In Search Of

“This is an enslaved girl in Africa in the fourth century. Just talk about lost voices. And yet this child is literally creating the theological groundwork for the greatest of Latin theologians” – Kate CooperWelcome to In Search Of, a podcast where we go in search of voices and perspectives that inform and expand a life of faith. This week, we learn more about the many women who influenced St. Augustine, as a man and as a theologian.  Whether it’s a name we know–like Monica or the Empress Justina–or a name lost to history–like Monica’s enslaved childhood companion or Augustine’s concubine–historian of gender and family, Kate Cooper, offers informed speculation on what their lives could have been like as women in the fourth century. All this and more on this episode of In Search Of.

“Sin is not part of the story.” – Caryn ReederWelcome to In Search Of, a podcast where we go in search of voices and perspectives that inform and expand a life of faith. We continue rediscovering lost Biblical women in this episode with Caryn Reeder about the Samaritan woman. Caryn offers us an interpretation that goes beyond scholarship’s tendency to hyper-sexualize and denigrate the Samaritan woman by offering critical, often lost context about marriage and the role of women in the world behind the story. What if this is an example not of a fallen woman, but of an early female leader in the church? All this and more on this episode of In Search Of.

“If Mary Magdalene gets the Christological confession, that changes everything. It changes everything about the Gospel of John. It changes everything for women in leadership. It changes everything.” – Diana Butler BassWelcome to In Search Of, a podcast where we go in search of voices and perspectives that inform and expand a life of faith. Mary Magdalene is one of the most central women in the Christian tradition and yet, we are gradually discovering that we may never have known her at all. In this episode Elizabeth Schrader Polczer and Diana Butler Bass talk about the implications of Polczer’s research on Mary Magdalene and what it means for our own moment in Christianity, as well as how these two scholars from radically different fields combined powers to get Mary’s story out there. All this and more on this episode of In Search Of.

“As Christianity moved to an empire-based movement, women lost a lot of power. So it makes sense that they would have gone into the desert, looking for ways to pursue their path in Christianity in ways that allowed them greater freedom.” – Amy FrykholmWelcome to In Search Of, a podcast where we go in search of voices and perspectives that inform and expand a life of faith. This special bonus episode is a lecture from host Amy Frykholm on Desert Women and, in particular, Mary of Egypt–the patron saint of this podcast. Amy tells us Mary’s story and gives some context as to what it was like being a desert mother amongst the desert fathers. How were women’s experiences similar to or different from men? What motifs and archetypes shape our understanding of them? All this and more on this episode of In Search Of.

“If I'm truly, as a Christian, to affirm that core affirmation that God did, in fact, so love the world, then divine disclosure must be happening far beyond the boundaries of the Christian tradition. If that's true, then how God engages in self-disclosure under different vocabularies, under different practices, under different modes of being must matter.” – John ThatamanilWelcome to In Search Of, a podcast where we go in search of voices and perspectives that inform and expand a life of faith. In this episode, John Thatamanil tells Amy about his interfaith work and identity in a conversation that covers everything from capitalism to philosophy to the definition of religion. Why is “syncretism” a bad word? Why is it okay to be a capitalist Christian, but not a Buddhist Christian? How can we embrace religious diversity instead of fearing it? Explore these questions and more on this episode of In Search Of. John Thatamanil is a professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York, where he teaches classes in comparative theology, religious diversity, Hindu-Christian dialogue, the theology of Paul Tillich, theory of religion, process theology, and ecotheology. He’s the author of Circling the Elephant: A Comparative Theology of Religious Diversity and is working on a book provisionally entitled, Desiring Truth: Comparative Theology and the Quest for Interreligious Wisdom.

“The job of a journalist is to call a spade a spade. If something is racist, if it's homophobic, if it's xenophobic, it's our job to say that, to at least provide the context, the data, the evidence to show that that is true and to be as explicit as we can about it.” – Dawn Araujo-HawkinsWelcome to In Search Of, a podcast where we go in search of voices and perspectives that inform and expand a life of faith. In this episode, Amy talks with award-winning journalist and the Century’s news editor Dawn Araujo-Hawkins about truth and journalism. Listen to Dawn explain the differences between objectivity and neutrality, the dangers of internet conspiracy theories, and her approach to handling traumatic stories with care on this episode of In Search Of. Dawn Araujo-Hawkins is the Century’s news editor and the vice-president of the Religion News Association. Her reporting has won awards from the American Academy of Religion, the Catholic Press Association, the Religion News Association, and the Great Plains Journalism Awards. She also won the Award of Excellence for in-depth coverage from the Associated Church Press in 2022.

“I went there originally to go and speak to him about his ideas for the origins of space and time, but in the back of my mind, I wanted to ask him about his practices meditating, just as an aside maybe” – Zeeya MeraliWelcome to In Search Of, a podcast where we go in search of voices and perspectives that inform and expand a life of faith. In this episode, Amy talks with journalist Zeeya Merali about physics. Zeeya explains the science behind creating new universes, determinism and free will, and creating something out of “nothing.” They also discuss how physics can inform one’s inner life and the benefits of making science accessible. Explore these questions and more on this episode of In Search Of. Zeeya Merali is a freelance writer based in London and author of A Big Bang in a Little Room. Her writing has been published in Scientific American, Nature, New Scientist, Discover, and on the BBC. Zeeya Merali also edits the Foundational Questions Institute website, where she blogs and co-hosts a physics podcast, and runs thelittlebangtheory.com.

“In dreams, in primary imagination, we have these experiences that have a sense of awe, or of great joy, or of great love. When we're not in primary imagination, when we're in the waking life, we don't have those experiences. Our dreams bring us to that place and allow us to experience it, and then give us a template so that we can begin to live with awe and wonder and pain and terror in waking life.” – Rodger KamenetzWelcome to In Search Of, a podcast where we go in search of voices and perspectives that inform and expand a life of faith. In this episode, Amy speaks with writer and dreamworker Rodger Kamenetz about understanding the difference between feeling and reaction, reveling in imagination, and how to engage your dreams through poetry and other means. Rodger even walks Amy through a recent dream of hers in this episode of In Search Of. Rodger Kamenetz is an award-winning poet, author, teacher, and natural dreamworker. His books include The Jew in the Lotus, Terra Infirma, The History of Last Night’s Dream, and Burnt Books, as well as seven books in poetry. He pioneered the creative writing department at Louisiana State University and now lives in New Orleans, doing spiritual direction and dreamwork.

“Everybody's stories are entangled.” – Sofia SamatarWelcome to In Search Of, a podcast where we go in search of voices and perspectives that inform and expand a life of faith. In this episode, Amy speaks with author Sofia Samatar about her memoir The White Mosque and her pilgrimage to Uzbekistan in search of  Mennonites who left Russia in the 19th century to follow a charismatic preacher to Central Asia, where Christ was supposed to return. Sofia reckons with her Mennonite and Muslim identities, the history of missions, and what it means to tell stories about yourself and others in this episode of In Search Of. Sofia Samatar is the author of several books, including A Stranger in Olondria, an award-winning epic fantasy that was included in Time Magazine’s list of the 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time and Esquire‘s list of the 50 Best Fantasy Books of All Time. Her short story collection Tender features the Hugo and Nebula finalist “Selkie Stories Are for Losers.” Her most recent book is The White Mosque.

“What does it mean to cultivate leaders who are building power inside prison?”– Willie Dwayne Francois IIIWelcome to In Search Of, a podcast where we go in search of voices and perspectives that inform and expand a life of faith. In this episode, Amy speaks with Willie Francois  about the intersection of theological education and incarceration. Willie tells us about his incarcerated students, their pursuit of education, the theologies that resonate with them, and the work they do with their degrees. Explore a theological imagination of abolition in this episode of In Search Of. Willie Dwayne Francois III is the senior pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church of Pleasantville, New Jersey. He directs the master of professional studies program at New York Theological Seminary, which is the oldest master’s degree program offered by a theological institution in a US prison setting. The program is active in two New York State prisons: Sing Sing men’s prison and, as of last year, Bedford Hills women’s prison.

“We can't have a 100 percent completely accurate representation of the past. We're always going to have some kind of imperfect rendering that still insists on deriving meaning from the past. My sense is that it's not feasible or desirable to do away with myths. But I think we need better ones and maybe more conversation between myths.” – Peter ChoiWelcome to In Search Of, a podcast where we go in search of voices and perspectives that inform and expand a life of faith. In this episode, Amy speaks with Peter Choi about monuments: what do they mean in American history, especially the history of evangelical Christianity? What does it mean to put monuments up? And what does it mean to tear them down? Listen to Peter and Amy discuss race, myths, and teaching history in this episode of In Search Of. Peter Choi is Associate Professor of American Christianity at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley whose areas of study include transatlantic revival religion, early evangelicalism, and world Christianity. He is the author of George Whitefield: Evangelist for God and Empire (2018) and Subverting Faith: Early Evangelicals and the Making of Race (under contract, Oxford University Press).

“The more I saw in myself, the deeper I went into myself, the deeper I was able to go in the Gospel. It almost felt like the Gospel was showing a wound in the text to me. It felt like a very, almost tender, invitation, saying well, let me show you this. It felt sort of like an invitation saying, can you help?”Welcome to In Search Of, a podcast where we go in search of voices and perspectives that inform and expand a life of faith. In this episode, Amy speaks with singer/songwriter-turned-Biblical scholar Elizabeth Schrader Polczer about Mary Magdalene. Listen as Elizabeth tells Amy the story of the encounter in a garden that led her to enroll in seminary, learn Greek, interrogate norms of textual criticism, and work with the best Biblical scholars all in her search for the truth about Mary Magdalene. All this and more on today’s episode of In Search Of. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer is a biblical scholar focusing on textual criticism, Mary Magdalene, and the Gospel of John. She is a doctoral candidate in Early Christianity and New Testament at Duke University and an incoming Assistant Professor of New Testament at Villanova University. 

Welcome to In Search Of, a podcast where we go in search of voices and perspectives that inform and expand a life of faith. This season we take our curiosity and open-hearted questions on a quest for truth. We have fresh conversations for you about truth in biblical studies, physics, history and more.  New episodes starting February 22. Sign up for our newsletter here and get additional content along with a preview of each week’s episode.

Welcome to In Search Of, a podcast where we go in search of voices and perspectives that inform and expand a life of faith. In this episode, Amy speaks with iconographer, spiritual director, and psychotherapist Laurie Gudim about the intersections of Christian spirituality and Jungian psychology. Listen as Laurie and Amy discuss archetypes, saints, religious art, shadow sides, and dreamwork and as Laurie “reads” an icon of Mary of Egypt. All this and more on today’s episode of In Search Of.Laurie Gudim is a spiritual director, religious iconographer, writer, retreat leader, and retired Jungian psychotherapist. Her healing work centers on helping individuals establish a dynamic relationship with the Holy. You can explore her art, retreats and workshops, and more at everydaymysteries.com.For bonus content, visit www.christiancentury.org/insearchof.

Welcome to In Search Of, a podcast where we go in search of voices and perspectives that inform and expand a life of faith. In this episode, Amy speaks with theologian and spiritual director Wendy Farley about her book The Thirst of God and the medieval searcher Mechthild of Magdeburg. Join Amy and Wendy for a conversation about the vital role women mystics play in teaching us about the human-divine relationship. What does it mean for God to desire us? What role does desire play in one’s faith? We’ll explore these questions on today’s episode of In Search Of.Wendy Farley directs programs in spirituality and the arts at the graduate school of theology at Redlands University. She is the author of numerous books on theology, wisdom, spiritual direction, and contemplative practice. Her most recent book is Beguiled by Beauty: Cultivating A Life of Contemplation and Compassion.For bonus content, visit www.christiancentury.org/insearchof.