Sunday

Edward Stourton visits Westminster Abbey with the historian William Whyte to talk about a new book commemorating the 750th anniversary of the consecration of the current Abbey Church building. Bake Off contestant and Sikh Rav Bansal came out as being gay publically earlier this year. Rav received a strongly worded homophobic letter from another Sikh who said he should dissociate himself from the faith. Other Sikhs have voiced their support for Rav and say there is nothing against being gay in their religion. Rav shares his experience with William.And should a statue of Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi be erected in front of Manchester Cathedral? The statue is set to be put up in November but now some students at Manchester University say the decision should be reversed because of his "well-documented anti-black racism." Supporters of the statue say criticisms of Gandhi are too limited in view and the statue is an important message of peace for the city. William hears opposing views from Professor Meena Dhanda and Professor Anindita Ghosh.PRODUCERS: RAJEEV GUPTA CARMEL LONERGANEDITOR: AMANDA HANCOX

Cardinal John Newman, who converted from Anglicanism to Catholicism, will be the first English person born since the 17th century to be declared a saint by the Catholic church on Sunday.A delegation led by Prince Charles will join thousands of pilgrims in St Peter’s Square for the special Canonisation Mass led by Pope Francis.For Newman to be declared a saint, two miracles must be verified by the church. Melissa Villalobos says she was cured from serious bleeding during her pregnancy after praying to Cardinal Newman. She speaks to the BBC for the first time and tells Sunday how she feels to be in Rome for the ceremony.Rajeev Gupta reports from the Birmingham Oratory where Newman spent much of his later life. They've kept his room exactly as it was when he died and now the Oratory is preparing to become a pilgrimage site for catholics.And what role should saints have in the 21st century? Newman biographer Roderick Strange and Charles Collins from the catholic news website Crux discuss.Producers: David Cook Peter EverettSeries Producer: Amanda Hancox

An interactive map that tracks more than 3,000 Scots, mostly women, who were accused of being witches in the 16th and 17th Century has been published for the first time. Sunday hears from Professor Julian Goodare from the University of Edinburgh whose research into witchcraft in Scotland was used to build the map. Catholic Bishop John Arnold explains why his Salford diocese will be holding a mass for LGBT+ Catholics and their family and friends.On Saturday it will be 2000 days since 270 Nigerian school girls were kidnapped by the militant Islamist group Boko Haram. Oby Ezekwesili, co-founder of Bring Back Our Girls tells William that the world has let down the Chibok girls.Producers Carmel Lonergan Rajeev GuptaEditor Amanda Hancox

On Good Friday, on the 300th anniversary of its premiere, the Academy of Ancient Music realised a long-held ambition to perform a new version of Handel’s mighty Brockes Passion at the Barbican in London. It will be released on CD next week and Alexander Von Ingen, Chief Executive of the Academy explains why this version is so unique.In a week of divisions and tensions in Parliament with some MPs criticising the ‘toxic language of betrayal and treachery,' religious leaders have been appealing to politicians to moderate their language and learn to disagree respectfully. The leader of Roman Catholics in England and Wales Cardinal Vincent Nichols joins us along with Bishop David Urquhart and Rabbi Julia Neuberger who both sit in the House of Lords.The number of schools ‘flouting’ Religious Education laws has risen according to research by the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education. Their report found that half of academies without a religious character and 40 percent of community schools do not meet their legal or contractual requirements to deliver RE and the organisation believes pupils are “not being given the access to the religious literacy they need and deserve." Ben Wood is NATRE’s Chair and he debates their findings with Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School & College Leaders.Producers: David Cook Catherine EarlhamSeries Producer: Amanda HancoxPicture Credit: Robert Workman

A family from Bristol are bringing up their baby as gender neutral. They say it's to help their baby avoid unconscious gender bias. We hear from the family and discuss the theological implications of such decisions. The deadline for responses to a report on the persecution of Christians, led by the Bishop of Truro, Philip Mounstephen, was this week. Some organisations have raised concerns about aspects of the report and its methodology. William talks to Rev Bonnie Evans-Hills, Coordinator for UK Coalition, who is concerned about the report and submitted a response on behalf of a number of faith groups and academics and Andrew Boyd from Release International. Rehman Chisti is the Prime Minister's new Envoy for Freedom of Religion and Belief. He discusses what will happen to the recommendations in the report and his priorities for his new role.Producers: Carmel Lonergan Amanda Hancox

In November 2017 a gunman walked into a small church in Sutherland Springs, Texas and shot dead 26 parishioners. The pastor of that church, Frank Pomeroy, lost his 14 year old daughter in the attack. He tells William Crawley why he’s now running for political office and why he wears a gun in the pulpit. A crowdfunding page launched by a Muslim group opposed to LGBT relationships lessons has been removed. GoFundMe said the page violated its terms of service by raising money to fight an injunction preventing protesters from gathering outside a Birmingham primary school. John Coventry, Europe Director of GoFundMe and Anne McElvoy, senior editor at the Economist discuss the ethics of crowdfunding. Sheikh Yusuf Motala, one of the most significant figures in British Islam, has died. He was head of the Islamic institution, Darul Uloom in Bury. One of his pupils, Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra and the BBC’s Home Affairs Correspondent Dominic Casciani explain his influence. As a new William Blake exhibition opens at Tate Britain in London, Blake author and academic David Fallon explores how his unique and unorthodox beliefs shaped his art.Producers: Dan Tierney Rosie DawsonSeries Producer: Amanda Hancox

Should you make a promise you can’t keep? We reflect on the ethical issues thrown up by the week’s events in Parliament. Pope Francis has embarked on a 3 nation African tour. He’s visiting Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius. Martin Bashir, the BBC’s Religion Editor, has been travelling with the Pope.The historian Dan Jones has just written a new account of the era through the multiple perspectives of characters whose stories have seldom been heard. Much of the coverage of Robert Mugabe’s death has pondered on how a liberator became a tyrant. The answer is complex, as is the relationship between Christians in Zimbabwe and their former leader.And we have an in-depth investigation into the allegations of sexual and physical abuse against Sogyal Rinpoche.Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Rosie Dawson Editor: Amanda Hancox

Who is protecting the rights of indigenous people in the Amazon? We hear from Kawá, an Amazonian tribesman living in the UK about how his tribe has been affected by the fires and Adriana Ramos from the The Instituto Socioambiental in Brazil.A group of Church of England bishops has issued an open letter on the prospect of a 'no-deal' Brexit and the need for national reconciliation. Rt Rev Paul Bayes, Bishop of Liverpool, tells us why the letter has been written. Quentin Letts, Church going member of the Church of England, and political sketch writer at The Times shares his concerns. Tim Farron, former leader of the Liberal Democrats, talks about his book, A Better Ambition.What’s it like to be a Muslim Policewoman in North Yorkshire? Uzma Amireddy is the Positive Action Co-ordinator for North Yorkshire Police.After the death of Sogyal Rinpoche, author of the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, we explore his legacy with author Mary Finnigan, who wrote ‘Sex and Violence in Tibetan Buddhism - The Rise and Fall of Sogyal Rinpoche'. And it’s the 50th Anniversary of the Churches Conservation Trust. The charity is holding a debate asking: who is going to look after these buildings in the future? We visit All Souls church in Bolton, under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust, and hear from Simon Jenkins, a Trustee of the Trust, about what he thinks should happen to historic buildings. Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Editor: Amanda Hancox

In a special Sunday programme, Edward Stourton takes a look at the relationship between religion and music.He begins with Gospel music and talks to historian Viv Broughton, promoter Roy Francis and singer Dawn Thomas Wallace about music that has its roots in the black oral tradition and which has had a massive impact on the popular music scene.The Rev Dr Jonathan Arnold discusses why religious music is still popular despite declining attendances at our traditional churches.Edward also investigates the power of music to induce a sense of spiritual well being with Neurologist Professor Michael Trimble and Music Psychologist Dr Ruth Herbert. And Professor Rupert Till explains why he believes that popular music has become the primary location for young people to find meaning and belief in their lives.Music Therapist Grace Meadows describes how music can give a voice to those who have difficulty in communicating.The programme ends with Cantor Zoe Jacobs - Britain's first Cantor in Reform Judaism - talking about her role.Producers: Helen Lee Peter Everett

Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham explains why some MPs want to close a legal loophole so that it is illegal for sports coaches and religious leaders to have sex with anyone in their care under the age of 18. Maji Peterx is a specialist in conflict resolution and has brought together former members and victims of Boko Haram in trauma awareness and peace-building workshops. He talks to Emily about his work and explains what he will be doing in Mountjoy Prison in Dublin this week.Why is one of Scotland’s biggest pilgrimage sites to close? Despite a petition with over 5000 signatures to keep it open, the pilgrimage centre at Carfin Grotto, North Lanarkshire, is likely to close as officials say it’s not making enough money. And Monday 19th August is the United Nations’ ‘World Humanitarian Day’. This year the focus of the UN's World Humanitarian day is on women. We speak to humanitarian aid workers Shivani Rana from Christian Aid and Zoe Corden from CAFOD about how dangerous their work has become.Produced by Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Peter EverettSeries Producer Amanda Hancox