Past Programs
History - 2008
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Faith in Politics
16/11/2008
As the Rudd government approaches its first anniversary, Encounter explores one of the trickiest, most sensitive and potentially controversial intersections in Australian public affairs - the relationship between religion and politics. Taking as a starting point Kevin Rudd's long essay declaring Dietrich Bonhoeffer his hero, the program tracks the influence of religion on Labor and Coalition policies. Father Frank Brennan, accused by some politicians as being "the meddlesome priest" describes how his first meeting with Kevin Rudd ended in furious argument and how their relationship later developed into friendship. Tom Frame, former bishop to the chaplains of the ADF talks of how he saw John Howard's religious beliefs evolving in office.
Blood of Tuncurry
19/10/2008
Encounter traces how a religious group which has its roots in North America found its way to the small town of Tuncurry on the mid-north coast of New South Wales in the early days of white settlement. What makes this story unusual is that today the Wright family of Tuncurry who were pioneers of this regional town have come to the attention of the Mormon Church in the United States because many of them are direct descendants of the founder of the faith, Joseph Smith.
Ties That Bind: Jewish Australians and New Zealanders in Israel
21/09/2008
On the occasion of Israel's 60th anniversary and the opening of the Australian Memorial Park in Be'er Sheva, commemorating the Australian Light Horse Brigade in World War 1, Rachael Kohn travels with a group of Australian and New Zealander Jews to Israel. The spiritual leader of the group is Rabbi John Levi, AM, who reflects on the profound Australian ties to Israel. Members of the group relate their spiritual, familial and historical connection to Israel, and in the lead up to Independence Day they join in the Holocaust Remembrance Day prayers under the spiritual guidance of Rabbi Levi.
Visit The Ark which includes pictures from 5 programs on archaeology in Israel with Walter Zanger. Programs broadcast in June 2008.
Special Audio Downloads
Download additional interviews with members of a group of Jewish Australians and New Zealanders travelling to Israel to celebrate its 60th anniversary reflect on the meaning of Israel to them.
- Download Roselle Peltz is originally from South Africa and her memories go back to her school days
- Download Prominent wine grower, John Tate, is at the Western (Wailing) Wall in Jerusalem
- Download Elizabeth Ridge from Melbourne says each time she travels to Israel its different
We Begin in Hell - <i>Paradise Lost</i> and the Theology of John Milton
07/09/2008
We all know that Paradise Lost is a very famous English poem with Satan as something of a hero in Hell but how much do we know about the life, theology and politics of John Milton, its author?
To Jerusalem
27/04/2008
Encounter travels to Israel and looks at the intricate relationships and tensions between the Ultra Orthodox and secular Jewish communities of Jerusalem. We hear personal stories from both sides and we unravel the journey of an Ultra Orthodox woman who is the subject of a theatre production - Hagar. In the play, Hagar seeks to reconcile with non-religious Israelis via the enigma of her name.
The Zen Priests of Nothingness
13/01/2008
We travel to Tokyo and Kyoto to meet a Zen sect with a tradition of music as spiritual practice whose influence continues today. They were the Fuke sect, and the wandering monks of this Buddhist lineage, known as the komuso, became famous as the Zen Priests of Nothingness.
