

Irreverend: Faith and Current Affairs
J.A. Franklin, T.J. Pelham, Daniel French
Are you wondering how a Christian should respond to current events? What are we to think about a world that appears to be going absolutely mad? How are we to discern the signs of the times? In this podcast, featuring The Reverend Thomas Pelham, The Reverend Daniel French, The Reverend Doctor J.A. Franklin and the occasional guest, we attempt to give some answers. Email us at irreverendpod@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @irreverendpod or on Telegram at https://t.me/irreverendpod. We also have a youtube channel which can be found by searching Irreverend: Faith and Current Affairs! If you would like to support the show, which can be done from £1.50 plus VAT per month, you can join our Patreon community. Please go to www.patreon.com/irreverend
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 11, 2025 • 1h 23min
Stark Raving Faith: Rev J Deconstructs David Starkey's Critique of Christianity
With reason, argument and inconvenient facts, Church of England rev with a difference Jamie Franklin EXPLODES historian David Starkey's recent assault on Christianity which he gave on Andrew Gold's Heretics podcast.ORDER NOW JAMIE'S NEW BOOK THE GREAT RETURN!Please Support the Podcast!You make Irreverend possible. You can now support us on Substack! https://irreverendpod.substack.com/. Or support us on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/irreverend) or Buy Me a Coffee (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/irreverend). To make a direct donation or to get in touch with questions or comments please email irreverendpod@gmail.com!Notices:Daniel French Substack: https://undergroundchurch.substack.com/Jamie Franklin Substack: https://jamiefranklin.substack.comIrreverend Substack: https://irreverendpod.substack.comFollow us on Twitter: https://x.com/IrreverendPodFind me a church: https://irreverendpod.com/church-finder/Join our Irreverend Telegram group: https://t.me/irreverendpodFind links to our episodes, social media accounts and ways to support us at https://www.irreverendpod.com!Thursday Circles: http://thursdaycircle.com Support the show

Apr 4, 2025 • 1h 10min
Welby in the BBC Confessional
Join rev with a difference Jamie Franklin, as he comments on Justin Welby's most recent public appearance alongside Laura Kuenssberg and notes the surprising influence of the hit Netflix show Adolescence within the Church of England!ORDER NOW JAMIE'S NEW BOOK THE GREAT RETURN!Please Support the Podcast!You make Irreverend possible. You can now support us on Substack! https://irreverendpod.substack.com/. Or support us on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/irreverend) or Buy Me a Coffee (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/irreverend). Notices:Daniel French Substack: https://undergroundchurch.substack.com/Jamie Franklin Substack: https://jamiefranklin.substack.comIrreverend Substack: https://irreverendpod.substack.comFollow us on Twitter: https://x.com/IrreverendPodFind me a church: https://irreverendpod.com/church-finder/Join our Irreverend Telegram group: https://t.me/irreverendpodFind links to our episodes, social media accounts and ways to support us at https://www.irreverendpod.com!Thursday Circles: http://thursdaycircle.com Support the show

Mar 28, 2025 • 1h 13min
Adolescence; The Persecution of Christians in Syria; Assisted Suicide Bill Watered Down; Easter Cancelled in Local School
The hosts dive into the provocative themes of the hit show 'Adolescence', questioning if it sheds light on social issues or simply stirs controversy. They tackle the troubling persecution of Christians in Syria, highlighting the deafening silence from mainstream religious institutions. The conversation shifts to the watering down of assisted suicide legislation, raising ethical alarms about its implications. Finally, they stir debate over a local school's decision to cancel Easter celebrations in favor of other religious events, sparking concerns about the representation of Christianity.

Mar 14, 2025 • 2h 3min
Anti-Racist Activism in the Diocese of Norwich, Giving Up Atheism for Lent, and Home Education Under Attack w/ Randall Hardy
Rev with a difference Jamie Franklin tackles the Diocese of Norwich's anti-racism toolkit debacle and Giles Cohen's piece on giving up atheism for Lent. Then a special interview with home education activist Randall Hardy on the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill and the concerns that it presents to home educators. All that and more as always. Enjoy!ORDER NOW JAMIE'S NEW BOOK THE GREAT RETURN!Please Support the Podcast!You make Irreverend possible. You can now support us on Substack! https://irreverendpod.substack.com/. Or support us on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/irreverend) or Buy Me a Coffee (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/irreverend). Links: No Nationalisation of Our Kids – Taking a stand against Educational Bureaucratshttps://northshropshe.wordpress.com/The Blob Has Sunk to New Depths in Its Quest to Destroy Educational Freedom – Randall Hardy, The Daily Sceptichttps://dailysceptic.org/2025/02/06/the-blob-has-sunk-to-new-depths-in-its-quest-to-destroy-educational-freedom/Phillipson is Letting the Blob Run Rings Around Her – Randall Hardy, The Daily Sceptichttps://dailysceptic.org/2025/03/07/phillipson-is-letting-the-blob-run-rings-around-her/Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill 2024 – The HE Bytehttps://he-byte.uk/cws-bill-2024-england/Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill: more questions than answers | Defend Digital Mehttps://defenddigitalme.org/2024/12/17/childrens-wellbeing-and-schools-bill-more-questions-than-answers/Policy | Defend Digital Mehttps://defenddigitalme.org/policy/policy/Two Dangerous Bills | Reclaim Rights for Childrenhttps://rightsforchildren.uk/two-dangerous-bills/Educational Freedomhttps://educationalfreedom.org.uk/Ed Yourselfhttps://edyourself.orgNotices:Daniel French Substack: https://undergroundchurch.substack.com/Jamie Franklin Substack: https://jamiefranklin.substack.comIrreverend Substack: https://irreverendpod.substack.comFollow us on Twitter: https://x.com/IrreverendPodFind me a church: https://irreverendpod.com/church-finder/Join our Irreverend Telegram group: https://t.me/irreverendpodFind links to our episodes, social media accounts and ways to support us at https://www.irreverendpod.com!Thursday Circles: http://thursdaycircle.coSupport the show

Mar 7, 2025 • 1h 24min
Trump vs. Zelenskyy: War or Peace in Europe?
Church of England revs with a difference Tom Pelham and Jamie Franklin sit down to talk about the biggest stories in church and state. This time we talk about the Church of England comms team's strange decision to release a video about Climate Change on Shrove Tuesday after which we get our teeth into the major geopolitical events of the week: Starmer's visit to the White House; the apocalyptic clash between Trump, Zelenskyy and JD Vance; the US pausing of military aid to Ukraine; Zelenskyy coming back to the table with Trump; and Trump's mega address to Congress in which he claimed Lesotho was a place nobody had ever heard of. All that plus much much more as ever!Please Support the Podcast!You make Irreverend possible. You can now support us on Substack! https://irreverendpod.substack.com/. Or support us on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/irreverend) or Buy Me a Coffee (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/irreverend). Notices:Pre-order Jamie's new book The Great ReturnDaniel French Substack: https://undergroundchurch.substack.com/Jamie Franklin Substack: https://jamiefranklin.substack.comIrreverend Substack: https://irreverendpod.substack.comFollow us on Twitter: https://x.com/IrreverendPodFind me a church: https://irreverendpod.com/church-finder/Join our Irreverend Telegram group: https://t.me/irreverendpodFind links to our episodes, social media accounts and ways to support us at https://www.irreverendpod.com!Thursday Circles: http://thursdaycircle.comSupport the show

Feb 28, 2025 • 1h 26min
Faith and Fertility
The three Church of England revs with a difference are back to talk about the biggest issues in church and state. This time:Trump's recent IVF orderProposed change to assisted suicide law extending eligibility to twelve months from sixDid anything interesting happen at General Synod? Our next pick for Archbishop of CanterburyAnd the mysterious withdrawal of the anonymous appointee to the See of DurhamAll that and much much more as ever. Please enjoy!Please Support the Podcast!You make Irreverend possible. Please support us on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/irreverend) or Buy Me a Coffee (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/irreverend). Notices:Thinking Slow at the Thinking Coalition: https://thinkingcoalition.orgPre-order Jamie's new book The Great ReturnDaniel French Substack: https://undergroundchurch.substack.com/Jamie Franklin Substack: https://jamiefranklin.substack.comIrreverend Substack: https://irreverendpod.substack.comFollow us on Twitter: https://x.com/IrreverendPodFind me a church: https://irreverendpod.com/church-finder/Join our Irreverend Telegram group: https://t.me/irreverendpodFind links to our episodes, social media accounts and ways to support us at https://www.irreverendpod.com!Thursday Circles: http://thursdaycircle.comSupport the show

Feb 21, 2025 • 2h 4min
JD Vance Slams Euro-Fascists
Church of England rev with a difference Jamie Franklin pulls no punches as he analyses JD Vance's excoriating speech to a group of European leaders at a security summit in Munich. In a reversal of expectation, Vance claimed that the greatest threat to European security was not Russia but was the internal degradation of European society itself. He also took aim at the attack on free speech in the form of the monitoring of ostensible thought crime in Britain. Rev Jamie considers his assertions and contrasts them with the rebuttal given by Labour Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds who also claims to be speaking from a Christian perspective.After that viewers can partake of a full-length interview Rev Jamie gave for the Thinking Slow podcast on the subject of his new book The Great Return: Why Only a Restoration of Christianity Can Save Western Civilisation.Please Support the Podcast!You make Irreverend possible. Please support us on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/irreverend) or Buy Me a Coffee (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/irreverend). Notices:Thinking Slow at the Thinking Coalition: https://thinkingcoalition.orgPre-order Jamie's new book The Great ReturnDaniel French Substack: https://undergroundchurch.substack.com/Jamie Franklin Substack: https://jamiefranklin.substack.comIrreverend Substack: https://irreverendpod.substack.comFollow us on Twitter: https://x.com/IrreverendPodFind me a church: https://irreverendpod.com/church-finder/Join our Irreverend Telegram group: https://t.me/irreverendpodFind links to our episodes, social media accounts and ways to support us at https://www.irreverendpod.com!Thursday Circles: http://thursdaycircle.comSupport the show

Feb 14, 2025 • 1h 27min
The Shady World of Church of England Slavery Reparations
Church of England revs with a difference Daniel French and Jamie French are joined by former Old Bailey judge and lay minister Charles Wide KC for a deep dive into the shady world of Project Spire: the Church Commissioners' project to give £100 million rising to £1 billion of Church of England money to communities and people ostensibly disadvantaged by the historic legacy of slavery. But has this project been carried out ethically and with proper legal and intellectual safeguards and are its representatives being fully transparent about what is really going on behind the scenes? Do the Church Commissioners even have the legal right to give away money that was never intended for such usage?All that plus our take on who the next Archbishop of Canterbury should be and all the usual banter.Please enjoy and thanks for listening to the podcast!Livestream for Evensong at Pusey House, Weds. 19th Feb 5.30pm, with Rev Jamie SermonArticles Mentioned:The Case Against Reparations - Charles Wide KC, The Rev’d Professor Lord Biggar and Dr Alka Sehgal CuthbertProject Spire: A Dubious Waste of the Church of England's Money - Charles Wide, KCThe Church of England's Historic Links to the Transatlantic Slave Trade - Lawrence Goldman and Robert TombsDaniel French Substack: https://undergroundchurch.substack.com/Jamie Franklin Substack: https://jamiefranklin.substack.comIrreverend Substack: https://irreverendpod.substack.comPre-order Jamie's new book The Great ReturnPlease Support the Podcast!You make Irreverend possible. Please support us on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/irreverend) or Buy Me a Coffee (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/irreverend). Subscribe to Jamie's Blog here: https://jamiefranklin.substack.comNotices:Follow us on Twitter: https://x.com/IrreverendPodFind me a church: https://irreverendpod.com/church-finder/Join our Irreverend Telegram group: https://t.me/irreverendpodFind links to our episodes, social media accounts and ways to support us at https://www.irreverendpod.com!Thursday Circles: httpSupport the show

Feb 7, 2025 • 1h 30min
The Burning of Rory Stewart
Church of England revs with a difference Tom Pelham and Jamie Franklin sit down to talk about the biggest stories in church and state. This time:JD Vance in "ordo amoris" Twitter spat with Rory Stewart.The Bishop of Liverpool resigns over sexual abuse allegations whilst controversy around Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell persists. £2.6 billion of Church Commissioner money earmarked for clergy stipend increase, but will it make any difference to anything?All that plus a special Question the Rev on a CofE TikTok comms video, more debate on the death penalty and why not just use modern language versions of Scripture all the time?Daniel French Substack: https://undergroundchurch.substack.com/Jamie Franklin Substack: https://jamiefranklin.substack.comIrreverend Substack: https://irreverendpod.substack.comPre-order Jamie's new book The Great Return: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Return-Jamie-Franklin/dp/1399814923/ref=sr_1_1?crid=26ZEDDYI95KUX&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.SF5nfpwg5H21EM0mKGjP_w.r6DrEYNV2mfKNYfnjr0pk6IBeRZaPG2W2YBLEGHcVhU&dib_tag=se&keywords=jamie+franklin+the+great+return&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1737557957&sprefix=jamie+franklin%2Caps%2C119&sr=8-1Please Support the Podcast!You make Irreverend possible. Please support us on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/irreverend) or Buy Me a Coffee (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/irreverend). Subscribe to Jamie's Blog here: https://jamiefranklin.substack.comNotices:Follow us on Twitter: https://x.com/IrreverendPodFind me a church: https://irreverendpod.com/church-finder/Join our Irreverend Telegram group: https://t.me/irreverendpodFind links to our episodes, social media accounts and ways to support us at https://www.irreverendpod.com!Thursday Circles: http://thursdaycircle.comJamie's Good Things Substack: https://jamiefranklin.substack.comSupport the show

Jan 31, 2025 • 1h 26min
Time to bring back the death penalty?
Church of England vicars with a difference Jamie Franklin, Daniel French, and Thomas Pelham sit down to talk about the biggest weekly stories in church and state. This time we discuss calls for a renewed debate on the death penalty for the most serious crimes in the wake of the Axel Rudakubana sentencing. And we spoke about the freshest crisis in the Church of England in the form of allegations of sexual assaults made against the Bishop of Liverpool and even of a cover-up by the Archbishop of York.All that and a few other bits and pieces as ever. Enjoy!Daniel French Substack: https://undergroundchurch.substack.com/Jamie Franklin Substack: https://jamiefranklin.substack.comIrreverend Substack: https://irreverendpod.substack.comPre-order Jamie's new book The Great Return: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Return-Jamie-Franklin/dp/1399814923/ref=sr_1_1?crid=26ZEDDYI95KUX&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.SF5nfpwg5H21EM0mKGjP_w.r6DrEYNV2mfKNYfnjr0pk6IBeRZaPG2W2YBLEGHcVhU&dib_tag=se&keywords=jamie+franklin+the+great+return&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1737557957&sprefix=jamie+franklin%2Caps%2C119&sr=8-1Please Support the Podcast!You make Irreverend possible. Please support us on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/irreverend) or Buy Me a Coffee (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/irreverend). Subscribe to Jamie's Blog here: https://jamiefranklin.substack.comNotices:Follow us on Twitter: https://x.com/IrreverendPodFind me a church: https://irreverendpod.com/church-finder/Join our Irreverend Telegram group: https://t.me/irreverendpodFind links to our episodes, social media accounts and ways to support us at https://www.irreverendpod.com!Thursday Circles: http://thursdaycircle.comJamie's Good Things Substack: https://jamiefranklin.substack.comSupport the show