Best Exploring The Ancient Liberal Arts Podcasts (2025)

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Art, music and the ecologies that make and exceed us 54:05

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19h ago54:05

54:05

Making art and music has been an endeavour for at least as long as humans have existed, and it has the power to connect us in all kinds of ways. From the mountains of the southern Philippines to urban Melbourne, people are creating things that connect us to each other — and the transcendent.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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The ancients on life, death and the cosmos, with John Behr 54:04

6d ago54:04

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What does it mean to live a good life? According to some of the earliest Christians, the answer has a lot to do with... death! Orthodox scholar John Behr tells the stories of some of these saints and martyrs, and unpacks what they are telling us today.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Peacebuilding in Jerusalem 54:04

13d ago54:04

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Jerusalem is one of the most fraught cities on earth. It's a city that has broken the hearts, yet also inspired the hopes, of millions around the world. In the midst of conflict in and around a city that means so much to so many, how does one work for peace?By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Carlo Acutis, the first millennial saint 54:04

20d ago54:04

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The world is due to have its very first millennial saint — Carlo Acutis, the 'saint in sneakers' who died at the age of 15 in 2006. He's usually depicted holding a phone or laptop, and his cause for sainthood blends the medieval and mystical with the hyper modern.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Big Questions in Books – The Mahabharata and its epic afterlives 54:04

27d ago54:04

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In this fast-paced world where so much of our attention is focused on the now, why do complex ancient texts still speak to us? Soul Search explores the multigenerational epic, the Mahabharata.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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The surprising role of grass in shaping who we are 54:03

1M ago54:03

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It’s a big thought — that our story as a species is partly to do with grass. But it turns out that grasses and grasslands can play a surprising role in moulding who we are. How do we restore our relationship with native grasses, and what are some of the threats from introduced grasses like buffel?By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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A Palestinian doctor in Israel, on treating the human being 49:45

1M ago49:45

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What does it take to be a good doctor in an us-and-them struggle? Dr Lina Qasem Hassan is a Palestinian doctor in Israel and head of the Israeli NGO, Physicians for Human Rights. What’s it like to be a Palestinian doctor in Israel, and what do health services even look like in Gaza right now?By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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The science and spirituality of soil 54:04

2M ago54:04

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The Biblical phrase “from dust to dust” tells us humans were made from soil and shall return to it. And care of soil is a shared teaching among the major religions. Science too, tells us we’re connected. Yet it’s being degraded across the world, and there are warnings that 90 per cent of the planet's soil could be seriously damaged by 2050. Can we …

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Death, ritual and what to expect when it’s your turn 54:05

2M ago54:05

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Ancient societies had some very elaborate ideas about death – from how to treat the body, to what kind of afterlife to expect. How much do those ideas influence how we think about death and the afterlife? And what are some of the ways in which our attitudes are transforming in Australia today?By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Seeking the wild: Alone Australia and connection to nature 54:05

2M ago54:05

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Corinne Ooms was, a contestant in the most recent series of the reality show Alone Australia. She spent 70 days, by herself, in the remote west coast ranges of Lutruwita, Tasmania. And there, she had to navigate the psychological challenges of solitude and the physical challenges of survival in the wild. She experienced a profound change in how she…

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Astrology and tarot — telling the future, or connecting with the present? 54:04

2M ago54:04

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Younger Australians are less religious than ever before, but that doesn't mean they don't engage with spiritual practices. Astrology and tarot card reading are especially on trend, but rather than telling the future, many practitioners say it connects them with the present.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Big questions in books — H.P. Lovecraft, cosmic horror and the ineffable 54:07

3M ago54:07

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Cosmic horror is a genre that asks, what lurks in the in-between places? Who are we in the face of a vast and uncaring cosmos? H.P. Lovecraft's (rather mixed!) legacy is everywhere if you know where to look, but trying to put the ineffable into words has been a human obsession for thousands of years. What do we hope to find by courting the strange …

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NAIDOC 2025 – Strength, vision and legacy through prayer and art 54:04

3M ago54:04

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This NAIDOC week, guest presenter Brooke Prentis has a yarn with two remarkable Aboriginal leaders to find out how they carry strength, vision and legacy through their ministry and art.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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The Dalai Lama's legacy for Tibetans in exile 54:04

3M ago54:04

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The Dalai Lama is one of the world's most recognisable people and on July 6, he's turning 90 years old. Tibetans around the world are getting ready to celebrate, including Grammy-nominated musician Tenzin Choegyal.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Finding connection and community — reflections from listeners 54:01

3M ago54:01

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What does community look like for you, and how does it shape your spiritual practice? As we reach the mid-year mark, Soul Search listeners and returning guests share their reflections on finding community in a busy — and sometimes isolating — world.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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How museums hold — and provoke — questions of meaning 54:06

3M ago54:06

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When you go to a museum, have you ever wondered who picked out the things you see, and why? Museums are places where we make and find meaning, and they're sites where intangible — often political — questions about history and national identity are documented with and without physical objects.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Big questions in books — Jane Austen and the complications of friendship 54:04

4M ago54:04

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Have you ever read a book and wanted to be friends with the characters? For over 200 years, Jane Austen's fictional figures have been companions and inspirations for many readers of her novels.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Peacemaking, counterpower and justice — Quaker Tim Gee 54:04

4M ago54:04

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How might religious traditions animate the world's modern peace movements? What tools do they provide people working towards a more just and peaceful society?By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Pádraig Ó Tuama — Kitchen Hymns 54:05

4M ago54:05

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Do you believe in God? It's not a question we ask often, and answering it stretches language — and belief itself — to its limit. Perhaps poetry is the best response! Meredith Lake speaks with Pádraig Ó Tuama at Sacrededge festival about his most recent book of poetry, Kitchen Hymns, which explores this question and more.…

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Spirituality at the edge — Sacrededge 2025 54:05

4M ago54:05

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What does it look like to explore the sacred on the edges of traditional religion? Meredith Lake and Rohan Salmond visit the Sacrededge festival in Queenscliff, Victoria, an arts and spirituality festival that this year explores "Stories of the Edge: Listening to Story — Discovering our Own".By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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What does it mean to be liberated? Holocaust survivor Joe Szwarcberg 54:04

5M ago54:04

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Eighty years ago on 11 April 1945, American soldiers marched into Buchenwald concentration camp and liberated the people they found there, including 14-year-old Joe Szwarcberg.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Big questions in books — Sacredness, enchantment and the apocalypse, from Narnia to Harry Potter 54:03

5M ago54:03

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It's been 75 years since the publication of CS Lewis' novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. What's so enchanting about the worlds created in children's fiction — in Narnia, Middle Earth, or the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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The 'green' Pope Francis and his climate legacy in the Pacific 53:54

5M ago53:54

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In the wake of Pope Francis' death, Australian and Pacific theologians reflect on defining elements of his legacy. Francis' 2015 encyclical Laudato Si was the first in papal history to focus on the environment. How might Francis' teaching about the cry of the earth, and the cry of the poor matter in our region?…

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Nicaea — The conference that changed the world 54:06

5M ago54:06

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At the Council of Nicaea 1700 years ago bishops from across the Christian world gathered to settle a theological showdown that rocked the fledgling religion: Who was Jesus — a perfect human? Or God himself? Or something else? What they decided would become the very foundation of the Christian faith itself, and would shape art, religion and culture …

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The Sufi soundtrack to outback Australia 54:05

6M ago54:05

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Sufism, also known as Islamic mysticism, can be found in all kinds of unexpected places — like Broken Hill, a rural town in far west New South Wales. Sufi music has a special place in the history of Central Australia, and is still played in the desert region, attracting attention and acclaim from Sufis throughout the world.…

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Growing spiritually strong in Central Australia — Week with Students 54:01

6M ago54:01

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Culture, history and faith collide in the remote Aboriginal community of Ltyentye Apurte. A former mission town 80kms east of Alice Springs, it remains one of the most Catholic communities in the country.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Big questions in books — Ancient Chinese poetry and the nature of existence 54:02

6M ago54:02

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What can ancient Chinese poetry teach us about the nature of reality? Li Bai and Du Fu are considered two of China's greatest poets. They lived 1,300 years ago, yet their poems are still very popular to this day.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Exploring mercy and forgiveness in Ramadan 53:57

6M ago53:57

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How much mercy do you see expressed in the world around you right now? Millions of Muslims around the world are observing Ramadan — known as the month of mercy — and follow the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, who is described as someone who embodied mercy.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Deep ecology and reconnecting with the natural world 54:06

7M ago54:06

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How can we navigate the ecological crisis of our time? And why does it require a shift in how we think about ourselves? John Seed has been a rainforest activist for over 40 years. And over the decades he's fostered a diverse spiritual community around care for the environment and reconnection with the natural world.…

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Being the first female rabbi of Australia’s largest Jewish congregation 54:04

7M ago54:04

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When Jacki Ninio first graduated rabbinical school she didn't want to be known as the "lady rabbi". But after nearly 26 years at Emanuel Synagogue, she says being a woman in a job mostly performed by men has allowed her to care for her congregation in unique ways.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Pope Francis and the transformation of suffering 54:06

7M ago54:06

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There's a lot of suffering in the world. From economic hardships to deep anxieties about politics, and the anxieties in our own lives. Much of Pope Francis' work grapples with how we suffer and relieve suffering, together. What kinds of insight can suffering offer, both individually and collectively?…

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Big questions in books — Dostoyevsky and the love that we owe 54:02

7M ago54:02

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Our favourite, most enduring novels are full of things we ask ourselves about life and meaning. This week, we turn to Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and how the Russian literary tradition can help clarify questions about truth, love for one another, and ethics.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Seeking spirituality outside of religion 54:06

8M ago54:06

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"Spirituality" is a loosely defined word, but Australians are increasingly identifying that way, especially among Gen Z. So, what does living a spiritually fulfilled life look like, and what kinds of spiritual help do people look for in times of crisis?By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Is rest the lost secret to a good life? 54:04

8M ago54:04

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We all know that we need good rest. And before we knew about the science of sleep, sacred traditions encouraged rest as a priority. But the frenetic pace of modern life makes it difficult to pause. So how can we make rest a priority, and include it in our rhythms?By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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John Butler on spirituality, creativity and meditation 54:06

8M ago54:06

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John Butler is one of Australia's most beloved musicians, known for his infectious energy. But after a period of turbulence he turned to composing meditative and instrumental music as a form of healing.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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How faith communities are navigating history, treaty and truth-telling 54:05

8M ago54:05

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Indigenous people and faith communities aren't waiting for government to do truth-telling and treaty. Although the Voice referendum did not pass, some churches and First Nations people are building better relationships and even forming treaties of their own.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Forgiveness after apartheid and the limits of remorse 54:06

8M ago54:06

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In post-apartheid South Africa, Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela is asking, when is forgiveness possible, and where does that leave the search for justice? This episode originally broadcast on 15 September 2024.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Elizabeth Oldfield describes a different way to live 54:05

9M ago54:05

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What does it mean to be fully alive? Elizabeth Oldfield has ditched the conventional script of what life can look like — instead choosing to live in what she calls a "micro-monastery". The episode originally broadcast on 21 July 2024.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Mindfulness — the science and spirituality of an ancient tradition 54:08

9M ago54:08

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The nature of consciousness is a subject of enormous interest to both science and religion. Modern, secular mindfulness techniques have their foundation in ancient Buddhist thought, but it's only recently that neuroscientists have given serious attention to what actually happens in the brain when we meditate. This episode originally broadcast on 5 …

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How the Jewish Jesus helps us bridge our differences 54:06

9M ago54:06

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How do you cultivate a lifetime of curiosity? When Amy-Jill Levine was a child, her parents would ask, "Did you ask any good questions today?" That mindset has propelled AJ through a lifetime of discovery, learning about all kinds of things, but especially sacred texts and the people who read them.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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What does the future of Christianity look like? 54:06

9M ago54:06

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The world Christians live in is changing, so Christian theology is too. David Bentley Hart — one of the world’s most prominent and influential theologians — calls elements of mainstream Western Christian thought “a psychotic fantasy”. Wow! In Australia, theological colleges grapple with environmental and postcolonial questions, and it might just ch…

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Pursuing peace after a long year 54:06

10M ago54:06

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For the final episode of Soul Search in 2024, join Meredith Lake for a campfire discussion reflecting on the year that’s been. Meredith is joined by three returning guests, responding to listener questions and yearnings that have arisen from our present moment, pondering the theme of inner and outer peace.…

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Have you had enough? — Contentment and the good life 54:05

10M ago54:05

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Have you had enough? There are lots of ways you could interpret that question, and almost all of them are relevant to the end of the year! It's a time when many of us reassess our priorities and wonder, what does it look like to live "the good life"?By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Visions of freedom — Liberation theology and Advent 54:06

10M ago54:06

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What does a future of freedom and justice look like? Recently-deceased Peruvian theologian Fr Gustavo Gutierrez spoke about liberation from all kinds of oppression and God's preferential option for the poor. It's a vision that began on the fringes, but has wound up influencing the very centres of power in the Christian world.…

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Music and the mystical with Cyprian Consiglio 54:06

10M ago54:06

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Is there a mantra that helps you meditate, or perhaps some music that helps you connect with your sense of the sacred? Music has a long and intimate relationship with spirituality, and has helped people throughout the ages and across faith traditions to access something of the divine.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Human hope in the age of AI 54:06

11M ago54:06

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The development of generative AI has opened a lot of questions about who we are as humans. What makes a human, human? What do we value? What does a flourishing future for us all even look like in this new technological age?By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Making new realities with role-playing games and the internet 54:06

11M ago54:06

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Embodying a character in games like Dungeons and Dragons "exercises the empathy muscle" and helps us expand our sense of self — at least according to the Dungeon Master Pastor. Even regular internet use provides ample opportunity to play with who we are and what might be possible.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Volunteering for a better world 53:49

11M ago53:49

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Volunteers make the world go round! Most people undertake volunteer work at some point in their lives, but some religious traditions particularly emphasise the importance of service to others.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Monarchy and its religious critics 54:06

11M ago54:06

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In the wake of the King's visit to Australia, we're once again debating questions that get to the heart of Australian government and identity. These aren't just political questions — they're spiritual too.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Nuns now — the reality and future of vowed religious life 54:06

12M ago54:06

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It's becoming rare to see a nun or Catholic sister out and about, but our continuing fascination with women religious is reflected in mass media. What's it really like to be a religious sister in the 21st Century?By Australian Broadcasting Corporation