IT IS the New Year, and you might be wondering what lies ahead. Wonder no more! The Westminster Insider’s “2026: The year ahead in 40 minutes” provides a helpful overview of significant political movements, both national and international. It covers potential conflicts on the horizon, and imminent health breakthroughs, offering a valuable macro-view of what to expect in 2026.
Martin Shaw is a gifted storyteller whose later-life embracing of faith has given him a mythic and mystical lens through which to evaluate biblical stories and characters. In his podcast Jawbone, he explores healthy versions of masculinity, drawing literary comparisons between biblical tales and ancient myths. The discussions are beautifully delivered and thought-provoking. In “Wild Christ: A man of no shelter”, Shaw considers Jesus as a Druid, dedicating 15 minutes to listing and examining several of Jesus’s wisdom statements and their relevance for today.
The Diary of a CEO is a very popular podcast, albeit quite ad-heavy. If you can navigate through the promotional content, the conversations can be enlightening. The episodes are long-form; so you may need to listen in segments to digest them fully. One outstanding episode features Brené Brown discussing “We’re in a Spiritual Crisis! The Hidden Epidemic No One Wants to Talk About”, which runs for an hour and 50 minutes. In it, she addresses various expressions of power in government and faith communities, including power over, with, to, and within.
Brown also emphasises the power of human connection, drawing on neuroscience to explain our need for love, belonging, and a sense of being part of something larger. She offers insights from her own faith and the Christian foundation of her life and leadership. One striking line from her discussion is when she says “I try to find God in the face of everyone I meet, even if initially I want to punch them in the mouth.” This podcast is particularly useful, as it offers a helpful menu of topics at different timestamps.
Continuing with interesting women, we have Off Air with Jane & Fi. The episode “Barely Presentable and Just About Hanging Together (with Susie Dent)” has a run time of 50 minutes, and was released on 4 December. Again, there is a forest of ads, but the conversation is fun and engaging. To conclude, Dent, a popular lexicographer, reveals her words of 2025, including “binfluencer”: the first person in the neighbourhood to put out the bin of the correct colour, inspiring others to follow suit.
Last, don’t overlook the brilliance of podcasts for introducing you to creators. I have been captivated by The Filmmakers Podcast: “The Duffer Brothers: Creating Stranger Things, directing the finale, and surviving Hollywood rejection”. I know: long title! If you have somehow missed this cultural phenomenon, where have you been? It features themes of light and dark, redemption and faith, with a messiah figure in a young girl, all set in a small town facing big problems. The creators discuss their process and perseverance, making it a must-listen for fans.