On Being with Krista Tippett
Episodes
Wendell Berry and Ellen Davis — The Art of Being Creatures
16 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this intimate conversation between Krista and one of her beloved teachers, we ponder the world and our place in it, through sacred text, with fresh...
“The Peace of Wild Things” by Wendell Berry
16 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Wendell Berry reads his poem “The Peace of Wild Things”Wendell Berry is a farmer, poet, and environmentalist who has published more than 40 books....
“How to Be a Poet (to remind myself)” by Wendell Berry
16 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Wendell Berry reads his poem “How to Be a Poet (to remind myself)”Wendell Berry is a farmer, poet, and environmentalist who has published more tha...
“Sabbaths – 1985, I” by Wendell Berry
16 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Wendell Berry reads his poem “Sabbaths – 1985, I”Wendell Berry is a farmer, poet, and environmentalist who has published more than 40 books. He ...
“Sabbaths – 1979, IV” by Wendell Berry
16 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Wendell Berry reads his poem “Sabbaths – 1979, IV”Wendell Berry is a farmer, poet, and environmentalist who has published more than 40 books. He...
“The Man Born to Farming” by Wendell Berry
16 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Wendell Berry reads his poem “The Man Born to Farming”Wendell Berry is a farmer, poet, and environmentalist who has published more than 40 books. ...
“The Contrariness of the Mad Farmer” by Wendell Berry
16 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Wendell Berry reads his poem “The Contrariness of the Mad Farmer”Wendell Berry is a farmer, poet, and environmentalist who has published more than...
[Unedited] Ellen Davis with Krista Tippett
16 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this intimate conversation between Krista and one of her beloved teachers, we ponder the world and our place in it, through sacred text, with fresh...
Living the Questions: How can I find my footing in a shifting world?
14 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
To a question from listener Elena Rivera of Colorado Springs, Krista reflects on seeing this as a collective moment of transition (which is always str...
David Steindl-Rast — How to Be Grateful in Every Moment (But Not for Everything)
09 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We’re in a season of renewal in the natural world and in spiritual traditions; both Easter and Passover this year are utterly transformed. It’s dr...
[Unedited] Brother David Steindl-Rast with Krista Tippett
09 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We’re in a season of renewal in the natural world and in spiritual traditions; both Easter and Passover this year are utterly transformed. It’s dr...
A Poem in Gratitude for Health Care Workers
03 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In Leanne O’Sullivan’s poem “Leaving Early,” the poet writes to her ill husband, entrusting him into the care of a nurse named Fionnuala. As t...
Ai-jen Poo — This Is Our (Caring) Revolution
02 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ai-jen Poo is a next-generation labor organizer who co-founded a beautiful and muscular movement with caregivers and those who employ them: The Nation...
[Unedited] Ai-jen Poo with Krista Tippett
02 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ai-jen Poo is a next-generation labor organizer who co-founded a beautiful and muscular movement with caregivers and those who employ them: The Nation...
Living the Questions: At home, frustrated and stressed — is 'just being' worthy right now?
31 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
“If I believe that we are all inherently worthy just by being human, how can I feel that way when I feel I’m doing ‘nothing?’” — Anna Bon...
[Unedited] Ross Gay with Krista Tippett
26 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In our world of so much suffering, it can feel hard or wrong to invoke the word "joy." Yet joy has been one of the most insistent, recurrent rallying ...
Rebecca Solnit — Falling Together
19 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
“When all the ordinary divides and patterns are shattered, people step up to become their brothers’ keepers,” Rebecca Solnit writes. “And that...
[Unedited] Rebecca Solnit with Krista Tippett
19 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
“When all the ordinary divides and patterns are shattered, people step up to become their brothers’ keepers,” Rebecca Solnit writes. “And that...
Carlo Rovelli — All Reality Is Interaction
12 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Physicist Carlo Rovelli says humans don’t understand the world as made by things, “we understand the world made by kisses, or things like kisses —...
[Unedited] Carlo Rovelli with Krista Tippett
12 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Physicist Carlo Rovelli says humans don’t understand the world as made by things, “we understand the world made by kisses, or things like kisses —...
George Coyne and Guy Consolmagno — Asteroids, Stars, and the Love of God
20 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The wise and beloved Vatican astronomer Father George Coyne died last week. Like most of the Vatican astronomers across history, he was a Jesuit. More...
[Unedited] George Coyne and Guy Consolmagno with Krista Tippett
20 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The wise and beloved Vatican astronomer Father George Coyne died last week. Like most of the Vatican astronomers across history, he was a Jesuit. More...
Sandra Cisneros — A House of Her Own
13 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The House on Mango Street by Mexican American writer Sandra Cisneros has been taught in high schools across the U.S. for decades. A poetic writer of m...
[Unedited] Sandra Cisneros with Krista Tippett
13 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The House on Mango Street by Mexican American writer Sandra Cisneros has been taught in high schools across the U.S. for decades. A poetic writer of m...
Ezra Klein — How We Walked Into This and How We Can Walk Out
06 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Journalist Ezra Klein has been widely interviewed about his new book, Why We're Polarized. In this conversation, he's frank and reflective about what'...
[Unedited] Ezra Klein with Krista Tippett
06 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Journalist Ezra Klein has been widely interviewed about his new book, Why We're Polarized. In this conversation, he's frank and reflective about what'...
Introducing ‘Poetry Unbound’
30 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We’re excited to share the first episode of our new podcast, Poetry Unbound. It’s your new ritual: Immerse yourself in a single poem, guided by Pá...
Alison Gopnik — The Evolutionary Power of Children and Teenagers
23 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Alison Gopnik understands babies and children as the R&D division of humanity. From her cognitive science lab at the University of California, -Berkel...
[Unedited] Alison Gopnik with Krista Tippett
23 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Alison Gopnik understands babies and children as the R&D division of humanity. From her cognitive science lab at the University of California, -Berkel...
Ruby Sales — Where Does it Hurt?
16 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Civil rights legend Ruby Sales learned to ask “Where does it hurt?” because it’s a question that drives to the heart of the matter — and a que...
[Unedited] Ruby Sales with Krista Tippett
16 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Civil rights legend Ruby Sales learned to ask “Where does it hurt?” because it’s a question that drives to the heart of the matter — and a que...
Joe Henry — Welcoming Flies at the Picnic
09 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Henry faced his mortality in 2018 when he was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer and told he might only have months to live. Now in remission,...
[Unedited] Joe Henry with Krista Tippett
09 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Henry faced his mortality in 2018 when he was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer and told he might only have months to live. Now in remission,...
Brené Brown — Strong Back, Soft Front, Wild Heart
02 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Brené Brown says our belonging to each other can’t be lost, but it can be forgotten. Her research has reminded the world in recent years of the unc...
[Unedited] Brené Brown with Krista Tippett
02 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Brené Brown says our belonging to each other can’t be lost, but it can be forgotten. Her research has reminded the world in recent years of the unc...
Bessel van der Kolk — How Trauma Lodges in the Body
26 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk is an innovator in treating the effects of overwhelming experiences. We call this “trauma” when we encounter it i...
Greg Boyle — The Calling of Delight: Gangs, Service, and Kinship
19 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Fr. Greg Boyle makes amazingly winsome connections between things like service and delight, compassion and awe. He landed as an idealistic young Jesui...
[Unedited] Greg Boyle with Krista Tippett
19 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Fr. Greg Boyle makes amazingly winsome connections between things like service and delight, compassion and awe. He landed as an idealistic young Jesui...
"Close" by David Whyte read by Krista Tippett
12 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
"Close" by David Whyte read by Krista TippettDavid Whyte is an associate fellow at Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford. His books includ...
"América" (parts IV-V) by Richard Blanco
27 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Richard Blanco reads parts IV and V from his poem “América”. Excerpted from the On Being episode “Richard Blanco – How to Love a Country”. ...
Marilynne Robinson and Marcelo Gleiser — The Mystery We Are
21 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Novelist Marilynne Robinson and physicist Marcelo Gleiser are both passionate about the majesty of science, and they share a caution about what they c...
[Unedited] Marilynne Robinson and Marcelo Gleiser with Krista Tippett
21 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Novelist Marilynne Robinson and physicist Marcelo Gleiser are both passionate about the majesty of science, and they share a caution about what they c...
Joy Ladin — Finding a Home in Yourself
07 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
For as far back as Joy Ladin can remember, her body didn’t match her soul. In her mid-40s, Ladin transitioned from male to female identity and later...
[Unedited] Joy Ladin with Krista Tippett
07 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
For as far back as Joy Ladin can remember, her body didn’t match her soul. In her mid-40s, Ladin transitioned from male to female identity and later...
America Ferrera and John Paul Lederach — The Ingredients of Social Courage
24 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
“Our discomfort and our grappling is not a sign of failure,” America Ferrera says, “it’s a sign that we’re living at the edge of our imagina...
[Unedited] America Ferrera and John Paul Lederach with Krista Tippett
24 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
“Our discomfort and our grappling is not a sign of failure,” America Ferrera says, “it’s a sign that we’re living at the edge of our imagina...
Jennifer Bailey and Lennon Flowers — An Invitation to Brave Space
17 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Lennon Flowers and Rev. Jennifer Bailey embody a particular wisdom of millennials around grief, loss, and faith. Together they created The People’s ...
[Unedited] Jennifer Bailey and Lennon Flowers with Krista Tippett
17 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Lennon Flowers and Rev. Jennifer Bailey embody a particular wisdom of millennials around grief, loss, and faith. Together they created The People’s ...
David Treuer — Language Carries More Than Words
10 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Writer David Treuer’s work tells a story that is richer and more multi-dimensional than the American history most of us learned in school. Treuer gr...
[Unedited] David Treuer with Krista Tippett
10 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Writer David Treuer’s work tells a story that is richer and more multi-dimensional than the American history most of us learned in school. Treuer gr...
Derek Black and Matthew Stevenson — Befriending Radical Disagreement
03 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We’d heard Derek Black, the former white-power heir apparent, interviewed before about his past, but never about the college friendships that change...
[Unedited] Derek Black and Matthew Stevenson with Krista Tippett
03 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We’d heard Derek Black, the former white-power heir apparent, interviewed before about his past, but never about the college friendships that change...
Imani Perry — More Beautiful
26 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
James Baldwin said, “American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it...
[Unedited] Imani Perry with Krista Tippett - 2019
26 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
James Baldwin said, “American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it...
Erik Vance — The Drugs Inside Your Head
19 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Science writer and reporter Erik Vance says today’s brain scientists are like astronomers of old: They’ve unsettled humanity’s sense of itself b...
[Unedited] Erik Vance with Krista Tippett
19 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Science writer and reporter Erik Vance says today’s brain scientists are like astronomers of old: They’ve unsettled humanity’s sense of itself b...
Ta-Nehisi Coates — Imagining a New America
12 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ta-Nehisi Coates says we must love our country the way we love our friends — and not spare the hard truths. “Can you get to a place where citizens...
[Unedited] Ta-Nehisi Coates with Krista Tippett
12 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ta-Nehisi Coates says we must love our country the way we love our friends — and not spare the hard truths. “Can you get to a place where citizens...
‘This Movie Changed Me’ Is Back
05 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Movies can be whimsical, terrifying, life-altering, culture-changing experiences where the big ideas we take up at “On Being” show up in the heart...
Katy Payne — In the Presence of Elephants and Whales
22 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We were made and set here, the writer Annie Dillard once wrote, “to give voice to our astonishments.” Katy Payne is a renowned acoustic biologist ...
[Unedited] Katy Payne with Krista Tippett
22 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We were made and set here, the writer Annie Dillard once wrote, “to give voice to our astonishments.” Katy Payne is a renowned acoustic biologist ...
Shane Claiborne and Omar Saif Ghobash — Called and Conflicted
15 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Spiritual border-crossing and social creativity were themes in a conversation between Shane Claiborne and Omar Saif Ghobash, two people who have lived...
[Unedited] Shane Claiborne and Omar Saif Ghobash with Krista Tippett
15 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Spiritual border-crossing and social creativity were themes in a conversation between Shane Claiborne and Omar Saif Ghobash, two people who have lived...
Darnell Moore — Self-Reflection and Social Evolution
08 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Darnell Moore says honest, uncomfortable conversations are a sign of love — and that self-reflection goes hand-in-hand with culture shift and social...
[Unedited] Darnell Moore with Krista Tippett
08 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Darnell Moore says honest, uncomfortable conversations are a sign of love — and that self-reflection goes hand-in-hand with culture shift and social...
Amichai Lau-Lavie — First Aid for Spiritual Seekers
01 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Forms of religious devotion are shifting — and there’s a new world of creativity toward crafting spiritual life while exploring the depths of trad...
[Unedited] Amichai Lau-Lavie with Krista Tippett
01 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Forms of religious devotion are shifting — and there’s a new world of creativity toward crafting spiritual life while exploring the depths of trad...
Jonathan Rowson — Integrating Our Souls, Systems, and Society
18 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Applied philosopher Jonathan Rowson insists on holding a deeper appreciation for how our inner worlds influence our outer worlds. His research organiz...
[Unedited] Jonathan Rowson with Krista Tippett
18 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Applied philosopher Jonathan Rowson insists on holding a deeper appreciation for how our inner worlds influence our outer worlds. His research organiz...
Annette Gordon-Reed and Titus Kaphar — Are We Actually Citizens Here?
04 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We must shine a light on the past to live more abundantly now. Historian Annette Gordon-Reed and painter Titus Kaphar lead us in an exploration of tha...
[Unedited] Annette Gordon-Reed and Titus Kaphar with Krista Tippett
04 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We must shine a light on the past to live more abundantly now. Historian Annette Gordon-Reed and painter Titus Kaphar lead us in an exploration of tha...
Indigo Girls — No Separation: On Music and Transcendence
27 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The folk-rock duo Amy Ray and Emily Saliers have been making music for over 25 years. They’re known for their social activism on-stage and off, but ...
[Unedited] Amy Ray and Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls with Krista Tippett
27 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The folk-rock duo Amy Ray and Emily Saliers have been making music for over 25 years. They’re known for their social activism on-stage and off, but ...
[Unedited] Jerry Colonna with Krista Tippett
20 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We still work with the old idea that we should check the messy parts of ourselves at the door of our professional lives. But Jerry Colonna says doing ...
Jerry Colonna — Can You Really Bring Your Whole Self to Work?
20 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We still work with the old idea that we should check the messy parts of ourselves at the door of our professional lives. But Jerry Colonna says doing ...
[Unedited] Richard Rohr with Krista Tippett
13 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Men of all ages say Richard Rohr has given them a new way into spiritual depth and religious thought through his writing and retreats. This conversati...
Richard Rohr — Growing Up Men
13 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Men of all ages say Richard Rohr has given them a new way into spiritual depth and religious thought through his writing and retreats. This conversati...
Abraham Verghese and Denise Pope — How Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?
23 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today young people are trying to balance the question of “What do I want to do when I grow up?” with the question of “Who and how do I want to b...
[Unedited] Denise Pope and Abraham Verghese with Krista Tippett
23 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today young people are trying to balance the question of “What do I want to do when I grow up?” with the question of “Who and how do I want to b...
Rami Nashashibi and Lucas Johnson — Community Organizing as a Spiritual Practice
16 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Community organizers Rami Nashashibi and Lucas Johnson have much to teach us about using love — the most reliable muscle of human transformation —...
[Unedited] Rami Nashashibi and Lucas Johnson with Krista Tippett
16 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Community organizers Rami Nashashibi and Lucas Johnson have much to teach us about using love — the most reliable muscle of human transformation —...
[Unedited] Atul Gawande with Krista Tippett
02 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We are strange creatures. It is hard for us to speak about, or let in, the reality of frailty and death — the elemental fact of mortality itself. In...
Joanna Macy — A Wild Love for the World
25 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A Buddhist philosopher of ecology, Joanna Macy says we are at a pivotal moment in history with the possibility to unravel or create a life-sustaining ...
[Unedited] Joanna Macy with Krista Tippett
25 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A Buddhist philosopher of ecology, Joanna Macy says we are at a pivotal moment in history with the possibility to unravel or create a life-sustaining ...
[Unedited] Wangari Maathai with Krista Tippett
18 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The late Wangari Maathai was a biologist, environmentalist, and the first African woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize. She was born under British colonia...
Wangari Maathai — Marching with Trees
18 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The late Wangari Maathai was a biologist, environmentalist, and the first African woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize. She was born under British colonia...
[Unedited] Arnold Rampersad with Krista Tippett
04 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A prolific writer on sociology, history, economics, and politics, W.E.B. Du Bois was one of the most extraordinary minds of American and global histor...
[Unedited] Elizabeth Alexander with Krista Tippett
04 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A prolific writer on sociology, history, economics, and politics, W.E.B. Du Bois was one of the most extraordinary minds of American and global histor...
[Unedited] Whitney Battle-Baptiste with Krista Tippett
04 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This interview accompanies the On Being episode “Maya Angelou, Elizabeth Alexander, and Arnold Rampersad — W.E.B. Du Bois & the American Soul....
[Unedited] Maya Angelou with Krista Tippett
04 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A prolific writer on sociology, history, economics, and politics, W.E.B. Du Bois was one of the most extraordinary minds of American and global histor...
Maya Angelou, Elizabeth Alexander, and Arnold Rampersad — W.E.B. Du Bois and the American Soul
04 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A prolific writer on sociology, history, economics, and politics, W.E.B. Du Bois was one of the most extraordinary minds of American and global histor...
‘Becoming Wise’ With Tools for the Art of Living
28 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Over the years, listeners have asked for shorter-form distillations of On Being — something to listen to while making a cup of tea. Becoming Wise i...
Lawrence Kushner — Kabbalah and Everyday Mysticism
21 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Rabbi Lawrence Kushner is a long-time student and articulator of the mysteries and messages of Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical tradition. Kushner says m...
[Unedited] Lawrence Kushner with Krista Tippett
21 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Rabbi Lawrence Kushner is a long-time student and articulator of the mysteries and messages of Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical tradition. Kushner says m...
Sharon Olds — Odes to the *****
14 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When the wise and whimsical Sharon Olds started writing poetry over 40 years ago, she explored the subjects that interested her most — like diaphrag...
[Unedited] Sharon Olds with Krista Tippett
14 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When the wise and whimsical Sharon Olds started writing poetry over 40 years ago, she explored the subjects that interested her most — like diaphrag...
[Unedited] Jean Vanier with Krista Tippett
07 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Editor’s note added 02/25/20: In February 2020, L’Arche International released the results of anindependent investigation that it commissioned in...
Jean Vanier — The Wisdom of Tenderness
07 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Editor’s note added 02/25/20: In February 2020, L’Arche International released the results of an independent investigation that it commissioned i...
[Unedited] Teju Cole with Krista Tippett
28 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Writer and photographer Teju Cole says he is “intrigued by the continuity of places, by the singing line that connects them all.” He attends to th...
Teju Cole — Sitting Together in the Dark
28 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Writer and photographer Teju Cole says he is “intrigued by the continuity of places, by the singing line that connects them all.” He attends to th...