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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