Martin Shaw is a mythologist and author of the award-winning, Branch from a Lightning Tree. Felix Marquardt has worn many hats over his career from author to entrepreneur to French rap producer. He is also the co-founder of Black Elephant - an experiential social network based on vulnerability.

They spoke about their respective religious conversations to Orthodox Christianity and Islam, the power of myths and storytelling and the role of vulnerability in bridging divides.

This recording took place in Patmos and is an audio only episode.

Read the full transcript here: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/comment/2023/07/05/martin-shaw-felix-marquardt-on-religious-conversion-being-vulnerable-and-the-power-of-myths

Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:47 What is sacred to you? Martin Shaw and Felix Marquardt’s answers.
00:06:59 Martin’s childhood: Christianity, punk rock, and holding onto conscience
00:10:26 Martin – turning down a career in music, tent living, and rediscovering myths
00:21:11 Martin – A hundred and one nights on Dartmoor and a transformational experience
00:30:36 Felix’s childhood: toxic French secularism, fear of eternity, and escapism through drugs
00:36:58 Felix – Faith through recovery, the 12 Step movement, and showing reverence for synchronicity
00:49:50 Black Elephant: well-sealed vessels, breaking down barriers and trading growth for depth
00:57:23 The Black Elephant Question: common ground beyond the topical and the superficial
01:09:13 Reflection and Outro

*****

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Wes Streeting is the the Labour MP for Ilford North, and was elected in 2015. Since being elected he has been appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. He is also the author of the soon-to-be-released memoir 'One Boy, Two Bills and a Fry Up'.

Wes spoke about his childhood growing up in a council flat and the figures that raised him, his journey with his faith and sexuality, and navigating political divides within the House of Commons.

You can purchase Wes' new book, 'One Boy, Two Bills and a Fry Up', here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Boy-Two-Bills-Fry/dp/1399710109/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1687772807&refinements=p_27%3AWes+Streeting&s=books&sr=1-1

Read the full transcript here: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/comment/2023/06/28/wes-streeting-mp-on-growing-up-in-a-council-flat-and-why-politics-matters

*****

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Inaya Folarin Iman is a political commentator and former GB News presenter. Her written work has appeared in the The Telegraph, Politics Home, UnHerd, Spiked and The Daily Mail. She is also the director and founder of the Equiano Project, which is as "a debate, discussion and ideas forum" that "focuses on race, culture and politics".

Inaya spoke about her childhood which involved moving many times, growing up with a single mother, the ingrained conservatism that many immigrants have and why free speech is vital to a flourishing society.

Check out more from The Equiano Project here: https://www.theequianoproject.com/

Read the full transcript here: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/comment/2023/06/21/inaya-folarin-iman-on-race-immigrant-conservatism-and-the-importance-of-free-speech

*****

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Patrick Deneen a professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame and author of multiple books including the upcoming 'Regime Change: Toward a Postliberal Future'.

Patrick spoke about his childhood and the relationships built by a 'front porch' community culture, why liberalism has failed, and what a postliberal future looks like.

Read the full transcript here: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/comment/2023/06/14/patrick-deneen-on-the-failure-of-liberalism-and-the-importance-of-relational-living

Purchase a copy of his book, Regime Change, here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Regime-Change-Towards-Postliberal-Future/dp/1800753292

*****

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Audrey Assad is an American-Syrian singer-songwriter who since the start of her career has released 6 studio albums and 4 EPs. She is also the author of the blog 'The Violet Fields' which explores topics such as consciousness and creativity.

Audrey spoke about her childhood growing up in a fundamentalist Christian community and subsequent conversion to Catholicism, her career as a musician and the role music has played in her life, and her public deconstruction from the Christian faith.

You can find her music and blog on her website here: https://www.audreyassad.com/

Read the full transcript here: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/comment/2023/06/07/audrey-assad-on-faith-deconstruction-and-music-as-an-outlet-for-spiritual-angst

*****

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.

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Dougald Hine is a social thinker, writer and speaker. After an early career as a BBC journalist, he co-founded organisations including the Dark Mountain Project and a school called HOME. He is most recently the author of the book 'At Work in the Ruins'.

Dougald spoke about his childhood growing up in the United Reformed Church, his decision to leave the BBC, and how to respond to the 'end of the world'.

Read the full transcript here: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/comment/2023/05/31/dougald-hine-on-climate-change-and-how-to-respond-to-a-bleak-looking-future

Buy a copy of his book 'At Work in the Ruins' here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/At-Work-Ruins-Pandemics-Emergencies/dp/164502184X

*****

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.

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Abi Morgan is a screenwriter and playwright with a career spanning 25 years in TV, Film and Theatre. She is the creator of films such as 'The Iron Lady', TV shows such as 'The Hour', and is most recently the author of the very successful book, 'This is Not a Pity Memoir'.

She spoke about her journey into writing, how stories give us a sense of self, and how she makes any kind of meaning out of the multiple tragic events that she has experienced.

Buy a copy of her book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Pity-Memoir-heartbreaking-life-affirming/dp/152938835X/ref=asc_df_152938835X/

Read the full transcript here: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/comment/2023/05/24/abi-morgan-on-finding-meaning-in-tragedy

*****

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This video is of a live recording of The Sacred podcast on 19 April 2023 at the UnHerd Cafe. Elizabeth Oldfield was joined by Oliver Burkeman.

Oliver is a British author and journalist, formerly writing the weekly column This Column Will Change Your Life for The Guardian newspaper, and is one of the leading voices on productivity, mortality and the power of limits. He has published multiple books on the topic of productivity and happiness, including the New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller, Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals (2021).

He spoke about living a meaningful life, living in the present moment and the liberating nature of 'hitting the bottom'. He also participated in a Q&A with the audience at the end.

Read the full transcript here: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/comment/2023/04/26/sacred-live-oliver-burkeman-on-living-a-meaningful-life-in-the-present-moment

Purchase a copy of his book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Four-Thousand-Weeks-Embrace-limits/dp/1784704008/ref=asc_df_1784704008/

*****

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.

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**Upcoming Sacred Live on April 19**

Join Elizabeth Oldfield and Oliver Burkeman on April 19 for a live recording of The Sacred with a time for Q&A. Get your tickets today using the promo code SACREDLIVE2023: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sacred-live-feat-elizabeth-oldfield-and-oliver-burkeman-tickets-565116999157

Elizabeth Oldfield reflects on Series 6 of The Sacred. This series she spoke to Nick Cave, Sean O'Hagan, Clover Stroud, Jared Yates Sexton, Yoram Hazony, Tanni Grey Thompson, Katharine Birbalsingh, Lizzie Damilola Blackburn and Kate Bowler, and in these conversations explored topics such as grief, living life to the fullest, what we pass on to the next generation, Paul Bunyan, Marvel Movies and fundamentally what it means to be human.

Visit our channel to find all of the Series 6 episodes and more!

*****

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.

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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

**Upcoming Sacred Live on April 19**

Join Elizabeth Oldfield and Oliver Burkeman on April 19 for a live recording of The Sacred with a time for Q&A. Get your tickets today using the promo code SACREDLIVE2023: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sacred-live-feat-elizabeth-oldfield-and-oliver-burkeman-tickets-565116999157

Kate Bowler is a three-time New York Times bestselling author, and Associate Professor of American Religious History at Duke University. Kate is also the host of the Everything Happens podcast where she talks to people about what they’ve learned in difficult times.

She spoke about tragicomedy, finding purpose during times of suffering and why the prosperity gospel and manifesting are so problematic.

Read the full transcript here: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/comment/2023/03/08/kate-bowler-on-tragicomedy-and-the-errors-of-manifesting-and-prosperity-gospel

CHAPTERS
(00:00) Introduction
(03:11) What is sacred to you? Kate Bowler’s answer
(08:27) Slick preachers, televangelists and women religious celebrities
(11:49) Childhood, religion as a worldview, and the lovely nosiness of theology
(17:26) Entering academia: dreams, sacrifices, and the horrible truth
(21:19) Gendered misdiagnosis, colon cancer and incredible support
(27:48) Desperate forms of Christianity and the prosperity gospel’s ubiquity
(34:49) The reason for cancer and the life raft of Love
(40:40) A book for letting go and a podcast for fighting loneliness
(47:42) On how to be supportive to someone who is suffering
(53:35) The distortions of social media and how to bowl down the middle
(57:16) The ‘faux secular’ perfect world of #blessed, and genuine blessing
(61:17) Elizabeth Oldfield’s reflection on her conversation with Kate Bowler

*****

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.

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Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185