Leading with love: women are taking the church into the future
In Australia, and beyond, women are taking on religious leadership in ways that would have been unthinkable decades ago. But change and faith is a complex brew. And for every breakthrough, there's backlash. And the arguments aren't just theological – they're personal too, touching on tradition, culture, and what it means to be faithful in a changing world. So, what happens when the drive for gender equality meets the weight of sacred tradition? GUESTS:Pastor Sue Westhorpe last year was one of two women ordained for the first time into the Lutheran church. Rev. Charissa Suli, President of the Uniting Church in Australia, the youngest and first person of colour to hold the office.This episode of God Forbid was made on Gadigal land and in Naarm. Technical production by John Jacobs.
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Monogamy: Is it still the gold standard of intimate relationships?
Although the Australian population has doubled in size since the early 1970s, the number of marriages registered each year has not increased over this time.And…interest in poly modes of intimacy are on the rise.So, what do people want in their intimate relationships and indeed marriages in 2025?Can we still make a case for monogamy – dedication to “the one” till death do us part? Or are we moving towards new models of intimacy?GUESTS:Justine Toh is Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Public ChristianityMichail Ivanov is a socio-legal academic from the University of Adelaide and author of Polygamy: Proper or Primitive Belinda Tobin, researcher and author of The Moral Dilemma of MonogamyWatch a recent Compass episode about polyamory Beyond Monogamy
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Stealing my religion: When does religious appreciation become appropriation?
Is religious appropriation an act of reverence? Or cultural theft? Yoga at the gym, meditation via an app on your phone, sage-smudging a corporate office. Religious rituals and traditions are being taken out of their original context and used in everyday life by people outside the culture and faith they're taken from. Could this be considered a kind of theft? Or is this part of a healthy modern cultural exchange? To explore the ethical and spiritual implications of wellness-ifying religious practices are two guests researching the impact of these cases. GUESTS:Prof Liz Bucar, professor in religious ethics at Northeastern University and author of Stealing My Religion: Not Just Any Cultural AppropriationA/Prof Shameem Black, associate professor in the School of Culture, History, and Language at the Australian National University and Author of Flexible India: Yoga's Cultural and Political TensionsThis episode of God Forbid was made on Gadigal land, the land of the Ngunnawal people, and the traditional land of the Massachusett peopleTechnical production by Craig Tilmouth and John Jacobs
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Is religious appropriation ever respectful?
From yoga in the gym, to Buddhist chants in wellness retreats, we live in a time of mixed spirituality, where ritual and practice are globalized, traditions blend, and meaning is borrowed or simply stripped away. So, when is religious borrowing respectful, and when does it cause harm?GUESTS:Elizabeth Bucar is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Northeastern University and author of Stealing My Religion Shemeem Black, Researcher at the Australian National University and the Head of Gender, Media and Cultural Studies Program in the School of Culture History and Language, She is the author of The Flexible India: Yoga’s Cultural and Political TensionsThis episode of God Forbid was made on Gadigal land. Technical production by Craig Tilmouth and Tegan Nicholls.
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Coercion, control and worship: Where do we draw the line between a religion and a cult?
Is a cult a misunderstood religion? Or something much more dangerous?The line between high-control religions, new religious movements, and 'cults' is as grey as ever. But the fascination we have with these groups is only getting stronger. What counts as a 'cult'? Is it your highly controlling tech workplace? Your gym with a forever-binding contract? Or does the casual use of the word 'cult' do a disservice to those stuck in dangerous and emotionally manipulative religious and spiritual organisations?To shed some light on the difference between a new religious movement, a cult, and your regular high-control Pentecostal mega-church are the God Forbid guests who have lived, studied, or spoken to survivors of these groups. GUESTS: Professor Carole Cusack, Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Sydney, specialising in new religious movements (NRMs) contemporary religious trends and Western esotericismSarah Steel, host and creator of award-winning podcast, Let's Talk About SectsScott Parker, writer and star of stage production, Hillsong BoyThis episode of God Forbid was made on Gadigal land. Technical production by Craig Tilmouth and Tegan Nicholls.
Religion: it’s at the centre of world affairs, but profound questions still remain. Why are you here? What happens when you die? Does God matter? God Forbid seeks the answers.
Australia