In the second edition of our A-Z of Things Unseen, the Revd. Sally Hitchner, chaplain at Brunel University London, reflects on the concept of blessing from a Christian perspective – and explains why she believes God’s love and grace are manifested through the act of giving and reveiving blessings.

In the first of our A-Z of Things Unseen, Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg from the New North London Synagogue reflects on the concept of awe from a Jewish perspective – and argues that this sense of being part of something much greater is not just for people of faith.

When her father Justin Welby became the spiritual leader of 80 million Anglicans, Katharine Welby-Roberts shot to social media fame as the ABCD, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s daughter. In conversation with Alison Hilliard, she reflects on her long battle with anxiety and depression and how her favourite Bible verses show God as a God who draws close to those suffering from mental illness.

The nation state: the best way we have to control the movement of people, or no better than a lottery for life's opportunities?

Remona Aly challenges two of her Christian fellow Things Unseen presenters – Mark Dowd and Alison Hilliard – to join her in the Ramadan fast for one day.

In April 1945, Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl emerged from the Nazi concentration camp at Dachau – the only member of his immediate family to survive the Holocaust. From this traumatic experience sprang his seminal book, Man’s Search for Meaning, in which he argues that even in the most painful situations, life has potential meaning – and it is up to the individual to find it.

Coming to university can be a daunting experience. This is where university chaplains play an important role: they provide support and guidance for all students, of any faith and none. In this podcast, which won the third prize in the Things Unseen competition, Philip Lickley meets Christian and Muslim chaplains at the University of Bradford.

Is creating a piece of art an act of faith, even for those who have no religious faith in the traditional sense? How does myth inform the artist’s work? And how do faith, art and the unknown hang together? The runner-up in the Things Unseen podcast competition, Zack Polanski, tackles these intriguing questions in this entry.

Leading geneticist Steve Jones discusses the relationship between scientific enquiry and religious faith with Catholic journalist Mark Dowd. Steve Jones admits to his atheism - quoting with approval Napoleon's 'I have no need of that hypothesis' -- but is a fan of the Bible as 'a magnificent work of literature'. He also approves of many of Christ's pronouncements, but is averse to the Old Testament's 'violent god'. When asked if he is - unconsciously - making a case for New Testament Christianity, he responds 'Perhaps I am'.

Diane Foley is the mother of James Foley, the first Western hostage to be brutally killed by Islamic State. In conversation with Mark Dowd, she explains how her strong Catholic faith has helped her deal with the anguish of her son’s capture and death. She also reflects on the parallels between her experience and that of Mary standing under the cross of Christ. The music is Scarlatti’s Stabat Mater, sung by the London-based chamber choir, Coro.