About
Esmé Lily Katherine Partridge is a writer and consultant working between religion, philosophy and politics. She has contributed to UnHerd, The Critic, Theos Think Tank, Renovatio, and The Royal Society of Arts among others, and is currently pursuing an MPhil at the University of Cambridge. She holds a First Class BA (Hons) in the Study of Religions from SOAS, University of London.
Esmé works as an Associate for the Good Faith Partnership, a social consultancy and incubator at the intersection of religion, politics and civil society. In her role, she works primarily on interfaith and Freedom of Religion or Belief initiatives such as the development of a Religion and diplomacy training programme for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and is also on the secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Christianity in the Holy Land.
At Clare College, Cambridge, Esmé is a candidate for the MPhil in Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion, for which she researches Enlightenment theories of religion, perennial philosophy, Neoplatonism and Islamic thought. As an undergraduate, her paper on the mysticism of Ibn ‘Arabi was awarded a commendation in the Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi Society’s 2019 International Young Writers Award, being subsequently published in the Society’s academic journal. She also appears in Volume 24 of the Temenos Academy Review with an essay on the mystical symbolism of pearls in Syriac Christian and Sufi literature.
Having written her undergraduate dissertation on spirituality in a digital age, Esmé is also interested in the relationship between religion and the internet. She was awarded Top Student Thesis in Digital Religion Studies for 2021 by the Texas A&M University, and has written a series of essays for Renovatio, The Journal of Zaytuna College, analysing the theological implications of technology, most recently focusing on the idea of the ‘World Brain’ and its implications for traditional modes of knowledge.
Through her current role and freelancing work, Esmé has extensive professional experience in writing, editing, communications and consulting, and actively applies these skills to a range of projects. She regularly takes part in debates, podcasts and conferences, and has been featured by SOAS, Church Times, Jewish News, The Irish Catholic, The Week, Atlantico, and the Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art.