It's Prisons Week, when Christians are encouraged to pray for all those affected by the criminal justice system. But is prayer alone the answer to the problems facing prisoners, their victims, and those working in prisons? Rosa Hunt discusses some of the issues with a panel of guests, including Rev Nick Sandford, managing chaplain at HMP Cardiff; Julia Houlston-Clark, CEO of Wales Restorative Justice Partnerships; and criminal defence barrister Andrew Taylor.

The Bible is central to Christian worship and devotion throughout the year. But October is the month when many churches observe Bible Sunday, giving thanks for the Scriptures. This month also sees the publication of a 'Bible for young explorers', with surrounding text written by celebrity and adventurer Bear Grylls, and Cardiff based Andrew Ollerton. But do young people want a Bible? And if so, what kind? Roy Jenkins interviews Andrew Ollerton and others who are involved in helping young people engage with the Bible. We meet Arfon Jones who translated Beibl.net; Dave Kitchen author of 'Bible in Ten'; and Sian Rees the head of The Bible Society in Wales. We also go to Hope Teens youth group in Merthyr Tydfil to find out what the young people themselves make if the new Bible.

Jonathan Thomas’s guest is the author of “Where the saints came from” published earlier this year. She's Anne Hayward, a retired teacher and former lay reader in the Church in Wales. Anne is also a very keen walker; so much so that each Easter she goes on solo pilgrimage from her home in Bannau Brycheiniog National Park to a holy place either in Wales or beyond. As we’ll hear this year’s pilgrimage was her second journey to Brittany, a place of strong Celtic ties with Wales and Cornwall.So far Anne has written three books about her thousands of miles on foot, travelling with a lightweight rucksack and tent, paper maps and a walking stick. During the programme recorded near the ruins of Llanthony Priory we hear extracts from the diaries she kept on her latest journey and she'll also retell some of her experiences en route.Anne’s book titles: A Pilgrimage around Wales A Celtic Pilgrimage Where the saints came fromwebsite: www.pilgrimstreet.uk

Today, more people than ever before are using food banks in the UK, while rates of homelessness are also on the increase. These figures are predicted to grow as we enter the cold winter months. The last two decades have seen a huge increase in faith-based initiatives to support those in crisis, from churches running food banks to street pastors to charities offering support to the homeless. But to what extent do these initiatives work, and could it be the case that by offering sticking-plaster solutions like warm spaces we are actually perpetuating the underlying problem?Rosa Hunt speaks to Bonnie Williams, former director of Housing Justice Cymru and now CEO of Housing Justice UK. Jessica Foster, Head of Church Engagement at Trussell, the largest food bank charity in the UK and Jon Kuhrt, CEO of Hope into Action, a charity that enables churches to house the homeless. We hear from people who have been supported by charities in a time of crisis and we'll examine why, as one of the world’s largest economies, people in the UK are in the position where they might be hungry or homeless.

The report, ‘Casting Long Shadows: The ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on babies, their families and the services that support them.’ published in 2022 revealed worrying statistics about babies born during the COVID pandemic, highlighting how many had delayed social skills. But two years on, as those children now start school, how are they doing? We speak to Dr Alison Prowle, a senior lecturer at the department for Children and Families, University of Worcester; Hannah Tuck, a children's worker with a national UK charity and a kids team leader at New Life Elim Church in Barry; from Hengoed Primary School we meet teachers Natalie McPherson, Claire Jones, and Janet Watkins; and we also speak to Dr. Matthew Williamson-Dicken, and Mrs ELin Johnson, from Panteg Primary School. Finally, we visit the Little Lounge community project based in Cilfynydd, near Pontypridd, to see what place faith has had in helping the pandemic babies.

Roy Jenkins looks at the life, work and continuing influence of Isaac Watts, the great hymn-writer who was born in Southampton 350 years ago. Of the six or seven hundred hymns he composed a good handful are sung each week in services across the denominations, and some have become fixed points in worship for Easter, Christmas and even Remembrance Sunday. Ironically, some have made their way into Anglican hymnaries, despite the fact that Watts and his family faced severe privations for not worshipping at an Anglican church - his father was imprisoned on several occasions for being a 'dissenter'. Certain hymns (notably 'Joy to the World') have been translated into many languages, including Cherokee, German, French, Zulu Welsh. Celebrated in his day as a profound thinker, poet and logician Watts' influence is felt far and wide for introducing the practice of making emotionally expressive hymns an integral part of worship.

In the final part of our series exploring aspects of Offa's Dyke, and Offa's Dyke Path, Rosa Hunt walks a part of the way in the company of five people with a passion for the outdoors, and asks the theological conundrum of whether God is a walker? There are many suggestions in both the Old Testament and the New that God does indeed walk, and it's possible - some argue - that we come nearest to Him not when we rush around but when we walk at a moderate pace. Even for people without a formal faith, the meditative action of walking can lead to a deep spiritual experience, regardless of whether or not they believe in a creator God. For Steven Carter, a retired Baptist minister, walking Offa's Dyke has a particular significance - despite his cancer prognosis, he is determined to walk as much of its 177 miles as possible in easy stages. In this programme Rosa joins him for a section of the Dyke at Hergest Ridge. For Llinos Metcalf easy stages are probably not what she is seeking, since over the last ten years she's signed up for and completed numerous arduous treks in places such as Patagonia, the Sahara and the Arctic, sustained by her faith and a mission to raise money for Velindre cancer hospital. Rosa takes a detour to Newchurch, near Gladestry, to speak to Ann Dean about the diaries of Francis Kilvert, the one-time curate of Clyro who was an avid walker in the district. Near Hay Bluff Rosa encounters Susan Langford-Johnson, a former Catholic chaplain who despite no longer believing in God, believes she has had a deeply spiritual experience whilst walking a pilgrimage. Finally, on a gentle stretch of Offa's Dyke path at Hay Rosa meets Rev'd Dr Mark Clavier, who has written about his own 'pilgrimage' whilst never having been on a 'proper' one to a religious shrine. Is God a walker? "Yes", he agrees, "God must certainly be a walker...or else a sadist!"

Azim Ahmed walks a section of Offa's Dyke, to explore what it has to tell us about our place in the world, and in the universe. This ancient archaeological wonder constructed by the Mercian King Offa has in some ways been the making of Welsh identity. But it also speaks of fascinating connections with Europe, and possibly the Islamic world. A visit to Knighton's Spaceguard centre, however, suggests that our planet, let alone Wales, may be but a mere speck in a vast and dangerous universe.

Throughout July, All Things Considered will be coming from the ancient boundary between Wales and England – Offa’s Dyke. Each week, we explore a different section of the border as we travel from Chepstow to Prestatyn, joined by voices from the borders sharing their stories of faith, encounter and identity.This week Jonathan Thomas explores the idea of ‘borders’ and identity, starting at St. Mary's Capel y Ffin. Here Jonathan meets Father David Wyatt at the tiny 'chapel on the border,' a focus of pilgrimage for centuries and the source of inspiration for William and Dorothy Wordsworth. Jonathan walks a stretch of the Offa's Dyke route with vicar and pilgrimage leader Simon Lockett. Starting at the Gospel Pass they head past Hay Bluff towards Llantony to discuss identity in the border lands. Jonathan speaks to pupils at Clyro Church in Wales School to hear their perspective on living on the borders. The children explain that they see borders as a point of connection, a place to forge new friendships and to hear different languages. Canon Dr Manon James of the St Padarn's Institute shares insights into her research into Welsh identity and border lands. At the end of the Offa's Dyke path Jonathan meets Baptist minister Rob Beamish to discuss journey's endings.

Delyth Liddell in conversation with Grammy Award winning singer and songwriter Matt Redman. Matt is the writer of some of the world’s most popular worship songs and regularly leads churches across the globe in worship. This summer Matt Redman will release his twentieth album, “Coming Back to The Heart," which revisits songs written or co-written by him over the last 25 years. He shares insights into these songs and reflects on his strong partnership with his wife Beth, with whom he has written songs, preached and planted churches, alongside raising five children. As a young man he was a worship leader for Soul Survivor church in Watford, a church which has recently been in the spotlight for serious safeguarding failures. Matt discusses his documentary ‘Let there be Light;’ the harmful behaviour of the leader Mike Pilavachi, and the bravery of abuse survivors.

Azim Ahmed and guests shine a light on a collection of ‘Lost Hymns’; long forgotten Welsh-language folk hymns recorded by oral historians at St. Fagan’s National Museum of History in the 1960s. When musician and composer Lleuwen Steffan came across these recordings she immediately realised that they were no longer featured in contemporary hymn books. She embarked on a decade long project to track down the descendants of those recorded, and to compose music inspired by these songs. Today she brings these recordings to modern audiences, joining the recorded voices with her own compositions on piano, guitars and synthesizers.Many of the hymns were composed as a response to the Welsh Revival of 1904, a period of intense religious fervour that swept across Wales, filling chapels, and bringing life-changing religious experiences to those part of the revivals. The songs are frank, down to earth and sometimes dark. They reflect the fragility of human experience. Emeritus Professor Wyn James, a Welsh hymnology expert from the School of Welsh at Cardiff University sets out the historical context of these hymns. Catrin Roberts, the granddaughter of hymn collector William Morris (one of the voices in the collection) shares memories of her grandfather, and his passion for the heritage of Wales. Lleuwen’s work is made in partnership with Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru and supported by the British Council Wales.

Roy Jenkins reflects further on his broadcast career, and recounts some memorable moments in such diverse places as Russia, South America, South Africa, Hong Kong and Israel.

The first of two special editions of All Things Considered to mark Roy Jenkins' 50 years in religious broadcasting. Across his career, Roy has been involved in a vast number and variety of programmes. Today, he looks back on just a few which have made some kind of mark on him. We hear archive footage from across Roy's career, as well as the stories behind some of these memorable programme-making experiences.Join us again next week, when Roy will reflect on some of the fascinating encounters had had making radio in other countries.

On Sunday 26th May Llandaff Cathedral will host a service to remember people in the LGBTQ+ community who have suffered exclusion from Christian communities because of their sexuality or gender identity. The service is organised LGBTQ+ Christian Charity OneBodyOneFaith. In this week's 'All Things Considered' Delyth Liddell speaks to the charity's co-chair, Father Jarel Robinson-Brown. Jarel Robinson-Brown is vicar of St German's Church, Adamsdown, Cardiff but he hails from London. He was raised in West London by Jamaican grandparents and studied in Cambridge to become a Methodist minister, serving as an Ordinand at Clare College. In 2021 he left the Methodist church and began the journey to be ordained as an Anglican Priest. Jarel says himself he’s a person who crosses many boundaries, calling himself “a Black, Queer British Christian minister of Jamaican and Cuban heritage.” His writing explores racism and homophobia in the church and how to better address these issues. He is the Martin Luther King Fellow at Regent’s Park College, University of Oxford, and his research interests are early Christian history, Patristics and Egyptian Late Antiquity.

Religious courts or councils have long existed in England and Wales, offering mediation or arbitration on a range of issues for the Jewish, Muslim and even Christian communities. With the recent establishment of the Sikh Council, Azim Ahmed discusses the nature of these institutions with a panel of guests. What are they, what do they do, and how effective are they?Azim is joined by Dr Samia Bano, Reader in Law at SOAS, University of London; Rabbi Jonathan Romain, Convenor of the Reform Beit Din, and Professor Russell Sandberg.

“Run the straight race” The line from a well-know hymn gives a clue to this week’s edition presented by Rosa Hunt. Throughout May the BBC is holding its annual Mental Health and Wellbeing Season which coincides with a week of awareness run by the Mental Health Foundation. This year the foundation is focussing on "moving more for our mental health”. During the programme we include an exploration of physical activity as far as faith is concerned. In some faiths, worship is very much a sedentary activity and perhaps the only physical element is standing to sing hymns and songs and even then, that’s for those able to do so. Many find wellbeing in anything from private prayer and meditation to physical workouts and walks. We visit Glenwood Community Church and Wellbeing Space in Cardiff, where wellbeing and mental health are taken very seriously with a range of activities on offer to the locality including physical ones. It’s also a place where counselling is offered by professional counsellors. We also speak to Jamilla Hekmoun, Chair of the Muslim Mental Health Alliance and a Research Fellow on the Faith and Mental Health Project run by the Woolfe Institute. On Friday 10th May the Institute is holding a workshop at Cardiff University “focussed on improving mental health provision for Muslim communities”. As part of the BBC’s Mental Health and Wellbeing season, BBC Radio Wales will be sharing stories and tips this month on how to support your mental health and wellbeing. LINKS bbc.co.uk/mentalwellbeing mentalhealth.org.uk www.glenwoodchurch.org https://www.woolf.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/mental-health-project

Roy Jenkins talks to former nun Catherine Coldstream, who has recently published a fascinating, challenging and highly praised memoir of her former life in a Carmelite monastery. Following the death of her father, Catherine Coldstream abandoned her musician's life in Paris and sought spiritual solace in a monastery, and found what she thought was a vocation for life as a Carmelite nun. She was only in her mid-20s Yet on a rainy night 12 years later she would try to escape from the community which had once seemed idyllic. By that time it was riven between two factions, one for maintaining the old traditions at all costs, and the other for embracing the Catholic church’s modernising concern for individual welfare. In recent years Catherine has been a teacher of religion and ethics, and in this conversation she reflects on both the good and the bad parts of her experience in the monastery to which she gives the fictional name of 'Akenside'.

Jonathan Thomas joins the audience in the Swansea Arena to watch the musical 'Jesus Christ Superstar' on its 50th anniversary tour. He speaks to three expert guests; Swansea born singer and song writer Steve Balsamo whose award winning performance of Jesus in the 1990s launched his career. Cameron Smith who writes a blog 'Middle Brow Musicals' and also for Premier Christianity Magazine. Lastly Revered Emma Ackland, Bishop’s Chaplain in the Diocese of Llandaff. The show first launched in the UK at the Palace Theatre in London in 1972, one of the most popular shows of all time, the rock opera depicts the last few days leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion. Some Christians have called it blasphemous, others see it as an evocative retelling of Jesus’ final days. With church congregations declining, Jonathan Thomas explores these issues and what still draws audiences today to a story about Jesus’ life and death.

Minister and biker Sean Stillman gives a searingly honest insight into a life that's been turned upside down since his diagnosis some three years ago, after experiencing a number of strange symptoms. Sean is a Christian minister at Zak’s Place , which is both a church and outreach to the homeless in Swansea. He's also international president of a Christian motor-cycle club called ‘God’s Squad’. But, like many people living with a serious illness, he has had to cut back on some of his commitments. At the same time he has also taken on new challenges such as boxing and ballet in order to maintain strength and balance. In this special programme for Parkinson's Awareness Week, recorded over several years, Sean tells his story in his own words through interviews and audio diaries. Details of organisations offering information and support with Parkinson’s are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5TzWfx4YgJVMS3N49BsyTcR/information-and-support-parkinsons-disease

While attention is understandably focussed on the latest horrors of the Gaza-Israel conflict, it’s easy to forget that in Ukraine and dozens of other countries, people are also being forced from their homes, seeing communities destroyed, and living in daily fear. In other places, the memories of much earlier atrocities continue to shape lives.It’s the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda which killed 800,000 people in 100 days in 1994.The UK parliament faces yet another round of votes on the government’s plans to send asylum seekers there, proposals hailed as a means of protecting borders, deterring people without legitimate claims, and fighting the traffickers.And widely condemned as inflicting unnecessary suffering, breaching international agreements, and incurring huge expense. while working with a country with a far from perfect record on human rights. On the day two years ago when the plans were first announced, Roy Jenkins was interviewing a survivor of that genocide in 1994. He was in Wales, visiting a couple who’d kept in touch with him since he was in an orphanage. Today we’re repeating that conversation with Jean-Pierre Sibomana, who was maimed in an explosion which killed his mother. He’s faced many struggles, but that devastating event was eventually to help set a vision for his life – he’s now a disability rights champion.

Recent figures suggest that Christianity is now one of the most widely persecuted religions in the world. Rosa Hunt speaks to three people who have had experience of persecution in countries where to follow Christ demands a high price - sometimes literally. In Malaysia, Susanna Koh talks about the day seven years ago when her husband, Pastor Raymond Koh, was abducted possibly at the hands of Malaysian police and religious authorities, unhappy that he was doing social work among people of various religions, including Muslims. In Manipur, in north-east India, Sharon Singsit-Evans talks about the way conflict between tribes has ended up destroying churches, killing pastors and displacing thousands from their homes. Finally, in West Africa, Suleiman talks about the extreme dangers facing Christians there, where kidnapping, murder and the destruction of farmlands is becoming ever more common.

Dr Bablin Molik holds a PhD in Biology from Cardiff University with a specialism in Glaucoma. Today she is CEO of the charity Sight Cymru and Lord Mayor of Cardiff. She speaks with Azim Ahmed about her her role as Lord Mayor and her work advocating for the blind and partially sighted. Bablin moved to Wales from Bangladesh at the age of six and went on to excel in her schooling here. She’s dedicated much of her working life to campaigning for those with impaired sight and in her role as Lord Mayor her nominated charity is UCAN Productions, a performance and creative arts charity supporting children who are blind and partially sighted. During the month of Ramadan, Bablin shares the challenges of fasting while being a CEO and Lord Mayor, but also how her resilience and compassion is rooted in her Muslim faith.

This week the Media Bill has been scrutinised and debated in the House of Lords. The aim is of the bill is to reform decades-old legislation for Public Service Broadcasters (including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and S4C), but in its current form it will remove the requirement for specific genres of programmes on religion, arts and science.With religious programming already in decline, some groups are concerned that this will deal a serious blow to faith broadcasting. Others argue it’s a necessary step, giving broadcasters greater flexibility and reflecting a post-Christian Britain. What might happen if there isn’t a a requirement to make programmes about religion and belief? With a rapidly changing religious landscape in Britain, do current faith programmes meet audience needs? To what extent does religious broadcasting matter? Azim Ahmed is joined by four guests to explore the issues; Tony Stoller, Chair of the Sandford St. Martin Trust, Tim Pemberton, Head of Religion and Ethics for BBC Audio, Kathryn Riddick from Humanists UK and journalist and broadcaster Remona Aly.

Two students from a school in Bristol were fatally stabbed last month – and the one person many journalists sought out for comment was a Baptist minister. Not because he knew them, but because he heads the academy trust that their school belongs to – along with 53 other schools across the country.Today's guest is Steve Chalke – activist and writer, broadcaster and social entrepreneur – founded the Oasis Trust nearly 40 years ago. Today it links churches and other community groups in challenging injustice and inequality. Its initiatives range from the big schools network to specialist neighbourhood debt advice, job training, mental health drop-ins for children and young people, and much more. It also works internationally in housing and education and healthcare.Steve Chalke has never shied away from controversy, not least among the evangelical Christians who nurtured him – he’s been outspoken in his defence of minority groups and some traditional ways of understandings the Bible.

It’s coming up to two years since Russia’s so-called ‘special operation’ against Ukraine led to one of the biggest conflicts on European soil since the end of WW2. Shocking as that was, it’s been followed by yet more global insecurity. In the Middle East, the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues; meanwhile, some commentators look nervously at China’s threatening position towards Taiwan. At home in Britain there have been dire warnings that we are living in a ‘pre-war era’; and further afield, the Doomsday Clock has been set to merely 90 seconds before midnight and a nuclear holocaust.For people of faith, making sense of the human propensity for violence has always been challenging. How can we justify pacificism in the face of evil? And contrariwise, how can we justify warfare when we claim to follow the command of Christ to love our enemies? And what does horrendous warfare do to your faith in God and in humanity?Rosa Hunt talks to four people who have had to think through some of these issues in great depth. In Lviv, Ukraine, Rev. Roman Zaviysky, who’s dean of the faculty of theology at the Catholic University; In Princetown, Ukrainian theologian Pavlo Smytsnyuk reflects on how life has changed over the last two years. In Israel Elena Volkova – originally from Russia and now an independent scholar after leaving her mother country - offers her perspective. And in Aldershot, retired soldier and lay minister Major General Tim Cross, who served during the Cold War and during peace keeping operations in the Balkans, offers his perspective.

This weekend the Right Reverend Dorrien Davies has been enthroned as the 130th Bishop of St Davids in a cathedral which is the mother church of a large diocese covering the west Wales counties of Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion. It’s a part of Wales that Bishop Dorrien knows well – having studied at Lampeter, served as a curate in Llanelli and subsequently as parish priest in Llanfihangel Ystrad Aeron and at St Dogmaels before being made a Residentiary Canon at St Davids Cathedral in 2010. Five years ago he was appointed to a senior role as Archdeacon of Carmarthen; he’s well-known and popular in the diocese. He succeeds the Rt Revd Joanna Penberthy who retired last year following a lengthy period of sick leave. Her time in office wasn’t without controversy following a tweet for which she subsequently apologised in which she said “Never, never, never trust a Tory.” Bishop Dorrien was born and brought up in Abergwili near Carmarthen which is also where Llys Esgob – the Bishop’s Palace – is situated. That’s where Jonathan Thomas recorded a conversation earlier this week, covering a wide-range of topics and issues including climate change, historic churches, the management of differing opinions over same-sex blessings and the role of the Church in an election year. He also recalls growing up in the shadow of the Bishop's Palace in Abergwili, and his consecration service as a bishop in Bangor Cathedral last weekend.

In light of the discovery of a rare medieval cemetery in the Vale of Glamorgan, Azim Ahmed explores funerary customs today. Dr Andy Seaman, a specialist in early medieval archaeology from the University of Cardiff, shares his findings on location at the archaeological dig site near Fonmore Castle. While graveyards might be seen as quiet reflective places today, Andy explains that in the medieval period they were often central to life and where communities might meet to undertake business, meetings and even feasting. Dr Marianne Rozario from the Christian think tank Theos shares the conclusions from their recent report ‘Ashes to Ashes: Beliefs, Trends and Practices in dying, death and the Afterlife.’ Key findings are a growing trend towards cremation rather than burial in the UK and a rise of “celebrations of life” over traditional funerals. Author, eulogy speechwriter, and funeral celebrant Pete Billingham explains how the growth of ‘Direct Cremations’ is changing the way we remember those we’ve loved and lost, and how the digital age is shaping the modern landscape of memorial services. Near Llandaff Weir Vimla Patel shows Azim a new multi-faith ash scattering site in the River Taff. It’s the first site of its kind in Wales and offers Hindus and Sikhs the opportunity to scatter the ashes of their loved ones near the place they call home. Traditionally ashes would be scattered in India’s holiest river, the Ganges, but Vimla explains that for second and third generation members of the Sikh and Hindu communities many would prefer ashes to be scattered in Wales. Supporting Humanity is an award-winning charity providing mental health and bereavement support. Since the Covid pandemic they’ve been running workshops and tutorials to train younger members of the Muslim community the traditional Muslim funeral ritual of Ghusl. In the Islamic tradition it is important that burial takes place as quickly as possible and that the body should be washed and dressed before so. Trustee Sumaiya Khoda and CEO and founder Idris Patel share how they’ve been overwhelmed with the interest and dedication shown by the young people they work with. Details of organisations offering information, advice and support with bereavement are available at www.bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Sleep is said to be a gift from God, but what happens when you can't drift off at night, or you regularly wake up in the small hours? Rosa Hunt investigates the science and spiritual purpose of sleep. Roughly 1 in 3 people experience periodic bouts of insomnia, and there's no it can be deeply troubling, both mentally and physically. Rosa Hunt (who suffers herself from insomnia) investigates the fascinating science and spiritual purpose of sleep, and talks to a number of fellow insomniacs.Rev'd Belinda Huxtable-Goy has suffered from disturbed sleep as a legacy of her previous job as a nurse working night shifts in trauma and obstetrics. Rev'd Dr Emma Whittick has managed to overcome her sleep difficulties after a lifelong struggle to sleep at night, whilst Rev Jon Birch started his teens as a very good sleeper, only to end with a very disrupted sleep pattern whilst experiencing the pressures of student life. As for so many people, this only got worse with the pressures of parenthood and dealing with very young children.In the past sleep was deemed practically a waste of time, and even the Bible sometimes seems to equate sleep with laziness. But as scientific understanding gets ever deeper, we can appreciate that sleep performs a whole range of essential functions. Professor Mark Blagrove, a psychiatrist from Swansea University and no stranger himself to wakeful hours in the middle of the night, explains some of the science and the multiple functions of sleep.Presenter: Rosa Hunt Producer: Geoff Ballinger

We’re three weeks into January - Christmas seems a distant memory, the weather pattern this month has ranged from flooding to freezing cold temperatures, and there’s still a couple of months to go before the clocks go forward, when the days grow longer and lighter. And perhaps, for many us, those hope-filled new year’s resolutions are now long forgotten. For some, these factors all contribute to a decline in mood. So-called ‘Blue Monday’ falls this week. The label was reportedly coined by psychologist Cliff Arnall in 2004 when a holiday company asked him for a ‘scientific formula’ to calculate the most depressing day of the year. In fact, there’s nothing scientific about it, and the term ‘Blue Monday’ has been disputed over the years. But, does January really make the world feel different; or is the notion a myth, negatively conditioning the way we routinely view the first month of the new year? How deeply do the changing months and seasons affect the way we view and experience our daily lives, and our spirituality?To discuss these issues, Delyth Liddell is joined by Vishvapani Blomfield, a Buddhist writer, broadcaster and mindfulness teacher; Dr Simon Braybrook, a GP from Cardiff; and Sr Gemma Simmonds, director of the Religious Life Institute at the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology, and an ecumenical canon of the Church in Wales.

Roy Jenkins speaks to the Church in Wales' newly-appointed Director of Mission and Strategy, the poet and writer Grahame Davies. Before his recent appointment to the church of which he has been a lifelong member, Grahame served as deputy private secretary to King Charles III, where he worked behind the scenes helping with - among other things - the huge task of organising royal visits. Grahame talks about his faith journey - sometimes literally, when he reflects on a profound spiritual experience he had after visiting the island of Iona - and about the joy of hearing his own words sung and performed to millions of TV viewers around the world during the King's Coronation.

This year All Things Considered marked the 900th anniversary of St David's recognition by Pope Callixtus II as patron saint of Wales, when he declared that two pilgrimages to St Davids were worth one to Jerusalem.Across the seven weeks between St David's Day and Easter this year, All Things Considered and Celebration celebrated the life and impact of this man whose feast day we mark every year but about whom we know relatively little.During the course of the series programmes were made examining David's relationships with Pembrokeshire, Brittany, Rome and Jerusalem – following in the footsteps of the saint himself, and asking what this medieval figure might have to teach us today. Jonathan Thomas introduces highlights from the series.

Delyth Liddell introduces four Christmas cards from Llandaff Diocese. Will and Jude Souter are from Urban Crofters church in Roath; Edwin Counsell is at St Illtud's in the Vale of Glamorgan; Mark and Ruth Greenaway-Robbins are at Margam Abbey; and Sarah Jones is from St John the Baptist in the centre of Cardiff.

The birth of Jesus is an important even for both Muslims and Christians, but there are some key differences in how the nativity story is told. For any Christians expecting to hear about donkeys and asses, innkeepers and shepherds there's disappointment in store: these do not feature in the Islamic nativity story, although Mary and the Angel Gabriel do enjoy a key role! Azim Ahmed explores the Islamic traditions of Jesus, who is regarded not as the Son of God, but as an important prophet. For some critical scholars such as Professor Gabriel Said Reynolds the Islamic narrative derives from earlier Christian sources, sometimes from texts that were banned by the mainstream church. For Muslims such as Ahmad Thomson, however, the version contained within the Qur'an is the definitive one, revealed to the Prophet by the Angel Gabriel. Both traditions, however, are united in their belief in the virgin birth, and the eventual return of Jesus at the Second Coming. Rana Kahn, the Church in Wales' representative on interfaith matters, takes an even handed view of both the Biblical and the Quranic versions, whilst for Amanda Morris the story of Mary giving birth alone to Jesus is a story of immense emotional power. Producer: Geoff Ballinger

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, signed on 10th December 1948, is seen by many to be a milestone document in human history. Drafted in the aftermath of the Second World War, it set out basic rights that belong to all of us regardless of race, religion, gender or politics. But has the declaration withstood the test of time? Roy Jenkins examines the issues with four people who have dedicated their working lives to fighting for human rights. Professor Sir Malcolm Evans, Principal of Regent’s Park College in Oxford and former Chair of the United Nations Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture. Canon Paul Oestreicher, an Anglican priest and a Quaker, a CND vice-president and former Chair of Amnesty International UK. Yasmine Ahmed, UK Director of Human Rights Watch and Marissa Conway CEO of the United Nations Association in the UK.

Our guest today is one of the world’s most widely performed contemporary composers and arrangers, as well as an acclaimed choral conductor. Born in 1955, singing as a choir-boy in his local church ignited a musical spark in Bob Chilcott. Since then, choral music has been at the heart of his life: a chorister, then a choral scholar in the choir of King's College, Cambridge; a member of the British vocal group The King's Singers; and, since 1997, a full-time, prolific composer, arranger and conductor. His works span genres and include a large sacred output, performed and recorded globally. For many, his name is synonymous with Christmas, having written and arranged reams of Carols, including editions of the choral singer’s go-to compilations, Carols for Choirs. As a conductor, he holds the position of Guest Principal Conductor of the BBC Singers, and directs choirs of all ages and abilities across the world. Bob Chilcott is committed to sharing choral singing as a vehicle for humanity.

To judge from the number of recordings (they run into the thousands) Amazing Grace is one of the world's most popular hymns. And yet this global 'hit' was many years in the making. Penned by a former slave trader turned abolitionist, John Newton, it was in America that it would be popularised, largely through the agency of a Welshman who wedded it to the tune with which we are familiar nowadays. Ironically, the song was most enthusiastically adopted by African Americans. And it would be two centuries before a hymn written for a rural parish in Buckinghamshire would return to Britain as a popular song, conquering the charts with recordings such as Judy Collins' version in 1970, and an unlikely chart-topper in 1972 with The Pipes And Drums And The Military Band Of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. Rosa Hunt explores the various twists and turns, and the ironies in this story of John Newton's most famous hymn, which is now some 250 years old. Acclaimed baritone and composer Roderick Williams talks about his collaboration with poet Rommi Smith in writing a song-cycle expressing some of our contemporary unease with a hymn which is both loved and despised, depending on perspective. Historian James Walvin is the author of a new book on Amazing Grace, and he provides the historical context to Newton's life, whilst Welsh historian Marian Gwyn gives her insight into the nature of the Atlantic slave trade at the time of John Newton. One landmark recording of the song was made by Paul Robeson, and Beverley Humphreys comments on both that recording and on Newton's words. Producer: Geoff Ballinger https://www.johnnewton.org/Groups/222562/The_John_Newton/new_menus/Amazing_Grace/Amazing_Grace.aspx https://cowperandnewtonmuseum.org.uk/john-newton-1725-1807/

The term 'spiritual abuse' is increasingly used in faith contexts, but what exactly is it, and how does it differ from other forms of abuse? Jonathan Thomas explores the issues. Jonathan hears the testimonies of those who have suffered abuse including Caroline Plant, founder of Replenished Life, a charity based in St David's that supports victims of spiritual abuse. Co-founder Simon Plant explains their personal motivation to establish the charity. Dr Lisa Oakley, Professor of Safeguarding and Knowledge Exchange at the University of Chester, and joint author of the book Exploring the Maze of Spiritual Abuse explains what makes spiritual abuse distinctive from other forms of abuse. The most recent allegations to hit the headlines about spiritual abuse have been against Mike Pilavachi, founder and figurehead of Soul Survivor in Watford. Over many years this church attracted tens of thousands of young worshippers through their annual Christian festivals. Allegations of 'inappropriate relationships' between Pilavachi and young male interns have come as a shock to the Evangelical Christian community. Megan Cornwell, Deputy Editor of Premier Christianity Magazine and host of podcast Soul Survivors examines the allegations. This autumn St David's Catholic Cathedral in Cardiff is hosting a week-long 'Loud Fence' initiative to provide a voice to those who have experienced abuse in faith based settings. During the week people are encouraged to tie brightly coloured ribbons and messages of support to railings to recognise survivors of abuse. Antonia Sobocki is the leader of the initiative in the UK. She explains why we need a radical change in the way we respond to survivors of abuse.

At the moment you can’t move in the shops for sales of pumpkins and all kinds of Halloween outfits – such as masks, witches’ hats, and luminous skeletons. It’s being reported that spending on Halloween is expected this year to surpass the billion pound mark. Come Halloween there’ll be the trick or treat ring of the doorbell, and spooky parties serving foul-looking broth, witches’ fingers and graveyard chocolate cake. But as far as the church is concerned, there’s little or no engagement except perhaps for a so-called Light Party. Rosa Hunt takes a broader look at Halloween. We hear about the history of bonfire celebrations on 31 October which stretch back to pre-Christian times; in Wales Nos Calan Gaeaf had both agricultural and spiritual significance. We ask why many in the church have little or nothing to do with Halloween. As far as popular stories like the Harry Potter books or Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials are concerned, the church has sometimes been sometimes been accused of keeping such fantastical story lines at arm’s length. We consider why. And amidst all the Halloween trick and treating, can all the fun tip over into something more sinister? Rosa’s guests this week are: Sergeant Sue Carrington, a crime prevention police officer based in north Wales. Revd Dr Rob Beamish, a school chaplain and Baptist minister based in Colwyn Bay. Mandy Bayton, Director of Evangelism, Church in Wales. Twm Elias, Welsh author who has written a written a book about festivals during the year including Nos Calan Gaeaf. Revd Canon Dr Jason Bray, Vicar of St Giles’s Parish Church Wrexham and a Deliverance Minister.

The shimmering opening chords of 'When You Wish Upon a Star' means just one thing in the minds of many – the start of a magical journey into a 'whole new world', with princesses, princes, tribal chiefs, fairy godmothers, magic carpets, talking snowmen and happy ever afters. This month marks the centenary of the founding of Disney. What began as a small animation studio in California has grown into a multi-billion-pound entertainment conglomerate with an enormous following. And today we take a closer look at Disney’s output, drawing mostly on the beloved animation films from across the years, as we explore what underpinned Walt Disney’s vision and values. Is this simply innocent entertainment, star dust and escapism; or a powerful vehicle for a moral message? Who is represented in its films and remakes? Does it really ‘make no difference who you are’ to be able follow the Disney dream? And with its streaming service and theme parks attracting millions each year, has the brand itself become something of a religion? Delyth's guests include: Mark Pinsky, a writer and journalist based in North Carolina in the USA, whose book about the 'Disney Gospel' examines how Disney films says more about faith and values that we might think; Neera Vyas, a Hindu teacher and writer based in Wrexham; Fourteen year old Lowri Moore who shares her inspiring story; And a cohort of young helpers who help guide us through their perceptions of Disney films.

In light of the conflict in Israel and Gaza, Jonathan Thomas hears the views of members of the Jewish, Muslim and Christian communities affected by recent events. The programme contains personal opinions and reports from Jerusalem and from Wales and further afield, as faith leaders and ordinary individuals try to make sense of what is happening, and question what hope there might be for peace.

Today's guest joins us 6 months into new role as CEO of Cytûn, Churches Together, Wales. He embarks on a key ecumenical role at a challenging time: fewer people in Wales consider themselves Christian, there's a slump in congregations and churches face a crossroads. But Siôn Brynach has put out a clarion call to the organisation to consider how ecumenicalism can serve Welsh Society. Ordained a Priest in 2022, and currently serving as a self-supporting associate priest at Christ Church, Roath Park Lake, Siôn Brynach has followed a huge range of career paths: politics in Plaid Cymru, communications and public affairs, at the Arts Council of Wales, Hanfod Cymru, the BBC and the Church in Wales. Recent years have been marked by trauma, from a prostate cancer diagnosis in 2018, to a horrific collision in 2020, which left his wife, Cathrin, with life-changing injuries. But Siôn Brynach’s faith has been his sustenance, and he now encourages those he serves to ‘look ahead’, to see what is possible. Jonathan Thomas speaks to Siôn about his life, work, and hopes for the future of the ecumenical movement in Wales.

Rosa Hunt looks at the ethical and religious implications of AI's growing involvement in our lives. The second of two programmes looks at our relationship with AI in our religious lives. Might Artificial Intelligence become our priest - or even our King? Rosa talks to: Marius Dorobantu, a theologian specialising in the intersection of science and religion at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Zoe Kleinman, BBC News' technology correspondent; Jonas Summerlin, researcher at the University of Vienna in Austria who's recently mounted an AI-led church service; and John Lennox, Oxford mathmetician and Christian apologist who writes about the interface of science, philosophy and religion.

Rosa Hunt looks at the ethical and religious implications of AI's growing involvement in our lives. The first of two programmes looks at our relationship with AI in our daily lives. Artificial Intelligence might be our helper - can it ever be our friend? Rosa talks to: Zoe Kleinman, BBC News' technology correspondent; Hannah Rowlatt, RNIB Technology for Life coordinator for Wales; Myra Wilson, head of the intelligent robotics group at Aberystwyth University; and John Lennox, Oxford mathmetician and Christian apologist who writes about the interface of science, philosophy and religion.

This September as part of the new Curriculum for Wales, students across the country will be studying a new Religious Education syllabus. The rebranded 'Religion, Values and Ethics' curriculum is being rolled out on a gradual basis, and the first pupils will take a GCESE in the subject in 2025. Rebranding one of the oldest curriculum subjects is a significant step, and to discuss the issues Delyth Liddell is joined by four guests; Mary Stallard, lead bishop for Education in the Church in Wales, Kathy Riddick, Wales Humanists Coordinator, Jennifer Harding-Richards, RE Hub leader for Wales and Libby Jones from the St. Giles Centre in Wrexham. Together they discuss what is new and distinctive about this course, and how it marks a departure from the past. In Wales there's been a significant fall in students taking A-Level RE (748 entrants in 2023 compared to 1276 in 2019) and short courses GCSE entrants have decreased by 85% since 2010. Only 6 students have enrolled on a PGCE to teach Secondary RE this year. Can the new curriculum turn this rather gloomy picture around?

Today's guest is widely recognised for his hands-on ministry to people in need. During the lockdowns of the pandemic, when many churches in his home community of Burnley in Lancashire closed their doors, he offered ‘Church on the Street’; and it attracted wide media attention. Pastor Mick Fleming had previously spent decades in a life marked by hard crime and addiction. On the verge of an illegal operation, a spiritual encounter began a challenging journey: confronting past trauma and addictions, finding a new beginning with God and being called to ministry. Now, on the streets where he previously dealt drugs, he runs a network delivering hot meals, food parcels and clothing to the most vulnerable across the North West, as well as offering spiritual nourishment through weekly worship, and many other community services. His work has prompted a visit from the now Prince and Princess of Wales, and he’s just published his autobiography. Plans are also reportedly afoot for a television series based on his life story.

This year marks 900 years since St David’s place at the centre of Welsh identity was given international recognition by Pope Callixtus II. Two pilgrimages to St Davids, it was pronounced, were equivalent to one to Rome; a later version of this claims that three pilgrimages to the Pembrokeshire cathedral were equivalent to one pilgrimage to Jerusalem. But who really was St David, and what does he mean to us in 21st century Wales? For BBC Radio Wales, All Things Considered and Celebration are marking this anniversary during the seven weeks from St David’s Day to Easter. We’re exploring the locations connected with his story to understand what motivated him, how he’s been seen across the centuries, and what he means to us now. We’ll reflect themes linked to St David, and hear from contemporary pilgrims following in his footsteps, and we’ll worship as David did. David’s life and the stories which came to be told about him were from the very beginning shaped by an international dimension: David was given his status because of a relationship with Rome; he acquired his spiritual purpose because of a relationship with Jerusalem; his birth and upbringing involved a relationship with Brittany; while his spiritual leadership involved relationship with the whole island of Britain. In this programme Sarah Rowland-Jones investigates some deeper connections between our patron saint and the Holy City. The earliest biography of St David, written 500 years after his death, claimed that David travelled to Jerusalem and met the Patriarch, who declared him archbishop of all the the Britons. This may sound fanciful, but there is an abundance of evidence that early Christians actually did make that arduous journey to the Holy Land - not least from Britain. Not only that, David's famously austere monastic lifestyle is certainly indebted to the example set by the desert fathers, who lived in Egypt - a connection that David's earliest biographer, Rhigyfarch, explicitly acknowledges. Visiting the Garden of Gethsemane and the Old City of Jerusalem, Sarah searches for the historical context for a saint about whom so much has been written, but about whom so little is known for certain.

With the National Eisteddfod being held on the Lleyn Peninsula, our focus this week is poetry. Azim Ahmed is in conversation with Hanan Issa, the first female Muslim National Poet of Wales. She’s completed the first year of a three-year tenure of the post, organised by Literature Wales. Hanan Issa is proud of her dual heritage- she’s both Iraqi and Welsh and grew up in Cardiff. She’s has also made films, written short stories and is now embarking on a novel. During the programme, Hanan discusses her journey of faith, her dual heritage, Welshness, and the (long) process involved in writing poetry even before putting pen to paper. She also discusses and reads some of her work including ‘The Unsung’ a poem commissioned in her official role to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the NHS. Hanan also speaks about her enthusiasm for 'cynghanedd' (the Welsh language poetic form in strict metre) and its use in her work. www.literaturewales.org “Kicha and the Unicorn” - a short story by Hanan Issa is available on BBC Sounds https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/favourites/m001p23m The Golden Apple – a short film written and directed by Hanan Issa. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0ck5zx1

It’s possibly never happened before, but this summer a renowned physicist is in major contention with a plastic doll. The big question for cinema-goers seems to be which of the two to see first: Barbie or Oppenheimer, the biopic about the ‘father of the Bomb’, and a man whose work on nuclear weapons would change the world. In today's edition of All Things Rosa Hunt discusses the work of physicist J Robert Oppenheimer, and his work in developing the atom bomb. For many of us, we thought the threat of nuclear conflict had almost disappeared, but the war in Ukraine reminds us that the genie unleashed by Oppenheimer in the desert at Los Alamos is still out of the bottle. To discuss some questions about the uses and abuses of science and technology Rosa is joined by a distinguished panel of guests. These include: physicist Professor Jon Butterworth. Jon splits his time between London and the CERN laboratories at Geneva. He worked on the discovery of the so-called ‘God particle’, the Higgs Boson, with an experiment that itself has changed our knowledge of the world, and which some feared would (rather like the atom bomb) destroy everything in it. Rev Professor Philip McCormack is principle of Spurgeon’s college. Philip is a former Baptist army chaplain who’s also a key figure in drafting the ethical framework under which the British Army operates. Awel Irene, is a seasoned peace campaigner, and secretary of Cymdeithas y Cymod or The Fellowship of Reconciliation in Wales. Last but not least, Dr Iwan Russell-Jones is a lay reader in the Church in Wales, who’s seen the biopic Oppenheimer not just once, but twice!

“I want to build a church in which people can be themselves”. Delyth Liddell is in conversation with one of the most senior figures in the Anglican Church in Wales. The Right Reverend Gregory Cameron, son of a south Wales steelworker, became the 76th Bishop of St Asaph in 2009. Before his consecration, Gregory Cameron held senior roles in the worldwide Anglican Communion; at the time he was described by the Times newspaper as “arguably the most influential clergyman behind the scenes”. Before moving to St Asaph, he warned the worldwide church not to outlaw homosexuality, for fear of the destruction of their church. He has not been afraid to speak out on issues controversial for the worldwide church. When he’s not running a diocese – this year celebrating the 1450th anniversary of his predecessor - Asaph, Gregory Cameron is a best-selling writer and artist, has a long-standing interest in heraldry, noting that the Bishop of St Asaph’s coat of arms is “the most boring in Christendom". He’s even designed coins for the Royal Mint, and recently created a new flag for the city of St Asaph. In this programme, Bishop Gregory talks about his early years, his role at the Anglican Communion, his firm belief in the inclusion of LGBTQ people in the church, and the importance of recreation.

Monastic life may seem remote to many. But beloved films such as the Sound of Music, documentaries, and television dramas like Call the Midwife mean that some will share an idea of what nuns are and what they do, and may even inspire a fascination and curiosity in the mysteries of a contemplative life. Today’s guest, however, has first-hand experience. Much liked the beloved Maria von Trapp, Caroline Leighton is an avid musician. A pianist, a teacher of music and a composer, with two works to be published this month by the Royal School of Church Music, her sacred output ranges from canticles to a requiem mass, along with a collection of anthems, carols, and art songs. She grew up in a busy musical household where faith was very much on the periphery. But her musical gifts led her to discover an attraction to contemplative monastic life, and through this, a deep and profound faith. After some months as a postulant in a Carmelite monastic community in Quidenham, Norfolk, she re-entered the noisy world, re-evaluating her sense of vocation, and calling. Azim Ahmed chats to Caroline about her experience, her faith, and her music.

Earlier this year in Utah, a western state of the USA, the King James Bible was banned in Elementary and Junior School Libraries in the Davies County school district. The ban was due to what one parent dubbed the ‘violent and vulgar’ content in the Bible. The prohibition caused an uproar, drawing global attention, and the ban was subsequently reversed. Two journalists who closely covered the story, Courtney Tanner from the Salt Lake Tribune and Sam Metz from the Associated Press, offer insight into into the story and its wider significance. Jonathan Thomas explores whether content in the Bible is too 'violent and vulgar' to be shared with children. Steffen Jenkins, Lecturer in Greek, Old Testament and Biblical Studies at the Union School of Theology in Bridgend and Aled Davies, director for the Welsh Sunday Schools Council, explain how they handle the difficult aspects. Methodist minister Jonathan Miller explains how many of the children he works with relish the more gruesome biblical stories. Helen Jackson home educates four boys and shares the daily practicalities of handling the more challenging parts of the Bible. She's a former secondary art and design teacher and currently writes a blog, 'Imperfectly Natural Mama' documenting their journey as a Christian home educating family. What is the relevance of this censorship debate to the UK? In recent years books including those by Roald Dahl have undergone 'sensitivity editing' to remove offensive language. Some have called this censorship and Dr Philip Kiszely, lecturer in performance and cultural histories at the University of Leeds, and Katherine Bennett, journalist for the Catholic Herald, discusses the issues.

Azim Ahmed visits one of Wales' most fascinating religious communities, now celebrating 50 years since it was founded in a peaceful corner of Carmarthenshire, near the village of Llanpumpsaint. This monastery and temple complex is devoted to worship and to service to both animal and human lives. Boasting no fewer than three elephants, the Community of the Many Names of God was established back in 1973 by a former Sri Lankan florist based in London, Guru Sri Subramanium. The Guru came to Wales guided by a vision. From unpromising beginnings - he had spotted a derelict farm for sale in the small ads of the Farmers Weekly magazine - the Guru built up a temple complex that is nowadays home to some twenty permanent members, and many more lay people and devotees. Still guided by the late Guru's vision, Skanda Vale attracts many thousands of worshippers annually, and is home not only to a human community - it is also home to numerous animals, including no fewer than three elephants! https://www.skandavale.org/

June is Pride Month, dedicated to celebrating people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and more, usually depicted by a plus, the inclusive symbol to mean and others, and includes people of all identities and queer communities globally. Pride is not just a celebration, it's also about protest, designed to get people thinking about acceptance, equality and deeper matters about identity. Today, we turn our attention to that very matter, considering gender. What does it mean on its most fundamental level? What did God intend? How does it make us who we are to ourselves and each other? And what of the interplay between biology, psychology and faith? Big topics and ones which can stir confusion, concern, and generate challenging questions. To help make sense of these matters, Delyth Liddell is joined by: The Bishop of Llandaff, the Very Reverend Mary Stallard Reverend John-Edward Funnell, Pastor of Noddfa, Abersychan Reverend Sarah Jones, a transgender Anglican priest and vicar of St. John's in central Cardiff and Jack Valero, founder of Catholic Voices

Until a few decades ago congregations would regularly wear their smartest outfits to church or chapel every Sunday: women might wear a frock and adorn their heads with exotic hats, and men might don a sober suit and tie, and slather their hair in fragrant hair tonic. Meanwhile, such clergy as used clerical dress - and that's by no means all - tended to restrict themselves to a restricted palette of black, white and maybe grey. Nowadays, attitudes are far more relaxed among congregations; and some clergy, particularly members of the Catholic and Anglo-Catholic traditions, rejoice in wearing some fascinating vestments, full of vibrant colour and full of symbolism. Jonathan Thomas examines the complex dress codes at work among congregations and clergy in the past, and gets a feel for attitudes towards clothing today - and even gets to try on a beautiful green chasuble! Jonathan meets one of the premium makers of clerical vestments - Watts & Co - who have been involved in no fewer than five coronations (including the coronation of King Charles III (https://wattsandco.com/pages/royal-connection), and speaks to Bishop Mary Stallard, Bishop of Llandaff. Baptist Gethin Russell-Jones, recalls growing up under the 'Sunday Best' dress code, while Methodist minister Cathy Gale recalls the strict hat-wearing code at work when she ministered to congregations in the Caribbean. Jason Bray, vicar of St Giles church in Wrexham, explains what he wears for his very particular side-line as a 'deliverance minister'. As Rev Dr Bray explains, the contemporary relaxed dress code among congregations reflects a movement away from 'social Christianity', where church is merely a place to be seen, to an environment in which people take their spirituality seriously.

This week marks the start of the 'Churches Unlocked' festival in South Wales running between the 3rd and 11th of June. During this time thirty churches will be welcoming the public for events; from bell ringing taster sessions to wildlife spotting in churchyards. With the closure rate of churches in Wales increasing, Christopher Catling, Chief Executive of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, explains why he believes it’s vital to preserve church buildings, and how he believes events like this can help. The festival’s founder Sarah Perons explains how she hopes the event will help connect communities with their historic buildings. Delyth Liddell visits three churches taking part in the festival. At Margam Abbey Mark and Ruth Greenaway Robbins show her the historic Stanton Vestments and share their vision for a welcoming inclusive church. Bev Gulley takes Delyth on her ‘Trails and Tales’ talk about the great and the good buried at the Abbey, and tells some captivating Victorian tales. At St. Cybi’s Church, Llangibi, Peter Foden leads a pilgrimage walk, ‘Camino Cybi,’ and shares the story of a wild-camping Cornish prince who founded the church in the sixth century. In Barry pupils from Oak Field Primary School show Delyth around Merthyr Dyfan church and share why they love this small sanctuary situated in the middle of residential housing estates. Emma Ackland explains how the festival has given them the boost to open the church that has been locked since the Covid pandemic, apart from for Sunday worship.

Religious affairs programme, tackling the issues of the day in a thought-provoking manner.

As Easter draws to a close, Christians around the world will be focussing on the Day of Pentecost which comes a week today. This major festival has been given other names too - Whit Sunday or Whitsun for short. It’s even been referred to as the birthday of the church. Coming 50 days after Christ’s Resurrection, it’s the time when (according to the dramatic account in chapter 2 of the Acts of the Apostles) the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. The passage continues, “Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them” The Holy Spirit had arrived in no uncertain terms. From then on – as the remainder of the Book of Acts relates - the disciples and their followers were inspired to go forth and set up the first churches in places like Corinth and Thessaloniki; their mission was far from easy. Down the centuries, churches have been opened and closed and indeed the landscapes of Wales and other places around the world are punctuated with neglected and derelict churches which were once proud testaments to fervent revivals. Here in Wales, many places such as Llandudno, Llantwit Major and Llanbadrig are testament to church cells founded by saints about 1500 years ago. Now, despite an increasingly secular society today, new churches are being opened with congregations growing in number. We ask why. With the help of his guests, Jonathan Thomas hears about the descent of the Holy Spirit on the very first Day of Pentecost, and its subsequent influence on new churches emerging around the Eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor. He also explores the work of the Holy Spirit today in Pentecostal and mainstream denominations, and learns about the seeming exponential growth of neo-Pentecostal churches in south America. Our guests: Catrin Williams: Professor of New Testament Studies at the University of Wales, Trinity St David. The Revd Dr Gareth Leyshon, a Roman Catholic priest and Director of Adult Education in the Archdiocese of Cardiff. The Revd Dr Jonathan Black: Lecturer in Theology at Regents Theological College of the Elim Pentecostal Church, and a minister in the Apostolic Church. Luca Sparey: an ordinand based at the Citizen Church in Cardiff. Professor Bettina Schmidt: Director of the Alister Hardy Religious Experience Centre based in Lampeter.

Azim Ahmed looks into some of the issues affecting mental wellbeing among the Muslim community in Wales and beyond. Whilst younger people might now be well versed in the language and lexicon of mental health, some older people may struggle to find the words to describe their mental state. In some cases, faith can be a balm for the troubled mind, but there are cases where certain religious beliefs can actually make things harder - beliefs such as attributing mental illness to the 'evil eye' or even demonic possession, for example. Attitudes are changing, but research suggests a need for sensitivity among health professionals in understanding the cultural backgrounds of some Muslim patients. And among Muslims, there's comfort in the example of the Prophet Mahommed himself, who evidently also experienced periods of low mood and anxiety, and yet was unafraid to express his feelings.

This week sees the Coronation of King Charles III. Whilst the Coronation service itself is rooted in ancient Christian traditions and symbols, it breaks new ground, with a ‘faith procession’ of eight non-Christian clerics leading the way into Westminster Abbey, the presentation of ceremonial regalia involving Sikh, Hindu, Muslim and Jewish peers; Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, a practising Hindu, reading from the Bible; the blessing shared by leaders of different Christian denominations; and the King being greeted by non-Christian faith leaders. As Prince of Wales, King Charles once said he would prefer to become ‘Defender of Faith’ rather than ‘Defender of the Faith’. However, the King’s oaths, central to the service, remain unchanged, including the promise to maintain ‘the Protestant Reformed Religion’ as Supreme Governor of the Church of England. The oaths are, however, contextualised by the Archbishop of Canterbury, to illustrate the King’s commitment to the multi-faith and diverse landscape in Britain. But what exactly does this centuries old title of ‘Fidei Defensor’, ‘Defender of the faith’, mean in practical terms at the dawn of King Charles’ reign? What of the bigger picture - does it apply to us in Wales? Do we need one? And what of the place of other faiths? To discuss these issues, Rosa Hunt is joined by: The Very Rev Dr Sarah Rowland Jones, Dean of St Davids; Alun Lenny, councillor, former mayor of Carmarthen and a non conformist lay preacher with the Annibynwyr Catherine Pepinster, a journalist specialising in religious affairs, and author of 'Defenders of the Faith, the British Monarchy, Religion and the Coronation'; And Akhandadhi Das, A Vaishnava Hindu teacher and theologian

Jonathan Thomas goes on a journey around Wales to meet three contemporary artists; Karen Jones in Anglesey, Mark Cutliffe in Swansea and Lois Adams in Treforest, Pontypridd. He finds out how their faith informs and inspires their art. Mark Cutliffe finds his inspiration in the outdoors and works with willow and sand. Jonathan joins him and together they create a piece of sand art on Swansea Bay. Jonathan finds out about his past as a rock musician and his personal journey to faith. We hear about his work with community groups and his firm belief that anyone can be creative, they just need to make a start. Mark runs the Essence Creative Christian Festival held each summer in Swansea. Karen Jones is a painter and lives in Waenfawr near the Snowdonia National Park. We meet her on Treaddur Bay in Anglesey where she is collecting shells to inspire a new painting. She explains how her art is influenced by the Italian mathematician Fibonacci, and how painting has helped her cope with the loss of her brother. Jonathan meets 3D artist Lois Adams at Parc Arts in Treforest, Pontypridd. Here she is exhibiting a piece in a touring exhibition "Biblical Women: Equity." The collection aims to take a fresh look at how women are depicted in the Bible by focussing on the work of female artists. Lois explains her thought proving 3D art, and shares her understanding about the role of artists to serve the community around them.

Azim Ahmed looks at the extraordinary life and work of the nineteenth century Liverpool solicitor William Abdullah Quilliam. Although brought up as a Wesleyan, Quilliam would convert to Islam after a visit to Morocco. He returned with indefatigable zeal to establish a mosque in Liverpool, and to create a British version of Islam, complete with hymns and a very distinctive version of the national anthem. Quilliam used the title of 'Sheikh al-Islam' of the British Isles, a title he claimed was conferred on him by the Sultan of Turkey. Azim talks to Professor Ron Geaves of Cardiff University, and to Yahya Birt, an Islamic community historian. In addition, Azim talks to writer and historian Christina Longden, whose Cardiff-born ancestor Robert Stanley went on to become one of Quilliam's most significant converts. This programme was first broadcast in January.

"Get on the pill, get a job, and stay out of my life" - such were the less than encouraging words her father once addressed to the young Lorraine Cavanagh. Despite coming from a wealthy and privileged family background (her grandmother was the inventor of the modern bra, and the proprietor of a prestigious publishing house), Dr Cavanagh endured a childhood of emotional neglect, and sexual abuse at the hands of a stepfather she was encouraged to call 'Dad'. In this candid interview, Revd Cavanagh, who is now a Church in Wales priest, talks to Delyth Liddell about her new book, a memoir about coming to terms with her early life: Rebuilding the Ruined Places, and her journey of faith, trying to make sense of some of the paradoxes of her extraordinary, glamorous and yet emotionally starved upbringing in France, America, Spain and England. This programme was first broadcast in January 2023.

The final part of a series of programmes on BBC Radio Wales marking the 900th anniversary of St David’s international recognition. David’s spiritual authority is said to have come from his reputed visit to Jerusalem in the 6th century, the city which is the focus of the Easter narrative and would have been at the centre of David’s world. In the 21st century that city’s story is a complex and involved one: this programme does not seek to explain or explore those issues, but simply offers three Easter postcards from Jerusalem. These come from places connected with the events of Holy Week, which have been significant through the centuries. Their stories are told from the perspectives and through the voices of Christian visitors to and residents of a city which continues to inspire people from around the world.

Fr Matthew Roche-Saunders, a Catholic priest from the parish of Aberystwyth is in Rome, following in the footsteps of faithful pilgrims across the centuries. 900 years ago this year, as recorded by the English historian William of Malmesbury, Pope Callixtus II granted a privilege to St Davids to be of significant spiritual importance for pilgrims. As part of our 'In The Footsteps of David' series of programmes celebrating our patron saint, Fr Matthew explores the act of pilgrimage, hearing from others visiting places around the globe linked to Saint David, to understand more about this journey of faith.

Delyth Liddell follows in St David's footsteps to Glastonbury, one of the most spiritually diverse places in Britain, and a community which David is said to have founded in the sixth century. David famously preached against heresy (the heresy of Pelagianism), so what what would he have made of a community that these days is home to 78 different spiritualities... and what would they have made of him? Delyth visits the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey, accompanied by an Anglo-Saxon guide - Edgar the Anglo-Saxon - and in the beautiful surviving chapel of St Patrick speaks to the vicar of Glastonbury, Prebendary David McKeogh. That the once magnificent abbey now stands in ruins is a vivid demonstration of what happens when one orthodoxy is replaced by another, as the Reformation made heretics of former loyal Catholics, and dismissed the wonders of saintly cults such as the cult of St David. Dr Sarah White explains the nature of heresy past and present. Nowadays, Glastonbury is a more tolerant, inclusive society - Delyth visits not only a Catholic shrine but also a pagan healing centre. Far from condemning modern pagans, many mainstream Christian denominations in the town are prepared to work alongside people who hold quite different views to their own - vicar David McGeogh recalls fondly the occasion when he organised a funeral for an artist, and elves, pixies and druids all joined in to say the Lord's Prayer. As Methodist minister Tina Swire explains, 'Glastonbury is a place of seekers... and we are all seeking something'.

St. David is said to have performed a number of miracles, from restoring the sight of a man who was blind to the famous occasion when a hill rose up beneath him so that the crowds could hear his preaching. As part of our series marking the 900th anniversary of St. David’s recognition as a saint, Roy Jenkins and guests discuss miracles today. The panel examine how we make sense of St. David’s miracles in a contemporary context, whether miracles do in fact still happen, and if they do occur, why do so many earnest prayers go unanswered? Roy Jenkins is joined by four guests; Julian Richards, who founded Cornerstone church with his wife Sarah more than thirty years ago and now heads up New Wine Cymru. Joshua Brown is a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Indiana University. His own experience of miraculous healing was recently featured in an article in the New York Times. He helped found the Global Medical Research Institute which investigates and publishes case studies of miraculous events. Gemma Simmonds is a sister of the Congregation of Jesus, a prolific writer who teaches at the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology in Cambridge. She is a regular visitor to Lourdes. Lastly Trystan Owain-Hughes, a Christian theologian and author of Finding Hope and Meaning in Suffering. He’s the Director of Ministry Development for the Church in Wales.

As part of our series of programmes making the 900th anniversary of St David's international recognition, presenter and pastor Jonathan Thomas tries out a day in the life of St David. Jonathan's own contemporary religious traditions are quite different from the ancient practices of a Celtic saint. As he visits key locations in West Wales connected with David, and follows in his footsteps and practices (or their present-day equivalents) - what will he make of life lived in the style of a 6th century monk? And what will today's West Walians make of him? In this programme, Jonathan tries cold water immersion, street preaching, contemplative practices and more. Helping him along the way are St Davids' Cathedral librarian Mari James; Archdeacon of Ceredigion and dairy farmer Eileen Davis; and chaplain at the University of Wales Trinity St David, Emma Whittick. No day in the life of a saint is complete without a trusty band of followers: Jonathan is joined for part of the programme by students from Trinity St David's Lampeter Campus, and conducts some of his saintly duties in the contemplative environment of the campus' chapel, refectory and library.