Being at University

Welcome to the Chaplaincy of Joyful Abandon where today we are talking about ritual. Ritual sees us through the changes in life, from such small transitions as walking into a café, through to the large transitions of saying goodbye to loved ones, ushering in the rain or welcoming the return of daylight. In particular, we are exploring in this episode whether ritual might help us to speed up how we change, given our climate crisis: rapid change on our part is now a matter of survival.

I am Harriet Harris, Theologian and Chaplain to the University of Edinburgh. With me is Andrew Simms, author, political economist and campaigner, who has been called by New Scientist magazine a 'master at joined up progressive thinking’.

Andrew is co-director of the New Weather Institute, coordinator of the Rapid Transition Alliance, assistant director of Scientists for Global Responsibility, and a research associate at the University of Sussex. He was a co-author and publisher of the original Green New Deal in 2008. Andrew devised ‘Earth Overshoot Day,’ marking when in the year we start living beyond our ecological means and, with Prof Peter Newell, proposed the Fossil Fuel Non Proliferation Treaty, now a major international campaign. He also coined the term ‘Clone Towns’ describing the homogenisation of high streets caused by chain stores. His books include Cancel the Apocalypse, Ecological Debt, The New Economics, Tescopoly, and Do Good Lives Have to Cost the Earth? His latest, Economics: A Crash Course, is the first beginners guide written from a plural, new economics’ perspective, co-authored with David Boyle. Andrew’s other current campaigns include Badvertising – to stop adverts fuelling the climate emergency, and Car Free Mega Cities. And he is editor and contributor to a collection of ‘modern folk tales for troubling times’, described by Caroline Lucas as like sitting round a campfire hearing stories from your favourite people. This book is compiled for our time of climate crisis and pandemic, and you can find the link to it in the write-up for the podcast. And we are offering a free copy to the winner of this podcast’s challenge, so listen out for what you have to do to

Andrew sees ritual as a lifeboat for our world. He is on the lookout for rituals that will help to connect us to one another, to nature and to the seasons, and also ones that will help us to let go of things and habits we have accrued that are no longer serving us – from petrol cars to over-shopping. So with this podcast episodes comes a challenge and an invitation. Please email in to [email protected] with ideas for rituals for the health of the planet.

Welcome to this special recording for COP26 and beyond, where we consider the power of drama, parable and liturgy to immerse us bodily in current reality, and give us vision for a way forward.

I am Harriet Harris, theologian and Chaplain at the University of Edinburgh, and I am joined by Prof Anthony Reddie, a participatory black liberation theologian, and author of many books including Theologising Brexit and Is God Colour-Blind?  And Claire Henderson-Davis a dancer, choreographer, theologian and public liturgist. Her film All Creation Waits, on tour throughout COP26, imagines a modern day St Francis and St Clare confronting the health of the earth.

Claire holds that a good liturgy abandons us in the story and offers us a vision for how we might go forward. In this podcast conversation, we feel ourselves wading in the climate crisis, and we ask how we become actors in a drama of healing.

Welcome to the ‘Being at University’ podcast. I’m Harriet Harris, Chaplain to the University of Edinburgh, and in this first series we explore what it is like being people of particular faith or belief at University.

If we follow faith or belief traditions, these are profound shapers of our values, our choices and lifestyles, how we conduct our relationships: in short, they provide the inner compass by which we navigate our lives.

What I love about this series is hearing students talk about how their faith or beliefs bring them joy, deep friendships, a feeling of support during hard times, and a sense of perspective. They also talk about challenges, with mental health, with discrimination and micro-aggressions, with visibility and also invisibility. And we hear lots throughout this series about choosing a university, arriving at university, making friends, joining societies – the stuff of student life.

Welcome to this special recording for COP26 and beyond, where we consider the power of drama, parable and liturgy to immerse us bodily in current reality, and give us vision for a way forward.

I am Harriet Harris, theologian and Chaplain at the University of Edinburgh, and I am joined by Prof Anthony Reddie, a participatory black liberation theologian, and author of many books including Theologising Brexit and Is God Colour-Blind?  And Claire Henderson-Davis a dancer, choreographer, theologian and public liturgist. Her film All Creation Waits, on tour throughout COP26, imagines a modern day St Francis and St Clare confronting the health of the earth.

Claire holds that a good liturgy abandons us in the story and offers us a vision for how we might go forward. In this podcast conversation, we feel ourselves wading in the climate crisis, and we ask how we become actors in a drama of healing.

Welcome to the ‘Being at University’ podcast. I’m Harriet Harris, Chaplain to the University of Edinburgh, and in this first series we explore what it is like being people of particular faith or belief at University.

If we follow faith or belief traditions, these are profound shapers of our values, our choices and lifestyles, how we conduct our relationships: in short, they provide the inner compass by which we navigate our lives.

What I love about this series is hearing students talk about how their faith or beliefs bring them joy, deep friendships, a feeling of support during hard times, and a sense of perspective. They also talk about challenges, with mental health, with discrimination and micro-aggressions, with visibility and also invisibility. And we hear lots throughout this series about arriving new at university, making friends, joining societies – the stuff of student life.

Talking with me today about ‘Being Buddhist at University’ are Lucas Priest, a 4th year College of Art Student from England, Mia Suhaimi a 4th year International Relations student from Malaysia, and Jacques Faba Martinez, a 5th year Engineering student from Spain. Lucas arrived in Edinburgh as an ordained lay-Buddhist, Mia comes from a Muslim family background, and Jacques from a Roman Catholic culture. They talk about the wisdom they find in Buddhism, what it is like starting university when you don’t drink alcohol, and how Buddhist teachings and meditation help with mental health, relationships and chilling.

Music: ‘Avulekile’ by Soweto Melodic Voices, from their CD Harambee, 2014.

Soweto Melodic Voices is a youth choir from Soweto, supported by the University of Edinburgh Chaplaincy to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe, to inspire young people and schools in Edinburgh, and to record music in Soweto. For details of the Edinburgh-Soweto link see here.

Welcome to the ‘Being at University’ podcast. I’m Harriet Harris, Chaplain to the University of Edinburgh, and in this first series we explore what it is like being people of particular faith or belief at University.

If we follow faith or belief traditions, these are profound shapers of our values, our choices and lifestyles, how we conduct our relationships: in short, they provide the inner compass by which we navigate our lives.

What I love about this series is hearing students talk about how their faith or beliefs bring them joy, deep friendships, a feeling of support during hard times, and a sense of perspective. They also talk about challenges, with mental health, with discrimination and micro-aggressions, with visibility and also invisibility. And we hear lots throughout this series about choosing a university, arriving at university, making friends, joining societies – the stuff of student life.

Today I am joined by Vaishnavi Gangadharmath, a final year Business and Economics undergraduate from India, who is speaking about ‘Being Hindu at University’. Vaishnavi talks about Hinduism not as a religion but as a way of life based on karma. She tells us about starting university, feeling that life crashing down in her second year and picking up again in her third year, and then finishing her fourth year back home in Bangalore because of Covid. Her conversation is interwoven with the ways in which prayer, meditation, devotion to Lord Shiva, and knowing from the heart have been mainstays for Vaishnavi, especially during her final semester when she was a volunteer dealing with the extremities of suffering, supporting people during the terrible intensity of the pandemic in India.

Music: ‘Avulekile’ by Soweto Melodic Voices, from their CD Harambee, 2014.

Soweto Melodic Voices is a youth choir from Soweto, supported by the University of Edinburgh Chaplaincy to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe, to inspire young people and schools in Edinburgh, and to record music in Soweto. For details of the Edinburgh-Soweto link see here.

Revd Dr. Harriet Harris speaks to Lindiwe Dhlakama, a MSc student in Africa and International Development, about ‘Being Christian at University’. Lindiwe talks about the shock of the dark Scottish winter having come from Zimbabwe, the difficulty of meeting friends during covid lockdown, and how these impacted her mental health and imposter syndrome. She talks about how her faith helped her to process her feelings, gain courage for her studies, approach each day anew, and challenge the deeply embedded notion that our worth is connected to our University grades. She also talks about the challenges that Christian scriptures and tradition can pose when tackling racial and sexual injustice, and on the other side, the courage and drive for justice that the faith can provide.

Music: ‘Avulekile’ by Soweto Melodic Voices, from their CD Harambee, 2014.

Soweto Melodic Voices is a youth choir from Soweto, supported by the University of Edinburgh Chaplaincy to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe, to inspire young people and schools in Edinburgh, and to record music in Soweto. For details of the Edinburgh-Soweto link see here.

Welcome to the ‘Being at University’ podcast. I’m Harriet Harris, Chaplain to the University of Edinburgh, and in this first series we explore what it is like being people of particular faith or belief at University.

What I love about this series is hearing students talk about how their faith or beliefs bring them connection and community, exposure to different perspectives, and the grace to negotiate difference. They also talk about challenges, including discrimination and micro-aggressions. And we hear lots throughout this series about choosing a university, arriving at university, making friends, joining societies – the stuff of student life.

Today I am joined by Stav Salpeter, a 4th year International Relations and International Law undergraduate from Israel and Norway, and the Interfaith and Intrafaith Officer within the Jewish Society. Stav found a warm welcome at university, and also some resistance to her as a Jew and an Israeli. She responded by bringing people together: co-creating the Palestinian-Israeli Dialogue Society, which now has global reach, working with the Student Association to have Jewish Students recognised within their minority ethnic work, and being part of the inspirational Co-Existence initiative which brings students together from all faiths and none.

Stav gives us a taste of the vibrancy and diversity of Jewish community. Coming from a largely secular Jewish background herself, Stav has been able to discover at university so many other ways of being Jewish. She gives the most delightful account of the Friday Night (Shabbat) dinners, which will make us all want to go along – and to which we are all welcome!

Music: ‘Avulekile’ by Soweto Melodic Voices, from their CD Harambee, 2014.

Soweto Melodic Voices is a youth choir from Soweto, supported by the University of Edinburgh Chaplaincy to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe, to inspire young people and schools in Edinburgh, and to record music in Soweto. For details of the Edinburgh-Soweto link see here.

Welcome to the ‘Being at University’ podcast. I’m Harriet Harris, Chaplain to the University of Edinburgh, and in this first series we explore what it is like being people of particular faith or belief at University.

What I love about this series is hearing students talk about how their faith or beliefs bring them connection and community, exposure to different perspectives, and the grace to negotiate difference. They also talk about challenges, including discrimination and micro-aggressions. And we hear lots throughout this series about choosing a university, arriving at university, making friends, joining societies – the stuff of student life.

Today I am joined by Stav Salpeter, a 4th year International Relations and International Law undergraduate from Israel and Norway, and the Interfaith and Intrafaith Officer within the Jewish Society. Stav found a warm welcome at university, and also some resistance to her as a Jew and an Israeli. She responded by bringing people together: co-creating the Palestinian-Israeli Dialogue Society, which now has global reach, working with the Student Association to have Jewish Students recognised within their minority ethnic work, and being part of the inspirational Co-Existence initiative which brings students together from all faiths and none.

Stav gives us a taste of the vibrancy and diversity of Jewish community. Coming from a largely secular Jewish background herself, Stav has been able to discover at university so many other ways of being Jewish. She gives the most delightful account of the Friday Night (Shabbat) dinners, which will make us all want to go along – and to which we are all welcome!

Music: ‘Avulekile’ by Soweto Melodic Voices, from their CD Harambee, 2014.

Soweto Melodic Voices is a youth choir from Soweto, supported by the University of Edinburgh Chaplaincy to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe, to inspire young people and schools in Edinburgh, and to record music in Soweto. For details of the Edinburgh-Soweto link see here.

Welcome to the ‘Being at University’ podcast. I’m Harriet Harris, Chaplain to the University of Edinburgh, and in this first series we explore what it is like being people of particular faith or belief at University.

If we follow faith or belief traditions, these are profound shapes of our values, our choices and lifestyles, how we conduct our relationships: in short, they provide the inner compass by which we navigate our lives.

What I love about this series is hearing students talk about how their faith or beliefs bring them joy, deep friendships, a feeling of support during hard times, and a sense of perspective. They also talk about challenges, with mental health, with discrimination and micro-aggressions, with visibility and also invisibility. And we hear lots throughout this series about choosing a university, arriving at university, making friends, joining societies – the stuff of student life.

Today, talking with me about ‘Being Muslim at University’, is Estifa Zaid, a PhD student in Physics who also took her MA and MSc in Edinburgh, and Omar Shabana, who has just completed his UG degree in Biological Sciences and is currently conducting research into cancer at the University of Oxford. As well as the variety of topics already mentioned, Estifa and Omar bring to the conversation differences in background and skin colour, and the sense of both awe and grounding that their Muslim faith gives them.

Music: ‘Avulekile’ by Soweto Melodic Voices, from their CD Harambee, 2014.

Soweto Melodic Voices is a youth choir from Soweto, supported by the University of Edinburgh Chaplaincy to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe, to inspire young people and schools in Edinburgh, and to record music in Soweto. For details of the Edinburgh-Soweto link see here.