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Sunday: Religious images in wartime; Inviting a refugee into your home; Russian Orthodox Christians split over war

20/03/2022

Religious images in wartime; Inviting a refugee into your home; Russian Orthodox Christians split over war

BBC Radio 4 - Sunday, Religious images in wartime; Inviting a refugee into your home; Russian Orthodox Christians split over war

A look at the ethical and religious issues of the week, with Edward Stourton.

Edward Stourton explores the ethical and religious issues of the week. We hear from people who have welcomed refugees into their homes and talk to a military chaplain in Ukraine.

There is a long history of religious images being used during wartime, to support propaganda. During the current conflict in Ukraine one image, created to help raise money for the country, has gone viral. Mary Magdalene is depicted clutching an anti-tank missile. Her halo and gown are in the blue and yellow of the Ukrainian flag. The image, known as "St Javelin" has been widely circulated on social media as a representation of Ukraine's strength and defiance. We examine the power of images like this to stir us, and in this case, encourage us to donate money.

Russky Mir or ‘Russian World’ is cited as the ideology behind Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Reporter Harry Farley and producer Orla O’Brien unpack the mixture of theology and nationalism behind this idea and ask why so many Orthodox leaders are rejecting it. They discover the implications both for Ukraine’s churches and also its people.

Thousands of people in the UK have already expressed an interest in providing a home for refugees from Ukraine. Many have felt moved by images of people forced to flee their homes and seek a safe haven in another country. People are keen to help, but there is also anxiety. What if it all goes wrong? What if we don't get on? What are the risks? Two people with long experience of providing a home to refugees tell us what it is like, and how their faith led them to help.

Presenter: Edward Stourton
Producers: Jonathan Hallewell and Rahila Bano
Editor: Helen Grady

Saint Javelin Image – Courtesy Christian Borys

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