Episodes
| Series | Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akram Khan | 20101228 | 20120105 (R3) | Choreographer Akram Khan talks to Joan Bakewell about his Muslim upbringing. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | ||
| Ben Kingsley | 20130101 | His mother has Jewish roots, his father's background was Kenyan-Indian, and they chose Hindu and Muslim names for their son. Krishna Pandit Bhanji - or Sir Ben Kingsley - is a difficult man to pin down. In this interview Joan Bakewell talks to him about wearing a yellow star in Schindler's List, the appeal of Quakerism and why being an actor has saved his life. Ben Kingsley talks to Joan Bakewell about the beliefs that underpin his life and work. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Bonnie Greer | 20101231 | 20130104 (R3) | Writer Bonnie Greer talks to Joan Bakwell about what she believes and why. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | ||
| Denis Alexander | 20101229 | 20120106 (R3) | Biochemist Denis Alexander talks to Joan Bakewell about his Christian faith and science. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | ||
| Diarmaid Macculloch | 20140102 | Joan Bakewell talks to theologian Diarmaid MacCulloch, Professor of the History of the Church in the Theology Faculty at St Cross College, Oxford, about how belief and philosophy have influenced his personal life and professional career. They reflect on the nature of history and the conflict within the Christian tradition between the institution and the concept of the kingdom of God. Producer: Clair Jaquiss. Joan Bakewell is in conversation with theologian and historian Diarmaid MacCulloch. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Douglas Murray | 20140103 | Joan Bakewell talks to journalist and commentator, Douglas Murray about how his beliefs and philosophy have influenced his personal life and professional career. They reflect on the cultural importance of religious literacy and practice and how a critical approach to the written word changed his understanding of faith. Producer: Clair Jaquiss. Joan Bakewell is in conversation with journalist and commentator Douglas Murray. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Elif Shafak | 20121227 | 20131230 (R3) | Elif Shafak is more than a little in love with Rumi, the Sufi mystic poet who features in her novel 'The Forty Rules of Love.' In this programme Turkey's best-selling woman novelist tells Joan Bakewell about her growing attachment to this figure, and about the connections she sees between the role of a 13th century mystic philosopher and herself as a 21st century writer. Elif Shafak talks to Joan Bakewell about the influence of Sufism on her writing. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | ||
| Emma Restall Orr | 20100331 | Joan Bakewell explores the beliefs of artists, thinkers, religious leaders and other public figures in a returning series of programmes on Radio 3. Tonight Joan Bakewell discusses belief with the writer and teacher on Pagan practice and ethics, Emma Restall Orr, founder of the International Druid Network. Pagan traditions have been attracting many new followers in recent years. Pagan beliefs resonate with the questioning of established authority, and active respect for the natural environment and the forces of nature. Emma Restall Orr came to Druidry as a philosophy and practice which gave her meaning and purpose as she battled against a painful inherited illness and emerged from a reckless adolescence. She has embraced Druidry as a native pre-Christian British tradition and written extensively about it. She promotes its creative transformation into an inclusive, diverse philosophy and religious practice able to engage with current moral dilemmas. She also founded the organisation Honouring the Ancient Dead, which promotes new ways for museums and heritage sites to display their respect for pre-Christian human remains. Joan Bakewell talks to Emma Restall Orr, writer and teacher of pagan practice and ethics. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Ian Mcewan | 20140101 | Joan Bakewell talks to Ian Mc Ewan and reflects with him on how belief and philosophy have influenced his personal life and professional career. He talks about his ideas on rationalism and faith and looks back at the contrast between his warm memories of the Islamic culture he knew growing up in Libya and the Islamism he sees today which he believes talks of hatred and is against free speech. Producer: Clair Jaquiss. Joan Bakewell explores areas of belief with writer Ian McEwan. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| James Jones, Bishop Of Liverpool | 20100402 | Joan Bakewell explores the beliefs of artists, thinkers, religious leaders and other public figures in a returning series of programmes on Radio 3. Tonight, on the evening of Good Friday, Joan Bakewell welcomes as her final guest in the current series the Bishop of Liverpool, James Jones. He is strongly committed to the evangelical tradition with its emphasis on personal morality and salvation, but he also embraces a wide range of social concerns. In the arena of climate change he has been a pioneer of a renewed understanding of a Christian duty to care for the natural environment. Since coming to Liverpool in 1998 he has played a leading role in urban regeneration, and initiated an inner-city Academy jointly with the Roman Catholic Church. He chairs the Hillsborough Independent Panel in the continuing quest for understanding of the disaster 21 years ago this month when almost 100 Liverpool fans died in the crush at Sheffield Wednesday's stadium. He is also the Bishop for Prisons. Joan Bakewell discusses belief with the Anglican Bishop of Liverpool James Jones. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| John Burnside | 20120404 | The writer John Burnside has had a good year. His latest poetry collection, Black Cat Bone, recently won both the Forward Poetry Prize and the TS Eliot prize. In a new episode of Belief he talks to Joan Bakewell about the influence of spirituality on his life and writing and he explains how he came to his beliefs. Raised a Catholic by a hardworking mother and a hard-drinking father John once thought of becoming a priest but he ended up following in his father's footsteps - drinking heavily and taking drugs until he ended up in a mental hospital. But years of reading and contemplation eventually led John to discover the ancient Chinese philosophy of Taoism and now he leads an altogether quieter life according to Taoist principles. Joan Bakewell talks to the recent winner of the TS Eliot poetry prize, John Burnside. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Julian Fellowes | 20121226 | As an observer of the Debutante Season, as a Catholic, even as an actor, Julian Fellowes says he has often experienced himself as an Outsider. Now he is most definitely on the inside - a Tory peer in the House of Lords and garlanded award-winner for the hugely successful television series Downton Abbey. In this programme he talks to Joan Bakewell about the late flowering of his reputation as a writer, his Catholic faith, and why - although interested in snobs - he isn't one himself. Joan Bakewell is joined by writer, actor and director Julian Fellowes. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Junaid Bhatti | 20100330 | Joan Bakewell explores the beliefs of artists, thinkers, religious leaders and other public figures in a returning series of programmes on Radio 3. Tonight Joan Bakewell's guest is Junaid Bhatti, who chose to leave the world of conventional banking and to help start Britain's first Shariah-compliant bank, the Islamic Bank of Britain. He explains the fundamentals of Islamic banking and how, in principle, the practice of Islamic finance avoids the excesses and vulnerability of conventional banking which led to the credit crunch. He also talks about how he became Baron of Ballencrieff, a Scottish feudal title of nobility, and his experience growing up and working as a Muslim in Britain including a brief spell managing acts in a comedy club. He believes extremism within his religion should be condemned and the preachers of hate should be challenged. Joan Bakewell discusses belief with Junaid Bhatti, an Islamic finance expert. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Laura Janner-klausner | 20120405 | Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner was brought up in an Orthodox Jewish household. Her great uncle was the Chief Rabbi Sir Israel Brodie. But in this interview she talks to Joan Bakewell about the journey she embarked on at the age of twelve to the heart of the Jewish Reform Movement. She has just been appointed as the first Movement Rabbi to Reform Judaism in the UK - a post, she says, that doesn't so much set her up in opposition to the Chief Rabbi but rather sees her as his 'feisty' collaborator. She talks to Joan about the interplay between her commitment to equality and human rights and her understanding of the Jewish faith. Joan Bakewell meets Reform Judaism's new Movement Rabbi, Laura Janner-Klausner. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Lord Patten | 20101227 | Lord Patten talks to Joan Bakewell about his Catholic faith. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Lord Woolf | 20131223 | Joan Bakewell talks to former Lord Chief Justice Lord Woolf about his life and career in the law as reformer and judge and how they have been influenced by his beliefs and philosophy. He reflects on how his upbringing as a Jew set a pattern for his thinking and how his beliefs have changed and developed through his life. The first in a new series of the programme in which Joan Bakewell interviews public figures about faith and spirituality. Later in the series Joan talks to comedian Sally Phillips, novelist Ian McEwan, historian Diarmaid McCulloch and writer Douglas Murray. Producer: Clair Jaquiss. Former Lord Chief Justice Lord Woolf talks to Joan Bakewell about his life and work. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Loretta Minghella | 20120403 | 20121228 (R3) | As Chief Executive of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, Loretta Minghella was once at the heart of the struggle to stave off an economic meltdown in this country. But she left her high-flying career in financial services because she was wanted to highlight what she sees as a far more important crisis - that of global poverty. In 2008, after the sudden death of her brother, the film maker Anthony Minghella, Loretta decided to search for a career that put her whole self, and in particular her Christian faith, at its centre. She is now the director of Christian Aid. She talks to Joan Bakewell about her spiritual journey from an Italian-Catholic upbringing on the Isle of Wight to her new home in the Church of England; what she learned from the early loss of her brother; and her vision for a fairer world economy that treats all people as equally valuable and irreplaceable. Joan Bakewell explores areas of belief with Loretta Minghella. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | ||
| Mark Cazalet | 20130402 | Mark Cazalet is a contemporary British artist and a Christian. He talks to Joan about the tensions he experiences between the rationality he requires of himself as an artist and the ecstasy he has experienced as a Christian, about the dilemmas of working to ecclesiastical commissions, and his fondness for the disciple who betrayed Jesus whom he says he resurrects at every opportunity. Artist Mark Cazalet talks to Joan Bakewell about the beliefs that underpin his work. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Melvyn Bragg | 20111228 | This week Belief turns the tables on a famous broadcasting voice. Church life was central to the small, working class community in Cumbria where Melvyn Bragg grew up. As a boy he sang in the choir, prayed every night and believed everything that the church taught him. He remains deeply influenced by the thought and cultural impact of the Christian faith. Melvyn Bragg tells Joan Bakewell how religion has permeated his writing and he explains why he returned to the church with his daughter after the death of his first wife. Melvyn Bragg talks to Joan Bakewell about his life and beliefs. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Mira Nair | 20130403 | Joan's guest this evening is the Indian film director and producer, Mira Nair. Her debut feature film, Salaam Bombay (1988), won the Golden Camera award at the Cannes Film Festival. Other work includes Monsoon wedding, which won the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival, and Vanity Fair. She famously turned down the opportunity to direct one of the Harry Potter films, saying she preferred dealing in human emotions to special effects. Her latest film 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist,' based on the novel by Mohsin Hamid , will be released in May. Mira Nair says, 'Over the last few years, we have seen many films about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, but always told from the American point of view. In our story, the encounter between the characters of Changez and Bobby mirrors the mutual suspicion with which America and Pakistan (or the Muslim world) look at one another.'. Film director Mira Nair talks to Joan Bakewell about the beliefs that underpin her work. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Oliver Sacks | 20130401 | Dubbed 'the poet laureate of medicine' by the New York Times, Oliver Sacks' most famous works are probably his case studies of neurological patients, including The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat and Awakenings. His Orthodox Jewish upbringing gave him a taste for the practice of religion, but he has never inclined to belief, and an early experiment involving God and some radishes led him to conclude that there was no reality other than that which could be proved scientifically. He talks to Joan about the role hallucinatory states have in the formation of religion, and his own need to create order from chaos. Author and neurologist Oliver Sacks talks to Joan Bakewell about his beliefs. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Omid Djalili | 20110418 | 20120103 (R3) | Joan Bakewell explores the beliefs of artists, thinkers, religious leaders and other public figures in a returning series of programmes on Radio 3. Tonight Joan Bakewell's guest Omid Djalili, a stand up comic, actor, and star of the film 'The Infidel' in which his Muslim character discovers his birth parents are Jewish. Omid Djalili is a British Iranian and a member of the Baha'i faith, a religion which, although it only has seven million adherents, is geographically the second most widespread in the world. Omid's forbears were among its first adherents in 19th century Iran, a country in which those practising the faith are now persecuted. The core principles of Bahက'퀀 doctrine are the unity of God, the unity of religion, and the unity of humankind. Omid's central belief is summed up in a quote from Teilhard de Chardin, 'We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.'. Joan Bakewell discusses belief with comedian Omid Djalili. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | ||
| President Jimmy Carter | 20121225 | Former US President Jimmy Carter talks to Joan Bakewell about his beliefs. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Raymond Tallis | 20110419 | 20130103 (R3) | Joan Bakewell explores the beliefs of artists, thinkers, religious leaders and other public figures in a returning series of programmes on Radio 3. Tonight Joan Bakewell's guest is the physician, poet and philosopher, Raymond Tallis. He is Professor Emeritus of Geriatric medicine at Manchester University but has made his name as much outside the field of medicine as within it. A humanist, he writes about the transcendence of human beings and is a vigorous critic of the kind of scientific thinking which reduces them to animals. According to Tallis, only humans can point, and in that action they transcend their biology. Joan Bakewell discusses belief with the physician, poet and philosopher, Raymond Tallis. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | ||
| Richard Dannatt | 20121224 | The television news on Christmas Day brings us once again pictures of British troops in Afghanistan celebrating Christmas far from their homes and families. Richard Dannatt knows how that feels. In this programme he speaks of the Christian conviction that has shaped his vocation as a soldier, from training officer at Sandhurst to head of the British army. In conversation with Joan Bakewell he explores some of the dilemmas of modern warfare and politics, and shares his concerns for the spiritual needs of men and women on the front line. Richard Dannatt talks to Joan Bakewell about how his beliefs shaped his work as Army chief Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Roger Scruton | 20130404 | Writer and philosopher Roger Scruton talks to Joan Bakewell about his beliefs. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Rose Hudson-wilkin | 20120406 | Rose Hudson-Wilkin was born and brought up in Jamaica. A 'cradle Anglican', Rose was called to be a priest, she says, at the age of fourteen. Undeterred by the all-male priesthood at the time, she talks about how she patiently set about to serve God while she waited for Him to change the rules on women's ordination. Today, after fourteen years serving as a priest in two troubled inner-city parishes, she is tipped to be one of the first women bishops. But, as she tells Joan Bakewell, she's in no rush to leave her two jobs - one ministering to MPs and their colleagues in the House of Commons and the other caring for a diverse and vulnerable community as a vicar in Hackney. Joan Bakewell meets the House of Commons Speaker's chaplain, the Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Rt Rev Lord Harries Of Pentregarth | 20111226 | In the first of a new series of Belief, Joan Bakewell talks to the former Bishop of Oxford. Richard - now Lord - Harries talks about his long career working on what he calls the borderlands between faith and society. A prolific author and broadcaster he has also made significant contributions to the fields of interfaith dialogue and medical ethics. Seen as a liberal figure in the Church, Lord Harries talks openly about his failed attempt to appoint the gay priest Canon Jeffrey John as Bishop of Reading. He also shares his passion for religious art and literature and explains how his moral and theological convictions have driven him in all that he's done. Producer: Charlotte Simpson. Lord Harries of Pentregarth talks to Joan Bakewell about his faith. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Rupert Sheldrake | 20120102 | Tonight on Belief Joan Bakewell talks to Professor Rupert Sheldrake. Rupert Sheldrake is a biologist and a former Research Fellow of the Royal Society. He's worked at Clare College Cambridge and at the International Crops Research Institute in Hyderabad. During his seven years in India Professor Sheldrake studied the Upanishads, yoga and meditation but then went to live in a Christian ashram. He tells Joan about his journey through Methodism, atheism and Hinduism to the Anglican Church and explains why he finds more blind faith and dogma in the scientific world than among any religious communnity. Joan Bakewell explores areas of belief with biologist Professor Rupert Sheldrake. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Salley Vickers | 20110420 | 20130102 (R3) | Joan Bakewell explores the beliefs of artists, thinkers, religious leaders and other public figures in a returning series of programmes on Radio 3. Tonight Joan Bakewell's guest is the novelist Salley Vickers. Salley Vickers wrote her first novel at the age of fifty after careers in university education and psychoanalysis. Miss Garnet's Angel, the story of an atheistic, uptight woman who flourishes during a winter spent among the churches and art of Venice, became an instant bestseller. Her succeeding novels, including Mr Golightly's holiday and The Other Side Of you, also have a spiritual dimension, featuring angels, Old Testament prophets - and God. Even so religion's arch-critic Philip Pullman describes her as 'a presence to be cherished.' Listen to 'Belief' and you 'll understand why. Joan Bakewell discusses belief with novelist Salley Vickers. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | ||
| Sally Phillips | 20131225 | Joan Bakewell talks to comic actor and writer, Sally Phillips about how her beliefs and philosophy have influenced her personal life and professional career. Sally's approach to comedy and writing changed following her conversion to Christianity. She looks back at a performance she describes as an hour of blasphemy at the Edinburgh Fringe and forward to a more clownish way of reflecting on human weakness. Producer: Clair Jaquiss. Joan Bakewell is in conversation with comic actress and writer Sally Phillips. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Sara Maitland | 20100329 | Joan Bakewell explores the beliefs of artists, thinkers, religious leaders and other public figures in a returning series of programmes on Radio 3. Tonight Joan Bakewell's guest is Sara Maitland, a ground-breaking Christian feminist. Her first novel Daughter of Jerusalem won the Somerset Maugham Award in 1978. She is a writer of novels and short stories, many of which interweave ancient myths and truths with contemporary, especially women's, experience. She has also written on theology. Most recently she has written of her journey into quietness and solitude in A Book of Silence. She now lives in prayerful isolation in a cottage on the Scottish moors. ~Belief returns to Radio 3 each evening this week as Joan Bakewell discusses their beliefs with artists, thinkers and public figures. Junaid Bhatti bridges the worlds of finance and Islam; Emma Restall Orr practises and teaches about Druidry, a branch of Paganism; Mark Haddon is 'an atheist in a religious mould', and the author of the best-selling The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night; and James Jones, the Bishop of Liverpool, is an evangelical who engages with major issues of social justice, urban planning and the environment. Tonight Joan Bakewell's guest is Sara Maitland, a ground-breaking Christian feminist whose first novel Daughter of Jerusalem won the Somerset Maugham Award in 1978. She is a writer of novels and short stories, many of which interweave ancient myths and truths with contemporary, especially women's, experience. She has also written on theology. Most recently she has written of her journey into quietness and solitude in A Book of Silence, and now lives in prayerful isolation in a cottage on the Scottish moors. Joan Bakewell discusses belief with Christian feminist writer Sara Maitland. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Sara Maitland | 20111230 | Joan Bakewell explores the beliefs of artists, thinkers, religious leaders and other public figures in a returning series of programmes on Radio 3. Tonight Joan Bakewell's guest is Sara Maitland, a ground-breaking Christian feminist. Her first novel Daughter of Jerusalem won the Somerset Maugham Award in 1978. She is a writer of novels and short stories, many of which interweave ancient myths and truths with contemporary, especially women's, experience. She has also written on theology. Most recently she has written of her journey into quietness and solitude in A Book of Silence. She now lives in prayerful isolation in a cottage on the Scottish moors. ~Belief returns to Radio 3 each evening this week as Joan Bakewell discusses their beliefs with artists, thinkers and public figures. Junaid Bhatti bridges the worlds of finance and Islam; Emma Restall Orr practises and teaches about Druidry, a branch of Paganism; Mark Haddon is 'an atheist in a religious mould', and the author of the best-selling The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night; and James Jones, the Bishop of Liverpool, is an evangelical who engages with major issues of social justice, urban planning and the environment. Tonight Joan Bakewell's guest is Sara Maitland, a ground-breaking Christian feminist whose first novel Daughter of Jerusalem won the Somerset Maugham Award in 1978. Joan Bakewell explores areas of belief with Christian feminist writer Sara Maitland. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Sarah Joseph | 20111227 | Joan Bakewell's guest on Belief is the editor of Emel - the most widely read British Muslim magazine. Sarah Joseph regularly appears on lists of the world's most influential Muslims. A deeply religious child, she was baptised and confirmed into the Catholic Church and even thought about becoming a nun. But then, at the age of sixteen, Sarah embraced Islam. She's made a career of communicating her understanding of Islam to British society. and was awarded an OBE in 2004. In this interview Sarah considers how her understanding of two great faiths has shaped both her career and her experience of God. Producer: Charlotte Simpson. Sarah Joseph talks to Joan Bakewell about her conversion to Islam. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Satish Kumar | 20101230 | Ecologist and former monk Satish Kumar talks to Joan Bakewell about his Jain beliefs. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Shirley Williams | 20120402 | The new Easter series of Belief opens with a conversation between two baronesses: Joan Bakewell and Shirley Williams. Shirley Williams was born in 1930. Her father, the philosopher and political scientist George Catlin, was a great influence. He bought young Shirley a copy of TS Eliot's Four Quartets when she was two years old. He also introduced her to the Roman Catholic Church. She has also been greatly influenced by the moral and political convictions of her mother the feminist and pacifist writer, Vera Brittain. In this programme Shirley Williams talks about the convictions that have motivated her life in politics - and particularly about the inspiration she has taken from the example of Jesus, the Second Vatican Council and the establishment of the Welfare State - a political event she remembers first-hand. Shirley Williams talks to Joan Bakewell about her moral and religious beliefs. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Stanley Hauerwas | 20110422 | Joan Bakewell's guest on Belief this Good Friday is the Texan-born theologian Stanley Hauerwas. Born into a bricklaying family, Stanley Hauerwas says the skills he learned there are the same skills which he now applies to his academic work - and which has led Time Magazine to call him 'America's best Theologian.' A pacifist and a provacateur he criticises an American identity he says is built on waging war, and a church often more concerned to make good Americans than good Christians. Joan Bakewell discusses belief with American theologian Stanley Hauerwas. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Stella Duffy | 20120104 | Tonight on Belief Joan Bakewell meets the writer Stella Duffy. Stella Duffy has written twelve novels and ten plays. She was brought up as a Catholic in a predominantly Maori community in New Zealand - and inspired by the 'groovy, feminist' nuns who taught her at school. But, for the last 25 years, she has been practising Buddhism. She tells Joan how Buddhism has helped her to overcome disappointments and loss and inspires her in every aspect of her life. Producer: Charlotte Simpson. Joan Bakewell discusses belief with novelist, playwright and performer Stella Duffy. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Stephen Batchelor | 20130405 | Joan's guest is Stephen Batchelor, one of the world's foremost authorities on Buddhism. As a young man the hippy trail led him to India, where he became a monk in the Tibetan school of Buddhism. He later left the order ten years later, because he was unable to subscribe to beliefs such as the doctrine of reincarnation. He now articulates a secular Buddhism which he believes offers the key to successful living. Stephen Batchelor, a world authority on Buddhism, talks to Joan Bakewell about his beliefs Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |||
| Tarik O'regan | 20110421 | 20111229 (R3) | Joan Bakewell explores the beliefs of artists, thinkers, religious leaders and other public figures in a returning series of programmes on Radio 3. Tonight Joan Bakewell's guest is the composer Tarik O'Regan. O'Regan, a rising star among composers, says his best composition lessons were the hours spent as an idle percussionist at the back of an orchestra waiting for his moment to play. He spent most of his childhood summers in North African with his family before studying at Oxford, and brings both the influences of the muezzin and the chorister to bear on his music. His first opera, based on Joseph Conrad's novel 'Heart of Darkness' will be premiered in the autumn. (repeat). Joan Bakewell discusses belief with composer Tarik O'Regan. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | ||
| 04 | An Wilson | 20081230 | Joan Bakewell talks with public figures, artists and thinkers about what they believe and why. She talks to writer, journalist and cultural historian AN Wilson, whose attitude to religion has fluctuated over the years. His most recent book, Our Times, takes a scathing look at Britain since 1953 and believes it has changed so much as to be unrecognisable. He puts these changes down to, among other things, mass immigration, a decline in church attendance and a loss of any sense of being a nation. Wilson has supported and attacked religion in almost equal measure throughout his work and life. Initially heading for a vocation in the church, he left theological college after a year and embarked on an academic and writing career. In the 1980s, he argued that society should live without religion and published books on both Jesus and St Paul, professing profound scepticism. Yet the death of his mother and his own journey as a parent, have seen him distance himself from such writings. Nowadays, Wilson is to be found in church on Sundays and welcomes a society that embraces religion. But not, fundamentalist forms of religion, which he says, are on the increase and are to be feared. Joan Bakewell discusses belief with writer, journalist and cultural historian AN Wilson. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | ||
| 04 | Baroness Ruth Deech | 20090101 | Joan Bakewell talks to Baroness Ruth Deech, who has spent most of her career in public service and is arguably best known for her work as chair of the Human Fertility and Embryology Authority. She talks to Joan about her upbringing in a Jewish household in south London and what impact this had on some decisions she has had to make during her time at the HFEA. Joan Bakewell talks with public figures, artists and thinkers about what they believe. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | ||
| 04 | Prof Simon Conway Morris | 20081229 | Joan Bakewell talks with public figures, artists and thinkers about what they believe. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | ||
| 04 | Rabbi Dr Tony Bayfield | 20081226 | Joan Bakewell talks to the head of Britain's Reform Jewish community, Rabbi Dr Tony Bayfield, who has devoted his life to challenging those who claim to have a monopoly on truth. He talks openly about the Holocaust survivors who taught him at theological college, the place of converts within Judaism and how his training and work as a Rabbi left him utterly unprepared for the untimely death of his wife. Rabbi Bayfield has focused strongly on promoting Jewish-Christian-Muslim dialogue as well as criticising all forms of fundamentalism. In 2008, he spearheaded a commitment to collaborate with other branches of Judaism in an attempt to embrace diversity and pluralism and reduce in-fighting. His stance has seen him publicly oppose his friend of 40 years, Britain's Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks. Yet that friendship remains, despite the passionate theological divide. Joan Bakewell discusses belief with Rabbi Dr Tony Bayfield, head of Britain's Reform Jews. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | ||
| 04 | Theodore Zeldin | 20081223 | Joan Bakewell talks with public figures, artists and thinkers about what they believe. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | ||
| 04 | Tim Winter | 20090102 | 20091224 (R3) | Joan Bakewell explores areas of belief with artists, thinkers and other public figures. She talks to Cambridge University chaplain and Muslim convert Tim Winter, known as Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad. He explores the moral sense of the sacred, instilled in him by his mother, his search for a connection with his creator and what it means to be a Muslim convert in Britain today. Winter made his own journey towards Islam via the Unitarian church, bringing Western academic methods to his studies of Islam and its history. He is strongly critical of Wahhabism and of the kinds of Islamic interpretation and fundamentalism which underlie extremism and justifications of violence. A participant in inter-faith dialogue at high levels, he has recently returned from the Vatican in an attempt to improve Muslim Catholic relations. Joan Bakewell talks to Cambridge University chaplain and Muslim convert Tim Winter. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |
| 04 | 01 | Bishop Of Rochester, The Right Rev Dr Michael Nazir-ali | 20081222 | Joan Bakewell explores areas of belief with artists, thinkers and other public figures. She talks to the Church of England's first non-white dioceasan bishop, the Bishop of Rochester, the Right Rev Dr Michael Nazir-Ali. Born in Pakistan, his early influences were both Muslim and Christian, yet today he courts controversy, publically voicing his fears of the perceived dangers from Islam, and his opposition to homosexuality. Joan Bakewell discusses belief with the Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |
| 04 | 03 | Marina Warner | 20081224 | 20091222 (R3) | Joan Bakewell explores areas of belief with artists, thinkers and other public figures. She talks to prize-winning novelist, critic and cultural historian Marina Warner who, although brought up Catholic and a former pupil of one of Britain's top convent schools, abandoned her faith in her twenties while writing her second book Alone of All Her Sex: The Myth and Cult of the Virgin Mary. Yet she remains personally and professionally interested in all things religious, magical, mythical and irrational. Joan Bakewell discusses belief with novelist, critic and cultural historian Marina Warner. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why |
| 04 | 04 | Sister Frances Dominica | 20081225 | Joan Bakewell talks with public figures, artists and thinkers about what they believe. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |
| 05 | 01 | Frank Cottrell-boyce | 20090406 | Joan Bakewell explores areas of belief with artists, thinkers and other public figures. She discusses the Catholic faith with screenwriter and author Frank Cottrell-Boyce. Writer of the films Millions, Welcome to Sarajevo and 24-Hour Party People, Cottrell-Boyce has also turned his hand to writing children's literature. In 2009, he wrote the screenplay for a BBC Two drama, God on Trial - a feature-length television play based upon the (possibly apocryphal) tale of Auschwitz prisoners setting up court and charging God with having broken his covenant with the Jewish people. It was a job which challenged his own faith, yet revealed new insights to him. Joan Bakewell explores belief with Catholic screenwriter and author Frank Cottrell-Boyce. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |
| 05 | 02 | Baroness Uddin | 20090407 | Joan Bakewell explores areas of belief with artists, thinkers and other public figures. She talks to Britain's first female Muslim Asian peer Baroness Uddin of Bethnal Green. Invited to the House of Lords for her work with women and disability rights, she says her Islamic faith gives her confidence. In her life and work she challenges stereotypes about Muslim women. Joan Bakewell discusses belief with Britain's first female Muslim peer Baroness Uddin. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |
| 05 | 03 | Stephen Smith | 20090408 | Joan Bakewell explores areas of belief with artists, thinkers and other public figures. She talks to Stephen Smith, co-founder and director of the Holocaust Centre, set in the countryside of North Nottinghamshire. Originally a Christian retreat house run by his parents, the centre is dedicated to the memory and significance of that terrible event for Jews and non-Jews alike. His vision for it was inspired by his own journey to understand the relationship between Judaism and Christianity as well as the Holocaust itself. In turn, Smith has had to examine his own convictions underpinning the nature of humanity - does good always triumph over evil? Do the actions of good people always win out? It's a process which has led him away from Christianity and towards Judaism. These days, Stephen is much more likely to celebrate Passover than Easter Sunday, his children know as much about the Jewish faith as Christianity and, for him, God cannot be defined. Joan Bakewell talks to co-founder and director of the Holocaust Centre Stephen Smith. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |
| 05 | 04 | Mark Haddon | 20090409 | 20100401 (R3) | Joan Bakewell explores the beliefs of artists, thinkers, religious leaders and other public figures in a returning series of programmes on Radio 3. In this programme, first broadcast a year ago, Joan speaks to the author, Mark Haddon, writer of the award winning book, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night. He describes himself as an atheist in a very religious mould, someone who is always asking the big questions of life. Where did we come from? Is there a meaning to all of this? For him, science and literature provide answers to these questions and celebrate some of the mysteries of life. (Repeat). Joan Bakewell discusses areas of belief with author Mark Haddon. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why |
| 05 | 05 | Tony Blair | 20090410 | Joan Bakewell explores areas of belief with authors, screenwriters, thinkers and other public figures. She talks to former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who was a committed Christian throughout his premiership. His press secretary, Alistair Campbell, once said, 'we don't do God', fearing his boss would be considered a 'nutter' by the British public. Since leaving office, Blair has converted to Catholicism and talked more freely about the importance of his faith to him. Joan hears how faith and politics have gone hand in hand for Tony Blair since his days at university; she hears how his faith helped him take on the job of leading the country; how he now views his decision to invade Iraq; and what he hopes the Tony Blair Faith Foundation will achieve. His role as envoy to the international Quartet involved in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process regularly takes him to the Holy Land, and Joan hears what impact these visits have on his own faith. Joan Bakewell explores belief with former Prime Minister Tony Blair. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |
| 06 | 01 | David Starkey | 20091221 | Joan Bakewell explores areas of belief with artists, thinkers and other public figures. She talks to historian, writer and broadcaster David Starkey about his Quaker upbringing, his rejection of religion as the answer to life's big questions and how he makes sense of recent moves in Catholic-Anglican relations. As the author of a recent biography of Henry VIII, he wonders if time is running out for Henry's great legacy - England's national church - the Church of England. Joan Bakewell discusses belief with historian, writer and broadcaster David Starkey. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |
| 06 | 02 | Prof John Hull | 20091223 | Joan Bakewell explores areas of belief with artists, thinkers and other public figures. She talks to theologian and academic John Hull about his experience of going blind. Born sighted, John underwent several episodes of temporary blindness before finally losing his sight for good more than 35 years ago. His book, Touching the Rock, movingly recounts his journey into acceptance of blindness and how he faced the new challenges of day-to-day family life. John was born into a conservative Methodist family in Australia. He himself believed he had a vocation to follow in his minister father's footsteps, but a thwarted love affair threw up too many doubts about his own ability to be a minister and his beliefs have developed into a more inclusive and radical brand of Christian faith. Today, having been a leading figure in the debate on religious education in state schools, John now teaches trainee ministers in prophetic ministry. Joan Bakewell explores areas of belief with theologian and academic Prof John Hull. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why | |
| 06 | 03 | Ann Widdecombe | 20091225 | Joan Bakewell explores areas of belief with artists, thinkers and other public figures. She talks to Conservative MP and novelist Ann Widdecombe, who was a life-long Anglican until the Church of England's decision to ordain women priests in the 1990s. She converted to Catholicism and has been a passionate supporter of Rome ever since. Ann sees a time when the Catholic Church will drop its demand for celibacy amongst its priests and believes Pope Benedict is a figure who could achieve such a reform. For her, such a change is possible within her lifetime. Ann is stepping down as an MP at the general election scheduled to take place in 2010 and says she would like to take up the post of Britain's ambassador to the Holy See which becomes vacant in the same year. Joan Bakewell explores areas of belief with Conservative MP and novelist Ann Widdecombe. Programme that talks to artists, scientists and thinkers about what they believe and why |