Sunday

In this last ‘Sunday’ of the year, Emily Buchanan looks back at 2024 and forward to 2025.2024 has been a record breaking year for one of the world's busiest pilgrimage routes - the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The rising numbers of pilgrims, as well as the soaring summer temperatures, mean more people are considering ‘coolcation’ pilgrim trails in countries like Norway. Will they catch on?‘Wicked’ has been one of the biggest movies of the year. Emily speaks to Gregory Maguire, the Catholic writer whose novel inspired the hit stage musical and new start-studded film. What was it like writing the backstory of the notoriously evil Wicked Witch of the West?And astronaut Barry 'Butch' Wilmore will be seeing in the New Year in space, having been stranded on the International Space Station since June. He won’t return until well into 2025, and worshippers at his Baptist Church in Pasadena, Texas have been keeping a close watch on the situation.Presenter: Emily Buchanan Producers: Dan Tierney and Saba Za

As Christmas draws near, this week’s Sunday brings the latest religious stories shaping the news agenda.Pope Francis is about to release his autobiography – the first by any pontiff. Among its revelations is a startling account of how UK intelligence foiled an assassination plot during his 2021 visit to Iraq. Colm Flynn, who accompanied the Pope on that trip, shares his insights into the dramatic events.At Great Ormond Street Hospital, the fallout from disgraced surgeon Yaser Jabbar has cast a shadow over its vital work. Yet, amid the challenges, lead chaplain Dorothy Moore Brookes is bringing comfort and joy to families spending Christmas far from home. We join her on the wards to witness the impact of her work.Gold has always been more than a precious metal – it carries deep spiritual significance and a cosmic story. Alan Ereira, author of A History of Gold: How It Shaped Humanity, traces its journey from interstellar collisions to its role in empires and its environmental legacy today.In Gaza City, where t

The people of Syria have been celebrating again this weekend, with many protestors outside the largest mosque in Damascus deriding the former president, Bashar al-Assad, as a "Zombie". With a sense of relief that Assad is now gone, there is anxiety too about what might follow. William Crawley explores how the new regime will affect the religious make up of the country with Makram Rabah, Assistant Professor of History at the American University in Beirut.This week, the justice secretary has said that even under the government's plans to open 14,000 more prison places, they could still run out of space over the next few years. Oasis Restore school opened in the summer and aims to transform the justice system for young people by focusing on education and therapy, rather than punishment and retribution. The Founder, Baptist Minister Steve Chalke, says ‘The philosophy behind everything we do here is not, ‘What have you done wrong?’ but, ‘What’s happened to you?’ For generations, a story has been told in Liverpool'

Notre-Dame is reopening to the public after 5 years of renovation, following a devastating fire in 2019. But the cathedral is much more than a building - and many secular minded people in France would say that it's much more than a cathedral too. We hear from our Paris Correspondent, Hugh Schofield and commentator Agnes Poirier, author of "Notre Dame - the Soul of France".The Archbishop of Canterbury has apologised for causing distress after Church of England abuse survivors criticised his House of Lords farewell speech. Jane Chevous, the co-founder of Survivors Voices joins the programme. The position of women in Afghanistan took another turn for the worse this week as women and girls have told the BBC they've been banned from nursing and midwifery courses. PRESENTER: Edward Stourton PRODUCERS: Katy Davis and Bara’atu Ibrahim STUDIO MANAGERS: Carwyn Griffith and Simon Highfield EDITOR: Chloe Walker

The Bishop of Newcastle who called for the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury talks to us about the price she's paid for rocking the boat.Friday's vote by MPs in favour of the Assisted Dying Bill was certainly historic. But did it also feel like a rejection of traditional religious values? We'll explore that claim on today's Sunday with broadcaster Mark Mardell and Director of Theos Chine McDonald We'll celebrate the start of Advent with Radio 3 as they fill their schedule with Christmas choirs, live from across the UK. PRESENTER: WILLIAM CRAWLEY PRODUCERS: CATHERINE MURRAY & PETER EVERETT STUDIO MANAGERS: SIMON HIGHFIELD & HELEN WILLIAMS EDITOR: TIM PEMBERTON

After a tumultuous week in the Church of England, Emily Buchanan looks at the legacy that Justin Welby will leave behind, how the church can stamp out abuse in future, and what's needed from the next Archbishop of Canterbury.Plus, an interview with Robert Harris, author of Conclave, on the Oscar-tipped movie of the same name.

In this week’s US election, Donald Trump secured the backing of 80% of white evangelical Christian voters. We hear insights from Rev. Robert M. Franklin, Jr., a senior fellow at the Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, and Walter Kim, President of the National Association of Evangelicals.John Smyth ran Christian summer camps in Dorset during the 1970s and 1980s. His “horrific” and violent abuse of over 100 boys and young men was concealed by the Church of England for decades, according to a new report. Edward Stourton speaks with Andrew Graystone, author of Bleedings For Jesus: John Smyth and the Cult of the Iwerne Camps, and Dr Joanne Grenfell, Area Bishop of Stepney and safeguarding lead bishop for the Church of England.Guildford, Surrey, has had a Jewish community for centuries, though it has lacked a rabbi since the expulsion of Jews from England 750 years ago. Now, change is afoot as Alex Goldberg has recently been appointed the town’s new rabbi.Presenter: Edward Stourton Producers: Katy Davis & Am

Edward Stourton presents a special US edition of 'Sunday' from Atlanta, in which he reports on the religious vote from the Bible Belt battleground state of Georgia. With unique access to a broad spectrum of faith communities, he gets analysis on the role of religion in the election.Producers: Dan Tierney (in Atlanta) Catherine Murray Peter Everett Saba ZamanStudio managers: Amy Brennon John Cole Jack MorrisEditor: Tim Pemberton

Julie Etchingham takes a look at the religious and ethical issues issues of the week.

Suspected victims of modern slavery are waiting years before their cases are dealt with, whilst waiting for a Home Office decision. On Friday, Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls Jess Philips announced that the Home Office will hire 200 staff to clear a backlog of UK modern slavery cases. Sunday hears from Major Kathy Betteridge the Director of Anti Trafficking and Modern Slavery for The Salvation Army. Adventurer, writer and TV presenter Alison Morrison speaks about the discovery of a secret tomb underneath the Treasury Monument at the World Heritage site of Petra in Jordan, where more than a million people visit annually. The tomb contained 12 ancient skeletons and various artefacts dating back to the Nabataean people around two thousand years ago. A team including researchers from the University of St Andrews made the discovery using remote sensing equipment, while on a separate study looking at how to control flood waters at the site. Alison speaks about the significance of t

Edward Stourton is in the chair with a debate on what to do with empty churches, as the Church of England blocks plans to allow one in Stoke-on-Trent to become a mosque. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom - an organ of the Federal government based in Washington - has published a report on the Chinese government's efforts to control the country's religions including reports of crosses and images of Jesus and Mary being taken down in churches and replaced with pictures of the Chinese President Xi Jinping.Bond Director Lee Tamahori famous for 'Die Another Day' tells us about his latest blockbuster starring Guy Pearce. 'The Convert' is a film about a missionary and his misgivings about converting Maori tribes to Christianity in 1800's New Zealand.Fr Timothy Radcliffe talks about his surprise at being appointed a Cardinal, his journey to becoming an esteemed preacher and his thoughts on the regalia that comes with being a 'red hat'. Sunday hears from George Antone, one of the last Chri

As Hezbollah confirms the death of its leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike on Beirut, hear about the religion and politics behind Hezbollah from Fawaz Gerges - Professor of International Relations and Contemporary Middle Eastern Studies at the LSE. And William talks to Myriam Shwayri from the Al-Khafat Foundation about efforts to evacuate disabled adults and children from areas affected by explosions in the city.Abortion clinic 'buffer zones' have come into force in Scotland with similar areas on the way for England and Wales by the end of October. William talks to two women on either side of the debate.'He was ebullient, generous-hearted, kind to many, and an inspirational figure. But alongside that, hiding in plain sight, was someone who manipulated and controlled others, bullied and sought to abuse his power.' That is how Mike Pilavachi, the disgraced Anglican priest and former leader of the Soul Survivor church and festivals, is described in the latest report into the scandal. We hear from Ric

Four senior Church of England bishops have accused Israel of acting above the law in the West Bank. In a letter sent to The Observer newspaper, they have called on the UN to move beyond strongly worded resolutions and they say there is little distinction between state and settlor violence. The bishops say the letter has been prompted by the forceful dispossession of a Christian family from their ancestral land outside Bethlehem. Emily Buchanan speaks to one of the signatories, Bishop of Southwark, Christopher Chessun. Our correspondent Hugo Bachega gives us the latest about the situation in Lebanon, where Hezbollah has confirmed that two senior commanders were killed in a strike on the capital Beirut on Friday. Since then Israel has claimed to have hit hundreds of Hezbollah rocket launchers while Hezbollah in turn has fired rockets into Israel's northern region. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said the earlier pager and walkie-talkie explosions which killed 39 people and w

The French Catholic Church has said it will open its files on Abbé Pierre, the priest regarded as something like a modern saint until allegations of sexual harrassment and assault were made against him. The Abbé, who died in 2007, was revered for his pioneering work in setting up Emmaus International which cared for homeless and poor people. Edward speaks to the Paris-based writer Andrew Hussey about reaction to the story in France, and Pat Jones, author of a recent report on the Catholic Church culture and clerical abuse.The Jewish campaign group Nahamu has produced a damning paper on the quality of education in some schools run by the ultra-orthodox Charedi community. Edward talks to its founder Yehudis Fletcher.The Quakers are celebrating 400 years since the birth of their co-founder George Fox. Edward visits his modest memorial in Bunhill Fields in East London and finds out about the other famous non-conformists buried in this part of the city.PRESENTER : Edward Stourton PRODUCERS: Dan Tierney and Catheri

Pupils in England start the new term this week, but will schools ensure that tensions from the riots don't make it into the classroom? We hear from one pupil who was worried about leaving her house after violence erupted on her street in Liverpool and from a headteacher making his school a safe place to talk about anxiety, misinformation and racism. Hear from the Hijabi sex educators helping Muslim women have honest conversations about their bodies and intimacy.As fans scramble for tickets for the reunion, broadcaster Terry Christian talks about the Irish Catholic background that formed Oasis. China and the Vatican get ready to re-sign the controversial and secret agreement that attempts to bring together two versions of the Chinese Church: one underground loyal to Rome and the other state sanctioned and overseen by the Communist state. Is it a betrayal of Chinese Catholics as some critics have said? The Pulitzer prize winning author Marilynne Robinson tells William about the enduring literary and cultural va

The word ‘church’ was not used to describe hundreds of new Church of England congregations, initiatives and community groups set up over the last decade. Research by the Centre for Church Planting Theology and Research, at Cranmer Hall, Durham, found that in the past ten years, around 900 so-called “new things” have been started in 11 dioceses. But none of the dioceses used the term “church” as its main description of those ‘things’. Rev Canon Professor Alison Milbank, theologian and author of The Once and Future Parish (2023), and Rev Canon Dave Male, the Church of England’s co-director for vision and strategy, discuss if this is simply about the choice of language or something deeper? In light of the government's emergency measures put in place in prisons, we’re joined by the lead bishop for prisons, the Right Reverend Rachel Treweek, and David Spencer, Head of Crime and Justice at Policy Exchange, to explore the sentencing of young people and whether custodial sentences are helpful in the long term.Follow

President Zelensky takes the counterattack on Russia to another front with a bid to outlaw the Moscow-controlled Ukrainian Orthodox Church next week.We're asking how your place of worship is tryng to go green? Is it heatpumps or retrofitting? Were there battles on the way? It comes as Emily hears the story of St John's Church in Waterloo which went through court battles and massive bills in the quest to become energy efficient. There's concern from human rights groups about Iraq's plan to halve the age of marriage for girls to 9, We hear from Iraqi-born campaigner Payzee Mahmod and BBC Middle East Editor Sebastian Usher.The Right Reverend Timothy Dudley Smith died aged 97 this week, leaving a monumental legacy of more than 400 hymns. We talk to composer and conductor Noel Tredinnick about the talent of TDS.Astronaut Barry 'Butch' Wilmore is stranded on the International Space Station with his colleague Sunita Williams, until Nasa can work out how to bring them home. In the meantime we've been talking to his P

The language around the attempted assassination of Donald Trump as divine intervention or miraculous and the consequence naming of him in Republican circles as 'God's anointed one' has brought into focus the key role of religion in US politics. How do Trump and his followers use religion and why did he pick a recent convert to Catholicism to be his VP? We speak to Lauren Kerby, Visiting Fellow in Religious Studies at Princeton.Nigeria’s Catholic bishops are objecting to a European Union aid agreement that comes with strings attached – it insists that the governments being helped should adopt progressive policies. Should aid to developing countries be conditional on progressive reforms? To discuss we’ll be joined by Gideon Rabinowitz, Policy Director of Bond, and Professor Sir Paul Collier.Details have emerged of the first archaeological evidence of the Christian community in Bahrain before it was overtaken by Islam in 600s. We speak to Professor Tim Insoll, from the University of Exeter and honorary archaeo

Edward Stourton takes a look at the religious and ethical issues of the week.

With less than two weeks to go until the UK heads to the polls in the general election, the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has once again affirmed how his Hindu faith helps him stay strong, while Keir Starmer has pledged to work with faith communities if he is elected, despite not being a person of faith himself. So does it matter where a Prime Minister stands on faith? Joining us to discuss the issue are Alastair Campbell, who famously advised former PM Tony Blair when he stated "We don't do God" and Dominic Grieve, a former Conservative Attorney General who is an Anglican.The Archbishop of Canterbury has declared his concern about the civil war in Sudan. Justin Welby appealed to outside countries to stop supplying arms to the two sides. And at the UN in New York the Sudanese government has accused the United Arab Emirates of providing weapons to the so-called Rapid Support Forces who have been fighting the army, we’ll be looking at the latest situation in Sudan. The Church of Scotland have confirmed they’re sel