Episode 1
Joanna Lumley: The Search For Noah's Ark (Part 1)
Mar 9, 2014
Who was Noah? When did the flood happen? Is the story really true? From Tissington Church in Britain to Mount Ararat in Turkey, the mountains of Oman and beyond, Joanna goes on a quest to unravel the truth behind the myths and legends surrounding one of the Bible’s greatest stories.
Episode 2
Joanna Lumley: The Search For Noah's Ark (Part 2)
Mar 16, 2014
Who was Noah? When did the flood happen? Is the story really true? From Tissington Church in Britain to Mount Ararat in Turkey, the mountains of Oman and beyond, Joanna goes on a quest to unravel the truth behind the myths and legends surrounding one of the Bible’s greatest stories.
Episode 3
The Holy Dip
Mar 23, 2014
Three Australian families go on a pilgrimage to the oldest and largest religious festival on Earth, India’s Maha Kumbh Mela, to take a holy dip in the sacred Ganges...
Episode 4
The Children Of Clonyn Castle
Mar 30, 2014
A group of elderly European Jews reunite to tell their story of how their lives were transformed by living in an Irish castle for a year after the horrors of WW2...
Episode 5
My Island Church
Apr 6, 2014
The extraordinary 100 year old story of the relationship between the Catholic Church and Tiwi Islanders...
Episode 6
The Mystery Of Mary Magdalene (Part 1)
Apr 13, 2014
Melvyn Bragg uncovers the real story behind one of the Bible's most enigmatic and controversial figures: Mary Magdalene...
Episode 7
The Mystery Of Mary Magdalene (Part 2)
Apr 20, 2014
Melvyn Bragg uncovers the real story behind one of the Bible's most enigmatic and controversial figures: Mary Magdalene...
Episode 8
The Moral Compass: Anzac Special
Apr 27, 2014
In our premiere program Geraldine and her guests grapple with thorny questions about Anzac Day: Are we glorifying war rather than honouring individual soldiers? Surrender — a seldom discussed matter. And, the highly emotional issue of the repatriation of soldiers' remains from past conflicts in faraway battlefields. She is joined by Dr Leslie Cannold, ethicist; former Army Captain James Brown, Professor Peter Stanley, a military historian and Ken Doolan, National President of the RSL.
Episode 9
God In The Lodge (Part 1)
May 4, 2014
God in the Lodge examines the religious beliefs of Australia’s Prime Ministers from Federation to now. In recent years our Prime Ministers’ religious beliefs have become more public but in our increasingly secular age, it’s an aspect of political life rarely explored. Part 1 (1901 – 1966) tells how our first Prime Minister’s meeting with the Pope outraged Australia’s majority Protestant population back home, how Billy Hughes fanned the flames of religious sectarianism in WW1’s conscription debates and reveals the fallout for Ben Chifley when he married outside the Catholic Church.
Episode 10
God In The Lodge (Part 2)
May 11, 2014
The faith, beliefs and values of Australia's prime ministers from Federation to present day. This week looks at our PMs from 1966-2014, including John Gorton, Gough Whitlam, Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott.
Episode 11
Twilight Songs
May 18, 2014
A deeply moving story that shows how music can rekindle emotions and re-awaken memories for elderly people lost to dementia...
Episode 12
My Big Fat Bar Mitzvah
May 25, 2014
My Big Fat Bar Mitzvah steps inside the world of Bar and Bat Mitzvah parties, uncovering a spectacular new aspect of contemporary Australian Jewish life...
Episode 13
The Return Of Jack Charles
Jun 1, 2014
Geraldine Doogue meets veteran actor, elder and activist Jack Charles who at 72 is enjoying newfound fame and purpose, after putting his life of crime and drugs behind him...
Episode 14
Orphans On Wall St
Jun 8, 2014
An Australian entrepreneur sets out to empower low-caste Indian orphans by teaching them to become Wall Street traders...
Episode 15
The Moral Compass
Jun 15, 2015
In our latest program Geraldine and her guests grapple with issues raised by the Rolf Harris trial, whether religious leaders should take part in illegal protests and overweight Australians - are they getting a fair go? She is joined by Greg Sheridan, foreign editor of The Australian; Sister Susan Connelly, nun and refugee advocate; Kate Carnell, CEO of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Tim Soutphommasane, Race Discrimination Commissioner for the Human Rights Commission.
Episode 16
The Legion (Part 1)
Jun 22, 2014
How a corrupt, paedophile Catholic priest founded The Legionaries of Christ which he ran for 60 years with the Vatican's seal of approval.
Episode 17
The Legion (Part 2)
Jun 29, 2014
Irish investigative reporter Mick Peelo reveals how five successive popes publicly endorsed Fr Marcial Maciel, despite repeated warnings. Former Legion recruits believe it is a cult within the Catholic Church that cannot be fixed. But the Vatican and the Legion believe there is hope for its future.
Episode 18
Break-Fast At Mobinah's
Jul 6, 2014
Ramadan, the world-wide Muslim month of fasting and feasting, has begun and Compass follows two families through the most important event on the Islamic calendar.
Episode 19
The Moral Compass
Jul 13, 2014
In our latest program Geraldine and her guests grapple with the thorny topic of children’s vaccination: Is it wrong for parents to opt out of vaccinating their children? Reality TV: What responsibilities do broadcasters, producers and viewers have to those who take part? And we also return to the Rolf Harris case: Should his creative legacy be expunged now from public view altogether? She is joined by Leslie Cannold, ethicist and writer; Tim Bowden, Anglican minister and school principal; Melinda Houston, TV critic and author and Matthew Beard, ethicist at the University of Notre Dame.
Episode 20
Faith & Funerals (Part 1: Anglican & Muslim)
Jul 20, 2014
A country town Anglican farewell for a much loved local and a no-frills Muslim funeral for an asylum seeker.
Episode 21
Faith & Funerals (Part 2: Vietnam Veteran & Chinese Buddhist)
Jul 27, 2014
Leather meets brass in a motorcycle send-off for a Vietnam Vet and a traditional Chinese-Buddhist funeral - Australian style.
Episode 22
Faith & Funerals (Part 3: Italian Catholic & Hindu)
Aug 3, 2014
An Italian-Catholic funeral draws 1500 mourners and a son farewells his father in a humble Hindu funeral a long way from home.
Episode 23
Faith & Funerals (Part 4: Pentecostal Ghanaian & Secular)
Aug 10, 2014
A Sydney group of Pentecostal Ghanaians celebrate and dance for the deceased and a do-it-yourself secular funeral: no God or grief allowed.
Episode 24
Faith & Funerals (Part 5: How Shall We Remember Them?)
Aug 17, 2014
A Facebook memorial for a young man, a wife's ashes scattered in the sea, a tribal Tiwi ceremony, grieving for those lost without trace and a loved one's remains gifted to science.
Episode 25
God in Games
Aug 24, 2014
Compass explores religion, morals and values underpinning video games in Australia.
Episode 26
The Moral Compass
Aug 31, 2014
In our latest program Geraldine and her guests grapple with the following thorny topics: Surrogacy - is it ever ethical to pay for a baby? What can families do about young Australians drawn to conflict zones overseas? And the cult of the Selfie - are there any boundaries? She is joined by Dr Anne Aly, counter-terrorism research fellow at Curtin University; Matthew Beard, ethicist at the University of Notre Dame; Venerable Robina Courtin, Buddhist Nun and James Arvanitakis, Professor of Humanities at University of Western Sydney.
Episode 27
The Salvos: Part 1
Sep 7, 2014
In this two-part special, Compass examines the Salvation Army in Australia, a trusted church-charity engulfed by allegations of sexual abuse in its former children’s homes.
Episode 28
The Salvos: Part 2
Sep 14, 2014
Compass examines the Salvation Army, trying to reconcile its dual role, and redeem itself in the face of shocking revelations of child sexual abuse in its former children’s homes.
Episode 29
Archbishop Of Canterbury: The Man Behind The Mitre
Sep 21, 2014
In this Australian TV exclusive Geraldine Doogue talks to Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury about what he hopes to achieve as leader of the world’s 80-million Anglicans.
Episode 30
Bengali Idol
Sep 28, 2014
Compass explores the biggest and most widely celebrated Hindu festival in Australia which celebrates a goddess with ten arms who fights for good over evil...
Episode 31
The Moral Compass
Oct 5, 2014
In a special program for Mental As, the ABC's initiative for Mental Health Week, Geraldine and her guests grapple with: Does religious belief help or hinder mental well-being? The challenging issue of whether or not to disclose a mental health condition. And - stories of resilience and recovery. She is joined by Janet Meagher, consumer advocate and former National Mental Health Commissioner; Ian Hickie, Head of the Brain Mind Research Institute and National Mental Health Commissioner; Kate Richards, award winning writer and medical researcher; and Tim Costello, Baptist Minister and CEO of World Vision Australia.
Episode 32
River To Recovery
Oct 12, 2014
Follows an ambitious scheme empowering people with mental health issues to build confidence, self-esteem and trust, and turn their lives around.
Episode 33
Fighting Father Dave
Oct 26, 2014
Anglican Minister David Smith is a man of many callings - a Parish priest, a professional boxer, a political activist and father of four, Father Dave is as comfortable in a boxing ring as he is in the pulpit.
Episode 34
The Most Dangerous Man In Tudor England (Part 1)
Nov 2, 2014
This two-part program tells the story of one of the most influential men in English history. William Tyndale was a scholar, a theologian and a genius often referred to as the ‘Architect of the English Language’ second only to William Shakespeare. Fluent in eight languages, his translation of the New Testament was the first ever to be printed in English. Yet his work was denounced as heresy by authorities of the Roman Catholic Church and he was burned at the stake. Presenter and writer Melvyn Bragg charts the extraordinary life of a great reformer whose ambition and determination changed history forever.
Episode 35
The Most Dangerous Man In Tudor England (Part 2)
Nov 9, 2014
Part two of the William Tyndale story, one of the most influential men in English history, historian Melvyn Bragg reveals how Tyndale translating the Bible into English unlocked the English language for ordinary people. This marked a turning point in the evolution of Christianity in England, giving people the liberty to think for themselves rather than the duty to simply believe what they were told. But in a poignant twist, Tyndale was never able to celebrate his success and his groundbreaking work was attributed to another while he was condemned to death for heresy.
Episode 36
Lost And Found
Nov 16, 2014
Mari Steed is on an emotional journey to piece together the missing links of her past, a life tainted by separation, loss and tragedy.
Episode 37
School Of Love (Part 1)
Nov 23, 2014
This delightful two part special documents a year behind the scenes in Ireland's only women's Cistercian Monastery.
Episode 38
School Of Love (Part 2)
Nov 30, 2014
The Cistercian nuns of St Mary's Abbey in Ireland have been leading a life of prayer and dedicated contemplation for over 800 years.
Episode 39
Bill Crews' Christmas
Dec 7, 2014
The Exodus Foundation has been providing a free hot Christmas lunch to those who need it for over twenty years. This year founder Bill Crews is expecting meals to be served to 3000 people in two gigantic sittings.
Skip to content