The Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT) has launched Faith in Politics, a new podcast series featuring special guests discussing current affairs that link with faith.

The podcast was created by Helen Byrne and Rachel Allison who are working for the Church as parliamentary interns.

Each monthly episode will be presented by Helen and Rachel - both avid podcast listeners - and will feature lively discussions from the world of politics from a faith viewpoint as well as interviews and a ‘musing slot’, inspired by BBC Radio 4’s Thought for the Day.

Topics such as poverty, inequality, peace-making and the environment will be regularly covered.

Those taking part are people living out a faith of some kind in the public and political sphere. Some guests featured include the Co-Leader of the Green Party, Jonathan Bartley, Labour politicians, the Rt Hon Stephen Timms and Alan Milburn, and the Conservative politician and member of the House of Lords, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi.

Each 30-minute podcast will be released on the last Thursday of every month, and can be downloaded from http://www.jointpublicissues.org.uk/podcast. You can also subscribe from Google Play for Android devices and iTunes or Podcast for Apple devices.

Faith in Politics is aimed at JPITs existing supporters as well as targeting a younger audience increasingly engaged with current affairs and politics.

Helen Bryne explains: ’Christians have a civic duty to engage with the world around them, because our Lord is a God of justice and, whether we like it or not, faith in its many manifestations shapes our political landscape.’

JPIT is a joint venture of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodist Church, the United Reformed Church and the Church of Scotland. The team works on issues of justice and inequality by influencing those in power and energising local congregations. 

Picture: Helen Byrne with Jonathan Bartley, co-Leader of the Green Party.