The Sacred
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. 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.
Episodes
Award-winning journalist and filmmaker Mobeen Azhar and Elizabeth Oldfield to talk about his extraordinary career telling hidden and untold stories - from interviewing white supremacists, extremists, drug dealers, and killers; exposing police corruption, cults, and cover-ups; and told raw stories from inside prisons, mosques, and nightclubs.
In an age of outrage and dehumanisation, Mobeen's journalism combats hate and demonisation ...
Grief, peace, and the search for steadiness of soul - comedian, writer and Griefcast host Cariad Lloyd joins Elizabeth Oldfield to talk about the gift and absurdity of grief.
Cariad opens up about her father’s death, comedy as survival, and the small, sacred acts that keep her grounded. She also shares what it means to raise her kids with honesty about loss and how humour helps us stay human in the face of death.
---
🎙️ Follow The S...
Why honest conversations about race, class and power make us defensive - and why should we face them anyway.
Author, teacher and broadcaster Jeffrey Boakye joins Elizabeth Oldfield to talk about truth, joy, race and power and why he believes we can’t fix what we’re too scared to face.
We speak about:
👊🏾 Jeffrey's fusion of Black British identities from growing up in Brixton
✏️ The role of a teacher and finding his voice in a mos...
What can an ancient tradition like Druidry teach us about living well today?
In this episode of The Sacred Podcast, Elizabeth Oldfield speaks with Philip Carr-Gomm, psychologist, author, and longtime leader of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids.
They explore how trees and nature are sacred, the meaning of magic in everyday life, and why ancient wisdom traditions might be exactly what we need in an age of ecological crisis and pol...
Elizabeth Oldfield and Rod Dreher tackle one of the most urgent and contentious questions of our time: how should nations, and individuals, relate to migrants in our midst? How do we balance compassion for migrants with the protection of vulnerable citizens? How does Christianity shape responsibilities to strangers? And why do honest conversations about these issues so often spiral into demonisation and division?
🤝This bonus ep...
In a world where half of young people UK dream of becoming influencers, Jade Bowler delves into the hidden costs of this career - from burnout and loneliness to the struggle for authenticity.
Jade Bowler (@UnJadedJade ) is an author, content creator, podcaster, and one of the UK’s first “StudyTubers.” Since starting her YouTube channel at 16, Jade has built a global audience and is shaping a generation interested in spirituality, s...
In this special Ask Me Anything episode, Elizabeth Oldfield sits down with our new producer Joe, to answer some of the most moving, interesting, and challenging questions we’ve ever received.We go deep into topics of loneliness, forgiveness, parenting, the risks and rewards of finding a community, the disappointment of unmet dreams and the question of representation on the podcast.We were surprised by how often we found ourselves n...
We’re putting together a Q+A episode and would love to hear what’s on your mind right now.
If you're new here, we're all about deep conversations, exploring spirituality and our values, relational dilemmas and how to live together well, and of course talking about how to be when the world is in crisis.
We welcome both big and small questions for Elizabeth and the podcast team!
How to send👇 💌
- Drop them in the comments for this episo...
In this reflection episode, Elizabeth steps back from interviews to ask: what’s really staying with me from these conversations?
We explore themes of gender, division, fear, and the deep longing for connection in a time when everything can feel like it’s falling apart - politically, socially and spiritually.
We talk about:
Why gender is so hard to talk about without blame
The “polycrisis” and our collective fight-or-flight
How conte...
What happens when standing by your principles means losing your community?
David French was once a Republican darling - a military veteran in Iraq, a pro-life lawyer, and a defender of religious liberty. But when he publicly opposed Donald Trump in 2016, everything changed. His church turned on him, his family received threats, and he became controversial figure in political and religious debates.
In this conversation, David reflects...
After three incredible years, we're saying goodbye to our producer, Daniel Turner. We sat down with him to reflect on his journey, asking what's making young men conservative?In this special episode of The Sacred, we debrief on what it's like to work on the podcast, explore how leadership failures challenged his faith, talk about masculinity, abortion and the influence of figures like Andrew Tate and Jordan Peterson on young men. W...
In this bonus episode, Elizabeth Oldfield and Christine Emba dive deep into the heart of what it means to live a good life in turbulent times.
Recorded in Washington, DC, this intimate discussion explores vulnerability, community, and finding hope when the world feels overwhelming.
🎙️ Follow The Sacred: linktr.ee/sacredpodcast
📖 Follow Elizabeth Oldfield: www.elizabetholdfield.com/
💡 Produced by the @thinktanktheos www.the...
Fariha Róisín is a poet, Muslim, and survivor of extreme childhood trauma. In this raw, soul-baring conversation, they speak about the long road from abuse to healing - via Islam, queerness, Ayahuasca, and a radical reimagining of wellness.
This is not your typical conversation about wellness, it's about what healing really takes and why the current wellness industry often gets it so wrong.
🎧 In this episode:
- What Western wellness ...
We sat down with Jonathan Rauch - a gay, Jewish atheist - to explore his remarkable journey from accepting his sexuality and rejecting religion to becoming a key voice advocating for same-sex marriage and the vital role of Christianity in sustaining liberal, secular democracy.
Key topics include:
- Jonathan's personal wrestle with his sexuality and eventual acceptance
- His commitment to gay and lesbian equality and the social conserv...
Bestselling author Caitlin Moran made waves with her 2011 feminist classic How to Be a Woman.
Now, she’s calling for an urgent conversation about the crisis of modern masculinity.In this special live episode of The Sacred, Elizabeth Oldfield and Daniel Turner sit down with Caitlin for a hilarious, moving, and deeply honest conversation that challenges what we think we know about men, women, gender roles, and society today.
Toget...
Driven by a hunger for more, Joshua Luke Smith opens up about his journey with ADHD, addiction, and the unraveling and deconstruction of his faith. In this honest conversation, he invites us to lay down hustle culture, live poetically, and rediscover the sacred in the life we already have.Together with Elizabeth Oldfield, Joshua reflects on his childhood as a missionary kid in Pakistan, the challenges of identity and belonging, and...
Elizabeth Oldfield and author Lamorna Ash and take us on an unexpected journey through faith, doubt, and contemporary spirituality. Fresh from writing her groundbreaking book "Don't Forget We're Here Forever", Lamorna shares her search for meaning, her remarkable immersion in Christianity and her exploration of the surprising ways young people are rediscovering religion.---
🎙️ Follow The Sacred: linktr.ee/sacredpodcast 📖 Follow El...
Elizabeth Oldfield reflects on our latest episodes — and how the mood of our audience is changing in a world of wars, elections, and rising turbulence. She offers a powerful reminder: by choosing to listen, and stepping outside our algorithmic echo chambers, we can resist the forces driving us apart.
---
🎟️ Book your ticket for the SACRED LIVE: https://linktr.ee/sacredpodcast
🎙️ Follow The Sacred: linktr.ee/sacredpodcast
📖 Follow E...
How do we recognise the humanity on both sides of the Israel-Gaza conflict? Elizabeth Oldfield asks CNN's former Jerusalem Bureau Chief, Richard Allen Greene about journalism, his Jewish faith, and human understanding in the midst of the Israel-Gaza conflict.Key Moments:- Inside the CNN Jerusalem Bureau during October 7th- The challenge of reporting on the Israel-Gaza war- Navigating personal trauma and professional objectivity...
Elizabeth spoke to Olympic legend Kriss Akabusi reveals the extraordinary journey from a challenging childhood foster care during the Nigerian civil war, to becoming a world-class athlete and inspirational figure.
We spoke about:
💪 How discipline and sports became his pathway to self-discovery
🇳🇬 Reconnecting with his Nigerian roots and identity after years of rejecting it
🎙️ His spiritual awakening and complex relationship...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!