Faith

Faith in Action – Episode 6

Faith

Stephen Ruttle – Faith in Conflict

[Transcript]

Sargeant: Hello, I’m Richard Sargeant, and this is Faith in Action, a podcast about how faith affects the way we live and work today.

‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ said Jesus, but have the faithful got anything distinctive to add to the laudable efforts of all the secular diplomats and negotiators that are trying to achieve settlements between people in conflict with one another?

With me to discuss this is Stephen Ruttle QC, a barrister at Brick Court Chambers in London, one of the top ten commercial mediators in the world, according to Who’s Who Legal. Stephen, welcome.

 

Ruttle: Thank you very much, great pleasure.

 

Sargeant: So, why mediation, Stephen? I thought barristers tended to argue your case and generally be adversarial, rather than seeking compromise? Continue reading →

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Faith in Action – Episode 5

Faith

Bobby  St.John – Faith in Finance

Transcript:

Richard: Hello, I’m Richard Sargeant, and this is Faith in Action, a podcast to discuss how faith affects the way we live and work today.

Faith and finance have never been easy bedfellows, ever since Jesus threw the money changers out of the temple, yet Christians are at work in the city as much as in the hospital wards and the food banks. However, amid the newspaper headlines of bankers rigging interest rates, dodging tax, and receiving enormous bonuses, it might be hard to see the hand of God at work.

With me to explore the role of faith in finance is Bobby St. John, a banker with over 30 years of experience. He now works as a partner at Centrus Advisors in London. Bobby, thank you for joining me. Why does finance have such a bad reputation?

Continue reading →

Faith in Action – Episode 4

Faith

Cate Wheatley – Faith in Film

[Transcript]

Richard: Hello, I’m Richard Sargeant, and this is Faith in Action, a podcast about how faith affects the way we live and work today. Film has always been closely connected with the portrayal of religion, and yet is the only art form not to originate from within the church. With me to discuss faith in film is Cate Wheatley, a senior lecturer in film studies at King’s College, London. Cate, why did you choose to look at faith in film as part of your academic work? Continue reading →

Faith in Action – Episode 3

Faith, , ,

Ben Welby – Faith in Technology

[Transcript]

Hello, I’m Richard Sargeant and This is Faith in Action, a new podcast to discuss how faith affects the way we live and work today.

Digital Technology surrounds us, and infuses many of our daily lives as consumers, creators and citizens. But is it a force for connection, or alienation? Will technology enable communities of faith to come closer together, or just separate us from our physical neighbours? To discuss this I’ve come face to face with Ben Welby, who is a product manager in the Government Digital Service.

Continue reading →

Faith in Action – Episode 2

Faith, , ,

Sarah Chapman – Faith amid poverty

[Transcript]

Hello, I’m Richard Sargeant and This is Faith in Action, a new podcast to discuss how faith affects the way we live and work today.

Faith is often seen as a personal comfort, and private relationship with God. But the Church today is deeply involved in practical actions to alleviate poverty and to advocate for the powerless. For example, food banks, which served over a million meals last year. Mostly, these have a Christian foundation, Christian management, and work in partnership with local churches.

It is a pleasure to be joined by Sarah Chapman, the co-founder of the Wandsworth foodbank in London. We’ve come to talk about the importance of faith amid poverty.

So Sarah, how big an issue is food poverty today?

I think it’s a very big issue for those who are currently experiencing it. In a country as rich as ours, any family struggling to put food on the table is a real issue, it is a real problem

Is it getting worse?

Stats show that inequality in London is getting wider. In Wandsworth borough where we the gap between the richest and the poorest is very visible and tangible. In the years we’ve been open, from the first to the second year there was a 30% increase in the number of people we helped in that year, and we tended to help more people more often within that as well, so Food poverty is lasting longer for the family in the situation – it’s taking longer to be resolved.

Are foodbanks the right answer? Don’t food handouts create a culture of dependence?

Continue reading →