Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day
GenreReligious
Running time2 minutes, 45 seconds
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Language(s)English
Home stationBBC Radio 4
Hosted byVaries
Audio formatStereophonic sound
WebsiteThought for the Day homepage
PodcastThought for the Day podcast

Thought for the Day is a daily scripted slot on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 offering "reflections from a faith perspective on issues and people in the news",[1] broadcast at around 7:45 each Monday to Saturday morning. Lasting 2 minutes and 45 seconds, it is a successor to the five-minute religious sequence Ten to Eight (1965–1970) and, before that, Lift Up Your Hearts, which was first broadcast five mornings a week on the BBC Home Service from December 1939, initially at 7:30, though soon moved to 7:47. The feature is mainly delivered by those involved in religious practice; often, these are Christian thinkers, but there have been numerous occasions where representatives of other faiths, including Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism, have presented Thought for the Day.

Notable contributors to the slot have included major religious figures, including Rowan Williams (former archbishop of Canterbury) and Popes Benedict XVI and Francis. British rabbis who have contributed include Chief Rabbi Jonathan Lord Sacks of the United Synagogue movement and Lionel Blue of the World Union for Progressive Judaism.

Other contributors include Anne Atkins, John L. Bell (Iona Community), Rhidian Brook, Tom Butler (former Bishop of Southwark), Dr Elaine Storkey (Philosopher and theologian), Canon Giles Fraser (Inclusive Church founder), Richard Lord Harries of Pentregarth, James Jones (former Bishop of Liverpool), Mona Siddiqui (Muslim professor), Michael Banner (ethicist), Indarjit Lord Singh of Wimbledon (Sikh parliamentarian), Jasvir Singh and Canon Angela Tilby.

  1. ^ "BBC - Religion and Ethics - Programmes". BBC. Archived from the original on 13 October 2007. Retrieved 15 January 2008.