Close encounters

Kate Chisholm looks forward to The People’s Passion on Radio 4 which explores the role of the cathedral in a modern, secular world

‘We began by wanting to do something about cathedrals and the life that goes on within them,’ recalls Christine Morgan, head of religion and ethics at BBC Radio. That was about 18 months ago, when not much attention was being paid to these great beacons of British history and belief. But by coincidence (or perhaps divine intervention) cathedral stories have been hitting the front pages in recent months after the tortuous attempts by St Paul’s to extricate itself from Occupy London and its battle with money, capitalism and the workings of the City. New questions are being asked: not so much what do cathedrals do but why are they still here? Do they still have a vital, living purpose in such a secular society?

‘At first the idea was to create five new dramas for Radio 4 in Holy Week,’ says Morgan.