Soul Search

Managing inter-religious relations is more important than ever, especially in a climate of hostility and tension. Two religious leaders explain how strong faith alliances have helped their communities successfully navigate race riots, suicide bombings and discrimination. We hear from Father Markus Solo, the Vatican's expert on Catholic-Muslim relations in the Asia Pacific Region, and Rabbi Bob Kaplan, from the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York.

For Shia Muslims, Ashura is a holy day of poetry, prayer and public mourning that commemorates the death of the Prophet Muhammed's beloved grandson, Hussain. Producer Mariam Chehab takes you inside the mourning period, hearing why Hussain's death 1400 years ago evokes such intense emotion now. And, we find out how the Sunni Muslim tradition of Ashura links back to Judaism.

We hear from two popular Christian personalities in New Zealand, Rev'd Wayne Te Kaawa, the first Maori ecumenical chaplain on campus at the University of Otago, and the Samoan Rev'd Alofa Lale, head of mission at a Catholic hospital in Dunedin. They tell us about the specific health and welfare challenges affecting their communities. And we head to Melbourne, where a new multi-million dollar temple for the Indian Jain community is being planned.

The Ten Days of Awe is the holiest period in the Jewish calendar. In praise and prayer, voices soar in synagogues around the country. In one of them, former opera star Andrea Catzel leads the singers in solemnity and joy. We also hear from Alexander Tsaliuk, the founder of the Moscow Male Jewish Capella, who tells us how they wowed Gorbachev.

How does religion shape you? For Shuv Homsi, it was a life on the rails that made him turn back to his Islamic faith. Now, he's set up a charity to fulfil a promise he made to God. But for Fijian-Indian author Zoya Patel, feminism and scepticism halted her religious practice. And academic John Shaver tells us about what is driving anti-Muslim sentiment in New Zealand.

The house of Islam contains nearly 2 billion believers, but keeping it together is a challenge, as Sunnis, Shias, Salafists and Sufis battle for the hearts and minds of Muslims. Author Ed Husain gives us an introduction to this great tradition that's global, divided and according to him, in need of some urgent housekeeping. He's in Australia to launch his new book 'The House of Islam: A Global History'.

This week, The Spirit of Things marks 200 years since Chinese settlement in Australia. We retrace the route taken by thousands of Chinese in the 1850s, as they walked from South Australia to Victoria in search of gold and we go inside Australia's oldest surviving Chinese church.

Feeling stressed or being too busy is a state of mind that you can change by connecting to the Divine and radiating peace in your daily life. Sister Shivani of the Brahma Kumari movement is India’s most popular motivational speaker, and she shares her deceptively simple remedy for happiness with Rachael Kohn. And, we head into the kitchen of an Indian-Australian household to hear about Raksha Bandhan, an annual Indian ritual that celebrates sibling love and protection.

This week, we hear from those calling for change in the church, and those who've overseen it. Theologian Richard Gaillardetz pulls no punches on the need for reform and renewal inside the Catholic Church, especially in light of the child sexual-abuse crisis. And the new President of the Uniting Church, Deidre Palmer, reflects on the recent decision to allow ministers to conduct same-sex marriages.

It’s the language of insults, food and humour you didn't even know you speak. This week, Yiddish and its connection to place, culture and religion in Australia. We speak to the authors of A Second Chance: The Making of Yiddish Melbourne. And, we hear this year's Archibald Prize winner, Yvette Coppersmith's connection to the language.