The Sacred – Details, episodes & analysis

Jameela Jamil joins us for a conversation about her rise to fame, the dangers of divisive echo chambers, and her decision to reject harmful beauty narratives.

With her signature wit and vulnerability, Jameela’s dives into toxic beauty standards, the destructive anti-aging narrative that has plagued women for generations, and the deep-rooted values that inspire Jameela to use her platform as a force for positive change.

🎙️ Follow The Sacred: linktr.ee/sacredpodcast

📖 Follow Elizabeth Oldfield: www.elizabetholdfield.com/

💡 Produced by the ‪@thinktanktheos‬ www.theosthinktank.co.uk/

✍️ Follow Jameela’s Substack ‘A Low Desire to Please’: https://jameelajamil.substack.com/

CHAPTERS

00:00 What is Sacred to you? Jameela Jamil answers

03:10 Childhood Influences and Personal Struggles

05:52 Navigating Fame and Misogyny

09:03 The Impact of Public Perception

11:58 The Journey of Nonviolent Communication

15:09 Understanding Human Behaviour and Accountability

17:52 The Role of Compassion in Change

33:46 Navigating the Middle East Conflict

34:00 The Impact of Algorithms on Perception

35:20 The Algorithm Swap Experiment

39:31 Understanding Polarisation and Loneliness

41:09 Building Communities of Care

44:01 The Dangers of Short-Form Communication

48:02 Understanding Eating Disorders

52:00 The Pressure of Beauty Standards on Women

56:51 Embracing Aging and Wisdom

01:00:15 Finding Freedom in Self-Acceptance

Keywords:

Sacred Values, Justice, Childhood Trauma, Public Vulnerability, Misogyny, Nonviolent Communication, Human Behaviour, Social Justice, Personal Growth, Emotional Intelligence, Love, Understanding, Echo Chambers, Algorithms, Loneliness, Community, Eating Disorders, Beauty Standards, Aging, Societal Pressures, Fairness, Authenticity, Vulnerability, Resilience, Advocacy, Nonviolent Communication, Algorithmic Bias, Beauty Standards, Ageism, Eating Disorders, Mental Health, Empowerment, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Social Issues, Feminism, Intersectionality, Public Figure, Celebrity, Self-Acceptance, Body Positivity, Societal Change, Human Connection, Nuance, Complexity, Storytelling, Trauma, Overcoming Adversity, Childhood Experiences, Privilege, Marginalization, Marginalisation, Diversity, Inclusion, Activism, Social Media, Public Perception, Personal Branding, Courage, Honesty, Beauty Norms, Ageism, Challenging Systemic Inequities, Danger, Echo Chambers, Empathetic Communication, Self-Development, Self-Help, Vulnerability, Authenticity, Courage to Redefine Success, Justice, Change.

Elizabeth Oldfield and James Orr discuss the relationship between the sacred and the secular, and his conservative political views on Brexit, and his critique of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion policies.

James Orr is the Associate Professor of the Philosophy of Religion at the University of Cambridge.

This episode offers a unique and insightful exploration of the sacred in the modern world, touching on themes of tradition, community, and the human condition. It's a must-listen for those interested in philosophy, religion, and the deeper questions of our shared existence!

As promised here is a link to Swinburne'sHymn to Prosperine: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45292/hymn-to-proserpine-after-the-proclamation-in-rome-of-the-christian-faith

If you enjoy episodes of The Sacred don't forget to hit subscribe to be notified whenever we release an episode!

🎙️ Follow The Sacred: linktr.ee/sacredpodcast

📖 Follow Elizabeth Oldfield: www.elizabetholdfield.com/

💡 Produced by the ‪@thinktanktheos‬ www.theosthinktank.co.uk/

✍️ See James' work: @jtworr

Keywords:

sacred, secular, enchantment, ordinary, values, virtues, tradition, formative influences, multilingual, boarding school, religion, faith, journey, conservatism, political beliefs, Brexit, class divide, equality, diversity, inclusion, social cohesion, institutional resilience, metaphysical, human dignity, quantitative, philosophy, religion, theology, Christianity, Catholicism, Anglicanism, moral philosophy, ethics, community, belonging, identity, culture, modernism, postmodernism, transcendence, immanence, sacred-secular divide, spiritual, intellectual, cultural, political, social, personal, formation, transformation

Sarah Ditum delves into her journey through the strands of feminism, the misogynistic "upskirt decade" - the invasive celebrity culture of the late 90s and 2000s that often exploited and shamed young women, and her views on the role of pornography and its impact on mainstream culture. Sarah is a critic and columnist for The Times and The Sunday Times, and author of the book "Toxic: Women and the Noughties." This wide-ranging conversation provides a nuanced look at the evolution of feminist thought, the power of media narratives, and the personal experiences that have informed Sarah Ditum's worldview. If you enjoy episodes of The Sacred don't forget to hit subscribe to be notified whenever we release an episode! 🎙️ Follow The Sacred: linktr.ee/sacredpodcast 📖 Follow Elizabeth Oldfield: www.elizabetholdfield.com/ 💡 Produced by the ‪@thinktanktheos‬ www.theosthinktank.co.uk/ 📕 See Sarah's book "Toxic: Women, Fame, and the Tabloid 2000s": https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61783796-toxic Referenced text: Choice Feminism and the Fear of Politics http://www.jstor.org/stable/25698532 CHAPTERS 00:00 What is Sacred to you? Sarah Ditum answers 02:54 Navigating Gender Identity and Journalism 06:14 The Importance of Disagreement in Politics 09:10 Childhood Influences and Upbringing 11:48 Feminism and Personal Identity 15:11 The Impact of Motherhood on Feminist Views 19:11 The Upskirt Decade: Media and Women 28:03 The Intersection of Privacy and Gender 34:03 The Reasonable Expectation of Privacy 35:56 Cultural Norms and the Sexualisation of Women 39:05 Cultural Poisoning and Media Influence 41:53 Nihilism and the Impact of 9/11 on Culture 44:10 Changing Narratives: Celebrity Women Today 47:59 The Evolution of Language Around Abuse 51:21 The Normalisation of Sexualisation and Pornography 57:50 The Exploitative Nature of the Porn Industry 01:01:35 Cultural Stories and Their Impact on Identity Keywords pornography, feminism, gender identity, motherhood, media, privacy, women's rights, sacred values, upskirt decade, journalism, privacy, cultural norms, sexualization, sexualisation, media influence, nihilism, celebrity culture, abuse language, pornography, exploitation, identity

Sohrab is an Iranian–American columnist, journalist, editor and author. He’s written or edited for the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post and First Things among others. He was born in Tehran and emigrated to the US in his early teens, converting in 2016 to Catholicism, which he recounts in his book ‘From fire by water.’ His most recent book is ‘The Unbroken Thread: discovering the wisdom of tradition in an age of chaos.’ He speaks about his experiences as what he calls a radically assimilated immigrant in the US, the lasting impact of that childhood under a conservative Islamic regime, his time as a committed Marxist, his conversion to Catholicism, and why he thinks liberalism is failing us. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @sacred_podcast

In this series we’ll be talking to Conservative MP Miriam Cates, journalist Sohrab Ahmari, ‘Science Mike’ Mike McHargue, writer Tim Stanley, theatre critic Arifa Akbar, loneliness expert Jillian Richardson and award-winning garden designer Sarah Eberle. Tune in and join us for the next series of The Sacred. Episodes out weekly from Wednesday 4th August.

Sam is a novelist and author of ‘Idiopathy’, ‘Perfidious Albion’ and most recently ‘Come Join Our Disease’, which the Sunday Times has said confirms him as one of the most accomplished novelists of his generation. In this episode he speaks about his sense that novels should tackle big ideas, his discomfort with the idea of freedom and our society’s diminishing sense of compassion.

Chris is Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit in the Psychology Department at Goldsmiths University, a fellow at the British Psychological Society and a patron of Humanists UK. In this episode he speaks about what being a sceptic means to him, the difficulty of living out a fully materialist worldview, why even scientists have to take some things on faith and much more.

Grace is an American journalist. She has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, the American Conservative among many others, and usually with a family or a farming focus. She has recently written a book called ‘Uprooted’ which explores the effects of the rural brain drain on farming communities, the huge ecological problems that global agri-business brings and questions in a very personal way whether our association of success with cosmopolitan mobility is problematic for our communities. In this episode she speaks about her personal wrestle with leaving her rural community, having a consistent pro-life ethic, and why she no longer feels at home in conservatism.

Guvna B is a multi MOBO award-winning rapper, hip hop artist and author. He’s presented TV and radio documentaries for BBC, is a Sky Sports pundit and his most recent book is ‘Unspoken: Toxic Masculinity and How I Faced the Man Within the Man.’ In this episode he speaks about how his childhood as a first-generation immigrant on a council estate has shaped him, how he’s thought about his creativity and navigated different tribes with his music, how he needs space to process his emotions, the phrase ‘toxic masculinity’, and the conditions needed for young people to flourish.

Suzanne is a journalist and columnist who for many years was at The Guardian, but has also written for the Mail on Sunday, Marxism Today and now writes for The Telegraph. In this episode she speaks about her rebellious youth, her atheism, how she understands the role of a journalist and briefly about her departure from The Guardian last year.