Research by the think-tank Theos indicates that generally, Roman Catholics tend to favour the Labour Party, while Anglicans gravitate towards the Conservatives. This raises the question: Why do Christians, sharing the same scripture, develop such divergent political views, and to what extent does faith influence our voting choices? James Mildred of CARE, George Lapshynov, and Nick Spencer from Theos discussed this with Premier's Esther Higham.
Rev Bryony Taylor, author of 'More TV Vicar?', and Sergeant Keith Evans chat with Esther Higham about Baby Reindeer, Netflix's big mistake, and how we can protect ourselves from stalkers.
Today is the International Day for Peacekeeping, a day dedicated to honouring the remarkable men and women who have served as peacekeepers. In a world increasingly plagued by modern conflicts and wars, Christians may wonder how to extend God's peace to the world around them. Dr. Lisa Adjei from Christian Aid explored this topic with Premier's Esther Higham.
We love to hear stories of our donations changing lives in places we may never go to, but why do so many countries remain impoverished? Is our Western aid actually making poor countries poorer? Esther Higham put this question to Paul Smith, CEO of Musana UK, Dr. Miriam Laker-Oketta, from GiveDirectly, and Fola Komolafe MBE, CEO of World Vision UK.
In the coming weeks, numerous young individuals will be undergoing exams, leading to considerably high stress levels among them. Nonetheless, the youth pastors at St Aldates Church in Oxford have observed a significant positive effect within their congregation and youth group by offering pastoral support during exam periods. Sarah Parsons and Ditie Eradiri discussed this notable impact with Premier's Esther Higham.
The government plans to implement new age restrictions on Relationship Sex Health Education (RSHE) in schools, which will prevent sexual education from being taught before Year 5, with teaching beginning from the biological facts about conception. As Christian parents and carers, what does this mean for us? Lizzie Harewood from the Association of Christian Teachers and Steve Beegoo from Christian Concern discussed this with Premier's Esther Higham.
Should Christians perform magic? Mark Shortland is the founding member of Christian Magicians and has been performing for more than 20 years worldwide and on Britain's Got Talent. He spoke to Esther Higham about using magic to spread the gospel.
Author and spiritual director Amy Boucher-Pye chats to Premier's Max Avard about putting her name into scripture, how our view of God affects everything, and why we should rethink the question we ask new people on a Sunday morning.
Christians often pursue God with an undercurrent of guilt, fear, or anxiety. So, how can imperfect people experience God’s peace while seeking to obey his perfect standards? Author Faith Chang talks about the struggles of Christian perfectionists and how to deal with it in her chat with Premier’s Esther Higham.
Is there a 'spiritual void' in the NHS? How do we meet the growing number of Brits identifying as ‘spiritual but not religious’ in healthcare? Dr Ross Bryson, Steve Fouch from the Christian Medical Fellowship, and Lindsey Hanekom from Ellel Ministries, join Premier's Mal Pope to chat about how faith can be a fix for problems in the NHS.
Karen Gibson from the Kingdom Choir joins Esther Higham and a host of guests for a special Inspirational Breakfast celebrating 30 years of the legendary gospel choir. They chat about championing the arts in schools, collaborating with big-name popstars, and performing at a Royal Wedding.
Earlier this month, AstraZeneca announced the withdrawal of its vaccine, stating that newer versions of the vaccine are more effective against the virus's new variants. Reflecting on this, one might question whether the vaccine sceptics were correct from the beginning, or if it was truly our Christian duty to participate in vaccination for the protection of the entire population. Professor Francis Davis and anti-vaccine campaigner Laura Brett discussed this topic with Premier's Esther Higham.
Artists Monique Thomas and Paul Lee chat with Esther Higham about Kirk Franklin's clothing controversy, the difference between worship leading and entertaining, and whether God really cares about what we wear in worship.
Why can you be surrounded by lots of people and still feel lonely? The loneliness epidemic in the UK has been called the hidden killer by experts. So, aside from trying to quickly remedy our loneliness, are there any spiritual lessons we can take from it? Pastor Steve DeWitt spoke to Esther Higham about his new book Loneliness: Don't Hate It or Waste It. Redeem It.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently announced plans to reform the disability benefits system in the hopes of pushing more people into work. But what impact will this actually have on those living with disabilities day-to-day? Esther Higham spoke to author Sarah Douglas, who lives with AuDHD and is multiply disabled, about benefit fraud, "dehumanising" assessments, and how churches can be more welcoming to those with disabilities.
