Heart And Soul

Personal approaches to spirituality from around the world.

[LISTEN NOW]

Following the death of Pope Francis, Catholics around the world are looking to Rome and the Vatican as the Church prepares to elect its next leader. But what do Catholics around the world hope to see in their future pontiff?

Colm Flynn is in Rome to speak to Catholics gathered from different corners of the globe. From pilgrims in St Peter's Square to others from the USA and Africa, Colm explores the diverse expectations, aspirations, and concerns they hold for their new spiritual leader.

What kind of attributes should the next pope possess? What pressing issues must he urgently address - be it social justice, inclusivity, climate change, or the evolving role of women within the Church? And how will the incoming Pope guide over one billion Catholics through these challenges?

[Photo description: St Peter's Basilica, from the Pincio, Photo Credit: Sylvain Sonnet]

Presenter: Colm Flynn

Producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

After Pope Francis' death, Catholics look to Rome as the Church elects a new leader.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

After Pope Francis' death, Catholics look to Rome for the next leader. Colm Flynn speaks to pilgrims in St Peter's Square and others from the USA and Africa about their hopes.

[LISTEN NOW]

What does it take to break the glass ceiling in Buddhism and be fully ordained as a female monk or bhikshuni?

In 2022 the kingdom of Bhutan ordained 144 women in an unprecedented ceremony. Among them was Emma Slade, also known as Lopen Ani Pema Deki, from Kent in the UK. She was the only Western woman to take part.

Emma's faith has been a part of her life since she was held at gunpoint and robbed in Indonesia in 1997. She studied in Bhutan and set up a charity that supports children with special needs in the country. Now she divides her time between the Himalayan kingdom and the UK. She talks to Julia Paul about life as a bhikshuni in the UK and Bhutan, her memories of taking part in the historic mass ordination and what it means for Buddhist nuns in Bhutan and other countries.

[Photo Credit: British Buddhist bhikshuni Emma Slade and Dr Tashi Zangmo, Executive Director of the Bhutan Nun's Foundation o(left to right)]

Producer/presenter: Julia Paul

Executive producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

The first Western Buddhist nun to be fully ordained in Bhutan tells us her story

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

[LISTEN NOW]

Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp in Germany was the only camp liberated by the British Forces in April, 1945. Prior to that, over 50,000 people were murdered there. After liberation, the British Forces, alongside the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (AJDC) set up another camp about 2 kilometres away - the Bergen-Belsen Displaced Persons (DP) Camp – the largest DP camp in Europe, where over 2,000 babies were born. Known as ‘Bergen-Belsen Babies', Susan Schwartz and Karen Lasky were two of the many born stateless who gained citizenship after their families were eventually accepted and immigrated to Canada.

On the anniversary of the liberation, survivors, alongside Bergen-Belsen Babies gathered for the week, trying to fill in the gaps of what happened to their families and reflect on their childhoods.

Executive Producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

(Photo: A mix of old photos from a survivor of the DP camp. Credit: Andrew Schwartz)

Susan Schwartz and Karen Lasky go back to their birthplace - Bergen-Belsen.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

Susan Schwartz and Karen Lasky, two women born in Bergen-Belsen Displaced Persons Camp, return to their birthplace to find out more about their experiences.

[LISTEN NOW]

Yoga is an ancient practice with its roots in Hinduism. It originated over 5,000 years ago in northern India, but for many, has now evolved from a spiritual path into the wellness practice known globally.

In the West, millions now do yoga as a form of exercise and wellbeing. It's an industry thought to be worth tens of billions of dollars.

But as it has boomed, yoga has been interpreted in new and sometimes controversial ways. A growing number of Christian churches and studios are embracing the practice - mixing prayer and physical moves.

What's been dubbed 'Christian yoga' has gained loyal supporters, who say it helps them reconnect body and soul. But not everyone agrees. Some within the Hindu faith argue that Christian yoga risks stripping an ancient practice of its religious roots. Then, there are Christians who say the practice is “not of Jesus, ? and warn that it could open the door to non-Christian spirituality.

So, can yoga be Christian?

In this episode of Heart & Soul, Megan Lawton tries to answer those questions - meeting teachers of Christian yoga and those who don't believe yoga and Christianity can ever be compatible.

[Photo Description: Meditation, yoga and top view of woman with prayer hands in home for health and wellness. Meditate namaste, zen chakra and female yogi workout, exercise or training for pilates, mindfulness and peace - stock photo. Photo Credit: Kobus Louw]

Producer: Sam Gruet

Presenter: Megan Lawton

Executive Producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

Can yoga be Christian? We meet practitioners and teachers debating a new type of practice.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

[LISTEN NOW]

In the ancient Yererouk Basilica in Armenia, near the border with Turkey, young engineers are filming. Using 3D digital technology, they're scanning every part of the building. When the material is put together, it will recreate the church on a screen, in full-colour and in three dimensions.

This is the digital preservation initiative, created by TUMO, the Center for Creative Technologies, based in Armenia's capital Yerevan. It's training young people to use new technology, but also connecting Armenian teenagers with their 2000-year-old Christian heritage.

Armenia was the first kingdom to adopt Christianity as its state religion. But in 2023, the country lost control of numerous important religious sites, when the province of Nagorno-Karabakh was taken over by neighbouring Muslim Azerbaijan. The mountainous enclave, known as Artsakh to Armenians, has long been a disputed territory between the two countries. Despite the new peace agreement signed recently, the province is still closed to Armenians. International observers using satellite technology say dozens of important Christian sites have been damaged or destroyed.

For Heart and Soul, Julia Paul travels to Armenia to find out how drones and lasers are helping young Armenians to connect to and preserve their ancient Christian heritage, at a time when many sites are being silently erased from the map.

[Credit: Julia Paul. Photo Description: The team of engineers from digital preservation initiative at the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, at Yererouk basilica in Armenia's Shirak province.]

Producer/Presenter: Julia Paul

Executive Producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

How drones and lasers are helping to digitally preserve Armenia's ancient churches.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

Christianity in Armenia dates back nearly two thousand years. Now, modern technology is digitally preserving sites and engaging young Armenians with their ancient heritage.

[LISTEN NOW]

North Korea is considered one of the most secretive countries in the world. It is officially an atheist state. The ruling party sees religion as a threat to its authority. Instead North Koreans are expected to show complete devotion to the ruling Kim family, who many view as godlike. There are believed to be a small number of Christians practicing in secret inside the hermit kingdom, but entire families can be sent to prison camps for practicing religion. Even owning a Bible can lead to detention or even death.

There are an estimated 33,000 North Korean defectors living in South Korea. The exact number of North Korean Christians living in the south is unknown, but it is believed that a significant number of defectors now identify as Christians. BBC Correspondent Danny Vincent travels to the South Korean capital of Seoul to meet a family of defectors he first met a decade earlier while fleeing Northern China. They recall their defection from North Korea and their journey from devotion to a dictator, to belief in Christ.

Producer/presenter: Danny Vincent

Producer: Jen Kwon

Editor: Chloe Walker

(Photo: People pay tribute to the statues of late North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il on Mansu Hil. Credit: Kim Won Jin)

Danny Vincent meets North Korean defectors embracing Christianity in the South.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

[LISTEN NOW]

Harj Gahley is a Sikh who began gambling when he was 23.

What started with a ‘fun' night out with friends at a casino, spiraled out of control until it nearly cost him his life.

A decade-long secret addiction took him to the edge of personal and financial ruin before his lies were eventually exposed by his heartbroken wife.

His hidden truth exposes a cultural stigma as Harj faces cultural isolation when he first turns to his faith and community leaders for help and support.

Instead of compassion, Harj finds shame and judgement when he confesses to an elder about the depth of his problems.

He sets out to develop understanding and create lasting change within his faith.

His path to recovery and healing provides an honest insight into the challenges of gambling within South Asian communities and the importance of breaking the silence.

Harj now campaigns to raise awareness around the damage gambling can do and he supports others as they enter into their own battles with this addiction.

Through conversations with the BBC's Rajeev Gupta, Harj takes us on an emotional journey to a turning point where family support leads him to ultimately rediscover the meaning of his Sikh faith.

[Photo Credit: Matt O'donaghue, Photo Description: Harj Gahley]

Presenter: Matt O'Donoghue

Producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

A British Sikh's journey from gambling addiction and shame to ultimate spiritual renewal.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

An inspirational journey from ruin through gambling addiction to redemption. We travel from debt and shame to a future of hope, exploring Sikhism and stigma and a renewal of faith.

[LISTEN NOW]

When Mhara was a teenager, she often felt lost and out of place. But discovering books about witchcraft and Druidry opened a door to another world, one filled with stories of transformation, enchantment, and connection to nature. Those ideas would stay with her for years.

As an adult, Mhara began to explore her identity as a queer, transgender woman and returned to the spiritual path that had first offered her hope. She discovered a thriving Druid community right on her doorstep in Anglesey, Wales - one of the last strongholds of Druidry after the Roman invasion and still considered sacred land today.

Presenter Mora Morrison joins Mhara on the island, visiting sacred rivers, ancient burial sites, and the headquarters of the Anglesey Druid Order. There, Mora meets Mhara's mentor and friend Kristoffer Hughes, who has led the Order for 25 years.

Presenter / producer: Mora Morrison

Series Producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

(Photo: Mhara Starling, a Welsh witch and Druid. Credit: Kat Arnold Photography)

Welsh witch and Druid Mhara finds belonging and peace with her true self through Druidry

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

Welsh witch and Druid Mhara finds belonging and peace with her true self through Druidry. Guided by Kristoffer Hughes, she reconnects with nature and embraces a spiritual path.

In this episode, presenter Mora Morrison joins Mhara on the island, visiting sacred rivers, ancient burial sites, and the headquarters of the Anglesey Druid Order. There, Mora meets Mhara's mentor and friend Kristoffer Hughes, who has led the Order for 25 years.

For Mhara, Druidry has become a way to live authentically and joyfully — a practice that embraces both her spirituality and her sense of self. At a local gathering, Mora explores how Druidry's inclusive, earth-based traditions continue to draw people seeking connection, freedom, and belonging.

Through Druidry on Anglesey, Mhara finds belonging and peace with her true self.

On Anglesey, Mhara finds peace and belonging through Druidry. Guided by Kristoffer Hughes, she reconnects with nature and embraces a spiritual path of transformation.

[LISTEN NOW]

The number of adults getting baptised in France has tripled in the last three years. Why are so many more adults joining the Church in France? We meet two of France's new Christians - one baptised this Easter, one last Easter - and hear why they chose the path they took and ask whether Catholicism is changing from a religion that baptises infants to one that baptises adults and whether that is a good thing.

Presenter: John Laurenson

Executive producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

[Photo: The Mass was at the church of Nogent-le-Roi. Credit: John Laurenson)

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

There has been a spectacular rise in adult baptisms in France and Belgium. We meet two new Christians who explain why they chose the path they took.

[LISTEN NOW]

Freddie once signed to a major record label. He appeared in high-production music videos and looked set for fame. But the pressure and pace of that life left him feeling hollow. In one of the world's busiest cities, he now follows a very different path - one built on silence, discipline, and spiritual growth.

Freddie reflects on his decision to leave the music industry behind and embrace Buddhism. He now works as a nail technician and shares how his beliefs shape his daily life. Alongside him is Carl, his partner, who offers moving insights into how their shared values deepen their relationship.

The episode captures striking contrasts: the buzz of the city versus the calm of local temples; a nail salon's chatter against the resonance of monastery chanting. Through honest conversations and ambient recordings, we step into Freddie and Carl's world, where Buddhist practice offers an anchor amid chaos.

Their story explores what it means to redefine success, maintain spiritual discipline in a hyperactive city, and find peace through faith. It also touches on themes of identity, mindfulness, and how love and belief can thrive under pressure.

Freddie's journey is not one of retreat, but of radical reorientation - a decision to slow down in a world that keeps speeding up. This is a rare and intimate portrait of life shaped by stillness, purpose, and the search for something more lasting than applause.

Producer/Presenter: John Offord

Executive Producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

Freddie left fame behind to follow Buddhism and find stillness in Hong Kong.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

A former pop singer finds peace as a Buddhist nail artist in frantic Hong Kong, alongside his partner Carl.

[LISTEN NOW]

Former Christian Minister Craig Fentor was in the midst of a deep spiritual void when he first picked up a book of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi's poetry in his local LA bookshop. The writings of Rumi, a 13th-century Persian poet, Islamic scholar, and Sufi mystic have long inspired people across faiths. And Rumi's poetry on divine love and the soul's journey toward God would captivate Craig, inspiring him to leave behind his Californian home, to begin a new life as a whirling dervish in Turkey.

The BBC's Emily Wither travelled to meet Craig Fenter - now known as Ismail - in the Central Anatolian city of Konya. Konya is known as Rumi's resting place and is now an important pilgrimage site for his followers. It is here where Ismail joined the Mevleni order, became a disciple of Rumi and converted to Islam.

Ismail is now working on a new English translation of Rumi's most famous work, the Masnavi-yi Maʿnavi, 25,000 verses of rhymed couplets in Persian. Ismail believes it is his calling to work on a modern translation of Rumi's greatest work, for which he has the blessing of Rumi's 22nd generation direct descendants.

[Photo Description: Whirling dervish Ismail Fentor stands in front of the Mevlana Museum and tomb site of 13th century Persian poet and Islamic scholar, Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi in Konya, Turkey. Photo Credit: Emily Wither]

Producer/presenter: Emily Wither

Series Producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

Music: Ismail C Fentor

Former US Christian pastor, Ismail Fenter, fell for Rumi and became a whirling dervish.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

Ismail Fenter, a former American Christian pastor, says he 'fell for Rumi', converted to Islam and moved from LA to Turkey's Central Anatolia to live in Rumi's spiritual home.

[LISTEN NOW]

In one of his final official acts before he died, Pope Francis put Antoni Gaudí, Spain's most famous architect, onto the path to sainthood.

Gaudí's masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia, is a towering basilica, strangely designed and bursting with colour. It stands in the heart of Barcelona and its walls recount the entire story of the Catholic religion. After 140 years, having survived wars, arson attacks and dictatorship, it is still under construction. As Gaudí worked on it throughout his life, he became obsessive and it intensified his devotion. By the end of his life he was living like a monk.

Today, millions come every year to see his work. Some have been so affected by his art and approach they have converted to Catholicism. The process to confirm Gaudí as a saint is secretive and potentially long. But for the creator of the world's longest ongoing construction, there's no rush.

The BBC's Max Horberry has been to Barcelona to see Gaudí's work and speak to the people who have been working to finish the Sagrada Familia and campaigning for Gaudí's sainthood. We will find out more about the path to sainthood and how architecture, nature and religion intertwine in Gaudí's life.

[Credit: Fundació Junta Constructora del Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família]

Producer/Presenter: Max Horberry

Executive Producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

How Antoni Gaud\u00ed became God's architect.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

How Antoni Gaudí became God's architect.

[LISTEN NOW]

When Megan Garcia travelled to Rome, she carried with her a mother's grief.

At the Vatican she met the Pope and asked him to pray for her son Sewell, who died last year at the age of 14. In the months after his death, Megan discovered something she says she had never imagined: for more than a year, Sewell had been spending hours talking to an artificial-intelligence chatbot which he believed was a real person. He formed a deep emotional attachment to it, confiding in it about his life and feelings.

Megan believes that relationship played a part in her son's death. She is now pursuing legal action against the company behind the chatbot, arguing that safeguards for young users were inadequate. The company disputes the claims.

But this is not only a story about technology. It is also a story about faith.

Rather than losing her belief, Megan says her tragedy intensified it. She turned to prayer and devotion to the Virgin Mary, finding comfort in the idea of a mother who also knew the pain of losing a child.

“I felt like Our Lady was grieving for me as a mother who lost a child, ? she says. “And I was grieving for her as a mother who lost a child. We were grieving together. ?

For Heart and Soul, we hear Megan's story in her own words — a deeply personal journey through grief, belief, and the new moral questions raised by artificial intelligence: what happens when machines become companions, and where do faith, responsibility and protection meet in a digital world?

Presenter: Colm Flynn

Series Producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, you could speak to a health professional or an organisation that offers help. Details of support available in many countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide — that's befrienders dot org.

A mother's grief, a son's chatbot and the faith that sustained her.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

After her 14-year-old son died, Megan Garcia discovered he had formed a deep bond with an AI chatbot. In her grief, she turned not away from faith, but more deeply towards it.

[LISTEN NOW]

On 4 September 2024, the town of Winder in the US state of Georgia became the latest scene of a school mass shooting. Two students and two teachers were killed. The suspect was 14 years old. The deadly attack at Apalachee High School left a community torn apart by guns and brought together in grief. In each of the previous four years there have been more than 600 mass shootings in the United States - almost two a day on average.

Edward Stourton has been to Georgia to visit the church community attached to the high school, as they try to make sense of the senseless violence in their hometown. He meets Pastor Frank Burnat and his pastoral team, who are ministering to a community in which both God and guns are a part of everyday life. Where is God in such a tragedy and its aftermath?

Producer: Dan Tierney

Presenter: Edward Stourton

Executive producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

(Photo: From left to right, Edward Stourton, Megan Gomez, Matthew Brown, Frank Burnat. Credit: Dan Tierney)

Edward Stourton visits a church community following a school shooting.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

[LISTEN NOW]

On 4 September 2024, the town of Winder in the US state of Georgia became the latest scene of a school mass shooting. Two students and two teachers were killed. The suspect was 14 years old. The deadly attack at Apalachee High School left a community torn apart by guns and brought together in grief. In each of the previous four years there have been more than 600 mass shootings in the United States - almost two a day on average.

Edward Stourton has been to Georgia to visit the church community attached to the high school, as they try to make sense of the senseless violence in their hometown. He meets Pastor Frank Burnat and his pastoral team, who are ministering to a community in which both God and guns are a part of everyday life. Where is God in such a tragedy and its aftermath?

Producer: Dan Tierney

Presenter: Edward Stourton

Executive producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

(Photo: From left to right, Edward Stourton, Megan Gomez, Matthew Brown, Frank Burnat. Credit: Dan Tierney)

Edward Stourton visits a church community following a school shooting.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

[LISTEN NOW]

Hervé lost a leg in a motorbike accident. On the eve of the operation, he made a deal with God: “If I walk again, I'll go to Santiago. ? He did walk again, but not on pilgrimage. Instead, he got caught up in his business affairs, had a burn out, tried to kill himself and spent several months in a psychiatric hospital before he decided to keep his side of the bargain. He set out, with crutches and a prosthetic leg, for Santiago de Compostela, a journey of 1,920 kilometres from his home in Brittany in north west France to the cathedral that contains the relics of Saint James at the tip of north west Spain. The experience utterly changed him. It was, he says, a resurrection. He is now embarking on a second pilgrimage which will cover almost twice the distance; from Rome to Santiago de Compostela. John Laurenson walks with him for a couple of days to hear his story and talk about life, God, pilgrimage, about Luther's criticism – that they are a waste of time - and the sacrifice they can represent for his family of a wife and four children. John also talks to him about how, in a part of the world where religious observance has become the affair of a small minority, going on pilgrimages in Europe has never been more popular with new routes opening all the time.

Producer / Presenter: John Laurenson

The amputee who recovered his will to live walking a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

Hervé lost a leg in a motorbike accident. On the eve of the operation, he made a deal with God: “If I walk again, I'll go to Santiago. ? He did walk again, but not on pilgrimage. Instead, he got caught up in his business affairs, suffered burn out, tried to kill himself and spent several months in a psychiatric hospital before he decided to keep his side of the bargain. He set out, with crutches and a prosthetic leg, for Santiago de Compostela, a journey of 1,920 kilometres from his home in Brittany in north west France to the cathedral that contains the relics of Saint James at the tip of north west Spain. The experience utterly changed him. It was, he says, a resurrection. He is now embarking on a second pilgrimage which will cover almost twice the distance; from Rome to Santiago de Compostela. John Laurenson walks with him for a couple of days to hear his story and talk about life, God, pilgrimage, about Luther's criticism – that they are a waste of time - and the sacrifice they can represent for his family of a wife and four children. John also talks to him about how, in a part of the world where religious observance has become the affair of a small minority, going on pilgrimages in Europe has never been more popular, with new routes opening all the time.

Executive Producer: Rajeev Gupta

[LISTEN NOW]

In a cinema in south-west Germany an audience is gathered to watch an Oscar winning film, Zone of Interest, about the life of Rudolf Höss, Commandant of Auschwitz. Those present comprise Jewish people from around the world, and the special guest is Rudolf's grandson.

The topic was rarely visited during Kai's childhood. It was only after a school history lesson that Kai began to comprehend Rudolf's role as head of the largest mass murder site in history.

Reporter Shiroma Silva travels to his home in Germany to interrogate Kai on his personal struggle. She tracks Kai's outlook today through Christianity, in which he uses his past to look forward and understand the particular place of Jewish people in the Bible. He questions how anti-Semitism thrived in Christian societies and his grandfather's early life in a devout Catholic family.

Awaiting execution at Nuremberg in 1947, Rudolf Höss returned to Catholicism, regretting his unquestioning pursuit of Nazi ideology and crimes against humanity. But little was said about the Jewish prisoners who made up the majority of the dead at Auschwitz.

Today his grandson speaks to Jewish communities globally, and Shiroma Silva talks to Pastor Kai Höss as he seeks to disabuse congregations of the thinking that has all too often blamed Jewish people for all the world's ills, and describes himself as a Gentile who has been saved by Jewish leaders.

Producer/presenter: Shiroma Silva

Executive Producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

(Photo: Kai Uwe Höss attends the Berlin premiere of Der Schatten Des Kommandanten at Delphi Lux,10 June, 2024, Berlin, Germany. Credit: Gerald Matzka/Getty Images)

This content was edited on 02/04/25

The grandson of Rudolf H\u00f6ss, Commandant of Auschwitz, comes to terms with his family

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

The grandson of Rudolf Höss, Commandant of Auschwitz comes to terms with his family's past.

[LISTEN NOW]

In a cinema in south-west Germany an audience is gathered to watch an Oscar winning film, Zone of Interest, about the life of Rudolf Höss, Commandant of Auschwitz. Those present comprise Jewish people from around the world, and the special guest is Rudolf's grandson.

The topic was rarely visited during Kai's childhood. It was only after a school history lesson that Kai began to comprehend Rudolf's role as head of the largest mass murder site in history.

Reporter Shiroma Silva travels to his home in Germany to interrogate Kai on his personal struggle. She tracks Kai's outlook today through Christianity, in which he uses his past to look forward and understand the particular place of Jewish people in the Bible. He questions how anti-Semitism thrived in Christian societies and his grandfather's early life in a devout Catholic family.

Awaiting execution at Nuremberg in 1947, Rudolf Höss returned to Catholicism, regretting his unquestioning pursuit of Nazi ideology and crimes against humanity. But little was said about the Jewish prisoners who made up the majority of the dead at Auschwitz.

Today his grandson speaks to Jewish communities globally, and Shiroma Silva talks to Pastor Kai Höss as he seeks to disabuse congregations of the thinking that has all too often blamed Jewish people for all the world's ills, and describes himself as a Gentile who has been saved by Jewish leaders.

Producer/presenter: Shiroma Silva

Executive Producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

(Photo: Kai Uwe Höss attends the Berlin premiere of Der Schatten Des Kommandanten at Delphi Lux,10 June, 2024, Berlin, Germany. Credit: Gerald Matzka/Getty Images)

This content was edited on 02/04/25

The grandson of Rudolf H\u00f6ss, Commandant of Auschwitz, comes to terms with his family

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

The grandson of Rudolf Höss, Commandant of Auschwitz comes to terms with his family's past.

[LISTEN NOW]

In 2014, Tareena Shakil, then 24, made a decision that would change her life forever. She secretly left the UK, telling her family she was on holiday, and travelled with her young son to Syria to join the Islamic State group. Within months she found herself in the heart of the extremist stronghold, and later fled to Turkey before returning to the UK, where she was arrested and became one of the first British women to be convicted for membership of Isis and encouraging terrorism.

Shakil was sentenced to six years in prison but was released after serving half her term. In the years since, she has publicly expressed regret for her actions, accepted responsibility for lying about her journey when first questioned by police, and described her experience as a time when she “lost her way ?.

Rajeev Gupta meets Tareena in Birmingham as she reflects on a path that took her from belief to extremism and the long, difficult process of finding her footing again. In candid conversation, she explores how identity, faith, family and the search for meaning intersected in the decisions she made, and what she believes now about forgiveness and moving forward.

Presenter: Rajeev Gupta

Producer: Matt O'Donoghue

Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

Editor: Chloe Walker

(Photo: Tareena Shakil and the BBC's Rajeev Gupta. Credit: Matt O'Donoghue)

A former Isis recruit reflects on radicalisation, faith, regret and redemption.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

[LISTEN NOW]

Zohran Mamdani catapulted on to New York's political scene this summer when he captured the Democratic nomination to run for Mayor this fall. A young politician, Mamdani campaigned on issues that mattered to New Yorkers including lowering the cost of living, but unlike other candidates, was not shy about making his Muslim faith a central talking point on the campaign trail. We explore how a single decision galvanized voters of different faiths across America's biggest city, and delve into the social issues that divided those casting ballots – including the war in Gaza, Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, and the divisiveness of the phrase, “globalize the intifada, ? which Mamdani refused on multiple occasions to denounce. What was it about Mamdani that led Muslim voters to feel like they had a voice who will represent them as Mayor of New York City? Do Jewish voters feel let down? Will religion be the driving force behind voter mobilization come November, or will the high cost of living be the motivating factor for many across the Big Apple? We sit down with voters of varying views to find out.

[Photo Description: Zohran Mamdani campaign rally for mayor of New York City, Credit: Andrew Lichtenstein]

Presenter: Victoria Craig

Religion's role in Zohran Mamdani's meteoric rise in New York's political scene.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

The impact of Zohran Mamdani's decision to make religion a focal point in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary.

[LISTEN NOW]

Canada is home to thousands of Sikh truck drivers, crossing North America in cabs that double as kitchens, bedrooms and places to pray. In a single week, some will see more of the continent than most people will in a lifetime, from major cities to mountain ranges and endless miles of road.

But the road can be a hard place to practise faith built on family, community and a vegetarian diet. Journeys can be long, food options limited, and drivers say discrimination is rising. Yet many choose to respond with acts of kindness, carrying their faith with them.

The BBC's Megan Lawton travels to Ontario to join Sikh truckers on the road. She stops at a local Gurdwara, where drivers reconnect with community and come together to instil the values of their faith in their children.

[Credit: Megan Lawton. Picture description: Sukhpal Singh is a long-haul truck driver, who travels across North America each week. He sits behind the wheel of his truck, during a break from driving]

Presenter: Megan Lawton

Producer: Sam Gruet

Executive Producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

Faith on the road: Riding with Canada's Sikh truckers.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

[LISTEN NOW]

DJ Fatboy Slim's Praise You is a song you might have heard in a Hollywood movie or danced to in a club - to this day, it is still his biggest hit. But there is something you won't know - the singer behind it or the true meaning of the lyrics.

Civil rights activist Camille Yarbrough first released Take Yo' Praise 50 years ago. It was written as a love letter to African-American men, inspired by a moment of spiritual awakening and family secret. After its release, radio stations refused to play it and she felt she was labelled a “troublemaker ?.

When Fatboy Slim picked up an old copy of Camille's song, he turned it into a hit. But there is an irony - it is now played by radio stations around the world, but the true meaning of the music has been lost.

Reporter Emily Webb goes to meet Camille in her New York apartment.

This programme includes discussion of sexual violence against a child.

Producer/presenter: Emily Webb

Executive producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

(Photo: Carmille Yarbrough. Credit: Emily Webb)

The secret civil rights history of DJ Fatboy Slim's dance anthem Praise You.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

[LISTEN NOW]

DJ Fatboy Slim's Praise You is a song you might have heard in a Hollywood movie or danced to in a club - to this day, it is still his biggest hit. But there is something you won't know - the singer behind it or the true meaning of the lyrics.

Civil rights activist Camille Yarbrough first released Take Yo' Praise 50 years ago. It was written as a love letter to African-American men, inspired by a moment of spiritual awakening and family secret. After its release, radio stations refused to play it and she felt she was labelled a “troublemaker ?.

When Fatboy Slim picked up an old copy of Camille's song, he turned it into a hit. But there is an irony - it is now played by radio stations around the world, but the true meaning of the music has been lost.

Reporter Emily Webb goes to meet Camille in her New York apartment.

This programme includes discussion of sexual violence against a child.

Producer/presenter: Emily Webb

Executive producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

(Photo: Carmille Yarbrough. Credit: Emily Webb)

The secret civil rights history of DJ Fatboy Slim's dance anthem Praise You.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

[LISTEN NOW]

Imagine being able to see your place of worship, but not be able to reach it. For many Palestinian Muslims in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, stricter Israeli security measures, rising tensions with settlers, and movement restrictions introduced after the October 7th attacks have made access to mosques increasingly challenging.

The Israeli military says these measures are essential to protect civilians after increased violence in the region. Many Palestinians argue the restrictions amount to collective punishment and fear there may be changes to long-standing arrangements at some of the area's holiest sites, sacred to both Muslims and Jews.

Reporting from Hebron and East Jerusalem, Emily Wither explores how these pressures are reshaping the spiritual lives of worshippers living at the heart of one of the world's most contested religious landscapes.

[Photo Description: Palestinians in Hebron perform Friday prayer in the streets surrounding Ibrahimi Mosque. Photo Credit: Anadolu]

Producer/Presenter: Emily Wither

Executive Producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

We hear from Palestinians striving to reach places of worship amid increased security.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

Emily Wither meets Palestinian Muslims striving to reach their places of worship amid increased Israeli security measures and rising tensions in the West Bank.

Personal approaches to spirituality from around the world.

[LISTEN NOW]

What does it mean to inherit a sacred tradition? Alam Khan was born into one of the most revered lineages in Indian classical music—his father, Ali Akbar Khan, was hailed as one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century and brought the spiritually rich sarod and rĀ?ga music to the West. But Alam's journey has not been one of simple inheritance.

Presenter Rajeev Gupta follows Alam across California - from his father's grave to the family music school and into the quiet spaces where Alam seeks refuge. At the heart of this documentary is a deeply personal wrestle: growing up American, immersed in rock and hip-hop, Alam resisted the weight of legacy. But after his father's death, something changed. Going through his father's recordings, he felt a cosmic calling - one that was more spiritual than familial.

Through intimate conversation and music, Alam explains the sacred philosophy behind Indian rĀ?gas, where melody becomes a prayer and performance a form of spiritual alignment with the cosmos. But this is also a story of doubt, pressure, and the personal cost of carrying a spiritual tradition into the modern world. This is the story of a man finding peace in music, faith in legacy, and meaning in sound.

[Photo Description: (Left to Right) Rajeev Gupta and Alam Khan in front of a photo of Ali Akbar Khan, Photo Credit: Rajeev Gupta]

Producer/presenter: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

A son's spiritual journey through music, legacy and the cosmic power of r\u0101gas

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

A son's spiritual journey through music, legacy, and the cosmic power of rĀ?gas.

[LISTEN NOW]

After two long years President Trump has announced a ceasefire agreement which should see the remaining hostages returned home in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.

How have the families of Israeli hostages and their loved ones, held captive in dark tunnels for hundreds of days, managed to hold onto hope? Do people deepen their faith during periods of immense suffering, or turn away from religion?

For this edition of Heart and Soul, Naomi Scherbel-Ball explores how, two years on since the October 7th attacks, hostages and their families see their lives and their faith.

Many of those held hostage in Gaza come from the kibbutzim, largely secular communities that border Gaza, or were taken from the Nova music festival. Some of those released have spoken about reconnecting with their Jewish faith, with one female hostage even translating her prayers into Arabic so she would be allowed to continue to pray by her captors. Others speak of the strength they found in their family, the kibbutzim movement and community.

65-year-old American-Israeli Keith Siegel, who was kidnapped with his wife Aviva, explains how his connection to Judaism deepened during nearly 500 days in captivity. On his release, his daughter asked what he would like for their first family shabbat meal together after nearly 500 days. “What I want most is a kippah and a kiddush cup ?, he answered, referring to the head covering worn by observant Jewish men and the symbolic cup that is held during the Friday night blessing in Judaism. Now back with his family in Israel, he says his heart is not whole until the remaining hostages return.

Produced and Presented by Naomi Scherbel-Ball

Executive Producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

How being held captive in Gaza tested Israeli hostages and their families.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

The families of Israeli hostages and their loved ones speak of their ordeal and their struggle for hope after hundreds of days in captivity.

[LISTEN NOW]

In Spirituality in Sin City, presenter Rajeev Gupta takes listeners on an unexpected journey through the hidden spiritual side of Las Vegas—a city famed for its glitz, glamour, and indulgence. Beyond the flashing lights and high-stakes casinos, Las Vegas is home to a growing community of spiritual practitioners and seekers, drawn to the city in search of transformation and meaning.

The documentary explores stories of resilience and renewal, including Erin Raymond, a mother navigating profound personal loss while seeking healing in the spiritual community. It also features Chaplain Ryan from Westcare, who supports addiction recovery through a unique blend of Christian and Eastern spiritual practices. Together, their experiences paint a vivid picture of how spirituality thrives in a place known for excess.

From meditation sessions to spiritual detoxing and the serene Brahma statue on the Strip, Spirituality in Sin City reveals a side of Vegas few would expect—a city where faith and transformation flourish in the most surprising ways.

Produced and Presented by Rajeev Gupta.

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

Rajeev Gupta learns about a spiritual movement in Las Vegas.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

[LISTEN NOW]

In Spirituality in Sin City, presenter Rajeev Gupta takes listeners on an unexpected journey through the hidden spiritual side of Las Vegas—a city famed for its glitz, glamour, and indulgence. Beyond the flashing lights and high-stakes casinos, Las Vegas is home to a growing community of spiritual practitioners and seekers, drawn to the city in search of transformation and meaning.

The documentary explores stories of resilience and renewal, including Erin Raymond, a mother navigating profound personal loss while seeking healing in the spiritual community. It also features Chaplain Ryan from Westcare, who supports addiction recovery through a unique blend of Christian and Eastern spiritual practices. Together, their experiences paint a vivid picture of how spirituality thrives in a place known for excess.

From meditation sessions to spiritual detoxing and the serene Brahma statue on the Strip, Spirituality in Sin City reveals a side of Vegas few would expect—a city where faith and transformation flourish in the most surprising ways.

Produced and Presented by Rajeev Gupta.

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

Rajeev Gupta learns about a spiritual movement in Las Vegas.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

[LISTEN NOW]

Sex therapist Dr Rica Cruz is on a mission to destigmatise sex in the deeply Catholic Philippines.

As a practicing Catholic herself, she believes sex is a divine gift and should be intertwined with faith rather than in conflict. Using social media to advocate for this, she earned a strong following which led to her own TV programme, Private Convos with Doc Rica. But that show was banned by the country's broadcast TV regulator, the MTRCB.

Jay Behrouzi speaks with Dr Cruz about her fight for better sex education which she believes is the key to a safer society for women and girls.

[Photo Description: Dr. Rica Cruz leading advocate for sexual health, giving her talk, 'Unprude Awakening: Embracing Sexual Health as a Foundation to Wellness, at The Glass House, Rockwell Nepo Center. Photo Credit: Rica Cruz]

Presenter: Jay Behrouzi

Producers: Katy Davis and Jay Behrouzi

Editor: Rajeev Gupta

Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

Sex and faith are intertwined, sex therapist Dr Rica Cruz explains why.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

In the deeply-Catholic Philippines, sex therapist Dr Rica Cruz is on a mission to destigmatise sex, which she believes is the key to a safer society for women and girls.

[LISTEN NOW]

In the wake of the Assad regime's fall in Syria, thousands of Alawites - a minority Shia sect historically linked to the former regime - have fled to Lebanon. They are seeking refuge from discrimination and sectarian violence that has left over 1,000 civilians dead, including women and children.

An offshoot of Shia Islam, the Alawites are commonly misunderstood and the group's beliefs and distinct interpretation of Islam is often shrouded in mystery. Throughout their history the group has been persecuted but their fate in Syria was redrawn by the Assad family.

The late Hafez al-Assad, Bashar's father, became the most powerful Alawite when he seized control of Syria in a coup in 1970. While many Alawites insist they continued to suffer, just like other Syrians, from the grinding poverty and brutal repression under the rule of Hafez al-Assad and then his son Bashar - the ruling Assad's recruited heavily from the Alawite community placing them in top posts in state, security and intelligence branches.

When opposition fighters finally toppled the regime in December last year, Syria's new President Ahmed al-Sharaa - once the leader of a self-declared Sunni Muslim militant group - promised to protect Syria's minorities. But he has struggled to contain a wave of violence directed towards the Alawite community.

The BBC's Emily Wither has travelled to the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli to meet Syrian Alawite refugees and a new youth movement that passionately believe the sect needs their own political identity away from the Assad regime.

Alawite Angelina Bilal is collecting testimonies of atrocities, including killings and sexual violence, to demand international accountability. She belongs to a fledgling group of young Alawites who have launched ‘The Alawite Project' - a youth movement aiming to redefine Alawite identity beyond the Assad legacy and amplify their global voice.

(Photo: Alawite Angelina Bilal in a shelter for refugees in Lebanon. Credit: Emily Wither)

Producer/presenter: Emily Wither

Executive producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

Emily Wither meets Syrian Alawites who have fled to Lebanon.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

[LISTEN NOW]

Michael Flatley is the most famous Irish dancer in the world, rising to stardom for his leading roles in Riverdance and Lord of the Dance. In this Heart and Soul Christmas special, Colm Flynn travels to meet Flatley at home, where he reflects on the highs of his remarkable career and the personal experiences that shaped his outlook on life and faith.

Born in Chicago to Irish parents, Flatley grew up surrounded by music, dance, and the values of hard work and perseverance. His groundbreaking performance in Riverdance at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994 brought Irish dance to a global audience, and his later productions redefined what Irish traditional dance could be. Yet, as he explains in this conversation, the drive to succeed came with challenges — moments of exhaustion, doubt, and the constant search for meaning beyond the stage.

In recent years, Michael Flatley's life was upended when he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. This caused him to stop and re-evaluate everything in his life. He tells Colm Flynn how it deepened his faith and sense of gratitude. He describes the diagnosis as a moment that forced him to re-examine what truly matters: family, love, and belief in God. “I am a man of faith and I surrender to the Lord, ? he says, recalling how prayer and reflection sustained him through treatment and recovery.

In this interview, Michael looks back on the extraordinary journey from a young boy in Chicago with a passion for Irish dance to one of the most recognised performers in the world, and how, through it all, faith remained a quiet but steady presence guiding his path.

Producer/Presenter: Colm Flynn

Executive Producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

Irish dancer Michael Flatley reveals the role of faith in his life.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

Irish dance legend Michael Flatley reflects on his rise to fame, his battle with cancer, and how faith shaped his outlook on life.

[LISTEN NOW]

In Bangladesh, hijras - once a revered community - have long lived on the margins. Also known as the third gender, hijras form a diverse group, including those born intersex - meaning their physical traits don't fit neatly into ‘male' or ‘female' categories - and transgender individuals. Traditionally seen as spiritual figures with the power to bless or curse, they are now outcasts, denied homes, jobs, and opportunities. But in a quiet village in Mymensingh, a spiritual revolution is taking place.

Reporter Sahar Zand has gained rare access to this community, spending time with its leader, Tanu - a transgender woman and practising Muslim - who has built a sanctuary where hijras can reconnect with faith. At the heart of this transformation is a Quran study group, offering hijras the religious education they were long denied, and a newly built mosque - the first in Bangladesh to welcome them as equals, after they were expelled from others. With the help of an imam who risked everything to stand by them, they are reclaiming their right to Islam.

But as religious conservatism rises, so do the threats against them. Their village is no longer just a refuge; it is the frontline of a battle for acceptance. Can faith be the key to breaking barriers, or will they be forced back into the shadows?

[Photo Credit: Rashi studying the Qaran photo by Sahar Zand]

Producer/presenter: Sahar Zand

Executive producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production coordinator: Mica Nepomucen

A community giving intersex and transgender individuals in Bangladesh a place to worship.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

Sahar Zand visits a community in Bangladesh that is helping hijras - a group that includes intersex and transgender individuals - reclaim their right to Islam.

[LISTEN NOW]

In Bangladesh, hijras - once a revered community - have long lived on the margins. Also known as the third gender, hijras form a diverse group, including those born intersex - meaning their physical traits don't fit neatly into ‘male' or ‘female' categories - and transgender individuals. Traditionally seen as spiritual figures with the power to bless or curse, they are now outcasts, denied homes, jobs, and opportunities. But in a quiet village in Mymensingh, a spiritual revolution is taking place.

Reporter Sahar Zand has gained rare access to this community, spending time with its leader, Tanu - a transgender woman and practising Muslim - who has built a sanctuary where hijras can reconnect with faith. At the heart of this transformation is a Quran study group, offering hijras the religious education they were long denied, and a newly built mosque - the first in Bangladesh to welcome them as equals, after they were expelled from others. With the help of an imam who risked everything to stand by them, they are reclaiming their right to Islam.

But as religious conservatism rises, so do the threats against them. Their village is no longer just a refuge; it is the frontline of a battle for acceptance. Can faith be the key to breaking barriers, or will they be forced back into the shadows?

[Photo Credit: Rashi studying the Quran photo by Sahar Zand]

Producer/presenter: Sahar Zand

Executive producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production coordinator: Mica Nepomucen

A community giving intersex and transgender individuals in Bangladesh a place to worship

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

Sahar Zand visits a community in Bangladesh that is helping hijras - a group that includes intersex and transgender individuals - reclaim their right to Islam.

[Photo Credit: Rashi studying the Qaran photo by Sahar Zand]

[LISTEN NOW]

Claire grew up in a multi-faith household that often looked beyond traditional beliefs for solutions. At 17, everything changed when her mother discovered that Claire was speaking to “dead people. ? Convinced it was ungodly, her mother turned to both a medium and her charismatic Christian sect for guidance, asking priests to intervene so that Waswa, Claire's twin brother who had died at birth, would no longer appear. Soon after, the dreams that had been Claire's source of comfort vanished, leaving her lonely and confused.

Searching for help, Claire eventually encountered a spiritual teacher who introduced her to a path blending African spiritualism and Christianity. Through this, she began to find her voice and discovered others with similar experiences. She is now feeling less alone in her new spiritual community.

[Photo Description: ClaireNakato, Photo Credit: Allan Busby]

Producer/ Presenter: Eric Mugaju

Producer: Matt O'Donoghue

Executive Producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

How a twin brother lost at birth became one woman's spiritual guide.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

[LISTEN NOW]

Salma El-Wardany meets young women in Egypt using their voices to amplify their faith – drawing inspiration from the long tradition of female Quran reciters in the country. Following in the footsteps of pioneering women like Sheikha Munira Abdou who was first heard on Egyptian Radio 100 years ago and the renowned singer Umm Kulthum, more Egyptian women are sharing their recitations of the Quran publicly. They're stepping out of the shadows of a fatwa that denounced women's voices as awrah (to be covered or not heard) which led to a ban of public recitation on the radio in the 1940s. The ban lasted years but the tradition is being restored thanks to a new generation, with women boldly reciting and chanting about the Prophet Mohammed on social media.

Salma visits Aya Mahmoud and Horeya Boreya, two young women who have both gained hundreds of thousands of followers thanks to their reciting online, and have the backing of Al Azhar Mosque, who announced a fatwa in 2021 that it was permissible. Salma visits the El Hour troupe, the first all-female chanting group to meet the founder Neama Fathy and hears about the challenges of overcoming conservative opinions. While the female voice is still a controversial topic – Salma meets Dr Yasmin Asmin, a feminist scholar who argues there isn't basis in scripture to say women's voices are awrah – women spoke and were heard in the Quran and were central to sharing and teaching the Quran in the time of the Prophet onwards.

Presenter: Salma El-Wardany

Producer: Miriam Williamson

Executive producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

Personal approaches to spirituality from around the world.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

[LISTEN NOW]

Concert pianist Yirui Weng, 32, grew up in a communist, atheist family in China, where religion played no part in her life. Music, however, always did. As a gifted young pianist, she immersed herself in the great works of Western classical music — including sacred compositions whose words and meanings were largely unknown to her.

When Yirui moved to Italy to pursue her musical studies, curiosity began to replace indifference. While playing Vivaldi's Gloria, she found herself drawn not just to the beauty of the music, but to its unfamiliar language: “Lamb of God? ? “Son of the Father? ? What, she wondered, did these words mean — and why had composers been inspired by them for centuries?

After meeting a Chinese priest in Milan, Yirui began attending catechism classes and encountered the teachings of Jesus for the first time. Ideas such as forgiveness and loving one's enemies challenged everything she had been taught growing up. She began to pray — quietly at first — and noticed something unexpected: it changed the way she played.

In 2023, Yirui was baptised.

In this edition of Heart and Soul, the BBC's John Laurenson travels to Rome to meet Yirui Weng. We hear her play, sing, teach and pray as she reflects on her journey of faith and explores a deeper question: why is music — from the Muslim call to prayer to gospel and sacred choral works — such a powerful and universal expression of belief?

Producer/presenter: John Laurenson

Series producer: Rajeev Gupta

Editor: Chloe Walker

Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

Photo description: Yirui Eleonora Weng , pianist and opera vocal coach based between Italy and China, specializing in Italian opera repertoire and cross-cultural vocal performance. Photo credit is: Yirui Eleonora Weng )

The Chinese pianist who discovered God after hearing Vivaldi's Gloria.

Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.

Concert pianist Yirui Weng grows up atheist in China but finds Christian faith in Italy after hearing the sacred words behind the music she loves.

[LISTEN NOW]