Beyond Belief

The recent terrorist atrocities in France, Belgium and Germany have resulted in many communities, families and individuals having to deal with acute stress and trauma. Trauma takes many forms. Whether it is following an act of terror, a natural disaster or the loss of a loved one to illness or an accident, the question of how a loving God can allow such things to happen is a common response to suffering. While some find comfort through faith; for others, it can make things worse. What role does religion play in times of collective and personal trauma?

Ernie Rea explores the religious response to trauma with Fr Aidan Troy, Parish priest of St Joseph's Catholic Church in Paris; Dr Elisabeth Harris, Associate Professor in Religious Studies at Liverpool Hope University; and Dr Kenneth Pargament, clinical psychologist and author of "The Psychology of Religion and Coping".

Producer: Dan Tierney

What should be the purpose and scope of Religious Education in an increasingly pluralist and multi-faith society? An independent commission has been set up by the Religious Education Council of England and Wales to make "wide-ranging recommendations for change" within religious education in schools. It follows a report last year from Goldsmiths, University of London, which argued that RE in England's schools needs a total overhaul to keep pace with the changing religious landscape of the country. While many within Religious Education are calling for sweeping changes to the subject, they don't always agree on what those changes should be.

Ernie Rea discusses the role of religious education with Dr Adam Dinham, Professor of Faith & Public Policy at Goldsmiths, University of London; Dr Adrian Hilton, theologian, educationalist and advisor to the former Education Secretary, Michael Gove; and Dr Abdullah Sahin, reader in Islamic Education at the University of Warwick

Producer: Dan Tierney

A person's hair is one of the few visible indicators we might have about their religion. A long beard, for example, can be a powerful symbol of devotion for many Muslims, Jews and Christians. In Orthodox Jewish communities, married women wear a wig or hat rather than expose their hair in public. Sikhs consider hair to be so special that it can't ever be cut. Some of these practices are based on rules written in texts from long ago. So what is their relevance today? Why do some communities continue to hold on these rituals? Are they on the increase or in decline in British society?

Ernie Rea discusses the connection between hair and religious belief with Dr Christopher Oldstone-Moore, author of "Of Beards and Men: The Revealing History of Facial Hair"' Dr Jasjit Singh, an expert in religious and cultural identity from the University of Leeds; and Rabbi Dr Barbara Borts, a Reform Rabbi and expert on women and Judaism.

Producer: Dan Tierney

The government has launched an inquiry into the role of sharia councils in the UK. The councils are able to provide advice to Muslims who voluntarily choose to use them to resolve civil and family disputes. But human rights campaigners have become increasingly concerned about the rights of women who access the councils. The Home Office said it would examine claims that sharia councils may be working in a "discriminatory and unacceptable way", issuing divorces that are unfair to women, contrary to the teachings of Islam. However, it will also seek out examples of best practice among sharia councils. So what is the real picture? How can we separate the facts from the misconceptions?

Ernie Rea explores the role of sharia councils in the UK with Dr Amra Bone, who is on the panel for the Sharia Council based in Birmingham Central Mosque; Dr Samia Bano, an expert in Muslim family law in the UK at SOAS, University of London; and Maryam Namazie, a human rights activist from the campaign group 'One Law for All'.

Producer: Dan Tierney

50 years ago, Mao Zedong launched the Cultural Revolution to rid the Communist Party of his rivals. He ended up destroying much of China's social fabric, calling on young, radical "Red Guards" to take party leaders to task for their embrace of bourgeois values and lack of revolutionary spirit. He ordered them to destroy the "four olds" - old ideas, customs, habits and culture. Religion was a prime target. Temples were ransacked and churches were destroyed. Religious leaders were sent to factories and farms for re-education through forced labour. Many of them died. Visibly, religion was all but wiped out. In recent years, however, there has been a strong religious revival. Some experts believe that by 2025 there will be more Christians in China than anywhere else in the world, despite the fact that religious freedom is still curtailed.

Ernie Rea explores the impact and legacy of the Cultural Revolution on religion in China with Martin Palmer, author and China expert; Isabel Hilton, Editor of the 'China Dialogue' website; and Laureen Leung, a Chinese Christian who was born in China in 1966 at the start of the Cultural Revolution and who now lives in the UK.

Producer: Dan Tierney

The Battle of the Somme, fought in northern France between 1st July and 18th November 1916, was one of the bloodiest of World War One. The British and French armies engaged the Germans in a brutal battle of attrition on a 15-mile front. In total, there were over one million dead and wounded on all sides. The slaughter was on an unprecedented scale. How did individuals and society grieve? How did faith institutions respond to the traumatic loss of life? What was its effect on the spiritual psyche of Britain in the immediate aftermath and in subsequent decades? Ernie Rea and guests discuss the religious response to the Battle of the Somme.

Producer: Dan Tierney

Despite the constitutional barrier between church and state in America, politicians hardly ever give a major speech without invoking religion. In particular, the political relationship between Christian evangelicals and the Republican Party has existed for decades. But is the expected announcement of Donald Trump as the Republican nominee next month about to shake things up? He is very different to the usual candidate that would appeal to the religious right. If he gets the evangelical vote, he'd be the first nominee to do so without really talking about God or the Bible. How has he proved so successful? Ernie Rea and guests discuss religion and the US Republican Party.

Producer: Dan Tierney

50 years ago this week, the Vatican's list of banned books was finally abolished by Pope Paul VI. The aim of the Index Librorum Prohibitorum was to protect the faith and morals of Catholics by preventing the reading of what the Church deemed to be heretical and immoral books. The final list reads as a who's who of some the greatest writers, philosophers and thinkers in Western culture. But religious censorship is not just part of the Christian story; it has been practiced in many societies and by many religions. Ernie Rea explores the relationship between religion and freedom of expression with Ed Condon, a canon lawyer and a writer for the Catholic Herald; Barry Kleinberg, a lecturer at the London School of Jewish Studies and an Orthodox Jew; and Khola Hassan, an Islamic scholar who sits on the Islamic Sharia Council for London.

Producer: Dan Tierney

Belgium is steeped in Catholic history, having been part of the French Empire until 1815 and eventually gaining independence from the largely Protestant Netherlands in 1830. The State subsidises all officially-recognised religions, paying the salaries of teachers of religion in state schools, stipends and pensions for Catholic clergy and for the renovation of church buildings. Yet it's thought Belgians practice their faith less than in most other European countries, and over many decades, there has been a fierce political debate about how much funding should go towards religious institutions. Muslim immigration in the 1960s changed the country's religious landscape. Following the recent Islamist terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels, the Brussels district of Molenbeek has been accused of being a breeding ground for violent Jihadists. Ernie Rea and guests discuss how religion has shaped Belgium and the role it has to play in its future.

Producer: Dan Tierney

Saint Benedict is often regarded as the founder of Western monasticism. He wrote his Rule for monks in the 6th century, which is still followed by monks and nuns of the Benedictine order today. It sets out the spiritual and practical code for life in a religious community. Compared with earlier monastic writers, Benedict is much more moderate in the demands he makes on people. He was also aware that his Rule would need to be adapted to different times and circumstances. Ernie Rea and guests discuss the Rule of Benedict and what it has to offer the modern world.

Producer: Dan Tierney