Join your host, Ashleigh King, as she welcomes Reverend Zoe Heming - ordained minister, Canon for Mission at Newcastle Cathedral, disability advocate, and bold female leader, for a powerful and deeply honest conversation about faith, AI, intuition, disability, and the urgent need for community in a divided world.

From asking “Are we making AI God?” to exploring what it means to lead vulnerably as a disabled woman in the Church, Zoe brings wisdom, courage, and curiosity to every topic.

Together, Ashleigh and Zoe dance through big questions about spirituality in the digital age, social justice, identity, inclusion, and what it really means to live in community.

Themes of this conversation:

🌵 Are we creating a new God in AI?

Exploring technology, spirituality, confirmation bias, and the responsibility we carry in an age of large language models

🌵 Faith, tradition & reason

Why zooming out matters, and how history, scripture, and curiosity help us navigate cultural polarisation

🌵 Intuition & female leadership

Trusting your instinct in a world that has historically silenced women

🌵 Disability as a gift (even when you didn’t ask for it)

Zoe’s journey into chronic pain, wheelchair use, and what vulnerability teaches us about leadership

🌵 Mary vs Martha energy

Presence, productivity, neurodiversity, and why listening might be more radical than doing

🌵 Community over individualism

Why “humans can’t save ourselves” and why thriving requires shared narrative, shared responsibility, and shared humanity

🌵 Inclusion without curation

Holding space for diverse experiences without weaponising identity

This episode is for anyone navigating:

Faith in a modern world

AI and spirituality

Female leadership

ADHD and neurodiversity

Disability and identity

Social justice and inclusion

Or simply the longing for deeper community

Zoe reminds us that our limitations may be gifts, that curiosity is a spiritual practice, and that we are most alive in relationship with others.

If this conversation resonates, share it with someone who’s wrestling with big questions about faith, identity, technology, or belonging.

Chapters:

00:00 Exploring Community and Connection

02:44 Navigating Social Justice and Faith

06:14 The Role of AI in Modern Society

12:09 Intuition and Female Leadership

12:50 Embracing Diversity and Inclusion

16:09 The Importance of Listening and Presence

27:04 Navigating Life's Challenges and Disabilities

30:10 The Intersection of Faith and Disability

31:39 Embracing Limitations as Gifts

35:34 Vulnerability in Leadership and Community

38:52 Personal Identity Beyond Labels

42:54 Creating Inclusive Spaces for Diverse Experiences

45:54 The Importance of Listening and Learning

50:04 Nurturing Joy and Connection

Newcastle Cathedral Website

https://newcastlecathedral.org.uk/

Connect with Zoe on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/revdzoe/?hl=en

Learn More About the Newcastle Cathedral Team

https://newcastlecathedral.org.uk/learn/about-us/meet-the-team/

Connect with Your Host, Ashleigh King

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleigh-elizabeth-king/

If you liked this episode, you may also like this one:

https://youtu.be/fydAMoBNTxg?si=HqZP-isUTLcWbh6g

This podcast was filmed at Flamingo Heights Podcast Studio. 🦩

f you would like to record a podcast or have any questions about starting a podcast please write to:

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⁠www.flamingoheights.co.uk⁠