The Rapture is a curious doctrine, as it's not in the Bible, anywhere! But let's pretend it's real, and you missed it! How would you survive the collapse of civilisation? Lewis Dartnell's day job is to search for life on Mars, but for fun he wrote 'The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Our World from Scratch'. It may sound a tad abstract, but it sheds light on our relationship with the planet and with each other and why Rapture theology is potentially so destructive. “If society collapses, you’re going ...
Apr 08, 2015•56 min•Ep. 93
Jesus told us to love our enemies. But surely not the monstrous soldiers of Isis?! Rick Love is President of Peace Catalyst International, and Associate Director of the World Evangelical Alliance Peace and Reconciliation Initiative. He seemed like a pretty good person to ask what a Christian response to Isis would look like. “Jesus is adamant about his peacemaking priorities. He calls us ‘hypocrites’ in fact if we fail to begin with humble introspection. Peacemaking according to Jesus always sta...
Mar 07, 2015•29 min•Ep. 92
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). “Experiencing the realm of ‘spirit’ is something that would connect us. How we understand that connection of spirit – or wh...
Mar 02, 2015•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 91
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 we really love our neighbour – if we really love these parents who’v...
Feb 26, 2015•30 min•Ep. 90
For the final show in our 'Interfaith Easter' series we've asked Zen Buddhist Priest, James Ford, to reflect on Easter, which he does with great wisdom and insight. Books, quotes, links → The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and wonderful listeners. By supporting us, you gain access to Nomad’s online spaces—like the Beloved Listener Lounge, Enneagram Lounge, and Book Club—as well as bonus episodes such as Nomad Contemplations , Therapeu...
Feb 25, 2015•15 min
Our latest Easter reflection comes from Jason Mankey and Mike Stygal. Jason was a Christian, but became increasingly disillusioned with right wing politics and intolerant attitudes, and so began to explore paganism. But despite this, he maintained his love of Easter. You'll remember Mike from our recent interview. He's the President of the Pagan Federation. Enjoy! Books, quotes, links → The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and wonderful...
Feb 24, 2015•16 min
For our sixth Easter reflection we've asked Paul Beaumont to mull over what Easter means for someone who has lost their faith. Paul was a committed evangelical Christian for 25 years, but when he began to be honest about his lack of spiritual experiences and his concerns about aspects of the character of God as revealed in the Old Testament, his faith began to unravel... Books, quotes, links → The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and wo...
Feb 23, 2015•18 min
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. N...
Feb 22, 2015•8 min
Our interfaith Easter series continues with Robert Cohen. Robert is a Jew, but one who is married to an Anglican Minister. This combined with the fact he lives in one of the least Jewish counties of England puts him very much on the margins. Needless to say, Robert has had a very interesting and unique experience of both Judaism and Christianity. Books, quotes, links → The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and wonderful listeners. By sup...
Feb 21, 2015•16 min
We took a bit of a chance with this one. We asked a secular scientist if they could find a link between their scientific discipline and the themes of Easter. Prof. Michael Merrifield had a crack at it, and found some sweet connections between his field of astronomy and death and resurrection (and also talked a lot about his real passion, telescopes!). Books, quotes, links → The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and wonderful listeners. B...
Feb 20, 2015•15 min
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. Books, quotes, links → The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and wonderful listeners. By supporting us, you gain access to Nomad’s online spaces—like the Beloved Listener Lounge, E...
Feb 19, 2015•16 min
This year we're bringing you an Easter reflection, with a twist. Rather than asking Christians to reflect on their own festival, we thought it'd be more interesting to ask people from other faiths and none to reflect on the symbolism of Easter. We're easing you in gently with Mark Vernon, a former Anglican priest, who now considers himself an agnostic. Books, quotes, links → The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and wonderful listeners. ...
Feb 18, 2015•10 min
Dave Tomlinson is effortlessly interesting and seems to effortlessly attract interesting people. He mentors the leaders of the now global atheist church, he took the funerals of two of the countries most notorious criminals, and his church is so cool even Bono turns up from time to time. But what we find even more interesting is the fact that Dave went from the emerging church back to the institutional church (why Dave, why?!). “Most people don’t come to church. And actually I don’t think God ca...
Feb 11, 2015•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 89
Wendy VanderWal Gritter 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? “I think we are in a time of necessarily needing to reimagine what being the people of God in community will look like and same-sex relationships is just one of the catalysts that is forcing the church, in large part because our you...
Jan 22, 2015•57 min•Ep. 88
2015 sees the resurrection of Nomad Spirituality! Nomad can be a bit cerebral, so we occasionally want to balance this with something a bit more experiential. Writer, poet and priest, Ian Adams, has stepped up and given us a meditation on stillness. So find a quiet spot, turn down the lights, and lose yourself in stillness... 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 o...
Jan 08, 2015•12 min
Just in case you're suffering withdrawal symptoms from our 12 Days of Christmas series, and are slumped listlessly in front of your now empty mp3 player, we've got one final Christmas treat for you. We asked standup comedian and BBC comedy scriptwriter, Paul Kerensa, to record a wee Christmas Day message for you... Books, quotes, links → The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and wonderful listeners. By supporting us, you gain access to N...
Dec 25, 2014•8 min
And you thought we'd finished (so did we, actually!). This one, however, really is the great finale, and it's a corker. Krista Tippett has an award winning radio show, On Being, and was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Obama for "thoughtfully delving into the mysteries of human existence." And today she's on Nomad bringing you a Christmas message! Books, quotes, links → The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and wonderfu...
Dec 24, 2014•8 min
To close out our 12 Days of Christmas we've enlisted the services of 'Consumer Detox' author and founder of the Breathe Network ("Less Stuff, More Life"), Mark Powley. Apparently the issue isn't so much the way we go about Christmas, but the way we go about the rest of the year. Interesting! Books, quotes, links → The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and wonderful listeners. By supporting us, you gain access to Nomad’s online spaces—lik...
Dec 23, 2014•15 min
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! Books, quotes, links → The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and wond...
Dec 22, 2014•14 min
Shane Claiborne - author of 'The Irresistible Revolution', and founding member of The Simple Way - would like to share some thoughts on Christmas. Anyone interested?! Books, quotes, links → The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and wonderful listeners. By supporting us, you gain access to Nomad’s online spaces—like the Beloved Listener Lounge, Enneagram Lounge, and Book Club—as well as bonus episodes such as Nomad Contemplations , Therap...
Dec 21, 2014•16 min
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! Books, quotes, links → The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and wonderful listeners. By supporting us, you gain access to Nomad’s online spaces—like the Beloved Listener Lounge, Enneagram Lounge, and Book...
Dec 20, 2014•9 min
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! Books, quotes, links → The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and...
Dec 19, 2014•14 min
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. Books, quotes, links → The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and wonderful listeners. By supporting us, you gain access to Nomad’s online spaces—like the Beloved Listener Lounge, Ennea...
Dec 18, 2014•11 min
Jenny Baker was one of the founders of the Sophia Network, an organisation that champions the equality of women and men in church. She's also author of the book 'Equals: Enjoying Gender Equality in All Areas of Life'. So we asked Jenny to reflect on the Christmas story from the perspective of gender equality. Books, quotes, links → The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and wonderful listeners. By supporting us, you gain access to Nomad’s...
Dec 17, 2014•10 min
Today's Christmas reflection comes from Nomad's favourite musician and activist, David Benjamin Blower. David sets up a showdown between Christmas and Empire and throws in a couple of your favourite Christmas carols for no extra charge. So brace yourself for a good measure of hope-filled challenge, served up with a sprinkling of musical creativity. Enjoy! Books, quotes, links → The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and wonderful listener...
Dec 16, 2014•14 min
Wendy is the executive director of New Direction Ministries in Canada, an organisation that exists to provide "safe and spacious places for those outside the heterosexual mainstream to explore and grow in faith in Jesus Christ." So we asked Wendy to reflect on an hospitable and inclusive Christmas. Books, quotes, links → The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and wonderful listeners. By supporting us, you gain access to Nomad’s online spa...
Dec 15, 2014•12 min
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! Books, quotes, links → The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and won...
Dec 14, 2014•20 min
Dave Andrews has committed his life to serving the poorest and most marginalised people in Australia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nepal for more than forty years. His wisdom and humility made him one of our most popular interviewees of 2014. In his Christmas reflection, Dave draws out some fascinating and surprising insights from the example of the Wise Men. Books, quotes, links → The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and wonderful ...
Dec 13, 2014•12 min
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. Books, quotes, links → The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and wonderful listeners. By supporting us, you gain access to Nomad’s ...
Dec 12, 2014•25 min
Nomad made a commitment a while back to have a lot more women on the show. So we thought it was about time we looked at the theology behind that decision. Jenni Williams lectures in Old Testament Studies in Oxford, is an Associate Minister in the Anglican Church, and wrote 'God Remembered Rachel'. So she seemed like a pretty good person to ask, 'why not women?'. “The relationship with God is what is being drawn out of these stories. And that’s where we find our value – not in our role of childbe...
Nov 24, 2014•49 min•Ep. 86
