Christians in the arts face ignorance and prejudice, says Scottish composer

In a lecture marking the 30th anniversary of the Sandford St Martin Trust, Scottish composer James MacMillan will argue that religious people in the arts, culture and media face ignorance and prejudice about their beliefs on a daily basis as a result of a "new secular, liberal orthodoxy" in which "to be religious is to be reactionary, bigoted and narrow".

"The time has come", he will argue, "for Christians in the public square to be more forthright in resisting the increasingly aggressive attempts to oust them from it.

"To do this they must continue to speak truth to power and express their insights and creativity from a firm and confident understanding of their traditions and their beliefs."

For 30 years, the Sandford St Martin Trust has made awards to innovative, high quality radio and television religious programmes that engage with the key issues of the day.

The Chairman of the trust, Bishop Nigel McCulloch, said: "In his lecture, James MacMillan asks whether our culture has finally given up on religion. I for one hope not.

"The programmes we have recognised in our awards have consistently shown the importance of religious belief and expression in our diverse and sometimes frightening world. And we hope that our annual awards will encourage broadcasters to continue to take seriously their engagement with the world of faith."

Chaired by Dame Joan Bakewell, MacMillan's lecture, 'The Divine Spark of Music', will also give an opportunity for the audience to question his premise and explore the understanding of religious experience in the arts, culture and media

The Divine Spark of Music is being recorded by BBC Religion & Ethics for transmission on BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday 22nd October at 8.00pm with a repeat on Saturday 25th October at 10.15pm