Past Programs
History - 2006
2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003
Chinese Brother of Christ Read Transcript
31/12/2006
Hong Xiuquan believed he was the younger brother of Christ and by 1850 had 20,000 Chinese followers gearing up for a rebellion.
The Virgin and the Grail Read Transcript
24/12/2006
The legend of the Holy Grail is as old as medieval times when stories of its magical power and its Christian significance became popular. But what was the Grail? And how and where did the legend begin?
The Nativity Story of Christmas Read Transcript
17/12/2006
It is the most widely depicted of the stories of Jesus, and around Christmas time, nativity plays are staged throughout the world. But how much of the story is history and how much is legend?
D.T.Suzuki: Zen Pilgrim to the West Read Transcript
10/12/2006
No one did more to promote Zen philosophy in the West than D.T. Suzuki. Among those influenced by him were Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, John Cage and a host of writers and poets from the Beat Generation.
Anna Kingsford: Mystic, Medico and Animal Liberationist Read Transcript
03/12/2006
Born in England in 1846, Anna was a mystic, doctor, activist, vegetarian, and writer who promoted esoteric Christianity. She was president of the London Lodge of the British Theosophy Society in 1883 and formed the Hermetic Society in 1884.
Baptists of Queensland Read Transcript
26/11/2006
From Scotland, Ireland, England and Germany, Baptists arrived in Moreton Bay in the mid 19th Century as part of a settlement scheme to ensure the colony would be sufficiently Protestant.
Egyptian Book of the Dead Read Transcript
19/11/2006
A group of mortuary spells written on sheets of papyrus covered with magical texts and accompanying illustrations comprise the Egyptian Book of the Dead.
Australia's Most Haunted Read Transcript
12/11/2006
Tim the Yowie Man shares 15 years of investigation into the most mysterious and haunted places in Australia.
Paracelsus Read Transcript
05/11/2006
He became known as the Luther of medicine for his reformist medical practices, but Paracelsus, who was born in Switzerland in 1493, was also a religious man.
Papua New Guinea Martyrs Read Transcript
22/10/2006
During World War II, thirteen Anglican missionaries in Papua New Guinea were killed. Alan Gill tells the story that shocked the Church.
The Temple of the Lord of the Dance Read Transcript
15/10/2006
Architect Alan Croker discovered his heart at the Nataraja Temple in Tamil Nadu, India, and he's been visiting it for 20 years.
Chinese Studying Judaism Read Transcript
01/10/2006
Across China, centres of Jewish studies have been established by Chinese who are eager to learn about the culture that blends modernity with tradition.
Paul Tillich, Existential Theologian Read Transcript
24/09/2006
No one did more to bring existentialist philosophy and Christian belief into a harmonious relationship than Paul Tillich. Renowned New Zealand theologian Lloyd Geering discusses Tillich's legacy.
Christian Relics and the Historical Jesus Read Transcript
13/08/2006
From the 4th Century, Christian relics became an important part of both the Roman and Byzantine Christian tradition.
The Heresy of Modernism Read Transcript
06/08/2006
Resistance to the 'winds of change' of Vatican II has long been seen as characteristic of Australian seminaries, but former Catholic priest Val Noone argues that there were priests and lay people who agitated for change.
Manichaean Women of the Oasis Read Transcript
30/07/2006
The Manichaeans of 4th century Egypt were one of many Gnostic groups that were considered heretical by the Christian church.
Christian Emissary of Kublai Khan Read Transcript
23/07/2006
Before Marco Polo plied the Silk Route to visit the great Khan in the 13th century, the Mughal Emperor sent out a Christian emissary to retrieve relics from Jerusalem and send a message to the Pope. His name was Rabban Sawma.
Song and Dance of Tibet Read Transcript
09/07/2006
In the 14th Century, Lama Thangtong Gyalpo conceived the idea of using Lhamo, Tibetan opera, as a means of telling moral tales from the Buddhist tradition.
Indonesian Sacred Sites Read Transcript
02/07/2006
Tombs of Islamic saints dot the coastal ports and hinterland of West Java, where previously Hindu and indigenous spiritualities prevailed before the 16th century.
Astrology Art Read Transcript
11/06/2006
Venus and Jupiter are popular figures in Medieval and Renaissance art, but what do these figures represent? References to classical mythology, or the heavenly bodies that make up the astrologer's horoscope?
Strong Christianity Read Transcript
04/06/2006
Rev Charles Strong was a Presbyterian in Victoria who founded the Australian Church, and was a close friend of Australian Prime Minister, Alfred Deakin.
Who's Who in the Time of Jesus Read Transcript
21/05/2006
Was Mary Magdalene a prostitute? Why was James the Brother of Jesus airbrushed out of history? Geza Vermes, described as 'the greatest Jesus scholar of his generation', has compiled a handy guide.
Chinese Brother of Christ Read Transcript
14/05/2006
Hong Xiuquan believed he was the younger brother of Christ and by 1850 had 20,000 Chinese followers gearing up for a rebellion.
Sex in Hinduism Read Transcript
07/05/2006
Wendy Doniger from the University of Chicago is an expert in Hindu religion and mythology and she tells us about sex in Hinduism.
The Buddhist Scrolls, Pt 2 Read Transcript
02/04/2006
Out of the turmoil of Afghanistan, several sensational collections of early Buddhist manuscripts have come to the West in the last ten years. They are the oldest original manuscripts of Buddhism still existing.
The Buddhist Scrolls, Pt 1 Read Transcript
26/03/2006
Out of the turmoil of Afghanistan, several sensational collections of early Buddhist manuscripts have come to the West in the last ten years. They are the oldest original manuscripts of Buddhism still existing.
Egyptian Animals and Gods Read Transcript
19/03/2006
Egyptologist, Akkadia Ford, believes ancient Egyptian religion offers a way of being environmentally attuned to nature and psychologically empowered. She has compiled a guidebook to the gods and goddesses who appear as animals, reptiles and birds in ancient Egypt.
Galileo's Crime Read Transcript
05/03/2006
In 1633 Galileo Galilei was found guilty of 'vehement suspicion of heresy'. The trial has since been regarded as the greatest scandal in Christendom.
Sidney Myer: For the Common Good Read Transcript
26/02/2006
Sidney Myer, founder of the Myer Emporium in Melbourne in 1911, never forgot the opportunities that Australia gave him as a penniless migrant.
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism Read Transcript
12/02/2006
Last year marked 100 years since the German founder of sociology, Max Weber, published his seminal essay on the origins of Capitalism.
Jung's Shaman Read Transcript
05/02/2006
Jung believed shamanism was an early stage in human psychological development, similar to his own theory of self realisation, or individuation.
Ikey Solomon, Another Australian Icon? Read Transcript
29/01/2006
Charles Dickens' Fagin in Oliver Twist is one of the most disagreeable Jewish characters in English literature. The man on whom Dickens partly based him was Ikey Solomon.
American Prophet: Joseph Smith Read Transcript
22/01/2006
In 2005 the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, The Mormons, celebrated 200 years since the birth of their founder, Joseph Smith.
The Kimberley Plan Read Transcript
15/01/2006
Melbourne journalist Leon Gettler takes us to the 1930s when the Kimberley region in Western Australia was proposed as a place of refuge for Europe's Jews.
Secret House Rituals Read Transcript
01/01/2006
Ian Evans has discovered a secret practice of the 18th and 19th centuries in Australia & the UK to protect the home and its inhabitants from evil forces.
