PODCAST · society
Contemplify
by Paul Swanson | Contemplative Shoveler
The Contemplify podcast kindles the examined life for contemplatives in the world. Through artful musings & conversations with scholars, creatives, and master teachers each episode delivers a subtly intoxicating* exchange on the contemplative lifestyle with practical takeaways to emulate in daily life. Host, Paul Swanson, is a husband, father and contemplative educator at the Center for Action and Contemplation and co-host of Another Name for Every Thing with Richard Rohr**.*Contemplify is best served with a pint in hand. Please listen responsibly.** All shenanigans, tom foolery and bally-hoo posted on Contemplify are my own. Contemplify is not representative of the Center for Action and Contemplation or Richard Rohr on any matter.
Episodes
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Thomas Gardner on Poverty Creek Journal
"The achievement of 'Poverty Creek Journal' is precisely that it does retrace that kind of wandering--and, in so doing, makes something lovely and meaningful of a difficult year. Gardner does not go in for pat analogies; he does not claim, as Camus once did about soccer, that running taught him...
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Noah Davis on The Last Beast We Revel In
"Noah Davis is a poet whose capacious imagination runs on river sounds and open air." — Adrian Matejka, Pulitzer Prize Finalist and editor of Poetry. Noah Davis is an award-winning poet, whose collection The Last Beast We Revel In was my first read on my sabbatical. The poetry of Noah Davis is...
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Todd Goddard on Jim Harrison (author of Devouring Time: Jim Harrison, A Writer's Life)
Todd Goddard is an award-winning writer with a Ph.D in literary studies to go along with J.D. Todd Goddard joins me to talk about his unparalleled work on one of my literary heroes, the poet and writer, Jim Harrison. Goddard's book, Devouring Time: Jim Harrison, A Writer's Life. Devouring Time is...
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Sasha Waters on Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World
Sasha Waters, an American documentary and experimental filmmaker, feminist and educator. She has produced and directed over twenty films and we are here today to talk about her latest, Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World, which will be theatrically released July 3rd (see dates and...
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Beverly Lanzetta on Birthing a New Mysticism
"With poetic clarity and theological depth, Beverly Lanzetta names the sacred within the human, the Divine Feminine within tradition, and the transforming power of contemplation for our wounded world." — Fr. Adam Bucko Beverly Lanzetta, Ph.D., is a theologian, contemplative scholar and teacher…
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Dr. Liza J. Rankow on Soul Medicine for a Fractured World
"In the ashes of all we have lost, a world of liberation is waiting to be born, if we are brave enough to labor for it. Like the wisest midwife, Liza Rankow takes our hand and offers practical tools to unlock a courage we did not know we had. The result: a journey into healing, spirituality, and...
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Philip Connors on The Mountain Knows the Mountain: A Fire Watch Diary
Philip Connors is a fire lookout, essayist, and author of four books. A former journalist at the Wall Street Journal, Connors has been a fire lookout in the Gila National Forest for over twenty years. In our conversation today we focus on his latest book, The Mountain Knows the Mountain: A Fire...
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Anna Tivel on Animal Poem, Short Stories, and Checking Your Shoes
"Through her graceful poetry and pristine instrumentation, the folk singer delivers indictments of modern indignities alongside moments of hope." — Pitchfork Anna Tivel is an award-winning songwriter and musician from Portland, Oregon. In our conversation we traverse many topics; short stories,...
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Dr. Martin Shaw on Liturgies of the Wild
"Here is a rosary of soaring myth, gripping narrative, and deep wisdom, all told with breathtaking verve that enchants and sweeps us along, from first word to last. A superb, inspiring read." — Gabor Maté, author of The Myth of Normal Dr. Martin Shaw a writer, mythographer, wilderness guide, and...
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Vision for a New Cabinet by Teddy Macker (Season 7 Trailer)
Season 7 is hatching. A series of conversations has come together, mighty and beautiful folks offering feathered insight and story from their unique perch in the world (I am going to shift things up a bit and share a conversation once a month for Season 7). But first, here and now, Teddy Macker…
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The Famous One
Musing on obituaries with your name on it.
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Remembering Lerita Coleman Brown on Waiting for a Word in the Heart
Remembering Lerita Coleman Brown
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Stay Outside (or Non-Liturgical Liturgical Calendar Musing)
Musing on my personal non-liturgical liturgical calendar that runs from December 11 - December 10 each calendar year.
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Gail Straub on Embracing Our Human Family
"In radiant, lyrical prose, Gail Straub takes us on a voyage like no other, both into little-known places across the globe and, most memorably, the inner realms of the soul. …..this is a journey that no reader will forget and, I believe, all readers will, in their own way, hope to emulate." —...
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Mark Longhurst on The Holy Ordinary
Mark Longhurst is an author and contemplative guide who has spent years exploring the sacred dimensions of everyday life. In our conversation we talk about his book The Holy Ordinary: A Way to God, a beautiful invitation to discover the divine presence woven throughout our daily movements. Mark...
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Haleh Liza Gafori Brings Water to the Thirsty
Haleh Liza Gafori is a translator, performance artist, vocalist, and educator whose work bridges ancient Persian mysticism with contemporary spiritual longing. In our conversation we talk about her latest book Water, a luminous collection of new translations from the 13th-century Persian mystic...
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Contemplative Parenting with Aizaiah G. Yong and Nereyda Yong
"This book is just what the world needs right now. At a time when tensions are hot, divisions are growing, and uncertainty is the order of the day, Sacred Parenting is a call to reconnect with what matters most: our children, our families, ourselves, and our God. The authors offer gentle wisdom…
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[Rebroadcast] Dr. Larry Ward on America's Racial Karma, the Fragrance of Wisdom, and Learning How To Suffer Less
This is a repost of my conversation with Dr. Larry Ward. Dr. Ward passed away on August 19 at his home in Rhode Island. He was a Buddhist teacher, author, and co-founder of The Lotus Institute. He left behind a legacy of peace and advocacy for healing individual and collective trauma. I only ever...
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Amy Frykholm on Journey to the Wild Heart
"You can trust Amy Frykholm as a modern-day amma who knows the terrain of the soul. Reading Journey to the Wild Heart is like going out to the desert for a word. It helps us slow down, let go, unknow in Silence, and embody Love.― — Carmen Acevedo Butcher, author of Practice of the Presence Amy...
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Todd Davis on Ditch Memory
"To read a new and selected collection is to experience the evolution of a voice, in this case an essential voice in American poetry. To sit with the whole of these transportive, immersive poems is to awaken like a wild riparian corridor in spring. Wildflowers on the banks. Birdsong in the...
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Sr. Laura Swan, OSB on the Radical Wisdom of the Beguines
"…Swan's book provides an accessible overview of beguine spirituality in the context of their own times…[it] does a good job of explaining both the beguines' spiritual practices and their continuing legacy." — Commonweal Sr. Laura Swan is a Benedictine sister, spiritual director, author, teacher,...
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Patrick Boland on Contemplative Leadership
Patrick Boland is an author, teacher, coach, and consultant. In our conversation we talk about his book The Contemplative Leader: Uncover the Power of Presence and Connection. Patrick is a whipsmart, strategic thinker with a contemplative heart and presence. Patrick's atypical approach to...
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Cynthia Bourgeault on Thomas Keating, Christian Nonduality, and Mystical Maps
Rev. Dr. Cynthia Bourgeault is a mystic, teacher, writer, Episcopal priest. In our conversation we talk about her book Thomas Keating: The Making of a Modern Mystic. A book that should not have, but did, surprise me with its brilliance in understanding the route Thomast Keating took on (and off)...
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Intensification of Life (Season 6 Trailer)
"Practice simply is one intensification of what is natural and around us all the time. Practice is to life as poetry is to spoken language. So as poetry is the practice of language, "practice" is the practice of life." - Gary Snyder SEASON 6 TRAILER contemplify.com
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Peter Traben Haas on Prayer as a Practice of Centering, Abiding, & Radiating
On this last episode of Season Five of Contemplify, we welcome Rev., Dr. Peter Traben Haas. Rev., Dr. Peter Traben Haas rises each morning watching the light shade from dark to dawn and the still silence births words. His aim as a pastor and writer is to deepen spiritual fecundity by exploring...
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Backporch Advent Outpost with Hadewijch and the Mother of Love
Backporch Advent Outpost with Hadewijch and the Mother of Love visit contemplify.com
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Katherine May on Enchantment, Building Community, Tasting Words, and a Drink of Lake Water
"I love Katherine May's new book, Enchantment.… It's a beautiful offering of light, truth and charm in these strange, dark times." — Anne Lamott Katherine May is an internationally bestselling author and podcaster living in Whitstable, UK. Her most recent book, Enchantment became an instant New...
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Andrew Krivak on the Inheritance of Loss, Death as a Character, and Like the Appearance of Horses
"Andrew Krivak is a novelist, poet, and memoirist whose work has been compared to William Faulkner's in its rich sense of place, to Wendell Berry's in its attentiveness to natural beauty, and to Cormac McCarthy's in its deep investigation of violence and myth. Yet all of Krivak's writing, and...
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Remembering Dr. Barbara Holmes (Replay of 2016 Conversation)
"Dr. B was passionate about expanding our understanding of the Christian contemplative tradition, reminding us that contemplation isn't the sole domain of those who can retreat to quiet places. She understood, from her own life and from the traditions she carried forward, that contemplative...
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Amy Leach on Becoming Salt of the Universe
"I was recently giving a sermon and found myself spontaneously quoting from Amy Leach's singular and surprising new book. I expect many readers will find their own lives troubled (in the Biblical sense) and enlightened by her fresh perceptions. She has lived into a hard-earned and entirely…
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Ben Katt on Getting Quiet, Midlife, and the Power of Ritual (also, we chat about David Hasselhoff)
Ben Katt has worked with On Being, as an ordained minister, an advanced meditation teacher, and author. His first book, The Way Home: Discovering the Hero's Journey to Wholeness at Midlife is a guidebook and memoir about the inner journey that calls us further in the midst of life's busyness. Ben...
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Jeffrey Martin on Thank God We Left the Garden, Letters, and Literature
"[Jeffrey Martin writes] Songs that are stark in their simplicity, yet emotionally rich in a way that can catch your breath in your throat or leave your eyes suddenly damp." — Paste Jeffrey Martin is a musician with a number of albums under his belt. His latest, Thank God We Left the Garden, has...
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Susan Murphy on Zen Koans for Facing the Climate Crisis, the vast meaning of Country, and Cooling Fires
"A powerful and important plunge into the reality of the mind and climate." — Joan Halifax, author of Being with Dying and Standing at the Edge Susan Murphy is an Australian Zen teacher whose passionate feeling of kinship with the natural world began during her early childhood years living near…
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Drew Jackson on Touch the Earth, Poetry as a Lifesaver, and the Importance of Lucille Clifton
"In Touch the Earth, Drew Jackson's poetry offers a word-weary world a new language of engagement, disruption, and insight. As with all great poetry, the words are spare, but the literary images loom large, creating indelible impressions on the reader. Like echoes that reverberate long after the...
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Tracy Cochran on the Art of Presence, Mistakes as Practice, & the Grief of Awakening
Tracy Cochran is a writer, meditation teacher, and editorial director of Parabola, an acclaimed quarterly magazine that draws on the world's cultural and wisdom traditions to explore the questions that all humans share. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Psychology Today, O Magazine,...
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Brian McLaren on Life After Doom, Patient Urgency, & Complexifying Hope
Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former college English teacher and pastor, he is a passionate advocate for "a new kind of Christianity" – just, generous, and working with people of all faiths for the common good. He is a core faculty member and Dean of...
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Cassidy Hall on Queering Contemplation, Letting Go of Thomas Merton, and Expanding Foundations
Cassidy Hall is an author, award-winning filmmaker, podcaster, ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, and leading voice in contemplative spirituality. She is the cohost of the Encountering Silence podcast and the host of Contemplating Now and Queering Contemplation podcasts. Her latest...
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Dr. Larry Ward on America's Racial Karma, the Fragrance of Wisdom, and Learning How To Suffer Less
Dr. Larry Ward is a senior teacher in Buddhist Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's Plum Village tradition, the author of the book America's Racial Karma, and co-author with his wife, Peggy, of Love's Garden: A Guide To Mindful Relationships. Dr. Ward brings forty years of international experience in...
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David James Duncan on the Unintentional Menagerie of Sun House, Friendship, and the Beguines
David James Duncan is the author of the classic novels The River Why and The Brothers K, the story collection River Teeth, the nonfiction collection and National Book Award finalist, My Story as Told by Water, the best-selling collection of "churchless sermons," God Laughs & Plays. And lest we...
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Harmonizing In The Empty Fullness
Season Five Trailer Contemplify.com
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Turn the Morning into Forever
A musing on time, eternality, and childeren
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Reduced to the Scale of Our Competence
A musing on limitations
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Eat the Wild Thing
A musing on wild things and ingesting God
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Lo-Fi & Hushed / 2023 Winter Solstice Session / To Know the Dark
Each solstice and equinox Contemplify offers a public Lo-Fi & Hushed contemplative practice session for both free and supporting subscribers of the Non-Required Reading List. For those interested, go tell it on the mountain… The third week of Advent salted on joy. Not because of the…
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Listen to the Rice, the Rice Will Teach You Everything with Lucien Miller
"Oshida's life and legacy is an experience of the spiritual senses knowing the mystical voice. Biblical in sources and Buddhist in form, reading this book took me as a reader to the great pause of silence." — Sister Meg Funk, OSB Lucien Miller received his PhD in comparative literature from…
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In Hard Times, In All Times, Eat Sacred Words
"You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves." — 'Wild Geese' by Mary Oliver Carmen Acevedo Butcher, PhD, is an author, teacher, poet, and award-winning...
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Kim Haines-Eitzen on Practicing the Cello in the Dark and Sonorous Deserts
Dr. Kim Haines-Eitzen is a Professor of Religious Studies with specialties in Early Christianity, Early Judaism, and other ancient Mediterranean Religions at Cornell University. Her book Sonorous Desert: What Deep Listening Taught Early Christian Monks—and What It Can Teach Us explores the…
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Lerita Coleman Brown on Waiting for a Word in the Heart
"I highly recommend What Makes You Come Alive to churches, religious and educational institutions, and spiritual seekers everywhere who are looking for an inward journey that finds its home in the world of nature, people, and things." — Walter Earl Fluker - Editor and Director of the Howard…
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Lo-Fi & Hushed Contemplative Practice Session (September 2023 / Autumn Equinox)
Lo-Fi & Hushed is weekly space for the contemplative practice of lectio divina with poetry. This practice is graceful, transformative, and subdued. Lo-Fi & Hushed is available worldwide, on Riverside livestream, and you can participate from the hallows of your own home. "I do not complain of...
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David Shumate on When Words Become Thunder
"David Shumate's High Water Mark is absolutely fresh and unpredictable. . . . You will be surprised by your confrontation with the utterly first rate." — Jim Harrison David Shumate is the author of The Floating Bridge and High Water Mark, winner of the 2003 Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize. His...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Contemplify podcast kindles the examined life for contemplatives in the world. Through artful musings & conversations with scholars, creatives, and master teachers each episode delivers a subtly intoxicating* exchange on the contemplative lifestyle with practical takeaways to emulate in daily life. Host, Paul Swanson, is a husband, father and contemplative educator at the Center for Action and Contemplation and co-host of Another Name for Every Thing with Richard Rohr**.*Contemplify is best served with a pint in hand. Please listen responsibly.** All shenanigans, tom foolery and bally-hoo posted on Contemplify are my own. Contemplify is not representative of the Center for Action and Contemplation or Richard Rohr on any matter.
HOSTED BY
Paul Swanson | Contemplative Shoveler
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Contemplify have?
Contemplify currently has 193 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Contemplify about?
The Contemplify podcast kindles the examined life for contemplatives in the world. Through artful musings & conversations with scholars, creatives, and master teachers each episode delivers a subtly intoxicating* exchange on the contemplative lifestyle with practical takeaways to emulate in daily...
How often does Contemplify release new episodes?
Contemplify publishes regularly with 193 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Contemplify?
You can listen to Contemplify on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Contemplify?
Contemplify is created and hosted by Paul Swanson | Contemplative Shoveler.
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