Podcasts about The Woolf Institute

Peach (they/them) is a PhD student at the Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge and the Woolf Institute. They are conducting ethnographic research into the dynamics of resistance and compliance in women's interfaith organisations in the contemporary British public sphere. One of their key interests is how often-dismissed ‘convivial' activities like crafting and food-sharing create conditions for meaningful relationship building in interfaith spaces. Recently they have been puzzling over the interactions between interfaith organising, counter-extremism policy and (anti-)carceral feminisms in the UK. They are funded by the Polonsky-Coexist and Woolf Institute scholarships. Visit Sacred Writes: https://www.sacred-writes.org/carpenter-cohort-2025-jan Follow Peach Hoyle: https://bsky.app/profile/peach-hoyle.bsky.social Visit Cambridge Community Kitchen: https://cckitchen.uk/ Visit Classical Ideas: https://linktr.ee/classicalideas  

Shaunaka Rishi Das is the Director of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, a position he has held since the Centre's foundation in 1997. He is a lecturer, a broadcaster, and Hindu Chaplain to Oxford University. His interests include education, comparative theology, communication, and leadership. He is a member of The Commission on Religion and Belief in British Public Life, convened in 2013 by the Woolf Institute, Cambridge. In 2013 the Indian government appointed him to sit on the International Advisory Council of the Auroville Foundation. Connect with Shaunaka Rishi Das: WEBSITE: https://ochs.org.uk/shaunaka-rishi-da... INSTAGRAM: @shaunaka_rishi_das This event is hosted by ✨ Happy Jack Yoga University ✨ www.happyjackyoga.com ➡️ Facebook: /happyjackyoga ➡️ Instagram: @happyjackyoga Bhakti Yoga Conference at Harvard Divinity School Experience a one-of-a-kind online opportunity with 40+ renowned scholars, monks, yogis, and thought leaders! REGISTER FOR FREE: www.happyjackyoga.com/bhakti-... This conference is your opportunity to immerse yourself in the wisdom of sincere practitioners as they address the questions and challenges faced by us all. Expect thought-provoking discussions, actionable insights, and a deeper understanding of cultivating Grace in an Age of Distraction and incorporating Bhakti Yoga into your daily life.

In this episode we are joined by Dr Ed Kessler who is the founder and former Director of the Woolf Institute in Cambridge. Dr Kessler set up the institute to act as a vehicle for Christian-Jewish dialogue but has since expanded it to include all the abrahamic faiths and to be a centre of interreligious dialogue more broadly.    In this conversation, our five main questions were presented: From a jewish perspective, who or what is God, what are the sources of the religion, what is the goal of the religion, how are we meant to reach that goal, and what does Judaism have to say about the problem of evil.   But as you will hear Dr Kessler presents Jewish ideas of compassion, community, and faith all amidst several wonderful anecdotes and stories. 

A Rebbetzin, a Priest and a Muslim scholar discuss the problem of Truth in interfaith educationFor easily readable notes on this episode, go to https://shirabatya.substack.com/p/but-which-religion-is-correctThis episode is a real treat: a recording of a panel discussion held at the Limmud Festival in Birmingham UK on 23 December 2024.This is my first post in a while, due to a situation that emerged in Religious Education in Berkshire, which has absorbed almost all of my time in recent months.The new Religion and Worldviews framework has been accompanied by an increasing emphasis on truth-seeking in religious education, as students are encouraged to examine which religious beliefs are more reasonable and look at arguments between competing religious and non-religious “worldviews.”As I worked to tackle this dangerous change in pedagogy, numerous theological questions emerged. My conversations with Father Patrick Morrow developed into an interfaith session. We were honoured to be joined by Muslim scholar Dilwar Hussein, MBE. Bios for all participants are below.Session Description (as in the Limmud Handbook):Judaism does not proselytise, but this is unusual among faiths in Britain. And do we Jews really have no firm beliefs that we wish others would share? Can we teach about our own faiths passionately, without the conversation slipping into persuasion? Can we allow for multiple religious “truths”, and still be rational? What is religious “truth”?The panel includes:* Father Patrick Morrow, a Church of England Priest and Secretary to the Theology Committee of the International Council of Christians and Jews* Dilwar Hussain MBE of the Woolf Institute, University of Cambridge and Chair of New Horizons in British Islam* (me) Dr Shira Batya Lewin Solomons, Rebbetzin of the Jewish Community of Berkshire, and Director of JCoB Education (provider of RE Judaism support to schools across England and Wales)https://www.jcob.org/support_judaism_re.html>BackgroundThis conversation emerged as a product of the ongoing challenge that I have been facing due to the new Religion and Worldviews framework in Religious Education (RE), which is shifting the focus of learning towards truth-seeking and exploration of “big questions”, as opposed to more traditional RE, which prioritised understanding the beliefs and practices of others without making judgments or seeking answers.The new approach to teaching RE seeks to avoid claiming to be able to teach Religions as coherent well-defined traditions, due to a post-modern critique that emphasises the diversity within religious traditions. From this perspective, there are many “Judaisms”, “Islams”, “Christianities” etc. - each individual with their own “personal worldview” based on their own “lived experience” that cannot ever really be fully communicated or understood by others.Teaching has therefore shifted towards developing each child's “personal worldview”, through the exploration of “big questions” and a shift towards philosophy and theology. This involves students exploring and even debating issues such as “Does God exist?” “Where did the universe come from?” “Is religion dangerous?” “What happens after we die?” In the first draft of the new Berkshire RE Syllabus, children were even asked to rank beliefs for their reasonableness.This sort of focus raises major concerns as it had been a rule in RE teaching that we were never meant to ask whose beliefs were right or wrong or make judgments as to whether religious beliefs were reasonable or well founded in arguments. Persuasion and proselytising should have no place in RE, which is about listening, learning, and understanding.When I pushed back at this change in pedagogy, I faced two primary counter-arguments:* There are some matters (ethics, public policy) that relate to religion, where we need to debate, make arguments and reach consensus.* By demanding no persuasion, proselytising, (it is argued that) I am imposing my Jewish or liberal view on others. (Andrew Wright) What if a religion believes in proselyting - what if that is part of their religious expression? Can we really share our faiths without making any truth claims?In my next Substack piece, I will carefully document what has been happening in RE based on our recent experience with the new Pan Berkshire Syllabus. I will look at where this framework came from and at the serious consequences. The discussion here will not address those issues but will focus on the philosophical challenges. I am arguing for RE that is scrupulously free of attempts to persuade, but how do we do that? It's easy enough when teaching Judaism, as we Jews do not seek converts. But what about Christianity and Islam, which traditionally have sought converts? Are we asking Christians and Muslims to be inauthentic?Below is an outline of the contributions of the panellists, with some links to material in case you want to read more. Before reading further, I recommend that you listen to the audio, which is the real event. Note that the notes on Patrick and Dilwar's presentations were written by me and are therefore less detailed.Shira Solomons (Judaism)https://shirabatya.substack.com/I focused on the teachings of two great rabbis: · Joseph Soloveitchik (the Rav) and Rabbi Jonathan SacksRabbi Joseph Ber SoloveitchikRabbi Joseph Ber Soloveitchik = Yosef Dov Soloveitchik (1903-1993) “The Rav”Famous essay: On Interfaith Relationships (1964)Impossibility of interfaith dialogue on theology etc.* Different religions essentially speak different languages. Different categories and “incommensurate frames” for understanding our place in the world.* Because we speak different languages, we each have our own “unique relationship to God… moulded by different historical events”* We cannot understand the “private” elements that express their “individual religious commitment”When we can and should engage.* Role of interfaith is to work together in matters for which our beliefs are the same.* Certain values in common between Jews and Christians such as human beings in the image of God, Imitatio Dei.* We use our common religious language to work together for things like civil rights, morality, fighting poverty, seeking peace. (Remember he is writing this in 1964.)* Secular people will find it difficult to understand our shared religious language. [Like tone-deaf people who cannot understand music.]My evaluation of Soloveitchik* Judaism has a concept na'aseh venish-mah - In order to understand you must do the action first. So yes, it is impossible to understand fully the religious experience of another faith when we do not and should not share in the practice.* Soloveitchik is not saying Judaism has a monopoly on truth.Argument relates to our ability to learn from others who are different.* I ask: How does Soloveitchik know about the beliefs we have in common (or not) with Christians? Surely we found this out by having conversations.* How do we deal with disagreements when they matter? We do need to agree on some things in order to live together? Not addressed by Soloveitchik at all.Jonathan SacksRabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (1948-2020)Controversial book: Dignity of Difference (2002) (Avoid later editions)All quotes are from the first edition (2002), not the adulterated second edition (2004).First editions are readily available very cheaply on Amazon. The 2nd edition radically altered the core chapter (Exorcising Plato's Ghost pp. 45-66).Gil Student summarises all the changes Sacks made for the 2nd edition here: https://www.torahmusings.com/2007/10/differences-of-dignity/Tower of Babel / Exorcising Plato's Ghost* Yes different religions speak different languages, but this is something to be celebrated. The will of God.* Babbling of the languages of the people building the Tower is something wondrous and good.* Oppressive and totalitarian for everyone to think and speak exactly like each other.Let there be Diversity:* “Religion is the translation of God into a particular language … God has spoken to mankind in many languages: through Judaism to Jews, Christianity to Christians, Islam to Muslims.” (p. 55)* [A core lesson of the Torah is that] “God is God of all humanity, but no single faith is or should be the faith of all humanity.” (p. 55)* Myth that “If I am right, you are wrong”… “you must be converted, cured, and saved” (p. 50)Universalism is dangerous* Sacks is scathing of those who “attempt to impose a man-made unity on divinely created diversity”* Greatest crimes in history come from attempts to impose universalism on the diversity of human beings.* “Babel - the first global project - is the turning point in the biblical narrative. From then on, God will not attempt a universal order again until the end of days.”* [Related to the Talmudic concept of Teiku - pushing off disputes to be resolved at the end of days, acknowledging the limitations of human beings to attain the Truth on certain matters]Particularity / Covenants* Myth that universal morality is morally superior to particular moralities. Criticism of Jews for being parochial, only marrying each other, taking care of our own before others. This is prejudice, chauvinism.* “We are particular and universal, the same and different, human beings as such, but also members of this family, that community, this history, that heritage, our particularity is our window onto universality” (p. 56)* We understand the human experiences of others by having our own particular human experiences.* “… we learn to love humanity by loving specific human beings. There is no short-cut.” (p. 58)Engagement* Not only are there multiple truths out there, but we can learn something by engaging with them. Unlike Soloveitchik, does not want to hide away, avoid understanding the other.* Importance of conversation, as opposed to debate (politics).* “entering into the inner world of someone whose views are opposed to my own” (p. 83)* In a conversation, you don't win or lose. You grow. You learn something as you “know what reality looks like from a different perspective.” (p. 83)Religion and Politics* How do we deal with difficult questions where we need to agree to live together?* We first have those conversations, so that we understand each other.Then political conversations resolve what we actually do as a society together.* Consequence: Need to be very careful how and where such political debates occur, as they may eclipse the conversations that are really necessary, particularly in educational settings.Patrick Morrow (Christianity)Historical tendency of the Church to assumes it possesses all Truth. Vast majority of Christians wish to leave that behind.Christians tend to prefer Sacks over Soloveitchik. The idea of private truth is very foreign to Christianity due to opposition to Gnosticism (esoteric knowledge). Christianity has taught that its teachings are available to everyone.Three-fold typology of approaches to non-Christian faiths (proposed by pluralists):* exclusivism (we alone have the religious good)* inclusivism (we have the religious good fully, and others may share part of it with us)* pluralism (no way to distinguish who has more or less of the religious good; we are all equal)Another approach: Most takes on other faiths are variations on inclusivism. They can tip into exclusivism (one type of error) or into pluralism (another type of error).Mainstream Christian Inclusivism in the Catholic TraditionKarl Rahner was a Jesuit, before, during and after Vatican II. 1961 lecture: “Christianity and the Non-Christian Religions”. Published as pages 115-134 of Theological Investigations Vol 5 (London: Darton, Longman and Todd) Available hereRahner offered four theses. We will look at three:* Christianity is the absolute religion intended for all. This applies only when Christianity enters with existential power into the life of a person or a community. This happens only when a person has a Pentecostal experience. This cannot be seen, and it cannot be forced.* Therefore, it is likely that the other religion in which a person finds himself is legitimate (in God's eyes).* Therefore, a missionary, meeting someone from another faith, should treat them as an anonymous Christian. (God will be working in that person's life. Who is God? For Rahner it is the Trinity. Therefore, the Trinity is present for that person and that person is therefore a Christian.)Catholicism has moved on from here, but this position does mean treating a person from another faith as someone who has their own relationship with God from which one can learn. They may have precisely the teaching that I need right now.[For those who want to read further, Patrick Morrow has written about this issue at length here. Karl Rahner also entered a dialogue with Jewish theologian Pinchas Lapide that included such matters as the Jewish debate about whether Christianity is monotheistic.]Dilwar Hussain (Islam)Importance of humility. Quran teaches people be in awe and wonder of the vastness of Creation and therefore of the Creator.Three main points:1. God has an infinite amount to say to us, so cannot be contained in any finite text.If we believe that all of God's wisdom is contained in the Quran or in any holy text, then we are making God finite. In the view of Islam (with the focus on monotheism), then lends towards idolatry.“If all the seas of the earth were turned into ink and all the trees of the earth were turned into pens, then the wisdom of God would not have been exhausted.”[I shared a laugh here with a fellow Jew in the audience as this is so, so similar to the text in the Jewish prayer Nishmat. “If our mouths were full of song as the sea is with water… we would not be able to sufficiently praise you.”]2. Diversity is created by GodIf diversity is in the world, God intended it to be there. Just like we cannot understand evil, we cannot understand why it is there, but it is there for a reason.“We created you from one soul, and we created you into nations and tribes, that you may come to know each other.”Diversity is a source of wonder and learning. This is part of the Divine intention and part of the human journey.3. How to deal with difference?There are universals. But there will be differences. We will disagree. This happens both within and between religions and across humanity.Some disagreements can be resolved. Others cannot and we leave them to the Day. Right and Wrong in the universal sense is the language of God. We cannot know absolutely so must focus on living in peace rather than who has the right or wrong answers.4. Relevance today / challengesWhy is this such a cause of anxiety for us today? Historically Islam was more inclusive as it saw teachings of Judaism and Christianity as part of its heritage. Today we have too much “brittle religion” because of political conflicts.Religion that is not soft and flexible, and can break. We end up with “brittle, broken religion” (Hamas, Isis etc.).It's not most Muslims, but it is some Muslims and must be acknowledged. A lot of work to do within Islam to reclaim the flexible tradition that is possible.Thanks for reading Heterodox Jewish Woman! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Go to https://shirabatya.substack.com/https://www.jcob.org/support_judaism_re.html> This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shirabatya.substack.com

Dr. Lev Topor is currently an ISGAP Visiting Scholar at the Woolf Institute where he focuses on Critical Antisemitism Studies, Discrimination and Human Rights. Lev Topor is also a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Cyber Law and Policy (CCLP) in the University of Haifa and a former Visiting Research Fellow at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. He's the author of 'Phishing for Nazis: Conspiracies, Anonymous Communications and White Supremacy Networks on the Dark Web', an evidence-based, undercover study of neo- Nazi communities on anonymous online platforms published by Routledge (2023). Lev is also the co-author (with Jonathan Fox) of 'Why Do People Discriminate Jews?', an innovative and ground-breaking book published by Oxford University Press (2021) that combines traditional theories on antisemitism with empirical evidence from 76 countries to explain the reasons that drive discrimination against Jews. Join us. What allowed the Oct. 7 atrocities to unfold? Why are Jews best defined by their troubles? What could be the solution to antisemitism, anti-zionism, and anti-Jewish sentiment worldwide? what is actually within our control? Is there a science that can explain the laws that govern our development as a society, as a species? What can 2000 years of recorded Jewish history and big data tell us about ourselves? Why is it that despite our technological advancement we're still facing the same issues that have been plaguing our society for millennia? Is it possible that science, Jewish wisdom, and human history are not at odds with each other but are actually different points of view of the same thing? Different points of you? Thejewfunction is the only podcast brave enough to look for the root cause of antisemitism and a real solution to it according to the laws of nature. LISTEN TO THE MYSTERY BOOK PODCAST SERIES: https://anchor.fm/thejewfunctionpodcast SETH'S BOOK: https://www.antidotetoantisemitism.com/ FREE AUDIOBOOK (With Audible trial) OF THE JEWISH CHOICE - UNITY OR ANTISEMITISM: https://amzn.to/3u40evC LIKE/SHARE/SUBSCRIBE Follow us on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram @thejewfunction NEW: SUPPORT US ON PATREON patreon.com/thejewfunction

This episode explores the new report launched by the Commission on the Integration of Refugees in March 2024. A week after the launch, we discussed the key findings and policy recommendations with our expert panel of academics, community representatives and people with lived experience. How can we better support the integration of refugees in the UK? What benefits could this bring to the economy? And, what other ways could British society benefit from supporting refugee integration?This is the final episode in our series ‘Voices from a broken system: Rethinking refugee integration in the UK' in partnership with the Commission on the Integration of Refugees and the Woolf Institute. Our panel features Dr Edward Kessler MBE, Founder President of the Woolf Institute; Dr Magdalena Walbaum, Research Officer in Social Care at LSE and Adam Yasir, Chairperson of Croydon Refugees and New Communities Forum. This discussion is moderated by Martine Dennis, Host and Executive Producer of the Africa Here & Now podcast. This episode was recorded as part of a live webinar on 26 March 2024. Support the show

People of faith who have pro-actively built bridges with those from other religions say their work is the most difficult it's ever been. Since the Hamas attack of October 7th 2023 and the conflict in Gaza, previously friendly relations between British Jews and Muslims have been strained. Separately, the British government has withdrawn funding from one national network. Interfaith work can span gatherings in places of worship, sharing bagels and samosas to women's discussion groups, debates and shared charity work.Giles Fraser asks if this effort is in crisis? And with many feeling disillusioned, is interfaith work worth saving?Joining Giles to share their experiences and discuss is Rabbi Debbie Young-Somers, Dr Ed Kessler from the Woolf Institute, Julie Siddiqi and Professor Harriet Baber from the University of San Diego. Presenter: Giles Fraser Editor: Dan Tierney Producers: Rebecca Maxted and Peter Everett Assistant Producer: Ruth Purser

Dr. Elizabeth Phillips (Ph.D. Cambridge) is Director of Education and Engagement at the Woolf Institute, an interfaith institute in Cambridge, England. She teaches political theology and conflict transformation. Her latest book is Apocalyptic Theopolitics: Essays and Sermons on Eschatology, Ethics, and Politics, and her earlier book, Political Theology: A Guide for the Perplexed, is an introduction to political theology and serves as the backdrop of our podcast conversation. Support Theology in the Raw through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theologyintheraw

Join Aaron and Charles Asher Small in an important conversation about why everyone should be concerned about the rise of hatred against the Jewish people. Charles is the founder of The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and policy (ISGAP) based at the Woolf Institute at Cambridge University in the UK.

#ANTISEMITISM: Qatar is the source: Charles Small- Charles Small is the Founding Director and President of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) and the Director of the ISGAP-Woolf Institute Fellowship Training Programme in Critical Contemporary Antisemitism Studies, Discrimination and Human Rights at the Woolf Institute, Cambridge, UK. https://isgap.org/follow-the-money/ https://www.thefp.com/p/qatars-war-for-young-american-minds 1850 Nassau Hall Princeton NJ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=da1cwUyj8P0 The Mindful Muslim is an Inspirited Minds podcast that hosts raw, open, and honest conversations on various topics within the sphere of mental health, psychology, Islam and spirituality. This month, we spoke to Jamilla Hekmoun, who is a Research Fellow at the Woolf Institute in Cambridge. She is currently writing up her PhD on Muslim men's mental health. Jamilla is a former Board Trustee at the Muslim Youth Helpline and Chair of the Muslim Mental Health Alliance; a network of organisations aiming to collaborate on mental health in the sector, for which Inspirited Minds is a member. She is an Executive Board Member at the Muslim Council of Wales and is also Head of Community Engagement at SEF-Cymru, an education charity based in Wales. In this episode, we spoke about: Jamilla's personal experience of anxiety and depression which she published in a book chapter on her lived experiences Her thoughts on the cost of living crisis, financial stress and how that links to mental health, specifically men's mental health Her research on men's mental health and how men are usually the providers within families, especially in Muslim households and so feel the impact of the cost of living crisis more so The taboo and stigma around men's mental health & so much more! You can connect with Jamilla on twitter @JamillaTweets or instagram @jamillajamillajamilla If you would like to ask us a question, suggest a topic you would like us to discuss on the podcast or if you would like to feature on the podcast as a guest, then please get in touch with the Mindful Muslim Podcast Team at podcast@inspiritedminds.org.uk. Support our podcast by becoming a Torchbearer for Inspirited Minds.

This is the first conversation in our series 'Voices from a broken system: Rethinking refugee integration in the UK' in partnership with the Woolf Institute and the independent Commission on the Integration of Refugees. The discussion will focus on the UK refugee experience. Bringing together refugees from different countries to speak about their experience in the UK, we will hear how their experiences differ and resemble each other, what has challenged them since arriving in the UK, and how they have succeeded in making a home.The panel features Alina Prokopenko, a Ukrainian refugee living in the UK; Alphonsine Kabagabo, the Director of Women for Refugee Women; Iyad Yousef, a Syrian Data Analyst at the Centre for Metrics; and Mishka Pillay, campaigner and advocate with a focus on refugee rights and immigration detention in the UK. The conversation was moderated by Yasmeen Serhan, staff writer at TIME. This event was recorded as part of a live broadcast on 15 March 2023. 

EP: 8 S1 - Part 2 Dr. Amineh Hoti completed her Ph.D. at Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge, U.K. where she is a Fellow Commoner. She is an Honorary Professor at the University of Nottingham. She was the first Director and Co-Founder of the Centre for the Study of Muslim-Jewish Relations, The Woolf Institute, Cambridge, UK. For the last two decades, she has been a teacher, researcher, and a public intellectual. Her work has focused on interreligious dialogue, peace building studies, and the social anthropology of South Asia. Cambridge University Press published her anthropological study, Sorrow and Joy Among Muslim Women. Over the last five years, she did research on the ten religions of Pakistan for her book, Gems and Jewels: The Religions of Pakistan. She is finishing an edited book to which scholars have contributed on the most cutting edge topics and is a guide to curriculum called, Our Seerat. She was appointed Program Director of the Seerat Centre at the Higher Education Commission. She is a consultant to the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect. Link: https://www.lucy.cam.ac.uk/fellows/dr... Link: https://pashtunculturalinstitute.com/... Link: https://www.alumni.cam.ac.uk/alumni-s... Link: https://www.dignityforeveryone.org/am...   visit: lightupwithshua.com Who is the founder & Owner of LightupwithShua Podcast and LUWS ACADEMY LLC ? I am a student of knowledge of multiple disciplines, a mentor, and an intercultural & Interfaith practitioner, who wants to help heal and solve problems by bringing awareness for conscious living and conscious parenting to people with flexible mindset. Currently hosting a weekly podcast on LightupwithShua podcast on conscious living and parenting. Additionally, actively conducting Self - Healing & Transformation Training Workshops in Pakistan and in the USA. For more information please inquire through email or phone. You can connect with me here: Shua@lightupwithshua.com *Remember to LIKE, SHARE, RATE and REVIEW. Thank you. Shua - شعا ع https://linktr.ee/Shuakhan Copyright © 2017-2022 LUWS ACADEMY LLC & LightupwithShua Podcast All Rights Reserved Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International LicenseLightupwithShua This Channel is on Conscious Living and Conscious Parenting. The topic this year is Fasting and benefits of fasting. How Fasting can help you loose weight and get your health in order.

This Channel is on Conscious Living and Conscious Parenting. The topic this year is Fasting and benefits of fasting. How Fasting can help you loose weight and get your health in order. EP: 8 S1 - Part 1 Dr. Amineh Hoti completed her Ph.D. at Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge, U.K. where she is a Fellow Commoner. She is an Honorary Professor at the University of Nottingham. She was the first Director and Co-Founder of the Centre for the Study of Muslim-Jewish Relations, The Woolf Institute, Cambridge, UK. For the last two decades, she has been a teacher, researcher, and a public intellectual. Her work has focused on interreligious dialogue, peace building studies, and the social anthropology of South Asia. Cambridge University Press published her anthropological study, Sorrow and Joy Among Muslim Women. Over the last five years, she did research on the ten religions of Pakistan for her book, Gems and Jewels: The Religions of Pakistan. She is finishing an edited book to which scholars have contributed on the most cutting edge topics and is a guide to curriculum called, Our Seerat. She was appointed Program Director of the Seerat Centre at the Higher Education Commission. She is a consultant to the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect. Link: https://www.lucy.cam.ac.uk/fellows/dr... Link: https://pashtunculturalinstitute.com/... Link: https://www.alumni.cam.ac.uk/alumni-s... Link: https://www.dignityforeveryone.org/am... visit: lightupwithshua.com Who is the founder & Owner of LightupwithShua Podcast and LUWS ACADEMY LLC ? I am a student of knowledge of multiple disciplines, a mentor, and an intercultural & Interfaith practitioner, who wants to help heal and solve problems by bringing awareness for conscious living and conscious parenting to people with flexible mindset. Currently hosting a weekly podcast on LightupwithShua podcast on conscious living and parenting. Additionally, actively conducting Self - Healing & Transformation Training Workshops in Pakistan and in the USA. For more information please inquire through email or phone. You can connect with me here: Shua@lightupwithshua.com *Remember to LIKE, SHARE, RATE and REVIEW. Thank you. Shua - شعا ع  https://linktr.ee/Shuakhan Copyright © 2017-2022 LUWS ACADEMY LLC & LightupwithShua Podcast All Rights Reserved Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International LicenseLightupwithShua

The question of how employers can create truly diverse workforces is being asked more and more. From corporate spaces to hospitality, diversity quotas in the recruitment of employees often rely on a tick-box exercise. But once in these spaces, what do organisations do to create a work culture that brings individuals of different backgrounds together in meaningful exchange? And how can such workplaces, which may have in the past been designed to facilitate a narrower group of employees, evolve into an environment that suits the needs of a diverse workforce?Our experts discuss how employers can recruit and maintain a more diverse workforce, and what are the possible paths to creating an environment respectful of intercultural diversity.The panel features Marc de Swaan Arons, the Founder of the Institute for Real Growth; Anu Law, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leader at the EY Foundation; Christin Owings, Managing Director and Partner in the People & Organization Practice at BCG in London; Ade Rawcliffe, Group Director of Diversity and Inclusion at ITV; and Esther-Miriam Wagner, Executive Director of the Woolf Institute. Emma Jacobs, Work and Careers Features writer at the Financial Times, moderates the conversation.This event was recorded as part of a live broadcast on 21 November 2022.

The system for those seeking asylum in the UK is not working, with damaging effects across society and for refugees. That's why the Woolf Institute has just launched its Commission on the Integration of Refugees with an aim to improve the refugee and asylum system for everyone, including refugees. Two of the Commissioners, Janice Lopatkin and Jehangir Malik share their thoughts. Like this podcast? Please help us by writing a review

After missing out on getting into Medical School, Ahmed studied Computer Science — later completing his PhD at Cambridge University. As a student, he launched his own health AI startup — which diagnosed rashes on intimate body parts. This didn't work out and he pivoted and launched a data AI company called Catalyst AI. This company was later acquired by Farfetch; the luxury online fashion retail platform to help optimise their fashion supply chains. He now sits on the Prime Minister of Pakistan's Science and Technology task force, on the Development Council of the Woolf Institute and is the Co-founder of a sustainable fashion enterprise. We speak the about the unlikely overlaps between fashion and healthtech — no seriously there are lots of them, we speak about how to find your ultimate purpose and how when building relationships — the ultimate form of self-serving is being a giver. I hope you enjoy. You can find me on Twitter @MustafaSultan and subscribe to my newsletter on www.musty.io

LIVING IN HARMONY is a Woolf Institute outreach project which promotes understanding between Jews Muslims and Christians by demonstrating the shared musical heritage of the three faiths in the Middle East. Dunya Habash and Mohammed Ahmed explain how it works and play some examples... Like this podcast? Please help us by writing a review

Steven Spielberg's remake of the musical West Side Story has hit the big screen and with it there is renewed interest in its origins as a story of two lovers divided by religion. The man behind the screenplay for the new version, award winning writer Tony Kushner tells Edward about the film's Jewish roots. In a candid interview with Edward, the former Bishop of Liverpool, James Jones talks about his latest book ‘Justice for Christ's Sake' in which he which draws heavily on the lessons he learnt while chairing the Hillsborough Independent Panel. This week the Government reaffirmed its commitment to banning so-called Conversion Therapy. BBC Religious Affairs Journalist Harry Farley talks us through the government's proposals and two Christians with very different views respond to the plans. Reverend Graham Nicholls is Director of Affinity - a Fellowship of Churches, Evangelical Agencies and Christians. He fears a new law would criminalise the teaching of traditional Christian beliefs on marriage. Elinor Kershaw of the Quaker Gender and Sexual Diversity Community thinks the plans may not go far enough. We hear how a delay in plans to reform marriage law in England and Wales has left thousands in unregistered religious marriages without legal protection. Edward speaks to Roxana Rais of the Muslim Women's Advisory Council, and Russell Sandberg, Professor of Law at Cardiff University and Author of ‘Religion and Marriage Law'. And as the last in a trio of reports looking at Anti-Semitism on Social Media is published, Dr Julian Hargreaves, Director of Research at the Woolf Institute, explains its findings. And Sunday listeners tell is what makes for truly great Christmas music. Producers: Jill Collins and Louise Clarke Rowbotham Editor: Helen Grady

Was there a reluctance to follow government guidance and a tendency towards vaccine scepticism in strictly observant Jewish and Muslim communities? And does this underpin high rates of disease transmission among these groups? Speaking with Ed Kessler, the Woolf Institute's Julian Hargreaves and Shaima Hassan have each conducted some research... Like this podcast? Please help us by writing a review

Following an increase in anti-Semitic postings on social media, the anti-Semitism Policy Trust looked into it and asked the Woolf Institute to analyse the material they discovered. Julian Hargreaves discusses what he found with Daniel Staetsky... Like this podcast? Please help us by writing a review

Recorded live: 5 February 2020 The second webinar in the Dialogue & Debate series from Cumberland Lodge, the charity that empowers people, through dialogue and debate, to tackle the causes and effects of social division and promote more peaceful, open and inclusive societies. Join us to hear from Dunya Habash (Researcher and Outreach Officer, Woolf Institute) and Amro Hussain (Director, APPG for International Freedom of Religion or Belief), on the steps we can take to enable interfaith harmony in modern society.

We chat with the renowned Jewish New Testament scholar about the themes of Tobit, its historical context, and contemporary applications. Dr. Amy-Jill Levine is University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies (among other things) at Vanderbilt Divinity School, Graduate Department of Religion, and Department of Jewish Studies; she is also Affiliated Professor, Woolf Institute, Centre for the Study of Jewish-Christian Relations, Cambridge UK.

Episode: In this episode Jewish scholar Amy-Jill Levine engages some of the hard words of Jesus that followers then and now have found difficult. He instructs disciples to hate members of their own families (Luke 14:26), to act as if they were slaves (Matthew 20:27), and to sell their belongings and give to the poor (Luke 18:22). He restricts his mission (Matthew 10:6); he speaks of damnation (Matthew 8:12); he calls Jews the devil's children (John 8:44). How did these words sound in their own time, and how might that impact our interpretation of difficult texts? In this episode Biblical World host Lynn Cohick engages these questions with Amy-Jill Levine and her new book The Difficult Words of Jesus: A Beginner's Guide to His Most Perplexing Teachings (Abingdon, 2021).  Guest: Amy-Jill Levine is University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies, Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Jewish Studies, and  Professor of New Testament Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School, Graduate Department of Religion, and Department of Jewish Studies; she is also Affiliated Professor, Woolf Institute, Centre for the Study of Jewish-Christian Relations, Cambridge UK. Holding a B.A. from Smith College, M.A. and Ph.D. from Duke University, and honorary doctorates from the University of Richmond, the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest, the University of South Carolina-Upstate, Drury University, Christian Theological Seminary, and Franklin College, Professor Levine has been awarded grants from the Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the American Council of Learned Societies. She has held office in the Society of Biblical Literature, the Catholic Biblical Association, and the Association for Jewish Studies.  She served as Alexander Robertson Fellow (University of Glasgow), and the Catholic Biblical Association Scholar to the Philippines. She has given over 500 lectures on the Bible, Christian-Jewish relations, and Religion, Gender, and Sexuality across the globe. Her books include The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus (Publisher's Weekly Best Books of 2007; audio books); Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi (Catholic Book Club; translations: Spanish, Italian; audio books); The Meaning of the Bible: What the Jewish Scriptures and the Christian Old Testament Can Teach Us (with Douglas Knight; translation: Chinese); The New Testament, Methods and Meanings (with Warren Carter); and The Gospel of Luke (with Ben Witherington III -- the first full-length biblical commentary co-authored by a Jew and an Evangelical). Her most recent book is The Bible With and Without Jesus, co-authored with Marc Z. Brettler. With Marc Brettler, she co-edited The Jewish Annotated New Testament; she is also the editor of the 13-volume Feminist Companions to the New Testament and Early Christian Writings, and The Historical Jesus in Context (Princeton Readings in Religion; translation: Japanese). Presently she is editing several volumes in the Wisdom Commentary series, and she is the New Testament editor of the new Oxford Biblical Commentary Series. With Joseph Sievers, she is co-editing a collection of essays on the Pharisees. (from the Vanderbilt website) Give: Help support OnScript's Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE.  

Our guest this week is Ed Kessler, founder of the Woolf Institute. Based in Cambridge, it combines teaching, scholarship and outreach, focusing on Jews, Christians and Muslims, to encourage tolerance and foster understanding between people of all beliefs. He tells us about their important recent study “How We Get Along” - the largest known study of diversity in the UK, and how this was received on publication. This leads to a conversation about the importance of the workplace as a place of encounter - ie. often the only place where we meet those who are different - and how this may be impacted by the changes to working patterns arising as a result of the pandemic. We talk about virtual encounters and virtual travel, and whether this is creating different inequalities than before. Ed gives us a fascinating insight into the design of his workplace - the Woolf Institute - and how he envisages the workplace of the future.Are we - as faith groups and a wider society - afraid of the ‘other' and only looking out for ourselves? Ed also provides an insight into how the pandemic and lockdown has impacted on other faiths and we discuss how intra-faith relations in the Jewish community have evolved too. Ed gives us an insight into what an academic does to relax - and how many pages of a book does he read a day? You can find out more about the Woolf Institute here: https://www.woolf.cam.ac.uk/Find us on Twitter: @JewKnowWhatEd - @kessler_edLeo - @WFCKeegoCharley - @RabCharleyRebecca - @RSingerman or @KingstonLibShulFind out more about Liberal Judaism, the home for your Jewish story here: https://www.liberaljudaism.org/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

From COVID-19 and how governments have responded, to the US Presidential Election, to Brexit finally becoming a reality with the imminent ending of the transition period, and to an historic coalition government in Ireland bringing Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael together, there is an enormous amount of ground to cover and reflect upon after what has been a truly unprecedented year. To discuss all of this, the IIEA is delighted to bring together a panel of experts and commentators for our annual Young Professionals Network (YPN) Christmas Special. About the Speakers: Professor Anand Menon is Director of UK in a Changing Europe, a leading think-tank analysing the process and impact of Brexit. He is also Professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs and Kings College London. He has held positions at a number of universities, including Sciences Po, Columbia University and NYU. He is co-author of Brexit and British Politics (Polity, 2017) and author of Europe: The State of the Union (Atlantic Books 2008). A frequent media commentator, he regularly appears on major UK current affairs programmes and he has also been published in the Financial Times, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and Le Monde, to name a few. Dr Shana Cohen is Director of Thinktank for Action on Social Change (TASC) & Affiliated Lecturer with the Department of Sociology at Cambridge University. Prior to TASC, she was Deputy Director of the Woolf Institute in Cambridge, where she focused on interfaith and intercultural relations in Europe, India, and the Middle East. She studied at Princeton University and at the University of California, Berkeley, where she received a PhD in Sociology. Dr Tom Wright, Director of the Center on the United States and Europe a Senior Fellow in the Project on International Order and Strategy at the Brookings Institution. He is also a contributing writer for The Atlantic and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Lowy Institute for International Policy. His most recent book, All Measures Short of War: The Contest For the 21st Century and the Future of American Power, was published by Yale University Press in May 2017. Tom received his PhD from Georgetown University, his MA in Philosophy from Cambridge University, and a BA and MA from University College Dublin. Aoife Moore is a Political Correspondent with the Irish Examiner, a position she has held since February 2020. In ‘Golfgate', she co-broke one of the major news stories of the year, the consequences of which are still reverberating. Prior to joining the Examiner, she served as a Journalist covering politics with Press Association Ireland from 2018 to 2020. She previously worked as a Reporter with the Daily Record, the Irish Daily Star and the Irish Echo. She received her BA in Multimedia Journalism from Glasgow Caledonian University.

How good are we, in Britain, at living together? Some media report anxiety over growing ethnic and religious diversity in this country, so the Woolf Institute commissioned a study of British peoples' attitudes towards diversity, to see what was actually going on. Julian Hargreaves and Julie Siddiqi join Ed Kessler to discuss the findings... Like this podcast? Please help us by writing a review

Neither Socrates nor Jesus wrote anything down, but writing seems to have emerged first around 3,000 BC. So how did it happen, and why? Esther-Miriam Wagner and Laura Davies join Ed Kessler to look at the history of writing, from tablets to tablet... Like this podcast? Please help us by writing a review

“Widemindedness means being not just respectful of others, not just seeking to understand others, but to celebrate the otherness in other people, and I hope that they will celebrate the otherness in me.” Dr Edward Kessler is Founder Director of the Woolf Institute and a leading thinker in interfaith relations, primarily Jewish-Christian-Muslim Relations. In 2007 Dr Kessler was described by The Times Higher Education Supplement (London) as “probably the most prolific interfaith figure in British academia” and in 2011 was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II for services to interfaith relations. Kessler regularly appears in the media commenting on religion and belief issues of the day, most recently presenting a BBC Radio 4 documentary entitled 'We do do God' (2019), is a regular contributor to the Woolf Institute blog and hosts the podcast 'Encounter'. Edward Kessler MBE: Woolf Instituteand @kessler_ed on Twitter Victoria Ball: @widemindednessvictoriaball on Instagram, Facebook and victoria-ball.com Sign up here to make sure you never miss an episode and to find out how Widemindedness could change your life. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/widemindednessvictoriabal/message

The second webinar in the new monthly Dialogue & Debate series from Cumberland Lodge, the charity that empowers people, through dialogue and debate, to tackle the causes and effects of social division and promote more peaceful, open and inclusive societies. Join us to hear from Dunya Habash (Researcher and Outreach Officer, Woolf Institute) and Amro Hussain (Director, APPG for International Freedom of Religion or Belief), on the steps we can take to enable interfaith harmony in modern society. #DialogueDebate

Genetic experimentation predates our real understanding of genetics by centuries. But recent developments in our understanding of the science of genetics have profound implications for our self- understanding and self-determining, medically, ethically and legally. Joining Ed Kessler are Denis Alexander from the Faraday Institute, Julian Huppert from Jesus College Cambridge, and Dr Kitty O'Lone, from the Woolf Institute... Like this podcast? Please help us by writing a review

Når er det helt greit å kombinere religiøs og nasjonal tilhørighet og når er det vanskelig? Er det å være muslim forenelig med å være norsk? Kan man være jøde og russisk? Hva kan samfunnet gjøre for at dette skal bli enklere? Dette er spørsmål diskuteres, Gjest: Dr. Edward Kessler fra Woolf Institute. v/Zofia Paszkiewizc.

Cumberland Lodge Programming Director Jan Bock is joined by Head of Strategic Partnerships at the Association of Commonwealth Universities Faye Taylor, Woolf Institute researcher Kitty O'Lone, and Head of Researcher Development at the University of Cambridge Steve Joy. The speakers touch on a range of issues, including the role of doctoral research in the present day and the challenges faced in research roles.

On dialogue. In a special podcast by the Woolf Institute, recorded live at our 'We need to talk about Israel/Palestine' event, Baroness Warsi and Jonathan Freedland attempt to do just that. How can British Muslims and Jews talk about the conflict? Why have past discussions led to so many tensions? And what can we learn from an open and honest dialogue? Featuring Jonathan Freedland, Sayeeda Warsi and Ed Kessler.

Listen back to the most recent Faith & Fashion event held in collaboration with the Woolf Institute in Cambridge. With a session theme of Embodiment, Gender, and Religious Visibility, Professor Reina Lewis, discussed the politics of religious visibility through dress in the interfaith context, along with Dr Kristin Aune from Coventry University whose research on UK feminist approaches to religion and spirituality reveals the lived, embodied, and relational nature of religio-spirituality in contemporary life. From the Woolf Institute, Dr Lea Taragin-Zeller demonstrated the role of modesty and beauty practices in the construction of female piety among ultra-Orthodox teenagers in Israel. An international perspective on the diverse personal, political, and style motivations for young women’s take up of modest dressing in the Middle East was provided by the session chair, academic and journalist Azadeh Moaveni, author of Lipstick Jihad.

On strictly observant religion. In this episode Ed sits down with the Woolf Institute's own Tobias Müller, and professor Kim Knott, from Lancaster university and the Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats to try and add nuance to the way we talk about fundamentalism. How do fundamentalist ideas and behaviour function? Is fundamentalism always a threat? And how do we distinguish between fundamentalism, extremism, radicalism and orthodoxy? Featuring Ed Kessler, Tobias Müller, Kim Knott and David Perry.

Greg Woolf chats about how he got into studying the ancient world, getting out of the ancient history bubble to talk to people in other disciplines, whether scholarship is a product of its time, diversifying the study of ancient history, and what events the Institute of Classical Studies has got coming up. We also cover how useful social media is for reaching out to people, whether you're always tied to your 'landmark' publications, and why David prefers to avoid his students at the gym. Greg Woolf is Director of the Institute of Classical Studies in London. To find out what is going on at the ICS: https://ics.sas.ac.uk/ Theme tune: 'La Calahorra' by Rolemusic (http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/~/calahorra)

On prejudice (II).  How prevalent is Islamophobia in Britain? In what ways does it permeate our society? And what can we do to tackle it? First, the Woolf Institute’s Julian Hargreaves talks definitions and common misconceptions. Then Ed chats to Samayya Afzal, from the Muslim Council of Britain about the nature and scale of the problem for Muslim communities as well as her own ideas about how to forge a better future. Featuring Ed Kessler, Julian Hargreaves, Samayya Afzal and David Perry.

A discovery as ‘exciting as Tutankhamen’s tomb’ is shedding new light on the life of Arab merchants living in Europe in the mid-18th century. We’re in conversation with Dr Esther-Miriam Wagner, a Researcher at the Woolf Institute who is charged with deciphering the Arab Prize Papers 

Join us for a new podcast starting Monday 20th August. From the Woolf Institute comes An A-Z of Believing: from Atheism to Zealotry. This new podcast, presented by Dr Ed Kessler, is a 26-week crash course on religion and society. What makes the beauty of ritual so attractive? Do Abrahamic religions teach karma? How do people from different faiths have constructive conversation? Join Ed as he explains a new letter each week. Listen Sundays on the Woolf Institute podcast site (woolfpods.wordpress.com), iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Transcripts of this series are published exclusively by the Independent every Sunday.

On the Woolf Institute. In this episode, producer David Perry sits down one-to-one with Woolf Institute founder Ed Kessler. How did the Institute go from Ed's dream to a leading voice in interfaith relations? In a world of quick reactions and questionable facts, can courteous dialogue and research really help?

On offending. In the first episode of Encounter, join Ed Kessler and guests Hira Amin, Dunya Habash, and Julian Hargreaves as they discuss and debate being offended and being offensive. When does freedom of expression become offensiveness? How do we deal with violence in our religious texts? Are we as a culture too easily offended? Encounter is a discussion podcast produced by the Woolf Institute and presented by its Founder Director Dr Ed Kessler. Episodes will explore the relationship between religion and society. Join Ed and guests as they navigate their way through some of society's most debated topics.

On mental health. With the UK's Mental Health Awareness Week taking place in May, this week's Encounter delves into how religious belief affects the troubled mind. Can faith help to protect against mental illness? Does religious doctrine ever prevent open emotional discussion? What responsibilities do faith communities have to help each other? Featuring Ed Kessler, Ruth Adams, Mark Strivens, and Dunya Habash. Encounter is a discussion podcast produced by the Woolf Institute and presented by its Founder Director Dr Ed Kessler. Episodes will explore the relationship between religion and society. Join Ed and guests as they navigate their way through some of society's most debated topics.

On football. On the momentous occasion of the World Cup, we at the Woolf sat down to discuss how religion plays a role on the pitch. Is football the new religious experience? Does it transcend our human differences or reinforce them? Most importantly, who will emerge victorious in Moscow on July 15th, and is God on their side? Featuring Ed Kessler, Esther-Miriam Wagner, Jessica Tearney-Pearce, and Rodrigo Garcia-Velasco Bernal. Encounter is a discussion podcast produced by the Woolf Institute and presented by its Founder Director Dr Ed Kessler. Episodes will explore the relationship between religion and society. Join Ed and guests as they navigate their way through some of society's most debated topics.

After the bitter Bosnian war in the 1990's, Catholic Monk, Friar Ivo Markovic, launched a multi-faith choir to bring survivors of the violence together and promote understanding between different ethnic groups. The choir is called "Pontanima", an invented word based on Latin that means, "bridge among souls". Rebecca Kesby spoke to Friar Ivo and saw the choir perform. (PHOTO: Members of the Pontanima Choir of Sarajevo: Courtesy of The Woolf Institute)

1ière heure: Missiles: le Canada est-il protégé? - une réflexion de Michel Désautels; À Québec, des musulmans inquiets des manifestations de haine - un reportage de Janic Tremblay; Réfugiés haïtiens: la force de la solidarité - un reportage d’Akli Aït Abdallah; Les indépendantistes catalans défient le gouvernement espagnol - la chronique internationale de Léo Kalinda. 2ième heure : L’enfer libyen des migrants africains - une entrevue de Michel Désautels avec la Dre Joanne Liu, présidente internationale de Médecins sans frontières; Prince Edward County, une contrée rurale transformée par le vin - un reportage de Michel Labrecque; Quand Hillary Clinton donne sa version de la campagne présidentielle - une entrevue de Michel Désautels avec le sondeur américain et ancien membre de l’équipe du président Bill Clinton, Craig Charney; Les jeunes Britanniques désertent l’Église anglicane - une entrevue de Michel Désautels avec Samuel Everett, chercheur au Woolf Institute de Cambridge.

It is 50 years since the publication of the Vatican document 'Nostra Aetate' which transformed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and other religions, most notably Judaism. At only a few paragraphs in length, this short text has been widely seen as one of the most remarkable moments in the turbulent history of interfaith relations. How did it come about? What can we say it has really achieved? And how does it fit into the world in which we now live? Ernie Rea explores the impact of 'Nostra Aetate' with Archbishop Kevin McDonald, Emeritus Catholic Archbishop of Southwark and chair of the Bishops' Conference Committee for Other Faiths and of the Committee for Catholic-Jewish Relations; Dr Ed Kessler, Founder-Director of the interfaith organisation, the Woolf Institute; and Oliver McTernan, Director of the conflict-resolution charity 'Forward Thinking', which works among communities in the UK and the Middle East. Producer: Amanda Hancox.

It is 50 years since the publication of the Vatican document 'Nostra Aetate' which transformed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and other religions, most notably Judaism. At only a few paragraphs in length, this short text has been widely seen as one of the most remarkable moments in the turbulent history of interfaith relations. How did it come about? What can we say it has really achieved? And how does it fit into the world in which we now live? Ernie Rea explores the impact of 'Nostra Aetate' with Archbishop Kevin McDonald, Emeritus Catholic Archbishop of Southwark and chair of the Bishops' Conference Committee for Other Faiths and of the Committee for Catholic-Jewish Relations; Dr Ed Kessler, Founder-Director of the interfaith organisation, the Woolf Institute; and Oliver McTernan, Director of the conflict-resolution charity 'Forward Thinking', which works among communities in the UK and the Middle East. Producer: Amanda Hancox.

In the week in which David Cameron set out his 5 year plan to combat Islamist extremism, Edward Stourton asks what do Muslims in Britain think about the PM's proposals? In a special programme from the East London Mosque, Salman Farsi takes Edward from the main prayer hall to the bee hives, to give him an insight into running a 21st century Mosque. On the way he visits it's archives, an historic collection which documents the history of one of the UK's oldest mosques. Inter-faith dialogue used to be about theological debates between the 'religious elite.' Trevor Barnes reports on the Near Neighbours Programme which tries to build trust between communities in East London. Ed Kessler from the Woolf Institute and Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari from the East London Mosque discuss the effectiveness of the efforts made so far to break down barriers and build greater understanding between faiths. We are out and about with community hero - Sister Christine Frost - a catholic nun who has spent the last 45 years living and working on a largely Bengali Muslim estate in Tower Hamlets. Imam Yunus Dudhwala, head of Chaplaincy Services at Barts NHS Trust, explains why Muslims have to wait on average a year longer than non-Muslims for a transplant. Producers David Cook Dan Tierney Editor Amanda Hancox.

Ernie Rea and guests discuss the reasons behind rising anti-semitism in Europe. A survey published last year revealed that 24% of the French population holds anti semitic views. The figure for Hungary is 63%. In Spain 72% of the people are willing to admit that they are anti Jew. Just 70 years after Hitler tried to wipe out European Jewry, attacks on Jews are on the increase. What is the cause of this resurgence? What can be done to stop it? Joining Ernie to discuss anti Semitism in Europe today are Dr Ed Kessler, Director of the Woolf Institute for the Study of Abrahamic Faiths; Social and political commentator Mohammed Ansar who is a Social and Political Commentator and Dr Yaakov Wise from the Centre for Jewish Studies, at the University of Manchester.

Ernie Rea and guests discuss the reasons behind rising anti-semitism in Europe. A survey published last year revealed that 24% of the French population holds anti semitic views. The figure for Hungary is 63%. In Spain 72% of the people are willing to admit that they are anti Jew. Just 70 years after Hitler tried to wipe out European Jewry, attacks on Jews are on the increase. What is the cause of this resurgence? What can be done to stop it? Joining Ernie to discuss anti Semitism in Europe today are Dr Ed Kessler, Director of the Woolf Institute for the Study of Abrahamic Faiths; Social and political commentator Mohammed Ansar who is a Social and Political Commentator and Dr Yaakov Wise from the Centre for Jewish Studies, at the University of Manchester.

This is the most important week in the Christian Year when Christians commemorate what they regard as the central event in human history, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus died on the cross, an excruciating form of torture carried out by the Romans. Today the cross is commonly used as a fashion item - not a symbol of death, but of consumerism. It can still cause offence; some Christians have been told they cannot wear one at work. Ernie Rea considers the different uses and symbolism of the cross with Dr Sophie Lunn Rockcliffe, Lecturer in Roman History at Kings College London; Dr Anna Robbins, Lecturer in Theology and Contemporary Culture at the London School of Theology: and Dr Ed Kessler, Director of the Woolf Institute of Abrahamic religions in Cambridge.

This is the most important week in the Christian Year when Christians commemorate what they regard as the central event in human history, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus died on the cross, an excruciating form of torture carried out by the Romans. Today the cross is commonly used as a fashion item - not a symbol of death, but of consumerism. It can still cause offence; some Christians have been told they cannot wear one at work. Ernie Rea considers the different uses and symbolism of the cross with Dr Sophie Lunn Rockcliffe, Lecturer in Roman History at Kings College London; Dr Anna Robbins, Lecturer in Theology and Contemporary Culture at the London School of Theology: and Dr Ed Kessler, Director of the Woolf Institute of Abrahamic religions in Cambridge.