Soul Search ABC listen

Christians often use the word "ministry" to describe the work of the clergy, but in Aboriginal contexts, its meaning is more expansive. There are hundreds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples right across these lands now called Australia engaged in ministry work, but much of it is unpaid, and might not fit into non-Indigenous ideas of what ministry looks like.

How do we make and find meaning alongside one another, in community? 

We live in a society that's becoming increasingly atomised in all kinds of spheres. But what might it look like if we, instead, paid attention to the social — and spiritual — dimensions of life together?

Sharon Hollis and Charissa Suli each have unique life experiences that speak to this question, and they are both prominent leaders of one of Australia's largest faith communities.

What does it mean to live skilfully in a world that's constantly changing? And what wisdom can Chinese philosophy offer to this question? We meet a philosopher and a master calligrapher, who have a go at tackling these big questions.

Today, we're taking a break from all the noise and distraction –  to pay attention to the quality of silence. Why is so precious in so many of the world's spiritual traditions? And where, or how, do we find it?

An artist shares her encounter with a transforming silence in Antarctica, and a Quaker shares her habits around seeking silence. 

How do you cultivate curiosity? That mindset has propelled Amy-Jill Levine through a lifetime of discovery. She's learned about all kinds of things, but especially about sacred texts, and the people who read them.

Today, Amy-Jill is a distinguished professor of New Testament and Jewish studies. 

When Donna Mulhearn quit her job to go travelling, she found herself on an unusual path. First, to an Irish monastery, then to Baghdad during the Iraq War where she volunteered as a human shield. Later, she would break into a highly secure facility in Australia's Red Centre, all in the name of peace — and her pilgrimage isn't over yet.

Donna Mulhearn is a labyrinth facilitator, pilgrim and storyteller. A former journalist and political advisor, when she discovered a contemplative spirituality it changed her religious outlook and set her on a new journey. She is the author of Ordinary Courage, which tells the story of her time in Iraq as a human shield.