Generous Faith

Series 2 Episode 3: Magic and Mystery

Guests: Dr Shanon Shah and Max Gordon

Generous Faith is a series hosted by Reverend Georgia Ashwell, a podcast that celebrates the curious and the questioning. In these challenging times we’re thinking about how to live a good life - a life which embraces questions and explores a generous way to understand faith, life and the world. Join Georgia and featured guests each month to seek those spaces found between the binaries, spaces where beauty and mystery often dwell. This podcast is produced by St John’s Waterloo in collaboration with Morley Radio.

We begin season 2 with a magical conversation. Is magic evil? Can you believe in God and magic? Is it all the same? Join me, Georgia Ashwell, as I interview two guests, Max Gordon, a tarot reader, astrologer and psychic from the U.S, who has been reading professionally for over thirty years. And Dr Shanon Shah, a Visiting Research Fellow at the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, King's College London (KCL). He conducts academic research on minority religions and alternative spiritualities at the Inform, an educational charity affiliated with KCL.

Together we talk about the binary of faith and magic – why was faith always displayed as good and magic bad. But doesn’t magic occur in the bible? Christianity has at the centre of the faith – the Holy Spirit – could it be that magic and faith are not so polarised. Maybe all magic is from God.

Generous Faith

Episode 6: Prophecy and the Church

Guests: Rev Giles Goddard and Rev Chantal Noppen

Generous Faith is a series hosted by Reverend Georgia Ashwell, a podcast that celebrates the curious and the questioning. In these challenging times we’re thinking about how to live a good life – a life which embraces questions and explores a generous way to understand faith, life and the world. Join Georgia and featured guests each month to seek those spaces found between the binaries, spaces where beauty and mystery often dwell. This podcast is produced by St John’s Waterloo in collaboration with Morley Radio.

In this final episode of season one, Georgia talks with returning guest, Rev Giles Goddard, author of Generous Faith – that this podcast is named after – and one of the organisers of the conference – Generous Faith: our wound is our word. A new guest Rev Chantal Noppen, a priest in the church of England with over 10 years of working on Estates, now the National Coordinator for Inclusive Church, and working with Giles to produce the Generous Faith conference. The theme of the conference is prophecy and so, Georgia and guests talk about prophecy, what it is and what it might be. Join them as they venture into conversations on fortune telling, witchcraft, palm reading, mediums (yes, they’re in the Bible). Is this prophecy? Or is the work of the prophet to speak truth to power? Or both? Do we have prophets today? Where are they and who are they? Listen to find out more.

And come along to the Generous Faith: our wound is our word conference at St John’s waterloo on Saturday 22nd March. Tickets here

This is the last episode for series one, but Georgia will be back for another series soon. If you have any thoughts, comments, ideas or asks, let her know on georgia@stjohnswaterloo.org

Generous Faith

Episode 5: Sexism, Misogyny and the Church

Guests: Rev Martine Oborne and Dr Sharon Jagger

Generous Faith is a series hosted by Reverend Georgia Ashwell, a podcast that celebrates the curious and the questioning. In these challenging times we’re thinking about how to live a good life – a life which embraces questions and explores a generous way to understand faith, life and the world. Join Georgia and featured guests each month to seek those spaces found between the binaries, spaces where beauty and mystery often dwell. This podcast is produced by St John’s Waterloo in collaboration with Morley Radio.

In this episode Georgia is joined by two guests, Rev Martine Oborne, and Dr Sharon Jagger. Martine is vicar of St Michaels Chiswick and Chair of WATCH – Women and the Church, a charity that campaigns for equality for women and men in the Church of England, Sharon is associate Professor at York St John university and researcher in feminist theory and religion.

Both guests hold a deep passion for justice and equality for women in the Church. Unfortunately, this is still something that is being fought for and there are still restrictions on women in the Church. In this episode Georgia and guests talk about why these discriminations exist, the history of women in the Church, the impact this discrimination has on women both lay and ordained and what is being done to try and change this. Listen now and, as ever, get in touch if you have any questions.

Further information on The Five Guiding Principles can be found here.