Sunday Folgen

This week Church of England leaders voted narrowly to allow special services of blessing for gay couples. At a meeting in London, the church’s General Synod approved the move on a trial basis. It has been a hugely divisive issue and there are fears that it could split the church. Equality campaigners insist that gay Anglicans should be able to marry in church like everyone else. But some conservatives say that the church is straying from scripture, which teaches that marriage can only be between a man and a woman. The Labour Party leadership was hit by a major rebellion this week in the Commons when 56 MPs defied party policy and voted for a ceasefire in Gaza. Eight shadow ministers also resigned their positions in support of an immediate ceasefire. Muslim party members, councillors and MPs have been vociferous in pushing for an end to the violence in Gaza as the death toll has soared. Labour usually enjoys strong support from Muslims, but could this issue lose the party votes, or even seats at the General Election?Why have human beings always been so attracted to stories about the end of the world? Across cultures and history, stories and works of art have reflected ideas of the apocalypse. It's the subject of a new exhibition which includes poems by T. S. Eliot and W. B. Yeats. The exhibition's venue is a Victorian house in Bedford, which once belonged to a now defunct Christian apocalyptic movement, called the Panacea Society. We'll hear the history of this eccentric organisation and also examine the strangely enduring appeal of the apocalypse.Presenter: Edward Stourton Producers: Jonathan Hallewell and Bara'atu Ibrahim Editor: Helen Grady Studio Managers: Helen Williams and Sue Stonestreet

William Crawley talks to interfaith experts about navigating Jewish-Muslim relations against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war. As we celebrate 400 years of the publication of Shakespeare's first folio, Professor Regina Schwartz, an expert in both explains how 'Love thy neighbour' is central to understanding the Bard and the Bible. Hear about the Diwali baskets being made in Birmingham to celebrate the big day. Angry meetings and an intractable issue: The General Synod of the Church of England gets ready to talk same sex blessings this week. Reporter Harry Farley has the details

William Crawley has the latest on events in Israel-Gaza. He’ll also be discussing use of scripture in war rhetoric with two experts after Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referenced the Bible earlier this week. Also on the programme, a Sikh man who felt discriminated against when he was barred from doing jury service because of his religious sword. Are bells the soothing sound of Sunday morning or a nuisance for neighbours? New bells are going up at a parish in Devon and it’s caused a bit of a ding dong. Hear from the Canon of St James’s Church in Tiverton as well as critics.The Church of England General Synod meets later this month and one of the issues to be discussed includes same-sex relationships. In February, the Synod voted in favour of allowing blessings in church for LGBT couples, whilst maintaining that there was no change in the church's doctrine of marriage: church weddings would still only be for heterosexual couples. For supporters of same-sex marriage, it didn’t go far enough. The BBC's Linda Pressly met some of those who feel strongly on both sides of this debate.Presenter: William Crawley Producers: Bara'atu Ibrahim & Rosie Dawson Editor: Tim Pemberton