Logo
    Search

    Religion Media Centre Podcast

    The only podcast to sit firmly in the space where religion and the media collide. We ease that relationship, strengthen links that already exist, and be part of building new ones through chat, reflection, and comment, with a panel of regular contributors of journalists, broadcasters, writers, comedians, and experts.
    enReligion Media Centre53 Episodes

    Episodes (53)

    Campaign launched to solve RE teacher shortage

    Campaign launched to solve RE teacher shortage

    A campaign to attract a new generation of RE teachers has been launched by a number of Religious Education teaching organisations after applications plummeted by a third this year.

    The reasons given were workload, pay and retention, alongside outdated perceptions that RE teachers must have a theology degree and/or a religious belief.

    In a Religion Media Centre briefing, our panel explained how RE has changed from Christian instruction to an exploration of world views, helping young people move into a world where they have to navigate complex, challenging, and difficult issues. 

    Young people and their parents are starting to value it more, but school systems haven’t caught up with the changes.

    The “Beyond the Ordinary” campaign aims to attract graduates and others wanting a career change, and our briefing suggested university theology and religious studies departments have a key role in encouraging new recruits.

    The shortage of qualified RE teachers means many lessons are delivered by teachers with no specialist training and this may be behind an increase in demand for local religious leaders to come into schools to explain their faith. The briefing heard of a project to consider rules of best practice, warning of the damage that can be done if the wrong kind of thing is said – all the more reason to ensure the provision of qualified RE teachers.

    Our panel was: Dr Kathryn Wright, Chief executive, Culham St Gabriel's Trust; Dr Tim Hutchings, Assistant Professor in Religious Ethics at the University of Nottingham; Heather Williams, associate tutor in Religious Education at Edge Hill University, Liverpool; and Catherine Hughes, chair of SACRE at St Helens, Merseyside.

    Links

    Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

    Contact Information

    info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
    (+44) 0203 970 0709

    Pope Francis marks ten years in office

    Pope Francis marks ten years in office

    Pope Francis’ election ten years ago was a huge surprise. His humble, simple style confused the faithful – he chose to live in a suite at the Casa Santa Marta guesthouse, instead of the papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace. He carried his own suitcase, took the bus, and used a small car. His first pastoral visit was to the island of Lampedusa off the coast of Sicily to pray for refugees and migrants lost at sea. Throughout his ten years, he has spoken for the marginalised and his marks of office are servant leadership.

    Reflections on his ten years in office were offered by panellists in a Religion Media Centre Briefing, marking the anniversary of his election on 13 March 2013. They spoke of his determination to tackle issues of social justice and equality head-on, his bravery in starting a process of consultation “synodality” to animate the grassroots of the church, his appeals for peace in Ukraine and South Sudan, his constant attention to issues of global concern such as poverty, war and climate change, demanding action in response.

    His understanding of the church as embracing all including the marginalised has led him to offer the “help of sacraments” to divorced Catholics and saying of LGBTQ+ people “who am I to judge?”. While held in high affection by the majority of Catholics, during the last ten years, he has attracted venomous opposition, especially in the United States, with a ferocity unprecedented in many ways. And despite his ill health and mobility issues, it has become clear that he intends to stay in office rather than retire early like his predecessor.

    Our panel: Christopher Lamb, Vatican correspondent for The Tablet, journalist, and author of The Outsider: Pope Francis and His Battle to Reform the Church; Professor Anna Rowlands, St Hilda Associate Professor of Catholic Social Thought & Practice in the Department of Theology and Religion, University of Durham; The Bishop of Salford, John Arnold; Kerry Weber, Executive Editor, America magazine; and Fr Damian Howard, Provincial Superior of the Society of Jesus.

    Links

    Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

    Contact Information

    info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
    (+44) 0203 970 0709

    Is there a place for private conscience in modern politics?

    Is there a place for private conscience in modern politics?

    There is much more to the Kate Forbes row over same-sex marriage than secularism versus out-of-date conservative Christianity, according to commentators in this week’s Religion Media Centre briefing. The key issue is the place of conscience which seems fixed, infallible, and impervious to change. And the intense media commentary illustrates that religious convictions are treated in a different league from political dissent.

    Hosted by Rosie Dawson, our guests are: Simon Barrow, director of the religion and society think tank Ekklesia; Dr Jessica Scott, University of Nottingham; Ben Rich, Chief Executive of Big Tent and Radix, and Tim Farron's former chief of staff; Nick Spencer, senior fellow at think tank Theos; Yahya Birt, research director of the Ayaan Institute; and Frank Cranmer, honorary Research Fellow at the Centre for Law & Religion UK.

    Links

    Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

    Contact Information

    info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
    (+44) 0203 970 0709

    RMC Big Interview: Delia Smith ponders on the inner strength of the human spirit

    RMC Big Interview: Delia Smith ponders on the inner strength of the human spirit

    The doyenne of British cooking and the passionate owner of Norwich Football Club, Delia Smith, took a massive step outside her comfort zone last year. The bestselling author of countless cookery books, famed for teaching the nation to boil an egg, has made headlines with an altogether different kind of read. In “You Matter: The Human Solution”, she considers human nature, that we all matter, we are all unique, and all have our own responsibility in the universe. In the Big Interview with the RMC’s Roger Bolton, she says that she is utterly optimistic about the strength of the human spirit and would “probably die for it”. Baptised in the Church of England, Delia Smith converted to Catholicism aged 22 and says in this book that she hopes to encourage people to realise their inner strength in order to understand their unique role in the world.

    Links

    Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

    Contact Information

    info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
    (+44) 0203 970 0709

    Churches ‘critical’ in supporting Ukraine’s people, living through one year of hell

    Churches ‘critical’ in supporting Ukraine’s people, living through one year of hell

    As the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine approaches, the full extent of the devastation of war is being assessed. 7,200 civilians have been killed and almost 12,000 injured. 8 million people have fled as refugees and 5 million are displaced within the country. In this Religion Media Centre briefing, faith leaders discuss the way churches have played a critical role in providing humanitarian aid with the need for food and shelter developing into provision of “psycho-social support” for the many dimensions of living in a country torn by war.

    The fracturing of the Orthodox church was discussed, with churches, priests and congregations changing their allegiance from Moscow to Constantinople instead. And in the UK, where more than 150,000 refugees have settled, civil society and church groups have been mobilised to care for people who arrived with nothing. Catholic Ukrainian churches were on the front line, and now there is a brand new church in the UK, the Ukraine Orthodox church, still looking for a building to call home.

    Leo Devine hosts this discussion with Peter Robertson, from Christian Aid, a senior journalist on humanitarian aid who has recently visited Ukraine to report on the front line; Rev. Fr. Myroslav Pushkaruk, who is establishing additional Ukrainian Orthodox parishes in the UK; Father Taras Khomych, Catholic Priest of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and senior lecturer in early Christian literature and Byzantine theology at Liverpool Hope Univechurchrsity; Sergei Chapnin, from the Orthodox Christian studies centre, Fordham University, New York; and Krish Kandiah, founder of Sanctuary UK who has mobilised places of refuge for Ukrainian people.

    Links

    Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

    Contact Information

    info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
    (+44) 0203 970 0709

    The Asbury revival – understanding the charismatic non-stop spontaneous worship

    The Asbury revival – understanding the charismatic non-stop spontaneous worship

    For almost two weeks, a revival has taken place at Asbury College, Kentucky, where thousands of people have taken part in non-stop praise and worship. It began with students following a regular chapel service that snowballed through live feeds and social media to include thousands of people of all ages, some of whom travelled thousands of miles to be part of the experience.

    It resembled revival meetings of old, with singing of familiar songs, free-flowing prayer, and kneeling in repentance. But this was a charismatic experience, which included soft speaking in tongues, movement and arms held high in praise.

    In our briefing, historians observed that revivals are a fairly regular occurrence at Asbury college, which grew out of the Methodist revival movement.

    Academics who have studied revivals explained they can be explained not just as a psychological phenomenon but as a response to change, often happening at a time when people feel they are losing something important to their identity. Now American religion is in decline, with fewer people, especially younger people, saying they are affiliated to Christianity, and it is a moment of cultural crisis. 

    Comparisons were noted with the insurrection on Capitol Hill, where protesters blew shofar horns, sang songs and prayed, and it is said there is an overlap between some of the people attending the revival and those who were Trump supporters. Politicians, it is said, have used the model of revival worship to whip up political support in campaigning tactics.

    The Asbury revival has united people of different generations and political ideas. It is different to others in that it has no identifiable leaders - it sprang up spontaneously and is organic in nature. It is an amateur rather than a professional enterprise which has a paid group of preachers leading it.

    Could it happen in the UK? A Methodist minister, Rev Ashley Cooper, explained that all Methodists pray for revival, but in the broadest sense of the transformation of the church and the nation, not for an effervescent moment, though it is in those warm experiences that awakening can occur.

    Our guests in the briefing were Bob Smietana, reporter with the Religion News Service; Dr John Maiden, Head of Department of Religious Studies at the Open University; Dr Leah Payne, Associate Professor of American Religious History, George Fox University; Rev Ashley Cooper, principal of Cliff College, Derbyshire; and Kami Rice, former student president at Asbury College.

    Links

    Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

    Contact Information

    info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
    (+44) 0203 970 0709

    Church buildings in deprived areas closing more quickly than in affluent communities

    Church buildings in deprived areas closing more quickly than in affluent communities

    Churches in England are being forced to close due to crumbling buildings, declining congregations, and loss of income. But a report from Church Action on Poverty concludes that churches in deprived areas in Greater Manchester are closing at a faster rate than in more affluent neighbourhoods.

    The report ‘Is the Church Losing Faith in Low-Income Communities in Greater Manchester?’ compared the number of churches in the city in 2010 with those that remain in 2020. Its findings were discussed in an RMC briefing hosted by Rosie Dawson with many guests working in churches in the margins. Niall Cooper, director of CAP, says there must be a reason why churches in deprived areas are closed more frequently and believes there are forces at play, where churches with fewer resources, less money, and potentially fewer human assets are the ones that close.

    Links

    Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

    Contact Information

    info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
    (+44) 0203 970 0709

    RMC Big Interview: Michael Wegier, CEO Board of Deputies of British Jews

    RMC Big Interview: Michael Wegier, CEO Board of Deputies of British Jews

    The chief executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Michael Wegier, has been speaking about his passionate moderation and optimism in a difficult job, with the desire of British Jews for a robust, secure community. Speaking to Roger Bolton for the Religion Media Centre’s Big Interview, he expressed his “absolute belief” in Sir Keir Starmer’s “root and branch” approach to stamping out antisemitism, saying the community experienced a very difficult period when Jeremy Corbyn was Labour leader but that his successor was making amends. In a wide-ranging interview, he was asked about politics in Israel,  the need for education about Judaism in the UK, the holocaust memorial, and relationships with the media.

    Links

    Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

    Contact Information

    info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
    (+44) 0203 970 0709

    Tangled legacy of the Church of England’s debate on same-sex marriage

    Tangled legacy of the Church of England’s debate on same-sex marriage

    Exhausted, sad, confused, anxious, and angry - the legacy of the Church of England’s tortuous eight-hour debate on same-sex blessings. The general synod re-stated church doctrine on marriage but allowed same-sex blessings, with bishops promising to produce suggested prayers and pastoral guidance by July. In this Religion Media Centre Briefing, our bewildered panel said there was so much more information they need – on the nature of marriage, the response of the worldwide Anglican communion, what the guidance will say about clergy in same-sex marriages, how to be united in a deeply divided church, and the possibility of alternative parallel structures.

    Rosie Dawson hosted this conversation with the Bishop of Lancaster Jill Duff; the Bishop of Reading Olivia Graham; Rev Dr Ian Paul; Rev Dr Charlie Bell; Ed Shaw, co-chair of the Church of England Evangelical Council; Professor Helen King, vice chair of the gender and sexuality group on general synod; Busola Sodeinde, a Church Commissioner; Rev Dr Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, church historian and theologian and acting archdeacon of Liverpool; and Nicola Denyer, lay minister from Newcastle.

    Links

    Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

    Contact Information

    info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
    (+44) 0203 970 0709

    Historic peace pilgrimage of three church leaders to South Sudan

    Historic peace pilgrimage of three church leaders to South Sudan

    Journalist Ruth Peacock hosts a discussion about The Pope, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, and the moderator of the Church of Scotland the Rev Dr Iain Greenshields visiting South Sudan this weekend on a “pilgrimage of peace”.

    South Sudan is going through an ongoing civil war, frequent floods have wiped out homes and livelihoods causing widespread food shortages and there are millions of displaced people. The country is 60 percent Christian and most are Catholic, but Dr Greenshields said this ecumenical trip is a historic occasion, the first time that the Pope and reformed leaders have done something together since the reformation.

    They are meeting politicians and religious leaders, as well as people living on the edge dealing with multiple crises. There is also a massive prayer meeting planned with an expected congregation of 60,000 when the church leaders will encourage communities to find a way forward for peace.

    Our Religion Media Centre briefing included guests the Rev Dr Iain Greenshields; Tom Delamare, CAFOD’s deputy country representative for South Sudan; and Lucy Gillingham, from Jesuit Missions, recently returned from South Sudan. Guests from the Episcopal Church of South Sudan were unfortunately unable to join due to internet failure.

    Links

    Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

    Contact Information

    info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
    (+44) 0203 970 0709

    Church of England bishops’ proposals on same-sex marriage 'incoherent'

    Church of England bishops’ proposals on same-sex marriage 'incoherent'

    Journalist Rosie Dawson hosts a debate on the Church of England bishops saying they will not agree to marry same-sex couples in church. This comes after a five-year process, Living in Love and Faith, aimed at achieving a consensus among church members where the issue is bitterly divisive. We’ve assembled people from all sides of the debate to join in our discussion.

    Links

    Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

    Contact Information

    info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
    (+44) 0203 970 0709

    Episode 22

    Episode 22

    Hannah Scott-Joynt is joined by regular co-hosts Leo Devine and Rosie Dawson who reflect on the big events of 2022. They are joined by two journalists with specific expertise to discuss perhaps the two biggest stories of the year. Times columnist and Lib Dem politician, Edward Lucas sheds light on the war in Ukraine. His 2008 publication 'The New Cold War: Putin's Russia and the Threat to the West' saw it all coming, but he takes no delight in being proved right. He confidently predicts that this will be Putin’s last winter before a messy clear-up begins.

    Catherine Pepinster is also on board as a royal constitution and coronation expert who looks back at all the events and ceremonies surrounding the Queen’s death, and looks forward to the King’s coronation in 2023. And if all that seems a bit heavy, Leo reminds us of Pablo the singing goat – the unlikely musical star of 2022.

    Links

    Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

    Contact Information

    info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
    (+44) 0203 970 0709

    Episode 21

    Episode 21

    Hannah Scott-Joynt is joined by regular co-host Leo Devine who reflects with her on the main religious news from the past week and looks forward to Christmas. They are joined by regular RMC journo Amardeep Bassey; visual artist, photographer, and Jameel scholar Shaista Chishty, and the Rev Kate Bottley, who help them understand the enduring appeal of Christmas not only to Christians but also to Sikhs, Muslims, and people of no particular faith who just like the odd carol and getting together to celebrate. What is it about the Christmas story that gives it such wide appeal? The different faiths represented discover a shared feeling around the importance of community, Christmas TV schedules, and celebrating the birth of this significant child.

    Links

    Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

    Contact Information

    info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
    (+44) 0203 970 0709

    Episode 20

    Episode 20

    Hannah Scott-Joynt is joined by regular journos Rosie Dawson and Leo Devine who reflect on the main religious news from the past week which is all about the Census results.  What does Christianity’s apparent demise mean for the UK in terms of its description as a Christian country, the potential disestablishment of the Church of England, religious education in schools and what spiritual representation, if any, makes sense in the House of Lords?

    The team are joined by Chine McDonald, director of Theos Think Tank, and sociologist Dr Lois Lee who led the research programme “Understanding Unbelief” at the University of Kent. Leo galvanises some opinions from a church-based foodbank in Truro, and on a lighter note tells us about a tattooist in Jerusalem who loves nothing better than tattooing pilgrim grannies with the Jerusalem cross. “Go girl” as Hannah rightly puts it.

    Links

    Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

    Contact Information

    info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
    (+44) 0203 970 0709

    Episode 19

    Episode 19

    With all eyes on the World Cup, has anyone noticed the growing tendency of football players to point to the sky, or cross themselves after scoring a goal, thanking God for their success? In one striking example, Ecuador players knelt in prayer together after the ball hit the back of the net in their 2-0 win against Qatar.  Hannah Scott-Joynt and journos Rosie Dawson and Leo Devine try to find out what this all means, in conversation with Matt Baker, national director for England and pastoral support director in English football sports chaplaincy UK, and Rabbi Alex Goldberg, who chairs the English Football Association's Faith Network.  

    While Qatar’s record on human rights comes under the spotlight in the World Cup, Rabbi Alex talks about efforts in English football to be inclusive, stamping out racism and tackling antisemitism. He considers Channel 4’s recent programme “Jews Don’t Count” where David Baddiel argues that antisemitism is low down the list of priorities in identity politics, even in football.

    Links

    Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

    Contact Information

    info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
    (+44) 0203 970 0709

    Episode 18

    Episode 18

    Hannah Scott-Joynt is joined by regular journos Rosie Dawson and Leo Devine who reflect on the religious news from the past week. Rosie is frustrated to discover that according to one scientific report, she could have sung in church throughout the pandemic after all, without danger of spreading infection, and Leo picks up on a report from the Methodist Church that the help offered to the poorest in society by the Chancellor this week just hasn’t gone far enough.

    They are then joined by another regular, Amardeep Bassey, who has been running training programmes for journalists on how to report the World Cup from a strict Muslim country. He has encouraged his trainees not to ignore the ordinary Qataris and says that this shouldn’t just be a three-week focus, but the beginning of more exposure of the conservative Islamic culture of the area. Rev Richard Cole, a keen football fan and member of the LGBTQ+ community, joins the conversation and welcomes the way the World Cup opened up the debate in Russia and is hopeful it will do the same in Qatar.

    But Richard was really there, with his half a million followers on Twitter, to discuss the Musk revolution of the Twittersphere. Despite the changes and some concerning developments, he still believes it is a force for good and remembers the support he received when he lost his partner David. Also regarding Elon Musk’s plans, he says that it’s not a good idea to pay too much attention to the person at the top – of any institution!

    Links

    Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

    Contact Information

    info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
    (+44) 0203 970 0709

    Episode 17

    Episode 17

    Hannah Scott-Joynt is joined by regular journos Rosie Dawson and Leo Devine who reflect on the religious news from the past week. They look back on the US midterm elections and Ron DeSantis' messianic claims, Catholic Bishop Paul McAleenan’s plea to the Home Secretary to tone down her language on migrants, and the new Sikh prayer book designed for use in combat zones.

    They are joined by Pella Thiel, a Swedish ecologist who is working to make large-scale environmental degradation an international crime called Ecocide, and Olivia Fuchs, the Eco Dharma Network Coordinator for the Network of Buddhist Organisations. They discuss their approaches to the climate crisis, the importance of faith leadership in this area, the goings on at COP27, and how they remain hopeful for change.

    RMC regular, Tim Wyatt, joins the team at half-time to shed light on the new Anglican movement, the Anglican Network in Europe, which has now appointed bishops and ordained clergy, and is providing a home for Anglicans concerned with the direction of the mainstream CofE over the same-sex marriage debate. On a lighter note, we hear about the neurosurgeon who came out of a coma with a renewed faith in God having experienced what he believed to be a visit to heaven – find out what it’s like on this week's episode.

    Links

    Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

    Contact Information

    info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
    (+44) 0203 970 0709

    Episode 16

    Episode 16

    Hannah Scott-Joynt is joined by regular journalist colleagues Leo Devine and Rosie Dawson to look at some of the key stories of the week, including the impact of BBC proposed cuts on local radio Sunday morning breakfast output, where 39 local programmes will be reduced to 10 regional shows. The Bishop of Warrington, Beverley Mason, and Pauline McAdam, formerly of BBC Radio Merseyside, explain the devastating consequences for communities, where local radio is a lifeline.

    Other stories include the news that some Church of England bishops seem to be shifting to allow same-sex marriages, British Jewish leaders’ strong reaction to the new right-wing coalition in Israel, and a meeting of global faith leaders in advance of the G20 challenging each other to create a more peaceful world.

    Links

    Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

    Contact Information

    info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
    (+44) 0203 970 0709

    Episode 15

    Episode 15

    Hannah Scott-Joynt is joined by regular journalist colleagues Leo Devine and Rosie Dawson to discuss the big stories of the week including the fact that we have a new Hindu PM and a rehired Buddhist Home Secretary. Hindu leader, Akhandadhi Das, and Suryagupta Dharmacharini, Chair of the London Buddhist Centre, join us to help explain how coming from these religious backgrounds might shape politicians’ decisions.

    It’s also Halloween this weekend and Jenny Uzzell from the Centre for Death and Life Studies; an expert on druids, apples, and the Mari Lwyd; sets the darkest of the Christian seasons in a global context of festivals celebrating the dead.

    Links

    Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

    Contact Information

    info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
    (+44) 0203 970 0709

    Episode 14

    Episode 14

    Hannah Scott-Joint is joined by regular journalist colleagues Rosie Dawson and Leo Devine to discuss the key stories of the week including the state of the nation and the cost of living crisis in light of the political turmoil, and the report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. The Bishop of Manchester Rt Revd Dr David Walker joins the conversation to help shed episcopal light on the issues. They also hear about the fact that using precious metal for dispensing alcoholic communion wine reduces the risk of infection.

    Links

    Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

    Contact Information

    info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
    (+44) 0203 970 0709