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George Orwell\\u2019s allegorical novel \\u2018Animal Farm\\u2019 was first published on 17th August 1945 and has never been out of print. It tells the story of a group of exploited animals who take over their farm and attempt to create an ideal society. On the face of it, \\u2018Animal Farm\\u2019 is not a religious book \\u2013 it is a criticism of Stalin and his totalitarian regime - and Orwell is often described as an atheist. However in this edition of Beyond Belief, Ernie Rea discusses the influence of religion on Orwell and his writing. He is joined by Jean Seaton (Director of the Orwell Foundation and Professor of Media History at the University of Westminster), Michael Brennan (author of the book \\u2018George Orwell and Religion\\u2019 and Professor of Renaissance Studies at the University of Leeds) and the priest and author the Rev Marie-Elsa Bragg.

Producer: Helen Lee