Holy Smoke

Dame Sarah Mullally has been enthroned as the Archbishop of Canterbury, the first female head of the Church of England. Prince William attended as the representative of the Monarch and – as heir to the throne – the person who will one day become Supreme Governor of the Church. His attendance came a few days after an interview appeared in The Times where Prince William seemed to be pressing 'reset' on his relationship with faith.

Friend of Holy Smoke, The Daily Mail’s Robert Hardman – author of the forthcoming biography Elizabeth II. In Private. In Public. The Inside Story – and Anglican priest The Rev'd Fergus Butler-Gallie, join Damian Thompson to discuss the Prince's faith, what the enthronement ceremony tells us about the current state of the Church of England – and what we can expect from Mullally's era.

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.
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When Ayatollah Khamenei was assassinated early in the Iran conflict, and during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, it was celebrated by the Trump administration – who saw this as a large step towards regime change in Iran. Yet, for Khamenei's supporters, his death secured him a place amongst other celebrated Iranian martyrs. Shia Islam has a long tradition of martyrdom, something under-appreciated in the global West, and which goes some way to explaining why the current regime has survived in the face of external threats. Yet, as Dr Eric Lob explains, there is still nuance between the faith of the theocratic regime and those adherents of Shia Islam in the country who are less political.

Eric Lob, associate professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Florida International University joins Damian Thompson to discuss.

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.
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One week from the enthronement of Sarah Mullally as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, her biographer Andrew Atherstone – Professor of Modern Anglicanism at Oxford University – joins Damian Thompson for this episode of Holy Smoke. This marks the second profession she has risen to, having first been the most senior nurse in England & Wales. Archbishop Mullally has led an 'ordinary, suburban' life and is by all accounts well-liked by her congregations but what do we know of her views on some of the most controversial topics in her in-tray: abortion, gay blessings and safeguarding – to name but a few. Is it fair to say she is the 'Welby-continuity' candidate?

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.
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Historian and American monarchist Charles Coulombe joins Damian Thompson to make the case for traditional monarchies. He argues that monarchs are unjustly cast as tyrants, when they should be seen as defenders of tradition – especially in an era of secular western politicians who seem to hate the countries they serve. Charles even goes further to suggest such type of rule is ‘natural’. But how can popular support for monarchies survive in the modern age?
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On the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Dr Yuri Stoyanov – of SOAS university in London – joins Damian Thompson to reflect on the religious dimensions of the war once again. The theological gulf between Russia and Ukraine is perhaps comparable to the political one and, for now, seems insurmountable, with the war increasingly being framed in some spheres as a 'Holy War'. You have to stretch back to the First World War to find a war within Christendom framed in these terms, but what effect is this having on the family of Orthodox churches across Europe and the Middle East? And how can we better understand this strand of Russian 'jihadism'?

Plus, what has the impact of the Papal succession been? And, how have other religious groups – such an estimated 2 million Buddhists – reacted in Russia?

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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