This Conversation Changed How I Think About Faith, AI & Community | Zoe Heming, Newcastle Cathedral

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

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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.

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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

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Important Links & Resources

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. 🦩

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