On the Way Podcast

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.

"Sooner or later, everything falls away."With these words, author Parker J. Palmer begins his much-loved poem exploring the landscape of loss, grief and letting go. In this conversation, Parker reads the poem and reflects on the transient nature of reality and the great tapestry that holds all things together. Dom joins Parker in his living room in Madison, Wisconsin. 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.

In the midst of our busy lives, we can so easily miss the sacred shining through every moment. Children are instinctively drawn to bewilderment and astonishment at the wonder of life, and yet it is a way of seeing that often fades as the rigours and responsibilities of adult life take over. Barbara Brown Taylor has been exploring the idea of reverence in her work for decades through her beloved books, such as An Altar In The World and Learning To Walk In the Dark. In this conversation, she speaks of the gifts of both reverence and irreverence in rediscovering a more attentive and alive way of being in the world.  Barbara and Dom share this conversation in Atlanta, Georgia. 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.

While we may struggle to agree on the answers to life's biggest questions, we are all united in asking them. It is this shared questioning that binds us as humans, with each of us carrying a deep ache for something greater, something sacred and something real. Drawing on the wisdom of the Desert Fathers and Mothers, former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has explored this soulful longing in much of his writing. In this episode of the podcast, Rowan speaks of this ache as being something to live into and celebrate, rather than something to resolve or close down. Rowan and Dom share this conversation in Rowan's home in Cardiff, Wales. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Iain McGilchrist, a renowned neuroscientist and psychiatrist, explores the complexities of human perception and reality. He discusses how the brain's left and right hemispheres influence our understanding of life, advocating for a balanced approach to cognition. Delving into societal discontent, McGilchrist emphasizes the importance of genuine connections and the pursuit of deeper values. He also examines the duality of creativity and envy within mythology and highlights the interconnectedness of all life, urging listeners to embrace a holistic view of existence.

Karl Rahner once remarked that 'the Christian of the future will be a mystic or will not exist', and it is in this spirit that friend of the podcast Alexander John Shaia joins Dom for a conversation about recovering the mystical way of seeing today. Recorded in Granada, Spain, this episode explores how we can come to see the stories of our tradition less as historical moments, and more as timeless truths that are alive in our midst right here and now. 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 are the biggest questions that would stay with you across your life? is there a God? Why is there something, not nothing, and what can it possibly all mean? How can we live a good life? Richard Holloway joins the podcast once again from Edinburgh to share some of his reflections on these questions which have shaped his life. In this latest book, On Reflection, Richard recruits poets, artists and the wisdom of others who have formed his thinking and draws us into a conversation on how a good life is motivated by love and kindness, and creatively finds ways, with humour and grace, to live into the paradoxes that are inherent in being human.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.