Nomad Podcast (Nomad)

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, and he’s the author of the children’s book Corey and the Seventh Story.

So he seemed like the perfect person to talk to about how to raise your children in the faith, when you’re not sure where your faith’s at. 

After the interview, Nomad hosts Tim Nash and Nick Thorley reflect on Brian's experiences, and ponder how they might shape the way they raise their own children at a time when their faith is evolving. 

Interview starts at 17m 1s

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter.

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our donors gain access to the Nomad community, which manifests in such ways as Nomad Book Club, The Beloved Listener Lounge, Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page for more information.

If you're not fussed about the bonus content, or you want to donate in pounds sterling, you can make a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we're now using to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast listeners. 

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

In this episode Joanna Leidenhag explores the fascinating nature of consciousness and its implications for how we understand ourselves and the world around us. She challenges traditional views that separate mind and body, and instead advocates for panpsychism, an understanding that she believes better fosters environmental awareness, deeper respect for diverse cultures and a view of existence that is interconnected and alive.

After the interview Nomad hosts Tim Nash and Joy Brooks try to get their heads around the pros and cons of the various models of consciousness and ponder how panpsychism might shape their evolving faith. 

Interview starts at 14m 19s

Books, quotes, links →

The creation of Nomad's thoughtful, wonderfully ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful, wonderful listeners. Supporting us gives access to Nomad's online communities through the Beloved Listener Lounge, Enneagram Lounge and Nomad Book Club - as well as bonus content like Nomad Contemplations, Therapeutic Reflections and Nomad Revisited.

If you'd like to join our lovely supporters head to our Patreon Page to donate and you may even be rewarded with a pen or Beloved Listener mug!

If you're hoping to connect with others who are more local, you can also take a look at our Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook page.

Additionally, we share listener's stories on our blog, all with the hope of facilitating understanding, connection and supportive relationships.

Christmas is just round the corner, so we’ve invited Professor Kyle Roberts to help us ponder the idea of Jesus’s virgin conception. Kyle helps us wrestle with questions like, where did Jesus get his Y chromosome from? What’s so great about virginity? And can Jesus stand in solidarity with humanity if he came into the world in a way that no other human has before or since?

After the interview, Nomad hosts Tim Nash and Anna Robinson talk about the understanding of the virgin birth they inherited, and how their evolving faith has reshaped it, along with their views on bodies, sex, the gospels, and all manner of other things.

Interview starts at 15m 23s

Show Notes →

The creation of Nomad's thoughtful, wonderfully ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful, wonderful listeners. Supporting us gives access to Nomad's online communities through the Beloved Listener Lounge, Enneagram Lounge and Nomad Book Club - as well as bonus content like Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited.

If you'd like to join our lovely supporters head to our Patreon Page to donate and you may even be rewarded with a pen or Beloved Listener mug!

If you're hoping to connect with others who are more local, you can also take a look at our Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook page.

Additionally, we share listener's stories on our blog, all with the hope of facilitating understanding, connection and supportive relationships.

We at Nomad recently had a revelation, perhaps we can learn from non-Christians as well as Christians. So we headed down to London and visited the Sunday Assembly, or The Atheist Church as it's become known. After 'worshipping' with 300 atheists, we chat with Pippa Evans one of the founders of what's becoming a global movement, and try to figure out what the Church can learn from the friendlier face of new atheism.

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Psychotherapist and philosopher Mark Vernon chats with us about his evolving faith journey, and his conviction that nurturing our spiritual intelligence is crucial if we are to survive and thrive in these troubled times. Known by many names, spiritual intelligence, Mark contends, is the foundation of who we are and the foundation of peace, purpose and solidarity.

After the interview, Nomad hosts Anna Robinson, Joy Brooks and Tim Nash reflect on the framing of spirituality as an intelligence and ponder which of Mark’s observations might help shape their ongoing spiritual evolution. 

Interview starts at 23m 31s

Show Notes →

The creation of Nomad's thoughtful, wonderfully ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful, wonderful listeners. Supporting us gives access to Nomad's online communities through the Beloved Listener Lounge, Enneagram Lounge and Nomad Book Club - as well as bonus content like Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited.

If you'd like to join our lovely supporters head to our Patreon Page to donate and you may even be rewarded with a pen or Beloved Listener mug!

If you're hoping to connect with others who are more local, you can also take a look at our Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook page.

Additionally, we share listener's stories on our blog, all with the hope of facilitating understanding, connection and supportive relationships.

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, what an embodied faith means to her, how she’s learnt to live with uncertainty, and about the emergence of a new identity through her experience of brokenness.

After the interview, Nomad hosts Tim Nash and Nick Thorley reflect on Jenny's faith journey and ponder how their own experiences of disability and brokenness have shaped their evolving faith.  

Interview starts at 17m 17s

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter.

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our donors gain access to the Nomad community, which manifests in such ways as Nomad Book Club, The Beloved Listener Lounge, Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page for more information.

If you're not fussed about the bonus content, or you want to donate in pounds sterling, you can make a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we're now using to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast listeners. 

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

Since the world has all been a bit much lately, here are your loving Nomad hosts talking about Christmas songs and films, weird dreams, family gatherings, the smell of tinsel and other varying shades of Christmas nostalgia, with songs and jingle bells included. Merry Christmas one and all.

Show Notes →

The creation of Nomad's thoughtful, wonderfully ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful, wonderful listeners. Supporting us gives access to Nomad's online communities through the Beloved Listener Lounge, Enneagram Lounge and Nomad Book Club - as well as bonus content like Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited.

If you'd like to join our lovely supporters head to our Patreon Page to donate and you may even be rewarded with a pen or Beloved Listener mug!

If you're hoping to connect with others who are more local, you can also take a look at our Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook page.

Additionally, we share listener's stories on our blog, all with the hope of facilitating understanding, connection and supportive relationships.

Brian McLaren is an internationally recognised and sort after author, speaker and activist. In this episode we're chatting with Brian about his latest challenging and provocative book that explores the vital topic of Christianity's relationship with other religions.

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Jamie Arpin-Ricci joins us on the latest leg of our Nomadic pilgrimage of hope. Jamie felt called to leave behind his comfortable middle class life and move to a high poverty and crime inner-city area. Obviously this presented many challenges, but none more so than being confronted by his own vulnerability. So we ask Jamie to reflect on what it means to make ourselves vulnerable before God and those around us, and how this can shape the community we're a part of.

Interview starts at 5m 43s.

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

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 weighed down by worry and concerns. Anna will lead us in contemplating divine presence and peace. We will then be led on an imaginative journey where we are invited to acknowledge our fears and concerns and give them to God. We will then be invited to rest in this peace and presence and receive what it is we need at this time.  

David Blower compliments the meditation with original music.

If you want a meditation like this one each month, then visit either our PayPal or Patreon membership page.

Cathy Ross is lecturer in contextual theology and pioneer leadership and is the General Secretary for the International Association for Mission Studies. So Cathy seemed like a pretty good person to talk to about how women have been overlooked in mission, both overseas and at home. She explores how this came about and what can be done about it. She also recommends some resources to help us dig deeper into this important issue.

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

After two and a half years, the stresses and strains of massive global success (if only!) have taken their toll and the original Nomad team have decided to call it a day. So tune in for some final reflections on their online and offline journey. But fear not, the journey will continue (is that a gas forge I hear...)

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

We've been wanting to do an episode on money for a while now, so when the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby put pen to paper and wrote his first book - Dethroning Mammon - all about the dangers of money, we seized upon the opportunity and headed off for Lambeth Palace. We asked the Archbishop what his life experience has taught him about money and how it shapes what we value and where we place our identity. Tune into the podcast for a honest, humble and insightful conversation.  

Interview starts at 6m 27s

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

As much as we love some good old fashioned theological cut-and-thrust, we're increasingly aware that if this journey is going to be sustainable, it's got to be an holistic one. So each month we'll be producing Nomad Devotionals, through which we'll be experimenting with readings, prayers, liturgies and songs. We're making the first one free to everyone, so you can decide whether you're interested in joining us on this leg of the journey. If you are, then head over to Patreon and donate $5 or more a month to gain access to future Devotionals (as well as bonus interviews and post-interview reflections). 

This first devotional was made with help from: Rabbi Margaret Jacobi from Birmingham’s Progressive Synagogue; theologian and urban gardener Sam Ewell; and Brian McLaren, who kindly gives the benediction. The song Hallelujah Sing Exulting was adapted from an old hymn by Martin Gensichen (1879-1965). All other music is by David Benjamin Blower (all rights reserved, and all that). The song Come Holy Spirit is Public Domain (as is Hallelujah Sing Exulting), so please help yourself.

Devotional begins at 14m 17s

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Nomad hosts Tim Nash and Jemimah McAlpine sit down with fellow host David Benjamin Blower to talk through his new album - We Really Existed and We Really Did This. It's a conversation in which David wrestles with faith and theology, and searches for signs of hope in the increasingly chaotic times we live in. As you'd expect from David, it's a classic, full of deeply reflective, insightful and challenging observations.

Interview starts at 4m 25s

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter.

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our donors gain access to the Nomad community, which manifests in such ways as Nomad Book Club, The Beloved Listener Lounge, Nomad Contemplations and Nomad Devotionals. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page for more information.

If you're not fussed about the bonus content, you can make a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we're now using to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast listeners. 

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

Carl Medearis - one of our favourite interviewees of 2013 - kicks off Nomad's 12 Days of Christmas. Carl was a missionary in Beirut, Lebanon for 12 years and now works as an international expert in the field of Christian-Muslim relations. He's uses Christmas as an opportunity to reflect on the 'fear' of God. 

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Nadia Bolz Weber is the founding pastor of House for All Sinners and Saints, and a leading voice in the emerging church movement, known for her honest and provocative style. And today she's bringing a Christmas reflection just for you! 

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

A recent report into human trafficking revealed that the problem is significantly worse than previously thought. In fact, it is believed that in the UK alone, every large town and city will have trafficked people in it who are effectively enslaved, and many of us are unwittingly coming into contact with trafficked people every day. So we speak with three people - Ruth Dearnley, Julia Pugh and Hannah Flint - committed to finding signs of hope in this seemingly bleak situation. 

For more information about the work they do, and the difference you can make, check out the Stop the Traffik website.

Interview starts at 8m 58s.  

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Steve Chalke is one of the UK's most influential evangelicals and he recently blessed a same-sex civil partnership. Needless to say, this caused a bit of a stir! So we caught up with him and asked him what led him to take this controversial step.

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

What are 21st Century educated, questioning Christians supposed to make of the Devil and evil spirits? Are they literal spiritual beings who spend their time trying to lure us into sinful acts? Or should we see them as metaphors for social injustices that we need to confront? We ask professor of psychology, author and blogger Richard Beck. Tune into the podcast for a conversation full of insight, wisdom and honesty. 

Interview begins at 6m

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Mike Stygal is a shaman (i.e. he whips himself up into an altered state of consciousness in order to hang out in the spirit world). He also happens to be the president of the British Pagan Federation. Oh, and he's married to a Christian. So he seems like the right guy to talk to about what Christians can learn from pagans (and indeed, what pagans can learn from Christians). 

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Therapist, researcher and writer Hillary McBride is back on the show, this time to talk about toxic masculinity. Hillary takes us through some of the various characteristics and manifestations of toxic masculinity, reflects on why it has become so pervasive in Western society, why it often show up in our images of God and in the religious leaders we follow, and how men can begin to recognise and move beyond these limiting and oppressive social constructions.  

After the interview, Nomad hosts Tim Nash and Joy Brooks reflect on their own experiences of toxic masculinity, how it shaped the faith they inherited, and how they now understand and relate to gender.   

Interview starts at 16m 35s  

Show Notes →

The creation of Nomad's thoughtful, wonderfully ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful, wonderful listeners. Supporting us gives access to Nomad's online communities through the Beloved Listener Lounge, Enneagram Lounge and Nomad Book Club - as well as bonus content like Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited.

If you'd like to join our lovely supporters head to our Patreon Page or our Nomad members page to donate and you may even be rewarded with a pen or Beloved Listener mug!

If you're hoping to connect with others who are more local, you can also take a look at our Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook page.

Additionally, we share listener's stories on our blog, all with the hope of facilitating understanding, connection and supportive relationships.

Professor Thomas Oord has spent years wrestling with the problem of evil. Why, if God is all powerful and all loving, is there so much evil in the world? This question has brought Thomas to the edge of his faith. In recent years, though, he has begun to consider a radical solution. Perhaps God can't stop evil? As shocking as this sounds, Thomas is careful to show how biblical this idea is, and just how much it looks like Jesus. Tune in for a mind bending episode!

Interview begins at 11m 21s

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

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 natural world is sentient, personable and alive. 

So we ask Noel how this revelation has changed the way he understands and relates to God. And how he loves his neighbour now his neighbour includes everything from birds to trees?!

After the interview Nomad hosts Tim Nash and Nick Thorley reflect on how animism might shape their own evolving faith. 

Interview starts at 15m 16s

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter.

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our donors gain access to the Nomad community - which manifests as Nomad Book Club and The Beloved Listener Lounge - and bonus episodes, such as Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page to donate in dollars and our PayPal members page to donate in pounds.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we're now using to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast listeners. 

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map and our Nomad Gathering Facebook page, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

Theologian Selina Stone joins us to share her experience of growing up in a black Pentecostal church, the questions and doubts she wrestled with, and the answers she found in womanist theology.

Among other things, Selina reflects on the limitations of traditional theology, the role of spirituality in fostering well-being, her evolving relationship with the Bible, and why she now no longer regularly attends church.

Following the interview Tim and Anna reflect on their own evolving faith journey, and ponder what role womanism might play in it.

Interview starts at 16m 39s 

Books, quotes, links →

The creation of Nomad's thoughtful, wonderfully ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful, wonderful listeners. Supporting us gives access to Nomad's online communities through the Beloved Listener Lounge, Enneagram Lounge and Nomad Book Club - as well as bonus content like Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited.

If you'd like to join our lovely supporters head to our Patreon Page to donate and you may even be rewarded with a pen or Beloved Listener mug!

If you're hoping to connect with others who are more local, you can also take a look at our Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook page.

Additionally, we share listener's stories on our blog, all with the hope of facilitating understanding, connection and supportive relationships.

In this episode we chat with clinical social worker and a trauma-informed coach, Brian Peck. Brian grew up in a fundamentalist Christian church and upon leaving he began to realise the trauma this had caused, which triggered his faith deconstrcution. He now specialises in helping people work through their experiences of religious trauma.
So we talk to Brian about why religious spaces seem predisposed to traumatic experiences, what red flags we should be looking out for, how we can protect ourselves, how we can navigate relationships if we feel we have to leave, and many other things.

After the interview, Nomad hosts Tim Nash and Joy Brooks reflect on their own experiences of religious trauma, and how this has shaped their subsequent faith journey.

Interview starts at 10m 52s 

Show Notes →

Nomad is able to produce episodes like this one because a group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our supporters gain access to the Nomad community - which manifests as Nomad Book Club and The Beloved Listener Lounge - and bonus episodes, such as Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page and our own members page to donate.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we use to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast listeners.

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map and our Nomad Gathering Facebook page, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

On this episode we speak with theology professor and climate change activist Timothy Gorringe about the climate crisis. Towards the end of last year the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change released a pretty bleak report. In summary, the report said that the situation is much worse than we previously thought, and unless we reduce global carbon emissions to zero by 2050, then by the end of this century the earth will be a very hostile place to live. 

So we ask Prof. Gorringe how we are meant to respond? How can we as individuals radically reduce our carbon footprint? And how can we put pressures on government to move towards creating a carbon neutral society? And we ponder the theology of the potential collapse of human civilisation.

After the interview, Nomad hosts Tim Nash and Nick Thorley try to process everything Prof. Gorringe said, and figure out what all this means for the ongoing evolution of their faith and lifestyle.

Interview begins at 22m 50s

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter.

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our donors gain access to the Nomad community, which manifests in such ways as Nomad Book Club, The Beloved Listener Lounge, Nomad Contemplations and Nomad Devotionals. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page for more information.

If you're not fussed about the bonus content, you can make a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we're now using to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast listeners. 

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

Well, this is it, Dave Ward's final episode. After six years of podcasting, he's decided to go on to other things (probably something to do with horses...). 

In his final episode, we're chatting with Nick Spencer, the Director of Research at Theos Think Tank, and author of The Evolution of the West: How Christianity Has Shaped Our Values. And we're asking him, what difference has Christianity really made to society, and what indications are there that it has a hopeful future? 

Interview starts at 19m 38s

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Over the last 20 years Rachel and Simon Jay have been parents to many children through fostering and adoption as well as raising their own biological children. In this conversational episode, we listen in as they reflect on their experiences, discuss what they've learnt, and explore the expectations, challenges and delights of being family.

Show Notes →

The creation of Nomad's thoughtful, wonderfully ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful, wonderful listeners. Supporting us gives access to Nomad's online communities through the Beloved Listener Lounge, Enneagram Lounge and Nomad Book Club - as well as bonus content like Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited.

If you'd like to join our lovely supporters head to our Patreon Page to donate and you may even be rewarded with a pen or Beloved Listener mug!

If you're hoping to connect with others who are more local, you can also take a look at our Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook page.

Additionally, we share listener's stories on our blog, all with the hope of facilitating understanding, connection and supportive relationships.

Natalie Collins is a gender justice specialist, who speaks, writes and trains on issues of violence against women and wider gender injustice.

In trying to make sense of her own experience of domestic abuse - and the fact that over the course of a lifetime over a quarter of women experience domestic abuse - Natalie began to ask questions about the patriarchal nature of our society (and Church) and how this shapes the way men view women and themselves. 

After the interview, Nomad hosts Tim Nash and Jemimah McAlpine reflect on their own experiences of patriarchy and how it has shaped their faith and lives. 

Interview begins at 10m 44s

If you want to learn more about Natalie’s writing, consultancy and activism, then check out her website, and her book Out of Control: Couples, Conflict and the Capacity for Change.   

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter.

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our donors gain access to the Nomad community, which manifests in such ways as Nomad Book Club, The Beloved Listener Lounge, Nomad Contemplations and Nomad Devotionals. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page for more information.

If you're not fussed about the bonus content, you can make a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we're now using to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast listeners. 

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

In this episode we speak with the director of Theos Think Tank and host of The Sacred podcast, Elizabeth Oldfield.
Elizabeth is passionate about exploring how we can build healthy friendships and societies in an age characterised by seemingly ever deepening differences, and what role faith can play in this.
So we ask Elizabeth why we find it so hard to relate to people who are culturally, politically and religiously different from ourselves, and how we can begin to overcome this.

After the interview, Nomad hosts David Blower and Tim Nash reflect on their own experiences of relating to people in their lives whose faith is in a different place to their own. 

Interview starts at 12m 40s

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our supporters gain access to the Nomad community - which manifests as Nomad Book Club and The Beloved Listener Lounge - and bonus episodes, such as Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page to donate in dollars and our PayPal members page to donate in pounds.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we're now using to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast listeners.

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map and our Nomad Gathering Facebook page, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

As part of her personal spiritual journey and theological master's research, Lindsay Monroe invited a group of women to explore the impact of purity culture on their sexuality. We invite her to discuss what she discovered, about the harm inflicted by this ideology and how we might be open to finding healthier and more authentic ways forward.

Following the interview, Nick Thorley and Joy Brooks consider their experiences of purity culture and how they might develop a wider understanding of sexuality.

Interview starts at 15m 32s 

Show Notes →

The creation of Nomad's thoughtful, wonderfully ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful, wonderful listeners. Supporting us gives access to Nomad's online communities through the Beloved Listener Lounge, Enneagram Lounge and Nomad Book Club - as well as bonus content like Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited.

If you'd like to join our lovely supporters head to our Patreon Page to donate and you may even be rewarded with a pen or Beloved Listener mug!

If you're hoping to connect with others who are more local, you can also take a look at our Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook page.

Additionally, we share listener's stories on our blog, all with the hope of facilitating understanding, connection and supportive relationships.

In this episode vicar of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church at Trafalgar Square, London and professor of Christian ethics at King's College, Sam Wells shares his belief that to live well is to improvise well. He defines improvisation in the theatre as "a practice through which actors seek to develop trust in themselves and one another in order that they may conduct unscripted dramas without fear." And that, he believes, is how we should approach life. Building trust, overcoming fear, conducting relationships, and making choices - all without a script. The Bible therefore is not a ‘script’ but a training school that shapes our habits and practices. And living well is "faithfully improvising on the Christian tradition." 

After the interview Nomad hosts David Blower and Nick Thorley reflect on how Sam's ideas might shape their evolving faith. 

Interview starts at 16m 30s. 

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter.

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our donors gain access to the Nomad community - which manifests as Nomad Book Club and The Beloved Listener Lounge - and bonus episodes, such as Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page to donate in dollars and our PayPal members page to donate in pounds.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we're now using to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast listeners. 

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map and our Nomad Gathering Facebook page, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

Bob Ekblad serves immigrants, inmates, homeless people and people struggling with addiction in the US. What's even more interesting about Bob though is how he seamlessly combines social justice with a miraculous healing ministry!

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

In this Easter devotional podcast, Vanessa Chamberlin reflects on biblical narratives and personal mystical experiences as she navigates the intersection of theology, art, and ecological consciousness.

Following Vanessa’s reflection, Anna Robinson creates a contemplative space for us to more deeply reflect on and experience this spirituality of the land.

All this is beautifully woven together with the [on location] music of Jon Bilbrough, known musically as Wilderthorn.

Vanessa's reflection begins at 5m 52s

Books, quotes, links →

The creation of Nomad's thoughtful, wonderfully ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful, wonderful listeners. Supporting us gives access to Nomad's online communities through the Beloved Listener Lounge, Enneagram Lounge and Nomad Book Club - as well as bonus content like Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited.

If you'd like to join our lovely supporters head to our Patreon Page to donate and you may even be rewarded with a pen or Beloved Listener mug!

If you're hoping to connect with others who are more local, you can also take a look at our Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook page.

Additionally, we share listener's stories on our blog, all with the hope of facilitating understanding, connection and supportive relationships.

We speak with Doug King about the evolution of his faith, progressing from Christian fundamentalism to a post-Christian identity. At the heart of Doug’s understanding of this journey is the historical framework of Spiral Dynamics, a model that illuminates the evolution of worldviews across cultures worldwide. This model reveals that the journey many of us have been on - from fundamentalism, through deconstruction, to a more expansive, inclusive spirituality - are not isolated personal experiences, but an integral part of the collective evolution of the human race.  

After the interview Tim and Nick share their own experience of Spiral Dynamics, and how it’s helped them make sense of their own journeys.

Interview starts at 18m 58s 

Show Notes →

The creation of Nomad's thoughtful, wonderfully ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful, wonderful listeners. Supporting us gives access to Nomad's online communities through the Beloved Listener Lounge, Enneagram Lounge and Nomad Book Club - as well as bonus content like Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited.

If you'd like to join our lovely supporters head to our Patreon Page to donate and you may even be rewarded with a pen or Beloved Listener mug!

If you're hoping to connect with others who are more local, you can also take a look at our Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook page.

Additionally, we share listener's stories on our blog, all with the hope of facilitating understanding, connection and supportive relationships.

Metropolitan Kallistos Ware is considered by many to be the leading theologian today in the Orthodox Church. He is perhaps best known as the author of the book The Orthodox Church, and more recently the companion volume, The Orthodox Way.

Metropolitan Kallistos is also known as one of the great advocates of the Jesus Prayer, a prayer that countless Christians through the centuries have considered to be central to their spiritual growth. It was a prayer Rowan Williams referred to in our 2017 interview with him as being foundational to his prayer life. So we thought it was about time we learnt more.

After the interview, Nomad hosts Tim Nash and David Blower reflect on the spiritual practices they've found helpful, and whether the Jesus Prayer might play a role in their evolving faith.

Interview begins at 7m 27s

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter.

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. As a thank you, our donors gain access to a wide range of bonus content, such as Nomad Book Club, The Beloved Listener Lounge, Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals, and of course, the Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page for more information.

If you're not fussed about the bonus content, you can make a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Reflecting on the Lord's Prayer, theologian, writer, and poet Nicola Slee delves into some of it’s problematic language, and through a process of improvisation reimagines the prayer as one that brings a universal message of hope in a world marred by injustice. 

After the interview, Nomad hosts Tim Nash and Anna Robinson reflect on their own journeys with the Lord’s Prayer, and ponder its role in their current spiritual practices.

Interview starts at 17m 28s

Show Notes →

The creation of Nomad's thoughtful, wonderfully ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful, wonderful listeners. Supporting us gives access to Nomad's online communities through the Beloved Listener Lounge, Enneagram Lounge and Nomad Book Club - as well as bonus content like Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited.

If you'd like to join our lovely supporters head to our Patreon Page to donate and you may even be rewarded with a pen or Beloved Listener mug!

If you're hoping to connect with others who are more local, you can also take a look at our Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook page.

Additionally, we share listener's stories on our blog, all with the hope of facilitating understanding, connection and supportive relationships.

We recently travelled to the Creature Conference in London, where we spent the day pondering the question 'Is Christianity Good News for Animals?'. Animal welfare used to be seen as an important expression of the gospel for leaders such as Spurgeon, Wesley, C. S. Lewis and many others. But more recently it seems to have dropped off the Church's agenda. So we asked theological ethicists Prof. David Clough, and Christian leaders Tony Campolo, Steve Chalke, Ruth Valerio, and founder of the animal welfare charity Sarx, Darrel Booth, why we've lost sight of this, and how Christianity can again become good news for animals. 

Interview starts at 7m 9s

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Why is the Church divided into over 40,000 denominations? Why do Churches in the same town often have very little to do with each other? Why are Christians always fighting on social media? It doesn't seem much like the one new humanity Jesus came to establish! To find some answers we quiz social psychologist, Christena Cleveland, author of Disunity in Christ.

Interview starts at 7m 18s 

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

In this episode Mark Oakley shares with us his lifelong relationship with poetry. He believes poetry is the language of the soul, and should therefore be the person of faith’s native language. For Mark poetry has put to words his deepest longing, has sustained him through troubled times, and has transformed the way he’s come to see God, himself and others. And Mark believes that in our ever more chaotic world, now more than ever we need to rediscover the language of poetry. 

After the interview, Nomad hosts David Blower and Jemimah McAlpine reflect on the role poetry has played in their faith and lives. 

Interview starts at 8m 45s.

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter.

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our supporters gain access to the Nomad community - which manifests as Nomad Book Club and The Beloved Listener Lounge - and bonus episodes, such as Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page to donate in dollars and our PayPal members page to donate in pounds.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we're now using to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast listeners. 

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map and our Nomad Gathering Facebook page, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

At our recent offline Gathering, Mark Vernon - former Anglican Priest, turned atheist, turned Christian agnostic - led us in a Buddhist inspired meditation. To get the full benefit from this, you might want to sit near some other people (e.g. in a cafe, the library, or park, etc.) as it's all about how we perceive ourselves in relation to others. 

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Nomad hosts Anna Robinson and Joy Brooks have a conversation about the challenges of joys of experiencing a shifting faith, their ambivalence to the word deconstruction, the deconstruction groups they’ve been hosting and what they’ve learnt from them. 

If you'd like to be part of one of these group, contact Anna through her website.

Show Notes →

Nomad is able to produce episodes like this one because a group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our supporters gain access to the Nomad community - which manifests as Nomad Book Club and The Beloved Listener Lounge - and bonus episodes, such as Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page and our own members page to donate.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we use to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast listeners.

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map and our Nomad Gathering Facebook page, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

In this episode David speaks with priest and author Azariah France-Williams about his new book Ghost Ship: Institutional Racism and the Church of England. Azariah reflects on his experience of racism within the church, and how sticking plasters won’t suffice, but instead a wholesale change in structure and mindset is required.
Jemimah is then joined by diversity and inclusion trainer Natalia Nana, to reflect on the interview and to speak about anti-racist habits and practices.

Interview starts at 19m 12s

Nomad can only host conversations like these because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our supporters gain access to the Nomad community - which manifests as Nomad Book Club and The Beloved Listener Lounge - and bonus episodes, such as Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page and our own members page to donate.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we use to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast listeners.

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map and our Nomad Gathering Facebook page, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

From just two verses at the end of Romans, Paula Gooder has gleaned some fascinating insights about Phoebe. She was likely a freed slave, who became wealthy and influential. And she was a deacon who carried Paul's letter to the Church in Rome, and most likely explained it to them. From these intriguing details, Paula has written a novel, exploring the life of this woman (and others) in the early church.

So we met up with Paula to chat about women in the early church and the church today. And as you'd expect from Paula is was a conversation brimming with enthusiasm, wisdom and insight.

After the interview Nomad hosts Tim Nash and David Blower ponder what all this means for their evolving faith.

Interview begins at 12m 47s

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter.

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our donors gain access to a wide range of bonus content, such as Nomad Book Club, The Beloved Listener Lounge, Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals, and of course, the Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page for more information.

If you're not fussed about the bonus content, you can make a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

Inspired by a glorious summer of sport, Nomad thought we'd bring you a story that seamlessly links mission and sport. So we met up with the Amos Trust's Chris Rose. Chris has got an amazing story to tell of gathering together street child from around the world for a football World Cup! Hard to believe I know, but it happened! Tune in to find out more.

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Nadia Bolz Weber is anything but boring, Raised in a fundamentalist church, she rebelled, immersed herself in a hedonistic lifestyle, found faith again, and now leads House for all Sinners and Saints. Tune in for a fascinating interview, full of insight, wisdom, and gritty honesty.

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Author and lecturer, Phyllis Tickle, is one of the most influential voices in emerging church circles, and one of our favourite guests of 2014. 

We asked Phyllis to reflect on Christmas from the perspective of the emerging church and emergence Christianity.

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Second up in our Interfaith Easter series is Omid Safi. Omid is the Director of the Islamic Studies Centre, at Duke University. So if you're interested in what a Muslim makes of Easter, you've come to the right place, as Omid gives us a fascinating reflection. 

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Merry Christmas, beloved listeners! 
In this episode we hear from Revd Canon Eve Pitts. Having missed Christmas in their church last year, due to repairs, the residents of Birchfield were looking forward carols and candles in their building. But 2020 being what it is, Eve wondered if Christmas might as well be cancelled all together. However, perhaps living in a time of restrictions, precarity and mess is all the more Christmassy. Eve reflects on the humanity of Mary, the messiness of birth, and the God who is found in the places where nobody wants to live.

The music is from the EP Epiphany by The Blood Magnetic.

Nomad can only host conversations like these because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our supporters gain access to the Nomad community - which manifests as Nomad Book Club and The Beloved Listener Lounge - and bonus episodes, such as Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page and our own members page to donate.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we use to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast listeners.

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map and our Nomad Gathering Facebook page, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

Writer, academic and activist Alastair McIntosh became a Quaker as a young adult. In this interview he reflects on how the Quaker tradition has shaped his life and his practice, how it intersects with mystical experiences, and where Jesus sits amidst his own generous worldview and in the Quaker tradition.

After the interview, Nomad hosts David Blower and Nick Thorley talk about other religious traditions, what it might mean for a religious tradition to be Christ-centred, and how they understand what it means to be a Christian.

Interview starts at 14m 59s 

Show Notes →

Nomad is able to produce episodes like this one because a group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our supporters gain access to the Nomad community - which manifests as Nomad Book Club and The Beloved Listener Lounge - and bonus episodes, such as Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page and our own members page to donate.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we use to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast listeners.

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map and our Nomad Gathering Facebook page, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

With Pentecost almost upon us, we offer you our 7th and final refection. Associate Professor of Psychology, blogger and author, Richard Beck has the privilege of closing our this series. We hope you've found these reflections helpful. See you later on in the Church calendar.

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

We chat with author of With All Your Mind: Autism and the Church, Erin Burnett about her personal experience and research into autism and the unique ways Christians with autism understand and experience God.
We ask her why she was initially attracted to more fundamentalist expressions of Christianity, what triggered her deconstruction, and why she’s now more at home in progressive Christian spaces. 

After the interview Nomad hosts Tim Nash and Joy Brooks reflect on what neurotypical people can learn from the ways people with autism experience the world and spirituality.

Interviews starts at 13m 45s 

Show Notes →

Nomad is able to produce episodes like this one because a group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our supporters gain access to the Nomad community - which manifests as Nomad Book Club and The Beloved Listener Lounge - and bonus episodes, such as Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page and our own members page to donate.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we use to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast listeners.

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map and our Nomad Gathering Facebook page, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

For many of us, the charismatic movement has been a mixed bag of bonkers and blessing. The danger is, of course, that we throw the blessed baby out with the bonkers bathwater! Especially for those of us who have been through some kind of deconstruction, we can easily end up rationalising away anything mystical.

So we asked Brad Jersak to help us think all this through. Brad is a member of the Eastern Orthodox Church and is deeply contemplative. But he’s also a charismatic. So we ask him what the charismatic and contemplative traditions can learn from each other, and whether contemplation can help take some of the crazy out of the charismatic. 

After the interview Nomad hosts Tim Nash, David Blower and Nick Thorley reflect on their own experience in Charismatic spaces, and what they've kept and rejected as their faith has continued to evolve.

Interview begins at 17m 32s

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter.

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our donors gain access to the Nomad community, which manifests in such ways as Nomad Book Club, The Beloved Listener Lounge, Nomad Contemplations and Nomad Devotionals. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page for more information.

If you're not fussed about the bonus content, you can make a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we're now using to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast guests and listeners. 

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

Theologian Thomas Oord joins us again to explore a vision of God as radically loving but not omnipotent. We look at the implications of challenging this traditional notion of divine control and how it has reshaped Tom’s understanding of creation, evolution, suffering, liberation, the nature of God's power and the potential for hope without guarantees.

Throughout the conversation Tom reflects on how these ideas have shaped his life, including his recent experience of a heresy trial for his LGBTQI+ affirming stance. It’s a fascinating conversation about faith, suffering, and the enduring nature of love.

Following the interview Nomad hosts Joy Brooks and Tim Nash reflect on the conversation and ponder how Tom’s understanding of a loving who can’t control might shape their evolving faith. 

Interview starts at 12m 16s

Books, quotes, links →

The creation of Nomad's thoughtful, wonderfully ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful, wonderful listeners. Supporting us gives access to Nomad's online communities through the Beloved Listener Lounge, Enneagram Lounge and Nomad Book Club - as well as bonus content like Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited.

If you'd like to join our lovely supporters head to our Patreon Page to donate and you may even be rewarded with a pen or Beloved Listener mug!

If you're hoping to connect with others who are more local, you can also take a look at our Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook page.

Additionally, we share listener's stories on our blog, all with the hope of facilitating understanding, connection and supportive relationships.

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 connections with the gang members, and eventually established the largest gang rehabilitation and re-entry program in the world.

After the interview, Nomad hosts Tim Nash and Nick Thorley reflect on Greg's experiences and wonder how it might shape their evolving faith journey.

Interview starts at 16m 12s

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter.

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our donors gain access to the Nomad community, which manifests in such ways as Nomad Book Club, The Beloved Listener Lounge, Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page for more information.

If you're not fussed about the bonus content, or you want to donate in pounds sterling, you can make a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we're now using to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast listeners. 

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

In both Liverpool and Bradford, Barbara Glasson has drawn together communities that have provided safe, honest, authentic spaces for the poor, marginalised, disillusioned, and people from other faiths and none. As well as being a spiritual home for these people, she believes they have an important message for the mainstream church. So we ask Barbara how she formed these communities, and what wisdom she has gained along the way. So tune in for a conversation full of insight, challenge and humility. 

Interview starts at 7m 47s.

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

A couple of decades ago Tony and Felicity Dale felt called to move from the UK to the US to plant a church. As you can imagine, it's been quite a journey (in all senses of the word!) and they've learnt stacks about what it means to be church. One of the big lessons they've learnt is that we need to radically simplfy church. 

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Christianity in the West is collapsing. Poet, peacemaker and scholar John Philip Newell believes we can either deny it’s happening, try to shore up the foundations of the old thing, or we can radically reorientate our vision and ask what new thing is trying to be born. So we ask John Philip what this new thing is that is trying to emerge from deep within us and from deep within the collective soul of Christianity.

After the interview Nomad hosts Tim Nash and David Blower reflect on what all this means for their evolving faith.

Interview begins at 6m 3s

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter.

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our donors gain access to a wide range of bonus content, such as Nomad Book Club, The Beloved Listener Lounge, Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals, and of course, the Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page for more information.

If you're not fussed about the bonus content, you can make a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Drawing on his life as an organic farmer and over six decades of meditation, contemplative John Butler gently guides us on a journey towards inner stillness. Born in the 1930’s, John reflects on the slow emergence of a spirituality shaped by years of deep connection to the natural world, mantra meditation, and an unexpected mystical experience of Jesus. He also reflects on his sadness at struggling to connect with a Church suspicious of the journey he’s been on.

After the interview Nomad hosts Tim Nash and Nick Thorley reflect on their own experiences of stillness and meditation and the role it has played in the emergence of their spirituality. 

Interview starts at 16m 47s 

Books, quotes, links →

The creation of Nomad's thoughtful, wonderfully ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful, wonderful listeners. Supporting us gives access to Nomad's online communities through the Beloved Listener Lounge, Enneagram Lounge and Nomad Book Club - as well as bonus content like Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited.

If you'd like to join our lovely supporters head to our Patreon Page to donate and you may even be rewarded with a pen or Beloved Listener mug!

If you're hoping to connect with others who are more local, you can also take a look at our Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook page.

Additionally, we share listener's stories on our blog, all with the hope of facilitating understanding, connection and supportive relationships.

Back in 2011 we interviewed Mike Pilavachi, the co-founder and leader of the Soul Survivor charity and Soul Survivor festival.

In 2023 stories about his abusive behaviour began to emerge. After an investigation the allegations were substantiated with the report concluding "that he used his spiritual authority to control people and that his coercive and controlling behaviour led to inappropriate relationships, the physical wrestling of youths and massaging of young male interns.”

The report also specifically identifies spiritually abusive behaviour, defined as 'a form of emotional and psychological abuse characterised by a systematic pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour in a religious context’. 

These revelations have had a profound impact on those directly affected, and also on the thousands of people who attended Soul Survivor and regarded Mike as a spiritual leader. 

We hope Nomad can be a safe space for people to process their faith journey, and so we have considered deleting this interview. On reflection, whilst we're not advising anyone to listen to this episode, we have decided to leave it in the Nomad archive as part of an honest record of our faith journey, with all it’s messiness.

Details of the investigation and how to report any further concerns can be found here.

Robin Parry is a theologian best known for advocating universalism (see our interview with him on this very topic). More recently he's turned his attention to writing about The Biblical Cosmos. In this book he systematically lays out all the weirdness of the biblical universe, with its flat earth, the dead residing underneath it and God residing above a solid sky dome. Oh, and there's sea monsters and angel-stars for good measure. The question is, then, how do we relate to a God who lives in this universe? 

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

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, whose volunteers, activists and professionals work in 36 communities across the country.

In this episode we speak to Steve about the Apostle Paul and why he has often been presented as the champion of exclusion, when, as Steve believes, he was in fact the great includer; a revolutionary who saw a new inclusive world dawning and gave his life to help bring it in.

After the interview Nomad hosts David Blower and Nick Thorley reflect on their own evolving faith and evolving relationship with the Apostle Paul. 

Interview begins at 17m 49s

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter.

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our donors gain access to the Nomad community - which manifests as Nomad Book Club and The Beloved Listener Lounge - and bonus episodes, such as Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page to donate in dollars and our PayPal members page to donate in pounds.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we're now using to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast listeners. 

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map and our Nomad Gathering Facebook page, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

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 experiencing. Learning to value their own voice, they also explore the responsibility that comes with agency and privilege within their respective communities.

Conversation starts at 4m 30s.

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter.

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our donors gain access to the Nomad community - which manifests as Nomad Book Club and The Beloved Listener Lounge - and bonus episodes, such as Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page to donate in dollars and our PayPal members page to donate in pounds.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we're now using to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast listeners. 

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map and our Nomad Gathering Facebook page, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

Pete Ward is senior lecturer in youth ministry and theological education at King's College, London. About 10 years ago now Pete wrote Liquid Church, and it turned out to be rather influential. Pete's theories have stuck around and shaped the views of many people interested in new forms of church. So Nomad thought they'd better find out a bit more.

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

As if building a church of 10,000+, producing an international bestselling DVD series, writing critically acclaimed bestselling books, producing a hugely popular podcast, and having his own TV show wasn't enough, Rob Bell has decided to write a novel. And much to the frustration of all us lesser mortals, it's really rather good! But what does Milliones Cajones reveal about Rob's own struggle to find himself amidst all this success?

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Andrew Marin grew up in a conservative church, and much to his surprise developed a calling and passion to build bridges between the Church and the LGBTQ community. So he moved into a gay part of town, and spent all his time getting to know people in gay bars. Ss you can imagine, there's plenty for us to learn from the remarkable journey he's been on. 

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Robin Parry is an evangelical, but unlike most evangelicals he doesn't believe that Hell and death is the end of the story for most of humanity. Instead, he believes the Bible teaches that we will all ultimately be reconciled to God and enjoy eternity with him.

So we set Robin a challenge. Can he find universalism in the Christmas story? Tune in to find out the results! 

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Elaine Heath is the perfect person to speak to about the emergence of new expressions of Church. She's one of those rare people who understands and can navigate the institution (she's former Dean of Duke Divinity School and an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church), while at the same time has years of experience in small, experimental, missional communities. She's a pioneer who through her writing, speaking and retreats, has opened up a space for many others to explore new forms of church a little more safely.

So we took the opportunity to pick Elaine's brain about the joys and heartbreaks of being a pioneer.

After the interview, Nomad hosts Tim Nash and David Blower reflect on the ups and downs of their own church journeys.

Interview begins at 10m 10s

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter.

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our donors gain access to the Nomad community, which manifests in such ways as Nomad Book Club, The Beloved Listener Lounge, Nomad Contemplations and Nomad Devotionals. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page for more information.

If you're not fussed about the bonus content, you can make a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

To kick off 2024 we thought we’d share a Nomad Revisited episode with you. Each month on Revisited Tim and Nick raid the Nomad archives, dust off an old interview, and ponder where their faith was then, where it is now, and what influences shaped that transition.

Nomad Revisited is usually tucked away behind a paywall on our Patreon page as a little thank you for the listeners who help us pay the bills. But we’re making this one freely available as a little New Years treat.

In this Revisited, we travel back to 2015 and a conversation Tim had with the much loved blogger and author Rachel Held Evans. Rachel was one of the early pioneers in the deconstruction space, blogging about her experiences of growing up in a fundamentalist Bible Belt culture, and her experiences of publicly questioning this.

Rachel became a beacon of hope for thousands of people wrestling with an evolving faith. But sadly she died suddenly in 2019 at just 37, leaving a husband and two young children. So this is an episode marked by sadness, but also a celebration of a beautiful life. 

Interview starts at 15m 42s

Books, Quotes, Links →

If you’d like a brand new Nomad Revisited each month, then sign up at our Patreon page.

We chat with professor, researcher and clinical psychologist Dr. Lisa Miller about her fascinating research into the benefits of spirituality. 
Dr. Miller’s groundbreaking research has revealed that humans are universally equipped with a capacity for spirituality, and that our brains become more resilient and robust as we engage with healthy spiritual beliefs and practices.

After the interview, Nomad hosts Tim Nash and Nick Thorley talk about out how Dr. Miller’s research fundamentally challenges the evangelicalism they inherited, and how through their faith deconstruction the spirituality that has emerged is very similar to the one Dr. Miller is advocating. They also ponder what Dr. Miller’s research means for how they pass spirituality onto their children. 

Interview starts at 17m 12s

Show Notes →

The creation of Nomad's thoughtful, wonderfully ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful, wonderful listeners. Supporting us gives access to Nomad's online communities through the Beloved Listener Lounge, Enneagram Lounge and Nomad Book Club - as well as bonus content like Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited.

If you'd like to join our lovely supporters head to our Patreon Page or our Nomad members page to donate and you may even be rewarded with a pen or Beloved Listener mug!

If you're hoping to connect with others who are more local, you can also take a look at our Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook page.

Additionally, we share listener's stories on our blog, all with the hope of facilitating understanding, connection and supportive relationships.

You're no doubt aware that the Church has been in steady decline in the West for a number of decades now. In the UK for example, Church attendance has roughly halved in the last thirty five years. But what do we know about all the people who left? Why did they leave? And what are they doing now? Researcher Steve Aisthorpe contacted 5000 church leavers to find out more. And what it discovered revealed a much more hopeful, but no less challenging picture of the Church!  

After the interview Nomad hosts Tim Nash, Jemimah McAlpine and David Blower reflect on their own church exits and ponder what for them are signs of hope.

Interview begins at 8m 7s

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter.

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our donors gain access to a wide range of bonus content, such as Nomad Book Club, The Beloved Listener Lounge, Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals, and of course, the Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page for more information.

If you're not fussed about the bonus content, you can make a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

Miles Irving has been foraging since childhood. Having journeyed through Pentecostalism, he returned to his first passion for wild foods, and began to discover that our relationship to what we eat bears deeply on our relationship to everything.

In this episode, Miles and David Blower spend a day eating nothing but foraged food and talking through the joys, trials and transformations that come of eating what grows out of the soil where we live.

Interview starts at 15m 15s

Show Notes →

Nomad is able to host conversations like these because a group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our supporters gain access to the Nomad community - which manifests as Nomad Book Club and The Beloved Listener Lounge - and bonus episodes, such as Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page and our own members page to donate.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we use to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast listeners.

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map and our Nomad Gathering Facebook page, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

Host Joy Brooks has gathered a group of psychotherapists from the Nomad therapy network to see how they answer questions from members of the Beloved Listener Lounge.

Considering questions such as "what makes therapy transformational?”, "what would you say to someone who was told to trust the bible not feelings?", “how can I function while feeling like I can’t live with God and can’t live without God?” and “how can I work through the effects of purity culture and toxic religious attitudes towards sex?”, we get to listen in on a Q&A with a therapeutic twist.

Q&A starts at 20m 36s

Books, quotes, links →

The creation of Nomad's thoughtful, wonderfully ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful, wonderful listeners. Supporting us gives access to Nomad's online communities through the Beloved Listener Lounge, Enneagram Lounge and Nomad Book Club - as well as bonus content like Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited.

If you'd like to join our lovely supporters head to our Patreon Page to donate and you may even be rewarded with a pen or Beloved Listener mug!

If you're hoping to connect with others who are more local, you can also take a look at our Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook page.

Additionally, we share listener's stories on our blog, all with the hope of facilitating understanding, connection and supportive relationships.

Phyllis Tickle has her finger on the pulse of the emerging church like no one else. So if you're interested in why the emergence of a new kind of church is both inevitable and necessary, and the vital role of the Holy Spirit in this, then tune in.

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

It's week three of our four-part Advent Devotional series. This time philosopher and theologian Elaine Storkey considers how Advent might be Good News to the Poor. Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams continues to work his way through the Advent readings, with the help of Kate Blower. And David Benjamin Blower continues to bring the music and song. So good!

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

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: why we do the things we do? Or rather, why we so often don't do the things that we want to do! Why, for example, do we binge Netflix when we know taking a walk outside would be better for us, or why do we scroll Facebook when our real friends live just down the street. Drawing on science, personal revelation, and spiritual insight, Mike shows us how to live more at peace with ourselves and the world around us.

After the interview Nomad hosts Tim Nash and Nick Thorley reflect on how Mike's ideas might shape their evolving faith. 

Interview starts at 16m 47s. 

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter.

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our donors gain access to the Nomad community - which manifests as Nomad Book Club and The Beloved Listener Lounge - and bonus episodes, such as Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page to donate in dollars and our PayPal members page to donate in pounds.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we're now using to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast listeners. 

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map and our Nomad Gathering Facebook page, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

In this episode we chat with journalist and editor Katelyn Beaty about Christian celebrity. After distinguishing between celebrity and fame, Katelyn explores the ways celebrity has shaped the church and Christian faith in unhealthy ways, how it has led to the abuse of power, the pursuit of growth at all costs, and the fall from grace of so many celebrity Christian leaders.  

After the interview, Nomad hosts Tim Nash and Nick Thorley reflect on their own relationship with Christian celebrities, both positive and negative, and the role they’ve played in their evolving faith. 

Interview starts at 17m 19s

Show Notes →

The creation of Nomad's thoughtful, wonderfully ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful, wonderful listeners. Supporting us gives access to Nomad's online communities through the Beloved Listener Lounge, Enneagram Lounge and Nomad Book Club - as well as bonus content like Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited.

If you'd like to join our lovely supporters head to our Patreon Page to donate and you may even be rewarded with a pen or Beloved Listener mug!

If you're hoping to connect with others who are more local, you can also take a look at our Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook page.

Additionally, we share listener's stories on our blog, all with the hope of facilitating understanding, connection and supportive relationships.

Georgia May's parents had an open-door policy. Literally. Most of the time the front door of their home was left open, so that people would feel welcome at any time. Consequently, Georgia grew up with a house full of people who's didn't feel they had a family of their own. This radical approach to hospitality led to many lives being transformed. But Georgia also knows first hand what can happen when radical hospitality goes wrong. So we ask her, when is radical too radical?

Interview begins at 9m 14s

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Kester Brewin is one of the pioneers of the alternative worship scene in the UK and one of the founding members of the Vaux community. His book The Complex Christ was hailed as one of the most important texts on the emerging church movement. We talk to Kester about what the emerging church can learn from pirates, and the importance of churches being temporary places.

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Wendy is passionate about creating 'generous spaces' in churches, where people with different understanding of sexuality can meet together without judgment, listen to each others stories and to seek Jesus together. Sounds great! But is it realistic?

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Malcolm Guite is a poet, priest and theologian. Years of inhabiting these roles has led him to the belief that we're relying far too much on reason and thought in the formation of our faith, and are overlooking the significance of the 'poetic imagination'.  He believes that we can find deep truth in the imagination and that poetry can bring our faith alive in a way that nothing else can. It's a fascinating and hope-filled conversation!

Interview begins at 6m 50s

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Greg Boyd is one of Nomad's favourite theologians and authors. He's a leading figure in the reformation of evangelicalism, passionately advocating everything from the importance of doubt, care for creation, a non-violent view of God, and much more.

And today Greg is bringing a Christmas reflection from his unique perspective, just for you, the beloved Nomad listener. Enjoy! 

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Our Pentecost series continues with a jazz inspired reflection from Sharon Putt. Sharon is a theologian, and author of Razing Hell and Executing God. 

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Chris Wright is an Old Testament scholar who reckons the biblical narrative only makes sense if mission is seen as its overarching theme. So we test this theory with him and ask him to explain some of the trickier Old Testament stories!

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Sally Smith joins us for part 3 of our Welcome the Stranger series. In this episode we hear about the fascinating and inspiring story that emerged when Sally opened the doors of her dying church to asylum seekers and refugees. She's seen large numbers come to faith, she's reunited mothers with their children, she's personally housed refugee families, and her church has become a hub for work with the most vulnerable in Stoke. 

Interview starts at 6:41

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

In this episode we speak with artist, poet and author Emily Garcés. It’s a heart-warming, heart-breaking, inspiring and challenging conversation, as Emily shares with us her journey through life and faith, with all of its joys and struggles, as she wrestles with what it means to be fully alive.

After the interview, Nomad hosts Jemimah McAlpine and Tim Nash reflection on their own faith deconstruction and what has subsequently brought them life. 

Interview starts at 11m 48s

You can buy Emily's book in the US through CreativeOnion Press and in the UK through Proost. And you can find her art at Etsy.com and on her Facebook page.

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook, twitter and Instagram. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our supporters gain access to the Nomad community - which manifests as Nomad Book Club and The Beloved Listener Lounge - and bonus episodes, such as Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page to donate in dollars and our PayPal members page to donate in pounds.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we're now using to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast listeners.

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map and our Nomad Gathering Facebook page, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

Enneagram trainer Liz West joins us on the show to talk about this ancient tool for transformation. You may have seen the rather "dodgy" looking enneagram symbol, but don’t be put off. This is an ancient treasure that goes right back to the fourth century desert mothers and fathers who began to discern the things that blocked our relationships with ourselves, with others and with God. And that’s what make the enneagram unique. It doesn’t so much reveal who you are, as the coping mechanisms you’ve developed that have become blockages to your transformation.

After the interview Nomad hosts Tim Nash and Jemimah McAlpine reflect on their their enneagram 5ness, and how it's shaped their life and faith.

And if all that's not enough to convince you, head over to patreon or our own membership platform where you can listen in on Tim getting enneagram-ed in a bonus Nomad Extra episode!

Interview begins at 17m 9s

If you’re still not convinced having listened to the interview, then head over to patreon where you can listen in on Tim getting enneagram-ed!

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter.

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our donors gain access to the Nomad community, which manifests in such ways as Nomad Book Club, The Beloved Listener Lounge, Nomad Contemplations and Nomad Devotionals. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page for more information.

If you're not fussed about the bonus content, you can make a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we're now using to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast guests and listeners. 

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

We talk to the hymn-writer John Bell, who is a member of the Iona community, about the roots and traditions of Celtic Christianity, which took shape in the British Isles and modelled a very different way to the Roman church that followed shortly after.

After the interview, Nomad hosts David Blower and Anna Robinson talk about their own experiences of Celtic Spirituality, and the role it’s played in the evolution of their faith.

Interview starts at 14m 40s 

Show Notes →

Nomad is able to produce episodes like this one because a group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our supporters gain access to the Nomad community - which manifests as Nomad Book Club and The Beloved Listener Lounge - and bonus episodes, such as Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page and our own members page to donate.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we use to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast listeners.

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map and our Nomad Gathering Facebook page, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

Our latest Interfaith Easter reflection comes from Jay Lakhani. Jay is head of the Hindu Academy in London and Education Director for the UK Hindu Council. Oh, and he's a theoretical physicist! So sit back and enjoy an Easter reflection from a Hindu perspective.

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Elizabeth Edman believes she has learnt more from the LGBTQ community about what it means to be a Christian, than she has from the Church. Why? Well, she believes the church has forgotten what it means to be scandalous, to struggle for identity and to expand its boundaries to include the marginalised. And so the Church needs to learn from the gay community - and other marginalised groups - that have embraced these virtues. It's an insightful and challenging conversation!

Interview starts at 6m 16s

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Philosopher, sociologist and Christian feminist, Elaine Storkey has achieved a lot in her life. She's lectured around the world, written numerous books, she succeeded John Stott as Executive Director of the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity, and she served as the President of TEAR Fund. And now, she's on Nomad Podcast, bringing you her Christmas reflection!

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Cop26 is a gathering of world leaders, meeting this November in Glasgow to review agreements to reduce carbon emissions. While the meeting was being confirmed, the Young Christian Climate Network planned a relay pilgrimage from Cornwall to Glasgow. 

In this podcast Rachel Mander talks to us about what’s at stake in this historic gathering, about faith and activism, about how poorer countries are being pushed into debt to the bigger carbon emitters, and about the trials and joys of the political pilgrimage.

After the interview, Nomad hosts David Blower and Anna Robinson have a conversation about how Rachel’s experiences might inform their own activism and faith journeys. 

Interview starts at 22m 06s

Show Notes →

Nomad is able to produce episodes like this one because a group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our supporters gain access to the Nomad community - which manifests as Nomad Book Club and The Beloved Listener Lounge - and bonus episodes, such as Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page and our own members page to donate.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we use to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast listeners.

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map and our Nomad Gathering Facebook page, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

Is faith based purely on belief, and a strong faith holding to those beliefs with certainty? If so, what happens when our beliefs evolve and shift? Prof. Peter Enns - author of The Sin of Certainty -  believes that we've misunderstood the nature of faith, and it is actually trust rather than certainty that lays at it's heart. And it is this trust that can withstand the inevitable uncertainties, questions, and doubts that come our way. So tune in for a really engaging conversation.

Interview starts at 8m 50s

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

In this episode Jemimah McAlpine talks about her transformative experience of dance and her thinking about the theological significance of dancing. She and David Blower discuss dualism and embodiment and how reconnecting with our bodies can lead to an experience of wholeness and connection with the earth and everyone around us. Jemimah shares how embodiment has changed her understanding of God and enjoyment of life.

Interview starts at 12m 32s

Show Notes →

Nomad is able to host conversations like these because a group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our supporters gain access to the Nomad community - which manifests as Nomad Book Club and The Beloved Listener Lounge - and bonus episodes, such as Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page and our own members page to donate.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we use to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast listeners.

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map and our Nomad Gathering Facebook page, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

Michael Hardin is a theologian, founder of Preaching Peace, and author of The Jesus Driven Life. He's got a rather colourful background and doesn't mince his words, which always makes for an interesting interview. So we asked him whether God is really as violent as the Old Testament makes out, and whether he really had to kill his own son in order to forgive us. 

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Britain is set to become the first country to have three parent babies! It's all to do with genetically modifying an embryo to prevent certain inherited diseases. But as with many scientific advances folks like us are left worrying about the scientific and ethical implications. So we asked the molecular biologist professor Denis Alexander to send in a reflection to explain all (which he does, in a professory type of way...)

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

Rachel Held Evans is a hugely successful and influential progressive Christian blogger, author and speaker. 

We talk to Rachel about her journey from a conservative evangelical faith characterised by certainty, to wrestling with questions, doubt, cynicism and despair, through to a new kind of faith. And we discuss the trials and tribulations of embarking on this journey under the gaze of social media. It's a fascinating and insightful story.

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

On this episode we’ve invited Liz Pattison and Jim Robinson to have a conversation around their experiences of death. Jim lost both his parents at quite a young age, and Liz recently lost her partner. They share their experiences of grief and loss, how friends, family and church responded, and how their faith has evolved through these experiences.
It’s an honest, real, insightful, moving and hopeful conversation.

Conversation starts at 21m 32s

Show Notes →

Nomad is able to host conversations like these because a group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. Our supporters gain access to the Nomad community - which manifests as Nomad Book Club and The Beloved Listener Lounge - and bonus episodes, such as Nomad Contemplations, Nomad Devotionals and Nomad Revisited. And you may find yourself the proud owner of a Beloved Listener mug! Head over to our Patreon page and our own members page to donate.

You might also want to have a look at our blog, which we use to share the stories of the evolving faith of our podcast listeners.

And if you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map and our Nomad Gathering Facebook page, and see if any other nomads are in your area.

Liz Babbs is an author, speaker and evangelist and one who has been deeply influenced by celtic spirituality. So we chat with Liz about celtic spirituality and its potential as a tool for mission.

If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter

If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area. 

Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page.

As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.