Process Pop-Up: New Streams: Finding Faith Online
Where do you find inspiration? In a house of worship? Or do you find your faith is fed more these days through online media?
In those halcyon days before Covid, most people never heard of podcasts, and almost no one listened to two to three hour conversations on YouTube, Apple, or Spotify. But the pandemic threw all of us into online spaces we didn’t even know existed. Podcasting is big news.
According to Nancy Marshall (also known as The PR Maven) in an article for Forbes magazine, “Nowhere is the podcast more popular than in the United States, which lays claim to the most podcast listeners in the world (over 100 million). The growth in recent years has been astounding. Nearly 80% of Americans over the age of 12 are now aware of podcasts—up more than 30% from a decade ago. Even in 2015, only a minority of Americans considered listening to podcasts in their day-to-day lives. So much has changed in less than a decade.”
Some of those podcasts and online experiences are now devoted to explorations around faith and spirituality. In the progressive space, podcasts like Homebrewed Christianity, (Re)Thinking Faith, Brew Theology, War Machine, Hunger for Wholeness, several from Richard Rohr’s Center for Action and Contemplation, and others are gaining new listeners every day.
Of course, churches had to respond to the fact that their doors were closed too, and worship streaming became the new norm, with varying degrees of success. But some organizations found a way to deliver high quality worship experiences via Zoom, Facebook, and YouTube.
This event will gather a panel of speakers who have been using new media to talk about and experience faith online. We’ll find out how this has impacted them and their listeners as we open our minds to new ways of being faithful.
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Matt Baker, War Machine
Matthew hosts War Machine, a podcast for theological nomads at the intersection of radical theology, philosophy, and western esotericism. He previously produced The Catacombic Machine, and Interrupted, the official podcast of the Westar Institute. Matthew is also a musician, professional graphic, sound, and instructional designer, and currently working as Organizational Change Management Lead for Veolia North America.
Kate Eaton, Mishkhah
Mishkhah was founded in January 2010 by Kate Eaton to reveal the mystery of Christ by stirring the senses and opening the heart. Through careful integration of music, images, textures, found objects, light, movement and prayer, we are invited to rediscover the landscape of our souls as we encounter the Holy. Kate brings her experience in directing the arts and music for the first 20 seasons of the Wilderness, a Sunday night service at Saint John’s Cathedral in Denver, CO. Since 2007, the Wilderness has drawn hundreds of new worshipers and regularly gathers a congregation of 100+. Since founding Mishkhah, Kate has partnered with churches, conventions, conferences and a seminary to share her experience in creating worship environments. Her passion lies in returning to the rhythm of the liturgy and to spiritual practices that have shaped people’s lives over centuries.
Robert Nicastro, Hunger for Wholeness
Robert Nicastro is a Ph.D. candidate in the Theology and Religious Studies program at Villanova University. He is also the producer of the Hunger for Wholeness podcast for the Center for Christogenesis. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania, and a Master of Arts in Theology from Saint Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland. His research focuses on the interrelationship of cosmology, theology, and philosophy, and the implications of a coherent metaphysical worldview for addressing issues of social and enhancement technologies.
Josh Patterson, (Re)Thinking Faith
Joshua Patterson is the founder and host of the (Re)thinking Faith Podcast. He is a former pastor turned professional brewer with a deep love for theology and philosophy. Josh is a Process-Relational thinker who also finds deep resonances with the mystics. On his good days, Josh likes to describe himself as a Podcaster, Theologian, Philosopher, and Mystic. Josh is a published author with continued aspirations to write and speak about the beautiful world of Open and Relational Theology.
Janel Apps Ramsey, Brew Theology
Rev. Janel Apps Ramsey (MA), is an Interfaith Leader living in Denver, CO. She is Co-Director of Brew Theology, an interfaith organization that helps create communities of conversation, and hosts a podcast of the same name. She is also a community organizer working on Climate Justice in an interfaith setting. She was born and raised in the Church of the Nazarene, served in ministry for over 20 years in many positions. She published an edited volume of essays called Women Experiencing Faith. This volume asked women to reflect on what it means to be female and have faith. She is married and has two cats. She loves Fiona the Hippo, washi tape, moose watching, hanging out in the mountains, and doing many different arts and crafts.
