Religion Media Centre Podcast

Hannah Scott-Joynt is joined by regular journos Rosie Dawson and Leo Devine who reflect on the religious news from the past week. They look back on the US midterm elections and Ron DeSantis' messianic claims, Catholic Bishop Paul McAleenan’s plea to the Home Secretary to tone down her language on migrants, and the new Sikh prayer book designed for use in combat zones.They are joined by Pella Thiel, a Swedish ecologist who is working to make large-scale environmental degradation an international crime called Ecocide, and Olivia Fuchs, the Eco Dharma Network Coordinator for the Network of Buddhist Organisations. They discuss their approaches to the climate crisis, the importance of faith leadership in this area, the goings on at COP27, and how they remain hopeful for change.RMC regular, Tim Wyatt, joins the team at half-time to shed light on the new Anglican movement, the Anglican Network in Europe, which has now appointed bishops and ordained clergy, and is providing a home for Anglicans concerned with the direction of the mainstream CofE over the same-sex marriage debate. On a lighter note, we hear about the neurosurgeon who came out of a coma with a renewed faith in God having experienced what he believed to be a visit to heaven – find out what it’s like on this week's episode.LinksWebsite: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmwContact [email protected](+44) 0203 970 0709

Hannah Scott-Joynt is joined by regular journalist colleagues Leo Devine and Rosie Dawson to look at some of the key stories of the week, including the impact of BBC proposed cuts on local radio Sunday morning breakfast output, where 39 local programmes will be reduced to 10 regional shows. The Bishop of Warrington, Beverley Mason, and Pauline McAdam, formerly of BBC Radio Merseyside, explain the devastating consequences for communities, where local radio is a lifeline.Other stories include the news that some Church of England bishops seem to be shifting to allow same-sex marriages, British Jewish leaders’ strong reaction to the new right-wing coalition in Israel, and a meeting of global faith leaders in advance of the G20 challenging each other to create a more peaceful world.LinksWebsite: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmwContact [email protected](+44) 0203 970 0709

Hannah Scott-Joynt is joined by regular journalist colleagues Leo Devine and Rosie Dawson to discuss the big stories of the week including the fact that we have a new Hindu PM and a rehired Buddhist Home Secretary. Hindu leader, Akhandadhi Das, and Suryagupta Dharmacharini, Chair of the London Buddhist Centre, join us to help explain how coming from these religious backgrounds might shape politicians’ decisions.It’s also Halloween this weekend and Jenny Uzzell from the Centre for Death and Life Studies; an expert on druids, apples, and the Mari Lwyd; sets the darkest of the Christian seasons in a global context of festivals celebrating the dead.LinksWebsite: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmwContact [email protected](+44) 0203 970 0709

Hannah Scott-Joint is joined by regular journalist colleagues Rosie Dawson and Leo Devine to discuss the key stories of the week including the state of the nation and the cost of living crisis in light of the political turmoil, and the report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. The Bishop of Manchester Rt Revd Dr David Walker joins the conversation to help shed episcopal light on the issues. They also hear about the fact that using precious metal for dispensing alcoholic communion wine reduces the risk of infection.LinksWebsite: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmwContact [email protected](+44) 0203 970 0709

This week, Hannah is back in the chair and is joined by Leo Devine and Amardeep Bassey to discuss the week’s top religious stories. Following on from a discussion on the Koh-i-Noor diamond and its potential contentious role in the coronation, royal expert Catherine Pepinster helps to shed light on the potential inclusivity of the ceremony to be held in May next year.Azim Ahmed who, as a Muslim representative, took part in the Welsh national service to mark the Queen’s death, speaks about his hopes for a service that properly reflects the nation’s religious diversity. Yahya Birt also joins the podcast to talk about his recent report for the Ayaan Institute on the plight of minority Muslims around the world.LinksWebsite: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmwContact [email protected](+44) 0203 970 0709

Leo Devine hosts this week’s podcast and is joined by regulars Rosie Dawson and Amardeep Bassey to reflect on some of the top stories including the newly published hate crime figures and the response to the new PM’s desire to move the British Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.Two other journalists, veteran Nicholas Jones and Rome-based Filipe Domingues, join the team to reflect back on a previous conservative PM’s relationship with the church and the growing phenomenon of “faith voting” influencing elections in Brazil, the US, and Italy.LinksWebsite: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmwContact [email protected](+44) 0203 970 0709

Hannah Scott-Joynt is joined by journalists Rosie Dawson, Amardeep Bassey, and Leo Devine to chew over some of this week's religious news. Activist Negin Shiraghaei helps the team to understand the Iranian protests about the wearing of the hijab, and writer and journalist Lamorna Ash gives the backstory to her striking long read in the Guardian about two of her friends who have surprisingly turned from non-believing comedians to ordinands in the Church of England. With Hannah and Leo’s close links to local journalism, they also reflect on the talent in local radio following the recent grilling of Liz Truss.LinksWebsite: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmwContact [email protected](+44) 0203 970 0709

This week, Hannah Scott-Joynt looks back at the RMC Annual Lecture which was delivered by Professor Linda Woodhead from King's College London on Tuesday evening. In it she painted quite a pessimistic future for traditional religion in the UK – not a view shared by all attendees – so Hannah asks co-hosts Leo Devine and Rosie Dawson what they made of it. But the main focus of the conversation is the troubles between different factions in Leicester this week. To help understand what has been going on there, and also to give advice to journalists on how to report such a complex and inflammatory subject, they are joined by Amardeep Bassey, freelance journalist and trainer, and Asha Patel, a community reporter with Leicester Live.LinksWebsite: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmwContact [email protected](+44) 0203 970 0709

Hannah Scott-Joynt is joined by regular co-hosts Leo Devine and Rosie Dawson to reflect on the extraordinary response to the death of Queen Elizabeth II. With thousands of people queueing for miles to process past her coffin, the team welcome Abby Day Professor of Race, Faith & Culture at Goldsmiths to try and understand what is happening from a sociological perspective, and whether religion has anything to do with it.LinksWebsite: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmwContact [email protected](+44) 0203 970 0709

Hannah Scott-Joynt is joined by regular co-hosts Leo Devine and Rosie Dawson to reflect on the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Journalists Catherine Pepinster and Stephen Bates add stories and insights from their own years reporting on the Royal Family and tributes are paid by Rabbi Nicky Liss, former chair of the United Synagogue Rabbinic Council, and Imam Qari Azim MBE.LinksWebsite: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmwContact [email protected](+44) 0203 970 0709

In a new style weekly RMC podcast, presenter Hannah Scott-Joynt welcomes her regular co-hosts Leo Devine and Rosie Dawson to discuss key stories from the week including the death of Mikhail Gorbachev, the Pope’s appointment of new cardinals, and the controversial St Austell Earth Goddess statue.00:00Hannah Scott-Joynt welcomes her regular co-hosts to the podcast and asks them to comment on this week’s top stories.04:36Rosie Dawson welcomes fellow journalist Jonathan Luxmoore, an expert on Roman Catholicism in Poland and Russia, to discuss the religious dimension of former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, and the Pope’s latest cardinal appointments.20:29Leo Devine shares some lighter stories from around the country including the latest way of taking communion with a wafer (gluten-free) and a small quantity of wine from a mini UHT milk-style plastic cup, and he interviews the creator of the St Austell Earth Goddess statue which has been dividing Cornish opinion but attracting attention from around the world.LinksWebsite: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmwContact [email protected](+44) 0203 970 0709

Presenter Hannah Scott-Joynt and her regular house guests discuss a range of topics including the Roe v Wade judgement reversal by the US Supreme Court, the Golf Club opening its doors to Muslim women, and an exclusive interview with the imam recently sacked as the government adviser on Islamophobia.Intro | 00:00Hannah welcomes her regular co-hosts to the podcast and asks them to introduce their upcoming features.Journo's Notebook | 02:26Rosie Dawson is joined by the new BBC Religion Editor, Aleem Maqbool, and Amardeep Basset to discuss among other things the Lady of Heaven film and the Roe v Wade controversy.Leo's Local | 09:47Former BBC Regional expert, Leo Devine, tells Hannah about the Dignity Box Campaign providing essentials for refugee women as they arrive in the country, the golf club tempting Muslim women to pick up their putters, and a sneak preview of this year’s Greenbelt Festival with its Creative Director Paul Northup.The Big Interview | 19:08Roger Bolton talks to Imam Qari Asim who lost his job as a government adviser over his comments about the cinema release of the Lady of Heaven.Azim's Academic | 33:55Our resident correspondent from the world of academia meets the much sought-after, Abdul-Rehman Malik, the Head of Islamic Studies at Yale.Life Laundry | 43:22To mark the 10th anniversary of the 2012 Olympics, Paul Kerensa asks Rabbi Alex Goldberg what it was like to be a chaplain at the iconic event.LinksWebsite: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmwContact [email protected](+44) 0203 970 0709

In this special episode of the Religion Media Centre Podcast, presenter Hannah Scott-Joynt gives a flavour of all that went on at the 2022 Religion Media Festival "Exploring Belief".Intro | 00:00Hannah introduces highlights of the 4th Religion Media Centre festival "Exploring Belief" held at JW3, London on Monday 16 May 2022.Keynote Interview | 00:43Roger Bolton interviews Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, and President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. They discuss the situation in Ukraine and the Church's role in bringing the conflict to some form of cessation, as well as reflecting on post-COVID religion and the current cost of living crisis.Panel Discussion: Do Machines have Souls? | 13:48Rosie Dawson chairs a distinguished panel on the subject: Dr Beth Singler, Research Fellow in Artificial Intelligence, Homerton College, University of Cambridge; Professor Neil Lawrence, Deep Mind Professor of Machine Learning, University of Cambridge; Rabbi Laura Janner Klausner, Rabbi at Bromley Reform Synagogue and former Senior Rabbi to Reform Judaism; and Dr Nick Spencer, Senior Fellow at Theos Think Tank.Keynote: Reporting Religion | 25:04Aleem Maqbool has been doing his new job as the Religion Editor for BBC News for just a month – Roger Bolton tests his understanding of the BBC’s Religion strategy and finds out what resources are made available to him to help him carry out this crucial role.Panel Discussion: Invisible Faith Communities | 34:56Last year, the Religion Media Centre was given money by Culham St Gabriel Trust to run the Creating Connections project - spending a day in Leeds, Plymouth, Nottingham, Birmingham and Manchester, bringing together local journalists, academics, teachers and representatives of faith groups in the area. The aim was to open lines of communication and build relationships, thus improving trust between faith groups and the media. Leo Devine, who helped host some of the original sessions, gather a panel of participants from around the country to reflect on the success of the project.Panel Discussion: Women in Leadership - has anything changed? | 47:12Hannah chairs a panel of experts on the subject: Professor Linda Woodhead, FD Maurice Chair in Moral and Social Theology, Kings College London; Dr Maryyum Mehmood, Teaching Fellow at the University of Birmingham and Associate Director, Edward Cadbury Centre for the Public Understanding of Religion and a Trustee for the Women’s Interfaith Network; Rt Rev Dr Jo Bailey Wells, Bishop of Dorking, in the Church of England Diocese of Guildford; and Rabbi Debbie Young-Somers, Rabbi at Edgware and Hendon Reform Synagogue and Radio 2 Pause for Thought contributor.LinksWebsite: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmwContact [email protected](+44) 0203 970 0709

Presenter Hannah Scott-Joynt and her regular house guests discuss a range of topics including the role of religion in politics, the results of the French election, and Bucky Day - a celebration of a controversial drink brewed by monks.Intro | 00:00Hannah welcomes her regular co-hosts to the podcast and asks them to introduce their upcoming features.Journo's Notebook | 02:18Rosie Dawson and Hannah welcome journalists Tim Wyatt and Paris-based Wafa Jawad Abbas to discuss the French election results and their implications, especially for the Muslim community - and we discover that in France, unlike the UK, religious leaders have no voice in the political sphere.Leo's Local | 13:32Former BBC regional expert, Leo Devine, tells Hannah about one church leader’s frustration at the lack of progress in bringing Ukrainian refugees to the UK, and excitement in the Jain community in Leicester as the animal sentience bill is about to achieve royal assent. Oh, and hold tight for Bucky Day!The Big Interview | 21:59Roger Bolton talks to Rt Rev Paul Butler, Bishop of Durham, about the Archbishop of Canterbury’s intervention in the Government’s refugee policy and how much influence the Church should have in political matters.Azim's Academic | 36:32Our resident correspondent from the world of academia meets Dr Asma Khan from Cardiff University to discuss her project relating to mental health among Muslims in BritainLife Laundry | 42:53Hannah welcomes comedian, Paul Kerensa, and his special guest comic Imran Yusuf to discuss the thinking behind his new Radio 4 series on male identity.LinksWebsite: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmwContact [email protected](+44) 0203 970 0709

Presenter Leo Devine welcomes our regular house guests to discuss a range of topics including the philosophy of joy, the bravery of journalists, the refugee crisis, the state of theology in higher education, and the need for adjustable organ benches.Intro | 00:00Leo welcomes regular co-hosts to the podcast and asks them to introduce their upcoming features.Journo's Notebook | 01:56Leo introduces Rosie Dawson for her Journo's Notebook featuring Catherine Pepinster and Cole Moreton who reflect on the dangerous work of journalists out in Ukraine and the fact that hot cross buns are secular in origin - who knew?Leo's Local | 13:59Leo Devine gathers in some news nuggets from around the regions including the campaign to have adjustable organ benches for female organists and the Sikh boxer campaigning to be allowed to keep his beard in the ring.The Big Interview | 22:19Roger Bolton welcomes Rabbi Jonathan Romain - much featured in the media recently - talking about the Ukraine refugee crisis and how we can all help. He also touches on Ukraine's less than healthy history in relation to antisemitism.Azim's Academic | 33:39Our resident academic, Dr Abdul-Azim Ahmed, interviews Dr Opinderjit Kaur Takhar, Director of the Centre for Sikh and Panjabi Studies at the University of Wolverhampton and the first female president of TRS-UK, the body which oversees Theology and Religious Studies departments around the country - do they have a future? Azim asks.Life Laundry | 42:59Stand-up comic Milton Jones joins our regular funny man Paul Kerensa to discuss joy - is it our moral duty to share it and when is laughter not a joyous thing?LinksWebsite: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmwContact [email protected](+44) 0203 970 0709

Presenter Hannah Scott Joynt and her regular house guests discuss a range of topics including the crisis in Ukraine, the emerging threat of flower arranging, and the meaning of “worldviews”.Intro | 00:00Hannah welcomes her regular co-hosts to the podcast and asks them to introduce their upcoming features.Hot Topic | 02:46Roger Bolton talks to Bishop Nick Baines about the crisis in Ukraine. The Bishop is a fluent Russian speaker and was formerly employed at GCHQ.The Big Interview | 16:19Hannah is joined by Hafsa Lodi, author of “Modesty: A Fashion Paradox”, to discuss the multibillion-dollar industry in modest fashion.Leo's Local | 23:17Former BBC Regional radio expert Leo Devine talks about stories from around the country - all to do with the environment - including Truro Cathedral lights being switched off and the oasis foam crisis which will affect flower arrangers up and down the country.Journo's Notebook | 30:22Rosie Dawson hosts journalists, Donna Birrell and Sunny Hundal, to discuss a variety of stories hitting the headlines.The Academic View | 38:59Our resident academic, Dr Azim Ahmed, is joined by Professor Douglas Davies to discuss the meaning of worldviews.Life Laundry | 49:36Hannah welcomes comedian, Paul Kerensa, and Orthodox Jewish comedian, Rachel Creeger, who shares her unique experience in the comedy circuit.LinksWebsite: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmwContact [email protected](+44) 0203 970 0709

Presenter Hannah Scott Joynt and her regular house guests discuss a range of topics including ethics in public life, the likely results of the 2021 census, the potential for pilgrimage post-pandemic, and the ongoing virus of antisemitism.Intro | 00:00Hannah welcomes her regular co-hosts to the podcast and asks them to introduce their upcoming features.Hot Topic | 02:22Hannah is joined by Chine McDonald, Director of Theos, and Prof Liz David Barrett, Director of the Centre for the Study of Corruption at the University of Sussex, to discuss the importance of ethics in public life.Leo's Local | 08:27Leo Devine joins Hannah to feature local religious stories that have made national headlines including: a David and Goliath battle as a local parish takes on the might of the CofE to save its vicarage, and the new cricket-loving Bishop of Loughborough.The Big Interview | 17:35In the light of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s recent comments on the rise of anti-Semitism, veteran broadcaster Roger Bolton interviews Michael Wegier, Chief Executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews.The Academic View | 25:34With the results of the 2021 Census due in a few months time likely to show a sharp rise in people declaring themselves “nones”, Dr. Azim Ahmed, Deputy, Director at the Centre for the Study of Islam, interviews leading expert, Professor Linda Woodhead, on the state of religion in the UK.Journo's Notebook | 31:09Rosie Dawson hosts journalists, Peter Stanford from the Telegraph, and Kaya Burgess from the Times, as they flick through their notes on recent religious news stories.Life Laundry | 41:47Hannah welcomes comedian, Paul Kerensa, and writer and broadcaster, Remona Aly, to wonder if travel will once again become a thing in 2022, especially in relation to pilgrimage.LinksWebsite: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmwContact [email protected](+44) 0203 970 0709