Meredith Lake

When Jacki Ninio first graduated rabbinical school she didn't want to be known as the "lady rabbi". But after nearly 26 years at Emanuel Synagogue, she says being a woman in a job mostly performed by men has allowed her to care for her congregation in unique ways.

There's a lot of suffering in the world. From economic hardships to deep anxieties about politics, and the anxieties in our own lives. Much of Pope Francis' work grapples with how we suffer and relieve suffering, together. What kinds of insight can suffering offer, both individually and collectively?

John Butler is one of Australia's most beloved musicians, known for his infectious energy. But after a period of turbulence he turned to composing meditative and instrumental music as a form of healing.

In the wake of the King's visit to Australia, we're once again debating questions that get to the heart of Australian government and identity. These aren't just political questions — they're spiritual too.

It's a commonly held belief that play is just for children, but for many adults it's a path to self-awareness and creativity. Play is a joyous way of spending time, and more than that, a way of being fully human and connecting with the divine.

Mindfulness has become a big deal in the West — after all, it's been shown to reduce stress. But some practitioners of colour are critiquing how mindfulness has become accommodated to systems of whiteness. Similarly, postcolonial theologians are challenging Christian conceptions of God as a white man, and the consequences that has for our society.

“It’s not coming out, but inviting in.” For Benjamin Oh, storytelling is an act of courage and hospitality, sharing his multilayered identity: gay, Chinese, Catholic. Benjamin has been an advocate for LGBTIQ+ people inside the Catholic Church and beyond for 20 years. Benjamin Oh is co-Chair of Equal Voices, a national ecumenical alliance of LGBTIQA+ Christians and allies in Australia. He is also the Chair of Rainbow Catholics Interagency Australia and Convenor of the GLBTIQA+ Interfaith & Inter…

The nature of consciousness is a subject of enormous interest to both science and religion. Modern, secular mindfulness techniques have their foundation in ancient Buddhist thought, but it’s only recently that neuroscientists have given serious attention to what actually happens in the brain when we meditate. Dr Sara Lazar is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and leads the Lazar lab for Meditation Research at Massachusetts General hospital. She is one of the world’s l…

Flamy Grant is a drag queen who made a splash in the Contemporary Christian Music industry, charting on Billboard and iTunes’ Christian charts. Previously, powerful gatekeepers at Christian record labels and radio stations excluded queer artists from their lineups for decades. Now, digital distribution and social media are revolutionising the music industry and opening doors for LGBTI+ people to contribute their art to an industry that previously excluded them. Flamy Grant (she/her, aka Matthew…

You might not know it, but there’s a parallel Christian entertainment industry that’s existed since the 1950s, and it’s changed the music you listen to — and even the politicians you know about. The Contemporary Christian Music industry caters specifically to evangelical moral, cultural and political tastes, but far from being a world unto itself, it has affected the mainstream in ways that aren’t always obvious to outside observers. Dr Leah Payne is Associate Professor of American Religious Hi…

Even if you’re not Buddhist, you might believe in karma. Taylor Swift’s single ‘Karma’ reflects popular ideas about cosmic justice, and is just the latest Western pop hit to borrow concepts from Eastern religions. Dr Hannah Gould is a cultural anthropologist studying death, Buddhism, and material culture in Australia and Asia. Along with Professor Anna Halafoff, she is presenting a paper at the 2024 Swiftposium titled Vibing with karma: Buddhist teachings on life and death in Western popular cu…

Historian and community advocate Jose Petrick has celebrated her centenary with an enthralling ballet recital in her honour and a party with extended family in Alice Springs.

Alice Springs’ Meredith Campbell on her experience of depression with psychosis, and of making a full recovery thanks to electro convulsive therapy.

None of us are immune from the reality of a changing climate, or perhaps even from the local disasters that seem to accompany it. But what does a changing climate mean for the ways people live out their faith? How is religion tied up with the ways communities actually respond to climate shocks and challenges? Dr Philip Jenkins is a professor of history at Baylor University in the United States, and co-director for Baylor’s Program on Historical Studies of Religion in the Institute for Studies o…

Set amid the sexism of the 60s, Lessons in Chemistry and its fiery protagonist have captured hearts around the world.

Amid calls to "change the date" or "change Australia", Christian communities are rallying behind a call to "change the heart". It's a spiritual process — with potentially national implications.