The Religion and Ethics Report - Separate stories podcast

It was a revolution where barely a shot was fired. Nuns armed with rosary beads helped lead millions of Filipinos in peaceful demonstrations that, 40 years ago this week, brought down the dictator Ferdinand Marcos.  Ringing in the ears of the people was the voice of a soft-spoken archbishop who urged them to topple a corrupt and increasingly brutal regime.  Just how critical was Cardinal Jaime Sin...

Australia has played host to Israeli President Isaac Herzog this week. Herzog addressed a gathering in Sydney this week that included the Prime Minister. Meanwhile, outside a large demonstration against his visit became violent with multiple arrests and accusations of police brutality. Was this visit a good idea? Would it provide the Jewish community with a sense of security? Or ignite the already...

Australia has played host to Israeli President Isaac Herzog this week. Herzog addressed a gathering in Sydney this week that included the Prime Minister. Meanwhile, outside a large demonstration against his visit became violent with multiple arrests and accusations of police brutality. Was this visit a good idea? Would it provide the Jewish community with a sense of security? Or ignite the already...

Australia has played host to Israeli President Isaac Herzog this week. Herzog addressed a gathering in Sydney this week that included the Prime Minister. Meanwhile, outside a large demonstration against his visit became violent with multiple arrests and accusations of police brutality. Was this visit a good idea? Would it provide the Jewish community with a sense of security? Or ignite the already...

The Islamic Republic of Iran finds itself, again, on the brink of conflict with the West, with the United States sending an armada to the region.  The latest tension follows mass demonstrations – and the mass killings of protesters – across Iran and raises the question of just how long the 47-year-old theocratic regime can survive.  Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert of Macquarie University specialises in Ira...

The world’s 85 million Anglicans have a new spiritual leader, as Dame Sarah Mullally officially begins her term as Archbishop of Canterbury.  She’s first woman to hold the position.  But her historic appointment has highlighted divisions in the Anglican world, including in Australia, where some conservatives have rejected her leadership. GUEST:  Bishop Mark Short of the Canberra-Goulburn diocese i...

The Islamic Republic of Iran finds itself, again, on the brink of conflict with the West, with the United States sending an armada to the region.  The latest tension follows mass demonstrations – and the mass killings of protesters – across Iran and raises the question of just how long the 47-year-old theocratic regime can survive.  GUEST: Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert of Macquarie University specialises...

Conservatism comes in many forms these days. And many of the groups and actors who claim the word for themselves are a rogues gallery. For Anthony Kronman there's another time honoured tradition of conservatism. It puts the common  good ahead of self interest, greed and ego. GUEST: Anthony T. Kronman is Sterling Professor of Law and a former dean of Yale Law School and author of True Conservatism:...

As the Vatican seeks to harness social media to spread its message, others are warning that artificial intelligence poses a huge challenge to all religion.  Could AI even be a rival to faith, projecting itself as a source of wisdom that’s neither human nor divine? Professor BETH SINGLER of the University of Zurich is the author of the new book, Religion and Artificial Intelligence . GUEST: Profess...

Long before Donald Trump up-ended traditional conservatism in the US, another charismatic figure was re-shaping the Republican Party. Writer William F. Buckley was the first editor of National Review, perhaps the most influential political magazine of the 20th century. Ronald Reagan was a particular enthusiast for its ideas. But there was another force in Buckley’s life, and it often conflicted wi...

Wokeness. It’s a word that’s gone from badge of pride to insult.  It’s an idea with religious roots, even though most of its champions would disdain any religious belief.  Those who’ve embraced wokeness say they’re promoting social justice.  But to author Musa al-Gharbi, it’s social justice for those wanting to feel progressive while clinging to the status of the upper middle class.  His book is W...

Under President Erdogan, Turkiye has asserted itself as a regional leader. The country recently hosted meetings with Arab states to try to solve the Palestine-Israel conflict.  But in July this year, mass demonstrations roiled Istanbul. The Enduring Hold of Islam in Turkey explains the rise and seemingly untouchable dominance of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. GUEST: David Tonge is a journalist and scholar...

Monday, April 21, 2025 -- news sites globally announce the death of Pope Francis at 88.  Even though his health has been fragile for months, the news still stuns the world. The news breaks just hours after Francis has given his Easter Sunday blessing and is to become the biggest religious story of 2025. And the funeral becomes a major geo-political event. Soon, inside the Vatican, the politicking...

If the first hundred days of a papacy can shake up the Catholic church, how much drama occurs over 80 years?  For journalist Philip Shenon, there has been a constant tension – how much should the church judge the modern world and how much mercy should it extend?  Philip’s the author of a sweeping new history of the church since World War II.  It’s called  Jesus Wept – Seven Popes and the Battle fo...

Rabbi Zalman Kastel is the founder of Together for Humanity, which works across all faiths and cultures to encourage religious harmony. He knew several of those murdered in the Bondi Beach Chanukah attack. Even amid the darkness of the anti-Semitic violence, and the despair of many fellow Jewish Australians, he says he’s determined to keep up the challenging but necessary work of inter-religious d...

As Australians begin Christmas and summer breaks, around the world 50 million people will toil in modern slavery.

As Australians begin Christmas and summer breaks, around the world 50 million people will toil in modern slavery. That’s according to the International Labour Organisation. South Asia and Southeast Asia are among the worst places for exploitation.  It’s something anti-slavery advocates are urging consumers to investigate when they consider Christmas purchases. GUEST: Grace Wong is chief advocacy o...

Religion specialist Noel Debien with a preview of religious stories in 2026 - including the consistory in Rome in first week of January, plus the installation of Dr Sarah Mullally as the Archbishop of Canterbury GUEST: Noel Debien is the new editor of the Religion and Ethics Unit at Radio National

A famous Australian beach erupts in violence. A clash of cultures and religion or a drunken brawl?   Graeme Cole joins us from Cronulla Beach on the 20th anniversary of the riots and the story that evolved. GUEST: Graeme Cole, writer and fellow at the Ethos Centre for Christianity and Society

Australia’s Catholic priests are deeply involved in their local communities and have a strong sense of purpose. But many are also lonely, at times ashamed of their church, and sometimes turn to alcohol to handle stress. They’re the findings of a major study into the lives of Catholic clergy, conducted by the church’s National Centre for Pastoral Research. One of the authors is Dr Trudi Dantis. Pop...

Pope Leo is wrapping up his first overseas trip as pontiff.  He’s been in Turkiye and Lebanon and he’s used the trip to drive home a message about the major conflicts currently wracking the world.  Claire Giangrave of the Religion News Service is travelling with the Pope and is in Beirut.

Australia’s Catholic priests are deeply involved in their local communities and have a strong sense of purpose.  But many are also lonely, at times ashamed of their church, and sometimes turn to alcohol to handle stress.  They’re the findings of a major study into the lives of Catholic clergy, conducted by the church’s National Centre for Pastoral Research. GUEST: Dr Trudy Dantis, Director of the...

While Pope Leo uses his Middle East trip to tackle global conflicts, in the country of his birth, the Church is increasingly at odds with the Trump administration.  Leo grew up on the streets of Chicago, where politics and religion went hand in hand.  GUEST: Heidi Schlumpf is senior correspondent for Commonweal Magazine and a former editor of The National Catholic Reporter, based for many years in...

Australia’s landmark ban on people under 16 using social media begins next month. It’s the first time any government in the world has used a ban to shield children from social media, particularly online predators who use the platforms. But is the new law comprehensive? MELINDA TANKARD-REIST is a member of the government’s Stakeholder Advisory Panel. One of the Trump administration’s most divisive...

Indian Americans are one of the fastest growing immigrant communities in the US.  But a fracture has opened in the community over the role of Hindu faith and identity.  Some Indian Americans are pushing back against Hindutva, a form of religious nationalism and the campus of Rutgers University has become a flashpoint.  GUEST: Richa Karmarkar is senior writer at the Religion New Service based in Ne...