The Church Times Podcast

The first Church Times Festival of Poetry was held in the picturesque setting of Sarum College in Salisbury Cathedral Close, during one of the finest Bank Holiday Weekends in memory. The opening talk was given by Canon Mark Oakley, the Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral, titled A Splash of Words: 'Why poetry'? There is full coverage of the festival in this week’s Church Times. Picture credit: Ash Mills

On this week’s podcast, Adam Becket talk about how Bishops in the Lords have been flexing their muscles on Brexit. We hear from Hattie Williams about the inspiring story of a former heroin addict in Bolton who is now part of a church-plant that is helping others to overcome addiction. And our editor Paul Handley talks about 21 for 21, an exciting new initiative to recognise young interfaith ambassadors.

In her column last week, Canon Angela Tilby suggested that there is an Evangelical takeover of the Church of England. The article has been shared far and wide and provoked many letters and tweets – some supportive but many voicing strong disagreement. Ed Thornton spoke to Angela more about her article, and also brought into the conversation Fr Craig Huxley, a priest in Kent who wrote a blog in response, “The Myth of the Evangelical Takeover”.

The Revd Guy Hewitt is the High Commissioner for Barbados to the United Kingdom and an Anglican priest. He has been leading the campaign for thousands of members of the “Windrush generation” to be recognised as British citizens. Ed Thornton spoke to Guy Hewitt about the extraordinary progress the campaign has made in the past two weeks, with the Government performing a u-turn in at unprecedented speed. “What we were in this for was to get justice for the Windrush generation”, he said. “For me it’s not about recriminations or even who is at fault: it is about continuing to work forward to find a solution.” If you don’t already subscribe to the CT, you can try 10 issues for £10. Go to churchtimes.co.uk/subscribe.

On this week's podcast, we talk about the Churches' different responses to the Syria air strikes; the "massive under-employment people" in the C of E; and the Archbishop of Canterbury talks about plans for a brand new library at Lambeth Palace

On this week’s podcast, we talk about the moving and powerful diaries of RAF Chaplain, the Revd Guy Mayfield, who ministered to Battle of Britain Fighter Pilots. Plus, Madeleine Davies unpacks Pope Francis’s latest Apostolic Exhortation, Gaudete et Exsultate (“Rejoice and be Glad”) which combines a celebration of ordinary acts of service with calls to radical action. And we give a flavour of what else is in the paper this week.

This week, we discuss new signs of life in the rural Church that are turning around the stereotypes of shrinking congregations in crumbling buildings. Plus, 50 years after his assassination, we hear about how Martin Luther King Jr was remembered this week, and the social activism that he has inspired.

What do Nick Cave, Delia Smith, Michael Gove, and Caron Armstrong have in common? They have all been interviewed by Peter Stanford, the Roman Catholic journalist and biographer. On the podcast this week, Ed Thornton interviews Peter Stanford on his new book, What We Talk About When We Talk About Faith published by Hodder. It features a collection of 44 interviews with high-profile figures, who talk unguardedly about faith.

Loretta Minghella became the First Church Estates Commissioner in November 2017, succeeding Sir Andreas Whittam Smith. Before arriving at Church House, she was chief executive of Christian Aid for seven and a half years, and before that, she headed up the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, a job she says got “very rocky indeed” when the 2008 financial crisis hit. Our Editor Paul Handley spoke to Loretta Minghella about how her experience prepared her for this latest role, and how the Commissioners are pressuring companies to improve their record on climate change and executive pay, among other things. Subscribe to the Church Times and receive 10 issues for £10. Go to churchtimes.co.uk/subscribe.

On this week’s podcast, Canon Andrew Davison, the Starbridge Lecturer in Theology and Natural Sciences, talks about Professor Stephen Hawking’s scientific achievements and the challenges he posed to theology. We also hear from Church Times columnist and papal biographer Paul Vallely about Pope Francis’s seismic first five years. Try 10 issues of the Church Times for £10 - visit www.churchtimes.co.uk/subscribe