Podcasts by Category
- 327 - Women in Charge?
What does female leadership in faith and religion look like today? Whilst more women than ever participated in the Pope’s recent Synod, (an assembly, or meeting) at the Vatican last year, we still seem a fair distance from women being able to offer a sacrament in the Catholic Church.
Aleem Maqbool meets Naima Khan, a Muslim and female imam and Director of the Inclusive Mosque Initiative. For ten years the mosque has been quietly pioneering, with women leading mixed-gender congregations in prayer. Naima tells Aleem why it was important for her to take on a level of spiritual leadership. What has the reaction been and what does her faith teach her about inclusivity and representation?
Jill Duff, the Bishop of Lancaster in the Church of England, Georgia Clarke, a youth leader in the Roman Catholic Church, and Mandeep Kaur MBE, Sikh Chaplain to the RAF and Ministry of Defence advisor on Sikh issues discuss what female leadership means to them. What progress has been made and where are the limits in their traditions to the roles women can play?
Producer: Rebecca Maxted Assistant Producer: Ruth Purser
Wed, 24 Jan 2024 - 326 - Stem Cell Steaks and the Scriptures
Is cultured or cultivated meat, grown from animal stem cells, kosher or halal?
That's what some religious leaders and scholars are starting to consider as we search for more sustainable solutions to feeding the world. Didier Toubia is the CEO of Aleph Farms, one company in Israel that has sought religious approval for its steak, grown from the stem cells of a black angus cow. They have also submitted an application to the Food Standards Authority in the hopes of bringing their products to the UK.
A written ruling by the Chief Rabbi of Israel declared that their lab-grown meat could be considered Kosher. Aleem Maqbool has questions, and is joined by a panel of livestock farmers to discuss the relationship between faith, farming and the future of meat.
Dr Lutfi Radwan is from Willowbrook Farm in Oxfordshire, which claims to be the first halal and tayib farm in the UK, Bridget Down is a Methodist preacher and famer in Devon and Achyuta Masoumi is from Bhaktivendanta Manor near Watford, an estate and Hare Krishna temple which includes a cow sanctuary.
Producer: Rebecca Maxted Assistant Producer: Ruth Purser
Tue, 16 Jan 2024 - 325 - Faith In The Psychedelic Renaissance
Aleem Maqbool meets Richard Butler, who describes a new-found connection with Jesus during an Ayahuasca retreat in Mexico, after discovering spirituality through meditation.
Some psychedelic drugs, like the plant-based DMT found in the ayahuasca drink, have been the subject of medical trials for their help with mental health conditions such as depression, with some successful results. But alongside their medical potential is, for some, a connection between their use and spirituality.
To discuss what might be going on, the potential and the dangers of the so-called psychedelic renaissance, Aleem is joined by a fascinating panel. Rev Rita Powell is an Episcopal Priest who has taken magic mushrooms as part of a University trial in the US, Dr Ben Sessa is a psychiatrist involved in psychedelic research here in the UK and Dr David Luke, Associate Professor at the University of Greenwich, explores spirituality, psychedelics and ‘exceptional human experiences’ in his work.
Opening Music: Ayahuasca Icaros - Medicine (Cures For All)
Producer: Rebecca Maxted Assistant Producer: James Leesley
Tue, 16 Jan 2024 - 324 - Sacred Sounds
What makes music sacred?
A young, slightly lost university student wanders into York Minster on a Saturday afternoon, after football practice. The choral music he hears there will change his life.
Aleem Maqbool hears his story, and is joined by a panel of talented musicians and composers from the Christian, Sikh and Sufi Islamic traditions to explore what makes the music they perform and compose spiritual. Is music a way they are able to connect with the divine?
His guests include Abi Sampa and Rushil Ranjan from the Orchestral Qawwali Project, Indian classical musician Jasdeep Singh Degun and Elizabeth Stratford, organist and Master of the Choristers at Arundel Cathedral.
Producer: Rebecca Maxted Assistant Producer: James Leesley
Thu, 11 Jan 2024 - 323 - Witches, Druids and Pagans
The number of Pagans in the UK is on the rise. The 2021 Census saw 75,000 define themselves as Pagan, 13,000 as Wicca and there was also a huge increase in those defining as Shaman, up to 8000.
Aleem Maqbool speaks with modern day witch, Richard about his spirituality and the impact it has on his life sparking a discussion on Wicca, Paganism and Druidry the relationship between these spiritualities and other faiths.
Producer: Katharine Longworth Editor: Tim Pemberton
Tue, 03 Oct 2023 - 322 - Behind Bars
In 1993 Michael Emmett was sentenced to 12 years in prison. It was there that he had a radical transformation. After a difficult night, alone in his cell, he opened the Bible and began to read.
Aleem Maqbool speaks to Michael Emmett about his conversion to Christianity leading to a discussion on how religious beliefs and practices can have an impact on people sentenced to prison and how different faiths respond to prisoners.
Aleem is joined by:
Venerable Ajahn Khemadhammo OBE - The Buddhist Adviser to HM Prison & Probation Service Dr Sofia Buncy MBE – Founder and National Coordinator of the multi-award-winning Muslim Women in Prison programme Dr Katie Hunt - Lecturer in Law at the University of Lincoln and author of "Non-religious Prisoners’ Unequal Access to Pastoral Care in International Journal of Law in Context.
Producer: Katharine Longworth Editor: Tim Pemberton
Tue, 03 Oct 2023 - 321 - Ashes to Ashes
‘We always put our hand on the coffin and use their name, tell them how loved they were. And then just as the door opens, we wish them well on their journey.”
Crematorium Manager Jenny Hamilton tells Aleem Maqbool how she and her team approach their work with the deceased at the Clyde Coast and Garnock Valley Crematorium on the West Coast of Scotland, and how her profession connects to her Christian faith.
Aleem is joined by a panel to discuss how the different ways we process the body after death, has been informed by faith, and what the human body represents within different religions.
How will religions respond to new ways of human decomposition that are being explored, such as alkaline hydrolysis or water cremation, which is being piloted in the UK later this year, and terramation or human composting?
Sally Berkovic, author and a volunteer for a Chevra Kadisha, a group that helps prepare Jewish bodies for funeral, joins Aleem to share her experiences. She's joined by Reverend Andrew Dotchin, who is looking into the theology of alkaline hydrolysis for the Church of England, and Hindu teacher Seeta Lakani.
The discussion raises the question, who is our death rites and rituals for: the deceased, or those left behind?
Producer: Rebecca Maxted Series Producer: Katharine Longworth Editor: Tim Pemberton
Tue, 03 Oct 2023 - 320 - Faith and Politics
The former SNP leadership contender Kate Forbes, found herself at the centre of a political storm about her religious views. In response to interviews questions, she said the idea of having children outside of marriage conflicted with her Christian faith and confirmed that she was anti-abortion. Ms Forbes also said she would not have voted for same-sex marriage if she had been a politician in 2014 when the law passed. The backlash against these views led SNP colleagues to abandon her campaign in droves.
In her first major broadcast interview after withdrawing from the leadership race, Kate Forbes said “We live in a world where it’s our duty and responsibility to coexist in a compassionate, caring, loving way. There is no doubt – people put this to me all the time – that if I had perhaps not been honest, and not been truthful, if I had tried to make certain things more palatable, or politically correct, then would I have been more successful? Perhaps”.
This inspires a discussion on relationship between faith and politics and whether the two can work together.
In a special episode of Beyond Belief, recorded in front of a live audience at the Religion Media Festival in London.
Aleem is joined by:
NICK FLETCHER, Conservative MP for Don Valley, who’s talked in the past about the way in which he sees himself as a Christian first and politician second
RUTH CADBURY, Labour MP for Brentford and Isleworth, who’s a Quaker. She was among the MPs who signed an early day motion calling for the abolition of parliamentary prayers
DABINDERJIT SINGH OBE is former director of the National Audit Office and for decades has played a prominent role in government-Sikh relations.
REV SALLY HITCHENER is an Anglican priest, Associate Vicar at St Martin-in-the-Fields, charity co-founder and LGBTQ+ rights activist.
Producer: Linda Walker and Katharine Longworth Presenter: Aleem Maqbool Assistant Producer: Naomi Wellings
Wed, 06 Sep 2023 - 319 - Faith and Fortune
Daniel Ally is an influencer and author who has built an online coaching business, sharing tips on how to become wealthy. He’s also a committed Christian who credits the Bible for turning his life around. He speaks to Aleem Maqbool about how his beliefs inspire him to seek financial success.
This inspires a discussion on the interconnections between faith and finance, whether seeking earthly fortune is in conflict with spiritual beliefs and how different faiths approach the gap between rich and poor.
Aleem is joined by:
Dr Christopher Wadibia - Junior Research Fellow at Pembroke College, Oxford. Christopher’s doctoral research studied the politics underpinning one of Nigeria's most popular and influential Pentecostal churches and the investments they make in the social and economic development of Africa’s most populous nation.
Uneesa Zaman - a communications professional with 10+ years of experience managing global clients across financial services with a focus on financial inclusion. She runs Uneesa Finance - a platform dedicated to educating women about halal finance (with a pop culture twist!) and has helped over 10k women learn more about finance to date.
Prof Atul K Shah - creative pioneer in the fields of accounting, finance, leadership and diversity. He holds a doctorate from the London School of Economics and is author of ‘Jainism and Ethical Finance’ ‘Inclusive and Sustainable Finance - Leadership, Ethics and Culture’
Producer: Katharine Longworth Presenter: Aleem Maqbool Assistant Producers: Robert Guthrie and Ajai Singh
Wed, 06 Sep 2023 - 318 - Taking a Stand
Revd Hilary Bond is a priest in the Church of England in Wareham in Dorset. She's also bee arrested five times at climate change protests and now has two convictions to her name.
Aleem Maqbool speaks with Hilary about her choice to take a direct approach by blocking roads during climate change protests. They discuss her reasons, how she feels called to do this because of her faith and what her limits are.
Her reflections lead to a discussion on the place of protest and direct action for people of faith and faith leaders with Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, senior rabbi in Masorti Judaism, Gavin Ashenden, Associate Editor of the Catholic Herald and writer and activist, Shaista Aziz.
Producers: Katharine Longworth and Linda Walker Editor: Tim Pemberton
Wed, 06 Sep 2023 - 317 - The God Desire
Do we have a desire for God?
In the first of a new series, Aleem Maqbool speaks to David Baddiel about his book "The God Desire".
Aleem is joined on stage at The Hay Festival by the panel to explore what it means to have a desire for God, where this desire might come from and whether it's driven by fear of death.
Aleem is joined by:
Fergus Butler-Gallie – Priest in the Church of England and author of "Touching Cloth" Osman Yousefzada – Multidisciplinary artist and author of "The Go Between" Dr Carissa Sharp - Assistant Professor in Psychology of Religion at Birmingham University
Recorded at The Hay Festival in front of a live audience.
Producers: Katharine Longworth and Linda Walker Editor: Tim Pemberton
Wed, 06 Sep 2023 - 316 - Menfluencers
Is there a crisis of masculinity in the modern day? How are online influencers having an impact on young men? And how does faith play a part in this phenomenon?
Aleem Maqbool speaks with Josiah and Vanessa, a young couple who were both brought up in strict Christian households, about how Jordan Peterson's online content influenced their faith and their relationship with one another.
This sparks a discussion on masculinity in the modern world and how male influencers are having an impact in the lives of young men and women.
Joining Aleem are:
Gavin Peacock - associate pastor at Calvary Grace Church of Calgary, and the Director of International Outreach for The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. Gavin was born in England, where he was a professional footballer for 18 years – scoring over 135 goals for Queens Park Rangers, Chelsea and Newcastle United amongst others in a career that spanned over 600 games. Will Moore - an ordinand at Westcott House in Cambridge, a PhD student in Theology at Anglia Ruskin University with the Cambridge Theological Federation, and a Research Associate for the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence, Bristol. He is the author of Boys Will Be Boys, and Other Myths: Unravelling Biblical Masculinities. Harriet Hall - award-winning journalist and the Features Director at Cosmopolitan. She is a passionate feminist and author of ‘She: A Celebration of 100 Renegade Women’
Producer: Katharine Longworth Assistant Producer: Linda Walker
Tue, 16 May 2023 - 315 - fAIth
Artificial intelligence influences how we interact with everything – and religion is no exception.
AI technology is increasingly being incorporated into religious worship. Robot priests are delivering sermons, chatbots are reciting prayers, robot monks are spreading wisdom and robotic arms are carrying out ceremonies.
Aleem Maqbool speaks with robotics specialist, Gabriele Trovato, creator of SanTO, a robotic Catholic priest that delivers sermons, gives advice and joins worshippers in prayers.
This sparks a discussion on whether AI will transform how people experience religion and the potential outcomes involved.
Aleem is joined by:
Professor Subramanian Ramamoorthy - Chair of Robot Learning and Autonomy and Director of the Institute of Perception, Action and Behaviour in the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh
Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner - Rabbi at Bromley Reform Synagogue and former Senior Rabbi to Reform Judaism
The Right Reverend Steven Croft - Bishop of Oxford, member of the House of Lords Select Committee on AI and a founding board member for the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation
Assistant Producer: Linda Walker
Producer: Alexa Good
Mon, 15 May 2023 - 314 - The Coronation
On 6th May 2023, King Charles III will be crowned in Westminster Abbey in an ancient ceremony that dates back a thousand years.
The Coronation service is, at its heart, a religious event in which King Charles swears an oath to uphold “the Protestant Reformed Religion Established by Law” and is anointed with holy oil by The Archbishop of Canterbury.
But is this religious service representative of modern Britain? What does it say about who we are today? And will it speak to people of all faiths and none?
Aleem Maqbool speaks to The Most Reverend Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, about the meaning of the rituals and symbolism of this national event. His reflections lead to a discussion on the role of The Coronation in our modern world.
Aleem is joined by Professor Ian Bradley, author of God Save the King and Emeritus Professor of Cultural and Spiritual History at the University of St Andrews, Chief Executive of "Republic" Graham Smith and Sejal Sehmi, U.K. Editor for Brown Girl Magazine.
Producer: Katharine Longworth Assistant Producer: Linda Wood
Wed, 03 May 2023 - 313 - Losing My Religion
Is Humanism a religion?
Aleem Maqbool speaks with former Blue Peter presenter and author, Janet Ellis, about the path that led her to adopt Humanism.
This sparks a discussion on the nature of Humanism and the various rituals and beliefs associated with it.
Joining Aleem for the discussion are:
Professor Alice Roberts - Vice President of Humanist UK and author of The Little Books of Humanism and The Little Book of Humanist Funerals
Theo Hobson - Theologian and author of God Created Humanism: the Christian Basis of Secular Values
Lola Tinubu - Co-founder of the Association of Black Humanists in London.
Producer: Katharine Longworth Assistant Producer: Linda Walker
Wed, 03 May 2023 - 312 - Without Child
It is estimated that 1 in 7 UK couples struggle to conceive but what impact do religious beliefs and cultural practices have on those who can not or choose not to have children.
Aleem Maqbool speaks to Lizzie Lowrie about her experience of baby loss and miscarriage and how her faith and church community brought both challenges and support.
Her story sparks a discussion on what it means to live without children in different belief systems and how the faith community responds. Aleem discusses different approaches to childlessness with:
Vik Singh, who, with his wife, Sarina, set up The Himmat Collective to support Punjabi Communities struggling with fertility issues, after their own difficulties starting a family, Dr Dawn Llewellyn, Associate Professor in Religion and Gender at the University of Chester and Farah Dualeh author of Taking Control: A Muslim Woman's Guide to Surviving Infertility.
Producer: Katharine Longworth Assistant Producer: Dave James
Wed, 19 Apr 2023 - 311 - Addiction
Whether to drugs, alcohol, smoking, pornography or something else entirely, addiction comes with a perceived stigma that can make seeking help difficult. In a religious context there are competing factors that can have an impact on recovery. Some faiths impose prohibitions on certain behaviours which can discourage people from admitting to a problem but there are also methods of helping those who are struggling that are based on religious teaching and practice.
Aleem Maqbool speaks with a vicar who has struggled with addiction about his journey sparking a discussion on the place of faith on the road to recovery.
Wed, 19 Apr 2023 - 310 - Grief
Rabbi Jonathan Romain's son, Benedict, died tragically and suddenly in January. In the grieving process his faith, community and the rituals of Judaism have all played a part. He speaks to Aleem Maqbool about his experience and his response to bereavement.
His story leads to a panel discussion on the place of faith, religion and ritual within the grieving process, whether it is a help or a hindrance and whether belief in an afterlife makes it easier to deal with loss.
Maggie Doherty is the Director of the Centre for the Art of Dying Well at St Mary’s University. The Centre’s mission is to help people to live and die well and be supported in their grief. She is also a trustee of St Joseph’s Hospice in Hackney and is a student in Digital Health.
Louise Blyth was 33 when her husband George died from bowel cancer, leaving her with one and three year old boys. At a time like that many lose their faith, but Louise found it, becoming a Christian. A year later she quit her dream job in operations for Mars to write a book “Hope is Coming” all about her experiences. Louise currently juggles being a Mum with trying to write her second book.
Jusna Begum supports bereaved Muslim families by washing the bodies of those they have lost; an essential part of the grieving process. She is also the director of a domestic violence charity in east London.
PRODUCER: KATHARINE LONGWORTH
Wed, 19 Apr 2023 - 309 - Unforgiveness
"I didn't choose to forgive. It wasn't that I tried and tried to forgive. There was a moment when I thought, what on earth does this word 'forgiveness' even mean?"
Julie Nicholson's daughter, Jenny, was killed in the 7/7 London Bombings. Julie has not forgiven Jenny's killer which has led to conflict with what was expected of her in her role as a parish priest. She tells Aleem Maqbool about the difficulties in reconciling her faith's teachings on forgiveness with her Christian ministry and the response she received after being dubbed "the vicar who couldn't forgive".
Julie's story sparks a discussion on the place of forgiveness from different religious perspectives. Aleem is joined by New Testament scholar, Professor Anthony Bash, who has written extensively on the theology of forgiveness, Rabbi Elchonon Feldman, Senior Rabbi at Bushey United Synagogue and author Marian Partington.
They discuss what is meant by forgiveness in different religious contexts. Whether it is essential to forgive others for the hurt they have caused us or is there a limit. Can we forgive the unforgiveable?
Producer: Katharine Longworth with Vishva Semani Assistant Producer: Josie Le Vay Editor: Tim Pemberton
Mon, 13 Feb 2023 - 308 - Same-Sex Marriage
'My faith has been a constant in my life through good times and bad. There have been times where I've received death threats for being gay. But could I get married in a gurdwara? No.'
For Jasvir Singh CBE, barrister and community activist, his Sikh faith has always been the cornerstone of his life. But when he got married in 2022 to his partner Nick. he couldn't have a religious ceremony. Speaking openly for the first time, he tells Aleem Maqbool about his relationship with his faith and his sexuality.
Nine years after legislation was passed in England and Wales legalising same-sex marriage, for many religious institutions it's an intractable issue. Aleem is joined by a panel to discuss why many religions won't conduct a marriage ceremony for same-sex couples.
Gurmel Singh is the Secretary General of the Supreme Sikh Council in the UK, Helen Lamb is on the Evangelical Council in the Church of England and Bhavit Mehta is a producer of cultural events and a practicing Hindu, who has conducted a Hindu marriage ceremony for a same-sex couple.
Producer: Rebecca Maxted Assistant Producer: Vishva Samani Editor: Tim Pemberton
Photo Credit: Lex Fleming Photography
Tue, 07 Feb 2023 - 307 - Finding Faith in Doubt
"I couldn't pretend anymore that I felt the same way. I did doubt. It was as good as saying I'd lost my faith."
Aleem Maqbool meets Kat Wordsworth, who tells her story about doubt in her Christian beliefs and how it's affected her life and health. She now shares her experiences and thoughts on doubt on a social media account, with followers also contributing their experiences and she's about to publish a book called 'Let's Talk About Doubt'. Kat wants to hear doubt discussed more widely 'at the front of church'.
Alongside a panel who have asked their own questions about faith and belief Aleem asks 'are religions afraid of doubt?'. Professor Alister McGrath is a leading theologian, academic and historian who has written widely about doubt, American historian and poet Jennifer Michael Hecht is the author of 'Doubt: A History' and Dr Nafeez Ahmed, is an investigative journalist and academic who shares his personal journey with his Muslim faith.
Producer: Rebecca Maxted Assistant Producer: Josie Le Vay Editor: Tim Pemberton
Picture Credit: Tom Holmes
Tue, 07 Feb 2023 - 306 - Faith and the Holocaust
Lily Ebert was 20 when the Nazis deported her from her Hungarian hometown to Auschwitz. Remarkably she survived, and so did her faith. Now a 99 year old grandmother, she tells Aleem Maqbool how the Judaism of her childhood, sustained her in the most horrific circumstances.
Her moving story sparks a discussion on the impact that the Holocaust had on Jewish belief and practice and how the repercussions are manifest in the modern day.
Tue, 07 Feb 2023 - 305 - At the End of the Telescope
'You don't find meaning through the end of a telescope.'
So says Professor Brian Cox, particle physicist and one of the best communicators of modern science today. Speaking to Aleem Maqbool, Brian shares his view on the relationship between religion and science. Not a believer himself, he thinks the perception of conflict between them is wrong.
Aleem reflects on Brian's comments with a panel of three guests, to ask is the war over between these big beasts? Monica Grady is a Professor of Planetary and Space Sciences at the Open University and a Catholic, her celebration at the successful comet landing of the Rosetta project made her a viral star. Professor Nawal Prinja is a nuclear physicist and advisor to the Government on nuclear policy. He's a Hindu and studies the Vedic scriptures. And Andrew Copson is the Chief Executive of Humanists UK which seeks to be the representative body of non-religious people.
They discuss the difference and overlap between religion or religious philosophy and science with Monica and Nawal, as scientists of faith, sharing how they see the world. And as physics throws up new theories for the origins of the universe, potentially with no beginning, what does that mean for the idea of a Creator?
Producer: Rebecca Maxted Assistant Producers: Josie Le Vay and Emily Finch
Tue, 07 Feb 2023 - 304 - Leap of Faith
“I wouldn't have become an athlete if I didn't think it was something that God wanted me to do.”
Jonathan Edwards still holds the triple jump world record 27 years after leaping to victory in 1995. He has taken home gold at the Olympics, World and European Championships and the Commonwealth Games. His success, he says, was driven by the belief that he was “in tune with a supernatural being that created the Earth”. Today, he no longer holds those beliefs but looks back on how they had an impact on his sporting career.
For Jonathan Edwards, his Christian beliefs were a deciding factor in his performance as an athlete but does God play a part in sporting success?
Aleem Maqbool brings together three people with different experiences of the inter-play between sport and spirituality. Khadijah Mellah won the Magnolia Cup at Goodwood in 2019 and is the first jockey to wear the hijab in competitive British horse racing. Richard Leadbeater is a former professional footballer turned Anglican Vicar and Shameema Yousuf is a sport psychologist, and mental health therapist who looks at the relationship between performance, mental health and culture.
The panel discuss whether personal religious beliefs have an impact on sporting performance. They ask whether faith gives athletes the edge on their competitors and if sports psychology can have the same impact. When it comes to elite sport, does God have a hand in the result? Does holding a faith make a difference when you’re going for gold? Does God help you win?
Producer: Katharine Longworth
Tue, 07 Feb 2023 - 303 - Out of the Habit?
"I put my pants and toothbrush in a bag, and I never went back."
On a wet and windy November night a Carmelite nun, Lisa, leaves the convent, her home for 24 years, after a monk asks her to marry him.
With so few people now living in religious communities, what's the future for Britain's monks, nuns, friars and sisters?
Aleem Maqbool brings together three people who have experienced life in a religious order to hear Lisa's story and discuss this question. Father Luigi Gioia is a former Benedictine monk, turned Anglican Priest and scholar. Sister Gabriel Davison is a nun with the Poor Clares in Arundel, West Sussex, a centuries-old Catholic order which had a recent surprise hit in the classical charts with an album of their singing. And Berwyn Watson is the new Abbott at the Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey in Northumberland.
The panel discuss what first attracted them to religious life and the benefits and challenges to life as a monk or nun. What is the purpose of monastic life, both for individuals, but also for the wider religious community and society? And what's the place of these centuries-old institutions in modern Britain?
Plus, what happened next for Lisa, and the monk, Robert?
Producer: Rebecca Maxted Assistant Producer: Josie Le Vay Editor: Tim Pemberton
Tue, 07 Feb 2023 - 302 - The State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II
Exploring the faith behind the pomp and pageantry of the Queen's funeral.
Millions will have watched the historic funeral service from Westminster Abbey and the Committal at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was laid to rest. For some, the services will be full of meaning and resonance. Others will be less familiar with the Christian rituals that have evolved over centuries.
Ernie Rea is joined by writer and journalist Catherine Pepinster, Professor Douglas Davies, Rev Dr Giles Fraser and Andrew Carwood MBE (Director of Music, St Paul's Cathedral) to discuss and illuminate the meaning, symbolism and significance of the Queen's state funeral.
Producer: Rebecca Maxted Assistant Producer: Peter Everett Editor: Dan Tierney
Tue, 20 Sep 2022 - 301 - Atoning for Slavery
Anglican Bishops are starting to consider what 'redemptive action' for the horrors of slavery could look like. The history of the transatlantic slave trade casts a long shadow. Over three million black Africans were transported in British ships to a life of slavery. The legacy of a practice that spanned three centuries has been keenly felt in recent years, from the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd, to the toppling of statues of slave traders.
Calls appear to be getting louder for institutions, corporations and individuals to offer redress. The historic links of Christianity with slavery have been examined and some feel there is a debt to be paid. What might that look like? What responsibility do the heirs of the oppressor have to the heirs of the oppressed?
Ernie is joined by theologian and broadcaster Professor Robert Beckford, legal specialist on reparations Esther Stanford-Xosei, and Professor Nigel Biggar, Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at the University of Oxford.
Plus he hears from the Virginia Theological Seminary in the US who have started paying reparation to the descendants of those it says laboured on it's campus under slavery or segregation.
Producer: Rebecca Maxted Assistant Producers: Josie Le Vey and Peter Everett Editor: Dan Tierney
Tue, 20 Sep 2022 - 300 - The Handmaid's Tale
Margaret Atwood tells Ernie Rea about the role of faith in her seminal novel and how her fiction, written nearly 40 years ago, resonates in a post-Roe v Wade world.
Atwood's novel about a dystopian future in a fundamentalist regime has been turned into a hugely popular TV series, about to start it's fifth season. It's also been adopted by activists protesting against restrictions on female rights and freedoms.
Professor Linda Woodhead (Kings College London), Professor Coral Ann Howells (editor of The Cambridge Companion to Margaret Atwood) and Alissa Wilkinson (Culture and Film Critic for Vox.com) join Ernie to discuss the role of religion in Atwood's Gilead, why her vision has struck a chord today and its influence on culture and politics.
Producer: Rebecca Maxted Assistant Producers: Josie Le Vay and Peter Everett Editor: Dan Tierney
Tue, 20 Sep 2022 - 299 - How Religious Is Iran?
Last month’s attempt on Salman Rushdie’s life brought the world’s attention back on Iran and the death sentence imposed on the writer by Ayatollah Khomeini more than three decades ago.
More recently, Iran has been in the news with reports of crackdowns on perceived dissidents: women who choose not to wear the hijab and members of other religions especially the Baha'is.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is ruled by a Supreme Leader from the Shia tradition, Ayatollah Khamenei. It is he who ultimately wields the power and imposes limits on the peoples’ rights and freedoms. Given his overruling authority, it is difficult to know what ordinary people believe or how they feel about their system of government.
So is this vast country of 86 million people really an Islamic nation? And if it’s not, how religious is Iran?
Ernie Rea is joined by Professor Ali Ansari, Dr Roxane Farmanfarmaian, Professor Sajjad Rizvi and Khosro Kalbasi, a journalist for BBC Monitoring watching Iran.
Producer: Rebecca Maxted Assistant Producer: Peter Everett Editor: Dan Tierney.
Thu, 15 Sep 2022 - 298 - What Makes a Ritual
Can our morning coffee routines, the Saturday parkrun, or a daily walk in nature be sacred?
Ernie Rea explores how ritual, repeated actions done the same way every time, long associated with religion, is being employed by those outside of faith practice. There are now apps that can help build mindful rituals into your day, workplaces are designing ceremonies to build community amongst colleagues. What attracts us to these kinds of practices and without a religious framework do they lose their power?
Ernie is joined by Casper Ter Kuile, formerly at the Harvard Divinity School he's the author of 'The Power of Ritual'. Kashori Jani is a Sanskrit teacher at a Hindu faith school and shares ancient Hindu wisdom and Kirtan (musical mantra meditation) with her large following online. Father David Elliot is Catholic Priest and the Head of Theology at the Oratory School in Oxford.
Plus Matt Brooke from Tough Mudder tells us how ritual helps competitors complete their endurance challenges.
Producer: Rebecca Maxted and Katharine Longworth Assistant Producer: Josie Le Vey Editor: Tim Pemberton
Tue, 30 Aug 2022 - 297 - Modesty Uncovered
Modest clothing is a multi-billion dollar trend, with designers seeking inspiration from cultures where dressing modestly is the norm. There are millions of images tagged as #modestfashion on Instagram or Tik Tok, from prairie dresses to designer hijabs. Ernie Rea explores the religious reasons from the Abrahamic faiths about why some cover up, and asks if our ideas of modesty are changing.
He's joined by Dr Shuruq Naguib a lecturer of Islamic Studies at the University of Lancaster, Dr Lindsay Simmonds a research fellow at the London School of Jewish Studies and Molly Boot, a theologian training for ministry in the Church of England. They discuss what rules they apply to the way they dress and the historic and scriptural basis for their understanding of modesty. What is the requirement of men to dress modestly in faith traditions and what role do sexuality, shame and purity have in the way some people of faith understand they have to dress?
Plus, cultural journalist Hafsa Lodi explains why, for her, the modest fashion industry poses a paradox, and we hear from male blogger Zaahid.
Producers: Rebecca Maxted and Katharine Longworth Assistant Producer: Josie Le Vey Editor: Helen Grady
Wed, 17 Aug 2022 - 296 - Autism and Faith
How easy is it for autistic people to believe in God?
The National Autistic Society describe autism as a lifelong developmental disability that affects how people communicate and interact with the world. They say 1 in 100 of us may be autistic and the diagnosis of autism has risen dramatically in recent decades.
How are religious organisations responding to the needs of a growing number of their congregations?
Ernie Rae is joined by a panel of three autistic guests to discuss their experiences: Professor Grant Macaskill, the co-director of the Centre for Autism and Theology at the University of Aberdeen; Samantha Stein, a YouTuber with over seven million views, who set up an atheist summer camp; and Iqra Babar, a digital artist with a strong Muslim faith.
We also hear from TV quizzer Anne Hegarty, who is autistic and a Catholic, about her relationship with faith.
Producer: Rebecca Maxted Assistant Producer: Josie Le Vay Editor: Helen Grady
Thu, 19 May 2022 - 295 - Fierce and Feminine: Kali and Shakti
She wears a necklace of severed human heads with blood dripping from their necks. Her tongue is bright scarlet and sticking out. She carries a bloodied sword.
Meet Kali, a Hindu goddess who is one embodiment of the Hindu principle called Shakti, meaning energy, power or force. Who is Kali and what does she represent?
We’re embracing some of the ideas of shakti in the West. You can take kundalini yoga classes or meditation courses to access your divine feminine energy. What is the philosophy behind these practices?
Join Ernie Rea as he visits the British Museum to see a new statue of the female Goddess, part of a new exhibition called 'Feminine Power: From The Divine to the Demonic'. Curator Belinda Crerer and dancer and devotee of Kali, Indrani Datta, tell him more.
Plus Ernie is joined by experts in the Shakti tradition Sumita Ambasta, Lavanya Vemsani and Acharya Vidyabhaskar.
Producer: Rebecca Maxted Editor: Helen Grady
Image: Kali Murti, Kaushik Ghosh, India, 2022. Image © The Trustees of the British Museum
Mon, 09 May 2022 - 294 - Who Are the Uyghurs?
As Muslims around the world celebrate Eid, Ernie Rea hosts a panel on the beliefs and culture of the Uyghurs, a majority Muslim people in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, North West China. Human rights organisations have accused China of committing crimes against humanity against the Uyghur people and the US government has accused the Chinese government of genocide.
For over eight years, there have been reports of mass surveillance of the Uyghur population and abuses including forced incarceration in 're-education camps' and sterilisation against the Uyghur people in Xinjiang. The Chinese government have consistently denied accusations of abuse and insist their camps are vocational facilities, and to combat terrorism.
Ernie Rea explores the faith of the majority Muslim Uyghur people. What could be lost from their language, culture and heritage?
Ernie is joined by experts on the region, Dr Jo Smith Finley and Dr Rian Thum. Rahima Mahmut, a Uyghur Muslim. grew up in the region and is the UK Director of the World Uyghur Congress. And Abduweli Ayup, a Uyghur poet and linguistic scholar, tells his story of incarceration in Xinjiang.
Producer: Rebecca Maxted
Mon, 02 May 2022 - 293 - Young and Full of Faith
In a society that’s becoming increasingly secular, why are some young people embracing a ‘full fat’ version of faith? During the pandemic a UK poll showed that those in Generation Z are more likely to believe in God than their millennial peers. A new study of British Catholics has found that younger believers show a greater degree of religious commitment than their elders.
Whilst those ticking ‘no religion’ box on the census is increasing, are those who still identify with a religion more likely to have a strengthened commitment to it? Ernie Rea is joined by a panel representing different faiths, to discuss the pull of religion for young people in 2022.
Bhavya Shah is the President of the National Hindu Student Forum, Jasvir Kaur Rababan is a Sikh music teacher, Professor Stephen Bullivant from St Mary's University is about to publish new research called 'Why Younger Catholics Seem More Committed' and Dr Sadek Hamid is a writer and academic with an expertise on Islam and young people in Britain.
Producer: Rebecca Maxted Editor: Tim Pemberton
Mon, 25 Apr 2022 - 292 - Resurrection
On Easter Sunday, as children hunt for chocolate eggs, the words 'Christ is Risen. Alleluia!' are proclaimed from every church pulpit. The day of Jesus Christ's Resurrection is the most joyous day of the Christian calendar. A message of death defeated, salvation secured, is the cornerstone of the faith of nearly one third of the world's population. But how do the faithful understand this extraordinary story? Do you have to believe Jesus physically rose from the dead for the story to have meaning? And what is it's resonance today, for those of faith, or without?
Ernie Rea is joined by scholars Professor Helen Bond, Dr Andrew Boakye, and the Chief Executive of the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, Paul Woolley, to discuss the evidence for and understanding of the Resurrection. Plus film critic and host of the 'Girls on Film' podcast, Anna Smith, discusses how the story and themes of the resurrection have appeared in popular cinema throughout the decades.
Producer: Rebecca Maxted Editor: Tim Pemberton
This programme contains short excepts from the following films: The Greatest Story Ever Told (Dir: George Stevens, 1965) The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (Dir: Andrew Adamson, 2005)
Mon, 18 Apr 2022 - 291 - Religion IRL
In the past two years faith communities have lived through an unprecedented experiment. With places of worships closed for long periods, they've been forced to adapt digitally. Not everyone could do so fulsomely, with some acts of worship prohibited by religious teachings.
As restrictions have lifted many are finding that the faithful are not rushing back, although there are exceptions. How did it feel to take communion or attend Friday prayers together again in real life? Has the pandemic permanently changed the practice of faith as a congregation or community? And why, for faith leaders and theologians, is it so important we return to the church, synagogue or mosque?
To discuss why physical presence has been so important in faith and religion across millennia, Ernie Rea is joined by Dr Mansur Ali, a lecturer in Islamic studies at the University of Cardiff who advised his local mosque on the theology of online prayer during Covid. He's also joined by Dr Sara Parvis, a senior lecturer in Early Christian History at the University of Edinburgh and a practicing Catholic, and Dr Samuel Landau, an Orthodox Rabbi at the Barnet United Synagogue and a Clinical Psychologist.
Plus Rev. Sean Steele, the vicar of St Isidore Episcopal Church in Texas, explains how he is exploring physical presence in worship through virtual reality services in the metaverse.
Producer: Rebecca Maxted Editor: Helen Grady
Mon, 11 Apr 2022 - 290 - Putin's Religious War
Days before Russian troops entered Ukraine in late February, President Vladimir Putin gave an impassioned address to the Russian people attempting to justify what he was about to carry out. He referred to Ukraine as 'an inalienable part' of Russia's 'spiritual space'. It's one of many references to faith and religion interwoven into the Russian narrative of the 'special military operation' in Ukraine.
Ernie Rea explores the beliefs being used to justify this aggression, and asks why the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has defended Putin's actions.
He's joined by Andrew Louth, theologian and Archpriest in the Russian Orthodox Church here in the UK, Geraldine Fagan, an expert in religious affairs in the former Soviet states, and Katherine Kelaidis, a writer and historian whose work focuses on early Medieval Christian history and contemporary orthodox identity.
Plus he speaks to the journalist and theologian Sergei Chapnin, who worked for the Russian Orthodox Church for 15 years.
Producer: Rebecca Maxted Editor: Helen Grady
Mon, 04 Apr 2022 - 289 - The 5Ks of Sikhism
In 1699, Guru Gobind Singh (the 10th Sikh Guru) formed the Sikh Khalsa and announced that its first five members should wear the 5Ks to demonstrate their devotion to their faith. Today the 5Ks are still symbols of Sikh identity: Kesh (uncut hair), Kanga (a wooden comb), Kara (steel bracelet), Kirpan (sword) and Kachera (cotton underwear). To discuss the importance of the 5Ks, Ernie Rea is joined by Dr Jasjit Singh (Associate Professor in the School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science at Leeds University), Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour MP for Slough and Shadow Minister for Railways) and by Professor Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh (Crawford Family Professor of Religion and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Colby College in the United States).
Producer: Helen Lee
Mon, 03 Jan 2022 - 288 - Satan
In the popular imagination, Satan is often a figure of evil with horns, hooves, frightening face and wings. But in scripture he does not conform to this stereotype. In Islam (in the form of Iblis) and in Christianity, he is a fallen angel - different to ‘the Satan’ of the Hebrew Bible – but all in sacred writings he is a Tempter and/or Adversary. How has our view of him changed over the centuries and what part does he play in today’s world?
Ernie Rea is joined by three people who have given much thought to Satan. Darren Oldridge is Professor of Early Modern History at the University of Worcester and the author of “The Devil: A Very Short Introduction.” Roni Tabick is the Rabbi of the New Stoke Newington Shul in Hackney. He has studied ancient Hebrew culture and Rabbinic texts. And Dr Sharihan Al-Akhras is a Digital Journalist at the BBC World Service. Her PhD looked at the links between Milton’s Satan in “Paradise Lost” and the Muslim story of Iblis.
Producer: Helen Lee Editor: Helen Grady
Mon, 27 Dec 2021 - 287 - Benjamin Britten's A Ceremony of Carols
In the spring of 1942, Benjamin Britten and his partner Peter Pears left the United States on board a Swedish cargo ship to cross the perilous waters of the North Atlantic. On a stopover in Nova Scotia, Britten picked up a book of medieval poems and whilst the ship navigated ferocious winds and dodged U boats, he used some of them in the first draft of what was to become 'A Ceremony of Carols'. From the confines of a miserable and airless cabin he created a work of such joy and energy that it has become a Christmas staple for the high clear voices of boy trebles - or women’s choir - and harp.
To discuss the enduring appeal of the music and the spiritual meaning of 'A Ceremony of Carols', Ernie Rea is joined by a distinguished trio of musicians. Michael Berkeley is a composer, broadcaster, and crossbench peer. Benjamin Britten was his godfather. Anna Lapwood is a conductor, organist and Director of Music at Pembroke College, Cambridge. She was a professional harp player. And the Rev Lucy Winkett is Rector of St James Piccadilly in the centre of London. Before becoming a priest, she trained as a singer at the Royal College of Music.
Producer: Helen Lee
Mon, 20 Dec 2021 - 286 - Boxing
Straight after Oleksandr Usyk dethroned Anthony Joshua on points in a boxing masterclass in London, the new world heavyweight champion told a crowd of 65,000 that: "The only thing I wanted to do with this fight is to give praise to Jesus Christ."
A fortnight later, the world's other heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury proclaimed to a global audience of 920,000 that Jesus helped him knock out Deontay Wilder to retain his title. Why have boxing and Christianity become so deeply embedded in each other’s corners? Ernie Rae goes toe to toe with the theology behind the punches with stories of some of the sport’s biggest names and those at its grassroots today.
How do Christians in the fight game reconcile love thy neighbour with delivering knockouts? Especially when we know much more about the long term brain damage boxers are exposed to.
To answer these questions and more, Ernie is joined by:
Pastor Lorraine Jones, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Dwayneamics, a boxing gym in Brixton.
Amy Koehlinger, Associate Professor of History and Religious Studies at Oregon State University and author of the upcoming Rosaries and Rope Burns: Boxing and Manhood in American Catholicism from 1880 to 1970.
Gordon Marino, former boxer who covered the sport for the Wall Street Journal and HBO. A boxing trainer with 30 years’ experience, professor of Philosophy at St Olaf College, Minnesota and author of The Existentialist's Survival Guide: How to Live Authentically in an Inauthentic Age.
Plus, as he prepares for his next fight, boxer, Jazza Dickens tells Ernie precisely why he believes God “strengthens his hands” whilst keeping him and his opponent safe no matter what he does in the squared circle.
Producer: Julian Paszkiewicz Editor: Helen Grady
(Image: Oleksandr Usyk celebrates after being crowned the new World Champion following the Heavyweight Title Fight between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 25, 2021 in London, England. Credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Mon, 13 Dec 2021 - 285 - Young Voices in Northern Ireland
For this special edition of Beyond Belief, Ernie Rea has been to Northern Ireland to talk to a panel of young adults in their 20s about their views on religion and how their society has changed in the 23 years since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.
Ernie was born in Belfast and worked in a youth club on the Shankill Road during some of the worst years of the Troubles. He experienced the visceral hatred felt by some Protestants and Catholics towards each other and although religion was not the cause of the Troubles, it played its part; it largely determined how people voted and where they sent their children to school. Ernie acknowledges that things have changed since the Troubles but he wants to know how much? Does religious affiliation still determine attitudes towards social and moral issues in Northern Ireland?
Panel: Andrew Matthews Aoibhin McNeill Chris Clague Shannon Campbell
Producer: Helen Lee
Editor: Helen Grady
Mon, 06 Dec 2021 - 284 - Orthodox Jewish Women
There is a stereotype of the Orthodox Jewish woman. She is confined to domestic duties and bringing up many children whilst being dominated by a husband who wears a large round fur hat (a shtreimel) and has side curls and a bushy beard. This stereotype is based on the Ultra-Orthodox community which has recently been portrayed in the very popular Netflix dramas 'Unorthodox' and 'Shtisel'. The truth is that the Orthodox Jewish community is more diverse than this and that mainstream Orthodox Jewish women are taking on more responsibility in their community.
To discuss the stereotype, their faith and their lives, Ernie Rea is joined by three Orthodox Jewish women. Abi Kurzer is the Rebbetzen or Rabbi’s wife at Pinner United Synagogue in North London. She is also Clinical Manager and a social worker for a charity supporting adolescent girls from the Orthodox Jewish community. Rabbi Dr Lindsey Taylor-Guthartz is a Research Fellow at Manchester University. Controversially she was ordained this summer in New York. And Avigail Simmonds-Rosten is the Jewish Programme Manager at the Council of Christians and Jews in London.
Producer: Helen Lee
Mon, 29 Nov 2021 - 283 - African Spirituality
The increasing influence of African spirituality on Western society is very evident. You can read it in the work of novelists like Ben Okri, see it in the work of artists such as Chris Ofili and hear it in the music of pop superstars like Beyonce. Partly driven by the desire of young people within the African diaspora to find a deeper connection to their African heritage, African spirituality is very different to Christianity or Islam; religions brought to Africa by colonizing forces. It contains many diverse beliefs which differ from region to region. There are no scriptures – the traditions are passed on by word of mouth – and ancestors play a key role. Many of the practices are not found in Western culture (such as juju), but they express deep spiritual convictions and bind societies together.
To discuss African spirituality, Ernie Rea has assembled a panel of experts from across the African continent. Born in Nigeria in the West of Africa, Jacob K Olupona is Professor of African Religious Traditions at Harvard Divinity School and Professor of African American Studies in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University. Mary Nyangweso was born in Kenya in East Africa and is Professor of Religious Studies at East Carolina University. And Adeola Aderemi is a Holistic Healer who bases her practice on her Isese Ifa spirituality with its origins in the Yoruba culture of Southern Nigeria.
Ernie also talks to Nigerian born artist Laolu Senbanjo who now works in New York. Laolu’s art is influenced by his Yoruba heritage and practice of African spirituality. His ‘Sacred Art of the Ori’ (Yoruba symbols painted onto the naked body) featured on Beyoncé’s 2016 Grammy award winning video for her concept album ‘Lemonade’.
Producers: Helen Lee Julian Paszkiewicz
Image: Original painting by Laolu Senbanjo on display at the Belvedere Vodka x Laolu Senbanjo collaboration celebration on September 6, 2018 in New York City. Credit: Johnny Nunez/WireImage via Getty Images
Mon, 22 Nov 2021 - 282 - Poetry, the Language of Religion
To celebrate its 500th edition, Beyond Belief has recorded a special programme at the Contains Strong Language poetry festival in Coventry. From the stage of the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry to discuss the theme of ‘Poetry as the Language of Religion’, Ernie Rea is joined by a distinguished panel: Michael Symmons Roberts is one of Britain’s leading poets whose work explores the connection between the things of the spirit and the things of the world, Canon Mark Oakley is the Dean and Fellow of St John’s College Cambridge and the author of 'The Splash of Words, Believing in Poetry', Muneera Pilgrim is a British born convert to Islam and a poet and cultural producer and Bel Mooney is an author with a regular column in the Daily Mail where she also reviews books of poetry.
Each member of the panel has chosen (and recites) a poem to illustrate the idea that poetry can be the language of faith: 'Names' by Wendy Cope 'To men who use "Why are you single?" as a chat up line' by Muneera Pilgrim 'Belsen, Day of Liberation' by Robert Hayden 'Rehearsal for the Death Scene' by Michael Symmons Roberts
Producer: Helen Lee
Mon, 04 Oct 2021 - 281 - Ignatian Spirituality
If you have ever been so immersed in a book or film that you feel you're part of the story, you are doing something similar to the Gospel contemplations in the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius.
As a soldier, Ignatius spent his early life chasing adventure, glory and pleasure. Whilst leading a doomed last stand at the Battle of Pamplona 500 years ago, he was struck by a cannonball that shattered his legs.
This began a dramatic spiritual conversion through intense prayer, ascetism and visions. As the founder of the Jesuits, his lessons were published in a book called The Spiritual Exercises which are basis of Ignatian Spirituality. It's one of the world's most influential books of prayer, meditations and contemplations. It emphasises using all your senses to imagine Jesus, hell, and biblical scenes with the goal of discerning God's will for you.
Ernie Rae meets three people to discover how it transformed their lives and asks: does it's focus on individual discernment mean 'anything goes'? What's it like conjuring up a visceral image of you at your absolute worst? And how has Ignatian Spirituality shaped the papacy of the first Jesuit Pope, Francis I?
Plus, we meet Toy Story co-creator, Pete Docter. He tells us how another goal of Ignatian Spirituality of finding God in all things influenced him and his latest Oscar winning film, Soul.
To discuss all this, Ernie is joined by: Father Jim Martin (a Jesuit Priest and author of ‘The Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything’), Ruth Holgate (Director of St Beuno’s Jesuit Spirituality Centre in North Wales) and Sister Anne Arabome (a member of the Sisters of Social Service in Los Angeles and Associate Director of the Faber Centre for Ignatian Spirituality).
Producer: Julian Paszkiewicz Editor: Helen Grady
Mon, 27 Sep 2021 - 280 - Scotland and the Union
There has been a ‘Great Britain’ for over 300 years but the union is now under threat. Part of what has held Scotland and England together is the fact that they have shared a monarch since 1603. But whilst the Queen holds the title 'Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England', she not not the Supreme Governor of the Church of Scotland. The two nations have different ecclesiastical arrangements. Anglicanism in Scotland is not very prominent whilst - until recently - the Presbyterian Church of Scotland dominated the religious landscape. Numbers in the Scottish Catholic Church have been maintained by immigration from Ireland and, more recently, from Eastern Europe but it too is in decline; whilst black, Asian and minority ethnic communities are growing in size and influence. Has the change in the religious landscape in Scotland had any influence on the move for political independence? And why do the religious bodies appear so reluctant to take a public stance in the debate about Scotland and the union?
Ernie Rea is joined by a panel which is split equally between pro and anti-union sentiments. Murdo Fraser is a Conservative Member of the Scottish Parliament and a Patron of the Conservative Christian Fellowship; the Rev Scott Rennie is a Church of Scotland Minister in Aberdeen and a member of the Lib Dems; both are pro union. Angela Haggerty is a Catholic journalist and commentator and shares a pro independence position with Graham Campbell an SNP councillor on Glasgow City Council and a Rastafarian.
Mon, 20 Sep 2021 - 279 - What do the Taliban believe?
It’s a month since Afghanistan entered a new era under the 'Taliban 2.0'. Foreign forces have gone and the eyes of the world are fixed on how they will govern their ‘Islamic Emirate’.
Many of those who remember life under the Taliban the first time around in the 1990s are not hopeful. They describe an oppressive regime, justified Islamically through an extremely narrow interpretation of sharia law. Women couldn’t work, girls couldn’t go to school; there was a strict dress code for men and women; music, TV and cinema were banned. There were brutal punishments for those who stepped out of line. Ethnic and religious minorities were targeted and killed.
Mobeen Azhar and guests explore what the Taliban believe, how they have justified their actions theologically and whether any of those core beliefs are likely to change.
Contributors: Dr Sayed Hassan Akhlaq - Afghan-Iranian philosopher at Coppin State University in Baltimore, who has specialised in Islamic theology; Dr Haroun Rahimi - Assistant Professor of Law at the American University of Afghanistan; John Mohammed Butt - Islamic scholar and graduate of Darul Uloom Deoband in India; Dr Weeda Mehran - lecturer at the Department of Politics at the University of Exeter, who grew up in Afghanistan in the 1990s.
Producer: Dan Tierney Editor: Helen Grady.
Mon, 13 Sep 2021 - 278 - Ganesha
Ganesh or Ganesha - also known as Ganpati - is one of the best known Hindu Gods. Easily identified by his elephant head, pot belly and four arms, Ganesha has many fine attributes and is revered as the remover of obstacles and the god of beginnings. As Hindus prepare to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi (the birth of Lord Ganesha), Mobeen Azhar is joined by Hindu monk Swamini Supriyananda, Dr David Frawley (Founder of the American Institute of Vedic Studies) and by Dr Raj Balkaran (Teacher and Consultant at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies). They discuss why Ganesha is so important and the appeal he has outside the Hindu faith.
Mobeen also talks to Game of Thrones actor Lena Headey about why she has a tattoo of Ganesha on her right shoulder.
Producer: Helen Lee Editor: Helen Grady
This episode of Beyond Belief contains a short audio excerpt from an episode of The Simpsons entitled 'The Two Mrs Nahasapeemapetilons' (Season 9, Episode 7). It was written by Richard Appel and broadcast by the Fox Broadcasting Company.
Mon, 06 Sep 2021 - 277 - The College of Cardinals
For over 1000 years, the College of Cardinals has been responsible for electing the Pope. The Papal Conclave is always conducted in private and very little was known about how its members actually make their final choice for the role of Pontiff. But in recent years, the secrets of the Conclave have begun to leak out and public interest in its inner workings has been piqued by bestselling authors Dan Brown and Robert Harris who have featured the College of Cardinals in novels read by millions. Ernie Rea takes a look at the College of Cardinals. How influential are they outside the Vatican, what do they do in Conclave and how can a Pope influence the choice of his successor by deciding who should become a cardinal.
Producer: Helen Lee Assistant Producer: Julian Paszkiewicz
Mon, 30 Aug 2021 - 276 - Harry Potter
Some Christian voices have suggested that the Harry Potter stories about witchcraft, magic and mythical beasts provide a gateway into satanic practices. But JK Rowling completely disagrees and she was glad that readers were unaware of her Christian faith at the time the books were first published because they might then have guessed the ending of the final book. To discuss the Christian allegory and religious themes in the Harry Potter books, Ernie Rea is joined by Dr Beatrice Groves (Research Fellow and Tutor in English at Trinity College, Oxford), Vanessa Zoltan (co-host of the podcast 'Harry Potter and the Sacred Text') and by author and lecturer John Granger who has been described by Time Magazine as “The Dean of Harry Potter Scholars”.
Producer: Helen Lee Assistant Producer: Barnaby Gordon Editor: Helen Grady
Mon, 23 Aug 2021 - 275 - The Monarch as Defender of the Faith
The Queen holds two titles that date right back to Henry VIII: 'Defender of the Faith’ and ‘Supreme Governor of the Church of England'. The coronation is always held within the context of a religious service and there is no doubt that the Queen has a deep Christian faith but how relevant is her role as Defender of the Faith in a Britain where membership of the Church of England is in decline and minority ethnic religious groups are growing?
To discuss these issues, Ernie Rea is joined by Martin Palmer who was Prince Philip’s Religious Advisor on the environment; Rabbi Julia Neuberger - a Crossbench Peer in the House of Lords; Dr Jasjit Singh - an Associate Professor in the School of Philosophy, Religion and the History of Science at the University of Leeds; and Dr Daniel Loss from Harvard University - an historian of modern Britain.
Producer: Helen Lee Assistant Producer: Barnaby Gordon Editor: Helen Grady
Mon, 16 Aug 2021 - 274 - Scottish Independence
In the new Scottish Parliament, a majority of MSPs want independence for Scotland but recent opinion polls suggest that only half the population is in favour. In all the debates, the religious voice has been very muted. That may be because, religious observance in Scotland has plummeted. Over half of people surveyed recently, said that they had no religion. The rise of the independence movement has coincided with a decline in the social significance of religion. So, is nationalism filling the vacuum?
To discuss the religious dimensions in the Scottish independence debate, Ernie Rea is joined by the Rev Doug Gay, who is a minister of the Church of Scotland and lectures in Practical Theology at the University of Glasgow; Peter Kearney is Spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland; the Very Rev Kevin Holdsworth is Provost of St Mary’s Cathedral in Glasgow and as such, a senior figure in the Scottish Episcopal Church; and the Rev Kathy Galloway is a Church of Scotland minister and former Leader of the Iona Community.
Producer: Helen Lee
Thu, 20 May 2021 - 273 - Vodou
Ernie Rea takes a look at a religion that emerged on the Caribbean island of Haiti about 500 years ago when the traditional religions of enslaved West Africans merged with the Catholicism of the French colonialists. Here in the West we call it Voodoo; but the correct term is Vodou. 60 million people worldwide practice Vodou. It is thought to have originated in the West African country of Benin where the word ‘Vodou’ means “Spirit” in one of the indigenous languages and the ‘Lwa’ (the Vodou name for Spirits) are central to the religion's belief and practice.
Ernie is joined by Her Majesty Queen Mother Dr Dowoti Desir (a Mambo Asogwe - Vodou High Priestess) from her Royal Palace in the city of Ouidah in Benin. Also taking part in the discussion are Dr Louise Fenton (a Senior Lecturer in Contextual Studies at the University of Wolverhampton) and Dr Kyrah Malika Daniels (Assistant Professor of Art History, Africana Studies and Theology at Boston College in the United States).
Producer: Helen Lee
Mon, 10 May 2021 - 272 - Myanmar
On February 1st, the government in Myanmar was overthrown in a military coup. Aung San Suu Kyi is now being held in prison and hundreds of protestors have been shot on the streets. For many decades, Christians and Muslims have been at the hard end of military oppression. Now the Buddhist majority are feeling the crack of the whip. To discuss Myanmar’s turbulent history and the current crisis, Ernie Rea is joined by Soe Win Than (Editor of the BBC Burmese Service), Khin Ohmar (a democracy and human rights activist noted for her leadership in the 1988 uprising in Myanmar) and by Benedict Rogers (Senior Analyst for East Asia at Christian Solidarity Worldwide).
Producer: Helen Lee
Mon, 03 May 2021 - 271 - Dante's Inferno
This year marks the 700th anniversary of the death of the Italian poet Dante Alighieri. He is best known as the author of 'The Divine Comedy' which describes his journey through Hell and Purgatory, until he finally reaches Paradise. But it is 'Inferno', containing gruesome descriptions of Hell, that has captured the popular imagination and it is this first part of 'The Divine Comedy' that Ernie Rea discusses with Professor Akash Kumar and Dr Paula Nasti.
Ernie also interviews jazz saxophonist and composer Sherman Irby about his jazz ballet score based on Dante's Inferno.
Producer: Helen Lee
Mon, 26 Apr 2021 - 270 - The Vaccine
The rollout of the UK’s vaccination programme has been the envy of much of the world but there is concern about the reluctance of people from black and minority ethnic communities to take the vaccine. Ernie Rea asks why this is the case. He also takes a look at the religious reasons contributing to vaccine hesitancy and asks some of the wider ethical questions posed by the vaccine rollout. Who should receive the vaccine first? And how do we address the problem of ‘vaccine nationalism’?
Panel: Dr Hina Shahid (GP and Chair of the Muslim Doctors Association) Dr Rosemarie Mallet (Archdeacon of Croydon) Dr Mark Pickering (Chief Executive of the Christian Medical Fellowship)
Producer: Helen Lee
Mon, 19 Apr 2021 - 269 - Prince Philip
In all the tributes to Prince Philip, one of the things that surprised many people was that he was a man of deep, personal faith. We knew of his passion for science and technology, his commitment to the environment and his strong sense of duty to Queen and country. We also knew that Christian faith is the driving force in the life of the Queen, but the fact that her husband shared that faith commitment seems to have passed under the radar. To discuss Prince Philip's spiritual life, Ernie Rea is joined by a multi-faith panel: Martin Palmer (The Prince's advisor on religion and the environment), Catherine Pepinster (a writer and commentator on religion and a former editor of The Tablet). Mona Siddiqui (Professor of Islamic and Interreligious Studies at the University of Edinburgh) and Rabbi Jonathan Romain (Maidenhead Reform Synagogue).
Producer: Helen Lee
Mon, 12 Apr 2021 - 268 - Bees
In the first of a new series of Beyond Belief, Ernie Rea is joined by three beekeepers.
Bees have been important to humans for thousands of years. Honey was found in Tutankhamun’s tomb, Aristotle and Virgil wrote about beekeeping and bees and honey get an honourable mention in the scriptures of many religions. There is a whole surah (chapter) in the Qu’ran called ‘The Bee’ ('An-nahl') and the Old Testament refers to Israel as ‘a land of milk and honey’. Bees are vital to our world ecology and they pollinate a third of our crops but their numbers are in decline.
To discuss the role of bees and honey in different religious traditions, Ernie is joined by three urban beekeepers: Salma Attan looks after her bees on the roof of the East London Mosque, Rabbi Kelley Gludt tends a hive in Baltimore, Maryland and Adrian Rhodes was the 'Canon Apiarist' at Manchester Cathedral.
Producer: Helen Lee
Tue, 06 Apr 2021 - 267 - Religion and Science in Schools
Since Darwin published The Origin of Species, there has been a perceived battle between science and religion. It was not always so. For hundreds of years, science was designed to help people reach a better understanding of God rather than the world. The Enlightenment changed all that. Today schoolchildren are taught science and religion as separate subjects. Are the two incompatible? Would it not be better if science and religion were taught together to help children consider some of the Big Questions of Life?
To discuss this subject, Ernie Rea is in debate with Berry Billingsley (Professor in Science Education at Canterbury Christ Church University); Dr Ruth Wareham (Education Campaigns Manager at Humanists UK); and Dr Myles MacBean (National Director at Scripture Union England and Wales).
Producer: Helen Lee Editor: Amanda Hancox
Mon, 04 Jan 2021 - 266 - The Dalai Lama
This year, the Dalai Lama celebrated his 85th Birthday. He is one of the world's most prominent religious leaders and is certainly the most famous Buddhist but talk is now turning to who will replace him. In 1959, His Holiness was forced to leave Tibet and since then he has been living in Dharamsala in northern India. In exile, he has become so much more than just the Tibetan spiritual leader but what do we really know about him and what will his legacy be?
Discussing the 14th Dalai Lama with Ernie Rea will be Kate Saunders (a writer and independent specialist on Tibet), Professor Robbie Barnett (Former Director of Modern Tibetan Studies at Columbia University and now a Professorial Research Associate at SOAS). the Venerable Lama Losang Samten (Spiritual Director of the Chenrezig Tibetan Buddhist Centre of Philadelphia and personal attendant to the Dalai Lama in the 1980s) and Andrew Quintman (Associate Professor of Religion at Wesleyan University who specializes in the Buddhist traditions of Tibet).
Producer: Helen Lee Editor: Amanda Hancox
Mon, 28 Dec 2020 - 265 - Virgin Mary
Christmas is often a time of celebration and reflection. A time of sitting by the Christmas tree, eating and drinking, spending time with loved ones and for Christians reflecting on the birth of Jesus. His mother Mary is a highly revered figure in both Christianity and Islam. The iconic pose of the Madonna and Child is celebrated in art but we are told very little about her in the Bible. Joining Ernie Rea to discuss the Virgin Mary is Prof Tina Beattie, Director of the Catherine of Sienna College, the University of Roehampton; Mona Siddiqui, Professor of Islamic and Interreligious Studies at the University of Edinburgh; and His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos, Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London.
Producer: Amanda Hancox
Mon, 21 Dec 2020 - 264 - Beethoven's Spirituality
Born into a musical family in Bonn towards the end of the 18th century, Ludwig van Beethoven became one of the greatest composers who ever lived. But whilst much is written about his life and music, little attention is paid to his faith and spirituality. To mark the 250th anniversary of his birth, Ernie Rea explores Beethoven's interest in God, Eastern religions and how his spirituality influenced his music with the pianist Stephen Hough; Professor Barry Cooper, editor of the Beethoven Compendium and Professor of Music at the University of Manchester and Birgit Lodes, Professor of Historical Musicology at the University of Vienna.
Producer: Amanda Hancox
Mon, 14 Dec 2020 - 263 - Grief
The Covid-19 pandemic has had an impact on people's lives in so many ways including the way we are able to say goodbye to our loved ones. Funeral ceremonies and burial rites have had to adapt to these challenging times. But what impact has not being able to be with loved ones at their time of death or be at their funeral had on people. Have our feelings of loss intensified? What are the consequences for our ongoing sense of grief and remembrance? Ernie Rea and guests discuss the way in which religions can help people express their grief and remember those they have lost.
Producer: Amanda Hancox
Mon, 07 Dec 2020 - 262 - Debt
Britain is in the midst of a huge Debt Crisis. Recent research by a debt charity has found that household borrowing and arrears have soared 66% since May to £10.3 billion. For many people, there seems to be no way out. Month by month they sink deeper into debt. Desmond Tutu once said: “There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.” Ernie Rea discusses religious responses to debit with Rt Rev David Walker, Bishop of Manchester and Deputy Chairman of the Church Commissioners; Mohammed Kroessin, Head of Islamic Microfinance at Islamic Relief UK; and Jasvir Singh, a family law barrister and chair of City Sikhs which exists to provide a voice for Progressive Sikhs in the UK.
Producer: Amanda Hancox
Mon, 30 Nov 2020 - 261 - Religion and Soap Operas
Since the nation was introduced to the likes of Elsie Tanner and Ken Barlow in the northern town of Weatherfield almost 60 years ago, television soap operas have gripped viewers across the networks. Some talk about it as an addiction as the weddings, funerals, rows, murders, love triangles, crashes, affairs and divorces are played out on our screens. As these epic stories draw on our emotions, some have argued that it's easy to see the biblical and other religious parallels in the story-lines. In this addition of Beyond Belief, Ernie Rea discusses the religious influences on the soaps and how they have portrayed religious characters over the years with Dr Katie Edwards, a freelance writer and broadcaster who has researched the Bible in popular culture; Mark Pinsky author of "The Gospel According to the Simpsons", the Right Reverend Dr John Saxbee, retired Bishop of Lincoln and June Brown who played Dot Cotton.
Producer: Amanda Hancox
Mon, 23 Nov 2020 - 260 - Prayer
There is evidence that, since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, more people are turning to prayer. Is this a last desperate resort on our part to divert an existential threat? Do we really expect God to intervene? If not, what are we hoping to achieve? Prayer is a vital part of any religion. The ritualising of prayer is one of the things that makes each religion distinctive whilst private, personal prayer seems to sustain the spiritual life of the believer. How does prayer impact on us as individuals and on the world around us? To discuss the importance of prayer, Ernie is joined by Shaunaka Rishi Das, Director of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies; Mona Siddiqui, Professor of Islamic and Inter Religious Studies at the University of Edinburgh: and by Douglas Davies, Professor in the Study of Religion at Durham University.
Producer: Helen Lee
Mon, 05 Oct 2020 - 259 - Hong Kong
In 1997 Britain handed sovereignty of Hong Kong to the Chinese and for the first few years, the Basic Law that came into effect at the handover meant that, the people of Hong Kong enjoyed religious freedom. But now religious freedom is under threat. Again this summer, pro-democracy demonstrators have taken to the streets to protest against a new National Security law and a number of Christian Churches have been involved in these demonstrations.
Joining Ernie Rea from their homes to discuss religion in Hong Kong are Chris Patten, Lord Patten of Barnes who served as the Last Governor of Hong Kong; Professor Steve Tsang, the Director of the China Institute at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London; and the Rev Dr Kim Kwong Chan, an Honorary Research Fellow at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Producer: Helen Lee
Mon, 28 Sep 2020 - 258 - The US Presidential Election
There is no doubt that religion plays a large part in US Presidential Elections. Donald Trump is supported by the religious right which includes white evangelicals and conservative Catholics, whilst Joe Biden appeals to more liberal Catholics and Protestants and to the majority of black voters. Which raises two interesting questions. Why do white evangelical Christians vote for a man whose lifestyle is at odds with their moral principles? And how is Joe Biden going to persuade fellow Catholics to vote for him when his pro-choice views in the abortion debate clash with the teachings of his Church?
To unpick the intricacies of the religious vote in the upcoming Presidential Election, Ernie Rea is joined by four experts: Sarah Posner, whose most recent book is ‘Unholy: Why White Evangelicals Worship at the Altar of Donald Trump’; Jane Little, a former Religious Affairs Correspondent for the BBC who now commentates on Religion and Politics in the United States; Christopher White; the National Correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter; and Anthea Butler, Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.
Producer: Helen Lee
Mon, 21 Sep 2020 - 257 - Rosh Hashanah
Later this week, from Friday to Sunday, Jews around the world will celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. It is a time for reflection and repentance and for coming together to share delicious food as well as special services at the synagogue. But it will be a different Rosh Hashanah in this Covid-19 year. How will the essence of the Festival be maintained? And, as this is a period of reflection, what specific issues have given British Jews cause for concern since the last Rosh Hashanah? To discuss these questions and to take a look at the festival itself, Ernie Rea is joined by Robyn Ashworth-Steen, Community Rabbi at the Manchester Reform Synagogue; Alby Chait, Orthodox Rabbi at the United Hebrew Congregation in Leeds; and by journalist Justin Cohen who is News Editor of the Jewish News.
Producer: Helen Lee
Mon, 14 Sep 2020 - 256 - The Mayflower
Four hundred years ago, a group of 102 passengers and 30 crew set sail from Plymouth for the New World. Their journey on the Mayflower is one of the foundation stories of the United States and today, more than 30 million Americans claim descent from the Pilgrim Fathers. So how important were these Puritans? Why did they feel the need to go to America? And what is their lasting legacy?
To answer these questions, Ernie Rea is joined by Dr Kathryn Gray, Associate Professor in Early American Literature at the University of Plymouth; Professor Peter Mancall who teaches history at the University of Southern California; and Paula Peters, a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe.
Producer: Helen Lee
Mon, 07 Sep 2020 - 255 - The Face
Because of Covid-19, we now have to cover our faces with masks which means that we are becoming more anonymous. In this edition of Beyond Belief, Ernie takes a look at the importance of the face to people of different faiths. Jews and Muslims don’t have images of God in their places of worship. However, if you go into a Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist Temple you will see many images or statues of their Gods. Christian art has long depicted the face of Christ, usually showing a blue eyed, blonde Jesus far removed from that of a Jew from the Middle East 2000 years ago.
As for the human face, some Muslim women cover theirs in public; Hindus adorn their faces with colourful marks which signify their status; while many Christians have a cross of ash placed on their faces during Lent.
Joining Ernie to discuss The Face are Dr Jessica Frazier, a Fellow at the Centre for Hindu studies and a Lecturer at the University of Oxford; Joanna Moorhead, a freelance writer and Arts Editor for The Tablet; and Rania Hafez, a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Greenwich and a Fellow of the Muslim Institute.
Producer: Helen Lee
Mon, 31 Aug 2020 - 254 - Bathing
If you are a follower of one the main religions, it is more than likely that you will have undergone a bathing ritual. Cleansing with water is an integral part of Christian Baptism, Muslim Prayer and Jewish purification. Hindus aspire to bathe in the waters of the River Ganges. Why are rituals in water important to so many faiths? What do they mean? And how do they differ from religion to religion?
Joining Ernie to discuss ritual bathing are Dr Diana Lipton (teaching fellow in the department of biblical studies at Tel Aviv University), Sudipta Sen (professor of history at the University of California, Davis and author of 'Ganges: the Many Pasts of an Indian River') and the Very Reverend Peter Robinson (Dean of Derby, whose doctoral thesis was on Christian Initiation focusing on Baptism).
Producer: Helen Lee
Mon, 24 Aug 2020 - 253 - Animal Farm
George Orwell’s allegorical novel ‘Animal Farm’ was first published on 17th August 1945 and has never been out of print. It tells the story of a group of exploited animals who take over their farm and attempt to create an ideal society. On the face of it, ‘Animal Farm’ is not a religious book – it is a criticism of Stalin and his totalitarian regime - and Orwell is often described as an atheist. However in this edition of Beyond Belief, Ernie Rea discusses the influence of religion on Orwell and his writing. He is joined by Jean Seaton (Director of the Orwell Foundation and Professor of Media History at the University of Westminster), Michael Brennan (author of the book ‘George Orwell and Religion’ and Professor of Renaissance Studies at the University of Leeds) and the priest and author the Rev Marie-Elsa Bragg.
Producer: Helen Lee
Mon, 17 Aug 2020 - 252 - Marriage
There are growing reports of couples opting for private wedding ceremonies or even resorting to marrying online during lockdown. On a less celebratory note, the divorce rates in China are said to have rocketed after their lockdown ended. There are concerns that the same will happen in the UK after weeks of couples living in isolation together. Is it time to accept that marriage has had its day? Or has marriage simply acquired a different meaning in the 21st century?
Dr Katie Edwards discusses marriage with Imam Ajmal Masroor, who's also a marriage counsellor, Hannah Brock Womack, a Quaker and civil justice campaigner and the Rt Rev Dr Christopher Cocksworth, Bishop of Coventry.
Producer: Rajeev Gupta
Mon, 18 May 2020 - 251 - Dieting
During the lockdown, with gyms shut and exercise outdoors restricted, social media is littered with anecdotes of people putting on weight or turning to diet plans. Most religious traditions have some kind of rules when it comes to what we eat. From Lent to Yom Kippur, from Karva Chauth, to Ramadan many religious followers observe days of abstinence. So why is the relationship between food, fasting and faith so meaningful for so many?
Dr Katie Edwards discusses faith, food and fasting with Dr Hannah Bacon, Associate Professor in Feminist Theology and Acting head of Theology and Religious studies at the University of Chester, Dr Hina Shahid, General Practitioner and Chairperson of the Muslim Doctors Association and Geeta Vara, Ayurvedic Practioner and author of Ayurveda: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Wellbeing
Producer: Rajeev Gupta Series Producer: Amanda Hancox
Mon, 11 May 2020 - 250 - Wordsworth
2020 marks 250 years since the birth of William Wordsworth, one of England's most celebrated poets. Wordsworth and his friend and colleague Samuel Taylor Coleridge were pioneers of English Romanticism and they produced works including The Excursion, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and The Prelude.
Religion and nature were great sources of inspiration and debate for both men. Wordsworth's childhood home, The English Lake District, was alive with different and often 'dissenting' ideas about Christianity but what influence did these ideas have on his work? Did Wordsworth and Coleridge share a common idea of the nature of God and what resonance does their work have today?
Joining Dr Katie Edwards to discuss the influence of faith on the life of Wordsworth, is Rev Marie-Elsa Bragg, priest and writer; Seamus Perry, Professor of English Literature at The University of Oxford and Heidi Snow, Professor of English Literature and holder of the Edith and Lewis White Distinguished Professorship at Principia College, Illinois, USA.
Producer: Dan Jackson
Mon, 04 May 2020 - 249 - Religion Online
Covid-19 has had us all scrambling to adapt to life in lockdown. But the period of lockdown also coincided with a number of key religious festivals from Easter to Passover, Vaisakhi to Ramadan. This in turn has led to a flourishing of new and inventive ways for religious communities to mark their holy days. But religion online is not a new phenomenon and virtual spaces, live streaming and words of wisdom have been available on the internet for many years. So what should our relationship be with religion on the internet and where does its future lie post lockdown?
Joining Dr Katie Edwards to discuss this is Dr Beth Singler, Junior Research Fellow in Artificial Intelligence at Homerton College, University of Cambridge; Swami Ambikananda, a Hindu monastic and founder of the Traditional Yoga Association; Adrian Harris, Head of Digital at the Church of England and Abid Khan, Imam at Cheadle Mosque in Manchester.
Producer: Amanda Hancox
Mon, 27 Apr 2020 - 248 - Reincarnation
At some point in our lives, most of us will have wondered about what happens after death: is there an afterlife or is there nothingness? For many religions in the East the answer is found in reincarnation. Reincarnation is the belief that the human spirit inhabits new lives over and over, each time a person dies. Reincarnation is supported by Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism. But all these traditions have different views on how and why reincarnation takes places. Today we want to have a deep dive into what reincarnation really means within these faith traditions.
Joining Ernie Rea to discuss reincarnation is Dr Chakravarti Ram-Prasad, Distinguished Professor of Comparative Religion at Lancaster University; Dr Saeko Yazaki, Lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of Glasgow and Dr Douglas Davies, Professor in Theology and Religion at the University of Durham
Producer: Rajeev Gupta Series Producer: Amanda Hancox
Mon, 20 Apr 2020 - 247 - Ethical Investing
It is estimated that religious institutions own trillions of dollars' worth of investments but some have acknowledged that their financial choices have not always reflected their principles. Can faith values help people to choose how to invest their money in ways that align with their ethics? Can new technologies like blockchain provide greater transparency and control, and where are the potential pitfalls for people looking to invest their money?
Joining Ernie Rea to discuss ethical investing are Rabbi Mark Goldsmith of the Edgware & Hendon Reform Synagogue and member of the International Interfaith Investment Group; Devie Mohan, an expert in the relationship between finance and technology; Martin Palmer President of Faith Invest and Umer Suleman a member of the UK Islamic Finance Council and a Sharia Finance Consultant.
Producer: Dan Jackson Series Producer: Amanda Hancox
Mon, 13 Apr 2020 - 246 - Sin
Easter is the most important time in the life of the Church. It’s the time when Christians retell the events leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion. Christians believe that Jesus died to atone for the sins of the world. But what does that actually mean and how do we define what a sin is?
Ernie Rea is joined in the studio to discuss what we mean by sin by Dr Gemma Simmonds, Director of the Religious Life Institute in Cambridge; Robyn Ashworth-Steen, Rabbi at Manchester Reform Synagogue and a former human rights lawyer; and Davinder Panesar, transpersonal psychologist and author.
Producer: Amanda Hancox
Mon, 06 Apr 2020 - 245 - Religion and Smell
No school nativity play is complete without the Three Wise Men ‘traversing afar’ bearing gifts for the baby Jesus. One of these gifts is frankincense, which for centuries has played a powerful role in many religious rituals. As an important ingredient in incense, its perfumed smoke has been a part of much religious worship since the time of the pharaohs in ancient Egypt. So why has smell become an important part of many faiths and how does it enhance religious observance? To discuss these questions, Ernie Rea is joined by Tim Jacob (Emeritus Professor at the School of Biosciences at the University of Cardiff), Kim Lahiri (Director at the International Federation of Aroma Therapists) and Dr Nicky Nielson (Lecturer in Egyptology at the University of Manchester).
Producer: Helen Lee
Mon, 06 Jan 2020 - 244 - Miracles
This year, the Catholic Church declared John Henry Newman a saint following a lengthy investigation which concluded that two miraculous cures had resulted from the Cardinal’s intercession. It’s not only the Christian Church that believes in miracles. But what actually are they and should we find a new and broader definition for the 21st century? Nuclear scientist Professor Ian Hutchinson; John Thavis, former Rome Bureau Chief for the Catholic News Service and Dr Sarah Shaw, a Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies, join Ernie to discuss.
Producer: Helen Lee
Mon, 30 Dec 2019 - 243 - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Although it was written nearly seventy years ago, ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ still appears in the top ten favourite children’s books and has sold over 100 million copies in 47 different languages. It's set in the magical Land of Narnia where the White Witch has cast a spell to make sure that it is always winter and Christmas never comes. This changes when four siblings – Lucy, Peter, Susan and Edmund – stumble into Narnia through the back of a wardrobe and defeat the evil that has engulfed Narnia with the help of the mighty lion Aslan. For some readers, ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ is an allegory of the story of Jesus. Many others view it simply as a good yarn. To discuss the religious message behind the book – and whether or not it really matters – Ernie is joined by three authors: Lucy Mangan, Frank Cottrell-Boyce and Francis Spufford. Extracts are read by Julie Hesmondhalgh.
Producer: Helen Lee
Mon, 23 Dec 2019 - 242 - Saudi Arabia and Iran
Saudi Arabia and Iran have been rivals for many years but recently this rivalry has become more intense. As the two countries struggle for regional dominance, what is the impact of this new ‘Cold War’ on the whole of the Middle East? And why is the tension between the two more complicated than simply a disagreement between Sunni and Shia Muslims? Joining Ernie to discuss this conflict are Iranian academic Dr Eskandar Sadeghi-Boroujerdi (Goldsmiths, University of London), Dr Simon Mabon (Senior Lecturer in International Relations at Lancaster University) and Saudi Arabian academic Professor Madawi Al-Rasheed (London School of Economics).
Producer: Helen Lee
Mon, 16 Dec 2019 - 241 - Friendship
As we come to the end of an acrimonious General Election campaign, Beyond Belief attempts to soothe the fractious public mood with a discussion on Friendship. The dictionary defines Friendship as “a state of mutual trust between friends but can friendship survive a deep division of opinion? Can we be friends with someone who holds radically different religious and ethical principles to ours? Can we really describe someone whom we have only met online as a Friend? To discuss these questions are the Reverend David Butterworth, a Methodist Minister; Julie Siddiqi, a leading Muslim feminist and activist with a focus on gender equality and inter faith relations; and Laura Janner-Klausner, Senior Rabbi to Reform Judaism.
Producer: Helen Lee
Mon, 09 Dec 2019 - 240 - Rumi
Who could have predicted that the 13th century Persian poet Rumi would have such a huge presence on the Instagram feeds of post-Millennials? Jalal ad-Din Muhammed Rumi, to give him his full name, was a Sufi master who wrote ecstatic mystical poems about joy and love and the search for divine truth. His poetry would literally move people to dance, which is where the notion of the ‘whirling dervish’ comes from. 800 years on, what is it about the poetry of Rumi that continues to strike a chord with so many today, including artists like Madonna and Coldplay’s Chris Martin? For some, Rumi has been sanitised for a secular Western audience, but not everyone can read Persian.
Ernie Rea chairs a special discussion about Rumi's appeal, recorded at the BBC's Contains Strong Language Festival in Hull.
Contributors: Narguess Farzad – Senior Lecturer in Persian Studies at SOAS University of London; Alan Williams – Professor of Iranian Studies and Comparative Religion at the University of Manchester, who is currently translating the six volumes of the Masnavi; Shaykh Paul Salahuddin Armstrong – Managing Director of the Association of British Muslims and member of the Naqshbandi Sufi order; Jamal Mehmood - writer and poet.
Producer: Dan Tierney
Mon, 02 Dec 2019 - 239 - The Nature of God
Who or what is God? Assuming here, that he or she exists. The traditional image is that of an old man with a beard, sitting somewhere up there, keeping an eye on his creation. But for many the nature of God has evolved far beyond this. But to what? What do we mean by God in today's world? Can we ever pin down the unknowable and does that matter? Ernie Rea is joined by the Right Rev Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, Bishop of Ripon; Dr Mark Vernon, a Psychotherapist and author of A Secret History of Christianity and Pradip Gajjar, President of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness movement in Leicester and a teacher of Philosophy, Religion and Ethics.
Producer Catherine Earlam
Series Producer Amanda Hancox
Mon, 02 Sep 2019 - 238 - The Religion of Spain
500 years ago this summer a fleet of ships left Spain in search of the Spice Islands and a way around the new world. Three years later just one ship returned barely afloat. The first documented circumnavigation of the Earth was complete. The voyage signalled the growth of the Spanish Empire and the spread of Christianity to the new world. The voyage was financed by a Papal grant and Spaniards were committed by Vatican decree to spread Catholicism to the new world. So how do we assess the role of religion in Spanish history, what have been the key moments and how has the place of religion changed in today’s contemporary Spain. In this episode of Beyond Belief, Ernie Rea is joined by historian Felipe Fernández-Armesto, Dr Elizabeth Drayson, author of “The Moor’s Last Stand: how seven centuries of Muslim rule in Spain came to an end" and Dr Javier García Oliva, Senior Lecturer in Law, The University of Manchester.
Producer: Catherine Earlam
Series Producer: Amanda Hancox
Mon, 26 Aug 2019 - 237 - Religion and Climate Justice
Barely a day goes by without some dire warning about the state of the environment. But we also hear that if we act now we may be able to avoid the worst consequences of man-made climate change. The vast majority of the world’s population hold to a faith tradition. So what role can religion play in bringing about the kind of change that is needed? Religion appeals not only to science but to deeply held beliefs and values. Religion can talk the language of hope as opposed to fear and can tap into vast networks and mobilise communities. So what difference can religions make, what kind of things are already happening and are they doing enough to tackle a problem that will connect all people regardless of faith and belief?
Joining Ernie Rea to discuss religion and climate justice are Dr Husna Ahmad is Chief Executive Officer of Global One 2015, a Muslim Independent non-governmental organisation led by women, Gopal Patel, Director of the Bhumi Project, which works to mobilise the Hindu community on environmental issues and Martin Palmer former Secretary-General of the Alliance of Religions and Conservation.
Producer: Catherine Earlam
Series Producer: Amanda Hancox
Mon, 19 Aug 2019 - 236 - Relationship Education
“You say we are homophobic, we say you are Islamophobic”. These were the words of a protester outside a primary school in Birmingham which has found itself on the front line of a culture war. Parents, many of them Muslim, have been protesting against a programme called, “No Outsiders.” According to the school’s website the programme teaches that “Everyone is welcome, regardless of their race, religion, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation and age.” The protesters claim that the “No Outsiders” curriculum is pushing a pro LGBT agenda and that this contradicts their religious beliefs. The school rejects their claim.
The issue is not going to go away. From September next year, all primary schools are compelled to teach Relationship Education and parents at a number of other schools have raised concerns. At the heart of the matter is a clash of rights, a tension between the need to protect LGBT rights while accommodating certain religious convictions. How do you adjudicate between competing rights? In a plural, liberal democracy how do get along with respect and difference?
Joining Ernie Rea to discuss those questions are Yusuf Patel, Founder of SRE Islamic, an organisation which provides advice, support and training to parents concerned with how Sex and Relationship Education is taught in schools; Dr David Landrum, Director of Advocacy at the Evangelical Alliance; and Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of Humanists UK.
Producer: Catherine Earlam
Series Producer: Amanda Hancox
Mon, 12 Aug 2019 - 235 - The Religion of Game of Thrones
The TV series Game of Thrones has been a world wide phenomenon. Based on a series of books by American novelist George RR Martin, Game of Thrones depicts a medieval-inspired fantasy world torn apart by a violent power struggle. At once fantastical and familiar, it reflects both the political dimensions of various historical time-frames as well as a number of real world belief systems and religions. In this episode of Beyond Belief Ernie Rea and guests explore the way in which religious ideas are developed and used in Game of Thrones, what it adds to the story telling and about the role of belief in the fantasy genre.
Ed West is former deputy editor of the Catholic Herald and the author of “Iron, Fire and Ice: The real History that Inspired Game of Thrones”. Dr Jeffrey D Long Professor of Religion and Asian Studies at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania. Dr Jayme Reaves is Public Theologian and Coordinator at the Centre for Encountering the Bible at Sarum College, Salisbury. And Racha Kirakosian is Associate Professor of German and the Study of Religion at Harvard University.
Producer:
Catherine Earlam
Series Producer:
Amanda Hancox
Mon, 05 Aug 2019 - 234 - Trees
Throughout time trees have inspired awe and a sense of the spiritual. There is a persistent idea running through religious traditions that trees connect us to the heavens. In Judaism, the Torah is called “The Tree of Life.” The Buddha attained Enlightenment while sitting under a Bodhi Tree. Our Celtic ancestors venerated the mighty oak and the ancient Yew. Trees provide food, shelter and fuel so they've always been vital to human life on earth but increasingly we are discovering that by reconnecting with trees we can become happier, healthier people.
In this programme Ernie Rea is joined in the studio by Charley Baginsky, a Rabbi from Liberal Judaism; Mabh Savage, Pagan Federation Children and Families Secretary; and John Parker who is the Senior Technical Officer at the Arboricultural Association to explore what the worlds great religious traditions can teach us about why trees matter so much.
Mon, 29 Jul 2019 - 233 - Free Will
What is the relationship between free will and religion? Historically, theistic religions have been dogged by questions concerning the nature of human agency. Do we make the choices we have in life because we can freely choose or does God somehow map life for us? If we don’t have free will how can we be held responsible for our actions in this life and the next? A belief in free will is central to the religious concept of "sin". Our criminal justice system rests on it. Yet developments in neuroscience suggest free will could be an illusion – that you can reduce human behaviour to the firing of neurons in the brain. But how can we live a moral life if we don’t have free will?
Joining Ernie Rea to discuss belief in free will are Rev Sharon Grenham-Thompson, an Anglican minister and former prison chaplain; Professor Rasjid Skinner a consultant clinical psychologist and Dr Richard Christian, Research Associate in Philosophy and Economics at the University of Manchester.
Producer: Catherine Earlam
Series Producer: Amanda Hancox
Mon, 22 Jul 2019 - 232 - The Imagination
Creative expression has often accompanied internal religious experience. And religious experience, by its nature other-worldly, is deeply connected to the power of the mind to contemplate, visualise and to imagine that there is a God. In a special edition in front of a live audience at the Hay-on-Wye Literature Festival Ernie Rea explores the relationship between religion, creativity and the imagination with Professor Anna Abraham, Neuroscientist and Professor of Psychology at Leeds Beckett University, Mohammed Ali, a Street Artist and Curator, Barnabas Palfrey Lecturer in Christian Spirituality, at Sarum College in Salisbury and Manchester born poet and playwright, Louise Wallwein
Producer: Catherine Earlam
Series Producer: Amanda Hancox
Mon, 15 Jul 2019 - 231 - The Ego
We hear a lot about ego today. Whether it's in association with Presidents or Chief Execs, in relation to social media or celebrity, ego appears to be everywhere. But is it a problem? Ego is Latin for “I” so clearly we can’t escape it. For Freud the Ego plays a moderating role. Yet today we refer to the Ego in a negative sense. “That’s your Ego talking" or “the Ego has landed.” So what is the Ego and can religion help us to understand our relationship to it?
In the final episode of this series of Beyond Belief, Ernie Rea is joined by Ajmal Masroor, a Bangladeshi born British Imam, the Reverend Lucy Winkett, Rector of St James’ Church Piccadilly and Dav Panesar, a Sikh who has carried out pioneering work on mindfulness and contemplative based health interventions in the UK.
Producer: Catherine Earlam
Series Producer: Amanda Hancox
Mon, 27 May 2019 - 230 - Veganism
According to The Vegan Society, the number of vegans in the UK increased fourfold between 2014 and 2018. Once a ridiculed minority, nowadays barely a day goes by without an announcement of a new vegan restaurant or another celebrity endorsement of a plant based lifestyle. Motivations range from animal welfare, to health, to environmental concerns. For many vegans their diet is part of an entire ethical belief system. So can you eat your way to moral and spiritual purity? What role does religion play in this shifting picture? Is there a natural correlation between religious commitment and a vegan diet or are there contradictions?
To discuss these questions Ernie Rea is joined by David Clough, Professor of Medical Ethics at the University of Chester, David Rosen, former Chief Rabbi of Ireland, Heena Modi, a Jain who coaches people on how to become vegan and Dr David Grumett, Senior Lecturer in Theology and Ethics at the School of Divinity, at the University of Edinburgh.
Producer: Catherine Earlam
Mon, 20 May 2019 - 229 - Sri Lanka
In light of the Easter Sunday attacks on Churches and hotels in Sri Lanka, Ernie Rea explores the religious landscape of Sri Lanka with Jonathan Spencer, Regius Professor of South Asian Language, Culture and Society at the University of Edinburgh; Dr Farah Mihlar, Lecturer in Conflict Studies at the University of Exeter and Mahinda Deegallee, Professor of the Study of Religions, Philosophies and Ethics at Bath Spa University, who is also a Buddhist monk.
Producer: Catherine Earlam
Mon, 13 May 2019 - 228 - Space
It’s almost fifty years since Neil Armstrong stepped onto the surface of the moon. It was a momentous moment in twentieth century history but our fascination with space is not new. For thousands of years people have looked up into the night sky and wondered who we are, why are we here and is there anyone else out there. The world's religions have tried to answer those questions with varying degrees of success. Joining Ernie Rea to discuss our understanding of space through religious beliefs and ideas are Rev Professor David Wilkinson, Principal of St John’s College in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University; Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad Professor of Comparative Religion, Lancaster University; and Salman Hameed, Associate Professor of Integrated Science and Humanities at Hampshire College Massachusetts in the United States.
Producer: Amanda Hancox
Fri, 03 May 2019
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