Sunday

Syria is facing perhaps its gravest crisis since the fall of the Assad regime last December. It began with sectarian clashes between Druze and Bedouins in the southern province of Sweida. Hundreds of people are reported to have been killed since sectarian clashes between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes erupted in the province on Sunday. The Druze religion is an offshoot of Shia Islam with its ow...

As the Church of England prepares parishes to be a ‘church in a time of conflict’, we hear from the Bishop to the Armed Forces, the Rt Rev Hugh Nelson, as the Church’s governing body – General Synod – meet in York. We consider the conflicts within the Church that will be debated at Synod - and discuss how members are set to scrutinise the Redress scheme, intended to support victims of abuse within...

Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has confirmed that he will have a successor after his death, ending years of uncertainty - but China has other ideas. Hundreds of followers gathered to hear the long-awaited announcement in the Indian town of Dharamshala where the Dalai Lama lives. The leader of Tibetan Buddhism also celebrates his 90th birthday this Sunday. Sunday hears from BBC corr...

The Church of England is facing serious criticism from a stalking victim for failing to keep him safe. The victim was a male volunteer church warden, the stalker a woman lay preacher. He says he reported what was happening to the Church authorities - including Martyn Snow, the Bishop of Leicester. Ed Stourton is joined by the BBC's Religion Editor, Aleem Maqbool, who has helped uncover this story....

The US has bombed three major nuclear sites in Iran, bringing the country directly into the Israel-Iran conflict. Iran's Foreign minister has described the US strikes as "outrageous" and says Iran is reserving "all options to defend its sovereignty". We get an update from our correspondent in Jerusalem and discuss if an argument can be made from religiously-based ethics, for Israel’s actions? Isra...

The horrific plane crash in Gujarat sent shockwaves through the UK’s Hindu community — many of whom have close ties to that region of India. The day after the tragedy, Emily Buchanan visited the vast Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, North West London, to speak with Tarun Patel, a spokesperson for the temple, and Tilak Parek, a scholar of religion and anthropology. We also hear from the BBC’s C...

William Crawley talks to Cardinal Vincent Nichols ahead of the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV and hears from correspondent Bethany Bell in Rome. He hears what is causing a delay in appointing the new Archbishop of Canterbury. There's news of an historic vote to merge Liberal and Reform Judaism. And as talks get underway for a ceasefire in Gaza, we hear from Fr Gabriel Romanelli from the only Catho...

A look at the ethical and religious issues of the week with Edward Stourton.

With the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine top on the news agenda, it may be easy to miss ongoing war in Sudan. The medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has this week highlighted the extensive use of sexual violence against women and girls - some of them very young indeed - in the Darfur region. We hear testimonies from survivors and Edward Stourton speaks to Ruth Kauffman, the MSF Medical E...

Humanitarian aid is now reaching Gaza, although the required levels remain a point of dispute between the Israeli Government and aid agencies. It comes in a week when human tragedies in Gaza and Washington continue to mount. Julie Etchingham examines the key questions in a seemingly intractable conflict. The Vatican has been thrust front and centre in attempts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war. Ho...

The world was watching as American Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, stepped out onto the balcony of St Peter's Basilica earlier this week. William Crawley, live from Rome, gathers reaction from around the world. He’s joined by Austen Ivereigh, biographer of Pope Francis, and Professor Anna Rowlands, Professor of Catholic Social Thought & Practice at Durham University. British Cardinal Timothy...

While Sistine chapels’ voting booth remains unpredictable, there are still potential runners and riders. To discuss these front runners as well as the intriguing internal politics of the papal conclave, William Crawley is joined by papal expert Edward Pentin and Vatican reporter Colleen Dulle. Also in the programme, we hear from the Gammarelli family, who have been dressing bishops, cardinals and...

William Crawley is live from St Peter's Square in Rome, reflecting on Pope Francis’s funeral. He’s joined by Austen Ivereigh, biographer of Pope Francis, and Professor Anna Rowlands, Professor of Catholic Social Thought & Practice at Durham University. The Venerable English College in Rome is the oldest British institution outside the United Kingdom. The college provides education and training...

As President Putin calls an Easter Truce, Emily Buchanan talks to writer Nadikya Gerbish celebrating Easter in Western Ukraine. We hear from aid worker George Antone, also marking Easter in the midst of war in Gaza's only Roman Catholic parish. Muslim groups in Birmingham on the spiritual urge to help keep Birmingham clean as the bin strike continues. Hear how a theology lecturer in the US is fami...

Archive on 4 is available on BBC Sounds featuring previously unheard tapes of Kenneth Williams reading Bible stories. They were recorded by a young James Jones, now the retired Bishop of Liverpool when he was a young producer working for a Christian charity, charged with getting new recordings that would bring new audiences to Christianity. The tapes explore Williams's talent in bringing these wel...

Cardinal Charles Bo talks to Sunday about the devastation in his home country of Myanmar. William talks to Dr Leah Payne, an expert in female Pentecostalism about President Trump's controversial faith advisor Paula White-Cain. We get a first look at a mysterious medieval scroll that's gone on display in York, having been tucked away in a cupboard in the city's Bar Covent. Comedian and actor Omid D...

Justin Welby has given his first interview, since he resigned as Archbishop of Canterbury because of a failure to act over the serial abuser John Smyth. Dr Welby admits in an interview with the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg he 'got it wrong' because he was 'overwhelmed' by the scale of the problem. However, he says clearly that as Archbishop, there are 'no excuses'. The Sunday programme speaks to theolog...

A controversial Ramadan TV series banned in both Iran and Iraq explores the possible origins of the schism between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims. We hear from Dr Sayed Ammar Nakshawani- Prophet Muhammad institute for Islamic Studies PMIIS and Khaled Salah, Egyptian Journalist and writer of the Moawiya series . Government figures show that there have been 14,000 social work assessments linked to witchcra...

Downing Street's virtual summit of Ukraine allies may have given those countries a greater sense of unity, but the war continues in Ukraine and President Putin is still prevaricating over the 30-day ceasefire proposed by the US and accepted by Ukraine. William Crawley explores how morally justified it would be to say 'no' to a ceasefire, with journalist and author Lucy Ash. Also on the programme,...

Ronald Reagan, Republican president and hero of right wing cold warriors, once famously described the Soviet Union as the Evil Empire. Today many conservative Christians on America's political right apparently admire the current Kremlin regime and, indeed, its leader Vladimir Putin. We have had to come to terms with all sorts of ideological summersaults during the crisis over Ukraine over the past...

After days of intense diplomatic drama over Ukraine, and as President Zelenskyy visits the UK, we debate the morality of making peace. The Ukrainian President’s meeting with US President Donald Trump ended in a tense confrontation. It had all begun politely but descended into a verbal bust-up. Mr Trump said it made for good television, but with thousands of lives at stake—not to mention global pea...

Jewish and Muslim leaders have signed an historic agreement which they hope will transform community relations in the UK. But does the Reconciliation Accord go far enough? Ludovic Mohamed Zahed is an Islamic scholar and cleric who is challenging conventional understandings of his faith and has written a new book about his journey as a gay imam. The acclaimed Manchester Rock Band Doves have reunite...

Former International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell talks to Edward Stourton about the move to dismantle USAID after Vice President JD Vance accused it of 'spreading atheism'. We hear from author Christopher Gasson and his poll of Gen Z and their views on religion which suggests a majority describe themselves as 'fairly spiritual'. Independent safeguarding is the big topic at General Synod...

It has been yet another tumultuous week for the Church of England, which has seen another bishop resign and yet more pressure on the interim leader, Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell. Julie Etchingham speaks to the Archdeacon of Liverpool, the Venerable Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, who signed the letter asking her Bishop to step aside, and hears from Alicia Kearns, Shadow Minister for Safeguarding...

Emily Buchanan hears reaction from the US to the biggest religious news story of the week: Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde and her sermon addressed to President Trump at the National Prayer Ceremony. It's the eve of Holocaust Memorial Day and we're live at Auschwitz-Birkenau ahead at the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camp. A new book of previously unpublished work by Jack Kero...