Alan Bennett, rationality and the Budget

New episode. Listen to articles by Roget Standing, Alister McGrath, and Annika Greco-Thompson.

Natalie Garrett

Natalie produces and narrates The Seen & Unseen Aloud podcast. She's an Anglican minister and a trained actor.

In the style of a Raeburn portrait, a set of young people lounge around on their phones looking diffident

Enlightened disagreement (with apologies to Henry Raeburn).

Nick Jones/Midjourney.ai.

Listen to episode

About the episode

This week we start with Roger Standing's review of Alan Bennett's latest film, The Choral; then Alister McGrath unpacks the terrain between the "Age of Reason" and the era of "post-truth" and finally Annika Greco Thompson discusses the possible Christian response to financial (in)security, in the lead up to the UK's Chancellor announcing the Autumn Budget.

Support this podcast

Since Spring 2023, thousands of people have enjoyed hundreds of podcast episodes and over 1,500 articles.

All for free.

This is made possible through the generosity of our amazing community of supporters.

If you enjoy Seen & Unseen Aloud, would you consider making a gift towards our work?

Do so by joining Behind The Seen. Alongside other benefits, you’ll receive an extra fortnightly email from me sharing my reading and reflections on the ideas that are shaping our times.

Graham Tomlin
Editor-in-Chief

Article

Christmas culture

Podcasts

12 November 2025

1 min read

Advent Special, from Seen & Unseen Aloud

Our audio box set serves up some choice picks from Christmases past and present.

Natalie Garrett

Natalie produces and narrates The Seen & Unseen Aloud podcast. She's an Anglican minister and a trained actor.

Seen & Unseen Aloud: Advent Special audio boxset

Reflect this Advent with your Thinking Aloud audiobox

Enjoy your free Advent audiobox

However you choose to spend the festive period, we hope these reflections spark meaningful conversations and moments of stillness this Advent.

Listen now to the Seen & Unseen Advent Special series

Episode 1: Learning to find joy on Team Christmas, by psychologist Roger Bretherton

The clinical and coaching psychologist investigates the bone-deep satisfaction in the hard work of hosting Christmas at home and why the act has now become a spiritual discipline for him.

Episode 2: This is love, actually by Cameron Wiltshire Plant

The Leicestershire vicar explains that while the meet-cutes are abundant in the Christmas movie staple, it’s the sibling storyline that strikes at the truest meaning of love: God’s sacrifice.

Episode 3: My Boxing Day anti-climax, by Jonny Torrance

The priest and theologian ponders whether, once the most wonderful time of year has come and gone, anything really has changed and why the Christian faith also contends with this reality.