The Cross Section team are joined by Jo Frost, director of communications and engagement for the Evangelical Alliance. They begin by discussing some key stories including Jelly Roll's speech at the Grammys, the red pilling Stephen Bartlett controversy and the validity of the Quiet Revival stats.

For the majority of the episode, the panel discuss Christians on the left of politics. Who are some of the key UK Christian figures from the left. What are the trends we are seeing on the left domestically and internationally? Does faith-based political identity work differently on the left vs right? They also talk about James Talarico, the Texas state representative. He is the rising voice of progressive Christianity in US politics. Where does he stand on different issues? What makes him so persuasive?

The episode finishes with a discussion about the significance of the Gorton and Denton by-election. How do we navigate the fact that within our churches we have Reform supporters and Green supporters?

0:00 - Introduction 2:03 - Grammys and Jesus 3:11 - Red pilling and Stephen Bartlett controversy 10:00 - The Christian Left in UK politics 20:20 - James Talarico 31:52 - Gorton & Denton by-election analysis 36:02 - Closing remarks

Peter Lynas, Danny Webster and Alicia Edmund unpack this week's headlines. They cover the controversy around Andy Burnham and Keir Starmer - what is happening with the Labour Party? Conversation also covers ICE and Trump and the ongoing conversation around migration and the recent scandal involving Bethel.

The team then pull back the curtain to look at this cultural and political era - how do we engage and act as people of hope at this significant time?

This week's biggest news stories are discussed by the Cross Section team. They unpack the rising discussion around banning social media for under 16s - should this happen? What would it look like if it did?

Conversation moves onto the many defections to Reform that we have seen. Last Sunday saw Robert Jenrick, others have followed, who could be next?

The episode concludes in reaction to the alarming rise in abortions as 2023's statistics were released last week. Are we talking about this enough in our churches? How can we respond?

Social media bans, global chaos and rising abortion numbers: Christians react - Evangelical Alliance

0:00 - Introduction 1:42 - Conversion therapy and the Traitors 3:14 - Trump and Greenland 6:46 - Darlington nurses victory 11:18 - Social media ban debate 21:09 - Political defections 32:07 - Abortion statistics and reactions

Cross Section is back for 2026. In this week's episode Peter Lynas, Alicia Edmund and Danny Webster discuss the dominating stories from the first two weeks of the year. This includes all that has been happening across the globe in the US, Venezuela, Greenland and Iran. Discussion moves onto the controversy around Grok AI and other cultural stories and how Christians can engage and respond.

https://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/2026/01/the-age-of-invasion

https://samf.substack.com/p/interview-with-john-bew-adviser-to?utm_campaign=email-half-post&r=i2ju&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

In the final episode of Cross Section of 2025, Peter Lynas, Danny Webster, Alicia Edmund and Zanna Meynell sit down to reflect on the key political, cultural and spiritual trends and moments from the year. They discuss the increase in popularity of both Reform and the Green party, the ongoing prevalence of Christian nationalism and The Quiet Revival findings. The team test their knowledge with a competitive quiz and offer some predictions for 2026.

In the penultimate episode of 2025, Peter Lynas, Alicia Edmund and Zanna Meynell discuss some of the biggest cultural and political conversations through a Biblical lens. How can we be brave and kind when talking about the welfare state and asylum system? The team also discuss rage-baiting – Oxford University Press’s word of the year.

The welfare state, asylum system and rage baiting - Evangelical Alliance

In this week's episode of Cross Section, Peter Lynas, Danny Webster, Mark Gilmore and Zanna Meynell react to Rachel Reeves' budget, having recorded straight after it finished. The team also talk about the Supreme Court ruling in regards to religious education in Northern Ireland and the announced puberty blockers trial.

Rachel Reeves' budget: Christians react - Evangelical Alliance

Peter Lynas, UK director, and Alicia Edmund, head of public policy, follow up on June’s episode ‘Should we be concerned about Christian nationalism?’ to reflect on how protests, domestic and global politics events continue to divide communities and polarise debate in the UK.

00:00 - Introduction 08:39 - What is Christian Nationalism? 17:18 - National identity in the UK 25:57 - Immigration and public debate 34:36 - Islam, faith and social cohesion 43:15 - The Church’s role