Graham TomlinEvery podcast appearance, updated as new ones drop

In this episode, we are joined by Graham Tomlin and Joshua Hordern to discuss their new book, A Voice in the Wilderness: Why Should we listen to the Church of England? We talk about 'establishment' and monarchy, Christian Nationalism, the importance of history and place, and the witness of the Church of England in contemporary society. https://www.wjkbooks.com/bookproduct/9780334066989-a-voice-in-the-wilderness/

The patron saint of cultural apologetics is Augustine of Hippo, author most famously of City of God and Confessions . Second place is up for debate. But you’ll get a lot of votes for a 17th-century disciple of Augustine, the Frenchman Blaise Pascal. Graham Tomlin describes Pascal as the “man who made the modern world” in a new biography . Tomlin is the director of the Centre for Cultural Witness in Oxford, England. He writes of Pascal that “it is hard to think of anyone who has impacted so many fields of human endeavour in such a short time.” Here’s a taste from Tomlin about Pascal’s accomplishments: he basically invented probability theory; proved the existence of the vacuum; laid the foundations of integral calculus; conducted the first modern scientific experiment; developed theory that made possible the hydraulic press; demonstrated that air has weight; designed and built the first mechanical calculating machine, which led to what we know as the computer; set the trend of wearing wrist watches; and built the first public urban transportation system in Europe. And did I already mention he was one of the most effective and enduring cultural apologists of all time, perhaps second only to Augustine? Tomlin writes, “His was a Christianity founded in a profound experience of God, an intense devotional life and a form of faith that offered a radical alternative to the comfortable assimilation to culture that the Church of his day often seemed to promote.” Let’s talk to Graham Tomlin about this remarkable man, who lamented man’s inability to sit quietly by himself, who observed, “The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing.” In This Episode: 00:00 – Pascal’s wager and living as if Christianity is true 00:49 – Introducing Blaise Pascal, the cultural apologist who helped make the modern world 02:36 – Pascal’s remarkable inventions, including public transportation and the Pascaline 05:42 – Augustine’s influence on Pascal’s theology of desire, fallenness, and grace 08:11 – Why Pascal trusted reason in science but not as the starting point for faith 10:46 – Pascal’s “Night of Fire” and encounter with the living God 16:43 – Why Pascal went to war with the Jesuits 20:20 – Jansenism, Calvinism, and Pascal’s understanding of grace 25:51 – The hiddenness of God as an argument for faith 32:38 – How human misery points toward human greatness 39:46 – What Pascal’s Wager actually means 48:45 – Pascal, Jonathan Haidt, and the psychology of belief 49:05 – “Make it attractive”: Pascal’s enduring strategy for cultural apologetics 51:59 – How Pascal anticipated both the modern and postmodern worlds 59:22 – What Pascal would say about modern science and scientism 1:01:43 – Why Pascal’s faith speaks to people who have looked into the abyss 1:03:21 – Outro Resources Mentioned: Blaise Pascal by Graham Tomlin Pensées by Blaise Pascal The Provincial Letters by Blaise Pascal Confessions by Augustine City of God by Augustine <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0307455777?tag=thegospcoal-20

Graham Tomlin is a British theologian, author, and former Church of England bishop who now leads the Centre for Cultural Witness, helping the church speak more clearly and imaginatively into public life. He previously served as Bishop of Kensington in the Diocese of London from 2015 to 2022, where he became a key pastoral voice in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire and its national memorial service. Before becoming a bishop, he spent many years in theological education as chaplain of Jesus College, Oxford, and as dean, principal, and now president of St Mellitus College.In this episode of Created In The Image of God, Tomlin joins Wade for a timely conversation about what it means for Christians to offer “cultural witness” in a rapidly changing world. Drawing on books like The Provocative Church, The Widening Circle, and Why Being Yourself is a Bad Idea, he explores how the church can engage a secular, polarized society without surrendering either theological depth or spiritual vitality.Together, they discuss how Christians can listen more carefully, speak more imaginatively, and embody a more faithful public presence in a fractured age. For seekers and believers alike, this episode offers a compelling vision of faith that is intellectually serious, spiritually alive, and publicly relevant. Get full access to Created in the Image of God at wadefransson.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to a new series about Cultural Witness! In this episode Bishop Graham Tomlin and Dr Belle Tindall-Riley join us from the Center for Cultural Witness based in London. Their work is the inspiration for this series, which considers the role and posture of Christianity and the church within society. What do Christians have to offer culture? How does 'cultural witness' relate to apologetics and political theology? Check out their books here: Belle Tindall-Riley, The Sacred Ache Graham Tomlin, Blaise Pascal

Graham Tomlin joins Kelsi to discuss the influence and faith of 17th-century polymath, Blaise Pascal, based on Tomlin's most recent book, "Blaise Pascal: The Man Who Made the Modern World." The two discuss his similarities and differences with Martin Luther, his views of 17th-century French society (and how this culture offers many lessons for our modern world), and his contributions to Christian apologetics. Graham is the editor-in-Chief of Seen & Unseen, and a former Bishop of Kensington. He is a regular contributor to national publications and has written many books and articles, both academic and more popular. He founded the Centre for Cultural Witness, home to Seen & Unseen, in 2023. He taught theology within Oxford University for many years before founding St. Mellitus College. Show Notes: ⁠⁠⁠Support 1517 Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠1517 Podcasts⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠1517 on Youtube⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠1517 Events Schedule⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠1517 Academy - Free Theological Education⁠⁠⁠ More from Kelsi: ⁠⁠⁠Kelsi Klembara⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Follow Kelsi on Instagram⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Follow Kelsi on Twitter⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Kelsi's Substack⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to the Show: ⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠ More from Graham: Order Blaise Pascal:The Man Who Made the Modern World Seen & Unseen Graham's Substack

In this episode, we explore the life and mind of whom historian Tom Holland calls “17th century Europe’s supreme polymath": Blaise Pascal. Our guide is Graham Tomlin, a former bishop in the Church of England. Drawing from his book, Blaise Pascal, the Man Who Made the Modern World, Graham brings us on a journey through Pascal’s life, his conversion to Christianity, and his famous argument for belief in God known as “the Wager.” Together, we’ll explore the ways in which Pascal himself can still be a guide for us today. "What else does [man's] craving and helplessness proclaim—but that there was once in man a true happiness of which all that remains is the empty print and trace. This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there, the help that he cannot find in those that are. Though none can help. Because this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object. In other words, by God himself." This conversation was recorded in August 2025. You can find the original video and transcript here . Thank you for joining us in exploring timeless wisdom together, to help you gain clarity and courage for your own life, and to help nurture a culture of renewed hope.

Graham Tomlin has been a vicar, a theologian, a college principal, a bishop and now spearheads a project dedicated to trying to re-enchant the UK with Christian faith. In this episode we reflect with him about his ministry, the current state and status of theology in the church, the struggles of the Church of England where he served as a bishop until recently, and why he’s now focusing on helping non-churchgoers begin to see the world through ‘Christian spectacles’. • Subscribe to the Matters of Life and Death podcast: https://pod.link/1509923173 • If you want to go deeper into some of the topics we discuss, visit John's website: http://www.johnwyatt.com • For more resources to help you explore faith and the big questions, visit: http://www.premierunbelievable.com

An exciting special episode: Bishop Graham Tomlin has a chat with Croatian-born, US-based theologian, writer and thinker Miroslav Volf about cultural themes in the run up to the US Election; how Christian faith and politics make good sparring partners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Ed Thornton interviews the Bishop of Kensington, Dr Graham Tomlin, about his new book, Bound to be Free: the paradox of freedom. In it, Dr Tomlin discusses the fraught concept of freedom in contemporary culture, finds a fatal flaw at the heart of the secular vision of freedom, and argues that the Christian vision of freedom brings together both personal fulfilment and the health of community life