The summer months are swiftly approaching, and the signs of summer and holidays begin to appear all around us. I thought it might be good to return to some more podcast materials that could be helpful to accompany these coming weeks, refresh the soul with some new listening, or be useful for some summer relaxation. With a focus on faith engagement, these podcasts offer a variety of perspectives for contemporary audiences. As always, the recommendations of these podcasts is not an endorsement of its content, and you are invited to listen with an open and critical ear. Enjoy!
Abiding Together
The Abiding Together podcast “provides a place of connection, rest and encouragement for women who are on the journey of living out their passion and purpose in Jesus Christ.” It is hosted by Sr. Miriam James Hiedland SOLT, Michelle Benzinger, and Heather Kym, who discuss important themes of the spiritual life through conversations with one another, interviews with holy men and women, and seasonal book studies.
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/abiding-together/id1206416686
Word on Fire
Bishop Robert Barron, the auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, is active in engaging the world through modern media and communication. One of his projects is a weekly podcast on Catholic faith and culture. In the Word on Fire podcast, Bishop Barron shares insights from the greatest Catholic thinkers as well as practical advice for all Catholics trying to live well in their day-to-day lives. A listen for those looking for greater theological content.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-word-on-fire-show-catholic-faith-and-culture/id1065019039
Another Name for Every Thing with Richard Rohr
I know a number of people in our network are fans of this podcast, so it wouldn’t be a proper resource sharing if it wasn’t included! The podcast is a conversational podcast series on the deep connections between action and contemplation. Richard is joined by two students of the Christian contemplative path, Brie Stoner and Paul Swanson, who engage their real-life experiences, questions and insights with the invitations of the topics of the week.
https://cac.org/podcast/another-name-for-every-thing/
Harry Potter and the Sacred Text
For something a little more obscure and off-the-wall, this podcast has been a favourite of mine for years. Vanessa Zoltan and Casper ter Kuile host a weekly podcast that takes one chapter of a book from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series and explores a central theme through which to engage with the characters and context in a unique way. The project originated at Harvard Divinity School, where both engage in the studies of religion. Using traditional forms of sacred reading from several different religious traditions, they offer a refreshing perspective on prayer in a contemporary setting.