"Ramshackle, DIY and deeply Christian" - that's how Paul Northup describes Greenbelt festival in the first few years of it's 50-year life so far. It's also a pretty good description of this podcast.

Paul is Director of Greenbelt Festival, a "place to believe in" that seeks to embody a Newbigin-style 'no splits' Christian festival that engages deeply with faith, arts and justice.

Paul takes time (at the worst possible moment in the year, one month out from the festival), to talk to Jonty and Laura about how Greenbelt started (just a few years after Woodstock), the times when it lost support from churches and the potential for growth in the future.

Following on from our last two episodes about Mike Pilavachi, we ask him to compare attitudes to Greenbelt versus those to Soul Survivor at a pivotal time, as well as what people who had profound spiritual experiences can do with those experiences now.

We also cover the tensions of holding a progressive festival next to betting offices (in the past) and on land owned by a feudal lord (now) and what that tension means. AND we talk about the spiritual impact on at least one of our hosts, as well as many, many others.

Greenbelt has, as Paul tells us, always been a refuge for those who no longer feel at home in the traditional church. With Deconstruction growing in evangelical spaces, is a new audience about to discover this wonderful festival?

We hope so! You can buy tickets for Greenbelt 2023 (24-27 Aug) at Greenbelt.org.uk Buy tickets now! Ezra Furman is playing! And we LOVE Ezra!

New to Beer Christianity? Welcome!

Beer Christianity is an anti-capitalist, pro-BLM, pro-LGBTQ+, post-post-post-evangelical (and apparently republican) podcast where we drink a bit and talk a lot. Our aim is to be real, to be helpful and entertaining.

Follow Beer Christianity on Twitter: @beerxianity and find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Stitcher. 

If you leave us a voicenote at speakpipe.com/beerchristianity we might air your question on an episode.

Beer Christianity also has a newsletter in which Jonty and guest authors comment on the news, theological issues and stuff that matters. 

Sign up to the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack. 

There's a connected Show With Music on Spotify called New Old Music. Check it out if you like eclectic music and weird chat. It's not terribly serious. 

Jonty's novel, Incredulous Moshoeshoe and the Lightning Bird, is not available in all good bookshops, but if you bought it and left a review that would probably make that more likely. 

We don't really want to preach at you, but some people like to know what we believe. It's this: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and came to teach us a better way to be while reconciling us to God and each other in a way we could never do without Him. He also changed water into wine. Nice.