Re-enchanting... Rupert Shortt on the death of Christianity

Belle and Justin talk with Rupert about why Europe’s historic faith remains critical to the survival of humane culture.

Nick Jones

Nick is the senior editor of Seen & Unseen.

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Rupert Shortt is an author and research associate at the Von Hugel Institute, University Of Cambridge and a former Religion Editor for the Times Literary Supplement.

His latest book The Eclipse of Christianity… And Why It Matters has been praised by Tom Holland as ‘ A brilliant survey of Christianity’s decline in Britain- how it happened and why it matters, by one of our most learned and stimulating apologists’.

Belle and Justin talk with Rupert about why mainstream churches are in decline across the West and why Europe’s historic faith remains critical to the survival of humane culture.

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Podcast

Podcasts

Seen & Unseen Aloud

9 June 2025

1 min read

Assisted dying, Jane Austen and how to solve the Gaza conflict

New episode: the silent campaigns groups, Jane Austen inspires, and why only politics can solve Gaza.

Natalie Garrett

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

A suicide prevention advert.

CALM.

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About this episode

This week's thought-provoking selection starts with Jamie Gillies asking suicide prevention organisations to get involved in the Assisted Dying debate; Beatrice Schudeler introduces us to Jane Austen-inspired novels of different times and genres, and Graham Tomlin tracks the political history of Gaza back to the Roman Empire and still suggests that only politics can find a long term solution.

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