Airdate: Faithlines

ABC News 24 has a new four part series on the future directions of faith, beginning this Sunday morning.

In Faithlines, Compass host Geraldine Doogue interviews some of the world’s leading religious thinkers about their beliefs and ideas.

Episode one (Sunday, 14 July at 11.30am) will discuss Buddhism. Only weeks after the Dalai Lama’s latest tour of Australia, our guest is Dr Lobsang Sangay. He’s the first non-clerical leader of the Tibetan exile community, breaking hundreds of years of tradition when he was elected to succeed the Dalai Lama.

Episode two (Sunday, 21 July at 11.30am) British historian Tom Holland joins the program. He is the author of ‘In the shadow of the sword’, a book about the emergence of Islam. He’s been subjected to criticism and threats following a controversial television documentary, in which he claimed there’s little evidence about the life of the prophet Mohammed, and only one reference to Mecca in the Koran.

Episode three (Sunday, 28 July at 11.30am) features former Irish President and lawyer Mary McAleese. She’s the author of the recent book ‘Quo Vadis’, which examines how efforts to share power between the Pope and the Catholic Church have been sidelined over the past 50 years.

Episode four (Sunday, 4 August at 11.30am) talks about the Anglican faith, through the eyes of controversial Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong.

Each 30 minute show features a panel of experts, dissecting and debating the ideas raised by these prominent religious thinkers.

11.30am and 7:30pm AEST from Sunday, July 14 on ABC News 24.