What does it mean to live a life of true dialogue—not just talking, but deeply listening to the world, to other traditions, and even to unexpected voices like Bad Bunny? In this rich, free-flowing conversation, Father Cyprian Consiglio, OSB Cam., a Camaldolese Benedictine monk, musician, and current Secretary General of Monastic Interreligious Dialogue in Rome, discusses themes from his new book, Epiphanies of Nature and Grace: Twelve Meditations from a Life in Dialogue. Father Cyprian explores:

• How a chance encounter with Bede Griffiths decades ago sparked a lifelong journey into universal wisdom and interreligious encounter.
• Why real dialogue isn't two monologues crossing, but a humble openness to receive truth, beauty, and goodness wherever they appear—from ancient Taoist texts to modern pop spectacles.
• A theology of the Word (Logos) that bridges Christianity with other traditions, seeing manifestations of the divine in nature, culture, consciousness, and even the evolving spectrum of the human psyche.
• How grace builds on (but never destroys) nature, challenging rigid monocultures in religion, politics, and identity.
• The urgent call today: evolving our consciousness through contemplative practice to heal divisions, embrace diversity, and return to the sources so we can move forward together.

The show notes are available here.

(00:00:01) Introduction

(00:02:39) Religious Order and Background

(00:04:42) What is Dialogue?

(00:08:45) Listening and Receptivity

(00:15:56) Reflection No. 1: Open to Receive

(00:18:22) Encountering Father Bede Griffiths: Universal Wisdom

(00:26:19) Father Bede's Lasting Impact: Body, Soul, Spirit

(00:33:47) A Theology of the Word

(00:41:44) Truth, Beauty, and Goodness: Reverse Evangelization

(00:48:42) Reflection No. 2: The Wealth of Nations

(00:52:05) Bad Bunny, Inculturation, and Echo Chambers in Politics Today

(01:01:44) Reflection No. 3: Bad Bunny and Unitive Consciousness

(01:05:24) Call to Action: Evolving our Consciousness, Going Back to the Sources

(01:11:02) May We Be Stonecutters

(01:12:50) Conclusion

Have you ever looked back on your adolescent and young adult years and wondered how those experiences formed your personality, conscience, ambitions, desires, and even insecurities? What did your ordinary jobs throughout these formative years teach you about yourself, God, and the world you were stepping into? As you stepped into young adulthood, what did you learn about the cruelty and goodness of the world? About being mean or kind? About who you wanted to become?

In this episode, Fr. James Martin, SJ — Jesuit priest, New York Times bestselling author, and one of the most relatable voices in contemporary spirituality — sits down for a heartfelt, often hilarious, conversation about his new memoir, Work in Progress: Confessions of a Busboy, Dishwasher, Caddy, Usher, Factory Worker, Bank Teller, Corporate Tool, and Priest. Rev. James Martin is the founder of Outreach, editor at large of America Magazine, and host of The Spiritual Life Podcast. Fr. Jim is also the chaplain of Stephen Colbert's The Colbert Report and is a frequent commentator for major news outlets, including CNN, NPR, and The New York Times.

Whether you’re spiritually curious, wrestling with your own calling, longing to understand yourself more deeply, or just craving a reminder that your story matters, this episode is for you. God meets us exactly where we are—flawed, funny, and still very much a work in progress.

The show notes are available here.

(00:00:01) Introduction

(00:03:16) Why Write This Book?

(00:04:58) Learning from the Past

(00:11:38) Reflection No. 1: How Memories Can Become Our Teacher

(00:16:17) Developing the Superpower of Not Caring What Others Think

(00:20:05) The Spiritual Practice of Memoir

(00:22:11) Navigating Guilt and Shame, Embracing Our Humanity

(00:26:41) The Connection Between Kindness and Being Comfortable in One's Own Skin

(00:29:16) Turning Point: Losing His Best Friend

(00:33:35) The Gift of Friendship

(00:36:06) Memoir as Spiritual Practice: Cultivating Gratitude

(00:38:55) What Does it Mean to Be Yourself?

(00:43:55) Reflection No. 2: Mining Desire and Discovering the True Self

(00:46:15) Finding One's Vocation

(00:53:00) The Book's Impact and Golf Stories

(00:57:51) Kindness and Working at the Ice Cream Inn

(00:59:58) Reflection No. 3: Kindness is Everything

(01:02:10) Kindness and Closing Thoughts

(01:05:27) Conclusion

What if the Incarnation wasn’t primarily about fixing our sin but about God’s extravagant desire to become one with all creation? What if beauty isn’t just something we admire—it’s the heartbeat of reality, calling us to slow down, receive gifts, and respond with hope in a fractured world? Franciscan friar and philosopher Blessed John Duns Scotus (1265/66-1308), known as the “Subtle Doctor,” is one of the most underappreciated major theologians throughout Church history. His complexity also makes him one of the most misunderstood. Scholars like Dr. Mary Beth Ingham have helped make his theology accessible to people all around the world. This episode explores four important theological insights from Scotus that can impact our approach to life and faith today:

• Scotus’s mystical vision of beauty as a transformative encounter with God’s abundant love (and why it’s a lifeline in our attention-overloaded, reactive culture).
• His profound take on free choice and thoughtful self-restraint—rooted in our innate dignity and perfect for today’s conversations on sustainability, poverty, and genuine freedom.
• The revolutionary Franciscan view of the Incarnation (the absolute primacy of Christ)—shifting the focus from sin at the center to God’s loving initiative at the heart of everything.
• The wonder of haecceity (“thisness”)—the unique, unrepeatable gift of every person, rock, leaf, and moment—and how it invites us to celebrate particularity in community.

Mary Beth Ingham, CSJ, is Professor Emerita in Loyola Marymount University’s philosophy department and is a former professor of philosophical theology at the Franciscan School of Theology. She holds a doctorate in medieval philosophy from the University of Fribourg (Switzerland) and has published widely on the thought of Blessed John Duns Scotus. Her recent publications include: Scotus for Dunces: An Introduction to the Subtle Doctor (2003), Rejoicing in the Works of the Lord: Beauty in the Franciscan Tradition (2009), and The Harmony of Goodness: Mutuality and Moral Living in John Duns Scotus (2012). In her current research, she argues that the spirituality of beauty is at the heart of the Franciscan intellectual tradition.

The show notes are available here.

(00:00:01) Introduction

(00:05:58) Who was Blessed John Duns Scotus?

(00:16:37) First Insight: Mystical Vision of Beauty

(00:30:09) First Reflection: Beauty and the Beholder

(00:31:55) Second Insight: Free Choice and Thoughtful Self-Restraint

(00:47:28) Second Reflection: Covenant as a Pathway to Freedom

(00:49:10) Third Insight: A Franciscan Approach to the Incarnation

(01:04:59) Third Reflection: Psychological Implications of the Incarnation

(01:07:29) Fourth Insight: Haecceity (Thinness)

(01:13:04) Fourth Reflection: The Sound of the Genuine

(01:15:26) Final Thoughts

(01:18:17) Conclusion