Professor Lady Sue Black is one of the world’s leading forensic scientists. Police forces, the Foreign Office and the UN have called upon her evidence in countless high-profile investigations. She is currently President of St. John’s College, Oxford, and in 2021 entered the House of Lords as a cross-bench peer. She has penned numerous books, including the Saltire Prize winning ‘All That Remains: A Life in Death’ and her latest book, ‘Written in Bone: hidden stories in what we leave behind’. In 2024, Professor Lady Black was also appointed to the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle – the highest honour in Scotland. In this episode of Re-Enchanting, Justin and Belle speak to Sue about her first time working on a dead body, the stories that our bodies tell after death, her work in the wake of the Kosovo war and the 2004 tsunami, and - ultimately - how our reluctance to look death in the eye is profoundly hurting us. There’s more to life than the world we can see. Re-Enchanting is a podcast from Seen & Unseen recorded at Lambeth Palace Library, the home of the Centre for Cultural Witness. Justin Brierley and Belle Tindall engage faith and spirituality with leading figures in science, history, politics, art and education. Can our culture be re-enchanted by the vision of Christianity?For Re-Enchanting: https://www.seenandunseen.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rupert Shortt is an author and research associate at the Von Hugel Institute, University Of Cambridge and a former Religion Editor for the Times Literary Supplement. His latest book ’The Eclipse of Christianity… and why it matters’ has been praised by Tom Holland as ‘ A brilliant survey of Christianity’s decline in Britain- how it happened and why it matters, by one of our most learned and stimulating apologists’. Belle and Justin talk with Rupert about why mainstream churches are in decline across the West and why Europe’s historic faith remains critical to the survival of humane culture.Rupert Shortt: https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/rupert-shortt/the-eclipse-of-christianity/9781399802765/For Re-Enchanting: https://www.seenandunseen.com/podcastThere’s more to life than the world we can see. Re-Enchanting is a podcast from Seen & Unseen recorded at Lambeth Palace Library, the home of the Centre for Cultural Witness. Justin Brierley and Belle Tindall engage faith and spirituality with leading figures in science, history, politics, art and education. Can our culture be re-enchanted by the vision of Christianity? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rev Les Isaac OBE is founder of Ascension Trust. Les came to national attention in 2022 when his message about integrity and the common good at the Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast set in motion a chain of events that led to the resignation of Boris Johnson in the following days. Les is best known as the pioneer of the Street Pastors movement. Every weekend Street Pastors provide care and support to late night clubbers in nearly 250 cities and towns across the UK, a story Les tells in his book ‘Faith On The Streets’.Les joins Justin and Belle to talk about re-enchanting the pubs, clubs and streets of our cities.Les Isaac: https://www.streetpastors.org/For Re-Enchanting: https://www.seenandunseen.com/podcastThere’s more to life than the world we can see. Re-Enchanting is a podcast from Seen & Unseen recorded at Lambeth Palace Library, the home of the Centre for Cultural Witness. Justin Brierley and Belle Tindall engage faith and spirituality with leading figures in science, history, politics, art and education. Can our culture be re-enchanted by the vision of Christianity? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Francis Collins, a prominent physician and geneticist, is known for his pivotal role in the Human Genome Project and contributions to cystic fibrosis research. He discusses navigating truth and trust amid societal polarization, especially concerning the upcoming presidential election. Collins shares insights from his new book on the intersection of faith and science, recounting his transformative journey toward belief. He emphasizes the significance of compassion and understanding in today's divisive climate, advocating for love and open dialogue.

Claire Gilbert, an author and founding director of the Westminster Abbey Institute, dives into the wisdom of medieval mystic Julian of Norwich. She discusses how Julian's 'Revelations of Divine Love' continue to resonate with modern spiritual seekers. The conversation explores the themes of suffering as a pathway to growth, the intersection of femininity and spirituality, and the timeless appeal of Julian's insights amidst contemporary challenges. Claire also highlights the need for authenticity in faith and the relevance of contemplation in today's fast-paced world.

Sarah Irving-Stonebraker is an Australian historian whose new book ‘Priests of History: stewarding the past in an ahistoric age’, says that, in our age of self-invention, modern people are profoundly disconnected from the stories, practises and history that once gave them their identity.Justin and Belle talk to Sarah about re-enchanting an ahistorical age and about her own journey from atheism to Christianity as a young academic at Cambridge and Oxford in the early 2000s.Sarah Irving-Stonebraker: https://www.stonebraker.com.au/For Re-Enchanting: https://www.seenandunseen.com/podcast There’s more to life than the world we can see. Re-Enchanting is a podcast from Seen & Unseen recorded at Lambeth Palace Library, the home of the Centre for Cultural Witness. Justin Brierley and Belle Tindall engage faith and spirituality with leading figures in science, history, politics, art and education. Can our culture be re-enchanted by the vision of Christianity? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Siku is an artist, author, theologian, musician, and a leading comic book artist. He has worked for 2000AD as artist on titles such as Judge Dredd as well as Marvel UK and COM X. He is the author of the book ‘Batman Is Jesus’ and is of course well known for the graphic novel, The Manga Bible.Siku sits down with Justin and Belle to discuss the creative processes of making a comic book, the theology of story-telling and why he thinks 'Batman is Jesus'. For Siku: https://www.theartofsiku.com/For Re-Enchanting: https://www.seenandunseen.com/podcastThere’s more to life than the world we can see. Re-Enchanting is a podcast from Seen & Unseen recorded at Lambeth Palace Library, the home of the Centre for Cultural Witness. Justin Brierley and Belle Tindall engage faith and spirituality with leading figures in science, history, politics, art and education. Can our culture be re-enchanted by the vision of Christianity? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zoe Clark-Coates, author, podcaster, and founder of the Mariposa Trust, shares her deeply personal journey of grief after losing five babies. She discusses the critical role of faith in her healing process and the importance of fostering community support for those navigating loss. Zoe highlights the need for open conversations about grief in religious settings and critiques common clichés that often diminish individual experiences. Her insights aim to create safer spaces for mourning and promote understanding in society.

Jack Palmer-White is Senior Director at the Good Faith Partnership, an organisation that seeks to bridge some of the gaps between different sectors and, in so doing, find some innovative solutions for some of society’s more difficult problems. Before this, Jack was the Anglican Communion’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and senior advisor to the Archbishop of Canterbury on social and public affairs.With over a decade of experience of working with charities, faith-based organisations, and social movements to help bring about change at the local, national and global level – Jack talks with Belle and Justin about the nature of politics and, ultimately, how we can re-enchant what it means to love our neighbour.For more from Good Faith Partnership: https://goodfaith.org.uk/For Re-Enchanting: https://www.seenandunseen.com/podcastThere’s more to life than the world we can see. Re-Enchanting is a podcast from Seen & Unseen recorded at Lambeth Palace Library, the home of the Centre for Cultural Witness. Justin Brierley and Belle Tindall engage faith and spirituality with leading figures in science, history, politics, art and education. Can our culture be re-enchanted by the vision of Christianity? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Talia Dean became a household name in 2017 after she wowed judges on the X Factor with her stunning vocals. She went on to a successful music career, collaborating with Brian May of Queen among others. But Talia recently announced she has quit the mainstream music industry after rediscovering her Catholic faith in a big way at the end of last year. Justin and Belle talk to Talia about what sparked her return to faith and dealing with the celebrity world of X Factor madness.Talia Dean: https://taliadean.com/For Re-Enchanting: https://www.seenandunseen.com/podcastThere’s more to life than the world we can see. Re-Enchanting is a podcast from Seen & Unseen recorded at Lambeth Palace Library, the home of the Centre for Cultural Witness. Justin Brierley and Belle Tindall engage faith and spirituality with leading figures in science, history, politics, art and education. Can our culture be re-enchanted by the vision of Christianity? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.