The Word: Nicky Gumbel

11/15/13 • 21 min

Growing up, Nicky Gumbel considered Christianity “intellectually unsustainable”, yet today he is best known as the modern-day architect of the evangelical Alpha Course. In this podcast, he uses Bible passages that have inspired him to reveal little-known parts of his biography to Louisa Foxe – among them the trauma of losing many of his Jewish father’s family in the Holocaust. Readings by David Suchet.

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The Case For (and against) Peace Journalism......

Open any newspaper, watch any TV channel, and stories of War and Conflict tumble from page and screen... But can we trust what we read and see? Even when journalists work hard to separate facts from propaganda, how often do they report ‘selected’ or ‘chosen’ facts? Can they be accused of ‘selling’ War, albeit unwittingly? Some argue that what is needed is a different form of journalism: in this case, Peace Journalism. Edward Canfor-Dumas invites Professor Jake Lynch, journalist Myriam Francois-Cerrah, and journalist and broadcaster Peter Hitchens to make their case for Peace Journalism.

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Shamans and Sacraments: the meaning of rituals

A shaman undergoing a ritual burial and a Catholic attending mass seem poles apart – yet both rituals answer similar needs. Jane Little explores what makes rituals so compelling and meaningful. Guests: shamanic practitioner Nicholas Taylor, traditional Catholic Peter Williams, and clinical psychologist Isabel Clarke.