Esther Maria Magnis: re-enchanting suffering

A raw account of the beauty of life and the ugliness of death.

Nick Jones

Nick is the senior editor of Seen & Unseen.

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Esther Maria Magnis is a German writer whose book With or Without Me is a memoir of her journey with faith and the perception of reality.

With unflinching honesty Esther takes us through her childhood and adolescence as she, along with her brother and sister, deals with the grief of her father’s cancer diagnosis, her prayers, and her journey through the loss of faith, into materialism, self-deconstruction and finally the turn back to the idea of God.

Justin and Belle talk to Esther about her raw account of coming to terms with faith through the beauty of life, the ugliness of death, and even the apparent silence of God.

With or With Out Me is published by Plough.

With or With Out Me

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Podcast

Culture

Re-enchanting

Royalty

18 November 2023

1 min read

Re-enchanting... kings, queens and the church

Justin and Belle talk to historian Suzannah Lipscomb about devoting her life to understanding the past, the way the British monarchy shaped Christendom, and how she puts faith and the tumultuous history of the church together.

Nick Jones

Nick is the senior editor of Seen & Unseen.

A seated podcast guest talks into a mic while stretching out a hand for emphasis.

Suzannah Lipscomb is an award-winning historian, author and broadcaster who has brought the loves, lives and intrigues of the sixteenth century to millions of people through TV shows, podcasts and writing. She is the author of several books, including 1536: The Year that changed Henry VIII and The Voices of Nîmes: Women, Sex, and Marriage in Reformation Languedoc.

Justin and Belle talk to historian Suzannah about why she has devoted her life to understanding the past, the way the British monarchy shaped Christendom, why she is focussed on uncovering the real stories of women in our history books, and how as a Christian she puts faith and the tumultuous history of the church together. Look out for a bonus conversation at the end of the show when Suzannah reflects on the problem of suffering as a Christian.

For Suzannah Lipscomb: https://suzannahlipscomb.com/

For Re-Enchanting: https://www.seenandunseen.com/podcast T

here’s more to life than the world we can see. Re-Enchanting is a podcast from Seen & Unseen recorded at Lambeth Palace Library, the home of the Centre for Cultural Witness. Justin Brierley and Belle Tindall engage faith and spirituality with leading figures in science, history, politics, art and education. Can our culture be re-enchanted by the vision of Christianity?