S14 E06: Learning To See with Paul J. Pastor

When we think of wonder or beauty, we might be inclined to think in terms of an external appearance, a scene of nature or an attractive person. But what if wonder is something that grows from the inside out? What if wonder is way of seeing? And what if wonder is an interior force, one that begins in the hidden recesses of our perceptions?

Today, on the show I’m talking with Oregon-based, poet, writer and critic, Paul J Pastor. Paul serves HarperCollins as senior acquisitions editor for their Zondervan imprint, and also serves as a contributing editor for Ekstasis magazine. He's the author of several books, including Bower Lodge: Poems, and two forthcoming titles: The Locust Years and The Fire Cantos.

In our conversation, Paul and I discuss the importance of learning to see as a means of engaging wonder. Drawing from the work of William Blake, Flannery O’ Connor and stories from the Gospels, this episode takes us on a journey into our perceptions and invites us to reconsider beauty as more than an aesthetic experience.

Author, Faith and Art, Philosophy, Reclaiming Wonder, theologyStephen RoachSeptember 4, 2024Paul J Pastor, Literature, poet, philosophy

S11 E09: A Fundamental Antagonism with Peter Rollins

Peter Rollins is an author, philosopher, storyteller, producer and public speaker. Peter gained his higher education from Queens University, Belfast where he earned degrees (with distinction) in Scholastic Philosophy (BA Hons), Political Theory and Social Criticism (MA) and Post-Structural thought (PhD). He's the author of numerous books, including Insurrection, The Idolatry of God, and The Divine Magician.

In today’s episode, Peter talks with Stephen Roach about the unexpected relationship between loss and transcendence or what Peter terms as a “fundamental antagonism at the heart of reality.”

Patrons of the podcast can enjoy an additional interview segment on how art informs our urge for transcendence.

Music for this episode is provided by Thousand Dollar Movie.

Author, Philosophy, transcendenceStephen RoachApril 4, 2023Peter Rollins, Philosopher, Irish Philosopher, mystics

S9 E07: Habits of Perception with James K.A. Smith

James K.A. Smith is professor of philosophy at Calvin University and serves as editor in chief of Image, a quarterly journal devoted to “art, mystery, and faith.” Trained as a philosopher with a focus on contemporary French thought, Smith has expanded on that scholarly platform to become an engaged public intellectual and cultural critic. As an award-winning author and widely-traveled speaker, he has emerged as a thought leader with a unique gift of translation, building bridges between the academy, society, and the church.

In this episode I talk with James about the role of imagination in “re-storying” the narratives we believe about ourselves and society. James shares openly about his own bouts with depression and how poetry played a key role in his recovery.

Patrons of the podcast can enjoy an additional interview segment on the attentiveness as a core tenet of creativity and the counter cultural practice of contemplation.

Artist Profile Series E35: Simone Weil

Simone Weil was a French philosopher, mystic and political activist. She was born February 3rd, 1909 in Paris, France and died On August 24th, 1943. In her short, thirty four years of life, Simone Weil worked in factories, trained with anarchists for the Spanish Civil war, taught philosophy, ministered to the poor, served as a military nurse and wrote prolifically about her social philosophy and thoughts on God.

After her death, posthumous publications of her writings catapulted her to a status of one of the great religious philosophers of the 20th century. Spiritual seekers, countercultural thinkers, Christians and atheists alike were each moved by her revolutionary ideas and the way she embodied her convictions through radical activism.

Her spiritual life was marked by three significant mystical encounters which turned this unlikely convert into a devoted, albeit, reluctant follower of Jesus.

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Summer '21 Series E04: Roundtable Part 2: Memes, Propaganda & Art

Have you ever wondered what distinguishes art from non-art? What are the distinctions and who gets to decide? What makes something a work of art? Is it the result of a conscious act? Does it require skill and originality?

What about memes and propaganda? Can these be considered works of art as well? These are some of the questions we discuss on today’s show.

This episode is Part Two of our round table discussions with author/illustrator Vesper Stamper, visual artist and designer Brandon Willett and guest host, singer/songwriter, John Mark McMillan.

S8 E12: The Aesthetic Universe with J.F. Martel

J.F. Martel is a Canadian writer, filmmaker, and podcaster. He has directed a number of French and English documentaries for Canadian television as well as created several dramatic short films. His writing has appeared on Reality Sandwich, The Finch, Metapsychosis, and in anthologies published by Tarcher-Penguin, North Atlantic Books, and Intellect Books.

His book Reclaiming Art in the Age of Artifice was published in 2015 by Evolver Editions;

The back cover tells us the book is an essential reading for visual artists, musicians, writers, actors, dancers, filmmakers, poets, anyone who has ever been deeply moved by a work of art.

I’ve read the book and I have to agree, J.F.’s ideas about art as an inborn human phenomenon that precedes the formation of culture resonates with own thoughts on creativity as an inherent part of our spiritual and human experience.

In this episode, I speak with J.F. about many of the concepts in his book including his thoughts on viewing the universe primarily as an aesthetic universe.

I’m excited to announce that J.F. will be one of our keynote presenters for this year’s The Breath & The Clay virtual experience taking place March 17-21, 2021. You can find out more about The Breath & The Clay and our theme of Re-enchantment at http://www.thebreathandtheclay.com/theme21

S8 E02: Pádraig Ó Tuama

Pádraig Ó Tuama is an Irish poet and theologian whose work centers around themes of language, power, conflict and religion. His poetry and prose has been published widely across Ireland, the US and the UK. For Ó Tuama, religion, conflict, power and poetry all circle around language, that original sacrament. In the context of public theology, he takes the received form of biblical texts and explores the civic and artistic dynamics of language, narrative and impact in these stories.

Pádraig is a voice for LGBT inclusion and for the value of arts in public life. He presents Poetry Unbound with On Being Studios, a podcast that explores a single poem in each episode.

In this episode, Padraig and I share a conversation on his background as a poet, theologian and how the arts and language play a central role in reconciliation and conflict resolution.

Padraig’s work in language and conflict resolution is a vital contribution to finding a way forward through our current cultural moment.

Patrons of the podcast can enjoy the full, unedited interview at: http://www.patreon.com/makersandmystics

S8 E01: Hosea: A Modern Adaptation with Ryan Dobson & Michael Gungor

This Season Premiere Episode features a conversation with writer and director, Ryan Daniel Dobson of the feature film HOSEA, along with the film’s music composer, Michael Gungor of Gungor music and The Liturgists podcast.

After studying theology in college, Ryan turned his attention to the entertainment industry with a focus on marrying theological and philosophical concepts to powerful visual storytelling.

The feature film HOSEA follows this trajectory with a modern adaptation of the biblical narrative by the same name. The film takes place in the southern landscape of Oklahoma and follows the story of a young girl by the name of Cate and her childhood friend Henry. Cate’s story is one of substance abuse, mental illness, prostitution and the search for self-worth and acceptance.

In this episode, I talk with Ryan and Michael about the film, their creative collaboration and why it is important to reconsider familiar spiritual narratives apart from inherited cultural interpretations.

You can discover more about the film by visiting Hoseafilm.com

Artist Profile Series 31: Howard Thurman

Howard Washington Thurman was a poet, mystic, philosopher and spiritual activist. He authored more than twenty books in his lifetime and played a leading role in The Civil Rights Movement where he served as a spiritual mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

S7 E09: Art As Healing Live At The Farmhouse

This episode is our second release from the Makers and Mystics LIVE series. This conversation comes to you from Charlottesville, VA and highlights excerpts from our discussion on Art As Healing. You’ll hear from a diverse panel of voices including Farm House community founder, Lauren Stonestreet, Philosopher, Bernard Hankins, Pastor and songwriter, Brendan Jamieson, Neuroscientist and Jazz musician, Nadine Michel and Doctor of Osteopathy, Dr. David MacDonald.

In light of recent events, I felt this conversation on Art As Healing was timely and offers creative insights on navigating through difficult times and how art contributes to Healing for individuals and to society.

I’ve said often that the artist is an architect of hope and a voice of reconciliation for a divided world. I think you’ll find the perspectives in this conversation to be helpful in finding our way forward and understanding the vital role of art as an agent of healing.

*If you’re a patron of the podcast you have access to the full conversation which includes a spoken word performance by poet Latasha Strother and Nadine Michel’s story of traveling to Haiti, the country her parents immigrated from.

Artist Profile Series 21: John O' Donohue

John O’ Donohue was a modern-day mystic, philosopher, theologian and poet. He spent his life along the West Coast of Ireland where the solitude and beauty of the land shaped him as an artist and thinker.

Artist Profile Series 17: Meister Eckhart

Meister Eckhart was a late 13th and early 14th century philosopher, theologian and mystic born in central Germany. In 1326, he was accused of 150 accounts of heresy and went on to be tried before the Catholic Inquisition. Today, however, Meister Eckhart’s writings have influenced artists and spiritual seekers from most every tradition and walk of life.

Articles and blogs mentioned in this episode:

Every Painter Paints Himself

The Eckhart Society

John Cage on Eckhart

S5 E9: Art & The Transcendence of God with Jeremy Begbie

Jeremy Begbie is Thomas A. Langford Distinguished Professor in Theology at Duke Divinity School. He is also Senior Member at Wolfson College, Cambridge, and an Affiliated Lecturer in the Faculty of Music at the University of Cambridge. He is Founding Director of Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts, one of the main aims of which is to foster theological-artistic links between Duke and Cambridge.

In this episode, Stephen joins Dr. Begbie at Duke Divinity School to talk with him about music, art and the transcendence of God.

This episode is sponsored by:

Art and Theology

Hope Writers

Artist Profile Series 14: Rainer Maria Rilke

Rainer Maria Rilke was a Prague-born poet and novelist. His verses embody the human heart’s yearning to commune with God in an age of disbelief. His transcendent themes are deeply existential and contemplative in nature.

Artist Profile Series 13: Teilhard de Chardin

Teilhard de Chardin was a French Catholic priest, philosopher, paleontologist, geologist and World War I veteran who earned the Legion of Honor citation. He wrote extensively on science, on his scientific discoveries, and on his most intimate thoughts of Christ as the consummate culmination of spiritual and material realities.

Artist Profile Series Episode 12: Georg Hegel

In this episode guest host Marie Teilhard of Kilns College explores the artistic and spiritual views of German Philosopher, Georg Hegel.

S5 E2: The Symbolic World with Jonathan Pageau

Jonathan Pageau is a professional artist, writer and public speaker. He delivers several lectures every year in Universities, conferences and other venues around North America. He speaks on art, but mostly on the symbolic structures that underlie our experience of the world.

Through his YouTube channel and podcast, The Symbolic World, he also furthers the conversation on symbolism, meaning and patterns in everything from movies, to icons, to social trends.

As an artist, Jonathan is one of the only professional icon carvers in North America, taking on institutional and personal art commissions from all over the world. You can view his works in his carving website.

Jonathan is the editor and a contributor for the Orthodox Arts Journal which looks at the revival and significance of liturgical art today. He also gives weeklong carving classes with Hexaemeron School of Liturgical Arts , which are credited by Pontifex University.

Artist Profile Series 11: Eriugena

John Scotus Eriugena was an Irish theologian, philosopher, and poet. This artist profile is guest hosted by spiritual director, Sarah DeShields.

S4 E10: Nico Cox on The Art of Keeping Time

Nico Cox is an Antiquarian Horologist, which is a technical term for a clock and watchmaker who specializes in the conservation and restoration of antique automata and mechanical musical objects. Her workshop, Memoria Technica is located in Seattle, Washington where she teaches, creates and brings mechanical music, singing birds and complex clocks back to life again.

In this episode, Stephen talks with Nico about the magic of horology and the critical thinking involved in her unique art of restoration.

Patrons of the podcast can enjoy an additional interview with Nico on “The Church’s bizarre use of automata during Middle Ages” at http://www.patreon.com/makersandmystics

Featured Music in this episode: Unwed Sailor

Artist Profile Series 04: Nikolai Berdyaev

Nicholas Berdyaev was a Russian philosopher who believed our mission as human beings is to be collaborators with God in His continuing creation of the world. In this episode, Stephen highlights a passage from Berdyaev's book, The Meaning of The Creative Act on creativity and redemption.

Philosophy, theologyStephen RoachAugust 15, 2018Nicholas Berdyaev, philosophy, theology, art and faith, creativity, redemption

S3 E7: Cosmos In The Chaos with Abstract Artist Ty Nathan Clark

Ty Nathan Clark is a well-known abstract artist living and working in Waco, Texas. He is a devoted activist, writer, cinematographer, and philanthropist. His work is informed by an in-depth study of civil rights movements, literature, philosophy, and theology.

Ty’s art has been described as “parabolic” in nature, telling stories in visual representations of the human condition. He uses a variety of mediums and textures to create what has been termed a “dismantled imagery, representing the incomplete bits and pieces of personality and memories that make up each human being.”

visual art, Process, Philosophy, Faith and ArtStephen RoachJanuary 11, 2018Abstract Art, Philosophy, visual artist, Mako Fujimura

S 3 E 4: Honesty In Artistry with Josh Riebock

Josh Riebock is the best-selling author of the memoir, Heroes and Monsters and My Generation. He is host of the popular podcast, The Marrow, and a sought-after storyteller and poet at venues around the country for his captivating artistry and honesty.

In this episode, Stephen talks with Josh about cultivating honesty within artistry and how beauty and terror sometimes appear inextricably linked.

Tom Waits, Nirvana, Charles Bukowski, William Shakespeare, Stranger Things and the love and violence within scripture are among the topics of their discussion.

Season 2 E 8: The Holy Spirit & The Art Of Becoming Human

"Art is often viewed as being inherently spiritual. But what does it mean to describe an experience of art or beauty as "spiritual"? Is there a relationship between the spiritual experience a person has in the presence of a work of art and the Holy Spirit of Christian faith?"

In this episode, Stephen Roach explores these ideas with theologian, Dr. Steven Guthrie. Their discussion centers on elements from Dr. Guthrie's book, Creator Spirit: The Holy Spirit & The Art Of Becoming Human. In their discussion, Stephen and Dr. Guthrie reference ideas from Plato, Russian abstract artist Kandinsky and the composer, Arnold Schoenberg. Dr. Guthrie unpacks how each of these artist's and philosopher's views of spirituality compares to the bible's depiction of the Holy Spirit.

Season 2 E 5: Beauty Will Save The World Part 2

In everything from our worship, to the art we make to the way we live our lives amidst a secularized culture, beauty is the often overlooked, yet powerful component of sharing the reality of the gospel.

Faith and Art, Beauty, authors, contemplation, Philosophy, theologyStephen RoachMarch 22, 2017Brian Zahnd, Stephen Roach, beauty, faith, art