Sunday

Sunday morning religious news and current affairs programme presented by Edward Stourton.

President Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel sparked a mix of protest and praise this week. Journalist Allison Kaplan Sommer tells Edward why many believe the move was made to bolster support amongst his Evangelical voters in the US. What's being billed as the first ever Muslim panto begins a six day tour of Britain. The actor and comedian Abdullah Afzal is in it and he tells Edward why this pantomime is different.The Australian Royal Commission into child abuse will deliver its report next week. Interim findings have done deep damage to the reputations of many of the country's institutions, especially the churches. Australian writer Thomas Keneally, who himself trained for the priesthood, gives Edward his reaction to the fallout from the inquiry.When traumatic events happen to a community, one of the first people on the scene to organise support will be a local member of the clergy but many have received no specialist training. Sarah Swadling reports on a scheme that aims to add

Actor Tamsin Greig talks about her visit to Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo as an Ambassador for Tearfund and describes the work being done to tackle sexual and gender-based violence. Martin Bashir on the Pope's visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh.The Department of Education's survey of vulnerable children includes a new category "those vulnerable to abuse linked to faith and belief". How is that to be defined and prevented? Trevor Barnes reports.The story of what happened to the last Jews of Iraq is the subject of a new documentary "Remember Baghdad". Edward talks to David Dangoor about his great grandfather who was a former Chief Rabbi of Baghdad. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are getting married - and the flurry around the news revealed quite a lot of confusion about the status of divorcees in Church of England and the rites of baptism and confirmation. Rev Ian Paul will shed some light on it on the confusion. The Muslim population in Europe could almost double by 2050. Conrad Hackett, from the Pe

Following the deadly attack on a mosque in northern Sinai, the Egyptian government have launched air strikes against those responsible. We look into what motivated the attack with Scott Lucas from the University of Birmingham.St Francis is the first purpose built Anglican church to open in 40 years. Bob Walker asks if a new church on a North London housing estate can really make a difference to inner city communities.As Pope Francis prepares to fly to Myanmar and Bangladesh we hear from Catholic commentator Tom Reese who believes he shouldn't be going. Chris Bain, Director of the Catholic Aid agency, CAFOD will tell William Crawley what the Pope's likely to see on the ground.Do you prefer gin or champagne in your advent calendar? And then there's the question of what your cat should have in theirs. Alternatively you could do a Reverse Advent Calendar and make donations to a foodbank. Churches have an abundance of land that could be turned over to environmental projects to help local communities increase biodi

Writer Mark Vernon has been to see the Roman Temple of Mithras that has been restored in the City of London. He joins Edward to discuss who the deity Mithras was and what the cult's followers believed. While many Hindus avoid eating beef because they consider the cow as sacred - milk and clarified butter are regularly used in religious worship. But a campaign's been launched by a Hindu vegan calling on temples to abolish all use of dairy. Vishva Samani reports.A new report from the University of Exeter says religious education teaching is 'incoherent, confused and outdated.' Professor Rod Freathy, and Ben Wood, vice chair of the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education debate.The Voce Chamber Choir has released a new disc "99 Words" a tribute to the late Sir John Tavener. It features a number of works by him and by composer Roxanna Panfunik. Roxanna explains why she is inspired by Tavener. Shingai Nyoka reports from Harare on the latest situation in Zimbabwe. Madeline Davies from The Church Tim

This Remembrance Sunday we are looking at the life of the only soldier to be awarded the Victoria Cross twice during World War One. He was a doctor, a sportsman and the son of a former Bishop of Liverpool. His name was Noel Chavasse. He's still revered in his home city and Kevin Bocquet has been to Liverpool to hear about the man.In her book 'The Keys and the Kingdom', Catherine Pepinster looks at the relationship between the papacy and the British. Edward asks her how have things changed in the last 25 years.On November 15, the results of Australia's postal ballot on same sex marriage will be announced. Phil Mercer reports from Sydney on how religious groups there are reacting ahead of the results.Satnam Sanghera is the author of 'The Boy with the Topknot'. He talks to Edward about the BBC 1 adaptation, as it dramatises his story of growing up as a second generation Sikh in the UK , not having an arranged marriage and discovering secrets about his family. All week revelations from the 'Paradise Papers' have

Abbey House, retreat centre in Glastonbury is closing after 80 years. Despite a growing interest in pilgrimage, Sarah Swadling explores why a growing number of venues are shutting their doors.Bishop James Jones reflects on his time listening to and supporting the families of the 96 unlawfully killed at Hillsborough. This week the Bishop released his report which recommended how public institutions should treat the relatives of people killed in tragedies. The church played an important role in drawing up the 2005 Gambling act but what influence can they have on legislation tackling "Fixed Odd Betting Terminals" Bob Walker reports. Humanists say Lords reform proposals give more voting power to Bishops at a time when their significance in society is diminishing. Andrew Copson the Chief Executive of Humanist UK and Lord Richard Harries debate this and the role of other faiths in the House of Lords. First lady of Zimbabwe Grace Mugabe will be attending "Super Sunday" rally with religious groups. Shingai Nyoka repo

The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia said this week that he wants to return the country to 'moderate Islam'. Gulf analyst Bill Law tells Emily why he believes the Prince is pursuing this policy.On Tuesday a service will be held to mark the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation in Europe. The Archbishop of Canterbury will present a text supporting an agreement to resolve the theological dispute that divided the churches. Professor Eamon Duffy and Rev Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch will debate if the divisions have been healed.Martin Bashir meets one of the world's leading geneticists who says advances in foetal testing may lead to increased screening for minor abnormalities and non-medical traits - in addition to conditions like Down's Syndrome. The Chief Rabbi has called on Jews around the country to celebrate an authentic Shabbat for ShabbatUK. Trevor Barnes talks to the Chief Rabbi and meets a family who are trying to manage without breaking the rules.Sexual harassment allegations against the fil

Trevor Barnes visits 'Imagining the Divine,' a new exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum of some of the oldest religious art from India to Ireland.. Archbishop Bernard Ntahoturi is the first person from the African continent to be installed as the new Director of the Anglican Centre in Rome next week. It is a key position in the Anglican Communion and comes as the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches are forging a closer relationship on common issues.Baroness Elizabeth Berridge previews the report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief ahead of its launch next week.This week people from the Baha'i faith, will be celebrating the 200th anniversary of their founder's birth. Dr Julia Haviland tells Edward about the faith and the key message of Bahá'u'lláh's life and teaching. The Archers has been bringing us the latest news from the farming community of Ambridge for over 50 years. We will be taking a look at "God in Ambridge" with Revd Dr Jonathan Hustler who has contr

An Islamic faith school's policy of segregating boys from girls is unlawful sex discrimination, court of appeal judges have ruled. What are the implications? The new global spiritual head of the Swaminarayan Hindu organisation is in the UK this week in the run up to Diwali. Mahant Swami Maharaj's first official visit as leader of the BAPS Swaminarayan sect has been attracting thousands of daily worshippers - Vishva Samani went along to meet them. Senior Anglican Bishops have accused the Church of England's main insurer of "horse-trading" in the way it treats survivors of clergy sex abuse. The Archbishop of Canterbury has asked for a review of the way Lambeth Palace deals with those who have been abused in a church context. Donna Birrell reports.We report from Germany's oldest folk festival that celebrates St Lullus, a monk who travelled from Wiltshire to Germany in the 700s and is credited with spreading Christianity in Europe.A High Court Judge has ruled the Government's policy on torture victims is unlawful

More than 700 students and families displaced by Hurricane Irma have relocated to Preston to continue their studies at the University of Central Lancashire. Kevin Bocquet looks at how the university providing spiritual and emotional support.After the mass shooting in Las Vegas, Patrick Carolan, Executive Director of the Franciscan Action Network says "Gun safety is not a political issue. It is a pro-life issue, a moral issue, and an ethical issue. We need to stop just offering prayers and start acting" he debates with Pastor Vance Pitman of Hope Church, Las Vegas.Alex Strangwayes-Booth has been on a "Bring Your Own Religion" pilgrimage with the British Pilgrimage Trust, reviving the tradition of making journeys on foot to holy places.The Scottish Episcopal Church will face sanctions after breaking with Anglican teaching on same-sex marriage. Primus, Bishop Mark Strange talks to William on what this means.Zoe Clark-Coates has lost five pre-term babies. She tells William why she and her husband, Andy, set up a

Emily Buchanan hears from John Ponitfex from the charity Aid to the Church in Need. He's just returned from Nineveh Plains where he says thousands of Christians to are returning home now that Daesh have been forced out of the area. What is the future they are facing? What impact has the recent Referendum on Kurdish independence had on them?The Tohono O'odham are a federally recognised American Indian Nation in South Western Arizona. The word Tohono O'odham means 'desert people.' Prior to the mid 19th century their lands stretched right across the Sonoran desert into Mexico. Since then, a 62 mile border has divided the community in two, but this border has been semi-permeable with tribal members continuing to travel to their ancestral lands. President Trump's plan for a fortified wall threatens that. Penny Boreham reports.The leaders of the Provinces within the Anglican Communion meet in Canterbury on Monday. Three of them will stay away because they believe they can no longer remain in fellowship with the Ang

An estimated 40.3 million people were victims of modern slavery in 2016, according to new global statistics. David Westlake, CEO of International Justice Mission UK explains the aims of this weekend's 'Freedom Sunday' church campaign.A mum has accused a school of religious discrimination after teachers ordered her son to cut his dreadlocks. Theologian, Prof Robert Beckford, explores the significance of hair for the Rastafari faith, to which the family belongs. Shadow Schools Minister Mike Kane will be launching 'Catholics for Labour' at the Labour Party conference in Brighton. He reveals his hopes for the new group. Yollande Knell reports on how minority groups in Iraq - in particular, followers of the ancient Yazidi faith - have been leading the calls for an international investigation into crimes committed by so-called Islamic State.A senior Anglican academic is calling on the Church of England not to appoint any 'traditionalists' - those opposed to women priests - as bishops, until a third of all bishops a

New research suggests that a quarter of England's secondary schools are not offering Religious Education, despite the fact that it is a legal obligation to do so. Alex Strangways-Booth reports.This week, Israel's Supreme Court decided that ultra-Orthodox Jews are no longer exempt from military service. Edward explores the importance of this decision.Bob Walker has been to meet monks from Tibet currently touring the UK.It has been reported this week that 80% of calls to the police are not crime related. They are often from people with problems who simply have nowhere else to turn. Police Forces have been paying charities to run programmes to help these callers. Edward talks to Mike Royal, Church Engagement Team Leader at the Cinnamon Network, which runs projects funded by the Police.Fergus Butler-Gallie, a Church of England ordinand, has put together a 'Glossary of commonly-misunderstood words from the Book of Common Prayer'. He'll be shedding light on the meaning of words from the 16th century that are still

After 9 staff have been suspended following an edition of Panorama this week on the Immigration Removal Centre, Brook House, William talks to Rev Nathan Ward about his experience of working at this and another detention centre.The American Catholic Church hits back at Steve Bannon after he questioned their motives for defending DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme, which President Trump has announced he is closing.Middle East Correspondent Yolande Knell tells William about her trip to Qaraqosh, the biggest Christian town in Iraq, which has been retaken from so-called Islamic State.Following the publication of the National Social Attitudes Survey which reported only 15% of the population are affiliated to the Church of England, Trevor Barnes asks how much longer can the Church remain the established Church of England.And why are Cathedrals and in particular Choral Evensong increasing in popularity?Producers: Amanda Hancox Rajeev Gupta.

Edward Stourton looks back on the life of Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor and speaks to his successor as Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols.Following the row about the reporting of a fostering case involving Muslim carers this week, Kevin Bocquet explores the issues surrounding religious fostering and adoption.Father David Bergeron from the Catholic Charismatic Centre in Houston explains the impact of the floods on the lives of his community in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. The number of Muslims from Myanmar's minority Rohingya community fleeing across the border into Bangladesh is now in the tens of thousands, following violent clashes with security forces this week. The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder has been speaking to refugees at the border crossing.Pope Francis travels to Colombia to promote reconciliation following a peace deal last November which brought 52 years of civil war to an end. The controversial Indian guru, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, convicted of rape last week, claimed to have 60

This week more than 100 of the world's top robotics experts wrote to the UN calling for a ban on the development of "killer robots" and the tech entrepreneur Elon Musk tweeted that artificial intelligence safety was 'vastly more a risk than North Korea'. AI already changing our lives; from driver-less cars to caring for the elderly. Should the technology that drives AI be designed with a set of moral and ethical codes and how should it be regulated? Bob Walker reports from the Sheffield Robotics Centre.The theologian Andrew Graystone is joined by the AI assistant Alexa as he ponders the possibility that one day we might be able to create a robot with human qualities.The Bishop of Oxford Stephen Croft, Rabbi Moshi Freedman, anthropologist Beth Singler from the Faraday Institute and Kriti Sharma, VP of AI at Sage debate and discuss the application of AI and why its development needs to be considered within a moral and ethical framework. Edward Stourton also asks the Bishop of Oxford why he believes faith leader

Professor John Butt tells William Crawley about the three concerts he has curated for 'Reformation Day' at The Proms.One of the chaplains at Hospital Del Mar in Barcelona, describes the mood in the city following this week's terrorist attack.John Rutter explains why he is unhappy that the church of St Sepulchre's in London, the resting place of The Proms founder Sir Henry Moor, has announced a ban on bookings from classical musicians.In the context of Donald Trump's remarks about the events in Charlottesville, Melanie Phillips and Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin discuss Moral Equivalence.The Australian Royal Commission has proposed that priests should face criminal charges for failing to report information (about criminal activities) heard during confession. ABC's Andrew West explains the implications.Trevor Barnes reports on the work of the non-religious pastoral carers who work as members of the chaplaincy teams in hospitals and prisons.Gideon Falter reveals some interesting results from the Antisemitism Barometer res

In a back alley of Jerusalem, pilgrims can find what's believed to be the world's oldest tattoo parlour. Yolande Knell meets Anton and Wassim who are continuing a family business that's been passed from one generation to the next.When schools close for holidays a million children stop receiving free school meals. Kevin Bocquet reports from a faith based project in Middlesborough that provides food for dozens of children over the summer. William Crawley hears from Frank Field MP who plans to present a bill to Parliament calling on local authorities to provide free meals for children during the holidays.As the 70th anniversary of the partition of India approaches Rahul Tandon reports on comments from the out-going Vice President that there is a feeling of unease among the country's Muslims as a result of growing incidents of intolerance. To mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in Europe, A.N Wilson argues that Martin Luther would have hated the iconoclasm of the English Reformation but what would he ha

The Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Rev Dr Alan Smith, and Farming Minister George Eustice discuss food safety in the light of the Brexit negotiations.Martin Bashir talks to the Archbishop of Canterbury and his Ugandan counterpart - Stanley Ntagali - about the refugee crisis in Uganda caused by people fleeing from the fighting in South Sudan. The Ugandan Archbishop also explains his opposition to same-sex relationships.An order of American nuns (the Adorers of the Blood of Christ) are in a furious legal battle with a gas transmission company. Transco wants to bury a major new pipeline under what the nuns describe as sacred land. Sister Janet McCann explains to William Crawley why she believes the project is a violation of their religious beliefs.The Rt Rev James Langstaff, Bishop of Rochester and the Church of England's spokesman on criminal justice, comments on the state of British prisons today. Bob Walker reports from West Yorkshire on forced marriage. This summer, the Bradford Council of Mosques is advising A