Life & Faith

By Centre for Public ChristianitySociety & Culture Religion & Spirituality

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Life & Faith episodes

October 19, 2016 Life & Faith: Women
In the second century,
a Greek writer called Celsus criticised Christianity as a religion of women,
children and slaves - that is to say, a religion not to be taken seriously.
There are echoes of
this sentiment in contemporary critiques of Christianity, and religion more
broadly. For example, the idea of women being more religious than men, on the
whole, can be seen as something that discredits religion as irrational.
However, Christianity
is much more likely to be condemned today, no for being a religion of women, but a religion against women – this despite evidence of
a strong thread of gender equality in the early Church.
“In its inception Christianity set before
women a true possibility of complete transformation on equal terms alongside
men,” says Professor Sarah Coakley who has written extensively on gender theory
and the philosophy of religion.
“But at the same time it very quickly
accommodated itself into existing religious and cultural mores - and you could
say that that tension has been played out since then.”
In this episode, we’ll hear from Coakley
and a host of other scholars – Judith Lieu, Rodney Start and Beverley Gaventa –
about the role Christianity has
played both in the flourishing, and the oppression, of women.
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This is Part III of our four-part series featuring interviews from our
forthcoming documentary, For the Love of
God: How the Church is Better and Worse Than You Ever Imagined. To catch up
on Parts I and II, and to make sure you don’t miss the rest of the series,
subscribe to Life & Faith on iTunes: http://bit.ly/lifeandfaithpodcast.
17 min
October 12, 2016 Life & Faith: Crusades
“Religion is the cause of all wars.” This
is a popular assumption in the West – but also a lazy one. History suggests the
relationship between religion and violence is much more complicated.
One of the best-known episodes of violence
in the history of the Christian church is the Crusades. But how much do we
really know about this notorious conflict?
In this episode of Life & Faith, we speak
to experts and scholars who unpack the history, myths and misconceptions
surrounding this series of religious wars between the 11th and 15th
centuries.
“The Crusades seem glamorous, they seem
dramatic, they seem alien,” says historian Christopher Tyerman. “In the West …
they are seen as an example of medieval brutality in the name of religion. In
other parts of the world they have been rebranded as an example of early
Western imperialism and colonialism. Both sides of that equation are false.”
This is Part II of our four-part series featuring interviews from our
forthcoming documentary, For the Love of
God: How the Church is Better and Worse Than You Ever Imagined. To catch up
on Part I and to make sure you don’t miss the rest of the series, subscribe to
Life & Faith on iTunes: http://bit.ly/lifeandfaithpodcast.
20 min
October 05, 2016 Life & Faith: The Evolution of the West
In 2017, the Centre for Public Christianity
will release a documentary, For the Love
of God: How the Church Is Better and Worse Than You Ever Imagined. It takes
a deep dive into the history of Christianity in the West, and unpacks its
influence on our society and culture.
Some of the key ideas the documentary will
explore include the development of human rights, and why we often find Christians
at the heart of social justice work such as feeding the hungry and alleviating
poverty. But we’ll also explore some of the ways the Church has abused its
power and failed to uphold justice, show mercy or give hope – the very things
it is called to do.
This month on Life & Faith, we’ll be showcasing
interviews from some of the international experts we’ve been speaking with for
the documentary. Each week will examine one theme – the Crusades, women’s
rights, slavery – but first, we want to offer a sweeping, bird’s-eye view of
the role Christianity has played in creating the world we live in today.
In this episode, we feature an interview
with Nick Spencer, director of Theos think tank in London and author of The Evolution of the West: How Christianity
Has Shaped Our Values. He says:
“[Christianity] hasn’t always been used on
the side of the political or the cultural or the economic angels, but … to
think you can understand our idea of right, democracy, human dignity, the
scientific revolution, even the welfare state without understanding
Christianity – you’re making a big mistake.”
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15 min
September 28, 2016 Life & Faith: Going Nuclear
Nuclear fusion energy has been heralded asthe answer to the global energy crisis, a virtually endless – and cleaner –source of power that will last several generations.
If there’s anyone who should be singing itspraises the loudest, it’s Professor Ian Hutchinson from MIT, a leader in thisfield. While he’s certainly enthusiastic about the science and technologybehind fusion power, he’s quick to downplay the hype.
“There is no magic bullet for energyresources for human kind, he says, “so I don’t want to promote fusion as aninstant solution to energy problems that exist.”
There’s still a lot of work to be done, hesays, namely, finding a stable environment on our planet at 100 million degreesCelsius for nuclear fusion to happen – and he’s right in the thick of it havingbuilt such an environment.
“It has the strongest magnetic field of anyexperiment and, I have to admit, starting up that experiment … was very much ahighlight of my scientific career.”
But as powerful as he knows science to be,as much as he finds it intellectually engaging and satisfying, ProfessorHutchinson also believes that science does not hold all the answers.
“Science works by being able to dorepeatable observations or experiments … and we’re find out about the ways in whichthe world behaves reproducibly,” he says. “But that doesn’t mean that that’sthe only thing to find out about the world.”
In this episode of Life & Faith,Professor Ian Hutchinson talks about the latest developments in nuclear energy,and the fusion of faith and science in his work and life.
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15 min
September 21, 2016 Life & Faith: Model Meets Designer
At 14 years of age, Tracy Trinita entered
the Elite Model Look Competition - and won.
The Balinese schoolgirl soon found herself
gracing the runways of Paris, Milan and New York for the world’s biggest
fashion houses. She was living her dream – a life of beauty and glamour, riches
and fame.
But underneath Tracy’s smile and happy
exterior, she battled feelings of insecurity and loneliness.
In this episode of ‘Life & Faith’,
Tracy talks about her life as Indonesia’s first supermodel, and how
re-connecting with an old friend in Paris led her towards a source of true
happiness.
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15 min
September 14, 2016 Life & Faith: Where did we come from?
It’s one of life’s biggest questions –
where did we come from?
Since ancient times, philosophers and
scientists have offered answers – and so has religion. But they don’t often say
the same thing.
These differences are often highlighted in
the classic science versus religion debate that pit, for example, evolution
against intelligent design.
But what if science and faith are less
hostile towards each other than we think?
In this episode, Dr Graeme Finlay explores
the complex relationship and compatibility of science and biblical faith, and
what they can teach us about the origin of the universe and humanity.
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Dr Graeme Finlay is a lecturer in
scientific pathology and cancer researcher at the University of Auckland, and the
author of Human Evolution: Genes,
Genealogies and Phylogenies. He has also completed a degree in theology.
For more information about ‘ISCAST:
Christians in Science and Technology’, go to: http://www.iscast.org.
For more conversations like this, SUBSCRIBE to
‘Life & Faith’ on iTunes: http://bit.ly/lifeandfaithpodcast.
15 min
September 07, 2016 Life & Faith: Identity Complex
While statistics suggest that religion is
in decline across most of the West, being irreligious is perhaps more complex
than it seems.
In the UK, for example, only 25 per cent of
people who claim to have “no religion” are atheists or agnostics – but even
within this group there is a mix of spirituality and beliefs.
“Plurality and diversity define who we
are,” Elizabeth Oldfield, Director of Theos, said at a recent public lecture in
Sydney. “Many people would like to believe, and belong, but they don't know
how.”
In this episode of ‘Life & Faith’,
Elizabeth takes us on a tour of the religious landscape in the UK and Europe,
and how the West’s religious identity is more complex than we think.
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Elizabeth Oldfield is the Director of
Theos, a leading religion and society think tank in the UK. To find out more
about Theos, go to: http://www.theosthinktank.co.uk.
For more conversations like this, SUBSCRIBE to
‘Life & Faith’ on iTunes: http://bit.ly/lifeandfaithpodcast
22 min
August 31, 2016 Life & Faith: Prostitution Narratives
Prostitution is a global industry that
generates more than $186 billion worldwide and has more than 13 million
“employees”. But these numbers tell you nothing about the people involved in the sex industry – the circumstances that led
them to a life of prostitution, the experiences they have in the industry, and
the struggle to leave.
A new book changes this. Prostitution Narratives shines a light
on the reality of the sex industry through the true stories of women who escaped
a life of prostitution.
But it’s done more than raise awareness of
the issues and trauma faced by these women. As survivors of the sex industry,
the book’s contributors have come to realise that they are part of a global
movement of women against prostitution.
“The personal has become political,”
Melinda Tankard Reist, one of the editors of the book and a long-time advocate
for women and girls, says. “They’ve found strength in turning something
devastating into something powerful.”
In this episode of Life & Faith,
Melinda talks about how vital it is to hear the voices of women from within the
sex industry, to understand that truth and reality of the work they do.
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15 min
August 24, 2016 Life & Faith: Extravagance Part 2
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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15 min
August 17, 2016 Life & Faith: Extravagance Part 1
Earlier this year, we posted a link on Facebook to an interview we did
about a new museum being built in Washington DC, the Museum of the Bible. It’s
a Smithsonian-sized project that will cost around $400 million.
In the comments, someone wrote: “Surely it is better to spend the
time, money and energy required for this project on putting what Jesus said
into practice. What about feeding the homeless on the streets of DC.”
It’s a fair point – $400 million could alleviate a lot of human
suffering. But it’s a slippery slope.
If we’re truly paying attention to the poverty in our local
communities and around the world, how can we ever spend money on a pair of nice
shoes, an expensive holiday, or even our morning coffee?
In this episode of Life & Faith, John Dickson and Simon Smart join
Natasha Moore in a discussion around poverty and luxury – can we ever justify
spending money on ourselves, instead of on people in need?
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15 min