In this gentle and quietly unsettling conversation, Hiroko Yoda invites us into a world where spirituality doesn’t begin with belief, but with attention. Drawing on her Japanese upbringing and her book Eight Million Ways to Happiness, Hiroko reflects on grief, ancestors, everyday ritual, and the idea of “half belief, half doubt” — a way of living that makes space for ambiguity rather than trying to resolve it. From small shrines in city parks to the simple act of taking a walk, she describes spirituality as a set of tools for pausing, noticing, and staying connected to the living world around us.

Together, Tim and Hiroko explore what happens when faith becomes less about certainty and more about participation: how joy and play find their way into sacred spaces, why traditions can be blended and remixed without anxiety, and what it might mean to belong without needing to define what you believe. It’s a conversation that gently challenges Western ideas of religion and invites listeners to experiment with a slower, softer, more attentive way of being in the world.

Following the interview, Nomad hosts Tim and Anna reflect on the disorientation and gift of meeting a spirituality that doesn’t play the same “belief game,” exploring simplicity, attention, and the idea of spiritual practices as tools rather than tests.

Interview starts at 17m 53s

Books, quotes, links →

The creation of Nomad’s thoughtful, ad-free content is entirely funded by our equally thoughtful and wonderful listeners. By supporting us, you gain access to Nomad’s online spaces—like the Beloved Listener Lounge, Enneagram Lounge, and Book Club—as well as bonus episodes such as Nomad Contemplations, Therapeutic Reflections, and Nomad Revisited.

If you’d like to join our lovely community of supporters, head over to our Patreon page. You might even be rewarded with a Nomad pen or our coveted Beloved Listener mug!

If a monthly commitment isn’t possible right now, a one-off donation is always deeply appreciated—you can do that here.

Looking to connect with others nearby? Check out the Listener Map or join our Nomad Gathering Facebook group.

And if you're up for sharing your own story, we regularly post reflections from listeners on our blog—all with the hope of fostering deeper understanding, connection and supportive relationships. If you'd like to share your story on the blog, contact us for more information here.

In this Nomad Revisited episode, we return to a 2017 conversation with Anglican priest, poet, and writer Rachel Mann. As the first trans person interviewed on Nomad, the exchange unfolds in a spirit of curiosity and vulnerability, with questions that are sometimes tentative and awkward, met by Rachel’s remarkable patience, clarity, and generosity of spirit.

The conversation explores identity as something lived into rather than solved, faith as something encountered in vulnerability rather than certainty, and God as a presence found in darkness, woundedness, and becoming. Rachel reflects on transition, embodiment, sexuality, and the slow work of becoming a self who can live a life rather than perform one — offering not answers so much as an invitation into mystery, nuance, and transformation.

After the interview, Nomad hosts Tim and Nick reflect on what it means to live with questions rather than conclusions — exploring identity as something embodied, evolving, and discovered over time, rather than fixed or declared.

Interview starts at 17m 43s

Books, quotes, links →

If you’ve found Nomad helpful and would like to support the ongoing work of the podcast, you can make a one-off donation via our secure Stripe donation page. Any amount is genuinely appreciated and helps us keep Nomad sustainable into 2026.

DONATE HERE

Small monthly donations are Nomad's financial life blood. If you're able to support us in that way, visit our Patreon page.

This episode began life as our 2025 Patreon fundraiser — but we’re releasing it here, freely, on the main feed, with a new intro and two additional questions!

For this special episode, we invited last year’s guests to turn the tables and ask us whatever they liked. What came back was a rich, surprising mix of the playful, the personal, and the deeply searching. Questions came in from Rowan Williams, Brian McLaren, Selina Stone, Chine McDonald, Lamorna Ash, Gareth Higgins, Jennifer Bird and many others.

Along the way, we talk about:
• the gap between what we believe and how we actually live
• remembering joy in a world wired for disappointment
• scripture, inspiration, and what still feels life-giving
• whether love really does conquer everything
• faith, imagination, childhood toys, books we’d reread forever, and the strange magic of 1980s technology
• and which portrayals of God in the Bible we find hardest to love or respect

We also talk openly about why we ran a fundraiser in the first place, what we learned from it, and why we ultimately decided to make this episode freely available to everyone.

Supporting Nomad:
If you’ve found Nomad helpful and would like to support the ongoing work of the podcast, you can make a one-off donation via our secure Stripe donation page. Any amount is genuinely appreciated and helps us keep Nomad sustainable into 2026.

DONATE HERE

And if you’re not in a position to give, you are still completely welcome here. No pressure. No guilt. Just thanks for listening.