Nomad Podcast

What if the deepest encounters with the divine are not dramatic or ecstatic, but quiet, steady, and hidden in ordinary life?Mark Vernon returns to Nomad to explore silence, mysticism, and the search for God after disillusionment. Reflecting on his own journey through priesthood, contemplative practice, psychotherapy and spiritual direction, Mark speaks about finding a form of Christianity rooted less in performance or certainty, and more in attention, presence and the inner life.In this conversation, Tim and Mark discuss The Cloud of Unknowing, Julian of Norwich, William Blake, spiritual homelessness, and why the mystical tradition may still have something vital to offer those who feel drawn to Christ but no longer fit easily within institutional church life.Following the interview Nomad hosts Tim and Anna reflect on their own relationship with mysticism, and the way it has shaped their evolving faith. Interview starts at 12m 48sBooks, quotes, links →The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and wonderful listeners. By supporting us, you gain access to Nomad’s online spaces—like the Beloved Listener Lounge, Enneagram Lounge, and Book Club—as well as bonus episodes such as Nomad Contemplations, Homegrown Conversations, and Nomad Revisited.If you’d like to join our lovely community of supporters, head over to our Patreon page. You might even be rewarded with a Nomad pen or our coveted Beloved Listener mug!If a monthly commitment isn’t possible right now, a one-off donation is always deeply appreciated—you can do that here.Looking to connect with others nearby? Check out the Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook group.And if you're up for sharing your own story, we regularly post reflections from listeners on our blog—all with the hope of fostering deeper understanding, connection and supportive relationships. If you'd like to share your story on the blog, contact us for more information here.

In this conversation, Giles Goddard and Halima Gosai Hussein are joined by Natasha Chawla for a wide-ranging exploration of faith, change, and the unexpected places where different spiritual rivers meet. Drawing on their journeys within Christianity, Islam, and Hindu philosophy, they reflect on the traditions they inherited, the moments that reshaped them, and what it means to remain rooted while allowing faith to evolve.Along the way they explore rivers as both metaphor and reality: places of origin, transformation, and encounter. The conversation moves between story and reflection — from pilgrimage and practice to ecology, justice, and the sacred in everyday life — offering a glimpse of how people from very different traditions can sit together with curiosity, generosity, and hope.Conversation starts at 19m 10sBooks, quotes, links →The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and wonderful listeners. By supporting us, you gain access to Nomad’s online spaces—like the Beloved Listener Lounge, Enneagram Lounge, and Book Club—as well as bonus episodes such as Nomad Contemplations, Homegrown Conversations, and Nomad Revisited.If you’d like to join our lovely community of supporters, head over to our Patreon page. You might even be rewarded with a Nomad pen or our coveted Beloved Listener mug!If a monthly commitment isn’t possible right now, a one-off donation is always deeply appreciated—you can do that here.Looking to connect with others nearby? Check out the Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook group.And if you're up for sharing your own story, we regularly post reflections from listeners on our blog—all with the hope of fostering deeper understanding, connection and supportive relationships. If you'd like to share your story on the blog, contact us for more information here.

Selina Stone, theologian and author exploring Black British Christian life, reflects on why cruelty and exploitation sometimes seem to flourish. She discusses childhood moral disillusionment, elite impunity, personal and historical grief, and how anger can fuel resistance. The conversation weaves scripture, contemplative practice, and calls to live hope and courageous, justice-seeking love.

Lucy Sixsmith, a junior research fellow and author of When the Music Fades, recalls growing up in charismatic Soul Survivor culture. She explores surrender language, “chosen generation” rhetoric, and how warm, familiar spaces masked power and pressure. The conversation probes revival intensity, memory, and what remains when that music fades.

Rupert Sheldrake, biologist and author known for work on consciousness and morphic resonance, reflects on psychedelics, mystical states, and whether mind extends beyond the brain. He discusses intensified dreamlike journeys, ritual and spiritual contexts, near-death and transformative encounters, risks and who should avoid them, and everyday practices that open similar doors.

In this episode, Tim speaks with feminist theologian and author Meggan Watterson about the Gospel of Mary and the Acts of Paul and Thecla — early Christian texts that didn’t make it into the New Testament. They explore what these stories reveal about the diversity of early Christianities, the formation of the biblical canon, and the ways women’s voices were preserved, reshaped, or silenced. What does it mean that some communities treasured these texts enough to pass them on — and how might Christianity have looked if Mary and Thecla had been read alongside Paul and Peter?The conversation moves from history into questions of authority, embodiment, and discernment. Meggan reflects on what drew her to these texts and what she means by “inner authority,” while Tim probes the tension between personal revelation and communal accountability. Together they ask what kind of faith might emerge if we loosen our grip on a single master story without losing our grounding.Following the interview, Nomad hosts Tim and Joy reflect on growing up with a narrow vision of “the early church,” the uneasy relationship between canon and power, and what it means to reclaim inner authority without losing community.Interview starts at 14m 01sBooks, quotes, links →The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and wonderful listeners. By supporting us, you gain access to Nomad’s online spaces—like the Beloved Listener Lounge, Enneagram Lounge, and Book Club—as well as bonus episodes such as Nomad Contemplations, Therapeutic Reflections, and Nomad Revisited.If you’d like to join our lovely community of supporters, head over to our Patreon page. You might even be rewarded with a Nomad pen or our coveted Beloved Listener mug!If a monthly commitment isn’t possible right now, a one-off donation is always deeply appreciated—you can do that here.Looking to connect with others nearby? Check out the Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook group.And if you're up for sharing your own story, we regularly post reflections from listeners on our blog—all with the hope of fostering deeper understanding, connection and supportive relationships. If you'd like to share your story on the blog, contact us for more information here.

In this gentle and quietly unsettling conversation, Hiroko Yoda invites us into a world where spirituality doesn’t begin with belief, but with attention. Drawing on her Japanese upbringing and her book Eight Million Ways to Happiness, Hiroko reflects on grief, ancestors, everyday ritual, and the idea of “half belief, half doubt” — a way of living that makes space for ambiguity rather than trying to resolve it. From small shrines in city parks to the simple act of taking a walk, she describes spirituality as a set of tools for pausing, noticing, and staying connected to the living world around us.Together, Tim and Hiroko explore what happens when faith becomes less about certainty and more about participation: how joy and play find their way into sacred spaces, why traditions can be blended and remixed without anxiety, and what it might mean to belong without needing to define what you believe. It’s a conversation that gently challenges Western ideas of religion and invites listeners to experiment with a slower, softer, more attentive way of being in the world.Following the interview, Nomad hosts Tim and Anna reflect on the disorientation and gift of meeting a spirituality that doesn’t play the same “belief game,” exploring simplicity, attention, and the idea of spiritual practices as tools rather than tests.Interview starts at 17m 53sBooks, quotes, links →The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and wonderful listeners. By supporting us, you gain access to Nomad’s online spaces—like the Beloved Listener Lounge, Enneagram Lounge, and Book Club—as well as bonus episodes such as Nomad Contemplations, Therapeutic Reflections, and Nomad Revisited.If you’d like to join our lovely community of supporters, head over to our Patreon page. You might even be rewarded with a Nomad pen or our coveted Beloved Listener mug!If a monthly commitment isn’t possible right now, a one-off donation is always deeply appreciated—you can do that here.Looking to connect with others nearby? Check out the Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook group.And if you're up for sharing your own story, we regularly post reflections from listeners on our blog—all with the hope of fostering deeper understanding, connection and supportive relationships. If you'd like to share your story on the blog, contact us for more information here.

Rachel Mann, a Church of England priest and poet, shares her journey of transitioning and self-discovery. She explores gender as a complex, lived experience rather than a fixed identity, emphasizing the importance of vulnerability in faith. Rachel discusses the challenges of navigating family dynamics and the transformation that comes with embracing both masculinity and femininity. She invites the church to appreciate the richness of diverse identities, highlighting that God can be found in darkness, mystery, and the process of becoming.

This episode began life as our 2025 Patreon fundraiser — but we’re releasing it here, freely, on the main feed, with a new intro and two additional questions!For this special episode, we invited last year’s guests to turn the tables and ask us whatever they liked. What came back was a rich, surprising mix of the playful, the personal, and the deeply searching. Questions came in from Rowan Williams, Brian McLaren, Selina Stone, Chine McDonald, Lamorna Ash, Gareth Higgins, Jennifer Bird and many others.Along the way, we talk about: • the gap between what we believe and how we actually live • remembering joy in a world wired for disappointment • scripture, inspiration, and what still feels life-giving • whether love really does conquer everything • faith, imagination, childhood toys, books we’d reread forever, and the strange magic of 1980s technology • and which portrayals of God in the Bible we find hardest to love or respectWe also talk openly about why we ran a fundraiser in the first place, what we learned from it, and why we ultimately decided to make this episode freely available to everyone.Supporting Nomad:If you’ve found Nomad helpful and would like to support the ongoing work of the podcast, you can make a one-off donation via our secure Stripe donation page. Any amount is genuinely appreciated and helps us keep Nomad sustainable into 2026.DONATE HEREAnd if you’re not in a position to give, you are still completely welcome here. No pressure. No guilt. Just thanks for listening.

Jarel Robinson-Brown is a priest and theologian serving in Cardiff, known for his insights on love and social compassion. He shares powerful stories inspired by his grandmother’s resilience and reflects on Christian love as actionable and embodied. Topics include vulnerability in Christ’s teachings, the sensory reality of Jesus' life, and the importance of sacrificial living. He invites listeners to embrace hope through love amid suffering and injustice, ultimately encouraging a ripple effect of compassion in our lives.