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Welcome to Southeast London Psalms.
I’m Jide Ehizele, a writer from southeast London interested in identity, belonging, Christianity, moral formation, and the changing social fabric of modern Britain.
Much of this publication is an attempt to make sense of the moral and cultural atmosphere of contemporary life: how people are formed, what stories shape us, why belonging feels fragile, and what it means to build a meaningful life in an increasingly fragmented society.
I often write through the lens of my own experience growing up British Nigerian in inner London, moving between different moral worlds — church and secular society, communal life and hyper-individualism, tradition and modernity. But these essays are ultimately about Britain more broadly: the questions of nationhood, identity, faith, community, and social trust that increasingly define public life.
Some recurring themes include:
Black British identity and belonging
Christianity and moral imagination
Urban life and social fragmentation
Technology, spectacle, and formation
Nationhood and civic culture
The search for meaning in modern Britain
If you’re new here, these pieces are probably the best introduction to my work.
Black Belonging & Identity
Rooted Differently
Rooted Differently - by Jide Ehizele
A reflection on Black British belonging, inheritance, and what it means to participate in the soul of a nation without sharing its ethnic origin myth.
Black isn’t Foreign
Black isn’t Foreign - by Jide Ehizele
On the Black Atlantic, history, and why Black presence is not external to the making of the modern West.
I grew up on 50 Cent and Fresh Prince but I’m not American
I grew up on 50 Cent and Fresh Prince—But I’m not American
On American cultural influence and the distinctiveness of Black British identity.
Urban Nihilism & Formation
Urban Nihilism and the Spectacle of Disorder
Urban Nihilism and the Spectacle of Disorder
An essay exploring how social media, spectacle, fragmentation, and the search for meaning shape urban life and youth culture.
The Entertainment Society
The Entertainment Society - by Jide Ehizele
Why the deeper issue facing modern society is not simply screen time, but formation.
When Urban Nihilism Steals the Plot
When urban nihilism steals the plot | Seen & Unseen
A piece on meaning, moral imagination, and Britain’s spiritual atmosphere.
Christianity, Britain & Moral Imagination
A New Christianity is Spreading Across Britain
A new Christianity is spreading across Britain - New Statesman
On the changing shape of faith in modern Britain.
Britain’s Christian Revival is Far From a Myth
Britain’s Christian revival is far from a myth - UnHerd
A reflection on spiritual hunger, secular exhaustion, and the quiet return of religion.
Beyond Zero-Sum Thinking: Recovering a Christian Moral Imagination
Beyond Zero-Sum Thinking: Recovering a Christian Moral Imagination
On Christianity, moral vision, and the common good.
Britain, Community & Social Life
This Housing Crisis is Reshaping Our Social Lives
This housing crisis is reshaping our social lives | Seen & Unseen
How housing insecurity changes relationships, formation, and community life.
Lewisham Shows Why Labour is Doomed
Lewisham shows why Labour is doomed | The Spectator
A reflection on civic infrastructure, political identity, and changing London.
AI Decline Porn is a Distortion of Modern Britain
AI decline porn is a distortion of modern Britain - UnHerd
Why online narratives often fail to capture the complexity of everyday Britain.