In Good Faith

It was an honour to host Dr Yasir Qadhi, a prolific public intellectual and someone I respect deeply for his courage to speak his mind, often in the face of much hostility.

I picked his brain on several issues: sectarianism and division, whether religious labels are helpful or harmful, patriotism and emigration, theophany and salvation, as well as exclusivism, inclusivism and pluralism.

Check out Dr Yasir’s Lighthouse series here.

(00:00) Maturation & changing one’s mind
(07:15) Sectarianism, division & hate
(17:14) Relevance & diversity
(24:52) Labels: harmful or helpful?
(30:53) Culture, loyalty & patriotism
(40:50) Ironies of emigration (hijrah)
(46:33) Theophany & salvation
(58:33) Non-dogmatic faith & sincere rejection
(1:12:07) Insularity vs universality
(1:20:33) Modern theology project

Women and young people are still often excluded or underestimated in community leadership, forcing many women to create their own institutions rather than wait for permission or support. While progress and visibility have improved, deep structural and cultural barriers remain especially around leadership design, funding, and real accountability making change slower than rhetoric suggests.

Watch or listen to the full episode ⁠here⁠.

Tech developments are happening at breakneck speed... but the evolution of schooling systems seems to be moving at a snail's pace. What's happening and what can / should parents do?
Watch or listen to the full episode here.

Why are Bible sales and Church attendance on the rise? Why are far-right nationalists invoking Christian beliefs and symbols? Is there a way forward for Britain that unifies its citizens and respects difference?
To learn more about these questions, I spoke to James Walters, both a priest and a professor. James is founding director of the LSE Faith Centre and LSE Religion and Global Society. He is a Professor in Practice, affiliated to the Department for International Relations and an associate of the LSE Department of International Development.
James studied theology at Cambridge University and writes on the interface of theology, philosophy, and political science. He has published five books, his most recent being Loving Your Neighbour in an Age of Religious Conflict (Jessica Kingsley 2019), and his next one coming later this year.
He is a priest in the Church of England, an honorary canon of Chichester Cathedral in West Sussex, a member of the Academic Board of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Examination in Theology, and a member of the governing council of Westcott House Theological College.
Follow James.
Find out more.

(0:00) Overarching worldview
(2:40) Upbringing & background
(7:35) Jesus & the Trinity
(12:55) Mystery of divine self-disclosure
(18:25) Approaches to religious pluralism
(27:32) The Church & multiculturalism
(33:40) Is Britain still a Christian country?
(37:02) Religious resurgence & Church revival
(42:42) The problem of Christian nationalism
(50:50) Does the Church have an online strategy?
(55:08) Crises facing the Church
(57:42) Advice for the new Archbishop
(1:04:49) Mediating Gaza debates on campus
(1:13:33) The tech threat to humanity
(1:23:39) Upcoming projects
(1:26:01) A brief sermon

In this clip, I contrast different approaches to being faithful in the work environment.
Watch my full conversation with Ali and Fiyal here.