Sunday

On this weekend’s Sunday programme, our Presenter Edward Stourton explores President Putin’s ambitions towards Ukraine and whether religion plays a significant role, with Marat Shterin, Professor of Religion at King’s College London and Co-Editor of the Routledge Journal ‘Religion, State and Society’. Islanders from the British Overseas Territory of St Helena in the Southern Atlantic Ocean are making plans to give more than 300 liberated slaves a respectful reinterment, after their bodies were exhumed for construction work on the Island. The Rt. Revd Dale Bowers, Bishop of St. Helena and Helena Bennett, Chair of the Liberated African Advisory Committee told Edward about the details. Six months after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan for a second time, Edward asks what life is like now for the people of Afghanistan, with BBC Presenter and International Correspondent, Yalda Hakim and Dr Obaidullah Baheer, Lecturer at the American University of AfghanistanAnd on the eve of St. Valentine’s day, we loo

A new statue has been created honouring a medieval Jewish businesswoman thought to have been a victim of 13th century hate crime. Licoricia of Winchester was a money lender whose wealth contributed to the building of Westminster Abbey and helped bankroll three English kings. She was murdered at a time of widespread anti-Semitism and campaigners hope a new statue in her hometown will serve as a powerful reminder of the history of prejudices that still exist today. Hundreds of churches in the UK are preparing to welcome Christians who are moving to this country from Hong Kong. The Home Office expects as many as 300,000 to make the journey in the next year. They're making the difficult decision to leave Hong Kong after the introduction of a controversial new National Security Law, which critics say is eroding freedoms. Danny Vincent reports from Hong Kong. Michael Gove has called for "Christian forgiveness" to be shown to anyone who shows contrition for attending Downing Street parties during lockdown. Forgivene

As tensions rise in Ukraine we explore the religious context and find out how far the split in the Orthodox church in Ukraine reflects the current political crisis. We hear about a plan to change how the Archbishop of Canterbury is selected and we take you to visit an exhibition of icon artists. How does an artist create a piece of work that's both an image and a prayer?The social media and tech companies have plans for us all to work and socialise in a virtual reality world and it's been given a name, the metaverse. So what is the metaverse and what practical applications does it have for religion?On the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday we bring together two bishops who have played an important role in peacemaking in the city. We reflect on how the event was pivotal for both communities and on the efforts to rebuilt trust. Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Producer: Jill Collins Editor: Helen GradyImage copyright Dr Irina Bradley

What is the purpose of religious images and why have some of them caused controversy over the centuries? These are two of the questions addressed by the classics scholar Professor Mary Beard in a two part BBC2 series called ‘Mary Beard on Forbidden Art’. Mary joins Dr Fozia Bora, Associate Professor of Islamic History at the University of Leeds, to discuss some of the themes and ideas in her new documentary.The former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has put his weight behind a campaign to get aid flowing to Afghanistan. Along with Save the Children and a group of faith leaders, he is launching an online petition to persuade the British government to convene an aid conference so that the country’s needs are met. He joins Edward Stourton to discuss the desperate situation in Afghanistan.In 1942, a Jewish woman in Vienna called Kamilla wrote a long letter to her children who had escaped Nazi-occupied Europe and were living in Britain. It was the last letter they got from her. Not long after she wrote it, she was dep

As the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill continues its passage through Parliament, our Presenter Edward Stourton explores why the proposals on Protest are such a contentious issue, with Paul Parker, Recording Clerk for Quakers in Britain. Chaplains are appointed to work in all kinds of places outside the normal life of the Church, from hospitals to care homes, to schools, we hear from some of them on how they've dealt with the pressures of the past two years. One year on from the Inauguration of the 46th President of the United States, Edward discusses how Joe Biden’s Catholic faith has shaped his Presidency so far, with Professor Anthea Butler, Chair of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and Christopher White, Vatican Correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter. China is set to impose restrictions on the sharing of any religious content online, without a special permit from the Government. Mervyn Thomas, Founder President of the Christian Human Rights Organisation CSW

What kinds of faith-inspired statues, sculptures and murals might we see in the future on Britain’s streets and public spaces? Faith groups are among those that have been encouraged to apply for part of a £1 million ‘untold stories’ grant from the Mayor of London which closes on Wednesday and aims to better represent the capital’s communities. The funding follows heated debate in the last few years over which statues should remain standing in the UK. Our reporter Vishva Samani’s been finding out more. The Church of England is live streaming its 100th online service since the pandemic began on the 9th January. Sunday spoke to worshippers who are part of the online community - and Emily Buchanan talks with Amaris Cole head of digital for the Church of England and asks will we be seeing more online services? We saw it in the images from the attack on the US Capitol a year ago - the co-option of pagan symbols by far right extremists in support of their ideologies. The phenomenon isn't confined to the States - in

Following the death of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Bishop David Walker remembers the life and legacy of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate who helped end apartheid in South Africa. Actor and activist Michael Sheen tells William about the transformative encounters that led him to give away a large chunk of his earnings and turn himself into a social enterprise - a not-for-profit actor. Champion baker David Atherton shares his recipe for Florentines and talks candidly about growing up gay in a conservative evangelical Church. He tells William how winning the Great British Bake Off connected him to others struggling to reconcile their sexuality with their strict Christian upbringing. As the Christmas film classic It's A Wonderful Life turns 75, we hear about its religious meaning and how it's taken on the power of a modern-day myth. And we meet the faith groups plugging gaps in local services by providing an army of volunteers - from stewards at vaccination centres to cooks at homeless shelters and shelf-stackers at f

This week Sunday hears from churches how they’re adjusting to the Government’s Plan B in light of rising cases of Omicron. Carol concerts are cancelled, Christmas services face restrictions, and clergy are becoming frazzled and weary. Buddhists at a monastery in Scotland say their silent retreats are being disturbed by gunfire. The Samye Ling Tibetan Centre at Eskdalemuir in Scotland is the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple in western Europe and they are objecting to a planning application asking for six military grade training grounds to be built on surrounding land. Amina Ahmed talks to us about her husband, Mubarak Bala, President of the Humanist Association in Nigeria and a human rights activist. He was arrested last year in Northern Nigeria and accused of blasphemy but, after 19 months in detention, he is still awaiting trial. A centuries old way of life for Gypsies and Travellers is under threat of being criminalised under proposals in the Government's Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill currently

Steven Spielberg’s remake of the musical West Side Story has hit the big screen and with it there is renewed interest in its origins as a story of two lovers divided by religion. The man behind the screenplay for the new version, award winning writer Tony Kushner tells Edward about the film's Jewish roots. In a candid interview with Edward, the former Bishop of Liverpool, James Jones talks about his latest book ‘Justice for Christ’s Sake’ in which he which draws heavily on the lessons he learnt while chairing the Hillsborough Independent Panel. This week the Government reaffirmed its commitment to banning so-called Conversion Therapy. BBC Religious Affairs Journalist Harry Farley talks us through the government's proposals and two Christians with very different views respond to the plans. Reverend Graham Nicholls is Director of Affinity - a Fellowship of Churches, Evangelical Agencies and Christians. He fears a new law would criminalise the teaching of traditional Christian beliefs on marriage. Elinor Kersha

Pope Francis is in Cyprus this week where he said that "walls of fear" and nationalism were slowing down Europe's progress. As he moves onto Greece, another country on the frontline of the migrant crisis, we'll hear how this visit is being greeted on the ground. In the aftermath of the crisis of 2015, when thousands of asylum seekers arrived in Greece, the government there toughened its stance on migrants. How do Catholics in Greece, itself not long in recovery after a deep economic recession, view the Pope and his plea to open borders and offer safe haven to migrants?We're celebrating St Columba, or St Colmcille as he's known in Ireland, who was born in County Donegal 1500 years ago this week. He is revered for his miracles and missionary zeal but as a Nobleman with considerable power, he also had a reputation as a warrior and a troublemaker. We'll separate the fact from the folklore and hear how this Saint who is loved on both sides of the Irish border as well as in Scotland and the North of England now rep

The bible in sign language, the rabbi and Kim Kardashian, and Lord Bishop Sentamu

In the wake of last weekend’s bomb attack in Liverpool, carried out by an apparent convert to Christianity, Emily Buchanan and guests explore the role of religious conversion in the lives of those seeking asylum in the UK.The Stormont executive has agreed to accept all the recommendations of a panel set up to investigate institutions for unmarried mothers in Northern Ireland. We consider the implications and hear the testimony of one survivor, Adele Johnstone.While sayings of the 13th century Sufi poet Rumi are hugely popular on social media, this week ‘Rumi: The Musical’ premieres in London's West End with the aim of getting to the human and spiritual heart of the Muslim mystic.Producers: Dan Tierney Olive ClancyEditor: Helen Grady.

With thousands of migrants stranded in freezing temperatures, we explore the humanitarian crisis unfolding on Poland's border with Belarus. Wojciech Wilk from the Polish Centre for International Aid gives the picture on the ground and journalist Jonathan Luxmoore explains local Church leaders' response. To mark Remembrance Day, our reporter Vishva Samani joins a group of British Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims as they uncover forgotten stories of sacrifice and valour from their own communities. Could the US President be banned from receiving Communion? Some Catholic Bishops are unhappy that Joe Biden, a practising Catholic, supports abortion rights and believe he and other Pro-Choice politicians should be denied the central sacrament of their Chuch. Will a new Church document agree? William explores the issue with Social Justice Campaigner Sister Simone Campbell and Ed Condon, Editor of the Catholic website ‘The Pillar’. FW. De Klerk was the last leader of apartheid South Africa and the man who freed Nelson Mand

The singer Leonard Cohen, who died five years ago, tells the story that a friend once told him: "You never met a religion you didn't like". Listen in to our investigation of his spiritual life and we're fairly confident you'll never hear a Cohen song in quite the same way again. Though he fell out with the Montreal Jewish community he grew up in, his music fuses Judaism and Christianity as well as ideas from Zen Buddism. We hear Cohen's own views on faith from the BBC archive, talk to Harry Freedman author of Leonard Cohen: The mystical roots of genius and of course, hear those songs alongside their inspirations from the Talmud, the Kabbalah and the Bible.Is faith central to the debate about caring for the environment? This week the UK's Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said religious leaders were left to "scramble around" for the chance to make their voices heard at COP 26, the UN summit aimed at bringing climate change under control. As the conference enters a second week Edward Stourton talks to faith leaders ab

“I feel like you almost need to perform to prove you are a Muslim” says makeup artist Zainab Hassan as a survey by Muzmatch confirms the discrimination many Black Muslims feel within some Muslim communities. Imam Rakin Niass and Imam Qari Asim discuss how to tackle this.19 out of 20 of the most popular Christian American pages on Facebook were fake. Karen Hao tells Edward about the troll farms set up to exploit Facebook communities in the run up to last year’s Presidential election.As COP26 begins young activists Lucy Gillingham, Harjot Singh and Priya Koria discuss their hopes and fears for the climate change conference.Bhavik Depala talks of his joy as the Neasden Hindu Temple in London opens its doors to celebrate Divali for the first time since lockdown.The never ending cycle of prayer and music – Vishva Samani looks at the Benedictine tradition of the Divine Office.Producers: Amanda Hancox and Jill Collins Editor: Helen Grady

The Catholic Bishop of Shrewsbury has called for greater recognition of the last rites as an “emergency service”, following concerns that a priest was unable to reach Sir David Amess, a Catholic, at the scene where he was attacked. Meanwhile in Parliament this week, there was talk of this being reflected in a so-called "Amess amendment" to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. Ed Stourton explores the implications.Sectarian violence on the streets of Beirut last week was the deadliest there for more than a decade. Residents are already living through Lebanon’s worst economic crisis for more than three decades and rebuilding their city after last year's port blast. We examine the religious roots of the crisis.Dune, the latest sci-fi blockbuster, is an adaptation of a 1965 novel by Frank Herbert, in which religion, Islam in particular, looms large. We look at how the film deals with the Islamic themes. (Credit: Warner Bros. UK & Ireland; directed by Denis Villeneuve)As part of Black History Month,

On this weekend’s Sunday programme, we continue to explore the future of religious worship, post-pandemic. Our reporter Nalini Sivasthasan looks into the renewed calls to make some Mosques more inclusive spaces for Muslim Women. And our Presenter Emily Buchanan speaks to the Imam and Scholar, Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra. Amidst the growing calls for the restitution of treasures looted from Africa during the colonial era, there sits in the British Museum a contested collection of Sacred Plaques known as Tabots. Campaigners argue that there is no legal impediment to them being restored to their homeland. Father Abate Gobena, a serving Priest and member of the Parish Council at St. Mary’s Ethiopian Orthodox Church in London, explains why these Tabots are so precious to Ethiopians. Author Peter Stanford takes us on ‘church crawl’ across the UK with his latest book ‘If These Stones Could Talk, The History Of Christianity In Britain and Ireland Through Twenty Buildings’. Is a cuddly Deity the best way to help chil

Following in the footsteps of St Colomba, presenter and adventurer Ben Fogle has been on a pilgrimage across the Hebrides to explore themes of community and spirituality, He joins Edward Stourton to describe a personal journey that can be seen in a four part series on BBC One called 'Scotland's Sacred Islands with Ben Fogle'.A survey by Muslim Census has found that large numbers of Muslim students feel compromised by having to take out non halal student loans. The student loan scheme charges interest on money borrowed and under Islamic law interest bearing loans are forbidden. Sadiq Dorasat from Muslim Census exclusively reveals the results of his research.Ahead of the ‘Day of the Scientist’ on Radio Four, Edward talks to two scientists with a religious backgrounds who reflect on the relationship between religion and science – Dr Yadvinder Malhi is professor of Ecosystem Science at Oxford and Dr Monica Grady is professor of Planetary and Space Science at the Open University.Producers: Helen Lee Olive Clancy

Is it possible for intense suffering to bring about great spiritual growth ? That’s the question our Presenter Emily Buchanan explores with the Psychologist and Author Dr. Steve Taylor in his book ‘Extraordinary Awakenings: When Trauma Leads to Transformation. It covers the stories of those who report transcendental experiences after a major trauma such as bereavement or witnessing violent conflict. Over a thousand Church Leaders are signatories to a letter urging the Government not to remove the £20 uplift to Universal Credit. They are asking Government to choose to build a just and compassionate social security system. Emily explores with Rachel Gregory, Policy Manager at Christians Against Poverty and Mohammed Lockhat, Chair of the Peace Centre in Leicester, just what the removal of this uplift means in real terms. BBC 1’s new primetime Sunday night drama Ridley Road is inspired by the true story of a revival of fascism and neo-Nazism in 1962, and the group of Jewish men and women who formed an anti-f

This years' bumper wedding season - postponed because of the pandemic - means difficult flower choices for many a winter bride. The Chelsea Flower Show judge and Royal Wedding florist Shane Connolly believes that using unseasonal flowers at weddings and in churches is a real problem for the environment. Edward Stourton hears from recent brides who chose recycled bouquets and talks to Shane Connolly about "brown flowers" and why he wants churches to give up using plastic foams and imported flowers for good. In the first of a series Sunday Programme investigates faith in a post pandemic world, starting with a look at intriguing new research suggesting that young people - those aged 18 to 34 - are more likely to pray once a month than the over 55s. We discover a world of young people who rejected online worship but have since found prayer communities in unlikely places – from a Muslim basketball team to impromptu Hindu prayer gatherings – and asks if these activities will continue as normality returns.Plus Edwar