EPISODE · Aug 8, 2025 · 1H 21M
Islam and The Battle For Britain: Past, Present and Future | Sean Oliver-Dee & David Goodhart
from John Anderson: Conversations · host John Anderson
John is joined by Dr. Sean Oliver-Dee and David Goodhart to discuss immigration, national identity, and the role of religion in modern Britain. They examine how liberal democracies are struggling to maintain social cohesion amid rapid demographic and cultural change, including the mass importation of Islamic culture.They revisit Britain’s imperial identity, debate the prospects for Muslim integration, and reflect on whether liberalism can offer meaning in a post-Christian age. With insight and historical depth, Sean and David urge a rethinking of national purpose and shared values in an age of cultural fragmentation.David Goodhart is a British journalist, commentator and author, and has written for The Guardian, The Independent and The Times. In 2013, he published The British Dream, a book about post-war multiculturalism, national identity, and immigration, and in 2017 The Road to Somewhere: The new tribes shaping British politics, about the value divides in western societies, which was a Sunday Times best-seller. His latest book is The Care Dilemma.Dr. Sean Oliver-Dee is a tutor in Religions at the University of Oxford, and has written books and articles in the field of religion and public policy, including 2020's Courting Islam: US-British Engagement with Islam since the Colonial Period, which examined how the British and American governments historically engaged with Muslim countries and Muslim minorities in areas of foreign and domestic policy. Sean has co-authored Parliamentary publications concerning religious liberty and co-authored a strategic analysis report on religious futures for the British Ministry of Defence. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and of the Royal Asiatic Society.
What this episode covers
John is joined by Dr. Sean Oliver-Dee and David Goodhart to discuss immigration, national identity, and the role of religion in modern Britain. They examine how liberal democracies are struggling to maintain social cohesion amid rapid demographic and cultural change, including the mass importation of Islamic culture.They revisit Britain’s imperial identity, debate the prospects for Muslim integration, and reflect on whether liberalism can offer meaning in a post-Christian age. With insight and historical depth, Sean and David urge a rethinking of national purpose and shared values in an age of cultural fragmentation.David Goodhart is a British journalist, commentator and author, and has written for The Guardian, The Independent and The Times. In 2013, he published The British Dream, a book about post-war multiculturalism, national identity, and immigration, and in 2017 The Road to Somewhere: The new tribes shaping British politics, about the value divides in western societies, which was a Sunday Times best-seller. His latest book is The Care Dilemma.Dr. Sean Oliver-Dee is a tutor in Religions at the University of Oxford, and has written books and articles in the field of religion and public policy, including 2020's Courting Islam: US-British Engagement with Islam since the Colonial Period, which examined how the British and American governments historically engaged with Muslim countries and Muslim minorities in areas of foreign and domestic policy. Sean has co-authored Parliamentary publications concerning religious liberty and co-authored a strategic analysis report on religious futures for the British Ministry of Defence. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and of the Royal Asiatic Society.
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Islam and The Battle For Britain: Past, Present and Future | Sean Oliver-Dee & David Goodhart
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