Nomad Podcast

We felt these unprecedented times deserved an unprecedented episode of nomad. So for the first time we recorded a remote episode, with Jemimah beaming in from Cardiff, David from Birmingham, and Tim and Nick from Nottingham.  To help stimulate the conversation, we thought we'd ask the Listener Lounge for questions.  So tune in if you want to know how we’re coping with the pandemic, what signs of h...

In this final meditation of the series, Anna reflects on the power of the greeting that Jesus gave his disciples when he met them in the upper room on Easter day. She considers what Pádraig Ó Tuama shares about this greeting in his book In The Shelter: Finding a home in the World . She then leads us in a stilling exercise followed by an Ignatian style meditation, using our imaginations to enter in...

In this meditation Anna Robinson reflects on our struggles with fear, anxiety and distress. She looks at how Jesus himself felt great fear, particularly at this time of Easter. Then, drawing on the wisdom of James Finley, Anna leads us through a stilling exercise and meditation where we can bring our deepest fears and distress to Jesus. Through this we hope together we can find freedom from our ex...

In this contemplation, Anna Robinson considers the significance of acknowledging how we are feeling in these uncertain and unsettling times. She considers the importance of kindness and compassion to others and ourselves, recognising our shared human experiences. Anna then leads us into a stilling exercise to help us become fully present, after which she guides us a Loving-Kindness meditation that...

Rather than an interview based episode, we felt these strange times required something a little more meditative.  Each month for the last year Anna Robinson has been producing some wonderful meditations for our patrons. So we asked her to produce a short series for our main podcast feed, called Meditations for Isolation .  In this meditation, Anna reminds us we are not alone in finding ourselves w...

Just a few weeks into lockdown, the world already felt unfamiliar. In this episode—our first recorded during the pandemic—we speak with sociologist and Baptist minister Sally Mann , based in London’s East End. Sally shares how her local community, marked by resilience and vulnerability, was navigating the early days of the coronavirus crisis. From mutual aid groups to moments of unexpected stillne...

Mike McHargue is the host of the podcast Ask Science Mike , co-founded of the The Liturgists Podcast and author of Finding God in the Waves . He’s a public educator who weaves together insights from science and faith to help people navigate what it means to live well. We ask Mike the question that scientists, philosophers, theologians and self-help gurus have wrestled with for thousands of years:...

In another break from our usual interview format, we listen in on a conversation between Jemimah McAlpine and Joy Brooks as they reflect on their experiences as women who grew up immersed in evangelical Christianity. Unpicking some of the messages they absorbed over the years, they examine what it means for them to move away from repression and reconnect with their embodied and internal experienci...

In this episode we speak with anabaptist, anarchist and Christian animist, Noel Moules. Christian and animism are perhaps two words you haven’t heard together before, in fact you may well think that animism sounds somewhat dodgy! Noel shows us though how Jesus himself held to this ancient indigenous worldview, where rather than matter and spirit being understood as dualistic opposites, the entire...

Ann Morisy is a community theologian, community worker and author who has researched and written on everything from the spirituality of public transport, through to the spirituality of ageing. Her works draws on a wide range of research and influences, including sociology, political science, economics and theology.  We ask Ann whether in these increasingly troubled times, her community work and st...

There’s a handful of guests that have appeared on Nomad a number of times, and Steve Chalke is one. Why? Because he keeps speaking and writing about really interesting things. He was one of the first high profile evangelicals to critique the penal substitutionary understanding of the cross, and to bless a same sex marriage. Not only that, but he founded and leads one of the UK’s largest charities,...

It's Christmas! And so we thought we'd share a festive Devotional episode with you all. Pub landlady, touring musician and anglican priest Em Kolltveit talks about community building and hospitality when there’s no room at the Inn. We produce Devotionals like this every month. If you're interested, you can access them by making a small monthly donation on our Patreon page. Books, quotes, links → T...

Rather than our usual interview format, in this episode we host a conversation between Zoe Heming and Nick Thorley. Zoe is a priest in the Church of England and for many years has suffered with chronic pain, which often means she has to use a wheelchair. Nick works for Christian Aid and (as you may be aware) hosts Nomad Podcast. He has been visually impaired since he was a teenager.  Zoe and Nick...

Richard Beck is Professor of Psychology at Abilene University, author, blogger and leader of a weekly bible study for inmates at the maximum security French-Robertson unit. He’s also a big fan of the country musician Johnny Cash (who also knew a thing or two about prison). David Blower (another Cash fan) asks Richard what we can learn from the faith of Johnny Cash, a man known for his deep empathy...

In this episode we speak with writer, speaker and researcher, Vicky Walker . Vicky conducted a survey with nearly 1500 people about their experiences of the changing nature of relationships and how, if at all, their faith and churches have helped them make sense of this. It turns out (spoiler alert!) the Church hasn’t always been that helpful. So where do we look for signs of hope in these confusi...

In this episode Jemimah speaks with Irish poet, storyteller and theologian, Pádraig Ó Tuama. It’s a profoundly wise and insightful interview, touching on themes of language, story, gospel, power, community, sexuality and religion. After the interview, Nomad hosts Tim Nash and Jemimah McAlpine reflect on Pádraig faith journey and ponder how the lessons he's learnt might shape their own evolving fai...

When Jennie Hogan was 11 years old she had a brain haemorrhage. Then at the age of 14 she had another one. This devastating experience left her with a brain injury that would transform her life.  So we met up with Jennie at Goodenough College where she is a chaplain, to talk with her about how her experience of trauma, illness and disability has caused her to reflect on how she relates to her body...

Author, speaker and activist Brian McLaren knows a thing or two about navigating an evolving faith. He was raised in the fundamentalist Plymouth Brethren tradition, but is now a passionate advocate for "a new kind of Christianity" - just, generous, and working with people of all faiths for the common good. He also knows a thing or two about raising children, with four of his own, grandchildren, an...

Fr. Greg Boyle is a Jesuit priest, who in 1986 was appointed pastor of a church in one of the most deprived areas of Los Angeles, in a church that sat between two large public housing projects, which had the highest concentration of gangs in the country.  Amidst shocking levels of violence and murder (Greg has personally conducted the funerals of some 229 young men), Greg slowly began to make conn...

Instead of our regular show we're treating you to a Nomad Devotional. Community development worker Simon Jay reflects on life in his neighbourhood and his discovery of urban walking as a form of prayer and community building. David Blower responds with music and ambient sounds. You can enjoy devotionals like this every month, along with Nomad Contemplations and access to our Listener Lounge. Simpl...

How do we face change? How do we move through suffering? How do we receive joy? And how do we mature in service? According to psychologist, spiritual director, liturgist and author Alexander Shaia , these four questions are the questions of our lives. They are universal, sequential, and cyclical, and are recognised by every major religious faith and school of psychology and forms the very heart of...

Episcopal priest, professor, theologian and author Barbara Brown Taylor, joins us on Nomad.   In the early 2000s Barbara left the ministry, an experience she described in Leaving Church, the first of a trilogy of books about redefining her faith. But it’s what Barbara got up to after church leadership that we want to talk about. Barbara spent 20 years teaching world religions, and forming relation...

In this episode we bring together London based sociologist, pastor and community theologian Sally Mann and Philadelphia based social activist and author Shane Claiborne. Shane had crossed the pond to join Sally and others in launching Red Letter Christians UK. So we took the opportunity to quiz them about the state of evangelicalism in both the UK and US, what lies at the heart of their faith, the...

Cynthia Bourgeault is a mystic, priest, and author, who is committed to teaching and spreading the recovery of Christian contemplative practices. So she’s the perfect guide for nomad’s ongoing exploration of contemplative practices.   She’s been a long-time advocate of the meditative practice of Centering Prayer, and so that’s what we quizzed her on. After the interview, Nomad hosts Tim Nash and N...

Christopher Collingwood is an Anglican priest - Canon Chancellor of York Minster, no less. And… he’s a Zen Buddhist teacher. So clearly he knows a thing or two about navigating an evolving faith, and the pushback that can come with it. After the interview, Nomad hosts Tim Nash and Nick Thorley ponder how, if at all, Zen can help them on their our journey of faith deconstruction and reconstruction....