The Religion and Ethics Report - Separate stories podcast

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

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 CanterburyGUEST:Noel Debien is the new editor of the Religion and Ethics Unit at Radio National

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 officer for the International Justice Mission, a faith-based anti-slavery organisation. International Justice Mission's Christmas campaign against human trafficking

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

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 National Centre for Pastoral Research

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.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.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. Heidi Schlumpf is senior correspondent for Commonweal magazine and a former editor of The National Catholic Reporter, based for many years in Chicago.GUESTS:Claire Giangrave Rome-based reporter for RNS, covering the Catholic Church and the Vatican.Dr Trudy Dantis, Director of the National Centre for Pastoral ResearchHeidi Schlumpf is senior correspondent for Commonweal Magazine

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 Chicago.

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 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? GUEST:Melinda Tankard-Reist is a member of the government’s Stakeholder Advisory Panel and heads the advocacy group Collective Shout.You can find resources for parents here to help manage the new laws

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 New York and has written on Rutgers

One of the Trump administration’s most divisive policies is the mass raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, or ICE. About 65,000 people, not all undocumented migrants, are now in detention. Some of the most dramatic confrontations have occurred in Chicago, where religious leaders have been protesting. One of them is Baptist minister MICHAEL WOOLF of the Lake Street Church in Evanston.GUEST:The Reverend Dr Michael Woolf is Pastor at Lake Street Church in Illinois.

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 policies is the mass raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, or ICE. About 65,000 people, not all undocumented migrants, are now in detention. Some of the most dramatic confrontations have occurred in Chicago, where religious leaders have been protesting. One of them is Baptist minister MICHAEL WOOLF of the Lake Street Church in Evanston.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. RICHA KARMARKAR of the Religion New Service has been covering the story.GUESTS:Melinda Tankard-Reist heads the advocacy group Collective Shout.The Reverend Dr Michael Woolf is Pastor at Lake Street Church in Illinois.Richa Karmarkar is a journalist and senior writer for the Religious News Service based in New York

Pope Leo flies east next week on his first overseas visit as pontiff. He goes first to Türkiye, a country where the Christian population has dwindled to less than one per-cent. He’ll meet the Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholemew, who leads most of the world’s Orthodox Christians, and with the controversial president of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan’s been styling himself as a new sultan of the broader Islamic world. But it will be the second leg of Leo’s trip to Lebanon that’s potentially more challenging. Christians are around a third of the population but there are real fears that external actors, including Iran and Israel, could destabilise the fragile religious settlement that has survived for more than 30 years. GUEST:Dr Roula Talhouk, director of the Institute for Muslim-Christian Studies at St Joseph’s University in Beirut.Related story - Taybeh is the last predominantly Christian village left in the West Bank 

Pope Leo flies east next week on his first overseas visit as pontiff. He goes first to Türkiye, a country where the Christian population has dwindled to less than one per-cent. He’ll meet the Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholemew, who leads most of the world’s Orthodox Christians, and with the controversial president of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan’s been styling himself as a new sultan of the broader Islamic world. But it will be the second leg of Leo’s trip, to Lebanon, that’s potentially more challenging. Christians are around a third of the population but there are real fears that external actors, including Iran and Israel, could destabilise the fragile religious settlement that has survived for more than 30 years. Dr ROULA TALHOUK is the director of the Institute for Muslim-Christian Studies at St Joseph’s University in Beirut.For Donald Trump’s administration, there are a few more inviting targets than America’s universities. Ivy League institutions, including Harvard, Columbia and the University of Pennsylvania, have lost federal funds and been subject to more direct government control. The administration claims it is trying to combat campus domination by the ideological left. Philosophy professor YUVAL AVNUR of Scripps College, and two colleagues, Stephanie Muravchik and Jon Shields, were especially worried about these attacks and began to investigate the allegations of bias in university and college courses. They published part of their results in the online journal, Persuasion. GUESTS:Dr Roula Talhouk, director of the Institute for Muslim-Christian Studies at St Joseph’s University in Beirut.Professor Yuval Avnur of Scripps College, California.This show was made on the lands of the Gadigal People

For Donald Trump’s administration, there are a few more inviting targets than America’s universities. Ivy League institutions, including Harvard, Columbia and the University of Pennsylvania, have lost federal funds and been subject to more direct government control. The administration claims it is trying to combat campus domination by the ideological left. Philosophy professor YUVAL AVNUR of Scripps College, and two colleagues, Stephanie Muravchik and Jon Shields, were especially worried about these attacks and began to investigate the allegations of bias in university and college courses. They published part of their results in the online journal, Persuasion. 

There has been an escalation of Israeli settler violence against Palestinian villagers, which include destruction of olive trees and armed incursions, often by minors.But there's help at hand for these olive farmers bringing in their harvest, which began in earnest at the beginning of October.It comes from Rabbis For Human Rights – an Israeli organisation who gather groups of Israeli volunteers to help protect the farmers from the settler raids and help with the harvest. GUEST:Anton Goodman is Director of Partnerships at Rabbis for Human Rights.

Hollywood comes to the Vatican this weekend, as Pope Leo hosts a bevy of actors, actresses, directors, and producers, including Australian Cate Blanchett.The first American pope has also released a list of his favourite movies, all of them Oscar winners. The Vatican correspondent for Reuters JOSHUA MCELWEE will be close to the red carpet.

The second richest man in the world and tech bro extraordinaire, Peter Thiel, has lately been giving lectures on Armageddon and the Antichrist to rapt audiences. These lectures attempt to fuse beliefs about technology and religion. Adrian Daub was unable to get one of the sold out tickets, but has been following these lecture tours with great interest.GUEST:Professor Adrian Daub, a German literary scholar and Professor of German and Comparative Literature at Stanford University

While the shaky ceasefire in Gaza dominates the news from Israel, according to the UN, radical Jewish settlers in the Palestinian West Bank have committed more than 700 attacks so far this year on Palestinians and their property. But one group of Israelis is standing with the Palestinians, especially the farmers trying to harvest their olives, which are a key source of income. Rabbis for Human Rights brings together liberal, Orthodox and Conservative rabbis opposed to the militant settlers. Their spokesman is ANTON GOODMAN. Hollywood comes to the Vatican this weekend, as Pope Leo hosts a bevy of actors, actresses, directors, and producers, including Australian Cate Blanchett. The first American pope has also released a list of his favourite movies, all of them Oscar winners. The Vatican correspondent for Reuters JOSHUA MCELWEE will be close to the red carpet.Tech mogul Peter Thiel is best known as the man who inspired then helped bankroll the political career of US Vice President JD Vance. He made his fortune with PayPal but he’s building a reputation as a quasi-preacher, preoccupied with the biblical notions of Armageddon and the devil. ADRIAN DAUB, a professor of literature and German at Stanford University, has been following Peter Thiel’s deep dive into apocalyptic thinking.GUESTS:Anton Goodman is Director of Partnerships at Rabbis for Human Rights.Joshua McElwee Vatican Correspondent for ReutersProfessor Adrian Daub from Stanford UniversityThis program was made on the lands of the Gadigal People

One of the geopolitical tactics Russia has used in its war with Ukraine has been to divide opinion among the world’s Orthodox Christians. Vladimir Putin is not the first Russian leader to style himself as a champion of Orthodox communities but in Greece and the Middle East, he’s tried to marshal sympathy among Christians.Dr MANOS KARAGIANNIS specialises in international security at Kings College, London. He was in Australia recently with the Affinity Intercultural Foundation.