BBC Radio Podcasts from In Our Time: Religion

In Our Time: Religion

Karl Barth

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the influential Swiss protestant theologian.

The Ramayana

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ancient Sanskrit epic.

John Donne

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the priest who was one of England's finest love poets.

Angkor Wat

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the great Cambodian temple complex, begun 900 years ago.

Comenius

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the 17th-century Czech educator committed to toleration.

Early Christian Martyrdom

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Eusebius of Caesarea and his stories of Christian martyrs.

The Sistine Chapel

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Michelangelo's iconic frescoes in Renaissance Rome.

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Arianism

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss an orthodox form of Christianity that became a heresy.

Medieval Pilgrimage

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Christian pilgrimage in Europe in the Middle Ages.

Saint Cuthbert

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life of one of England's most revered saints.

John Wesley and Methodism

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Wesley's role in the rise of Methodism in the 18th Century

Deism

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the most disruptive ideas of the Enlightenment.

The Covenanters

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Presbyterian solidarity in C17th Scotland and its impact.

The Rapture

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the idea that believers will vanish from the world.

Sir Thomas Browne

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the physician with a curious mind in dangerous times

Judith beheading Holofernes

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss how this Bible story has inspired artists for centuries.

Papal Infallibility

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the idea that Popes cannot err in exercise of their office

The Thirty Years War

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the devastating war across the Holy Roman Empire 1618-1648

Hope

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the philosophy of hope - a weakness or a strength?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the German theologian, killed for plotting against Hitler

Augustine's Confessions

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss St Augustine's account of his conversion to Christianity.

The Siege of Malta, 1565

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Ottoman attack on the Knights Hospitaller in Malta.

Thomas Becket

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life, murder and impact of Thomas Becket (c 1118-1170)

Constantine the Great

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Roman emperor Constantine the Great.

al-Biruni

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Central Asian scientist and historian al-Biruni.

Purgatory

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the history of the idea of Purgatory.

Baltic Crusades

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss crusades against Baltic pagans from 12th Century onwards.

Lakshmi

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the goddess Lakshmi.

Margery Kempe and English Mysticism

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Margery Kempe, the medieval English mystic.

Titus Oates and his 'Popish Plot'

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Titus Oates and his fictitious Popish Plot.

The Sikh Empire

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Sikh Empire.

Mary Magdalene

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Mary Magdalene, one of the best-known figures in the Bible

The Salem Witch Trials

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Salem witch trials.

Prester John

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the legend of Prester John.

Josephus

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Flavius Josephus, author of The Jewish War.

Matteo Ricci and the Ming Dynasty

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Matteo Ricci's 16th-century travels in Ming China.

Al-Ghazali

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the medieval Islamic thinker Al-Ghazali.

Zen

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Zen, a distinctively East Asian form of Buddhism.

Hildegard of Bingen

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the medieval writer and mystic Hildegard of Bingen.

The Talmud

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Talmud, a major text of rabbinical Judaism.

Bishop Berkeley

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the 18th-century philosopher George Berkeley.

The Trinity

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Trinity, a central doctrine of Christianity.

Hindu Ideas of Creation

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Hindu ideas about the creation of the universe.

The Book of Common Prayer

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Book of Common Prayer.

Prophecy

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss prophecy in the Abrahamic religions.

Gnosticism

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Gnosticism, a sect associated with early Christianity.

The Cult of Mithras

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the cult of Mithras, the Roman mystery religion.

The Upanishads

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Upanishads, the sacred texts of Hinduism.

The Ontological Argument

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Ontological Argument for the existence of God.

King Solomon

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the biblical king Solomon.

George Fox and the Quakers

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the origins of Quakerism.

Erasmus

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Renaissance scholar Desiderius Erasmus.

The Safavid Dynasty

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Safavid Dynasty of early modern Iran.

The Concordat of Worms

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Concordat of Worms of 1122.

Judas Maccabeus

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the revolutionary Jewish leader Judas Maccabeus.

Shinto

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Japanese belief system of Shinto.

Wyclif and the Lollards

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss John Wyclif and the Lollards.

Islamic Law and its Origins

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the origins of Islamic law.

The Pelagian Controversy

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the church's most significant doctrinal disputes.

The Bhagavad Gita

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Bhagavad Gita, a key text of Hinduism.

Maimonides

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the medieval Jewish scholar Maimonides.

Daoism

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Daoism, the ancient Chinese philosophy and religion.

Foxe's Book of Martyrs

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Foxe's Book of Martyrs.

The Delphic Oracle

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Delphic Oracle.

William James's 'The Varieties of Religious Experience'

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James.

Calvinism

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas of John Calvin and their impact.

The Siege of Munster

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Siege of Munster in 1534-35.

St Thomas Aquinas

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss St Thomas Aquinas.

Sunni and Shia Islam

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the origins of the split between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims

St Paul

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the influence of St Paul on the early Christian church.

The Siege of Vienna

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the 1683 siege of Vienna by the Ottoman Army.

The Baroque Movement

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the culture of the Baroque.

Miracles

Melvyn Bragg and guests explore the history of miracles.

Dante's Inferno

Melvyn Bragg examines Dante’s ‘Inferno’, a medieval journey through Hell’s nine circles

The Arab Conquests

Melvyn Bragg examines the Arab conquests which helped communicate Islam to the world.

The Metaphysical Poets

Melvyn Bragg examines the Metaphysical poets, including John Donne and Andrew Marvell.

The Dissolution of the Monasteries

Melvyn Bragg examines Henry VIII's policy of the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

The Greek Myths

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Greek myths from Achilles to Zeus.

The Fisher King

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the enigmatic myth of the Fisher King.

The Nicene Creed

Melvyn Bragg discusses the Nicene Creed which established the Divinity of Christ.

The Pilgrim Fathers

Melvyn Bragg discusses what the Pilgrim Fathers and the Mayflower mean to Americans.

Ockham's Razor

Melvyn Bragg discusses the ideas of William Ockham including Ockham's Razor.

Spinoza

Melvyn Bragg discusses the Dutch, Jewish and Christian Philosopher, Baruch Spinoza.

St Hilda

Melvyn Bragg discusses the 7th century abbess, St Hilda.

The Jesuits

Melvyn Bragg discusses the Jesuits, “the school masters of Europe”.

Hell

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the history of Hell and its representation in the arts.

The Diet of Worms

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the events that helped trigger the European Reformation.

The Spanish Inquisition

Melvyn Bragg examines the Spanish Inquisition, defenders of medieval orthodoxy.

Fairies

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the 5000 year cultural history of fairies.

The Oxford Movement

Melvyn Bragg examines the 19th century Catholic movement within the Church of England.

Heaven

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss ideas of heaven and the afterlife.

Greyfriars and Blackfriars

Melvyn Bragg looks at the religious orders of the Dominicans and the Franciscans.

Paganism in the Renaissance

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the return of classical pagan thought in the Renaissance.

Abelard and Heloise

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the medieval tale of Abelard and Heloise.

Angels

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the heavenly host of Angels.

The Venerable Bede

The life and work of the Venerable Bede who revolutionised Christian scholarship.

Zoroastrianism

The history of Zoroastrianism, claimed to be the first monotheistic religion.

Witchcraft

The history of witchcraft in Reformation Europe.

Toleration

Melvyn Bragg looks at the politics behind the rise of religious freedom in England.

The Fall

Melvyn Bragg examines the concept of original sin and its influence in Christian Europe.

The Norse Gods

Melvyn Bragg examines the myths and theology that inspired the Vikings.

The Devil

Melvyn Bragg examines how the Devil became an established figure in Christianity.

St Bartholomew's Day Massacre

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the infamous St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in 1572.

The Schism

Melvyn Bragg examines events surrounding the medieval division of the Christian Church.

The Apocalypse

Melvyn Bragg examines how a powerful narrative of judgement and retribution evolved.

Blood

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss blood, from medical progress to the link to the divine.

The Holy Grail

Melvyn Bragg examines why the Holy Grail legend has fascinated writers for centuries.

Redemption

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss redemption, crucial for Judeo-Christian thought.

The Lindisfarne Gospels

Melvyn Bragg examines the manuscripts that united Celtic and Roman cultures in England.

Muslim Spain

Melvyn Bragg examines Muslim Spain, from Cordoba’s golden age to the fall of Granada.

The Soul

The history of thought on immortality, the self and the afterlife.

Marriage

The history of marriage from ancient Greek and Babylonian times to today.

The Buddha

The life of Siddhartha Gautama and the legacy of his teachings.

Yeats and Mysticism

Melvyn Bragg explores the strange and mystical world of the Irish poet W B Yeats.

Catharism

Melvyn Bragg examines the Cathars, a medieval European Christian sect accused of heresy.

Third Crusade

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the highs and lows of the Third Crusade.

Humanism

The history and legacy of classical Humanism, invented by Cicero.

Science and Religion

Melvyn Bragg explores the areas of conflict and agreement between science and religion.

The Age of Doubt

Melvyn Bragg examines the spread of religious doubt over the last three centuries.

Prayer

Melvyn Bragg examines the purpose and effects of prayer.

Fundamentalism

Melvyn Bragg examines the roots and the consequences of religious fundamentalism.

Good and Evil

Melvyn Bragg examines how we judge good and evil in modern western civilisation.

Space in Religion and Science

Melvyn Bragg looks at how cyberspace has introduced a new concept of space in our world.