Sarah Irving-Stonebraker: re-enchanting the ahistorical age

In our age of self-invention, we are profoundly disconnected from the history that once gave us identity.

Nick Jones

Nick is the senior editor of Seen & Unseen.

A woman sitting in an empty church talks to the camera and gestures with one hand.

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Sarah Irving-Stonebraker is an Australian historian whose new book Priests of History: stewarding the past in an ahistoric age, says that, in our age of self-invention, modern people are profoundly disconnected from the stories, practises and history that once gave them their identity.

Justin and Belle talk to Sarah about re-enchanting an ahistorical age and about her own journey from atheism to Christianity as a young academic at Cambridge and Oxford in the early 2000s.

Visit Sarah Irving-Stonebraker's web site. https://www.stonebraker.com.au/

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Podcast

GodPod

Podcasts

27 August 2025

1 min read

Visionaries: how Bach's genius shapes music today

Jeremy Begbie unravels the threads connecting his masterpieces to today

Nick Jones

Nick is the senior editor of Seen & Unseen.

A painting of a 18th century man who wears a wig, white neckerchief and dark collarless coat.

A portrait of Johann Sebastian Bach by E.G Haussmann, 1746.

Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

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About this epiosde

Dive into the timeless legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach and discover how his genius continues to shape modern music.

In this, the latest episode in GodPod’s Visionaries series, Graham Tomlin and Jane Williams, alongside Jeremy Begbie, explore Bach's innovative compositions and their profound influence on contemporary genres, from classical to pop. Join us as we unravel the threads connecting Bach's masterpieces to today's musical landscape, revealing the enduring power of his work and excavating the theology that underpins it.

Whether you're a seasoned musician or a curious listener, this episode offers fresh insights into the genius of Bach and his lasting impact on the world of music and theology.

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