The bookshelves of the Dalai Lama are groaning with awards for peace and justice work, including the Nobel Peace Prize. But he recently added a more unusual accolade – a Grammy award for the best spoken-word book recording. 

It’s another example of how religion and popular culture are deeply enmeshed. 

Research by the US-based Faith and Media Initiative suggests audiences, including those with no religious belief, love religious themes on the big and small screens. 

GUEST:

• Dr Anna Halafoff is Professor of Sociology at Deakin University who specialises in faith and popular culture