On the Way Podcast

We do everything we do in this world through our embodiment. There remains a pervasive myth that we move through this world working and creating without leaving any trace of our own lived experience upon our moving and interacting, commenting and creating. With such a mythology the dominant voices become normative, and can be associated with objective truth, obscuring the understanding and experience from the margins. In biblical scholarship, whiteness is so often unarticulated in its effect on biblical translation, that it is as if in their interpretation scholars have left no imprint of their own lived experience and perspectives. The Rev'd Dr Wil Gafney is an Episcopal Priest and Biblical scholar, specialising in a Womanist interpretation of the Bible. Womanism is an American Black women's feminist way of seeing; a lens centred in the lived experience of Black women, and especially interested in the well-being of those who are vulnerable and often exploited. In this conversation Wil speaks with Dom and Sue about the importance of attending to the multiple cultures and contexts of every text that we may be aware of dynamics of power in both the time of the text and in our own. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Exploring a curious story that she thought might be “knotty and weird”, of two comedians from her student days who converted to Christianity and decided to become Anglican priests, journalist Lamorna Ash unearths a recurring phenomenon of a new generation discovering religion for themselves. Lamorna sets out on a journey that takes her across Britain to talk with Gen Z-ers wrestling with Christianity today. In some remarkable conversations and surprising encounters, Lamorna brings insightful perspectives to every kind of Christian expression from monastic movements to Evangelical youth festivals. The result is her new book, “Don’t Forget That We’re Here Forever: A New Generation’s Search for Religion”. The writing style is lyrical and beautiful, full of wisdom that also emerges in this first conversation with Dom, Peter and Sue.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alongside being the title of Pádraig Ó Tuama's recently released collection of poetry, Kitchen Hymns is also an informal term referring to the hymns sung in Irish homes that weren't allowed in formal church contexts, due to their being in the Irish language rather than Latin. It is this rebellious and honest flavour of sacred expression that has been at the heart of Pádraig's work for many years, and informs his new collection of poems exploring an embodied, liberated, and deeply human life of both faith and doubt. Dom joins Pádraig in his New York apartment for this conversation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do we do with the weight of the past? We so often find ourselves clinging and grasping to that which has ended, getting stuck in self-loathing and judgement over that which we regret, or becoming too cautious and comfortable to step boldly beyond that which we have outgrown, leaving us struggling to live fully in the present moment and all that is emerging. In this episode, Rob Bell explores the many ways we get stuck looking in the rearview mirror and shares some liberating insights about how we can make peace with the past and create space for new life. Dom is joined by Rob in his hometown of Ojai, California. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if the way our brains have evolved is inhibiting us from seeing reality as it actually is?This is the groundbreaking theory of renowned neuroscientist, psychiatrist and philosopher Dr Iain McGilchrist, whose research on the two hemispheres of the brain and the different ways in which they operate sheds a great deal of light on so many of the problems we find ourselves facing today. Dom visits Iain at his home on the Isle of Skye for this conversation about how the brain works, what reality really is, and the fate of the human race. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our culture constantly bombards us with products, ideas and approaches that promise to heal us, cure us, make us whole, and take away the pain of life entirely. We are led to believe that we are only one change away from the life we've always felt like we should be living, and that we need only to find the right book, program, or product to help us get there. But what if the truth is that nothing can heal us? What if nothing will work? And what if this might actually be the good news we're looking for? This is the theory behind the upcoming book from philosopher, theologian, and author Peter Rollins, who joins Dom in Belfast for a conversation about nothing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What cost do we pay when we remain living in self-regarding reactivity? What do we do when we find ourselves stuck, trapped by the illusory pictures we have of ourselves and unable to be a channel of life for others? Former Archbishop of Canterbury and author of many books, Dr Rowan Williams, joins Dom, Sue and Peter to explore how Eastern Christian spiritual writings can be a resource to help us better understand our own instincts and educate our reactions to the world. These teachings point to how a different way of being is possible, with greater awareness of our own compulsions and the things that can lead us away from life. As we attend to these inner impulses and reactions, we can awaken to the ways of the Spirit and able to draw from the well of life within, setting us free to take the path of our own becoming. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.