4.7 • 658 Ratings
🗓️ 9 June 2025
⏱️ 96 minutes
🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS
🧾️ Download transcript
In this episode, we speak with former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams about his vision of faith as attentiveness, not answers — a path not of mastery, but of mystery. Drawing on themes from his book Discovering Christianity, Rowan reflects on the difference between faith and toxic religion, and explores how trust, not certainty, might be the deeper thread that runs through the Christian story.
We talk about the appeal of other traditions, Rowan’s appreciation of Buddhism, and why — despite it all — he remains rooted in the Christian faith. Along the way, he speaks candidly about the beauty and the cruelty of the Church, the liberating potential of theology, and how contemplation can shape not only our spiritual life but our way of seeing the world.
Following the interview, Nomad hosts Tim Nash and Nick Thorley reflect on the complexities of letting go of toxic religion, while staying open to what faith might still become.
Interview starts at 15m 2s
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0:00.0 | The |
0:07.0 | The Welcome back to Nomad podcast. I'm Tim Nash. This is my beloved co-host. It's Nick Thorley. |
0:41.6 | Hello there. This is, of course, the second part of our mini-series, make Nick Christian again. |
0:47.6 | You can make me Christian again. Have you been feeling a bit more Christian since our LaMorna Ash episode? |
0:53.8 | Not particularly. No, not really. I think I have a little bit. Have you? I'm bit more Christian since our LaMona Ash episode? Not particularly. |
0:54.4 | No. Not really. I think I have a little bit. Have you? I'm very easily swayed though. |
0:58.2 | It happens to me all the time on Nomad. Like anyone who's kind of smart and articulate and kind |
1:02.5 | just sort of wins me over. I see. What's been happening? Nothing. Just sort of feeling, |
1:07.1 | you know, I want to be a bit more like that. You've not been listening to praise music or anything. |
1:11.2 | No. |
1:12.1 | It's just part of me, I think, wishes that I kind of had that imaginative, poetic approach to life and faith, you know. |
1:17.7 | Yeah. |
1:18.1 | When I hear someone talking about the richness of the sacraments and the liturgy, the kind of poetry of the sacred text. |
1:24.5 | Yeah. But then there's like a little voice in the back of my head that just sort of says, yeah, but it's going to be really boring. |
1:29.8 | Do you know what I mean? |
1:30.9 | I know exactly what he sort of feels. |
1:32.5 | Is it my voice? |
1:33.3 | Is it my voice? |
1:35.4 | Remember to him. |
1:36.5 | It's boring. |
1:37.4 | It's just boring. |
1:38.5 | Yeah. |
... |
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