The Religion and Ethics Report - Separate stories podcast

Andrew West hosts a special Radio National Religion and Ethics broadcast.Joining him in the studio are Radio National Religion specialists Geraldine Doogue and Noel Debien.We are marking the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis who died early Easter Monday morningWe cross around the world for reactions to this news.GUESTS:Claire Giangrave - Religion News Service in RomeJesuit priest Father Frank Brennan Professor Phyllis Zagano - Former Francis advisor on womenCardinal Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo - Archbishop of JakartaBishop William Shomali of Jerusalem

During the church-led civil rights movement of the 1950s and '60s, many strove for a society that was colour blind. Purging prejudice meant looking beyond race to a common humanity.But for African-American writer TYLER AUSTIN HARPER, today's anti-racism movement erects barriers, demands discomfort, denies the possibility of friendship, even love across racial lines.In a major essay for The Atlantic, he calls for a "good colour-blindness".PlusThrowing yourself at the mercy of a higher power, seeking forgiveness, committing to strict behaviour, even thought. Once upon a time, you'd think of religion.But today, it's the social justice movement that demands very public repentance.IAN BURUMA is a leading intellectual in America and Europe. A former editor of The New York Review of Books, he's now a professor at Bard College in New York. His essay for Harper’s magazine is called "Doing the Work".

Rebuilding relationships between Israelis and Palestinians in a land they're fated to share.An impossible task, you might think, as the war in Gaza grinds on.But one Israeli-Australian author, educator and peace-builder won't let go of his vision for harmony in Israel and Palestine.And he has a plan to achieve it.ITTAY FLESCHER runs joint education programs for Jewish and Arab students in Jerusalem.His new book is The Holy and the Broken: A cry for Israeli-Palestinian peace from a land that must be shared.

EASTER WEEKThe Easter season is not just a time of spiritual trial – not just a reflection on the Easter story of sacrifice and redemption. Many Christians, and other people of faith, persevere in the face of real danger in regions convulsed by conflict. One of those places is Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A mixture of calm and fear now prevails in the city since rebels from the so-called M23 group took over in January. MARTIN GORDON is the Anglican Bishop of Goma, where he leads a church of about 12,000 people.In Myanmar/Burma, the UN High Commission for Refugees estimates 17 million people are dealing with the effects of a massive earthquake at the end of March. Even before the catastrophe, aid agencies said 20 million Burmese were relying on aid to survive in a country torn by civil war since a military coup in 2021. Caritas is a Catholic relief agency with operations across the country. SALLY THOMAS is the humanitarian manager.This year, Easter is enfolded in a federal election, so it’s the perfect time to ask how Christians should take part in politics. How should they submit to the power of the state, even when it challenges their core beliefs? Dr MARK FOWLER is a lawyer and academic. His new book tries to answer some of these tough questions. It’s called Beauty and the Law.

MARLEY KROK grew up in the Mormon faith but is now secular and MAGGIE PAUL is an Indian-born Catholic-turned-Buddhist, who’s in an interfaith marriage to a Muslim husband. They discuss how their faith lives have shaped their academic interests, the relevance of their PhD research to the upcoming election, and the challenges and rewards of being mature students in 2025.Sociologist Dr Anna Halafoff of Deakin University looks at some US research suggesting pious students have higher grades and delves into the growth of non-Christian faith-based schools in Australia.Related Material2024 Educating for a diverse Australia

In our Students Week panel this week, MARLEY KROK grew up in the Mormon faith but is now secular and MAGGIE PAUL is an Indian-born Catholic-turned-Buddhist, who’s in an interfaith marriage to a Muslim husband. They discuss how their faith lives have shaped their academic interests, the relevance of their PhD research to the upcoming election, and the challenges and rewards of being mature students in 2025.

It’s a crime many thought was a relic of decades past. But South Australian police have charged a man … with sacrilege.In an election campaign dominated by cost-of-living pressures, energy supplies, and an assertive China, is there any room for religion as a political issue?Paying extra on a loan is also known as usury. It’s an ancient concept with Biblical roots.GUESTS:Professor JOSHUA ROOSE of the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation.Dr RENAE BARKER is a senior lecturer specialising in law and religion at the University of Western Australia.PETER KURTI of the Centre for Independent Studies. His paper, co-authored with Ian Harper is Interest, Usury and the Common Good.

In an election campaign dominated by cost-of-living pressures, energy supplies, and an assertive China, is there any room for religion as a political issue?GUEST:Professor JOSHUA ROOSE of the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation. 

In 2025, in a country that’s now minority Christian, a South Australian man who allegedly broke into a church faces a charge … of sacrilege.It’s an offence many probably thought had long disappeared from the law. Dr RENAE BARKER is a senior lecturer specialising in law and religion at the University of Western Australia.

Australia’s Reserve Bank has left interest rates on hold. In an election, especially, interest rates are always a political challenge.But paying extra on a loan is also known as usury. It’s an ancient concept with Biblical roots.GUEST:PETER KURTI is co-author of a new paper for the Centre for Independent Studies. It’s called Interest, Usury and the Common Good.