Encounter invites listeners to explore the connections between religion and life—intellectually, emotionally and intuitively—across a broad spectrum of topics.
Encounter is no longer in production, but starting 26 January you can hear in-depth features about the nexus of spirituality and everyday life on Earshot.
Latest Programs
Thursday 12 Feb 2015
Australia’s very first interfaith network runs a thriving ‘faith tour’, with the cooperation of sixty or so volunteers and the myriad mosques, temples and churches in its cluster of ten suburbs. Join a busload of Catholic school students on tour and encounter elephant-eared Ganesha, the Buddha’s relics, and mosque dress code.
More
transcript
Saturday 7 Feb 2015
Australia pioneered the concept of free secular education in the 1800s, and the rest of the world followed. But is the dream of our forefathers to ensure an egalitarian secular education slipping away?
More
Saturday 31 Jan 2015
Why are we here? How should we conceive of God? What is eternity? Big questions—too big for neat answers. But the nice thing about big questions is that they allow us to tackle them again and again, from different perspectives—and in so doing, we can find answers to some of the smaller questions about community, ethics and how we should treat each other.!
More
Saturday 24 Jan 2015
This Encounter in the Central Australian desert introduces Morris Stuart, a former pastor who was born in British Guyana in the Caribbean. He uses sacred music to help empower indigenous people, working with local choirs in Central Australia, Alice Springs and, most recently, with the famous South African Soweto Gospel Choir.
More
This [series episode segment] has
and
transcript
Saturday 17 Jan 2015
Encounter delves into the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of volunteering overseas.
More
This [series episode segment] has
image,
Saturday 10 Jan 2015
Does Islam need a Caliphate? The extravagant brutality of the IS group in Syria and Iraq has Muslims worldwide saying that if this is the restored Caliphate, we want no part of it. But what about the idea of a “proper” pan-Islamic polity, established and run according to Koranic principles? How might it work – and how likely is it to happen?
More
This [series episode segment] has
image, and
transcript
Saturday 3 Jan 2015
If someone tells you to go to Hell, you’ve probably got a good picture in your mind of what you’ll find when you get there: Somewhere deep underground, devils with pointy tails, lots of fire and brimstone. But where does our western idea of Hell come from and why does it take this particular form? And what can Hell's most famous architect – Dante – teach us about living together in the modern world?
More
This [series episode segment] has
image,
Saturday 27 Dec 2014
A tribute to distinguished poet, priest, scholar and educator, Peter Steele who died on 27 June 2012. Peter Steele’s poetry has appeared in seven volumes and last month his final book of ‘essays in poetry’ was published as Braiding the Voices. This program features Peter Steele in conversation, his poems, and reflections on the life and work of this notable Australian cultural figure.
More
This [series episode segment] has
image, and
transcript
Saturday 20 Dec 2014
A musical Encounter this week, as we join the Choir of Christ Church St Laurence for a service of Advent Carols.
More
This [series episode segment] has
image,
Saturday 13 Dec 2014
Encounter delves into Buddhism's long history in Australia and how it has adapted to this land and its people, and it's not as peaceful as you might imagine.
More
This [series episode segment] has
image,
More
