Best Brian Rohr Podcasts (2024)

1
Tracy Cochran on the Art of Presence, Mistakes as Practice, & the Grief of Awakening 1:03:42

2d ago1:03:42

1:03:42

Tracy Cochran is a writer, meditation teacher, and editorial director of Parabola, an acclaimed quarterly magazine that draws on the world’s cultural and wisdom traditions to explore the questions that all humans share. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Psychology Today, O Magazine, and New York Magazine to name a few. Her latest publ…

1
Brian McLaren on Life After Doom, Patient Urgency, & Complexifying Hope 1:06:31

16d ago1:06:31

1:06:31

Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former college English teacher and pastor, he is a passionate advocate for “a new kind of Christianity” – just, generous, and working with people of all faiths for the common good. He is a core faculty member and Dean of Faculty for the Center for Action and Contemplation an…

1
Cassidy Hall on Queering Contemplation, Letting Go of Thomas Merton, and Expanding Foundations 1:17:14

1M ago1:17:14

1:17:14

Cassidy Hall is an author, award-winning filmmaker, podcaster, ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, and leading voice in contemplative spirituality. She is the cohost of the Encountering Silence podcast and the host of Contemplating Now and Queering Contemplation podcasts. Her latest book is Queering Contemplation, Finding Queerness in…

1
Dr. Larry Ward on America's Racial Karma, the Fragrance of Wisdom, and Learning How To Suffer Less 44:31

1M ago44:31

44:31

Dr. Larry Ward is a senior teacher in Buddhist Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's Plum Village tradition, the author of the book America's Racial Karma, and co-author with his wife, Peggy, of Love's Garden: A Guide To Mindful Relationships. Dr. Ward brings forty years of international experience in organizational change and local community renewal to his…

1
David James Duncan on the Unintentional Menagerie of Sun House, Friendship, and the Beguines 1:46:49

2M ago1:46:49

1:46:49

David James Duncan is the author of the classic novels The River Why and The Brothers K, the story collection River Teeth, the nonfiction collection and National Book Award finalist, My Story as Told by Water, the best-selling collection of “churchless sermons," God Laughs & Plays. And lest we forget his latest, and what some have called his magnum…

1
Harmonizing In The Empty Fullness 2:07

2M ago2:07

2:07

Season Five Trailer Contemplify.comBy Paul Swanson | Contemplative Shoveler

1
New Problems and New Directions With Dr. Barbara Holmes and Brian McLaren 1:23:41

3M ago1:23:41

1:23:41

How has the interplay between gain and loss shaped your life's journey, and what new possibilities does this open up for you now? In this episode, we're joined by two members of the CAC faculty Dr. Barbara Holmes and Brian McLaren as we continue our chapter-by-chapter exploration of Falling Upward with Chapter 12: "New Problems and New Directions."…

1
Turn the Morning into Forever 4:44

3M ago4:44

4:44

A musing on time, eternality, and childerenBy Paul Swanson | Contemplative Shoveler

1
The Shadowlands With Connie Zweig 1:31:35

3M ago1:31:35

1:31:35

What is the shadow? How do we understand it? In this episode, we're joined by Connie Zweig as we continue our chapter-by-chapter exploration of Falling Upward with Chapter 11: "The Shadowlands." In this conversation with Connie Zweig, we explore the complex relationship between spiritual communities, the unconscious aspects of ourselves, and the po…

1
A Bright Sadness With Christian Wiman 1:31:55

3M ago1:31:55

1:31:55

In our fast-paced world, how can we cultivate a sense of wonder and open ourselves to the possibility of joy, even amidst life's inevitable hardships? In this episode, we're joined by Christian Wiman as we continue our chapter-by-chapter exploration of Falling Upward with Chapter 10: "A Bright Sadness." In this conversation with Christian Wiman, we…

1
A Second Simplicity With Carmen Acevedo Butcher 1:35:44

3M ago1:35:44

1:35:44

How can we transform our understanding of life and self to cultivate a deeper sense of acceptance, letting go, and a "Second Simplicity" in the face of life's inevitable challenges? In this episode, we're joined by Carmen Acevedo Butcher as we continue our chapter-by-chapter exploration of Falling Upward with Chapter 9: "A Second Simplicity." In th…

1
Reduced to the Scale of Our Competence 4:55

4M ago4:55

4:55

A musing on limitationsBy Paul Swanson | Contemplative Shoveler

1
Amnesia and the Big Picture With Michael Battle 1:32:33

4M ago1:32:33

1:32:33

What if heaven and hell were both present—right now? In this episode, we're joined by The Very Rev. Michael Battle as we continue our chapter-by-chapter exploration of Falling Upward with Chapter 8: "Amnesia and the Big Picture." In this episode, we explore the suffering we experience when we believe we’re separated from God and how this chapter, “…

1
Home and Homesickness With James Finley 1:23:36

4M ago1:23:36

1:23:36

What if we could feel at home wherever we are? In this episode, we're joined by James Finley as we continue our chapter-by-chapter exploration of Falling Upward with Chapter 7: "Home and Homesickness." In this episode, we discuss a lifelong exploration of contemplation, healing, and facing the challenges of our times through a lens of love and find…

1
Eat the Wild Thing 5:48

4M ago5:48

5:48

A musing on wild things and ingesting GodBy Paul Swanson | Contemplative Shoveler

1
Necessary Suffering With Mirabai Starr 1:26:35

4M ago1:26:35

1:26:35

What if the goal of the spiritual journey is to understand suffering? In this episode, we're joined by Mirabai Starr as we continue our chapter-by-chapter exploration of Falling Upward with Chapter 6: "Necessary Suffering." This episode explores how loss, suffering, and grief can be a transformative spiritual path, leading to deeper connection with…

1
Stumbling Over the Stumbling Stone With Paula D'Arcy 1:26:52

4M ago1:26:52

1:26:52

How do we meet life on its terms instead of ours? In this episode, we're joined by Paula D'Arcy as we continue our chapter-by-chapter exploration of Falling Upward with Chapter 5: "Stumbling Over the Stumbling Stone." We're exploring what it can look like to venture into the luminous dark to find our greatest gifts with a chapter that asks us to le…

1
The Tragic Sense of Life With Kate Bowler 1:37:38

5M ago1:37:38

1:37:38

In this episode, we're joined by Kate Bowler, PhD. as we continue our chapter-by-chapter exploration of Falling Upward with Chapter 4: "The Tragic Sense of Life." Kate, along with Richard and CAC staff delve into the flaws of the prosperity gospel as well as the importance of finding meaning in suffering. We explore the ways in which love and suffe…

1
The First Half of Life With Erin Sanzero 1:26:18

5M ago1:26:18

1:26:18

"God gives us something better than answers, God gives us people." - Erin Sanzero, our guest today, on the path of falling upward during the first half of life. In this episode, we're joined by Erin Sanzero as we continue our chapter-by-chapter exploration of Falling Upward with Chapter 3: "The First Half of Life." Erin, alongside CAC staff, explor…

1
The Hero and Heroine's Journey With Kirsten Oates and Patrick Boland 1:29:27

5M ago1:29:27

1:29:27

What if loss invited us on a voyage? In this episode, we're joined by Kirsten Oates and Patrick Boland as we continue our chapter-by-chapter exploration with Chapter 2: "The Hero and Heroine's Journey." Patrick Boland and Kirsten Oates, cohost of our sister podcast, Turning to the Mystics, join CAC staff, for a heartfelt conversation. Together, the…

1
The Two Halves of Life With Brené Brown 1:19:04

5M ago1:19:04

1:19:04

Welcome to the first episode of Everything Belongs, a new season covering the work of Richard Rohr’s newly revised version of Falling Upward. In this episode, we're joined by Brenè Brown to kick off our chapter-by-chapter exploration, starting with Chapter 1: "The Two Halves of Life." Together, with Richard Rohr and CAC Staff, they explore the conc…

1
Lo-Fi & Hushed / 2023 Winter Solstice Session / To Know the Dark 32:45

7M ago32:45

32:45

Each solstice and equinox Contemplify offers a public Lo-Fi & Hushed contemplative practice session for both free and supporting subscribers of the Non-Required Reading List. For those interested, go tell it on the mountain… The third week of Advent salted on joy. Not because of the circumstances, but despite them. The work remains to create the co…

1
Listen to the Rice, the Rice Will Teach You Everything with Lucien Miller 37:32

9M ago37:32

37:32

"Oshida’s life and legacy is an experience of the spiritual senses knowing the mystical voice. Biblical in sources and Buddhist in form, reading this book took me as a reader to the great pause of silence." — Sister Meg Funk, OSB Lucien Miller received his PhD in comparative literature from Berkely and taught Comparative Literature and Chinese at t…

1
Tips for the Road 1:38:54

9M ago1:38:54

1:38:54

"Maybe we should just call this book Tips for the Road, a sort of roadside assistance program." - Richard Rohr, Falling Upward, pg. xv Introduction In the final episode of this mini-series, we are giving you a test drive for how an episode will look and feel, with the commentary and banter of the architects behind it from a production and pedagogic…

1
The Contemplative Laboratory 1:17:01

9M ago1:17:01

1:17:01

In this episode, we distill Richard Rohr's teaching philosophy into three animating questions: What do we want to know? How do we want to grow? How do we want to show up in our lives and in the world? These questions serve as foundational guides for embodying incarnational mysticism in our own unique contexts. Join us in Richard's living room as Mi…

1
In Hard Times, In All Times, Eat Sacred Words 33:23

9M ago33:23

33:23

"You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves." — 'Wild Geese' by Mary Oliver Carmen Acevedo Butcher, PhD, is an author, teacher, poet, and award-winning translator of spiritual texts. Today Carmen and I talk …

1
Teachers and Students 1:22:51

9M ago1:22:51

1:22:51

What is the role of teachers and students on the spiritual path? In this episode, we explore Richard Rohr's evolving role as a spiritual teacher at the CAC, as he gracefully steps back to join the Core Faculty. With Opie by his side and church bells ringing, Richard's infectious smile sets the tone for a conversation that connects us all in the spi…

1
The Future of the Work 1:11:56

10M ago1:11:56

1:11:56

Our introductory mini-series continues! Episode two finds us back in Richard’s living room, picking up where we left off and widening the conversation to Richard’s transition from the teacher in the spotlight at the CAC to joining the circle of teachers and a staff being empowered to carry these teachings forward alongside all of you listening. We …

1
Kim Haines-Eitzen on Practicing the Cello in the Dark and Sonorous Deserts 58:41

10M ago58:41

58:41

Dr. Kim Haines-Eitzen is a Professor of Religious Studies with specialties in Early Christianity, Early Judaism, and other ancient Mediterranean Religions at Cornell University. Her book Sonorous Desert: What Deep Listening Taught Early Christian Monks—and What It Can Teach Us explores the dynamic relationships between ambient environmental landsca…

1
Catching Up with Richard Rohr 54:08

10M ago54:08

54:08

Everything Belongs is a show about living the teachings of Richard Rohr forward, co-creating a world where everyone and everything belongs. On future seasons, we'll be making our way through Richard's major teachings. But in this inaugural mini-series, we're focusing on laying the foundations for those seasons by catching up with Richard and variou…

1
Lerita Coleman Brown on Waiting for a Word in the Heart 58:06

10M ago58:06

58:06

"I highly recommend What Makes You Come Alive to churches, religious and educational institutions, and spiritual seekers everywhere who are looking for an inward journey that finds its home in the world of nature, people, and things." — Walter Earl Fluker - Editor and Director of the Howard Thurman Papers Project Dr. Lerita Coleman Brown is a retre…

1
Lo-Fi & Hushed Contemplative Practice Session (September 2023 / Autumn Equinox) 31:31

11M ago31:31

31:31

Lo-Fi & Hushed is weekly space for the contemplative practice of lectio divina with poetry. This practice is graceful, transformative, and subdued. Lo-Fi & Hushed is available worldwide, on Riverside livestream, and you can participate from the hallows of your own home. “I do not complain of suffering for love, it becomes me always to submit to her…

1
David Shumate on When Words Become Thunder 1:00:59

11M ago1:00:59

1:00:59

"David Shumate's High Water Mark is absolutely fresh and unpredictable. . . . You will be surprised by your confrontation with the utterly first rate." — Jim Harrison David Shumate is the author of The Floating Bridge and High Water Mark, winner of the 2003 Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize. His poetry has appeared widely in literary journals and h…

1
Douglas E. Christie on Depth Without Resolution 1:03:03

12M ago1:03:03

1:03:03

Douglas E. Christie, Ph.D., is Professor of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University. He is author of The Word in the Desert: Scripture and the Quest for Early Christian Monasticism; The Blue Sapphire of the Mind: Notes for a Contemplative Ecology; and The Insurmountable Darkness of Love: Mysticism, Loss and the Common Life. He is the fou…

1
Carmen Acevedo Butcher Follows the Mystical Tugs on the Heart 1:13:48

12M ago1:13:48

1:13:48

Carmen Acevedo Butcher, PhD, is an author, teacher, poet, and award-winning translator of spiritual texts. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be Brother Lawrence’s Practice of the Presence. Her dynamic work around the evolution of language and the necessity of just and inclusive language has garnered interest from various media, including the BB…

1
Lisa Wells on Holding a Fierce and Loving Gaze 1:05:19

1y ago1:05:19

1:05:19

Lisa Wells is an author, poet, and co-founder of a small, nonprofit press based in Seattle, Washington called Letter Machine Editions. Her latest work is Believers: Making a Life at the End of the World. In Believers Lisa locates folks who meet the climate catastrophe with a fierce and loving gaze, with their sights on restoring humanity’s relation…

1
Scott Avett on Being Here for the Feast 1:12:57

1y ago1:12:57

1:12:57

Scott Avett is a visual artist, musician, and songwriter. No amount of descriptors quite do him justice. Scott’s work was met by my ears before my eyes. His songs slip into the ear stream, reverberate off the rib cage and remind the heart it was born free. Scott’s paintings hold your gaze in absorption, jostle you awake, and drop you off a block la…

1
Haleh Liza Gafori on Putting Mystery in the Middle 59:00

1y ago59:00

59:00

Haleh Liza Gafori is a translator, vocalist, poet, and educator born in New York City of Iranian descent. Her latest work, is a translation of Rumi poems entitled Gold. I first heard one of her translations of Rumi sitting around a campfire on a Sunday morning in Patagonia, Arizona. I was bit by the passion and this conversation does not disappoint…

1
Belden Lane on the Unbroken Desert of God 54:16

1y ago54:16

54:16

Belden Lane is Professor Emeritus of Theological Studies at Saint Louis University, author of numerous books including The Solace of Fierce Landscapes: Exploring Desert and Mountain Spirituality and Backpacking with the Saints: Wilderness Hiking as Spiritual Practice. Belden Lane is a true elder, and in our conversation he exhibits that when we tal…

1
Your Naked Freedom 5:53

1y ago5:53

5:53

Good poetry is inherently spiritual. It is a clown car of interpretation. Once a door of perception is opened, endless and surprising “Ahas” tumble out. When you have a spiritual teacher who embodies a poem, their words become thunder and contemplation soaks you. Get a taste of Season Four of Contemplify. First full episode is out in a week. slide …

1
Spare Me Nothing 5:48

1+ y ago5:48

5:48

A musing on practice, desire, and its evolutions vist contemplify.comBy Paul Swanson | Contemplative Shoveler

1
James Finley on the Healing Path 1:28:35

1+ y ago1:28:35

1:28:35

I was overly giddy, strangely nervous, but above all grateful to be in conversation with James Finley about his breathtaking new book, The Healing Path: A Memoir and an Invitation. Each page is a thousand pages deep, that is how Jim walks about the world, drawing from the depths and teaching with winsome grace, poetics, and of course, wisdom. I hav…

1
It's Not About the Beer, It's About the Beer 8:30

1+ y ago8:30

8:30

A musing inspired by Shawn Askinosie's story about Belgium beer brewing monks and the parables of Jesus from Feb 2023 vist contemplify.comBy Paul Swanson | Contemplative Shoveler

1
Prairie Eye & Woods Eye 4:40

1+ y ago4:40

4:40

A musing on Bill Holm's "Horizontal Grandeur" pulled from his book of essays, The Music of Failure.By Paul Swanson | Contemplative Shoveler

1
Sitting on the Present Moment 7:21

1+ y ago7:21

7:21

A musing on the present moment of awareness that holds everything.By Paul Swanson | Contemplative Shoveler

1
Engaged Contemplation in a Heartbreaking World with Fr. Adam Bucko 1:01:18

1+ y ago1:01:18

1:01:18

Father Adam Bucko has been a committed voice in the movement for the renewal of Christian Contemplative Spirituality and the growing New Monastic movement. He has taught engaged contemplative spirituality in Europe and the United States and has authored Let Your Heartbreak be Your Guide: Lessons in Engaged Contemplation, and co-authored Occupy Spir…

1
Heathen 7:45

2y ago7:45

7:45

Musing from November 9th, 2022 inspired by by reading Chris Dombrowski's The River You Touch Visit contemplify.comBy Paul Swanson | Contemplative Shoveler

1
Vitality Out of Emptiness with Fr. David Denny 1:00:12

2y ago1:00:12

1:00:12

Fr. David Denny is a lifelong seeker whose commitment to the unfolding mystery of life has brought him to explore the deserts of place and soul. In 1975 Fr Dave entered the Spiritual Life Institute, a contemplative monastic community rooted in the Carmelite tradition. And in 2005, he left that community to co-found the Desert Foundation with Tessa …

1
The River You Touch with Chris Dombrowski 1:25:17

2y ago1:25:17

1:25:17

I have been waiting years to have this conversation with author, poet, and fly-fishing guide Chris Dombrowski. There is a kinship I feel with Chris's lens on life. He is a top-shelf writer to boot. The River You Touch: Making a Life on Moving Water comes out October 11th, 2022. I have read it and pre-ordered multiple copies for friends and family. …