03/10/2021

Is it possible for intense suffering to bring about great spiritual growth ? That’s the question our Presenter Emily Buchanan explores with the Psychologist and Author Dr. Steve Taylor in his book ‘Extraordinary Awakenings: When Trauma Leads to Transformation. It covers the stories of those who report transcendental experiences after a major trauma such as bereavement or witnessing violent conflict. Over a thousand Church Leaders are signatories to a letter urging the Government not to remove the £20 uplift to Universal Credit. They are asking Government to choose to build a just and compassionate social security system. Emily explores with Rachel Gregory, Policy Manager at Christians Against Poverty and Mohammed Lockhat, Chair of the Peace Centre in Leicester, just what the removal of this uplift means in real terms. BBC 1’s new primetime Sunday night drama Ridley Road is inspired by the true story of a revival of fascism and neo-Nazism in 1962, and the group of Jewish men and women who formed an anti-fascist resistance movement called the 62 Group. We speak to one of the few surviving members of that Group, Jules Konopinski along with the Historian and Author of ‘We Fight Fascists’ Daniel Sonabend. In the second of our series exploring some of the changing faith practises in Britain, we focus this week on the Church of England. Reporter Harry Farley poses the question ‘Does the Parish Have a Future? with church-goers and non-churchgoers alike. And Emily explores the arguments with Emma Thompson from the Campaign group Save The Parish and the Revd Canon David Male, the Church of England’s Director of Evangelism and Discipleship.Producers: Jill Collins, Amanda Hancox Editor: Helen Grady