The Leader’s Way

Host Brandon Nappi keeps the flame of curiosity alive in this edition of Within, a contemplative segment of The Leader's Way Podcast, that explores the convergence of mental health, art, and spirituality through authentic conversations across traditions about personal and collective transformation. In this episode, Brandon welcomes Elise Loehnen, best-selling author of “On Our Best Behavior” and co-author with Phil Stutz of 'True and False Magic.’ Elise is also the host of the Pulling the Thread Podcast, where she engages in deep conversations that explore the human experience and the myriad paths to personal growth. Brandon talks with Elise about her keen interest in exploring nuanced and often overlooked aspects of the human condition and her commitment to pairing rigorous research with accessible language. Want to get better at processing and wrestling with questions? Start writing a Substack, says Elise.   Host: Brandon Nappi   Guest: Elise Loehnen   Production: Goodchild Media   Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast   You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders

Dwight Zscheile is a professor of congregational mission and leadership at Luther Seminary, and his wife, Blair Pogue, is a priest and canon for vitality and innovation in the Episcopal Church in Minnesota. They join Leader’s Way host Brandon Nappi for a conversation about their joint passion for engaging the innovative ways the Church is renewing its commitment to community and communion by meeting people where they are.  Brandon talks with Dwight and Blair about their new book, Embracing the Mixed Ecology: Inherited and New Forms of Christian Community Flourishing Together, which unpacks the theological language of “mixed ecology,” and how this language can help us imagine what is possible in our church communities.   Host: Brandon Nappi Guests: Dwight Zscheile and Blair Pogue   Production: Goodchild Media   Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast   You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders

Poet and priest Spencer Reece joins Leader’s Way host Brandon Nappi for a moving conversation about the power of poetry as an act of remembrance, as a response to violence, and as a culture maker and culture keeper. Listen to Father Reece offer spontaneous recitation and remind us of the ways poetry can bring us closer to the Divine.      Host: Brandon Nappi Guest: Spencer Reece Production: Goodchild Media   Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders

We are growing in our understanding of the long-term effects trauma and moral injury can have on bodies and spirits, including those within our own congregations. In this important and tender episode, Brandon and Whitney talk with former Army Chaplain and Episcopal priest David Peters about the ways faith communities can lean on Jesus’s life story to respond with love and care to these wounds. David’s latest book, Post-Traumatic Jesus: Reading the Gospel with the Wounded, offers a portrait of Jesus as living and speaking into a world that was familiar with trauma, from war to oppression to political violence, and reading the Gospels through that lens can create space for healing. Host: Brandon Nappi with Whitney Coe Guest: David Peters Production: Goodchild Media Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders

Welcome to WITHIN, a contemplative segment of The Leader's Way Podcast that explores the convergence of mental health, art, and spirituality through authentic conversations across traditions about personal and collective transformation. In this inaugural episode, Brandon talks with Joanna Penn, an award-winning New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, whose latest book, “Pilgrimage: Lessons Learned from Solo Walking Three Ancient Ways,” explores the rich themes of spirituality, mental health, and personal transformation. Tune in for a conversation about the power of walking, writing, and leaning into the call on our hearts.   Host: Brandon Nappi Guest: Joanna Penn   Production: Goodchild Media   Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders

In this episode, Michelle Snyder, author, therapist, leadership coach, and the executive director of Soul Shop, speaks directly to faith leaders about the importance of talking about and tending to suicide in our communities, and training for the work of suicide prevention. Michelle talks with Brandon, Whitney, and Misty about the moment we are in, in which isolation is growing and suicide is on the rise, but faith communities have something to offer.   *If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or a crisis, please reach out immediately to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. Host: Brandon Nappi with Whitney Coe and Misty Krasawksi   Guest: Michelle Snyder   Production: Goodchild Media   Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast   You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders

In this episode, Irish theologian, storyteller, poet, conflict mediator, and host of the podcast Poetry Unbound Pádraig Ó Tuama speaks of the thrilling notion that “all language can do the work of delight or terror in us.” In this conversation, Leader’s Way hosts talk with Pádraig about the complex relationship between poetry and prayer, the timeless wisdom of Meister Eckhart, and the delightful tradition of the Irish civil servant poet. Pádraig reads several of his poems throughout this episode and shares some of his own story, including his early call to the priesthood and its rejection by the Catholic Church.   Host: Brandon Nappi with Whitney Coe and Misty Krasawksi Guest: Pádraig Ó Tuama Production: Goodchild Media Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders

In this special summer episode, Brandon Nappi interviews The Rev’d Adrian Dannhauser, Rector of Church of the Incarnation in New York City and author of Ask Me for a Blessing (You Know You Need One). Adrian and Brandon dive into spiritual call and spiritual practice—from silent retreats to evangelism to the spiritual courage it takes to pray for others who may (or may not) ask for it. Host: Brandon Nappi Guest: Adrian Dannhauser Production: Goodchild Media Music: Wayfaring Stranger, Theodicy Jazz Collective Art: E. Landino Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders

What do church mission, governance, and high school theater have in common? Brandon and Hannah talk with The Rev’d Molly James, PhD., Interim Executive Officer at The Episcopal Church and Berkeley Divinity at Yale alum (’05), about the ways Church mission and institutional governance weave together to strengthen the work of The Episcopal Church. Listen as Rev’d Molly recounts lessons on leadership gleaned from her high school stage manager days and reminds us how real transformation only happens when we work together.   Hosts: Brandon Nappi, Whitney Kimball Coe, and Misty Krasawski Guest: Hannah Black Production: Goodchild Media Music: Wayfaring Stranger, Theodicy Jazz Collective Art: E. Landino   Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast   You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders

In this episode, Brandon talks with New York Times bestselling author, public theologian, preacher, and founder of Sojourners, The Rev’d Jim Wallis. Their conversation explores the theological implications of authoritarianism, new frames for understanding church unity, and the difference between optimism and hope. Host: Brandon Nappi Guest: Jim Wallis Production: Goodchild Media Music: Wayfaring Stranger, Theodicy Jazz Collective Art: E. Landino Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders

Futurist and Berkeley Divinity at Yale alum Rachel Hatch (‘08) joins Brandon and Hannah for a conversation about how to look for signals of change within our own parishes and communities as we make thoughtful choices for the future. In this episode, Rachel encourages leaders to cultivate a practice of imagining possibilities and taking steps toward hope-filled futures, while still addressing the urgencies of the present.

Hannah has news, and you have new friends! Tune in to meet guest hosts Whitney and Misty as they join Brandon in interviewing Hannah for our season finale. Why is Gregory of Nyssa’s take on salvation so different from what Hannah heard in church growing up? Are there risks in the regular ways we talk about Christian salvation? How did feminist theology help her untangle all of this? How much can we know or talk about God? And why is wonder, an antidote to certainty, so important? Listen to find out. Hosts: Brandon Nappi, Whitney Kimball Coe, and Misty Krasawski Guest: Hannah Black Production: Goodchild Media Music: Wayfaring Stranger, Theodicy Jazz Collective Art: E. Landino Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders

The penultimate episode of season 4 is here, and it's with someone we know you'll love, @bishopmello of @episcopal_ct!! Tune in to hear about how Jeff Mello's experience in social work impacts his ministry, how a posture of curiosity and willingness to fail are key, and at the very end, hear all about Bishop Jeff Mello as a person when we play our new favorite game: Holy Cow!

Join co-hosts Brandon Nappi and Hannah Black in an engaging episode of The Leaders Way as they sit down with Linn Tonstad, Professor of Theology, Religion, and Sexuality at Yale Divinity School. In this episode, Tonstad shares her unique perspective on queer theology and how it relates to potential for social transformation. Perfect for Pride Month, this episode challenges us to envision a world with "a little less violence."   Hosts: Brandon Nappi and Hannah Black Guest: Linn Tonstad Production: Goodchild Media Music: Wayfaring Stranger, Theodicy Jazz Collective Art: E. Landino   Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast   You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders

Dean Andrew McGowan joins us to further unpack shifting dynamics, changing landscapes, and the future after addressing the topic at the Episcopal Parish Network (EPN) conference. McGowan describes his observations of Australian secularization and how he sees similar dynamics arising in the United States. We talk about why church attendance is changing, the difference between hope and optimism, and consumer capitalism's effect on church dynamics. After a rich conversation, we play our signature game, Holy Cow!, and learn McGowan's opinion on THE best bread for the Eucharist.   See the EPN talk here: https://youtu.be/5MJmTGvn6y4?si=HyfwtXe_nPI0Nmc5   Hosts: Brandon Nappi and Hannah Black Guest: Andrew McGowan Production: Goodchild Media Music: Wayfaring Stranger, Theodicy Jazz Collective Art: E. Landino   Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast   You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders

THE Father Lizzie is back on The Leader's Way podcast, talking about her new devotional God Didn't Make Us to Hate Us. We talk about the alternative to "billboard Christianity" and how an expansive, inclusive God affects individual spirituality and corporate worship in church. Finally, the Golden Retriever Games are back, baby. Stay 'till the end for "Holy or Horror?" https://bookshop.org/contributors/lizzie-mcmanus-dail Hosts: Brandon Nappi and Hannah Black Guest: Lizzie McManus-Dail Production: Goodchild Media Music: Wayfaring Stranger, Theodicy Jazz Collective Art: E. Landino Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders

Yale Divinity School Professor Teresa Morgan shares her expertise about the Greek word “pistis,” often translated in the New Testament as “faith.” The conversation revolves around faith, trust, and faithfulness and touches on the importance of a nuanced understanding of atonement theology. Brandon challenges Morgan and Black to “Gregory or Gregory?” Tune in for an enlightening discussion that bridges the gap between ancient texts and modern faith. Hosts: Brandon Nappi and Hannah Black Guest: Teresa Morgan Production: Goodchild Media Music: Wayfaring Stranger, Theodicy Jazz Collective Art: E. Landino Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders

The Rev'd John Burruss (The Leader's Way ’23 Fellow) and the Rev'd Mary Bea Sullivan join hosts Hannah Black and Brandon Nappi to tell the story of the Threshold Center, a vibrant space designed to address loneliness and foster connection in Birmingham, Alabama. Born from a tragic event in the life of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, the Threshold Center nurtures well-being and connection by engaging practices of the heart, body, and imagination through innovative programs like trauma-informed yoga, listening as an act of love, and peace through poetry. This episode offers rich insights into the power of collaboration, creativity, and radical hospitality.   https://www.thethresholdcenter.org/ Advertising partners: http://livingchurch.org/events   Hosts: Brandon Nappi and Hannah Black Guests: The Rev'd John Burruss and the Rev'd Mary Bea Sullivan Production: Goodchild Media Music: Wayfaring Stranger, Theodicy Jazz Collective Art: E. Landino Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast https://berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders

Bishop Graham Kings, Honorary Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Ely and Research Associate of the Cambridge Centre for Christianity Worldwide, joins us to delve into the possibilities of engaging creativity in ministry. We discuss the power of collaboration with artists, crafting liturgical celebrations, his project on women in the Bible, how to start a Beer and Theology gathering, traveling from Oxford to Cambridge by camel, a surprise meeting with Prince Philip and Desmond Tutu in 1999, and the centrality of mission.   Host: Hannah Black Guest: Bishop Graham Kings Production: Goodchild Media Music: Wayfaring Stranger, Theodicy Jazz Collective Art: E Landino Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast

On Being host Krista Tippett reflects on her career and tells stories never before heard on air. She contemplates her grandfather's spirituality, what she was looking for when she decided to come to Yale Divinity School, the need she saw for intelligent public conversation about spirituality and religion, and the birth story of Speaking of Faith (later On Being) during the Cold War. We consider how religious traditions can open up to the world's pain and, finally, encourage imaginative, muscular hope. Hosts: Brandon Nappi and Hannah Black Guest: Krista Tippett Production: Goodchild Media Music: Wayfaring Stranger, Theodicy Jazz Collective Art: E. Landino Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders