Beyond Belief

Giles Fraser gets under the skin of the religious significance of tattoos. We hear from Wassim Rassouk - the owner of the oldest tattoo business in the world and head of a family business going back 27 generations.

His panel are Revd Wendy Dalrymple, Canon of Ripon Cathedral who has Christian symbols tattooed on the entire length of her arms, tattoo artist and designer, Gabriel Wolff who specialises in Hebrew Calligraphy, and Maori tā moko artist Te Rangitu Netana.

Giles Fraser and the panel discuss religious views on military action and how conflict is justified theologically across different faiths and contexts. They reflect on the personal story of Michael Elstub, and his journey from military service to becoming a Quaker and peace campaigner.

Panel: Mandeep Kaur MBE - Sikh Chaplain to the Armed Forces Prof David Chandler - Professor of International Relations, Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminster Sheikh Dr Usama Hasan - Imam and counter-extremism practitioner Major General Timothy Cross CBE - retired British Army officer and military logistics expert and lay minister in the Church of England

Producers: Katharine Longworth and Peter Everett

Giles Fraser explores Dr. Iain McGilchrist’s brain hemisphere theory, which argues that the left and right hemispheres of the brain perceive the world in radically different ways—and that modern society has become dangerously dominated by the left hemisphere’s analytical, fragmented, and controlling mode of thought. He describes how the two hemispheres of the brain perceive reality in fundamentally different ways. The left hemisphere, he argues, sees a fragmented, abstract world—focused on control and acquisition—while the right hemisphere perceives a flowing, interconnected reality, rich in context, meaning, and mystery.

We unpack this theory with our panel of experts: Dr. Philip Goff, philosopher and professor at Durham University. Philip is known for his work in panpsychism, a philosophical view which proposes that consciousness is a fundamental and ubiquitous feature of the universe—not just something that emerges from complex brains, but something that may be present even at the level of basic matter. His research focuses on the philosophy of mind and the nature of consciousness.

Canon Dr. Joanna Collicutt, psychologist and theologian from the University of Oxford. Joanna brings a unique perspective that bridges psychology, spirituality, and pastoral care—exploring how religious experience shapes and is shaped by the human mind.

And Professor Andrew Newberg, a neuroscientist and a leading figure in the emerging field of neurotheology—which explores the relationship between brain function and religious or spiritual experience. Andrew is Professor in the Department of Integrative Medicine and Nutritional Sciences and Director of Research at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in the United States.

Also on the programme, The Sacred podcaster Elizabeth Oldfield, shares a powerful spiritual experience—one that defied easy explanation and left a lasting imprint on her spiritual life.

Beyond Belief is a BBC Audio North production for Radio 4.

Presenter: Giles Fraser Producer: Bara'atu Ibrahim Assistant Producer: Jay Behrouzi & Linda Walker Editor: Tim Pemberton

In this episode of Beyond Belief, Giles Fraser explores the deeply personal and often transformative phenomenon of religious conversion in prison. From heroin addiction and violence to spiritual awakening, we hear the raw and powerful testimony of Tony Winter, whose journey to faith began behind bars & Maliki Clique aka Ali Abdul Raheem, a former US inmate whose conversion to Islam during incarceration reshaped his life and message to over 700,000 TikTok followers. Panellists Pastor Mick Fleming who leads the Church On The Street ministry based in Burnley, researcher Alex Beaumont from the University of Law, Manchester, psychotherapist Jackie Oglethorpe who's also Chair of Trustees at the Community Chaplaincy Association and Suleman Amad Project Manager Criminal Justice at Maslaha unpack the motivations behind prison conversions, discuss how prisoners find faith as a path to redemption and how to distinguish sincere transformation from strategic adaptation in the prison context?

Presenter: Giles Fraser Producer: Bara’atu Ibrahim & Linda Walker Editor: Tim Pemberton

Giles Fraser delves into the moral and theological tensions surrounding immigration, asking whether Christian faith leads to exclusion or radical inclusion. British politician and prominent catholic Ann Widdecombe opens with a candid reflection on the limits of national capacity and the need for fair rules, citing scripture to support her belief in prioritizing care for one’s family and community. The discussion broadens with insights from Journalist & Historian Tim Stanley, human rights advocate Yasmin Halima, and Theos researcher George Lapshynov, who presents data showing Christians are more hostile toward immigration than the general public. The panel explores the biblical imperative to welcome the stranger, the concept of “ordered love” from Saint Augustine, and the practical challenges of balancing compassion with security. Author and activist Onjali Raúf adds a deeply personal lens, highlighting the human cost of displacement and the rhetoric that dehumanizes refugees.

Beyond Belief is a BBC Audio North production for Radio 4.

Presenter: Giles Fraser Producer: Bara’atu Ibrahim Assistant Producer: Linda Walker Editor: Tim Pemberton

Giles Fraser meets columnist Giles Coren, who was raised in the Jewish tradition, became an atheist and who now feels at home in a Christian church, to explore what it means to be culturally religious.

Is cultural religiosity an oxymoron and totally untenable? Is it on the rise or has it always been there? Is it damaging to traditional religious practices? And, does it really matter?

To examine these questions, Giles is joined by: Michael Rosen, author and poet, known for his work exploring humanism and atheism. He has co-written a book, "What is Humanism? How do you live without a god? And Other Big Questions for Kids," which looks at how humanists approach fundamental questions about morals, ethics, and the origins of life. Kate Smurthwaite, patron of the Humanist society and feminist, atheist comedian and activist. Internationally, she is probably best-known as the star of a viral video in which she claims that she doesn’t have a faith because she is not an idiot. Justin Brierley, writer, documentary maker and broadcaster behind the book and podcast series, 'The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God'. Over the course of his work Justin looks at why new atheism grew old and why secular thinkers are considering Christianity again.

Producers: Alexa Good & Linda Walker

Editor: Tim Pemberton

Giles Fraser meets the Revd Canon Fr Phil Harris, of the Anglican Church in North America, to discuss defending Britain’s Christian heritage.

Christianity has been deployed as a tool by those who have been labelled as far-right by their opponents, or by people supporting far-right views. Is right-wing appropriation of the faith a problem that needs solving and what issues does this claim to Christianity pose?

To explore Giles is joined by:

Dr Maria Power, Senior Research Fellow in Human Dignity at Blackfriars Hall, Oxford and a Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence, and Co editor of The Church, the Far Right, and the Claim to Christianity.

Dr. John Onwuchekwa, Sr. Director of Innovation at Redeemer City to City and former pastor of the Cornerstone Church in Atlanta which was part of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Andrea Minichiello, Chief Executive of Christian Concern and the Christian Legal Centre.

Beyond Belief is a BBC Audio North production for Radio 4.

We hear from the volunteers serving an average of 1,500 meals a day at the Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh Sabha in Hounslow and explore the significance of langar in the Sikh and wider community.

Mona Siddiqui and the panel explore the role food plays in religion. Do all religious traditions have the imperative to feed the hungry? Is food the route to the soul? And, is sharing food the best way for religions to communicate beliefs?

Mona is joined by:

Chef Romy Gill, a prominent figure in the culinary world, known for her expertise in Indian cuisine. She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire 2016 for services to the hospitality industry. Romy grew up in a Sikh Punjabi family and the tradition of sewa is close to her heart

Norman Wirzba, is Professor of Theology and Ecology at Duke University Divinity School. His work focuses on religion, ecology and agrarianism. Norman is the author of Way of Love, Food and Faith.

Moshe Basson, the executive Chef and owner of The Eucalyptus restaurant in Jerusalem and Author of The Eucalyptus Cookbook. He specialises in Levantine, Arab, and Jewish cuisine, and is known for his use of biblical ingredients.

Producer: Alexa Good Assistant Producer: Linda Walker Editor: Tim Pemberton

Giles Fraser and guests hear from novelist and opinion writer Lisa Solod on her negative experience of marrying outside of her Jewish faith, and from Amy and Takbir, on how they navigate marriage between a Christian and Muslim.

What if your Mr or Mrs Right doesn't share your religious tradition and values? Is interfaith marriage a problem? And, what are religious traditions doing in an increasingly liberal, secular society to help couples navigate mixed relationships?

To explore Giles is joined by: Eleanor Nesbitt, a Professor in Religions and Education at Warwick University, a Quaker who has been in an interfaith marriage with a Hindu partner. She is a specialist in the religious socialisation of young people of Christian; Hindu and Sikh background.

Rev Dr Paul Smith, an Interfaith Advisor for the Diocese of Oxford and author of Intimate Diversity, a book looking at the realities of interfaith marriage in modern Britain.

Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, an Imam from Leicester and former Assistant Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain. He has contributed to guidelines on inter-faith marriage for the Christian-Muslim forum.

Producer: Linda Walker & Alexa Good Editor: Tim Pemberton

The word hypocrite gets used with such regularity – and Jesus himself had form using the term.

How did the Pharisees became a byword for hypocrisy and is it fair? Was Jesus wrong about the Pharisees? Is the view of the Pharisees changing?

To discuss Giles Fraser is joined by Amy-Jill Levine, Professor of New Testament Studies Emerita at Vanderbilt University and co-author of ‘The Pharisees’, James Alison a Catholic Theologian and Dr Stephen de Wijze, a philosopher and Senior Lecturer in Political Theory at Manchester University.

Producer: Alexa Good Assistant Producer: Linda Walker Editor: Tim Pemberton

Faith based comedy is growing in popularity. Why is religion such a good source for jokes? Is God funny? And, is there anywhere with religion that you just don’t go?

Dillon Mapletoft, the writer and creator of hit comedy Everyone Else Burns, explains his fundamentalist Christian upbringing and the influence it had on him writing the coming-of-age sitcom about a Manchester family who are part of a puritanical Christian sect and doomsday cult.

To explore Giles Fraser is joined by Shazia Mirza, comedian and part of a female only Halal comedy tour, Shanny Luft, Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Winconsin, and Ashley Blaker, a Jewish comedian and writer once described as "the UK's only Orthodox comedian".

Producer: Alexa Good Assistant Producer: Linda Walker Editor: Tim Pemberton

Giles Fraser and guests hear from authors of detective fiction, Kate Charles and Martin Edwards, on the subtle ways they weave faith into the crime puzzles in their novels.

Why is religious detective fiction so popular in our increasingly secular society? Did the detective replace the priest as the one who looked into the mysteries of life and battled with good and evil? Why do religion and detective fiction share so many noble pursuits in common? And, what is it about the detective genre that lends itself to such deep ethical and spiritual questions?

To explore Giles is joined by:

James Runcie, author of numerous books, including The Grantchester Mysteries, a series of six detective novels featuring the clerical detective Sidney Chambers. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and a member of both the Crime Writer’s Association and The Detection Club.

Ausma Khan, author of the Blackwater Falls crime series and the founder of the Muslim Writers Index.

Dror Mishani the author of the Avraham Avraham detective series that has been turned into a TV series by David E. Kelley. He is a literary scholar, specialising in the history of crime fiction, and the head of the creative writing program at Tel Aviv University.

Producer: Alexa Good Assistant Producer: Linda Walker Editor: Tim Pemberton

Mona Siddiqui and guests hear from Rev Denzil Larbi. He reflects on his cousin, Elianne Andam, who was 15 when she was fatally stabbed at a bus stop in Croydon, South London, in September 2023. He discusses their Christmases together and how the family mark Christmas without her.

The panel of guests explore the complexities that often come with religious festivals especially those that come with an expectation of jollity.

Do religions do enough for those who are grieving or isolated at times of collective merriment? Should religious leaders and communities be more responsible and nuanced in their approach? And, are some religions better at dealing with grief than others?

To discuss Mona is joined by Jasvir Singh, from the Department of Theology and Religion at Birmingham University, Chair of City Sikhs, and the founder and Chair of the British Sikh Report, the Revd Lucy Winkett, Rector of St James's, Piccadilly, and Priest-in-Charge of St Pancras's Church, Euston Road, and Remona Aly, British Muslim journalist, commentator and broadcaster with a focus on faith, identity and lifestyle.

Producer: Alexa Good Assistant Producer: Linda Walker Editor: Tim Pemberton

The Rev Tara Hellings, an Anglican vicar, outlines her experiences of conducting funerals at a Pet Crematorium in Winchfield, and Nurul Ain Abdul Hamid, a Muslim who runs a dog and cat shelter in Malaysia, shares her beliefs on the equality of all animals.

Do animals have souls? Are all animals equal? And, how do these concepts feed into religious teachings about animals in the afterlife?

To discuss, Giles is joined by Anuradha Dooney, a Fellow of the Oxford Centre Hindu Studies, Fr Terry Martin, a vegan and Catholic priest, and author of the new book 'Animals in Heaven?' and Joyce D'Silva, Compassion in World Farming's Ambassador Emeritus and the author of ‘Animal Welfare in World Religion: Teaching and Practice’.

Producer: Alexa Good Assistant Producer: Linda Walker Editor: Chloe Walker

Imam Asim Hafiz, the first Muslim chaplain to the British Armed Forces and an Islamic advisor for the Ministry of Defence, who has been working with the armed forces since 2004 discusses the many changes which have seen attitudes towards his role shifting according to the political climate and Mandeep Kaur, who was appointed as the first and only Sikh Chaplain for the entire British Armed Forces, reflects on why the idea of military chaplaincy may seem like a difficult job to take on and the impact of the role within faith communities.

There are approximately 260 regular and 58 reserve chaplains across the armed forces. They serve personnel dealing with the pressures of being away from home, working in hostile environments and dealing with life and death decisions. How has the service evolved to support the broad range of beliefs represented in the armed forces? And how can religious belief really be balanced with the very real possibility of military action leading to loss of life?

To discuss Giles is joined by Roger Hutton, President of Defence Humanists and former Ministry of Defence Director International Security, Dr. Sunil Kariyakarawana, the first Buddhist Chaplain to the British Armed Forces, and the Revd Joanna Jepson, an Anglican priest and a Chaplain to the British Army.

Producers: Alexa Good and Linda Walker Editors: Tim Pemberton and Chloe Walker

Giles Fraser meets Stephen Schneck, Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, to explore the impact of globalisation on religious freedom.

Restrictions on religious freedom are increasing. What impact has the spread of religious traditions had on freedom of belief? How does the secularisation of religion contribute? Should states be forced to adopt norms of religious rights and freedoms to meet international pressure? And what can be done about the perceived threat communities feel when they are exposed to other religions?

To discuss Giles is joined by HRH Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud, Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to the UK, Dr Nazila Ghanea, an Iranian-born Professor in International Human Rights Law at the University of Oxford and UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, and, Juan Sebastián Chamorro, an exiled Nicaraguan politician and economist.

Producer: Alexa Good Assistant Producer: Linda Walker Editors: Chloe Walker

In her poem 'God's Garden', Dorothy Frances Gurney writes:

'One is nearer God’s heart in a garden Than anywhere else on earth.’

Join Giles Fraser and a panel of green-fingered guests as they gather together at the Aga Khan Centre in Kings Cross to reflect on the theological significance of gardens and gardening.

From Eden and Gethsemane, to the ancient Islamic gardens of Andalusia, to the Japanese Gardens of Zen Buddhism; temples to churchyards, these sacred zones have been places of solace and reflection for millennia; places of life and death, of peace and tranquillity. Here, even non-religious gardeners find common ground with their religious counterparts: on their knees, often in silence, hands in the earth. For many, gardening is the answer. We hear from Jill Smith - lay minister and trustee of 'The Quiet Garden Movement', who tells us how her garden is a place of healing.

Our panellists are Dr Omar Ali de Unzaga - Head of Ismaili Studies at the Aga Khan Centre, Revd Lucy Winkett - Rector at St James' Church in Piccadilly, and Ai Hishii - Director of Japanese garden architects, Momiji Design.

*You can visit the Islamic Gardens at the Aga Khan Centre for free - book online.

Presenter: Giles Fraser Producers: James Leesley and Bara'atu Ibrahim Editor: Tim Pemberton

Giles Fraser explores the parallels and overlaps between spirituality/religion and psychotherapy.

Professor Josh Cohen is a psychotherapist, who believes that God can be a problematic figure in the therapy room.

Joining the discussion with Giles is Dr Jeremy Holmes, British Psychiatrist and author of -The Spirit of Psychotherapy- which examines the parallels, contrasts, and overlaps between the secular world of psychotherapy and the realm of spirituality. Dr Rania Awaad; Stanford University Professor, Psychiatry, Islamic Law & Theology. And Canon Leanne Roberts; Church of England priest and psychotherapist (Jungian) Dean of Clergy well-being for the Diocese of Southwark.

In 2023 the NHS recorded 1.76 million referrals to their talking therapies programme in England. The British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy say their membership has risen by 27% since 2020. However, you can now access services from therapists within Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism and many more of the faiths.

Can therapeutic models replace religion as a way of exploring and understanding our inner worlds? Is religion an awkward spectre in a therapy room? What’s the difference between religion as something dealt with dispassionately and a therapist who bills themselves as a religious psychotherapist ?

Producer: Rebecca Maxted & Bara'atu Ibrahim Assistant Producer: James Leesley Editor: Tim Pemberton

Giles Fraser hears about the revolutionary ideas of late theologian Jürgen Moltmann, whose work challenged and transformed Christian ideas of God in the twentieth century.

Hamburg, July 1943. The combined might of the Allies rains bombs down on the city causing a catastrophic firestorm. A young German anti-aircraft bomber cries out to God in the midst of devastation. He would go on to be one of the most important Christian theologians of the twentieth century.

Giles Fraser recounts how he first started to develop his ideas at a Prisoner of War camp in Scotland after the Second World War. His books, including The Theology of Hope and The Crucified God would go on to be seminal works for those studying Christianity, but would also have far-reaching influence. He also wrote about liberating those oppressed, ecology and the environment and feminism.

Joining Giles to discuss why his work matters is Professor Miroslav Volf, Director of the Yale Ceter for Faith and Culture, who knew Moltmann as a PHD supervisor and friend. Also on the panel are Professor Candida Moss and Professor Celia Deane-Drummond.

Does God suffer, as we suffer and what difference does this make to faith and belief?

Producer: Rebecca Maxted Assistant Producer: James Leesley Editor: Tim Pemberton

Recorded live at the Bradford Literature Festival three poets join Giles Fraser to consider the relationship between poetry and the divine.

Some of our most feted poets, from Rumi to John Donne, Tagore to William Blake – have found that poetry opens up a space to explore the divine. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare praised the poet’s eye, glancing ‘from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven’ as ‘imagination bodies forth the forms of things unknown’.

In front of a live audience, a fascinating panel of contemporary poets and wordsmiths join Giles to discuss whether poetry can help bridge the gap between the physical and metaphysical worlds. Camille Ralphs, Testament and Kate Fox consider how their forebears have used words to try and climb spiritual ascents. Reading some of their own work, they’ll also share their own relationships between art and faith.

Producer: Rebecca Maxted Assistant Producers: James Leesley and Ruth Purser Editor: Tim Pemberton

Giles Fraser explores the place of wine in some religious traditions, as the blood of Christ, the nectar of the Greek Gods or Persian poets, to something forbidden or proscribed.

We start on a balmy evening in Napa Valley, with a sea breeze blowing through the vines at Marinda Kruger's vineyard. For her, life as a viticulturalist has an intimate connection to her faith.

Gisela H Kreglinger, theologian from a wine-making family, Catholic Priest, Father Marc Lyden-Smith and Muhammad Ali Mojaradi, translator of the Persian Sufi poets under the moniker Persian Poetics on social media, join Giles to consider the pleasures and prohibition of wine.

Many scriptures and religious poetry are awash with the stuff. Wine flows in heaven, goblets elicit a kind of spiritual ecstasy and Noah's first act after the flood? To plant a vineyard. What has been wine's significance in different religious traditions, and what does our relationship to it reveal about our earthly selves?

Producer: Rebecca Maxted Assistant Producer: James Leesley Editor: Tim Pemberton

This programme includes a short clip of Silvestre Le Trouzel reading from Babette's Feast, recorded for BBC Radio 4's Bedtime Stories and first broadcast in 2016. Produced by Eilidh McCreadie.

Street evangelist Marios Kaikitis tells Giles Fraser why he stands on Leicester Square with a sketch board trying to engage passers by with his message of Jesus Christ.

And Giles explores how different religious groups, within Christianity and Islam, evangelise today. Perhaps crucially, does it work?

He's joined by Daryl A Watson, a mission leader at the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, also known as the Mormon church, Dr Shuruq Naguib, a lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of Lancaster University and Reverend Dr Hannah Steele, Director of St Mellitus theological college in London, who writes about evangelism and mission today.

They discuss the practical, moral and spiritual issues faced by those who want or feel compelled to share their religious beliefs with others. In an increasingly secular country, it it getting more difficult?

Producer: Rebecca Maxted Assistant Producer: James Leesley Editor: Tim Pemberton

Why is walking spiritual? Giles Fraser asks if the power of pilgrimage in it's destination, or along the pathway.

Alice Sainsbury was recovering from a serious neurological illness when she slowly started to walk again. Step by step she found herself again through walking, and small pilgrimages near her home in Cornwall. It wasn't just a physical journey for her, but a spiritual one as well.

She tells Giles Fraser why she walks. And Giles asks a panel of enthusiastic pilgrims from different faiths about the religious beliefs behind walking and pilgrimage.

Phil McCarthy, a former GP, has founded Pilgrim Ways, promoting walking pilgrimages in England and Wales. Sr Radharamana Das is a scholar in Sanskrit and Vedic literatures and a volunteer at his local Hare Krishna temple. And Professor Raminder Kaur is the leader of a project about pilgrimage and economics at the University of Sussex.

Boots laced, let's begin.

Producer: Rebecca Maxted Assistant Producer: James Leesley Editor: Tim Pemberton

Giles Fraser meets Hafsa Rizki, a British Muslim women who coaches women in polygamous relationships. Her husband was already married when they met and got married themselves. She doesn't like the term, but she says she is a second wife and tells Giles about why it's a successful relationship, and how it's part of her spiritual journey.

Perhaps surprisingly, polygamy is 'more commonplace' than might be expected in the UK, according to Dame Louise Casey in her government review on integration and equality in 2016. In a society where the model of monogamy has dominated for centuries, what leads people to enter polygamous marriages? What is it's religious history and what are the ethical and moral questions it raises? Plus, as polyamory is more openly discussed and practiced, is the model of monogamy no longer fit for purpose?

To discuss Giles is joined by Yasmin Rehman, CEO of Juno Women's Aid and a campaigner on women's rights, Imam Waleid Allam and Susannah Cornwall, Professor on Constructive Theologies at the University of Exeter.

Producer: Rebecca Maxted Assistant Producer: Linda Walker Editors: Tim Pemberton and Rajeev Gupta

Bunny Love-Schock is an interfaith minister and practising witch. She has a devotional practice to the figure of Lilith, a character who has appeared in myth and religious storytelling for centuries. She’s been a demoness, a monster linked to owls, screeching and with wings. In the middle ages you might have been afraid of her harming your unborn or young children.

Now, Bunny tells us how she’s seen as a Goddess figure, in all her ambivalence.

Giles Fraser explores the monsters that have snarled at us from religious writings. What is their relationship to the divine? What are they trying to tell us and how do we see them now?

He’s joined by Professor Esther Hamori, author of ‘God’s Monsters’ who reminds us of the fearsome nature of angels, Dr Bihani Sarkar who has stories from classic Hindu literature and Natalie Lawrence, whose fascination with folklore and ancient myth inspired her book 'Enchanted Creatures'.

Producer: Rebecca Maxted Assistant Producer: Ruth Purser Editor: Jonathan Hallewell

In a temple in Southall, west London, Giles Fraser hears about the spiritual significance for British Hindus of the opening of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, consecrated with much fanfare in January 2024 by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As Indians go to the polls in the largest democratic election in history, what is the relationship between religion and politics in the country?

Giles is joined by Professor Shruti Kapila, Associate Professor Ashraf Hoque and Dr Prakash Shah to discuss the temple's significance and the controversy that surrounded it, built on the site of a previous Muslim mosque, which was pulled down by a mob in 1992. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is campaigning for re-election. He's the head of the BJP party, aligned to ideas of Hindu nationalism. Does the temple help us to understand the complicated and contested political, cultural and historical grounds over which the current election is being fought?

Producer: Rebecca Maxted Assistant Producer: Ruth Purser Editor: Jonathan Hallewell

Eddy Elsey, an estate agent in London, was struggling with his mental health and looking for support. Like 37% of people, according to the last census in England and Wales, traditional religion wasn’t a place he turned to. But, as he tells Giles Fraser, he did find a spiritual connection through shamanism, which has helped him.

When people say they are "spiritual but not religious", what do they mean and what do they believe?

A group of people who make use of spiritual ideologies describe their practices, from sound healing to astrology. What are oracle cards and how do you carry out a shamanic divination?

Giles meets Celestial Tree, an astrologist, Jo Moore a yoga teacher and reiki practitioner and Linda Woodhead, Professor of Moral and Social Theology at Kings College, London, who has researched the growth of spiritualities. What draws people towards them?

Producer: Rebecca Maxted Assistant Producer: Ruth Purser Editor: Jonathan Hallewell

Giles Fraser hears from a Mum of two who describes how her family’s neurodivergence has affected their practice of faith. Carolina Mountford has recently been diagnosed with ADHD and strong autistic traits. Her two sons are also neurodivergent and Carolina describes some of the challenges that poses in their Christian evangelical church.

A panel discusses what faith leaders and communities can learn about spirituality by embracing neurodiversity, in children and adults. What is the relationship between spirituality and the neurodiverse brain? Is there a different relationship with theology, and with God?

Giles is joined by Parveen Mahal, co-founder of the Sikh Disabilty Charity SEN Seva and Rabbi Miriam Berger, who has devised special barmitzvah and batmitzvah ceremonies at Finchley Reform Synagogue, suited to the needs of neurodivergent 13-year olds. We also hear from Dr Joanna Leidenhag, who is Associate Professor in Theology and Philosophy at the University of Leeds, with a current focus on autism and Christianity.

Producers: Rebecca Maxted and Peter Everett Assistant Producer: Ruth Purser Editor: Jonathan Hallewell

In our society feet are often hidden away in shoes, perhaps to make an odd appearance post pedicure… but they can be an incredibly powerful symbol within many religions.

Giles Fraser meets Kai Bridges, a Shamanic practitioner who guides people through firewalks as part of his spiritual practice. For him firewalking goes beyond an exercise in empowerment and grounds him in the moment, connecting him to the elements.

Our panel Sughra Ahmed, Priyesh Patel and Lucy Winkett walk us through what feet symbolise in their respective faith traditions, and the different ways feet are a part of religious tradition and practice. Presenter: Giles Fraser Producers: Ruth Purser and Katharine Longworth Editor: Tim Pemberton

Giles Fraser hears about Alison Davis, who was in pain, very unwell and wanted to die. Her friend and carer Colin Harte describes how she changed her mind and went on to campaign against euthanasia, or assisted dying, and also developed a Catholic faith.

The debate about assisted dying, the right to choose when and how we die if we're terminally ill, is back in the political spotlight. Life, death and attitudes to suffering are at the heart of all religions. After hearing Alison's story, a panel of people of faith discuss how their beliefs shape their views on this fundamental question.

With Rabbi Jonathan Romain, Canon Rosie Harper, Rev Katie Tupling and Baljit Singh.

Presenter: Giles Fraser Editor: Dan Tierney Producers: Ruth Purser and Rebecca Maxted

When the hijackers directed their planes into the Twin Towers in New York, it was religion as well as terrorism which hit the headlines. The hijackers had the name of their God on their lips. For many it was a sign that the Clash of Civilisations, the conflict between the Muslim and Christian worlds, had become a dreadful reality. But the events led to an upsurge of interest in Islam and in the question of how religious zealots could justify the wholesale destruction of civilians by reference to its God? What sort of God could that be? Is the God that Muslims worship the same as the Christian God? Wherein lie the differences.? 10 years on the questions remain.

Joining Ernie to discuss these questions are Miroslav Wolf, Henry B Q Wright Professor of Theology at Yale Divinity School; Mona Siddiqi Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Glasgow; and Father Damien Howard, lecturer in Muslim-Christian Relations at Heythrop College in the University of London.

A controversial High Court ruling on the admission policy of the Jewish Free School in London two years ago has led to heated and ongoing discussion among Jews in this country about what constitutes Jewishness. With the number of Jews in Britain declining, the question of how to preserve and pass on Judaism is a major preoccupation of members the community, be they Orthodox, Reform or secular. So what should be the test for determining who is and isnt Jewish? How important is religious practice, observing a kosher table or male circumcision? And how important is it for the preservation of Jewishness that a Jew should marry another Jew?

Joining Ernie to discuss Jewish identity are Laura Janner Klausner, Rabbi of the Alyth Reform Synagogue in London; Natan Levy, the Orthodox Rabbi of Shenley United Jewish Congregation; and Dr Brian Klug Senior Research Fellow in Philosophy at St Benet's Hall, University of Oxford, and author of "Being Jewish and Doing Justice.".

Religious symbols can cause offence these days, it seems - whether it's a Christian cross over a work uniform or a Muslim woman's headcovering. But people seem to have no problem with statues of the Buddha in shops and garden centres. Secularists who are quick to pour scorn on Christianity and Islam often have a soft spot for his teachings. But is Buddhism as we experience it in the West, the genuine article? It may be one of the fastest growing religions in the West, but can it thrive apart from the cultural soil in which it took root?

Ernie Rea is joined in discussion by Nagapriya from the Buddhist Triratna Order, AniRinchen Khandro, a nun in the Tibetan tradition, and Will Buckingham, a lecturer at deMontfort University, Leicester who know describes himself as "Buddhish" rather than "Buddhist.".

The Scottish Premier League season is well underway with memories of the sectarian attacks on the Celtic manager earlier in the year still fresh in the mind. What do these incidents tell us about the nature and extent of sectarianism in Scotland today? Is it confined mainly to football or is it endemic within wider society? With church attendance in rapid decline, is religion still a potent force in reinforcing sectarian attitudes? And - even given their diminished influence - what role do the churches have in countering such attitudes? Joining Ernie to discuss sectarianism in contemporary Scotland are Peter Kearney, a spokesperson for the Catholic Church in Scotland, Michael Rosie, Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Edinburgh University and Harry Reid, former editor of The Herald and member of the Church of Scotland.

We were told that Globalisation would kill off religion. In fact, the vast majority of the world's population continues to maintain religious beliefs and practice. So how does Globalisation affect Religion? Does the spread of religion across national boundaries mean that its universal elements will develop at the expense of the national and particular? Is there a danger that faith and culture might become separated from one another? And can faith communities help to mitigate the worst effects of globalisation?

Ernie Rea is joined by Martin Palmer from the Alliance of Religion, Conservation and the Environment, Dr Sara Silvestri from City University, London, and Adrian Wooldridge a columnist with The Economist and the co-author of the book "God is Back.".

The idea of the Sabbath, a communal day off every week, has been all but taken over by Sunday opening and the 24/7 society. In "Beyond Belief" Ernie Rea asks what society has gained and lost as a result of this change. Sports Commentator Dan Walker tells him why he refuses to work on a Sunday, and he is joined by Rabbi Naftali Brawer, Sam Barker of the Relationships Foundation and Keep Sunday Special Campaign, and Philip Booth from the Institute of Economic Affairs.

According to recent research, a Christian couple in Britain has only a 50 percent chance of transmitting their beliefs and practice to their children. If a child has just one Christian parent the chance is 25 per cent. Why is it so difficult for parents to pass on their faith? And do grandparents and parents in minority faith communities face the same problems when it comes to transmitting their religious beliefs and values across the Generational Divide? Ernie Rea's guests in Beyond Belief today are Professor David Voas from Manchester University, Sadek Hamid a researcher into Muslim youth, and the Rabbi and Baroness, Julia Neuberger.

If there is one idea on which David Cameron has staked the reputation of his government it is the Big Society, and he has stressed the role he believes faith groups have to play in it. Their reaction has, however, been mixed with the Archbishop of Canterbury describing it as a "stale slogan" in danger of being seen as an opportunistic cover for spending cuts. So what is the Big Society, and are its values consistent with religious values? Ernie is joined by Phillip Blond, Director of the Think Tank Respublica and widely credited as being the originator of the government's Big Society idea, Maleiha Malik, Professor in Law at King's College, London: and Antony Lerman, former founding director of the Institute of Jewish Policy Research.

Christianity is a Middle Eastern Religion. Its early expansion was Eastwards and it quickly became the dominant religion of the region. That changed with the arrival of Islam but Christians have always had a significant presence. But during the last century Christians began leaving the Middle East in large numbers. Sometimes it was because they were more able to take up the opportunities the West offered; sometimes it was because they felt less able to express their faith under growing political Islam. In this programme Ernie Rea asks how the events of the Arab Spring will affect the fortunes of Christians in the Middle East. He is joined by Nadim Nassar, a Syrian and Anglican priest, Professor Madawi al-Rasheed from Kings College London, and Ziya Meral, fellow of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.

Producer Rosie Dawson.

In the first of a new series, Ernie Rea and guests discuss the Christian understanding of Hell.

Hell appears in several mythologies and religions as a place of suffering and punishment after death, but it is Christianity which has lent it its most vivid imagery. The Christian understanding of hell grew out of the Jewish concept of Sheol, a shadowy abode of the dead. Jesus used graphic images to describe hell which were further elaborated by the early church wrestling under persecution with the question of how a Just God could permit such suffering. That the Evil will be eternally punished was one answer to this dilemma, although there has always been a minority strain within Christianity arguing that eternal hell is incompatible with the workings of a loving God.

Joining Ernie to discuss hell are the Catholic writer and commentator, Peter Stanford, lecturer in patristic theology at Exeter University, Morwenna Ludlow, and lecturer at Oakhill theological college Daniel Strange.

In the last in the current series, Ernie Rea invites guests from different faith and non-faith perspectives to debate the challenges of today's world.

Each week a panel is assembled to represent a diversity of views and opinions, which often reveal hidden, complex and sometimes contradictory understandings of the world around us.

In this programme Ernie and guests discuss ways in which individuals have sought immortality either through belief in eternal life with God or through ever ingenious scientific methods. Why do human beings appear to want to believe in some sort of life after death? How is the meaning of this life shaped by a belief in the hereafter or a knowledge of endless existence? Are we ultimately creatures shaped by the destiny of our own death?

Joining Ernie to discuss immortality are the philosopher, John Gray, author of The Immortalisation Commission: science and the strange quest to cheat death; the theologian, Alister McGrath, professor of theology, ministry and education, and head of the centre for theology, religion and culture at King's College, London and the psychologist, Les Lancaster, professor of transpersonal psychology at Liverpool John Moores University.

Producer: Karen Maurice.

Ernie Rea invites guests from different faith and non-faith perspectives to debate the challenges of today's world.

Each week a panel is assembled to represent a diversity of views and opinions, which often reveal hidden, complex and sometimes contradictory understandings of the world around us.

In this programme Ernie Rea and guests discuss male spirituality and ask if men and women respond differently to religious convictions. Do the leaders and prophets of the Hebrew scriptures offer role models for men going to church or synagogue today? Are the characters of Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon suitable and appropriate role models? For Christians, does Jesus and his selection of 12 male apostles offer an image for brotherhood today? Is the church focusing too much on love and nurture rather than courage, risk, adventure and sacrifice? Why are Jewish communities seemingly more successful at retaining men compared with their Christian counterparts?

Joining Ernie to discuss men and spirituality are the Reverend Andy Drake, director of evangelism at Christian Vision for Men; Dr Janet Eccles, a sociologist of religion attached to the Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion at the University of Lancaster; and Rabbi Dr Dan Cohn Sherbok, Emeritus Professor of Judaism at the University of Wales, Lampeter.

Producer: Karen Maurice.

Ernie Rea chairs Radio 4's discussion programme in which guests from different faith and non-faith perspectives debate the challenges of today's world.

Each week a panel is assembled to represent a diversity of views and opinions, which often reveal hidden, complex and sometimes contradictory understandings of the world around us.

In this programme, Ernie discusses the role and place of nuns in religious communities. How have they changed in recent years and how have they coped with a serious decline in vocations? Is there a similar decline within other faith communities?

Joining Ernie to discuss nuns are Myra Poole, a Sister of Notre Dame who is very involved with the movement for Catholic Women's Ordination; Rosanne Reddy, Sister of the Gospel of Life, a comparatively new order which she founded along with Cardinal Thomas Winning in 2000: and Lama Zangmo, a Buddhist nun and Director of the Kagyu Samya Dzong Buddhist Centre in London.

Producer: Karen Maurice.

Ernie Rea chairs Radio 4's discussion programme in which guests from different faith and non-faith perspectives debate the challenges of today's world.

Each week a panel is assembled to represent a diversity of views and opinions, which often reveal hidden, complex and sometimes contradictory understandings of the world around us.

Producer: Karen Maurice.

Ernie Rea chairs Radio 4's discussion programme in which guests from different faith and non-faith perspectives debate the challenges of today's world.

Each week a panel is assembled to represent a diversity of views and opinions, which often reveal hidden, complex and sometimes contradictory understandings of the world around us.

Producer: Karen Maurice.

Ernie Rea chairs Radio 4's discussion programme in which guests from different faith and non-faith perspectives debate the challenges of today's world.

Each week a panel is assembled to represent a diversity of views and opinions, which often reveal hidden, complex and sometimes contradictory understandings of the world around us.

In this programme, Ernie asks his guests whether the values of celebrity culture are at odds with their own religious values. Why are we fascinated by the rich and famous and have we always been? Why do we care about the personal antics of footballers, pop stars, TV personalities and actors? Has celebrity replaced religion in society?

Joining Ernie to discuss celebrity culture is Dr Kristin Aune, senior lecturer in Sociology at the University of Derby and co-author of "Reclaiming the F World: The New Feminist Movement; Vicki Mackenzie, journalist and Buddhist and author of Cave in the Snow; and Miriam Berger, Rabbi from the Finchley Reform Synagogue.

Producer: Karen Maurice.

Ernie Rea chairs Radio 4's religious discussion programme in which guests from different faith and non-faith perspectives debate the challenges of today's world.

Each week a panel is assembled to represent a diversity of views and opinions, which often reveal hidden, complex and sometimes, contradictory understandings of the world around us.

In the programme, Ernie and his guests discuss the disputed site of Ayodhya in India. Hindus and Muslims have been in conflict for more than a century over the Babri mosque in Ayodhya, a town in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Hindus claim the site was the birthplace of one of their most revered deities, Lord Ram, and that a mosque was built after the destruction of a Hindu temple by a Muslim, Babur, in the sixteenth century.

After decades of legislation, an Indian court ruled last year that the site should be split three ways between Hindus, Muslims and the Nirmohi Akhara Hindu sect.

Beyond Belief examines why this site is important to both Hindus and Muslims and asks whether the legal judgement is workable in modern secular India.

Ernie is joined by Dr Raj Pandit Sharma, President of the Hindu Priest Association and Executive Officer of the Hindu Council UK; Kashif ul Huda, editor of Twocircles.net, an Indian Muslim news website; and Dr John Zavos, Lecturer in South Asian Studies at the University of Manchester and editor of the journal, Contemporary South Asia.

Ernie Rea chairs Radio 4's discussion programme in which guests from different faith and non-faith perspectives debate the challenges of today's world.

Each week a panel is assembled to represent a diversity of views and opinions, which often reveal hidden, complex and sometimes contradictory understandings of the world around us.

In this programme, Ernie Rea and guests discuss the religious history and make-up of Egypt: what is Coptic Christianity? How do Christians, who make up about ten per cent of the population, live alongside their fellow Egyptian Muslims? What is distinctive about Egyptian Islam? How have the two faiths co-existed for 1,400 years and how do we make sense of recent tensions between the two communities?

Producer: Karen Maurice.

Ernie Rea chairs Radio 4's discussion programme in which guests from different faith and non-faith perspectives debate the challenges of today's world.

Each week a panel is assembled to represent a diversity of views and opinions, which often reveal hidden, complex and sometimes contradictory understandings of the world around us.

In this programme, Ernie and guests discuss how suicide is understood in Christian, Muslim and Hindu communities. Why do people want to take their own lives? What do the faiths say about suicide? And why does having a faith make you less vulnerable to suicide, as the evidence suggests it does?

Joining Ernie to discuss suicide is the Rev Dr Mike Parsons, principal of the West of England Ministerial Training Course and author of "Suicide and the Church"; Raana Bokhari, doctoral student in the Department of Religious Studies at Lancaster University; and Dr Chetna Kang, a consultant psychiatrist and Hindu pastor. The panel hear from the Reverend Alan Smith, an Anglican priest, whose daughter, Sarah, took her own life in January 2007.

Producer: Karen Maurice.

Ernie Rea chairs Radio 4's discussion programme in which guests from different faith and non-faith perspectives debate the challenges of today's world.

Each week a panel is assembled to represent a diversity of views and opinions, which often reveal hidden, complex and sometimes contradictory understandings of the world around us.

As 2011 marks the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, Ernie Rea and guests discuss how sacred texts, such as the Bible, Koran or Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Holy book, should be translated. Are translations given equal consideration by followers as the original text? Does it matter whether you understand the language of your Holy book? Is there a place for contemporary interpretations such as the comic book Bible?

Joining Ernie to discuss translating holy books is Jasjit Singh, a doctoral researcher from the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Leeds; Dr Sahib Bleher, a professional translator who is currently working on a translation of the Qur'an into English; and the Rev Dr Maggi Dawn Fellow at Robinson College Cambridge and author of "The Writing on the Wall: High Art, Popular Culture and the Bible."

Producer: Karen Maurice.

Ernie Rea chairs Radio 4's theological discussion programme in which guests from different faith and non-faith perspectives debate the challenges of today's world.

Each week a panel is assembled to represent a diversity of views and opinions, which often reveal hidden, complex and sometimes contradictory understandings of the world around us.

In this programme, Ernie Rea and guests discuss the story of the visit of the Magi, or Wise-men to the infant Jesus told in St Matthew's account of the Nativity.

Who could the Magi have been? From where did they travel, having seen a star in the east and why would they have recognised it as a significant sign? Is there more to this story than a colourful image on a Christmas card and the inspiration for a well known carol?

Producer: Karen Maurice.

Ernie Rea chairs Radio 4's discussion programme in which guests from different faith and non-faith perspectives debate the challenges of today's world.

Each week a panel is assembled to represent a diversity of views and opinions, which often reveal hidden, complex and sometimes contradictory understandings of the world around us.

In this programme, Ernie Rea and guests discuss whether faith inspires philanthropy and asks if greater personal wealth comes with greater responsibility to help others, less fortunate.

Producer: Karen Maurice.

Ernie Rea returns with a new series of Radio 4's discussion programme in which guests from different faith and non-faith perspectives debate the challenges of today's world.

Each week a panel is assembled to represent a diversity of views and opinions, which often reveal hidden, complex and sometimes contradictory understandings of the world around us.

In this programme, the first in a new series, Ernie and guests discuss the supernatural and ask whether there are always rational explanations for the apparently inexplicable.

Why does belief in the supernatural appear to have increased in recent years? Can it be explained by an increase in visibility in books, television and the internet or could our fascination with ghosts, spirits and the hereafter be filling a void left by organised religion.

The panellists hear from a medium and paranormal investigator who claims to have daily visions and has helped police forces solve murder cases.

Joining Ernie to discuss the supernatural are Gordon Smith, one of Britain's best known psychic mediums, the Reverend Anthony Delaney, pastor of Ivy Church in Manchester and Professor Christopher French, head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit in the Department of Psychology at Goldsmiths College, London.

Producer: Karen Maurice.

Ernie Rea is joined by three guests who discuss how their own religious tradition affects their values and outlook on the world, often revealing hidden and contradictory truths.

In this programme Ernie Rea and his guests explore the history and place of Islam in America, following recent tensions over plans to build an Islamic cultural centre close to Ground Zero in New York. Confusion over whether the building will be a mosque or a community centre have fuelled suspicions over the motivation of those behind the plans and given rise to a wave of Islamophobia across the USA. In the countdown to the mid-term elections in November, is such anti-Muslim rhetoric politically motivated or are Americans having a long overdue conversation about the place of Islam in their society?

Joining Ernie to discuss this are Robert Salaam a former US Marine who converted to Islam and is now the editor of The American Muslim: Dr Hussein Rashid, Lecturer at Hofstra University in New York and associate editor of Religion Dispatches; and Daniel Pipes Director of the Middle East Forum in Philadelphia.

The middle interview comes from Pamela Geller, editor of the blog, AtlasShrugs.com and author of "The Post-American Presidency: The Obama Administration's War on America."

Producer: Karen Maurice.

Ernie Rea is joined by three guests who discuss how their own religious tradition affects their values and outlook on the world, often revealing hidden and contradictory truths.

In this programme, Ernie Rea and his guests discuss the statutory provision of religion in prison. What is the history and role of prison chaplains? Should the state make provision for prisoners to worship and practice their own faith inside prison. Is radical Islam being propagated within the prison system and what is being done to combat extremist views.

Discussing religion in prison is the Rev Christopher Jones, a former prison chaplain and now Home Affairs Policy Adviser for the Church of England's, Archbishop's Council; Rashad Ali from Centri, a counter extremist organisation; and Frances Crook, the director of the Howard League for Penal Reform.

Producer: Karen Maurice.

In Beyond Belief, Ernie Rea and his guests explore the place of faith in our complex world.

Ernie is joined by three guests who discuss how their own religious tradition affects their values and outlook on the world, often revealing hidden and contradictory truths.

In this programme, Ernie and his guests explore the beliefs, practices and lifestyles of the fastest growing group within Britain's Jewish community - Ultra Orthodox or Charedi Jews.

Much of its rapid growth is down to a high birth rate - they average around seven children per family - but they are also attracting members from other Jewish communities. In Israel they play a key role in electoral politics. But what is their impact in this country? What do they believe? How do they practice? And how do they interact with those who sit outside their community?

Joining Ernie to discuss Charedi Jewry is Rabbi Avraham Printer, Principal of the Yesodey Hatorah Senior School for Girls, Mrs Henya Myer, a member of the Hasidic Congregation in Manchester, and Rabbi Dan Cohn-Sherbok, Professor of Judaism at the University of Wales, Lampeter who belongs to the Reform Movement of Judaism.

The middle interview is with Hillel Athias Robias, now a Liberal Rabbi in London but once Rabbi to a Haredi Congregation.

Producer: Karen Maurice.

In Beyond Belief, Ernie Rea and his guests explore the place of faith in our complex world.

Ernie is joined by three guests who discuss how their own religious tradition affects their values and outlook on the world, often revealing hidden and contradictory truths.

In this edition, Ernie and guests discuss the life, beliefs and enduring legacy of Cardinal Newman, who will be beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in the Archdiocese of Birmingham during his state visit.

John Henry Newman converted from Anglicanism to Catholicism and went on to become a Cardinal in 1879. He was the founder of the Oratories of St Philip Neri, in Birmingham (where he lived until his death on August 11 1890) and in London. Newman's aim was to describe and inspire the Christian mind. His vocation was to help modern people realise the demands of thinking and acting with the mind of Christ and his Church. And it is this legacy which endures today.

Newman will become the first non-martyr saint in England since the Reformation, and de facto the patron saint of converts. Producer: Karen Maurice.

People of faith who have pro-actively built bridges with those from other religions say their work is the most difficult it's ever been. Since the Hamas attack of October 7th 2023 and the conflict in Gaza, previously friendly relations between British Jews and Muslims have been strained. Separately, the British government has withdrawn funding from one national network. Interfaith work can span gatherings in places of worship, sharing bagels and samosas to women's discussion groups, debates and shared charity work.

Giles Fraser asks if this effort is in crisis? And with many feeling disillusioned, is interfaith work worth saving?

Joining Giles to share their experiences and discuss is Rabbi Debbie Young-Somers, Dr Ed Kessler from the Woolf Institute, Julie Siddiqi and Professor Harriet Baber from the University of San Diego.

Presenter: Giles Fraser Editor: Dan Tierney Producers: Rebecca Maxted and Peter Everett Assistant Producer: Ruth Purser

Is religion funny? Or are some subjects just too sacred for satire?

Religious institutions are large establishments, but does this give people the right to joke about them? And can religion itself be seen as funny?

Aleem Maqbool talks to Eman El Husseini, Muslim comedian, and wife of Jewish comic Jess Salomon who together hosted Comedians vs The News on BBC World Service, about her belief that religion itself is funny and how this influences her stand-up material.

Comedians Rachel Creeger, Paul Kerensa, and Aatif Nawaz join our panel to discuss when they started to joke about faith, whether they think religion is funny and whether we should draw a line between what we should and shouldn't joke about.

Producers: Katharine Longworth and Rebecca Maxted Assistant Producer: Ruth Purser

The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu used biblical references in the early days of Israel's armed response to the October 7th massacre, carried out by Hamas. The covenant of Hamas repeatedly uses Islamist rhetoric in its declaration of purpose and intent. But what does scripture and doctrine actually teach about resorting to armed conflict? When is the use of a religious justification legitimate?

Aleem Maqbool and guests explore the intersection of religion, politics and international law when it comes to justifying the use of violence or military action in conflict.

With Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer, a Jewish lawyer and educator who lives in Jerusalem, who is the head of the Haredi division of the Tikvah Fund, a charity dedicated to promoting Jewish thoughts and ideas; Sheikh Dr Usama Hasan, an Islamic scholar and Imam with a background in researching extremism; and Mary-Ellen O’Connell, Professor of Law and International Peace Studies at the Catholic Notre-Dame University in the US, and author of ‘Self-Defence Against Non-State Actors’.

With additional contributions from Rabbi Yakov Nagen, author and leader in interfaith dialogue between Judaism and Islam; and Rev Dr Muther Isaac, a Palestinian Lutheran pastor and Dean of Bethlehem Bible College.

Producer: Rebecca Maxted Assistant Producer: Peter Everett, Ruth Purser Editors: Tim Pemberton and Dan Tierney

Teacher and Tik-Toker Henna Karin-Sayer (@mrsreandpsheteacher) shares her passion for her subject, and the challenges facing those trying to teach religious education today.

A shortage of experienced subject teachers and a very mixed picture in what children are taught has led to a 'post-code lottery' in the quality of RE teaching. The subject has different names and different legal requirements depending on what nation your child goes to school in, but it's compulsory to teach religious education to all children across the UK throughout their school life. The differences are in what is taught, how it's taught and the quality of teaching.

Fiona Moss is the CEO of the National Association of Teachers for Religious Education (NATRE), advising and training hundreds of teachers every year and lobbying for better funding. Stephen Evans is the Chief Executive Officer for the National Secular Society and Rabbi Benjy Rickman is Head of Religious Education at King David High School in Manchester, a Jewish faith school. They debate how the subject is and should be changing and why it's important.

Producer: Rebecca Maxted Assistant Producer: Ruth Purser

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

"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

'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

"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

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.

'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

“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

"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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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