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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鈥檚 book Maoism a Global History is out soon
Mark Vernon鈥檚 book A Secret History of Christianity is out soon.

For more information about the 大象传媒 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

Broadcast

  • Thu 17 Jan 2019 22:00

Featured in...

The Arts & Ideas Podcast

The Arts & Ideas Podcast

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