Life & Faith

A butcher, a wife, and a harpist walk into a Life & Faith episode. --- Distant from us in time, place, and culture, is there any way for a 21st-century person to truly access the world of ancient texts? Leviticus, Psalms, and Song of Songs are among the oldest books we have as humans. They’re important to Jews and Christians as part of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament; they’re important to scholars of the ancient world, and they’ve been important to our culture. But they’re also quite hard work, right? Enter Phil Bray, Sophia Wisdom, and Kamina Wüst: modern readers of weird old books, whose personal experiences as 21st-century people have given them surprising ways "in" to these words from thousands of years ago. Phil trained as a butcher, and his practical expertise has made the arcane world of priests, altars, and animal sacrifice in the book of Leviticus come alive for him. Sophia longed to play the harp as a little girl; now, that’s what she does for a living, and her music opens up an often hidden dimension to the Bible (especially the Psalms). And Kamina’s life – and marriage – have been changed by what she calls the “weird, sexy book” of Song of Songs. She even has a verse from it tattooed on her. You might not want to take up butchery, learn to play the harp, or get married specifically as a way of unlocking these old books. But we hope that the enthusiasm and insightfulness of these three readers will encourage you to take a fresh – or first – look at some ancient, weird, cool texts with plenty still to say to us today. EXPLORE Wisdom Harps Kamina Wüst’s books on Song of Songs Phil Bray’s book Leviticus on the Butcher’s Block Read Psalms Read Song of Songs Read Leviticus

As Americans celebrate 250 years since the birth of the USA, we ask what the American project has delivered and what its future might be? Life & Faith examines the 250th anniversary of the USA. What were the founding ideals? How much have those ideals been realised? What might the future of the union be? And what about the contribution and implications of the religious layer to this story. Is, or was the United States ever, a “Christian country?” Well, it’s ... complicated. It takes some untangling. To sort through the complexity we are joined by historian Mark Noll, Bible Scholar and Cultural Commentator Darrell Bock and expert in American politics and foreign policy David Smith. Explore: Mark Noll, A merica’s God: From Jonathan Edwards to Abraham Lincoln Mark Noll, A merica’s Book: The Rise and Decline of a Bible Civilisation 1794 - 1911 David Smith, Religious Persecution and Political Order in the United States

Ralph Jackman left a successful career in sports broadcasting to become a teacher. He didn’t expect that choice to land him behind bars. Ralph had been a sports reporter for 25 years but felt he needed a change and in his early 50s trained to become a teacher. That might be tough enough of a transition, but Ralph’s first appointment was to Melbourne’s Parkville Youth Detention Centre teaching literacy and numeracy to boys on remand. He was teaching some of our country’s most damaged and vulnerable boys. Ralph has written about that experience in his book Detention: A Rookie Teacher. The Toughest Prison School in Australia , where he narrates some amazing experiences he had in that environment. Jackman shows how being extra creative, as well as personally honest and vulnerable was necessary to make a connection with the boys. He also tells of the reason he came to be a whistle blower against a system he felt was badly failing those in its care. Explore: Detention: A Rookie Teacher. The Toughest Prison School in Australia

Meet winemakers and brothers(-in-law) Daniel and Theo, who make good wine and have thought deeply about why. What’s it like to win best in the world at the ‘wine Olympics’? Do you need a degree to make great wine, or will Google get you through? Is wine only for snobs? And what do grapes suggest about God? Daniel Chaffey Hartwig and Theo Engela are the brothers-in-law behind Chaffey Bros Wine Co. In this celebratory episode of Life & Faith, they talk about the ups and downs of winemaking (mostly the ups), and why they think it’s a natural fit for people of Christian faith like them to be in this business – despite certain stereotypes! Benjamin Franklin famously wrote that wine is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy, and Daniel and Theo can definitely get on board with that idea. Whether or not you’re a wine drinker, we think you’ll enjoy this episode about work and family; loving what you do, but knowing you're not in control of it; and what wine can teach us about life. So pull up a comfy chair and raise a glass with us to the goodness of wine. Explore: Chaffey Bros Wine Co

Author, radio host and columnist Richard Glover talks to Life & Faith about his career, the joys of radio and why ordinary life is so special. Richard Glover was the host of ABC Radio Sydney’s drive program for 26 years, retiring from that role at the end of 2024. He is the author of 18 books including 3 for kids. He has a regular Saturday column at the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age which he’s been doing for over thirty years. He started out as a cadet journo for the Herald and has been a foreign correspondent and news editor there. In all of his work – whether it be on the radio, his weekly column or the books he has written there is an inquisitiveness about the world and other people, a generosity of spirit and good humour. He really is a much loved figure in, especially Sydney’s public life. He speaks to Life & Faith about highlights of his radio career, why communication and humour have been so important to him and what things most nourish his soul. Explore: Richard Glover’s Website: https://www.richardglover.com.au/

In a world where we are inundated with options, it feels as though everything rides on making the right choice. Enter decision paralysis. LONG From TikTok influencers to productivity bros, there’s no shortage of people today doling out lifehacks. But there’s a difference between generalised advice from online gurus and the specific guidance we want for our lives – especially when we’re faced with weighty decisions, like what to do with our lives, where to live, how to push through a difficult time. Alan Noble, an Associate Professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University and the author of To Live Well: Practical Wisdom for Moving Through Chaotic Times , has talked to many young people navigating such questions, and understands, firsthand, the anxiety of feeling adrift in a sea of options while also feeling pressured to make the right decision. In this interview with Life & Faith, Alan speaks into the existential overwhelm and choice paralysis people feel, what T.S. Eliot’s image of ‘a heap of broken images’ has in common with the scattered life advice on offer today, and what it would mean to revisit older notions of ‘virtue’ and ‘character’ to help us make sense of how we should live. We also speak with Sofia, Brodie, Jordan, and Ana. Each tells us about a significant life decision, or challenging circumstance, they’ve faced lately, and what they’ve learnt from the experience. Sofia, 22, and Brodie, 21, have transitioned from university study to the workplace. Jordan, 25, tells us about navigating a career setback. And Ana, 43, tells us how life took an unexpected turn when she became a newlywed at 40, and fell pregnant last year. Through their stories, we experience not only the difficulty of choosing well but grappling with uncertainty since, as Alan writes in To Live Well , ‘you can’t wait for certainty before you act’. Along the way, the stories of Ana, Jordan, Brodie, and Sofia each have something to teach us about being courageous – with ‘courage’ or ‘fortitude’ being one of the virtues. Explore Alan Noble’s To Live Well: Practical Wisdom for Moving Through Chaotic Times His other books On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden and Gift of Living You can sign up for his Substack newsletter here

We think we’re fully human when we’re independent of other people. We couldn’t be more wrong, says Leah Libresco Sargeant. Is dependence taboo? We may be happy to lend a hand to others, but we probably squirm at the idea of asking for help ourselves. In a world that prizes autonomy and independence, it feels almost shameful to be dependent. Which is partly why Leah Libresco Sargeant got pushback from her publisher about putting the ‘d’ word – dependence – in the title of her book The Dignity of Dependence: A Feminist Manifesto. ( Actually, as she tells Life & Faith, every word in that title proved controversial). The word ‘dependence’ was especially tricky, says Sargeant, because we resist the idea of someone ‘taking from someone else’ without being able to pay them back. But this is the very idea Sargeant, a Catholic thinker and author, is trying to defend: ‘There are periods of our lives where we receive from others and where we can’t pay back, and that’s a normal period of a human life’. Sargeant points out that when we operate with a faulty anthropology – a false picture of the human – then the world only works for those who conform to that false image. If we believe that a full human life is an independent one, we’ll stigmatise dependence. But this is untrue, since every human begins life completely dependent on others. It also leaves out vast swathes of people – including women who, for a variety of reasons, are more exposed to the need of others. Which is partly why our conversation begins with the striking claim Sargeant makes on the first page of her book: ‘The world is the wrong shape for women’. Explore The Dignity of Dependence: A Feminist Manifesto Leah Libresco Sargeant’s Other Feminisms Substack newsletter Interview featuring Leah Libresco Sargeant in conversation with Helen Andrews on Ross Douthat’s podcast Interesting Times

Changing careers can be tough. Is it worth the risk? Shifting careers into something completely new, especially if you have been doing a job for a long time, can be a daunting prospect. But it can also be immensely rewarding. In this episode of Life & Faith we speak to three people who made radical changes in their careers and lived to tell the tale! A hairdresser trains to be a nurse. A singer shifts to art teaching. A customs agent becomes a paramedic. What did these changes involve? What was the motivation? Was it all worth the pain? And where do we find the deepest satisfaction in our work?

Philosopher Meghan Sullivan on why Christianity has a vital role to play in helping us maintain our humanity in the face of AI. With the AI revolution upon us we all face great uncertainty about the future and what this technology will mean for our lives. There will be plenty that we can be grateful for, perhaps excited about. But there are serious concerns being raised as well. What will this technology mean for future employment, communities and how we understand our humanity? What do faith traditions, and particularly Christianity, have to contribute to this urgent discussion. Meghan Sullivan is a professor of philosopher at Notre Dame university in the U.S. and also the founding director of Notre Dame’s Institute for Ethics and the Common Good . Her institute recently received a very large grant to develop a faith-based approach to AI ethics. Here Meghan Sullivan speaks to Life & Faith about what concerns she has about AI, the ways it could go badly, but also why she is optimistic about a future with AI firmly in place. Explore: Notre Dame Institute for Ethics and the Common Good (ethics.nd.edu) The Good Life Method : Reasoning through the big questions of happiness, faith and meaning.

Kutter Callaway on Comedy, Horror and human imagination. Since he first encountered Star Wars as a young boy, Kutter Callaway has been fascinated by film, television and the stories that capture our collective imaginations. With PhDs in theology and also psycho-social science, he applies his skill and experience in these areas to interpret visual storytelling and examine key aspects of being human. What are the factors of modern life that enhance our imaginations? And how much do we find ourselves part of a story that can sustain us and answer our deepest longings? Kutter Callaway speaks to Life & Faith about comedy, horror and how beauty can be found in even the darkest of places. Discover: Dr Callaway’s website https://www.kuttercallaway.com/ His upcoming book on Horror Films, Be Afraid: What Horror Reveals about Facing the Darkness Reel Dialogue : Pulling back the curtain to see the connection between film and faith.

Social researcher and demographer Mark McCrindle tells us how Australia is changing (and sometimes staying the same). What are the likely impacts of generational shifts and trends? Mark McCrindle is a social researcher and demographer who has been studying Australian life for twenty years. He and his team have gathered important insights into who we are, what we love, how we have changed and how we have stayed the same. Also, where we are finding meaning, purpose and joy, and what’s driving our behaviour. Mark discusses with Life & Faith the prevalence and likely causes of loneliness and the place of faith and faith communities in Australian life. Are we more open to spiritual conversations than we once were? In a rapidly changing world what are the positive changes and signs of hope? What are the likely future directions of the country? Explore: https://mccrindle.com.au/ Generation Alpha: Understanding our children and helping them thrive Work Wellbeing: Leading thriving teams in rapidly changing times Word up: A lexicon and guide to communication in the 21st century The Generations Defined: Navigating the New Landscape of employees and consumers (report)

Jennifer Powell McNutt has spent years studying Mary Magdalene. She wants us to know who she really is. Mary Magdelene is both well-known and yet not known at all. She has appeared prominently in art and popular culture in things like the musical Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) or in the film The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) or Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code (2003). She has often been inaccurately portrayed as a penitent prostitute and is sometimes presented as a romantic partner of Jesus. She was present at all the crucial moments of Jesus’ story, but history has frequently failed to recognise her remarkable contribution. Jennifer Powell McNutt wants to correct that error. She is a Professor of Theology and History at Wheaton College in Illinois and the author of The Mary We Forgot. She thinks we are right to remember Mary Magdelene, but not for the reasons that many people think. Explore: The Mary We Forgot: What the Apostle to the Apostles Teaches the Church Today

Brigid Delaney, Australia’s resident expert on Stoicism, draws on ancient wisdom to survive the storm of modern life. --- How do you cope when things seem to be spinning out of control? In recent years, the ancient Greek philosophy of Stoicism has made a comeback. It’s especially big in Silicon Valley, where modern Stoics pore over the writings of the ancient Stoics – Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Roman statesman and philosopher Seneca, and Greek slave-turned-philosopher Epictetus – to work out how to thrive in challenging times. The philosophy has a reputation for being dour and stiff-upper-lipped. But if this world is all there is and there is no one coming to save us, then for Stoics it makes sense to face reality and get on with life. Brigid Delaney is enormously prolific. She has worked as a political speechwriter, lawyer, journalist, travel writer and screenwriter. She’s also written two books on Stoicism: The Seeker and the Sage: A Stoic Conversation to Hold You Together in a Fractured World, published late in 2025, and Reasons Not to Worry: How to Be Stoic in Chaotic Times, published in 2022. Brigid explains how Stoicism has made her less angry and reactive, and changed how she thinks about the world. Also how, in places, it overlaps with Christian thought and practice – to the degree that someone even forged a correspondence between Seneca and the Apostle Paul, who were contemporaries of each other. In this episode, we also talk to Louis Markos, the Robert H. Ray Chair in Humanities at Houston Christian University, and a passionate devotee of ancient Greek thought, to get a sense of how Christianity differs from Stoicism. Stoicism assumes an impersonal, yet ordered universe. Christianity asserts that the order guiding the universe is personal, that in Jesus, “the Word became flesh”. Explore: Brigid Delaney’s The Seeker and the Sage and Reasons Not to Worry . Brigid Delaney’s previous interview on Life & Faith: Misadventures in Wellness. Brigid Delaney’s column in The Guardian on the experience of attending two funerals – one secular, one faith-based – in quick succession. Follow Brigid Delaney on Substack or Instagram , or check out her consultancy Stoic Solutions . Lou Markos explains the similarities and differences between Christianity and Stoicism, and why he thinks the latter is the sanest, most reasonable option out there – if Jesus hadn’t risen from the dead. Lou Markos’ From Aristotle to Christ , From Plato to Christ , From Achilles to Christ.

New York Times columnist and ex-soldier David French on his surprising career trajectory, faith and politics, and what Jesus has to say about power. --- David French has a fascinating life story that has seen him work as a constitutional lawyer for 20 years, a journalist and writer for places like the National Review, the Atlantic, and now the NYT. He is a writer and commentator with a conviction to wrestle with and try to make sense of the country that he loves – its history, its possibilities and its faults, and how it can be the best version of itself that it can be. It was at least partly that conviction that led him, at age 37, to sign up to the U.S. Army where he deployed to Iraq. That experience changed him in many different ways, he says, for better and also worse. In this interview with Life & Faith, French talks about polarisation, faith and politics, Jesus and power, Christian nationalism, and where he sees green shoots of hope in an otherwise troubling landscape. Explore: David’s New York Times Columns. His book, Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation.

Some principles, some practices, and a bit of inspiration for the digitally exhausted. We pick up our phones 150 times per day on average. Three out of four Australians check social media as soon as they wake up. Four out of five check it before they go to bed. These ‘micromoments’ add up – the ways we choose (consciously or not) to spend our time shape us. Many of us find ourselves dissatisfied in the ‘relationship’ we have with our phones, and wanting to make a change. But breaking up is hard! In this first episode of Life & Faith for 2026, we consider the forces at work when it comes to our digital habits, why we might choose to reduce our phone use, and how. Simon, Justine, and Natasha confess and compare their daily average screen time. Felicia Wu Song, author of Restless Devices: Recovering Personhood, Presence, and Place in the Digital Age , describes the ‘digital ecology’ we inhabit and the ‘liturgies’ we participate in – and proposes some practices, or ‘counterliturgies’, that might help us move in a different direction. Plus, a bunch of people who’ve taken various steps to get off their phones tell a remarkably consistent story about why they did it, and how it’s changed their lives. More and more of us are joining the ranks of the ‘digitally exhausted’, and looking for a better way forward. If you want it to be, this is the year of getting off your phone. Explore: Felicia Song’s book Restless Devices: Recovering Personhood, Presence, and Place in the Digital Age

Life & Faith brings you a conversation with an Aussie icon. “Write the song and just let the song be a mirror on life, and then see if people see themselves in the picture.” You might know Colin Buchanan as an Australian country music star, as a much-loved writer and performer of kids’ music, as a Play School presenter, or from one of the other myriad hats he’s worn over the years. And if you don’t know him, you’ll definitely feel like you do at the end of this rollicking hour spent in his company. Come along for the ride as Colin takes Life & Faith on a journey into the heart of the outback, the inner workings of the creative process, and the depths of the Bible, with stops along the way to chat comedy, Christmas, and Play School bloopers. He also plays us a song or two. --- EXPLORE: Check out Colin’s music (past and forthcoming), and upcoming performances, here

Greg Sheridan on why the early Christians were able to change the world. Greg’s third in a trilogy of books on Christianity examines the “success” of the early Christians in upending the ancient world, and how this story speaks to contemporary life. Greg Sheridan has been the foreign editor at the Australian newspaper since 1992. He is one of Australia’s leading national security and foreign affairs analysts, and has interviewed Prime Ministers and Presidents all over the world. He also writes about Christianity and culture and his last three books have been on that subject. The first, in 2018 was “God is Good For You: A Defence of Christianity in Troubled Times.” In 2021 he delivered “Christians: The Urgent Case for Jesus in Our World.” And in 2025 we have “How Christians Can Succeed Today.” Greg is able to bring ancient stories to life with his journalistic style, insight and good humour. And he makes a compelling case for why this story remains relevant and life-giving for our times of upheaval, conflict and uncertainty. Explore: How Christians Can Succeed Today Christians: The Urgent Case for Jesus in Our World God is Good For You: A Defence of Christianity in Troubled Times

Getting inside the Bible, the most published book of all time. The Bible is the most published book of all time, and not just historically. It continues to be the case today. In fact, in 2024 Bible sales were up by 22%. In Western Countries the Bible is easily accessible but increasingly there are people who have very little contact with or understanding of the Bible. So what even is the Bible? How was it put together? What kind of influence has it had on our lives, even if we are not Bible readers ourselves? Life & Faith delves into these questions in a suitably epic episode. We speak to an academic about the cultural influence of the Bible, and a New Testament lecturer about how the Bible came together. We talk to the Australian representative of the biggest Bible app in the world about to celebrate their billionth download. And we hear from two people whose lives have been changed by reading the Bible. What do we know about “The biggest story ever told” and what does this story still have to tell us? Explore: The Great bible Swindle YouVersion and the One Billionth Download

Youth worker and founder of the Red Frogs, Andy Gourley, tells Life & Faith how a trip to the Gold Coast to look after his skateboarding crew changed his life. The group known as Red Frogs have become a legendary presence at schoolies weeks, at music festivals and wherever large groups of young party-goers congregate. Offering food, assistance, a listening ear, protection and of course, the famous red jelly frogs, this movement of young volunteers has become a household name in Australia and overseas. Andy Gourley, the founder of Red Frogs, tells us the origins of this remarkable movement. Twenty seven years ago Andy, who was a youth worker at the time, turned up at “schoolies” on the Gold Coast with a small team of people to try to lend a hand and help keep things under control. And keep people safe from life changing mistakes and consequences. Andy could not have imagined that the steps he took that week would lead to a movement in nine countries that has assisted tens of thousands of young people to party safely, and to make better decisions at a crucial stage of their lives. This year 24 tons of red frogs will be delivered to sites around the country as around 1500 volunteers assist 70,000 school leavers. Andy says he never gets tired of helping out when people most need it. For him it’s an honour. Find out why on this episode of Life & Faith. --- Explore: The Red Frogs website

With outrage and division at an all-time high, the need for intelligent and respectful persuasion has never been more urgent. Michael McQueen is an author, speaker and social commentator. In an age of intense polarisation and tribalism, he hasn’t given up on the possibility of changing people’s minds. In this interview with Life & Faith, Michael talks about the psychology of stubbornness and how – even on tricky and controversial debates - we can build trust, strengthen relationships and move minds. --- Explore Michael McQueen’s website: https://michaelmcqueen.net/ Check out Michael’s latest book Mindstuck : https://www.mindstuck.michaelmcqueen.net/ Take a look at this Google Talk by Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman, on his book as referenced in this episode: Thinking, Fast and Slow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjVQJdIrDJ0