The Vibe Shift
The Vibe Shift is a podcast of the Gen Z Role Models Project, based at King’s College London. We explore the fast-changing spiritual lives of the first smartphone generation—diving into original research on religion, influencer culture, and the search for meaning in a digital age. From lifestyle gurus to papal TikTokers, we’re tracking the saints and cynics shaping Gen Z’s world. Featuring fresh voices and participatory research methods, each episode invites you into conversations that matter.
Episodes
14 episodes
Michelle on Meaning, Community, and Gen Z Anxiety / The Gen Z Role Models Project / Season 2, Episode 4
Michelle, a business professor whose research focuses on calling, purpose, and human flourishing, joined Edward’s week-long seminar on Gen Z at the 2025 Oxford Theology Summer School. In this conversation, she reflects on what the experi...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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23:45
Kasun on Sri Lanka, Saints, and a Simple Faith / The Gen Z Role Models Project / Season 2, Episode 3
Kasun Fernando, a young Roman Catholic deacon from Sri Lanka, joined Edward's week-long seminar on Gen Z at the 2025 Oxford Theology Summer School. In this conversation, Kasun reflects on what the experience taught him about listening, a...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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25:29
Phoebe on Gen Z in the Church of England / The Gen Z Role Models Project / Season 2, Episode 2
Phoebe, the Young Adult Mission Enabler for the Diocese of Durham, found faith at the age of 18. A Gen Z Christian herself, she now helps churches listen more deeply to a generation rediscovering spirituality. In this conversation, she r...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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20:08
James on Faith, Authority, and the Self-help Generation / The Gen Z Role Models Project / Season 2, Episode 1
James, a London-based student, grew up in a religious home but now calls himself “pro-faith" but not practising. In this conversation, he reflects on why some Gen Zers turn away from organised religion and move toward self-help, how soci...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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19:11
Claire on Researching Gen Z and Religion / The Gen Z Role Models Project / Season 1, Episode 10
In this episode, Edward sits down with Claire, Communications Officer at the University of Oxford, to talk about her role as collaborator on the Gen Z Role Models Project.They discuss the rewards of doing collaborative research and explo...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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31:06
Noah on Faith in Life's Quest / The Gen Z Role Models Project / Season 1, Episode 9
In this episode of The Vibe Shift, Edward talks with Noah, a theology graduate and study participant who reflects on the power of asking big questions—and finding simple but profound answers.Noah shares how reading the medieval ...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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20:34
Mollie on Faith and Finding Your Voice / The Gen Z Role Models Project / Season 1, Episode 8
In this episode of The Vibe Shift, we sit down with Mollie, a undergraduate student in the UK, to reflect on what it means to be young, questioning, and spiritually curious in today’s world.Mollie shares how she encountered our ...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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9:12
Edward on Narrative Theology and Participatory Analysis / The Gen Z Role Models Project / Season 1, Episode 7
In this final episode of The Vibe Shift mini-series, Edward brings the essay to a close—an essay that shaped the theoretical foundation of the Gen Z Role Models Project. Building on narrative theology, moral philosophy, and the method ...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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14:03
Edward on Tolkein's Sub-Creation and Gen Z's Sub-Exemplars / The Gen Z Role Models Project / Season 1, Episode 6
In this episode of The Vibe Shift, Edward continues reading from the foundational essay that shaped the theoretical framework of the Gen Z Role Models Project. Written early in the analysis phase, the essay brings theological reflectio...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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9:48
Edward on Gen Z Religion and Story Completion / The Gen Z Role Models Project / Season 1, Episode 5
In this episode of The Vibe Shift, Edward—lecturer at King’s College London and research lead on the project—steps back to share the theoretical foundation that shaped how the research team approached the story data.At the heart...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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10:31
Grace on a Simple Faith and Being Intentional / The Gen Z Role Models Project / Season 1, Episode 4
In this episode of The Vibe Shift, Claire and I speak with Grace, an international student from Malaysia whose family is part of the Chinese diaspora there. Now based in the UK, Grace took part in our study and connected with what we’v...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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11:02
Saadadden on Fragmentary Wisdom and the Elusive Encounter / The Gen Z Role Models Project / Season 1, Episode 3
In this episode of The Vibe Shift, Claire speaks with Saadadden, a former research assistant on the Gen Z Role Models Project with a background in both law and theology.Drawing on the Islamic tradition, Saadadden reflects on the...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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11:02
Mariia on Faith Under Fire / The Gen Z Role Models Project / Season 1, Episode 2
Episode 2: Faith Under Fire and the Urgency of ConnectionIn this episode of The Vibe Shift, Claire sits down with Mariia, a young professional from Ukraine and one of the participants in the Oxford workshop of the Gen Z R...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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11:38
Iris on Divine Disillusionment and the Catharsis of Storytelling / The Gen Z Role Models Project / Season 1, Episode 1
In this first episode of The Vibe Shift, we sit down with Iris—a London-based student from Southeast Asia and one of the first participants in the Oxford pilot of the Gen Z Role Models Project. The project uses a research method called...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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17:09