At 14 years of age, Tracy Trinita entered

The Balinese schoolgirl soon found herself

But underneath Tracy’s smile and happy

In this episode of ‘Life & Faith’,

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It’s one of life’s biggest questions –

Since ancient times, philosophers and

These differences are often highlighted in

But what if science and faith are less

In this episode, Dr Graeme Finlay explores

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Dr Graeme Finlay is a lecturer in

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While statistics suggest that religion is

In the UK, for example, only 25 per cent of

“Plurality and diversity define who we

In this episode of ‘Life & Faith’,

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Elizabeth Oldfield is the Director of

Prostitution is a global industry that

A new book changes this. Prostitution Narratives shines a light

But it’s done more than raise awareness of

“The personal has become political,”

In this episode of Life & Faith,

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The FirstMonday in May is a new documentary that takes viewers into the opulent world ofart, fashion and beauty via the Met Gala. As the beauty and glamour unfolds onthe silver screen, two conflicting responses may arise: on the one hand, youmay feel a sense of appreciation towards this form of fashion and art; on theother hand, this extravagance can seem excessive and almost obscene.

What is the role and value of art in our society? Is it frivolous tospend money on beautiful things, or spend time enjoying or pursuing art, whenall of that time and money could be spent on feeding the hungry or saving alife?

In this episode of Life & Faith, John Dickson and Simon Smart joinNatasha Moore in a discussion around form and function, beauty and utility –and whether we can justify art and culture.

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Earlier this year, we posted a link on Facebook to an interview we did

In the comments, someone wrote: “Surely it is better to spend the

It’s a fair point – $400 million could alleviate a lot of human

If we’re truly paying attention to the poverty in our local

In this episode of Life & Faith, John Dickson and Simon Smart join

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In 2002, the Boston Globe’s investigativereporting team, Spotlight, published a series of reports exposing clergy childsexual abuse, and a cover up by the Catholic Church. As the horrific andheartbreaking instances of abuse and betrayal came to light, more stories ofclergy sexual abuse and the Catholic Church’s effort to hide it began tounravel across the US, and all around the world.

“I don’t think any of us understood thatthis was a global phenomenon,” says Mike Rezendes, one of the Spotlightjournalists who reported on the original cover up of clergy child sexual abusein Boston. “None of us could’ve foreseen it, none of us did foresee it.”

Fifteen years on, a film about the originalSpotlight investigation has, importantly, brought this issue to the fore onceagain.

“There’s no doubt that the Spotlight moviehas inspired another wave of victims and survivors to come forward,” Mike says.“I think a lot more needs to be done, and I think the movie is letting peopleknow that more work needs to take place.”

In this episode of Life & Faith, MikeRezendes talks about his work on the Boston Globe investigation into the coverup of clergy sexual abuse, and the aftermath. He’s still a part of theSpotlight team at the Boston Globe, and continues to have a strong sense of socialjustice – which has a surprising origin.  

Plus, we have a bonus interview withProfessor James O’Toole from Boston College. He explains the complexrelationship between the prominent and powerful Boston archdiocese and thepeople of the city, and why some local parishes grew stronger after the scandalbroke.

“I think what was going on in people’sminds there was they had completely lost confidence in Cardinal Law, they’dlost confidence in the hierarchy and the leadership of the institution, butthey were committed to their local parish church,” Professor O’Toole says. “Ina sense they were saying, even after everything that’s gone wrong, they’re notgoing to take my church away from me.

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Religion plays a significant role in every US

In his latest book, ‘How Would Jesus

“Something is valuable not because it’s in

In this episode of Life & Faith,

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Research suggests that doing good is actually good for you. Stephen G. Post, author of Why Good Things Happen to Good People, explains why.

Stephen G. Post is Professor of Preventive Medicine at Stony Brook University, and Director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care, and Bioethics. He is recognised internationally for his work on unselfish, compassionate love at the interface of science, ethics, spiritual thought, and behavioural medicine. He was in Sydney to speak at HammondCare’s international dementia conference in June, 2016.

John Hull began losing his sight in his mid-forties. He describes it as a dark black disc that slowly progressed over his field of vision.

“Do remember that day when I caught a glimpse of a church spire?” the Australian theologian asks his wife, Marilyn,in the documentary film, Notes on Blindness. “I think that's the last thing you ever saw,” she replies.

As John was losing his sight, he was intent on understanding blindness and started recording an audio diary. “I had to think about blindness because if I didn't understand it, it would defeat me,”he explains.

On these tapes, he records his daily“notes” on blindness, his frustration and fears, and candid conversations with his children about blindness and why “God doesn’t help him get his eyes back”. 

Thirty years later, these tapes have become the basis for a documentary created by Peter Middleton and James Spinney, Notes on Blindness. The film takes viewers into the experience of what it was like for John Hull to lose his sight, and how he ultimately came to consider his blindness as a gift.

In this episode of Life & Faith,Natasha Moore speaks with Peter Middleton, about the documentary, the life ofJohn Hull, and how his audio diaries continue to shape our understanding of blindness.