Sunday Folgen

Steven Spielberg’s remake of the musical West Side Story has hit the big screen and with it there is renewed interest in its origins as a story of two lovers divided by religion. The man behind the screenplay for the new version, award winning writer Tony Kushner tells Edward about the film's Jewish roots. In a candid interview with Edward, the former Bishop of Liverpool, James Jones talks about his latest book ‘Justice for Christ’s Sake’ in which he which draws heavily on the lessons he learnt while chairing the Hillsborough Independent Panel. This week the Government reaffirmed its commitment to banning so-called Conversion Therapy. BBC Religious Affairs Journalist Harry Farley talks us through the government's proposals and two Christians with very different views respond to the plans. Reverend Graham Nicholls is Director of Affinity - a Fellowship of Churches, Evangelical Agencies and Christians. He fears a new law would criminalise the teaching of traditional Christian beliefs on marriage. Elinor Kershaw of the Quaker Gender and Sexual Diversity Community thinks the plans may not go far enough. We hear how a delay in plans to reform marriage law in England and Wales has left thousands in unregistered religious marriages without legal protection. Edward speaks to Roxana Rais of the Muslim Women’s Advisory Council, and Russell Sandberg, Professor of Law at Cardiff University and Author of ‘Religion and Marriage Law’. And as the last in a trio of reports looking at Anti-Semitism on Social Media is published, Dr Julian Hargreaves, Director of Research at the Woolf Institute, explains its findings. And Sunday listeners tell is what makes for truly great Christmas music.Producers: Jill Collins and Louise Clarke Rowbotham Editor: Helen Grady

Pope Francis is in Cyprus this week where he said that "walls of fear" and nationalism were slowing down Europe's progress. As he moves onto Greece, another country on the frontline of the migrant crisis, we'll hear how this visit is being greeted on the ground. In the aftermath of the crisis of 2015, when thousands of asylum seekers arrived in Greece, the government there toughened its stance on migrants. How do Catholics in Greece, itself not long in recovery after a deep economic recession, view the Pope and his plea to open borders and offer safe haven to migrants?We're celebrating St Columba, or St Colmcille as he's known in Ireland, who was born in County Donegal 1500 years ago this week. He is revered for his miracles and missionary zeal but as a Nobleman with considerable power, he also had a reputation as a warrior and a troublemaker. We'll separate the fact from the folklore and hear how this Saint who is loved on both sides of the Irish border as well as in Scotland and the North of England now represents a shared heritage and future in a post-Brexit world. And as the Church of England releases its first ever single in a bid to be the Christmas number one, we'll be asking what it takes for a religious themed song to make it to the top of the charts.Photo Credit: Andreas Solaro/AFP

Countries around the world are racing to introduce travel bans and restrictions on Southern Africa to contain a new variant of Covid-19. With just ten per cent of Africans having received their first jab, Church leaders on the continent are calling for vaccine justice and faith leaders are working together to challenge vaccine hesitancy. Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, South African Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town and President of the South African Council of Churches, tells us what new challenges the churches face. We hear the extraordinary story of how a rabbi and Kim Kardashian worked together to rescue girls from Afghanistan. And now that local councils are obliged to take in refugee children, we hear about the shortage of Muslim foster parents and how faith helped one young refugee settle into his new life in the UK. The Bible has been translated into many languages but now there is to be a new translation into BSL, or British Sign Language. What will this mean to deaf people? Emily Buchanan talks to Lord Bishop Sentamu of Lindisfarne as he takes over as the first African head of Christian Aid, and we hear how, for the first time, 'Spiritual Abuse' is cited as a definition in the draft statutory Guidance to the Domestic Abuse Act.Producers: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham and Jill CollinsEditor: Helen Grady