Coffee House Shots: Britain's first Catholic PM
Is Andy Burnham the country's first catholic Prime Minister, and how might it influence his leadership? Despite his faith drawing him to Lab...
Radio and PodcastLive Radio & Podcasts
Religion & Spirituality
Holy Smoke
The most important and controversial topics in world religion, thoroughly dissected by a range of high profile guests. Presented by Damian Thompson and Cristina Odone.
Holy Smoke Podcast Guide
Listen to Holy Smoke, a Religion & Spirituality podcast by The Spectator. Stream 236 episodes in English, follow new audio stories, and play episodes online on Radio and Podcast.
Show Topic
Browse this show under Religion & Spirituality podcasts.
Episodes
20 episodes are loaded now from a catalog of 236. More episodes can be opened from this page.
Discover More
Explore Religion & Spirituality podcasts, United States podcasts and English podcasts.
Episodes
20 of 236 episodes
When Mary Calls: why Protestants are praying to the Mother of God
For many Christians, devotion to the Virgin Mary is deeply moving. For others, it raises uncomfortable theological questions. Is the venerat...
How religion shapes football
From idolising players to faithfully following a club, football is often described as the world’s secular religion. But religion has long be...
Was America meant to be a Christian nation?
It might be 250 years since the Declaration of Independence but the document continues to prove controversial, with political groups arguing...
The Pope & the SSPX: is this a permanent schism?
On Wednesday morning the ultra-traditionalist Society of St Pius X (SSPX) consecrated four bishops in defiance of Pope Leo XIV. Those bishop...
Pope Leo, Max Weber & the dark side of charisma
Is Pope Leo XIV quietly reversing the mistakes of his predecessor – or is he a Francis II, a ‘Bergoglio in nicer vestments’? Damian Thompson...
Are Mormons Christian?
For Christians and non-Christians alike, Mormons remain a bit of an enigma – especially in the UK. In the US however there are almost 7 mill...
Mexico, the Catholic Church & the rise of the cartel cults
Friend of Holy Smoke Fr. Alexander Lucie-Smith joins Damian Thompson to talk about the complicated relationship between the drug cartels in...
Michael Gove on why the Pope's AI intervention shames our politicians
The Spectator 's editor Michael Gove ‘was born into a sternly Presbyterian culture’, but – in this week's magazine – is ‘giving thanks to th...
One year of Pope Leo – a promising start?
One year on from when Pope Leo became head of the Catholic church and he remains a bit of an enigma. Is he a Conservative or Liberal? What d...
Is Pope Benedict’s Ordinariate for ex-Anglicans finally going to realise its potential?
In 2009 Pope Benedict XVI upset liberals by creating the Ordinariates, new self-governing structures for ex-Anglicans who wanted to preserve...
Why has Trump picked a fight with the Pope?
Donald Trump’s latest clash with the Pope has stunned even the more hardened of America-watchers. According to the President of the United S...
How homosexuality has torn apart the United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church has experienced a sharp decline over the past century, from an estimated 11 million members in the 1950s to arou...
How would you sell Christianity today? with Rory Sutherland
Advertising guru – and the Spectator's Wiki Man – Rory Sutherland joins Damian Thompson to try and tackle the question 'how would you sell C...
The truth about the quiet revival – with grounds for optimism
The past year has seen a deluge of reports and investigations about young people finding faith and flocking back to Christianity – including...
Prince William resets faith – as Sarah Mullally enthroned
Dame Sarah Mullally has been enthroned as the Archbishop of Canterbury, the first female head of the Church of England. Prince William atten...
Iran: why Shia Islam's tradition of martyrdom is key to understanding the conflict
When Ayatollah Khamenei was assassinated early in the Iran conflict, and during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, it was celebrated by the T...
Who is Sarah Mullally?
One week from the enthronement of Sarah Mullally as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, her biographer Andrew Atherstone – Professor of Modern...
In defence of Christian monarchies
Historian and American monarchist Charles Coulombe joins Damian Thompson to make the case for traditional monarchies. He argues that monarch...
How Russia is waging Holy War in Ukraine
On the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Dr Yuri Stoyanov – of SOAS university in London – joins Damian Thompso...