Life & Faith

In this Life and Faith we talk about the craft involved in producing musical instruments and how such an activity might reveal something of humanity’s creative calling in the world—all to the beautiful playing of violinist Rebecca Irwin.

Some say faith has no business at work. But Kara Martin, Associate Dean of Ridley’s The Marketplace Institute, explores many of the reasons—among them work-life balance—that make it a good idea to link the two.

Simon Smart and Justine Toh discuss the effects of technology on our relationships. Justine also spoke to technology journalist Alex Kidman about the potential for technology to turn us into introverts and how he avoids having it take over his life.

HammondCare is an independent Christian charity that was started during the Great Depression by Archdeacon Robert Hammond. Today it offers a wide range health and aged-care services. Meredith Lake is an historian who was offered access to HammondCare's archives to write a book on the history of the organisation. She came into CPX to discuss how HammondCare got started and the effect it has had on people over the last 80 years.

We live in a world where people are on the move all the time, many of whom are fleeing war, discrimination or persecution. CPX spoke to Erin Wilson about the work faith based organisations do in seeking to care for refugees.

Toby Hall is the CEO of Mission Australia. He sat down with Simon Smart and Justine Toh to discuss the contributions faith based organisations make to our community.

Brendan Nottle is a major in the Salvation Army who has worked for years among inner-city youth and homeless people in Melbourne. He is also the Chaplain of Collingwood Football Club and he came into CPX to discuss his work.

Is it missing the point of Easter to look forard to it as four days off? Justine Toh and Simon Smart discuss how our culture has become one of 'total work'. Justine also spoke to Kara Martin about how rest is more than simply an opportunity to recharge for more work and the importance of a good theology of rest.

March 21st is World Poetry Day. Simon Smart and Justine Toh share their favourite poems and speak to Greg Clarke about what poetry is and why it speaks to us.

Megan Best is a bioethicist and palliative care doctor who is employed by Hammondcare. She spoke to CPX about the deeply contested area of reproductive rights.

Domestic Violence affects 1 in 3 women in Australia. Life & Faith examines its effects on Christian women. Justine Toh interviews Captain Melanie-Anne Holland, who manages a women’s refuge run by the Salvation Army, and Dr. Lynne M. Baker, author of the book Counselling Christian Women on How to Deal with Domestic Violence.

What does freedom of religion mean in a secular society? Should religion be given any role in the public square? What kind of religion is acceptable in the modern West? CPX spoke to Ryan Messmore who is the president of Campion College, Australia's first Liberal Arts College. Previously he was Research Fellow in Religion and a Free Society with the Heritage Foundation, Washington, DC and the Founder and Executive Director of the Trinity Forum Academy, Royal Oak, Maryland.

In India, China and many other parts of the world today, girls are killed, aborted and abandoned simply because they are girls. The United Nations estimates as many as 200 million girls are missing in the world today because of this so-called “gendercide”. The film It's a Girl reveals this issue. Global experts and grassroots activists put the stories of killed, abandoned and trafficked girls in context and advocate different paths towards change, while collectively lamenting the lack of any truly effective action against this injustice. Simon Smart and Justine Toh discuss the film and speak to Melinda Tankard-Reist about "gendercide".

What is mindfulness? Simon Smart and Justine Toh discuss the benefits and dangers of mindfulness with clinical psychologist Lisa Aitken.

December 4 was International Day of People with a Disability. CPX spoke to Jessica King, who has cyanotic heart disease, about what it is like to live with a disability and how the notions of welcome and vulnerability allow us to accept everyone in their difference.