Sunday Folgen

A 19 year old has just taken up her post as a chaplain with the Railway Mission, which aims to support rail staff and passengers who are caught up in accidents on the tracks. Edward Stourton talks to Hannah Tuck about the appeal and challenges of the job.The Churches' Child Protection Advisory Service (CCPAS) publishes research into spiritual abuse tomorrow. What is meant by the term? Where is it most prevalent and how can such abuse be prevented?Gavin Drake was expecting to spend Thursday quietly at home remembering his wife, Jill Saward, on the first anniversary of her death. Jill Saward had spent many years campaigning for the rights of rape victims after her own experience of rape in the Ealing vicarage in the 1980s. But the day was given added piquancy with the news that a parole board had decided that convicted rapist John Worboys should be released from jail. Kevin Boquet reports on a training programme for head teachers, devised and run by the Church of England which has received government accreditation. A Kent vicar has found a novel way of getting brides to the church on time; he fines them if they are more than ten minutes late.And - all he wants for Christmas is .......Vladimir Putin celebrates Orthodox Christmas confident of another Presidential term.Producers: Rosie Dawson and Helen Lee.Series Producer: Amanda Hancox.

90 years ago listeners to the BBC were for the first time able to tune in to a live daily act of worship. Rosie Dawson has been looking back over the years and catching up with the current team as they celebrate this milestone.Baroness Onora O'Neill, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge, talks to William about our ethics and values in the twenty first century.On New Year's eve most of us look forward to the new year according to the Gregorian Calendar but some people also follow a Lunar year. Trevor Barnes asks what's it like living life according to two calendars? He made his way one Saturday evening to the home of Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner as she prepared to see out the Sabbath with her family and her friend, the Muslim journalist Remona Aly and talked to them about living with both calendars.American religious journalist Sarah Posner looks back on President Trump's first year on office and his impact on religion in the USA.Journalists Harry Farley & Sughra Ahmed look forward to 2018 and give their thoughts on what they think the big religious stories will be.The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu talks about the stories that captured his attention in 2017 and his hopes for the New Year.Producers Carmel Lonergan Rajeev GuptaEditor Amanda Hancox.

Yolande Knell soaks up the atmosphere in Bethlehem's Manger Square as Christians worldwide prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus.Reporter Vishva Samani talks to women sleeping rough in Manchester and asks why their numbers are increasing.A Muslim, a Jewish and a Hindu family each describe what they get up to on the 25th December.Two years ago, the Butrus family fled persecution Iraq and Syria because of their Christian faith. As they prepare to celebrate their second Christmas in this country, they tell Edward Stourton about their flight and their hopes for the future.In recent years, Islamic extremist such as ISIS and Boko Haram have attacked Christians in the Middle East and Africa but there is growing concern for Christian communities in India, Pakistan and China too. John Pontifex from Aid to the Church in Need tells Edward why persecution against Christians is on the rise.Since 1983, the choir of King's College Cambridge has performed a new carol at the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. This year's is by Welsh composer Huw Watkins, Professor of Composition at the Royal Academy of Music, we get a sneak preview.In the early years of the 20th century, 'the wizardry of Mr Marconi' enabled the BBC to celebrate a very British sort of Christmas with the rest of the world. To take a look at those first festive offerings from Auntie Beeb, Edward is joined by Paul Kerensa, author of a new book called 'Hark! The Biography of Christmas'.Sarah Mullally has just been appointed to the one of the top jobs in the Church of England - she is going to be the next Bishop of London. She talks about the challenges ahead and how her background in nursing will impact on her new role.Producers: Helen Lee Lissa CookSeries Producer: Amanda Hancox.