Politics in the Pulpit

This episode of Politics in the Pulpit is hosted by Thomas Niblett, and features our special guest, Liz Wilson! Liz is the Vicar of St Anne, St Paul and St Augustine, Leicester, three parishes (with two churches) in the west of the city. In addition, she is the Area Dean for the City of Leicester Deanery and the vice Chair of Leicester Diocese Diocesan Board of Education. This week, Liz, Thomas and Roo explore the lectionary readings for Sunday 26 April.

This episode of Politics in the Pulpit is hosted by Erica Lees-Smith, and features our special guest, Jonty Langley! Jonty Langley is a writer and commentator on religion, culture and politics. A former news columnist for Baptist Times and creative content lead at a missionary society, Jonty is now Editor of Shibboleth magazine and co-host of the Beer Christianity podcast. This week, Erica, Jonty and Thomas explore the lectionary readings for Sunday 19th April. Timestamps Acts 2: 14a, 36-41Psalm 116: 1-4, 12-191 Peter 1: 17-23Luke 24: 13-35 Mentions S(h)ibboleth magazine - https://shibbolethmag.com/pages/about... Beer Christianity podcast - https://www.beerchristianity.co.uk/ Addressing Anti-Judaism in Lent, Holy Week and Eastertide: Updated Lectionary Recommendations (The Methodist Church) - https://www.methodist.org.uk/for-chur... JPIT resources on responding to Christian nationalism - https://jpit.uk/responding-to-christian-nationalism Dissolved by Circle of Dust - https://open.spotify.com/track/43K8q16PW2xlcw7kejDede

This episode of Politics in the Pulpit is hosted by Hannah Fremont-Brown, and features our special guest, Matt Forsyth! Matt, who serves currently as the Vice President of the Methodist Conference (25-26) and the Mission Team Leader in the Northampton District. A hopeful realist who lives in the Fens with his wife, three girls, and a bouncy cockapoo. This week, Hannah, Matt and Thomas explore the lectionary readings for Sunday 12th April. Timestamps Acts 2: 14a, 22-32John 20: 19-31Psalm 161 Peter 1: 3-9 Mentions Addressing Anti-Judaism in Lent, Holy Week and Eastertide: Updated Lectionary Recommendations (The Methodist Church) - https://www.methodist.org.uk/for-churches/resources/articles/addressing-antijudaism-in-lent-holy-week-and-eastertide-updated-lectionary-recommendations/ Together Alliance protest (Sky News) - https://news.sky.com/story/half-a-million-join-london-rally-against-the-far-right-claim-organisers-13525518 JPIT’s recent campaign for refugee family reunion - https://jpit.uk/refugee-reunion

This episode of Politics in the Pulpit is hosted by Thomas Niblett, and features our special guest, Aniko Schuetz Bradwell! Aniko is a Church of Scotland parish minister at Lammermuir Church, a rural parish of seven villages in a farming area of East Lothian, where she has been for just over ten years, and where she lives with my husband (who occasionally works with JPIT) and our son, as well as two cats, a guineapig and a flock of hens. She came to Scotland twenty years ago from my native East Germany, where I studied Literature and Religious Studies. She has worked with the Taizé and Iona Communities before working in the head office of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh. She studied and trained for ministry in Edinburgh, with, among others, a training placement in our churches in the Holy Land. This week, Thomas, Aniko and Adam explore the lectionary readings for Sunday 5th April in an Easter Sunday special. Happy Easter from all at JPIT! Timestamps 00:00 - Intro 03:40 – Acts 10: 34-43 11:55 - Psalm 118: 1-2, 14-24 17:20 - Colossians 3: 1-4 24:14 - John 20: 1-18 Mentions JPIT refugee family reunion campaign – jpit.uk/refugee-reunion Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere (documentary) Closing reflection from Pádraig Ó’Tuama An Easter Sunday. A Sacred Echo. Solidarity in a Small Hell of Our Own | The On Being Project

This episode of Politics in the Pulpit is hosted by Erica Lees-Smith, and features our special guest, David Coleman! The Reverend David Coleman is Environmental Chaplain for Eco Congregation Scotland, a post gifted by the United Reformed Church. Without formal authority, he’s nonetheless well known as a green voice in Scottish churches. He visits grassroots churches and sometimes colleges, and engages in ecumenical conversation with many bodies on spiritual and environmental issues. David was invited to the Assisi conferences on establishing a global ecumenical celebration of Creation, ['24, ’25] and as part of the global supervisory committee for Season of Creation, he curates the Season resource for Scotland. He is a member of the Iona Community, and active in developing challenging reflective visual/liturgical material. David is 62, a widower, with two adult children. This week, Erica, David and Roo explore the lectionary readings for Sunday 29th March in a Palm Sunday special. Timestamps Matthew 21: 1-11 Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29Isaiah 50: 4-9a Mentions Together Alliance protest on 28th March - https://www.togetheralliance.org.uk/ Eco-Congregation Scotland - http://www.ecocongregationscotland.org/ Closing prayer, by Bishop Dr. Munib A. Younan - https://www.friendsoftheholyland.org.uk/blog/palm-sunday

Listen to the latest episode of Politics in the Pulpit for Sunday 22 March. Hosted by Alex Clare-Young with guest Jenny Mills and JPIT team member Paul Morrison.

This is the final episode of Politics in the Pulpit for Spring 2026 hosted by our wonderful host William Gibson, and features special guest, Al Barrett! Revd Dr Al Barrett has been Rector of Hodge Hill Church (a CofE-URC local ecumenical partnership) in east Birmingham since 2010. He has been involved in long-term journeys of intergenerational community-building with neighbours in the council estate where he lives, and pursuing racial justice and creation care within and beyond the local church community. Al seeks to engage in earthed, collaborative theological work in the intersections of church, mission, race, class, gender and ecology, and is also in training to be a wild therapy practitioner. This week, William, Al and Erica explore the lectionary readings for Sunday 15th March or Mothering Sunday. Timestamps • 00:00 – Intro • 06:15 - John 9: 1-41 • 20:17 - 1 Samuel 16: 1-13 • 28:37 - Psalm 23 • 38:00 - Ephesians 5: 8-14 Mentions Being Interrupted: Re-imagining the Church's Mission from the Outside, In by Al Barrett and Ruth Harvey (SCM, 2020) Towards a Critical White Theology (Routledge, 2025) edited by Al Barrett, Anthony Reddie and Jill Marsh ‘Trauma, de/composing masculinities and ensoiled christologies (or, how men might face and follow their shit)’ by Al Barrett and Simon Sutcliffe, in Will Rose-Moore (ed.), For Nothing is Hidden: Masculinities and Trauma in Church and Theology (SCM, forthcoming). A Healing Homiletic: Preaching and Disability by Kathy Black (Abingdon Press, 1996) More in Common, Seven Segments of Britain https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/seven... JPIT’s current campaign for refugee family reunion https://jpit.uk/refugee-reunion The Nap Ministry founded by Tricia Hersey https://thenapministry.wordpress.com/ Rest is Resistance: Free yourself from grind culture and reclaim your life by Tricia Hersey (Octopus Publishing Group, 2024) The Good Shepherd: A thousand-year journey from Psalm 23 to the New Testament by Kenneth E. Bailey (SPCK, 2014)

This episode of Politics in the Pulpit for Spring 2026 is hosted by William Gibson, and features our special guest, Grace Thomas! Grace is the Canon Missioner at Manchester Cathedral, as well as Diocesan Environment Officer and Associate Tutor at Luther King Centre. Grace's publications include a chapter on ecological grief in Words for A Dying World (Malcolm (ed), 2020, SCM), a chapter about female clergy wellbeing in Female Faith Practices (Routledge, 2023), a co-edited book Chaplaincy – Contemporary and Global Perspectives (SCM, 2024) and a co-authored Grove book entitled Climate Action as Mission. Grace is passionate about justice, especially in areas of climate, ethnicity and poverty. She is the chair of the charity Greater Together Manchester and is the Northern Province Clergy Rep for AMEN, which seeks to support Anglicans of Minority Ethnic Heritage. Grace regularly presents Radio 4's Daily Service. This week, William, Grace and Thomas explore the lectionary readings for Sunday 8th March. Timestamps Exodus 17: 1-7Psalm 95Romans 5: 1-11John 4: 5-42 Mentions Words for A Dying World: Stories of Grief and Courage from the Global Church edited by Hannah Malcolm (SCM, 2020) Female Faith Practices: Qualitative Research Perspectives edited by Nicola Slee et al (Routledge, 2023) Chaplaincy: Contemporary and Global Perspectives by Grace Thomas and Kim Wasey (SCM, 2024) Climate Action as Mission: How to Link the Gospel with Safeguarding Creation (Grove Books, 2021) https://www.unicef.org/wash/water-scarcity A Million Acts of Hope campaign - https://millionactsofhope.org/ The Women in the Gospel of John: The Divine Feminine by Judith Kaye Jones (Chalice Press, 2008) Women of the Passion by Margaret Ives (Canterbury Press, 1998)

This episode of Politics in the Pulpit for Spring 2026 is hosted by William Gibson, and features our special guest, Teri Peterson! Teri is a Church of Scotland minister, serving the parish of St John’s in Gourock. She came to Scotland in 2017 from Chicago where she was a minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Teri has a background in music and in mission work in the Middle East, and she is passionate about the intersection of faith and life. She sees her calling as helping bring sacred and secular together through community work, creativity, and service. In her free time she doomscrolls articles about history and current events, plays with her three cats, reads historical fiction about women, and looks out the window at her amazing view. This week, William, Teri and Adam explore the lectionary readings for Sunday 1st March. Timestamps Genesis 12: 1-4aPsalm 121Romans 4: 1-5, 13-17John 3: 1-17 Mentions Faith in the Face of Empire: The Bible through Palestinian Eyes by Mitri Raheb

This episode of Politics in the Pulpit for Spring 2026 is hosted by William Gibson, and features our special guest, Rachel Summers! Rachel Summers is an ordained pioneer priest in the Church of England. She lives in East London and loves that she has the forest on her doorstep and the city all around her. Being in nature is an important part of her spirituality and something she takes joy in sharing with others through forest church. She enjoys hosting refugees in her spare room and the interesting conversations that happen in her kitchen because of this. Rachel has a fabulous ADHD brain which takes her on all manner of exciting sidequests, one of which at the moment is DTh study through Roehampton university. She has many good ideas, some of which actually happen, and her hands are never quite mud free. This week, William, Rachel and Roo explore the lectionary readings for Sunday 22nd February. Timestamps Genesis 2: 15-17; 3: 1-7Psalm 32Romans 5: 12-19Matthew 4: 1-11 Mentions East of Eden by John Steinbeck Nuremberg (2025)

The next episode of this season of Politics in the Pulpit for Spring 2026 is hosted by William Gibson, and features our special guest, Jack Wakefield! Jack is a campaigner with over a decade of experience influencing change across climate, health, justice and inequality. His work has included grassroots youth organising, regular preaching and training for churches, and leading delegations at UN negotiations. He's part of a new church plant in the southwest and is a trustee for Green Christian. This week, William, Jack and Hannah explore the lectionary readings for Sunday 15th February. Timestamps Exodus 24: 12-18 Psalm 2 Psalm 99 2 Peter 1: 16-21 Matthew 17: 1-9 Mentions Joseph Rowntree annual UK poverty report (2026) - https://www.jrf.org.uk/uk-poverty-2026-the-essential-guide-to-understanding-poverty-in-the-uk The Iona Community - https://iona.org.uk/about/our-story/ Theology and Joy by Jürgen Moltmann Episcopal Bishop predicts “new era of martyrdom” - https://premierchristian.news/en/news/article/bishop-warns-of-new-era-of-martyrdom-amid-immigration-tensions Poem written by Bonhoeffer before his execution by the Nazis in 1945 - https://www.praise.org.uk/hymns/by-gracious-powers-so-wonderfully-sheltered

The next episode of this season of Politics in the Pulpit for Spring 2026 is hosted by William Gibson, and features our special guest, Laura Durrant! Laura is a reporter and editorial team member for S(h)ibboleth magazine and a co-host of the Beer Christianity podcast. She is a communications specialist and has worked in the faith-based charity sector for the last seven years. This week, William, Laura and Thomas explore the lectionary readings for Sunday 8th February. Timestamps Isaiah 58: 1-9aPsalm 112: 1-9101 Corinthians 2: 1-1213-16Matthew 5: 13-20 Mentions S(h)ibboleth magazine - https://shibbolethmag.com/pages/about-shibboleth Beer Christianity podcast - https://www.beerchristianity.co.uk/ The Gen Z Quiet Revival report (Bible Society) - https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/research/quiet-revival Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence research and book about the Far Right - https://www.csbvbristol.org.uk/the-church-the-far-right-and-the-claim-to-christianity/ Watch Revd Dr Helen Paynter’s lecture, ‘Unpacking the theology of Christian nationalism’ (Better Story, January 2026) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgHMeOm5uBA Notes from Rev Prof Joseph Mante’s keynote on the Gospel passage in relation to colonial history (27th General Council of the World Communion of Reformed Churches) - Theme-A_20251016_OtisMoss_Keynote.pdf Churches Together in Britain and Ireland resources for Racial Justice Sunday 2026 - https://ctbi.org.uk/resources/racial-justice-sunday-8-february-2026/

The next episode of this season of Politics in the Pulpit for Spring 2026 is hosted by William Gibson, and features our special guest, Cat Whitehouse! Cat Whitehouse is the Faith in Action Project Worker for Student Christian Movement. Her work is shaped by a deep interest in how faith and politics meet in everyday life, and how this shapes the ways we build community, support both our neighbours and those we disagree with, and work for justice. The focus of Cat’s year at SCM is on loving our neighbour and enemy, and they have run workshops with students on the rise of the far right and how it conflicts with Christian faith, as well as on LGBTQ+ rights in the face of hate, titled Love Over Fear. As a queer Christian, Cat is particularly passionate about LGBTQ+ inclusion in faith spaces and creating environments where people feel safe to be fully themselves. Some of her highlights in the role so far have been the ‘Ace and Faith’ panel which she hosted in collaboration with Ace Space London and organising the SCM Virtual Candlelit Vigil for Trans* Day of Remembrance 2025. This week, William, Cat and Alex explore the lectionary readings for Sunday 1st February. Mentions Student Christian Movement - https://www.movement.org.uk/ Constituency Action Network – jpit.uk/can The Canticle of the Turning by Rory Cooney - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9QeTmRCpW4 Nadia Bolz Weber’s Beatitudes - https://thecorners.substack.com/p/salty-d99 The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer Enfleshed Liturgy’s Beatitudes - https://enfleshed.com/blogs/liturgies/beatitudes-remix/

The third episode of this season of Politics in the Pulpit for Spring 2026 is hosted by William Gibson, and features our special guest, Dave Hardman! Revd David Hardman is currently serving as the Methodist Liaison Office, Jerusalem for the Methodist Church in Britain. Ordained in 1994 he has served churches and circuits in the city centre, inner-city and suburbs of Manchester and London. He has also worked for Christian Aid as Senior Regional Coordinator in the North West of England and most recently as Methodist Team Leader of the Joint Public Issues Team. Justice and Peace have been at the heart of David’s ministry, he is an accredited mediator with Place for Hope and a committed activist. This week, William, Dave and Simeon explore the lectionary readings for Sunday 25th January. This conversation highlights David’s experiences with Palestinian Christians under occupation. Timestamps 06:13 - Matthew 4: 12-23 11:10 - Isaiah 9: 1-4 19:58 - Psalm 27: 1, 4-9 29:10 - 1 Corinthians 1: 10-18 Mentions Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (18-25th in UK; 25th-2nd in Jerusalem) - https://www.lpj.org/en/news/week-of-prayer-for-christian-unity-in-jerusalem https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/documents/resources-for-the-week-of-prayer-for-christian-unity-2026 Bridging the Gap: Has the Church failed the poor? by John Harvey Kairos Palestine II document (November 2025) - https://www.kairospalestine.ps/images/Kairos_Palestine_II_English_Final.pdf

The second episode of this season of Politics in the Pulpit for Spring 2026 is hosted by William Gibson, and features our special guest, Adam Aucock! Adam Aucock is a new member of the JPIT team working as the Advocacy Coordinator within the Methodist Church. Adam is from a Baptist background and has worked on advocating for policy change for several years, particularly focussing on the climate and environmental crises and their impacts on those living in poverty around the world. Through work in different organisations, including the international development agency Tearfund, Adam has campaigned for policy changes in spaces from local governments to global policy negotiations. This week, William, Adam and Thomas explore the lectionary readings for Sunday 18th January. Timestamps 07:03 - Psalm 40: 1-11 16:20 - John 1: 29-42 25:00 - Isaiah 49: 1-7 32:33 - 1 Corinthians 1: 1-9 Mentions Letters from a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. Reading the Gospel of John Through Palestinian Eyes by Yohanna Katanacho Week of Prayer for Christian Unity resources - https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/d... JPIT collaborative response to Unite the Kingdom (December 2025) – jpit.uk/joyforall

The first episode of this season of Politics in the Pulpit for Spring 2026 is hosted by Stephen Ansa-Addo, and features our special guest and new host, William Gibson! William is a candidate for ministry in the Church of Scotland and a PhD student in Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Glasgow. Prior to this William worked at Apple where he led unionising efforts in the first unionised Apple store in the UK before working for the Student Christian Movement as their theology and resources project worker for a year. William is also an Iona Community member. This week, Stephen, William and Erica explore the lectionary readings for Sunday 11th January. Timestamps: 6:58 – Isaiah 42: 1-9 12:42 – Psalm 29 16:20 – Matthew 3: 13-17 24:40 – Acts 10: 34-43

Alex, Christine, Erica, and Thomas discuss the readings for 4 January. Don't forget to listen to parts 1 and 3 of our Christmas special and watch this space for a new host and a return to our traditional format in the new year.

Alex, Christine, Erica, and Thomas discuss the readings for 28 December. Don't forget to listen to parts 1 and 3 of our Christmas special and watch this space for a new host and a return to our traditional format in the new year.

Alex, Christine, Erica, and Thomas discuss the readings for Christmas Day. Don't forget to listen to parts 2 and 3 of our Christmas special and watch this space for a new host and a return to our traditional format in the new year.

The fourth episode of our Advent specials of Politics in the Pulpit is hosted by Thomas Niblett, and features Hannah Fremont-Brown and JPIT member Roo Stewart! This week, Thomas, Hannah, and Roo explore the lectionary readings for Sunday 21st December. Timestamps 00:00 – Intro Matthew 1: 18-25 26:30 – Romans 1: 1-7 35:47 – Psalm 80: 1-7, 17-19 41:59 - Isaiah 7: 10-16