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John Philip Newell – Turning to Earth and Soul in the Quest for Healing and Home (N354)

Nomad Podcast

Release Date: 10/10/2025

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Nomad Podcast

Over the last year, Tim and his eleven-year-old son Elliot have been quietly experimenting with faith at home — exploring a different spiritual practice each month and discovering what happens when faith is lived, not just discussed. From gratitude and Sabbath to activism, creativity, and pilgrimage; from sawing coconuts and dismantling Hi-Fis to marching for their local library and hiding painted pebbles — they’ve stumbled into moments of laughter, frustration, and the occasional glimpse of transcendence. In this conversation, Tim and Elliot look back over their first year of —...

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Nomad Podcast

Many of us have left behind the religion we inherited. But what, then, are we reaching for? In this conversation, Celtic teacher John Philip Newell reflects on what he calls the Great Search—a deep yearning for soul, earth, and home at a time of ecological breakdown and religious collapse. John Philip explores the tension between temple and wilderness, soul and ego, doctrine and direct experience, and reflects on the relinquishment of his ordination, the sacredness of the Earth, and the wisdom found in mystics across traditions. With poetic depth and prophetic insight, John Philip shares why...

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Many of us have left behind the religion we inherited. But what, then, are we reaching for?
In this conversation, Celtic teacher John Philip Newell reflects on what he calls the Great Search—a deep yearning for soul, earth, and home at a time of ecological breakdown and religious collapse.

John Philip explores the tension between temple and wilderness, soul and ego, doctrine and direct experience, and reflects on the relinquishment of his ordination, the sacredness of the Earth, and the wisdom found in mystics across traditions.

With poetic depth and prophetic insight, John Philip shares why returning to the light within ourselves, one another, and the Earth might be the beginning of something truly new.

After the conversation, Nomad hosts Tim Nash and Nick Thorley reflect on what it means to live with two wings of awareness — beauty and suffering — and how spiritual friendship, embodied practices, and a relationship with the Earth might help us navigate a time of profound unraveling.

Interview starts at 17m 37s

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