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Religion & Spirituality

Moral Maze

by BBC Radio 4
Religion & SpiritualitySociety & Culture

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Latest episodes

  • Can we separate pop from politics?

    September 24, 2026 · 57 min

    Ed Sheeran says he tries to keep politics off the stage. But politics gate-crashed his stadium tour anyway -- when the American rapper Macklemore was removed as a support act for delivering a pro-Palestinian speech. Now Sir Bob Geldof…

  • 16/09/2026

    September 17, 2026 · 57 min

    Live debate examining the moral issues behind one of the week's news stories. #moralmaze

  • How should we respond to warnings of end times and catastrophe?

    September 10, 2026 · 57 min

    America’s Vice-President, J. D. Vance, has been talking about the end of the world, saying he “wouldn’t be shocked” if the Anti-Christ was walking amongst us. Most people are living incomparably better lives than generations ago - and…

  • How should we respond to rising mental distress?

    September 3, 2026 · 57 min

    A record one in seven people in England were prescribed antidepressants in the last year, according to NHS figures. More than nine million patients now take the drugs, and while they may be essential in many cases, the prevalence of mental…

  • Data Centres: Whose Thirst Comes First?

    August 27, 2026 · 57 min

    AI data centres are expanding across the UK and around the world. Tech giants and governments see them as essential infrastructure for future prosperity; the engines of economic growth, scientific innovation, improved healthcare and…

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  • Is empathy ever a weakness?

    August 20, 2026 · 57 min

    Reform's Robert Jenrick has described Britain’s welfare system as “suicidal empathy.” It’s also the title of a recent book by the Canadian marketing Professor Gad Saad, who argues that a misdirected sense of empathy can lead to favouring…

  • Are networks the glue of society or the architecture of privilege?

    July 28, 2026 · 57 min

    Michael Buerk chairs a special debate from the Hay Festival examining the morality of networks. The release of the Epstein files has been a reminder that power often flows not just through formal institutions, but through webs of…

  • Are America's founding ideals a reality or a myth?

    July 2, 2026 · 57 min

    In 1776, Thomas Jefferson wrote that all men are created equal, endowed with unalienable rights... life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. During his lifetime Jefferson owned more than 620 slaves. As America marks 250 years since the…

  • Do we care more about the place where we live than about the nation we live in?

    June 26, 2026 · 58 min

    If Andy Burnham has a four-word philosophy, it is 'the politics of place', a phrase he uses often. Burnham argues that politics must concentrate on meeting local needs, on the devolution of power and on 'levelling up' the places that have…

  • What Makes Us Human?

    June 18, 2026 · 57 min

    In his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo XIV warned that artificial intelligence threatens the dignity of the human person. Human exceptionalism - the belief that we are special, both within the animal kingdom and in the eyes…

  • Is the World Cup morally compromised?

    June 11, 2026 · 58 min

    The 2026 World Cup is the biggest in the tournament's history, with 48 teams playing 104 matches across three countries: The United States, Mexico and Canada. For many, this summer's competition reveals that the game has drifted…

  • Who is morally responsible for Britain's political short-termism?

    June 5, 2026 · 57 min

    A Labour leadership challenge would mean Britain could have a seventh prime minister in a decade. Each change of leadership promises renewal, but each delivers fresh disappointment. Meanwhile the problems compound: crumbling…

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About the show

Combative, provocative and engaging live debate examining the moral issues behind one of the week's news stories. #moralmaze