Beyond Belief

Barely a day goes by without some dire warning about the state of the environment. But we also hear that if we act now we may be able to avoid the worst consequences of man-made climate change. The vast majority of the world’s population hold to a faith tradition. So what role can religion play in bringing about the kind of change that is needed? Religion appeals not only to science but to deeply held beliefs and values. Religion can talk the language of hope as opposed to fear and can tap into vast networks and mobilise communities. So what difference can religions make, what kind of things are already happening and are they doing enough to tackle a problem that will connect all people regardless of faith and belief? Joining Ernie Rea to discuss religion and climate justice are Dr Husna Ahmad is Chief Executive Officer of Global One 2015, a Muslim Independent non-governmental organisation led by women, Gopal Patel, Director of the Bhumi Project, which works to mobilise the Hindu community on environmental is

“You say we are homophobic, we say you are Islamophobic”. These were the words of a protester outside a primary school in Birmingham which has found itself on the front line of a culture war. Parents, many of them Muslim, have been protesting against a programme called, “No Outsiders.” According to the school’s website the programme teaches that “Everyone is welcome, regardless of their race, religion, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation and age.” The protesters claim that the “No Outsiders” curriculum is pushing a pro LGBT agenda and that this contradicts their religious beliefs. The school rejects their claim.The issue is not going to go away. From September next year, all primary schools are compelled to teach Relationship Education and parents at a number of other schools have raised concerns. At the heart of the matter is a clash of rights, a tension between the need to protect LGBT rights while accommodating certain religious convictions. How do you adjudicate between competing right

The TV series Game of Thrones has been a world wide phenomenon. Based on a series of books by American novelist George RR Martin, Game of Thrones depicts a medieval-inspired fantasy world torn apart by a violent power struggle. At once fantastical and familiar, it reflects both the political dimensions of various historical time-frames as well as a number of real world belief systems and religions. In this episode of Beyond Belief Ernie Rea and guests explore the way in which religious ideas are developed and used in Game of Thrones, what it adds to the story telling and about the role of belief in the fantasy genre. Ed West is former deputy editor of the Catholic Herald and the author of “Iron, Fire and Ice: The real History that Inspired Game of Thrones”. Dr Jeffrey D Long Professor of Religion and Asian Studies at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania. Dr Jayme Reaves is Public Theologian and Coordinator at the Centre for Encountering the Bible at Sarum College, Salisbury. And Racha Kirakosian is Associa

Throughout time trees have inspired awe and a sense of the spiritual. There is a persistent idea running through religious traditions that trees connect us to the heavens. In Judaism, the Torah is called “The Tree of Life.” The Buddha attained Enlightenment while sitting under a Bodhi Tree. Our Celtic ancestors venerated the mighty oak and the ancient Yew. Trees provide food, shelter and fuel so they've always been vital to human life on earth but increasingly we are discovering that by reconnecting with trees we can become happier, healthier people. In this programme Ernie Rea is joined in the studio by Charley Baginsky, a Rabbi from Liberal Judaism; Mabh Savage, Pagan Federation Children and Families Secretary; and John Parker who is the Senior Technical Officer at the Arboricultural Association to explore what the worlds great religious traditions can teach us about why trees matter so much.

What is the relationship between free will and religion? Historically, theistic religions have been dogged by questions concerning the nature of human agency. Do we make the choices we have in life because we can freely choose or does God somehow map life for us? If we don’t have free will how can we be held responsible for our actions in this life and the next? A belief in free will is central to the religious concept of "sin". Our criminal justice system rests on it. Yet developments in neuroscience suggest free will could be an illusion – that you can reduce human behaviour to the firing of neurons in the brain. But how can we live a moral life if we don’t have free will? Joining Ernie Rea to discuss belief in free will are Rev Sharon Grenham-Thompson, an Anglican minister and former prison chaplain; Professor Rasjid Skinner a consultant clinical psychologist and Dr Richard Christian, Research Associate in Philosophy and Economics at the University of Manchester.Producer: Catherine Earlam Series Producer:

Creative expression has often accompanied internal religious experience. And religious experience, by its nature other-worldly, is deeply connected to the power of the mind to contemplate, visualise and to imagine that there is a God. In a special edition in front of a live audience at the Hay-on-Wye Literature Festival Ernie Rea explores the relationship between religion, creativity and the imagination with Professor Anna Abraham, Neuroscientist and Professor of Psychology at Leeds Beckett University, Mohammed Ali, a Street Artist and Curator, Barnabas Palfrey Lecturer in Christian Spirituality, at Sarum College in Salisbury and Manchester born poet and playwright, Louise Wallwein Producer: Catherine Earlam Series Producer: Amanda Hancox

We hear a lot about ego today. Whether it's in association with Presidents or Chief Execs, in relation to social media or celebrity, ego appears to be everywhere. But is it a problem? Ego is Latin for “I” so clearly we can’t escape it. For Freud the Ego plays a moderating role. Yet today we refer to the Ego in a negative sense. “That’s your Ego talking" or “the Ego has landed.” So what is the Ego and can religion help us to understand our relationship to it?In the final episode of this series of Beyond Belief, Ernie Rea is joined by Ajmal Masroor, a Bangladeshi born British Imam, the Reverend Lucy Winkett, Rector of St James’ Church Piccadilly and Dav Panesar, a Sikh who has carried out pioneering work on mindfulness and contemplative based health interventions in the UK.Producer: Catherine Earlam Series Producer: Amanda Hancox

According to The Vegan Society, the number of vegans in the UK increased fourfold between 2014 and 2018. Once a ridiculed minority, nowadays barely a day goes by without an announcement of a new vegan restaurant or another celebrity endorsement of a plant based lifestyle. Motivations range from animal welfare, to health, to environmental concerns. For many vegans their diet is part of an entire ethical belief system. So can you eat your way to moral and spiritual purity? What role does religion play in this shifting picture? Is there a natural correlation between religious commitment and a vegan diet or are there contradictions? To discuss these questions Ernie Rea is joined by David Clough, Professor of Medical Ethics at the University of Chester, David Rosen, former Chief Rabbi of Ireland, Heena Modi, a Jain who coaches people on how to become vegan and Dr David Grumett, Senior Lecturer in Theology and Ethics at the School of Divinity, at the University of Edinburgh.Producer: Catherine Earlam

In light of the Easter Sunday attacks on Churches and hotels in Sri Lanka, Ernie Rea explores the religious landscape of Sri Lanka with Jonathan Spencer, Regius Professor of South Asian Language, Culture and Society at the University of Edinburgh; Dr Farah Mihlar, Lecturer in Conflict Studies at the University of Exeter and Mahinda Deegallee, Professor of the Study of Religions, Philosophies and Ethics at Bath Spa University, who is also a Buddhist monk.Producer: Catherine Earlam

It’s almost fifty years since Neil Armstrong stepped onto the surface of the moon. It was a momentous moment in twentieth century history but our fascination with space is not new. For thousands of years people have looked up into the night sky and wondered who we are, why are we here and is there anyone else out there. The world's religions have tried to answer those questions with varying degrees of success. Joining Ernie Rea to discuss our understanding of space through religious beliefs and ideas are Rev Professor David Wilkinson, Principal of St John’s College in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University; Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad Professor of Comparative Religion, Lancaster University; and Salman Hameed, Associate Professor of Integrated Science and Humanities at Hampshire College Massachusetts in the United States.Producer: Amanda Hancox

The dreadful fire in Notre Dame Cathedral produced an enormous emotional reaction. In secular Paris people knelt and sang the Ave Maria. Clearly Notre Dame holds a central place in people’s hearts. The impact on the French psyche was enormous, but no lives were lost. It seems almost certain that Notre Dame will be restored, despite the fact that France is a secular country and the Catholic Church is in decline. What is it about Cathedrals? Why do they play such an important role in national and civic life? And can it be morally right to spend such vast sums on restoration?In this programme Ernie Rea discusses the significance of Cathedrals in the lives of modern cities with Becky Clark, Director of the Cathedral and Church Buildings Division of the Church of England, John Laurenson, a Paris based BBC journalist and the Rev Michael Smith, Canon of York Minster.Producer: Catherine Earlam

A hundred years after the Amritsar Massacre, when troops under British command fired on a unarmed crowd of Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims, this programme explores what led to the massacre and why it became a catalyst for the end of British colonial rule and the rise of Indian nationalism. Ernie Rae is joined by Dr Vinita Damodaran, Professor of South Asian History, University of Sussex, Amandeep Singh Madra, Co-author of “Eyewitness at Amritsar: A Visual History of the 1919 Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre" and author and historian William Dalrymple.Producer: Catherine Earlam

For Jews the Passover is a time to remember their liberation from slavery in Egypt under the leadership of Moses. That story, known as the Exodus is dramatic and powerful and has inspired books and films. It still speaks today to those fighting injustice. To discuss the religious and contemporary meaning of Passover both for Jews and Christians, Ernie Rea is joined by Robyn Ashworth-Steen, Rabbi at Manchester Reform Synagogue and a former human rights lawyer; Daniel Walker, Orthodox Rabbi at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation; and the Rev Peter Scott, Samuel Ferguson Professor of Applied Theology & Director of the Lincoln Theological Institute at the University of Manchester. Producer: Catherine Earlam

In 1965, Teen Magazine asked a number of well-known actresses what it means to be “Feminine.” Sandra Dee said: “You must be meticulous in your clothing, make-up, skin – to be clean, fresh and nice all the time.” How times change. This week Ernie Rea is joined by three women representing three faith traditions who give their own views on what it means to be feminine. Mrs Michelle Ciffer describes herself as a wife, mother and Senior Community Services Manager in Salford’s Orthodox Jewish Community; Dr Chetna Kang is a Vaishnava Hindu Priest and Consultant Psychiatrist; and Dr Holly Morse is a lecturer in Bible, Gender and Culture at the University of Manchester.Producer: Amanda Hancox

What it means to be a man in today’s world is confusing. There are lots of mixed messages. Men are often portrayed as needing to be the alpha male, remain strong under pressure, to get on and succeed in life but they are also supposed to be loving, caring, sensitive and talk about feelings. So what does it mean to be a man today? How should we define masculinity and what answers and tips can religion give to men today? Joining Ernie Rea to discuss these questions are Rabbi Neil Janes, Congregational Rabbi at the West London Synagogue; Dr Andrew Boakye, Lecturer in Religions and Theology at the University of Manchester and Assad Zaman, an Imam at several mosques in Manchester. Plus Citizen Khan actor Abdullah Afzal talks about how he juggles with competing pressures on how to be a modern Muslim man.Producer: Amanda Hancox

2019 looks set to be a huge year for superhero movies with eleven films due for release. From X-Men: Dark Phoenix to Captain Marvel, Marvel studios' first movie led by a female; the superhero movie craze looks set to continue long into the future. Yet the idea of heroes has religious and cultural roots that go way back. The Epic of Gilgamesh written in 2100 BC is thought to be the oldest hero story. “Hero cults” were one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion. In the ancient Greek epic poem The Illiad “Homeric Heroes” are seen as exemplars of moral and physical action. Perhaps then it is not surprising that our modern day superheroes have such deep, on-going appeal. On this New Year’s eve edition of Beyond Belief, Ernie Rea discusses how the idea of heroes has developed, why those characters often have supernatural as well as superhuman dimensions and what religious and cultural meaning underlines their enduring appeal. He is joined by Angie Hobbs, Professor of the Public Understanding

Angels are central to the Christmas story. The angel Gabriel first told Mary of the birth of her Son, an angelic choir greeted his entry into the world and an angel warned wise men not to go near Herod. All the monotheistic sacred texts include descriptions and stories of angels. But belief in angels goes beyond religion, as research shows as many as one in three people in the UK believe in angels while one in ten people claim to have seen or heard an angel. In this Christmas Eve edition of Beyond Belief, Ernie Rea discuss angels with Sally Vickers Author of Miss Garnet’s Angel, Rev Dr Arabella Milbank Robinson, Deacon and Theologian and Angel Expert and Rev Dr Stephen Burge, Lecturer at the Quranic Studies Unit at the Institute of Ismaeli Studies and author of “Angels in Islam.”Producer: Catherine Earlam

Associated since antiquity with nobility, luxury and power the colour purple is also deeply connected with mystery, magic and spiritual ideals. Originally created from the desiccated glands of sea snails, the process of making the dye was long, difficult and expensive and therefore purple was seen as exclusive, elitist and other worldly. Joining Ernie Rea in this edition of Beyond Belief to discuss the colour purple and how it is used in society and religion, are the Right Reverend Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, Bishop of Ripon; the artist and colour expert Nicola Green and British Classicist and art historian Professor Robin Cormac. Producer: Catherine Earlam Series Producer: Amanda Hancox

The story of Asia Bibi - the Christian woman who spent eight years on death row in Pakistan after allegedly insulting the Prophet Mohammed before being recently acquitted - has thrown the issue of blasphemy into public debate once more. While the UK abolished it's blasphemy law a decade ago, 43 countries still allow a prison term for blasphemy and it continues to be punishable by death in six countries: Afghanistan, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Somalia. In this edition of Beyond Belief, Ernie Rea and guests dig beneath the headlines to examine the religious roots and meaning of blasphemy and explore why it remains so serious an offence in so many countries.

For many years Europe has been seen as increasingly secular but earlier this year Bavaria passed a law requiring public buildings to display a “clearly visible” crucifix near the entrance, the President of Hungary has vowed to preserve the country’s Christian culture and large crosses are seen in demonstrations by far right populist movements. Professor Robert Beckford discusses why some far right populist movements in Europe are using Christian symbols and wanting to defend Christian culture with Tobias Cremer, a Phd Student at the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Cambridge; Timothy Peace, Lord Kelvin Adam Smith Fellow of the School of Social and Political sciences at the University of Glasgow and Jasjit Singh a Research Fellow in the School of Philosophy, Religion and the History of Science at the University of Leeds.Producer: Amanda Hancox