Here are some of the things stimulating thinking below the hood of Manna Gum, going into 2026.
Jon’s top picks
- Fleming Routledge, The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ — at 600 pages this is not a light read, but it is surprisingly accesible, and profound! It is the sort of book you can read bits at a time.
- Christian Wiman, ‘The Tune of Things’, Harpers Magazine — this article will blow your brain.
- Pankaj Mishra, ‘The world after Gaza’, Big Ideas, ABC Listen.
- ‘Stan Grant’s Spiritual Re-Awakening (interview)’ Life & Faith podcast, CPX.
- The Joe Walker Podcast, especially his Australian policy series.— OK, this is pretty nerdy policy stuff, and generally fairly orthodox centrist views, but in-depth interviews with experts in their field.
- ‘Engineering with Rosie’, YouTube channel — helpful for understanding the renewables transition
Stan Grant at the 2025 Adelaide Writers' Week (Photo: Yu Chu Chin).
Jacob’s goodies
Podcasts
- The Great Simplification — our global predicament from a systems perspective, connecting the dots of energy, economy, ecology, human behaviour, and more.
- Your Undivided Attention — accessible, expert discussions about the most pressing issues surrounding social media and AI.
YouTube videos (two primers on AI)
- ‘The A.I. Dilemma’, Centre for Humane Technology (06/04/23) — a bit dated, but still an excellent introduction to the stakes.
- ‘2026 Ewan Lecture’, McDonald Institute (29/01/26) — Geoffrey Hinton, the ‘Godfather of AI’, explains the basics of modern AI systems and gives his take on the risks and philosophical implications (as an atheist).
Reading
- Jacques Ellul, Presence in the Modern World — a compact classic of Christian political witness, still (almost) as relevant as ever.
