We’re talking about the dead and the supernatural on the morning of Samhain, the Gaelic festival marking the end of harvest and the beginning of winter. Why are so many of us afraid to talk about death and dying?We’re speaking to Jennifer Hamilton who managed a community crematorium and accompanied the departed on their final journey, speaking to the person in the coffin as she got them ready to leave this world.Our panel will unpack how modern society treats death, the language we use (and don’t use).Does belief in the everlasting change how people view death and their legacy? And how do we speak about what should happen ‘in the event of my death’?Questions that will be tackled by funeral celebrant Rachel Smith along with theologians Dr Elaine Storkey and Dr Joy Allan.Finally, Audrey Carville has been talking to historian Dr Martha McGill who studies the supernatural and explains how religion has shaped views of fairies, ghosts and the devil.

We’re talking about the dead and the supernatural on the morning of Samhain, the Gaelic festival marking the end of harvest and the beginning of winter. Why are so many of us afraid to talk about death and dying? We’re speaking to Jennifer Hamilton who managed a community crematorium and accompanied the departed on their final journey, speaking to the person in the coffin as she got them ready to leave this world. Our panel will unpack how modern society treats death, the language we use (and don’t use). Does belief in the everlasting change how people view death and their legacy? And how do we speak about what should happen ‘in the event of my death’? Questions that will be tackled by funeral celebrant Rachel Smith along with theologians Dr Elaine Storkey and Dr Joy Allan. Finally, Audrey Carville has been talking to historian Dr Martha McGill who studies the supernatural and explains how religion has shaped views of fairies, ghosts and the devil.

Death and the Supernatural

This week is Book Week in Northern Ireland, and we begin the programme by looking at the bestselling and most distributed book the world has ever seen. According to the Guinness Book of Records the Bible has sold between 5 and 7 billion copies and has been translated into thousands of languages. But how do we read the Bible today. As the literal word of God, as fiction or as a myth where the story may not always be true it points to bigger truths about God and humanity. Audrey is joined by writer and teacher Andrew Cunning, theologian Tina Beattie and Anglican Priest Cameron Mack. We also speak to Ronnie Convery from the Archdiocese of Glasgow about plans to halve the number of parishes and close dozens of churches due to declining attendance and falling numbers of clergy. What is a Christian Nationalist? The thinktank Theos tried to answer that question by surveying the UK population and their report came out last week. Audrey talks to Andrew Flanagan the Director of Christians in Politics about how the church is engaging with Christian Nationalism. And finally as part of Book Week, we talk to historians Elaine Farrell and Louise McCormack about their book Bad Bridgets which is now being turned into a movie about Irish Women in America who ended up on the wrong side of the law.

This week is Book Week in Northern Ireland, and we begin the programme by looking at the bestselling and most distributed book the world has ever seen. According to the Guinness Book of Records the Bible has sold between 5 and 7 billion copies and has been translated into thousands of languages. But how do we read the Bible today. As the literal word of God, as fiction or as a myth where the story may not always be true it points to bigger truths about God and humanity. Audrey is joined by writer and teacher Andrew Cunning, theologian Tina Beattie and Anglican Priest Cameron Mack. We also speak to Ronnie Convery from the Archdiocese of Glasgow about plans to halve the number of parishes and close dozens of churches due to declining attendance and falling numbers of clergy. What is a Christian Nationalist? The thinktank Theos tried to answer that question by surveying the UK population and their report came out last week. Audrey talks to Andrew Flanagan the Director of Christians in Politics about how the church is engaging with Christian Nationalism. And finally as part of Book Week, we talk to historians Elaine Farrell and Louise McCormack about their book Bad Bridgets which is now being turned into a movie about Irish Women in America who ended up on the wrong side of the law.

The Bible: literal word of God, fact, or myth?

Presenter Audrey Carville speaks to former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and the Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid. Positions seem entrenched, but are there any grounds for optimism?
Ehud Olmertwas Prime Minister of Israel from 2006-2009. He was a member of the Likud political party with Ariel Sharon and Benjamin Netanyahu, before forming Kadima with Mr Sharon.
Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid is Palestine's first official Ambassador to Ireland after the Irish Government formally recognised the State of Palestine this week.

Presenter Audrey Carville speaks to former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and the Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid. Positions seem entrenched, but are there any grounds for optimism? Ehud Olmertwas Prime Minister of Israel from 2006-2009. He was a member of the Likud political party with Ariel Sharon and Benjamin Netanyahu, before forming Kadima with Mr Sharon. Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid is Palestine's first official Ambassador to Ireland after the Irish Government formally recognised the State of Palestine this week.

Searching for hope amidst the despair in Gaza

Journalism used to be regarded as the foundation of a civilised society and an essential part of the democratic process.
But in the age of social media, has news journalism been democratised, creating a new plurality of reporting and opinion? Are we witnessing the healthy overturning of a system run by a metropolitan elite for far too long? Or are the moral rules of journalism dying and expectations of objectivity and fairness being replaced by a toxic digital fog of instant comment, rumour, cynicism and outright lies?
Is this a danger to democracy or just entertaining political theatre? Is it pluralism or anarchy?
Presenter Audrey Carville in conversation with Dr Orna Young of FactCheckNI, journalist and film maker Trevor Birney and Mark Little, former RTÉ Washington correspondent and founder of the social media newswire Storyful.

Journalism used to be regarded as the foundation of a civilised society and an essential part of the democratic process. But in the age of social media, has news journalism been democratised, creating a new plurality of reporting and opinion? Are we witnessing the healthy overturning of a system run by a metropolitan elite for far too long? Or are the moral rules of journalism dying and expectations of objectivity and fairness being replaced by a toxic digital fog of instant comment, rumour, cynicism and outright lies? Is this a danger to democracy or just entertaining political theatre? Is it pluralism or anarchy? Presenter Audrey Carville in conversation with Dr Orna Young of FactCheckNI, journalist and film maker Trevor Birney and Mark Little, former RTÉ Washington correspondent and founder of the social media newswire Storyful.

Is truth on life support in the world of modern media?

Are paramilitaries transitioning away from criminality or consolidating their power?

Are paramilitaries transitioning away from criminality or consolidating their power?

Continued Paramilitary Attacks

Why does getting justice take so long?

The Search for Justice

What is it like to devote your life to battling against the might and power of the state?

What is it like to devote your life to battling against the might and power of the state?

Fighting for Justice

What is the transition back into society like for those coming out of prison?

What is the transition back into society like for those coming out of prison?

Does the Sentence Ever End?

From School to Prison

Trauma doesn't have to last forever and deform your whole life.

Trauma doesn't have to last forever and deform your whole life.

Trauma and Community Healing

Does Science tell us that God exist?

Science Proves Religion?

Ever looked at other faiths and like what they do?

Ever looked at other faiths and like what they do?

A Pick'n'Mix Faith

Provocative weekly debate on moral, religious and ethical issues.

Religion & Spirituality

Provocative weekly debate on moral, religious and ethical issues.

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