Christmas countdown day 13: the hidden messages in carols

Beyond the festive there's a hint of rebellion and even revolution.

Ian Bradley

Ian Bradley is Emeritus Professor of Cultural and Spiritual History at the University of St Andrews.

Coventry Cathedral.

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The Christmas Countdown

It’s the season to be jolly, stressed, and all round Christmassy. On the Seen & Unseen Aloud podcast, we’re here for you with our Aloud Christmas Countdown!

Every day in December, we’ll drop some of the best seasonal content from Seen & Unseen Aloud. From how to survive Christmas, reviews of the best Christmas movies and the origin story of Santa Claus.

For when you’ve got your hands full of mince pies and baubles, but you still want to hear some thoughtful content, subscribe to Seen & Unseen Aloud for the Christmas Countdown.

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Throughout the year, the Seen & Unseen Aloud brings you the week’s best articles, in a short 20 minute podcast episode. Browse the index for episodes from Seen & Unseen Aloud, Re-enchanting and GodPod.

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Events

Culture

Events

S&U interviews

5 March 2025

1 min read

Online webinar: Graham Tomlin in Conversation with Marilynne Robinson

We’re bringing Seen and Unseen to life through a string of live events. And you’re invited.

Nick Jones

Nick is the senior editor of Seen & Unseen.

Pulitzer Prize-winning Marilynne Robinson (Photo credit: Radcliffe Harvard)

Join Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and essayist, Marilynne Robinson, in conversation with Seen and Unseen’s Bishop Graham Tomlin.

"One of our greatest novelists and thinkers"

Marilynne Robinson is the author of the bestselling novels Lila, Home (winner of the Orange Prize), Gilead (winner of the Pulitzer Prize), and Housekeeping (winner of the Hemingway Award). She has also written numerous non-fiction books, including her most recent, Reading Genesis.

Graham Tomlin is the Director of the Centre for Culture Witness, the initiative behind Seen & Unseen. He was Bishop of Kensington from 2015-2022. He taught theology at Oxford University for many years before becoming the founding Dean of St Mellitus College. He has written many books most recently Blaise Pascal: The Man Who Made the Modern World.

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Monday 14th April 2025

7.30pm Webinar start

8.30pm Webinar end

This is a rare conversation, not to be missed. Reserve your free ticket now. This event is free to attend but, if you're in a position to do so, any donations will grant you access to our Behind The Seen community, helping people everywhere encounter Christian perspectives on life and culture.

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