The Spirit of Things
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Rocking the Cradle Catholics
Raised in traditional Catholic families, Dr Michelle Mulvihill and Mrs Patricia Feenan were both deeply hurt by the Church's handling of child sexual abuse. Michelle left her role as mediator and facilitator in the Church's Towards Healing Process, and Pat left the Church as a result of her son's abuse by the parish priest and the ensuing court case, as she recounts in Holy Hell (Fountain 2013).
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The Dead Sea Scrolls and Jesus: the life work of Geza...
Geza Vermes, who died in Oxford on May 8th, at age 88, was one of the first to examine the Dead Sea Scrolls after their discovery in 1947, and his studies of Jesus and his Jewish context changed the face of New Testament studies. Geza Vermes speaks about his work, and he is remembered by former student and colleague at Wolfson College, Martin Goodman, Professor of Roman and Jewish history, and Amy-Jill Levine, Professor of New Testament at Vanderbilt University.
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Gay marriage
God speaks to Gene Robinson, so when he was the first openly gay priest to be consecrated a bishop in the Episcopalian Church in New Hampshire he had God on his side.
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A Sack Full of Sins
Thousands of pilgrims walk the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Spain, the third most important pilgrimage route besides Rome and Jerusalem. But Australian writer, director and actor, Ailsa Piper revived a medieval practice of carrying the sins of others, which would relieve their guilt and end up teaching her lessons about her own sins. Her book, Sinning Across Spain: A Walker's Journey from Granada to Galicia, prompted a dialogue between Ailsa in Melbourne and Father Tony Doherty in...
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From Here to Eternity
The urge to merge with Eternity has raised up saints, transformed sacred space, and inspired the faithful to resist injustice. Yet the belief in Eternity and its ante room Purgatory has also been a battleground that saw churches topple. The Romantics resurrected Eternity from its distant abode but today's secularists all but erase its traces, though science remains open. Carlos Eire, Professor of History and Religious Studies at Yale University, and a 'chronophobiac' is fascinated by the...
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Flea Market Jesus
Flea markets dot the modern West, like economic outlaws setting up shop and doing business in their own way. Individualism is part of the creed, and Arthur Farnsley II discovered that it also translates to their beliefs which he's dubbed "flea market Jesus". A sociologist of church organisations in America, Art is fascinated by the mix of religious conservatism, free thought and a particular gun culture which he shares.
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Buddhism on the Move
Buddhism is a uniquely moveable feast, says Professor Lewis Lancaster, since it did not anchor itself to a place, a people or a language. The Electronic Cultural Initiative Atlas begun by Lancaster at UC Berkeley documents the spread of Buddhism from its 5th century BCE Indian origins right around the world. A multi-media project has allowed doctoral student Ven Jue Wei to bring a 1500 year old Buddhist festival to life for the Buddha's birthday.
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PROGRAM INFORMATION
- Melbourne, VIC
- Religion & Spirituality, Public Radio
- ABC (Australia)
- English
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Spirit of Things
ABC Radio National
GPO Box 9994
Sydney 2001(02) 8333 2829 - Visit the station website Update show info
