Theos

Donate

Home / Comment / Podcasts

What actually is the Common Good? In conversation with Anna Rowlands

What actually is the Common Good? In conversation with Anna Rowlands

Nick Spencer speaks to Anna Rowlands about what the Common Good means and what it offers a society like ours. 14/12/2021

The Common Good is a remarkably popular phrase, used widely by the left and the right, the religious and the secular. But does it actually mean anything? Is it so elastic as to have no real content?

In this episode, Nick Spencer talks to Anna Rowlands about her new book Towards a Politics of Communion, about what the Common Good means and what it offers a society like ours.

Sign up here for our event with Anna Rowlands in February 2022.

Interested in this? Share it on social media. Join our monthly e–newsletter to keep up to date with our latest research and events. And check out our Supporter Programme to find out how you can help our work.

Nick Spencer

Nick is Senior Fellow at Theos. He is the author of a number of books and reports, including Magisteria: the entangled histories of science and religion (Oneworld, 2023), The Political Samaritan: how power hijacked a parable (Bloomsbury, 2017), The Evolution of the West (SPCK, 2016) and Atheists: The Origin of the Species (Bloomsbury, 2014). He is host of the podcast Reading Our Times.

Watch, listen to or read more from Nick Spencer

Posted 14 December 2021

Common good, Reading Our Times

Subscribe to Reading Our Times on Apple podcasts

Research

See all

Love’s Labours: Good work, care work and a mutual economy

Hannah Rich’s report exploring what ‘love’ means in the context of care work and how rediscovering it might lead us to value care work more highly.

Hannah Rich

Reports

Events

See all

Love’s Labours: Good work, care work and a mutual economy – launch event

23 April 2024

Love’s Labours: Good work, care work and a mutual economy – launch event

In the news

See all

Alternative funerals: the company who can throw you a party instead of a wake

Alternative funerals: the company who can throw you a party instead of a wake

The average funeral costs £9,000 – it’s no wonder they’re dying out

The average funeral costs £9,000 – it’s no wonder they’re dying out

Exit strategy: why I’ll be saying no to a funeral

Exit strategy: why I’ll be saying no to a funeral

Comment

See all

Cultural Christianity: our work here is done?

Cultural Christianity: our work here is done?

Should we really be playing God? In conversation with Nick Spencer

Should we really be playing God? In conversation with Nick Spencer

Love’s Labours: uncovering the heart of social care

Love’s Labours: uncovering the heart of social care

See other recent events and articles

Cultural Christianity: our work here is done?

Cultural Christianity: our work here is done?

Chine McDonald reflects on Richard Dawkins’ coming out as a ‘cultural Christian’. 18/04/2024

Should we really be playing God? In conversation with Nick Spencer

Should we really be playing God? In conversation with Nick Spencer

Chine McDonald speaks to Nick Spencer about his new book, co–authored with Hannah Waite, Playing God: Science, Religion and the Future of Humanity.

Alternative funerals: the company who can throw you a party instead of a wake

Alternative funerals: the company who can throw you a party instead of a wake

Love, Grief and Hope is features in the Evening Standard. 11/12/2023

Love’s Labours: Good work, care work and a mutual economy

Hannah Rich

Hannah Rich’s report exploring what ‘love’ means in the context of care work and how rediscovering it might lead us to value care work more highly.

Reports Download

Theos researches and investigates the intersection of religion, politics and society in the contemporary world.