Culture

Our curated articles offering new takes on the big themes and questions in our culture. Plus reviews of books, film, media and experiences. Culture is one of four key themes covered by Seen & Unseen.

Article
  1. Culture
  2. Politics
A marbles staircase rises on four sides of a chamber.

Re-enchanting councils - and glum councillors

Elizabeth Wainwright
Local government could be a place of humanity and beauty more than lifeless language and procedures.
6min read
Podcast
  1. Culture
  2. Podcasts
A woman sits and speaks into a desktop microphone and holds both hands up and out expressively.

Lisa Fields: re-enchanting black voices

Nick Jones
Belle and Justin talk to Lisa about unique challenges that people of colour face when it comes to Christian faith.
1min read
Essay
  1. AI
  2. Culture
In the style of an icon of the Council of Nicea, theologians look on as a cyborg and humanoid AI shake hands

Here’s why AI needs a theology of tech

Oliver Dürr
As AI takes on tasks once exclusively human, we start to doubt ourselves. We need to set the balance right.
9min read
Podcast
  1. Culture
  2. Podcasts
Jon Tilkin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Seen & Unseen Aloud: 1st anniversary special

Nick Jones
We are one! We're revisiting some popular articles: joy at a Jacob Collier concert, and NT Wright on Easter, creation and justice.
1min read
Article
  1. Culture
A woman stand in front of a large video screen displaying the Space Invaders title, hold her hands out in front of her.

Fun is dead

Simon Walters
When video games turn play into work, we need to play without fear of consequences.
4min read
Article
  1. AI
  2. Culture
An angel of death lays a hand of a humanioid robot that has died amid a data centre

What AI needs to learn about dying and why it will save it

Andrew Steane
Those programming truthfulness can learn a lot from mortality.
5min read
Podcast
  1. Culture
  2. Podcasts
A man sits at a desk and looks up and gestures with his hand.

Jonathan Pageau: re-enchanting just about everything

Nick Jones
Belle and Justin talk with Jonathan about the symbolic patterns that underlie our experience of the world.
1min read
Article
  1. Culture
  2. Freedom of Belief
A man wearing a waist coats sits at a desk and ask a questions of a panel of people with their backs facing us.

Asylum row pits Church against State

Steve Dew-Jones
From Westminster to Weymouth, the church incurs the wrath of statesmen.
5min read
Article
  1. Belief
  2. Culture
A clock repair peers at a clock he is repairing, amid a see of alarm and wall clocks on display

Ted Giola is right: we’re all addicts now

Jonathan Rowlands
Addiction to distraction prevents deep thought about our place in time.
5min read
Article
  1. Culture
  2. Film & TV
A closely cropped group of gold Oscar statues showing mostly their head and shoulders.

The Oscars and ourselves

Belle Tindall
Beyond the shiny escapism, the awards spotlight all our stories.
4min read
Review
  1. Culture
  2. Film & TV
in an immaculate garden a family play in and around a small swimming pool. Beyond the garden wall, a barracks is visble with crematorium smoke rising beyond it.

The Zone of Interest’s peripheral vision of evil

Yaroslav Walker
Director Jonathan Glazer bests Spielberg thanks to a quality of attention.
4min read
Podcast
  1. Culture
A woman sits in a blue velver high wing chair and speaks while bringing her hands together in front of her with balled fists.

Jessica Oyelowo: re-enchanting Hollywood and motherhood

Nick Jones
A creative force of nature: Jessica talks with Belle and Justin about what dreaming big dreams looks like when faith is involved.
1min read