Life & Faith

Dr Luke Barnes talks science, rationality, and the wonders of the night sky. --- "We’ve described the way the world works. We haven’t in any way explained why it’s there in the first place." In this episode, we celebrate National Science Week with Dr Luke Barnes, an astrophysicist with the Sydney Institute of Astronomy. Join us as we unravel the mysteries of the universe (sort of); find out if stars truly are the great lion kings of the past looking down on us; ask what an orderly world suggests about the possibility of a 'Rational Mind' behind it all – and more. And he encourages all of us to look into the night sky and take a moment to contemplate the universe. "I think it’s very good to be reminded of how small we are." --- Purchase your copy of, A Fortunate Universe: Life in a Finely-Tuned Cosmos: www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~luke/book/ Find out more about National Science Week: www.scienceweek.net.au Subscribe to our podcast: www.bit.ly/cpxpodcast

For actor Anna McGahan, Christianity flipped the logic of life and of the entertainment industry. --- "It’s weird because I was the kid that put on plays – and I was aggressive, I would make everyone do a play if we were hanging out with family, friends … However, I was much more interested in science, and I was interested in dance, and I wanted to be an author and an astronomer and a journalist. And I didn’t really consider acting at all." Anna McGahan was partway through a degree in psychology when she decided to pursue acting as a career. In 2012, Anna won the Heath Ledger Scholarship, and she has since appeared in several Australian television series including Underbelly, House Husbands and Anzac Girls. But there was something about her profession, and her success, that she didn’t feel completely comfortable with. "I had always really hoped that I could be somebody that would give something good to the world, that would actually contribute. And I was desperately afraid that I hadn’t really contributed muc

  How a music professor uses playlists and sing-a-longs to engage people living with dementia. --- Ivy is 105 years old and she loves music. She sings along to "old-timers" in the car when she’s traveling around Australia, and listens to "sad" songs before she goes to bed. "I usually have the music playing softly," she says, "I go to sleep that way." The truth is, Ivy hasn’t done that for a while. She lives with dementia and has been a resident at a care home in Sydney’s north for the past couple of years. Her carers tell me that Ivy goes to bed pretty early, around 5pm, and she doesn’t have a radio or music player in her room. Instead, Ivy has an iPod loaded with a personalised playlist of songs for her to enjoy. It was given to her as part of Hammondcare’s new music engagement program designed by former music professor, Dr Kirsty Beilharz. So, what’s on her playlist? "I like all the old time songs," Ivy says, before the conversation suddenly shifts to why she didn’t learn how to play the piano. "My mother t

How a spinal cord injury revealed to Shane Clifton both the wonder and fragility of life. --- "I landed upside down in the pit and I knew immediately I had broken my neck. I couldn’t move anything. I yelled out to my wife, and she thought I was joking at first. I remember just apologising to my wife. There was this sense that I’d done something I knew was going to impact our whole family drastically." There are a lot of words you could use to describe Shane Clifton: husband, father, professor, theologian. When you meet him you’ll notice that he’s in a wheelchair, because Shane is also a quadriplegic. But one word we’re not using to describe him is "inspiration". "As soon as you say, 'that’s amazing because they’re disabled!' you’re actually diminishing what it is they’ve achieved. My point would be to do your best to treat people as people." In this episode, Shane tells the story of how a freak accident led to him becoming a quadriplegic. He also explains his problem with the "positivity myth", and shares his

A songwriter and a philosopher contemplate death, loss and what it means to grieve well. --- Nothing in life is certain but death and taxes. But if death is something we all face at some point, and grief is part of the human experience, we talk about them surprisingly little. In fact, it’s something we don’t necessarily do all that well as a culture. "The word death is not pronounced in New York, in Paris, in London, because it burns the lips," wrote the poet Octavio Paz in 1961. His words still ring true today. Some of us, like musician Phil Davidson, eventually find a way to deal with sorrow after the loss of a loved one. "I could hear the foghorns of the ships that were leaving Belfast harbour and going out to sea," Phil says about that night after he last saw Agnes, his grandmother, alive. "I was lying there just thinking about my grandmother, I could hear these foghorns, and I’m thinking these ships are kind of all lost at sea. I thought that’s a great kind of analogy of how I was feeling." So he got up

An historian, a poet, and a former lawyer discuss the Bible in Australian history and culture. --- "I think [the Bible] is a good book," says poet Lachlan Brown, "but I do think it’s been used in terrible ways." Lachlan Brown, historian Meredith Lake and former lawyer Roy Williams were panellists at a 2017 Sydney Writers’ Festival event titled "The Good Book? The Bible in Australian Culture Today". In this episode, we look at the role of the Bible in Australian society and culture throughout history - its influence on the treatment of Aboriginal people, on Australian literature, and even the small - but significant - pacifist movement in Australia during World War I. "So we’ve got this tradition of non-violence," Meredith Lake says. "It’s a minority tradition, but the Bible’s 'blessed are the peacemakers', and when Christ said 'put your sword away, Peter', those are really powerful. They give us a counter-narrative to the kind of nation we want to be." And hear from the panellists about their personal connect

Marilynne Robinson on the beauty, ingenuity and tragedy of being an exceptional human. --- The human brain is the most complex object known to exist in the universe. This is the thought that Marilynne Robinson begins many of her classes with. The Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and acclaimed essayist is a Professor at the University of Iowa’s Writers’ Workshop. "I want to encourage my young writers to value their characters sufficiently to make them complex enough to be credible and also to value themselves in a way that makes them push toward real authenticity, real originality," she says. Human exceptionalism is something that comes across not only in the characters she writes about, but in the way she treats her readers. Robinson’s latest offering, The Givenness of Things, builds bridges across science and religion, theology and humanism, to provide a gracious, respectful, and ultimately hopeful contribution to public culture and conversation about life and what it means to be human. "We know that given an

How one couple found love, peace and hope, while seeking asylum in Australia. --- "With courage let us all combine." This is the theme for Refugee Week in Australia. It’s a phrase taken from the second verse of the Australian national anthem, a verse that also includes these words: "For those who've come across the seas, we've boundless plains to share." It’s not hard to see a disconnect between these sentiments and Australia’s recent immigration policies. But, the reality - when you’re an asylum seeker or refugee living in the Australian community - is mixed. "We were never living in peace before, in our previous life. But here we find, in Christianity, love and peace." In this episode, we speak to a couple from Iran who are seeking asylum in Australia. The process for them has been long and the future is still uncertain, but they have many friends to help them, and their Christian faith gives them hope. "You can be like a bird, free, free … and you don’t have to think about many problems. It will be solved

Our literature is not as diverse as our streets, schools, playgrounds and offices. --- "I grew up in India and now I have Australian citizenship; and I feel like I’m Indian and Australian, I don’t feel like I have to choose. I feel I am a migrant, but I also feel at home here." Roanna Gonsalves is the author of The Permanent Resident, a collection of short stories about the migrant experience in Australia - from a specific point of view. Her characters, like herself, are all women from a Goan Catholic background. "For a lot of Goan Catholics, the faith is something to hold onto in a world where race and class are an oppression. The church becomes a centre for finding worth. So a lot of Goans will join the choir in the local church – my dad sings at the Cathedral choir here – join St Vincent de Paul, go and help out in any way they can … so, that idea of giving back." In this episode, Gonsalves unpacks the complexities of this Goan Catholic identity, and how it has shaped her life and work. "We don’t hear as m

The number of people who have "no religion" is rising in the West – but what does this mean? --- While statistics suggest that religion is in decline across most of the West, being irreligious is perhaps more complex than it seems. In the UK, for example, only 25 per cent of people who claim to have “no religion” are atheists or agnostics – but even within this group there is a mix of spirituality and beliefs. "Plurality and diversity define who we are," Elizabeth Oldfield, Director of Theos, said at a public lecture in Sydney. "Many people would like to believe, and belong, but they don't know how." In this episode of 'Life & Faith', Elizabeth takes us on a tour of the religious landscape in the UK and Europe, and how the West’s religious identity is more complex than we think. --- Elizabeth Oldfield is the Director of Theos, a leading religion and society think tank in the UK: http://www.theosthinktank.co.uk  For more conversations like this, SUBSCRIBE to 'Life & Faith' on Apple Podcasts (or whereve

There’s sadness and hope on the long road towards Aboriginal recognition and reconciliation. --- "He said to me, 'never forget you’re an Aboriginal, but do the best you can in a white man's world'. So that’s what I’ve tried to do. With the help of the Lord Jesus." Every year, National Reconciliation Week celebrates the relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians. The theme for 2017 is: “Let’s take the next steps”. It seems pretty fitting because while there have been some important, and long overdue, moves towards reconciliation, there’s no doubt that many more steps still need to be taken. In this episode, stories from Cummeragunja, a significant place when it comes to Aboriginal rights, recognition - and Christianity. Hear from Uncle Denis Atkinson who explains his problem with the word "reconciliation", and says there’s only "one good thing" to come from white settlement in Australia for Aboriginal people. Also, Aunty Maureen shares her powerful story about growing up on Umeewarra Missio

An ex-con’s journey from prison, to a stint in the Army, to holding High Anglican Mass in London. --- "I was never an angel, that’s for sure. I started to steal … but I wasn’t very good at it. I constantly got caught." At just 15 years of age, Reverend Paul Cowley found himself in prison - and after his short stint, just under 12 months, Paul knew he never wanted to return. So, when he was released, he joined the Army. "[The Army] fed me, it watered me, it clothed me, it enabled me to travel - and it developed me as a man. Taught me about leadership and character, taught me about responsibility and discipline." But there was yet another unexpected change to come in his life. Paul ended up at a church and hearing about Jesus - and he liked what he heard. "Whether you believe he’s the Son of God or not is another question, but I found the character really fascinating. I found out that he was a strong man. I found out that he worked with the poor, the lost, the marginalized, the broken. And I really liked him fo

The illustrious life of Dorothy L. Sayers - novelist, woman of letters, and public Christian. --- "… a woman is just as much an ordinary human being as a man, with the same individual preferences, and with just as much right to the tastes and preferences of an individual. What is repugnant to every human being is to be reckoned always as a member of a class and not as an individual person." Words written by Dorothy L. Sayers in her essay "Are Women Human?" – but don’t call her a feminist. She didn’t consider herself part of the women’s rights movement, Sayers scholar Amy Orr-Ewing explains, because "we’re not a special class of human - we’re actually human". In this episode, we take a look at the life and career of the inimitable Dorothy L. Sayers – a celebrated copywriter who wrote jingles for the iconic Guinness "zoo" campaign, a novelist and contemporary of Agatha Christie, a "woman of letters", and a public Christian. "Art and literature point us towards that instinct for beauty, which is itself explained

An atheist, a Taliban leader, and a teenager fighting cancer respond to the Bible. --- "At the heart of one of the most violent regimes the world has known, there was someone who was wanting to read the Bible but had never had the opportunity." The Bible first made its mark on Amy Orr-Ewing’s life through her then-atheist father. He was told that the only reason he should become a Christian is because it’s true. "But my dad thought religion is about superstition and wish fulfilment - truth and God are opposite categories." He eventually came to change his mind, but he taught Amy that she would have to make up her own. "Growing up in Britain as a Christian, I was always the only churchgoer in my class at school," Amy says, "there was a tremendous amount of peer pressure to disbelieve." At 15 years of age, Amy was diagnosed with cancer - an experience that clarified some of her questions about faith, Jesus, and the Bible. "Here was an opportunity to vocalize what I was feeling. Frustration with God, questions,

The Corbetts arrived in Everton ready to fight losing battles - but they’re winning some too. --- "Listen to me. You’re grown-ups. This is bad. You are being bad unless you do something about it." The words of a seven-year-old kid living in Everton, Liverpool. He had just drawn a picture of an empty plate, with the outline of Africa and Liverpool over the top of it. "Because I’ve heard kids in Africa are hungry too," he explained. In a UK survey called the Index of Multiple Deprivation, Everton is described as the lowest ranking ward in the most disadvantaged local authority in England. Educational attainment is in the bottom 11 per cent of England, income deprivation is in the bottom 9 per cent of England, and then there’s health - it’s better than zero per cent of England. But, these are just numbers. For Henry and Jane Corbett, and this seven-year-old kid, Everton is home. "Our little community, on paper, you’ll see stats and you’ll think ‘oh my goodness’," Jane says. "There’s difficult times, it’s not per

Nothing is off limits when it comes to social media - not even religion and politics. --- "On social media, you get a mix of baby pictures, sentimental quotes, and Instagram photos. So it can be kind of jarring to see someone who has a very impassioned point of view that you vehemently disagree with." They say you shouldn’t talk about politics or religion in polite company. But with social media, the rules of polite society tend to get thrown out the window. In this episode, Sarah Pulliam Bailey from The Washington Post, and Barney Zwartz, formerly of The Age, share their wisdom on how to have good - or at least civil - conversations on social media. Barney says: "We all have a view of what a flourishing society looks like, and those who disagree with me vehemently on politics generally start from a good motive - that’s what I have to recognise for the conversation to be fruitful." Sarah says: "The more people listen on social media, the more thoughtful conversations we can have." --- Sarah Pulliam Bailey is

To sacrifice for Queen and country is one thing, but would you lay down your life for an enemy? --- "Australian service men and women serve for their Queen, their country and their comrades. They do that willingly, and they do that well. But Christ laid down his life for his enemies, which is just an incredible thing to do when I think about it." As a member of the Australian Defence Force, and a Christian, Colonel Craig Bickell is all too familiar with the reality – and cost – of sacrifice. In this episode, we asked him about Easter and Anzac Day, what Christian faith has to offer the profession of arms, and how he remains hopeful even in the face of the darker side of humanity. Also, he shares his own journey of faith involving a girl, warrior’s guilt, and a stained glass window. SUBSCRIBE to our ‘Life & Faith’ podcast on iTunes: bit.ly/lifeandfaithonitunes

It’s often said that religion is a cause of war - but can it also be a cause of peace? --- "Part of what makes religion such a powerful motivator in support for peace, is also what makes it a powerful motivator in support for violence." An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. This principle of retaliation, that a person who has injured another should be penalized in a similar way, and to a similar degree, forms the basis for many codes of justice around the world. But Jesus had a radically different approach. Turn the other cheek, and go the extra mile. In this episode, we dive into the world of peace building with Dr Maria J Stephan and Susan Hayward from the US Institute of Peace. Discover whether non-violent movements actually work, and explore the role that religious faith plays in making and maintaining peace. --- These interviews were for our forthcoming documentary, For the Love of God: How the church is better and worse than you ever imagined. Sign up for the Director’s Pass for a look behind the scen

Why the Bible is more than a religious text - it’s a book that gives meaning and unites people. --- "The Bible can be a place of unity between Christians and Muslims, Christians of different hues, Christians and non-Christians … it’s a public book around which we can unite." In the face of scepticism and ignorance in the West, and religious conflict elsewhere in the world, the Bible remains the best-selling non-fiction book in the world. According to The Economist, more than 100 million Bibles are sold or given away every year. In this episode, Chief Executive of the British and Foreign Bible Society, Paul Williams, explores the enduring impact of the Bible on Western society and culture, and explains renewed interest in the Bible in a “post-secular” Britain. Also, Paul tells how he returned to his Christian faith after his atheistic beliefs were challenged by the trials of life. "Things did go wrong for me in ways that really provoked me as to whether the beliefs that I was holding to were adequate for when

As Mongolia turned from communism to democratic rule, this man turned from atheism to faith. --- "In Communism, you’re basically living under fear. But whatever I read from the Bible, it gave me this sense of freedom from fear." When Batjargal Tuvshintsengel was nine years old, he was recruited to read Communist propaganda on Mongolian state radio. Then, in the early 90s, as Mongolia was becoming a democracy and opening up to the rest of the world, Batjargal discovered the Bible and found it so compelling that he turned from atheism to Christianity. Now, he’s running a Christian radio station that aims to spread hope, good values and a sense of belonging throughout Mongolia. In this episode, Batjargal talks about significant shifts in Mongolia’s cultural, political and religious landscape - and how his own life changed as a result. --- SUBSCRIBE to our podcast on iTunes: http://bit.ly/lifeandfaithonitunes