Vintage Saints and Sinners
by Karen Wright Marsh, Gabriel Hunter-Chang
Who's a saint? Who's a sinner? Who decides? Through storytelling and conversation, host Karen Wright Marsh traces the tales of the broken, beautiful people we sometimes call "saints” but who were always sinners, as well. Each episode features a special guest, who joins Karen to explore the ancient Christian wisdom that illuminates today’s complex world.
Episodes
-
Keep on Walking: The Camino de Santiago with Nan Marsh
Karen Wright Marsh explores one of the lessons from her new book, Wake Up To Wonder: 22 Invitations to Amazement in the Everyday, with her daughter, Nan Marsh. They relive their 165 km pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago. Of the thousands who walk this path each year, some take to the Camino...
-
Women Who Set the World on Fire
“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” These ancient words hold a challenge: a promise of a life that matters, a future of purpose and influence. But first, the question: Who does God mean me to be? Who does God mean you to be? In this special episode of the Vintage…
more -
Saints of Charlottesville
In this special Saints of Charlottesville episode, Karen Wright Marsh tells the stories of “saints” who lived, worked and witnessed in the Virginia city they called home. Isabella and William Gibbons (c. 1836-1890 & 1825-1886) Enslaved by professors on the Grounds of the University of Virginia,...
-
Saints of Washington
In this special Saints of Washington episode, Karen Wright Marsh tells the stories of four “saints” who lived, worked and witnessed in the city they called home: George Washington, Carter G. Woodson, Joan Trumpauer Mulholland and Marie H. Reed. Each, in their own way, expressed God’s love and…
more -
Saints of Atlanta
In this special Saints of Atlanta episode, Karen Wright Marsh tells the stories of four “saints” who lived, worked and witnessed in the city they called home: Each, in their own way, expressed God’s love and mercy to Atlanta. MEDIATOR: Thomas O’Reilly (1831-1872) ADVOCATE: Demetrios Petrides...
-
Toni Morrison
Alton B. Pollard III joins Karen Wright Marsh to explore the religious and spiritual imagination of Toni Morrison. You won’t find her name at the top of the roster of Christian saints. She’s not often thought of as a religious writer. But Toni Morrison (1931-2019) the esteemed Nobel and Pulitzer...
-
The Saints We Need Right Now
How is a leader made? The child of immigrants, Rev. Dr. Walter Kim tells stories of his faith journey and the spiritual mentors who have shaped him along the way. Meet host Karen Wright Marsh, and learn more about the show here: www.karenwrightmarsh.com Guest Walter Kim is the president of the...
-
Stories of Embodied Witness
What is “embodied solidarity”? Larycia Hawkins illuminates the power of a risky Christian witness made incarnate in the world. Meet host Karen Wright Marsh, and learn more about the show here: www.karenwrightmarsh.com Dr. Larycia Hawkins is an American scholar and speaker whose act of embodied...
-
Sophie Scholl
Larycia Hawkins and Karen Wright Marsh recount the story of luminous Sophie Scholl, a university student who dared to stand up to Hitler. Young Sophie Scholl and her brother Hans were raised to stand up for righteousness. In the end, their convictions would cost them everything -- but leave…
more -
Tell the Truth, Live Redeemed
Natasha Sistrunk Robinson is a visionary leader, a woman who has learned profound truths on her journey as a child in South Carolina to the U.S. Naval Academy and on to a career in service, ministry and mentoring. In this special conversation, Natasha Sistrunk Robinson talks about the Biblical...
-
Aelred of Rievaulx
Lauren Winner joins host Karen Wright Marsh to consider relationship advice from 12th century abbot Aelred of Rievaulx. Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167) guided monks living a cloistered communal life, far back in the misty medieval past. His teachings on authentic spiritual friendship still ring…
more -
Stories of Hope & Connection
Alton B. Pollard III joins Karen Wright Marsh for a conversation on building bridges, casting visions and finding the way forward. Who are the little known saints who’ve altered the trajectory of your life? A junior high teacher? A courageous parent? Rev. Dr. Pollard tells the stories of people...
-
Martin Luther
Walter Kim and host Karen Wright Marsh wrestle with the complex legacy of Martin Luther, the singular man who changed for the world forever. Who was Martin Luther -- really? Grace-filled theologian? Confrontational reformer? Tender pastor? Harsh anti-Semite? Walter Kim examines the many sides of...
-
Paul Brand
Philip Yancey joins host Karen Wright Marsh to tell the story of his friend, Dr. Paul Brand, the compassionate, innovative healer esteemed the world over. Bestselling writer Philip Yancey spent years following and working with renowned leprosy surgeon Dr. Paul Brand. A trained engineer and...
-
W.E.B. Du Bois
Alton B. Pollard III and Karen Wright Marsh discuss the story and complex thought of W.E.B Dubois, that towering figure in American social, political and intellectual life. In 1903, W.E.B. Dubois famously said, "The problem of the 20th century is the problem of the color-line.” Through his long...
-
Brother Lawrence
Lauren Winner joins host Karen Wright Marsh to tell the story of Brother Lawrence (1614-1691) and his mindful practice of the presence of God. He spent decades down in the steaming monastery kitchen, scrubbing pots and pans, a “servant of the servants of God.” Uneducated and disabled by war,...
-
John Wesley
Larycia Hawkins and host Karen Wright Marsh recount the story of John Wesley, founder of Methodism. As a young man, pious John Wesley declared the “absolute impossibility of being half a Christian.” Crushing failures humbled his grand ambitions-- yet prepared Wesley for a renewed faith, one...
-
Flannery O'Connor
Writer Carlene Bauer and Karen Wright Marsh explore the many sides of Flannery O’Connor. The American author, Flannery O’Connor (1925-1964) insisted that she was not a mystic and did not lead a holy life---yet faith infuses her fiction, letters, and private journals, tracing themes of sin and...
-
Pandemic Christianity
Lauren Winner joins host Karen Wright Marsh for a special conversation on “pandemic Christianity.” We’re well into the coronavirus pandemic and still struggling to make sense of it all. What have we lost? What have we gained? Where is God in this time? To gain a perspective on these questions,...
-
A.W. Tozer
Philip Yancey and host Karen Wright Marsh tell the story of A.W. Tozer, the American Bible teacher whose gravestone read simply: “A Man of God.” Thirsting after God, he literally burned the midnight oil to know the Holy One. Yet A.W. Tozer failed his wife and children in profound ways. What do we...
-
Sojourner Truth
Meet American legend Sojourner Truth through the eyes of Natasha Sistrunk Robinson, an African American woman who journeyed from South Carolina to the U.S. Naval Academy, and then to her calling as an international speaker, mentor, and thought leader. Sojourner Truth (1797-1883), famous for her...
-
Howard Thurman
Alton B. Pollard III joins Karen Wright Marsh to recount the story of Howard Thurman and to consider Thurman’s urgent question, “How can I believe that life has meaning if I do not believe that my own life has meaning?” Howard Thurman (1899–1981) is a rarity in our world. He practiced what he...
-
Fannie Lou Hamer
Larycia Hawkins and host Karen Wright Marsh recount the story of the indomitable American civil rights leader Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer. Fannie Lou Hamer was a native of the Mississippi Delta, one of twenty children, the girl who was forced to leave school after sixth grade to work in the cotton...
-
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Walter Kim joins host Karen Wright Marsh to ask the question: was Dietrich Bonhoeffer an evangelical? Yes, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a heroic martyr. But he was far more: a spiritual teacher to generations of strugglers. His words emboldened young Walter Kim to answer God’s unsettling call. Years...
-
Augustine
Lauren Winner joins host Karen Wright Marsh to take a fresh look at the story of Augustine and the promise of his faith for today. You’ve probably heard of Augustine (354-430) -- but if you’d met him as a college freshman, you wouldn’t have considered him to be saint material. Smart and…
more -
Thomas Merton
Philip Yancey and host Karen Wright Marsh tell the story of Thomas Merton, a most unusual monastic: best-selling author, peacemaker, and contemplative spiritual teacher. The Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, couldn’t stop talking about his “brother” Tom Merton—about his luminous...
-
Ignatius of Loyola
Best-selling author Father James Martin, S.J, joins host Karen Wright Marsh to tell the riveting story of the Ignatius of Loyola and his transformative approach to the spiritual life. Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556) was one of those bold, confident guys: die-hard, all in, going for broke. An...
-
Bonus: Bold and Inspiring Tales
Author Carey Wallace joins host Karen Wright Marsh to talk about her fabulous new book, Stories of the Saints: Bold and Inspiring Tales of Adventure, Grace and Courage. They slew dragons, led armies, and talked with animals. From martyrs and healers to scholars and shepherds, Carey Wallace tells...
-
Body and Soul: Practices to Shape A Life
In the final episode of Season One, Donyelle McCray of Yale Divinity School and host Karen Wright Marsh talk about embodied practices that bring spiritual vitality into everyday life. The best kind of spirituality enlivens us: body, soul and spirit. Donyelle McCray and Karen Marsh explore the…
more -
Dorothy Day
Tim Tseng and Karen Wright Marsh wrestle with the life and legacy of Dorothy Day, the controversial American social reformer who said, “Don't call me a saint. I don't want to be dismissed so easily." Dorothy Day was a person of contradictions: activist and contemplative, political radical and...
-
Juana Ines de la Cruz
Religion commentator Katelyn Beaty joins host Karen Wright Marsh to tell the story of Juana Ines de la Cruz (1648-1695), the first female theologian of the Americas, a woman whose passion for knowledge fueled her dramatic life. Have your heard of the little Mexican girl whose intellectual gifts...
-
Henri Nouwen
Vulnerable. Gentle. Pastoral. These words describe Henri J.M. Nouwen, (1932-1996), the spiritual writer and priest who experienced both academic status at Harvard and Yale and service at L’Arche, a community of people with intellectual disabilities and their caregivers. Nouwen speaks honestly of...
-
Who’s a Sinner? Who’s a Saint? Who decides?
The label “saint” conjures up images of bloody martyrs, serene mystics, and selfless heroes—overachievers whose sanctity is out of reach for common strugglers. Katelyn Beaty and Karen Wright Marsh take a fresh look at the old divide between sinner and saint. Together they explore new ways to live…
more -
Mary Paik Lee
Mary Paik Lee, born to a Christian family in Korea, grew up in California at a time when Asians labored under race based exclusionary laws and daily persecution -- often at the hands of white brothers and sisters in Christ. How does Mary understand God’s purposes in the midst of suffering?...
-
Søren Kierkegaard
Søren Kierkegaard was an angsty young intellectual determined to find and follow his life’s purpose. Years of struggle led Søren to a most unexpected place: in living conversation with the very God he had long avoided. Could Kierkegaard be the perfect saint for today’s nonbelievers? Meet host…
more -
Saints for Nones and Everyone
Millions of Americans are abandoning traditional religious institutions. Nearly 1 in 4 Americans choose "None" when asked to give their religious affiliation. Yet spirituality holds an enduring appeal—and true stories of saints exemplify spiritual lives well lived. Who are the Vintage believers…
more -
Julian of Norwich
Donyelle McCray of Yale Divinity School joins host Karen Wright Marsh to tell the startling story of the visionary Julian of Norwich. During a terrifying time of deadly plague and war, Julian of Norwich (1342-c.1416) received an extraordinary vision of Christ’s saving, comforting presence. Now,...
-
Francis and Clare of Assisi
Host Karen Wright Marsh tells the story of Francis and Clare Assisi and discusses their lives with Jonathan Merritt, award-winning faith and culture writer. Everyone knows placid Francis of Assisi, the beaming saint of garden statuary. But in reality, Francis and his friend Clare were bold...
-
Thérèse of Lisieux
Do you seek satisfaction—but struggle to find purpose in the routines of daily life? Well, bold Thérèse of Lisieux is the saint for you. She reframes everyday experience, with its unseen acts of service, as an invitation into transformational love and faithfulness. Discover the wisdom of the...
-
Ancient Friendships & the Future of Faith
Research indicates that millennials have been leaving the church in alarming numbers; 59 percent of younger Americans raised in church have already left. In the face of institutional decline, vintage saints offer a fresh, authentic witness to the vitality of faith. What is the unexpected promise…
more -
Benedict and Scholastica
Host Karen Wright Marsh tells the story of Benedict and Scholastica, the twins who altered Western civilization. She explores their wisdom with pastor historian Tim Tseng. Stressed out, overwhelmed and overworked? Is it possible to achieve that ever-elusive work/life balance? Benedict and...
-
Amanda Berry Smith
Born enslaved on a Maryland plantation, Amanda Berry Smith (1837-1915) went on to preach the Gospel across the United States, Europe, Africa and India. How did an impoverished black woman achieve such freedom and influence? Did she ever overcome her anxious fears? Hear the story of one of the...
-
C.S. Lewis
As a teenager, C.S. Lewis, the famed apologist for Christianity, declared that religion was pure myth and that believers were irrational fools. How, then, did the confirmed atheist come to embrace Christianity as the truth? And what does Lewis say about our own skepticism? Can the world be...
-
Mother Teresa
While Mother Teresa lived, she was an icon of smiling sanctity. But her private, posthumous letters reveal a dark side of her faith: a reckoning with God's silence. Was Mother Teresa a hypocrite after all? Or is she the perfect saint for our lonely, anxious times? Meet host Karen Wright Marsh…
more
About this show
Who's a saint? Who's a sinner? Who decides? Through storytelling and conversation, host Karen Wright Marsh traces the tales of the broken, beautiful people we sometimes call "saints” but who were always sinners, as well. Each episode features a special guest, who joins Karen to explore the ancient Christian wisdom that illuminates today’s complex world.
Hosted by
Karen Wright Marsh, Gabriel Hunter-Chang
Categories