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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 explore the lessons that Claire is taking forward. They also discuss Gen Z religion in light of what Edward and Claire learnt at the European Academy of Religion in Vienna.

They talk about:

• The aspirations and tensions involved in participatory research
• The joys of researching alongside one's day job
• The unglamorous realities of doing research in higher education
• The diversity of Gen Z approaches to religion, specifically in Indonesia

Join us for this special, behind-the-scenes conversation about the power of teamwork and the excitement of doing participatory research in the humanities.

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Erica Larson (2023), Ethics of Belonging, University of Hawaii Press.

Visit us at oxfordexemplars.org.

Music: 'Find Yours Dreams' by Art Flower. CC0 1.0 Universal License.

Copyright: The Vibe Shift, 2025.

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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 theologian, Saint Thomas Aquinas, transformed his understanding of religion, why our study's Simple Faith Narrative resonated with him, and how teaching with stories helps students navigate their own life journeys. From thirteenth-century questions to contemporary answers, we explore vital topics in religion and role modelling—for a generation that yearns for connection.

We talk about:

• Why Aquinas still captures the religious imagination
• How distance and closeness shape role-modelling relationships
• How virtues can be taught using stories
• Why a “simple faith” doesn’t mean a simplistic faith

Listen now for a thoughtful conversation about theology, mentoring, and life's exciting quest for meaning.

Visit us at oxfordexemplars.org.

Music: 'Find Yours Dreams' by Art Flower. CC0 1.0 Universal License.

Copyright: The Vibe Shift, 2025.

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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 Gen Z Role Models study, why she connected with the Self-help Narrative, and what it’s like to be a co-researcher exploring faith in partnership with academics. From TikTok religion to participatory methods, this episode gives a vivid portrait of how one Gen Zer approaches belief, belonging, and the ethics of asking questions.

We talk about:

• Why Gen Z values humility in religious role models
• What it's like to talk openly about faith with peers
• How participatory research builds confidence and community
• Why richer stories—not surveys—are the future of ethical research

Listen now and hear how one student’s journey from “uncomfortable indecision” to empowered co-researcher captures the spirit of a generation.

Visit us at oxfordexemplars.org.

Music: 'Find Yours Dreams' by Art Flower. CC0 1.0 Universal License.

Copyright: The Vibe Shift, 2025.