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Unbelievable?

Classic: Paul Kingsnorth's Journey to Orthodox Christianity - The Big Conversation with Rowan Williams and Paul Kingsnorth

Unbelievable?

Premier Unbelievable?

Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.62.3K Ratings

🗓️ 22 July 2025

⏱️ 69 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

From the archives of The Big Conversation (Season 4, Episode 2), the acclaimed spin-off series from the Unbelievable? podcast, we're revisiting a powerful episode featuring celebrated author Paul Kingsnorth, who shares the remarkable story of his adult conversion to Eastern Orthodox Christianity. We've just recorded a brand new Unbelievable? show with Paul, so this classic episode is the perfect way to familiarise yourself with his spiritual journey and key ideas. And don’t miss his upcoming book, Against the Machine, releasing this September – pre-order it here In this conversation, Paul is joined by Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, as they explore the deep spiritual hunger beneath our secular age and whether ancient expressions of Christianity might hold the answers today's culture is seeking.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Most of us know what worship looks like on a Sunday.

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But what about a Tuesday morning?

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It's a year of scripture, mentoring and applied learning, renewing the mind

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and reshaping the way you work with God because faith doesn't stop at the office door. It walks in

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0:50.5

I'd gone looking for Buddhism and I'd gone looking for Wicca because I thought they fitted with how I saw the world.

0:57.7

But I didn't think Christianity fits with how I saw the world at all.

1:00.7

And I didn't want to be Christian.

1:02.3

Christianity properly understood tells you there's no such thing as dead matter.

1:07.7

Creation around you within you, the creation that you are, the creation that you are, the creation that you're part of,

1:13.2

is all God acting, God loving, God inviting, here and now. And eventually I just basically had to

1:19.9

accept that this was happening and give into it and see where it took me. Well, hello and welcome to The Big Conversation from Premier Unbelievable. The Big

1:30.0

Conversation brings the biggest thinkers together to discuss the biggest questions about science,

1:34.6

faith and philosophy. Conversion, culture and the cross, are we ready to believe in God? That's

1:40.0

our topic. I'm joined by Rowan Williams and Paul Kingsdorf.

1:49.6

Rowan Williams is a member of the House of Lords and was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 2002 to 2012, prior to which he was the Archbishop of Wales. Rowan is an influential theologian

1:55.9

who has held positions at both Oxford and Cambridge University. His books include being Christian, being disciples and

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