In this episode, we are joined by Jaweed Kaleem of The Los Angeles Times alongside Knox Thames, author of the new book Ending Persecution: Charting the Path to Global Religious Freedom. Knox reflects on his long career advancing the cause of religious liberty around the world, including in the some of the world's most repressive contexts. Our guests assess the current state of religious freedom across different contexts, from India to Israel and Gaza, and reflect on how the eroding of religious freedom often serves as a "canary in the coal mine" for the loss of other fundamental human rights.

Guests

Knox Thames

Jaweed Kaleem

Additional Resources

Ending Persecution: Charting the Path to Global Religious Freedom, by Knox Thames

"France Struggles to Confront One of Its Biggest Taboos: Race," by Jaweed Kaleem

"Swastikas, bullhorns, guns: Antisemitic Incidents in U.S. Hit 43-Year High," by Jaweed Kaleem

In this episode, New York Times opinion columnist David French sits down with Pulitzer Prize winner Eliza Griswold of The New Yorker to discuss her brand new book, Circle of Hope: A Reckoning with Love, Power, and Justice in an American Church. These two journalists with firsthand familiarity and longstanding expertise in covering religion embark on a fascinating exploration of the book's coverage of Philadelphia's Circle of Hope, a little-known yet influential progressive evangelical movement, and how the sobering disintegration of that spiritual community mirrors broader dynamics at work in American Christianity.

Guests

Eliza Griswold

David French

Additional Reading

Circle of Hope: A Reckoning with Love, Power, and Justice in an American Church, by Eliza Griswold

"The Church Preached Love and Tolerance. Then Racial Politics Tore It Apart," by David French

"Losing a Beloved Community," by Eliza Griswold

On this episode, we are joined by Elizabeth Oldfield to discuss her newly-released book Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times. After beginning her career covering religion for the BBC, Elizabeth for a decade ran a London-based think tank called Theos, which seeks to stimulate the debate about the place of religion in society, challenging and changing ideas through research, commentary and events. Under her leadership, its staff increased tenfold—and still supports podcast she hosts today, "The Sacred."

Joining Elizabeth is Damir Marusic, an assignment editor at The Washington Post. Along with Shadi Hamid, a longtime friend and advisor to Faith Angle, Damir co-founded the podcast "Wisdom of Crowds." Damir writes extensively on US politics, polarization, US foreign policy, and European affairs. Bringing a non-religious vantage point, he highlights with Elizabeth key themes in Fully Alive and the two get right into it, not mincing words even when there are differing views of sin, grace, evil, and the possibilities for human community.

Guests

Elizabeth Oldfield

Damir Marusic

Additional Resources

Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times, by Elizabeth Oldfield

"The Sacred" Podcast, with Elizabeth Oldfield, a Theos Think Tank podcast

Fully Alive Substack, with Elizabeth Oldfield

Wisdom of Crowds Podcast and Substack, with Damir Marusic and Shadi Hamid