At the end of this month, MP’s will debate and vote on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. Kim Leadbeater, the Labour member behind the proposal, says that the current ‘status quo is not fit for purpose’ as it leads to people ‘having very harrowing, very distressing deaths – both for themselves and for their family.’ But, is the legalising of assisted dying the best answer to this dilemma? Would there be adequate safeguards? And when traditional Christian teaching has always...

Jonathan Thomas looks at the history and work of the Salvation Army in Wales as it celebrates 150 years since its first mission to Cardiff, followed later by missions to Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and many other towns around Wales. Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Roberts is the Army's current leader in Wales, and he gives his account of some of the movement's early days, as well as outlining its work today. Captain Canon Kathryn Stowers is the Army's Ecumenical Officer for Wales, and she talks...

Roy Jenkins looks at the life, work and continuing influence of Isaac Watts, the great hymn-writer who was born in Southampton 350 years ago. Of the six or seven hundred hymns he composed a good handful are sung each week in services across the denominations, and some have become fixed points in worship for Easter, Christmas and even Remembrance Sunday. Ironically, some have made their way into Anglican hymnaries, despite the fact that Watts and his family faced severe privations for not...

Delyth Liddell meets writer, gardener and amateur ecologist Carwyn Graves at the heritage apple orchard at the Bishop's Park in Abergwili, Carmarthen. They discuss faith, Carwyn's passion for Welsh food and why it matters to preserve Welsh heritage apple varieties. 'Tir: a History of the Welsh Landscape', Carwyn's latest book, explores Welsh history and landscape from the ffridd, or mountain pasture, to the rhos, or wild moorland. They discuss why rewilding has become such a divisive topic in...

It's Prisons Week, when Christians are encouraged to pray for all those affected by the criminal justice system. But is prayer alone the answer to the problems facing prisoners, their victims, and those working in prisons? Rosa Hunt discusses some of the issues with a panel of guests, including Rev Nick Sandford, managing chaplain at HMP Cardiff; Julia Houlston-Clark, CEO of Wales Restorative Justice Partnerships; and criminal defence barrister Andrew Taylor.

The Bible is central to Christian worship and devotion throughout the year. But October is the month when many churches observe Bible Sunday, giving thanks for the Scriptures. This month also sees the publication of a 'Bible for young explorers', with surrounding text written by celebrity and adventurer Bear Grylls, and Cardiff based Andrew Ollerton. But do young people want a Bible? And if so, what kind? Roy Jenkins interviews Andrew Ollerton and others who are involved in helping young...

Jonathan Thomas’s guest is the author of “Where the saints came from” published earlier this year. She's Anne Hayward, a retired teacher and former lay reader in the Church in Wales. Anne is also a very keen walker; so much so that each Easter she goes on solo pilgrimage from her home in Bannau Brycheiniog National Park to a holy place either in Wales or beyond. As we’ll hear this year’s pilgrimage was her second journey to Brittany, a place of strong Celtic ties with Wales and Cornwall. So...

Today, more people than ever before are using food banks in the UK, while rates of homelessness are also on the increase. These figures are predicted to grow as we enter the cold winter months. The last two decades have seen a huge increase in faith-based initiatives to support those in crisis, from churches running food banks to street pastors to charities offering support to the homeless. But to what extent do these initiatives work, and could it be the case that by offering...

The report, ‘Casting Long Shadows: The ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on babies, their families and the services that support them.’ published in 2022 revealed worrying statistics about babies born during the COVID pandemic, highlighting how many had delayed social skills. But two years on, as those children now start school, how are they doing? We speak to Dr Alison Prowle, a senior lecturer at the department for Children and Families, University of Worcester; Hannah Tuck, a...

Azim Ahmed and guests shine a light on a collection of ‘Lost Hymns’; long forgotten Welsh-language folk hymns recorded by oral historians at St. Fagan’s National Museum of History in the 1960s. When musician and composer Lleuwen Steffan came across these recordings she immediately realised that they were no longer featured in contemporary hymn books. She embarked on a decade long project to track down the descendants of those recorded, and to compose music inspired by these songs. Today she...

Roy Jenkins reflects further on his broadcast career, and recounts some memorable moments in such diverse places as Russia, South America, South Africa, Hong Kong and Israel.

The first of two special editions of All Things Considered to mark Roy Jenkins' 50 years in religious broadcasting. Across his career, Roy has been involved in a vast number and variety of programmes. Today, he looks back on just a few which have made some kind of mark on him. We hear archive footage from across Roy's career, as well as the stories behind some of these memorable programme-making experiences. Join us again next week, when Roy will reflect on some of the fascinating...

Jonathan Thomas joins the audience in the Swansea Arena to watch the musical 'Jesus Christ Superstar' on its 50th anniversary tour. He speaks to three expert guests; Swansea born singer and song writer Steve Balsamo whose award winning performance of Jesus in the 1990s launched his career. Cameron Smith who writes a blog 'Middle Brow Musicals' and also for Premier Christianity Magazine. Lastly Revered Emma Ackland, Bishop’s Chaplain in the Diocese of Llandaff. The show first launched in the...

Minister and biker Sean Stillman gives a searingly honest insight into a life that's been turned upside down since his diagnosis some three years ago, after experiencing a number of strange symptoms. Sean is a Christian minister at Zak’s Place , which is both a church and outreach to the homeless in Swansea. He's also international president of a Christian motor-cycle club called ‘God’s Squad’. But, like many people living with a serious illness, he has had to cut back on some of his...

In the final part of our series exploring aspects of Offa's Dyke, and Offa's Dyke Path, Rosa Hunt walks a part of the way in the company of five people with a passion for the outdoors, and asks the theological conundrum of whether God is a walker? There are many suggestions in both the Old Testament and the New that God does indeed walk, and it's possible - some argue - that we come nearest to Him not when we rush around but when we walk at a moderate pace. Even for people without a formal...

Azim Ahmed walks a section of Offa's Dyke, to explore what it has to tell us about our place in the world, and in the universe. This ancient archaeological wonder constructed by the Mercian King Offa has in some ways been the making of Welsh identity. But it also speaks of fascinating connections with Europe, and possibly the Islamic world. A visit to Knighton's Spaceguard centre, however, suggests that our planet, let alone Wales, may be but a mere speck in a vast and dangerous universe.

Throughout July, All Things Considered will be coming from the ancient boundary between Wales and England – Offa’s Dyke. Each week, we explore a different section of the border as we travel from Chepstow to Prestatyn, joined by voices from the borders sharing their stories of faith, encounter and identity. This week Jonathan Thomas explores the idea of ‘borders’ and identity, starting at St. Mary's Capel y Ffin. Here Jonathan meets Father David Wyatt at the tiny 'chapel on the border,' a...

Delyth Liddell in conversation with Grammy Award winning singer and songwriter Matt Redman. Matt is the writer of some of the world’s most popular worship songs and regularly leads churches across the globe in worship. This summer Matt Redman will release his twentieth album, “Coming Back to The Heart," which revisits songs written or co-written by him over the last 25 years. He shares insights into these songs and reflects on his strong partnership with his wife Beth, with whom he has...

To judge from the number of recordings (they run into the thousands) Amazing Grace is one of the world's most popular hymns. And yet this global 'hit' was many years in the making. Penned by a former slave trader turned abolitionist, John Newton, it was in America that it would be popularised, largely through the agency of a Welshman who wedded it to the tune with which we are familiar nowadays. Ironically, the song was most enthusiastically adopted by African Americans. And it would be two...

On Sunday 26th May Llandaff Cathedral will host a service to remember people in the LGBTQ+ community who have suffered exclusion from Christian communities because of their sexuality or gender identity. The service is organised LGBTQ+ Christian Charity OneBodyOneFaith. In this week's 'All Things Considered' Delyth Liddell speaks to the charity's co-chair, Father Jarel Robinson-Brown. Jarel Robinson-Brown is vicar of St German's Church, Adamsdown, Cardiff but he hails from London. He was...

Religious courts or councils have long existed in England and Wales, offering mediation or arbitration on a range of issues for the Jewish, Muslim and even Christian communities. With the recent establishment of the Sikh Council, Azim Ahmed discusses the nature of these institutions with a panel of guests. What are they, what do they do, and how effective are they? Azim is joined by Dr Samia Bano, Reader in Law at SOAS, University of London; Rabbi Jonathan Romain, Convenor of the Reform Beit...

“Run the straight race” The line from a well-know hymn gives a clue to this week’s edition presented by Rosa Hunt. Throughout May the BBC is holding its annual Mental Health and Wellbeing Season which coincides with a week of awareness run by the Mental Health Foundation. This year the foundation is focussing on "moving more for our mental health”. During the programme we include an exploration of physical activity as far as faith is concerned. In some faiths, worship is very much a...

Roy Jenkins talks to former nun Catherine Coldstream, who has recently published a fascinating, challenging and highly praised memoir of her former life in a Carmelite monastery. Following the death of her father, Catherine Coldstream abandoned her musician's life in Paris and sought spiritual solace in a monastery, and found what she thought was a vocation for life as a Carmelite nun. She was only in her mid-20s Yet on a rainy night 12 years later she would try to escape from the community...

While attention is understandably focussed on the latest horrors of the Gaza-Israel conflict, it’s easy to forget that in Ukraine and dozens of other countries, people are also being forced from their homes, seeing communities destroyed, and living in daily fear. In other places, the memories of much earlier atrocities continue to shape lives. It’s the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda which killed 800,000 people in 100 days in 1994. The UK parliament faces yet another round of...