Main content

Do our heroes and heroines have to be perfect? Matthew Sweet and guests look at the idea of religious ikons, the meaning of iconoclasm and labelling film idols & politicians icons.

Do our heroes and heroines have to be perfect? How do religious icons link to iconoclasm and the labeling of film idols & politicians "icons of our time". Matthew Sweet is joined by film historian Pamela Hutchinson, bioethicist Tom Shakespeare, historian Julia Lovell and psychotherapist Mark Vernon.

Julia Lovell’s book Maoism a Global History is out soon
Mark Vernon’s book A Secret History of Christianity is out soon.

For more information about the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ TV series of programmes profiling modern icons from sport, cinema, politics, exploration .... go to bbc.co.uk/icons

Producer: Luke Mulhall

Available now

44 minutes

Last on

Thu 17 Jan 2019 22:00
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3

More episodes

Previous

Tourism past and present

Next

Oscars 2019

See all episodes from Free Thinking

  • Podcast: Icons.

    Do our heroes and heroines have to be perfect? We look at ikons, film idols & politicians

Broadcast

  • Thu 17 Jan 2019 22:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3

Featured in...

The Arts & Ideas Podcast

The Arts & Ideas Podcast

You can download all the past episodes of Radio 3's Free Thinking

Discussions and talks from the Free Thinking Festival 2019

Discussions and talks from the Free Thinking Festival 2019

Angry politics, what we can’t say, being diplomatic, weeping, emotion in music, film & TV

Click to listen to discussions, talks and music as the Free Thinking Festival 2019 Gets Emotional

Click to listen to discussions, talks and music as the Free Thinking Festival 2019 Gets Emotional

Angry politics, what we can’t say, being diplomatic, weeping, emotion in music, film & TV

CLICK to LISTEN & SEE programmes from the Free Thinking Festival 2018: The One & the Many

CLICK to LISTEN & SEE programmes from the Free Thinking Festival 2018: The One & the Many

We examine the fast-changing relationship between the individual & the crowd

CLICK to LISTEN & SEE all programmes, images, clips & features from 2017's festival

Free Thinking Festival 2017: The Speed of Life