‘We always put our hand on the coffin and use their name, tell them how loved they were. And then just as the door opens, we wish them well on their journey.” Crematorium Manager Jenny Hamilton tells Aleem Maqbool how she and her team approach their work with the deceased at the Clyde Coast and Garnock Valley Crematorium on the West Coast of Scotland, and how her profession connects to her Christian faith. Aleem is joined by a panel to discuss how the different ways we process the body...

The former SNP leadership contender Kate Forbes, found herself at the centre of a political storm about her religious views. In response to interviews questions, she said the idea of having children outside of marriage conflicted with her Christian faith and confirmed that she was anti-abortion. Ms Forbes also said she would not have voted for same-sex marriage if she had been a politician in 2014 when the law passed. The backlash against these views led SNP colleagues to abandon her campaign...

Daniel Ally is an influencer and author who has built an online coaching business, sharing tips on how to become wealthy. He’s also a committed Christian who credits the Bible for turning his life around. He speaks to Aleem Maqbool about how his beliefs inspire him to seek financial success. This inspires a discussion on the interconnections between faith and finance, whether seeking earthly fortune is in conflict with spiritual beliefs and how different faiths approach the gap between rich...

Revd Hilary Bond is a priest in the Church of England in Wareham in Dorset. She's also bee arrested five times at climate change protests and now has two convictions to her name. Aleem Maqbool speaks with Hilary about her choice to take a direct approach by blocking roads during climate change protests. They discuss her reasons, how she feels called to do this because of her faith and what her limits are. Her reflections lead to a discussion on the place of protest and direct action for...

Do we have a desire for God? In the first of a new series, Aleem Maqbool speaks to David Baddiel about his book "The God Desire". Aleem is joined on stage at The Hay Festival by the panel to explore what it means to have a desire for God, where this desire might come from and whether it's driven by fear of death. Aleem is joined by: Fergus Butler-Gallie – Priest in the Church of England and author of "Touching Cloth" Osman Yousefzada – Multidisciplinary artist and author of "The Go...

Is there a crisis of masculinity in the modern day? How are online influencers having an impact on young men? And how does faith play a part in this phenomenon? Aleem Maqbool speaks with Josiah and Vanessa, a young couple who were both brought up in strict Christian households, about how Jordan Peterson's online content influenced their faith and their relationship with one another. This sparks a discussion on masculinity in the modern world and how male influencers are having an impact in...

Artificial intelligence influences how we interact with everything – and religion is no exception. AI technology is increasingly being incorporated into religious worship. Robot priests are delivering sermons, chatbots are reciting prayers, robot monks are spreading wisdom and robotic arms are carrying out ceremonies. Aleem Maqbool speaks with robotics specialist, Gabriele Trovato, creator of SanTO, a robotic Catholic priest that delivers sermons, gives advice and joins worshippers in...

On 6th May 2023, King Charles III will be crowned in Westminster Abbey in an ancient ceremony that dates back a thousand years. The Coronation service is, at its heart, a religious event in which King Charles swears an oath to uphold “the Protestant Reformed Religion Established by Law” and is anointed with holy oil by The Archbishop of Canterbury. But is this religious service representative of modern Britain? What does it say about who we are today? And will it speak to people of all...

Is Humanism a religion? Aleem Maqbool speaks with former Blue Peter presenter and author, Janet Ellis, about the path that led her to adopt Humanism. This sparks a discussion on the nature of Humanism and the various rituals and beliefs associated with it. Joining Aleem for the discussion are: Professor Alice Roberts - Vice President of Humanist UK and author of The Little Books of Humanism and The Little Book of Humanist Funerals Theo Hobson - Theologian and author of God Created...

It is estimated that 1 in 7 UK couples struggle to conceive but what impact do religious beliefs and cultural practices have on those who can not or choose not to have children. Aleem Maqbool speaks to Lizzie Lowrie about her experience of baby loss and miscarriage and how her faith and church community brought both challenges and support. Her story sparks a discussion on what it means to live without children in different belief systems and how the faith community responds. Aleem...

Whether to drugs, alcohol, smoking, pornography or something else entirely, addiction comes with a perceived stigma that can make seeking help difficult. In a religious context there are competing factors that can have an impact on recovery. Some faiths impose prohibitions on certain behaviours which can discourage people from admitting to a problem but there are also methods of helping those who are struggling that are based on religious teaching and practice. Aleem Maqbool speaks with a...

Rabbi Jonathan Romain's son, Benedict, died tragically and suddenly in January. In the grieving process his faith, community and the rituals of Judaism have all played a part. He speaks to Aleem Maqbool about his experience and his response to bereavement. His story leads to a panel discussion on the place of faith, religion and ritual within the grieving process, whether it is a help or a hindrance and whether belief in an afterlife makes it easier to deal with loss. Maggie Doherty is the...

"I didn't choose to forgive. It wasn't that I tried and tried to forgive. There was a moment when I thought, what on earth does this word 'forgiveness' even mean?" Julie Nicholson's daughter, Jenny, was killed in the 7/7 London Bombings. Julie has not forgiven Jenny's killer which has led to conflict with what was expected of her in her role as a parish priest. She tells Aleem Maqbool about the difficulties in reconciling her faith's teachings on forgiveness with her Christian ministry and...

'My faith has been a constant in my life through good times and bad. There have been times where I've received death threats for being gay. But could I get married in a gurdwara? No.' For Jasvir Singh CBE, barrister and community activist, his Sikh faith has always been the cornerstone of his life. But when he got married in 2022 to his partner Nick. he couldn't have a religious ceremony. Speaking openly for the first time, he tells Aleem Maqbool about his relationship with his faith and his...

"I couldn't pretend anymore that I felt the same way. I did doubt. It was as good as saying I'd lost my faith." Aleem Maqbool meets Kat Wordsworth, who tells her story about doubt in her Christian beliefs and how it's affected her life and health. She now shares her experiences and thoughts on doubt on a social media account, with followers also contributing their experiences and she's about to publish a book called 'Let's Talk About Doubt'. Kat wants to hear doubt discussed more widely 'at...

Lily Ebert was 20 when the Nazis deported her from her Hungarian hometown to Auschwitz. Remarkably she survived, and so did her faith. Now a 99 year old grandmother, she tells Aleem Maqbool how the Judaism of her childhood, sustained her in the most horrific circumstances. Her moving story sparks a discussion on the impact that the Holocaust had on Jewish belief and practice and how the repercussions are manifest in the modern day.

'You don't find meaning through the end of a telescope.' So says Professor Brian Cox, particle physicist and one of the best communicators of modern science today. Speaking to Aleem Maqbool, Brian shares his view on the relationship between religion and science. Not a believer himself, he thinks the perception of conflict between them is wrong. Aleem reflects on Brian's comments with a panel of three guests, to ask is the war over between these big beasts? Monica Grady is a Professor of...

“I wouldn't have become an athlete if I didn't think it was something that God wanted me to do.” Jonathan Edwards still holds the triple jump world record 27 years after leaping to victory in 1995. He has taken home gold at the Olympics, World and European Championships and the Commonwealth Games. His success, he says, was driven by the belief that he was “in tune with a supernatural being that created the Earth”. Today, he no longer holds those beliefs but looks back on how they had an...

"I put my pants and toothbrush in a bag, and I never went back." On a wet and windy November night a Carmelite nun, Lisa, leaves the convent, her home for 24 years, after a monk asks her to marry him. With so few people now living in religious communities, what's the future for Britain's monks, nuns, friars and sisters? Aleem Maqbool brings together three people who have experienced life in a religious order to hear Lisa's story and discuss this question. Father Luigi Gioia is a former...

Exploring the faith behind the pomp and pageantry of the Queen's funeral. Millions will have watched the historic funeral service from Westminster Abbey and the Committal at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was laid to rest. For some, the services will be full of meaning and resonance. Others will be less familiar with the Christian rituals that have evolved over centuries. Ernie Rea is joined by writer and journalist Catherine Pepinster, Professor...

Anglican Bishops are starting to consider what 'redemptive action' for the horrors of slavery could look like. The history of the transatlantic slave trade casts a long shadow. Over three million black Africans were transported in British ships to a life of slavery. The legacy of a practice that spanned three centuries has been keenly felt in recent years, from the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd, to the toppling of statues of slave traders. Calls appear to be getting louder for...

Margaret Atwood tells Ernie Rea about the role of faith in her seminal novel and how her fiction, written nearly 40 years ago, resonates in a post-Roe v Wade world. Atwood's novel about a dystopian future in a fundamentalist regime has been turned into a hugely popular TV series, about to start it's fifth season. It's also been adopted by activists protesting against restrictions on female rights and freedoms. Professor Linda Woodhead (Kings College London), Professor Coral Ann Howells...

Last month’s attempt on Salman Rushdie’s life brought the world’s attention back on Iran and the death sentence imposed on the writer by Ayatollah Khomeini more than three decades ago. More recently, Iran has been in the news with reports of crackdowns on perceived dissidents: women who choose not to wear the hijab and members of other religions especially the Baha'is. The Islamic Republic of Iran is ruled by a Supreme Leader from the Shia tradition, Ayatollah Khamenei. It is he who...

Can our morning coffee routines, the Saturday parkrun, or a daily walk in nature be sacred? Ernie Rea explores how ritual, repeated actions done the same way every time, long associated with religion, is being employed by those outside of faith practice. There are now apps that can help build mindful rituals into your day, workplaces are designing ceremonies to build community amongst colleagues. What attracts us to these kinds of practices and without a religious framework do they lose...

Modest clothing is a multi-billion dollar trend, with designers seeking inspiration from cultures where dressing modestly is the norm. There are millions of images tagged as #modestfashion on Instagram or Tik Tok, from prairie dresses to designer hijabs. Ernie Rea explores the religious reasons from the Abrahamic faiths about why some cover up, and asks if our ideas of modesty are changing. He's joined by Dr Shuruq Naguib a lecturer of Islamic Studies at the University of Lancaster, Dr...