Tattoos, ‘salty’ language and alcoholism only partly sum up the life of Nadia Bolz-Weber, the pastor at the House for All Saints and Sinners in Denver, USA.

In the first of a three-part series Jane Little will meet Nadia, the body building, tattooed, stand-up comic Lutheran pastor from Denver to explore her faith and how her conservative Lutheran faith collides with and complements her belief that we are all sinners and the church should accept all areas of society through its doors.

Every day we're exposed to a multitude of man-made chemicals in the food we eat, the air we breathe and the products we clean our homes and wash our bodies with. For some people, like journalist Jane Little, the burden can be almost too much to bear. Certain chemicals trigger extreme physical reactions, leaving her ill and exhausted for days at a time. It's a debilitating condition for her and many thousands of fellow sufferers. Some estimates suggest that 15% of the American population believe they experience ill effects from domestic chemicals.

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) - which claims a membership of 15 million worldwide - any male from the age of 12 and "in good standing" can join the priesthood. No female can.

On this day at the Church of Latter-Day Saints' Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, 500 fresh-faced young men and women arrive for the first time. Soon they'll venture out across the world to spread their Mormon faith.

Jane Little travels to Utah, where the Church has its headquarters, to meet Kate Kelly. She was an active mormon, even a former missionary, but then she founded a campaign to ordain women. Kelly was found guilty of apostasy by her bishop and excommunicated. The all-male leadership now regards her as an ex-Mormon, though she clearly does not, and is appealing the decision.

In this rare interview for the "Things Unseen" podcast, CJ Whitedeer, Cherokee medicine man and the tribe’s only White Priest, has welcomed Jane Little to his “homecoming circle” in Arizona, providing extraordinary insights into some of the stories, beliefs and practices that are part of Native American spirituality.

Dr Andrew Weil calls his model “integrative medicine.” One of his critics has called him a “snake oil salesman.” Jane Little has visited him in Tucson, Arizona, to find out what exactly he means by Mind Body Spirit medicine and how he answers his many critics.

Jane Little meets Joshua Dubois, who tells her about the devotionals he has written for Barack Obama. With Jane, Joshua Dubois chooses five of the most significant spirituals he wrote for the president, covering some of the events that made headlines around the world, such as the school massacre at Sandy Hook in the USA.

But what is it that makes rituals so universally meaningful and compelling? To find out, Jane Littletalks to Nicholas Taylor, a shaman who’s undergone a ritualistic live burial; Peter Williams, a traditional Catholic; and Isabel Clarke, a clinical psychologist.

Egyptian Revolution

While their former archbishop takes part in the conclave to choose the next pope, Catholics in Los Angeles deal with his complicated legacy. Will clergy sexual abuse - and its cover-up by church elders - harm the Church beyond repair?

While their former archbishop takes part in the conclave to choose the next pope, Catholics in Los Angeles deal with his complicated legacy. Will clergy sexual abuse - and its cover-up by church elders - harm the Church beyond repair?

February 27, 2013

Pope Benedict XVI has given his final public audience as Pope. On Thursday, he officially steps down and becomes Pope Emeritus.

One in 10 of us is said to be anxious that 21 December marks the end of the world. The Ancient Mayans predicted this doomsday, and the press is eating it up. But where are all the believers?

Justin Welby, a former oil executive, has been chosen to be the new Archbishop of Canterbury, and spiritual leader of the world's 77 million Anglicans. Anchor Aaron Schachter speaks with the BBC's Jane Little about Justin Welby.

The BBC's Jane Little on the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency bringing charges against seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong.

Leader of 'radical' US nuns rejects Vatican criticism

Last Word on BBC Radio 4

Fang Lizhi, Ferdinand Porsche, Miss Read, Bingu wa Mutharika, Derick Thomson

Jane Little with the religious and ethical news of the week. Moral arguments and perspectives on stories familiar and unfamiliar.

Bill Wedderburn, Adrienne Rich, Tom Lodge, Howard Anderson, Cecil Sharpley

An influential Muslim scholar has issued a global ruling against terrorism and suicide bombing. Dr Tahir ul-Qadri says his fatwa completely dismantles al-Qaeda's ideology. Marco Werman talks with The World's religion editor Jane Little about the fatwa.

The alleged attempt to blow up a US airliner on Christmas Day sent shock through the security system. Abdulmutallab's former London university is launching a review into whether he became radicalized there. The World's religion editor Jane Little reports.

Britain's Supreme Court ruled against a Jewish school that refused admission to a student. The World's Religion Editor, Jane Little has the story.

Ireland's abortion law is being challenged in the European Court of Human Rights. Three women say the ban violates Human Rights. Jane Little reports.

Global religious leaders gathered in England to urge?and offer?commitments to combat climate change. The World's Jane Little reports.

A new study by the Pew Research Center challenges Western assumptions that the Arab world is home to the majority of the world's Muslims. Actually, it's Asia. Anchor Marco Werman finds out more from The World's Religion Correspondent Jane Little.

President Obama was in Germany today where he met with Chancellor Angela Merkel and visited Buchenwald, the site of a Nazi concentration camp. The World's Jane Little reports from Dresden.

Anchor Lisa Mullins speaks with The World's Religion Editor Jane Little about how President Obama must balance breadth and nuance in his speech in Cairo tomorrow to the Muslim and Arab world.