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How are religious plague narratives affecting the responses to the Ebola outbreak?\\nThroughout history, people have sought explanations for such deadly epidemics. Pre scientific societies thought that plagues were a punishment from the gods who were displeased with human behaviour. We have a better understanding of the causes and effects of disease today, but such ideas persist in many quarters and can still have a subconscious influence on contemporary attitudes to illness.

Ernie Rea is joined by Dr Jane Stevens Crawshaw, Leverhulme early careers research fellow in History at Oxford Brookes University; the Rev Monsignor Robert J Vitillo, special Advisor on Health and HIV at the Catholic organisation Caritas International; and Joel Baden, Professor of Hebrew Bible at Yale University.

Producer: Rosie Dawson.