Radiocarbon dating relics, Rural churches, Faith in the World Week

Available for over a year

The Church of England has published a letter to the Prime Minister signed by 84 of its bishops calling for the Government to increase the number of Syrian refugees being resettled in the UK "to a minimum of 50,000" over the next five years. William Crawley speaks to the Anglcan Bishop of Durham, the Right Reverend Paul Butler and to the Melkite Greek Catholic Archbishop of Aleppo, Jean-Clément Jeanbart. Rosie Dawson reports on a poll commissioned by BBC Local Radio for Radio 2's Faith In The World Week which suggests that people think British society is more religiously tolerant but less moral than it used to be. We also hear the experiences of families of minority faith traditions living in the UK. In a frank assessment of the future of Church of England buildings, a panel led by the Bishop of Worcester, the Right Reverend John Inge, recommends the closure of rural churches where there is low attendance and a much more imaginative use of existing church buildings. He discusses the finding with William Crawley. One of the measures the government of Sierra Leone took at the height of the Ebola crisis was temporarily to ban large gatherings. Kati Whitaker reports on the impact on religious practice in churches and mosques. For the first time, theologians and scientists at Oxford University have joined forces to carry out a wide-ranging investigation into the authenticity of ancient religious relics. Professor Thomas Higham explains what he hopes the project will achieve. Producers: Dan Tierney Carmel Lonergan Series Producer: Amanda Hancox.