For much of the year so far I’ve been chipping away on a fascinating project with the government’s Office of Ethnic Affairs. In the pursuit of community-focused insights I’ve guided group discussions with various religious and ethnic groups – including Filipino, Muslim, Hindu, Chinese, Mexican and Colombian. The topic of exploration has been diversity in attitudes and approaches to death, dying and the afterlife – both in the New Zealand context and in countries of origin. Themes have included the lead up to death, body preparation, funeral rituals, customs of remembrance, attitudes to afterlife and surrounding superstitions. Much of the investigation was centered on the uncovering of personal stories which reflect community practice that will contribute to an exhibition and public programmes at the Museum of Wellington later next year.

.Reference resource: Click Here.

Madonna at the Glee Club? Not exactly. Neither the singer nor the saint shows up on tonight’s episode, one our critic Robert Bianco pegs as a “pleasure-packed hour” full of the singer’s tunes.

But spiritual ideas, and spoofs on religious, ethnic and racial identity are common threads in the Fox hit show. Judith Weisenfeld notes in an essay for University of Southern California’s site on Media and Religion that it’s been honored by Catholics in Media Associates for its fundamentally “beautiful and kind heart.”

.Reference resource: Click Here.