Visions & Tones

Tony Nyundu

Dr Tony Nyundu-Bicanin and his guests subjectively and constructively engage in multi-disciplinary topics - from politics, health, religion, education and entertainment. podcast weblog

  1. JAN 29

    Dr. Kathleen Openshaw | Faith, Race and Survival: Inside the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) in Australia #112

    Dr. Kathleen Openshaw discusses her ethnographic research on the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in Australia, exploring how the megachurch serves racially diverse, often marginalized migrants. She examines spiritual practices, extraordinary sacrifice, and how the church offers techniques for overcoming life’s obstacles while raising questions about financial demands and structural inequality. The conversation also covers Dr. Openshaw’s personal background, connections between race and religion across South Africa, Ireland, and Australia, and the ethical responsibilities of researchers working with vulnerable communities. Dr. Kathleen Opensahw is a senior lecturer and a seasoned researcher at Western Sydney University. She is the former Equity & Diversity Co-ordinator in the School of Social Sciences at the same institution where she also received her PhD. She completed her Masters Degree in Anthropology and Development Studies though NUI Maynooth, Rep. of Ireland. She holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Rand Afrikaans University and an Honours degree in Anthropology from The University of Johannesburg (this is the same institution in Johannesburg South Africa). Her professional praxis is driven by building inclusive communities and the pursuit of social justice. Her main research interests are local migrant lived religious expressions and material religion. Her PhD research was an ethnography of the Brazilian megachurch - The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) in Australia. She was a lead ethnographer for a project - Australian Research Council Discovery (Grant application was lodged but did not result in funding), "The African Diaspora and Pentecostalism in Australia", with chief investigators, Prof Cristina Rocha and Prof Richard Vokes. Dr. Opensahw is also a co-editor (with C. Rocha and M. Hutchinson) of Australian Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements: Arguments from the Margins.  Hoping that you enjoy this episode. Thank you for choosing us. IG:@_visions_tones

    1h 25m
  2. 08/28/2025

    Dr. Eva Mmah Agana | Women Marrying Women: Unpacking Same‑Sex Practices, Culture and Spirituality in Ghana - S4E19

    Dr. T interviews Dr. Eva Agana on her sociological research on same‑sex practices in Northern Ghana, distinguishing cultural, spiritual and communal frameworks from concepts of homosexuality, and describing her methodology and findings. She also discusses the role of religion in shaping culture, identity studies from her books (including 'Women Marrying Women in Northern Ghana: Wading into the Homosexuality Debate from a Ghanaian Perspective' and 'Who Am I?: Exploring the Concepts of Gender and Identity from the Frafra Perspective'), and the importance of context-driven development and knowledge. Dr. Eva Agana is a trained Sociologist by profession. She holds a PhD in Culture and Development (institution not specified) and a Master of Science degree in Urban Management and Development from Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands. She is the head of Sustainability division at Talmond Foods Limited in Ghana.  In the past 5 years she devoted her life and profession to helping develop and build transparent and traceable supply chains in Ghana and some West African countries in notably the cocoa, oil palm, rubber, tropical almond and fonio sectors. During this time, she has led and supported different team to offer support to entities such Lindt and Sprungli Farming Program with OFI Ghana, Touton Ghana and ECOM Ghana. Other entities supported include GREL, FEDCO, PSG/SOCFIN Ghana and Liberia. She has also worked with some Ivorian team in the famous Cavally restoration project. As a sociologist, issues of human rights, descent working conditions, respect for work rights and welfare constitute the emphasis of her role. Hoping that you enjoy this episode, and thank you for choosing the Visions & Tones Podcast!!

    1h 11m

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Dr Tony Nyundu-Bicanin and his guests subjectively and constructively engage in multi-disciplinary topics - from politics, health, religion, education and entertainment. podcast weblog