THE feast of St Brigid, the old Celtic first day of spring, fell this week. In this spirit, I offer you three podcasts that consider the changing earth.
In The Mid-faith Crisis Podcast, which is generally light-hearted, the hosts, chaps of a certain age, banter and reflect on matters of faith and how it has evolved for them over time. In episode 353, “The Birds and the Bees with Ros Gleadow”, Professor Ros Gleadow, an expert on plant life and based in Australia, provides a unique perspective on the changing climate, reflecting on how rising temperatures are causing pollinators to receive incorrect cues for plant flowering.
Alongside this unsettling message, Professor Gleadow encourages us to take action, and emphasises the importance of focusing on what we can do rather than despairing over what we cannot. She also sheds light on the powerful lobbies that seek to sow doubt about the significance of this issue. In the conversation after the interview, the hosts discuss eternal life and the necessity of caring for the planet, concluding with a beautiful blessing for the earth.
In What If Project, the Rt Revd Professor N. T. Wright speaks about his book God’s Homecoming: The forgotten promise of future renewal (SPCK) with the host, Dr Glenn Siepert. Professor Wright draws insights from his earlier work, Surprised by Hope, which was a groundbreaking idea for me a couple of decades ago. He emphasises that God’s focus is on his indwelling presence in humans and the earth, manifested through the life of Christ and the arrival of the Holy Spirit.
Professor Wright explains that the publication of this book was delayed by long Covid, but it feels even more relevant now. He gives a sweeping overview of church history, discussing how Platonic ideas have influenced theological discourse, creating false dichotomies between body and soul, heaven and earth. He conveys the notion that the earth is both God’s home and ours.
In an episode of The Sacred on 7 January, Elizabeth Oldfield engages in an in-depth and well-researched conversation with the climate activist and provocative journalist George Monbiot. They begin by reflecting on the power of words, and consider what it would be like to view the earth as our life-support system.
Mr Monbiot, a fascinating figure and a descendant of Jewish refugees and fascists, speaks about how being bullied at public school ignited his passion to subvert and undermine the systems of power which he encountered. He speaks eloquently about his view of public schooling, which is that it is a dangerous bargain that takes far more than it gives.
The conversation delves into the theory of change necessary for meaningful progress. Ms Oldfield challenges Mr Monbiot’s idea of “preaching to the choir” and mobilising them to spread the message more widely. She questions whether this approach truly fosters common ground with others who fundamentally disagree, or whether it merely entrenches divisions more deeply.