On the Way Podcast

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.

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.

There is a strong sense that the Church is in a time of transition- preparing to birth something new. John Philip Newell in his new book, The Great Search: Turning to earth and soul in the quest for healing and home, addresses this idea and speaks to the group he refers to as the Christian diaspora; those who, from both ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ the church, have a sense of yearning that there must be something more. Rejoining the podcast for this timely conversation, John Philip explores the tension between the wilderness and the temple. He contests that both the prophetic and priestly voices, which these represent, are needed as we share in the labour pains for this new birth, finding and creating communities to express our deepest longings. John Philip Newell, author of many books and beloved Celtic teacher, joins Dom, Peter and Sue in this second conversation for the podcast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is there an ancient path that can transform lives when we find it together, giving hope and meaning? Alexander John Shaia returns to the podcast from his home in Spain to share his deep mining of the Gospel of John which he argues offer the most important, beautiful and dangerous words in Christianity. The story of Jesus in John proposed a radical joining of all- tribes, genders, slaves and free -  coming in a new human experiment to sit side by side around the table. Alexander John aligns the work of Joseph Campbell around the Hero's Journey with the four paths of the Gospels, with John being the path that shows the way to the question, "How do I receive new vision and know the greater joy of union?" This Gospel proclaims that union is the deepest truth and that we should not be discouraged that old divisions keep returning. There is always work to do in returning to that union which is our deepest reality, and this Gospel shows us the way to restore the beautiful blueprint of harmony in diversity. Drawing from his work as a Jungian psychologist and his devotion to mystical Christianity, in this conversation Alexander John shines new light on this ancient text that transcends traditional understanding. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Way Episode 107 Anne Van Gend: Restoring the Story Are we too squeamish about atonement? Anne Van Gend, priest, author and ministry educator, joins the podcast to explore how we tell and keep telling stories about ‘atonement’ in different ways; in mythology, in fantasy novels, movies and of course, in the Christian tradition. Anne argues that the central story of Christian faith – the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus- is so big and important that we need to approach it from as many angles as possible. The danger of post-reformation thinking that we can be ‘saved by having the right belief’, particularly about atonement, means that we are so easily threatened by anyone who tells the story differently. It also means that we lose the enchantment of the stories which tell the most hopeful dreams of humanity and are perhaps echoes of the best dream of all.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.