Podcast appearances and mentions of William Crawley

There have been many tributes this week to our dear colleague Edward Stourton, who died last weekend at the age of 68. They've come from across the media, from the churches and faith communities he covered for so long, and from listeners who simply trusted his voice on a Sunday morning. William Crawley looks back at his extraordinary contribution to religious broadcasting.Also in the programme, Andy Burnham's first visit as prime minister was to a Catholic run homeless shelter in London called the Passage. He made his first pledge as PM to end rough sleeping. People familiar with his work as mayor of Greater Manchester will know it's a promise he made when he was elected in 2017. Emily Buchanan visits a project set up by a Christian charity in the city to hear about his track record there and his ambition for the country. Every day, dozens of Palestinian patients from the occupied West Bank cross into Israel for desperately needed specialised medical care they can't get at home. Waiting to drive them to hospital are Israeli volunteers who have increased in number since the October 7th attacks in 2023. Since the war started, it's become an increasingly rare space for Israelis and Palestinians to speak and build trust. A meeting of two worlds amid the trauma of war. Naomi Scherbel-Ball has been joining the patients and volunteers for the journeys from the checkpoints to hospitals in Israel. Presenter: Emily Buchanan Producers: Katy Booth, Rosie Dawson, Catherine Murray, Dan Tierney and Carmel Lonergan Studio Managers: Lynsey Akehurst and Catherine Everatt Editor: Tim Pemberton

As Andy Burnham prepares to become the UK's new Prime Minister we look at how his Catholic upbringing shaped the values behind his politics. William Crawley discusses the interplay of faith and politics with Nick Spencer, senior fellow with the think tank Theos, and Francis Davis, visiting fellow Kellogg college, Oxford, who has written widely on Catholic social teaching and the role of faith in public policy.Artificial intelligence is quietly finding its way into church life. But is it always clear when a prayer, a sermon or a piece of pastoral advice has been shaped by a machine? The AI Christian Partnership want churches to be upfront about it, and they've just published new guidelines. Plus, it's World Cup final day, and this year's showdown carries an extra layer of meaning for people of faith. Argentina and Spain don't just share a footballing rivalry, they also share the Virgin Mary, in different guises. What does this tell us about faith and national identity? Presenter: William Crawley Producers: James Graham and Rosie Dawson Studio Managers: Lynsey Akehurst, Patrick Shaw and Helen Williams Editor: Catherine Murray

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

This week marks 90 years since the start of the Spanish Civil War. In July 1936, a rebel general, Francisco Franco, led a military coup against Spain's Republican government. It triggered a conflict that tore the country apart, drew in fighters and writers from across the world and claimed half a million lives. William Crawley explores how Spain remembers, and how it still argues about, its bloodiest modern chapter.  And he'll ask why Pope Leo's visit to the Sagrada Família last month passed over the war in silence. Presenter: William Crawley Producer on location: Dan Tierney Sound engineer on location: Ash Jones Production Co-ordinator: Hattie Valentine Studio producers: Catherine Murray & James Leesley Editor: Chloe Walker Studio Managers: Nat Stokes & Ben Houghton

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

This week Pope Leo XIV launched the first encyclical of his pontificate. He broke with tradition and presented it himself and addressed the following challenges: how humanity should respond to the AI revolution, the church's historic complicity in slavery, and whether the church's teaching on Just War Theory is still fit for purpose in an age of drone strikes and AI targeting. William Crawley talks to Anna Rowlands, Professor of Catholic Social Thought and Practice at Durham University.A diet inspired by the Bible has found new audiences online in America. We hear from an influencer who gives nutritional advice which she claims is rooted in Biblical wisdom and Christian principles, and from Nathan MacDonald, Professor of the Interpretation of the Old Testament at Cambridge University.And, most of us in the UK face a choice between two options for what happens to our bodies after death: burial or cremation. But there is a growing campaign to make another option available in England and Wales: human composting. William speaks to Kristoffer Hughes, Chief of the Anglesey Druid Order, who is campaigning for change. Presenter: William Crawley Producers: Alexa Good and Katy Booth Studio Managers: Isabelle Whitehead, Phillip Halliwell and Andrew Dick Editor: Tim Pemberton

As the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo continues, the World Health Organisation has classified the regional risk as “very high”, while maintaining that the global risk remains low. Aid agencies say faith leaders are playing an important role in helping communities respond to the virus and challenge misinformation. William Crawley speaks to Poppy Anguandia, Country Director in the DRC for Tearfund, about the work being carried out with churches and mosques in affected areas.Two thousand ancient Jain manuscripts have been transferred to new custodians in the UK, in a move welcomed by members of the Jain community and scholars alike. The collection is expected to support preservation efforts and improve public and academic access to important religious texts.And a £48 million funding boost for heritage projects across the UK prompts fresh debate about how the nation preserves its religious and cultural history for future generations.Presenter: William Crawley Producers: Bara'atu Ibrahim & James Leesley Editor: Rajeev Gupta

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Dame Sarah Mullally has chosen Rome as the destination for her first overseas visit as Archbishop of Canterbury. The 4-day visit to the Vatican includes prayers at the tomb of St Peter in St Peter's Basilica, and a private audience with Pope Leo. It is a trip that is being seen as significant for relations between the two churches. William Crawley speaks to Dr. Robert Innes, the Church of England's Bishop in Europe and the Catholic journalist and author Catherine Pepinster.This week, Donald Trump took part in a marathon Bible reading event organised by Christian conservatives in Washington. It was part of a week-long effort to read aloud the entire Bible, to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. And though many in the US assert the country's history of separating church and state, leading figures from the Trump White House have been emphasising America's historic Christian roots. But was America founded as a "Christian Nation"? Richard Carwardine, Emeritus Rhodes Professor of American History at Oxford, explores that question.The Reverend Anthea Mitchell was cutting hair for 30 years before her calling to the priesthood. But she didn't give up her work in the salon. She is one of around 2,000 self-supporting ministers in the Church of England who combine church life with everyday jobs. The church has launched a new series of films exploring the parallel worlds, where ministry meets the workplace.Presenter: William Crawley Producers: Dan Tierney and Rebecca Kelly Studio Managers: Isabelle Whitehead and George Willis Editor: Tim Pemberton

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

William Crawley speaks to Bishop Guli Francis-Dehqani about US and Israel air strikes on the country she fled as a teenager, when the Islamic revolution was taking place.He also hears from Iranian academic Roxane Farmanfarmian and Anshel Pfeffer, Israel Correspondent for The Economist.A new film about a sacred Scottish tradition premieres at the Glasgow Film Festival. 'Psalms of the People' follows Rob MacNeacail on a personal journey as he explores the cultural heritage of Gaelic psalm singing. The Christian poet Harry Baker has written 100 poems for the first 100 days of his newborn son's life, an ode to modern fatherhood in all its chaos, tenderness and bleary-eyed wonder. The book is called "Tender: 100 Poems for the First 100 Days of Life".PRESENTER: WILLIAM CRAWLEY PRODUCERS: CATHERINE MURRAY AND KATY DAVIS STUDIO MANAGERS: KELLY YOUNG AND BEN HOUGHTON PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR: DAVID BAGULEY EDITOR: CHLOE WALKER

William Crawley and guests discuss "what does it mean to be in the Epstein files?"

Churches across the country are bracing themselves for a significant new financial challenge. Until now, they've been able to reclaim VAT on essential repairs for everything from leaky roofs to dilapidated towers. But from April, that protection goes, and they'll have to pay a 20-per-cent tax to the government. William Crawley speaks to Sir Philip Rutnam, Chair of the National Churches Trust. At the start of the year, the Jamia Usmania mosque in Bradford posted a video on social media of its pilates class for older men, and it went viral. William hears from the mosque's general secretary Mohammed Ilyas and pilates instructor Zafar Kayani and tries a few pilates moves in the studio. Over the past few weeks, we've devoted a series to faith and Gen Z: rising Bible sales, social media influencers, and the online “orthobro” phenomenon. We've also previously reported on the battle between statisticians about whether or not the data points to a "quiet revival". But this week, Humanists UK offered a new analysis of the British Social Attitudes Survey which, they say, ends the debate once and for all. To explore what's really going on, we hear from Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of Humanists UK and Linda Woodhead, professor of Theology and Religious Studies at King's College London.PRESENTER: William Crawley PRODUCERS: Katy Davis & James Leesley STUDIO MANAGERS: Mike Smith & Lyndsey Akehurst EDITOR: Dan Tierney

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Amid the prospect of an imminent US strike on Venezuela, we look at how a once overwhelmingly Catholic country has seen its evangelical population surge from just 4% in the 1970s to nearly 30% today. This religious shift is unfolding as President Nicolás Maduro faces international rejection of his 2024 victory and mounting pressure from Donald Trump's White House. William Crawley speaks to Dr Fernando Mora, an academic and former pastor who has spent years studying the rise of Evangelicalism in Venezuela.On the Second Sunday of Advent, we explore the season's history. Advent calendars are just one of many traditions that have emerged – and evolved – over centuries in connection with this annual liturgical journey. To guide us through that story, the Sunday programme speaks to Dr Colin Donnelly, Associate Professor in Reformation and Early Modern Christianities at Oxford.Following the death of Sir Tom Stoppard at the age of 88, we look back at a writer celebrated for incisive wit, emotional depth, empathy and generosity, and for the technical brilliance with which he built imaginative worlds on stage. Stoppard only discovered his Jewish heritage at the age of 55, learning at the same time that all four of his grandparents, and much of his wider family, were murdered in Nazi concentration camps. To understand how that discovery shaped his life and work, we turn to one of his biographers, Ira Nadel, author of Double Act: The Life of Tom Stoppard.Correction: In the introduction to the last item in the programme, we mentioned the widely quoted figure of more than 7,000 Christians having been killed in Nigeria in 2025. The BBC independently added up the number of deaths from the 70 reports this year and has in fact found that the total was around 3,000 deaths.Presenter: William Crawley Producers: Bara'atu Ibrahim & Katy Booth Studio Managers: Lynsey Akehurst & Sam Biddle Editor: Rajeev Gupta

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

William Crawley and guests reflect on the Hamas attacks two years ago.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

How does a seemingly ordinary boy prove to be so extraordinary that he's given a halo by the Catholic Church? Saint Carlo Acutis was just 15 years old when he died in 2006. William Crawley travels through Italy to the places most associated with the young Carlo to discover for himself what set this teenager apart from the rest.In Assisi, William meets Carlo's mother Antonia Salzano Acutis who reveals how her son showed an unusual generosity for a teenager. He visits Carlo's tomb, where Domenico Sorrentino, Bishop of Assisi, explains the connection between St. Francis and Carlo, as a bridge from the past to the present. At Carlo's old school in Milan, Istituto Leone XIII, his former professor, Fabrizio Zaggia, recalls his curious mind. And contemporary students talk of how they can relate to the Saint who designed websites.But is it all too convenient for the Catholic Church in this Jubilee Year to find a saint that appeals to this younger generation? William ponders this in Rome with John Allen, editor of Crux, the online Catholic newspaper, before heading off to St Peter's Square and the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints where Monsignor Alberto Royo explains the investigation into Carlo's life to see if it was one of ‘heroic virtue'.Presenter: William Crawley Producer: Jill Collins Editor: Tara McDermott Production co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman Credit: Carlo Acutis Digital Memorial App: Artist Riccardo Benassi, Curator Milano Arte Pubblica, Commune di Milano (Photo: Antonia Salzano, mother of blessed Carlo Acutis, who spent his life spreading his faith online, poses in front of a portrait of her son, 4 April, 2025. Credit: Tiziana Fabi/AFP)

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.

Highlights from Talkback. William Crawley and guests discuss the news headlines.