Shows / Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
How do we transform and transcend our biases? From judgments made unconsciously to complacency in systemic evil, we must learn how to see if we are to learn how to transform. Center for Action and Contemplation faculty member Brian McLaren hosts the podcast series Learning How to See. Listen and discover how seeing is social, political, and contemplative.
Episodes
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Genesis 29-31 — Waiting for the Dream to Die
Today our hosts reflect on the story of Jacob — a trickster who gets tricked, and whose dreams are deferred. They also discuss Randy and Edith Woodleys’…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Genesis 37-50 — The Pit and The Feast
Today's episode features an audio essay from Edith Woodley on the Biblical story of Joseph, which she first knew as a child in its tidy, happily-ever-after…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Genesis 12, Joshua 1 — Two Continents, Two Covenants
In today's episode, we look at the Genesis 12 story of Abram, in contrast to that of Joshua. Hosts Brian McLaren, Randy Woodley, and Edith Woodley explore how…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Genesis 12 — When God Got It Right
In today's episode, we look at the Genesis 12 story of Abram’s call. Hosts Brian McLaren, Randy Woodley, and Edith Woodley explore what it means to be “blessed…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Genesis 11: 1-9 — Scattered on Purpose
In today's episode, we explore the story of the Tower of Babel and turn the usual reading of it upside down. Diverse languages, in this telling, are not the…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Genesis 6-9 — What The Flood Could Not Get
Thank you for joining us for today's episode of Learning How to See, hosted by Brian McLaren, with guest hosts Rev. Dr. Randy Woodley and Edith Woodley. Today…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Genesis 4 — Am I My Brother's Murderer
In today's episode, our hosts Brian McLaren, Randy Woodley, and Edith Woodley explore the story of Cain and Abel through a lens of Indigenous wisdom…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Genesis 1 — The Good Earth
Welcome to the 10th season of Learning How to See hosted by Brian McLaren and guest hosts Rev. Dr. Randy Woodley and Edith Woodley. In today's episode, our…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Coming Soon: Learning How to See The Bible
Season Ten begins September 10th! This season on Learning How to See, host Brian McLaren and co-hosts Randy and Edith Woodley will focus on experiencing the…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Bonus: Listener Questions
Today Brian and Carmen address your questions including a deeper dive into Carmen's translation of Corinthians 13, what we mean when talk about love, and tips…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
When Loving Means Letting Go with Jen Hatmaker
What do we do when life unravels in painful ways — like navigating an unexpected divorce? On today's episode of Learning How to See, Carmen and Brian are…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Loving When We're Not At Our Best with Parker Palmer
How can we see others, and ourselves, with love when anger, fear, depression, or division clouds our vision? Today's episode of Learning How to See features an…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Learning How to Hold Space for Others with Cindy Lee
How can we de-Westernize spirituality and honor our full humanity within systems that often diminish it? On this episode of Learning How to See, Dr. Cindy Lee…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Loving People Who Oppose Our Values with Cassidy Hall
How do we soften our hearts to those whose values are in stark contrast to our own? Can we safely love those who have even gone so far as to harm us? On this…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Loving As Hosts, Not Heroes with Becca Stevens
How can we open ourselves to being hosts in the world? On this episode of Learning How To See, we hear from social entrepreneur Becca Stevens, founder of…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Seeing Ourselves with Eyes of Love with Kaitlin Curtice
It can feel easy to offer compassion to others. But, why is it so hard to extend that same tenderness to ourselves? In Season 9 of Learning How To See, we…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Coming Soon: Learning How to See Through Eyes of Love
On our ninth season of Learning How to See, Brian McLaren and guest co-host, Carmen Acevedo Butcher, continue to explore seeing through eyes of love. Through…
Learning How to See with Brian McLarenBonus: Listener Questions
What if love could guide you through anger, injustice, and even the darkest memories? In this episode, Brian McLaren and co-host Carmen Acevedo Butcher reflect…
Learning How to See with Brian McLarenSeeing with the Help of a Soul-Optometrist with Sr. Simone Campbell
What would change if you could see with eyes of love—even in the face of cruelty, fear, and disagreement? In this episode, Brian McLaren and co-host Carmen…
Learning How to See with Brian McLarenSeeing Nonviolently with Rev. John Dear
What would change if you believed that active, creative non-violence was the deepest expression of love? In this episode, Brian McLaren and co-host Carmen…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Seeing (and Dancing) in the Dark with Rev. Otis Moss III
How might your life change if you paused more often to unlearn what fear has taught you? In this episode, hosts Brian McLaren and Carmen Acevedo Butcher are…
Learning How to See with Brian McLarenSeeing (and Loving) the Divine in The Everyday with Carrie Newcomer
How do ordinary moments become portals to the sacred? On this episode of Learning How to See, Carrie Newcomer joins Brian and Carmen for a…
Learning How to See with Brian McLarenSeeing the Humanity of Everyone (No Exceptions) with Fr. Rafael Garcia
What happens to your own humanity when you choose to truly see the humanity in others? In this episode, Jesuit priest Father Rafael Garcia joins Brian McLaren…
Learning How to See with Brian McLarenSeeing Grace-fully with Rev. Nadia Bolz Weber
What would change if you believed that grace was at the center of your life? In this episode, Brian and Carmen are joined by longtime friend and public…
Learning How to See with Brian McLarenIntroducing Season 8 (and our new co-host!) with Carmen Acevedo Butcher and Brian McLaren
In this opening to Season 8, Learning How to See returns with understanding how to see with the eyes of love. On this season, Brian McLaren introduces his new…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Seeing Nature as a Friend with Brian McLaren
Can we cultivate a relationship with the natural world which mirrors the care and concern we would offer a dear friend? How do you foster hope in the midst of…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Seeing Nature as a Visionary with Philip Clayton
How important is community in facing the climate crisis? What kinds of communities are helping you to live differently and find hope? In this episode, we’re…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Seeing Nature as an Indigenous Person with Edith and Randy Woodley
How can you apply Indigenous values like harmony, respect, and accountability to your own life and community? In this episode, we’re learning to see nature…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Seeing Nature as a Franciscan with Michele Dunne and Sister Joan Brown
What might it look like to live out a Franciscan vision of kinship in your daily life? In this episode, we’re learning to see nature through the eyes of a…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Seeing Nature as a Historian of Religions with Mary Evelyn Tucker
What story do you tell yourself about the interconnectedness of nature and culture? In this episode, we’re learning to see nature through the lens of a…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Seeing Nature as a Mystic with Douglas E. Christie
What does it mean to grieve the crisis facing our planet? In this episode, we’re learning to see nature through the lens of a mystic. Brian McLaren sits down…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Seeing Nature as a Poet with Drew Jackson and Pádraig Ó Tuama
What is it about poetry that allows it to hold both beauty and disruption, and even inspire change? In this episode, Brian McLaren explores the power of poetry…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Seeing Nature as an Artist with Christy Berghoef and Thomas Jay Oord
How does nature inspire your sense of creativity? On this episode, we’re looking at nature through the artistic lens, with Brian McLaren and two gifted…
Learning How to See with Brian McLarenBonus: Seeing Nature as Nature With Felicia Murrell
How do you typically see your relationship with nature? In this bonus episode, Brian interviews Felicia Murrell, author of And: The Restorative Power of Love…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Seeing Nature as a Gardener (Part 2) With Cassidy Steele Dale
How do you think our personal beliefs and values shape the way we see the world? In this episode, as we continue to explore the theme of learning to see nature…
Learning How to See with Brian McLarenSeeing Nature as a Gardener (Part 1) With Brett McLaren and Rachel McLaren
What if the way we see nature could be the key to a more sustainable future? In this two-part series, we're turning to see nature as a gardener. In this…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Seeing Nature as a Seeker With James White, Tony Jones, and Wes Granberg-Michaelson
How does time in nature benefit you? In this episode, Brian is in conversation with James White, Tony Jones, and Wes Granberg-Michaelson exploring the…
Learning How to See with Brian McLarenSeeing Nature as a Doctor (Part 2) With Theresa Martella
How do you feel when you witness the destruction of creation? In this episode, Brian interviews Teresa Martella, an environmental scientist and spiritual…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Seeing Nature as a Doctor (Part 1) With Debra Rienstra and Melanie Griffin
How does the connection between nature and spirituality influence your understanding of the environment and the challenges that it faces? In the next two-part…
Learning How to See with Brian McLarenSeeing Nature as a Lover (Part 2) With Miriam Smith
What shapes the connection between your inner and outer landscapes? On the second part of seeing nature like a lover, Brian interviews a non-profit leader in…
Learning How to See with Brian McLarenSeeing Nature as a Lover (Part 1) With Scott Smith
What can you do, big or small, to create a positive impact on the planet? In this episode, Brian interviews Scott Smith, a retired wildlife ecologist, about…
Learning How to See with Brian McLarenSeeing Nature as a Scientist (Part 2) With Susan J. Tweit
What sparks your sense of wonder in the natural world? In this episode, we're continuing our exploration of learning how to see like a scientist with botanist…
Learning How to See with Brian McLarenSeeing Nature as a Scientist (Part 1) With Paul Wallace
Can we look at nature with both wonder and a scientist's eye? In this episode, we're learning how to see nature from the perspective of a scientist. In Part 1…
Learning How to See with Brian McLarenSeeing Nature as a Child (Wonder)
What can children teach us about loving nature? In the first episode of season 6, three of Brian’s grandchildren — Ella, Ada, and Lucas — drop by to talk about…
Learning How to See with Brian McLarenIntroducing: Learning How to See "Nature"
Welcome to the sixth season of Learning How to See which focuses on learning how to see nature in a new way. In this season, we'll look at nature through the…
Learning How to See with Brian McLarenThe Seventh Story
What if we could reimagine the future of storytelling? In the last episode of Season 5 of Learning How to See, join in the conversation about how to create a…
Learning How to See with Brian McLarenAccumulation Stories
How do you embrace the wisdom of letting go? In this episode, Brian and Gareth explore the power of sharing to explore the Accumulation Story, a justification…
Learning How to See with Brian McLarenVictimization Stories
How do you tell the story of a time you have been wronged or betrayed? Many of us experience victimization. But when does "victim" become an outdated part of…
Learning How to See with Brian McLarenIsolation Stories
“To be fully in the world is to believe that we can love other people and places more than we fear them.” –Gareth Higgins Have you convinced yourself that you…
Learning How to See with Brian McLarenPurification Stories
“Almost everybody who does evil has convinced themselves that they are doing good.” —Brian McLaren Have you ever convinced yourself that an unloving act was…
Learning How to See with Brian McLarenRevolution Stories
“If you want a better world, tell a better story — especially one that centers justice without vengeance.” –Gareth Higgins How do we tell stories that offer us…
Learning How to See with Brian McLarenDomination Stories
“Stories shape our reality, whether they are true or not.” —Gareth Higgins What if you told the story of your life differently? Explore the powerful influence…
Learning How to See with Brian McLarenAn Introduction to Seven Stories
“Becoming conscious of the stories we’re telling can be lifesaving to individuals and entire cultures.”—Gareth Higgins How do you recount life’s biggest…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Listener Questions: Navigating Faith Shifts in Marriage and Relationships
Have your spiritual views impacted your romantic relationships? In the next episode of our listener questions series, Brian and the team examine how our faith…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Listener Questions: Jesus and Theology
In this third episode of listener questions, Brian and the team respond to questions that came in centered around Jesus and theology. A listener writes, “I've…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Listener Questions: Community
What does community look like when our faith shifts? “If I support my grandson who is gay, what do I do with my Catholic faith?” Brian, and the team from the…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Listener Questions: Actions and Beliefs, and God's Intervention
The topic of questions related to this listener questions episode is on actions and beliefs, and if God intervenes. Listeners wrote in with questions such as…
Learning How to See with Brian McLarenStay Human
Who reminds you of who you really are—even during dark times? Jacqui and Barbara are back, together, to explore ways to stay human amid fear and uncertainty…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Stay Loyal to Reality (feat. Barbara Brown Taylor)
What is your response when your faith tradition demands that you deny reality? Barbara Brown Taylor is back to discuss the importance of embracing “what is”…
- Learning How to See with Brian McLaren
Renounce and Announce (feat. Jacqui Lewis)
How do you stand for what you believe without making others wrong? In this episode, Rev. Jacqui Lewis joins Brian again to discuss how we can declare our…