Something Understood

Episodes

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20070204Mark Tully talks to Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad about India's religious and cultural pluralism

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

20070218Just before the start of Lent, Mark Tully asks 'are human beings basically good, or basically bad'? Taoism and Hinduism suggest we're basically good, but traditionally Christianity and Confucianism have said we're basically bad. As traditional Christian teaching on original sin is being increasingly challenged, where does the truth lie?

Just before Lent, Mark Tully asks 'are human beings basically good, or basically bad'?

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

20070225A Place Within. With Fergal Keane.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

20070422Lost and Found: Mark Tully considers the experience of losing and finding.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

20070708Mark Tully considers the spiritual dimensions of exercise and sport.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

20070729Madeleine Bunting explores our complex and contradictory relationship with the wild.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

20070930Mark Tully considers claims by scientists that we could be facing a Sixth Extinction.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

20071021Mark Tully considers why we all need second chances.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

20071028Katy Radford considers how some people find the resources to survive trauma.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

20080406Adjoa Andoh considers how the act of befriending someone in need can change lives.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

20080608Mike Wooldridge reflects on the first hour or so after dawn across the globe.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

20101010This week's programme celebrates the effectiveness of fables and asks why they are still considered such powerful teaching tools.

Most of the major faiths use stories to illustrate morals, philosophy or ideas. Mark asks why is this perceived as such a good way of making religious or ethical points and how stories have become such a staple of great preaching for thousands of years. He looks for the type of the great fable or parable and finds some teaching stories that have a lasting effect on the way we behave and why.

The programme draws on readings from The Bible, the Panchatantra and the novelists Javier Marios, George Orwell and Rabih Alahmeddine as well as poetry by Whitman and Herbert. Music includes works by Mahler, Alfven and the Soweto String Quartet.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully looks at the art of parables and fables.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

20110306Mark Tully considers Abraham's legacy for Judaism, Islam and Christianity with the help of composer, Steve Reich and video artist, Beryl Korot. Using excerpts from their composition, 'The Cave', Reich and Korot explore what Abraham means to modern day Israelis, Palestinians and Americans, and search for some kind of meaning that can cross political and religious divisions.

Choosing readings and music from the three traditions Mark Tully explores what is common to their tellings of the Abraham story and what is unique. He asks whether there can be any relevance in the story for us, in our everyday lives and whether the trust and unquestioning faith that Abraham shows is always a good thing. And finally, he considers whether Abraham really can unite people of different faiths, or, in the end, only stand as a symbol of difference.

Presented by: Mark Tully

Produced by: Adam Fowler

An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully considers Abraham's legacy for Judaism, Islam and Christianity.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

20110710In 'A Matter of Principle', Mark Tully discusses just how far we should go to stand up for what we believe in. Principles are usually, by definition, worth fighting for. They are high-minded, honourable things and when people stand up for their principles, real, positive changes are often made. Yet the risk of fighting for a principle can also be very great and can sometimes cause extraordinary pain without achieving anything at all.

In the company of Shami Chakrabarti, the Director of 'Liberty', Mark Tully examines this paradox and asks whether some principles should be more absolute than others. The subject is illustrated with readings from the works of T. E Lawrence, W.H. Auden, Jackie Kay and Claude McKay and with music from Bob Marley, Joan Baez and Mikis Theodorakis.

The readers are Alistair McGowan and Adjoa Andoh.

Producer: Frank Stirling

An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully asks just how far we should go in support of our principles.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

20130407John McCarthy explores the significance of the Piet
99 Words, Episode 12011121120240204 (R4)When Liz Gray found herself limited, forced into a strange period of enforced retreat by a whiplash injury, the following question came to her mind: if you had breath for no more than 99 words, what would they be?

She began asking friends, colleagues, artists and political figures she admired, gathering together a collection of 99 responses.

In the first of a pair of programmes, she describes the genesis of her '99 Words' project and introduces contributions from, among others, Jeanette Winterson, Robert Wyatt, Scilla Elworthy and Diana Athill.

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Liz Gray asks if you had breath for no more than 99 words, what would they be?

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

In the first of a pair of programmes, Liz Gray asks if you had breath for no more than 99 words, what would they be?

When Liz Gray found herself limited, forced into a strange period of enforced retreat by a whiplash injury the following question came to her mind: if you had breath for no more than 99 words, what would they be?

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Liz Gray asks, 'If you had breath for no more than 99 words, what would they be?'.

99 Words, Episode 22011121820240211 (R4)When Liz Gray found herself forced into a strange period of enforced retreat by a whiplash injury, the following question came to her mind: if you had breath for no more than 99 words, what would they be?

She began asking friends, colleagues, artists and political figures she admired, gathering together a collection of 99 responses.

In the second of a pair of programmes, she introduces contributions from, among others, the artist Keith Critchlow, the human rights campaigner Helen Bamber, the writer Ariel Dorfman and film maker Sally Potter.

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Liz Gray asks if you had breath for no more than 99 words, what would they be?

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The second in a pair of programmes that asks, if you had breath for no more than 99 words, what would they be?

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Liz Gray asks, 'If you had breath for no more than 99 words, what would they be?'.

A Good Argument2015090620200119 (R4)The word ‘argument' can have negative connotations. Yet argument is a mainstay of democratic life. Mark Tully talks to prominent QC Dinah Rose about the importance of legal argument and asks whether arguing is a skill that can be taught. He examines the positive side of disputing an issue, the benefits of debate and the healthy business of enjoying a good argument.

Here is argument in all its guises -philosophy with Schopenhauer, politics with Nixon, science with Huxley, poetry with Carl Sandburg and musical argument from battling drums to Leonard Bernstein.

The readers are Polly Frame, Peter Marinker and Francis Cadder.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Arguing can have a bad press: Mark Tully discusses the benefits of a good argument.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

A Good Judge20090621Mark Tully explores how we judge another person's character. It has been estimated that up to a third of our judgments about other people's characters are wrong, yet many of us pride ourselves on being 'good judges' of character. On what clues do we base our assessments, why are we so often mistaken and can we learn to read the clues more accurately?

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

A Guru Is For Life2017110520210725 (R4)Musician Jahnavi Harrison draws upon personal experiences to explore the role of the guru and argue that true gurus offer great benefits as we progress through our lives.

For millions of people in the East, having a guru is as common as having an on-going relationship with a doctor or a dentist. However, in the West, the word carries some heavy baggage, often linked to manipulative figures who exploit their disciples.

With help from the music of Abida Parveen and rock 'n' roll legend Johnny Rivers, Jahnavi reveals that a guru is meant to always remind you of who you really are, and what you were born to do. According to the teachings of the ancient Hindu texts the Vedas, the ultimate knowledge that gurus can offer is how to realise the nature of the self and attain a state of freedom and enlightenment.

According to Jahnavi, a true guru is humble, never thinking of themselves as a great teacher, but rather simply as a student of the gurus that went before them. Jahnavi explains, 'Every guru is meant to have a guru themselves, and in this way acts like the smallest lens of a telescope - which when stacked in line with the others, allows one to examine the wonders of the night sky up close and with sharp clarity.' In this way, the guru acts as a transparent medium for the teachings of their master, and all other masters before - all aiming to be of service in nurturing the disciples' relationship of love and service to God.

Presenter: Jahnavi Harrison

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4.

Musician Jahnavi Harrison explores the benefits of having a guru.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

A Joy Forever2013011320201220 (R4)Rev Elizabeth Adekunle, chaplain of St. John's College, Cambridge, explores the idea of lasting beauty. A brief experience with modelling left her more aware of the limitations of physical beauty and surface glamour. Her work as a chaplain brings her into contact with some students who are troubled by body image.

She begins by looking at the commercial notion of beauty and refers back to Shakespeare in Sonnet 68 voicing his disapproval of beauty accessories such as wigs: 'the golden tresses of the dead' and then laments the deception of what he calls 'false art'.

She asks what happens when physical beauty fades, and how it's possible to age gracefully. And she explores the idea of a beauty which comes not from a perfect body but from looking out of the window and inhaling the beauty in our surroundings - as expressed in Fleur Adcock's poem 'Weathering'.

Referring to St. Peter's words of wisdom 'Let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet sprit, which is very precious in God's sight' (1 Peter 3:3-4), Elizabeth Adekunle then goes on to look at a more satisfying sense of beauty. It is the natural world which inspired the French composer Debussy 'to feel the supreme and moving beauty of the spectacle to which Nature invites her ephemeral guests this is what I call prayer'.

And finally she refers to an excerpt from Keats poem 'Endymion' in which he observes, 'in spite of all, some shape of beauty moves away the pall from our dark spirits.' And so Rev Elizabeth Adekunle concludes that true beauty - music, nature and art - can help us out of the shallow bleak world of consumer fashion and glamour and offer us a way to draw closer to the Divine.

Producer: Kim Normanton

A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4

Elizabeth Adekunle explores the idea of lasting beauty - looking beyond physical attribute

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

A Language That Speaks The Truth2011091820200927 (R4)Studs Terkel, the celebrated American broadcaster and oral historian, had, in his own words, a big mouth that regularly landed him in trouble. But he also passionately cared about politics, social justice, art and culture - and in particular, the way we use language to articulate our ideas about ourselves.

In this special edition of Something Understood, we hear Studs speaking shortly before his death in 2008 intertwined with readings from authors he knew and admired - among them, Bertrand Russell, Kathryn Simmonds and James Cameron - and music by those he held in highest esteem, including Mozart and Mahalia Jackson.

Readers: Emma Fielding and Jonathan Keeble

Produced by Eleanor McDowall & Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Reflections on language and truth by the late Studs Terkel.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

A Mirror For The Soul20091129Mike Wooldridge considers the Sufi tradition - its history, beliefs and practices.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

A Place Called Home20140216It is the most human of instincts - to make a home. To establish a place of security and comfort that comes to express who we are and how we like to live. There is no one way of doing it and, for most, 'home' can mean many different things - not always associated with an actual place, but often connected to people such as loved ones, family and friends. A sense of home can also be connected to the intangible, built up through our own private memories and our sense of self.

Mathematician Paul Erd怀s claimed 'the world is my home' as he spent more than six decades living out of two old battered suitcases, chasing mathematical problems across the globe. Fellow mathematician, Ron Graham, invited Erd怀s to stay in his New Jersey home. He shares his recollections of this eccentric house guest for whom home was an entirely fluid concept.

Through the poems of Tony Connor, the music of P J Harvey and The Band, John McCarthy also explores the adolescent desire to break free from the claustrophobia of the childhood home, and we hear personal accounts of clearing out those same childhood homes once our parents have died or moved on.

John visits the home of Cecil Balmond - designer, architect and engineer. Sri-Lankan born, when Cecil settled in London in the 70s, he found a wreck of a house and made it into his family's home.

Cecil reveals what it was like leaving his childhood home to re-establish a sense of home in a new country and city. And he shares the deeply personal recollection of how his understanding of home was redefined after a visit to his native Sri-Lanka coincided with the devastation of the 2004 Tsunami.

Presented by John McCarthy

Produced by Rose de Larrabeiti,

A Whistledown production for Radio 4.

John McCarthy reflects on how we can experience home both as a place and a state of mind.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

A Precious Commodity20090927Fergal Keane discovers that silence means much more than the mere absence of noise.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

A Sense Of Belonging20180408Is the desire to belong one of the basic instincts underpinning human society? Mark Tully explores what causes the need to belong, what a sense of belonging offers us and whether it's possible to live without it.

There are readings from the work of novelist William Somerset Maugham, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the young New Zealand poet Lang Leav. Music comes from Louis Armstrong, Francis Poulenc and Suzanne Vega.

The readers are Cyril Nri and Emma Pallant.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully considers the natural human urge to belong. To groups, to people and to places.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

A Sense Of Failure2012093020200809 (R4)The author Ian Sansom reflects on why it is that some of the most successful people are haunted by a sense of failure and considers his own experience as a writer - a profession that thrives on failure with literature 'emerging magnificently from error and untruths'.

With reference to the writings of Paul Auster, William James and Wallace Stevens, and music by Leos Janacek, William Shatner and Laura Marling,

Readers: Adjoa Andoh and Sam Peter Jackson

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Writer Ian Sansom considers success and failure.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

A Sense Of Home20080914Andrew Motion revisits the village where he spent the first nineteen years of his life.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

A Short Madness20100822Fergal Keane reflects on the destructive and constructive power of anger.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

A Special Tribute To Nelson Mandela20131208Mike Wooldridge presents a celebration of the life and career of Nelson Mandela in a special edition of Something Understood with readings by Adjoa Andoh and Colin MacFarlane.

In a tribute to the life and extraordinary achievements of Nelson Mandela, Mike Wooldridge presents a portrait of South Africa's great statesman, philanthropist and President through readings of a wide and affecting range of friends and admirers - Desmond Tutu, the late Seamus Heaney, Tanzanian poet and songwriter Nasibu Mwanukusi, as well as Robben Island warder James Gregory and the grandson of the architect of apartheid and ANC supporter Wilhelm Verwoerd.

Music is drawn from work Mandela himself was known to love and the enormous range of work written in tribute to him throughout his life.

Presenter: Mike Wooldridge

Producer: Eley McAinsh

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mike Wooldridge presents a celebration of the life and career of Nelson Mandela.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

A Spirit Of Adventure20110904When we are children we love adventure stories. As we get older some of us worry about doing anything risky. Others crave taking bigger risks - explorers, climbers, war correspondents, sportsmen and women - many get addicted to the heightened reality of the adrenaline rush. Is there a mean line to be struck? What motivates adventurers?

Mark Tully asks what the spiritual benefits of adventuring might be with the help of Ranulph Fiennes, Thor Heyerdahl and Lewis Carroll. Music is provided by Danny Elfman, John Adams, Elgar and Sibelius.

The readers are Adjoa Andoh and Alistair McGowan.

Producer: Frank Stirling

An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully examines the dangers and benefits of having an adventurous spirit.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

A Spiritual Society20111120Mark Tully explores what we mean by 'spirituality' and with the help of Professor Ursula King, author of The Search for Spirituality, he considers whether a spiritual life can transcend the purely individualistic and become a force for social good.

In 'A Spiritual Society' Mark draws on music by Gustav Holst, Carlos Santana and Neil Young, and readings by Dorothy L. Sayers, Denise Levertov and David Scott. The readers are Samantha Bond and Jack Shepherd.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully discusses spirituality as a positive force in a contemporary global society.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

A Sympathy In Choice20100530Mark Tully asks what triggers our sympathy.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

A Taste For The Big Apple20110911On this tenth anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Centre, the veteran writer and broadcaster Irma Kurtz shares her memories of living in New York City in 'A Taste For The Big Apple'. These include sleeping under newspapers in Washington Square Park and frequenting the famous 'White Horse Tavern' on Hudson Street where Dylan Thomas drank, James Baldwin worked behind the bar and the Beat poets dropped in.

Her final memories on the programme concern the events of 9/11. On that day she was staying with her mother in New Jersey, idly watching the television when in front of their eyes the towers shook and crumbled, billows of smoke unrolled against the sky and they saw the silhouette of a man falling from the top of the towers.

A terrible silence ensued as the traffic in the surrounding streets stopped. When public transport was reinstated she caught the train to Manhattan and found streets full of smoke and dust and poignant messages pinned on public walls: 'Have you any information, please...?' Then she saw a man selling t-shirts printed 'I survived 9/11' and youths breakdancing in Herald Square and thought that despite the worst that could be thrown at it, New York was still alive and kicking.

The programme includes writing by Allen Ginsberg, Dorothy Parker, Harvey Shapiro and Damon Runyon.

The readers are Kim Cattrall and Peter Marinker and the producer is Ronni Davis.

Producer: Ronni Davis

An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Ten years since 9/11, Irma Kurtz shares her memories of living in New York City.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

A Walk In The Woods2016022820220220 (R4)Our relationship to the forest is ancient and complex. Woodland offers protection but also harbours some of our deepest fears.

Danish radio producer Rikke Houd takes a walk in the forest, in the company of writers including Henry David Thoreau, Pablo Neruda, Dinah Hawken and the Swedish poet Tomas Transtr怀mer, and discovers a place where we can both lose and find ourselves.

With music by Jussi Bj怀rling, the Polish composer and dendrophiliac Krzysztof Penderecki and the Swedish musician Victoria Bergsman, who performs as Taken By Trees.

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Rikke Houd takes a walk in the forest - a place to get lost and a place to find oneself.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

A Wing And A Prayer2016021420210228 (R4)John McCarthy explores the sacred and profane place of birds in our daily lives.

He considers the many spiritual meanings birds have for humans. From doves as biblical heralds of the Holy Spirit to ravens in the Qur'an, birds are at the iconic heart of almost all world religions. But how did they get there? Is it their ability to fly which grips us? Or the apparent purity and beauty of (many) of their songs and calls?

Along the way, John explores the parallels between listening to Vaughan Williams' Lark Ascending, hearing a dawn chorus in Kielder Forest and seeking a personal pathway to the divine. He also recalls a bird-inspired moment of hope during his time in captivity in Lebanon - a memory triggered by the music of the singer, Fairouz.

John meets keen birdwatcher and author, Stephen Moss who tells how his love of birds helped him through divorce and bereavement, and reveals the true meanings of birdsong, which prove to be both paradoxical and far more profane than sacred.

The programme includes poetry from John Clare, prose from Gerald Durrell, and music from Canteloube, Respighi and Chris Watson.

The readers are Madeleine Bowyer and Peter Marinker.

Producer: Matt Taylor

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

A Winter Solstice20141221This Sunday before Christmas falls on the Winter Solstice. The shortest day of the year is a turning point in the calendar that has been celebrated throughout history. There are examples of Winter Solstice Festivals to be found in most cultures and the need to celebrate on the darkest day seems universal.

Mark Tully examines the antecedents of the midwinter festival and explores the human need to celebrate the cold and dark with warmth and light. From Ancient Rome to downtown LA and from pagan Scandinavia to modern China, he presents a celebration of a Winter Solstice - with readings from the work of John Keats, Ruth Fainlight and Craig Childs and music by Monteverdi, Franz Schubert and the Vienna Klezmer Band.

The readers are David Holt, Francis Cadder and Lucy Briers.

Produced by Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

On the shortest day of the year, Mark Tully presents a celebration of the winter solstice.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Absolutely Honest20100117Mark Tully asks if honesty is always the best policy, and talks to philosopher AC Grayling
Abstinence2014030220200223 (R4)As Lent approaches, Mark Tully discusses the purpose and effects of fasting. Why do so many faiths consider fasting so virtuous?

In conversation with the broadcaster and writer John Butt, a convert to Islam of forty-five years standing, he discusses the varied approaches to fasting in the major faiths.

With readings from Gerard Manley Hopkins and Patrick Leigh Fermor, and music ranging from Bhim Sen Joshi and The Irish Descendants to Antonin Tucapsky, he examines the pleasures and pitfalls of abstinence and self-denial.

The readers are Robert Glenister and Francis Cadder.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Advent20181223The Reverend Robin Griffith-Jones, Valiant Master of the Temple in London, explores the nativity narratives recorded in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.

The familiar tales of virgin birth, shepherds and Magi are intriguing and laden with symbolism and meaning. 'There is far more to them, as they were written then and as they have been read over the centuries, than meets the eye,' he says.

Robin explores Matthew's desire to show that all the events in his telling are there to fulfil prophecies in the Hebrew scriptures. 'In Jesus, Judaism's most venerable prophecies and vastest hopes were coming to fruition. The prophet Isaiah had written of gentiles and kings coming to Jerusalem's God-given light, bringing gold and incense and singing the praise of the Lord.`

Luke meanwhile with his shepherds and the link to John the Baptist's birth, has another agenda. `Luke sees two stages in God's dispensation for the world - the old order, centred in Jerusalem and its Temple, and the new order, realised in Jesus. In Luke's grand narrative, the new grows out of the old, confirms it and transcends it.`

To illustrate his thesis, Robin introduces music from Handel and Bach and the poetry of TS Eliot and John Donne.

Presenter: Robin Griffith-Jones

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4

Robin Griffith-Jones, Master of the Temple Church, re-examines the Nativity stories.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Ageing Well20080720Mark Tully considers the wisdom that comes with age and talks to Sr Pia Buxton CJ.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Agony And Ecstasy2015021520230611 (R4)If you're lucky enough to have felt it, a sudden overwhelming sense of well-being can be life-changing. Where do these crucial moments in our lives come from? Are they just chemicals reacting in the brain or could they originate from the divine?

John McCarthy reflects on the strange and sudden experience of euphoria. He begins with a deeply puzzling euphoric moment from his own life. Did he feel God or simply the release of endorphins? He revisits the trauma psychiatrist that helped him make sense of the bewildering experience.

John reflects on others' euphoric moments and their different sources - like religious ecstasy, brain disorders, drugs, exercise and music. He considers the mystical experiences of saints - Paul the Apostle's awakening on the road to Damascus, and St Teresa of Avila's sudden state of ecstasy consumed by the love of God.

Before his epileptic seizures, Fyodor Dostoevsky would experience staggering seconds of bliss, which influenced his writing and religious sentiments. In The Doors of Perception, Aldous Huxley detailed his euphoric experiences taking the hallucinogenic drug mescaline. Beyond the short-cut of mind-altering drugs, long-distance runners have often experienced euphoria after pushing their bodies to the absolute limit. The conclusion to Wagner's Tristan and Isolde climaxes with a musically-induced euphoria for both the audience and the performers.

Euphoria takes on many forms, but the feeling is often transformative. Euphoria can seemingly spontaneously enter one's life or can be experienced through the very human effort to transcend ordinary humdrum experience.

Producer: Colin McNulty

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

John McCarthy reflects on the feeling of euphoria and where it comes from.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

All The Rage20080622Mark Tully asks why are so many of us so angry all the time.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Always The Last To Be Picked2012040820211010 (R4)Mark Tully considers the enduring effects that being chosen last can have on us and asks whether the negative aspects of competition might out-way the positive.

We often think of those who get picked first as the winners, or the best. But Mark Tully chooses to focus instead on those who are left until the end, whose self-confidence is jeopardised in the name of sport, and in many other areas of our lives.

He also questions the underlying notion that our very existence depends on 'survival of the fittest', a phrase that is often used to justify ruthless competition and the rejection of 'losers'. He discovers that the term originally referred to the survival of species that can best fit their environment, often by cooperation rather than aggression.

So is society better for being competitive, or would life improve for everyone if the pressure to be the best was abandoned? And will the last ever be the first?

The readers are Emily Raymond, David Holt, Adam Fowler and Frank Stirling.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully considers the enduring effects that being chosen last can have on us.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Ambition20080803Mark Tully asks whether ambition can be detrimental to spiritual growth.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

An Opinion Of Dignity20091122Mark Tully explores the meaning of dignity. For some, dignity is an innate and noble quality of humanity, for others it is a meaningless notion, and for Dr Johnson it is a complicating factor in human relationships.

The readers are Janice Acquah and Nicholas Boulton.

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Anger2013082520240128 (R4)Classicist Llewellyn Morgan confesses that he is what Aristotle called an 'orgilos', a naturally irascible man!

In this edition of Something Understood, he draws upon the reflections and experiences of writers including James Lasdun, Dorianne Laux and Timothy Steele to explore an emotion that isn't always as negative as it might at first appear. With music by Elvis Costello, Monteverdi and Arvo Part.

Produced by Alan Hall.

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Llewellyn Morgan reflects on the not always negative nature of anger.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Classicist Llewellyn Morgan is what Aristotle called an 'orgilos', a naturally irascible man! Here he reflects on the not always negative nature of anger.

Animals2011080720201129 (R4)Mark Tully explores our relationship with animals. He talks to Jane Goodall, who has spent her life living among chimpanzees, about how apes have changed her way of thinking. With readings by Jenny Diski, David Constantine, Alexander Pope and Jeremy Bentham, and music by John Tavener, Joseph Haydn and St Francis of Assisi.

Producer: Elizabeth Burke

A Loftus Audio production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully explores our relationship with animals, with Jane Goodall.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Anthem20130120To a soundtrack of patriotism, Mark Tully ponders the function and future of National Anthems.

He wonders why so many of them sound so similar, and why countries often rely on militaristic bombasts, or hymn-like dirges, rather than drawing from the variety of their own indigenous musical traditions. He discovers the oldest - and the newest - anthem, stumbles across the allegedly disreputable origins of the Star Spangled Banner, and uncovers some rather famous foreign fans of the British National Anthem.

But is it time for less jingoism in the music which nations play in celebration of themselves. In the 21st century, do we need anthems which inspire us to be patriotic citizens of the world, rather than stressing our identity as members of different nations?

Producer: Adam Fowler

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

To a soundtrack of patriotism, Mark Tully ponders the purpose of national anthems.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Anticipation2013120120221127 (R4)Mark Tully looks at both sides of anticipation and how we can either relish or dread what is to come. He considers the problems of anticipating too much, or too little, with the help of Thomas Hardy, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Linda Pastan and Winnie the Pooh.

Can neuroscience explain why the anticipation of something bad is often worse than the actual event or the prospect of a treat sometimes better than the treat itself? And does the anticipation of the future, either good or bad, mean that we risk squandering the present? Or as Seneca said, 'Expecting is the greatest impediment to living. In anticipation of tomorrow, it loses today.

Producer is Adam Fowler.

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully looks at both sides of anticipation and how we relish or dread what is to come.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Apocalypse Now?20100829Mark Tully reflects on reasons behind the current raft of films with apocalyptic themes.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Archbishop Desmond Tutu20080323In a special edition for Easter Day, Mark Tully talks to Desmond Tutu, the former Archbishop of Cape Town and Nobel Peace Laureate. He talks about about the experiences, practices and convictions which have underpinned his vision and given him the strength to work undeterred to bring that vision into being.

Mark Tully talks to Desmond Tutu, former Archbishop of Cape Town and Nobel Peace Laureate.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Art Of Prediction20110619Mark Tully polishes his crystal ball and, with the help of prophets ancient and modern, ponders the value of prediction. Should we be grateful to those who can see the follies of our ways while we are in the thick of them? And should we be more prepared to listen to their foretellings, even if the news is bad.

In an interview for the programme, Julius Lipner, Professor of Hinduism and the Comparative Study of Religion at Cambridge University, explains the prophetic aspects of Hinduism, where the actions of this life can influence the next. He is sceptical about some of the devices used by soothsayers to ensure that what they say can be interpreted as correct, whatever actually happens. He has some sympathy, though, for those who make predictions and expose themselves to our tendency to 'shoot the messenger' if we don't like the message.

Tully, himself, wonders briefly if there is any point in trying to prophesize what is ahead:'To those who will be alive in the future, our present, and its prophecies will be irrelevant, as they look to their futures.' But, in the end, he comes down very much in favour of contemplating the future consequences of our current actions.

It's unlikely, though, that all our predictions will be as prescient as Friar Roger in the 13th century, quoted in the programme as foreseeing, 'optical instruments, mechanically propelled boats and flying machines'.

Producer: Adam Fowler

An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully polishes his crystal ball and ponders the value of prediction.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Artificial Soul20131110As robots become more human-like, John McCarthy asks whether there is any aspect of humanity that could never be programmed into a machine.

Experts from the informatics department of King's College, London, reflect on the possibility of developing artificial emotions, morality and creativity. Will there come a time when it will be impossible to tell a machine from its maker?

The programme includes extracts from the first work of fiction about robots, by the Czech playwright Karel Capek, as well as more recent imaginings by Isaac Asimov.

William James, Andrew Marvell and Richard Dawkins muse on the nature of self, soul and culture.

We hear computer-generated music, as well as compositions by Stockhausen, Wasifuddin Dagar and Regina Spektor.

Readers: Michael Colgan and Sarah Lawrie.

Producer: Jo Fidgen.

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Could a robot have a soul? John McCarthy speaks to experts in artificial intelligence.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

As I Was Young And Easy20141130John McCarthy explores the sense of timeless wonder that we can experience in childhood. Unravelling Dylan Thomas's poem Fern Hill, where delight and joy run carefree alongside the poignant tension of time's relentless force, John asks if these temporary moments of grace are mere fleeting illusion or whether they have a deeper significance.

Is a sense of being immersed in one's surroundings the preserve of a child growing up in a rural idyll, or can city children experience this too?

John joins the former Children's Laureate and author of War Horse and Private Peaceful, Michael Morpurgo, in Devon where he runs Farms for City Children. He shares his insights into what moments of escape from time can give children and how they can sustain us for the rest of our lives.

And Camila Batmanghelidjh, psychotherapist and founder of Kids Company (an organisation that provides support to vulnerable children and young people), reveals the emotional and environmental conditions that allow children's imaginations to flourish - where a state of 'merger' becomes 'the start of spiritual life'.

Readings range from Ted Hughes to Raymond Carver, and Arthur Ransome to Arundhati Roy. Music includes excerpts from Debussy, Catrin Finch and Seckou Keita, and Yann Tiersen.

Picture credit: Nick Hedges

Readers: Guy Masterson and Chetna Pandya

Produced by Ruth Abrahams

A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4.

John McCarthy uses Dylan Thomas's Fern Hill to explore timelessness in childhood.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

As You Have Lived20090308Mark Tully explores how the way we live our lives reveals our most powerful beliefs.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Aspiration20180506Mark Tully considers the worth of aspiring to greater things, taking as a starting point Robert Browning's words: '....a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?

The programme was inspired by an overheard conversation about whether advertising encourages aspiration or incites greed, and Mark explores how the messages used to sell us things can often disguise greed, and other deadly sins, as virtues worth aspiring to. Conversely, he puts in a good word for the way advertising can lead to a more aspirational world in general.

He also considers the progress we have made which would never have come about were it not for aspiration - from the Suffragette movement to the space race. But the case is also made for not overreaching our grasp, for appreciating what we already have, and for being freed from the anxiety of ambition.

With music ranging from Tom Waits' Step Right Up to JS Bach's, Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, and readings from the work of Jack Kerouac and Soren Kierkegaard, Mark celebrates many people's tendency to challenge the status into which they were born and to aspire to a better life.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A 7Digital production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully considers the benefits and pitfalls of aspiring to greater things.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

At The Darkest Point20151220At the moment of mid-winter, John McCarthy explores how we cope with dark times, how we express our feelings and how we find a way through.

Dark and difficult times are part of our human experience. On the news we encounter human suffering - on a scale so massive and distant from our immediate lives, whether man made or as a result of natural disasters, it is often impossible to take in or begin to understand.

Most of us have more local and intimate dark times to cope with. Sickness, loss of loved ones, financial worries - these are all examples of darkness that can come in the middle of the day.

And there is also the dark that is pure loneliness.

Since first reading it as a schoolboy, John has found solace in George Herbert's poem, The Flower, which emphasises renewal and return after the dark tempests of the night.

There's a new commission from the poet Jen Hadfield who sends us a postcard from the winter darkness of Shetland, readings of poems by Rilke and Byron, and the composer and sound artist Janek Schaefer tells the story of how he came to create a piece of music - White Lights of Divine Darkness (for Sir John Tavener).

The readers are Joshua Elliot, Serena Jennings and Jen Hadfield.

Produced by Natalie Steed

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

As midwinter approaches, John McCarthy explores how we cope with dark times.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

At The End Of The Year2008122820231231 (R4)Mark Tully draws on the ancient prayer tradition of the Examen - a night-time reflection on the events of the day, in order to seek understanding, awareness, forgiveness and healing, but above all, to express gratitude.

In this last Something Understood of the year, we look back on the old year and forward to the new, guided by the wisdom of the Examen.

First broadcast in 2008.

A Unique Broadcasting production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully draws on the ancient prayer tradition of the Examen.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Mark Tully draws on the ancient prayer tradition of the Examen - a night-time reflection on the events of the day.

At the End of the Year: Mark Tully draws on the ancient prayer tradition of the Examen, a night-time reflection on the events of the day in order to achieve understanding, forgiveness and to express gratitude. He looks back on the old year and looks forward to the new, guided by the wisdom of the Examen.

Mark Tully draws on the ancient prayer tradition of the Examen to look back on the year.

Attitude Problem20100418Mark Tully considers the impact of our mental attitude on situations, events and objects.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Autumn Colours2018112520190922 (R4)As Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand watches the autumn leaves fall slowly from the trees, she reflects on the vibrant colours of autumn and the season's spiritual resonance.

Shoshana explains that she has always been fascinated by the paradox at the heart of our relationship with the autumn. A celebration of the harvest is accompanied by the realisation that this joy is ephemeral. We know that winter is coming. Robert Frost's autumnal poem 'After Apple Picking' refers to a post-harvest sleep which is suggestive both of winter and of death itself.

The Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot features a ritual in which dry willow branches are struck, causing their leaves to flutter to the ground mirroring the falling leaves of autumn which are celebrated as a vital part of the circle of life.

Chemistry reveals that the bright colours of autumn leaves are not the product of death and decay. In fact they exist dormant within the leaf throughout its entire life, but are only revealed towards the end when the leaf's `work` is done. Shoshana likens this fact to adults who discover their true inner colours as they age.

Whilst for some the process of aging might lead to feelings of melancholy, as Shoshana approaches the autumn of her life, she's filled with a deep sense of release.

She explains, 'at a certain age, we can start to no longer care so much what others think of us. We can allow the true colours of our leaves to shine through a bit more because we have grown into our skin and have discovered what those colours are. And because, of course, we realise that if we don't allow our colours to show now, there may not be a chance in the future.

Presenter: Shoshana Boyd Gelfand

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in November 2018.

Shoshana Boyd Gelfand reflects on autumn's colours and the season's spiritual resonance.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Away Being, Coming Home20150726Samira Ahmed explores understandings of 'home' and the experiences of young people leaving, desiring to leave and returning to their former dwelling places.

When the Beatles wrote their iconic song She's Leaving Home, they painted a picture of the post-war suburban house as a claustrophobic cage, trapping the free spirited young woman eager to make her way in the brave new world of 1960's Britain.

Decades later, the 'boomerang generation' abounds, as rapidly growing numbers of young adults return to the parental home due to economic or employment pressures. This situation can be emotionally and practically challenging for all the family.

The term 'home' implies much more than simply a building or a geographical location. It can also be a community, a family, an institution, a sense of emotional well being. Not all houses are a home to those who reside there.

Samira Ahmed considers 'home' and how writers and musicians have explored relationships between parents and children, at this pivotal point of leaving home. The title - Away Being, Coming Home - refers to a cross arts project in which young people, writers and musicians created work inspired by photographs of empty croft houses in the Hebrides, and the stories of their former inhabitants. The programme opens with a poem, Barren, a response to an image of one of these homes left behind.

Includes music from The Beatles, Yo La Tengo, South African bassist and composer Benjamin Jephta and The Smiths. There's poetry from Tony Harrison, Cecil Day Lewis and Grace Nichols, and readings from L-Shaped Room by Lynne Reid Banks, and Jill by Phillip Larkin.

The readers are Rachel Atkins, Natasha Gordon and Peter Ormond.

Producer: Lucy Dichmont

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Samira Ahmed asks what is a home. She explores how and why people leave them behind.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Beating Time20141005Samira Ahmed drums her fingers and explores waiting, measuring and keeping time. She talks to the conductor Charles Hazlewood about why holding an orchestra to the beat is like persuading a pony round the paddock and considers the impatience of Henri Bergson who understood the nature of time as he mixed himself a drink.

The programme includes readings from works by Virginia Woolf, RS Thomas and Rosa Luxemburg, with music by Chopin, Messiaen and Brian Eno.

The readers are Emily Joyce and Hazel Holder.

Producer: Natalie Steed

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Samira Ahmed drums her fingers and considers waiting, measuring and keeping time.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Because Of The Fire20081026Jane Ray reflects on moments and chance encounters which can prove to be life changing, such as the fire at the Royal Marsden Hospital last year that brought together three of her own friends. With readings from Ezra Pound, Thomas Hardy and Carol Ann Duffy and music by Debussy, REM and Tandie Klaasen.

Jane Ray reflects on moments and chance encounters which can prove to be life changing.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Beginner's Mind20190407Suryagupta, chair of the London Buddhist Centre, explores the Zen Buddhist concept of Beginner's Mind, which encourages the viewing of the familiar with fresh eyes.

She discusses the first time she discovered the benefits of Beginner's Mind, at a retreat in Wales. While meditating, Suryagupta became fascinated by the sound of birdsong, feeling as if she was hearing it for the very first time. This meditation encouraged her to experience life anew, through help from texts such as Suzuki Roshi's classic title Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience.

Suryagupta considers the obstacles that can hinder Beginner's Mind, such as pressure and the burden of expectations. She suggests that attempting to return to the simple and spontaneous innocence of the child's mind can help us overcome these obstructions, in order to experience moments of revelation and wonder. She concludes with a quote from Henry Miller, who celebrates the benefits of sharing these discoveries with others. In doing so, we can connect deeply with one another, and experience an interdependence that is freeing and refreshing.

Presenter: Suryagupta

Producer: Oliver Seymour

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4

Chair of the London Buddhist Centre Suryagupta examines the zen state of Beginner's Mind.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Behaving Virtually20090315Mike Wooldridge considers some of the questions raised by the expansion of the digital world. Is it possible to say what is real and what is virtual, or where the line between them lies? Are online communities and relationships 'real', does anonymity make us more or less our real selves in the digital world and is there any room for the spiritual in the virtual?

Mike Wooldridge considers the questions raised by the expansion of the digital world.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Being Good2012070820220501 (R4)Some recent studies have shown that modern obituaries are unlikely to comment on a person's goodness. The phrase, she or he was a good man or a good woman is found less often than it used to be. In an edition of Something Understood called 'Being Good', Mark Tully considers why this should be so. Does it mean that we are no longer concerned about personal goodness and, if so, what are we concerned about when we judge a person's achievements in life? Do we undervalue the idea of being good? And is goodness enough on its own? Nelson Mandela has said, A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special. This programme explores the values of a moral approach to life and the importance of valuing the good in others.

Mark draws on the expertise of Professor Simon Blackburn, Bertrand Russell Professor of Philosophy at Cambridge, and author of the ethical study Being Good. The programme is also illustrated by readings from the works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, E.V. Lucas and Yi Fu Tuan with music ranging from Edward Elgar and Wladislaw Szpilman to the Canadian band Emerson Drive.

The Readers are Philip Franks and Grainne Keenan.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Do we consider a moral life an achievement? Mark Tully explores the value of 'Being Good'.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Being Mum20080302On Mothering Sunday, Fergal Keane considers some of the aspects of being a good mother.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Bells20181111On the centenary of the Armistice, bells ring out across the UK in commemoration and rejoicing. From death knells to joyful peals, Mark Tully celebrates the power of bells.

During both World Wars, church bells were silenced. They were allowed to be rung only as alarm bells to warn of an invasion. On Armistice Day, ringers rushed to belfries to sound the bells in relief and jubilation. At St Dunstan's Church in East Sussex, Mark meets some of those ringers' contemporary counterparts, and hears how ringing connects them to the past.

Readings from Dylan Thomas, AP Herbert and Carol Ann Duffy show the role of bells in remembrance, celebration and congregation. Music includes pieces which mixes orchestral instruments with recordings of church bells.

Readers: Rachel Atkins, Paterson Joseph and Francis Cadder

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Hannah Marshall

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4

On the centenary of the Armistice, bells ring out in commemoration and celebration.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Better To Light A Candle20071202Rabbi Julia Neuberger explores the symbolism of candles at this time of year.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Beyond The Grey Towers20141116Samira Ahmed explores Durham Cathedral's enduring historical, cultural and spiritual significance.

She first visited the cathedral over twenty years ago and it has maintained a fascination for her ever since. Now Samira returns to Durham to explore the connection that she, and so many others, feel with the Cathedral.

Grey towers of Durham

Yet well I love thy mixed and massive piles

Half church of God, half castle 'gainst the Scot

And long to roam those venerable aisles

With records stored of deeds long since forgot.' Sir Walter Scott, Harold the Dauntless

Durham Cathedral is the shrine of St Cuthbert, the seat of the Bishop of Durham and a focus of pilgrimage and spirituality in North East England.

What is the source of its power to move, not only Christians, but those of others faiths or none? Is it the sanctity of the shrine of St Cuthbert? Is it its spectacular architecture? Is it the unique positioning in the natural and human landscape (now a world heritage site)? Or is it the echoes of centuries of history as a fortress, a seat of learning and a sacred space?

Through words, art and music and by speaking to those intimately connected to the Cathedral, Samira Ahmed creates a vivid portrait of Durham Cathedral through the centuries. She explores how it has reflected Durham's changing communities and balances the preservation of ancient traditions with the celebration of contemporary Christianity, art and music.

The programme includes poems by Thomas Hardy, L.E.L and John Ormond and extracts from Pat Barker. Music includes pieces by Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, Kathryn Tickell and the choir of Durham Cathedral.

The readers are George Irving and Olivia Onyehara

Produced by Lucy Dichmont

A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4.

Samira Ahmed explores Durham Cathedral's enduring historical and spiritual significance.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Birth20081221Poet laureate Andrew Motion considers perceptions of birth.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Blame It On The Universe20100919Mark Tully wonders why so many people now talk about The Universe where they would once have spoken about God.

Why is The Universe a more helpful and meaningful concept for some than 'God', when they are seeking guidance, confirmation and blessing.

Where has the expression come from, and what does it actually mean?

Producer: Eley McAinsh

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully wonders why so many people now talk about The Universe rather than God.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Blunt Speaking20110206Alastair Campbell tries to persuade us that his reputation for blunt speaking is not entirely accurate, as Mark Tully explores the pros and cons of saying exactly what you think. As a guest on the programme, Campbell suggests he has a 'feline' side which enabled him to be subtle in his work as Tony Blair's Director of Communications, and that blunt speaking need not necessarily be aggressive.

Mark Tully invites us to make up our own minds on whether we believe Campbell, before examining the nature of speaking plainly, as we see it. And it's this last phrase which Tully sees as important: blunt speakers may only be voicing an opinion that can often be hurtful and stand in the way of dialogue and understanding. But can withholding an honest opinion be just as obstructive to real communication? Perhaps the answer lies in the sentiments of one of the groups of musicians featured in the programme, Tama, who state 'There are three truths in Africa: my truth, your truth, and the truth itself. Whoever is right is right, whoever imposes their reason is wrong'.

Presented by Mark Tully

Produced by Adam Fowler

An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Alastair Campbell tells Mark Tully his blunt speaking reputation isn't entirely accurate.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Born Lucky20091227Mark Tully explores how the circumstances of our birth affect the course of our lives.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Bread Of Life20150823John McCarthy considers the importance of bread in our physical and spiritual lives.

John is baking with members of the bread group at an organisation called Freedom from Torture. It looks after survivors of torture from all over the world, people who have been abused in their homelands and are now trying to build new lives as exiles in the UK. Alongside regular counselling, social and legal help, the clients can also take advantage of group therapies such as the bread group. As they measure, mix, knead, bake and eat, they talk about the importance of bread in fulfilling both our physical and spiritual needs.

The programme includes readings from works by Primo Levi, David Scott and Zimbabwean poet Amanda Hammar, as well as two poems by Jean Atkin and Elizabeth Charis specially commissioned for this programme by Writing West Midlands.

Music comes from William Byrd and from Humperdinck's opera Hansel and Gretel.

The readers are Rachel Atkins, Kate Taylor and Jonathan Keeble.

Produced by Rosie Boulton

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

John McCarthy considers the importance of bread in people's physical and spiritual lives.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Breath, You Invisible Poem20150719John McCarthy considers the cultural and metaphorical significance of breathing.

For most of us breathing is so continuous, so easy, that it's something we take for granted. But without breath nothing is possible. Breath energizes movement and enables bodily activities. It punctuates speech, and is central to singing and the playing of many musical instruments. And in particular situations, giving birth or meditating, it becomes the focus of our attention and is bound by specific techniques.

John McCarthy explores a range of different breathing experiences. From God's breath of life, blown into Adam's nostrils at the dawning of the World, to the Navajo Indian idea about a Little Wind hidden in our ears, he looks at how the breath has traditionally been understood as something that connects spirit and body. We talk about a first and last breath as marking the beginning and end of life, it's also affected by mood and emotion.

The programme features readings taken from the Sonnets to Orpheus, Book II by Rainer Maria Rilke, Phenomenology of Perception by Maurice Merleau-Ponty's and Breathing by Josephine Dickinson. Music comes from Maria Callas, Nick Cave and the New Zealand All Blacks.

The readers are Helen Bourne and Brian Fenton.

Producer: Emily Williams

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

John McCarthy explores the cultural and metaphorical significance of breathing.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Breathe Easy20100214The power of the breath as the source of our physical, mental and spiritual health.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Brides Of God2018042920190901 (R4)Musician Jahnavi Harrison interweaves music, prose and poetry in a celebration of the women who choose to dedicate their lives entirely to God.

She explains that she has always been fascinated what it is that drives a woman to leave behind worldly affairs and adopt a life of seclusion and near-constant prayer. Though the tradition is timeless, with today's calls for feminine independence and gender equality the choice to be a nun feels just as radical and relevant as it might have in the past.

Jahnavi explores the life of Emahoy Maryam Tsegue-Gebroue, an Ethiopian nun whose prodigious talent as a pianist has led to her records being adored all over the world. We also meet the 'maharis', Indian temple dancers who were dedicated at a young age, considered to be brides of God, taking part in a wedding ceremony and wearing all the markings of married women.

With readings from the 13th century Christian mystic Mechtild of Magdeburg, St Saint Clare of Assisi, the Bhagavad Gita and ancient Buddhist poetry from the Therigatha and music including the work of Christian polymath Hildegard of Bingen, The Flamingos and Yamuna Devi.

Presenter: Jahnavi Harrison

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Musician Jahnavi Harrison celebrates women who dedicate their lives entirely to God.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Brilliant Mistakes, Blessed Failures2016071020190512 (R4)Artist Grayson Perry has said that ‘creativity is mistakes'. Journalist Abdul-Rehman Malik agrees, and explores through poetry and prose how mistakes, although a reminder of human imperfection, nevertheless have the ability to reveal something new and hidden.

The programme features the music of Ella Fitzgerald, Elvis Costello and Puccini, and readings from theologian Paula Gooder, the Qu'ran, and the Old and New Testaments.

Presenter: Abdul-Rehman Malik

Producer: Jonathan Mayo

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4

Abdul-Rehman Malik explores how mistakes can lead to unexpected insights.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Building Bridges20091101Writer Christie Dickason considers the physical and metaphorical significance of bridges - connecting peoples, cultures and countries, but also underlining differences.

She talks to violinist Ruth Waterman about the famous bridge of Mostar in Bosnia, and draws upon the poetry of Emily Dickinson and music by Bobbie Gentry and Mozart.

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Writer Christie Dickason considers the physical and metaphorical significance of bridges.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Buying And Selling2009070520220904 (R4)Mark Tully examines the relationship between buyer and seller.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

By Mistake20180624From the Garden of Eden via the discovery of America to slips of the tongue and glorious gaffes, Mark Tully looks at the repercussions of mistakes and how we can benefit from them.

The American author and journalist Kathryn Schulz suggested, 'Our capacity to err is crucial to the human condition.' If this is the case, what do our mistakes have to offer?

To find out, Mark consults the writings of Schulz, business magnate Ingvar Kamprad, philosopher Daniel C Dennett and poet Nathalia Crane, among others. He explores both the destructive and the creative power of error through music by jazz saxophonist Don Byas, contemporary composer James MacMillan and Joseph Haydn.

The readers are Paapa Essiedu and Emily Bowker

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully considers the positive power of making a mistake.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Call And Response2018090220230416 (R4)Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand examines the phenomenon of call and response, one of the most primal human interactions.

She explains that, 'whether we're calling our mother on the phone or crying out to God, when we call we hope for a response. That's because we are social creatures, yearning for connection, so responding to a call seems to be hard-wired into us.

Shoshana leads us into deep space, tuning in to the Arecibo Message, humanity's first attempt to call out to unseen alien races. The irony is that, if aliens respond we may not even be able to understand them. Shoshana admits that, despite all her prayers, she's never heard the voice of God herself, and wonders if she would understand if a divine response was to arrive.

Drawing upon musical examples ranging from Count Basie and Bach to Simon and Garfunkel, Shoshana reveals that the call and response form has long fascinated singers and composers. She explains she has always been amazed at Bach's ability to write music for the piano that lets the left and right hand enter a dialogue, communicating back and forth through melody.

The communal Jewish prayer of the Kaddish, the electric energy between Baptist pastor and congregation and the beauty of the Islamic call to prayer are all explored as Shoshana considers the interpersonal bonding that call and response facilitates.

She concludes that faith itself can be defined as the ever-present hope that, when we call out from the depths, we will receive a response. It may not always be the response that we were expecting. It may even be silence. But, fundamentally, we call out and hope for an answer as a reminder that we are not alone.

Presenter: Shoshana Boyd Gelfand

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4

Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand celebrates the power of call and response.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Can I Get A Witness?20180311Sarah Goldingay examines the idea of witnessing in an age of 'fake news' and rampant social media. Pre-existing assumptions about what is truthful and who has the authority to speak it are being tested. So she asks what does it mean to be a true witness?

When witnessing we are not merely a spectator, passively watching, or an observer, trying to maintain a sense of distance, we witness with our whole selves. It is embodied, visceral encounter in both the initial experience and in the act of retelling.' Sarah argues that to witness is not just about seeing and recounting, but is also to have an ethical and moral relationship to what's happened. To witness is to be implicated.

Music from the Specials, Chumbawumba and Oliver Messiaen and poetry from Thom Gunn, Liz Walder and Henry Dumas help Sarah in her quest for true witnessing, encountering the conversion experience of John Wesley along the way. She concludes 'By starting to bear witness to the way that we tie our happiness to the conditions of our life-experience, Wesley explains we might begin to observe our lives in a loving way, to see God in all things and find long-lasting joy.

Presenter: Sarah Goldingay

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Dr Sarah Goldingay examines the idea of what it means to be a witness to events.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Cantus Firmus20071125Mark Tully explores the notion of a cantus firmus, the enduring melody of a life.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Carried On The Wind20070909Storyteller Pamela Marre reflects on the invisible power of the wind.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Cars2017102920190811 (R4)The poet Michael Symmons Roberts takes us on a journey to reveal our complex relationship with the car and how it means much more to us than simply getting from A to B.

'Cars have only been around for a century,' he reminds us, 'but in that short span of time they have not just become ubiquitous in our towns and cities, but a permanent fixture in our cultural and metaphorical landscape. Why has the car grown into such a potent symbol, and what does it point to in ourselves and in the world?'

In a search that includes fast cars, car crashes, sat navs and the car wash, Michael reveals that our vehicles have even entered our spiritual psyche - something he doesn't find that surprising. He explains, 'It doesn't seem odd to me to find cars cropping up in mystical or religious stories or imaginings. There's something about the combination of the car as a sealed-off private space, like a monastic cell, and as a way of crossing great distances that lends itself to that treatment.

Illustrating his journey with the poetry of Colette Bryce, Les Murray and Seamus Heaney, along with the music of Schubert, Janis Joplin and Tracey Chapman, Michael celebrates the mystery and meditative quality of driving and wonders, with the help of playwright and screenwriter David Mamet, whether the second coming itself might be by means of a mid-sized sedan.

Presenter: Michael Symmons Roberts

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Poet Michael Symmons Roberts explores the spirituality of the car.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Cats20121007Our relationship with the cat is a fascinating and contradictory one. Ancient cultures revered and sometimes worshipped them. Cats have at times been companions to holy men in many of the great faiths and exterminated at others. They are loyal friends and implacable enemies.

Mark Tully asks what it is that makes our relationship with one of our oldest pets so contradictory. He talks to art historian and journalist Caroline Bugler about the intriguing ways cats have been depicted in sacred art and draws on music by Rossini, Scarlatti and Peggy Lee and the writings of Doris Lessing, P.G. Wodehouse and Diodorus of Sicily.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully investigates the mysterious relationship between mankind and the cat.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Challenging Your Instincts2012030420220403 (R4)Mark Tully wonders what might happen if we challenge our instinctive fears and prejudices. Some instincts can protect us but others can act as barriers in our lives.

Mark looks at instincts like fear, disgust, hatred and revenge and considers how overcoming them can have positive results.

The programme features examples of people who have gone against the instinct to hate: the white judge in the Southern States of America who, in times of segregation, risked his life to defend Negroes; and the Croatian poet who writes of the need to love our enemies, despite what they have done in the past and continue to do now. In her words: 'only love such as this can save the world... make life come out of death'.

The readers are Samantha Bond and Peter Guinness.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Changing The Climate20160424Mark Tully asks if climate change offers an opportunity for us to improve our lives - not just by consuming less and respecting nature more, but by finding a deeper relationship with nature and each other.

Mark discusses the prevailing economic wisdom of ever increasing growth, and ever increasing demand to feed that growth, with leading Indian economist Rajiv Kumar who believes that economics can and must change to reduce our impact on the climate.

But Mark also acknowledges the benefits of human ingenuity and curiosity which have led to so many technological advances, as well as enhancements in our lives. He considers how a move towards a new way of life might be evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, while reminding us with the help of a Native American

Cree proverb that 'only when the last tree has been cut down, the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will man finally realise we can't eat money.

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully asks if climate change offers an opportunity to change our lives for the better

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Changing The Mirror2015081620200830 (R4)Actor Adjoa Andoh explores our need to see our own identities reflected in the culture and environment that envelop us.

With readings from work by Jackie Kay and Aminatta Forna and music by Nina Simone, Miriam Makeba and Florence Price.

Readers: Nadine Marshall, Jackie Kay and Janice Acquah

Produced by Eleanor McDowall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Actor Adjoa Andoh explores the importance of seeing our own identity reflected in culture.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Charm2009061420220918 (R4)Mark Tully investigates the danger and usefulness of charm, with guest Tony Benn, in a programme from 2009.

One such example was when film director Michael Korda was cornered by furious investors, wanting to know what had happened to their money. He would stare at their feet, riveted. 'What simply marvellous shoes,' he would remark - thus defusing the confrontation, and escaping unscathed.

With music from Handel, Gluck and Gerard Souzay and readings from Milton, Plutarch and The Last King of Scotland.

Produced by Elizabeth Burke

A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully investigates the danger and usefulness of charm.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Childhood Innocence20101226Jonathan Charles considers the innocence of children.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Childish Things2017062520210718 (R4)Turning 40, for many, is a time of anxiety and existential crisis. In thinking about what it means to be finally grown up, journalist Abdul-Rehman Malik finds his thoughts returning to the question of what it means to be young - and what of childhood and youth can we still carry with us.

If, as it's said in the Islamic tradition, youth comes to a decisive end at the age of 40, then how can we still hold on to the energy, dynamism and even innocence of our younger years without being childish?

Reflecting on Saint Paul's advice to the church in Corinth to leave behind 'childish things', Abdul-Rehman finds consolation in the words of C.S. Lewis who thinks that adults too concerned with adulthood are rather more immature than children. He also finds uneasy perspective in the encyclopaedic Hindu scripture Srimad Bhagavatam which tells us how, even in childhood, we carry the trauma of past lives and experience - shaping our adult lives.

Drawing on William Blake's Songs of Innocence, Sioux tribal wisdom, Zen paradoxes and the music of Herbie Hancock and Leonard Cohen, Abdul-Rehman finds that growing up well has as much to do with knowing what of childish things to keep as with what needs to be let go.

Presenter: Abdul-Rehman Malik

Producer: Jonathan Mayo

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Now past 40, Abdul-Rehman Malik asks what aspects of his youth he can carry with him.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Choosing To Care20110828The choice to care or be cared for is one that faces over half of us and some stage in our lives.

Mark Tully presents an edition of Something Understood to explore that choice and to discuss the emotional, practical and spiritual costs and rewards of caring and being cared for. He examines the benefits and the responsibilities felt within such relationships in the company of Jean and Geoffrey Almond, a couple living with the consequences of Multiple Sclerosis, and with poetry by a variety of carers as well as music from Shostakovich, Elmer Bernstein and folk-singer Kate Rusby.

The readers are Kenneth Cranham and Isla Blair

The producer is Frank Stirling

A Unique Production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully discusses the choices facing voluntary carers and those for whom they care.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Clowning For God2017052120191201 (R4)Mark Tully asks priest and stand-up comedian, Maggy Whitehouse, how humour can puncture hypocrisy and piety in religious leaders and their congregations.

Together, they discus how holy fools can make people laugh at the pretentiousness of the powerful, the pomposity of the proud, and the absurdity of those who take themselves too seriously. They consider if Jesus himself sometimes acted as a jester, mocking human arrogance.

Mark also looks to Sufi traditions and the legendary satirical figure, Mulla Nasruddin, whose humour constantly humiliates those who feel they are above ordinary believers, demonstrating that we are all equal in the eyes of God.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A 7digital production for BCC Radio 4.

Mark Tully asks a priest who is also a stand-up comedian about using wit to puncture piety

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Colours Of Religion20110410Mark Tully attends the Hindu festival of Holi in Delhi, gets covered with dye, and asks what is the significance of colour, in religion and in spring festivals.

Recorded partly on location in Mark Tully's home town of Delhi, this programme charts the run up to the festival, with the singing of traditional songs, and the lighting of bonfires. On the special day itself, coloured dyes and waters are thrown as the city erupts in an explosion of colour, noise and sometimes lusty humour. Speaking to locals and visitors alike, Tully gets a sense of the importance of colour to this festival, his city and to Hinduism. Looking to other traditions he asks what different colours mean to different faiths.

And as the rumbustiousness of Holi subsides, Tully is left to consider what parallels he can find in western festivals, music and writing, which might first appear more solemn, but can have their own undercurrents of bawdiness and abandon.

Presented by Mark Tully

Produced by Adam Fowler

An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully attends Holi, and asks what is the religious significance of colour.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Colours Of Religion2011041020240310 (R4)Mark Tully attends the Hindu festival of Holi in Delhi, gets covered with dye, and asks what is the significance of colour, in religion and in spring festivals.

Recorded partly on location in Mark Tully's home town of Delhi, this programme charts the run up to the festival, with the singing of traditional songs, and the lighting of bonfires. On the special day itself, coloured dyes and waters are thrown as the city erupts in an explosion of colour, noise and sometimes lusty humour. Speaking to locals and visitors alike, Tully gets a sense of the importance of colour to this festival, his city and to Hinduism. Looking to other traditions he asks what different colours mean to different faiths.

And as the rumbustuossness of Holi subsides, Tully is left to consider what parallels he can find in western festivals, music and writing, which might first appear more solemn, but can have their own undercurrents of bawdiness and abandon.

Presented by Mark Tully

Produced by Adam Fowler

An Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully attends Holi and asks what the religious significance of colour is.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Mark Tully attends the Hindu festival of Holi in Delhi, gets covered with dye, and asks what the significance of colour is, in religion and in spring festivals.

Commemoration2014110920211114 (R4)On Remembrance Day, Mark Tully asks why we feel acts of commemoration are important and discusses their purpose with the campaigner and survivor of Ravensbruck Concentration Camp, Selma Van de Perre.

He also introduces readings and music written in commemoration of some of the major conflicts and acts of violence of the last 100 years - from accounts of the very first Armistice Day to commemorations of the Afghan conflict. There is music too, ranging from Shostakovich to Suzanne Vega.

The readers are Jane Whittenshaw, David Westhead and Francis Cadder.

Produced by Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

On Remembrance Sunday, Mark Tully investigates the psychological need for commemoration.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Committees20080525Mark Tully asks whether committees are good or bad for us.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Compassion20110925Fergal Keane reflects on the vital human instinct of compassion and how it benefits us as individuals to be compassionate. He considers how, when faced with evil, a sense of justice can interfere with compassion. He concludes that although there are times when compassion might overwhelm critical reasoning and propel us into disaster, it can also move us to mercy and the healing of wounds.

To illustrate his argument Fergal Keane draws on the writing of Bernard Schlink and Cormac McCarthy, the poetry of Elizabeth Jennings and Michael Longley, and the music of Leonard Cohen and Morten Lauridsen.

The readers are Liza Sadovy and Patrick Drury.

Producer: Ronni Davis

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Fergal Keane considers the virtue of compassion.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Confession20150329On the last Sunday in Lent, Mark Tully asks if confession is really good for us. He examines the secular and political benefits of owning up to crimes and misdemeanours in public life, as well as talking to religious historian and writer Eamon Duffy about the history of confession as a religious rite.

There are stories here of politicians caught red-handed, a priest confessing posthumously to his atheism - and to his hatred for the confessional box - and of the sheer psychological relief of forgiving.

The programme includes readings from James Joyce, Elizabeth Jennings and A. C. Clarke, with music by Caroline Barnett and Hans Zimmer among others.

The readers are Adjoa Andoh and Arsher Ali

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully considers the political and religious value of confession.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Consider The Lilies20150308Samira Ahmed explores our representations of flowers, and our relationships with them.

Focusing on the flowers that have had a particular importance in her own life, she considers the meanings and cultural resonances of several species - passion-flower, bluebells, tulips and the exotically perfumed champa flower or frangipani.

Through music and poetry she explores how certain blooms have been thought to embody emotional, spiritual and philosophical ideas - and been used and subverted by artists, musicians and writers around the globe. She investigates how different countries have developed complex codes of communication through the gift of flowers and asks if sometimes it is better not to 'say it with flowers'. How can the giving and receiving of floral tributes be transformed from a simple gesture of affection to one of potential threat or insult?

The programme includes poetry by Sylvia Plath, Wendy Cope and Rabindranath Tagore, along with music from Katherine Jenkins, Ben E. King and the Dave Brubeck Quartet.

The readers are Olivia Onyehara, Matthew Wynn, and Haruka Kuroda.

Producer: Lucy Dichmont

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Samira Ahmed explores representations of flowers and people's relationships with them.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Counterpoint20160807Composer David Owen Norris explains the musical concept of counterpoint and plays examples to Mark Tully, who also looks at the metaphorical use of it in religion and literature.

With the help of Johann Sebastian Bach, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Gilbert and Sullivan, and some bawdy Lay Clerks from Canterbury Cathedral, David Owen Norris takes Mark on an interweaving tour of contrapuntal history and development from the earliest experiments in Plainsong to his own latest composition.

But the last word is left to Gerard Manley Hopkins and the remarkable rhythmic counterpoint of his poem The Windhover, with its depiction of a Flacon's flight:

Creatures Of The Wind20160724Mark Tully hears how winds like El Niကo, the Sirocco and the Trade Winds connect the earth's ecosystems, as well as human societies and beliefs.

The science of this inter-connectedness is explained by David Carlson, Director of the World Climate Research Programme. He discusses with Mark how commerce, conflict and culture have been shaped by the flow of air around our planet, and how ideas can be carried on the breeze.

From idyllic breezes to tempestuous storms, and from the Saharan desert to the South China Sea, artistic images of the wind are summoned, in music, by Benjamin Britten, Nina Simone and Frederic Chopin - and, in words, by Joseph Conrad, Percy Bysshe Shelley and Jan DeBlieu.

Mark considers also how the wind can be one of the wonders of nature that connect us to God, and how it can so overawe us that we lose our self awareness and experience the transcendent.

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully hears how winds like El Nino, the sirocco and the trade winds connect us all.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Cricket2009080220220828 (R4)Mark Tully celebrates cricket as a symbol of an ideal society.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Crossing The Master2017040220230723 (R4)Journalist Abdul-Rehman Malik explores the complex relationship between master and disciple. Acknowledging that truth lies in fiction, he describes how the relationship between Obi Wan Kenobi and his former disciple Darth Vader in the film Star Wars prompted this exploration.

A passage written by the former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams defines what a disciple is and a reading from the 19th century Buddhist master Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro helps the disciple discern a true leader. Hindu mystic Rama Krishna describes how Tapobana the Master, threatened by a disciple he thought of as foolish, goes on to make a fool of himself.

Conflicts between master and disciple arise in the secular world too. We hear the music of jazz trumpeter Miles Davis as Abdul-Rehman recounts the tale of the clash between young lion Wynton Marsalis and the legendary Davis. The death of Malcolm X in 1965 showed that crossing the master can have deadly consequences - we hear from his autobiography.

Abdul-Rehman concludes by examining how differences between the master and disciple can be reconciled.

Presenter: Abdul-Rehman Malik

Producer: Jonathan Mayo

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Cultivating Kindness20180930Suryagupta Dharmacharini, Chair of the London Buddhist Centre, remembers seeing her mother crying when witnessing the horrors of war-torn countries on the nightly news. As a child, Suryagupta couldn't understand why her mum was so moved by the suffering of strangers. It was years later, when meditating on a Buddhist retreat, that the importance of this level of empathy first truly struck her.

Whilst kindness and compassion might seem to be innate, Buddhists like Suryagupta believe that they can be actively cultivated through meditation. In this episode, Suryagupta explores the Metta Bhavana meditation practice - an ancient technique for the cultivation of kindness created by the Buddha approximately 2500 years ago. She explains that Metta in Pali translates as 'loving kindness' and Bhavana as 'cultivation'. The meditator concentrates on channelling kindness in a number of directions, resulting in a heightened level of empathy and compassion that has been scientifically proven.

Across the five stages of the Metta Bhavana meditation, practitioners direct kindness towards themselves, towards a friend, towards a neutral person about whom they have no strong feelings, towards someone they have a fractious relationship with and finally towards all sentient beings. Suryagupta examines the challenges and benefits that each stage brings with the help of Johnny Cash, Gregory Porter, John Coltrane, Raymond Carver, Rumi and a selection of Buddhist texts.

Producer: Max O'Brien

Presenter: Suryagupta Dharmacharini

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4

Suryagupta, chair of the London Buddhist Centre, asks if kindness can be cultivated.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Dark Sanctuary20090628Fergal Keane explores the physical and fairytale world created by the forest.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Darkness20120520In Something Understood this week, poet and broadcaster Stewart Henderson celebrates the power of true darkness. With streetlamps dominating our modern industrialised world, few people in Britain now have the chance to experience real darkness, but Stewart believes it can have a transformative effect.

Some people fear darkness, others find it disorienting and confusing. These days, we fill our world with electric light and it's only in the deepest countryside that we find true darkness. Yet when we do immerse ourselves in the dark, it can bring another form of illumination, heightening our physical senses and our sense of self. Our surroundings take on new meaning and significance. And the darkness can be inspirational - as Vincent Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo in 1888, 'I often think that the night is more alive and more richly coloured than the day'. Other readings come from astronauts, scientists and pilots, all of whom have embraced the dark and found riches and depth within it.

Stewart speaks to Marek Kukula, Public Astronomer at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. As a child he was fascinated by the natural world, and now his job is to explain the latest discoveries in space to the public. Darkness is essential to Marek's work, but it also has a spiritual dimension for him. As someone who seeks out dark places from which to see the stars, he regrets the light pollution which is driving true darkness out of many places. Marek is a supporter of the International Dark Sky Association which aims to identify and protect those places which still enjoy truly dark skies. Without darkness to heighten our awareness, are we left with a loss of inner sight?

Producer: Jo Coombs

A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4.

Poet Stewart Henderson celebrates true darkness, now absent from much of the modern world.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Dawn20111030Millions of Hindus start their day by greeting the sun with a Yoga practice known as Surya Namaskar. During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims start their day at dawn.

In Japan Shinto believers bow before the rising sun and clap to get the sun goddess' attention, so that she will dispel evil. St. Benedict, the father of Western Christian Monasticism, ordained that monks should say the office of Matins. Yet not all of us are good in the morning. Notwithstanding it is difficult to ignore the mystical resonance of the sunrise.

With the help of Henry David Thoreau, Vachel Lindsay and Brendan Kennelly and with music from Carl Nielsen, Bruce Cockburn and Ortolino Respighi, Mark Tully explores the psychological and spiritual significance of this particular time of day.

The readers are Hattie Morahan and Dan Stevens.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully examines the psychological and spiritual significance of dawn.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Death Be Not Proud2016050820230917 (R4)Death has been an inspiration to poets, authors, artists and composers throughout the centuries. The multi award winning poet, Professor Michael Symmons Roberts, devotes his debut presenting Something Understood to an intense reflection on the subject, its mystery and inevitability.

Roberts has himself used death in his own work, notably in his poem Corpse which is featured in the programme alongside the poetry of Emily Dickinson and Wallace Stevens. But it's the life and poetry of John Donne, which Roberts cites as his main inspiration. Donne, Roberts explains, courted death as a young man and witnessed plenty of it.

Another life-long influence on Roberts is the music of David Bowie who died earlier this year. `Mortality, the need to seize the fleeting life we have, was always there in his work,` Roberts says as he reflects on the elegiac Heroes and tells the story of Bowie's final album, Blackstar and the song Lazarus. `Many fans interpreted it as a message from beyond the border, from a man who had crossed it.`

Other music includes Vera Hall singing Death is Awful, Mozart's Requiem and John Donne's poem Death Be Not Proud set to music by John Tavener.

Presenter: Michael Symmons Roberts

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4

The poet Michael Symmons Roberts explores the mystery and inevitability of death.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Debt20130505Ever since the current financial crisis started back in 2007, debt has been on everybody's mind.

Much of the discussion in the media has been about economics and ways to alleviate the crisis. What about the moral questions debt raises?

Mark Tully discusses our social and philosophical attitudes to the problem of debt and talks to financial educator and broadcaster Alvin Hall.

There are readings from Dickens, Shakespeare and the poet Kathleen Raine and music by composers ranging from Handel to Jocelyn Pook. The readers are Harriet Walter and Tim Pigott-Smith.

Produced by: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Against a background of economic insecurity, Mark Tully discusses the moral side to debt.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Deeper Than Desire20080309Mark Tully considers the human experience of longing.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Deserts20150419Samira Ahmed explores how the idea of the desert has been used in literature and spiritual texts.

Often, in Western literature, the desert is a place of self-discovery for a single, romantic explorer or is used as a place to test ideas and fears about the end of the world. But Samira's first encounter with a desert story was that of Hagar and Ishmael. Ishmael, the first son of the Biblical Patriarch, Abraham, is cast out into the desert with his mother, Hagar. Thirsty and abandoned they are saved by an intervention from God and a promise that Ishmael will go on to found a great nation.

Harsh and difficult places to live, yes, but the desert regions of the world are not the unpopulated wastelands of the Western literary imagination. In this programme we hear music and poetry from people who live in deserts and find great beauty there.

There's music from Steve Reich, Tinariwen and Brian Eno, along with poems and prose written by Laurie Lee, Elana Bell and the pre-Islamic Arabic poet, Shanfara.

The readers are Joe Armstrong, Sirine Saba and Emily Taaffe.

Producer: Natalie Steed

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Samira Ahmed explores the idea of the desert in literature and spiritual texts.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Desire2013072120220313 (R4)Sarah Cuddon reflects on the nature of desire - full of passion, ambition, creativity and, potentially, danger.

She draws on the writings of Sharon Olds, Marie Colvin and Gwendolyn Brooks; the music of Edith Piaf, Felix Mendelssohn and Sweet Honey in the Rock and she talks to 90 year old Josephine about the undimmed power of her desires.

Produced by Alan Hall.

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Sarah Cuddon considers the meaning of desire.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Desire Lines20150705Mark Tully follows the paths we choose to take instead of the official routes laid out for us by others.

Literally, desire lines are paths worn over time through a landscape by people taking the shortest or most desirable route, rather than the one provided for them by planners or designers. They can cut across fields or over busy roads, even between countries. But do they represent a desire to break the bounds of convention, or an instinct to follow the crowd?

Arnold Schoenberg and Franz Schubert take a musical detour from the prescribed channels, while Philip Larkin leads the literary trail off-piste, as Mark considers metaphorical desire lines - behaving, thinking or doing as we want, rather than as custom, etiquette or rules would have had us do.

In the end, desire lines could be seen as evidence of human behaviour triumphing over rigid attempts to control and confine - but might they also be physical reminders of our inherent laziness? Is there not something to be said for taking the long way round?

A Unique Broadcasting Company production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully follows the paths we prefer to take instead of the routes laid out for us.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Deterrence20160522Mark Tully ponders why deterrence often fails to deter, whether globally, at home, or in the Garden of Eden. He examines the different ways it is used - including to discipline children, to reduce breaches of the law, to prevent people endangering themselves or others and, perhaps most successfully, to stop the Cold War getting hot.

To consider whether persuasion might be a better option than deterrence, Mark chooses readings on the prohibition of alcohol in the United States in the 1920s, the psychological effects of the notion of sin and hell, and the mixed success of corporal and capital punishment.

While accepting that deterrence can be effective sometimes, Mark maintains that it often prevents us pursuing better options, and can be detrimental - not least for Conrad who ignores his mother's warning that 'the great tall tailor always comes', armed with his 'great sharp scissors', to 'little boys that suck their thumbs.' Conrad is undeterred. 'Snip! Snap! Snip!

Producer: Adam Fowler

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully wonders why deterrence often fails to deter, whether globally or personally.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Diamonds And Coal20110626In this week's Something Understood, Llewelyn Morgan considers how the diamond, a beautiful yet tarnished jewel, is capable of provoking complex responses within us.

With readings from Christina Rosetti, Marco Polo and William Pitt, music from Joan Baez, Bela Bartok and Joni Mitchell, and an interview with bookseller Farrukh Hussain, he examines how this precious stone can bring out the best and worst in us.

Producer: Katie Burningham

A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.

Llewelyn Morgan examines the ambiguous nature of diamonds.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Dignity2013010620221204 (R4)Mark Tully asks why dignity should be so important to us. It is considered a human right, but is it always so noble, or can we use a false sense of dignity to undermine others?

Drawing on stories about the British in India during the Raj, being visited while a patient in a hospice, and the enlightenment of the Buddha, the programme searches for what could be called a fundamental dignity.

In the end, Mark Tully concludes that if we want to be genuinely respected, we shouldn't demand respect, but if we are dignified we will be respected by those who are themselves dignified.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Divine Noise20170219Noise permeates our lives and is often depicted as a fundamentally negative by-product of the hectic pace of modern life. Noise is often used as a pejorative term, it's unwelcome, intrusive and unpleasant. But this isn't the whole story.

Academic Dr Sarah Goldingay argues that noise can be joyful and that joyful noise affects us deeply. She explains that noise and unexpected sounds can trigger moments of profound spirituality.

Sarah leads us on a journey into sound, from the gong baths through which people seek healing by immersing themselves in waves of vibrational energy, to the zen art of Suizen in which practitioners play a traditional flute as a means of progressing towards enlightenment. We hear from the poet William Cowper, who describes how church bells heard at noon on a winter's walk affect him on a cellular level, and we visit a Mississippi church where the congregation pounds out a spiritual pulse on the wooden floorboards.

Through these examples and more, Sarah argues that it's possible to listen out for the divine noise in and amongst the din.

Presenter: Sarah Goldingay

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Academic Dr Sarah Goldingay listens out for the spiritual impact of noise.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Divine Recognition2018061720200614 (R4)Dr Sarah Goldingay argues that we don't need to enter religious buildings to have extraordinary encounters with the divine. She looks to the natural world in search of mystical or 'noetic' experiences.

We hear the story of astronaut Edgar Mitchell who believed he had glimpsed divinity when staring back at Earth from space in Apollo 14. Sarah explains that, while the sight of our entire planet is clearly likely to spark a profound reaction, many writers and thinkers have found the divine in the exquisitely small - a grain of sand in the case of William Blake's remarkable poem Auguries of Innocence. Meanwhile, a reading from the 14th century nun and mystic Julian of Norwich describes an encounter with God sparked by the contemplation of a tiny hazelnut.

Drawing on Vaughan Williams' iconic piece The Lark Ascending, Sarah recalls a noetic experience of her own. Walking on a quiet hill in Devon, she came across a skylark singing which then flew upwards dramatically into a darkening sky - a moment she describes as 'ecstatic'.

Pointing out that profound realisations of the divine in nature are by no means confined to the idyll of an English landscape, Sarah discusses the long tradition of landscape painting and nature poetry within the Zen Buddhist tradition.

Sarah concludes 'a grain of sand, a hazelnut, a lark's flight or a mountain's grace remind us that a noetic encounter is closer than we think. Even in the bright lights of a city, we can lift our gaze upward to the celestial beauty that turns above our heads each night to know the connection the depths of our soul has with the depths of the universe'.

Presenter: Sarah Goldingay

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4.

Dr Sarah Goldingay looks to the natural world for encounters with the divine.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Dna And The Divine20140803CORRECTION: Please note that, in this programme, Joseph Addison's Spacious Firmament on High is referred to as a hymn. However, the music used is, in fact, a setting of the poem as an anthem by Bernard Rose.

In this week's edition, Mark Tully considers whether the discovery of DNA is evidence for or against the existence of God.

He discusses DNA with the Professor of Science and Religion at Oxford University, Alister McGrath, who welcomes the debate between theists and atheists and believes the truth lies between the two sides of the argument.

Together, they question whether genetic codes could have come about randomly, and why a loving God might create something that can transmit pain and disease between generations.

The programme looks at how evolving Christian theology can accommodate new scientific discoveries, and warns against too much faith in DNA to answer the big questions about God, or about ourselves.

Featuring music from Haydn, Michael Nyman, Gregory W Brown and Bernard Rose.

The readers are Cyril Nri, Frank Stirling and Michael Symmons Roberts.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully asks whether the discovery of DNA is evidence for or against God.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Do You See What I See?20080831Mike Wooldridge explores some of the complex and ultimately unanswerable questions about the nature of human perception in conversation with Raymond Tallis, Professor of Medicine, philosopher, poet and novelist. To what extent do we all see things in the same way? Is it possible to see through another's eyes or to know what another person sees when we look at the same object, scene or action?

Mike Wooldridge and Prof Raymond Tallis explore the nature of human perception.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Downsizing20080615Mark Tully considers how we deal with enforced downsizing through financial necessity.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Drudgery Divine20100228Scholar and priest Teresa Morgan explores some of the many ways in which we see work - as a necessary evil, an act of love, a right, a gift and an expression of faith. With readings from the Bhagavad Gita, Gerard Manley Hopkins and Virgil, and music by Peggy Seeger, Robert Fayrfax and Vaughan Williams.

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Scholar and priest Teresa Morgan explores some of the many ways in which we see work.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Dust Yourself Off20070304Food writer Marguerite Patten looks back on a lifetime of love and loss.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Earth's Crammed With Heaven20100103Mark Tully considers where heaven is to be found, in conversation with Jonathan Stedall.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Easter: A Matter Of Life And Death2017041620230409 (R4)In this Easter Sunday special episode, Master of the Temple Church, Robin Griffith-Jones, explores the fascinating parallels between the story of creation in Genesis and the Easter story as told in John's gospel.

The music is sung by the eighteen voices of the Temple Church Choir.

Robin explains that the Temple Church, an oasis of calm in the heart of the City of London for over 850 years, is the perfect place for an examination of the Easter narrative. Three hundred years after Jesus died, the Emperor Constantine rediscovered his tomb. Constantine built around it a vast circular church - The Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Move on another 800 years and the Christians ruled Jerusalem. Back home in Europe, they built a handful of round churches like the Temple Church, on Fleet St in London, designed to recreate the Sepulchre's shape and so its sanctity.

Sat in the beautiful surroundings of his beloved church, with the sunlight streaming in through stained glass windows and the voices of the choir permeating the air, Robin leads us on a theological journey deep into John's gospel.

Robin describes the gospel of John as a strange and poetic text that invites us to see ourselves and the world in a new way. Robin reveals that John's Easter narrative is filled with allusions to Genesis - indeed his whole gospel can be read as the story of a new creation.

Presenter: Robin Griffith-Jones

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Master of the Temple Church, Robin Griffith-Jones, presents an Easter choral special.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

East-west20080824Jonathan Charles reflects on whether travel really does broaden the mind.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Embarrassment2015110120200202 (R4)Mark Tully examines the extraordinary contradictions of embarrassment.

It's an emotion that is an invaluable teaching aid, a source of the purest and funniest entertainment, an experience capable of creating powerful bonds and of causing deep estrangement. It's also a psychological state that frequently kills us - ‘dying of embarrassment' is all too common.

In a programme devoted to embarrassment in all its many guises, Mark investigates the emotion that makes us blush with readings from Jane Austen, T.S. Eliot and Wendell Berry and music by Puccini, Ella Fitzgerald and the French revue star Mistinguett.

The readers are Samantha Bond, Francis Cadder and Matt Addis.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique Broadcasting Company production for BBC Radio 4

Embarrassment teaches, amuses and can even kill us. Mark Tully studies its repercussions.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Embracing The Classical2014110220210627 (R4)Luciano Pavarotti said it was 'so important at a young age to be invited to embrace classical music and opera.' Mark Tully and composer James MacMillan discuss the cross-cultural benefits of sharing classical traditions with new audiences and the power of music to unite.

The two first met during the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra's tour of India earlier this year. Most of the music in this programme is taken from those concerts, as well as from the family concerts which accompanied them, where young audiences got their first introduction to Western classical traditions.

Mark and James compare the classical traditions of East and West and consider the exciting opportunities for music in a new global culture.

With music by Bizet, Schoenberg and Tchaikovsky and readings from Coleridge, Joyce Grenfell and Alice Herz-Sommer.

The readers are Jane Whittenshaw, David Westhead and Francis Cadder.

Produced by Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully debates the cultural benefits of classical music with composer James MacMillan.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Emerging From The Ruins20070610Mark Tully considers life after downfall, personal, emotional or financial.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Endings And Beginnings20130526Arts journalist and broadcaster Marie-Louise Muir reflects on the mysteries of the creative process, asking whether there are inevitable points in our lives when we expect our creative drive to feel exhausted - our best thoughts and ideas to be done - or whether there's always a possibility of renewal.

With a selection of music from David Bowie, Tracey Thorn and Leos Janacek, and extracts from the writings of Seamus Heaney, Brian Friel and Margaret Atwood.

Produced by Rachel Hooper.

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Marie-Louise Muir reflects on the mysteries of the creative process.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Enduring20070408Mark Tully considers the qualities that help people survive life's tribulations.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Enduring Love20070429Enduring Love: Fergal Keane reflects on what makes a lasting relationship.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Enough Is Enough20151025John McCarthy is joined by tenor Ian Bostridge and ecological economist Professor Tim Jackson, to consider whether aspiration for 'stuff' and status gets in the way of personal contentment.

They begin their exploration by considering where our desire for wealth and status comes from, and whether it was ever thus. But the discussion broadens to explore our discontent with other aspects of life, such as sufficiency of time, work, space, looks, faith and love.

They end with Bach's beautiful Cantata Ich habe genug. This translates: It is enough or I am content. The piece is about the very elderly man Simeon at last seeing the baby Jesus when he was brought to the temple. He says:

It is enough.

I have held the Saviour, the hope of all peoples,

In the warm embrace of my arms.

Ian and John discuss the way in which Bach captures this sense of contentment and peace of mind that so often eludes us as human beings.

Produced by Rosie Boulton

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Does the aspiration for 'stuff' and status get in the way of personal contentment?

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Entitlement20090510Mark Tully explores the complex relationship between entitlement and rights.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Epiphany: The Duty To Be Happy2019010620240107 (R4)It is a matter of contention whether happiness should be the proper aim of life. The right to pursue it is enshrined in the American Declaration of Independence and the Dalai Lama has called it “the purpose of our life ?. Nietzsche, however, remarked that “only the Englishman ? strove for happiness. Denominations of many faiths often seem to place more emphasis on atoning for sins than striving to be happy.

To mark the feast day of the Three Wise Men taking “good news ? out into the world, Mark Tully asks whether being happy and trying to spread happiness is a duty we all share. There are readings from the work of James Joyce and poet and performer Agnes Török and music from Scott Joplin and Jules Massenet.

The readers are David Westhead, Polly Frame and Francis Cadder.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

To mark the feast of Epiphany, Mark Tully asks whether happiness is a responsibility.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

To mark the feast of the Epiphany, Mark Tully considers the Magi who carried the good news of a Saviour's birth to the wider world, and asks if there is a duty to spread happiness.

It is a matter of contention whether happiness should be the proper aim of life. The right to pursue it is enshrined in the American Declaration of Independence and the Dalai Lama has called it `the purpose of our life`. Nietzsche, however, remarked that `only the Englishman` strove for happiness. Denominations of many faiths often seem to place more emphasis on atoning for sins than striving to be happy. On the feast day of the Three Wise Men taking `good news` out into the world, Mark Tully asks whether being happy and trying to spread happiness is a duty we all share. There are readings from the work of James Joyce and poet and performer Agnes T怀r怀k and music from Scott Joplin and Jules Massenet.

Eruption20160117Samira Ahmed explores the power of eruptions - emotional, spiritual or geological.

We often think of eruptions of emotion, anger for example, as troubling and out of our control, but can they be useful or powerful ways of effecting change? Giles Fraser discusses with Samira the significance of Jesus over-turning the tables of the money changers in the temple.

Eye-witness accounts of volcanic eruptions and poems by Neil Rollinson and James Kirkup are read by Emily Taaffe and Peter Marinker, with music by Sibelius, Ennio Morricone, CPE Bach and Alan Hovhahness.

Producer: Natalie Steed

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Samira Ahmed explores the power of unexpected eruptions - spiritual or geological.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Escapism20130428The art historian James Fox considers the idea of escapism, asking if there is a human need to escape and, if so, what it might be that we need to escape from.

From the idea of heaven to the draw of nostalgia, and from the reaction against the horrors of the First World War to the appeal of popular entertainment, the human imagination is celebrated and explored.

James Fox traces a path through readings from, amongst others, W.B. Yeats, David Foster Wallace and Marcel Proust, with music from Gabriel Faur退, Vaughan Williams and The Wizard of Oz.

The readers are Mark Quartley, Monica Dolan and Frank Stirling.

Producer: Philippa Geering

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Art historian James Fox considers why there seems to be a human need to escape.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Europe20170618Mark Tully with help from Lord Stephen Green, trade minister in the recent coalition government, considers how the UK might continue to share a European identity post-Brexit.

Quoting current British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's hopes that the UK should be more engaged than ever with Europe after its departure from the European Union, they discuss where Britain should find its cultural centre of gravity in a changing world.

Lord Green identifies fundamentally important human values that have arisen from European traditions, despite Europe's violent history - human fulfilment, social compassion and the recognition of the importance of the individual, and the rights and responsibilities that accompany that recognition.

Mark asks what part Christianity played in the formation of a European identity and if there is any future for it as a binding force now the idea of religion dominating European public life has diminished.

And finally, there is a reminder in the music of Mozart that the treasures of Europe are Britain's treasures too.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully considers how the UK might continue to share a European identity post-Brexit.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Everything Changes20150322Change is written into our DNA. Arts broadcaster Marie-Louise Muir reflects on how we equip ourselves to deal with the inevitability that everything changes - from transformations in our physical being to less predictable shifts in our relationships - and asks whether experience makes us better at dealing with it.

The programme draws upon recent music by Peggy Seeger, Tim Wheeler and Irish music 'supergroup' The Gloaming, as well as extracts from books by Viv Albertine, Julian Barnes and Siri Hustvedt.

Readers: Julie Covington and Jonathan Keeble

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio Four.

Marie-Louise Muir reflects on the inevitable changes woven into the fabric of life.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Everything Has Its Place20110424The pursuit of coherence in our lives is often mirrored in the orderly way in which we manage the clutter of our physical environment.

In 'Everything Has Its Place' Felicity Finch reflects on how we express this desire for neatness and order. Referring to words and music from Carol Shields, Robert Herrick and Daniel Abse, Radiohead, Mozart and Jacques Brel, and in conversation with actress Souad Faress, Felicity explores the comfort we draw from the arrangement of the objects with which we surround ourselves, the chaos thrust upon us by nature and the desire for freedom from the rigidity and limitations that order can sometimes impose.

With readings by Emma Fielding and Jonathan Keeble.

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.

Felicity Finch reflects on how much we feel the need for order in our lives.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Everything In The Garden20100606The journalist Madeleine Bunting reflects on the appeal of gardens and gardening.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Everything Is Music20120422Scholar and priest Teresa Morgan examines why music is so often used to communicate the nature of our existence - from the Big Bang to the human genome. With readings from Oliver Sacks, C.S. Lewis and Milan Kundera and music from Beethoven, Olivier Messiaen and Aaron Copland.

Producer: Eleanor McDowall

A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.

Teresa Morgan explores how music runs like a thread through our lives.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Expanding God20070826Mike Wooldridge explores the implications of our expanding knowledge of the cosmos.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Exploration20140622'There are few treasures of more lasting worth than the experiences of a way of life that is in itself wholly satisfying. Such, after all, are the only possessions of which no fate, no cosmic catastrophe, can deprive us; nothing can alter the fact if for one moment in eternity we have really lived.'

Drawing on these words from the explorer Eric Shipton, the British writer and mountaineer Stephen Venables considers the importance of exploration.

Producer: Eleanor McDowall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Faith And Finance2019020320191208 (R4)Mark Tully sets out to examine the sometimes uneasy relationship between the management of money and religious beliefs.

In conversation with Jain accountant and teacher Professor Atul Shah, he explores the differences between the Jain ethical system of business practice and the prevailing Western financial theory.

There's poetry from Philip Larkin and Benjamin Zephaniah, prose by George Eliot and music from Sanjivani Bhelande and Esperanza Spalding.

The readers are Emily Raymond and Matt Addis.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully asks how religious belief can affect business and financial theory.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Faith And The Body20180805The birth of her nephew prompts musician Jahnavi Harrison to explore what she calls 'the adventure of embodiment'. She looks at how physical activities, both ritual and everyday, can lead to a state of transcendence.

Jahnavi explains how yoga teaches the practitioner to see the body as a temple dedicated to the glory of God; how pilgrimage, by engaging the body in repetitive movement, makes an internal journey of prayer and sacrifice easier instead of just sitting in an armchair thinking about it; and how physical work can become a spiritual blessing.

Readings include the wisdom of Saint Teresa of Avila and the Bhagavad Gita. The music includes tracks from George Harrison, Thomas Newman and the Monteverdi Choir.

Presenter: Jahnavi Harrison

Producer: Jonathan Mayo

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4.

Jahnavi Harrison explores how physical activities can lead to a state of transcendence.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Faith In Numbers20130908When John McCarthy was held hostage in the Lebanon he found an entirely unexpected source of sanity - numbers.

Five years and four months, 1 943 days - numbers always defined his time in captivity. They also enabled John to create his own safe world and maintain stability. In this deeply personal edition of Something Understood, John recalls his own surprising faith in numbers and finds others for whom numbers both comfort and inspire.

He discusses his experience with Frank Close, Professor of Physics at Oxford University. What is it like turning to numbers to explain the mysteries of our universe? Scientists often work intensely for years towards new discoveries, and breakthroughs are rare. Frank describes what that process is like - revealing what keeps him going if the breakthrough doesn't come.

Are numbers our method of explaining everything, or is there always some mystery beyond? Fellow physicist and practicing Hindu, Jay Lakhani, offers us his own unique, scientific and spiritual perspective. Numbers are deeply rooted in the Hindu faith and have been since its inception. We discover the resonance of the number zero, rooted in the Nasadiya Sukta, The Hymn of Creation - describing our journey from nothingness to something, from zero to one and then beyond.

Finally, what about when faith in numbers and faith in God truly coincide? We hear from a 30 year old American Christian who used to be part of the Holy Rollers, a card-counting Christian Blackjack team who used mathematics to beat the casinos. Their success relied completely on trust, within their own community and in the numbers themselves.

Presenter: John McCarthy

Producer: Rose de Larrabeiti

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

John McCarthy explores the potential of numbers to both comfort and inspire.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Faith On The Frontline2011060520220213 (R4)The journalist Jo Fidgen examines how religious belief can be both diminished and strengthened during service on the frontline.

She talks with Padre Simon Rose of the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment about his experiences in Afghanistan and with Brian Turner, the American poet who served in Iraq. And she also draws upon the writings of soldiers who saw action in the First World War, including the Padre Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy, and Vietnam (the poet Yusef Komunyakaa).

With music by Bobby McFerrin, Sheryl Crow, Ivor Gurney and Penderecki.

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Jo Fidgen considers the challenges faced by soldiers with religious faith in wartime.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

False Memories2015060720230625 (R4)Mark Tully considers the consequences of mis-remembering the past. Why do people have different memories of the same event, and how can we remember things that never happened?

The programme includes ideas from American psychologist Elizabeth Loftus, who suggests that memory works a little bit like a Wikipedia page which you can change, but others can change too. She has warned against the dangers of certain therapies that lead to ‘false memory' and unreliable accusations against innocent people.

In poetry, Ravi Shankar describes memories as the ‘wobbly beams' on which we build our self-respect, and Carol Ann Duffy explores the dark side of a childhood misremembered.

Perhaps Jane Austen's heroine in Mansfield Park puts it best, when Fanny Price proclaims, `The memory is sometimes so retentive, so serviceable, so obedient; at others, so bewildered and so weak; and at others again, so tyrannic, so beyond control!`.

A Unique Broadcasting Company Production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully considers how mis-remembering past events can have far-reaching consequences.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Familiarity Breeds Content2012090220211107 (R4)Familiarity plays an important part in life. Familiar people, familiar places, familiar objects can provide us with security, strength and comfort. Why is it then that the most common phrase that we associate with the word familiarity is that it breeds contempt? Mark Tully asks whether it is actually more likely to be a source of happiness and investigates the paradox that causes this common source of contentment to be so frequently overlooked. With music by Lyle Lovett and Sir Henry Wood and with readings from Katherine Mansfield and U. A. Fanthorpe, he celebrates the pleasures of the familiar.

The readers are Philip Franks and Grainne Keenan.

Produced by Frank Stirling

A Unique Production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully challenges the premise that familiarity breeds contempt.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Family Ties20081012Mark Tully reflects on how family relationships and responsibilities change over time.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Father And Son20140223Being the father of a son who's about to turn 21, Hardeep Singh Kohli is drawn to reflect on this special parental relationship.

With reference to the writings of Marilynne Robinson, Cormac McCarthy and Arthur Miller, and music by Terry Riley, The Lemonheads and John Lennon.

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio Four.

Hardeep Singh Kohli reflects on the relationship between fathers and sons.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Fear And Compassion20071216Mark Tully considers the idea that people rediscover compassion when they abandon fear.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Fear Not20160103The last words of the poet Seamus Heaney were 'Noli Timere', sent in a text to his wife. They translate as 'Do not be Afraid'.

The broadcaster Marie-Louise Muir speculates on what Heaney might have meant by this advice to a loved one and reflects on how a calm confidence and moral strength can be developed to keep the noisy external world and its accompanying fears at bay.

With reference to the writings of Keats and JK Rowling, and the music of Talking Heads and JS Bach.

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Marie-Louise Muir reflects on the last words of poet Seamus Heaney, 'do not be afraid'.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Feast And Famine20090329Writer and broadcaster Irma Kurts reflects on the human obsession with food.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Feeling Groovy2015053120240114 (R4)The jazz musician Django Bates has a professional instinct for finding his way into 'the groove'. In 'Feeling Groovy', he reflects on what that means, both musically and in reference to our daily lives - that sense of all things being possible, of being at one with the world.

He draws on the experience of other musicians - such as Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane and Morton Feldman - as well as the poetry of Elizabeth Jennings and the writings of James Baldwin. He also visits Air Studios in London to talk to legendary mastering engineer Ray Staff about the particular appeal of vinyl grooves.

The readers are Jacqueline King and Cleveland Watkiss.

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Jazz musician Django Bates muses on being 'in the groove'.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Jazz musician Django Bates muses on that sense of being at one with the world, of being 'in the groove'.

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Finding Your Father2010070420201206 (R4)British-based Gospel singer and broadcaster Muyiwa Olarewaju tells the story of his search for a father. He was sent from Nigeria to Britain when he 10 years old. His father was shot dead in Nigeria and he never saw him again.

Muyiwa recalls standing on a London high street, with all his belongings in a black bin bag, wondering where to turn. He recounts how he met a church youth leader Emmanuel Mbakwe - now the national leader of the UK Apostolic Church - who adopted him and encouraged him to take up his career as a Gospel singer. This led to a deeper understanding of his spiritual father and eventual peace.

Muyiwa reflects upon the true sense of fatherhood, drawing on readings ranging from Nigerian author Chinua Achebe's classic 'Things Fall Apart', to American Marilynne Robinson's 'Gilead'. He also draws on music and songs which reflect the theme of finding a father - including his own hit Gospel song 'Safe In His Hands,' recorded with his band Riversongz.

Producer: Kim Normanton

A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4

Nigerian-born Gospel singer Muyiwa Olarewaju tells the story of his search for a father.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Finding Your Voice In A Foreign Country2010102420201122 (R4)In this week's Something Understood, Serbian writer Vesna Goldsworthy asks how emigres and exiles find their voices in a foreign country. Vesna left her home in what was then Yugoslavia in the late 80s, following love to a rainy London. She has lived in England ever since, but it took her many years to feel truly at home in the English language. As a poet, she felt her dislocation from Eastern Europe to the UK meant she had lost her internal voice.

Is there a difference between speaking a language and having a technical grasp of vocabulary, grammar and syntax and truly inhabiting that language, having an authentic voice within it? Vesna talks to fellow writer and exile Eva Hoffman, who left Poland as a child, moving first to Canada and later to the United States and the UK. Eva recounted her struggles to find her voice again in her book 'Lost in Translation'. With Vesna she discusses what it means to belong in a place and the importance of language in building identity.

Vesna visits her local Serbian Orthodox church - housed in a former Anglican church building it is an apt metaphor for her dual sense of belonging. She draws on the music of Chopin, whose identity was so divided between his Warsaw birthplace and his home in Paris that when he died his body was interred in a French churchyard while his heart was sent back to Warsaw for burial, and texts including Bram Stoker's Dracula, perhaps the ultimate tale of a foreigner trying to fit in.

Producer: Hannah Marshall

A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4

Writer Vesna Goldsworthy asks how emigres and exiles find a voice in a foreign country.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Fire And Flame2018011420231022 (R4)The spiritual and symbolic power of fire and flame is found in a wide variety of cultures and religions. Flames are an important metaphor in secular literature and art too. Mark Tully searches for what draws so many to the image of a flame - moths, lovers, worshippers and poets.

He meets designer Sarah Van Gameren and discusses her artistic preoccupations with fire and designs which actually burst into flame themselves.

There's poetry by Simon Armitage and Christina Rossetti, and prose by the Indian novelist and politician Shashi Tharoor. Music comes from Gustav Holst and American composer Morten Lauridsen.

The readers are Jane Whittenshaw and David Westhead,

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully plays with fire and flames in an investigation of their symbolic power.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Many religions have gods that are symbolised by fire, and religious or secular metaphors of flame are many and diverse. Mark Tully discusses the spiritual power of fire and flame.

First Impressions20110417Mark Tully asks if we should rely on First Impressions or take more time to form opinions. Can we influence the impact we make on others, and can we be manipulated by those who cultivate misleading first impressions for their own benefit.

Using examples of music inspired by the composers' first impressions of landscapes, and poetry written about first impressions of lovers, and even drawing on the conclusions of research into instinctual judgments, Tully discovers that 'snap' decisions can not only prove trustworthy in the long run, but help to protect us from harm.

But should we always trust our immediate responses, or is there an argument to be made for 'proper' consideration? What are the dangers of acting upon first impressions, and when has it all gone wrong.

Producer: Adam Fowler

An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Follow My Leader20090816Mark Tully considers great leaders and the source of their power to galvanise the cynical.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Follow Your Bliss20180318Mark Tully investigates the meaning of Joseph Campbell's exhortation to follow your bliss.

The 20th century writer and philosopher based his aphorism on a phrase he found in the Hindu Upanishads. It became much quoted following his TV documentary series The Power of Myth, made shortly before his death.

Follow your bliss' has become a mantra for many, but is often misunderstood. Mark tries to get a sense of its true meaning, in conversation with the priest, writer, teacher and pioneering theatre director James Roose Evans.

There are readings from Pablo Neruda, Stephen Spender and Katherine Raine and music by Erin McKeown, Cesar Franck and Beethoven.

The readers are Jasper Britton and Geraldine Alexander.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A 7 digital production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Food For Life2012092320221002 (R4)That food is not simply fuel is a point conceded by most cultures, but at the same time there are lots of conflicting messages about how it should affect our lives in other ways. As we veer between famine, food mountains, food fads, what Michael Pollan has described as national eating disorders, religious and spiritual rituals and national feasting, Julia Neuberger attempts to unravel some of the complexities of the modern relationship with food.

She looks at a range of literature from the food criticism of Brillat-Savarin to the novels of Emile Zola and the memoirs of Benjamin Franklin. With music from Kurt Weill and Puccini.

The readers are Neil Dudgeon and Joe Kloska.

Produced by Frank Stirling

A Unique Production for BBC Radio 4.

Rabbi Julia Neuberger discusses the complexities of our relationship with food.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Footloose2012072920221009 (R4)Irma Kurtz considers how curiosity and imagination inspire true footloose travellers to explore.

She reflects that, for her, the important part of travel is encountering others on the road: learning how different we are, and how alike. Irma believes that by extending your view of the world, you extend your view of yourself so that, by the end of your journey, you will have changed.

To illustrate her footloose theme we hear readings from the work of John Keats, Walt Whitman and Mary Morris as well as an extract from her own travel book 'The Great American Bus Ride'. Music is provided by composers Ralph Vaughan Williams, Edward Elgar and Claude Debussy.

The readers are Liza Sadovy and Col Farrell.

Producer: Ronni Davis

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Irma Kurtz considers how curiosity and imagination inspire true footloose travellers.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Forests: Weaving Magic Secrets2014081020210124 (R4)John McCarthy asks why we are drawn to and drawn into forests, both real and imaginary. And what do we find there?

From Jean Paul Sartre's Nausea to Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the Willows, woodland has often been seen as magical, strange, sacred and scary. The ancient forests of northern Europe were where folk tales began - the wolf, the witch, the gingerbread house, and the poor woodcutter.

Mostly though forests, whether invented or actual, stand in relation to civilisation and, as such, have a particular imaginative resonance.

In Dante's Paradise Lost, he sees the forest being domesticated, from the dark forest of the Inferno, an allegory of the soul's state of sinfulness and error to the ancient forest of Eden at the top of Purgatory, which is a kind of park under the jurisdiction of the City of God.

Following in the footsteps of the poet John Clare on his walk out of Epping Forest and away from his asylum, John McCarthy learns why the forest is not just a setting for so many stories, it is central to what happens next with rules of its own and a way of intervening into the drama of those travelling through it.

The programme featuress music by Paul Weller and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Producer: Emily Williams

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

John McCarthy explores our connectedness to forests, both real and imagined

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Forms Of Memory2017042320190707 (R4)Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand examines our differing forms of memory, collective and individual.

Citing the work of neuroscientist Steven Rose, who states 'lose your memory and you, as you, cease to exist', Shoshana discusses the identity crisis sparked by memory failure resulting from medical conditions.

We hear the words of Oliver Sacks who described a patient with a memory span of five minutes. We also hear Shoshana emotionally recounting the story of how her father, once a radiologist, now sits at home reading his own scans which document the slow deterioration of his brain due to Alzheimer's.

While individual memory is clearly vital to the construction of identity, there is another deeper collective memory available to us. Shoshana argues that, in addition to our personal history, we can seemingly tap into larger shared narratives of love, faith, art and spirit.

Collective memory underlies many of the rituals that we use to transmit our shared values through the generations. One of the best examples of this is the Passover Seder, a dramatic retelling of the Exodus story. Every year on the eve of Passover, Jews gather to re-enact the very first Passover when the Jewish people fled from Ancient Egypt.

The Exodus is only one of many expressions of collective remembering in religious tradition. Christians remember the resurrection on Easter Day, Muslims re-enact Mohammed's journey when they go on pilgrimage to Mecca, Hindus recall the victory of light over darkness on Diwali. Shoshana argues that one of the great powers of religious traditions is that they allow us to access these collective memories.

Presenter: Shoshana Boyd Gelfand

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand examines our forms of memory, both collective and individual.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Fragility20180923Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand argues that we are all fragile beings and explores the lessons we can learn from that fragility.

Shoshana explains that, for Jews like her, Autumn brings the festival of Sukkot which acts as a reminder of the fragility of the harvest and of the Jews' ancestors wandering in the desert. During Sukkot, Jews construct a small hut outdoors with a roof of leaves in which they are meant to dwell for the entire week of the festival. These rickety structures are a reminder that safety and security are fragile constructs.

Shoshana draws upon the wisdom of Leonard Cohen, whose Anthem is a celebration of fragility and imperfection. The song's central line 'there is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in' appears to channel the Jewish mysticism of Kabbalah that asserts that fragility is built into the fabric of the universe.

In the west, we tend to have a fairly disdainful attitude towards the fragile and the broken. Shoshana argues that we have much to learn from the Japanese art of kintsugi pottery. Kintsugi potters smash their delicate creations before painstakingly gluing them back together with gold running along every crack. These once broken pots are powerful symbols of the beauty in our imperfections.

Describing her own brokenness following the sudden death of her younger sister, Shoshana explains that, like the kintsugi potters, she has chosen not to hide the cracks, but rather to embrace the fact that they will always be present. Whilst the death of a loved one can leave us feeling more fragile than ever, Shoshana concludes with the words of Rabbi Menachem Mendel who states 'there is nothing more whole than a broken heart'.

Presenter: Shoshana Boyd Gelfand

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4.

Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand examines the fact that we are fragile beings.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Francis, The Saint Whose Time Has Come20080713Mike Wooldridge visits the unique Franciscan community at Hilfield in Dorset. He talks to community leader Brother Samuel SSF about why Franciscan spirituality has such a particular relevance and appeal today. How might long-hidden aspects of the teaching and example of St Francis be a powerful model for inter-faith peace-making and collaboration for the survival of the planet?

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Freedom2017080620190721 (R4)Theologian Dr Jane Williams examines the nature and extent of human freedom.

Recalling her childhood in an Indian boarding school, Jane remembers her unhappiness as a rebellious pupil in a life controlled by bells. She explains that she saw herself 'as standing in the great company of revolutionaries, demanding my freedom from the school authorities.

Her rebellion never occurred, but Jane's search for freedom continued.

In this programme, she journeys through the theories of natural selection, psychotherapy and capitalism - along with the poetry of Frost, Cummings and Milton - and discovers that 'there is no place of perfect, unconstrained freedom, in which we have entirely what we want. But that does not make us automata: we do have choices about what we will serve.

Jane notes that even Jesus had to make choices. 'In choosing to be the Son of God, in every action, Jesus lays aside other choices, but that does not make him less free. On the contrary, it makes him exactly who he is.

Music from Mozart, Elgar, and Prokofiev accompany her journey which culminates in John Donne's climatic poem, Batter my Heart three person'd God, which reveals that freedom is, 'paradoxically, only to found in being overpowered by something worth all other kinds of choice.

Presenter: Jane Williams

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Theologian and writer Dr Jane Williams examines the nature and extent of human freedom.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Freedom And Control20110116Mark Tully considers the paradox that boundaries and controls can create a sense of freedom and creativity. A sonnet, or a sonata are bound by prescribed form, but in the hands of Wordsworth, or Beethoven they can transcend the rules they depend on.

Using a diverse range of music from Olivier Messiaen, to Ravi Shankar, Humphrey Littleton and the mathematically constructed work of Iannis Xenakis, Mark Tully discovers that structure usually, though not always, allows extemporization which creates something much greater than the original form.

And with the help of the words of others like Bertrand Russell and Stephen Fry who have maintained that constraints enable, or are even necessary for creativity; he suggests that rhythm controls not only music and poetry, but the natural world around us, and can also influence our own spiritual lives.

So do we all need fixed boundaries within which to operate with free will, and is freedom always dependent on control?

This programme is the first of two parts, in the second of which, Freedom From Control , Mark Tully interrogates the opposite view that, for some, true creativity is the result of abandoning all boundaries.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Adam Fowler

An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully considers the paradox that controls can create a sense of freedom & creativity.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Freedom From Control20110123As an antithesis to the previous Something Understood, Mark Tully considers that, for some, creativity is only possible when normal controls are abandoned. To jettison the boundaries which shape our sense of reality and of ourselves involves a great deal of risk and, for most of us, this sounds like a dangerous path to follow. But Mark looks at the artists, writers and composers who have done just that, and assesses whether, in his opinion, their creativity has been enhanced or obstructed by lack of control.

Imagine being given licence to do, say and create anything you wanted, unhindered by what others will think, or how it will affect them. Is there a truth that you might have within you that might be freed this way, and what would you create to express that truth?

And is this where genius abides, or madness? Or both? Can we function as humans and as societies if this kind of thinking is developed, or will we always just tolerate the few 'crazy' artists who push our boundaries for us, while we remain safe and enclosed?

Presented by Mark Tully

Producer: Adam Fowler

An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully considers that, for some, creativity is only possible when control is abandoned

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Freely Given20080928Mark Tully explores the notion of a gift culture. How does a gift culture differ from a commodity culture and what are the intrinsic benefits of such a way of living? And is it true, as Lewis Hyde argues in The Gift: How the Creative Spirit Transforms the World, that art is always gift, not commodity?

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Fruits Of Failure20070311Mark Tully considers our current obsession with success at all costs.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Fruits Of Labour20120603After giving birth recently for the first time, the writer and broadcaster Melissa Viney reflects on how motherhood can affect a woman's creative life.

Does it open up new ways of viewing the world or can it occasionally push them 'to the side of their own lives' as Philip Larkin suggested? Including readings from the work of Esther Morgan, Ellen Bell and Chana Bloch, music from Nina Simone and Clara Schumann and new interviews with the artists Charlotte Verity and Jo Dennis.

Producer: Eleanor McDowall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Melissa Viney reflects on how becoming a mother can affect creativity.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Fullness Of Life20081116Mark Tully talks to Abbot Christopher Jamison about his new book on happiness.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Future Perfect20070506Future Perfect: Mark Tully considers how far it is possible for us to create the future.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Gardens2011070320220814 (R4)Mark Tully celebrates the healing power of gardens. In July 2011, he talked to Rev Lizzie Hopthrow, Chaplain of the Pilgrims` Hospice in Canterbury, about how her hospice garden brings hope to patients and their families.

With poetry from 14th century Persia, to contemporary writers Karl Capek and Diana Athill, and music by de Falla, June Tabor and Stevie Wonder.

Producer: Elizabeth Burke

A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Genius20090719Mark Tully explores the nature of genius.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

George Herbert2014101920210620 (R4)George Herbert provided the series Something Understood with its title and so is, in a sense, the programme's literary patron. Mark Tully presents a celebration of the seventeenth century metaphysical poet's life and work in conversation with his latest biographer John Drury, and discusses the relevance Herbert can still have for us today.

There are readings of Herbert's work and the music his verse has inspired. The featured authors and composers include Vikram Seth, T S Eliot, Alec Roth, Sandy Denny and Vaughan Williams.

The readers are Jane Whittenshaw, David Westhead and Francis Cadder.

Produced by Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully discusses the religious importance of metaphysical poet George Herbert.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Getting Away With It20120624Felicity Finch reflects on the balance of insecurity and confidence in our lives which can prompt us to feel we are 'getting away with it'. From the idea that we are impostors in our own lives, pretending to play a role we feel we're ill-equipped to perform, to the deliberate attempt to deceive others without facing the consequences.

Including readings from Paul Dunbar, John Cheever, and Hilary Mantel; alongside music by Bessie Smith, Fritz Kreisler and Matteo Carcassi and an interview with Professor Athene Donald.

Produced by Eleanor McDowall

A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.

Felicity Finch reflects on the feeling of 'getting away with it'.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Gifts2014031620230226 (R4)John McCarthy considers the complexities in giving and receiving gifts.

As he shops for a present for a relation he hasn't seen for a while, John reflects on the dance of gifting. He explores ways in which gifts can create unanticipated jealousies. They can so often reflect the taste of the giver rather than the recipient and sometimes giving can be manipulative.

The shopping trip brings back memories of a surprise gift John's father once brought home from a business trip, and he remembers his nephew's intense disappointment at not getting the present he wished for from his grandmother. All of which raises the knotty subject of how to receive a gift graciously.

The programme includes readings from works by EM Forster, Eva Ibbotson, Kim Addonizio and Brian Patten. And there's music by Wagner, Chris Wood, Jim Croce and Cesar Franck.

Readers: Rachel Atkins and Fraser James

Produced by Rosie Boulton

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

God Be In My Head20100404The benediction 'God Be In My Head' often forms part of funeral ceremonies. This week's presenter, Tom Robinson, heard it at his own father's recent memorial service, which led him to reflect upon how it's refrain resonates in our lives, both spiritually and in secular contexts. He draws upon the words of Martin Luther King, John Wesley and Evelyn Waugh, among others, with music by Peteris Vasks, Hank Williams, Ben Harper and Walford Davies.

The producer is Alan Hall. This is a Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Tom Robinson reflects on the benediction God Be In My Head.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

God Bless Our Contradictions2013032420201213 (R4)Stewart Henderson reflects on our inner contradictions. Can they ever be helpful to us?

We often think of contradiction as a bad thing - it means being hypocritical, or struggling with two opposite emotions at the same time. But can that actually have its benefits?

Stewart Henderson explores whether our inner contradictions can enrich our lives. He speaks to Richard Holloway, former Bishop of Edinburgh in the Scottish Episcopal Church, who challenged his Church on its attitude to gay and lesbian people and women, yet remained an active member of the institution. Stewart asks him about his persistent refusal to stop questioning Christianity, and if he's come to terms with his uncertainty about the existence of God. Richard thinks faith itself is based on a contradiction: if we could prove our beliefs, we wouldn't need faith - or doubt.

Readings from St. Paul and F. Scott Fitzgerald explore the challenges of living with contradictions, and music from Robert Schumann, Steve Reich and Leonard Cohen show us how they can even be beautiful.

William Blake wrote 'without contraries, no progression'. Do we need to contradict ourselves to move forward?

Producer: Frances Beere

A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4

Poet Stewart Henderson reflects on our inner contradictions. Can they ever be helpful?

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

God Loves A Drunk2016082820190519 (R4)Award winning poet Imtiaz Dharker examines the phenomenon of divine intoxication - being drunk on God.

It's an experience which causes an uncontainable release of energy and intoxication, one that has inspired writers for centuries. Imtiaz explains `Before I ever tasted it I understood the metaphor of wine and its powerful spell. It was in the Urdu poetry my parents listened to, the ghazals and Hindustani film songs with the recurring theme of ‘nasha', intoxicating love.`

Intoxication, especially when brought about by something as pure as love, offers us the chance to lose ourselves, to communicate with an elusive beyond. The imagery of intoxication flows through cultures, enriching art, songs and poetry. Drunkenness it transpires is not always frowned upon. At Purim, Jews are instructed to become inebriated, in memory of their deliverance through Esther. Dionysus offers liberation through wine, a release into exuberant fertility, music and dance.

Imtiaz draws upon the work of the 14th century Persian poet Hafiz and the Sufi poets who, despite being Muslims, used the metaphor of wine, taverns and heavenly barmaids to suggest a longing for God. Music featured includes Joni Mitchell, Jacques Brel and Richard Thompson.

Presenter: Imtiaz Dharker

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4

Poet Imtiaz Dharker examines the phenomenon of divine intoxication.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

God's Comfort2012102120211226 (R4)Mark Tully discusses a concept encapsulated in the words of Julian of Norwich - that All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well. Should we all be thinking about belief in a God, who ultimately always comforts us - the god St Paul describes as the God of all comfort who comforteth us in all tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God?

It would take courage and faith to trust in God the comforter because of course very often we go through travails which seem endless.

Mark talks to journalist Christopher Howse and introduces readings from Gerard Manley Hopkins, John Donne and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, with music ranging from Handel to Melody Gardot and REM.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully discusses the concept of divine comfort.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Gold20131027Starting from her own conviction that nothing but gold would do for the necklace she bought herself to mark the birth of her son, the writer Lucy Mangan weaves a meditation on the value and the meanings that we invest in this precious element.

She draws on the poetry of Ted Hughes and Thomas Hood, writings by Hesiod and a 'gold rush' prospector, Sheldon Shufelt, and music by Richard Wagner and Stevie Wonder.

Produced by Alan Hall.

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Writer Lucy Mangan reflects on the value and the meanings we invest in gold.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Good People, Be Civil20070722Mark Tully asks whether we have lost the culture of civility.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Good Will2016122520221225 (R4)According to the gospels, on the first Christmas Day, angels promised peace and good will on earth. The meaning of peace is clear, but what did they mean by good will and what do we understand it to mean today?

Mark Tully discusses the spiritual and religious idea of benevolence with academic, musician and priest June Boyce-Tillman and asks how we can show good will to those around us on a day which can be both joyful and stressful.

Derek Jacobi and Adjoa Andoh read from work by Archbishop Tutu and poets Mark Turbyfill and Karen Gershon, and there's music from Tchaikovsky, Ella Fitzgerald and The Van Dykes. Albert Finney sings as well.

Readers: Derek Jacobi and Adjoa Andoh

Presented by Mark Tully

Produced by Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully on the angels' message of goodwill at Christmas. Readings from Derek Jacobi.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Gossip And Whispers20141207Psssst ...listen ... John McCarthy considers the pleasures and perils of loose tongued talk.

Gossip is one of the ways we make connections within our social groups but it can be hurtful and isolating for those being gossiped about. The sharing of secrets can reinforce the intimate bonds of friendship - or break them. And rumours, as they fly from ear to mouth to ear, can shift shape to become monstrous or hilarious.

The programme includes readings from works by Ted Hughes, Jen Hadfield and Elias Canetti and music by Tracey Thorn and The Inkspots.

Readings by Peter Marinker, Stella Gonet, Ted Hughes and Jen Hadfield.

Produced by Natalie Steed

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Psst... listen... John McCarthy considers the pleasures and perils of loose-tongued talk.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Grace20160703Award winning poet, Michael Symmons Roberts explores the deep meanings that lie behind the word 'grace' and how this and other words have lost some of their original power.

Roberts explains, `the poet Seamus Heaney once used the phrase ‘the big lightening, the emptying out' to describe the thinning of our religious language, the loss of meaning in terms that once were common currency to describe theological ideas or mystical or spiritual experience`.

Roberts laments the fact that words like water and wood at one time conjured images of the baptism and crucifixion of Christ, but are now more sterile and impotent. But ‘grace' is his central theme and, through the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop and RS Thomas and the insights of the great German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, he tries to restore some of the depth and wonder of a word which we have perhaps taken for granted.

Having a hit song using its most famous iteration has not helped. Roberts explains, `Amazing Grace is still one of our best known hymn

Grandparents2014091420210613 (R4)In a celebration of what it means to be a grandparent, Mark Tully examines the very particular relationship that exists between grandparent and grandchild.

This is obviously a two-way street, so this is a programme full of music and readings that explore the bridge between the generations from all points of view.

Here are evil grandmothers according to Rachmaninoff and inspiring ones from New York journalist Adriana Trigiani; we meet Victor Hugo, the doting grandfather, and Seamus Heaney, the devoted grandson; and musician Josef Suk plays the work of his revered grandfather.

The readers are Emily Raymond and Jasper Britton.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully explores the relationships between grandparents and grandchildren.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Hallowed Be Thy Name2017081320200517 (R4)Musician Jahnavi Harrison explores why chanting the name of God can be such a powerful devotional practice.

Drawing on her own Hindu tradition, she recalls hearing her parents chanting and how important it became to her from an early age. 'The name of God,' she explains, 'is said to be the panacea for whatever ails the mind, body and soul. It was the ever present soundtrack to my life - night, day, birthdays, funerals, weddings and road trips.

Her experience at a Christian school also showed her that other religious traditions say and sing the God's name. She notes that she was 'thrilled to discover this common thread, and the myriad ways that this praise was expressed.

Using the words of the Psalms, the Sufi poets and a number of Hindu saints and mystics, Jahnavi celebrates the power of chanting in different ways and locations and, alongside the music of Vivaldi and Rachmaninov, she relishes in the most famous of all Hindu songs, My Sweet Lord by George Harrison, who is quoted in the programme:

'My idea was to sneak up on them a bit. The point was to have the people not offended by 'Hallelujah' and, by the time it gets to 'Hare Krishna', they're already hooked.'

Presenter: Jahnavi Harrison

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Jahnavi Harrison explores why chanting God's name can be a powerful devotional practice.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Happy Accidents20110320Irma Kurtz considers how serendipity influences and moulds our lives in 'Happy Accidents'.

This propensity for finding something unexpected and useful while searching for something else entirely can be related to science, geography and of course, love. Serendipity differs from mere coincidence - it doesn't knock at the door and you can't go out to look for it.

We know now that the early explorers who voyaged before there were maps and navigational equipment were masters of serendipity. We will hear a letter from Christopher Columbus which reveals very clearly that America was a serendipitous discovery which came about while the explorer was actually looking for a route to the Indies.

Presented by Irma Kurtz

Produced by Ronni Davis

An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Irma Kurtz considers how serendipity moulds our lives and influences our lives.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Happy Talk20080210Mark Tully asks if happiness can be taught.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Harmony20131117Mark Tully pulls up a piano stool and tries to understand the concept of harmony in the company of pianist and composer David Owen Norris, who suggests that it has more to do with mathematics than melody.

We might think that it is obvious what is harmonious and what is not, but our sense of musical harmony has developed over time - as David Owen Norris illustrates at the keyboard with the help of excerpts from Claude Debussy and Barbara Streisand.

But are we born with a sense of harmony? Do other cultures have a different appreciation of harmony? And just how did Beethoven manage to turn the chord of C Major into dissonance?

Producer: Adam Fowler.

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully appreciates harmony in the company of pianist and composer David Owen Norris.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Harvest Festival2008092120230924 (R4)Mark Tully talks to Prof Michael Northcott about the broken relationship between food production and consumption. At this harvest-tide, why will so many of us feel only guilt amid the cornucopia of industrial foods in our supermarkets? How can we recover our sense of food as an elemental collaboration between humanity and the Creator?

First broadcast in 2008.

A Unique Broadcasting Company production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully and Professor Michael Northcott discuss food production and consumption.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Having Enough2017121720211128 (R4)In a programme marking Hanukkah, rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand examines our culture of materialism and abundance, and the prevalent feeling of not having enough.

In the story of Hannukah, the Maccabees - a band of Jewish rebels - have only enough oil to keep the fire in their temple alight for a single day following its desecration at the hands of the tyrant Antiochus Epiphanes. God intervenes and the Maccabees' flame miraculously burns for eight days. Hanukkah is often thought of as a festival of light, but Shoshana argues that its central teaching is about 'having enough'.

Contrasting our fate in the west with that of countless people worldwide for whom securing basic food and water is a struggle, Shoshana remarks that it's peculiar that westerners seem unable to settle upon a level of material wealth. Instead, we try to accumulate as we cling to the notion that having more will make us happy.

Drawing upon the Buddha's teachings, Shoshana explains that eastern religions have an outlook that views all human suffering as stemming from the human experience of desire. The Book of Exodus, with tales of manna falling from heaven, also provides insightful teachings on learning to consume responsibly and avoid excess.

Shoshana concludes that abundance is not a healthy state to be in, but neither is deprivation. The challenge is having enough - not too much and not too little - and finding peace when we have all that we need.

Presenter: Shoshana Boyd Gelfand

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand examines the prevalent feeling of not having enough.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Healing Moments20160515Academic Dr Sarah Goldingay explores the spiritual aspects of healing. Sarah's research into the healing experience has led her to the realisation that the process involves far more than our bodies alone.

For Sarah, healing is about our emotions, our sense of self, the landscape and community we were born into. It's about our very soul.

In this episode of Something Understood, stories from patients Sarah has interviewed reveal the importance, when healing, of a deep connection to something other than ourselves - to our doctor, the landscape around us and to the divine.

With poetry from Christopher Southgate, who examines the feeling of loss following the death of a loved one, and readings from Navajo surgeon Lori Arviso Alvord, the programme dissects what could be called 'healing moments' - moments where the connection between healer and patient becomes imbued with a transcendent power.

Presenter: Dr Sarah Goldingay

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Heat2013080420220626 (R4)Mark Tully considers the power of heat, arguably one of the most powerful metaphorical symbols in both religious and secular literature.

The source of life, it also has enormous destructive power. A spiritual and physical purifier, it is also a force for retribution and punishment. Commonly used in sacred works as a religious trial, it also symbolises passion, emotion and lust in secular writing.

In the middle of summer, as some people yearn for more heat while others try their best to avoid it, Mark Tully investigates these many contradictions in the company of writers as varied as Rudyard Kipling, Frances Bellerby and the contemporary poet Brendan Kennelly. There is music from Franz Liszt, Alexander Scriabin and Ella Fitzgerald.

The readers are Mark Quartley and Monica Dolan.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully considers the metaphorical and spiritual significance of heat.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Heaven In Ordinary2017030520200419 (R4)Writer and priest Malcolm Doney finds surprising delights when taking a closer look at things we often take for granted.

According to Malcolm the familiar can too easily be ignored and subsequently disregarded. He warns that we are in danger of treating our surroundings like a 'blandscape'. For Malcolm there are valuable lessons to be learnt by immersing oneself in the local. This might all sound a bit parochial, but there's another way of looking at it. Malcom explains that if we celebrate the familiar, if we move our attention from the general to the specific, it can open up a whole universe.

Familiarity and routine can be associated with drudgery, but Malcolm draws upon the example of the Christian monastic tradition's Liturgy of the Hours, in which each day is divided into sessions of prayer from Matins and Lauds, to Vespers and Compline. These services provide structure, focus and rhythm they're, landmarks which anchor and support the spiritual development of the believer.

The programme features poems from Seamus Heaney and Norman MacCaig and extracts from authors Xavier de Maistre and Linda Sonna. Music featured includes Bach's Sheep May Safely Graze and Breathless by the jazz trumpeter Matthew Halsall.

Presenter: Malcolm Doney

Producer: Jonathan O'Sullivan

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Writer and priest Malcolm Doney explores the wonder in his everyday surroundings.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Henry David Thoreau2012050620220605 (R4)Mark Tully assesses Henry David Thoreau's influence, 150 years after his death. Advocate of the simple life, champion of emancipation, and fervent opponent of government interference in the lives of citizens, Thoreau's 19th century ideals have inspired civil rights leaders from Mahatma Gandhi to Martin Luther King.

Mark Tully looks not just at Thoreau's famous writings expressing his remarkable affinity with the American outdoors, but at his political activism too, and the legacy it has left around the world. From tax avoidance, to his opposition to slavery, Thoreau was an ardent supporter of the ordinary person. His passionate ideas inspired thinkers and humanitarians, as well as generations of writers, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Walt Whitman and WB Yeats.

Musicians and composers too, were moved to pay tribute to Thoreau and the programme includes works by such diverse fans as Charles Ives and Pink Floyd.

In asking what we can learn today from the writer of the American classic Walden, Mark Tully reassesses Thoreau's message for the 21st century.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Here Be Dragons2015080220210425 (R4)Mark Tully investigates the fascinating power of dragons in Eastern and Western culture.

‘Here Be Dragons' is the traditional description of any creature or place that remains unexplained. It conjures images of batwinged, eagle footed reptilian firebreathers destroying all before them. It also brings to mind extraordinary beauty and ethereal power.

In a programme that contrasts good and bad dragons, West and East, fact and fantasy, we hear from Seamus Heaney and Lam Sik Kwan, George Elgar and Margaret Toms, John Milton and Marianne Moore. A geographical and cultural feast in celebration of the greatest mystical animal of all.

The readers are Polly Frame, Peter Marinker and Francis Cadder.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique Broadcasting Company production for BBC Radio 4

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Heresy20160612The poet Michael Symmons Roberts explores the subject of heresy and puts some surprising names under the spotlight including the Sex Pistols and that unlikely heretic George Herbert. Michel explains, 'I'd always thought that John Donne was the metaphysical poet who really 'wrestled with God', but now I think it's George.

He starts his journey though by referencing the 500th anniversary of Thomas Moore's Utopia, 'a remarkable vision, progressive and impressive in its openness to different beliefs' and tries to square the author of that with the more familiar Thomas More we know through dramas like Wolf Hall. '...maybe those two Thomas Mores are like before and after shots, with the seismic events of the reformation, Luther's challenge to historic orthodoxy, causing More's radical change of heart.

But a main focus of Michael's thinking are the various witch trials and witch hunts that take him through the heart wrenching Salem witch trials, the injustice inflicted on Isobel Gowdie and the extraordinary visions of Margery Kempe, 'she was accused of Lollardy, of siding with the heretical anti-clerical reform movement known as the Lollards, and she made some pretty powerful enemies, like the then Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Arundel. But it's safe to say that her legacy is a lot more impressive than Thomas Arundel's.' Michael's journey is accompanied by the music of James MacMillan, Aaron Copland and Radiohead whose recent release, 'Burn the Witch' begins the programme.

Presenter: Michael Symmons Roberts

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI Media Production for BBC Radio 4.

Poet Michael Symmons Roberts reflects on heresy from Utopia to the Sex Pistols.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Hibernation20181230On this midwinter day, with Christmas behind us and the New Year still to come, Mark Tully sits in front of an open fire and contemplates hibernation.

For some animals, hibernation is a natural state, brought about by changes in their bodily functions. We humans can't hibernate as they do, but we do respond to the urge to escape the winter. For that we need a safe and secure refuge, and companionship - things we do share with those hibernating animals.

All too often, we feel that we must keep going in winter, ignoring the rhythm of the seasons and rushing around as we usually do. But stepping back from our daily commitments, and shutting ourselves away - hibernating, you might say - can bring us peace and joy; it can strengthen our faith and allow our creativity to flourish. Maybe, like WH Auden, Arnold Bax, Fr退d退ric Chopin and many others, we should all pause now and then and hibernate, just for a little while.

Readers: Rachel Atkins and Paterson Joseph

Producer: Hannah Marshall

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4.

With Christmas behind us and New Year still to come, Mark Tully contemplates hibernation.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

High Flight20141123Inspired by memories of a childhood visit to the cinema to see Star Wars, Kester Brewin reflects on our yearning to fly - or, in the words of World War Two pilot John Magee, to slip 'the surly bonds of earth, And dance the skies on laughter-silvered wings'.

He talks with the philosopher Simon Critchley and draws on writings from Revelations, Julian Barnes, Clive James and a recently deceased friend.

With music by Arvo P䀀rt, Bonnie Prince Billy and Jeff Buckley.

Readers: Felicity Finch, Ella Kenion and Sam West.

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Kester Brewin reflects on our yearning to fly.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Holding Hands20130616John McCarthy reflects on the significance of holding hands as an act of trust, commitment, unity and love between fellow human beings.

John interviews retired academic physician Professor Tony Pinching who had major involvement with HIV/AIDS and CFS/ME patients. Tony talks about the significance of the first handshake when a doctor meets a patient for the first time, and also about the special place holding hands can have at the end of a patient's life.

Ambassador Mart Tarmak describes the peaceful protest of 1989, which became known as the Baltic Way, when around two million people joined hands to form a human chain spanning 600 kilometres across the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. As the people held hands, they sang. These countries were granted their independence from the Soviet Union shortly afterwards.

The programme includes readings of poetry by Sarah Kay and Adrian Mitchell, and Sharon Olds' poem True Love. There's music from Stream of Sound, Ray Charles and Nina Simone, and John Martyn sings May you Never.

Readers: Rachel Atkins and George Irving

Produced by Rosie Boulton

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

John McCarthy considers the significance of holding hands as an act of trust and love.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Holding On To Our Dreams20161023The value of day dreaming is a vexed question. Joseph was a dreamer, but so was Billy Liar.

Mark Tully considers attitudes towards aspirations, dreams and ambitions and asks whether we need our dreams or whether they are merely a kind of self destructive escapism.

There are readings from the persecuted pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the Indian teacher Krishnamurti and contemporary poet Jan Beatty - with music ranging from Hubert Parry to Linda Ronstadt and Roy Orbison.

The readers are Adjoa Andoh, Jonathan Broadbent and Francis Cadder.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully asks whether dreaming is a waste of our time or the root of our achievements.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Holy Verses2013063020220529 (R4)In a programme about the role of poetry in worship, Mark Tully examines the work of the poets John Donne, Kathleen Raine and W.H. Auden, amongst others.

In conversation with the poet Michael Symmons Roberts, he discusses the concept of 'religious poetry' asks whether the term, as TS Eliot claimed, suggests that it's 'like a variety of minor poetry'. He asks what poetry has to offer religion and what it means to poets with faith.

The programme includes music by Stravinsky, John Coltrane and Simon and Garfunkel.

The readers are Toby Jones, Frances Cadder and Harriet Walter.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully examines the role of poetry in worship.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Home From Home20120101Irma Kurtz reflects on expatriation.

Expatriation has a long and sometimes tragic history. From the earliest times people have settled far away from their homelands, sometimes to escape persecution or famine, sometimes simply because other countries hold out the dream of a better life.

Now that the world has shrunk, thanks to planes and boats and trains, places that were not long ago ports of odysseys and mysteries became accessible to everyone with the price of a ticket.

The programme includes readings from the work of Primo Levi, Monica Ali and Henry James, and music composed by Bela Bartok, George Frederick Handel and Ferde Grofe.

The readers are Greg Hicks and Vaneeta Rishi.

Producer: Ronni Davis.

A Unique Production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Homesickness2009052420220925 (R4)Mark Tully explores homesickness - a yearning more complex than nostalgia for homeland - in a programme from 2009.

How true is it that all older people are homesick for the culture of their childhood?

With readings from George Orwell and John Clare, and a delightful interview with the late Rabbi Lionel Blue.

Produced by Elizabeth Burke

A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully explores the yearning of homesickness.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Hope In An Age Of Adversity2020122420201225 (R4)A special Christmas edition of Something Understood.

Towards the close of a difficult year, in which comfort has been in short supply for many, hope is a precious commodity. Unable to get into BBC studios in India because of Covid restrictions, Mark Tully returns to present this hour-long programme from his home in Delhi.

In this unique blend of music, interview and readings, he examines what strength can be taken from adversity, what comfort - both spiritual and psychological - can be used to soothe it, and how poets, philosophers, artists and thinkers have found the strength to create joy and light in times of darkness, both now and in the past.

Expect to hear the work of Wendy Cope, Denise Levertov and Albert Camus with music from Sam Cooke, Michael Praetorius and Aretha Franklin, and conversation with Ameeta Mehra, race horse breeder and co-founder of the Gnostic Centre, just outside Delhi.

The readers are Polly Frame and Matt Addis.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully presents a special edition from his home in Delhi, seeking light in dark times.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Hospitality20090405For Palm Sunday, Mark Tully explores the deeper spiritual meaning of hospitality.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Houses Of God2012120220221106 (R4)Mark Tully talks to the Archbishop of Westminster, in Westminster cathedral, as part of an exploration of the contemporary purpose of church buildings.

What is the true function of buildings dedicated to God? Churches were originally built to His greater glory but arguably we build them far less now and preserve them far more. Has our relationship with houses of God changed?

Mark Tully visits Westminster Cathedral and, in conversation with Archbishop Vincent Nichols, discusses the tension between honouring God through the creation of beautiful spaces and the duty expressed by all the major faiths to do charitable work.

With readings reflecting the building of great churches and mosques, as well as humble churches and chapels, and music from Brahms, Bruckner and Morton Feldman, Mark examines the benefits and the beauty of religious buildings. The readers are Toby Jones and Emily Raymond.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully explores the purpose of religious buildings in the modern world.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Humility2013042120220320 (R4)Classical scholar and Anglican minister Teresa Morgan reflects on the concept of humility and whether or not it remains relevant today.

With readings from Aesop, Rudyard Kipling and Charles Dickens, alongside music by Aretha Franklin, James Vincent McMorrow and Hubert Parry.

Producer: Eleanor McDowall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Classical scholar and Anglican minister Teresa Morgan reflects on humility.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Hunger20190120Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand explores the experience of hunger and the satisfaction of feeling truly sated.

Shoshana explains that, in the Jewish tradition, a blessing is said before eating to thank God for the gift of nourishment. Another blessing is said after eating, expressing gratitude for the sensation of feeling satisfied. While the feeling of being full is a powerful source of motivation, many people of faith believe there is much to be learned from the sensation of hunger.

The notion of self-induced hunger might seem strange to a non-believer, but Shoshana explains that many religious traditions involve fasting with different reasons for fasting or depriving oneself of food. The Christian tradition of Lent seeks to re-enact Jesus' sacrifice and withdrawal into the desert for 40 days; the Islamic tradition of fasting during Ramadan is meant to increase self-control in all-areas; and the Jewish tradition of fasting on Yom Kippur helps to express repentance leading to forgiveness.

Shoshana draws upon the poetry of the 13th century Persian poet, Rumi, who describes a kind of 'exquisite sweetness' that comes from depriving oneself of food. But being hungry doesn't always feel as ecstatic as Rumi makes it out to be. Shoshana reveals 'the truth is that following an entire day and night of fasting, I don't feel terribly angelic. Instead, I'm feeling all too human - my stomach growls, my head aches, and my mouth feels parched and in desperate need of some toothpaste and a swish of water.

Nonetheless, she argues, this process is a valuable reminder of just how much her physical hunger is part of her existence.

Producer: Max O'Brien

Presenter: Shoshana Boyd Gelfand

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4

Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand explores the experience of hunger.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Hunger For The New20160327A Hunger for the New - or 'the life value of everlasting change' - is said to be one of the few constants in life. In the week following the vernal equinox and on an Easter Day coinciding with the first weeks of Spring, the human appetite for new adventures, new environments - even new objects or technologies - is piqued.

Mark Tully examines the hunger for new experiences of all kinds with readings from the work of American adventurer John Krakauer, the great German playwright Bertolt Brecht, and novelist and poet Helen Dunmore.

There's music too from Arvo Part, Tracey Chapman and Leos Janacek.

The readers are Polly Frame, Francis Cadder and Jasper Britton.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

On an Easter Day in early spring, Mark Tully looks at our appetite for embracing the new.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Hymns2011061220220821 (R4)The first nation-wide hymn book, Hymns Ancient and Modern, marked its 150 year anniversary since publication in 2011, prompting Mark Tully to explore the history and enduring power of hymns.

He talks to pianist and church organist David Owen Norris about why some hymns- like 'Abide with Me'- have proved so popular. With readings by Jeanette Winterson, John Betjeman , Hilary Mantel and DH Lawrence, and music by Mahalia Jackson, Aretha Franklin, and the Huddersfield Choral Society.

Producer: Elizabeth Burke

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully explores the history and enduring power of hymns.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

I Am20150412John McCarthy is joined by Christian theologian Paula Gooder to consider the phrase 'I Am' as a means of exploring and asserting identity. They begin with God's assertion of His name in Exodus chapter 3, 'I am that I am' and follow this phrase into Jesus' I Am statements in the New Testament - I Am the Bread of Life, I Am the Light of the World, and so on.

The programme then broadens out to consider Descartes use of the phrase 'cogito ergo sum' and then John Clare's poem, I Am.

John McCarthy also explores the South African phrase Ubuntu which translates as 'I am because we are' or 'I am what I am because of who we all are'. And finally, he notes the recent taking up of the I Am phrase in the slogan Je suis Charlie.

The programme includes readings from works by Anne Holm, Mary Oliver and James Weldon Johnson, as well as two poems by Gregory Leadbetter and Sibyl Ruth, specially commissioned for this programme by Writing West Midlands. There's music by Chris Wood, Blind Gary Davis, Gounod and Ben Glover.

Readers: Hayley Doherty and Fraser James

Produced by Rosie Boulton

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

John McCarthy considers the phrase 'I Am' as a means of exploring identity.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

I Don't Believe In Being Lost2010112820201004 (R4)Broadcaster Anita Rani explores the significance of being lost, both physically and spiritually. Drawing on a broad range of music and texts, from the Qawwali of Sufi Islam to the fairytales of the Brothers Grimm, Anita illustrates the importance of losing oneself in culture and spirituality.

In some ways, Anita doesn't believe in being lost if there's a map, a signpost or even a person to ask, it's possible to get where you need to be. On another level we are all incredibly lost throughout our lives. From birth until death there's no plan and no map, just meanderings and different destinations. How does this feeling of being lost manifest itself in our existence, physically, mentally and spiritually?

Anita reflects on the nature of being lost with Reverend Peter Owen Jones, priest, award-winning television presenter and author, described by the Times as 'the bravest vicar in Britain'. Peter has journeyed deep into the wilderness in the footsteps of St Anthony. In a hermit's cell in the heart of the Egyptian Sinai Desert, he lived alone. The experience, he says, withered his illusions and allowed him to see things as they really are.

Producer: Jo Coombs

A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4

Broadcaster Anita Rani explores the significance of being lost, physically and spiritually

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

I Got Rhythm2006123120220327 (R4)An archive edition from 2006 presented by celebrated radio feature-maker Piers Plowright.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

I Sat Down And Wept20160313Samira Ahmed explores the ambiguous power of tears in myth and music.

Weeping is a pivotal act in cultures across the world and throughout history.

The Israelites recalling the promised land by the River Euphrates; Niobe condemned to eternal mourning for her lost children, transformed into a rocky waterfall; Picasso's Dora Marr transformed into the iconic weeping woman, the embodiment of suffering in wartime; King Lear railing against his treacherous tears that 'un -man him'.

Writers, theologians, scientists, psychologists have been fascinated for centuries by tears and what they reveal about human emotion and human experience.

Tears are paradoxical - they are produced by laughter and by sadness, are understood as both a sign of weakness and of strength and, perhaps most confusingly, are used as evidence of the veracity of an experience or of the falseness of a witness, who weeps 'crocodile tears'.

Weeping is powerful, endlessly fascinating to many, but still not fully understood.

Samira Ahmed considers some for the ways tears have been represented in culture, music and religion. She discusses masculinity, politics and tears with poet Andrew McMillan. She explores different culturally acceptable ways of grieving. In the wake of public displays of mourning for public figures, such as Princess Diana and David Bowie, has the UK moved from having a stiff upper lip to a teary eye?

The programme includes writing by Lewis Carroll, John Donne and William Shakespeare, poetry by Grace Nichols and Les Murray, and music by Nick Cave, and Debussy.

The readers were Rachel Atkins and Peter Marinker

Producer: Lucy Dichmont

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

I Want To Be Left Alone20080330Mark Tully considers how we balance our need for privacy with responsibilities to others.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

I Wish You Enough20071230Mark Tully considers blessings - what do we wish for other people and why?

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Ideas Of Self2015022220230521 (R4)Be yourself', we're told. But what does that really mean? What is this thing called self?

The poet and radio producer Pejkl Malinovski reflects on a question that has intrigued poets for centuries. 'I is someone else', Rimbaud said. 'I contain multitudes', said Whitman.

Modern neuroscience contests the idea that we are somehow born with a soul and millions of Buddhists have been living happily without one for thousands of years.

Perhaps a lot of our frustrations in this self-centred era come from the idea that we must control, build and advance our egos, when really we might be a lot better off giving up some control.

Pejk's meditation embraces writings by Gertrude Stein, Fernando Pessoa and Sharon Salzberg.

Producer Alan Hall.

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

The poet Pejk Malinovski reflects on our various senses of self.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

If Only We Could Bottle It20090517Felicity Finch reflects on those indefinable moments when we feel more completely alive than seems possible. As an actress, it is something she strives to capture in performance, but in everyday existence these moments of oneness, where an individual is in harmony with surroundings and other people, tend to come spontaneously and unannounced.

With readings from Federico Garcia Lorca and John Burnside and music by Chick Corea and Northumbrian pipers.

Felicity Finch reflects on those moments when we feel more truly alive than seems possible

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Ignorance2014081720210411 (R4)Mark Tully invites us to accept our own ignorance as a first step on a voyage of discovery, taking his lead from Socrates' well known thought that, 'The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.

He also quotes from Nobel Prize winning theoretical physicist David Gross, who says that 'there is no evidence that we are running out of our most important resource - ignorance.' Mark discusses this importance of ignorance to science with Stuart Firestein, Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at Columbia University, who feels that knowledge is followed by ignorance, rather than vice versa, and that facts are not always the most reliable part of scientific advances.

On a more personal level, the programme considers how we might be more tolerant of the world views and beliefs of others, by understanding the limits of our knowledge and realising that we, too, will always be ignorant.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully invites us to accept our own ignorance as a first step towards greater wisdom.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

I'm A Number, Not A Man20120226In a society based on managerial principles, is it possible that our numbers count more than our names?

Jo Fidgen explores challenges to our sense of self.

She talks to an American man known as Benjaman who was found suffering from amnesia with no personal identification on him and, without a social security number, no means of re-engaging with society. And she also references the writings of, among others, WH Auden, George Orwell and Jose Saramago, with music by Erik Satie, the Kinks and Shostakovich.

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Jo Fidgen explores how modern society challenges our sense of self.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Image And Identity20160619Priest and former chaplain at the London College of Fashion Joanna Jepson examines the ways in which we seek to construct our image while searching for our true identity.

We cast our gaze back to the Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve were naked and harmonious, at ease with their identities before the fall, and we explore the fallout that followed the consumption of the forbidden fruit.

Joanna argues that, in a culture of consumerism, the market forces exploit our craving to create and recreate our images of ourselves through fashion and other material goods. She explains that 'the noise of marketing strategies urge us; drive, goad, beguile and coax us to build our identity in the image of their narrow ideals of beauty, success and happiness. And all the time it pulls us out of ourselves. We are left feeling incomplete, inadequate, discontented, stuck in a cycle of exhausting comparisons. It diminishes us.

Joanna contrasts this situation with the lives of a group of contemplative nuns with whom she spent time when she was 21. She reveals that living with the nuns taught her to 'come home to herself' and to learn the true meaning of the saying 'beauty comes from within'.

Presenter: Joanna Jepson

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Priest Joanna Jepson examines the construction of image and the search for identity.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Immortality2017010820190616 (R4)
20200405 (R4)
Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand explores our fascination with immortality, its significance within both the scientific and faith communities and the desirability of life eternal.

According to Shoshana, our yearning for immortality shapes the world and drives civilisation. She examines the desire to leave a legacy that motivates writers, artists and musicians. The music of Mozart is described as 'a gift to the world', his enduring cultural impact allowing him to achieve a form of immortality.

Shoshana suggests that a longing for immortality may be fuelling our current obsession with celebrity culture as we strive for the fame that will ensure that we're not forgotten. However, the fiction of neuroscientist David Eagleman warns us that eternal life through fame may not be as desirable as we first imagine.

Drawing upon the work of gerontologist Aubrey de Grey, Shoshana discusses the latest scientific research into 'age-reversal' and 'life extension'. She goes on to examine the different approaches to immortality in several faiths including Christianity, Hinduism and her own Jewish tradition.

The programme draws to a close with a striking conclusion - that mortality is not a punishment to humankind, but a gift. For Shoshana, our mortality is a vital catalyst that encourages us to seize the day.

Drawing upon a wide range of music, Shoshana introduces us to the haunting Jewish prayer for the dead, El Malei Rachamim, and picks out blues singer Washington Phillips' stunning recording of What Are They Doing In Heaven Today?. Readings include the philosopher Stephen Cave and the poet Robert Frost.

Presenter: Shoshana Boyd Gelfand

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand explores our fascination with immortality.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Impermanence20140420Melissa Viney considers how we can be challenged by - as well as take comfort from - the impermanence of things.

With reference to the writings of Raymond Carver, Thich Nhat Hanh and William Blake, music by Emily McGuire and Michael Zev Gordon and audio archive of the playwright Dennis Potter.

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Melissa Viney reflects on the impermanence of things.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

In My End Is My Beginning20190421Mark Tully strikes a valedictory note as he introduces the last original edition of Something Understood. He takes as his theme T S Eliot's line from Four Quartets - 'In my end is my beginning'.

This Easter programme weaves together ideas of death and resurrection, cycles of change and cyclical time and the pain and the joy of moving on into the unknown.

There are readings from Eliot, Vera Brittain, Simone Weil and Brendan Kennelly, with music including a Resurrexit by Berlioz, a salsa from Willie Colon and a medieval rondo by Marchaut.

Readers: Paterson Joseph, Emma Fielding and Frank Stirling

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully contemplates time, change and resurrection on Easter Day.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

In My End Is My Beginning2019042120240331 (R4)Mark Tully strikes a valedictory note as he introduces the last original edition of Something Understood. He takes as his theme T S Eliot's line from Four Quartets - 'In my end is my beginning'.

This Easter programme weaves together ideas of death and resurrection, cycles of change and cyclical time and the pain and the joy of moving on into the unknown.

There are readings from Eliot, Vera Brittain, Simone Weil and Brendan Kennelly, with music including a Resurrexit by Berlioz, a salsa from Willie Colon and a medieval rondo by Marchaut.

Readers: Paterson Joseph, Emma Fielding and Frank Stirling

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully contemplates time, change and resurrection on Easter Day.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Mark Tully takes the famous line from T S Eliot's poem East Coker as a starting point for an Easter programme about resurrection, time, change and moving on.

In My Room20170101'Memory is sticky' says author and screenwriter Dr. Frank Cottrell Boyce in his reminiscences of his childhood. 'I worry about what will happen in the future when our reading and our music comes digital and non-stick.'

In a whimsical and intensely personal reflection, Cottrell Boyce indulges in the music, poetry and prose that made and makes him tick. He does all this sat in his boyhood bedroom, in the house where his parents still live, and where he visits each week to look after them.

He remembers moving out of Liverpool city centre - destroyed by the Blitz - to a new housing estate where his hopes and dreams were forged and where, inspired by the moon landings, he became certain that one day he and his brother would be camping there.

There is much in this programme about the meaning of 'home' and the journey to get there, and he pays tribute to his mum and dad for creating a home out of the bricks and mortar in to which they moved. 'They created rhythms and rituals that seemed as unalterable and ancient as weather ... the walk to school, the Friday night chippy supper, Saturday Grandstand, Sunday mass and of course that great litany - with its contradictory mixture of reassuring rhythm and emotional unpredictability ... the football scores as read by Len Martin'.

The programme features the music of David Bowie, Benjamin Britten, Paul Simon and the Magnetic North, with poetry from Les Murray, RS Thomas and Seamus Heaney. Cottrell Boyce wonders about the nature of memory and where home really is, concluding with St Augustine, that God has made us for himself 'and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee.

Presenter: Frank Cottrell Boyce

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Frank Cottrell Boyce sits in his boyhood bedroom and reflects on life and his journey home

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

In Search Of Bohemia2012121620221120 (R4)Irma Kurtz remembers her quest to find bohemia with a small 'b'.

The bohemians had a hunger for art, literature and changing the rules and Irma's personal odyssey in search of a non-materialistic and art-focused society took her from Greenwich Village in Manhattan to the Left Bank in Paris and finally to London's Soho.

She considers the historical background to bohemia and wonders if it exist today. If not, why not and are we the poorer without it?

To illustrate her journey, Irma draws on extracts from the work of Henri Murger, Dylan Thomas and Alan Ginsberg and the music of Claude Debussy, Giacomo Puccini and Juliet Greco.

The readers are Liza Sadovy and Col Farrell.

Producer: Ronni Davis

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Irma Kurtz reflects on her quest to find bohemia, with a small 'b'.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

In Such A Hurry20070211Rosemary Hartill wonders why we all seem to be in a perpetual hurry.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

In The Company Of Children20111225But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.', Matthew 19

It is an old saying that 'children make Christmas', but in this Christmas Day edition of Something Understood, Mark Tully considers what it is that we can all learn from that. He asks how a 'child-like' attitude to the celebrations of Christ's Nativity can help us get more from the day, both spiritually and socially.

In conversation with children's author Michael Morpurgo he discusses both the importance of Christmas traditions that are handed down the generations and what we can learn from children to make the idea of 'a season of peace and good will' more than just a well-meant form of words.

The programme includes contributions from children, including specially written verse and music and readings from successive younger generations, fictional and real, from the seventeenth century to the present. There's music from Debussy, Johnny Cash and The St. Petersburg Children's Choir and readings from Ronald Searle, Mary Haley Bell and Jean Jacques Rousseau.

The readers are Madeleine Southey, Samantha Bond, Gene Goodman and Jack Shepherd.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully asks what we can learn by taking a child's eye view of Christmas.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

In The Fullness Of Time And At The End Of The Day2012111820221023 (R4)Irma Kurtz considers the origins and uses of clich退s.

She finds that, although many of our most often used clich退s originated with Shakespeare, newly minted clich退s appear every day. She reflects that clich退s can be convenient truisms that keep us linked to our heritage and community - but also potentially dangerous generalisations.

To help explain her thesis we hear readings from the works of Shakespeare, Bernard Levin and Daisy Ashford, and music from Ravel, Cole Porter and Frank Loesser.

The readers are Liza Sadovy and Col Farrell.

The producer is Ronni Davis.

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Irma Kurtz considers the origins and uses of cliches.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

In The Habit20181014Mark Tully looks at the regular behaviours we develop consciously or subconsciously, whether good or bad, and asks why it is so difficult to change our habits. He hears how humans are helped to learn through habit, and about how habitual behaviours have contributed to our evolution as a species.

From Buddhist chanting to the Lord's Prayer, Mark explores the role of habit in religious life, drawing on the words of Gerard Manley Hopkins whose poem, The Habit of Perfection, outlines the old habits the poet should cast aside and the new ones he should learn to rejoice in when casting off the clothes of a layman and putting on the habit of a priest.

The habits we might not be proud of are represented in music by Tom Waits, who, when he plays badly, blames his piano for drinking, rather than facing the truth about himself. On the other hand, the 15th century composer Guillaume Dufay's setting of Ave Maris Stella, Hail Mary, Star of the Sea, the hymn to Mary in the office of Vespers monks sing daily, is perhaps a more uplifting example of habitual behaviour.

Whilst Mark takes advice, from some of the readings in the programme, not to fight hard against bad habits but to try to change our ways gently, he does not take them as lightly as Mark Twain who said, `Quitting smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I have done it thousands of times.`

Mark Tully looks at the habits we develop consciously or subconsciously, both good and bad

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

In The Interest Of Boredom2014010520210214 (R4)The Desert Fathers complained of the 'noonday demon' that tempted them away from God. Pliny wrote of people ending their lives because of taedium. But it was Charles Dickens who gave it the name we use today: boredom. He called it the 'chronic malady' of modern life.

John McCarthy explores this most frustrating of moods, that strips the world of meaning and forces us to face ourselves. With readings from David Foster Wallace, Fernando Pessoa and Evagrius Ponticus, and music by Alain Chamfort, Shostakovich and Erik Satie.

Producer: Jo Fidgen

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

John McCarthy explores that most exasperating of moods, boredom.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

In The Midst Of Life We Are In Debt20071104Judith French reflects on usury.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

In The Name Of The Mother2019012720230827 (R4)Journalist Remona Aly has long been intrigued by many aspects of motherhood. While not a mother herself, she relates to the lived experiences of women she knows and, in this programme, considers the symbolic, mythological and religious incarnations of mothers throughout history.

She details the more relatable elements of the Virgin Mary's motherly experiences described in the Quran, such as her vulnerability when giving birth to Jesus alone, and the pain of labour which makes her wish for death. Remona also considers how places as well as people bear children and reminisces about her links to her own motherland, India.

Remona examines the sorrow and conflict that can come with motherhood. She describes the impact of not having children herself and the loss of a newborn, and revisits the Ancient Greek stories of Medea and Pandora, who bring death and destruction.

The wonders of motherhood are also explored, highlighted by neurological research which documents the re-wiring of women's brains during pregnancy, and the strong bonds between mothers and infants in the animal kingdom.

Throughout, Remona contemplates the notion of God in the maternal paradigm and concludes that the power of motherhood moves between beliefs, from the divine down to a human level. Free from years of patriarchal influence, Remona argues that it is time to reclaim the mother's position in society, and ponder prayers that begin 'In the name of the Mother...'.

Presenter: Remona Aly

Producer: Sera Baker

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4

Remona Aly explores the many human, symbolic and religious incarnations of motherhood.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

In The Slipstream Of God20160626Mark Tully meets an artist and a scientist who argue that religion and science have always been entangled, and that our quest for knowledge follows in the wake of spiritual curiosity.

Andrew Briggs, Professor of Nanomaterials at the University of Oxford, and the artist, poet and writer Roger Wagner, renowned particularly for his religious paintings, explain to Mark why they believe that it's been religion which has led the seminal developments in our empirical understanding of the world we live in. Together they challenge the perception that the two disciplines are at loggerheads.

With the help of music from Beethoven and Charles Ives, and words from John Keats, George Herbert and Albert Einstein, Mark joins his guests in seeking the underlying principles which have bound religion and science together in the past, and might do so again in the future.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully meets an artist and a scientist who argue that religion and science intertwine.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

In The World But Not Of The World20140615John McCarthy shares experiences of being detached from everyday life.

He begins by noting the 500th anniversary of the death of Suster Bertken. She was a Dutch woman who volunteered to become an anchoress, bricking herself up in a cell underneath a church in Utrecht for 57 years. Suster Bertken's story leads John to consider other ways in which people feel compelled to withdraw from normal life, or find themselves cut off from the rest of society.

He goes to the Courtauld Gallery to talk with Consultant Psychotherapist and Psychoanalyst David Morgan in front of Van Gogh's Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear. They discuss the difficulty that very creative people sometimes seem to have in feeling comfortable in the world in which they find themselves. And they consider the need in many people to retreat, either as a way of re-fuelling or as a means of escape.

Tanya Marlow describes her experience of disconnection from life as a result of having ME. For the past 3 years, Tanya has spent 23 hours a day in bed, unable to walk down the road, play with her son or leave the house more than once a month. She has found a new world of connection through her online blog and considers her view of the world from her new found position in life.

The programme includes readings from works by Mary Oliver, Suster Bertken and Ko Un - and music by Laura Mvula, Gustav Mahler, Paddy McAloon, and Olivier Messiaen.

Readers: Michael Lumsden and Adjoa Andoh

Produced by Rosie Boulton

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Independence20180708In an age of increasingly divisive politics, Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand argues that a quest for independence is harder than it seems. Reading the story of the Israelites, Shoshana discovers that it took 40 years of wandering through the desert before it dawned on them that independence does not mean being on your own.

Seeking independence is not just confined to nation states - it exists throughout one's life, particularly during childhood. Drawing upon the memory of a childhood piano recital, Shoshana stresses the importance of learning to stand on our own two feet before we can freely choose to connect with others. It was a challenge that pianist Paul Wittgenstein was forced to face after losing his right arm in the First World War. His success in achieving independence through the mastery of his affliction gifted the world the exquisite 'Piano Concerto for the Left Hand'.

While the idea of being fully independent may seem alluring, Shoshana studies the meditations of John Donne and argues that his famous proclamation that 'no man is an island' speaks louder today than ever. Listening to the very familiar melody of America's unofficial national anthem 'My Country 'Tis Of Thee', Shoshana turns to the complex relationship between her country of birth and its former ruler Britain. Breaking apart may cause an initial shock, but Shoshana emphasises it is the interdependence between our two countries that defines our relationship today.

Quoting psychologist Eric Erikson, Shoshana concludes that 'life doesn't make any sense without interdependence. We need each other, and the sooner we learn that, the better for us all.

Presenter: Shoshana Boyd Gelfand

Producer: Thomas Glasser

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Independently Dependent20140720Living alone, as a mature person, can result in creating an almost invisible protective guard and an apparent lack of any need to trust or be dependent on others. Then the promise of starting a new relationship throws into question all sorts of assumptions and expectations about oneself and about the other.

The actress Felicity Finch reflects on the idea of how to be independently dependent, with reference to the relationship of John Bayley and Iris Murdoch and the composer Johannes Brahms' life-long devotion to Clara Schumann, his musical mentor's concert-pianist wife.

Produced by Alan Hall.

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Today's programme was presented by Felicity Finch

The readers were Tara Hugo and Steven Crossley

The interviewee was Marianne Ihlen

Readings:

Title: A Marriage

Author: Michael Blumenthal

Synopsis: Poem exmploring how a couple can find their way of living together

Title: A Personal Touch

Author: Simon Armitage

Synopsis: A couple's search for 'space

Title: Listen

Author: Alice Walker

Synopsis: An exploration of interdependence

Title: Stag's Leap

Author: Sharon Olds

Synopsis: Exploring a complex admiration for the escapes of others

Title: Fair Play

Author: Tove Jansson

Synopsis: Two partners who work and live side by side explore independent dependence

Title: Iris

Author: John Bayley

Synopsis: Exploring how 'the closeness of apartness' became the 'closeness of closeness

Title: Romance

Composer: Amy Beach

Performer: David Halen

Label: AAM Records

Album: Salut d'Amour: Romantic Works for Violin and Piano

Title: Living Through It All

Performer: Stanley Turrentine and Shirley Scott

Label: Blue Note

Album: Common Touch

Title: No Fear of Falling

Performer: I am Kloot

Label: Virgin

Album: Natural History

Title: The Kiss

Performer: Judee Sill

Label: Water Music Records

Album: Heart Food

Title: So Long Marianne

Performer: Leonard Cohen

Label: Sundazed

Album: Songs of Leonard Cohen

Title: Love Will Tear Us Apart

Performer: Susanna and the Magical Orchestra

Label: Magnetic

Album: Ram Caf退 Lounge and Chillout, Vol. 2

Title: Opus 119, No. 1

Composer: Johannes Brahms

Performer: Radu Lupu

Label: Decca

Album: Brahms: 2 Rhapsodies, Op. 79/Klavierstucke, Opp. 117 - 119.

Felicity Finch reflects on independence and starting a relationship in later life.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Inebriate Of The Air20150621Samira Ahmed celebrates the bright, airy pleasures of Midsummer.

Inebriate of air am I,

And debauchee of dew,

Reeling, through endless summer days,

From inns of molten blue.

The longest day of the year has been marked, especially in Northern climes, with bonfires, games and songs. Many of these rituals have faded over time but the sense of exhilaration of light and air and richness of the natural world still resonates. In literature this time of year is often an associated with magic and love: think of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. There's a sense of possibility and optimism that might extend us beyond the mundane and, in the poem from which the title of this programme is taken, Emily Dickinson describes it as a kind of spiritual intoxication.

The programme also includes readings from the work of Tove Jansson and RS Thomas as well as a new commission from the poet Jen Hadfield who sends us a postcard from the 'Simmer Dim' of Shetland inspired, in part, by the Nikolai Astrup painting, V倀rnatt i hagen. It is the image used for this programme page and is provided by Kode Art Museums of Bergen (DAG FOSSE/KODE/SPAREBANKSTIFTELSEN DNB).

The readers are Samuel Barnett, Natasha Gordon and Jen Hadfield.

Producer: Natalie Steed

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Samira Ahmed celebrates the bright pleasure of midsummer.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Initiation20180107As the new year gets under way and in a week in which many celebrate Jesus' baptism in the river Jordan, Mark Tully explores the significance of initiation rites and rituals, religious and secular.

He considers their role in marking new stages in life with readings of poetry by Emily Dickinson and C Day Lewis, and music from Briju Maharaj, Leonard Bernstein and blues guitarist Elizabeth Cotten.

The readers are Alistair McGowan, Emma Cunniffe and Francis Cadder.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4.

As we start a new year, Mark Tully considers initiation rituals and rites of passage.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Inside A Tree2012112520201011 (R4)Mark Tully asks why trees are so important to us.

Why is it that, from childhood onwards, we feel the urge to climb inside their hollow trunks or up into their branches? How does the world seem different from inside a tree?

From Herman Hesse to Seamus Heaney, writers, poets and composers have been inspired by the power and grandeur of trees. The Hindu sacred text, the Bhagavata Purana, celebrates the shade cast by trees and the many uses of their bark, wood, leaves and sap. Their age and majesty inspires respect and, as the Dalai Lama said, trees echo the Buddha's words expressing his fundamental teaching of impermanence.

With professional tree climber James Aldred, Mark visits the ancient yew tree which stands in the corner of St George's Churchyard in Crowhurst, Surrey. Together they climb inside its hollow trunk to contemplate the protective, comforting presence of a living organism which has stood in one place for four thousand years.

James has climbed hundreds of trees all over the world, even slept inside them. He describes the connection he makes with them and the way each tree he meets seems to have a distinct personality. Being inside a tree is the closest he comes to prayer.

Producer: Jo Coombs

A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully asks why trees are important to us - and what it means to be Inside a Tree.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Inside Out2016110620190623 (R4)Journalist Remona Aly uses music, prose and poetry to explore the experience of being both an insider and an outsider.

Having grown up in Britain as the child of Indian parents, Remona is familiar with the feeling of being on the outside. As a child she was the only brown girl in a white neighbourhood. She explains that, in Britain, she's still `not quite British enough` for some while, when visiting her relatives in India, she gets referred to as `the English one`.

Muslims, Remona argues, have outsider blood flowing through their veins. The Prophet Muhammad himself was cast out from society in the land of his birth. Shunned and persecuted by his own people, he, along with a small band of early Muslims, became refugees, migrating from the trials of Mecca to the sanctuary of Medina in what is now Saudi Arabia. This experience of being an outsider, Remona explains, was vital to the leadership of the Prophet when he came to build a new community of followers.

According to Remona, the ability to traverse the worlds of the insider and outsider can be hugely beneficial. By embracing outsider status, we can step back from the action and gain crucial insights into the society to which we belong.

The programme features readings from psychologist Adrian Furnham and influential Muslim convert Leopold Weiss. Remona also draws upon the poetry of Rumi and the music of Yusuf Islam and Woody Guthrie.

Presenter: Remona Aly

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4

Journalist Remona Aly explores the experience of being both an insider and an outsider.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Inside The Institution2015080920200301 (R4)
20210502 (R4)
Mark Tully discusses the impact and the power institutions have in our lives. From corporations, banks and armies to schools and hospitals, whatever we think of them, institutions are an enormous part of our lives. So how do they influence us and how should we live with them?

In conversation with Professor Simon Wessely, President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and a leading researcher into mental health in the military, Mark Tully investigates the positive power of institutions as well as the dangers of institutionalisation.

There's music from Henry Priestland, the Buena Vista Social Club and the Band of the Grenadier Guards and readings ranging from Charlotte Bronte to screenwriter William Styron.

The readers are Polly Frame, Peter Marinker and Francis Cadder.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique Broadcasting Company production for BBC Radio 4

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Intimations Of Mortality2012082620211031 (R4)Death is a subject we are often reluctant to discuss. It is often considered morbid to do so. It has commonly been described as the last taboo. However, some argue that a sense of our own mortality plays a vital part in our understanding of life. Further, that demystifying the process of death can be essential to getting the most out of life.

Mark Tully considers the advantages of being open to the intimations of mortality which we may come across daily.

In conversation with Baroness Rabbi Julia Neuberger he discusses attitudes to risk, memento mori and living legacies. With readings from Virginia Woolf, Kabir and music by Nitin Sawnhay and Gustav Mahler, he asks whether being open to intimations of mortality can bring more to life.

The readers are Helen Ryan and Kenneth Cranham.

Produced by: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully investigates our attitudes to mortality, arguably the last taboo.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Into The Dark2013031720200719 (R4)John Agard, who has recently received the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry, offers some of his own work in a programme that reflects on the way we interpret lightness and darkness.

With reference to literature, mythology and religious thought, as well as music by Nina Simone, Johnny Cash and Richie Havens, he considers what it means to embrace the darkness.

Readers: Adjoa Andoh and Emma Fielding

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Poet John Agard reflects on what it means to embrace the darkness.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Inventories For Life20150208It could be said that humans are list-making beasts. Life is filled with them - shopping lists, to-do lists, guest lists, resolutions, inventories of things we desire, categories of favourite books or songs, tenets of faith, catalogues of things we want to do before we die.

Samira Ahmed delves into the secret life of lists and reflects on what they reveal about ourselves.

She takes her inspiration from a masterwork of list-making - the Pillow Book by Sei Shonagan, written in 11th century Japan - and considers how this writer's drive to itemise her cloistered world in minute detail reveals startling psychological depths that still resonate down the centuries.

Drawing on writers as diverse as Nora Ephron, Woody Guthrie and Michael Ondaatje, Samira considers the magic of a great list, where each individual item enhances the others - whether in a poignant list of longing written at the end of a foreshortened life, a jaunty jumble of new year's resolutions or a heap of entertaining insults.

Lists can also have a dark side - the focus of obsession, anxiety or regret. Samira considers how Erik Satie's compulsive list making might be reflected in his music. Lists can also be a source of pleasure, as can be heard in an archive interview with Judi Dench about her devotion to to-do lists.

There are readings from writers including Michael Donaghy, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Umberto Eco, with music by Artie Shaw, Nina Simone and The Divine Comedy.

Produced by: Caroline Hughes

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Samira Ahmed reflects on the lists people make and what they can reveal about our lives.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Is Art Good For Us?20161218The poet Michael Symmons Roberts explores the idea that the arts are good for us - body and soul - and considers whether they can be both tonic and threat to society.

He says, 'Art is as various as we are, and its moral weight and status is unstable, unpredictable. In times when people are losing trust in politics and religion, art can start to look like a replacement. But if we put too much of our moral weight and hope into art, we imperil it, and it can imperil us too.

Some of the great Victorian philanthropists thought art would benefit society and used their wealth to make art freely available to the masses. Whether or not the original Turner paintings offered in a Manchester museum,improved the lives of the working class is not evidenced, but the continued idea that the arts are of moral benefit persists.

Roberts offers the example of Ken Loach's groundbreaking film Cathy Come Home as a sign that society can be improved through the arts - along with the way Bob Dylan and others used their music to effect social change in the US during the 1960s.

But he also strikes a note of caution. 'The arts can act as the conscience of the state, a challenging force for good. But they can equally be used as an instrument of propaganda. Whenever I hear the arts per se being touted as a positive moral and political force in society, I start to feel uneasy.' Using evidence of Nazi propaganda from the Second World War, he also points out that a love of art is not necessarily an indication of a healthy morality.

Roberts concludes that art is not per se a good thing for us, but that he 'couldn't imagine, and wouldn't want to, a life without music or poetry or films or paintings'.

Presenter: Michael Symmons Roberts

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

The poet Michael Symmons Roberts asks whether the arts are good for us.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Is This The Way?20090104Mark Tully considers many people's new-found reliance on 'sat nav'.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

It's A Secret20180701Is a secret always dishonest? Is transparency always advisable? Can keeping a confidence lead to greater openness? Mark Tully looks at the positive and negative power of secrets, in conversation with the physicist Dr Patricia Lewis, Research Director for International Security at the think tank Chatham House.

Mark explores the subject further through the music of Camille Saint-Saens and Geoffrey Burgon, and with readings from WH Auden and AE Housman.

The readers are Paapa Essiedu and Emily Bowker.

Producer: Frank Stirling

Presenter: Mark Tully

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully considers the ethics of secrecy and the importance of secrets in everyday life.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Joy20160605Lord Sacks, the former Chief Rabbi, uses his debut presenting Something Understood to reflect on joy through music, prose and poetry and some profound insights from his own life.

In a deep and moving programme Rabbi Sacks reflects on the difference between joy and happiness. The programme begins with a blast from Beethoven's great Choral Symphony and the final movement which uses the words of Schiller's Ode to Joy , Freude, sch怀ner G怀tterfunken, 'Joy, O wondrous spark divine.' He goes on to point out the fact that Jewish history has not been obviously full of joy, but he uses two Psalms to illustrate the fact that despite suffering the Jewish faith is full of joy and the praise of God.

He ponders the uncertain world we live in and the anxiety it causes. Nevertheless he says 'we are in a world filled with beauty. Every breath we breathe is the spirit of God within us. Around us is the love that moves the sun and all the stars. We are here because someone wanted us to be.

Another aspect of the modern world, the 'selfie', prompts an insight inspired by Wordsworth's poem Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey. 'The self is too narrow a place to find meaning and satisfaction...the power of joy is that it momentarily silences the self so that we can see into 'the life of things' and hear the music of the universe.

Presenter: Lord Sacks

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Lord Sacks, the former chief rabbi, reflects on the powerful human emotion of joy.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Judgement Day2017100120190804 (R4)Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand reevaluates our use of the word judgemental, arguing that it needn't have negative connotations. She concludes that, ultimately, we need to be judged.

For some people of faith the phrase 'judgement day' summons up images of fire and brimstone. Shoshana reveals that for Jews, judgement day is an annual event. Yom HaDin, The Day of Judgement, is the biblical name for the holiday known as Rosh Hashanah. Shoshana explores the traditions of both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (which follows ten days later).

Interweaving music ranging from Leonard Cohen's Who By Fire and Bob Marley's Judge Not to Mozart's Requiem Mass, Shoshana notes that the idea of a judgement day has always fascinated musicians. Interestingly, musical interpretations of the Day of Judgement vary wildly in tone. We hear the voices in Mozart's Requiem trembling with dread in response to a stern God, whilst Faure's Requiem does away with the wrathful imagery and depicts death as a peaceful release from struggle. Reflecting on the differences between these great composers' depiction of judgement day, Shoshana argues that we need a balance between judgement and mercy in our lives.

Shoshana goes on to reference the troubled history of the judicial system during the American Civil Rights Movement and the role of the therapist who must withhold their judgement when counselling their patients. She also examines the doctrine of karma - a system of divine justice.

Presenter: Shoshana Boyd Gelfand

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Shoshana Boyd Gelfand reevaluates the word judgemental, arguing that we need to be judged.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Julian Of Norwich2018012820231105 (R4)Mark Tully investigates the resurgence of interest in Mother Julian of Norwich.

Mother Julian was an anchoress, or hermit, who shut herself up in a cell, following a series of visions of Christ during a dangerous illness. She referred to herself as 'a simple creature' and yet has been described as 'the greatest English theologian'.

Mark looks at the earliest manuscripts of her Revelations of Divine Love with bibliographic historian Dr Mary Wellesley at the British Library, and discusses the powerful appeal of the book considered to be the first by a woman writing in English.

Through readings and music inspired by Julian's life and work, he explores her increasing popularity with a modern audience and admirers, including the composer Roxanna Panufnik, the mystic and author Thomas Merton and the poet TS Eliot.

The readers are Jane Whittenshaw and David Westhead.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The 14th-century mystic Mother Julian of Norwich has been gaining new admirers in recent years. Mark Tully asks what this visionary medieval theologian has to offer society now.

Mother Julian was an anchoress, or hermit, who shut herself up in a cell, following a series of visions of Christ during a dangerous illness. She referred to herself as a simple creature and yet has been described as the greatest English theologian.

Jump!2011100220220227 (R4)Cathy Fitzgerald explores the terror, bliss and sheer delight of taking a leap.

With readings from Jeanette Winterson, Maud Parrish and Hermann Hesse and music from Rodrigo y Gabriela, Harry Belafonte and Bernard Hermann, Cathy reflects on our fear of jumping into the unknown - and examines the strange and wonderful places we can land when we do decide to take the plunge.

Produced by Eleanor McDowall

A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4

Cathy Fitzgerald explores the terror and sheer delight of taking a leap.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Just Listen20130310Mark Tully encourages us to do something that is not always easy, but often greatly appreciated: hold our tongues to better hear what others have to say.

In the process he admits that, in his own profession of journalism, listening skills are not always the ones most called upon; that you don't have to be able to hear in order to listen and that, for some, the pictures really are better on radio than television.

With music from the Taize Community, Rossini, Stravinsky and Britten, and featuring writing by Wallace Stevens, Rumi, and Sorley MacLean, this programme is an ample meal for the ears.

So - Just Listen!

The readers are Grainne Keenan and John McAndrew.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully encourages us to hold our tongues to better hear what others have to say.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Keeping A Mind Open2019030320231203 (R4)Mark Tully debates the pros and cons of an open mind - in life, in politics, in philosophy.

Keeping an open mind lies at the heart of Something Understood - or so Mark suggests. There may, however, be advantages to having a closed mind from time to time - to maintaining unswerving resolution and decisiveness, to wearing metaphorical blinkers to maintain a necessary focus.

Mark Tully examines the cases for and against keeping a mind open at all times with readings from the work of philosophers Eric Hoffer and Bertrand Russell, verse from 13th century mystic Rumi, and music by Arvo Part and Bengali singer Paban Das Baul.

The readers are Jasper Britton, Adjoa Andoh and Francis Cadder.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully debates the pros and cons of an open mind - in life, politics and philosophy.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Is open-mindedness an essential tool for living or does it signify empty-headedness? Mark Tully teases at this puzzle with help from Sufi, Rumi, and philosopher Bertrand Russell.

Keeping The Past Alive20130707Samira Ahmed considers the value of reviving, re-examining and re-connecting with the past. She explores the significance of bringing back lost traditions, values, stories and memories in order to re-experience them in the present.

Brandyn Shaw is a young man who is recreating a 1930's life for himself in the 21st Century. He dresses in period clothes, sings Al Bowlly songs in 30's clubs and he even has an iron from the 1930's to get his shirts properly starched. For Brandyn, this is a life of escape into what he perceives as a gentler way of living.

So, can the past teach us lessons to address the challenges of the present? Or can it only offer moments of rose tinted, historical escapism?

The programme includes John Agard's poem John Edmonstone, Old Tongue by Jackie Kay and Nostalgia by Billy Collins. Plus music by Perotin, Joan Baez and Kate Rusby.

Produced by Rosie Boulton

A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4.

Samira Ahmed considers the value of re-examining the past.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Keeping Time20110501The history of our clocks is practically as long as our history. Other creatures seem content to hear and obey their inner clocks but from the early days - perhaps when we saw how our shadows changed throughout the day - we wanted desperately to attempt a hold on time.

In 'Keeping Time' Irma Kurtz reflects on clocks, the connection of timepieces to navigation and the way in which we make punctuality a virtue.

The readers are Liza Sadovy and Jonathan Firth.

Presenter: Irma Kurtz

Producer: Ronni Davis

An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Irma Kurtz reflects on clocks and our need to measure time.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Keeping Up Appearances2014011220210404 (R4)Mark Tully examines the human preoccupation with fashion and the importance we so often attach to appearances. He asks why looking one's best can be so important on spiritual, domestic and social planes.

In a programme that touches on fashion as displayed on Neolithic statues, in the court of Louis XIV and on contemporary catwalks, Mark talks to fashion historian Dr. Chris Breward, Professor of Cultural History at Edinburgh University, and introduces readings from William Hazlitt, Pat Parker and Mary Quant.

He also plays music by court composer Jean-Baptiste Lully, Peter Philips and the Cherry Poppin' Daddies.

The readers are Adjoa Andoh and Michael Feast.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully examines the human preoccupation with fashion.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Knights In Shining Armour2010080120220306 (R4)Tom Robinson reflects upon our yearning to be rescued.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Labyrinths2014051820230312 (R4)John McCarthy makes his way to the centre of the labyrinth.

Labyrinths have been created and used throughout the world in many countries, cultures and spiritual contexts. Carved onto rock, dug into the earth and built into cathedral floors these ancient patterns have been used for meditation, to tell stories and as a metaphor for life's journey.

John McCarthy walks a labyrinth with Jan Sellers, a Quaker and labyrinth facilitator, and discusses the search for peace and stillness as well as the fear that we might encounter a monster at the centre.

The programme includes readings from works by Ellen Meloy, Ted Hughes, Charles Rangley-Wilson and John Ashberry with music from Johnny Cash, The Unthanks, Gluck and Paul Giger.

The readers are Peter Marinker and Emily Taaffe.

Producer: Natalie Steed

A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Laugh And The World Laughs With You20090823Irma Kurtz reflects on laughter and its importance to spiritual wellbeing.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Learning And The Reasons Of The Heart2016100920190602 (R4)Writer and theologian Jane Williams examines the relationship between learning and language and the tension between what we know in our hearts and what we can articulate.

Jane starts by looking at the beginning of life, when we exist in a pre-verbal stage. As wondrous as it is to see the arrival of speech in a child, there has long been a sense that children lose something as they try to contain their world in language.

Speech is one of the primary metaphors for God's communication. Jane explores the extraordinary mixed metaphor of a Divine Language that becomes a human being and, even more strangely, a human being who has to learn to speak. The Word of God made wordless, a baby able only to cry and babble.

As a theologian it is Jane's job - and her delight - to try to render our understanding of God in words. She explains that words are bound to be incomplete, but that's not an admission of failure, it's a celebration of the fact that language has its limits.

Presenter: Jane Williams

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4

Theologian Jane Williams examines the relationship between learning and language.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Learning To Be Human2013081120230205 (R4)What if being human is an act of will? Like many people on the autism spectrum, Dawn Prince-Hughes says she felt like an alien in human society, unable to understand its rules. Until, that is, she found an unusual teacher - a gorilla. By copying him, she 'learnt to be human', and moved from being a stripper to an anthropology professor.

In this programme, John McCarthy explores alternative paths to humanity and what they reveal to us about ourselves.

With words from Albert Camus, Margaret Atwood, Mary Shelley and Edvard Munch, and music from Keeril Makan, Beethoven and Emmanuel Jal.

Producer: Jo Fidgeon

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Gorillas taught me to be human.' John McCarthy explores unusual paths to humanity.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Learning To Wait20110821Taking his cue from Richard Church's eponymous poem, Tom Robinson considers what's required of us in 'Learning To Wait'.

The poem's paradoxical observation, 'All that I have grasped at I have lost, All I relinquished won', provokes Tom to explore the work of other writers who have reflected on wanting and waiting, including Milan Kundera, TS Eliot and DH Lawrence. With music by KD Lang, Shostakovich and Brian Eno.

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Tom Robinson reflects on wanting and waiting.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Legitimacy2016052920191229 (R4)Mark Tully asks what makes a government, a religion or even a friendship legitimate. Why to we give power to others to legislate for us, or take and spend our money, or tell us what is right or wrong?

With the help of a reading from Rumpole of the Bailey, Mark considers what makes a legal system legitimate, with judges who do not yield to the temptation to enrich themselves or bend under pressure to please the government, courts who deliver justice swiftly, and laws which are rightful. He also suggests the qualities required of individual politicians in strengthening the legitimacy of a government - honesty and integrity, willingness to serve others rather than pursue their own ambitions, and courage to do what they believe in rather than what is popular.

Music by Billy Bragg written during the miners' strike in the UK in the 1980s, as well as a remarkable historical account of popular resistance to heavy-handed military force in 19th century London, illustrate the point made by the author of The Right to Rule, Bruce Gilley, that, `Rightful rule is rule that is consistent with the moral expectations of a political community.`

Or, as Rousseau would have it, `The strongest is never strong enough to be the master unless he translates strength into right and obedience into duty.

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Lest We Forget2007111120231112 (R4)For Remembrance Day, Mike Wooldridge considers what happens to our collective memory when we lose our first-hand witnesses. In conversation with the anti-genocide campaigner and founder of the Aegis Trust, Dr James Smith, he discovers why is it so important not just to remember, but to learn the lessons of such remembering for the sake of generations to come.

First Broadcast in 2007.

A Unique Broadcasting Company production for BBC Radio 4

For Remembrance Day, Mike Wooldridge discovers why is it so important to remember.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Letting Go2012123020221218 (R4)Mark Tully asks when it is right to relinquish our dreams and how best to leave grief behind? From sporting defeat to the loss of a loved one, this programme looks at the benefits of knowing when to let go, and the consequences of not doing so.

Readings explore the notion of letting go of worldly successes and status symbols in preparation for retirement; the pain of bereavement as the gradual process of forgetting begins; a Hindu tradition of renouncing material possessions and family connections before death; and the joy of finally accepting defeat.

Music featured in the programme includes an excerpt from an opera unfinished by Claude Debussy which he finally let go of by pretending to have burned the score.

And in poetry, Naomi Shihab Nye suggests that if we don't lose things - let them go - we will never, learn the tender gravity of kindness.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully asks when it is right to relinquish dreams, and how best to leave grief behind.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Letting Your Hair Down20110717Mark Tully presents an edition of Something Understood on 'Letting Your Hair Down', in which he goes to the pub, talks with friends and tests the premise that kicking over the traces and relaxing is healthy mentally and spiritually.

In a roistering programme about the importance of celebrating, relaxing and pushing the boat out once in a while, he examines the pros and cons of letting our hair down and asks where we should draw the line and what the types of rest and recreation that we ought to take seriously are: from food and drink to laughter and friendship.

The programme draws on the writings of an eclectic bunch this week, with readings from St Thomas Aquinas, Graham Greene, Casanova and John Masefield and with music from Mozart, Elgar and Fats Waller.

The readers are Kenneth Cranham and Isla Blair.

Producer: Frank Stirling

An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully 'lets his hair down' as he discusses the importance of relaxing with friends.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Library Of Secrets2008011320220116 (R4)US writer and broadcaster Dmae Roberts reflects on the enduring allure of secret places.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Life In A Seminary2012061020220724 (R4)Mark Tully is intrigued by life in a Roman Catholic seminary. How are young men trained for the priesthood?

In 2012, he visited Allen Hall Seminary in the busy heart of London, where Dean of Studies and Formation Advisor Father Stephen Wang explained the need for his students to train for their pastoral role within the Catholic community. Seminarians at Allen Hall spend much of their time in local parishes, schools and hospitals preparing for life as a Diocesan priest. And yet it's also crucial that they have the quiet, contemplative space they need to develop spiritually. They must become men of God and men of communion.

Mark explores the history of the seminary system, with readings from Anthony Kenny and Denis Meadows, and hears music written by ancient monks in isolation. He speaks to writer and academic John Cornwell, whose own time at Upholland Seminary in the 1950s left a strong imprint on his spiritual life. The Junior Seminary system he experienced from the age of 12 no longer exists, but John believes that there are still serious flaws in the way the Catholic Church trains its priests. He argues that seminarians are too separated out from the world and from the people they are destined to serve once ordained.

Ultimately, becoming a priest requires huge dedication - what Jesuit Father Pedro Arrupe described as a 'falling in love' with God. Perhaps what is also needed is a balance, between the prosaic and the spiritual, between being within the world and being apart from it.

Producer: Hannah Marshall

A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully explores life in a seminary. How are young men trained for Catholic priesthood?

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Life On Hold20120819What does it mean for our ordinary lives to be unexpectedly interrupted? When we struggle with a bereavement, caring for a loved one or attempt to recover after being suddenly uprooted, we can feel that time has come to a stand still.

Elaine Storkey reflects on the moments when we experience an unexpected pause in our normal lives and how we learn to set them in motion again.

With readings from John Milton, Anne Enright and Nahida Izzat and music by Paul Robeson, Bach and Mahalia Jackson.

Produced by Eleanor McDowall

A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.

Elaine Storkey reflects on the moments when our normal lives are put on hold.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Limbo20080706Limbo: Mark Tully considers the state of limbo, where time can seem to stand still.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Listening20100627Violinist Ruth Waterman reflects on the art of listening.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Little Angels Here Below20070715Writer and performer Judith French considers the ways of children and angels.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Living And Learning2012012220220515 (R4)Mark Tully meets adult learners with no previous academic qualifications. He discovers the benefits of education later in life, not just for the students but for society too.

Much of the programme is recorded in Oxford as Tully follows a rather unusual group of students as they enroll at the University's Bodleian Library. The Ransackers all missed out on education when they were younger, but they all have a passion for a research project of their own choosing. Now, they have been given the chance to pursue their interests by Ruskin College who pay all their costs for an intensive ten-week course of study.

In an interview with the Principal of Ruskin College, Audrey Mullender, Tully encounters the ideals of John Ruskin, the 19th century art critic, painter and educationalist. In those days when the class system was almost set in stone Ruskin believed that, through education, workers could achieve a vital sense of self-fulfillment.

And it's the 21st century passion for the benefits of self-fulfillment that Tully encounters when he meets the founder of the Ransackers, Vi Hughes. She speaks of the fear many older people have: fear of education, and fear that they are not capable of learning or contributing. Over nearly thirty years of tutoring at Ruskin, Vi Hughes has seen hundreds of lives transformed when those fears are overcome. Hughes is a champion of the idea that access to education for all, benefits the whole of society.

Tully also looks at other institutions such as the Open University and ponders if the ideal of education for education's sake can survive the modern emphasis on education to meet the needs of industry.

But the last word is left to the Ransackers, who describe the freedom they have found amongst the dreaming spires of Oxford.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A Unique Production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully discovers the benefits of education later in life for students and for society.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Living In The Mind20101121Mark Tully examines the skill of 'Living in the mind'.

This programme was inspired by a recent interview in which publisher and author Diana Athill mentioned that now she is in her nineties, she spends much more of her time 'living in the mind'.

Diana is an important figure in the literary world, who took to writing her own novels late in life and still leads a lively existence. However, as she gets older, she is less active than she used to be and enjoys the time she spends allowing her imagination and her intellect to range free. But what exactly is the life of the mind? And what are its rewards?

Mark Tully talks to Diana and examines this very particular skill with readings of poetry by Keats, Tennyson and DH Lawrence and music by Haydn, Bernstein and Tom Waits.

The readers are Derek Jacobi and Isla Blair.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully examines the skill of Living in the Mind, with readings from Lawrence and Keats

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Living In The Moment2018120920190929 (R4)
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Rabbi Harvey Belovski examines the benefits of living in the moment and concentrating on the needs of the now. He highlights the importance of accepting and understanding the future's unpredictable nature.

Harvey considers the value of mindfulness as a way of encouraging people to pay attention to the present, reducing stress and improving mental wellbeing. He explains that spirituality is often misperceived as venerating the past, or aspiring towards the future. While it's important to do so, identity and meaning can also be found in the present.

Harvey reads a prayer that imagines God reviewing the performance of every human being. The prayer has a simple and plaintive message: no-one knows whether they will be alive this time tomorrow, let alone further into the future. The importance of appreciating the present, then, becomes clear. According to legend, the prayer was written by Rabbi Amnon, who composed it as he lay dying, having been tortured for his refusal to abandon his faith.

Rabbi Harvey also considers the relationship between living in the moment and caring for one's self. While it's important to be fully present for others, what's more important, according to Harvey is to attend to one's own needs. This in turn leads to being better at living in the moment for others.

Presenter: Harvey Belovski

Producer: Oliver Seymour

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4

Rabbi Harvey Belovski discovers the benefits of living in the moment.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Living Lineage20181007Sarah Goldingay examines the ongoing relationship we have with our ancestors. These figures hover in our past, unknown to us and yet not entirely distant. Although her ancestors are strangers, Sarah also feels close to them; she senses her place in a long lineage stretching back over the generations.

As a teacher, Sarah is fascinated by another form of lineage, one through which knowledge is continually passed down. We hear from Jiu-Jitsu black belt Rener Gracie, whose family are martial arts royalty. The Gracies pioneered the stunningly effective Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighting system and have been honing it for generations, distilling it into an art form. Rener explains that, although he's only 34, he feels like he has over 100 years of martial arts expertise within him due to the compounding of knowledge across his lineage.

For Rener, a braiding of lineage and family, memory and embodiment is expressed through a martial art. For others it's through the craft they practice or the instrument they play. Music has a powerful ability to strengthen the bonds within a lineage. Sarah draws upon the music of Toumani Diabate, a virtuoso player of the harp-like Kora, whose family have been Kora masters for 71 generations. She also explores the Jewish songs of the Seder, or Passover meal.

Sarah concludes by explaining that religion itself can be thought of as a lineage, a 'chain of memory' that connects past, present and future people of faith.

Presenter: Sarah Goldingay

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4

Sarah Goldingay examines our ongoing relationship with our ancestors.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Living Smart, Living Simple20080127Mark Tully is joined by environmental campaigner Jonathon Porritt.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Living With Poverty2016012420191103 (R4)
20210606 (R4)
Mark Tully considers social, religious and personal attitudes towards poverty.

The Archbishop of Canterbury recently said, `It's a tragedy that hunger still exists in the United Kingdom in the 21st century. Yet, we continue to live with scandalous inequality`.

Living in Delhi, Mark Tully is also concerned by the poverty that he sees around him there. In this edition of Something Understood, he contemplates poverty and explores the social obligations to do something about it. He talks to Dr. John Kirkby about the practical solutions to the relief of poverty on an individual level. There are readings from poet Robert Sosa, theologian Reinhold Niebuhr and philosopher Loren Eiseley - with music from Bessie Smith, Femi Kuti and J.S. Bach.

The readers are Polly Frame, Francis Cadder and Jasper Britton

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Loneliness20161030Mark Tully asks if we can draw anything positive from that most human problem, loneliness.

In Buddhist thought, the source of loneliness lies in 'dukkha', sometimes defined as 'separation'. Robert Frost called it 'an acquaintance with the night'.

Mark discusses the causes of loneliness and the potential for finding something positive about it with the author and Buddhist writer Sarvananda. In a programme that takes us from remote wilderness to the terraces of Anfield football stadium, he explores both loneliness and solitude through the work of novelist Zoe Heller, psychologist Frieda Fromm-Reichmann and the poet Derek Walcott - and also through music by Pelham Humfrey, David Liebman and Polish composer Wittold Lutoslawski.

The readers are Paapa Essiedu and Emma Pallant.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Longing For Home20151206The pianist Lucy Parham reflects on the yearning of those in exile.

Losing my country, I lost also myself.' The words of Russian emigre composer Sergei Rachmaninov. Far from home, he 'left behind the very desire to compose'. As a pianist herself, Lucy Parham has always been drawn to the music of Rachmaninov, widely revered as 'the pianist's pianist'.

Starting from the great composer's experience, Lucy considers the nature of exile. The words of other exiles and an interview with Nicholas Stadlen about South Africans exiled during apartheid are woven into a sequence of Rachmaninov's music.

Sir Nicholas Stadlen is a former High Court judge. He is a Visiting Fellow at St Antony's College, Oxford where he is working on a book about the defendants and lawyers who took part in the Rivonia Trial at which Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life in prison. He is also working on a documentary film on the same topic.

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

The pianist Lucy Parham reflects on the yearning of the exile.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Longing For The Sea2010061320220807 (R4)Mark Tully discusses our longing for the sea with Gwyneth Lewis, who was the inaugural National Poet of Wales and spent a year on a disastrous round the world voyage.

Despite the danger and the loneliness, she still longs for the sea, and reads a new poem 'Sea Virus'. Lewis is a committed Christian, and she talks about how the experience of being alone on a vast ocean has strengthened her spiritual belief.

Other poets in the programme include the contemporary Welsh poet Menna Elfyn, who speaks of the sea opening her eyes; and the Anglo-Saxon seafarer from before the Tenth Century.

The music includes Britten's Sea Interlude: Dawn, Charles Trenet's evocative song of the 40s 'La Mer', and a Bach cantata in which he evokes a storm.

Producer: Elizabeth Burke

A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully discusses our longing for the sea and its connection with spiritual belief.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Made, By Hand2013121520210110 (R4)Look at the current interest in baking, growing your own and hand crafts. Increasingly it seems, people are finding that making something for themselves, can be more enriching than just going to the shops. It's in step with our 'make do and mend times', but perhaps it's more profound than that.

Samira Ahmed reflects on how the impulse to make things with our hands is human instinct. The act of making demands concentration and can give time to reflect. Creating something handmade can bring deep satisfaction and a sense of achievement.

She considers the spiritual value of making by hand in Shaker communities and in monastic life.

And she hears stories of people for whom creating with their hands has particular significance, like the British World War II prisoner of war, who stitched subversive messages into his needlework samplers, right under the noses of his captors. Samira also visits the workshop of Eleanor Lakelin, who handcrafts bowls and objects from wood, and asks her about the meditative aspects of creating something by hand.

Featuring music by J S Bach, Alison Krauss and Billy Bragg and with the thoughts of writers including

Pablo Neruda, Carl Honore and Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson.

Producer: Caroline Hughes

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Samira Ahmed reflects on the power and pleasure of making things by hand.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Making Peace20070318Mike Wooldridge considers the growing role of international mediators in brokering peace.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Manners20140608Mark Tully asks whether manners are really necessary and what would happen if we were to dispense with them. Would we live more honest lives or just end up hurting each other more?

On the one hand, he hears the arguments for authenticity and self expression and looks at the knots we can tie ourselves up in by attempting to follow the correct etiquette. On the other hand, he looks at the damage that can be done if we are not bound by reasonable codes of conduct.

Perhaps the strongest defence of proper manners he comes across is that they are not for our own benefit or advancement but, rather, to help us consider the needs and feelings of others.

The readers are John McAndrew, Frank Stirling and Polly Frame.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully asks if manners are necessary. What would happen if we dispensed with them?

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Manners Maketh Man20120722Manners are the optional, unenforced standards of conduct between humans. Like laws, they set down a means of measuring behaviour, though without a policing service - other than an informal 'punishment' of social disapproval.

Tom Robinson considers how etiquette, politeness and courtesy can evolve into a genuinely well-mannered empathy that embodies full and proper respect in human relations.

With reference to Judith 'Miss Manners' Martin, George Washington and PJ O'Rourke and music by Couperin, David Salt and Aretha Franklin.

Producer: Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Tom Robinson reflects on manners, courtesy and respect.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Man's Best Friend20170917When looking back over his career as a poet, Michael Symmons Roberts realised that dogs were a recurring theme in his work. While he's unsure why man's best friend seems to crop up in his poetry so frequently, Michael knows he's not alone in finding dogs fascinating.

Dogs have featured in Egyptian sacred iconography, Old Testament and New Testament texts, and had lead or walk-on parts in countless poems, novels, films, paintings and songs ever since. Michael looks at why the figure of a dog, or dogs, goes back so far in our cultural history, and why we still can't let it go.

The programme features the poetry of A E Stallings, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Alicia Ostriker, as well as Robert's own Self-Portrait with Dog. Musical selections include Gershwin's Walking the Dog and James MacMillan's Sun Dogs, as well as Kate Bush and Seasick Steve.

Presenter: Michael Symmons Roberts

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Poet Michael Symmons Roberts celebrates our relationship with dogs.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Mantras2018102820210829 (R4)Musician Jahnavi Harrison examines the ancient practise of mantra recitation and charts the spread of mantras from their Eastern origins to Western pop-culture.

The origin of the word ‘mantra' lies in the ancient Sanskrit language. It means literally ‘mana' or mind/heart and ‘tra' to transport or transcend. In a religious context, Jahnavi explains, a mantra is a sacred sound formula - an arrangement of words with meaning, that have the power to connect the reciter with a specific spiritual goal. But the meaning need not necessarily be understood in order to have an effect, just as you don't need to know about all the ingredients in cough syrup to feel it doing something.

Om, believed by Hindus to be a 'primordial sacred sound' is perhaps the most well known of the traditional Eastern mantras. Jahnavi introduces us to an extraordinary recording of 10,000 people chanting Om as part of a project organised by the Rubin Museum of Art in Manhatten. We also hear the music of George Harrison which features this ancient chant.

The belief of Hindus and Buddhists, that reciting mantras can transform the body and mind, are now the subject of much scientific study which has shown that regular chanting brings about changes within the brain. In addition to reaping the spiritual and cognitive benefits, Jahnavi explains that she chants daily in order to put on a suit of 'sonic armour' that seems to protect her from the noise and intensity of the urban environment.

Presenter: Jahnavi Harrison

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4

Jahnavi Harrison examines the power of mantras to draw reciters closer to the divine.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Mapping The Territory2013112420200913 (R4)A lifelong fascination with maps leads Tom Robinson on an unexpected journey into the space between the map and the territory.

With readings from Simon Garfield, Dylan Thomas and Jorge Luis Borges and music by, among others, The Divine Comedy, Sally Beamish and Radiohead performed by Christopher O'Riley.

Readers: Adjoa Andoh and Jonathan Keeble

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Tom Robinson considers the space between the map and the territory.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Marriage2018081220210822 (R4)Rabbi Harvey Belovski discovers the tension between togetherness and personal space at the heart of every marriage and reveals the dance between these two polarities.

Having been married to his wife for twenty eight years, and now with seven children, Harvey looks back at the ups and downs of his own relationship and is slightly uncomfortable that it has taken him so long to work out the simple truth that a relationship is strengthened and nurtured by the differences between a couple - and that partnership comes from opposition.

Harvey also realises that in order to love one's partner as they are, rather than as we'd like them to be, we need to have a clear sense of who we are ourselves. He concludes, 'I'm evolving towards a position in which a secure relationship allows and encourages considerable space for individual growth. This is not purely to avoid smothering one's partner, but to nurture a healthy and mature relationship.' His journey of discovery is illustrated with readings from Alain de Botton, Khalil Gibran and Eric Fromm, along with the music of Billy Joel, Liszt and Brahms.

Presenter: Harvey Belovski

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4.

Rabbi Harvey Belovski reveals his secrets for a successful marriage.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

May His Memory Be A Blessing20140928Within the Jewish tradition, it's common to use the honorific 'may his memory be a blessing' when writing of the dead. The composer Michael Zev Gordon uses this phrase to reflect on the idea that so much of what we are is locked in memory, but that we only grasp this fully when it starts to slip away.

He draws on writings by Proust and W.G.Sebald, poems by Carol Ann Duffy and Marjorie Agosin, and musical excerpts from JS Bach, Thomas Ades, Robert Schumann, his own piano piece entitled 'On Memory' and the music hall song that was one of his father's last triggers to memory and identity, 'Daisy Bell'.

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Michael Zev Gordon reflects on the idea of the persistence of memory.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Mementos2012020520200105 (R4)
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Mark Tully ponders the significance of mementos, not just of the past, but the future too. From military trophies to reminders of our own mortality, he examines the objects we imbue with personal meaning.

Mark observes in the programme that mementos keep the past alive in the present and are preserved for the future - so they are important links through time.

Featuring literature from Joseph Conrad, W.B. Yeats and John Donne; and music by Nat King Cole, Arvo Part and the Band of the Blues and Royals, among others, the programme celebrates the comfort we can gain from inanimate artefacts, and the capability they possess to 'speak' across generations.

But Mark also observes that Mementos can be a trap, too, encouraging us to live too much in the past - to indulge our previous sorrows and losses.

Perhaps no institutions preserve their mementos more lovingly than the military, and the programme features an interview with military historian, Squadron Leader Rana Chhina who shows Mark his family mementos of campaigns in India and Pakistan - mementos which mean so much to him, his family and his comrades.

And Mark, himself, shares with us a memento which means much to him and which epitomises the power of mementos to bind us to each other and to the past, present and future.

Readers: Jonjo O'Neill and Adjoa Andoh

Producer: Adam Fowler

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Mending Cracks With Gold2013090120210321 (R4)What can we learn from a broken teapot?

According to legend, when a 15th century shogun smashed his treasured pottery, Japanese artists repaired it with gold. Kintsugi, as the practice is known, gives new life to damaged goods by celebrating their frailty and history. Samira Ahmed considers how we might live a kintsugi life, finding value in the ‘cracks' - whether it's the scars showing how we have lived, finding new purpose through loss, or learning to love ourselves despite our flaws.

With readings from The Book of Tea by Kakuzo Okakura, Haruki Murakami's After the Quake, and the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam - and music from Michio Miyagi, the Rolling Stones and Elizabethan composer, John Dowland.

Presenter: Samira Ahmed

Producer: Jo Fidgen

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Celebrating damage - learning from kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Mentors20111016Particularly in the aftermath of disturbances like the British riots in August, youth mentoring programmes have been much a frequent topic for discussion in recent months.

In this edition of Something Understood, Mark Tully examines the important part a mentor can play in everybody's life. He also examines some of the attendant dangers in being a mentor, the temptation to exploit, patronize or underestimate a pupil, charge or protege.

Writer and broadcaster Malchi O'Doherty remembers his troubled relationship with his mentor for three years, a Hindu guru in India and we hear about mentors of all types from spiritual directors and schoolteachers to musicians and youth workers. With music from Bach, Tavener and Bernstein and readings from Denise Levertov and Umberto Eco.

The readers are Hattie Morahan and Dan Stevens.

Producer: Frank Stirling.

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully discusses the importance of mentors in our lives.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Mercy20160410Journalist Abdul-Rehman Malik has been fascinated and challenged by 'the unsettling and overwhelming' mercy of God all his life - even his name means 'servant of the Merciful'. When he studies sacred texts, it is references to mercy that he seeks out first.

In this programme, Abdul has selected readings that illuminate the nature of mercy from the Quran, the Baghavad Gita, the works of William Blake, Pope Francis, and Thomas Merton - as well as the compositions of musicians as diverse as Sir John Taverner and John Coltrane.

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Abdul-Rehman Malik reflects on mercy through sacred texts and music.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Metamorphosis2017112620190818 (R4)Stories of metamorphosis have always captivated journalist Remona Aly. They are woven with enduring truths, moral lessons and provocative challenges.

Tales of metamorphosis can be both glorious and sinister, influential and cautionary. In this episode of Something Understood, Remona argues that these tales profoundly impact our collective psyche, revealing the story of the human experience.

The poetry of John Keats and the words of the Quran remind Remona how metamorphosis can reveal our darker nature. Metamorphosis is a recurring theme in Hinduism too with Lord Krishna confiding in his warrior friend Arjuna, 'For one who has taken his birth, death is certain; and for one who is dead, birth is certain.

The episode features musical selections from Tchaikovsky and Van Morrison which underpin how metamorphosis can be part of life's purpose, moving away from stasis and encouraging reform, renewal and reflection.

The readers are Rachel Atkins, Laurence Kennedy and Max O'Brien.

Special thanks to Mandeep Moore for her Punjabi translation of Jind Kaur.

Presenter: Remona Aly

Producer: Jonathan O'Sullivan

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Remona Aly uncovers the tales of metamorphosis which reveal the story of human nature.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Mindfulness2012041520211017 (R4)Mark Tully meditates on the art of being still, and the benefits of quiet contemplation, as medical science borrows from the practices of religious traditions.

He talks to Mark Williams, Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Oxford who teaches 'Mindfulness' techniques and whose research has shown that daily meditation can reduce the occurrence of severe depression at least as much as anti-depressants do.

Featuring music by Edward Elgar, Arvo Part and Jules Massenet, and words by Rainer Maria Rilke and Octavio Paz, this programme looks at how else regular contemplative sessions can enrich our lives in an increasingly busy world. For some it is a way of experiencing God, for others a means of coming to terms with their own failures, and for many it can produce profound changes in their lives.

As Mark Tully perceives, through the practice of Mindfulness people can drink from the well of religious insight whether they have a religious faith or not. He even accepts in the end that he should, perhaps, overcome his own reluctance to make the commitment that meditation requires, and curb the distractions that can make our minds rampage, 'like an untrained elephant'.

The readers are Emily Raymond and David Holt.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully meditates on the art of being still, and the benefits of quiet contemplation.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Miracles Of Thrift20090809Mark Tully wonders why habits of thrift have been lost in a generation.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Mirror Image20091115Mark Tully reflects on reflections - in mirrors, photographs, film and art.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Mirth Of Nations20150510From musical jokes and harmless limericks to the offence that can be caused by religious, sexual or racist humour, Mark Tully asks what makes us laugh, when it's OK to find something funny, and when a joke goes too far.

It's not always easy to draw the line between acceptable and unacceptable humour. For many, ethnic humour is inevitably racial humour and therefore automatically forbidden. But is it always as straightforward as that? With sociologist Christie Davies, Mark discusses how different nations form their own brand of jokes, how stereotypes emerge and how some groups become targets for humour.

Gilbert and Sullivan help us to laugh at those in authority, Daphne Du Maurier makes us squirm at the cruelty of a practical joke, and Mozart's Divertimento for Two Horns and String Quartet provides the punchline.

Produced by Adam Fowler

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully asks what makes us laugh, when it is okay to smile and when a joke goes too far

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Modern Architecture2012051320220612 (R4)Read by: Emma Fielding and Peter Guinness

Mark Tully ponders why the beauty he sees in the traditional architecture of his home city, New Delhi, is not apparent in the spate of modern buildings now being built. He despairs that the new can never match the magnificence of the old.

But to prevent himself sliding into a state of complete reminiscence and nostalgia, he spends a day with the world renowned Indian architect, Charles Correa, visiting inspiring new projects in the city. Correa, whose British Council Building in New Delhi is upheld as a masterpiece, shares Tully's dislike of inappropriate high rise blots on the Delhi skyline, but is more optimistic that a new form of Indian architecture will emerge, anchored firmly in the cultural and mythical traditions of the country. He sees Indian cities as a place of hope, and new buildings as a way of connecting the past to the future.

And with a warning to himself that he must not join the ranks of those who condemned the iconic Eiffel Tower and Sydney Opera House as monstrosities, just because they were different, Tully accepts that some change is for the good, as long as it's good to look at.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A Unique Broadcasting Production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully despairs for the state of modern architecture in his home city, New Delhi.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Money Worries20081123Mark Tully explores the complexities of our relationship with money.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Mothering Sunday20090322Madeleine Bunting explores the delights, dilemmas and dangers of modern parenting.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Moving On20100411In Something Understood this week Mark Tully explores the physical and emotional upheaval of moving home. Widely recognised as one of the most stressful of life's experiences, moving can be difficult and traumatic, but it can also be an opportunity to de-clutter, reflect and start afresh.

The producer is Eley McAinsh, and this is a Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Moving With God2014012620200209 (R4)Mark Tully discusses the relationship between dance and spirituality. Both movement and specifically dance are part of the rich history of spirituality, but somehow this is often overlooked.

Mark Tully aims to redress the balance by investigating the relationship between the movement and dance and the transience of spirituality. He asks how physicality can play a part in formal worship and looks at dance as a metaphor for divine philosophy. He also talks to choreographer and dancer Akram Khan about his theories on the spirituality of movement and the ability of dance to cross cultural and religious borders.

The readings include poetry ranging from W. B. Yeats to Rumi, and there's music from Leonard Cohen to Stravinsky.

The readers are Adjoa Andoh and Michael Feast.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully discusses the use of dance and movement as worship.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Mysticism And Resistance20090215Mark Tully considers the link between mysticism and resistance. He tests Thomas Merton's suggestion that the monk is essentially someone who takes up a critical attitude to the world, and the German theologian Dorothee Soelle's insistence that authentic mystical experience always leads to resistance to the world as it exists now.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Mythos And Logos20100620Exploring the difference between scientific and mythological understandings of the world.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Named And Shamed20070415Why are we so obsessed with naming and shaming and why is the fear of shame so powerful?

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Nationalism20140504Mark Tully examines the bonds that bind nations. What makes a nation, and how can different homelands be brought together in a single entity? And is nationalism a good or a bad thing?

Mark chooses a reading from Rabindranath Tagore who maintained that expending our energy on building a nation diverts us from higher pursuits; and another from Virginia Woolf who felt, as a woman, excluded from British notions of nationhood. On the other hand, words from Pope John Paul II about Poland, his home country's, struggle for independence from Soviet domination suggest a positive side to nationalism, if people search for what they have in common rather than stress what divides them.

And Mark talks with historian, Ananya Vajpeyi who concludes that that search should go deep into the past, and that India is an example to the world of how people of different religions, ethnicities and cultures can live side by side in one nation.

The presenter is Mark Tully. The readers are Fiona Shaw, Brian Cox and Frank Stirling.

The producer is Adam Fowler

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully examines the bonds that bind nations and asks if nationalism is good or bad.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Negotiation20180729Mark Tully explores approaches to negotiation - from the domestic to the international.

In a programme looking at the many ways in which negotiations underpin so much of human behaviour - the child asking for their ball back, the ups and downs of personal relationships, the bartering of governments and entrepreneurs, the delicate art of international diplomacy - Mark asks how best to negotiate a way through life.

He draws on the writing of politicians and poets and of musicians, who have brought harmony where there was discord, with examples from the work of John Maynard Keynes and Denise Levertov, Elvis Costello and Pablo Casals. He also talks to ex-diplomat and Middle East expert Carne Ross, now founding director of an NGO that advises on diplomacy.

The readers are Emma Cuniffe and Jasper Britton.

Presenter; Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Neighbours2013100620230115 (R4)John McCarthy reflects on the significance of the relationships we have with those we live alongside.

Moving house recently got John thinking about the bond we have with our neighbours. It's a unique connection that embraces trust, friendliness, kindness and community - but also the need to be reserved and maintain boundaries to allow us privacy.

John visits the Victorian terrace of Birchwood Road in Birmingham to explore the bonds formed by geography and shared experiences. Here he meets neighbours who share gardens, discovers struggles over integration and crime, and hears memories of everything from a communal coach trip to Weston Super Mare to the day a tornado struck their street.

The programme includes readings from poetry by Galway Kinnell, Mary Oliver, Benjamin Zephaniah, Andrew Greig and Douglas Dunn, as well as music by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Remmy Ongala, William Byrd and John Coltrane.

Readers: Rachel Atkins and Fraser James

Produced by Rosie Boulton

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

John McCarthy considers the relationships we have with those we live alongside.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Never The Same2013012720240218 (R4)Almost imperceptibly, the choices we make in life and the experiences we live through can lead us to look back at our younger selves and ask 'was I ever that person?'.

The Canadian broadcaster Chris Brookes considers how - or whether - our identities change with time, just as the cellular structure of our bodies is renewed every few years.

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Chris Brookes looks back on life and asks, 'Was I ever that person?'.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Chris Brookes looks back on life and asks 'was I ever that person'?

Chris Brookes reflects on how our identities change through the choices we make and the experiences we live through.

New Homes, Strange Lands2015110820211212 (R4)Mark Tully explores the pleasures, the pain and the potentials of making your home in a new country, both for those who choose to do so and for those forced to by circumstance.

He talks to Syrian poet, writer and refugee Ghias Aljundi about his experiences of becoming a British citizen and he draws on the work of musicians and writers from all round the world, who have lived in more than one country.

There are readings from the work of Salman Rushdie, V.S. Naipaul and Gustavo Perez Firmat and music from Hans Gal and Maryam Mursai.

The readers are Samantha Bond, Sam Dastor and Ivan Pilo.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique Broadcasting Company production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully considers the difficulty and the potential of making a home in new country.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

New Life, New Views2012032520220911 (R4)In March 2012, Kurdish poet Choman Hardi had just had her first child, and reflected upon how children help us to see things in a different, more positive light in 'New Life, New Views'.

Choman recalls her return to Iraq to research the effects of the gas attacks by Saddam Hussein's forces against Kurdish villagers and the torture of her brother. And she explains how, through her daughter, she hopes to make a new beginning in a broken world.

Choman reads her own poem, 'My Children', which looks at the way children adapt to new life more easily than their parents, taking on adopted homelands with shocking ease. The programme also includes a beautiful Kurdish lullaby accompanied on the harp and composed by the musician Tara Jaff. Choman talks to the Hungarian-born poet, George Szirtes, about the shift in life perspectives which he's experienced since the arrival of his grandchildren. He reads a poem on the subject, 'The pram in the hall', written especially for the programme.

A thoughtful and illuminating look at how children can help to bring hope and fresh perspectives after even the most difficult experiences.

Producer: Kim Normanton

A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4

Kurdish poet Choman Hardi explores how children help us see things in a better light.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

New Reformation20170716500 years after Luther's Reformation, Mark Tully examines calls for reforming today's church to address issues like declining congregations and influence, feminism and homosexuality.

Beginning with St Francis of Assisi who believed he had heard Jesus saying to him, 'rebuild my church,' Mark explores the growing impetus for reformation in today's Christian Church and particularly the calls for a return to spiritual traditions that have atrophied in mainstream churches.

He also looks at other faith traditions, finding practitioners - both contemporary and ancient - who have embraced more mystic expressions of faith.

However, he warns about exaggerating the need for reform, arguing that perhaps what any expression of faith needs most of all is to demonstrate that they have spiritual life and celebrate the grandeur of God.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4.

500 years after Luther's Reformation, Mark Tully examines calls to reform today's church.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

No East And West In Our Round World2011031320201108 (R4)Dr Nabil Mustapha was born in Egypt and raised in the Baha'i faith which has at its heart the principle of world unity. He has practiced as a surgeon worldwide and in this programme talks about how he has learned to see unity in diversity and to embrace difference.

The programme includes an interview with Professor Suheil Bushrui who was also raised in the Baha'i faith and who teaches an inter-faith course at the university of Maryland in the United States.

Dr Mustapha recalls the challenge of being accepted in social circles in London in the sixties when he was a young doctor who didn't drink because of his faith. He draws upon music and literature to illustrate his belief that even without a shared language or religion we have much in common.

He talks about how his search for greater understanding between faiths helped him to establish a multi-faith forum with people in his Borough. They meet to pray for peace, to break down differences and to highlight commonalities.

Producer: Kim Normanton

A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4

Dr Mustapha explores the idea that the earth is one country and we are all its citizens

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Nor Any Drop20080727Madeleine Bunting explores our relationship with water - practical, cultural and spiritual

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Not Cute Enough20090118Mark Tully considers our responses to beauty.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Not Good Enough20160717The phrase 'Not Good Enough' can devastate, or it can motivate. Mark Tully interprets the doom-laden words that have crushed some ambitions, and led to the fulfillment of others.

Paradoxically, in conversation with Carol Dweck, Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, Mark also hears about the damage that can be done by too much praise, even if we are good enough. She identifies the fixed mindset that can occur when our self-esteem is based on the fragile notion that we are cleverer than most, preventing us from taking risks that might prove otherwise and challenge our sense of worth.

For her, and for Mark Tully, the best advice seems to be that we should compete against ourselves to reach our full potential, instead of comparing ourselves to others, or listening to those who tell us we are 'Not Good Enough.

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully interprets the doom-laden phrase which can end childhood and adult ambitions.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Obsession2015111520210117 (R4)John McCarthy considers obsession - a single-minded focus on an activity or desire which can lead to great achievement, or to social and moral malfunction.

Charles Darwin recognised in himself that 'passion for collecting which leads a man to be a systematic naturalist, a virtuoso, or a miser' and Nabakov explored the murky world of sexual obsession in his novel Lolita but, in his biography, drew on the moral consequences of his own boyhood obsession with butterfly collecting - the desire to pursue his hobby overriding friendship.

In this programme, there are readings from works by Ruth Padel, Helen Macdonald and AE Housman and the former ballerina Deborah Bull talks to John about whether the popular idea of the wilfully determined dancer is an accurate reflection of the world of classical ballet.

The readers are Alice May Feetham, Peter Marinker and Helen Macdonald. Deborah Bull is Assistant Principal (Culture and Engagement), Kings College London.

Producer: Natalie Steed

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

A look at obsession and the moral consequences of the determined pursuit of a desire.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Ocean Deep2006101520231001 (R4)The writer and seaman Joseph Conrad described it as enticing, disenchanting, and enslaving; it covers seven tenths of the terrestrial globe and is vital to human existence. Rabbi Julia Neuberger explores the spiritual and practical elements of the ever-changing sea.

First Broadcast in 2006.

A Unique Broadcasting Company production for BBC Radio 4

Rabbi Julia Neuberger explores spiritual and practical elements of the ever-changing sea.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

On Reflection20160306John McCarthy is joined by painter Ken Currie to explore the act of encountering our own self-image.

This craving to come face to face with ourselves - to see what we really are at the bottom of our souls, to discover our identity and meaning - is perhaps the work of our lives.

Sometimes pleasurable, occasionally surprising or reassuring, often strangely disconcerting, this act of looking at oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental in our ongoing assessment of ourselves. It might be just a quick glance to check, 'Do I look OK in this jacket? Do I look as tired as I feel?' Or a longer stare to assess the progress of the wrinkles around the eyes or emergence of grey in one's hair.

But sometimes we take a long look. Perhaps at times when we're disconcerted by life - apprehensive, frightened or ill. Then we ask questions like, 'Is this what the world sees when it sees me? Is this really me?

The programme includes readings from works by Angela Carter, Ted Hughes, and Elizabeth Jennings. There's music by Britten, Bill Evans and Debussy. The readers are Michael Lumsden and Chetna Pandya.

Produced by Rosie Boulton

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

John McCarthy explores the act of encountering one's own self-image.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

On The Edge20110529Mark Tully considers those on the edge: of society, of the arts, of religions, and of perceived wisdom. People who don't quite belong, but who often offer us new insights.

Tully suggests that we have them to thank for much of the positive aspects of progress.

In the programme he says that, 'being on the edge is often represented as a chaotic state, opposed to an ordered one and, more profoundly, an uncertain state as opposed to a certain one. More profoundly because certainty can so easily be the barrier to change, development, and adapting to new knowledge.

But being on the edge can be an uncomfortable place as poet and writer, Mamang Dai explains in an interview for the programme. She lives at the edge of India, in one of its remotest states, Arunachal Pradesh, set in the eastern Himalayas, with China just across the mountains, the Kingdom of Bhutan to the west, and Myanmar or Burma to the east. She not only lives on the edge of India geographically. There are 26 major tribes in Arunachal Pradesh and their cultures, which were protected by geography, by the State's remoteness and lack of communications, are now on the edge of modernity with India's development plans , in particular plans to build dams on the rivers which flow through the mountains. Mamang describes her fears for her homeland at a time of great change but is cheerfully optimistic that good things will come, and new ways of being will bring undreamt of benefits.

Franciscan Priest, Richard Rohr is quoted in the programme. He thinks being on the edge, or as he puts it, in a 'liminal place', is essential at times: 'Nothing good or creative emerges from business as usual. This is why much of the work of God is to get people into liminal space and to keep them there long enough, so they can learn something essential. It's the ultimate teachable space, maybe the only one.

Tully himself, while nostalgic for what he feels was a more certain and ordered society in his younger days, recognizes that change, though often difficult at the time, has much to offer. Most of all, we owe a great deal to those - On the Edge.

Producer: Adam Fowler

An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully considers those on the edge - who don't belong - and the insights they bring.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

On The Eve2017122420171225 (R4)
20231224 (R4)
For Christmas Eve, Mark Tully talks to John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, about how he approaches the eve of any major religious festival and discusses how best to celebrate the day before the big day.

They talk about preparation, holding vigils, being an Archbishop 'on call' and chaotic attitudes to present wrapping.

There's music from The Chieftains, Sergei Rachmaninoff and the Choir of York Minster. Actor and impressionist Alistair McGowan and RSC actor Emma Cunniffe read from the work of Lucy Maude Montgomery, C Day Lewis and the Italian poet Clemente Rebora.

Readers: Alistair McGowan and Emma Cunniffe

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer; Frank Stirling

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4.

A Christmas edition wih Mark Tully talking to John Sentamu, archbishop of York.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

For Christmas Eve, Mark Tully talks to John Sentamu, archbishop of York, about the significance of celebrating the eves of religious festivals.

On Walking2010121220220206 (R4)What many of us take for granted as a rather mundane activity is elevated for others into a creative, spiritual or philosophical meditation.

Drawing on the writings of a Buddhist monk, the artist Richard Long and the Danish philosopher Kierkegaard, among others, Melissa Viney explores walking's physical and psychological benefits. Also, with music from Herb Alpert, Mozart, Ella and Elvis.

And she talks to Mark Hennessy, who's having to learn to walk all over again following a brain injury.

Readers: Emma Fielding and Jonathan Keeble

Producer: Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Melissa Viney reflects on the physical and spiritual benefits of walking.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

One Foot In Front20080511Mark Tully considers the potentially subversive nature of walking.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Open2011052220220717 (R4)Professor of History at Leicester University, and former social worker, Peter King explores 'openness' - does it play a role in enabling us to empathise, to love and to be fully human? The programme includes a look at some of the things which close our lives down - inability to forgive, fear, money, and the need to protect our often-fragile sense of self.

Peter King, a Deacon in the Anglican Church, explains why he feels the word 'open' is sacred and why being open leads to a life of adventure.

Professor King discusses how being open and ready for the new leads to chance encounters which bring fresh insights. He notes that Jesus' life began with Mary's wild and radical openness, trusting God, even though risking public disgrace.

Producer: Kim Normanton

A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4.

Professor Peter King explores what it means to be open in life.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Ordinary Time20090531Mark Tully celebrates what the novelist Marilynne Robinson has called 'the dear ordinary'.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Out Of Silence20120909Curiously, the word silent is an anagram of the word listen! In this edition of Something Understood the poet Sean Street reflects upon what can be heard in silence and the difference in its nature from stillness - the difference, perhaps, between doing and being.

With reference to the words of Rupert Brooke, John Berger and Rachel Muers and music by John Cage, Bob Chilcott and Miles Davis.

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.

The poet Sean Street considers what can be found both in silence and in stillness.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Over And Over20140413John McCarthy considers the pleasures and benefits of repetition.

In interview with Taiji teacher Murray Douglas and choral conductor Simon Halsey, John explores the role that repetition has in our lives. He discusses ways in which repeating an action over and over can lead to a deeper understanding and appreciation of our lives and ourselves. And the fact that repetition can bring shape and structure to our passing years. Far from being boring or tedious, repetition affords an opportunity for focused attention and reflection.

The programme includes readings from works by Kate Atkinson, Maya Angelou and Portia Nelson. Plus music by Pachelbel, John Coltrane, James Blunt and J.S.Bach.

The readers are Jonathan Keeble and Wunmi Mosaku.

Produced by Rosie Boulton

A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Parochialism2017070920191222 (R4)Mark Tully explores the strengths and limitations of parochialism and the ease with which any label can become pejorative.

He puts forward a definition of parochialism as 'thinking you are living at the centre of the world', and addresses the perils of self-importance and condescension that being a 'big fish in a small pond' can lead to.

But he also considers two writers - the 18thC philosopher and composer Jean-Jacque Rousseau and the contemporary Indian poet Arvind Mehrotra - for whom the small town, rather than the big city, has been an impetus to their creativity.

Drawing on works from Trollop to Simon and Garfunkel, he compares arguments for living in both the town and city and suggests ultimately that it's not where you live that matters so much as who you are and how you live.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully considers the strengths and limitations of small ponds.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Partition And Democracy20070819Mark Tully explores the special character of Indian democracy.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Passion20160821Mark Tully explores the concept of passion and investigates contemporary understandings of the word. From passion in a traditional religious context to its everyday use in a personal and in a corporate sense, the idea of this strongest of emotions still appears to hold sway in the thinking of many.

Is it simply an overused construct stretched to its limits by hyperbole or an important concept in philosophical, psychological and spiritual disciplines?

We see passion through the eyes of the philosopher Bertrand Russell, poets Linda France and John Keats and musicians Oscar Serpo and Gioaccino Rossini.

The readers are Jonathan Broadbent, Francis Cadder and Adjoa Andoh.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully searches for a contemporary understanding of the word 'passion'.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Past And Present2017111920200503 (R4)Theologian Dr Jane Williams reminisces and finds the dangers of being trapped in the past.

She suggests that nostalgia is a powerful emotion, but not always a constructive one - looking back can make it impossible to look forward.

Memory can stifle and constrain, or it can free and enable. We can't help being shaped and formed by the past, but there is still an intriguing degree of freedom about how we face the future. Jane reflects on her times, sharing memories of a childhood spent in India with her sisters. She argues that what we create as we remember is a deeper sense of our shared past that means we trust our shared future.

Through the writings of Kafka and George Elliot, the poetry of Kavanagh and Herbert and the music of Mozart and Hildegard of Bingen, Jane reveals the God who stands fully past, present and future, yet is not constrained by them. God remembers even the future and, in God's memory, endings and beginnings are not opposites.

Presenter: Jane Williams

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Dr Jane Williams explores her memories and finds the dangers of being trapped in the past.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Peace Of Mind20161016Poet Michael Symmons Roberts questions the nature and appeal of having peace of mind.

According to Michael, 'There seems to be something close to a peace of mind industry out there, complete with its own sales force. Nothing makes me want to cancel my life insurance like those smug inhabitants of magazine adverts and billboards, lying back in hammocks or staring out at the ocean, at peace with themselves because they have the right kind of insurance policy, or pension scheme, or investment fund.

Such promotion, he argues, threatens the art of being fully alive in the here and now.

The bible he says is full of contradiction about peace. Isaiah 55 sets out a very loud and pretty alarming vision: 'You will go out in joy, and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills, will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.' Enough to tip an investor out of their hammock, however well insured they are.

Michael examines whether it's actually possible to find complete stillness and peace. He says, 'Even the two minute silence broadcast every year on 11th November is not completely silent, since it contains all the incipient and suppressed noise of people, breathing, coughing, shifting from foot to foot, a silence broken by the active effort to maintain it.

We hear John Cage's 4'33' as Michael tries to prove the impossibility of silence but, in the end, he says the best evocation of silence comes at the start of Dylan Thomas' play Under Milk Wood, famously read by Richard Burton, 'where Thomas describes the small town of Llaregyb just before dawn, before it is about to wake up.

Presenter: Michael Symmons Roberts

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Poet Michael Symmons Roberts questions the appeal of having peace of mind.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Peeling The Dragon Skin2013101320230129 (R4)Eustace Clarence Scrubb is a thoroughly unlikeable boy. He learns his lesson, in CS Lewis's book The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, when he is transformed into a dragon.

Inspired by Eustace's story, John McCarthy explores our relationship to our skins and how what's inside us is affected and shaped by what is outside us.

John considers how a tough hide can make us feel safe but can also get in the way, inhibiting our attempts to build meaningful relationships. He questions our assumptions about how physical ugliness might be linked to emotional or mental worth, and meets John Furse, film and television director and writer, who has suffered from a condition called Body Dysmorphic Disorder since youth. This debilitating mental illness causes sufferers to focus obsessively on what they see as horrific defects in their appearance.

As Eustace-the-dragon hankers for transformation, John considers why real change is so hard and frightening for many of us, and how every new beginning is intrinsically bound up with something ending. And as he explores what Lewis's rich and strange tale reveals about human nature. John also finally reveals what happens to Eustace.

The programme includes readings from CS Lewis, Dorothy L Sayers, Janet Malcolm, Roald Dahl and TS Eliot, with music by Benjamin Britten, Simon and Garfunkel and Igor Stravinsky.

Presenter: John McCarthy

Producer: Kate Taylor

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

John McCarthy considers the benefits and drawbacks of having a tough hide.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Perchance To Dream20081130The writer and broadcaster Irma Kurtz considers the complexity of dreams and dreaming.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Piety20170319What do we mean by piety? And how hard is it now to live a pious life? In this programme for Lent, Mark Tully debates humility, religious observance, duty, hypocrisy, backsliding and the relationship between ritual and pious living.

There are readings from the work of Geoffrey Chaucer, Spanish poet Nicolas Suescun and writer and anthropologist Saba Mahmood, along with music from Anton Bruckner, John Rutter and The Mavericks.

The readers are Jasper Britton and Shaheen Khan.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

In the season of Lent, Mark Tully debates the achievability of religious piety.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Pilgrim Or Tourist?2010031420201101 (R4)Satish Kumar explores the difference between a tourist and a pilgrim.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Pilgrimage2018042220210808 (R4)Dr Rowan Williams sets out to discover the true meaning and purpose of pilgrimage. He reveals that it's not so much a physical journey, but more of an internal search which realises the destination was not so far from where we started.

Rowan explains, 'Pilgrimage prepares us for death simply by reminding us that we are not, to quote one of Iris Murdoch's novels, 'that buzzing, blooming confusion' we carry around with us, the anxious, ambitious, defensive, greedy self we have constructed, which panics at the idea of loss or helplessness. We are held in a patient and generous truth, new every moment. We can dismiss the worrying over whether we deserve love or peace or homecoming. We are already there.

In the company of John Bunyan's Christian, we travel through Jerusalem and Santiago accompanied by a 14th Century English writer from Nottinghamshire, Walter Hilton, and the insights of TS Eliot and the Muslim poet Rumi. Music from Maddy Prior, Monteverdi and Wagner assist our journey to its conclusion, with another of Bunyan's heroes, Mr Valiant-for-Truth, as he is summoned to cross the river.

Presenter: Rowan Williams

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Rowan Williams explores the nature of pilgrimage as a preparation for death.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Place Of Safety20110102Mark Tully contemplates the secure environments we construct for our own protection, and the places of safety we yearn for within ourselves.

He is joined by Caspar Walsh, whose autobiography 'Criminal' and novel 'Blood Road', draw on his early life of crime and drug abuse. Amidst his dangerous environment Caspar occasionally found a sense of safety with his chaotic father. He talks of his father's violence, but also of their love for each other which created a sanctuary.

Caspar, now free of his addictions, describes his current work with prisoners and his attempts to provide them with an environment in which they can feel safe to express their fears and come to terms with dangerous emotions.

The programme features lullabies, fairy stories, poetry and literature which both comfort and disturb, to evoke our need to immunise ourselves from danger. In the end, Mark Tully conjectures that true safety lies not in outward barriers, but inner peace.

Producer: Adam Fowler

An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully contemplates our need for security, and the places of safety we yearn for.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Play2017102220210919 (R4)Academic Sarah Goldingay argues that as adults we lose something vital when we stop being playful. We are taught that as we age, we must 'grow up' and 'knuckle down' and that it's 'time to face reality'. According to Sarah, we have much to gain by rekindling the playfulness of our early years.

Sarah draws upon her own experiences as a theatre practitioner to reveal the ways actors can incorporate playing to get over creative blockages, injecting a welcome dose of surprise, novelty, and fun into their work.

Brian Eno's 'Oblique Strategies' are, according to Sarah, a fine example of how playful provocations can breathe life back into our creative endeavours when we're running low on ideas.

In the west, playing is all too often seen as a subversive distraction from 'serious work' but Sarah explains that not all cultures understand play in the same way. In India play is intrinsic, fundamental and at the very heart of a divine universe. According to Hindus, the universe itself is a playful expression of the consciousness of God. Drawing upon the work of the philosopher Alan Watts, Sarah explains that when Hindus speak of the creation of the universe they call it the play of God not the work of God.

Sarah concludes by explaining that, for her, playing isn't something worthless and transitory but a way into leaps of unbounded imagination, experimentation, and joy.

Presenter: Sarah Goldingay

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Sarah Goldingay argues that as adults we need to recapture the playfulness of childhood.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Poetic Rituals2016091120190526 (R4)The commute to work, the weekly supermarket shop, brushing our teeth before bed. The routine and rituals of our everyday lives can often feel like dull repetition. But what if we could find a path to transcendence through these everyday acts?

Academic Dr Sarah Goldingay searches for what the liturgical reformer Rabbi Chaim Stern called the ritual poetry of our lives. Through this ritual poetry it's possible, Sarah says, to experience a noetic moment - those profound instances when we experience the presence of the divine.

With the help of a diverse pool of writers and thinkers, Sarah argues that simple everyday routines can become powerfully spiritual - even making breakfast, as demonstrated in Sara Maitland's ecstatic experience when devouring her morning porridge. Through the writings of the Buddhist scholar DT Suzuki, Sarah discovers that simply sipping a cup of tea can also be a powerful zen moment.

The act of singing can transform everyday rituals into moments of transcendent beauty. Sarah samples the singing of Scottish herring girls and the haunting rhythms of a Mississippi prison gang, united in song as their pickaxes fall as one.

We might think that powerful spiritual experiences can only be experienced by the specially initiated. This programme suggests that perhaps, by noticing ourselves and the poetic potential of our own everyday rituals, the transcendent might just be closer than we think.

Presenter: Sarah Goldingay

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4

Dr Sarah Goldingay looks for the transcendent in our everyday rituals.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Pontius Pilate20170409On Palm Sunday, Mark Tully assesses one of the principle characters of Holy Week: Pontius Pilate. Was he a coward for washing his hands of the crucifixion of Jesus, or a servant of God?

Drawing from poetry by Carol Ann Duffy and J Barrie Shepherd, and music by Arvo Part and Johann Sebastian Bach, Mark considers a range of opinions about Pilate - from compassionate and remorseful, to cold hearted and callous.

He also considers the modern relevance of Pontius Pilate's decision to put the fate of Jesus in the hands of the crowd, and to bow to public opinion rather than take responsibility himself.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A 7Digital production for BBC Radio 4.

On Palm Sunday, Mark Tully assesses one of Holy Week's main characters: Pontius Pilate.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Popularity20171210The drive for popularity - in life, in art, at work and in politics - has never been stronger. Many court it, others seek to avoid it, most will be affected by it one way or another.

Mark Tully considers the potential of popularity, for good and for ill. He examines the preconceptions about it, the power it has for positive change and the dangers it can present.

He talks to broadcaster, priest and public relations expert Rob Marshall about popularity in religion and in politics, and there are readings and music from Angela Carter, Philip Glass, Helen Fielding, Ned Rorem, William Walton and William Shakespeare.

The readers are Alistair McGowan and Emma Cunniffe.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully navigates the choppy waters of personal and professional popularity.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Postcards20120129Sarah Cuddon explores the pleasure of the postcard. With reference to authors, such as the Chilean novelist Robert Bolano, composers including Edward Elgar and poets (among them, Charles Simic) who have found inspiration and comfort in the writing, drawing and sending of cards, she celebrates a rare medium.

And we hear the story and the correspondence of two friends, Laura Eades and Retta Bowen, who dedicated themselves to writing a postcard to each other every day for a month.

Producer: Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Sarah Cuddon explores the joys of sending and receiving postcards.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Power In Weakness2018032520210801 (R4)Journalist Remona Aly explores what it truly means to be weak. All too often, society encourages us to strive for unrealistic goals of perfection, with no room for flaws or failure. Remona considers the unexpected strengths that can arise from positions of vulnerability.

She argues that occupying a position of weakness offers an opportunity from which we can learn from our mistakes, develop resilience, and nurture our faith. Those that wilfully occupy a lowly stance can often find unexpected strength - their humility can cause others' anger to cease. According to Remona, the weakest members of society can radically affect the attitudes of those around them.

Music from Bruce Springsteen and Stormzy contribute to Remona's exploration of weaknesses' hidden strengths. She also draws upon verse from Shakespeare and Homer. 'If we remove weakness from our experience,' she concludes, 'we remove the opportunity to survive and evolve.

Presenter: Remona Aly

Producer: Jonathan O'Sullivan

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Journalist Remona Aly examines how weakness can often be powerful.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Practical Jokes2012081220230903 (R4)Most of us like a practical joke, but can it do us good while it's making us laugh? In the week of the Festival of Janasthami, celebrating the birth of Krishna, the Hindu Deity known amongst other things for his practical jokes, Mark Tully discusses the spirituality of the Prankster.

Like it or not, practical jokes and pranks play an intrinsic and important part of life. And our reactions to them can be revealing. A joke played and taken in good part can be an affirmation of friendship. Many initiation rites have pranks at their core. Some religious teachers have used them to make a memorable point.

Yet a delicate balance has to be struck. There must be countless examples of pranks tipping over into cruelty, or friendships being ruined by a misplaced trick. At the same time we can delight in being the butt of an inventive prank and we certainly love to see them played on others.

With the help of Professor Dacher Keltner a psychologist from University College, Berkeley and with music from Dudley Moore, Haydn and the musical Matilda, Mark Tully investigates the cultural importance of joke playing.

The readers are Helen Ryan and Kenneth Cranham.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully asks whether the best practical jokes can serve a social or religious purpose.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Prayer Before A Five Pound Note2012070120220710 (R4)Money occupies a central position in the lives of people around the world - no matter the culture or currency. And yet few of us ever pause in our earning and spending to consider what is its real role within our society? What is its weight in our lives?

In this edition of Something Understood, Mark Tully explores our human relationship with money and asks, given its immense power, what should be our Prayer Before a Five Pound Note?

We hear readings from a broad range of writers, with all sorts of viewpoints on money, from Christian activist Monica Furlong to publishing magnate and poet Felix Dennis. Music includes Michael Head's exaltation of poverty, Money O! and JJ Cale's Money Talks.

Mark speaks to Professor Jacob Needleman, who believes most people ignore the spiritual implication of money in their day to day lives, and do so at their peril. This is a strange attitude to take towards something which has such a singular power over us, as shown by Jacob's own experiments, in which he attempts to hand a five-dollar bill to strangers in the streets. Their reactions, and his own feelings on giving away money in this way, reveal great deal about our often-fraught interactions with it.

It seems that humanity teeters between the obsessive pursuit of money and often futile attempts to rid themselves of it. Perhaps the most productive way to engage with it is to abandon those two extremes and instead use it as a mirror to show us ourselves - the way we spend reveals our priorities in often surprising ways. Should our prayer before a five-pound note be please, help me to understand myself?

Producer: Hannah Marshall

A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully contemplates the spiritual implication of money in our lives.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Preaching20170430Mark Tully evaluates a range of preaching and considers what makes a good or a bad sermon.

The Dominican Friars are known as the Order of Preachers, and Mark speaks with former Master of the Order, Brother Timothy Radcliffe, about how the balance of preaching has changed on the whole from hellfire and damnation to Good News.

Mark's copy of Webster's dictionary defines a sermon as, 'a serious reproof or exultation expressed at tedious length,' but Brother Timothy believes preachers must not climb into the pulpit and preach down at their congregation. He says, 'They can, and should, lead listeners to have life and to have it abundantly.

Produced by Adam Fowler

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully evaluates a range of preaching, from hellfire and damnation to Good News.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Preparation20170924For the boy scouts and Cicero, for Benjamin Franklin and Confucius, preparation has been a key to success. Some, however, feel that too much preparation is the gateway to procrastination - that it is dangerous to be over-prepared.

Mark Tully considers both these views - the wisdom of preparing and the value of spontaneity - with the help of writers as diverse as Napoleon Bonaparte, Effie Waller Smith and Louis MacNeice. There is music too from Mozart, Paul Termos and Charlie Parker.

The readers are David Holt, Adjoa Andoh and Francis Cadder.

Written and presented by Mark Tully

Produced by Frank Stirling.

Mark Tully examines the much-vaunted precept that preparation is the key to success.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Pricking Pomposity20160131Mark Tully considers the social role of mockery, the art of parody, lampoon and satire and what society gains from having its pomposity pricked.

He talks to cartoonist Steve Bell about the purpose of caricature, the hurt it may cause and the good it can do. With readings from poets Edward Bulwer Lytton and Carol Ann Duffy, and journalist Joe Queenan, along with music ranging from Beethoven to Jean Knight, this is a study in having our pomposity pricked.

The readers are Polly Frame, Francis Cadder and Jasper Britton.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully considers the social importance of caricature, mockery and satire.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Private Spaces20150201Has privacy always been an important part of life and have we always had the same need for private havens?

Mark Tully searches for new approaches to private space in an increasingly crowded world and considers the need for privacy - with design historian Penny Sparke, author of As Long As It's Pink and The Modern Interior.

Examining the research of social scientists and historians, as well as the work of poets as diverse as Ruth Fainlight, W.B. Yeats and Noel Coward, Mark asks whether the need for private space goes hand in hand with the drive for modernity.

There's music from Charles Ives, Gustav Mahler and Flanders and Swann.

The readers are Adjoa Andoh and Pip Donaghy.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully searches for new approaches to private space in an increasingly crowded world.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Procrastination2013071420230122 (R4)Have you ever been blighted by a looming deadline and stayed up all night, wishing you'd started work just a bit earlier? You might curse your hesitation in these situations. But, Samira Ahmed asks: is procrastination always such a bad thing?

Most of us will have procrastinated at some point in our lives. Maybe you can't start the first sentence of the novel you've always want to write because you fear failure. Or perhaps you're putting off telling your partner that your relationship 'just isn't working anymore'. At worst procrastination can be debilitating or prolong a hurtful decision longer than necessary. But might it also be a useful tool for artistic inspiration and a way to let things happen in their own time?

Our relationship with procrastination is a complex one. Many of us are acutely aware that we are doing it, that it robs us of the time to complete tasks to the best of our potential, and yet we just can't stop it. Perhaps it is just human nature? Procrastination has often been characterised as a sin - leaving undone those things which we ought to have done - perhaps suggesting that procrastination has been a concern throughout history.

And yet, there may be something to be said for carefully considered delay. For anyone who's ever felt that sinking feeling after posting something in haste on social media, perhaps delaying action might have been prudent. We can learn from history that sometimes resisting pressure to act more quickly can prevent the direst of consequences. But deliberate procrastination by those who have the power to facilitate change or to maintain the status quo, even if it robs the powerless of equal rights, might suggest that procrastination is a luxury of those who have the time to wait.

The programme includes readings from Kurt Vonnegut, Martin Luther King Jr., John Lanchester, and W.H. Auden, with music by Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, Leonard Cohen, Karine Polwart, and Yo La Tengo.

Producer: Katherine Godfrey

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Samira Ahmed considers whether procrastination is always such a bad thing.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Questioning20190217Mark Tully invites us to challenge perceived truths in religion and science. He hears how faith is not synonymous with certainty, and how a lack of doubt, whether religious or scientific, is detrimental to both.

Mark is joined by Andrew Briggs, Professor of Nanomaterials at the University of Oxford, a practicing Christian and co-author of It Keeps Me Seeking: The Invitation from Science, Philosophy and Religion. They discuss the book's premise that a scientific outlook is not an alternative to a religious one, and that scientific knowledge does not replace the Great Truths of religion. Professor Briggs maintains that science is, `studying how God makes the world work,` and talks of, `a glorious entanglement` between religious and scientific questioning.

This entanglement is explored through the words of Mark Van Doren, Walt Whitman and the former Chief Rabbi, Jonathan Sachs - as well as the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams, Joseph Haydn and Charlie Parker.

Readers: Jasper Britton, Frank Stirling and Philippa Geering

Presented by Mark Tully

Produced by Adam Fowler

A 7digital Production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully invites us to challenge perceived truths in both religion and science.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Rabindranath Tagore: Unity In Diversity2011073120230730 (R4)For the 150th anniversary of the birth of visionary polymath Rabindranath Tagore in 2011, Mark Tully presents a special edition of Something Understood exploring Tagore's vision of the unity of all creation.

Tagore was a Nobel prize winning poet, author, musician artist and philosopher. He argued for the essential 'oneness' of humanity and aimed to heal the divisions between East and West, science and spirituality and man and nature. Mark Tully asks what we can learn from Tagore's belief that 'truth implies unity, a unity expressed through many and varied manifestations, a unity which, when we are able to realise it, gives us freedom'.

Mark speaks to Vandana Shiva, a philosopher, physicist, and globally renowned environmental campaigner, who explains her understanding of Tagore's concept of the universal.

We hear music from around the world - from sarode player Wajahat Khan to Purcell's 'Ode to St Cecelia'. And we learn that Gustav Holst immersed himself in Hindu mysticism and spirituality. His series of choral hymns from the Rig Veda, the oldest of the Hindu scriptures, was the outcome of that experience. Readings come from William Cullen Bryant - an American romantic poet inspired by the wildness of the forest, Jean-Paul Sartre and, of course, from Tagore himself.

Producer: Jo Coombs

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.

For the anniversary of the birth of Rabindranath Tagore, Mark Tully explores his vision.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Rain2012071520230709 (R4)St. Swithun's day is arguably the most British of all Saints days, associated as it is with one of the nations most popular topics of conversation: the weather. More specifically of course, it's associated with rain as the saint is most commonly prayed to in times of drought and tradition has it that, if it rains on St Swithun's day, it will rain solidly for the next forty days.

Mark Tully considers the emotional impact rain has upon us in a summer that has already seen its fair share of it. An edition of Something Understood to splash about in, with readings provided by Longfellow, Tagore and Langston Hughes and a range of evocative music from Chopin and Debussy to Ella Fitzgerald and the Portuguese Fado singer Mariza.

Why go out in the rain, when you can stay inside and listen to it on the radio?

The readers are Philip Franks and Grainne Keenan.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully looks at the emotional impact of Rain in a programme for St Swithun's Day.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Reading Between The Lines20170212When does the ability to read between the lines become vital? From codes in Shakespeare to modern surveillance states, Mark Tully seeks out the secret messages of everyday life.

Shakespeare scholar Clare Asquith has witnessed the secret dissident propaganda that flourished in Soviet Russia and she has also written a book about hidden political and religious allegories in the plays of Shakespeare. Mark discusses her approach to reading between the lines and the techniques she has learnt to help her interpret literary codes.

In the light of this, he considers the symbols and subtexts that exist all around us - through culture, literature and music, touching on the work of Alban Berg, Sergei Prokoviev and Barrington Pheloung and the writing of Queen Elizabeth I, World War Two cryptographer Leo Marks and poet Theodore Weiss.

The readers are Claire Vousden and Vincent Ebrahim.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully looks between the lines to find the secret symbols and codes of everyday life.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Reason And Desire2012031120220410 (R4)Mark Tully considers the eternal human conflict between our Reason and our Desires. To what extent should the first regulate the second? And how do we achieve the right balance between the two.

With readings from Aristotle, Fernando Pessoa and Kim Addonizio, and a diverse range of music, from The Rolling Stones to Wagner, Mark compares secular thoughts on the subject with the teachings of various religions.

The programme features an interview with Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad, Professor of Comparative Religion and Philosophy at Lancaster University who makes it clear that there is no one single attitude towards reason and desire in Christianity or in religions of Indian origin.

But whether bound by secular or religious thoughts on the matter, Mark sees a clear need for our desires of all sorts to be controlled to some extent, however difficult it is to find a balance between desire and reason.

The readers are Peter Guinness and Samantha Bond.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Reflections20080203Katy Radford considers how individuals and societies relate to their own reflections.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Regret2015071220210418 (R4)Mark Tully asks if it is right to live with regret, or preferable to get over our mistakes. Can we be immobilised by self-pity at one extreme, but willfully insensitive at the other?

The programme features an interview with writer Erwin James, who served 20 years in prison for murder. He accepts that he will never stop regretting his crimes and seeks no forgiveness, rejecting the Christian notion of grace and a God who forgives sin. James does hope for some kind of eventual peace though, and explains how he deals with constant regret for the pain he has caused, by living the best life he can.

Mark Tully, with the help of Lady Macbeth and Edith Piaf, also looks at the opposite response to actions which have caused harm or distress - `What's done is done` and `Non, Je Ne Regret Rien`. He explores, too, the middle ground where our past actions are not so terrible that they must forever be regretted, but where we might also gain from acknowledging our shortcomings and the effect they have had on others.

Is it ever right just to 'forget about it' and ‘move on' or do we owe it to the people we have hurt to acknowledge our responsibility for their pain?

A Unique Broadcasting Company production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully asks if it is right to live with regret, or better to get over our mistakes.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Reinventing Ritual20090920Mark Tully asks how our deep need for rituals and rites of passage is being expressed.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Religion Good? Religion Bad?20070325Mark Tully enters the current debate about the nature of religion. Is religion dangerous?

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Remember You Are Dust20170115Writer and priest Malcolm Doney examines the cyclical nature of our existence on earth, how we are made of stardust and will one day become dust again.

Malcolm explores the fact that we are composed of the same matter as the cosmos, arguing that this gives us a vital connection with the stars above our heads and the earth beneath our feet. He suggests that the earth builds us and we in turn shape the world; our actions leave a mark. This can have a profound effect on how we think of mind, body and soul.

The programme features the poetry of Derek Walcott who highlights how rooted we are to the earth, alongside readings from Guy Claxton which capture the wonder of having independent creative thought. Musical selections include Joni Mitchell's Woodstock and Jeff Buckley's haunting Corpus Christi Carol.

Presenter: Malcolm Doney

Producer: Jonathan O'Sullivan

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Malcolm Doney reflects on how the earth builds us and how we in turn shape the world.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Remembering Merton20081214The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams talks to Mike Wooldridge about the influential Trappist monk and activist Thomas Merton, who died 40 years ago. He discusses his fascination with this complex and passionate man, who combined a lifelong devotion to the Catholic Church with an increasing openness to the needs of the modern world and to the wisdom of the East.

Dr Rowan Williams talks about the influential Trappist monk and activist Thomas Merton.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Remembering The Wounded20121111In a special edition for Remembrance Sunday, Mark Tully remembers those wounded in action or taken ill while in the Services.

We rightly commemorate those who have died defending our country, but is there a danger that we sometimes forget those who are seriously injured in the armed services and those who devote their lives to caring from them?

Mark Tully talks to staff and patients at Headley Court Defence Medical Rehabilitation Unit in Surrey and draws on readings from 20th and 21st century wars in a programme honouring the wounded. He plays music by John Adams, Slim Gaillard and the band of the Royal Army Medical Corps and introduces readings of Wilfred Owen and A.E. Housman. The readers are Toby Jones and Francis Cadder.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

On Remembrance Sunday, Mark Tully remembers those wounded in action.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Repeat After Me20160221Poet Ross Sutherland explores the consequences of repeating oneself.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Resisting The Tug20080907Mark Tully talks to Simon Small about the importance of the lost art of contemplation.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Restoration And Transformation2016121120190609 (R4)Academic Sarah Goldingay examines the process of restoration. She discovers that restoring a broken or damaged item can have a transformative and spiritual impact on us.

To make do and mend is becoming a thing of the past as we slip into a cycle of consuming and quickly discarding our possessions. But Sarah argues the act of giving a damaged piece of clothing or a broken knick-knack a new lease of life by mending it is hugely rewarding. An intriguing example is the work of highly skilled audio restorer Andrew Rose, who digitally removes layers of noise ruining old and battered classical music records, revealing the beautiful music that was previously smothered in a fog of hiss.

The process of restoration can go beyond just returning a damaged object to its original state. It can inspire imagination and ingenuity. A broken or damaged thing can be a catalyst for creativity. Sarah takes us to Paraguay where we meet an internationally acclaimed youth orchestra who play instruments made out of rubbish. We also hear excerpts from William Basinski's stunning Disintegration Loops, a classic ambient album made from ruined recordings of old compositions that had begun to decay.

Sarah concludes that mending and restoring are both hugely therapeutic. By mending broken objects we can also often mend ourselves.

Presenter: Sarah Goldingay

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4

Sarah Goldingay examines the transformative process of restoration and mending.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Reunions And Recognitions2016040320200412 (R4)Dr Rowan Williams, Master of Magdalene College Cambridge and the former Archbishop of Canterbury, explores reunions and recognitions in the context of the Easter narratives.

The Sunday after Easter, traditionally known as Low Sunday, is a time when Christians reflect more deeply on the celebrations of the previous weekend. Rowan Williams describes the human story as full of creating, breaking and restoring relationships and illustrates his thinking with powerful moments of reconciliation in War and Peace when Natasha seeks forgiveness from Prince Andrei, and in King Lear where the King is revisited by his daughter, as well as with the reuniting of Jacob and Esau in Genesis.

It is this mending of brokenness that Dr Williams uses to link in to the Easter stories. `They move us - and challenge us as well,` he says, `because they echo these deep feelings around finding and losing, separating and reuniting, recognising and failing to recognise and discovering that what seemed completely lost has not been destroyed. They are good news for us because they say that there is no relationship beyond mending in God's providence and God's time - that even the most final of separations or the most bitter of betrayals will not stifle the possibility of the reconciliation we long for.

The programme also features the poetry of Wilfred Owen, as well as Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro where the unfaithful Count is forgiven by his wife, accompanied by music, which has been described as the sound of God absolving the world.

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4

Dr Rowan Williams reflects on reunions and recognitions and the meaning of Easter.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Rhythm20110515Mark Tully asks why we find rhythm so fascinating and discovers how it governs our lives, from the universal to the microscopic. Rhythm, it seems, not only sets our feet tapping, but binds us all in relationship with each other.

The programme features an interview with Russell Foster, the professor of Circadian Neuroscience at Oxford University. (Circadian referring to those rhythmic biological cycles that occur in us, within every 24 hours, such as the cycle of wakefulness and sleepiness). Professor Foster believes that, in our 24/7 society, we are trying to overpower that rhythmic cycle within us, with damaging and dangerous consequences to our health and the health of society. So why is rhythm so important, and why does it mean so much to so many people.

As Mark Tully says in the programme:

'We love Rhythm in music, we love it in poetry. Some discover it in prose too. Then we rejoice in the rhythm of the world we live in, the rhythm of each day, the rising and the setting of the sun, the rhythm of the seasons, and the rhythm that I particularly love, the rhythm of the sea - the tide ebbing and flowing. We each have a rhythm of our own too, and if we don't listen to it we will pay a price.'

The readers are Samantha Bond, Joseph Kloska and Frank Stirling

Presented by Mark Tully

Produced By Adam Fowler

An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully asks why we find rhythm so fascinating and discovers how it governs our lives.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Righteous Anger20180527Mark Tully considers one of our most common human emotions - anger.

Anger is all too easily dismissed as a negative emotion with no capacity for doing good, but Mark considers the positive as well as the negative aspects of this emotion.

In conversation, Rabbi Stuart Altshuler of the Belsize Square synagogue in London gives his definition of Righteous Anger and explains how anger and love can go together.

Mark also considers the misunderstanding that allows some Muslims to think the concept of righteous anger justifies them in using violence, carrying out acts of terror, fighting a Jihad, to take revenge for what they see as insults to Islam or injustices to their fellow Muslims.

And for a Hindu perspective, we hear a fable about an aggressive and poisonous snake that was commanded by a Swami to desist from biting passers-by. The snake took this edict too far and was abused for its passivity. The Swami tells the snake, 'I told you not to bite, but I did not tell you not to hiss!

Throughout the programme, Mark balances the dangers of misdirected or selfish anger with the need for anger as a means of challenging injustice and improving the lives of the disenfranchised. He attempts to discern when to bite, when to hiss, and when to turn the other cheek.

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Rising From The Ashes2013033120220417 (R4)This Easter edition of Something Understood examines some of the themes associated with the Passion and Resurrection of Christ, and asks what we can learn from them today.

The forgiveness of sin, overcoming great obstacles and learning to move on are all ideas represented in the story of Easter.

Mark Tully asks whether we can learn from the Easter narrative only on a symbolic level or whether it offers us lessons of a more practical or physical kind. He discusses the art of rediscovering the story of Easter week with Bishop of Bradford, Nick Baines, and a mix of readings and music.

The readers are Monica Dolan and Mark Quartley.

Produced by Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully discusses the meaning of Resurrection, in a programme about moving on.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Risk Assessment20080316Mike Wooldridge explores the implications of our increasingly risk-averse attitude to life

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Rocks That Fail2014071320210523 (R4)Mark Tully asks what happens when the things or people we rely on to be strong, to be there, to be with us, turn out to be fragile, absent, or against us.

From Peter's denial of Jesus, to the failure of financial institutions in times of economic depression, Mark suggests that a crack in a rock need not necessarily be a fatal fault line. From one of the great medieval love stories, he draws from the letters of Heloise castigating her lover Abelard for failing her, while insisting that still only he can be her rock. And he finds a metaphor for our very human tendency to mask our inner weakness with a show of outward strength in the extraordinary phenomenon that is a Prince Rupert's Drop - a tear-shaped drop of glass that can withstand the blows of a hammer to its bulbous end, but will explode into fragments at the slightest twist of its tail.

The programme features the song Anthem by Leonard Cohen, which includes the lyrics, 'There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in'. Mark considers if it is ever possible to find perfection or whether, paradoxically, we should use the flaws we come across to strengthen our faith in the people and institutions on which we build our lives.

The readers are Brian Cox, Frank Stirling and Fiona Shaw.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully asks what happens when the things or people we rely on let us down.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Roots And Wings20080420Mark Tully considers the most important gifts that parents can bestow upon their children.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Rumi2016111320210530 (R4)Jalal ad-Din Rumi was a 13th-century Persian poet, theologian and Sufi mystic, whose influence as a writer extended throughout central and southern Asia. Eight hundred years later it extends worldwide. He has been described as the most popular poet in the United States and he is still revered by many in the East.

Mark Tully assesses his contemporary popularity with Coleman Barks, one of Rumi's pre-eminent American translators and asks why Rumi resonates with so many people of so many nationalities and faiths.

In a programme featuring music from all over the world and readings of some Rumi's great passionate masterpieces, he presents a portrait of the founder of the Mevlevi Order - also known as the Whirling Dervishes.

The readers are Paapa Essiedu and Emma Pallant.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully assesses the worldwide popularity of the 13th-century Sufi mystic poet.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Rumination20180121Writer and priest Malcolm Doney examines the act of rumination, which refers both to digestion and the process of deep thought or consideration. He draws comparisons with a host of other natural processes, where material enters in one form and is then converted into something new and life-giving.

Exploring topics ranging from Bible interpretation to composting, Malcolm draws on the words of American novelist Ann Pratchett and farmer and yoga teacher Jennifer Lynn to underpin his observations.

The process of fermentation is also explored as it has always been linked to Christianity's core ritual - Holy Communion. Both grain and grape are made new through fermentation. Malcolm argues that our ideas and beliefs work on our insides like yeast. Invisibly, we are leavened, we rise.

Malcolm concludes that, through rumination, we can access our darkest recesses in which an enormous source of energy for new life can be found. This is a deep, almost unfathomable well from which we can draw spiritual nutrition, wisdom and understanding that provide us with fuel for living.

Presenter: Malcolm Doney

Producer: Jonathan O'Sullivan

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Writer and priest Malcolm Doney mulls over the transformational process of rumination.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Running Away20070923Mark Tully considers the human need to escape.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Running On Empty2009020120220130 (R4)Writer Blake Morrison considers the physical and spiritual isolation of the runner.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Running With The Crowd20111106Mark Tully considers the idea of 'Running with the Crowd' from the Gordon Riots in the eighteenth century to Woodstock in the 60s or the Arab Spring a few months ago. He asks why it is that being part of a crowd moves individuals in different ways than the same event experienced alone, and examines the positive and negative aspects of being part of a crowd.

With the help of the work of Peter Ackroyd, Dannie Abse, V.S. Naipaul and Shakespeare and with music by J. S. Bach, Malcolm Arnold, Joni Mitchell and Aaron Copeland, Mark Tully picks his way through different crowds and asks whether they are destructive or empowering.

The readers are Hattie Morahan and Dan Stevens.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully examines the relationship between the individual and the crowd.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Sacred Botany2018021120230813 (R4)Musician Jahnavi Harrison enters a world of sacred plants revealing that, in many religious traditions, plants are seen as spiritually symbolic - sometimes acting as intermediaries with the divine world.

Jahnavi invites us on a journey to Vrindavan, a town two hours south of New Delhi, a place of pilgrimage and worship for Hindus. Vrindavan is named after the goddess Vrinda who is said to take the form of the holy basil plant Tulasi in the worldly realm. Jahnavi reveals that this same plant is lovingly cultivated in the Hertfordshire temple where she grew up and is brought into the main shrine each day during the morning worship.

She goes on to explore the significance of the lotus flower, a key symbol in many Eastern religions.

The use of plants in worship is not confined to the East. The presence of Ocimum Basilicum - which many of us know as the basil we cook with - is a common sight in regional denominations of Orthodox Christianity, especially in the Greek church. Jahnavi explains that Orthodox Christians believe the herb sprung up where Jesus's blood fell near his tomb. Ever since, basil has been associated with the worship of the cross, particularly during Great Lent.

Drawing upon the Zen poetry of Matsuo Basho, Jahnavi discusses the lessons we can learn by paying close attention to the plants around us. Basho's vivid depictions of the plant world are complemented by the words of Sam Taylor Coleridge, whose poem To Nature is described by Jahnavi as 'a prayerful study of the plant kingdom'.

Presenter: Jahnavi Harrison

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Musician Jahnavi Harrison enters a world of sacred plants.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Sacred Sounds, Dangerous Women2018090920230702 (R4)Journalist and broadcaster Remona Aly explores the turbulent relationship between Islam and the female singing voice.

Over the course of history, Islam has had a troubled relationship with music, with some believers arguing that it should be banned. Female singers have been particularly hard hit. Despite periods of repression that have seen Muslim women banned from singing in public and performing solo in front of men, there is a rich tradition of women using music to deepen their Islamic faith.

Remona interweaves the stunning tones of the 'queen of Sufi music', Abida Parveen, with the young hijabi singer-songwriter Sevval Kayhan, who wowed the X-Factor Holland judges. We hear silken Quranic recitations from Indonesia alongside Olivia Newton John's rendition of one of Islam's oldest songs - Tala'al Badru 'Alayna.

In order to find out more about the current state of affairs in Britain, Remona speaks to Sakinah Lenoir and Rabiah Abdullah who together make up the acoustic duo Pearls of Islam. The band explain that they believe the negative reactions some have to the sound of the female singing voice is due to fear. Far from trying to revolutionise Islam, the pair explain that their work refers back to the time of Prophet Muhammad who surrounded himself with vocal women, female singers and poets. Following their interview, Pearls of Islam perform their beautiful track Mercy live.

Remona concludes that, while the controversy over female singers remains within certain quarters of her faith, these female singers are far from dangerous. For Remona, the real danger lies in stripping away an avenue of spiritual expression for women whose only aim is to reach out to the divine through music.

Presenter: Remona Aly

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Saintliness20171008Mark Tully explores what we mean by saintliness, asking where the idea of the saint comes from and whether saintliness is a state to which anyone should aspire.

In conversation with Diarmaid Macculloch, Professor of Church History at the University of Oxford, he debates the diverse reputations of saints down the ages and questions their role in secular and religious societies.

There are readings from tthe works of the poet Deborah Paredez and the 20th century Trappist monk, Thomas Merton - and music from Wojciech Kilar, Pierre Eliane and Youssou N'Dour.

The readers are Adjoa Andoh, Francis Cadder and David Holt.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully examines the role of saints and asks if anyone should aspire to sainthood.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Saying Goodbye20190414Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand explores the ecstasy and agony of saying goodbye. Drawing upon the words of the poet Shel Silverstein, she examines the notion that 'there are no happy endings'.

Human beings have developed all manner of rituals to ease the process of parting, from simple handshakes to elaborate funeral liturgies. Shoshana reveals that even the nightly ritual of saying goodnight to your children is laden with significance. She explains the Jewish bedtime ritual of saying the Shema - a prayer which is said to invoke the protection of angels.

Shoshana also explores the linguistics of saying goodbye - from the French 'adieu' which commends the receiver to god, to the German 'auf wiedersehen' which literally means 'until we see again'. Describing her experiences as a hospital chaplain, she discusses the final days and weeks of life, a 'deeply scared' time when 'this world and the next meet'.

Shoshana concludes by arguing that, however painful parting may be, being aware that time spent together is limited makes it all the more precious. It's that awareness that impels her to make the most of her farewell rituals - using them as an opportunity to express gratitude for the people and places that enrich her life.

Presenter: Shoshana Boyd Gelfand

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Saying Sorry2012052720211024 (R4)Mark Tully asks why we find it so difficult to apologise and considers some of the benefits of doing so. But what of the false, or half-hearted apology? Should saying sorry always lead to forgiveness?

From politicians to journalists, poets to criminals, and from entire countries to intimate lovers, Mark looks at those who have transgressed but cannot find it in themselves to acknowledge the fact and make amends. Just what benefits to individuals, races and nations would flow if an unwarranted act of war or aggression, or just simple inconsideration, was owned up to? What can we do to make the act of apology easier, and how should we respond to those who do manage to say that hardest word of all?

Who better than a politician to ask about the nature of heartfelt apologies, the ways we find to avoid them, and how we arrive at mealy-mouth substitutions. Mark speaks to Mani Shankar Aiyar, a member of India's ruling Congress Party and an expert on the political - with a small and large 'p' - apology. There are times, he admits, when an out-and-out admission of guilt, acceptance of responsibility and an unqualified and genuine apology is in order - but only when the game is up.

With music from Franz Liszt, Frank Sinatra and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and words by Somerset Maugham, Thomas Hardy, Desmond Tutu and Fyodor Dostoevsky, Mark considers the right and wrong time to seek redemption from those you have hurt, and the appropriate way to respond to the repentance of others who have done you wrong.

The readers are Peter Guinness, Emma Fielding and Frank Stirling.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully asks why apologising is so hard and considers some of the benefits of doing so.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Schadenfreude2015091320200126 (R4)With concerns about increasing social inequality, some might argue that there is ever more fertile ground for Schadenfreude - a nineteenth century German expression coined to describe the joy we sometimes take in the failure or misfortune of others. It has been described as the worst human trait. However, some psychologists argue that it is an intrinsic part of our survival instinct.

In conversation with Dr Caroline Bowman, a leading researcher in this field, Mark Tully explores the pleasure we take in the discomfiture of both peers and rivals.

Readings and music range from Clive James and Robert Fulford to Spike Jones and Verdi.

The readers are Cyril Nri, Francis Cadder and Jane Whittenshaw.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully investigates the tendency to take joy in the misfortune of others.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Season Of Gifts20071223Fergal Keane explores Christmas traditions of giving and receiving.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Seclusion2017050720190714 (R4)Journalist Remona Aly discovers the power of seclusion.

Throughout centuries, individuals of many faiths, cultures and disciplines have argued that seclusion is the key to unlock the mysteries both of the self and of the divine.

According to Remona, in today's connected world finding solitude has become a lost art. In fact, western culture tends to equate a desire for solitude with people who are lonely or anti-social, but there are many physical and psychological benefits to spending time alone.

Throughout time, seekers of all faith traditions have been drawn to solitude as a way of deepening their relationship with God. Remona offers the lives of the Prophet Muhammad and Imam al-Ghazali as leading examples of how seclusion can lead to overwhelming personal revelations and radical change in society.

The work of Beethoven is also examined as his phase of seclusion lead him to produce some of the most extraordinary symphonies of his career.

Remona also reflects on her own personal time of seclusion before dawn, leaving her bed to take part in a voluntary prayer known in Arabic as Tahajjud - a sacred time which she describes as therapy for the soul.

Presenter: Remona Aly

Producer: Jonathan O'Sullivan

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Journalist Remona Aly investigates the uniquely spiritual experience of seclusion.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Seeing God2013060920200329 (R4)In a programme on religious visions, Mark Tully asks whether visionaries are empowered by this intense religious experience. He looks at the Hindu phenomenon of darshan, a divine vision which is seen as a particular blessing.

Visions - personal and apparently literal encounters with the divine - are viewed differently from one faith to another. Considered by some people as an important step on the road to enlightenment, they are viewed askance by others, and with suspicion by many.

Mark examines how visions are regarded by writers ranging from the Ancient Druid Amargin to Christopher Isherwood . He plays music by Lata Mangeshakar, Ernest Bloch and Van Morrison to compare the many musical visions of the face of God.

The readers are Toby Jones and Gerard Murphy

Producer by Frank Stirling.

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully examines the nature of religious visions and visionaries.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Seeing Mary20140907~Something Understood: Seeing Mary

John McCarthy explores the role of the Virgin Mary in binding together different faiths in shared ceremony and respect.

To mark Christian celebrations of the birth of the Virgin Mary on September the 8th John McCarthy looks at her personal significance to people of different faiths. This includes the Palestinian Ambassador to the UK Professor Manuel Hassassian who says for him, 'Mary symbolises hope, spirituality and love'.

Mary, who was a Jew and the mother of the Christian Son of God, is also one of the most revered women in the Muslim tradition. Known in Arabic as Maryam, a chapter of the Qur'an is named after her. Verses from the Quran relating to Mary are frequently inscribed on the mihrab, or niche within a wall of a mosque, denoting the direction of Mecca. But alongside this she is deeply human.

In Colm T ib퀀n's novel The Testament of Mary he examines the complexity of motherhood. Mary supposes herself to have intimacy with her son; she knows him better than he knows himself (she told him raising Lazarus was dangerous, he wouldn't listen). And yet, as she also acknowledges, he is destined to be at an impossible remove from her.

In 1968 the image of the Virgin Mary was seen above the dome of a Coptic Christian church in the Cairo suburb of Zeitun. The apparitions recurred for five months, for hours on end, and more than a million and a half people claim to have seen Mary during this time. In conversation with Danish scholar Andreas Bandak, John considers how precariousness and ambiguity is embedded in saint worship in the contemporary Middle East.

Producer: Emily Williams

A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4.

John McCarthy explores the role of the Virgin Mary in binding together different faiths.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Seeing The Light2017012220240121 (R4)In the week of the Feast of the Conversion of St Paul, Mark Tully asks what causes sudden flashes of inspiration and what the American psychologist Dr Gary Klein has called 'light bulb moments'.

January 25th traditionally marks the day Saul saw a blinding light leading to his conversion to Christianity when 'the scales fell from his eyes'. Isaac Newton is supposed to have discovered gravity when struck on the head by an apple. Archimedes cries 'Eureka' in his bath. The history books are littered with anecdotes of great discoveries made in the blink of an eye, problems solved in a single moment or radical changes of mind that are seemingly divinely inspired. Has the divine anything to do with the process or is it the subconscious at work - and do we all have the capacity to experience 'eureka moments'?

Expert witnesses include Archimedes, George Frederick Handel, Sir Paul McCartney, mathematician Henri Poincar退 and green campaigner Annie Leonard.

The readers are Claire Vousden and Vincent Ebrahim.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

In the week of the Feast of St Paul's Conversion, Mark Tully considers sudden epiphanies.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Expert witnesses include Archimedes, George Frederick Handel, Sir Paul McCartney, mathematician Henri Poincaré and green campaigner Annie Leonard.

In the week of the Feast of the Conversion of St Paul, Mark Tully considers eureka moments with expert witnesses Archimedes, Isaac Newton, Sir Paul McCartney and Dr Gary Klein.

Seeking Eurydice2013091520200802 (R4)Orpheus' descent to the underworld to bring Eurydice back to life is a powerful myth, and one that has a special hold over artists and anyone who is grieving. But how can someone who believes in the finality of death reconcile this conviction with an Orphic reluctance to let go? After losing a friend, Jo Fidgen goes in search of an afterlife that an atheist can believe in.

With readings from Czeslaw Milosz, Rainer Maria Rilke and Ali Smith; and music by David Lang, Karl Jenkins and Beethoven. The programme also includes an interview with a Sami reindeer herder about the tradition of bringing the dead to life in song.

Readers: Emma Fielding and Jonathan Keeble

Producer: Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Jo Fidgen goes in search of an afterlife that even an atheist can believe in.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Self-portraits2018120220210905 (R4)In this exploration of the self-portrait, the poet Michael Symmons Roberts starts with the modern phenomenon of the ubiquitous selfie and questions whether it really is such a quantum shift in the way we see ourselves in the world. Or is this just the latest tech-twist in the story of self-portraiture?

`It's become a clich退 to mock and revile it,` Michael says, `characterising it as a narcissistic exercise, but the reality is more complex`.

Self-portraiture goes way back to cave paintings, he suggests, and has a long and complex history. `I still remember when I first saw one of Rembrandt's self-portraits in the flesh, or LS Lowry's red-eyed, searing vision of himself staring back. There's something about them that makes us feel they are giving us the real person, a glimpse of the painter's true self.`

Michael goes on to extend his definition of the self-portrait from just painters and sculptors to include poets and novelists. The poetry of Nobel Prize winning Polish poet Wistawa Szymborska, Gerard Manley Hopkins and Emily Dickenson, and the music of Philip Glass, singer songwriter Don McLean and Nile Rogers, helps Michael conclude, `Self-portraits, at their best, aspire to portray the inner world, not just the surface appearance.`

Presenter: Michael Symmons Roberts

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4

Poet Michael Symmons Roberts explores the phenomenon of the selfie and the self-portrait.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Sent To Spy20070624Mark Tully explores the psychology of spying and the effects of constant surveillance.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Sermons In Stone20160814John McCarthy celebrates the power of sacred architecture and wonders what lessons can be learned from these buildings.

Whether it's a grand cathedral or a humble non-conformist chapel, the architects who design sacred spaces are able to create a unique sense of peace. John explains, 'exploring religious spaces, whether a local parish church, a simple village mosque or exuberant Hindu temple and watching the faithful in private prayer, or sharing in a service, I've been moved by this atmosphere of spirituality. I've always been intrigued as to how this sense of the sanctified can be physically built.

In order to find out more, John visits St Paul's Cathedral with The Bishop of London Richard Chartres as his guide. He then walks a few miles to a very different sacred space - Brick Lane Mosque. The building that currently houses the Mosque has been a site of worship for over 200 years, having passed hands from the Huguenots to the Methodists and then on to East London's Jewish community before becoming a Mosque in 1970s. Celebrated architect Niall McLaughlin is on hand to unpick the layers of symbolism in the bricks and mortar and to reveal the secrets to designing a space that fosters stillness.

Readings include the amusing grumblings of Bishop Earle in the 17th Century and the work of the Cornish poet Nicholas Michell. Musical selections feature the St Paul's Cathedral Choir and The Carter Family.

Presenter: John McCarthy

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

John McCarthy explores the power of sacred architecture through music, prose and poetry.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Serpents And Doves20080217Mark Tully considers Jesus's instruction to his disciples to be both wise and innocent.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Set Them Free20161120Writer and priest Malcolm Doney examines the importance of affording our loved ones the freedom they need to blossom.

For Malcolm, the hardest part of being a parent is to let his children go in order for them to fledge. From encouraging them to walk, to taking the stabilisers off their bike, it means allowing them to make mistakes, get hurt and ultimately learn from the process. Malcolm also looks at how having faith is really a matter of letting go. In conclusion, Malcolm argues that it is by letting go that we set ourselves free.

The programme features poems from Clare Pollard and A S J Tessimond which evoke the spirit of freedom, contrasted with readings from Carl Sagan who documents the human hunger for absolute certainty and Nina Simone who argues that true freedom is the absence of fear.

Presenter: Malcolm Doney

Producer: Jonathan O'Sullivan

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Writer Malcolm Doney examines the importance of affording our loved ones freedom.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Shadows20160731The poet Michael Symmons Roberts looks in to the dark and under-appreciated world of shadows.

Most language which refers to understanding and happiness, tends to use images of light and sunshine. 'You don't hear much about 'flourishing' or 'rejoicing' in the shadows, only lurking, or hiding, or shrinking into them,' suggests Michael. In this programme he makes the case that the metaphors for light and shade are too clear-cut and that their relationship is far more complex.

Shadows are often used to scare children in story books, or grown-ups in horror films. But Michael says shadows can be reassuring. 'If you can see your own shadow, it means you're not lying in it, as the dead tend to do.

Turning to other cultures to illustrate his thoughts, he quotes Japanese author Junichiro Tanizaki and his work In Praise of Shadows which finds beauty in ill-lit spaces. Tanizaki is critical of the West and its 'quest for a brighter light never ceases, [which] spares no pains to eradicate even the minutest shadow.

In Christian culture too - it's actually to those out of the spotlight that Jesus gives his richest blessings, the poor and the oppressed and the unsung heroes of the Beatitudes.

Using the music of John Tavener and Joni Mitchell and poetry from Keith Douglas, Derek Mahon and his own poem In Praise of Flaking Walls, Michael Symmons Roberts invites us to take another look into the shadows and to recognise that the relationship between light and dark is symbiotic with both of equal value. As he concludes, 'It's in the play between the two that culture, art, life emerges.

Some of the ideas in this programme were previously explored by the author in a BBC Radio 3 interval talk in 2012.

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

The poet Michael Symmons Roberts explores the unsung wonders of the world of shadows.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Should I Stay Or Should I Go?2013030320200216 (R4)
20220424 (R4)
Mark Tully compares the experiences and motives of people whose conscience has led them to abandon their religion, with those who come to terms with their differences and attempt to change things from within. And, taking Dietrich Bonhoeffer as an example of someone who disagreed fundamentally with the actions, or inaction, of his church but chose to remain within it , this programme asks how far we would be prepared to take a stance on a matter of conscience, regardless of the personal consequences. Bonhoeffer's open criticism of the regime in Germany in

the 1930s was not echoed by his fellow pastors, and led to his imprisonment and execution by the Nazis before the end of the Second World War.

From the Pilgrim Fathers, who put the Atlantic Ocean between themselves and a State Religion they felt they could not be part of, to people faced with a choice when their church does not embrace their sexuality, or bars them from certain places or positions because of their gender, Mark Tully looks at those who have had to ask: Should I stay or Should I Go.

The readers are Grainne Keenan and John McAndrew.

Produced by Adam Fowler

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully compares those who leave religions with those who stay despite their doubts.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Shrines20170312Centred around a visit to his local Sufi shrine in Delhi, Mark Tully considers the apparently increasing popularity of shrines in many cultures.

He talks to journalist and Sufi devotee Sadia Delvi at the holy shrine at Nizamuddin Auliya, which is the mausoleum of India's most famous Sufi saint. The Qawwals sing, offerings are made and food is shared as they discuss the pluralism of worship in such places.

Mark also introduces readings by poets Robert Lowell and Edmund Blunden, and by journalist Jon Lichfiled, along with music from Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Matthew Halsall and David Bowie.

The readers are Emily Raymond, Francis Cadder and Jasper Britton.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully considers the appeal of shrines and visits a popular Sufi shrine in Delhi.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Side Effects20110724In this week's Something Understood, the poet and novelist Christie Dickason reflects on how we deal with the unexpected. How do we recover from the troubles which can shift an individual off-track - like loss, illness or accident?

Featuring readings from Rebecca Solnit, Pablo Neruda and Antonio Machado, music from Louis Armstrong, Peteris Vasks and Radiokijada, and an interview with the writer Simon Brett.

Produced by Eleanor McDowall

A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.

The writer Christie Dickason explores how we cope with the unexpected.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Signposts And Route Maps20100131Life's not like a scene in a play where each character has his or her own motivation or journey. Life lacks the signposts provided by a script that knows where it's heading. Felicity Finch considers goal-orientated and extemporised lives, drawing on the words of acting teacher Utah Hagen, the writing of Dave Eggers and Milan Kundera, poetry by Joyce Sutphen and Philip Larkin and music by Liszt, Clara Schumann and Ornette Coleman.

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Felicity Finch considers goal-orientated and extemporised lives.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Signs Of Life20170910Writer and priest Malcolm Doney examines the sacred power of the objects we hold dear. From jewellery to photographs, Malcolm argues that possessions can hold powerful spiritual resonances - they are repositories of memory and can act as signs or signals of our beliefs to others.

Items with a specific religious connection, such as a crucifix or a yarmulke, interest Malcolm because they're physical objects that link this world with another. He explains, 'these are physical, visible markers, but they fascinate me because they are also signs of something emotional or spiritual - invisible. Part of their significance is public, but part - perhaps most - is private. In fact, they're like icebergs, with the most of their meaning hidden, out of sight.

Malcolm goes on to explore the power of holy relics, before turning to the question of whether focussing on physical objects in a religious setting results in idolatry. He concludes by discussing the power of objects to provide enduring and tangible links to loved ones who are no longer with us.

Presenter: Malcolm Doney

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Simplicity20171015Mark Tully seeks the ideal balance between the virtue of simplicity and embracing the many complexities of life. Is there a danger in neglecting the virtue of simplicity? What are the pitfalls, as well as the advantages, of complexity in contemporary living?

Mark questions the potential for naivety in dreams of the 'simple life' and celebrates the benefits of simplicity with music by Erik Satie and poetry by W. B. Yeats. He also considers triumphs of complexity with music by Kaikhosru Sorabji and the prose of John Steinbeck.

The readers are Christopher Harper, Francis Cadder and Polly Frame.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully considers the wisdom of trying to keep things simple.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Sisters And Brothers20130217In Sisters and Brothers Irma Kurtz reflects on sibling relationships. She considers competition for parental approval, the uniting of siblings against oppression and the empathy that can exist between brothers and sisters.

From the time they are born, our brothers and sisters may be our collaborators, our role models and our cautionary tales. Whether they are protectors or tormentors, objects of pride or sources of envy, siblings are with us for life.

In the programme, we hear readings by Seamus Heaney, Jane Austen and Laurie Lee. The music is by Herbert Howells, the composer Engelbert Humperdink, Carly Simon and George Gershwin. The readers are Liza Sadovy, Col Farrell and Frank Stirling.

Producer: Ronni Davis

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Irma Kurtz reflects on the different relationships between siblings.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Sleep20100509Mark Tully considers the role of sleep. We spend an average 27 years of our lives asleep, yet it's claimed we're experiencing an epidemic of insomnia, and that children are particularly badly affected. Why is sleep so important to our physical, mental and spiritual well-being?

The producer is Eley McAinsh, and this is a Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully asks why sleep is so important to our physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Sleeping On It20101017In 'Sleeping On It', Mark Tully asks how real problem solving is best achieved: by the unconscious or by rational thought.

How can we use contemplation, meditation or objective reasoning to solve our immediate problems and what is the best way to achieve that distance or objectivity that best helps us find solutions.

Mark asks why Archimedes was best able to solve his famous mathematical problem in the bath, why Mozart was happiest composing on a walk and how it is that he himself finds solutions in a traffic jam. He discusses Eureka Moments, logical thought and wasting time with Professor Guy Claxon, author of 'Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind'.

Readings include the work of Sufi master, Rumi, and the poetry of Eammon Grennan and music ranges from Bizet to Johnny Nash.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully asks whether problems are best solved by the unconscious or by rational thought

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Sleeping On It20160110John McCarthy investigates the weird and wonderful world of sleep.

Every day, for several hours, the mind dissolves and enters a radically different realm where terrifying apparitions might appear. If it were described to us as a disease then the idea of sleep might be quite frightening! But sleep is also a wonderful place of rest and fantasy that we all frequently yearn for.

Given we spend about a third of our lives asleep, you might think that we would know a little more about it. Unless we are having trouble with sleep, as millions around the world do on a regular basis, it's a daily fact of life that we rarely consider.

John McCarthy explores the attractions and pitfalls of sleep and the ways in which writers and poets - from John Donne to Schopenhauer - have presented their ideas on sleep and dreams. Why does the reality of sleep make so many of them think about death? He talks to the physician and philosopher Raymond Tallis about sleep and what it suggests about human consciousness.

John introduces sleep related music from Chopin, The Smiths and The Incredible String Band, as well as an extract from Max Richter's epic 8-hour lullaby on Sleep.

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Slowing Down2019011320230820 (R4)Writer and priest Malcolm Doney ponders how his move from a busy, city working life to the peaceful countryside has brought about a new, slower pace that's changed many aspects of his daily life and outlook.

Malcolm explores the pitfalls of our fast, `roadrunner` culture - from not having time to nurture important relationships to our tendency to lack patience. Malcolm learns of the ‘slow movement', an organised resistance to our culture of speed that spans several decades, driven by those producing ‘slow' cinema, cooking and fashion. He examines the ‘slow art' and ‘slow music' of James Turrell, Brian Eno and Danny Hills.

Waiting, doing nothing - although going against the norms of our culture - has its virtues, given that God doesn't work to human beings' impatient timetable or on demand. So how can we best slow down and be patient, especially during life's more chaotic and stressful moments? Malcolm takes tips from Michael Palin on finding peace, and free-diver Kimi Werner on resisting panic.

Malcolm concludes that slowing down allows us to place value on everyday moments, even small things like drinking tea, and encourages us to give slowness a go.

Presenter: Malcolm Doney

Producer: Sera Baker

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4

Writer and priest Malcolm Doney explores the benefits of slowing down in our busy lives.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Snakes And Ladders20101003The writer Sarah Cuddon explores the ancient notion of Snakes and Ladders.

With reference to Salman Rushdie's 'Midnight's Children', the poetry of Dorothy Porter and the work of filmmaker Maya Deren, she examines the way the game mirrors our experience of life and our attitudes towards fate and morality. Featuring music by Radiohead, Erik Satie and Alarm Will Sound.

Producer : Alan Hall

A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Solitude20100725Melissa Viney draws upon her own experience of aloneness to reflect upon different states of solitude.

Including extracts from the writings of Henry David Thoreau, Sara Maitland and Virginia Woolf, music by Emiliana Torrini, Ry Cooder and JS Bach and interviews with the artist Helaine Blumenfeld and former journalist and hostage Anthony Grey.

Producer: Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Melissa Viney reflects on different states of solitude.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Soul Food20160925Writer and priest Malcolm Doney cooks up a storm as he explores our relationship with food. Using the chef's holy trinity of onion, carrots and celery as his starting point, Malcolm examines the preparation of meals - an act he describes as a sacred mystery.

For many faiths, Malcolm reveals, food is of vital significance. We take in the Langar, a kitchen-cum-canteen that's an essential part of every Sikh Gurdwara, and then stop off at an evangelical picnic, before celebrating the breaking of the fast after Ramadan.

Featured poetry includes Pablo Neruda's Ode to the Onion and Douglas Dunn's Ratatouille, a dish so special the poet claims it can be used as a kind of peace treaty. The programme also features the words of former Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and the American writer and activist Sara Miles.

Musical selections include Cab Calloway and the Choir of King's College Cambridge's stunning rendition of Panis Angelicus.

Presenter: Malcolm Doney

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Speak Your Mind20180916Mark Tully considers the benefits and dangers of saying what you think. When should we be frank, even brutally frank, and when is it kinder to lie than tell the truth?

Drawing from the words of William Shakespeare, Antony Trollop and Jacqueline Woodson; and music by Doris Day, Tracey Chapman and Claudio Monteverdi, among others, Mark explores the occasions where honesty might not be the best policy. But he also considers how keeping silent about what is on our mind can amount to unhealthy repression, especially in cases of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Finally, readings from Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Yevgeny Yevtushenko highlight the dangers of speaking one's mind in times of political repression, and just how tragic the consequences can be.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A 7Digital Production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Spiritual Economics20150503Economics is the discipline that politicians obey at all costs. Economists have become the most trusted advisers to those in power. But Mark Tully asks if the economic growth that politicians use to judge their country's state of health is undermining our spiritual well being.

What would society look like if spirituality and economics were linked, if religious organisations were more actively engaged with material concerns, or if the purpose of economic policy was not just to maximise production but to increase a sense of inner peace which spirituality can give?

Mark examines this question with the help of Joseph Prabhu who studied with some of India's greatest economists and who refuses to place the blame solely at the door of governments and policy advisors. He suggests that those who stress the importance of spirituality are also partly to blame for what he calls 'greed-based economics' because they have ignored our material needs. Maybe this, he feels, is one reason why economic thinking that ignores spirituality has such a grip on us that it seems to be the way of life.

A Unique Broadcasting production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully wonders what society would look like if spirituality and economics were linked.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Spiritual Emergency20070916Mark Tully explores the experience of an intense spiritual awakening.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Spiritual Energy20110213Mark Tully draws on music and literature inspired by the concept of a 'Creator Spirit' to ask if spiritual energy exists, where it might be found, and how we can tap into it.

From Mahler's setting of the hymn 'Veni Creator Spiritus', and Olivier Messiaen's Psalmody of Ubiquity Through Love, to the dances of Whirling Dervishes and the flute music of Northern Plains Native Americans, Tully seeks for ways in which we can be inspired by some kind of sacred energy.

And through literature from Greece, the USA, Britain, France and India, he examines the metaphors - fire, a 'great heart', light, electricity, and breath - that have been used in an attempt to describe this illusive but attractive idea.

Presented by Mark Tully

Produced by Adam Fowler

An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully asks if spiritual energy exists, where it might be, and how we can tap into it.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Spirituality And Interfaith Dialogue20070805Mark Tully asks if spirituality would be a better starting point for dialogue than faith.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Spirituality Without God2014060120210516 (R4)Mark Tully asks if we need God when seeking a spiritual approach to life, or whether the concept of a deity can sometimes get in the way.

Drawing from music with religious themes, including Mahler's Resurrection Symphony and John Rutter's Cantate Domino, he examines the power that the notion of God can imbue in work created by agnostics, atheists, and religious doubters. And in literature he considers Salman Rushdie's belief that art can replace God in the search for transcendence, and Iris Murdoch's view that the concepts of God and the afterlife are, in fact, anti-religious ideas.

The programme features an interview with Iris Murdoch's biographer, Peter Conradi, who discusses with Mark the role of spirituality without God, in tempering the excesses of materialism and atheism in our modern world.

The readers are Fiona Shaw and Brian Cox.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully asks to what extent we need God when seeking a spiritual approach to life.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Spools Of Time2007040120230514 (R4)Canadian broadcaster Chris Brookes reflects on how memories are captured.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Spring Forward20090301Fergal Keane looks forward to Spring, as a season and a metaphor for better times to come.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Square Pegs20070513Mark Tully considers the lot of those who don't quite fit in.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Stacks Of Wisdom20080817Mark Tully celebrates libraries. From the famous to the obscure, libraries are dusty and mysterious, solemn and weighty, dull and boring, chaste and wickedly romantic. They have contained the collected wisdom of groups and nations, they have enabled the poor to climb out of their circumstances, the poet to survive penury, the revolutionary to plot and the theologian to speculate. But do they remain as important in the modern media age?

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Starting Over20120115Ugandan born journalist and BBC World Service presenter Paul Bakibinga explores the idea of loss and how to get going again after a major life setback in Something Understood: Starting Over.

The programme includes an account of his own experience of losing a baby, and explores how others have managed to restart their lives after setbacks such as contracting HIV, and an account from an Asian family who managed to get going again after being thrown out of Uganda by Idi Amin. Paul Bakibinga explains how directly experiencing adversity has given him more empathy when covering death or disaster as a journalist.

It also features an interview with South African performance poet Malika Ndlovu who reads a moving extract from her journal, Invisible Earthquake, which depicts her struggle to regain a sense of inner calm after her daughter was still-born.

An uplifting programme which begins in darkness with Mahler's Songs on the Death of Children and moves into the light - ending with the Ugandan Children's Choir singing Siyahamba - We Are Marching In The Light of God.

The programme is presented by Paul Bakibinga.

Producer: Kim Normanton.

A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4.

Paul Bakibinga explores loss and how to get going again after a major life setback.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Steps In Time20111023Deborah Bull, ex principal dancer for the Royal Ballet and now Creative Director for the Royal Opera House, explores how the the urge to dance is one of the most natural of human instincts. In 'Steps in Time' she reflects on how dance has been used to serve secular, sacred and social situations, and has evolved into a performance art.

She draws on a range of music to illustrate her theme - Stravinsky's 'Rite of Spring', a Klezmer wedding dance, a traditional Raqs Sharqi used for belly dancing, and the soaring romantic music of Prokofiev's 'Romeo and Juliet'. There is poetry from Rumi, Billy Collins and Laurence Binyon and an extract from Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey.

The readers are Liza Sadovy, Greg Hicks and Frank Stirling.

Producer: Ronni Davis

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Deborah Bull explores the our natural instinct to dance.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Stewardship2013072820230806 (R4)The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it', according to the Psalms.

There is an argument that we hold the world in divine trust in many faiths. Contemporary ecological movements, religious or not, would argue that we have a responsibility to future generations. Do traditional concepts of stewardship have something to teach us?

Mark Tully discusses the idea of stewardship in conversation with philosopher Roger Scruton. With readings from John Mortimer, poet Arthur Guiterman and environmentalist Aldo Leopold - and music by Woodie Guthrie, Joni Mitchell and Bach.

The readers are Gerard Murphy and Toby Jones.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully discusses ideas of stewardship and our responsibility to future generations.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Stolen Identity20070520Mark Tully considers the current concern over identity theft.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Stories From Scraps20081207Mark Tully considers one of the fastest-growing social networking activities in the country - not the much-publicised online communities, but scrap-booking. As more people discover this powerful method of accessing memories, they are building them into life stories which can lead to a healing sense of meaning, identity and integration.

Mark Tully considers one of fast-growing social networking activity of scrap-booking.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Stories Of The Nativity2010121920231224 (R4)In a Christmas edition of Something Understood, Mark Tully considers the symbolism and meaning of the traditional nativity stories and asks what they can offer us in a contemporary context.

Some church historians now argue that, given inconsistencies in the Gospels and a variety of other empirical evidence, accounts of the Nativity should be viewed as stories rather than literal history. If this is the case, what is the significance of the stories that have been handed down to us about the birth of Jesus and what can we learn from them?

Mark Tully talks to church historian Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch about his approach to these 'stories' of the Nativity. Different approaches to the Christmas tales are found in the writing of novelist Elizabeth Goudge, poets Moira Andrew and T.S.Eliot and the Syrian mystic Deacon Ephrem and music is by Vaughan Williams, Kathy Mattea and the African Gospel Choir.

The readers are Derek Jacobi and Isla Blair.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully considers the significance of traditional nativity stories.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

In a Christmas edition of Something Understood, Mark Tully considers traditional nativity stories with historian Diarmaid McCulloch and with readers Derek Jacobi and Isla Blair.

Storms And Stillnesses20171231For New Year's Eve, former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams looks back over what has been a stormy year in many ways, and reflects on our limited ability to control the world we live in.

For Dr Williams, a storm offers us two truths. One is that there's ultimately no defence against human fragility - we can't postpone forever the acknowledgement that we are not all-powerful over the world. The other is the fact that the comfort we make for ourselves repeatedly blocks out the reality of other people's experience of fragility and risk.

Dr Williams argues, 'Unless we remember how much of a lie it is that we can make ourselves completely safe, we shall train ourselves not to notice how the majority in our world continue to live.' He explains that, at the heart of our experience of storms, is a religious revelation that there is no guarantee of safety but a promise that we shall be held through it all and not defeated.

According to Dr Williams, 'When we show ourselves ready to stand alongside those who face the worst upheavals, trials and pains, we reflect just a little of the steady presence at the root of everything that never disappears, the pulse that continues to beat even when we can hardly discern it - the presence we call God.

Presenter: Dr Rowan Williams

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Dr Rowan Williams seeks stillnesses as he reflects on what has been a stormy year.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Strains Of Paradise20150830Samira Ahmed asks why the idea of Paradise, a place of perfect happiness, has been so potent in human history and how it survives in the modern world.

Medieval maps at the British Library actually show the places where paradise was thought to exist on earth, in many cases a walled space tantalizingly close to the known world. Samira talks to Peter Barber, Head of Maps at the Library, about early depictions of paradise and how they changed over the centuries.

She also explores how England has been viewed as a kind of paradise - from Shakespeare's 'scepter'd isle' to the dreams of desperate migrants trying to cross the Channel today.

Perhaps the most persuasive idea of paradise exists within elements of Islam, especially some Jihadist groups, for whom the idea of paradise has become an added impetus to violence and self-destruction. Samira talks to the Muslim theologian and Imam Usama Hasan about the place of paradise within core Islamic thinking and about how those ideas have become so dangerously perverted.

Samira also explores the idea of paradise as an ideal still pursued by the rich in their exclusive and often gated hideaways and exotic retreats.

Strains of Paradise is presented by Samira Ahmed, with readings and poetry that include Thomas Hardy and Emily Dickinson and music from the likes of Faure, John Taverner, Van Morrison, Harry McClintock and Delius.

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Samira Ahmed explores the idea of paradise and its contemporary meanings.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Strictly Something Understood20180603Mark Tully takes the floor to challenge the traditional role of male and female dance partners. He finds out what happens when the woman leads and the man follows, how such role reversal can have wider benefits, and what dance can tell us about gender, masculinity, femininity and relations between men and women.

Dance teacher and anthropologist Dr Barbara Prentiss demonstrates with her partner Sam Hutton how both parties can flourish as they swap from leading to following while dancing the salsa. She discusses how initial reluctance soon disappears as preconceptions are danced away.

Gene Kelly, Irving Berlin, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Salsa Celtica all make musical contributions to the discussion, while the words of dancers and writers celebrate the pure joy of taking a partner by the hand and leading - or being led.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully takes the floor to challenge the traditional role of male and female dancers.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Striving For Imperfection20091206Classicist Llewelyn Morgan considers the problem of aspiring towards perfection, and how an acceptance, and even celebration, of our failings may be the better path to follow.

With readings from Orhan Pamuk, Horace and WB Yeats and music from Jascha Heifetz, John Foulds and Alessandro Scarlatti.

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Classicist Llewelyn Morgan considers the problem of aspiring towards perfection.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Superstition2012021920221030 (R4)Irma Kurtz reflects on why humans often abandon common sense and resort to superstition to deal with life under stress. Superstitions, she reflects, originated long before scientific knowledge as primitive tactics in the human war for survival, their origins unknown and having no basis in logic or reason.

Irma concludes that although anyone today living by superstition would probably qualify as having an obsessive compulsive disorder, nevertheless superstitions are still handed down from generation to generation and are stored in our subconscious. We might not believe in them, but we don't forget them.

To illustrate her theme, we hear readings from W.B. Yeats, T.S. Eliot, Alexander Pushkin and Rudyard Kipling. The music is by Giuseppe Verdi, Richard Wagner, and Frederick Chopin .

Read by Liza Sadovy and Greg Hicks.

Producer: Ronni Davis

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Irma Kurtz explores the human need for superstition.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Sweet Surrender20100321Fergal Keane considers if serenity comes when you trade expectations for acceptance.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Taking Up The Thread2013041420230108 (R4)Samira Ahmed takes up the thread to reflect on some of the ways 'threads' can lead us and connect us in our lives. A thread is something we can follow, lose and pick up again. We might find ourselves hanging by a thread, or tying some loose ones together. They can bind us and we can break them. They are woven into our lives literally, metaphorically and linguistically.

The idea of following a thread to guide us is age-old, found for example in the Greek myth of Ariadne's thread leading Theseus out of the labyrinth, after he'd slain the Minotaur. Who doesn't need the thread of understanding to lead them through life's maze sometimes? Sacred threads play a significant role in the ceremonies of many faiths and cultures, not least in the life of the Guru Nanak and the founding of the Sikh faith. And when they are woven or knitted together, threads can play a potent role in art and domestic life.

Featuring music by Monteverdi, Bjork and Judy Collins, and writing by Robert Graves, Simon Armitage and Kate Summerscale.

Produced by Caroline Hughes

Presented by Samira Ahmed

A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4

Samira Ahmed reflects on the different ways 'threads' can lead us and connect us.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Tales From The Forest20170129Why do forests inspire such strong emotions? To many, they are dark, dangerous and wild, to some they are places of refuge and to others they are a source of life. Mark Tully considers these conflicting responses to the forest in a range of musical and literary tales from all over the world.

From the forests of Scandinavia to the jungles of India, and from British woodlands to South American rain forests, Mark collects tales of trees that talk to each other, forest gods and places of ultimate meditation in an investigation of our ancient relationship with the woods.

The readers are Claire Vousden, Francis Cadder and Vincent Ebrahim.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully tells tales of forests, inspired variously by love, terror, divinity and magic.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Temptation2014033020200308 (R4)In this second of two special programmes for Lent, Mark Tully examines the role Temptation plays as a driving force in both spiritual and secular life. Just as all the major faiths encourage periods of abstinence from time to time, so too they all struggle with the perils of temptation.

The Buddha struggled with the temptations of asceticism, Christianity and Islam are shot through with the temptations set by the devil, and in Hinduism demons tempt the gods themselves. However, writers as disparate as Shakespeare and Martin Luther are at pains to emphasise the positive dynamics of temptation.

The programme includes music by Franz Liszt, Nina Simone and Hubert Parry, and readings from the work of R.S. Thomas, John Betjeman and Rosalind Coward.

The readers are Robert Glenister, Francis Cadder and Julie Covington.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

In his second special programme for Lent, Mark Tully discusses Temptation.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

That Hurts!20081109Madeleine Bunting explores the complex experience and language of pain. She considers whether the experience of pain gives us a common language and means of connecting with others, or rather isolate us. And, if it is impossible to measure pain, either physical or emotional, how do we decide whose pain is most deserving of attention?

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Animal Inside20080518Christie Dickason reflects on that magical world where humans lived as equals with animals

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Annunciation2018121620231217 (R4)In conversation with former BBC Deputy Director General, the journalist and author, Mark Byford, Mark Tully asks why the story of the Angel Gabriel's visit to Mary has become a neglected part of Jesus' narrative. They discuss the literal and metaphorical importance of the conception of Christ, the idea of the Virgin Birth and the iconography of Mary. The programme draws on the poetry of Denise Levertov and Elizabeth Jennings and there is music from Sir John Tavener, Percy Grainger and Norwegian pop composer Milton Nascimento.

The readers are Jane Whittenshaw and David Holt.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

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Mark Tully examines the importance of the Annunciation in the story of the birth of Jesus.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

In conversation with former BBC Deputy Director General, the journalist and author, Mark Byford, Mark Tully asks why the story of the Angel Gabriel's visit to Mary has become a neglected part of Jesus' narrative. They discuss the literal and metaphorical importance of the conception of Christ, the idea of the Virgin Birth and the iconography of Mary. The programme draws on the poetry of Denise Levertov and Elizabeth Jennings and there is music from Sir John Tavener, Percy Grainger and Brazilian pop composer Milton Nascimento.

In the build-up to Christmas, Mark Tully considers the very first moment in the story of the Nativity, in a tale of angelic apparitions and maternal courage.

The Art Of Correspondence2015100420210509 (R4)Mark Tully examines the pleasures of correspondence - from beautiful letters to ever increasing opportunities for conversations on social networks, via texts, emails and among those who develop a brilliant gift for talking on the telephone.

In conversation with journalist and writer Simon Garfield, he investigates whether the skill of communicating at a remove is on the wane or whether we are actually corresponding as never before.

And, above all, he celebrates the letter.

There are readings from writers as varied as Carol Ann Duffy, Dylan Thomas and Clementine Churchill, and there's music from Samuel Barber, Fats Waller and Benjamin Britten.

The readers are Cyril Nri, Francis Cadder and Jane Whittenshaw.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully investigates the art of correspondence, from beautiful letters to pithy emails.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Art Of Faith20181104Dr Rowan Williams explores the relationship between art and faith.

To help him explore some of his themes, Rowan introduces excerpts from a conversation he held recently with the sculptor Antony Gormley who has worked with the possibilities afforded sculpture by the contemplative atmosphere of places of worship, despite being without faith himself.

From the outset, the association between art and faith has often been difficult, particularly in relation to depicting the divine. Rowan explains, `From the Bible itself through the writings of the great contemplatives, there has been a constant stress on the mysteriousness of a God who can never be seen or touched like the objects of this world. Turn God into an object like others and you may as well forget about any serious religious depth.`

Rowan draws upon the music of Purcell and Elgar and the poetry of George Herbert - and concludes, `Like so much we hear and see in churches, images, sculptures, words and music can all be things that get in the way of what we're there fo

The Art Of Faith - Part 220100815Mike Wooldridge considers the place of religious art in an increasingly secular age.

In conversation with the Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, he considers the difference between sacred art and religious art, and the place of belief in the creation of art.

Producer: Eley McAinsh

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Art Of Faith: Part 120100808Mike Wooldridge explores the universal principles that underlie all sacred art.

In conversation with the Director and Students of the Prince's School of Traditional Arts in London, he considers the meaning of tradition and originality in sacred art, and asks how the artist's spirituality informs their work.

Producer: Eley McAinsh

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Ascent20091004Writer Sarah Cuddon has always been drawn to the mountains - in childhood, to her grandfather's house in the Pyrenees, and as an adult to peaks in more remote and dangerous locations including the Andes and Himalayas.

She reflects on this fascination and how writers and climbers, from Wordsworth to Andrew Greig, Joe Simpson to Robert Macfarlane, have felt about 'the ascent'.

With music by Clogs, Baka Beyond and Anton Bruckner.

Writer Sarah Cuddon reflects on her fascination with mountains.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Beauty Of Birds2010032820230402 (R4)As we enter Holy Week, Mark Tully explores birds as symbols of spiritual hope in this episode of Something Understood from 2010. Soaring above the earth, for many poets and composers they have come to represent the soul, freed from the constraints of our earthly form.

Mark travels to Suffolk to Lakenheath Nature Reserve, and with hobbies soaring in the background, meets nature writer Richard Mabey, widely respected as one of the leading experts on British birds. He's also the author of 'Nature Cure', a book about his recovery from a deep depression, and he talks movingly about his mixed emotions at this time of year, as Spring arrives.

With poetry by Thomas Hardy, George Herbert and Isaac Rosenberg, and music from Handel to Miles Davis - all celebrating the unexpected joy birds can bring.

Producer: Elizabeth Burke

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully considers the spiritual inspiration poets and musicians have found in birds.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Best Words20100718Mark Tully talks to poet and novelist Louis de Bernieres about the difference between poetry and prose.

Is poetry, as Coleridge has said, 'the best words in the best order'? Is it true that poetry is really better than prose at expressing emotion?

And can poetry really change the world, as at least one writer believes?

Producer: Eley McAinsh

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully talks to Louis de Bernieres about the difference between poetry and prose.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Better Part Of Valour20120916Mark Tully examines the premise that discretion is the better part of valour. A phrase coined by Shakespeare and given voice by Falstaff in less than creditable circumstances, it is usually associated with timidity and cowardice. Yet sometimes the bold approach, the quick answer or the exhortation to seize the day can have disastrous results. Does caution offer an alternative answer?

Mark Tully discusses the pros and cons of discretion as an approach to problem solving with The Archbishop of Canterbury as he prepares for retirement, with reference to some of the controversies he has had to negotiate throughout his time in office. The programme includes readings from Bunyan and Shakespeare and music that ranges from Bartok to Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The poet Lemn Sissay reads from his own work and the other readers are Helen Ryan and Kenneth Cranham.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully looks at the pros and cons of taking a cautious approach. With Rowan Williams.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Blizzard's Dance20091213Mark Tully explores the lure - for some - of bitter cold and deep snow.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Boldness Of Wisdom20150405Mark Tully considers the sacrifices we have to make to become wise. He discusses the imagery and meaning of the Christian Cross with Franciscan Priest, Richard Rohr, along with the outward signs of success and self esteem we might need to shed in order to lose ourselves to a greater wisdom.

Mark looks to other traditions which also speak of the barriers in our way - the props that support our egos but prevent us from becoming our true selves - with readings from the 14th century Hindu mystic Lalleshwari, and accounts of the life of the Buddha whose realisation that he had got it all wrong enabled his path to enlightenment.

The programme features poetry from TS Eliot and music from John Tavener, Nat King Cole, Chuck Daar and Alan Hovhaness, whose setting of a verse from the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes includes the words, 'A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine and the boldness of his face shall be changed.

So how can we hope to achieve wisdom, and from where can we find the strength to be bold in our pursuit of it, to unlearn what we know, and to abandon our certainties.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully considers the sacrifices people have to make to become wise.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Book Of Misers2012102820211121 (R4)Starting with Al-Jahiz's 9th century Book of Misers, Mark Tully looks at one of our old vices and asks whether it can ever bring positive results.

Scrooge, Silas Marner, Ebenezer Balfour, dozens of proudly mean skinflints in Al-Jahiz's great satire, the archetype of the miser is familiar to all cultures and is as old as money itself. Mark Tully asks how we should view it - is it funny, sinful, harmless or a kind of madness - and can it, surprisingly, have benefits?

With readings from Moliere and William Cowper and music ranging from The Beatles to Gounod and Vaughan Williams to Zain Bhika, Mark examines all that is stingy and mean. The readers are Emily Raymond and Toby Jones.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully discusses meanness, one of the oldest human vices.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Boundaries Of Reason: Part 120130922In the first of two programmes, Mark Tully questions the apparent conflict between religion and reason and asks if the two are more closely related than we might think.

Rationalism often seems to exclude religious thought but, in conversation with Mark, neuroscientist Baroness Susan Greenfield suggests that, far from being mutually exclusive, we should look to them both in order to make sense of our existence. And when it comes to advances in science, Mark asks if there are limits we should be prepared to put on our powers of inventiveness, and on our faith in reason to solve our problems.

On the one hand William Wordsworth implores us to 'close up these barren leaves' of science and simply wonder at nature instead while, on the other, Charles Dickens' Mr Gradgrind demands that 'by means of addition subtraction multiplication and division settle everything somehow, and Never Wonder!'.

Thankfully, music from Johann Sebastian Bach and Hildegard de Bingen bring religion and science back into harmony.

The readers are Peter Guinness, Frank Stirling and Emily Raymond

Producer: Adam Fowler.

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully questions the apparent conflict between religion and reason.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Boundaries Of Religion: Part 220130929Mark Tully concludes his exploration of the relationship between reason and religion in the company of theologian Keith Ward, who maintains that religious faith is rational, and doubt can be irrational.

In part one of the series Mark discussed how rational science might need help from religion in answering the important questions in life. In this final programme he explores the idea that religion has to adapt to advances in science and, by doing so, benefits greatly.

In the end, Mark wonders if any of us, religious or not, are quite as rational as we think we are in our faith or our scepticism, if we fail to take into account the conclusions of others when they conflict with our own.

The readers are Emily Raymond, Frank Stirling and Peter Guinness.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully concludes his exploration of the relationship between reason and religion.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Bullying Circle20091018Mark Tully considers bullying - the bully, the bullied and the bystanders.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Call Of The City2014020220200112 (R4)Are cities paved with gold or sinks of iniquity? Mark Tully examines the call of the city and contrasts its potential for energy, creativity and community with its traditional reputation for harshness and venality.

Progressively, city populations are swelling as rural communities dwindle. What is the draw of the big city, how does it affect the way we live and think?

Perhaps there is sometimes a knee jerk reaction that the city is a harsh, destructive, soulless place. But what about the energy of the city, the sense of purpose that it gives, the opportunities, the vibrant sense of community, the colour, the variety, the excitement?

This celebration of the urban ranges in scope from William Blake to Suzanne Vega and from New Orleans jazz to William Wordsworth and an interview with historian and urbanist Leo Hollis.

The readers are Robert Glenister and Julie Covington.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Are cities paved with gold or sinks of iniquity? Mark Tully examines the call of the city.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Candle20151227'Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness.'

Starting with these words from Anne Frank's diary, the writer and radio producer Sarah Cuddon reflects on the special qualities of candlelight, from celebration and remembrance to romance. She draws on the poetry of Sylvia Plath and Kathleen Jamie and writings by Jez Butterworth and Angela Carter, as well as music by Anton Bruckner, Bill Bruford and Willie Nelson.

And she talks to the writer Matthew Engel about his recent journey around England and the pull he felt to visit every Cathedral on his route, lighting a candle.

Readers: Joanna David and Henry Goodman

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Sarah Cuddon reflects on the special qualities of candlelight.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Carer And The Cared For20070812Mark Tully considers the relationship between the gravely ill and those who care for them.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Chalice Of Being20080601Mark Tully explores former UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold's exhortation.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Choir20111204Through a visit to one of Britain's best known Cathedrals, Mark Tully investigates the importance of the choir's role in contemporary worship. With examples from some of the finest choral music ranging from contemporary masses and traditional psalms to the work of Gospel choirs and the New York Cantorial Choirs, this is a programme that explores the communal power of singing.

Why does such music continue to provide a vital and indispensible element of worship and how can it have a wider impact on the spiritual communities its serves?

With special recordings of the Winchester Cathedral Choir in rehearsal and in conversation with the Precentor and Director of Music, this is a celebration of singing to the glory of God.

This edition of Something Understood includes music by Antonio Lotti, Gustav Holst and Samuel Malavsky and readings by Samuel Butler, Wendy Cope and Siegfried Sassoon. The readers are Samantha Bond, Jack Shepherd and Wendy Cope.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully discusses the role of the choir as a keystone of so many rites of worship.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Consolations Of Autumn2009102520201018 (R4)Writer and broadcaster Hazhir Teimourian asks if youth, as with spring and summer, is not overrated.

In the company of sages and poets from the most ancient times to our own era, he draws parallels between the physical 'age of mists and mellow fruitfulness' and the contentment and serenity that can be the gift of old age in these days of greater affluence and better medicine.

From Cicero in Rome 2,000 years ago, through Omar Khayyam in medieval Persia and Shakespeare in modern England, he reflects on both reminiscences of youth and the praise of 'the autumn of life'.

A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Court Of Public Opinion2015112920191215 (R4)Mark Tully examines the rise in influence of the court of public opinion in the era of social media.

In the company of the journalist and ex Editor of the Guardian Alan Rusbridger, he discusses the growing power of public opinion and its future potential for good and for ill.

There are readings from writers including the American security specialist Bruce Schneier and poets John Dryden and Brian Patten, with music from J.S. Bach, the Cambodian musician Sinn Sissamouth and gospel singer Gwen Macrae.

A Unique Broadcasting Company production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully discusses the power of the court of public opinion in the era of social media.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Currency Exchange20090426Radio producer Chris Brookes explores the nature of exchange in our day-to-day lives.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Dance Of Life2007100720200726 (R4)The actor Felicity Finch reflects on childhood ballet lessons, adult salsa classes and observations of dance-like movements in everyday life through the writings of Isadora Duncan and Rudolph Laban, Gunther Grass' autobiography and Gabrielle Roth's Sweat Your Prayers.

And she talks with Colin MacLean, a retired priest, who considers dance a form of prayer.

With music by Massenet, Alex Jeffes and His Hotheads and Ali Farka Toure

Readers: Emma Fielding and Jonathan Keeble

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Actor Felicity Finch reflects on a life of dance.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Disguise20110227With reference to artists, writers, poets and the voices of different generations, including George Orwell, Marilyn Monroe, Fernando Pessoa and Homer Simpson, Sarah Cuddon examines the way a pseudonym helps us to embellish, conceal and reveal who we are.

With music from David Bowie, Gillian Welch and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Readings by Emma Fielding and Jonathan Keeble.

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Sarah Cuddon explores how taking on an assumed name becomes an experiment in identity.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Divine Feminine2017082020200426 (R4)Remona Aly considers the multi-faceted power contained in the idea of the divine feminine.

From the shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in Norfolk to the Kaaba in Mecca, Remona journeys through some of the religious and spiritual traditions which have venerated the feminine and she reveals the obscured influence of women in major religions.

Remona explains how her first encounter with the Quranic Maryam (the Christian Mary) - and how Maryam's status as a prophet of Islam - offered her a revelatory new perspective on her own religion and a radical new way of looking at religious traditions across cultures and throughout history.

Taking in the Native American creation story of Grandmother Spider, the mystical Jewish concept of Shekhinah, Beyonce's channelling of Oshun, a Nigerian Yoruba deity and the fierce spirituality of the Suffragettes, Remona demonstrates that the feminine divine has had many apparently contradictory faces - some soft and nurturing, others imperious, warlike and cruel.

She argues that it is vital for all of us, women and men, to recognise the legacy of the divine feminine, a legacy which transcends simplistic assumptions about gender and offers a return to a more balanced and humane relationship with the world.

The readers are Kate Lock, Milli Proust and Max O'Brien.

Thanks to Ranjana Ghatak for her performance of a poem by Meera Bai (composed by Ustad Ali Akbar Khan).

Presenter: Remona Aly

Producer: Michael Umney

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Journalist Remona Aly considers the multi-faceted power of the divine feminine.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Divinity Of Monkeys20150301Mark Tully returns to the theme of animals, following recent programmes devoted to dogs, cats, horses and elephants and their close bonds with humans.

This week, Mark considers the monkey - and animal that has been widely worshipped in Africa, the Americas, China and India - either as a companion of God or indeed as a god itself. He examines the belief in the divinity of monkeys and the varying attitudes towards idol worship in the major faiths.

There is music from Ella Andall, Dr. John and Amitab Bachchan, along with poetry from Susan Wicks and Oz Hardwick. The readers are Adjoa Andoh and Arsher Ali.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully discusses the veneration accorded to the monkey in many cultures.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Elephant2014042720221211 (R4)Mark Tully investigates the significance of the ancient cultural and spiritual connections between humans and elephants.

Demon, god, Lord of the Jungle, beast of war and of servitude, both temple and carnival attraction, the elephant inspires awe, affection and fear in equal measure. We worship elephants and enslave them, love them and kill them in their thousands.

In conversation with photographer, conservationists and founder of The World Wide Fund for Nature, Belinda Wright, he discusses the myriad qualities of the elephants of Asia and Africa.

The programme includes literature and music from Africa, India, Europe and America, with work by D.H Lawrence, Heathcote Williams, George Orwell, Jack Mapango, Claude Debussy, June Tabor and Henry Mancini.

The Readers are Adjoa Andoh, Michael Feast and Francis Cadder.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully investigates the spiritual and cultural power of the elephant.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Enclosed Garden2015062820220123 (R4)Composer Michael Zev Gordon reflects on the enclosed garden.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The End Of The Beginning2018081920190825 (R4)
20200524 (R4)
After being present at the death of a friend, journalist Abdul-Rehman Malik has been thinking about what - if anything - comes next. In many faith traditions, death is just the end of the beginning and is the doorway to the eternal. It is the soul that carries us forward.

From the visions of an itinerant Baptist preacher and the reflections of James Baldwin, Abdul-Rehman looks to the urgency of understanding something of the mystery of death while we are alive. The world's most enduring mythologies and beliefs describe a supernatural drama and kind of unseen theatre. Whether it's Virgil writing about crossing the River Styx, or the Prophet Muhammad explaining how the angels surround the soul after death, Abdul-Rehman takes us into this grey area between life and life everlasting.

Richard Thompson captures the comedy of what purgatory might look like, and theologian Dave Tomlinson offers a reinterpretation of the Christian narrative which has resonance with some enigmatic words from Einstein.

Abdul-Rehman seeks solace in the belief that his friend's soul is somewhere full of 'life', dancing with the angels nourished by a truer reality. His eternity is just beginning.

Presenter: Abdul-Rehman Malik

Producer: Jonathan Mayo

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4.

Journalist Abdul-Rehman Malik asks whether death could merely be the end of the beginning.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Exercise Of Conscience20101031Mike Wooldridge explores the decision of the conscientious objector.

What drives the decision not to take up arms, often taken in the face of punishment, hostility and broken relationships?

He asks Oscar Wallis, a Quaker who refused to bear arms in the Second World War, and Charles Yeats, the first Anglican to refuse the call-up to the South African Defence Force, why they did what they did, and if they would do the same today?

Presented by Mike Wooldridge

Producer: Eley McAinsh

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Extraordinary Mary Ward20090830Mike Wooldridge explores the life and legacy of an extraordinary Yorkshire woman, Mary Ward, who scandalised the Church authorities of the early 17th century by redefining religious life for women.

She walked across the Alps several times to plead her cause in Rome, suffered imprisonment and ill-treatment, and, when she died, her few remaining companions had to bribe a vicar to bury her. But 400 years on, the Orders she founded are working throughout the world and vast congregations are gathering to celebrate her story.

The readers are Emily Raymond and Frank Stirling.

Mike Wooldridge on the life of Mary Ward, who helped to redefine religious life for women.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Eyes20180204The poet Michael Symmons Roberts reflects on the importance of sight. Eyes 'seem so vulnerable, so exposed, yet so central to the way most of us receive and interact with the world around us,' he observes as he explores the deep metaphorical associations of vision and blindness, light and darkness, with truth and ignorance, good and evil.

Many great writers and thinkers have lost their sight and used their blindness to provide fresh insights on faith and God. Roberts quotes the academic John Hull, who went blind in middle age: 'God is indifferent alike to both light and darkness. He does not need the light in order to know and the darkness cannot prevent him from knowing'.

We also hear the poetry of Gerald Manley Hopkins, who practised 'Custody of the Eyes', keeping his gaze fixed on the ground for months on end, in order to deepen his appreciation and understanding of the world and the gift of sight.

Music from Shostakovich, Handel and Etta James helps Michael contrast physical and inner sight, and he goes on to discuss forms of technological seeing that bypass the human eye entirely.

Presenter: Michael Symmons Roberts

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Michael Symmons Roberts reflects on the vulnerability and power of the human eye.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Fabric Of Each Other20150426The friendships of women have been not merely unsung but mocked, belittled and falsely interpreted.' (Vera Brittain in Testament of Friendship, 1940)

Helen Goalen and Abbi Greenland, who form the theatre company RashDash, reflect on the nature of their strong friendship. They've been the best of friends and close artistic collaborators since meeting at university and explore how their experience relates to that of other women, including 19th Century social reformers and feminists Susan B Anthony and Elizabeth Stanton.

They also draw on the writings of Vera Brittain, Winifred Holtby and Tina Fey, as well as music from Alison Goldfrapp, Kate Bush and Amy Winehouse.

Presented by Helen Goalen and Abbi Greenland

Readers: Heather Long and Jacqueline King

Produced by Hana Walker-Brown

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Helen Goalen and Abbi Greenland of theatre company RashDash reflect on ideas of friendship

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Fading Light20150524As the sun goes down everyday, occasionally resulting in spectacular sunsets, the event can affect people in different ways. A good red sunset (especially over the sea) can provoke great joy, but the fading light can also encourage melancholia. It is no wonder that, throughout history, people have used images of sunset and the dying light to reflect on ageing and mortality.

John McCarthy explores some of the ways in which images of fading light have been used to describe our place in the world.

He considers different approaches to ageing - with music including Dylan and Debussy, and poetry from the likes of Thomas Hardy, Tennyson and Shakespeare.

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

John McCarthy reflects on the fading light as a metaphor for ageing.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Fascination Of Games20170827Games, puzzles and intellectual contests have exerted a fascination on humans for thousands of years. Mark Tully asks why people from so many different cultures are so devoted to games of skill, strategy and calculation.

He talks to Dr Irving Finkel who has been hooked on since childhood, now writes extensively on the subject and recently rediscovered the rules for the ancient Royal Game of Ur. He also explores the many purposes of game-playing, from military training to education and from holding communities together to psychological therapy.

There's music from saxophonist Wayne Shorter, Amy Winehouse and Georges Bizet, and readings from philosopher Bernard Suits and poet Ezra Pound.

Readers: David Westhead and Polly Frame.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully explores the intellectual, philosophical and spiritual appeal of games.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Festive Spirit20091220Madeleine Bunting explores the traditional desire of communities to create festivals.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Fifth Element2017051420210704 (R4)
20230910 (R4)
Academic Dr Sarah Goldingay examines the elements and explores the spiritual significance of the idea of a 'fifth element' which appears in a wide range of faith traditions.

The four elements - earth, air, fire and water - were established in classical Greece in the west and are mirrored in the beliefs of many other ancient cultures around the world. These material elements are at the core of many creation myths. In Genesis, the spirit of God moves upon the face of the water, makes Adam from water and earth, uses wind to clear the land after the great flood and rains fire of destruction on Sodom and Gomorrah.

Sarah notes that, in most of the stories surrounding the four elements, there is another presence, an ethereal force that somehow blends and animates the material four - a fifth element.

Investigating this notion of a metaphysical power that transforms the physical and sparks creativity, Sarah draws upon biblical descriptions of the Holy Spirit, the writings of the first documented alchemist and the differing approaches to improvisation adopted by jazz legends John Coltrane and Keith Jarrett.

Presenter: Sarah Goldingay

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI Media production of BBC Radio 4.

Sarah Goldingay explores the spiritual significance of the idea of a 'fifth element'.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Fragile Contract2014102620200906 (R4)For the playwright Polly Stenham, the theatre has always provided a laboratory in which to examine and hopefully understand the human condition.

In a programme called The Fragile Contract, in reference to the relationship between audience and performance, Polly reflects on our need for art and talks to the musician Florence Welch. She also draws on the writings of Tennessee Williams, Charles Bukowski and John Zerzan, with music by Leonard Cohen, Jimi Hendrix and Rachmaninov.

Readers: Sienna Miller and Kerry Shale

Produced by Hana Walker-Brown

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Playwright Polly Stenham reflects on our need for art.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Future Of Our Planet20160904Former President of Ireland Mary Robinson examines the impact of climate change and what she describes as 'an existential threat to the future of our planet'.

Mary Robinson became interested in climate change during her time spent working in African nations on issues of development and human rights. She explains 'I kept hearing this pervasive sentence - 'Oh, but things are so much worse now, things are so much worse.' When I explored what was behind that, it was about changes in the climate - climate shocks, unpredictable weather - and then I realised that this was an issue of human rights.

Mary explores the plight of the Marshall Islands, which sit only two metres above sea level. She draws upon the work of Marshall islander Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner whose poetry lays bare the effects of climate change on her place of birth.

Looking to the future, Mary argues 'we have to move away from business as usual. The industrial and technological revolutions, I believe, have to give way to an ecological revolution. This has to become everyone's agenda, to take part in this revolution.

Presenter: Mary Robinson

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Former president of Ireland Mary Robinson examines climate change and human rights.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Gloaming2012120920240225 (R4)The writer and broadcaster Sarah Cuddon considers the inspirational and meditational qualities of the 'in-between moments' of twilight at the start and end of each day.

Sacred aspects of this time are explored alongside the work of artists and photographers who refer to it as the 'blue hour' and writers who have attempted to capture 'the gloaming'. With music inspired by twilight from, among others, Radiohead and Richard Strauss.

Produced by Alan Hall.

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Sarah Cuddon reflects on the 'in-between time' of twilight.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Twilight: writer Sarah Cuddon considers the special qualities of those 'in-between times' that bookend each day.

The Good Old Days20161002John McCarthy looks back over the history of nostalgia, tracing the term back to the 17th century when a medical student coined it as a way of describing the bouts of homesickness the Swiss mercenaries were experiencing while fighting far from their native mountains.

In years past, treatment for nostalgia ranged from the application of leeches to being buried alive.

For John, far from being a disease, nostalgia is something that can be harnessed with beneficial results. Reflecting on his own time as a hostage in Lebanon, John explains that nostalgia can strengthen us, as long as it doesn't develop into a morbid obsession.

While homesickness and nostalgia might have plagued soldiers, they have always provided artists and composers with a powerful source of inspiration. Featured music includes Anton퀀n Dvorကk's Symphony Number 9 - From The New World, George Butterworth's setting of The Lads in their Hundreds and Robert Schumann's Kinderszenen. Poetry includes the work of John Masefield and Carol Ann Duffy.

John discovers that there is much to be gained from examining nostalgia through the lens of religion. The sermons of C S Lewis, the words of the Buddha and the research of Friar Dr Paul Witts who has studied the role of nostalgia in the life of the local church, all provide fertile material for contemplation. John also draws upon the works of Sigmund Freud and the 18th century British regimental surgeon Robert Hamilton.

John concludes that, while nostalgia certainly has a lot to offer, we shouldn't let it trump an enjoyment of the here now. After all, as the American band Eels so poignantly declare, these could be the good old days.

Presenter: John McCarthy

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

John McCarthy gazes back fondly and argues that nostalgia has a lot to offer us.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Good, The Bad And The Dirty20080120Mark Tully meditates on the realities and contradictions of our relationship with dirt.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Greatest Of These Is Love?2013051220210314 (R4)John McCarthy is joined by writer Salley Vickers to reflect on the centrality of love in our lives, considering I Corinthians 13. This is sometimes referred to as the 'love chapter' of the New Testament and is often read at weddings and funerals. Tony Blair read it at Princess Diana's funeral.

The chapter includes images and phrases which are known to us all, such as the invitation to 'put off childish things' and the mystery of 'seeing through a glass darkly'.

Salley Vickers' first novel, Miss Garnett's Angel, became a phenomenal word-of-mouth hit and was followed by other greatly loved books, such as Mr Golightly's Holiday, The Other Side of You and Dancing Backwards. Salley has a skill at merging ancient art and modern psychology in her stories and often deals with Biblical matters. Her latest book The Cleaner of Chartres explores one of her best loved themes - the power of love to transform.

In this programme Salley considers I Corinthians 13 firstly as a piece of literature by examining how it works in terms of shape, tone, and images. She then brings her own experience to the chapter as both writer and psychotherapist. Questions arise as to whether it is true that 'love never faileth' as the chapter says, what the value is of 'putting off childish things', and whether it is always the case that love is greater that faith and hope.

The programme includes readings from Rumi, Viktor Frankl, Rilke and George Herbert, with music by Eric Whitacre, J.S Bach and Zbigniew Preisner.

Readers: Rachel Atkins and George Irving

Producer: Rosie Boulton

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

John McCarthy considers the centrality of love in our lives. With writer Salley Vickers.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Greening Of God20070701Mike Wooldridge considers the complex relationship between theology and climate change.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Heart20180304Poet Michael Symmons Roberts explores the myriad metaphors that we use to describe the character of the human heart.

The heart, for all its messy truth as a bruise-coloured loosely fist-shaped pump, has been transformed into one of the most potent metaphors in our culture,' he says as he reflects on its ubiquitous presence as a 'stylised cordate shape with two smooth curves at the top and a point at the base'.

But, of course, it is so much more than that, as it is described as the home of so many of our emotions good and bad, and the seat of loyalty, commitment and love. Michael explains that he 'can't help but associate it with longing, with yearning. ...because after all yearning, stirring, longing, well... that's what hearts do'.

With poetry from John Donne, Rita Dove and EE Cummings, and the music of Beethoven, Handel and the Ink Spots, Michael reflects on what it means to learn 'by heart' and the power of a beating heart as a continual reminder of the physical and the incarnational. He concludes that 'whether it's concerned with our relationships with each other or with God, the metaphor of the heart is inescapable'.

Presenter: Michael Symmons Roberts

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Michael Symmons Roberts reflects on the myriad qualities associated with the human heart.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Hidden 3620160207According to Jewish legend, in every generation there are 36 special people, called Lamed-Vav Tzaddikim, without whom the world could not continue to exist. Dispersed throughout the diaspora, they possess mystic powers which they can use to avert disaster. But their identities are unknown, even to each other. In fact, should a person claim to be one of the 36, that is proof that they are not one. The 36are simply too humble to believe that they are one of them.

Taking the example of the Lamed-Vav Tzaddikim as a starting point, John McCarthy explores how humility - an unpopular virtue in the age of individualism - can be a sign of strength and purpose.

Acknowledging the contribution of others, caring to the needs of young children or the sick, and being open to something larger than ourselves - humility is part of the human experience. True humility isn't stooping in order to look smaller than you are, it's standing next to something bigger than you which brings home to you your smallness. For the religious, that is God.

John is joined by the philosopher Oliver Leaman who reads from one of his f-vourite Yiddish folk tales, Bontsha the Silent. There are other readings from Last of the Just by Andre Schwarz-Bart, the poet Susanne Fitzpatrick, and C.S. Lewis.

The programme also features music by Pierre Pinchik, Elvis Presley and Zbigniew Preisner.

Producer: Emily Williams

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

John McCarthy explores the Jewish legend of the hidden saints who keep the world turning.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Holy Sepulchre20180401In this special Easter edition of the programme, Master of London's Temple Church Robin Griffith-Jones travels to the most sacred location in the Christian world. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is believed to house the tomb in which Jesus Christ was buried and resurrected.

The Holy Sepulchre has been a site of pilgrimage since at least the 4th Century. Robin explains that, for Christians, a journey to the Sepulchre is a journey from geographical and spiritual peripheries to the very centre of the world.

Having been granted unrestricted access, Robin is led into the tomb of Christ itself by Archbishop Aristarchos Peristeris, a Greek Orthodox monk who describes the enduring power of sacred places to bring the believer closer to the divine.

Walking around the Holy Sepulchre's stunning rotunda, a vast dome flanked with columns, Robin takes in the various chapels and sacred spaces belonging to the six Christian denominations which all lay claim to the space. In the distance, pilgrims sing hushed hymns that echo off the polished marble.

The Holy Sepulchre offers an extraordinary sonic experience. In the Chapel of Calvary, believed to be the site of the crucifixion, Greek monks chant their prayers as thick clouds of insense fill the space. Meanwhile, in a chapel behind Jesus' tomb, a group of Coptic Christians sing during a communion service.

At the end of the day, we hear the great double doors of the Sepulchre close and the vast metal bolts lock. Standing in the courtyard, with the sun setting over Jerusalem, Robin notes that this daily ritual in which the monks are locked inside the Sepulchre is a powerful symbol of Jesus' own entombment, from which he rose.

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Robin Griffith-Jones presents an Easter special recorded in the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Horse: A Special Gift To Mankind20110109Mark Tully looks at the spiritual, symbolic and personal appeal of horses in 'The Horse: A Special Gift to Mankind'.

When God wanted to create the horse, he said to the South Wind, 'I want to make a creature of you. Condense.' And the Wind condensed. - Emir Abd-el-Kader

The horse is an animal with which we have a special relationship- an object of worship, the cornerstone of military culture for a thousand years and powerhouse of agriculture in many cultures for far longer.

Pet, worker, gambler's darling and symbol of beauty and power: this is an exploration of the spiritual appeal of the horse. Mark talks to art historian Tamsin Pickeral and meets her horse, William. We hear readings from Siegfried Sassoon, contemporary poet James Wright and the Koran, as well as music by Aaron Copeland, Randy Newman and Paul Reade.

Read by Derek Jacobi and Isla Blair.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully looks at the spiritual, symbolic and personal appeal of horses.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Illusion Of Progress2005050120231119 (R4)Mark Tully explores the growing conviction that The Enlightenment has sold us a bill of goods. In conversation with Professor John Gray of the London School of Economics, he considers the argument that belief in human progress is a secular myth and dangerous illusion.

First broadcast in 2005.

A Unique Broadcasting Company production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully explores the conviction that The Enlightenment has sold us a bill of goods.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Instinct For Meaning2012080520201227 (R4)Writer Jake Arnott believes narrative is a powerful force. In this week's Something Understood, he explores the idea that the instinct to create stories is innate within us all, and is vital to our understanding of the world and our own lives. After all, without a narrative to join everything together, our time on earth becomes little more than a series of random, unconnected events.

As a novelist, stories are Jake's stock in trade, it's his job to engage with them. But he thinks the desire to do so is universal - since our earliest evolution humans have been telling tales. Fairy stories in particular, passed down through an oral tradition, echo across time and across cultures. EM Forster described story as a 'low atavistic form'. Atavistic, yes, and deeply engrained, but Jake argues that Forster's insistence that story is mere causality is wrong. Story occurs without anything having had to happen, it's not just an order of events. Beckett's 'Waiting for Godot' is a play in which nothing much happens, and yet it resonates with a powerful sense of story.

Jake speaks to Jane Davis, founder of The Reader Organisation. Jane's charity invites people to come together and read aloud, using narratives from books to engage with their own life stories. Through her work and her own personal experiences, she has found that stories can transform lives. And the telling of our own life story can be a powerful tool.

Readings from Jeanette Winterson and Joan Didion, and music including the Beatles' Eleanor Rigby and Schumann's Fairytale Pictures, help Jake to unravel the potent energy of narrative.

Producer: Jo Coombs

A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4

Jake Arnott explores how a sense of narrative is essential for how we understand the world

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Judas Kiss20100307Mark Tully explores the conflict between loyalty and betrayal.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Last Waltz20160320Alan Hall reflects on how facing the end of something can often take us back to its beginnings.

The Irish writer Flann O'Brien pointed out in At Swim-Two-birds that he didn't agree with the idea of 'one beginning and one ending for a book'. And certainly, endings - and not just in literature - can become confused with a sense of where something started or the likelihood of various start points which suggest the possibility of more than one ending.

In this edition of Something Understood, Alan dances through ideas of what is retained, what is reawakened and what might be left behind when we approach an ending, with the help of writers - including O'Brien and Keith Douglas, Lydia Davis and Kazuo Ishiguro - and music that ranges from a late Schubert piano sonata, to Persian singer Aida Shahghasemi Beman's Stay, to The National's account of renewal after an end (Pink Rabbits) and Elly Stone's What I Loved.

Produced by Eleanor McDowall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Alan Hall presents a meditation on endings and beginnings.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Last Waltz2016032020240317 (R4)Alan Hall reflects on how facing the end of something can often take us back to its beginnings.

The Irish writer Flann O'Brien pointed out in At Swim-Two-birds that he didn't agree with the idea of 'one beginning and one ending for a book'. And certainly, endings - and not just in literature - can become confused with a sense of where something started or the likelihood of various start points which suggest the possibility of more than one ending.

In this edition of Something Understood, Alan dances through ideas of what is retained, what is reawakened and what might be left behind when we approach an ending, with the help of writers - including O'Brien and Keith Douglas, Lydia Davis and Kazuo Ishiguro - and music that ranges from a late Schubert piano sonata, to Persian singer Aida Shahghasemi Beman's Stay, to The National's account of renewal after an end (Pink Rabbits) and Elly Stone's What I Loved.

Produced by Eleanor McDowall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

A meditation on endings and beginnings.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Limits Of Friendship20171203Journalist Abdul-Rehman Malik explores the nature and purpose of true friendship through the insights of writers from varied faith traditions.

He examines what the Scottish theologian Hugh Black calls the 'limits of friendship', the idea that there is in each one of us a private world that no-one can inhabit. CS Lewis describes a very English type of friendship, reserved yet revealing - we can survive without it, Lewis writes, but life is so much better with it.

Running through the programme is a story by the 13th century Persian poet Farid ud-Din Attar about Shaykh Sanan, whose infatuation with a Christian girl has an enormous impact on his friends and disciples. There is poetry from Rabindranath Tagore and a story from the Quran that explains why we are especially drawn to some people and not others.

The music included in the programme, from artists as diverse as Eric Clapton and Georges Bizet, illustrates how friendship can survive despite turbulent times.

Presenter: Abdul-Rehman Malik

Producer: Jonathan Mayo

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Journalist Abdul-Rehman Malik explores the nature and purpose of true friendship.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Lost Dimension Of Depth20071014Mark Tully considers the 'lost dimension of depth' in contemporary life.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Lump In The Throat20150927The writer Laura Barton reflects on how we articulate emotion and how feeling finds its way into words.

Starting from Robert Frost's assertion that 'a poem begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a lovesickness' and becomes something in which 'the emotion finds the thought, and the thought finds the words', Laura draws on some of her favourite writers, including Gerard Manley Hopkins, Carol Ann Duffy and Vladimir Nabokov, as well as music from Van Morrison, Volcano Choir and cellist Oliver Coates.

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio Four.

Laura Barton reflects on how feeling finds its way into words.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Lump In The Throat2015092720240303 (R4)The writer Laura Barton reflects on how we articulate emotion and how feeling finds its way into words.

Starting from Robert Frost's assertion that 'a poem begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a lovesickness' and becomes something in which 'the emotion finds the thought, and the thought finds the words', Laura draws on some of her favourite writers, including Gerard Manley Hopkins, Carol Ann Duffy and Vladimir Nabokov, as well as music from Van Morrison, Volcano Choir and cellist Oliver Coates.

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio Four.

Laura Barton reflects on how feeling finds its way into words.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Lungs20180520The poet Michael Symmons Roberts completes his trilogy of programmes reflecting on parts of the human anatomy. After hearts and eyes, he focuses this time on our lungs and the fragile breath they bring.

He explains, 'As a bodily metaphor, breath is one of the most pervasive and subtle we have and, for me, it's always been one of the most potent.

Reflecting on childhood memories of his grandad's asthma and emphysema and his own encounter with double pneumonia as a teenager, Michael has built an understanding of the breath as a gift and something not to be taken for granted. Breathing is also central to spiritual practices as in the traditional use of the Jesus prayer, 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God' as we breathe in, and the second part, 'have mercy on me, a sinner', as we breathe out'.

Through the poetry of Keats, Mark O'Brien and Denise Levertov and the music of The Hollies, Florence and the Machine and Puccini, Michael concludes that 'breathing is a delicate matter. And if breath is what we receive from our creator, it is in some sense the gift of life itself.

Presenter: Michael Symmons Roberts

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4.

Michael Symmons Roberts reflects on our lungs and the fragile gift of breath they bring.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Machines And Us20140921Mark Tully considers our growing dependence upon technology and the practical implications of the human relationship with machines.

In conversation with AI expert Professor Noel Sharkey, who is Chairman of the International Committee for Robot Arms Control, he investigates both historical and contemporary dependencies on technology and the pleasures and perils of technological progress.

In a programme which takes us from the Industrial Revolution to a duet for piano and iPad, there are readings from Aldous Huxley, Bertrand Russell and Patricia Hubbell - and music from Conrad Tao, Arthur Honneger and Jim Noir.

The readers are Emily Raymond, Francis Cadder and Jasper Britton.

Produced by Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully considers the practical implications of our relationship with machines.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Martyrs Of Charterhouse Square20100711Mark Tully tells the remarkable story of the first Martyrs of the English Reformation.

He visits the centuries-old Priory near London's Smithfield meat market and, in the company of the current Master of Charterhouse, uncovers a hidden history with a contemporary relevance.

Mark hears why the Archbishop of Canterbury believes that the Martyrs offer a precious gift to the whole Church.

Producer: Eley McAinsh

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Masks We Wear20180225To mark the Jewish festival of Purim, when observants wear masks and costumes, Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand examines the many forms of mask we wear.

Purim commemorates the story of Queen Esther of Persia, who hid her identity as a Jew when she entered the royal harem. Within the palace, not even her husband, the King, realises she's a Jew. But when the anti-Semitic villain of the story, Haman, reveals his evil plot to murder all of the Jews, Esther is forced into a moment of reckoning.

Her uncle Mordecai challenges her to take off her metaphorical mask and reveal her true identity. Mordecai argues that her current disguise won't save her from destruction. He also suggests that there has been a higher purpose to her masquerade - the redemption of her people. Esther's bravery and leadership save the day. She reveals her Jewish identity to the King and the evil Haman's plot is foiled.

So, Purim has become Judaism's topsy-turvy day, when masks are worn, identities played with and the lines between reality and fantasy are blurred.

Shoshana explores the significance of masks during Venice's carnivals, where the frivolity of the celebrations belies the profound historical origins of the masks. She also draws upon Giuseppe Verdi's opera A Masked Ball, which shows masks to reveal much about the human condition.

Masks can be used to hide physical deformity, as is the case in The Phantom of the Opera. They can also take the non-physical form of what Carl Jung called the persona - a kind of mask used to 'conceal the true nature of the individual'.

Shoshana concludes that masks can be used to hide or reveal who we are, depending on how we use them.

Presenter: Shoshana Boyd Gelfand

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Masks We Wear2018022520240324 (R4)To mark the Jewish festival of Purim, when observants wear masks and costumes, Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand examines the many forms of mask we wear.

Purim commemorates the story of Queen Esther of Persia, who hid her identity as a Jew when she entered the royal harem. Within the palace, not even her husband, the King, realises she's a Jew. But when the anti-Semitic villain of the story, Haman, reveals his evil plot to murder all of the Jews, Esther is forced into a moment of reckoning.

Her uncle Mordecai challenges her to take off her metaphorical mask and reveal her true identity. Mordecai argues that her current disguise won't save her from destruction. He also suggests that there has been a higher purpose to her masquerade - the redemption of her people. Esther's bravery and leadership save the day. She reveals her Jewish identity to the King and the evil Haman's plot is foiled.

So, Purim has become Judaism's topsy-turvy day, when masks are worn, identities played with and the lines between reality and fantasy are blurred.

Shoshana explores the significance of masks during Venice's carnivals, where the frivolity of the celebrations belies the profound historical origins of the masks. She also draws upon Giuseppe Verdi's opera A Masked Ball, which shows masks to reveal much about the human condition.

Masks can be used to hide physical deformity, as is the case in The Phantom of the Opera. They can also take the non-physical form of what Carl Jung called the persona - a kind of mask used to 'conceal the true nature of the individual'.

Shoshana concludes that masks can be used to hide or reveal who we are, depending on how we use them.

Presenter: Shoshana Boyd Gelfand

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Midst Of Life20110130In the modern western world, we often imagine life as linear, with 'middle age' as the slightly boring long bit that comes between the more dynamic beginning and end.

Classicist and Anglican minister Teresa Morgan explores alternative ways of considering the midst of life. She cites ancient Roman and traditional Hindu approaches that break life up into several stages that give a sense of progress through those middle years and she draws upon the writings of those for whom mid-life has taken on a different significance, through a change of circumstance or sudden illness.

And she relates the thoughts of Albert Scweitzer, Monica Furlong, Alan Coren and others to the perception of Heaven as eternal life without beginning or end... suggesting that middle age is perhaps a foretaste!

With music by John Tavener, Don Henley, Sophie Tucker and Olivier Messiaen.

Producer: Alan Hall

A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.

Teresa Morgan explores ways of thinking about middle age.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Moon2019031720191027 (R4)Michael Symmons Roberts takes a trip to the Moon and explores its enduring poetic appeal.

Michael was only six years old when Neil Armstrong first set foot on the Moon, but has grown up with the common belief that this `giant leap` seemed to usher in an age of expanded horizons and also a fascination with its constant use (or overuse?) as an image in poetry and music over the centuries.

Why we can't leave it alone?

He suggests an answer: `it's not just a remote lozenge in the sky. It's long been a part of our mythology of the Moon that it has a bearing on our lives here, that what it does affects what we do.`

Using the poetry of Larkin, Frost and Alice Oswald and the music of Schubert, Chopin and Frank Sinatra, Michael encourages us not to see the Moon as a tired old clich退 but rather to reclaim it.

`Whenever someone produces, as they do every now and again, lists of words or images that poets shouldn't use any more, because they are too cliched, or too tired, then perhaps the best response is not to impose a moratorium, but to remake those symbols or images, to reclaim them in new contexts and to look at them in different lights.`

Presenter: Michael Symmons Roberts

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Moon In My Life2012031820211003 (R4)In 'The Moon in My Life' the space scientist Dr Maggie Aderin Pocock reflects on the cultural and scientific effects of the moon, and also on the role the moon has played in her personal life.

She talks to scientist Professor John Sutherland about recent research that indicates that the moon could have been responsible for generating all life here on Earth and chooses readings by H.G. Wells, Carol Ann Duffy and Carl Sandburg and music by Dvorak, Debussy and Carl Orff . The readers are Liza Sadovy and David Holt.

Producer: Ronni Davis

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

The space scientist Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock reflects on the influence of the moon.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Mother As Muse20100425The writer Sarah Cuddon reflects on the idea of the Mother figure as a muse.

With references to writers Collette, Virginia Woolf and Marguerite Duras, the painter Whistler and the dancer Michael Clarke, she explores some of the ways the mother provides food for creative inspiration.

With music from Montserrat Figueras, John Lennon and Patti Smith.

The producer is Alan Hall, and this is a Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Mystery Of Belief20070603Mike Wooldridge considers the nature of belief and asks whether it can be taught.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Myth Of Christmas2015121320211219 (R4)In the season of Advent, Mark Tully asks what we can learn from the stories of Christmas as we prepare for an increasingly secular holiday.

Many of those who will crowd into Churches for Midnight Mass or other services at Christmas will find it difficult to believe the gospel stories literally or to accept the traditional view of Jesus as God come down to earth. But they might well be so moved by the liturgy, the carols, their memories of Christmas past, the sense that this is one day when the world does stop that they wish they could find some meaning in the Christmas story. Mark Tully explores the idea that regarding the story as myth can give meaning to Christmas without belief in the traditional Christology.

A Unique Broadcasting Company production for BBC Radio 4

During Advent, Mark Tully asks what we learn from Christmas myths.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The New Age Of The Engineer20100926Is it true that the contribution of Britain's engineers has gone unrecognised?

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The New Freedom20071118Mark Tully discovers how networking can empower all of us to bring about change.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Other Place20150920The mystery of what happens after we die has long been the subject of writers, artists and thinkers. Don Paterson writes that 'Man is probably unique amongst the mammals in that he has conscious foreknowledge of his own death'.

One of the most powerful cultural influences on how we think about this subject is the poetry of Dante, whose epic poem The Divine Comedy imagined Hell as a physical place of torments nicely matched to the sins of its inhabitants.

One of the most troubling ideas found in Dante's afterlife is Limbo, a place of nothingness at the very edge of Hell for the unbaptised. It is an idea that has had a devastating impact on parents of stillborn babies in Roman Catholic countries like Ireland, where thousands of infants and stillborn babies were not allowed to be buried in holy ground and parents were taught to believe their dead children now dwelt out of the sight of God. It wasn't until 2007 that the Roman Catholic church offered hope that God would indeed save these unbaptised babies. A documentary broadcast on Radio 4 around that time included the powerful stories of anguished parents and we hear some of them in this programme.

Despite the enduring popular ideas about Heaven and Hell, it is hard to find precise depictions in the Old and New Testament. Samira talks to Rabbi Jonathan Romain about Jewish ideas of Sheol.

There are poems and writing by Don Paterson and Charles Dickens, as well as versions of Dante by Clive James and John Agard and music by Monteverdi and the Unthanks, among others.

The readers are Peter Marinker and Emily Taaffe.

Producer: Natalie Steed

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

The picture used for this programme shows Dante and his guide, Virgil, being rowed across the Styx (image courtesy of the British Library).

From Dante to Dickens, Samira Ahmed explores ideas about what happens after death.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Outer Limits2014062920210207 (R4)Samira Ahmed reaches for the edge of the possible and explores the urge to exceed it - from the heights of a tallest tower to the depths of the ocean.

Samira hears about the physical limits pushed by free divers as Kevin Fong, an expert in medicine in extreme environments, describes how their stubborn determination not to breathe has challenged scientists' expectations of human capability. She explores the limits of her own dexterity as she recalls the challenge of Bach's Prelude and Fugue No 2, and considers the fate of Richard Matheson's Shrinking Man on a journey beyond the limits of human experience.

The programme includes readings from works by Carol Ann Duffy, Don Patterson and the deep sea pioneer William Beebe.

The Readers are Peter Marinker, Adjoa Andoh and Michael Lumsden.

Producer: Natalie Steed

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Samira Ahmed reaches for the edge of the possible and explores the urge to exceed it.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Outsider20111113Fergal Keane considers the Outsider both as a force for good and progress, and also as a more malign being. He reflects on the psychology of the individual writer, musician or painter and their need to create an outsider image for the public; on outsiders who are consigned to exclusion because of their social circumstances, and on more sinister outsiders who keep dark secrets.

The programme includes readings of work by Colin Wilson, William Trevor, and Anton Chekhov, and music by Gustav Mahler, Ismael Lo, and Rufus Wainwright. The readers are Jonjo O'Neill, Gina Peach and Frank Stirling.

Producer: Ronni Davis

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Fergal Keane considers the place of the outsider in society.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Past Is A Foreign Country20080413Mark Tully considers how we look back on the past.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Path Of The Convert20071209Guardian columnist Madeleine Bunting meets Yahya Birt, who converted to Islam as a student

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Pearl Of Great Price20100207Mark Tully considers the enduring symbolism and mystical properties of pearls.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Philosophy Of The Mind2013021020210328 (R4)In this special edition of Something Understood, Tibet's exiled Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama, considers what we now know about the nature of the mind and how an understanding of the mind is important in everyday life.

He quotes from the teachings of Buddha and the work of the 11th century poet Milarepa, as well as the words of a Tibetan Prayer by Nagarjuna.

The quest for peace of mind is one of the great challenges of our day. Many of us find it easier to achieve than others, but what do the teachings of those cultures who try to embrace the mind's power have to say about our modern dilemma?

John McCarthy applies the Dalai Lama's thoughts to the western experience with additional readings from the American philosopher Daniel Dennett and the work of the ground-breaking neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran.

The programme was recorded in the town of Leh in the Ladakh region of India.

Produced by Anthony Denselow.

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

The Dalai Lama considers the philosophy of the mind.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Poetry Of Healing2010120520220109 (R4)Kenneth Steven selects poems by Edwin Muir, Robert Frost, WB Yeats and others to explore the idea of why people are drawn to poetry at moments of crisis.

With readings by Emma Fielding and Jonathan Keeble and musical extracts from Handel's Saul, Mozart's Piano Sonata in D (K.448) and the African-American spiritual 'There is a balm in Gilead'.

Producer: Alan Hall

A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4

Poet Kenneth Steven reflects on poetry that brings healing to the heart.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Power Of A Name20091011Mark Tully considers the power of a name to shape our sense of self.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Power Of Memories2018021820231126 (R4)An exploration of great feats of recall, of the creative and imaginative pleasures of reminiscence and of the way memories help us tell our stories to ourselves.

In a journey that takes him from Mozart's prodigious memory to memories and the perception of time, Mark Tully tells stories by Dostoevsky, George Eliot, John Barry and The Kinks.

Mark also draws on contemporary poet Eilean Ni Chuilleanain and children's author Kenneth Grahame, the modernist composer Charles Ives and the choral work of Ralph Vaughan Williams to discuss interpretations of memory, time and immortality.

The readers are Jasper Britton and Grainne Keenan.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4.

From reminiscence to remembrance, Mark Tully considers the way memories shape lives.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Power Of The Crowd2014051120230305 (R4)There are many different ways people come together: as an audience, a mob, or a congregation. Being an individual member of a large gathering can be an empowering and celebratory experience. It can also be an isolating one.

As she watches the group of people she's so often part of - the travelling throng at Waterloo station - Samira Ahmed explores the relationship between the individual and the crowd.

She considers the beauty of city hordes on their mass manoeuvres; the pleasure she takes in people watching; and the ways individuals can find a profound sense of camaraderie in a large group. And she looks at the riotous mobs as encountered by John Wesley in the eighteenth century and in 1940s Harlem, as witnessed by James Baldwin.

She speaks to Stephen Reicher of the University of St Andrews about the psychology of individuals when they gather together - from train commuters to the Kumbh Mela in India. And we hear from Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer David Lang about Crowd Out, his new piece for a community of one thousand voices.

Featuring music by Edith Piaf, Brownie McGhee and Thomas Tallis and with the words of George Szirtes, James Baldwin, Vesna Goldsworthy and Arnold Bennett.

Produced by Caroline Hughes.

A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4

Samira Ahmed reflects on what being part of a crowd means to us as individuals.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Power Of The Sun20170730The sun is a powerful symbol in many cultures and many faiths. In a programme that investigates what it means to humans in religious, scientific and secular contacts, Mark Tully asks what we mean by sun worship.

He talks to Lakshmi, a sadhvi - or Hindu holy woman - from an ashram in Delhi, about the rituals of sun worship. He also explores the works of physicist John Tyndall and poets Molly Fisk and Emily Bronte on their love and loathing for the sun. There is music from Haydn, Roy Ayers and Sally Beamish.

The readers are David Westhead and Polly Frame.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully considers sun worship and the power of the star that sustains and destroys.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Prince Who Walked Out Of His Fairy Tale2014083120230319 (R4)Siddhartha is the name of a prince who became the Buddha.

He was born in present day Nepal, sometime around 563 BC, and he grew up as a prince enjoying a comfortable existence for the first 29 years of his life. It was then, as a married man with an infant son, Siddhartha abandoned his palace and set off for a wandering life with a band of ascetics seeking spiritual fulfillment.

In 'The prince who walked out of his fairy tale', Samira Ahmed pieces together the story of Siddhartha - the Sanskrit name meaning 'He who achieves his goal'. She tells the story of how Siddhartha abandoned future kingship after the shocking discovery of old age, sickness and death. She tells of how he took up and then discarded extreme asceticism and how, after six years of penance, he sat unmoving under a tree until he gained Nirvana or perfect enlightenment and became known as the Buddha.

Samira Ahmed looks at the appeal of the image of the seated Buddha and the spread of Buddhist ideas into the West. She considers how writers and thinkers have imagined the experience of enlightenment, and explores how others have interpreted the relevance of the Buddha's key ideas for today's fast moving materialistic life. With readings, poetry and music - including Tibetan chant, Herbie Hancock, Bengali film soundtrack, and Wagner.

Producer: Anthony Denselow

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Samira Ahmed explores the story of Siddhartha, the prince who became the Buddha.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Problem With Passion20100516Mark Tully asks what the self-help manuals really mean when they advise us to 'discover our passion' if we want to live a fulfilled life. Is this advice well-founded, rooted in the spiritual notion of vocation, or rather a route to self-obsession and confusion?

Producer: Eley McAinsh

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

What do self-help manuals really mean when they advise us to 'discover our passion'?

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Puritan Gift20080810Mark Tully talks to author Will Hopper about the origins of the Puritan work ethic.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Rescuers20090726Mark Tully explores the theme of rescue.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Return20151018Inevitably, we all have to leave a place and, more likely than not, will experience a yearning to return - to a home, a sense of familiarity and safety.

The writer Kirsty Gunn explores her own relationship with the Scottish Highlands and the impulse to 'make homes in words'.

With reference to writings from Katherine Mansfield, Jayne Anne Philips and CS Lewis, and music by the Dixie Chicks, Dick Gaughan and Glen Campbell.

Produced by Rachel Hooper

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Writer Kirsty Gunn reflects on the idea of returning home.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Road Taken20090222Mike Wooldridge explores what happens when we have to choose between different paths in life. How are our lives shaped by such decisions, and how are we changed by what we say 'yes' to and what we turn away from? He talks to Hollywood composer Matthew Ferraro about the decisions that have shaped his life and which have helped to bring about his massive new work The Tension of Opposites.

Mike Wooldridge explores what happens when we choose between different paths in life.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Science Test20090125Mark Tully considers the purpose and scope of science.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Sculptors Of Peace20100221Mike Wooldridge talks to the Chief Rabbi, Jonathan Sacks.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Second Coming20080629Judith French considers why almost every culture has a legend of a second coming.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Shelter Of Each Other20140525The Irish poet Pကdraig Ӏ Tuama considers an old Irish saying : 'It is in the shelter of each other that the people live.' The word for word translation is 'we live in each other's shadow'. But there is a beautiful ambivalence to this proverb thrown up by an island culture. The ambiguity lies in the word 'scကth' which can mean either shadow and shade or shelter and protection.

In a crowded rural culture, neighbourliness must have sometimes been a constricting shadow and sometimes a comforting shelter and protection.

With music from The Divine Comedy, Rita Connolly and Sinead O'Connor and extracts from the writings of Philip Pullman, Julia Spicher Kasdorf and Irish President Michael D Higgins, he considers how shelter and shadow can co-exist in our lives.

Produced by Rachel Hooper.

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Padraig O Tuama reflects on 'It is in the shelter of each other that the people live'.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Singing Manifesto2009011120230507 (R4)Recorded in San Francisco, American public radio producers The Kitchen Sisters, Davia Nelson and Nikki Silva, talk about their distinctive approach to interviewees and why they always ask their guests to sing a favourite song. They explain how they have found that singing achieves an 'accelerated intimacy' that cuts to the heart of a person and results in 'composed radio'.

American radio producers The Kitchen Sisters on their distinctive approach to interviewees

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

~Something Understood - a meditative reflection, illustrated with readings and music.

The Song Inside20150118Inspired by words attributed to Henry Thoreau, Melissa Viney reflects on the fear some people have of leading 'lives of quiet desperation' and going to their graves 'with their songs inside them'.

She draws on readings from Raymond Carver, Mary Oliver and Martha Graham, a comedy routine by Dylan Moran, music by Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Brahms, and an interview with the poet Ruth Sharman.

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Melissa Viney reflects on people's need to express 'the song inside'.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Spirit Of Jazz2012061720220619 (R4)Mark Tully improvises on the theme of spirituality in jazz, one of his favourite forms of music. He is joined by trumpeter, Ian Smith who evangelizes about the links between jazz and faith.

Together Mark and Ian identify the roots of jazz, deep in the church and in religious experience, as well as in the lives of ordinary black Americans in the first half of the 20th Century. Ian maintains that jazz provided the only forum in American public life where black creative artists could be respected and could articulate a culture specific to their own experiences. More than that, he maintains that jazz, is a meditative form which circles around certain fundamental truths without pretending that the limited human personal experience can solve them.

Mark Tully also celebrates the sheer joy of jazz with readings and music which lift the heart. He is even given permission by Ian to enjoy some of his favourite jazz pieces by musicians who are sometimes regarded by jazz buffs as not quite the genuine article.

The readers are Frank Stirling, Emma Fielding and Peter Guinness.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully improvises on the spirituality of jazz, one of his favourite forms of music.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Spoken Word20140824Sarah Cuddon explores the power and the magic of the spoken word and reading aloud and samples readings by, among others, Jarvis Cocker of Tove Jansson's Moomin Troll stories and Richard Burton of poetry by Gerard Manley Hopkins.

She also draws upon music by Jake Thackray, Ella Fitzgerald and Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf.

Produced by Alan Hall.

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Sarah Cuddon explores the power and the magic of the spoken word and reading aloud.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Stars20190324In the second of his two programmes looking at the skies, the poet Michael Symmons Roberts examines the stars and how they influence our poetry, faith and even our lives.

In contrast to the moon, covered in last week's programme, the stars have a very different image. Michael explains, `For a start, the temperature is different. If the moon is often characterised as cold, mysterious but ultimately dispassionate, untroubled by the vicissitudes of life on earth, then the stars have come to symbolise something like the opposite - they signal aspiration and hope, they shine, they bring you luck. They look down on you with promise, even with care. And they can guide you too.`

Although science has taught us so much more about the stars, they are still a great mystery. For Michael, `our knowledge of the sheer distance between us and the stars, the time it takes for their light to reach us, makes them unimaginably other, in both time and space. And it makes their light itself, the fact that we can see them at all, a relic and a mystery`.

Michael reflects on a visit to the Lovell telescope at Jodrell Bank and reminds us that we are all aliens - made of stardust. With the poetry of Alice Oswald and RS Thomas and the music of Moby and Messiaen, he takes us on a journey through the heavens.

Presenter: Michael Symmons Roberts

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4

Michael Symmons Roberts turns his attention to the stars and how they influence our lives.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Strange Familiar20140119Sarah Cuddon reflects on the conjunction of the familiar and the strange in our lives.

Our lives are full of everyday habits and routines that provide a familiarity of experience. But they're also rich with strangeness, with oddity, with the unreal and the uncanny. Can we control how the strange and the familiar permeate our lives or is it all a question of perspective?

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Subtle Body2019022420230423 (R4)Academic Sarah Goldingay examines how different faiths use the concept of ‘the subtle body' to understand the mysterious relationship between body, mind and soul.

The question of how these three relate to one another has been a source of fascination and curiosity for centuries. Although many Western traditions have often seen them as separate and distinct elements, the concept of the subtle body envisions them as deeply intertwined.

Tracing the idea of the subtle body across multiple faiths and spiritual practices, from Hinduism and Buddhism to the mystical Jewish Kabbalah tradition, Sarah asks what it can teach us about the mysteries of the soul. Along the way, she examines some of the ways that poets, musicians and thinkers have explored the relationship between the corporeal and the spiritual. The programme features the poetry of Emily Dickinson, the jazz of Alice Coltrane and Beethoven's symphonies.

Sarah argues that the concept of the subtle body has not only been used to understand the deep connection between the body and the spark of life that animates it, but also as a way of forging a connection to other people and the world around us.

Presenter: Sarah Goldingay

Producer: Caroline Thornham

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4

Academic Sarah Goldingay examines the mysterious relationship between body, mind and soul.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Suspension Of Disbelief20160417Described by The New York Times as 'one of the smartest writers alive', award winning novelist Rachel Cusk makes her debut as a presenter on Radio 4 with a reflection on the 'suspension of disbelief', inspired by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

'It was given to us as an explanation of how stories work,' she explains, ' the suspension of our disbelief is what allows the unreal to become, momentarily, real.'

Using the poetry of T S Eliot, Wordsworth, Herbert and Coleridge himself, Rachel takes the listener on a journey through reality and belief, which ultimately affects our understanding of ourselves.

'We want to be transported by stories out of our own lives, much as we want to be lifted by faith out of doubt. Yet the drama of our own experience is so much closer and more real to us - the problem is that it lacks the coherence and order of narrative. To bear reality, we need to believe that our lives constitute some kind of story. We want the writer to write it for us, to arrange things into a meaningful pattern, to help us suspend our disbelief.'

Music from Beethoven, Radiohead, Britten and Karl Jenkins help Rachel reveal the 'value of disbelief' and 'the possibilities for freedom it offers'.

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Award-winning novelist Rachel Cusk reflects on the importance of suspending our disbelief.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Teacher's Art20180415Mark Tully explores the very best of teachers - and the very worst - through fiction, philosophy and memoirs, considering the essential attributes of a great teacher and the formative influence teachers can have throughout our lives.

He talks to former teacher Kabir Shaikh, who, as Director of Education for UNRWA/UNESCO, has also been responsible for providing education for half a million Palestinian refugee children in the Middle East.

There are readings from the works of Charles Dickens, Chalotte Bronte and poet Carl Dennis, and music is provided by Carl Orff, Aaron Copland and Japanese Taiko drummer Joji Hirota.

The readers are Cyril Nri, Emma Pallant and Francis Cadder.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully discusses the art of teaching and asks if great teachers are born or made.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Teen Within2015112220210131 (R4)When you look back at your teenage years, what do you remember most about them? Mercurial and angst-ridden? Empowering and passionate? Samira Ahmed explores the ways adolescence can resonate in later life, and reflects on staying in touch with one's inner teen.

Teenage years are for trying out different versions of our selves - dipping a toe into adulthood, as childish things are put away. It's the time for dreaming of the limitless possibilities life might bring, while being simultaneously daunted by them.

Samira is joined by Alom Shaha who grew up on a tough South London council estate in a strict Bangladeshi Muslim family. After his mother died, Alom, aged just thirteen, took responsibility for his younger siblings. Now a science teacher, he wrote The Young Atheist's Handbook, to help other teenagers who decide to leave the faith they were raised in.

All that angst and passion - the teenage spirit - where does it go? Does it still glimmer within or does it dissipate with adulthood? We hear from British poet Anthony Thwaite, about the way his teenage years have come to inspire his poetry in much later life.

And Samira reflects on what we might say to our teenage self - with some funny and moving insights from the pen of Peter Capaldi.

With readings of prose and poetry from writers including John Steinbeck, Claude Tardat and Josephine Miles, and music by artists including J S Bach, Nouvelle Vague and Laura Marling.

Producer: Caroline Hughes

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Samira Ahmed reflects on the angst and intensity of adolescence.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Things We're Handed Down20070617On Father's Day, Fergal Keane asks how we can instil in our children a sense of values.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Ties That Bind20180826To mark this year's festival of Raksha Bandhan, Mark Tully discusses the significance of the rite in which sisters tie rakhi threads round their brothers' wrists for protection.

In conversation with Mahatma Gandhi's granddaughter, Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee, who has made him her honorary rakhi brother, Mark contemplates the power of this symbolic binding. He also considers the strength of sibling bonds and wider ties of friendship between people of all faiths.

The readings include the work of Rabindranath Tagore, Sarojini Naidu and Mary Lee McNeal, with music from Ravi Shankar and Phillip Glass, Gal Costa and Tuatha Dea.

The readers are Jasper Britton and Emma Cunniffe,

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully celebrates the ties of family and friendship on the festival of Raksha Bandhan.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Time Of Our Lives2017072320210815 (R4)Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand examines the many ways we measure time and its effect on us.

Over the course of the programme, Shoshana draws upon a wide range of sources, from Albert Einstein who argued that the separation between past and present is simply an illusion, to the poetry of the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma who urges us to live only in the moment.

With the help of Gustav Holst's The Planets, we revisit the moment of creation, when time and space were born. Shoshana notes that, while modern scientists theorise that time was created alongside the universe during the Big Bang, a similar claim was made centuries before in the Bible. Scripture doesn't state this explicitly, but the Bible uses the same Hebrew word, 'olam', to describe both time and space - suggesting linguistically that they are similar phenomena. In general, 'olam' refers to the physical universe, but it also can mean 'forever' or 'eternity.' Shoshana explains that, whether one believes that the world was created through Divine Speech or a Big Bang, both science and the Bible agree that time and space are one.

For Shoshana, Joni Mitchell's Circle Game offers us valuable insight into the circular patterns that appear with the passage of time, while Gilbert and Sullivan playfully note the failings of our attempt to number our days using the Gregorian calendar. The poetry of Rabindranath Tagore reminds us that lost time is never truly lost, whereas John Milton advises us to square off against time by placing our faith in the divine.

Presenter: Shoshana Boyd Gelfand

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand explores the many ways we measure time and its effect on us.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Tree Of Life20090607Mike Wooldridge considers 'The Tree of Life', in conversation with Professor Steve Jones.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Twilight Zone2016050120190505 (R4)The film The Revenant was filmed only at twilight, to capture the natural light ‘when God speaks', in the words of its star Leonardo DiCaprio. This is just the latest example of a fascination with that shift from daytime to night that has absorbed poets, writers, artists and those with faith and of none.

Journalist Malcolm Doney explores - with poetry, prose and music - how we respond to this twilight zone, both in our surroundings and within ourselves.

Presenter: Malcolm Doney

Producer: Jonathan Mayo

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4

Journalist Malcolm Doney explores how humans respond to the mystical world of twilight.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Two Sides Of Hope20110508We think of hope as such a positive thing but Mark Tully considers the dangers of false optimism, and the despair that can follow the collapse of great expectations.

He takes two examples.

On New Year's Eve 1918, the ship, the Lolaire (Pro: You Lair Uh) was bringing over 300 survivors of the First World War back to their loved ones on the Hebridean Island of Lewis and Harris. This return was one of great hope - for those returning, for those waiting, for the Island, and for the world after such a catastrophic war which had ended just six weeks before.

The following day would be a New Year. But in the small hours the ship was caught in a storm as it approached the harbour and sank within sight of the crowds on the shore. Most were drowned. It seems the amount of despair is sometimes exponentially linked to the amount of positive expectation.

And Mark Tully also looks at a contemporary story of infertility, where regular hope is followed by regular despair, and there can often be a desire not to hope, at all, for fear of the disappointment that follows.

But it's not all doom and gloom. Mark Tully also looks at how enduring hope can be a respite, and one that can be continually reached. And the words of Martin Luther King, and the music of Frank Sinatra add another positive note in favour of Dreams, and High Hopes.

Presented by Mark Tully

Produced by Adam Fowler

An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

We think of hope as such a positive thing but Mark Tully considers the dangers of optimism

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Unexpected2019033120191013 (R4)Rabbi Dr Harvey Belovski explores attitudes towards the unexpected, and argues we should view the astonishing and surprising as a gift of guidance.

Rabbi Harvey considers what it means to occupy the space between predictability and the unconscious desire to experience the excitement of the unknown. He draws upon the popularity of Roald Dahl's Tales Of The Unexpected to demonstrate our unspoken yearning for the surprising.

He also explores the kindness and joy that can lie within applications of the unexpected. He uses Jack Riemer's story of a rabbi receiving the same good news from multiple well-wishers, in order to examine the positive side of the surprising. He also reads one of Shakespeare's most famous verses from Twelfth Night, to explore the way the unexpected can imbue individuals with greatness, despite it being thrust upon them.

In conclusion, Rabbi Harvey considers the way the unexpected can be perceived as a divine steer, and resolves to seize upon the surprising in order to channel it in the best way possible.

Presenter: Harvey Belovski

Producer: Oliver Seymour

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4

Rabbi Dr Harvey Belovski explores attitudes towards the unexpected.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Unfamiliar2016112720191117 (R4)
20230618 (R4)
The attractions of unfamiliarity are many - a cure for ennui, antidote to monotony, stimulation for jaded appetites. What is it about the strange, the new or the exotic that exerts such an appeal?

Mark Tully explores the attraction of the unfamiliar and the important role our hunger for new places, new people, new fashions and new experiences plays in understanding the world.

There is music from Gavin Bryars, Claude Debussy and Johnny Cash and readings from John Masefield, Rita Dove and philosopher Dale Andrews.

The readers are Paapa Essiedu and Emma Pallant.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully considers the mysterious appeal of unfamiliar things.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Unresolved2011112720220703 (R4)Poet Stewart Henderson questions whether the agitated, complaining presence of the unresolved - in the form of disappointed hopes, continuous regret, or hideous trauma - can be stilled, even silenced, bringing the individual to a contemplative and functioning resolution.

In 2011 Stewart met Julie Nicholson whose daughter Jenny was killed in the London bombings on 7th July 2005. At Horfield Church in Bristol, where Jenny is buried, they talk about her struggle with this cataclysmic event - the shock, the loss of her priestly vocation and the search for reconciliation.

Julie says: 'Jennifer was a vibrant, joyous human being, a 24-year-old young woman on the cusp of fully adult life. At the time of her death Jenny lived with her partner in Reading, had recently completed a Masters in music and worked for a music publishing company in London. She had so much to look forward to. Jenny's death and circumstance of her death will always contain elements of the unresolved, how could it not? So much was lost. The unresolved is a reality I live with and within that state attempt to live well. Jenny's passion for learning and her love of music and literature is reflected in a charitable trust established in her name. Jenny is gone but her name and the essence of her continue to make a difference and to inspire others.' Julie Nicholson's book about her daughter, 'A Song for Jenny' tells the story of her loss and grief.

The programme includes poetry from George Herbert, Rainer Maria Rilke and Carol Ann Duffy and music from Christian Forshaw and Charles Ives.

Perhaps that which seems to bankrupt us at the time, leaving us naked and numb, is not necessarily the final reckoning?

Producer: Jo Coombs

A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4.

Poet Stewart Henderson contemplates the unresolved.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Violence Within20090208Mark Tully explores the relationship between inner violence experienced as anger, repression and envy, and outer violence, expressed as cruelty, aggression and greed. If it is true that we are all, by nature, prone to violence, why are some people able to contain their violence and act peacefully in the world?

Mark Tully explores the relationship between inner and outer violence.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Vital Green20090906Mark Tully explores the many-shaded nature of Green.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Voice2018071520200628 (R4)Screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce is intrigued by the way the human voice can spark so many memories and feelings. Something we take for granted so often becomes the focus of his search for the oral fingerprint. To help him in his quest, he invites his friend Steve Coogan to demonstrate some of his impersonations, revealing that the tone of voice can carry more meaning than the words we say.

Frank also trawls the audio archive and finds rare recordings of William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, and the inspirational deaf and blind writer Helen Keller. The voices of Oliver Postgate and the artificially intelligent Alexa join the mix.

Ultimately, Frank is seeking to hear the voice of God but doesn't find it where you might expect. He concludes, 'You won't find the voice of the Lord calling to you in an historical document, we hear it in the voices of the people we love. It whispers to us in our childhood sleep, yells at us on the playing field, pleads with us in arguments and says hello when we answer the phone.

Presenter: Frank Cotrell Boyce

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4.

Screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce explores the timbre and tone of the human voice.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Wandering Minstrel20101107The troubadours of the medieval period carried news, good and bad, in song and gossip and were members of an exclusive court community. The writer Irma Kurtz reflects on their importance in court society and considers how the role of the troubadour has evolved in modern times.

Presented by Irma Kurtz

Producer: Ronni Davis

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Writer Irma Kurtz reflects on the medieval troubadours and how they have evolved.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Warmth Of Other Suns2014070620230326 (R4)In birds and animals, the great migration is a natural and often profoundly moving spectacle - tens of thousands of wildebeest moving across the plains of Africa in search of water, or the 4000 mile annual journey of the snow goose from their warm wintering to their summer breeding grounds.

In human terms, migration brings the chance for a new start, the prospect of wealth and a better way of life - but is frequently associated with pain, persecution and prejudice. The upheaval can bring distress, but also opportunity and the lure of what the poet Richard Wright described as 'the warmth of other suns'.

From the mournful lyricism of Psalm 137 ('By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept') which describes the yearning sorrow and anger of the exiled Jews after the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem, to Dvorak's New World Symphony inspired by the Czech composer's encounter with America, John McCarthy considers the way writers, poets and musicians have captured both the human and emotional impact of migration.

He also hears the stories of child migrants who were sent from Britain to Australia in the 1950s and 60s, promised a sun-kissed land in which they could ride horses and pick peaches from the trees, but who found themselves unwanted, ostracised and abandoned.

Producer: David Prest and Gil Percival

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

John McCarthy considers the emotional and human dimension of migration.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Water Of Life20170611Theologian Jane Williams explores our multifaceted relationship with water in its many forms and how it can simultaneously be both precious resource and inimical enemy, bringing both deep joy and terrible destruction.

Jane explains, 'In the Genesis creation story, God starts by creating the formless, almost chaotic mass of the waters, from which life will spring. In it, life is potential - but so is death. It has to be restrained, held back by divine initiative, to make space for human life, and the threat of the return of the waters to inundate the land is ever-present.

Jane considers some of the paradoxes of water and illustrates her narrative with poetry from Emily Dickinson and Matthew Arnold, along with readings from CS Lewis and Jules Verne. She also uses music to capture the different aspects of water and how we experience it. Compositions from Wagner and Toshiro Mayuzumi add to her thinking, with John Ireland's setting of John Masefield's poem Sea Fever.

For Christians, water is significant in the ritual of baptism which itself symbolises death and resurrection, the heart of the Christian faith. Jane concludes, 'I suppose this exploration of the water that is both creation and destruction, chaos and peace, turns out to be a plea for hope. Not a nave optimism that everything is all right really, but a kind of reckless trust that says, since we cannot control life and death, beginnings and endings, any more than we can in the end control the seas' tides, let us choose an adventure of trust rather than a life of fear.

Presenter: Jane Williams

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Jane Williams explores our many-faceted relationship with water in all its forms.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The White North Has Thy Bones20150104Samira Ahmed reaches for the far North, exploring how it has been perceived, dreamed and even desired. Why is there such enchantment for these snowy wastes, where death awaits so many?

She considers the Arctic obsession of the 19th century, where society clamoured for news of great explorers like Franklin and swooned at thoughts of their fate. Tales of being frozen solid, cannibalism and insanity.

Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote a short poem for the memorial to Franklin which stands in Westminster Abbey, 'Not here: The white north has thy bones; and thou, heroic sailor soul, art passing on thine happier voyage now towards no earthly pole.

But this is not simply the land of explorers. Samira hears from the people who inhabit the apparently uninhabitable. There's the Inuit. What is their relationship with the environment and the creatures they share it with?

Beneath the ice flows lie submarines, fearful, lying in the dark. What of the men who live beneath these freezing waters, and what of life in the Soviet labour camps of Siberia?

With music from contemporary composer Gavin Bryars, and readings from Jules Verne and Philip Larkin, this is a journey into the far north - which represents a sublime paradise for many and, for so many others, a hell.

Produced by Kevin Dawson

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Samira Ahmed reaches for the far north and how it has been perceived, dreamed and desired.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Window Of Vulnerability20120401For April Fool's Day, the comedian and broadcaster Hardeep Singh Kohli reflects upon the possible vulnerabilities to which we're exposed when falling in love.

He draws upon poems by Carol Ann Duffy, Edward Dorn (The Window of Vulnerability) and Carolyn Kizer, writings by Milan Kundera and Neil Gaiman and music by Laura Marling, Elbow and Billie Holliday.

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Hardeep Singh Kohli reflects on the vulnerability of falling in love.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Wisdom Of Equality2019021020191006 (R4)Chair of the London Buddhist Centre Suryagupta Dharmacharini considers what is meant by the concept of equality and how to achieve it. She explores the process of confronting both internal and external biases.

Suryagupta considers her own experience of growing up as an African Caribbean girl in the UK and the sense of inferiority that often accompanied that. She turns to Buddhist teachings in an attempt to counter this state of mind, in favour of creating a more equal and loving experience. However, she remains mindful that religions can sometimes choose to focus solely on individual freedom, rather than taking a wider stance against inequality caused by society's flaws.

Keeping socially sanctioned inequality in mind, Suryagupta looks back on a recent trip to South Africa. Although apartheid ended 25 years ago, discrimination is still rife. She argues that this disparity means a sense of freedom is absent for both white and black South Africans - armed guards and barbed wire characterising Cape Town's rich suburbs.

Suryagupta concludes her exploration of equality by considering the importance of reflecting on biases, to actively pursue a freedom that is only reached by finding common humanity. In finding this, she explains, we can achieve a richer, truer experience of humanity.

Presenter: Suryagupta Dharmacharini

Producer: Oliver Seymour

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4

Suryagupta Dharmacharini considers what it means to be equal and how to achieve equality.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The Wisdom Of Mules20170226Mark Tully considers the spiritual and cultural relationship between beasts of burden and humans and celebrates the qualities of the mule.

A byword for stubborn cantankerousness, this idiosyncratic cross between donkey and horse has written its name large in history and myth. Charles Darwin wrote, 'The mule always appears to me a most surprising animal. That a hybrid should possess more reason, memory, obstinacy, social affection, powers of muscular endurance, and length of life, than either of its parents, seems to indicate that art has here outdone nature.

The programme takes us from the mining mules of America to the intrepid mule trains on the borders between Pakistan and Afghanistan, from the Old Testament to Greek myth. Mark also talks to those who commemorate the heroism of mules in two world wars every year and to Dr Faith Burden of the Donkey Sanctuary.

There are readings from the medieval poet Hafiz and twentieth century writer Cicely Fox Smith and music from the Grand Canyon and from Mexico.

The readers are Emily Raymond and Jasper Britton

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully celebrates the nobility of these beasts of burden in folklore and reality.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

The World's Well20080224Mike Wooldridge explores the meaning of health and well-being.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Theatre In Worship20110814In 'Theatre in Worship', Mark Tully investigates the role theatre and performance can take in acts of worship and examines the arguments both for and against theatricality in religious ceremony and ritual.

From the Puritan movement of the seventeenth century to the extravagance of baroque ecclesiastical architecture, from the vibrancy of religious festival and the popularity of religious theatre and dance to the single-minded pursuit of spiritual simplicity, performance in religion has often been controversial.

This edition of 'Something Understood' looks at some of the reasons for this with the help of theologian and writer Theo Hobson and the work of seventeenth century poet George Herbert, nineteenth century novelist Stendhal and twentieth century playwright Anthony Minghella. The music is by Spanish bagpiper Hevia and Japanese composer Toshi Tsuchitori.

The readers are Kenneth Cranham and Isla Blair

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique Production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully examines the role of performance in acts of religious worship.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

There's No Place Like Home2017090320190728 (R4)
20200531 (R4)
Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand examines our relationship with the shifting notion of home and the importance of home to her Jewish faith and other religious traditions.

Shoshana reveals that she's always been fascinated by precisely what it is that we call home and how our homes inform our identities. She discusses the use within the Jewish home of the Mizrach - a piece of art that hangs on a wall allowing the inhabitants to orient themselves towards Jerusalem. She explains that this orientation to a spiritual home is a kind of internal map, 'a way of positioning ourselves so that we feel rooted wherever we may be'.

Exploring the concept of 'returning home' in a musical sense, in which a composer skilfully resolves a chord sequence in a way that sounds uniquely satisfying and conclusive, Shoshana draws upon the music of Chopin and Schumann. These pieces sit along musical celebrations of the home from Crosby, Stills and Nash, bluesman Blind Willie McTell and Simon and Garfunkel.

Shoshana describes the centrality of the home to the Jews, whose rituals are mostly performed at home rather than at the synagogue, before concluding that, for her, home is ultimately defined by the people she holds dear rather than any one fixed location.

Presenter: Shoshana Boyd Gelfand

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand examines our relationship with the shifting notion of home.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

This Is My Body20090412Mark Tully explores the meaning of Jesus' words at the Last Supper.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

This Is My Vigil2012110420220731 (R4)There are many different types of vigils; from waiting at the bedside of a loved one who is ill or dying, to peacefully praying for peace in a conflict. Sometimes we choose to keep vigils, but sometimes they are thrust upon us - like waiting for someone to return from being in danger. In this edition of Something Understood, Mark Tully asks why people hold and participate in vigils.

In 2012, Mark Tully met Dr Shelia Cassidy, who believes that vigil is part of the very fabric of life. Her own life has been full of vigil. We hear about her most important personal experience, when she was in jail in Chile and threatened with execution or life imprisonment. That night she stayed awake, arguing with God. She explains how, in this personal vigil, she tried to abandon herself to the will of God - like Jacob wrestling with the angel.

A pioneer of the hospice movement and of palliative medicine, Dr Sheila Cassidy has also helped many people to keep vigil as they die. She explains that she has learned we all have to keep vigils during our lives.

Sheila also sees prayer in general as a type of vigil; it's a time to leave one's mind open to whatever comes, and to wait for God.

With readings from Rabindranath Tagore on patience and Christopher Reid on the vigil he held at his dying wife's bedside, and music from John Tavener and Joan Baez, Mark Tully explores what role hopeful watching and waiting can play in our lives.

The readers are Gareth Armstrong, Emily Bevan and Simon Tcherniak.

The producer is Jo Coombs.

A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Through A Glass Darkly2017060420200621 (R4)The poet Michael Symmons Roberts looks in to the mirror for insight and revelation, reckoning and resolution and discovers the beguiling world through the looking glass.

Central to his thoughts are the famous words of St Paul from 1 Corinthians 13 - 'For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known,' - which tantalisingly suggest that what we see now is only a partial vision of reality. In this world, a glimpse is all we get.

'Many parents will remember the time,' Michael says, 'usually around 18 months old, when a child first recognises that the baby in the mirror is not a sudden visitor. It's you!' This moment of self recognition (only shared with four kinds of ape, Asian elephants, bottlenose dolphins and, perhaps surprisingly, magpies) allows us all into the unsettling mixture of bare fact and mystery that confronts us in the mirror. Michael explains that, 'The truth offered by such surfaces is fugitive, deceptive, elusive.'

Through the music of Icelandic singer Bjork, Michael Jackson, Roxanna Panufnik and Philip Glass, and the poetry of George Herbert, Denise Levertov, John Ashbery and Carolyn Kizer, Michael takes us through the looking glass to a wonderland of paradox and possibilities. He says, 'The reflective surfaces of glass or water offer visions of a different world, potentially treacherous or unknown, but a world you can enter physically if you dive into the lake, or visually if you allow your gaze to pass through it.

Presenter: Michael Symmons Roberts

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

The poet Michael Symmons Roberts looks in the mirror and sees through a glass darkly.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Tigerish Waters20150517John McCarthy considers the way that we can accommodate ambiguity and complexity.

The title of the programme comes from Louis MacNeice's poem 'Entirely' which explores the way in which it is never possible to be 'entirely' sure, or to have fully grasped a meaning, or to fully be in a moment.

Take a walk in an urban woodland: you can seek and find a sense of solitude whilst always being aware of the busy-ness around you and be aware, simultaneously, of the beauty of birdsong and the trundle of road traffic beyond the gates.

We hear from poets and writers who have explored not getting things 'entirely' and found a kind of pleasure and peace in that acceptance. There are readings from Louise MacNeice, Kathleen Jamie and Michael Longley, and an interview with Tom Bolton who writes about London's secret rivers and lost neighbourhoods. The music is by You Are Wolf (Kerry Andrew), Toru Takemitsu, Kraftwerk and Elton John.

The readers are Peter Marinker, Sirine Saba and Joe Armstrong.

Producer: Natalie Steed

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

John McCarthy considers the importance of complexity and ambiguity.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Time Has Told Me20110220Fergal Keane reflects on the importance of real life experience - wisdom gained not from books but from the world.

Like Shakespeare's Cleopatra, who remembers her salad days as a time when I was green in judgment, cold in blood, lack of life experience can cause us to rush in where angels fear to tread. Or where a more mature person might hesitate. Which is the better weapon for life?

Fergal will draw on the work of W.B. Yeates, Fleur Adcock and the Indian writer Radhika Jha to explore this notion.

The readers are Liza Sadovy and Aiden Mcardle.

Presenter: Fergal Keane

Producer: Ronni Davis

An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Fergal Keane reflects on the importance of real life experience.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Tiny Survivals2010091220200823 (R4)Classicist Llewelyn Morgan has a knack for piecing together the past through disparate objects and fragmented bits of information. So when he stumbled across an old Russian samovar in his grandmother's attic, he was compelled to track down its owner by trawling through the thousands of names and places that appear in the census.

In this edition of Something Understood, Llewelyn Morgan recounts his search to identify the samovar's owner and explores how objects that seem to tell us little when taken at face value can in fact reveal a rich and vivid picture of the past.

With a contribution from the late Flemish philosopher Jaap Kruithof (courtesy of VRT), readings from John Donne, Keith Douglas and Lionel Shriver and music by Maurice Ravel, Alfred Schnittke and Fridge.

Readers: Adjoa Andoh and Jonathan Keeble

Producer: Katie Burningham

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Classicist Llewelyn Morgan reflects upon the importance of fragments of the past.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

To Change Or Not To Change20080504Mark Tully explores the difference between changing and adapting.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

To Fashion20120429In 'To Fashion' Irma Kurtz explores the notion that the garments we wear are a costume of choice. Once beyond the nursery, modesty orders us to cloak our skins, and sometimes our heads and faces too. To wear strategic covering in public is required practically everywhere by law as well as modesty. But we dress for more reasons than modesty and protection. The garments we choose are our costume, and sometimes a uniform, too. What we wear displays if not precisely where we originate and who we are, certainly who we wish we were and want to be seen as being.

To illustrate this theme we hear readings from Robert Herrick, Sebastian Horsley and P.G. Wodehouse. The music is by Sergei Prokoviev, Irving Berlin, George and Ira Gershwin and Paul Durand. The readers are Liza Sadovy, Col Farrell and Frank Stirling.

Producer: Ronni Davis

A Unique Production for BBC Radio 4.

Irma Kurtz reflects that the garments we wear are a costume of choice.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Together Alone20081102The Scottish poet Kenneth Steven reflects on how solitude refreshes the human spirit.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Tomorrow20081005Llewellyn Morgan explores how attitudes towards tomorrow reflect our fear of the unknown.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Touch2013122920131230 (R4)
20200705 (R4)
Northern Irish arts journalist and broadcaster Marie-Louise Muir draws on her own experiences as a mother to reflect on the significance and value of human touch.

With reference to the writings of Bernard MacLaverty, Thom Gunn and Sinead Morrissey and music by Imogen Heap, William Walton and Nina Simone.

Readers: Cecilia Fage, Jonathan Keeble, Bernard MacLaverty

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Arts journalist Marie-Louise Muir considers the value of human touch.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Touch Me, Touch Me Not20120108Mark Tully considers our sense of touch and how we take it for granted. Somehow our other senses seem more active, even more important to us. We might fear the loss of our sight, or our hearing, but seldom do we worry about losing the ability to touch. But how would we cope without being able to feel anything through our skin? Or, indeed, how would we function if we could not feel our limbs? Tully relates the case of Ian Waterman who had to face life without the sense of touch when he lost all sensation below the neck at the age of nineteen.

He also looks at different cultural attitudes to touch, from the reserved Anglo-Saxon handshake to the more touchy-feely ways of greeting in Latin countries. What do our ways of touching, or not touching, say about us?

The programme also considers the notion of inappropriate touch, but at the same time explores the dangers of avoiding touch for fear of being accused of wrong-doing. Tully quotes from author, Judy Rigby, who maintains: All too often, when we hear about touch, it's in the context of pornography, abuse and violence ... we are afraid of touching because our actions might be misinterpreted. Hence children are deprived of appropriate touch at a very early age. Our response has been analogous to that of a person, who having eaten some bad food, decides that the best course of action in the future is not to eat at all, rather than ensuring what is eaten is healthy.

With poetry from John Betjemen and Michael Ondaatje; and music from Irving Berlin, John Dowland and Rachmaninov, Mark Tully wonders at the seeming simplicity of touch, but its power to transmit and transform. And he celebrates the fact that we need to go on touching if we are to go on caring.

Producer: Adam Fowler.

A Unique Production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully considers our sense of touch and how we often take it for granted.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Towards A New Consciousness20130203Mark Tully explores how a new way of thinking about spirituality might change our attitude to the environment. By looking at modern and historical ideas about the relationship between the cosmos and God, he encounters an emerging theology which brings science and religion together, and claims to make possible a new level of consciousness.

He discovers how this ecological spirituality might have profound ethical implications for us as we struggle to develop ways of protecting our planet. The programme also considers how this green theology might reconcile both the sacred and scientific stories of evolution.

Drawing from a diverse selection of music, from Gustav Holst to Joni Mitchell, and readings from Margaret Atwood and the Indian philosopher Sri Aurobindo, Mark Tully describes the development of a theology and philosophy that hopes to meet the challenges posed by the crisis our natural world faces.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A Unique production BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully explores a new spirituality that might change our attitude to the environment.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Tradition And Reform20081019Mark Tully considers how tensions between traditionalists and reformers are played out in all the main faith traditions. He talks to Rabbi Miriam Berger about a new, gender-inclusive, Jewish prayer book and hears how she hopes that the new prayers will allow people to reconsider their concept of God.

Mark Tully considers the tensions between traditionalists and reformers in all faiths.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Trains2011032720201025 (R4)Trains are made for meditation', John Betjeman wrote, celebrating slow travel back in 1940. He was only one of many poets, writers and musicians who have found inspiration in rail travel. Hypnotised by the rhythm of the train, they find a freedom to think and to dream, inspired by the unfolding landscape outside.

Mark Tully chooses the best train poetry and music and talks to the Chaplain of St Pancras Station, Jonathan Barker, about his work on the station. With music by Glenn Miller, Anton Dvorak, Villa Lobos and Baron Samedi.

Producer: Elizabeth Burke

A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4

Trains are made for meditation' - Mark Tully celebrates the beauty of rail travel.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Transformation20131103Mark Tully draws on Russian music and folk stories to ask why the age-old theme of transformation continues to hold such fascination for us.

He begins with a prince forced to marry a frog who, not surprisingly, turns into a beautiful princess before changing once more, this time into a swan which flies off leaving the prince distraught. Of course things work out just fine for the prince in the end, and Mark suggests that one reason we are constantly intrigued by the possibility of transformation is simply that we yearn for a change for the better.

Whether personal, religious or political, the attraction and the dangers of transformation are explored through the music of Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Mahler and Marley - as well as readings from Alexander Afanasyev, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Edmund Spenser and Carol Ann Duffy.

True to the archetypal story of transformation, the programme ends happily ever after. But will our presenter will turn into a handsome prince?

Producer: Adam Fowler.

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully draws on a Russian folk tale to explore the theme of transformation.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Transience2014040620230604 (R4)How should we deal with the idea of transience - in our daily lives and in the natural world around us?

Should the fact that everything and everybody we hold dear (including ourselves) is impermanent and passing worry us? Or should we ignore the idea of transience and get along without considering the constant turmoil of change in both the mundane world of the everyday and in the wider cosmos?

Samira Ahmed explores the role of transience in our lives. She looks at the various ways in which transience pops up beyond the obvious cycles of birth, death and short-lived lives. She considers the understanding of science and examines the transience of memory and its play within the rapidly achieved stages of life.

Samira also looks at the effects of transience on the world we have constructed so solidly around us - describing the transience of a city she has got to know well, Berlin, as it undergoes yet another transformation.

And how central is an appreciation of transience to any spiritual understanding? She looks at both the Christian and Hindu traditions to see how they express ideas of impermanence. With music, poetry, and extracts from key thinkers on the subject throughout history, she considers how we might best cope with this potentially distressing reality.

Produced by Anthony Denselow

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Should we care that everything is impermanent? Samira Ahmed explores ideas of transience.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Translation2010052320230528 (R4)In this episode of Something Understood from 2010, Mark Tully presents a programme on the theme of translation to mark Pentecost, when Jesus' disciples spoke in different tongues.

He talks to Bible translator Father Nicholas King about the process of translating the New Testament: what is the most impossible passage? Does it matter if people find spiritual inspiration from texts which are actually mis-translations?

The programme includes poems and thoughts on translation by Keats, A.S.Byatt, Eva Hoffman, Vesna Goldsworthy and Kei Miller. The music comes from Allegri, John Tavener, JS Bach, and Ella Fitzgerald - 'Let's Call the Whole Thing Off'.

Producer: Elizabeth Burke

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

For Pentecost, Mark Tully explores the process of translation.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Translation20140727Mark Tully negotiates the challenges, pitfalls and delights of translating ideas, emotions and even music, into different languages, cultures and forms of expression.

In literature, he draws from the writing of Salman Rushdie who regards himself as having been translated from India to the English-speaking world: a physical translation which greatly affects his literary translations of Indian themes.

In music, Mark plays variations on, or musical translations of, Paganini's Caprice 24 by artists as diverse as Benny Goodman and Sergei Rachmaninov.

And in poetry he borrows the wisdom of Rainer Maria Rilke who said 'Translation is the purest procedure by which poetic skill can be realised'; and of Ted Hughes who wrote that bringing poets together, in translation, gives us hope that the various nations of the world will eventually, 'make a working synthesis of their ferocious contradictions'.

The readers are Polly Frame, John McAndrew and Frank Stirling.

The producer is Adam Fowler and it is a Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully outlines the pitfalls and delights of translating ideas and emotions.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Trauma Of Religion20150614Mark Tully considers the drawbacks of an overly strict religious upbringing. What are the pressures on those who stay within dogmatic religions in later life?

While acknowledging the potential for good in religions, the programme includes accounts from those who feel traumatised by childhoods in which freedom of thought was restricted, and those who have carried a sense of unworthiness into later life.

Mark also identifies the narrow line religious parents have to tread between encouraging children to share their faith and imposing it upon them.

But for all that a religious upbringing can traumatise, Mark also recognises the great loss that can be felt when escaping a past which engendered not just fear, guilt and a sense of shame, but provided an early source of meaning, connection and strength.

A Unique Broadcasting Company production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Trial And Error2018072220190915 (R4)Writer and priest Malcolm Doney examines the process of trial and error. He believes it's at the very root of how we find out about the world, how we mature, form relationships, and develop philosophies and religious beliefs.

Although some theologians from different traditions disagree on its meaning, it can be argued that the spirit of experimentation can be seen in the biblical book of Genesis when Adam and Eve taste the forbidden fruit.

Malcolm also considers the process of trial and error in the arts, examining the experimental work of artists, writers and musicians like the composer Terry Reily. These artists push the barriers in their work and appear to be driven by the need to discover something new.

Trial and error is also at the very heart of the scientific method, a process which originated in the 17th Century. Malcolm observes that testing must be rigorous, a belief held by one of the fathers of the scientific method, Ibd al-Haythem, who said, `man must make himself an enemy of all that he reads, and attack it from every side.` Malcolm notes that, while proof is hard to come by in maths and science, it's even less obvious in the areas of philosophy, spirituality and religion.

Malcolm deduces that living experimentally is an exercise in faith. There is research, calculation, observation - and, out of all that, a theory is formed. He concludes that when people practice trial and error in their own lives it has to be something they have faith in - otherwise why would they invest their energy?

Presenter: Malcolm Doney

Producer: Jonathan O'Sullivan

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

True North20080106Mark Tully on the idea that the human spirit craves for knowledge of the right direction.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Truth20170528As the UK election approaches, Mark Tully seeks truth in a post-truth world. He considers how to recognise what is true among a cacophony of conjecture and, in the company of author Howard Jacobson, how fiction might lead us to truth. They agree that we live in times when the search for truth is particularly important - but more difficult than ever.

With help from the words of Mahatma Gandhi, Emily Dickinson, Joseph Goebbels and Lewis Carroll, Mark examines just how slippery the concept of truth can be, and how an untruth told often enough, with enough conviction, can become credible.

Or, as that great believer in manufactured truth, Humpty Dumpty, would have it, 'when I use a word it means just what I choose it to mean.

Producer: Adam Fowler

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Truth Lies Somewhere20070902With Mark Tully. Can truth be absolute or is the concept always relative?

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Turmoil And Tranquility2005090420231210 (R4)Mark Tully considers the most fertile conditions for creativity - in the arts, in nature and in the spiritual life. He talks to Karen Armstrong about why creativity cannot be hurried, but why it can sometimes require a backdrop of chaos and turmoil, and sometimes silence and solitude.

First Broadcast in 2005.

Mark Tully considers the best conditions for creativity.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Unbending Belief2006070220231015 (R4)Mike Wooldridge asks what drives fundamentalism and rigid religious orthodoxy and what is the essential connection between unbending belief and behaviour? Do fundamentalists in all traditions have more in common with each other, than they do with liberals and reformers in their own communities?

First Broadcast in 2006.

A Unique Broadcasting Company production for BBC Radio 4

Mike Woolridge asks what is the connection between unbending belief and behaviour?

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Mike Wooldridge asks what drives fundamentalism and rigid religious orthodoxy and what is the connection between unbending belief and behaviour?

Uncertainty2018061020190908 (R4)
20200607 (R4)
Rabbi Harvey Belovski goes back to his childhood and remembers the nervous boy who had an aversion to uncertainty - something that continued to trouble him well into adulthood.

Harvey explains that, when he was young, he was taken with the certainty shown by Abraham in the story of the Binding of Issac, where his total faith in God led him to the brink of sacrificing his son. According to Harvey, 'we are always left in awe, or horror, that Abraham seemed to experience no doubt that he was doing the right thing.

Later, Harvey found another interpretation of the story in the writings of a Polish rabbi known as the Ishbitzer, who suggests that Abraham was being tested to see if he could embrace uncertainty - did God want Abraham to sacrifice Isaac or would Isaac become the father of a great nation? Abraham simply couldn't know, yet he was required to accept the doubt.

'This might seem trivial,' Harvey says, 'but it changed my world forever...I began to see doubt and complexity less as enemies to be eliminated, but as central features of a meaningful life.'

Through traditional Jewish music and the compositions of Mozart and Chopin, he leads us on his journey from discomfort to mature acceptance that uncertainty is something to be embraced.

Presenter: Rabbi Harvey Belovski

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4.

Rabbi Harvey Belovski discovers the creative power of uncertainty.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Understanding Prayer20090913Mark Tully talks to the Archbishop of Canterbury about his understanding of prayer.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Up In Flames2014020920230219 (R4)Fire is one of the most savage forces on Earth, yet burning something can also offer the hope of purging and rebirth. We might use fire therapeutically to burn love letters from a failed relationship, or to clear the decks for the start of a new year. Burning can be very liberating.

Samira Ahmed reflects on our ambiguous relationship with fire. She looks at the way nature uses fire to play a crucial part in natural regeneration and at the scared fires central to many faiths.

Erich K䀀stner, author of 'Emil and the Detectives', witnessed his own books being burned by the Nazis in 1930s Berlin. Samira Ahmed talks to Michael Rosen about the significance of this event. She also explores the scientific properties of fire with Dr Matthew Juniper of the University of Cambridge.

Featuring music by Sibelius, Jim Reeves and Kurt Weill and with words of writers including W.B. Yeats, Simon Armitage and Germaine Greer.

Producer: Caroline Hughes

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Samira Ahmed reflects on the creative and destructive power of fire.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Vanishing Point2013062320220102 (R4)Writer and broadcaster Jude Rogers explores the desire to run away and disappear. From tumbling down the rabbit hole to riding a train to nowhere, why do we sometimes feel the urge to vanish?

Jude reflects on how removing yourself from the world of other people can offer a certain type of freedom.

Featuring music by Grouper, Radiohead and Tindersticks, alongside the words of Virginia Woolf, D.H. Lawrence and John Updike.

Producer: Eleanor McDowell

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Jude Rogers explores our desire to disappear.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

View From Above20080427Felicity Finch reflects on the space above us and the heights we strive to reach.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Voices Of Brass2010111420221113 (R4)What is it in the sound of brass that appeals to our emotions so viscerally? And how it has become the chosen accompaniment to military life? From the walls of Jericho to the last Trump and from Reveille to the Last Post- a programme for Remembrance Sunday.

Mark himself played the Tuba and this music has always fascinated him. He talks to members of the Minden Band of the Queen's Own regiment about their experiences playing for troops near the front line in Afghanistan and looks at the enduring emotional appeal of a huge variety of band music

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

A programme for Remembrance Sunday on the power of the military band.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Volunteer Vision20090712Mike Wooldridge celebrates the role of the volunteer with Glyn Roberts.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Waiting For The Barbarians2005103020231029 (R4)Mark Tully draws on CP Cavafy's famous poem Waiting for the Barbarians. He asks if Cavafy was right to suggest that every culture and community needs a sense of The Barbarian outside the gate in order to give meaning to its sense of identity and civilisation.

First broadcast in 2005.

A Unique Broadcasting Company production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully draws on CP Cavafy's poem Waiting for the Barbarians.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Waiting In Emptiness20070527Mark Tully asks why emptiness is regarded as such a high ideal in spiritual teachings.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Walking A Mile In Another Man's Shoes2013060220200315 (R4)As the old saying has it, 'Before you judge a man, you must walk a mile in his shoes'.

At a time when some claim divisions in society to be widening, Mark Tully examines the place of empathy in politics, religion, medicine, popular culture and the arts. He tries to establish the difference between empathy, pity and compassion and consults the works of thinkers and writers - ranging from Jain Mystic Shrimad Rajchandra to T.S. Eliot and comic poet Shel Silverstein.

Mark also talks to veteran politician Tony Benn about the importance of developing empathy in political life and plays music by Mozart, Mark Campbell and the Bhutanese monk, Lama Gyurme.

The readers are Harriet Walter and Tim Pigott-Smith.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully examines the place of empathy in politics, religion, medicine and the arts.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Walking And The Mind2013122220230212 (R4)John McCarthy explores the effects of walking on the mind - on our creative and spiritual well-being.

We all know that a good walk is physically good for us, but we rarely stop to consider its impact on our mental states. Was Friedrich Nietzsche right when he said, 'all truly great thoughts are conceived by walking'?

Walking, especially walking in countryside, has been important to many creative artists and writers. Beethoven, Erik Satie and Benjamin Britten all used their daily walks for inspiration, as did William Wordsworth as he tramped the paths of the Lake District with his sister Dorothy.

John McCarthy looks at the act of walking as inspiration and also considers its spiritual function. Why do so many people, from a wide variety of religious beliefs, walk to display their devotion and increase their spiritual understanding? Around the world, millions set out each year along the great pilgrimage routes, and often travel on foot.

John McCarthy talks to the British artist Richard Long, whose work often describes walks he has undertaken or imagined. He also talks to Colin Thubron - one of our finest writers about discovery and place - who recently made the arduous journey on foot around Mount Kailash in Tibet, sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists.

Produced by Anthony Denselow.

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

John McCarthy explores the effects of walking on our creative and spiritual well-being.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Walking Backwards To God20111009'We advance to the truth by experience of error; we succeed through failures - we walk to heaven backward.'

The words of Cardinal Newman, academic and leader of the Oxford Movement, provide the starting point for this edition of Something Understood, in which Mark Tully asks how best we should learn from our mistakes.

Make a mistake learn from it and move on' is common advice, but what does that actually mean? When do we stop making mistakes - and should we be actively trying to make them? Newman's assertion is tested in conversation with the writer Canon Stephen Cherry from Durham Cathedral and with the help of literary work by Robbie Burns and James Fenton and musical works by Frank Loesser, Shirley MacLaine and the Choir of Kings College, Cambridge.

The readers are Adjoa Andoh and Alistair McGowan.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully asks how best we should learn from our mistakes on the journey to God.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Walls2017032620190630 (R4)Michael Symmons Roberts asks whether walls are a liability or asset. 'They come with such metaphorical power,' he says as he reflects on their role in music and poetry.

Walls tend to be seen as divisive and things only get better when they have been knocked down - the destruction of the Berlin Wall symbolised the end of the Cold War and inspired a generation. But Michael contends that walls and partitions are not all bad. They make good neighbours according to Robert Frost, they can be beautiful when decorated and people have even been known to marry them.

According to Michael Roberts, separated by our walls, we are mysterious to each other, infuriating, frightening, enticing. Poets and filmmakers and novelists make great dramatic use of them to explore how we can be proximate and separate at the same time, and the tensions and mysteries that can create.

Through the music of David Bowie and Bach, the poetry of Stevie Smith and Laura Kasischke, Michael finds many contrasts in our attitude to walls and concludes that their role is paradoxical. As Simone Weil explains, 'The world is the closed door. It is a barrier. And at the same time it is the way through...Every separation is a link.

Presenter: Michael Symmons Roberts

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Poet Michael Symmons Roberts asks if walls are a liability or asset.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Warrior Women2019031020210912 (R4)Warriorhood has long been associated with masculinity, but Remona Aly explores the female warriors throughout history who show that greatness, courage and valour also belong to the domain of women.

She rediscovers the stories of the Celtic warrior queen Boudicca, Umm ‘Amara who fought to protect Prophet Muhammed until she was 60, Mai Bhago who became bodyguard to the 10th Guru of the Sikhs, and Noor Inayat Khan - the first female Muslim to serve as a secret agent in the Second World War.

Remona also interviews Sergeant Wazeeha Laher, an intelligence analyst for the RAF, learning how the role of warrior continues to be redefined to incorporate women. And she explores depictions of warrior women in fiction and popular culture, looking at the battle cries of Beyonce, Dr Who's first female regeneration, the children's cartoon Burqa Avenger and the all-female Dora Milaje tribe from the box office hit Black Panther.

Throughout, Remona works to redefine warriorhood, showing this fighting spirit is not only found in men in the midst of warfare, but in the resilience of a mother in labour, in the fight of a shero against misogyny, and in the very essence of womanhood.

Presenter: Remona Aly

Producer: Sera Baker

A TBI production for BBC Radio 4

Remona Aly welcomes women to the ranks of warriorhood, a title usually reserved for men.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Watching The River Flow20161204John McCarthy explores the therapeutic benefits of watching the river flow and assesses the spiritual significance of rivers as sites of ritual and prayer.

The power of rivers to cleanse not just the body but the soul too is a common religious theme. John examines the baptism of Jesus and the centrality of the River Ganges to the Hindus.

John marvels at a river's ability to detach us from the hectic world around us and from the churning of inner thoughts and concerns. He notes that, when staring into the water, even a monolithic city building becomes broken up into a collage of dancing reflected shapes, at once beautiful and emotionally manageable.

Rivers are constantly moving, alive almost, forever changing and developing. Like us, they are on a journey - perhaps, John wonders, that's why it's easy to see something of our own lives in theirs.

In order to tell his story, John draws upon the music of Johnny Flynn and Laura Marling, Bassekou Kouyat退 and Ngoni Ba, and Joni Mitchell. Readings include historian Peter Ackroyd's homage to the Thames, Robert Southey's stunning poetic depiction of the Ganges and Mary Kienholz poetic reminder that, like all great rivers, the Columbia River is a wild and untamed beast at heart.

Presenter: John McCarthy

Producer: Max O'Brien

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

John McCarthy explores the therapeutic benefits of watching the river flow.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Weaving2009050320201115 (R4)Mark Tully explores weaving as a metaphor for how we should live our life, beginning in Gandhi's house. He believed that weaving was a necessary spiritual discipline and, perhaps surprisingly, many western poets and musicians echo this view. With poetry by William Blake, Henry Vaughan, Walt Whitman and DH Lawrence and music by saxophonist Jan Garbarek.

Mark Tully explores weaving as a metaphor for how we should live our life.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Weltschmerz2014121420211205 (R4)Is there too much bad news? As a journalist, Mark Tully worries that his profession sometimes exacerbates a growing sense of world weariness.

At times, the sheer volume of awful stories in the news can be utterly overwhelming - that there's a temptation to despair completely, is hardly surprising. How should we overcome world weariness, improve our lot and maintain a zest for life?

In many faiths despair is a sin, and it is commonly seen as a social ill. Yet in the nineteenth century, the Romantic movement coined the word 'Weltschmerz', which was seen as a spur to achievement and the natural ally of idealism. So is weariness with the world something we can harness and use to improve life?

Mark talks to the journalist and writer on ethics and international development, Paul Vallely, and presents readings by the poet Paul Birtill and the Vietnamese Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh.

There is music from Mahalia Jackson, Tracy Chapman and John Corrigliano.

The readers are David Holt and Francis Cadder

Produced by Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Is there too much bad news? Mark Tully asks if we're all suffering from world weariness.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

We're Not Out Of The Woods2017020520190428 (R4)Michael Symmons Roberts goes into the depths of the forest to find out the meaning of the clich退 'we're not out of the woods yet'. From the time we are children, woods and forests are portrayed as places of menace and foreboding, where dangerous creatures like wolves and gruffalos lurk, intent on causing us harm. Normally they are places we want to escape from, but not everyone is so keen to get out.

For authors, poets and composers, the woods can be places of creativity, testing and transformation and a symbol not only of fertility - as it is for DH Lawrence - but also for the very health of a nation, as W.H Auden so powerfully expresses: 'This great society is going to smash; They cannot fool us with how fast they go, How much they cost each other and the gods. A culture is no better than its woods.

Modern poetry and music also engage with the symbolism of the woods. We hear from Emily Berry and her beautiful poem Canopy, as well as Alice Oswald's Wood Not Yet Out and - perhaps surprisingly - from rock star Prince, whose song The Cross powerfully captures the emotion of the crucifixion. Roberts revisits the notion that, in literature, it is hard to escape the link between wood and the cross of Christ. He quotes the great Anglo Saxon poem The Dream of the Rood, where the cross itself is the narrator.

Roberts concludes that maybe being in the woods is not all bad. 'Like all the richest metaphors...there's something so deep rooted about the woods, the forest, trees as symbols and metaphors that we can't leave them alone... We're not out of the woods yet, but perhaps we don't want to be.

Presenter: Michael Symmons Roberts

Producer: Michael Wakelin

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Michael Symmons Roberts wonders what we mean when we say we are 'not out of the woods yet

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Westminster Abbey2010050220230430 (R4)In this special edition of Something Understood from 2010, Mark Tully celebrates the 450th anniversary of Westminster Abbey's establishment as a collegiate church by Elizabeth I.

The Dean of Westminster, The Very Reverend Dr John Hall (now retired), guides us through some of the Abbey's most sacred spaces, and talks about the inspiration he finds in the 'prayer-soaked walls'. Prayer is the main theme of the programme, and The Dean talks personally about how and why he prays, including an admission that before any great State Service involving the Queen, he sends up a quick 'stiffening' arrow of prayer.

The programme includes prayers by some of those who are buried in the Abbey, like Charles Dickens, Gerard Manley Hopkins and Sir Isaac Newton. The music too is by the great musicians commemorated there: Handel, Purcell, Stanford, and Noel Coward, whose moving wartime song 'London Pride' celebrates the spirit of the Blitz. Other readings include an account of Charles II's coronation in the Abbey by Samuel Pepys - as always just as interested in the fine ladies as the spectacle going on round him; and a sharp satire on prayer by John Betjeman.

A programme which evokes the awe of a very beautiful sacred space - but which is also witty, and lively, never too solemn.

Producer: Elizabeth Burke

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.

A special edition from Westminster Abbey, with the Very Reverend Dr John Hall.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

What A Waste!2006100820231008 (R4)Mark Tully considers how hope and transformation can come from loss and grief.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

What Would Happen If?2017070220210711 (R4)Writer and priest Malcolm Doney argues that imagination is central to almost every decision we make. For Malcolm, conscious, imaginative thinking is essentially the basis of what it means to be human.

Malcolm draws upon the story of Jesus who himself left no written manifesto. In his physical absence, Jesus' followers were left with the imaginative project of living lives modelled on his. They had to re-imagine a new life without him.

Malcolm explores the work of Nobel Prize winner Peter Medawar, historian Yuval Noah Harari, as well as poets John Koethe and Emily Dickinson. Using this diverse array of sources, Malcolm reveals that imagination is vital to the progress of science and lies at the beating heart of music. He concludes that ultimately, imagination is fundamental to empathy and at the core of that most life-giving command 'love thy neighbour as thyself'.

Presenter: Malcolm Doney

Producer: Jonathan O'Sullivan

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Malcolm Doney argues that imagination is at the heart of what it means to be human.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

What's In A Name?20180513Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand explores the importance of names, drawing upon a wide range of sources, from God's bestowal of Adam's name in the book of Genesis to T S Elliot's poem about the ineffable naming of cats.

With the help of the Israeli poet Zelda, Shoshana finds that we are defined by more than just the name we use on a daily basis. Shoshana explains that each of her names 'reflects an essential part of my identity, although none of them capture the entirety of my true self.

With readings from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, along with Leonard Bernstein's adaptation in West Side Story, Shoshana hears how names also have the power to divide us.

The process of naming is inextricably linked to power. Those in charge can strip us of our names. Shoshana references the dehumanising effect of names becoming numbers during the Holocaust. Listening to Les Mis退rables, Shoshana hears how the prisoner Jean Valjean battles to retain his own name when a police inspector refers to him only as 24601.

For Shoshana, perhaps the most powerful aspect of names is when a name is gifted to another. Giving a name, as Shoshana argues, 'is part of the creative act itself... we express our deep connection to something larger than ourselves - perhaps even to the One who is beyond all names.

Presenter: Shoshana Boyd Gelfand

Producer: Tom Glasser

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Shoshana Boyd Gelfand examines the power of names and those that we give to others.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

When An Angel Passes20121223William Blake's childhood vision of a tree on Peckham Rye filled with angels, 'bright angelic wings bespangling every bough like stars', offers a starting point for Alan Hall's reflections on the angelic in the everyday.

He makes reference to a short story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez about a 'very old man with enormous wings', poems by Rainer Maria Rilke and John Agard, and an extract from the moving conclusion of James Agee's novel about the death of his father.

The programme also includes music by Sufjan Stevens, Gillian Welch and Johannes Brahms and a clip from the Powell and Pressburger film 'A Matter of Life and Death'.

Produced by Eleanor McDowall.

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Alan Hall reflects on those moments in life 'when an angel passes'.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

When Certainties Are Shaken2013051920210307 (R4)When things we feel sure of are not actually as they seem, it can be unsettling. What do we do when new revelations throw past convictions into doubt? Samira Ahmed reflects on times when existing certainties in people and events are shaken; when trust is tested.

Is there anything we can be truly certain of in life? Our sense of self might alter with age and experience. The most solid relationship could change or end. Even our most heartfelt beliefs could falter. In the wider world, we might place trust in things communally as a society; things we feel we should be confident of, like financial institutions or the labels on our food. Even with a healthy dose of scepticism, do we need to invest a degree of certainty or trust, for society to work?

When something goes wrong - particularly in these uncertain times - do we feel that trust or faith has been shaken? History has many examples of existing certainties crumbling in the face of new revelations, especially from the world of science.

Perhaps absolute certainty about anything is rare. Maybe most things in life we might feel certain of - people, situations, ourselves - are prone to be shaken up from time to time. In the programme, we hear the Reverend Canon David Reindorp share his experience of depression; a period of great insecurity for him.

The programme includes readings from Angela Carter, Gerard Manley Hopkins and Walt Whitman with music by Etta James, Stephen Sondheim and Sir William Herschel.

Produced by Caroline Hughes

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Samira Ahmed asks what we do when new revelations throw our past convictions into doubt.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

When I Grow Up20141228Jude Rogers reflects on the transition to adulthood.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

When Soft Voices Die20150315When Soft Voices Die: John McCarthy explores the way smells, tastes and sounds can transport us to our pasts and summon the feelings we had back then.

The most famous example of this is Marcel Proust's tasting of a teaspoon of tea and cake crumbs which causes a shudder of pleasure and an involuntary memory of childhood setting him off on a seven volume search of times past.

In this programme, John McCarthy reflects on how the experience of involuntary memory can bypass the intellect, surprise us with emotions and sensations we thought we had forgotten and unsettle our sense of self.

John remembers how a cool, damp passageway plunged him back into the past, discusses the power of scent with the perfume archivist of Les Senteurs, James Craven, and hears from Justin Champion, a historian, about the music and memories he finds inside and MRI scanner.

There are poems by Helen Dunmore, Edward Thomas and Seamus Heaney, music by Schubert and Lou Read and songs sung by Eartha Kitt and Bryan Ferry.

The readers are Emily Taaffe, Matthew Addis and Seamus Heaney.

Producer: Natalie Steed

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

John McCarthy explores the way people's senses can summon memories and emotions.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

When The Chips Are Down2012021220220522 (R4)Mark Tully asks what gives us courage to do what we ought to when things go against us. How do we decide what we should stand up for, and how do we cope if we fail to do so?

Using examples from 9/11, South African Apartheid, Nazi Germany, McCarthyism in the United States , the New Testament and his own experience, Mark gives examples of those who did meet their own expectations of how they would behave under pressure, and those who let themselves down. But he warns against any judgement against those who fail to stand up and be counted when the chips are down, asking what would you have done under the circumstances.

In an interview with Vaughan Roberts, author, and Vicar of St Ebbes church in Oxford, Mark seeks the Christian perspective on how we might like to behave in extremis, and our responses should we fall short. And drawing inspiration from literature, as well as music from the likes of Simon and Garfunkel, JS Bach and, surprisingly, Tex Ritter he asks if we can really ever be truly heroic when the chips are down. And can we forgive ourselves if we are not.

Presented by Mark Tully

Producer: Adam Fowler

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully asks what gives us courage to do what we ought to when things go badly wrong.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Where It Was2014032320200920 (R4)Broadcaster Chris Brookes is Canadian - or, more accurately, a Newfoundlander. He reflects on how the past is written not just into our memories, but also into our identities and the landscapes we inhabit - drawing upon his experiences of living in earthquake-damaged Nicaragua, as well as among the declining fishing communities of Newfoundland.

With readings from writers including Howard Nemerov, Bishop Tutu, Billy Collins and Julian Barnes and music from Ella Fitzgerald, JS Bach and Diana Krall.

Readers: David Westhead and Kerry Shale

Produced by Alan Hall.

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Chris Brookes reflects on how not to let the past imprison us.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Who Makes The Music?20171112There is a golden chain in music which links the author of a work, its various performers and the audiences who hear it. Mark Tully investigates the creative part played by each of these groups over the life of a piece.

He discusses the creative responsibilities and expectations of music making with musician and Professor of Performance Studies, John Rink, and they explore the challenges to traditional attitudes in this artistic chain.

The music chosen includes Chopin, sacred music interpreted by the Hilliard Ensemble, jazz from Billie Holliday and soul from the Edwin Hawkins Singers. There is argument from Igor Stravinsky, Peter Maxwell Davies, Shakespeare and American poet David Lee Garrison.

The readers are Francis Cadder, Christopher Harper and Polly Frame.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully celebrates the creative chain that links composer, performer and audience.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Who To Trust?20100905Mark Tully talks to the Master of Wellington College, Anthony Seldon, about the loss of trust in public (and private) life.

Are we really less trusting than previous generations? What effect does this have on us as individuals and as a society?

And how a sense of trust can be restored?

Producer: Eley McAinsh

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully talks to Anthony Seldon, about the loss of trust in public and private life.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Why Do We Have To Get Richer?20130818Mark Tully questions the pursuit of economic growth at all costs. Many countries and millions of people around the world need to get richer, but what is the right way out of poverty? And why are those of us living in affluent countries, and far from poor, still in thrall to growth.

He tries to answer these questions with the help of Gandhian economist, Devaki Jain who defends the desirability of ever-increasing GDP, as long as it serves the needs of communities rather than encouraging unbridled consumerism for its own sake.

On the global scale Mark searches for models of growth with morality at their heart. And on the personal level, he draws on thoughts from the Dalai Lama and Ogden Nash to Daniel Defoe among others, and music from Ethiopia, Bhutan, America and Europe, as he compares the power of giving to our obsession with gaining.

The presenter is Mark Tully, the producer is Adam Fowler and it is a Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Producer: Adam Fowler

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Why Do We Need The Devil?20151011Does the idea of the devil fulfil a useful social purpose? Mark Tully investigates the arguments for myth, for belief in the diabolic and the need for the concept of evil personified.

Mark talks to Canon Ralph Godsall in the cloisters of Westminster Abbey about the apparent reluctance in some religious circles to discuss the devil. He asks whether humanity really needed the idea of the devil in the first place and whether it can help us come to terms with social evils.

The programme includes a broad range of readings from authors including Imtiaz Dharker, Oliver Lansky and Mikhail Bulgakov - and there's music from Stravinsky, Stephen Sondheim and The Charlie Daniels Band.

The readers are Cyril Nri, Francis Cadder and Jane Whittenshaw.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

In an increasingly secular society, Mark Tully asks whether belief in a devil is necessary

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Why Worry?20181021Bertrand Russell and Winnie the Pooh, among others, help Mark Tully decide if we should try to stop worrying, or if anxiety serves a purpose.

Mark draws from the words of the 20th century Indian spiritual master, Avatar Meher Baba: `There are few things in the mind which eat up so much energy as worr

Wild Swimming2010011020200816 (R4)The writer Sarah Cuddon reflects upon what draws people into the open sea and the wild water of rivers.

She talks to Kate Rew, founder of the Outdoor Swimming Society, about the real experience and metaphorical significance of wild swimming, with reference to Retta Bowen, Charles Sprawson, Iris Murdoch and other writers 'hungry for water'. With music by Benjamin Britten, Portico Quartet and Kathryn Williams.

Readers: Emma Fielding and Jonathan Keeble

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Sarah Cuddon reflects upon the allure of wild water.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Wilderness Years2014030920210221 (R4)For Moses and his people, the wilderness meant a time of wandering before reaching the Promised Land. The temptation of Christ took place away from civilisation. It's somewhere beyond the boundaries. A place and time of exile, isolation and self-denial.

In modern life, being cast out of life's mainstream can mean a painful loss of influence, power or fame, especially for public figures like politicians or celebrities. Famously, Churchill is said to have endured a decade in the political wilderness during the 1930s, before coming back to lead the country through the war.

Samira Ahmed reflects on what happens when people are thrust into the 'wilderness' for a period of time. It can be disconcerting, but it can also be empowering, spiritually renewing, a springboard for transformation. She talks to Jay Lakhani of the Hindu Society about traditional ideas of entering into a wilderness state for spiritual enrichment and discovery.

Finding oneself out of favour, forced into a personal wilderness can be a time of great challenge and self-evaluation. We hear from a redundancy coach about the unsettling yet familiar experience of job loss.

Featuring music by Louis Armstrong, Samuel Sebastian Wesley and Sufjan Stevens and with the words of Winston Churchill, Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Graves.

Produced by Caroline Hughes

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

A time of exile or renewal? Samira Ahmed explores the impact of periods away from society.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Wine2013102020221016 (R4)Mark Tully uncorks a bottle with the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton to consider the symbolism of wine, the dangers of wine snobbery and the debt wine-lovers owe to medieval monks.

From Bacchus and ancient Rome to modern philosophers, and from Gerard Manley Hopkins to Roald Dahl, Mark draws together thoughts on the delights, pitfalls and significance of the fermented grape. He is invited to discover the joy of the unexpected in a bottle of wine, despite being a confirmed beer drinker, and is left to ponder the opinion of the Sufi poet Hafiz that, 'The mystery of time can only be found in a glass of wine'.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Readers: Grainne Keenan, Joe Kloska

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully uncorks a bottle with the Bishop of Brighton to consider the symbolism of wine.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

With Bitter Herbs They Shall Eat It20181118At Passover, Jewish people eat bitter herbs as a reminder of the bitterness of slavery. Mark Tully explores bitterness in all its forms - as a taste and as an emotion, as a commemoration and part of our shared history, and as a corrosive, all-consuming mental state.

What is the difference between bitterness and anger? And what is the antidote to bitterness?

Egyptian-Jewish food writer Claudia Roden explains the importance of bitterness in her life - and offers Mark a taste of some rather bitter herbs.

Readings include Pip's encounter with Miss Havisham in Great Expectations, with music from Billie Holliday to George Frideric Handel.

Readers: Rachel Atkins and Paterson Joseph

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Hannah Marshall

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully explores bitterness in all its forms - as a taste and as an emotion.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Words My Mother Taught Me20091108Pamela Marre looks at how ancient wisdom is passed down through families.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Working For The Man2012101420210926 (R4)In an economic climate where the jobs market is under more extreme pressure than ever, Mark Tully examines the moral issues of the working contract, with reference to both employer and employed.

What are the responsibilities of an employer - do they go beyond honoring a contract? Does an employee have greater duty to work hard to help keep a business afloat? These and moral questions like them have been thrown into sharp relief by the economic downturn.

With readings from Frank Sonnenburg and the poet Robert Service, music ranging from Shostakovich to William Walton and in conversation with Will Hutton, Mark Tully charts the increasingly choppy waters of employment ethics.

Readers are Samantha Bond and John MacAndrew.

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique Production for BBC Radio 4

Mark Tully explores the ethics of the relationship between employer and employee.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Working With Your Hands20160918At a time when many are asking whether there is enough attention paid to developing vital manual skills and practical professions, Mark Tully considers the importance accorded to manual labour by philosophers, poets and composers.

He asks Matthew Pottage of Wisley Gardens, at 29 the youngest curator appointed by the Royal Horticultural Society, about the problem of recruiting younger generations of gardeners and discusses the satisfaction he still gets from hands on work.

The readings are taken from Tolstoy, Gandhi and the carpenter and poet Adam White - with music from Wagner, the Ian Campbell Folk Group and The Africando All Stars.

The readers are Adjoa Andoh, Jonathan Broadbent and Francis Cadder.

Presenter: Mark Tully

Producer: Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Mark Tully asks if it is time to reassess the value of craftsmanship and manual skill.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Wrestling And Resting20100124Mark Tully explores different approaches to the intractable issues in our lives.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Yearning20130224The newspaper columnist Lucy Mangan suspects that the human inclination to yearn is as much suited to a stoic soul as a romantic one.

She considers what draws us to this state between pleasure and pain, asking what it reveals of our relationship to love, loss and learning, as well as our longing for a sense of completeness.

With reference to the writings of, among others, Edmund Spenser, DJ Enright and AE Housman, and music by Townes van Zandt and the Fado singer Mariza.

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Lucy Mangan examines that sense of longing on the cusp between pleasure and pain.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Yearning To Be Heroes20090419Mark Tully asks if we all have it within us to be heroes.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Yoga: For Body, Mind And Spirit20150111The guru B.K.S. Iyengar died last year. He was credited by many with being instrumental in introducing the contemporary practice of yoga to Britain. Mark Tully knew him personally and, in a programme inspired by the teacher's life and work, he discusses the possible benefits of yoga and investigates its spiritual roots.

He talks to British yoga teacher Gerry Chambers, who trained with Iyengar, about different approaches to yoga in the East and in the West. He also plays archive of Iyengar himself and introduces readings by the poet Rose Flint and the novelist Hanif Kureishi.

There's music from yoga enthusiasts as varied as Yehudi Menuhin, Ravi Shankar, the Russian pianist GeNIA and Beethoven.

The readers are Lucy Briers and Arsher Ali.

Produced by Frank Stirling

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Inspired by the late guru BKS Iyengar, Mark Tully investigates the benefits of yoga.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

You Cannot Be Serious!2014101220210103 (R4)John McCarthy weighs up the merits of playfulness versus seriousness in our lives. He recalls a time during his captivity when he and Brian Keenan played dominoes in order to deal with the ongoing anxiety of their situation. This memory has led John to recognise the role of playfulness even when in the darkest of circumstances, and also to acknowledge the purpose of play in coming to terms with fear.

The programme features a series of letters, including correspondence with Frank Cottrell Boyce and letters written by Rainer Maria Rilke, The Fourth Earl of Chesterfield and a Grandad to his new grandaughter.

The programme includes readings from works by Rainer Maria Rilke and Antoine de Saint-Exup退ry. Music comes from Chick Corea, Elgar and Bellowhead.

Readers: Jonathan Keeble, Chetna Pandya and David Schofield.

Produced by Rosie Boulton

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

John McCarthy explores the merits of playfulness through a series of correspondence.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Yours Truly2011040320200712 (R4)American broadcaster Julie Shapiro began a long correspondence with her great aunt Lill following the death of Lill's husband twenty-five years ago. It lasted until Lill's own death seven years later. These letters, read by Irma Kurtz, form the central part of a programme that examines the rituals, intimacies and sustaining qualities of old-fashioned letter-writing.

Julie also draws on 'wise words' to correspondents by Lewis Carroll, read by Jonathan Keeble, and 'audio postcards' from the author Rick Moody and the founder of analogue magazine The Radio Post, Simon Roche, and sets the entire programme to a soundtrack by the Canadian pianist Gonzales - a favourite choice of music to accompany letter-writing.

Yours Truly' is at once a celebration of an art which technology is in danger of drowning out, a monument to a dearly beloved relative and a 'call to pens'.

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Julie Shapiro reflects on the value of old-fashioned letter-writing.

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life