Things Unseen

Navid Akhtar is the founder and chief executive of Alchemiya Media – an online TV channel which aims to showcase the best of Islam and Muslim life. Navid is also an award-winning documentary producer with an eye for architecture and many other forms of creative expression. In this edition of our alphabet of all things faith-related, he visits the Royal Festival Hall, where as a student he first became aware of the amazing range of human creative expression through architecture, design, music and even food. For him, creativity is closely bound up with humanity’s innate search for something higher – the Creator. The A-Z of Things Unseen looks at an eclectic mix of ideas and concepts through the eyes of 26 believers from a range of different faiths – as well as some doubters.

In the second edition of our A-Z of Things Unseen, the Revd. Sally Hitchner, chaplain at Brunel University London, reflects on the concept of blessing from a Christian perspective – and explains why she believes God’s love and grace are manifested through the act of giving and reveiving blessings.

In the first of our A-Z of Things Unseen, Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg from the New North London Synagogue reflects on the concept of awe from a Jewish perspective – and argues that this sense of being part of something much greater is not just for people of faith.

When her father Justin Welby became the spiritual leader of 80 million Anglicans, Katharine Welby-Roberts shot to social media fame as the ABCD, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s daughter. In conversation with Alison Hilliard, she reflects on her long battle with anxiety and depression and how her favourite Bible verses show God as a God who draws close to those suffering from mental illness.

The nation state: the best way we have to control the movement of people, or no better than a lottery for life's opportunities?

Remona Aly challenges two of her Christian fellow Things Unseen presenters – Mark Dowd and Alison Hilliard – to join her in the Ramadan fast for one day.

In April 1945, Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl emerged from the Nazi concentration camp at Dachau – the only member of his immediate family to survive the Holocaust. From this traumatic experience sprang his seminal book, Man’s Search for Meaning, in which he argues that even in the most painful situations, life has potential meaning – and it is up to the individual to find it.

Coming to university can be a daunting experience. This is where university chaplains play an important role: they provide support and guidance for all students, of any faith and none. In this podcast, which won the third prize in the Things Unseen competition, Philip Lickley meets Christian and Muslim chaplains at the University of Bradford.

Is creating a piece of art an act of faith, even for those who have no religious faith in the traditional sense? How does myth inform the artist’s work? And how do faith, art and the unknown hang together? The runner-up in the Things Unseen podcast competition, Zack Polanski, tackles these intriguing questions in this entry.

Leading geneticist Steve Jones discusses the relationship between scientific enquiry and religious faith with Catholic journalist Mark Dowd. Steve Jones admits to his atheism - quoting with approval Napoleon's 'I have no need of that hypothesis' -- but is a fan of the Bible as 'a magnificent work of literature'. He also approves of many of Christ's pronouncements, but is averse to the Old Testament's 'violent god'. When asked if he is - unconsciously - making a case for New Testament Christianity, he responds 'Perhaps I am'.

Diane Foley is the mother of James Foley, the first Western hostage to be brutally killed by Islamic State. In conversation with Mark Dowd, she explains how her strong Catholic faith has helped her deal with the anguish of her son’s capture and death. She also reflects on the parallels between her experience and that of Mary standing under the cross of Christ. The music is Scarlatti’s Stabat Mater, sung by the London-based chamber choir, Coro.

The 12 steps which form the backbone of Alcoholics Anonymous only mention alcohol once, but God features four times, along with references to a higher power and spiritual awakening. But what does that mean in a country like Britain, where only around one in three people say they believe in God? Can the 12 steps work without a religious faith? And on the other hand, if a higher power is so central to recovery from alcoholism, why are there so many Christians with addiction problems?

Even those with scant religious knowledge will remember Moses as the man who led the Children of Israel out of Egypt. It is much less known that Moses is also one of the Five Great Prophets of the Islamic tradition. In this podcast – which won the Things Unseen podcast competition 2015 - Abdul-Azim Ahmed explores the person of the Muslim Moses, or Musa, and whether he can be a uniting figure between Muslims and Jews.

You can have religious faith but not be protected from a sense of inadequacy, which may lead to fear of failure, even thoughts of suicide. In this programme, a 22-year-old Muslim medical student discusses her suicidal feelings and why she feels unloved by God. Muslim counsellor Ajmal Masroor and Christian priest and author of a book on suicide Mike Parsons provide a faith perspective.

74-year-old Quaker Shelagh Robinson is thoughtful, articulate and deeply spiritual. She also has Alzheimer’s. In this moving interview, she tells Remona Aly what her faith and community mean to her, and why she feels her sense of being close to God will always stay with her.

No fewer than 850,000 people in the UK are living with dementia. Yet even when short-term memory or the ability to operate gadgets are badly affected, the memory of what has been meaningful to the patient – including their faith - usually remains intact for a long time. Remona Aly discusses with four guests, including a 74-year-old Quaker who has Alzheimer’s, what role faith can play in the lives of people with dementia and their families.

At Christmas 1914, British and German soldiers on the Western front laid down their weapons, exchanged gifts and sang carols together. Some even kicked a football around. In this programme, Nelufar Hedayat hears accounts of these astonishing events, separates fact from fiction and finds out what the Christmas truce means to the descendents of those soldiers and young people today.

One can have faith but not be immune to depression. Faith is no cure, not even a consolation. Yet 'poor theology' leads many to misunderstand, even condemn, the sufferer... and thereby only make the condition worse. If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this programme, which opens a Things Unseen season on mental health, and would like to talk to somebody you can trust, call The Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90. Information on where to seek help is also available from Mind through the charity's Infoline: 0300 123 3393 (text 86463).

At first glance, the teachings of Jesus seem a world away from the ancient Chinese religion of Daoism. Yet if you look more closely, there are striking parallels and historical connections going back to the 7th century. In conversation with Alison Hilliard, religious historian Martin Palmer explains how Daoism has helped him see Jesus in a new light and ultimately brought him back to his Christian faith.

Belief in angels is widespread, far beyond the Christian churches. Lorna Byrne – dubbed “a modern-day Irish mystic” – has attracted a huge following through her books on them. But what is behind their enormous appeal? Alison Hilliard speaks to Lorna Byrne and discusses with three guests.