'Faith and the Fix' dives deeply into the painful world of drug and alcohol addiction. Far from being 'tough on drugs', Encounter discovers many within the mainstream churches have embraced the 'harm minimisation' strategies of needle exchanges, residential rehabs and even injecting centres where people can shoot up without fear of death by overdose. Disagreement and conflict remain, however, particularly over naltrexone implants— a controversial new treatment for heroin addicts. Ray Moynihan investigates. LESS

As the Rudd government approaches its first anniversary, Encounter explores one of the trickiest, most sensitive and potentially controversial intersections in Australian public affairs - the relationship between religion and politics. Taking as a starting point Kevin Rudd's long essay declaring Dietrich Bonhoeffer his hero, the program tracks the influence of religion on Labor and Coalition policies. Father Frank Brennan, accused by some politicians as being "the meddlesome priest" describes how his first meeting with Kevin Rudd ended in furious argument and how their relationship later developed into friendship. Tom Frame, former bishop to the chaplains of the ADF talks of how he saw John Howard's religious beliefs evolving in office. LESS

In Papua New Guinea, the health care system is vastly under resourced and the contribution of church organisations to health care is vital. At a small hospital and mission station in the remote west of PNG, where the white evangelical missionaries first arrived about 60 years ago, the faith of these missionaries and the ancient Indigenous belief systems are still coming to terms with each other. LESS

In his Berlin address last July, Barack Obama talked about partnership and hope. He was enthusiastically received. As the US Presidential election arrives, how much do these themes define Obama's beliefs? Wendy Barnaby explores some of Obama's ideas and takes the conversation further to other examples where hope and partnership might be crucial in the lives of communities and individuals. LESS