Segmented stories podcast: Recent Episodes
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Religion: it’s at the centre of world affairs, but profound questions still remain. Why are you here? What happens when you die? Does God matter? God Forbid seeks the answers.
The recent visit of India’s president Ram Nath Kovind was an historic event - the first ever state visit to Australia by an Indian President. Highlighting the reality that India, like China, is one of the coming world superpowers. But it seems Australia’s relationship with India rarely gets beyond economics and politics. One woman determined to deepen the relationship is the award-winning Australian saxophonist Sandy Evans.
We live in a world of hot takes that are here today and gone tomorrow, but some issues have been baking all year. It’s time to round out 2018 with a final ‘holy hot potatoes’. Our God Forbid panel juggles the burning issues in news and religion.
Church songs are at the heart of the world-famous Soweto Gospel Choir, formed in 2002. Taking its name from the Johannesburg township of Soweto, most of the choir's songs are the gospel tunes sung every week in churches throughout South Africa — a unique combination of Protestant hymns and African tribal traditions.
Since its introduction to Ethiopia in the first century, Christianity has grown across Africa over 2,000 years creating immense and resilient communities of faith. The God Forbid panel examines African Christianity, and how African Australians are helping to grow their own congregations down under in an increasingly secular landscape.
Chris Latham's 'Flowers of War' project has sought to measure the cultural cost of WWI.
The first Remembrance Day services were explicitly Christian, but as Australia has become more religiously diverse the Anzac legend has taken on the qualities of a secular, civic religion.
Melbourne-born Manika Kaur has over 10 million views on Youtube. She sings kirtans, or devotionals songs, and gives away the proceeds through her foundation Kiratan For Causes, which raises funds for education projects in India’s Punjab.
Charity is a virtue that’s almost universally applauded, but institutionalised not-for-profits aren’t nearly as uncontroversial. Is it really a virtue if you can write it off as a tax deduction? Should churches pay income tax? Do the wealthy have too much control over which projects receive funding? James Carleton explores the world of charities, foundations and not-for-profits, both religious and secular.
Grammy-winning conductor Eric Whitacre is one of the world's most popular composers. His Virtual Choir 4.0 was released a couple of years ago. The choir is comprises more than 8000 videos with almost 6000 singers from 101 countries.
The heyday of World of Warcraft saw online players interacting together and forming guilds. Today, artificial intelligence is sophisticated enough that computers are beginning to fill that role instead. Join Kumi Taguchi as she explores AI, gaming and the religious experience.
Dhapanbal Yunupingu is young Indigenous musician on the rise.
One of six daughters of the former lead singer of Yothu Yindi, Dr Yunupingu, Dhapanbal is making a mark on Australia's music scene in her own right. She's become the first Yolngu woman from her home community in Yirrkala in North East Arnhem Land to tour the country with her music.
Women in Christian leadership is a controversial topic in many churches, but for Indigenous Christians, women have been vital to the wellbeing of their communities. James Carleton speaks with three generations of female Aboriginal leaders from across the country. Although they come from different Aboriginal nations and Christian traditions, they all draw inspiration from women who have made their work possible.
Taiko drumming: It's been called the heartbeat of Japan. With a history going back more than 1000 years, today Taiko drumming is still associated with ceremonies in Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, as well as being the drum of choice at every matsuri or Japanese festival. One man who has helped to take Taiko drumming out of its ritual setting and onto the concert stage is Master Bashow Kanagawa, a professional Taiko drummer from the old Japanese imperial capital of Nara.
Ritual is big in Japan, but faith isn’t. It’s the only country where you can be born Shinto, marry Christian and die Buddhist, but up to 80 per cent of Japanese people say they’re not religious. What gives? James Carleton and guest host Kumi Taguchi from Compass explore the rich spirituality of one of the most avowedly secular countries in the world.
The American chant artist Krishna Das is yoga’s rock star. With 15 albums and a Grammy nomination, he’s the best-selling western chant artist of all time. It's ironic given that he had already turned down a rock star lifestyle back in the 1970s.
Some people say religion makes their lives better, but does that mean they’re happier? If you could be happy some other way, would you bother with the religion? Whether you believe happiness is part of the journey or that it's the destination, James Carleton traverses the highs and lows of human emotion.
In Australia, mental health issues are primarily dealt with by health and welfare services, but in many countries, religion and mythology can also play a part. The city of Fez in Morocco is home to the 300-year-old Hamadcha Brotherhood of Sufi Muslim mystics. They perform hypnotic ritual music which they believe has therapeutic value.
If you believe God is in control of all things, experiencing anxiety and depression can be a shock to the system. This week, James Carleton speaks to an Anglican minister and a Muslim slam poet – both of whom navigated these choppy waters firsthand.
Tenzin Choegyal has played with some of the world's most famous Buddhist musicians, including Philip Glass, Patti Smith and Laurie Anderson. He also opens for the Dalai Lama when he tours Australia. After completing work on the upcoming documentary film titled, The Last Dalai Lama? Tenzin speaks to Geoff Wood about his guru and reincarnation.
Buddhists around the world celebrate the birth, death and enlightenment of the Buddha all on the same holy day – Vesak. Aspects of Buddhism are popular in the West, with mindfulness and meditation courses being taken by all kinds of people, from suburbanites to CEOs. But is that the full picture? Guest host Joe Gelonesi traverses the Noble Eightfold Path.
The songs of the Sephardim, the Spanish Jewish tradition that developed after the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492, have survived more than 500 years of dispersal and exile.
The language of the songs is Ladino, a mixture of early Spanish and Hebrew.
Yasmin Levy is one of the world's finest and most passionate interpreters of the songs of the Sephardim.
As Israel marks its 70th birthday, Palestine mourns Nakba – the catastrophe. This week Jews celebrate the gift of the Torah during Shavuot. Israel was founded as a Jewish state, but does every expression of Judaism feel equally at home? In a difficult week, James Carleton grasps the nettle and talks about Israel and the conflict between and within religions.
He’s a Catholic priest, and a founding member of the Community of Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in the South Bronx. But Fr Stan Fortuna is best known worldwide as ‘the rapping priest’.
Is the Pope a Catholic? Some believers aren’t quite sure. Since his election in 2013, Pope Francis has become one of the most controversial pontiffs in hundreds of years. Will the church veer into theological liberalism, or stick with tradition? Or will Francis forge his own path?
The famous Protestant theologian Reinhold Niebuhr wrote what came to be known as the Serenity Prayer in the 1930s. Since then its taken on a life of its own, including widespread use in 12 step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous.
It’s no joke: For people of every faith – or none – whether you take alcohol or drugs is a big deal. But the rules vary wildly, even within a tradition. Some Christians include alcohol as a core part of their most sacred ritual, but other Christians forbid its use altogether. How come?
James Carleton dives into what helps people choose to use, and how to stop.
L-FRESH the Lion is a young member of one of the youngest world faiths. Based in Sydney's west, he has released two albums of Sikh-inspired hip hop. His second album 'Become' was released in 2016, marking him as a musician of faith with a growing global reputation.
Jewish Klezmer music finds its origins in the shtetls or villages of Eastern Europe in the 18th century. It was developed by Orthodox Jews known as Hasidim, but is now enjoyed the world over. Although now untethered from its Hasidic roots, Klezmer maintains its spiritual foundation.
Oops! You’ve done wrong, and now you cannot pass Go, and you do not collect $200. We generally agree that to err is human, and to forgive is divine – but is forgiveness always possible? On the intersection of Passover and Easter, James Carleton explores what Jews and Christians think about the gift of a second chance.
Stanley Gawurra Gaykamungu is a singer-songwriter known simply as Gawurra. He's a Yolngu man from north-east Arnhem Land.
His debut album is Vine of Love – which is based on the song line, or dreaming track – which is the path followed by the Yolngu creator being during the dream time.
Jesus said for his followers to go and make disciples of all nations, but it feels like something went wrong. James Carleton speaks to Aboriginal Christians Brooke Prentis and Kathleen Butler to find out if it’s possible to untangle the conversion from the coercion, and to see how – far from being wiped out – Dreamtime spirituality is actually changing Christianity in Australia.
In January 2011 music, religion and politics collided in Cairo’s Tahrir Square as the Arab Spring protests gathered pace. One man at the forefront of the protests was Ramy Essam.
Sure, the Enlightenment was good, but it wasn’t everything. At least, that’s what these thinkers say. In this episode James Carleton hears about the past, present and future of western democracy.
Founded in Birmingham by Carol Pemberton, Black Voices brings a distinctively British gospel sound to the table, mixing African and Caribbean influences, including reggae, into their songs.
Feminism can be seen as an F-word in communities of faith, and given what’s said about women in many holy texts, feminists can be just as sceptical of religion.
James Carleton speaks with two religious feminists who say faith can and does liberate women – but only if they can take positions of leadership in religious institutions.
The classic slogan from Apple aimed to convert Windows users to a different operating system, but don’t worry, we’re not trying to sell you anything—we’re talking changing religion.
Rumi’s poetic search for spiritual truth has united people all of all persuasions, including Australia. So why does his work endure?
It’s only been 39 years since Iran went from Shah to sharia. Replacing 2500 years of Persian monarchy with a new Islamic republic isn’t exactly simple – so where to from here?
Birdsong and music, a labyrinth and the healing properties of natural sound.
They’re all part of the mix as we meet composer Corrina Bonshek.
She’s known simply as Nell, and she's a Sydney-based visual artist, and AC/DC-loving Buddhist whose work is a search for meaning through the rituals and iconography of popular culture.
As dark and dystopian shows ride a wave of popularity, the sexual abuse crisis engulfs the media industry.
Is there any part of popular media which can be redeemed?
Creation myths aren’t confined to religion.
Rock music has its own foundational myth - the musician selling their soul at a crossroads at midnight.
It’s a motif that runs from early blues singers to rock giants like the Stones and Led Zeppelin.
From Homer’s Odyssey to Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, the hero myth is ubiquitous. Sacred stories are fundamental to the major religions, too. So, how relevant are these ancient myths in modern society?
Imagine a world without the sublime music of Bach?
It was Luther's influence on church music that gave us this composer's works of art.
The Reformation was a seismic event that changed Christianity, politics and even modern day music.
Musician David Bridie’s latest project, ‘a Bit na Ta’, reveals the musical and ceremonial life of the indigenous Tolai people of Rabaul in Papua New Guinea.
The Tolai have long nurtured their own spiritual connections with the environment.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott says climate change activism is like a post-Christian religion, but is he right according to his own Catholic faith?
Join our guests for a lively conversation about the role religion plays in environmental activism.
Australian artist and director George Gittoes believes that you can change society through art. And he says humans are spiritual beings who should stop killing each other.
War? This week a Guardian Essential poll revealed most Australians fear war between the United States and North Korea.
Two of Australia’s finest musicians, composer and conductor Nigel Westlake and singer-songwriter Lior, recently completed a unique musical work called Compassion, sung in Arabic and Hebrew.
Yom Kippur is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Join us as our guests take us through history and culture, and some fun along the way.
The Requiem, or Requiem Mass, the traditional Catholic Mass for the Dead, has provided a ritual framework for grief for almost 1000 years. Since the 19th century however, composers and musicians have taken the Requiem out of the church, reflecting our changing attitudes to death.
Our worlds are crushed when we lose someone we love.
We reach out to our friends and family, beliefs and rituals to get us through.
How do we say goodbye?
It's an instrument that was played by the Hindu Goddess of learning--Saraswathi, and it resembles the human body to many.
World-renowned veena musician, Nirmala Rajasekar speaks with Geoff Wood about her passion for the instrument that's fascinated her since childhood
The partition of India left a million dead in the violence which followed the division of the country.
Why, when the mainly Hindu and Muslim populations lived generally in peace, was the partition so bloody?
Throughout Asia, pilgrimage sites can be counted in the thousands, ranging from the most famous Indian centres associated with the Buddha's life to temples in Korea, China, Japan and South-East Asia.
Many pilgrims say their experience is a profound, life-changing one. Is it a human urge to find the part of ourselves that is good?
Fiona Horne is a best-selling author, radio and TV personality.
She's also a commercial pilot, and the face of modern Witchcraft.
Join our panel of expert cauldron stirring, spell casting sorcerers who will use all manner of wizardry to explain it all
With millions of views on YouTube, Sikh performer Manika Kaur is taking her tradition's songs into new musical and technological territories..
Her album, ‘I Bow To You Waheguru’ is an independent release with all proceeds going to charity.
It's is Tu b’av today – the day of love on the Jewish calendar.
To mark the day, Geoff Wood speaks to two young Australian composers, part of the ‘Out of the Shadows’ festival of refugee Jewish music, staged by the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and the Seymour Centre, 5-13 August.
Our two apostates go head to head on unorthodox ordination and transvestitism in the church, and do surprisingly well.
David Tchapat is one of eight children born into an Exclusive Brethren family. He escaped the protestant sect, but his brother stayed.
Religion separates the human being from the environment'.
Australian singer-songwriter William Crighton on growing up Christian, leaving faith behind, and Jesus Blues.
Leaving religion behind is often seen as cause for celebration.
But is it always like that?
Publicly renouncing religion in a Muslim-majority country carries high stakes.
But even in secular countries, turning your back on religion can raise moral questions.
From the celebrations of National Reconciliation Week, a feature on the ‘fresh new prince’ of hip-hop in the Top End, Danzal Baker, AKA Baker Boy.
Why are there abandoned or empty churches when just over half of Australia's population call themselves Christian?
Our panel seeks out some answers.
This week we ask the God Forbid panel is it hard to come out as Christian in an increasingly secular country
Comedy and satire this week as our guests wrestle with colonialism, independence, and cricket.
An international comedy sensation, and a political science student who works part time as a stand up comedian debate and disagree on what Hinduism is about.
What's the fine line between satire and insult? Why was The Book of Mormon so successful?
Kristina Kenneally and Monica Doumit go head-to-head to out-Catholic each other - in a spirit of love and charity of course!
Suzie MacIntyre from Caritas Australia is inspired by the women she works alongside whose faith inspires them to acts of great courage and generosity.
Ani Choying Drolma is a Nepalese Buddhist rock star nun making her mark on the world of music.
Kristina Kenneally and Monica Doumit are both Catholics but have very different views about whether women can be ordained as priests.
Kristina Kenneally and Monica Doumit are both Catholics but approach their faith in different ways. So why are they both active in this church?
What happens if you fall in love with someone from the 'wrong' religion or culture? Tami Sussman and Sureka Goringe chat about 'marrying out'.
Mandaeans are a tiny religious group who follow John the Baptist. They're on the brink of extinction, but some are finding a new life in Australia.
What are the little black boxes Jewish men use during morning prayer? They're called tefillin, and Kim Gotlieb explains what they're for and why they make him feel connected to his religious tradition.
Known for wearing turbans and having long beards, Sikhs are still sometimes mistaken for Muslims. Who are the followers of Sikhism and what do they believe? Dya Singh and Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa explain.
Why do Sikhs have long hair and carry daggers? There are five things all Sikhs should wear, and conveniently they all start with K. Sanjit Kaur explains each item and how it contributes to Sikh identity.
The creation accounts in Christianity and Indigenous Dreamtime stories seem contradictory, but Evelyn Enid Parkin explains how she finds truth in both.
Jessie Lloyd is searching for the secular songs sung after church on Aboriginal missions. Its a project that preserves rare songs and almost-forgotten stories.
Perhaps you have heard that "All religions are essentially the same", but did you know there's a religion that truly believes it? Baha'is teach the oneness of God, the oneness of religion and the oneness of humanity.
If you lose the most important person in your life, even the idea of being happy can seem like a betrayal. Dr Maria Sirois is a clinical psychologist and grief councillor with experience of helping people through some of the most difficult times of their lives.
Jenny Valentish is a journalist who writes about the female experience of drug and alcohol addiction – including her own. Her work is brutally honest and revealing.
Not only does Sue Langley help Todd Sampson overcome his greatest fears on national television, she’s a consultant who helps businesses assess the emotional intelligence of their staff. But it’s not about putting on a happy face, and “just giving the right answer” is more difficult than you think.
A clinical psychologist, a mindfulness practitioner, and a positive psychology expert join forces to discover if heaven really is a place on earth. What’s the secret to everlasting happiness?
Irfan Yusuf is a Muslim who, due to illness, cannot fast during the holy month of Ramadan. So what’s the point? He's here to explain.
Malek Jandali is a composer-pianist who wants to turn his country’s pain into a healing symphony.
Shane Houston is a Gangulu man from Rockhampton, a Deputy Vice-Chancellor and oversees Indigenous strategy at Australia’s oldest university.
An Indigenous professor, a Muslim AFL player and a Syrian-American composer unpack their identities and explore what it means to think differently.
What makes a real Christian? Or a real Muslim for that matter? As we know all too well, for as long as there have been religions, there have been rules about who’s in and who’s out.
In one short week this June – there’s barely a corner of the world that hasn’t been touched by terrorism and war.
Can one believe in the rainbow serpent as spirit creator and the bible at the same time? Theologian and Quandamooka woman Evelyn Enid Parkin thinks so.
This week we ask the God Forbid panel is it hard to come out as Christian in an increasingly secular country?
Musician Dya Singh has written a part memoir / part self help book / part explanation of the mysteries of Sikhism.
What do Sikhs think when hate crimes are targeted against them in the mistaken belief they are Muslim?
The ancient Mandaeans of Mesopotamia are Iraq's small community of Gnostics.
Australia is now home to about 5,000 who survived ISIS persecution, and who mainly live in Western Sydney.
What goes with many media discussions on terrorism, and Islamist terrorism in particular?
Gill Hicks is the founder of M.A.D ( Making a Difference) for Peace.
She lost both of her legs in the London attack over a decade ago.
But, she sees the answer to the violence of terrorism in the refusal to go down the same path of division and hatred.
We celebrate National Reconciliation Week with the ‘fresh new prince’ of hip-hop in the Top End, Danzal Baker, aka Baker Boy.
A comedian, author and journalist who pioneered improvisational comedy in Pakistan, now living in Australia, and a former ultra orthodox Jew from Melbourne who goes where angels fear to tread.
Comedy and satire this week as our guests wrestle with colonialism, independence, and cricket.
Teasing out stereotypes, skin colour, racism and why the story of the Indian diaspora in the English speaking world is a phenomenal success story
In Palliative Care Week – a reminder the living and the dying aren’t always separated by illness, sometimes, in some ways – they’re brought closely together.
An international comedy sensation, and a political science student who works part time as a stand up comedian
Cuts to overseas aid and random drug testing of those who are unemployed. How do these square with Christian beliefs'?
Are you a person with progressive values?
Do you support equality?
If you answered yes, then Professor Iain Benson will tell you that you don't believe in anything because those words mean nothing
An international singing star and women’s rights activist, Ani Choying Drolma released 12 albums of spiritual songs and melodies over the last 20 years.
The Reverend Peter Chapman, a Uniting Church Minster in Gerringong who is not keen on the liberal direction his church is taking.
And Father Rod Bower, Rector at the Gosford Anglican Church who takes a socially progressive view of Christianity, and whose billboards have gone viral on social media.
Persecution on the basis of religion is something Prince Charles has been trying to draw attention to.
He is the future head of the Church of England, and says there is and must always be hope. It's a message that gets lost in the ongoing news of suffering and despair.
In 1967, the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King walked up to the pulpit at his Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia.
What followed was a sermon on non-violence that has inspired Christians and pacifists ever since.
It was Reverend Chris Bedding's burning issue last month on Easter Day – he quoted Dr King in his sermon.
The Islamic Revolution in 1979 was a disaster for Bahais.
They were abducted, their homes were burned down and the community suffered massive persecution.
But Bahai persecution began long before that.
You've heard his music: the Jackson Five's ABC, Seals and Crofts' Summer Breeze, and Boz Scaggs' Lowdown to name a few pop hits
But did you know he is a Baha'i?
Who are the Baha'is, and why are they a thorn in the side of the Iranian government?
What do they have to say about gender equality and human rights?
A Bahai solicitor whose family fled religious persecution and an Anglican priest cum part-time stand up comedian
What do you get if you cross the rock star physicist Brian Cox with Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys?
The Jehovah's Witnesses have been in the news with Russia's ban of the group. But what are their beliefs'?
An atheist who invented a new prostate cancer drug, and a believer who can fix the weather, cure your existential angst, and do your rego inspection.
Conversions, celebrities and a clash of civilisations. Our guests play for the high stakes of editorial control of the ABC.
Don't miss the cliff hanger ending!
Dating back to the sixth century, the shakuhachi is a Zen Meditation instrument. But it's recently become known through contemporary music performances around the world
A musician and diplomat who says the ANZAC legacy is a complex one because it's also a living one.
An internationally acclaimed composer working with the dying and those experiencing dementia, and a women's AFL coach in the Sydney suburb of Auburn
Feasts, chocolate bunnies, holidays and why are Christians so much better than Jews at recruiting children to religion?
Pope Francis said – while there are many excuses not to give to beggars - giving is always right.
But what about scammers? how do you know your money is helping someone?
A case worker who supports the homeless in Sydney. A woman raised Catholic in a family of Mormons , and a former journalist who is now homeless and wouldn't have it any other way.
Alien spaceships, the Bhagwan's Rolls Royces, salmonella in the salad, purifying enemas. Something for everyone in this week's quiz.
Amy Winehouse was an interesting religious mix: Jewish, but an exponent of the soul revivalist genre that has its roots in gospel.
Author of Breakout, David Tchappat, on his exit from the Exclusive Brethren, and a response from his brother Mark who stayed.
Some organisations that don't look like cults act like cults. What is a cult anyway, and how can you tell?
An excommunicated lesbian Mormon, a churchgoing aficionado of Eastern mysticism and a cult-busting Orthodox Jew walk into a recording studio...
Academy Awards, profundity and transcendence, DJ mixes of oboe classics. Levels of eclecticism through the roof as our atheist and our Christian apologist square off.
It's gold, it's on a stand, it's ornate and jewel encrusted. What on earth (or in heaven) is it?
"Moral relativism" is the great rallying cry of Christians who fear an erosion of moral certainty in the secular age. If God is taken out of the picture, where do we anchor our sense of right and wrong?
The stories of three remarkable women whose faith has inspired them to acts of great courage and generosity.
Yusuf Islam - aka The Artist Formerly Known As Cat Stevens - visited Australia this week, prompting some to ask why a "murder advocate" had been allowed into the country.
Free speech brings together an unlikely cast of characters as our panel fixes eyes on the prize.
Coopers Brewery mounted a PR campaign that turned into a scandal. Are we all getting a little too thin skinned? Is free speech under threat?
The government proposes to change the wording of the Racial Discrimination Act - the answer to a genuine problem, or an unnecessary step?
Louis CK on the advantages of whiteness, and thoughts on this week's Westminster terror attack.
It's white-knuckle Catholic vs Catholic action as we explore a vandalised memorial, a former underwear model, and how to sell your house.
It's a dangerous time for the Catholic church, as the ongoing child sex abuse crisis prompts reformers and reactionaries to pull in different directions.
Christians believe that humans are formed in the image of God, and this makes bioethics a minefield.
Lent is the season leading up to Easter, a six-week period for Christians to reflect on sin, repentance and prayer. Spiritual discipline, a weird kind of fun, or morbid indulgence in guilt?
Will women in the Catholic church ever be priests? Should they be priests? We look for middle ground between two contrary positions.
Our two apostates go head to head on unorthodox ordination and transvestitism in the church, and do surprisingly well.
Sikhs are instructed to wear five things at all times. Conveniently, they all begin with the letter K. Sanjeet Kaur explains.
Rev Dr Margaret Mayman is minister at Pitt Street Uniting Church in Sydney, and she's striking a blow for marriage equality.
'Religion separates the human being from the environment'. Australian singer-songwriter William Crighton on growing up Christian, leaving faith behind, and Jesus Blues.
Leaving religion behind is often seen as cause for celebration. But is it possible to miss God, even after you've stopped believing?
Publicly renouncing religion in a Muslim-majority country carries high stakes. But even in secular Australia, turning your back on religion can raise moral questions.
The confetti flies as our guests go head-to-head in this celebrity nuptial themed quiz.
Translating scripture has always been a controversial undertaking - we look at the Bible Society of Australia on its 200th birthday.
We explore patriarchal culture and the church in the Pacific, human rights vs communal rights, feminism and God.
Have advocates of same-sex marriage shot themselves in the foot by framing the issue as "marriage equality"?
Religious faith is supposed to be radical - but not everyone is comfortable with the idea.
Halal wall paints, halal cat food, halal shirt buttons: a scam designed to fleece the faithful?
Martyrdom has a history that's as long as religion itself. But is there a relationship between dying for your faith and killing for your faith?
We trace the history of the Monkey character - from ancient Chinese legend, through TV and pop opera, to the blockbuster movie Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back.
Religion and politics are supposed to be separate, but some strange magnetic force keeps pulling them back together.
Dialogue between the faiths: crucial bridge-building exercise, or insipid excuse for photo ops and tea drinking?
Last week we heard a Catholic priest describe himself as celibate while leading a "healthy sexual life". How does this work?
Does Islam oppress women? Can you separate the religion from the culture? and what is shariah anyway?
With abuse of elders on the rise, we're talking about the place of older people in our society.
Fifty Shades Darker — a bold take on sexuality, or a dismal reminder of how dysfunctional human relationships can be?
We discuss this week's revelations from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.