Beyond Belief

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BBC Radio 4 LW

Religion & Ethics

Series exploring the place and nature of faith in today's world

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Beyond Belief: Ashes to Ashes

Ashes to Ashes

BBC Radio 4 - Beyond Belief, Ashes to Ashes

What the human body in death tells us about our beliefs about the body and the afterlife.

Aleem Maqbool talks to a crematorium manager about her work and faith and discusses the way different religions view the human body after death.

‘We always put our hand on the coffin and use their name, tell them how loved they were. And then just as the door opens, we wish them well on their journey.”

Crematorium Manager Jenny Hamilton tells Aleem Maqbool how she and her team approach their work with the deceased at the Clyde Coast and Garnock Valley Crematorium on the West Coast of Scotland, and how her profession connects to her Christian faith.

Aleem is joined by a panel to discuss how the different ways we process the body after death, has been informed by faith, and what the human body represents within different religions. 

How will religions respond to new ways of human decomposition that are being explored, such as alkaline hydrolysis or water cremation, which is being piloted in the UK later this year, and terramation or human composting?

Sally Berkovic, author and a volunteer for a Chevra Kadisha, a group that helps prepare Jewish bodies for funeral, joins Aleem to share her experiences. She's joined by Reverend Andrew Dotchin, who is looking into the theology of alkaline hydrolysis for the Church of England, and Hindu teacher Seeta Lakani. 

The discussion raises the question, who is our death rites and rituals for: the deceased, or those left behind? 

Producer: Rebecca Maxted 
Series Producer: Katharine Longworth
Editor: Tim Pemberton

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