The Spirit of Things - Program podcast

In this special NAIDOC episode, guest host Brooke Prentis chats to singer Royston Sagigi-Baira about growing up in the remote community of Old Mapoon on Tjungundji Country in Western Cape York.

Religion, like the media, is changing fast in Australia. What does this mean for the national broadcaster as it reflects and informs Australian life? Plus, the war chaplain turned journalist who became the ABC's first head of religious programming.

Glaciers matter to the people who live near them – but how do these communities respond as more and more ice melts away? A priestess of the Icelandic religion of Ásatrú explains how ancient Norse mythology orients her towards nature, and a professor shares how her experiences on the Himalayan glaciers revealed a deep connection between spirituality and the lived reality of climate change.

What would you do if you knew you had an unconditional, permanent, adequate income that would cover all your basic expenses… no matter how much or how little work you did? It’s an idea that has the backing of the Pope and one of Australia’s largest religious charities – why do these Christians support it?

Joan Chittister found her community as a teenager, seventy years ago, when she joined the Benedictine sisters in Pennsylvania. For decades she has devoted herself to renewing community in and beyond the Catholic church. Her fierce advocacy for women has put her at odds with some within the hierarchy, but as a spiritual writer she had brought the insights of her tradition to a wider world.

What does it take to re-green a desert? As it turns out, sometimes what you need is already in the ground right under your feet. Tony Rinaudo went to Niger as an agriculturalist and missionary and – almost by accident – began a regeneration practice now used across the world. Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration, or FMNR, cultivates the shoots of tree stumps that remain after land clearing.

The Mabo decision was a legal and cultural milestone in Australia, but thirty years on, how has it changed theology? For decades Dr Anne Pattel-Gray has been calling for racial justice in and through Christian churches. She says Mabo “shifts our whole perspective of how we interpret the Bible, of how we do theology.”

Have you ever found yourself in a place where heaven and earth seem to meet? Sacred architecture and aesthetics can make a person experience the numinous, even in a building not set aside for a religious purpose. Also, Papua New Guinea’s Baha’i community, are about to open a new house of worship in Port Moresby.

What do we do with suffering – as we experience it ourselves, and in the world around us? Meredith Lake explores solidarity in the midst of violence, both through activism and poetry.

Can literature somehow bridge the visible and invisible realms? Meredith Lake speaks with Egyptian-American poet and aphorist Yahia Lababidi, whose work ranges across cultures, traditions and genres.

In what could be described as Korea’s ‘terracotta warrior’ moment, a farmer digging in a vacant field discovered scores of stone statues depicting arhats – or disciples of the Buddha. Unearthed from their hiding place, the Arhats now part of a luscious display touring around the world. In Sydney, a Bosnian refugee describes how she fled war in her home country and built a new life for herself after coming to Australia.

Claude AnShin Thomas enlisted in the US Army at 17, served as a helicopter gunner and crew chief in the Vietnam War, and was awarded numerous medals and a Purple Heart – all before becoming ordained as a Zen Buddhist monk. He carries the responsibility for much death and destruction, but has learned to live peacefully with unpeacefulness and is helping others do the same.

The crucifixion of Christ is perhaps the most painted subject in world history. From Medieval art, to the Renaissance masters to contemporary works, the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection pervades the Western imagination – even amid rapid secularisation.

Recent flooding in South-East Queensland and the Northern Rivers of New South Wales has upended the lives of thousands, including the area’s diverse religious communities. Hear how the area’s Sikhs provide aid even though their own gurdwara was inundated, and how the Jewish community practices hospitality as best they can in the lead-up to Pesach.

Is there a recipe that sums up your story or personal history? As Muslims around the world observe Ramadan, one family is observing the holy month in Australia for the first time. For them, their recipe for Bolani – a type of stuffed and fried flat bread – represents solidarity between women.

What did religious life look like in Ancient Greece? Find out how the gods played a role in everything from daily life to outcomes on the battlefield. Then, fast forward to just before federation in Australia and discover the untold story of Reverend Dr Charles Strong, the possibility of a national Church and progressive Christian activism.

Can the practice of artmaking be a religious ritual? A contemporary fresco painter, Sarah Tomasetti, and a philosopher, Dr Lexi Eikelboom, explore the ways in which art has big things in common with theology, and whether there's spiritual significance to art practice itself on its own terms – not reducible to religion, or such that it can replace religion.

“We can’t have a secular Māori culture. It just doesn’t work for us, it’s not how we view the world.” Third generation Anglican minister, Rev Dr Hirini Kaa, has written a book, Te Hāhi Mihinare: The Māori Anglican church, that opens up a whole new perspective on Māori spirituality and Christianity, the wisdom of reciprocity, and possible paths to spiritual flourishing.

To mark International Women's Day, we hear from two remarkable women – worlds apart – on their experiences of liberating religion and women from within their religious and cultural contexts.

How do we live well in times of crisis? Whether it's a global pandemic or a more personal dilemma, two of Australia's leading spiritual guides share their thoughts on how to make it through difficult times – and even find spiritual nourishment and growth.