THE presenter of “Paul Rogers: The world in 2030”, on Explore Words, Discover Worlds, is a professor of peace studies based at Bradford University. This type of podcast is recorded live, in this case at a literature festival, so the sound quality is not amazing. The sharp analysis of geopolitics and the discussion around what the British army is, and is not, designed to do, are fascinating. The army is structured to deal with the effects of conflict, rather than its causes. This is a good overview of the dominant trends and themes of both the present and the future.

Professor Linda Woodhead, a critical friend of the Church, in “How much has the Church of England shaped the UK?”, on AntiSocial (BBC Sounds), outlines in five minutes many of the ways in which the Church of England continues to influence society through education, the origins of the welfare state, and other institutions. Although attendance is declining, the Church’s influence persists in significant ways.

For those who remember the movie Free Willy, the story behind the story is just as interesting. “Save the Whale”, the first episode of the New York Times podcast The Good Whale, describes how, in the Hollywood film, the whale escapes captivity and swims out to sea to join a pod, while Jesse, a young orphan, acts almost like Harriet Tubman, leading Willy to freedom.

The real story concerns Keiko, the whale who played Willy. He was living in a shabby Mexican waterpark, adored by his trainers and visitors alike. After audiences discovered Keiko’s real-life conditions, however, public pressure mounted for his release. Free Willy became “Free Keiko”. This is a tale of public pressure, and misplaced idealism. Keiko was not suited to life in the wild, but public opinion pushed him towards it. This is the first episode; later episodes require a subscription, but the opening instalment is free.

Matt Fradd is a conservative Roman Catholic, and his podcast Pints With Aquinas is well produced. In “On Pipes, Poetry, and the Christian Life (Malcolm Guite)”, Fradd is self-assured, providing an interesting contrast to the Revd Dr Malcolm Guite, who comes across as much more grounded and down to earth. At times, I found Fradd slightly condescending: for example, when he responds to Dr Guite reciting a poem by asking, “Did you write that yourself?” Nevertheless, if you are a fan of Dr Guite’s, he wonderfully weaves together Arthurian myths and stories of faith, while extolling the friendship between Lewis and Tolkien. Although the hosting style is slicker than I would usually like, it is none the less worth listening to.

Growing up in the 1980s, my Pentecostal youth group in Leeds went through a phase. We were shown American videos warning that heavy metal music, when played backwards, contained messages glorifying Satan. The Devil You Know: With Sarah Marshall, “Did Swayze Start the Fire?”, explores the background to that early conspiracy theory. It discusses fears surrounding child sacrifice, especially involving little blonde girls, and the ensuing moral panic. Spoiler alert: the allegations were unfounded, but the impact was devastating.