidental gurus. 🎙️ Follow The Sacred: linktr.ee/sacredpodcast 📖 Follow Elizabeth Oldfield: www.elizabetholdfield.com/ 💡 Produced by the Theos Think Tank: www.theosthinktank.co.uk/ ✨ Find out more about Gretchen's work: https://gretc...

Elizabeth Oldfield, writer and host of The Sacred podcast, alongside The Sacred producer Daniel Turner introduce a brand new series of The Sacred. Themed around her latest book ‘Fully Alive’, Elizabeth speaks about finding steadiness in our turbulent times, community and the desperate need for a rebranding of the word ‘sin’. She also discusses her hopes and fears for the release of her book. 🎙️ Fo...

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...

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 psych...

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 foo...

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-...

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 durin...

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 weird...