Alex O'Connor: re-enchanting... atheism

Belle and Justin talk to Alex about atheism, culture's tides and what it would take for him to believe.

Belle Tindall

Belle is the staff writer at Seen & Unseen and co-host of its Re-enchanting podcast.

A podcast guest speaks in front of a mic and raises their hand to gesture.

About this episode

Alex O'Connor is a well known atheist YouTube and podcast host with over 800,000 subscribers to his channel. Unlike many online new atheists he has sought to genuinely understand his Christian and religious counterparts. This included studying theology at Oxford University, helping to re-establish a Socratic debating society in the mould of the one created by CS Lewis, and counting many Christians as his friends and acquaintances. Belle and Justin talk to Alex about atheism, the changing tides of culture and what it would take for Alex to believe…

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Christmas culture

Podcasts

12 November 2025

1 min read

Advent Special, from Seen & Unseen Aloud

Our audio box set serves up some choice picks from Christmases past and present.

Natalie Garrett

Natalie produces and narrates The Seen & Unseen Aloud podcast. She's an Anglican minister and a trained actor.

Seen & Unseen Aloud: Advent Special audio boxset

Reflect this Advent with your Thinking Aloud audiobox

Enjoy your free Advent audiobox

However you choose to spend the festive period, we hope these reflections spark meaningful conversations and moments of stillness this Advent.

Listen now to the Seen & Unseen Advent Special series

Episode 1: Learning to find joy on Team Christmas, by psychologist Roger Bretherton

The clinical and coaching psychologist investigates the bone-deep satisfaction in the hard work of hosting Christmas at home and why the act has now become a spiritual discipline for him.

Episode 2: This is love, actually by Cameron Wiltshire Plant

The Leicestershire vicar explains that while the meet-cutes are abundant in the Christmas movie staple, it’s the sibling storyline that strikes at the truest meaning of love: God’s sacrifice.

Episode 3: My Boxing Day anti-climax, by Jonny Torrance

The priest and theologian ponders whether, once the most wonderful time of year has come and gone, anything really has changed and why the Christian faith also contends with this reality.