Holy Smoke

29

The most important and controversial topics in world religion, thoroughly dissected by a range of high profile guests. Presented by Damian Thompson.

Recent Episodes
  • Does Pope Leo XIV represent continuity or change?
    May 9, 2025 – 19:45
  • Conclave: who is likely to succeed Francis?
    May 2, 2025 – 40:39
  • What can we expect from the papal conclave?
    Apr 27, 2025 – 53:22
  • Pope Francis dies – what will his legacy be?
    Apr 21, 2025 – 29:09
  • Easter special: in praise of faithful dissent, a conversation with Nigel Biggar and Mary Wakefield
    Apr 18, 2025 – 23:46
  • Was Simeon of Jerusalem the first Christian in recorded history?
    Apr 9, 2025 – 27:55
  • The tin ear of Justin Welby
    Apr 1, 2025 – 28:47
  • A sick Pope and a paralysed Vatican: who is actually running the Catholic Church?
    Mar 28, 2025 – 11:25
  • Christianity, culture wars and J.D. Vance: a conversation with James Orr
    Mar 12, 2025 – 01:01:27
  • Conclave – what really happens when a pope dies?
    Feb 25, 2025 – 53:57
  • Holy War and Antichrist: The rise of extremist rhetoric inside the Russian Orthodox Church
    Feb 20, 2025 – 35:06
  • Why militant atheists don’t understand religion: a conversation with Alister McGrath
    Feb 13, 2025 – 35:58
  • Are Syrian Christians who speak the language of Jesus about to disappear after 2,000 years?
    Jan 31, 2025 – 25:21
  • Could Trump 2.0. herald a new era of religious liberty in America?
    Jan 24, 2025 – 35:44
  • Did Muslim leaders help conceal the grooming gangs scandal? A fierce exchange of views
    Jan 17, 2025 – 28:07
  • How abuse scandals shattered the Church of England but were hidden by the Vatican
    Dec 31, 2024 – 13:17
  • Why was C.S. Lewis such a killjoy at Christmas? A discussion with Alister McGrath
    Dec 24, 2024 – 26:12
  • Is the end of Christendom nigh? with A.N. Wilson
    Dec 13, 2024 – 25:05
  • Defender of the Faith: how have the King’s religious beliefs changed?
    Dec 6, 2024 – 30:19
  • Should assisted dying be legalised?
    Nov 27, 2024 – 49:07
  • Welby resigns: crisis at the Church of England
    Nov 12, 2024 – 18:15
  • Did Christianity create secular humanism?
    Nov 8, 2024 – 33:04
  • Sale of the century: why is the Kirk selling off hundreds of churches so cheaply?
    Oct 25, 2024 – 27:09
  • The Pope announces 21 new cardinals. Is he trying to pack the conclave?
    Oct 18, 2024 – 25:33
  • Could religious voters in the swing states decide the US election?
    Oct 4, 2024 – 30:03
  • How pistols in St Paul’s Cathedral shaped the science of sound
    Sep 20, 2024 – 17:16
  • Losing faith: will Labour’s VAT policy hit religious schools hardest?
    Sep 6, 2024 – 24:30
  • From the archives: An atheist goes on a Christian pilgrimage. Why?
    Aug 29, 2024 – 22:39
  • A Habsburg Archduke explains how not to be nasty on Twitter
    Jul 19, 2024 – 24:25
  • Walsingham and the musical grief of the Reformation
    Jul 1, 2024 – 20:31
  • Calm fire: the consolation of listening to Bruckner
    May 23, 2024 – 30:23
  • The problem with cringe-making funerals
    Apr 24, 2024 – 21:20
  • How the Church of England patronises African Christians
    Mar 15, 2024 – 17:03
  • How much did Pope Francis know about Fr Marko Rupnik?
    Feb 26, 2024 – 16:21
  • How liberal bishops are squeezing the life out of the Church of England
    Feb 9, 2024 – 27:46
  • Does Trump have evangelical Christians to thank for his second coming?
    Jan 26, 2024 – 22:38
  • Gay blessings and theological porn: why leading cardinals are distancing themselves from Pope Francis
    Jan 15, 2024 – 21:57
  • Raymond Arroyo on the joys of a Sinatra-style Christmas
    Dec 22, 2023 – 21:36
  • The strange appeal of Integralism
    Dec 15, 2023 – 28:26
  • How light filled the first Roman Churches: a conversation with Dr Elizabeth Lev
    Nov 13, 2023 – 16:16
  • The Pope, gay blessings and the Rupnik scandal
    Oct 5, 2023 – 14:55
  • Genghis Khan and the Pope's summer of madness
    Sep 7, 2023 – 20:33
  • The future of churchgoing in the West: why Protestants should worry and Catholics should panic
    Aug 18, 2023 – 33:06
  • Is 2023 Pope Francis's 'Year Zero'?
    Jul 25, 2023 – 33:19
  • Escaping the atheist hell of North Korea
    Jul 7, 2023 – 15:19
  • Inside the world's most vicious liturgy wars
    Jun 23, 2023 – 23:14
  • Succession: five nightmares for the next pope
    May 30, 2023 – 14:26
  • The Vatican and the Mafia – why Italy can't seem to shake off organised crime
    May 26, 2023 – 34:41
  • How Protestant is the Coronation?
    May 5, 2023 – 30:18
  • Why didn't Beethoven go to Mass?
    Apr 14, 2023 – 38:12
Recent Reviews
  • andhiggins
    Great Conversations
    Excellent episode with Luke Coppen on the 7 May conclave.
  • welcomeday05
    Conclave
    Conclave is a sacrilegious film. Not something you should be promoting as a “great film”
  • Cm9S_0
    Highly Recommend
    Very much insightful and needed.
  • Lowereastsidestooge
    Always an intelligent podcast
    Lovely radio essay on Bruckner. You should consider doing more pieces on Catholic/Anglican music, art, or literature.
  • Abdellat
    Sublime
    Damien is not the best. He’s the VERY best. Never has there been a better commentator on these matters of faith. I am eternally grateful to him and The Spectator for these podcasts. This is fabulous!
  • Jhromy
    Great podcast to discover
    This is a great podcast to listen to. Especially to understand what is going on in the Church. Highly recommended
  • gdfgklmfyvvkjdtun
    No not listen
    Do not listen to this podcast if you want to save ur soul . This podcast is filled with Hatred, bitterness and conspiracies.
  • LabDogGuy
    Very Poor Audio
    Rather difficult to enjoy this excellent podcast as the sound quality is so poor. Please correct.
  • RobertGrec
    Damian, the content of these podcasts is good, but you need a quality microphone near your mouth.
    Too much echo.
  • Robert Henry Holtz
    Enjoy!
    Pretty, pretty, pretty good! Great stuff, go catholics!! Please have Sir James MacMillan again!!
  • Be a Triz
    Report
    Yes we are dupes. No question. And although our local bishop asks that we continue to contribute money to the bishops appeal because all of the good that it does... I am hesitant. Only by not contributing to those appeals can we send the message that we don’t want to pay off victims to keep them quiet , we want the church to suffer for her sins. They are these monies that allowed McCarrick to get away with everything in the first place. We need confession, repentance and amendment.
  • LoveClassicMusic***
    Thank you!
    Your insight and excellent exposés are ones I can’t wait to hear. Please don’t stop. May I suggest perhaps a topic for potential study is Fr. James Altman of Lacrosse, Wisconsin, who bravely declared, in a video that has gone viral, that Catholics cannot be Democrats. He is being threatened with Canonical punishment by Bishop Callahan. Thank you!
  • Dixiestick
    Request
    Please double the length of your delightful podcast so that your guests have a chance to talk.
  • Code: Fro
    Reactionary, Rigid, and Racist
    After trying to deal with Damien’s reactionary tendencies for too long, I draw the line at racism. The latest episode condemning Black Lives Matter movement was outright racist. Cannot, in good conscience, support this podcast in any way.
  • Darvgt
    Great podcast - best of the Specs
    Really big fan of this podcast. Damian does a terrific job and albeit our views on many issues are likely polar opposites this is a great listen, great guests and one of my top podcast listens. Well done.
  • American revert Muslimah
    Insulting and uninformed.
    I had to stop listing to the Salafi Muslim episode because of the superior tone of the presenters and the lack of information and context of their supposed “researcher’s” book. If you want to know why people are converting to Islam, go ask a Muslim. Go to the source. And put things in their proper context. As for the “rules” to using the bathroom—these are guidelines suggested by our prophet, peace be upon him, and are not obligatory but rather, recommended. I find it interesting the presenter focused on not talking while in the restroom but failed to mention our required practice of using water to wash up the private after relieving ones self, as this is a very hygienic and intelligent practice of the Muslims and ahead of its time. I can’t take a podcast such as this seriously if they can’t be bothered to fact check and present in an unbiased and intelligent manner.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork on this page are property of the podcast owner, and not endorsed by UP.audio.