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In the next of my collaboration with Ash Kundi on decolonising the curriculum, we chat to previous guest Rabbi Binyamin Sheldrake.  In a frank and fascinating discussion we consider the best language to use when teaching Judaism, handy tips to making our teaching more authentic and advise on whether to and how to teach the Holocaust.  
We look at the Christianisation of holy texts and the innaccuracy of the name 'Jesus', and what happened to the Book of Jacob (Yeshua's brother), and much much more.
The link to the book;
https://www.bookdepository.com/Before-Religion-Brent-Nongbri/9780300216783

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In this episode I chat to Fazal Ahmed - an expert on Ancient Religions.  We really delve deep into the connection between the religions and consider the fact that different groups of people from different places who have never met came independently to the same religious beliefs.
We challenge the difference between beliefs known as religions because they have a written authority, and beliefs which are seen as superstitions because they have no written authority only an oral tradition. 
We travel the beliefs of the world from South America, to Africa to Australasia.
Fazal heads up the Comparative Religions section of a magazine called The Review of Religions: Review of Religions

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Anthony G Reddie is a black liberation theologian, author, fellow of both Oxford and Cambridge, proud son of the windrush generation and the first black man to achieve an A rating from the University of South Africa.
In this powerful conversation, he talks about the devestating impact of empire on Western Christianity.  He reminds us of the brown Jesus who was a Palestinian Jew in an occupied land.  His exogesis of the Parable of The Talents is going to change the way we think about the Bible, Christianity and how we teach!   He enlightens us on the work of James Cone and his comparison between the Cross and the Lynching Tree. This is not for the faint hearted and a warning of some postentially upsetting details of lynchings. Do not listen to this with children around.
We also discuss climate change, Brexit and what it means to talk about Black Liberation Theology within these discussions, as well as his wish for the future.  

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A.D.A France Williams' book Ghost Ship: Institutional Racism and the Church of England has blown open the discussion on why a religion based on the teachings of love by a Jewish Palestinian from the first century has become steeped in discrimination against black and brown people.
In this episode I got the pleasure of unpacking the main message of his writing. We discuss what racial inequality in the Church of England looks like, why the Church has failed black people and look at real life experiences of discrimination.  We delve into the past to see what happened to get us to where we are today including how some people have used the Bible to justify racism. We discuss the need to reclaim the brown skinned Jesus for the 21st Century and why attempts to rid the Church of racism has failed.
An important conversation and a challenge to ALL Christians, and humans today.

https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/9780334059356?gC=5a105e8b&gclid=Cj0KCQjwrJOMBhCZARIsAGEd4VGI7XYx0hXrK3ktBP8T-XcgfKM6Cojc56jH1Ab3Is9mZL6kvyzwcEgaAtmhEALw_wcB

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Happy Diwali! 
Diwali is on 4th November so I thought it would be wonderful to find out more about it - and who best to explain it to us that RE Podcast friends and veterans Molly Acharya and Ash Kundi!
We start by talking about the meaning and stories behind Diwali but end up discussing the link between science and religion!  It is a wonderful, enlightening and important conversations.

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HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

In this episode I chatted to John W Morehead, expert in Religion and Horror and author of;
The Undead and Theology
The Supernatural Cinema of Guillermo del Toro: Critical Essays
Joss Whedon and Religion: Essays on an Angry Atheist's Explorations of the Sacred
Theology and Horror: Explorations of the Dark Religious Imagination (Theology and Pop Culture)
The Paranormal and Popular Culture: A Postmodern Religious Landscape (Routledge Studies in Religion)

We discuss the relation between horror and religion, why people are fascinated by horror, horror storyies in the Bible and how tBiblcal stories have ifluenced Horror and specific examples of which horror movies have been influenced by the Bible, as well as the imilarities between horror and religion.  Would there even be a Horror genre without religion?

His blog is;
https://www.theofantastique.com/

For further reading on this topic, John as recommened the following;
Reading the Bible with Horror by Brandon R. Grafius (Fortress Academic, 2019)
Sacred Terror: Religion and Horror on the Silver Screen by Douglas E. Cowan (Baylor University Press, 2016)
Religion and Its Monsters by Timothy Beal (Routledge, 2001)

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In this episode I explore the history of Christianity from the creation of the world to the end of the world, in less that 30 minutes!  I know!
We look at all the major players and events that have made Christianity what it is today. Adam and Eve, the fall, the covenant with Abraham, Moses, King David, The Eyptians and Romans. Jesus, Paul, Peter, Constantine, Henry VIII and all the Johns - I count at least 4!

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I recorded this episode with Covid so sorry that my voice is a little impaired!
It is about the Beatitudes.  The context in which they were said by Jesus, what they might have meant to those listening, how they fit into the context of Jewish beliefs and subsequent Christians beliefs and what they might mean for Christians and non-Christians today!

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In order to celebrate 1 year - 12 whole months - of the RE Podcast, here is a sample of each episode from season 3.  
I discuss sex, capital punishment and the Ten Commandments,
I also interview a feminist, men and woman about Ramadan, a Sikh, a film buff, some students and two Hindu's
My thanks to Nikki McGee, Waqar Ahmedi, Zameer Hussain and Shuaib Khan, Sanum Khan, Wahida Begum and Naila Missous, Ashish Kundi,  Dr. Jasjit Singh, the winners of the RE Online Blog writing competition,  Giles Gough, and Molly Acharya, 
And special thanks again to Brad Glen who returns as the voice of God!

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In order to celebrate 1 year - 12 whole months - of the RE Podcast, here is a sample of each episode from season 2.  
I ask, is there life after death, how the world was created, whether God exists and what Easter is all about, what authenticity is, and why equality is important?
I also interview my childhood hero, 2 Hindus, two Muslims and a Unitarian .
My thanks to Steve Chalke, Molly Acharya, Ashish Kundi, Shuaib Khan, Zam Hussain, Cody Coyne
And special thanks again to Brad Glen who returns as the voice of God!

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