Andrew Marr discusses the idea of Christmas with Canon Giles Fraser who argues that the Christian Christmas was invented by the Emperor Constantine for political, not religious, reasons, 300 years after the birth of Christ. Canon Fraser will be discussing the idea that the legacy of Constantine's December feast distorts the message of Christ and casts a long shadow on modern believers. Clare Tomalin will be talking about Dickens and how the Victorian imagination shaped our understanding of what Christmas is and should be, and Susan Hill will be exploring the Christmas ghost story - one of the tenacious Victorian traditions still being reinvented in the 21st century.Producer: Eleanor Garland.
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Kultur & Literatur
Start the Week Folgen
Weekly discussion programme, setting the cultural agenda every Monday
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572 Folgen
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Folge vom 19.12.2011The Spirit of Christmas: Claire Tomalin, Susan Hill and Canon Giles Fraser
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Folge vom 12.12.201112/12/2011On Start the Week Andrew Marr asks if sport still embodies a notion of fair play and Corinthian spirit, or whether it has become mired in corruption, money and celebrity. Mihir Bose argues that sport is no longer just a game, but has become one of the most powerful political tools in the world. The social historian Janie Hampton looks back to a time when amateur wasn't a dirty word, while Brian Moore the 'pitbull' of the scrum, looks back at a disastrous year for the professionalism of English rugby. The philosopher Julian Savulescu believes the nostalgia for the age of the amateur is blinding people to the reality of today, and that far from penalising those who take performance enhancing drugs, we should merely set a safe limit and allow free rein. Producer: Katy Hickman.
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Folge vom 05.12.2011Philosophy: Bernard-Henri Levy, Mary Warnock and Roger ScrutonAndrew Marr discusses the role of the public intellectual on Start the Week. The French philosopher, journalist and activist Bernard-Henri Levy flexes his muscles as he sets out his views on everything from literature to politics and fame, Baroness Mary Warnock looks at morality and what philosophers can add to the current debates about privacy, society and fairness, while Roger Scruton argues that his 'green philosophy' finds a natural home in right wing politics. Producer: Katy Hickman.
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Folge vom 28.11.2011Political leadership: George Ayittey, Simon Heffer, Martin Wolf and Maha AzzamOn Start the Week Andrew Marr discusses the pursuit of power, and the art of leadership, from dictators to technocrats. The Ghanaian economist George Ayittey sets out the fight against tyranny in Africa and around the world, while Maha Azzam looks to see whether Egypt could learn any lessons from his assertion that many of today's despots were yesterday's freedom fighters. The columnist Simon Heffer discusses how the desire to protect or assert power has distorted the course of history, and the economist Martin Wolf assess the rise of the technocrat in Europe. Producer: Katy Hickman.