This year marks 800 years since the birth of the theologian St Thomas Aquinas. Aquinas, best known for his theory of natural law and his magnum opus the Summa Theologia, argued for the existence of God through faith-based reason. The influence of the 13th Century theologian on the philosophy of religion is unquestionable, but what is curious is his resurgent popularity amongst Generation Z – particularly in America. Is this part of the recovery of the sacred seen across the global west?

Fr Gregory Pine OP, professor of dogmatic and moral theology at the Dominican House of Studies, joins Damian Thompson to talk about Aquinas’s legacy, unpack some of the philosopher’s more complicated arguments and describe his own personal journey within the Order of Preachers.

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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It is 10 months since the resignation of Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury. Now, finally, the Crown Nominations Commission is believed to have drawn up a shortlist of candidates, and a successor to Welby could be approved by October.

Theologian and author Andrew Graystone joins Damian Thompson to talk through what he calls ‘a weak list’ of potential candidates – weak because there are no obvious frontrunners and the Commission is choosing between ‘half a dozen equals’. 

These range from the more talked-about Michael Beasley (Bath and Wells), Guli France-Dehqani (Chelmsford) and Rose Hudson-Wilson (Dover) [all pictured in the thumbnail] to the ‘others’: Stephen Lake (Salisbury), Martyn Snow (Leicester), Joanne Grenfell (St Edmundsbury and Ipswich), Sarah Mullallay (London), Rachel Treweek (Gloucester) and Ruth Worsely (interim bishop of Liverpool).

As Andrew tells Damian, factors dividing the candidates include their age, their views on LGBT inclusion and, crucially, their records on safeguarding issues. Also, note the presence of six women on this list. Could the Church be about to appoint the first female Primate of All England? And could this lead to disastrous controversy within the Anglican Communion – or is that body already so fractured that the Church of England will ignore its objections? 

Anyone wondering why the process has taken so long – especially compared to the 17 days it took the Catholic Church to elect a new Pope this year – should check out our previous episode with Andrew here.

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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On Sunday the Catholic Church will acquire its first millennial saint, when Pope Leo XIV canonises someone who, if he were alive today, would be young enough to be his son. 

Carlo Acutis, a ‘computer geek’ from a prosperous Italian family, died aged just 15 in 2006. In this episode of Holy Smoke, Damian Thompson talks to Mgr Anthony Figueiredo and the Italian-based journalist Nicholas Farrell about the extraordinary phenomenon of St Carlo, the miracles associated with him – and the scepticism they arouse – and a mean-spirited attack on him by one of the late Pope Francis’s closest advisers. 

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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What links the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and St Peter's in Rome with the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, and Canaanland in Ota, Nigeria? These are just some of the churches that Anglican priest and writer the Revd Fergus Butler-Gallie highlights in his new book Twelve Churches: An Unlikely History of the Buildings that made Christianity. The Anglican priest and writer joins Damian Thompson on Holy Smoke to explain how each Church not only tells a story but also raises a surprising dilemma for modern believers.

Fergus aims to tell the history of the Churches 'warts and all' and argues that, from Turkey to Britain, today’s Christians must be prepared to defend their religious spaces. Also, why is the Church of England one of the worst offenders when it comes to preserving its heritage?

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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The Bible is widely said to be the most published book of all time. Despite this, many older versions of the Bible are still sought after. This is because, as Tom Ayling tells Damian Thompson on this episode of Holy Smoke, there is a great deal of diversity amongst the editions precisely because it has been so widely published. Tom, a young antiquarian bookseller who set up his own business, joins the podcast to talk about the risks and rewards behind collecting rare books.

Tom explains why, for him, books are ‘most than just a text’; takes us through the various religious books in his collection, from old editions of the Holy Bible to the Book of Common Prayer; and reveals some of the more amusing mistakes he has come across. For more from Tom, go to: www.tomwayling.co.uk

Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Photo credit: Tom Rowland (Tom W. Ayling Ltd).

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St John Henry Newman (1801-90) is perhaps the most influential theologian in the history of English Christianity. Yet, as Damian Thompson discusses with Fr Rod Strange – one of the world’s leading authorities on Newman – he was a divisive figure, though perhaps not in the way one might imagine. One of the founders of the Oxford Movement, Newman was widely acknowledged as the most gifted intellectual in the Church of England. In 1845 he converted to Rome and was eventually made a cardinal. Thus he had a unique viewpoint on Church doctrine and dogma. But what is Newman’s significance today? Although he is universally celebrated, conservative and liberal Christians, and especially Catholics, are still fighting over his legacy. 

Newman was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI, canonised by Pope Francis, and Pope Leo XIV has now announced that he will be given the title Doctor of the Church, an honour granted to only 38 out of over 10,000 saints. What is it about Newman that has inspired Pope Leo? And, coming so soon after his election, what does this decision tell us about Leo’s pontificate?

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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After the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, many people voiced fears that the religious minorities in the country could face increased persecution. This could be at the hands of the new government’s supporters, or simply because the new regime can't protect them. Now those fears appear to have been realised. There is rising sectarian violence against Christians, the Alawites and the Druze (pictured). There are also frequent barbaric attacks on Christians in parts of Africa: more than 40 Christians have just been murdered by Islamists in the Democratic Republic of the Congo while attending church.

Fr Benedict Kiely joins Damian Thompson on this episode of Holy Smoke to discuss the background to this violence, the role of inter-faith score-settling, and why the global West – including leaders of the Catholic Church – seem more interested in migration than the slaughter of Christians and other people of faith.

A Catholic priest of the Ordinariate, Fr Ben is a leading campaigner for religious believers around the world, and especially in the Middle East, and the founder of the charity nasarean.org.

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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Last week The Spectator held a live event entitled ‘Recovering the Sacred’ in the glorious surroundings of St Bartholomew the Great, the oldest parish church in the City of London.

The speakers included two London parish priests – one Anglican, one Catholic – who have contributed much to the growing interest among young people in traditional liturgy and Christian theology, a development that the hierarchy of their respective churches certainly didn’t foresee.

They were the Rev Marcus Walker, Rector of St Bart’s, whose Prayer Book Evensongs and Eucharists attract large numbers of young professionals to his ancient church; and Fr Julian Large, the Provost of the Brompton Oratory, where an increasingly youthful congregation flocks to Latin Masses.

We also heard from Dr Cosima Gilhammer, a Fellow in English at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, whose writings on the rhythms and symbolism of the liturgy are deeply inspiring; The Spectator’s editor, Michael Gove; and the Rev Prof Andrew Davison, Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford University, who also holds a doctorate in biochemistry.

The evening concluded with a panel discussion chaired by Holy Smoke’s presenter, Damian Thompson, and – a real treat – a performance of Catholic and Anglican motets sung by the renowned choir of St Bart’s.

The event was completely sold out. Inevitably, many were disappointed not to attend in person – but the microphones were running, and so we are delighted to present ‘Recovering the Sacred’.

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Nearly everyone loves Robert Prevost, the unassuming baseball fan from Chicago who unexpectedly became Pope Leo XIV this year. But as he prepares to spend his summer in Castel Gandolfo he has some difficult decisions to make. Is he prepared to clear up all the doctrinal confusion created by his predecessor Pope Francis? And will he allow liberal bishop to continue to persecute Catholics who prefer the ancient Latin form of Mass? 

Damian Thompson gives us his thoughts in advance of Recovering the Sacred, a Spectator event at St Bartholomew-the-Great in the City of London on July 8 featuring debate and sacred music illustrating the recovery of tradition by a new generation of Christians. For tickets and more information, go to spectator.co.uk/church.

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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Today’s Holy Smoke is a curtain-raiser for ‘Recovering the Sacred’, a Spectator event at St Bartholow-the-Great in the City of London in which a panel of experts will explore the rediscovery of traditional worship and theology by young Anglicans and Catholics. The event will be held on Tuesday 8th July; for more details, and to book tickets, go to: spectator.co.uk/church

In today’s episode Damian Thompson talks to Anglican James Vitali and Catholic Georgia Clarke, two Generation Z professionals bursting with enthusiasm for their faith. It’s an exhilarating discussion; don’t miss it. 

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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