Nomad Podcast

In this special episode, writer, priest and theologian Jarel Robinson-Brown reflects on the power of love in a world that so often feels fragile, unjust, and burning at the edges.Drawing on the story of his grandmother’s resilience and tenderness, the radical imagination of Mary, and the embodied life of Jesus, Jarel invites us to see Christian truth not as a text but as a life — love made flesh, love that puts its body where its heart is.After Jarel’s reflection, Nomad host Anna Robinson guides us into a contemplative space — a gentle invitation to sit with the stories we’ve heard, notice what stirs, and discern how love might ripple outward in our own lives.The whole episode is woven together with original music by Jon Bilbrough (Wilderthorn), creating a meditative soundscape to hold the journey.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, Therapeutic Reflections, and Nomad Revisited.If you’d like to join our lovely community of supporters, head over to our Patreon page. You might even be rewarded with a Nomad pen or our coveted Beloved Listener mug!If a monthly commitment isn’t possible right now, a one-off donation is always deeply appreciated—you can do that here.Looking to connect with others nearby? Check out the Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook group.

In this episode we speak with Anglican Deacon and writer Jayne Manfredi, whose work explores the female body as a place of truth-telling, theological insight and spiritual transformation. Jayne talks with striking honesty about midlife, menopause and the shifting experience of embodiment — the leaking, aching, changing realities many women learn to hide — and reflects on the Church’s persistent discomfort with women’s bodies and the silence that often surrounds this life stage.Drawing on her book Waking the Women, Jayne describes menopause as a kind of wilderness: a time when old maps fail, identities unravel and a more authentic self begins to emerge. She speaks of rage, grief, liberation and the unexpected sense of resurrection that can follow the drying-up of long-held roles and expectations. Along the way she reflects on class and authenticity, the pressure to remain “nice”, and the ways midlife invites a more grounded, embodied, unapologetic faith.This is a conversation about bodies, meaning and the sacred work of becoming ourselves in midlife, told with warmth, humour and fierce honesty.After the interview Nomad hosts Tim Nash and Joy Brooks consider what Jayne’s insights stirred in them, reflecting on embodiment, ageing, social expectations, and the wide range of experiences that shape how different people navigate midlife.Interview starts at 12m 39sBooks, 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, Therapeutic Reflections, and Nomad Revisited.If you’d like to join our lovely community of supporters, head over to our Patreon page. You might even be rewarded with a Nomad pen or our coveted Beloved Listener mug!If a monthly commitment isn’t possible right now, a one-off donation is always deeply appreciated—you can do that here.Looking to connect with others nearby? Check out the Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook group.And if you're up for sharing your own story, we regularly post reflections from listeners on our blog—all with the hope of fostering deeper understanding, connection and supportive relationships. If you'd like to share your story on the blog, contact us for more information here.

As far-right movements gain visibility in Britain and beyond, many are drawing on Christian language, symbols and stories to justify exclusion and division. What happens when the gospel of love is co-opted by the politics of fear?In this conversation, theologian and Baptist minister Helen Paynter explores how theology, scripture and nationalism are becoming dangerously entangled. She reflects on why parts of the church are vulnerable to far-right narratives, how faith can be weaponised, and what it means to resist with wisdom, compassion and courage.Following the interview, Nomad hosts Tim Nash and Nick Thorley reflect on anger, numbness, purity spirals and the quiet work of resisting despair, and ask what it might look like to keep telling a better story when the old one keeps getting twisted.Interview starts at 15m 29sBooks, 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, Therapeutic Reflections, and Nomad Revisited.If you’d like to join our lovely community of supporters, head over to our Patreon page. You might even be rewarded with a Nomad pen or our coveted Beloved Listener mug!If a monthly commitment isn’t possible right now, a one-off donation is always deeply appreciated—you can do that here.Looking to connect with others nearby? Check out the Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook group.And if you're up for sharing your own story, we regularly post reflections from listeners on our blog—all with the hope of fostering deeper understanding, connection and supportive relationships. If you'd like to share your story on the blog, contact us for more information here.

Palestinian peace activist Sami Awad has lived his whole life under military occupation. He’s witnessed violence, loss, and deep injustice. Yet rather than turning towards hatred or certainty, he’s journeyed into a spirituality rooted in compassion, healing, and what he calls Christ consciousness — a way of seeing that refuses separation and fear.In this conversation, Sami reflects on what it means to love your enemy amid war, to resist without hatred, and to awaken to the divine even in the midst of suffering. He speaks about his rejection of institutional Christianity, his lifelong commitment to nonviolence, and how ritual, grief, and steadfastness have become his practices of hope.Following the interview, Tim and Anna reflect on how Sami’s experience of faith under occupation challenges their own journeys. They discuss privilege, embodiment, and what it means to find Jesus beyond the institution. Together they explore sumud — steadfastness — as a contemplative form of resistance, and how love, rather than fear, can become the organising principle of faith.Interview starts at 17m 39sBooks, 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, Therapeutic Reflections, and Nomad Revisited.If you’d like to join our lovely community of supporters, head over to our Patreon page. You might even be rewarded with a Nomad pen or our coveted Beloved Listener mug!If a monthly commitment isn’t possible right now, a one-off donation is always deeply appreciated—you can do that here.Looking to connect with others nearby? Check out the Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook group.And if you're up for sharing your own story, we regularly post reflections from listeners on our blog—all with the hope of fostering deeper understanding, connection and supportive relationships. If you'd like to share your story on the blog, contact us for more information here.

Over the last year, Tim and his eleven-year-old son Elliot have been quietly experimenting with faith at home — exploring a different spiritual practice each month and discovering what happens when faith is lived, not just discussed. From gratitude and Sabbath to activism, creativity, and pilgrimage; from sawing coconuts and dismantling Hi-Fis to marching for their local library and hiding painted pebbles — they’ve stumbled into moments of laughter, frustration, and the occasional glimpse of transcendence. In this conversation, Tim and Elliot look back over their first year of Homegrown Faith — reflecting on what surprised them, what changed them, and how spirituality can take root in the ordinary rhythms of family life. (This conversation is also being shared on the Homegrown Faith podcast feed, where you can follow Tim and Elliot’s ongoing monthly experiments in everyday spirituality.) Conversation starts at 12m 56s 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, Therapeutic Reflections, and Nomad Revisited. If you’d like to join our lovely community of supporters, head over to our Patreon page. You might even be rewarded with a Nomad pen or our coveted Beloved Listener mug! If a monthly commitment isn’t possible right now, a one-off donation is always deeply appreciated—you can do that here. Looking to connect with others nearby? Check out the Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook group. And if you're up for sharing your own story, we regularly post reflections from listeners on our blog—all with the hope of fostering deeper understanding, connection and supportive relationships. If you'd like to share your story on the blog, contact us for more information here.