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Sunday: Ability Sunday, LGBT chaplaincy, Icelandic elves

Ability Sunday, LGBT chaplaincy, Icelandic elves

11/09/2016

BBC Radio 4 - Sunday, Ability Sunday, LGBT chaplaincy, Icelandic elves

Ability Sunday, LGBT chaplain in Wales, Icelandic elves; Are C of E bishops too 'safe'?

How can churches' make people with learning disabilities welcome? Measures to placate Icelandic elves. A LGBT chaplain for Wales. Are Church of England Bishops too 'safe'?

On 'Ability Sunday', Gordon Gill discusses the churches' attitudes to disability and specifically how congregations can make people with learning disabilities welcome. Reporter Sarah Major talks to disabled people about the difficulties they encounter when trying to attend church services.

Kevin Bocquet reports on the £1million fund raised by ultra-orthodox Jews to fight custody cases (and prevent mothers from taking their children out of the faith when they divorce their husbands). 

Are Church of England bishops too 'safe'? Following the death of the former Bishop of Durham, David Jenkins, a number of obituaries have claimed that we will "never see his like again" (i.e. outspoken and willing to question scripture). The Rev Adrian Alker claims that bishops today are too concerned with "putting bums on seats". He is in discussion with the Bishop of Burnley - Philip North.

Ahead of the College of Bishops meeting on Monday, the Rt Revd Gregory Cameron, Bishop of St Asaph talks about his decision to appoint a Chaplain for the LGBT community in North Wales.

Following a series of 'mishaps', road builders in Iceland have had to dig out an elfin rock to placate the elves. Terry Gunnell, Professor of Folkloristics at the University of Iceland, talks about Iceland's elfin population and why over half of his countrymen believe in 'the hidden people'.

Teresa May has announced that oversubscribed Catholic schools are to be allowed to choose 100% of their pupils on faith grounds. Edward Stourton discusses this decision with Paul Barker, director of the Catholic Education Service. Jonathan Romain explains why he does not agree.

Producers: Helen Lee
Peter Everett
Series Producer: Amanda Hancox.

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