We’ve collated a list of podcasts that people may find useful in their faith formation, from bible reflections, conversations on the lectionary, panels on youth ministry and sermons these podcasts will be useful to many people.
Strange New World
A great podcast delivered in seasons (Christmas/Easter/Understanding Jesus) that will engage and excite you. “Strange New World,” a show about understanding the Bible, the world’s most influential, misunderstood book — a podcast tailor-made for skeptics, believers, and everybody in between. “Strange New World” will take a fresh look at the world’s bestselling book of all time, the ancient community library we call “the Bible.”
Link: https://www.saltproject.org/podcast-strange-new-world
Kitchen Meditations
This is a new one for 2021, well produced, thoughtful, uplifting, challenging and a wonderful listen.
Reflections on cooking to help you taste God’s goodness in each bite. Whether the kitchen is a place of stress or a place that brings peace at the end of a long day, whether you love cooking or loathe it, you still need to eat.
Baker and writer Kendall Vanderslice (author of We Will Feast: Rethinking Dinner, Worship, and the Community of God) understands the complexity of food—as well as the ways God meets us in the kitchen and at the table. Through these reflections on the mundane tasks that shape our daily lives, along with cooking tips and prayers for sacred, ordinary moments, you’ll taste a bit of God’s hope and healing every time you eat.
Link: https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/kitchenmeditations
The Bible For Normal People
TBFNP is a collaboration between Pete Enns (author, scholar, speaker) and Jared Byas (speaker, author, pastor). The hosts talk with each other and special guests about the bible. Episodes explore the bible, theology, narrative, history, faith, sexuality and much more.
Episodes to get you started:
- Episode 1: Rob Bell – What is the bible with Rob Bell
- Episode 4: Walter Brueggemann – Resurrecting the Bible in The Mainline Church
- Episode 3: Rachel Held Evans – Unraveling and Re-Raveling the Bible
- Episode 53: Sarah Bessey – Connecting The Holy Spirit & The Holy Bible
- Episode 67: Jonathan Merritt – Re-imagining Sacred Speech
- Episode 74: Pete & Jared – God’s Children Tell the Story
- Episode 88: Rachel Held Evans – Reading The Bible Creatively
- Episode 90: Richard Rohr – The (Biblical) Universal Christ
- Episode 154: Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Brettler – How Jews & Christians Read the Bible Differently
- Episode 155: Sarah Bessey – Why Bother Praying?
- Episode 157: Nadia Bolz-Weber – Being a Christian in the Messiness
- Episode 163: Tripp Fuller – Thinking About Jesus Today
- Episode 166: Matthew Paul Turner – Teaching God to Our Kids
Link: peteenns.com/podcast/
The Bible Project
One of the best conversational podcasts on the bible. Hosts Tim Mackie and Jon Collins engage in conversations that help the team condense a topic into 5 minute short and informative videos.
Some themes have included The Holy Ghost, How To Read The Bible, Luke-Acts, God and much more. TBP’s podcast is a great companion for people heading to work, road tripping or sitting at home, it’s also a great resource if you’ve got a friend who you’d like to explore the bible with.
The videos are great, but if you have the time check out the podcast, they’re much longer and are packed with great conversation.
Episodes to get you started:
The best place to start may be the series TBP ran on “God.” The series now runs for 22 episodes and includes topics like:
- Who did Jesus think he was?
- The Trinity & God’s Identity
- Who did Paul think Jesus was?
- What is God’s name?
The entire series is listed at this link: thebibleproject.com/podcast/series/god-series/
Link: thebibleproject.com
Parenting Forward
Cindy Wang Brandt has written a great book titled “Parenting Forward, How to raise children with Justice, Mercy and Kindness” which aims to equip parents/carers/guardians to raise families with a focus on loving others and living out the love and hospitality of Jesus.
Parenting Forward I a progressive book full of hope for parents and the podcast, a project of Cindys that sits alongside the book and has been going since 2018 invites guests and friends into a conversation about raising kids, parenting and faith. A brilliant podcast for parents, grandparents and anyone else interested in exploring these issues.
Episodes to get you started:
- Episode 1: 5 Pillars of Progressive Faith Parenting with Dr. Daniel Kirk
- Episode 8: Parenting with Rituals & Community After Faith Shift with Melissa Greene
- Episode 13: Progressive Children’s Faith Books with Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso
- Episode 15: 7 Spiritual Child Protection Policies
- Episode 16: Should I Raise my Children in Church with Barbara Brown Taylor
- Episode 27: How to Talk about Death with Children with Kay Bruner
- Episode 31: Progressive Children’s Book List with Ashia Ray
- Episode 53: 4 Year Old asks, “Is God Real?”
- Episode 54: Child-Inclusive Intergenerational Worship
- Episode 97: Don’t Simplify Theology for Kids w/ Katey Hage
Link: cindywangbrandt.com/parenting-forward/
Love Rinse Repeat
Love Rinse Repeat is an Australian podcast by Rev Liam Miller, the minister at Toukley Uniting Church in NSW. Liam interviews theologians and authors about their work. The conversations are insightful, honest, thought provoking and the breath of theological thought and insight is often amazing.
Episodes to get you started:
- Ep28. Parenting withCindy Wang Brandt
- Ep29. The God Who Sees with Karen Gonzalez
- Ep30. Queer Theology with Linn Marie Tonstad
- Ep32. The Bible in Australia with Meredith Lake
- Ep33. Healing our Broken Humanity with Grace Ji-Sun Kim and Graham Joseph Hill
- Ep35. The Big Story in Romans with Beverly Roberts Gaventa
- Ep37. Mission After Pentecost, Amos Yong
- Ep 41. Christian Women in the Patristic World, Lynn H. Cohick and Amy Brown Huges
- Ep43. Discipleship with Michael Mawson
- Ep49. Reading the Bible with Melissa Florer-Bixler and Emmy Kegler
- Ep52. A Changing Church with Charissa Suli
- Ep65. Divine Self-Investment with Tripp Fuller
- Ep75. Is God Colour-Blind? with Anthony Reddie
- Ep 76. Ontologically Black, Existentially Queer, Spiritually Christian with Ashwin Afrikanus Thyssen
- Ep83. How To Have An Enemy with Melissa Florer-Bixler
- Ep84. Luke/Acts and the end of History with Kylie Crabb
Link: http://www.loverinserepeat.com
God Forbid
Religion: it’s at the centre of world affairs, but profound questions still remain. Why are you here? What happens when you die? Does God matter? God Forbid seeks the answers.
This podcast comes out of the ABC Studios and includes conversations on faith, culture and life. Topics often involve conversations between people of many faiths and no faith, so while it’s not a “Christian” podcast it’s a great space to reflect on spiritual topics.
Episodes to get you started:
- Heaven on Earth: Religion in the Pacific
- What is hell, and does anyone go there?
- Going without in the 21st century
- How much money is too much money?
- Helping the haves and have-nots
- NAIDOC Week: The women who inspire us
- Do we need to rethink disability?
- Fabulous and faithful
Link: abc.net.au/radionational/programs/godforbid/
Working Preacher Podcast(s)
The Working Preacher is a project of Luther Seminary, it’s a great resource of discussions, essays, reflections and commentary on the bible, specifically set up to help people in the task of preaching and engaging with scripture.
TWP run two podcasts, one for communities that follow the Revised Common Lectionary (which much of the time is us) and those who follow The Narrative Lectionary. Both podcasts are conversational as the hosts discuss what they might focus on if/when they are to preach on the scripture that week.
Released every week, WP is an invaluable resource for preachers, and great resource for people wanting to explore the week’s scripture as they commute.
Link: workingpreacher.org
By The Well
By The Well is a new Australian podcast with Fran Barber and Robyn Whitaker. The podcast often invites speakers, preachers, theologians and teachers in to help explore the readings in the week’s lectionary.
BTW has quickly become an invaluable resource to preachers and teachers everywhere.
Exploring My Strange Bible
Tim Mackie is one of the people behind The Bible Project and, in this podcast he shares talks, reflections and sermons that he has given in the past to churches and events.
Tim is a gifted teacher and this is a great collection of reflections on scripture and faith. As this was a podcast created to share past talks and presentations he has effectively ran out of talks to upload and so brought it to a close, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go back and listen to the back catalogue.
Link: thebibleproject.com/podcasts/exploring-my-strange-bible/
The Robcast
Author, speaker, communicator Rob Bell has had an interesting journey, he’s now authored 10 books, the latest of which is “What Is The Bible?” (if you’re interested in reading this please speak to Darren, he has a few copies to borrow). This podcast is a collection of interviews, conversations, rants, book planning, bible study and discussions on faith & life.
Episodes to get you started:
- Parables with Pete Rollins
- Episode 48: God Part 1
- Episode 49: God Part 2
- Episode 51: God Part 3
- Episode 67 | Grounded with Diana Butler Bass
- “Jesus. H. Christ” a series of 11 episodes on Jesus
Link: robbell.com/portfolio/robcast/
Barefoot Followers
This was our local podcast, a regular conversation on scripture between our minister Darren Wright and the Pastor over at Mosaic Baptist, Gungahlin Mark Beresford who record a conversation on scripture, faith and life. This podcast is now in hiatus. You can access the conversations from our website here.
The Work Experience Podcast
Bradon French was the Youth Ministry Coordinator within the Intergenerational team of the UCA Synod of Victoria and Tasmania, he’s now a chaplain at Wesley College. This podcast is now finished, but still remains online for people to engage with. Focused on youth ministry and traverses topics of scripture, resources, books, multicultural ministry, rural ministry, youth ministry and more.
Link: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bMKOAtlPuezXNKGeS75Zr?si=47fffb19e017410a