#1: Jonathan Rowson

Jonathan Rowson is a Scottish Chess grandmaster, an author, and the director of Perspectiva, an organisation that aims to "research the relationship between complex global challenges and the inner lives of human beings and highlight why this matters in society". In the first episode of The Sacred, hosted by Elizabeth Oldfield, Jonathan talks about his religious and spiritual past, how chess helped him make sense of himself, and how talking to people of faith made him reevaluate his own. We also catch up with Theos' head of research, Nick Spencer, on his new book "The Political Samaritan". He talks about how the parable has been hijacked by politicians from all spheres of the conversation, and how this tale has helped shape contemporary British politics. The Sacred is a podcast about the things we cherish and hold dear to us. It is supported by Theos, the UK's leading religion and society think tank. The Sacred is produced by Hussein Kesvani and No Country Media.