Best Religion Media Centre Podcasts (2024)

1
RMC Election Briefing: Immigration 52:28

31m ago52:28

52:28

Immigration is among the top four concerns driving voters at the general election, and their religious identity impacts how they regard the issue, according to speakers at a Religion Media Centre briefing. Polling analysed by the Theos think tank has found that the British public is not overly positive about asylum seekers, but non-practising Angli…

1
RMC Election Briefing: Education 53:20

1d ago53:20

53:20

A range of experts from across the education and faith spectrum joined this Religion Media Centre election briefing, reviewing the various parties’ manifestos on education. It’s a topic not regarded as a key election priority issue by voters, who instead tend to focus on the economy, the NHS and immigration. But religion is long associated with edu…

1
CATChat 10: Reflecting on Autism Consecrated 20:08

1d ago20:08

20:08

This week, Krysia, Ian, and Zoe reflect on recording the previous episode on Autism Consecrated. They speak about their experience with reading the script given to them, and communicating someone else's story in a way that does not speak for them. The transcript of the episode is available here: https://share.transistor.fm/s/5a1df9a4/transcript.txt…

1
Autism Consecrated 51:12

16d ago51:12

51:12

This week, we are hearing from Aimée O'Connell and Father Mark Nolette about Autism Consecrated. They share about their online space, as well as the story of Saint Thorlak, who is known to many people as the Patron Saint of Autism. The transcript of the episode is available here: https://share.transistor.fm/s/ba08b0d5/transcript.txt Find out more a…

1
RMC Briefing: Religion and the UK General Election 2024 50:22

16d ago50:22

50:22

How will people from the religious traditions in the UK affect the vote in the General Election on 4 July? The majority of the UK population is affiliated to a religion - 63 per cent in England and Wales, 49 per cent in Scotland and 83 per cent in Northern Ireland. And in this Religion Media Centre briefing, faith representatives explained the issu…

1
Áine Tyrrell - Australia-based Irish Singer, Songwriter and Musician 1:06:45

23d ago1:06:45

1:06:45

Áine Tyrell is an Irish singer, songwriter and musician who grew up in counties Galway and Clare. She’s been living in Australia for over a decade now where she has toured extensively and developed a reputation as a fiercely grassroots and independent artist who is a powerhouse live performer and I highly recommend going to see if you get a chance.…

1
RMC Briefing: "Religion Counts" - Theos report into religion and voting patterns in elections 52:51

1M ago52:51

52:51

The Theos Think Tank has analysed data from the British Election Survey on the correlation between religion and election voting. It indicates that religiously affiliated voters are more likely to vote on polling day than non-religious voters. Anglicans are the group most likely to vote. Overall they tend to vote Conservative, but those who attend c…

1
CATChat 9: Navigating Academic Conferences 21:39

1M ago21:39

21:39

This week, Krysia, Ian, and Zoe discuss navigating academic conferences as neurodivergent people. They share how often it can be hard to know the social expectations, as well as tips for avoiding burnout. They also tell some of their own stories from conferences. The transcript of the episode is available here: https://share.transistor.fm/s/c77c5a1…

1
RMC Briefing: United Methodist Church votes for same-sex equality but still divided 48:18

1M ago48:18

48:18

The decision by the United Methodist Church to row back on anti-gay legislation dating back 50 years came after overwhelming votes in favour at the general conference in Charlotte. But the picture that paints of a “super liberal, progressive” church with all traditionalists having left, is not accurate, according to researchers who have tested the …

1
"A church for people of all abilities": CCH, Singapore 48:20

2M ago48:20

48:20

This week, Zoe is joined by Pastor David, Audrey Quay, and David Han who are all involved in the Chapel of Christ our Hope (CCH) in Singapore. They share about the ways CCH functions with the needs of autistic people at the centre of their practice and how other churches might learn from CCH. They also discuss the impact that cultural norms have on…

1
RMC Briefing: Ban on prayer rituals in a London school raises questions on religion in multicultural Britain 54:47

2M ago54:47

54:47

The decision by the High Court to back the ban on prayer rituals at the Michaela School in North London has provoked a wide discussion on the place of religion in schools and what it means to live in a multicultural society. In this Religion Media Centre briefing, we hear from a lawyer who says the judgment is surprising and is concerned it may be …

1
RMC Briefing: How Covid-19 changed the rituals and practice of cremation in Britain 55:58

2M ago55:58

55:58

A report into the work of cremation and crematorium staff during Covid and how it changed the industry has described their common feeling that they were taken for granted or ignored. Not regarded as key workers, they nevertheless felt a responsibility to ensure the death care system didn't fall apart as the number of bodies for cremation increased …

1
CATChat 8: Lessons from COVID and Online Church 24:53

2M ago24:53

24:53

This week, Krysia, Ian, and Zoe discuss the ways in which COVID and the pandemic made church more accessible for people on the margins, including many autistic people. They explore ways that churches could be more aware and inclusive of people who are once again on the margins now that life is 'back to normal.' The transcript of the episode is avai…

1
RMC Briefing: Vatican report on grave threats to human dignity 53:26

3M ago53:26

53:26

The Vatican's declaration on human dignity, Dignitas Infinita, has created headlines on what it says about sex change operations. Its 12,000 words conclude there are many grave threats to human dignity on issues such as poverty, human trafficking and war, alongside sexual and reproductive ethics. But although the section on gender theory, surrogacy…

1
A full life found in the world’s trouble spots 33:56

3M ago33:56

33:56

Asuntha Charles has lived in some toughest places in the world. And she’s loved it. Long As a young woman, Asuntha Charles stubbornly defied her culture to advocate for vulnerable women and girls. That determination never left her as she dedicated her life to voiceless people in not only her native India, but places like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Su…

1
The Vanishing 31:00

3M ago31:00

31:00

War correspondent Janine di Giovanni has covered the near-extinction of the ancient Christian communities of the Middle East. --- “They’ve survived plagues, they’ve survived pillages, they’ve survived raids, they’ve survived purges – and they most recently survived ISIS.” The Christian communities of the Middle East – in places like Iraq and Syria,…

1
Disability and Justice with Naomi Lawson Jacobs and Emily Richardson 32:38

3M ago32:38

32:38

This week, Krysia is joined by Dr Naomi Lawson Jacobs and Emily Richardson to discuss their book, At the Gates: Disability Justice and the Churches. We have a structured discussion on four main areas related to the book: research and theology, barriers to belonging, church on the margins, and then COVID-19 and online church. The transcript to the e…

1
Ann Marie Flanagan - Disability Rights Champion 1:01:08

3M ago1:01:08

1:01:08

Ann Marie Flanagan is a disabled human rights activist from County Clare in the west of Ireland. Growing up in a tight-knit, supportive community, she says attitudes towards her physical impairment were generally inclusive. However, that changed when Ann Marie hit the age of 12 and entered secondary school. She says the environment was hostile and …

1
How CPX Writes About Easter 33:00

3M ago33:00

33:00

CPX writers talk about how they’re hoping to breathe new life into a very old story. --- Get a glimpse into the CPX writers’ room as Simon, Natasha, Justine and Max talk about what they’re writing about Easter, or how they go about working out how to write about Easter. Natasha talks about American novelist Marilynne Robinson’s new book Reading Gen…

1
RMC Briefing: Passion Plays and Antisemitism 55:34

3M ago55:34

55:34

There's a resurgence of interest across the world in Passion Plays, which depict the story of Jesus from Palm Sunday to the resurrection. The main one in Britain is at Trafalgar Square, produced by the Wintershall Trust, which attracts audiences of 20,000. There are at least twenty others taking place in towns and cities across Britain. But this ye…

1
Being a chaplain in the ICU ... and prison 34:07

3M ago34:07

34:07

We explore the spiritual needs of people in intensive care in hospital, or behind bars. --- “I went to see this lady and as soon as I walked in, she actually said, ‘f*** off, I don’t want to have anything to do with you people’.” Chaplaincy in Australia is contested. If people have had a bad experience with the church or concerned that someone migh…

1
CATChat 7: Addressing the Research to Practice Gap 20:22

3M ago20:22

20:22

This week, Krysia, Ian, and Zoe discuss the research to practice gap. They explore why churches don't always put into practice advice given by researchers. The episode explore issues such as burnout, collaboration with others, and accessibility of resources. The transcript of the episode is available here: https://share.transistor.fm/s/fefadd2a/tra…

1
The Return of Religious Belief 35:46

3M ago35:46

35:46

For decades now in the West, religion has been on the retreat. In places where, 50 years ago, going to church on a Sunday was just what you did, we’ve had generations now for whom that would be a very foreign concept. Justin Brierley is an author and very popular podcaster. For 17 years he hosted a podcast called Unbelievable where he would bring t…

1
RMC Briefing: Tackling religious hatred 58:14

3M ago58:14

58:14

The UK is experiencing a swirl of headlines and widespread concern at the extent of hatred targeting Muslim and Jewish communities. Since the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October, there has been a huge rise in incidents of Islamophobia and antisemitism, and arguments over the policing of pro-Palestine marches where chanting and banners have caused o…

1
Rebroadcast: To Change the World 25:58

4M ago25:58

25:58

Sarah Williams explains how the mother of modern feminism fell off the pages of history. --- After her death in 1906, Josephine Butler was described as one of the “few great people who have moulded the course of things”. (For the record, she was also described by peers as “the most beautiful woman in the world”.) Yet how many of us have heard of he…

1
Theological Perspectives on Euthanasia with Brian Brock 42:34

4M ago42:34

42:34

This week, Ian and Zoe are joined by Brian Brock to discuss autism and euthanasia. Brian discusses current conversations about the legalisation of physician-assisted suicide and the concerns surrounding this topic and autism. He also explores how churches should be places of belonging for people who are different. The transcript of the episode is a…

1
RMC Briefing: Church of England after February 2024 General Synod 48:48

4M ago48:48

48:48

The Church of England has been boiling over in recent months, with divisions on same-sex blessings and frustration at the debacle over safeguarding, with talk of parishes withholding money and calls for an alternative set of bishops. But the February 2024 General Synod struck a different tone. There were some issues on which the whole synod agreed,…

1
Birth Days 37:42

4M ago37:42

37:42

Reflections on a human experience that’s at once routine and exceptional; both very costly and very good. --- Life & Faith has covered many stories relating to birth over the years – incredible stories of courage and heartbreak, difficult decisions, life and death – but we’ve never done an episode on birth itself: what’s amazing about this process,…

1
RMC Briefing: 35th anniversary of Inform, which researches new religious movements 49:14

4M ago49:14

49:14

The charity Inform (Information Network Focus on Religious Movements) has just celebrated its 35th anniversary and in this briefing, we look back at its work with founder, Professor Eileen Barker; honorary director, Dr Suzanne Newcombe; and senior research officer, Dr Sarah Harvey. Inform's role has always been to research and communicate informati…

1
RMC Briefing: The Alexis Jay report on safeguarding in the Church of England 51:42

4M ago51:42

51:42

A report by Prof Alexis Jay into safeguarding in the Church of England recommends two new charities should be set up to deliver and scrutinise safeguarding operations, and they should be entirely separate from the church. It says the current safeguarding system is “flawed and cannot be sufficiently improved whilst it remains within church oversight…

1
Lent for Dummies 28:15

4M ago28:15

28:15

…of which CPX’s Justine Toh is first and foremost. --- In the lead up to Easter, Justine is giving up not only sugar, but her ignorance about all things Lent. She speaks to Catholic theologian Matt Tan, who goes by Awkward Asian Theologian on socials, about Lent and its three-fold focus: giving up, alms-giving, and prayer. They discuss the difficul…

1
John Seed - Legendary 78 year old Australian environmental activist 1:05:32

4M ago1:05:32

1:05:32

John Seed is a 78-year-old world-renowned Australian environmental educator, author, activist, artist and filmmaker. A recipient of the Australian government’s Order of Australia medal, John is the founder and director of the Rainforest Information Centre and, since 1979, has been involved in 100s of campaigns and education initiatives that have pr…

1
RMC Briefing: The "devastating, outrageous" impending closure of the Inter Faith Network 53:13

4M ago53:13

53:13

The impending closure of the Inter Faith Network after 37 years has shocked and dismayed faith leaders across the UK. The government says it is withdrawing funding because a new IFN trustee is associated with the Muslim Council of Britain, an organisation which the government will not speak to due to a dispute in 2009. The Inter Faith Network was s…

1
The Social Media Age 37:33

4M ago37:33

37:33

20 years on from the founding of Facebook, what role do these platforms play in our lives? --- February 4 marked 20 years since Mark Zuckerburg launched the site that was initially known as The Facebook from his Harvard dorm room, so this seems like a good time to take stock of what social media now looks like, and what our lives look like as a res…

1
CATChat 6: Book and Media Recommendations 18:08

4M ago18:08

18:08

On this CATChat episode, Krysia and Ian share some of their favourite books, podcasts and content creators in the field of autism and theology. They also discuss why accessible content is needed, and how autistic people’s voices are so important in the field of autism and theology. Resources mentioned in the episode: Cynthia Tam's Kinship in the Ho…

1
RMC briefing: Church leaders, asylum seekers and conversions in Britain 55:28

5M ago55:28

55:28

Church leaders have hit back at allegations that they are naively backing fraudulent asylum claims by accepting the validity of fake conversions. In a Religion Media Centre briefing, The Bishop of Chelmsford, Guli Francis-Dehqani said wisdom and discernment needed to be applied to the conversion process and it should not be seen as a ticket to get …

1
Autistic Spirituality and Inclusion with Precious Sango 46:20

5M ago46:20

46:20

This week, Krysia is joined by Dr Precious Sango to discuss her research on the spirituality of autistic people and people with intellectual disabilities. She discusses how she came to research this topic, why it is important and a recent paper on autistic people in churches she wrote with Krysia. The transcript of the episode is available here: ht…

1
RMC Briefing: National Churches Trust on saving church buildings 51:48

5M ago51:48

51:48

The National Churches Trust has published a manifesto calling for urgent action to save the UK’s church buildings. ‘Every Church Counts’ sets out a six-point plan to support volunteers, make more use of church buildings for the community, achieve annual government funding of £50 million for maintenance and repairs, work with tourism organisations t…

1
RMC Briefing: How will the Media Bill affect religious broadcasting in the UK? 54:41

5M ago54:41

54:41

The Media Bill going through parliament will change the landscape for public service broadcasters — the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, STV and S4C. They are being given powers for more flexible programming and the requirement to include specific genres of programmes on religion, science and arts will be removed. Questions have been raised as to wh…

1
CATChat 5: Reflections and Looking Forward 18:09

5M ago18:09

18:09

On this CATChat episode, Krysia, Ian and Zoe are reflecting on the first few months of the podcast and thinking about the future of the podcast. They discuss what it means to be an authentic neurodivergent podcast, and also the need to invite others into the conversation. If you have any questions, or just want to say hi, email us at cat@abdn.ac.uk…

1
RMC Briefing: Look ahead to news stories about religion in 2024 59:02

6M ago59:02

59:02

Reporters on religion joined our panel to look ahead at the stories likely to make the headlines in 2024, within the UK and around the world. They unpacked headlines such as the way religion will be interwoven in the US and UK election campaigns, the response to war in Israel / Gaza and its impact among religious groups here, a split in the Church …

1
Autism and the Image of God with Harry and Ian 45:19

6M ago45:19

45:19

This week, Zoe is joined by Ian Lasch and Harry Gibbins. They discuss their research on autism and the Imago Dei and how our understanding of the Image of God impacts how we treat people. Harry also shares about Dungeons and Dragons as a way of addressing this topic. The transcript for this episode is available here: https://share.transistor.fm/s/4…

1
CATChat 4: A Neurodivergent Christmas 25:04

6M ago25:04

25:04

On this CATChat episode, Krysia, Ian and Zoe are chatting about their experieces of Christmas as neurodivergent people, and advice they would give to others who find aspects of the festive season challenging. Krysia and Zoe's articles on neurodiversity and Christmas: Tips for Managing the Demands of the Festive Season: https://ndconnection.co.uk/bl…

1
Christmas in a place of war 33:33

7M ago33:33

33:33

Anglican Priest David Pileggi talks about what Christmas means in his town of Jerusalem in the midst of war. --- Anglican priest David Pileggi has lived in Jerusalem for over 40 years. In that time he has seen a lot, but recent events in Israel and Gaza have been as shocking and disturbing as any he has encountered. He talks to Life & Faith about h…

1
Brexit, Trump ... and the Voice? Australia’s political divides 36:12

7M ago36:12

36:12

British journalist David Goodhart on the Anywhere-Somewhere divide challenging national unity abroad and at home. --- Is Australia polarised? The country is no UK roiled by Brexit, or US torn apart by the election of Donald Trump to the American presidency in 2016. But we’ve had our own brushes with polarisation – most recently on the question of a…

1
Autism, Spirituality, and Connectedness with Christopher Barber 31:55

7M ago31:55

31:55

This week, Zoe is joined by Christopher Barber. Chris shares some of his experiences as an autistic person and his experience of spirituality, and what it means to be on the margins. The transcript for this episode is available here: https://share.transistor.fm/s/d9fc31eb/transcript.txt Read Chris' article on Autism and Spirituality here: https://w…

1
Seen & Heard V: Getting disenchanted with disenchantment 37:28

7M ago37:28

37:28

Our cultural narrative says there is no supernatural or transcendent realm. The CPX team wants to break that spell. --- Seen & Heard is back – and this time, the team have disenchantment in their sights, or the belief that there is no more supernatural or transcendent realm to life, that science is the only verifiable path to truth, and that all th…

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