The Religion and Ethics Report - Separate stories podcast

To those who encountered him, Father Patrick Ryan seemed like a typical village priest in Northern Ireland. But he lived a top secret life, because for almost 20 years, Ryan was a spy for the Irish Republican Army.

British writer Mick Brown recalls the west's search for enlightenment in the 1960s and 70s, looking to the gurus and philosophies of eastern religions.

Is it homage or insensitivity to wear clothing, play music, or display symbols from a culture that isn't your own? And what about questions of appreciation, and appropriation, when it comes to religion?

Isabel Kershner from The New York Times explores Israel's cultural and religious shifts, which she fears challenges the country's democratic ideals.

Sociologist John Carroll takes us on a journey through politics, history and, especially, popular culture in search of the new redeemers in the secular west.

After WWII, how did a group of mainly Jewish intellectuals, come to believe their mission was to uphold certain Christian ideals? But historian Samuel Moyn explains how the good ideas of this group, known as the ‘Cold War liberals,’ turned grievously awry.

In what can feel like a starkly divided world, is there an alternative to a heartless free market economics, authoritarian populism, and a liberalism that seems to say "if it feels good, do it?" British MP Danny Kruger thinks he’s found another way.

Africa is the new powerhouse of Christianity and, for the vast number of Australians with African background, religion is "central to most aspects of their lives." That’s the key finding of a new report into the community.

Dutch nationalist Geert Wilders has historically had an anti-Islam and anti-immigration stance. And after last week's elections, he's closer to power than ever. Also, Catholicism in the Polish elections.

An Australian property developer has attempted to occupy a prized piece of land in the Armenian quarter in Jerusalem. Though it was overturned, Armenian families are threatened with eviction from homes their community has held for centuries. 

The Gaza war is proving uncomfortable for centre-left parties in Europe. Across the continent, social democrats find themselves conflicted over their historic support for Israel, and their more recent sympathies for the occupied Palestinians. 

At the time of the Kennedy assassination six decades ago, the Secret Service warned Fr Oscar Huber not to breath a word about what he’d seen. But did he follow their orders?

To charge someone under a legal code that deals with war crimes and crimes against humanity suggests an offence requiring the toughest punishment. But what if the offence was tweeting a quote from the Bible? With Finnish parliament member Paivi Rasanen.

Clouded by the news of war, and a papal cone of silence, a major summit on power within the Catholic Church wrestled with some divisive questions. There was a lot of tension in the room, much of it unreported until now. 

In the fog of two wars —  in Gaza, and Ukraine — has the world lost sight of the humanitarian tragedy in Myanmar? Over 1.6 million Rohingya Muslims have been forced from their country.

Why a US professor is calling for compulsory ethics to be taught in higher education, in the wake of the Gaza war.

The Israel-Hamas war is also having an effect in South Asia, one that could trigger another generation of terrorism. Islamic extremist groups are using Gaza's heavy death toll to recruit young men. 

Father Patrick Ryan was the embodiment of a kind village priest in Northern Ireland. But he lived a top secret life, because for almost 20 years, he worked undercover as a spy for the Irish Republican Army.

This week, 3,400 children have been killed and another 6,300 injured in Gaza. Tragically as well, there's the long-term impacts of war on children in Gaza, and also Israel.

Along with the drug culture of the 1960s and 70s, there was also a serious search for enlightenment. Many people looked to the gurus and philosophies of eastern religions. And musicians such as The Beatles were particularly inspired.