Podcast
Beyond Belief
Hosted by BBC Radio 4 · EN
Series exploring the place and nature of faith in today's world
15episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Pharisees: a byword for hypocrisy?
Jan 14, 202500:27:33Tap to summarizeThe word hypocrite gets used with such regularity – and Jesus himself had form using the term.How did the Pharisees became a byword for hypocrisy and is it fair? Was Jesus wrong about the Pharisees? Is the view of the Pharisees changing? To discuss Giles Fraser is joined by Amy-Jill Levine, Professor of New Testament Studies Emerita at Vanderbilt University and co-author of ‘The Pharisees’, James Alison a Catholic Theologian and Dr Stephen de Wijze, a philosopher and Senior Lecturer in Political Theory at Manchester University.Producer: Alexa Good Assistant Producer: Linda Walker Editor: Tim Pemberton
Transcribe →Divine Comedy
Jan 7, 202500:27:20Tap to summarizeFaith based comedy is growing in popularity. Why is religion such a good source for jokes? Is God funny? And, is there anywhere with religion that you just don’t go? Dillon Mapletoft, the writer and creator of hit comedy Everyone Else Burns, explains his fundamentalist Christian upbringing and the influence it had on him writing the coming-of-age sitcom about a Manchester family who are part of a puritanical Christian sect and doomsday cult.To explore Giles Fraser is joined by Shazia Mirza, comedian and part of a female only Halal comedy tour, Shanny Luft, Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Winconsin, and Ashley Blaker, a Jewish comedian and writer once described as "the UK's only Orthodox comedian".Producer: Alexa Good Assistant Producer: Linda Walker Editor: Tim Pemberton
Transcribe →The Religion of Detection
Dec 31, 202400:27:29Tap to summarizeGiles Fraser and guests hear from authors of detective fiction, Kate Charles and Martin Edwards, on the subtle ways they weave faith into the crime puzzles in their novels. Why is religious detective fiction so popular in our increasingly secular society? Did the detective replace the priest as the one who looked into the mysteries of life and battled with good and evil? Why do religion and detective fiction share so many noble pursuits in common? And, what is it about the detective genre that lends itself to such deep ethical and spiritual questions? To explore Giles is joined by: James Runcie, author of numerous books, including The Grantchester Mysteries, a series of six detective novels featuring the clerical detective Sidney Chambers. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and a member of both the Crime Writer’s Association and The Detection Club.Ausma Khan, author of the Blackwater Falls crime series and the founder of the Muslim Writers Index. Dror Mishani the author of the Avraham Avraham detective series that has been turned into a TV series by David E. Kelley. He is a literary scholar, specialising in the history of crime fiction, and the head of the creative writing program at Tel Aviv University.Producer: Alexa Good Assistant Producer: Linda Walker Editor: Tim Pemberton
Transcribe →Science Fiction
Mar 13, 2017Tap to summarizeScience fiction has perhaps been unfairly dismissed by many critics and academics; seen by some as a niche genre, not befitting the elite group of literary works deemed to be 'high art'. While some examples of science fiction could be criticised for perpetuating fantasy clichés, others undoubtedly explore the biggest questions of life. Fans argue that the Sci-Fi universe allows the audience to suspend their disbelief about what is conventional, and opens up a space to explore philosophical, ethical and religious ideas in a relatable, absorbing and entertaining way. So how has religion been explored in the most influential works of science fiction? And what does science fiction have to tell us about faith and religion?Robert Beckford discusses the role of religion in science fiction with Aliette de Bodard, a writer with an interest in the interplay between science fiction and religion; Roz Kaveney, a writer, poet and critic; and Dr Sarah Dillon, author and Cambridge academic who explores science fiction in literature and film.Producer: Dan Tierney Series producer: Amanda Hancox.
Transcribe →Martin Luther King
Aug 26, 2013Tap to summarizeBeyond Belief debates the place of religion and faith in today's complex world. Ernie Rea is joined by a panel to discuss how religious beliefs and traditions affect our values and perspectives.Its fifty years since Martin Luther King addressed an immense crowd in Washington and told the world that "I have a dream." His words galvanised black people across America and paved the way for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Out of deep Christian conviction King wanted to fight against ingrained injustice using exclusively non-violent means. In this programme Ernie Rea explores the religious influences and ideas of Martin Luther King and asks, half a century on, whether we have sanitised the tough message of that speech.To discuss the life and work of Martin Luther King Ernie Rea is joined by Rev Dr Cheryl Sanders, Professor of Christian Ethics at the Howard University School of Divinity in Washington D.C.; Israel Dresner, Emeritus Rabbi of Temple Beth Tikvah synagogue in New Jersey who worked closely with King and was present when he delivered the "I have a dream" speech and Richard Reddie, author of the book Martin Luther King Junior, History Maker.Producer: Catherine Earlam.
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