Marina Warner interview for Belief

Marina Warner is interviewed by Joan Bakewell for the series Belief on Radio 3. She grew up in Cairo while her father was a bookseller. She was raised Catholic, and speaks about the rhythm of a Catholic school day. She wrestles with the purpose of the crucifixion and discusses internalized guilt. Mary, on the other hand, was the unifying maternal presence. Asked about the miracles of Mary, she speaks instead of human experiences of reversals and epiphanies. She speaks of how to be saint in a world without God citing Camus. She sees the election of Obama as the result of a collective ethical effort.