The Sacred

In this episode, Elizabeth Oldfield is joined by political theorist and author Sophie Lewis to explore one of the most provocative ideas: the abolition of the family.
Reflecting on her own complicated adolescence, Sophie asks what it would mean to reorganise society around love and collective care rather than accumulation?
Drawing on her book, Abolish the Family, Sophie argues that the nuclear family carries impossible burdens in a capitalist society - privatising care, exhausting women, and quietly treating children as property. Could we imagine a world where love, care, and kinship extend beyond the walls of the nuclear family?
Together, they talk about:
• Why “utopia” is a practice, not a destination
• The hidden labour inside the private household
• Surrogacy, reproduction and the myth of “unassisted” motherhood
• Are autonomy and care are opposites, or inseparable?
• Jesus’ radical redefinition of family and the overlap between Christianity and communism
• What Sophie really means by abolition
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🎙️ Follow The Sacred: linktr.ee/sacredpodcast
📖 Follow Elizabeth Oldfield: www.elizabetholdfield.com/
💡 Produced by the ‪@thinktanktheos‬ www.theosthinktank.co.uk/
👉 Check out Sophie Lewis' work: https://www.instagram.com/reproutopia/?hl=en--

Chapters:00:00 Intro01:30 What is Sacred to you? Sophie Lewis answers12:15 - Sophie’s complex family history and personal struggles17:08 - Educational journey and radicalisation at university 20:28 - The meaning of utopia as a non-attachment process 24:22 - Connections between faith, love, and collective action 31:42 - Dissecting the concept of "Full Surrogacy Now" 36:39 - The biological myths around kinship and their political implications 43:46 - The paradox of abolition47:01 - Abolishing slavery through a radical reimagining of humanism 50:04 - Redefining family and kinship beyond blood ties 58:37 - How revolutionary care structures could have supported Sophie’s mother 60:45 - Sophie’s dedication to collective love and care as sacred practices 65:55 - The importance of shared purpose, synchronised action, and community
Keywords:
Sophie Lewis interview, abolish the family, radical feminist theory, Marxist feminism, political theory podcast, communisation of care, collective care, kinship networks, utopian thinking, libertarian communism, red love, family abolition, post-capitalist society, rethinking family, surrogacy ethics, gestational labor, parenthood and care, children belong to all of us, abolitionist thought, freedom and care, communal living, shared responsibility, parenting in modern society, radical theory for everyday life, anti-capitalist ideas, feminist politics, climate activism and radical thought, human geography theory, political philosophy podcast, queer runaway experiences, care as politics, social justice ideas, ethical community building, friendship as radical practice, collective freedom, family and society, abolitionist feminism, pregnancy and labor politics, communal childcare, mutual aid networks, parenting beyond the nuclear family, utopian visions, practical radicalism, human interconnection, radical love, ethics of kinship, parenting as shared labor, post-nuclear family ideas, political critique of capitalism, community-centered society, love and autonomy, humanism and care, social reproduction theory, feminist philosophy, radical theory conversation, future of family, abolitionist imagination

In this episode of The Sacred, Elizabeth Oldfield is joined by Jo Colman - great-great-great grandchild of the founder of Colman’s Mustard and now Chief Mint Officer of the family business, Summerdown - to explore a radically different story about generational wealth, power, business and belonging.
Jo reflects on growing up with deep security and love, how that shaped his sense of responsibility, and why privilege doesn’t have to turn inward into status-seeking, but can instead become a platform for risk, generosity and service.
Together, they talk about:
• How power and privilege can be redirected outward rather than hoarded
• Why Jo once rejected signet rings and why he now wears one
• Building ethical, regenerative businesses that add value instead of extracting it
• Adoption, family-making, and the real cost of inclusion
• How to build families, institutions and communities that can truly hold human complexityThis is a conversation about the kind of wealth that doesn’t shrink the soul.
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🎙️ Follow The Sacred: linktr.ee/sacredpodcast
📖 Follow Elizabeth Oldfield: www.elizabetholdfield.com/
💡 Produced by the ‪@thinktanktheos‬ www.theosthinktank.co.uk/
👉 Check out Summerdown: https://summerdown.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorjZKbSVC3rIhS42z-aqIhQWmr_CuCGtz24hUSKbzOuu8Lh_H-w
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Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:07 What is Sacred to You? Jo Colman answers
03:02 Staying Present in Parenting
05:49 Hope vs. Optimism: Embracing Life’s Paradoxes
12:14 Wealth as Formation: Privilege and Responsibility
15:14 Building a Regenerative, Ethical Business
31:26 Creativity, Purpose, and Social Responsibility
32:22 Our Adoption Journey
35:33 Training and Preparation for Adoptive Parenting
37:44 Parenting Adopted Children: Real Challenges
39:57 Trauma, Healing, and the Power of Love
45:31 Bureaucracy and the Adoption Process
47:35 Understanding the Stories of Biological Families
50:09 Adoption as Plan B: A Broader Perspective
51:53 Small-A Anarchism and Community Engagement
55:31 Listening, Assumptions, and Understanding Adoption
58:02 Slowing down in parenting

Keywords:
Jo Colman, Colman Mustard, Summerdown Mint, generational wealth, inheritance, privilege for good, ethical entrepreneurship, conscious capitalism, regenerative business, sustainable business, business with purpose, using wealth responsibly, family beyond blood, adoption stories, adoptive parenting, building family, radical generosity, love as action, belonging, human complexity, non-anxious presence, prophetic imagination, spiritual formation, formation through faith, stewardship of privilege, power and responsibility, ethical leadership, business for impact, social impact business, purposeful life, vocation and calling, family-making as vocation, living ethically, hope versus optimism, accompaniment, relational leadership, intentional parenting, high-needs adoption, inclusive families, inclusive communities, societal change, moral courage, compassionate leadership, human flourishing, social responsibility, giving back, life of service, risk for good, cultivating resilience, forming community, transformative love, radical hospitality

Elizabeth Neumann, a former senior official in the Trump Administration, reflects on why she felt called to serve, what she witnessed from inside government, and how her commitment to integrity ultimately led her to step away.
In this conversation, she and Elizabeth Oldfield reflect on how extremism takes root, the role of integrity in polarised times, and why love, accountability, and formation matter more than outrage or power.
Key moments:
- Why Elizabeth Neumann worked in the Trump administration - and why she left
- The difference between loyalty, obedience, and integrity
- How fear drives polarisation and extremism
- What 911 on January 6th revealed about institutional fragility
- Why love is not soft, but essential for violence prevention
- The cost of truth-telling inside communities you care about

Chapters
00:00 Trailer
00:32 Intro
01:21 What is sacred to you? Elizabeth Neumann answers
03:34 Values in Hard Decision Making
08:47 Growing Up in the Bible Belt
14:06 Understanding Extremism and Fear
18:31 The Shift in Political Narratives
27:21 The Impact of 9/11 on National Security
32:02 The Psychological Drivers of Extremism
41:51 The Role of Love in Community Resilience
48:09 Navigating Political Loyalty in the Trump Administration 53:26 The January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol
01:00:18 Speaking Out Against Extremism
01:05:48 Engaging with Those at Risk of Radicalisation
Keywords:John Kelly, Christian extremism, Bush, Trump, political extremism in America, faith and politics, Elizabeth Neumann interview, former Trump administration official, extremism and fear, radicalization and identity, preventing political violence, January 6 insurrection analysis, national security and extremism, Christian nationalism explained, moral courage in politics, integrity vs loyalty, obedience and conscience, fear-based politics, polarization in America, how extremism takes root, psychological drivers of extremism, love as violence prevention, community resilience against extremism, speaking out against extremism, truth-telling in polarized communities, cost of dissent, faith formation and identity, Bible Belt culture, 9/11 and national security policy, domestic extremism explained, religious identity and politics, political loyalty and integrity, navigating moral conflict at work, radicalization warning signs, de-escalation and prevention strategies, engaging people at risk of extremism, the role of fear in radicalization, democracy under threat, institutions under strain, January 6 lessons learned, Christian ethics in public life, power vs moral responsibility, extremism inside institutions, violence prevention strategies, faith-based approaches to peacebuilding, why people believe extreme ideologies, breaking cycles of outrage, love and accountability in community, political identity and belonging, courageous leadership in divided times, how narratives shape extremism, faith, fear, and power, rebuilding trust across difference

In this episode Elizabeth Oldfield speaks with writer, environmentalist, and activist George Monbiot - a fiercely anti-establishment voice shaped by resistance, trauma, and a refusal to become what Britain’s elite institutions tried to make him.
We discuss:
- Why the language we use around the environment and climate change, isn't sufficient
- Growing up with buried histories of English fascism and Jewish refuge, and what Britain still refuses to face
- Boarding school trauma, survival personalities, and opting out of elite power systems
- Is faith needed for moral courage?
- How real change happens without becoming the thing you’re fighting
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🎙️ Follow The Sacred: linktr.ee/sacredpodcast
📖 Follow Elizabeth Oldfield: www.elizabetholdfield.com/
💡 Produced by the ‪@thinktanktheos‬ www.theosthinktank.co.uk/
👉 Follow George Monbiot: https://www.instagram.com/georgemonbiot/?hl=en
Chapters:
00:00 Trailer and Intro
00:56 What is Sacred to you? George Monbiot answers
06:00 Language Shapes the Fight for Our Planet
09:00 Uncovering British Fascism and His Grandmother's Involvement
12:00 Boarding School and How Elitism Tried to Shape Him
15:00 Journalism and Environmental Campaigns
18:00 Why Society and Power Work the Way They Do
21:00 How to Speak Up as an Activist Without Losing People
24:00 Power, Purpose, and How to Live Differently

Keywords:George Monbiot interview on The Sacred podcast, environmental activism and climate change discussion, how to live differently from the British elite, fighting for the living planet, rewilding and regenerative agriculture ideas, understanding neoliberalism and power, environmentalist’s guide to ethical living, grassroots activism for ecological justice, climate breakdown explained by George Monbiot, public luxury and private sufficiency philosophy, moral courage and personal growth stories, human nature and altruism debate, survival personality from boarding school trauma, family history of fascism and refugees, life lessons from an anti-establishment thinker, insights into environmental journalism, political resistance and direct action in Britain, lessons from activism in Brazil and West Papua, preserving biodiversity and ecosystems, transformative environmental philosophy, connecting with nature for mental health, environmental ethics for everyday life, how to persuade people about climate crisis, the role of empathy in social change, understanding the 1% and societal power, regenerative living and sustainable farming practices, ecological systems and life support functions, teaching community values and cooperation, overcoming fear and selfishness in society, personal transformation through nature, insights into British history and hidden fascism, activism strategies that work in practice, human impact on the natural world, fighting the system while staying honest, exploring moral and ethical values, climate emergency communication strategies, environmental storytelling for change, balancing anger and persuasion in activism, learning from liberation theology and social justice, life lessons from a radical environmentalist, tackling neoliberal myths about human nature, the role of courage in ethical action, George Monbiot on biodiversity recovery, understanding climate chaos, inspiring environmental leadership stories, how humans can live in harmony with the planet, the power of knowledge and curiosity in activism

In this special end-of-year reflection episode of The Sacred, we're slowing down and seeing the season out with some of Elizabeth's favourite poems. Take a moment to sit with darkness and light, to reflect on the year, and to rest in words that have carried us through conversations about grief, migration, identity, hope and moral courage.Elizabeth reads some of the poems that have steadied her this season, from William Stafford and W.H. Auden to John Donne and Alfred Lord Tennyson.Poem credits: 'A Ritual to Read to Each other' from book 'Ask Me' by William Stafford from Graywolf Press. 'September 1, 1939' by W.H. Auden.'Nativity' by John DonneExcerpt from 'In Memoriam' by Alfred Lord Tennyson.📝 We’d be so grateful if you could fill out out listener survey. If you’ve been nourished by The Sacred, we’d really love to hear from you. We'd love to know what’s helping, or what’s not and what you’d like to see more of. Here's the link: https://biblesociety.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3WMJCr2xnXcxIq2🌟Wherever you are, we hope you find rest and time to slow down in this season. We’re grateful to be on this journey with you and we’ll see you in the new year!