Nick Spencer speaks with historian and journalist Bijan Omrani. 23/06/2026

The idea that our country is Christian – in the historical sense of having been comprehensively formed by the faith – is sometimes taken as a kind of Christian nationalist dog whistle. But it shouldn’t be.

In reality, this is true for most countries in Europe, in which, in spite of massive secularisation in the later 20th century, Christianity’s fingerprints are everywhere.

So, what is England? How has the English nation, its laws, politics, culture and literature, been formed by Christianity? And (how) can they survive without it?

This week on Reading Our Times, Nick Spencer is joined by British historian and journalist Bijan Omrani to discuss these questions and more, delving into his new book, provocatively titled God is an Englishman: Christianity and the Creation of England. 

You can purchase a copy of his book here.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts here.

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Nick Spencer speaks with Alan Manning, Professor of Economics at LSE and former chair of UK government’s Migration Advisory Committee. 16/05/2026

Immigration is a major issue in the contemporary world, a – if not the – driver of nationalist movements the world over. It is impossible to think about nationalism today, religious or otherwise, without thinking first about immigration.

But immigration is also a hard subject to think about, not because of a paucity of information but because of a glut. Awash with statistics, anecdotes and personal stories, immigration offers people a well–stocked cupboard of things to feed their existing views and opinions.

So, what is the truth behind immigration? What are the actual numbers? What are the benefits? And the harms? And to which people? Immigration policy is notoriously tough – is there are way to think clearly about it and make it any easier?

Nick Spencer speaks to Alan Manning, Professor of Economics at LSE and former chair of UK government’s Migration Advisory Committee, about his latest book, Why Immigration Policy Is Hard: And How to Make It Better. 

You can purchase a copy of his book here.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts here.

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Nick Spencer speaks with writer, comedian and broadcaster Andrew Doyle. 09/06/2026

“Woke” has become one of the most contested words in contemporary culture, deployed as a badge of honour by some, a term of abuse by others. But what does it actually mean, and does it constitute a serious ideological movement or merely a passing fashion?

In today’s episode, Nick talks to writer, comedian and broadcaster Andrew Doyle, best known as the creator of satirical persona Titania McGrath, whose latest book The End of Woke examines the origins, methods and possible decline of the movement. They discuss how woke ideology captured institutions, weaponised language, and confused equity with equality – and why the real threat, left or right, is always authoritarianism in disguise.

You can buy a copy of his book here.

Tune in to the episode on Apple Podcasts here.

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Nick Spencer speaks with theologian Hannah Strømmen. 02/06/2026

Unpalatable truth as it may be, there are some, especially today, who draw on the Bible to exclude and vilify others, as a way of protecting and the “pure” Christian culture of Europe or the West.

It’s not an altogether new phenomenon – people have deployed the Bible for militaristic ends since the Crusades – but it appears to be growing once again, as the Europe comes under “attack” from immigrants and Islam.

How does this happen? What Bibles do the Far Right use? What texts do they quote? What principles underlie that usage? And what can be done about it?

In today’s episode, Nick talks to theologian Hannah Strømmen, whose latest book The Bibles of the Far Right, examines just these questions.

You can buy a copy of her book here.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts here.

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Nick Spencer speaks with journalist and author Sonia Faleiro 26/05/2026

Buddhism is often seen in the West as a religion of peace and serenity – rarely, if ever, associated with violence. But that comforting image has obscured a darker and more complex reality playing out across Southeast Asia.

Journalist and author Sonia Faleiro joins Nick Spencer to explore her latest book The Robe and the Sword, which examines how Buddhist nationalism has fuelled ethnic tension, discrimination, and outright genocide in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Thailand. From the militant monks who emerged out of Sri Lanka’s brutal civil war, to the Facebook–driven hatred that preceded the Rohingya genocide in Myanmar, the patterns Faleiro uncovers are uncomfortably familiar to anyone watching the rise of religious nationalism elsewhere in the world.

You can buy Sonia’s book, The Robe and the Sword: How Buddhism is Shaping Modern Asia, here.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts here.

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Nick Spencer speaks with Tobias Cremer, a Member of the European Parliament. 19/05/2026

European Christian politics is not new. Indeed, the religion has been an integral politcal factor for 1700 years. But something has changed over the last 20 years.

Increasingly, a secularised form of Christian politics is taking centre–stage, in which populist leaders celebrate Christianity, but without the Christ bit.

What forms does this secular Christianity take? How does it differ between Europe’s major nations? And why may we be seeing not the Americanisation of European politics (as many claim) but the Europeanisation of American politics?

Nick Spencer speaks to Tobias Cremer, a Member of the European Parliament and former Junior Research Fellow in Religion and the Frontier Challenges at Pembroke College Oxford, about the history of European Christian nationalism, and about his latest book, The Godless Crusade: Religion, Populism and Right–Wing Identity Politics in the West.
Tobias’ book is available to buy here.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts here.

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Nick Spencer speaks with sociologist Andrew Whitehead. 12/05/2026

Christian Nationalism seems to be on the rise – particularly in the US, but increasingly in Europe. The phrase, however, is often used vaguely and carelessly. Indeed “Christian nationalism” can be something of a “dustbin” term, into which people throw all the kinds of things they dislike.

So, what does it mean? What forms does it take and, with a particular focus on the US, what motivates and shapes it?

Join Nick Spencer as he talks to sociologist Andrew Whitehead about what Christian nationalism is – and what it isn’t. You can buy a copy of Andrew’s latest book, Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States, here. 

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Nick Spencer speaks with Eric Storm, Senior Lecturer in European History at Leiden University. 05/05/2026

We live in an increasingly nationalistic age, with globalisation stumbling and international institutions disregarded. But we have been here before.

Nations have existed for centuries, but it’s only in the last 200 years that nationalism has become such a huge influence.

So, where does nationalism come from? How has it changed since its inception? And what can its history tell us about its future?

Join Nick Spencer as he speaks to Eric Storm, Senior Lecturer in European History at Leiden University and author of ‘Nationalism: a world history’, a global perspective on the nature and evolution of nationalism, from the early modern era to the present.

You can buy a copy of Eric’s book here.

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Nick Spencer speaks with panpsychist philosopher and professor Philip Goff. 16/12/2025

Human beings need a sense of purpose but differ strongly on whether that purpose is discovered or created, on whether the universe itself has a purpose or whether purpose is just the result of a hyperactive human mind?

This disagreement often maps onto the theist/atheist divide – but not always and not necessarily. Perhaps the issue of purpose is wider than belief in God.

So does the universe itself show signs of purpose? If so, how would we know? Or is all this simply a delusion of a hominid brain than needs purpose and is happy to create it if it can’t find one out there?

Join Nick Spencer as he speaks to Philip Goff, a British author, panpsychist philosopher, and professor at Durham University, to discuss his latest book, ‘Why? The Purpose of the Universe’.

Tune in here.

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Nick Spencer speaks with scientist, writer, broadcaster and member of the House of Lords Baroness Susan Greenfield. 02/12/2025

Consciousness is famously called the “hard problem” and it elicits a very wide range of (sometimes very strongly held) opinions.

These range from the idea that it is little more than a trick played on us by our brain, to the idea that it is built into the very fabric of matter at the most fundamental level.

How does consciousness differ from mindedness? It is all or nothing, or are there grades of consciousness? And how does it map on our ordinary, everyday lives?

This week, Nick Spencer speaks to Baroness Susan Greenfield about her new book: A Day in the Life of the Brain: The Neuroscience of Consciousness from Dawn Till Dusk.

You can purchase a copy of her book here.

Tune in to the episode here.

Nick Spencer speaks with scientist Paul Davies about the quantum realm. 25/11/2025

Everyone has heard of quantum physics. Many of us can parrot its key ideas – uncertainty, entanglement, collapsing the wave function, something to do with a cat…

But when it comes to really understanding it, well that’s a different matter altogether. “Anyone who is not shocked by quantum mechanics hasn’t understood it”, wrote the eminent physicist Niels Bohr.

So, what is quantum physics? How did it come about? What does it say about ultimate reality? And how might it transform our lives?

This week on Reading Our Times, Nick Spencer delves into the quantum realm with scientist Paul Davies to discuss his latest book, Quantum 2.0: The Past, Present, and Future of Quantum Physics.

You can buy a copy of Paul’s book here.

Tune in here.

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Nick Spencer speaks with poet Michael Symmons Roberts. 18/11/2025

The performance of Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time in a freezing WW2 prison camp is one of the most famous moments of 20th century music.

The piece and performance spoke to audiences movingly, both then and now, of peace, God, time, and the power of music.

Such questions remain powerful today. How imprisoned by time are we? In what sense does music and art enable us to transcend the constraints of our existence? What does the end of time mean?

This week on Reading Our Times, Nick speaks to poet Michael Symmons Roberts about his latest book Quartet for the End of Time: On Music, Grief and Birdsong.

You can buy a copy of Michael’s book here.

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Nick Spencer speaks with theologian Gilbert Márkus. 04/11/2025

Many of the New Atheist arrows fired in the religion wars of 2000s and 2010s hit their target well and hard. The question is, was it the right target?

Believers often claim that atheists don’t believe in the kind of God that they themselves don’t believe in, and that the concept of God in Christian thought is altogether subtle and more sophisticated than critics give credit.

What is the evidence for this? Is this more sophisticated understanding of God not simply a late, post–Enlightenment evasion? Or does the idea that “God is nothing” have deep roots?

This week, Nick speaks to Gilbert Markus about his book, ‘God as nothing’.

Tune in here. 

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Nick Spencer speaks with Clare Carlisle, Professor of Philosophy at Kings College London. 11/11/2025

The idea of transcendence is common, perhaps even universal, among human beings. But what it means (if anything) is much more debatable.

There are different ways of understanding transcendence, some orthodoxly religious; others more heterodox and surprising.

How should we understand transcendence? If you can be spiritual but not religious, can you experience transcendence without religion? What does it mean to live a transcendent life?

This week, Nick speaks to Clare Carlisle, Professor of Philosophy at Kings College London, about her latest book ‘Transcendence for Beginners’.

Purchase a copy of Clare’s book here.

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Nick Spencer speaks with science writer Philip Ball. 28/10/2025

Recent decades have seen the gene as supreme in all discussions of what life is and how it works. Whether selfish, co–operative or eternal, it’s genes that matter.

But that picture is changing, in favour of a much subtler, more complex and more layered understanding. Life, it seems, goes all the way down (and up).

So what role do genes play in life? Where, if anywhere, does agency reside? Are human beings more than mere propagation vehicles? How, in effect, does life work?

This week, Nick speaks to Philip Ball about his book ‘How Life Works: A User’s Guide to the New Biology’.

Purchase a copy of Philip’s book here.

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Elizabeth speaks with Gen Z influencer and podcaster Jade Bowler known as UnJaded Jade. 17/09/2025

In a world where half of young people UK dream of becoming influencers, Jade Bowler delves into the hidden costs of this career – from burnout and loneliness to the struggle for authenticity.

Jade Bowler is an author, content creator, podcaster, and one of the UK’s first “StudyTubers.” Since starting her YouTube channel at 16, Jade has built a global audience and is shaping a generation interested in spirituality, self–discovery in your 20s, productivity and finding “casual magic” in your every day.

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Elizabeth speaks with political commentator David French. 30/07/2025

What happens when standing by your principles means losing your community?

David French was once a Republican darling – a military veteran in Iraq, a pro–life lawyer, and a defender of religious liberty. But when he publicly opposed Donald Trump in 2016, everything changed. His church turned on him, his family received threats, and he became controversial figure in political and religious debates.

In this conversation, David reflects on the cost of choosing virtue over political loyalty, why free speech still matters even when it’s painful, and what it’s like to be exiled by your tribe.

We talk about moral courage, the state of American evangelicalism, and what it means to stay principled in a world that rewards tribalism.

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Nick Spencer speaks with Anastasia Berg, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Irvine. 15/07/2025

Western societies have fallen out of love with (having) children, and all too often this is treated as a policy problem. But in reality, it’s a much deeper personal and philosophical one.

What has changed in our attitudes to having children? How do we understand the role and standing and “purpose” of children in society? What, in effect, do we think children are for?

This week Nick Spencer talks with Anastasia Berg about her book co–authored with Rachel Wiseman, ‘What are children for? On Ambivalence and Choice’

Purchase a copy of their book here.

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Elizabeth speaks with columnist and author Christine Emba. 09/07/2025

In this bonus episode, Elizabeth Oldfield and Christine Emba dive deep into the heart of what it means to live a good life in turbulent times.

Recorded in Washington, DC, this intimate discussion explores vulnerability, community, and finding hope when the world feels overwhelming.

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Nick Spencer speaks with historian Sophia Rosenfeld. 08/07/2025

Choice is so important to who we are in the West is no longer feels like something we do, so much as something we are. Deny someone choice, and it feels like you are challenging their very humanity. 

Where does this obsession with choice come from, historically and philosophically? What are its foundations and justifications? And has it gone too far? Can you have too much of this particular good thing? 

This week Nick Spencer talks with Sophia Rosenfeld about her book ‘The Age of Choice: A History of Freedom in Modern Life’ 

Purchase a copy of her book here.

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Elizabeth speaks with poet Fariha Róisín. 02/07/2025

Fariha Róisín is a poet, Muslim, and survivor of extreme childhood trauma. In this raw, soul–baring conversation, they speak about the long road from abuse to healing – via Islam, queerness, Ayahuasca, and a radical reimagining of wellness. This is not your typical conversation about wellness, it’s about what healing really takes and why the current wellness industry often gets it so wrong.

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Nick Spencer speaks with author Rupert Shortt live from the Church Times Festival of Faith and Literature. 01/07/2025

Strange things are happening to Christianity in the West. Some people are talking about revival whereas others are talking about extinction. Whoever is right, the ramifications for our culture will be immense.

What is happening? If we are entering a period of eclipse for Christianity, would it matter? Would it simply be strike us through the loss of beautiful buildings and moving music? Or is there something more substantial in all this? 

This week Nick Spencer talks with Rupert Shortt about his book ‘The Eclipse of Christianity and why it matters’ 

Purchase a copy of his book here.

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Nick Spencer speaks with Richard McNeill Douglas, research fellow at the Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity. 24/06/2025

The idea that society should grow – and continue to grow, economically, without ending, without limits – is a relatively new and fiercely defended idea. It emerged first in Western countries but has captured much of the world today.

How realistic is it? How “sustainable”? What should we think about “limits to growth”? Is it a narrative of declinism, best ignored? Or a warning we dismiss at huge peril?

This week Nick Spencer talks with Richard McNeill Douglas about his book ‘The Meaning of Growth: The Rhetoric of Environmental Scepticism and the Defence of Modernity’

Richard’s book will be published in Autumn, find out more here.

Tune in to the episode here. 

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Elizabeth speaks with Jonathan Rauch a gay, Jewish atheist. 18/06/2025

We sat down with Jonathan Rauch – a gay, Jewish atheist – to explore his remarkable journey from accepting his sexuality and rejecting religion to becoming a key voice advocating for same–sex marriage and the vital role of Christianity in sustaining liberal, secular democracy.

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Nick Spencer speaks with award–winning journalist, Lucy Ash. 17/06/2025

The Russian Orthodox Church has been conspicuous in its support of Putin’s war against Ukraine. The reasons seem as obvious as they are depressing.

But behind the politics, there are centuries of history and theology. How did we get here? How is history of the church in Russia shaping the nation’s present? How might it shape the future?

This week Nick Spencer talks with Lucy Ash about her book ‘The Baton and the Cross: Russia’s Church from Pagans to Putin’.

Purchase a copy of Lucy’s book here.

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