Your interviews have been brilliant with great guests - they give me hope in the midst of the chaos, degradation and blindness of present societies. We have to press presenting Jesus in his true strength and weirdness (wildness? Fearsomeness? ) What I often appreciate with Martin Shaw is his way of surprising me, his hints and pointers which require of my imagination to fill gaps and reach towards the indescribable. Wishing you good rest before your tour in America!
I've listened to many conversations with you and Martin and I never tire of them. His insights into the wildness of Christ are so helpful in our mechanized age.
He was such fun and it turns out he was a teacher at my old school, the one that made him give up teaching! It will be just as good without him. That’s great to know it’s happening again in May :-)
W00T! Can’t wait to listen to this one. Gonna be brilliant I can feel it. Booked my tix for Irvington NY!! Very excited to finally be able to see Paul speak in person and hopefully get my book signed. Wish I could go to ALL the Northeast US events but - life! Lol.
Finally got to listen on our annual family trek to the Berkshires of Western Mass for our extended Labor Day weekend reunion with college friends (went to UMass Amherst in the early 80s) and their families. A few days of sunshine (hopefully), improptu sports, games, kayaking, campfire shenanigans and camaraderie & fellowship before the new school year. Been doing this for nearly if not actually 30 years. Our kids now adults grew up with this annual event. Rooted in this place are our hearts, though time & change have taken their toll - as responsibilites of their adulthood have crept up. Wonderfull episode!!! My favorite thusfar. I could listen to you both wax eloquently on these topics for hours on end. Really whets my appetite to gnaw on the book soon. Thanks Paul & Martin. 🙏 Will definitely be relistening to this one a few times I think.
Paul, this was a great interview - thank you! One issue: audio balance. Have you noticed that your sound level is often lower/quieter than your guest's? In order to hear you well and clearly, I increase the volume when you speak, (- not wanting to miss the words that are frequently softly uttered ) but then it is too loud when, in this case, Martin, speaks. Is there a convenient way to achieve audio balance?
I need a better microphone. I have one which doesn't work properly and I need to sort it out, but have been too tech-incompetent to do it so far. I will make it happen.
*UPDATE*: a new microphone is in the post. Let's hope I can make it work this time.
Thank you for another deeply positive and uplifting conversation. It has converted me to Martin Shaw - I always feel negative towards people who self describe as story tellers, which must tell me something about my own shadows 😂 - but he’s a lovely man. He said his Walsingham day is in November 2026, but you seem to imply it’s this coming November. Can you clarify? And now I have your talk with Ian McGilchrist to look forward to, which I seem to have missed ( Substack is increasingly full of distracting clutter, which it seems, deliberately?, to make very difficult to cut away).
For some of us, our best hope now is to go out where the bus doesn’t park. Brilliant interview! Martin is my pied piper back to Orthodoxy. Glory to God for all things
Prehistoric Jesus vs. Empirical Jesus. "More interested in Jesus of Lascaux caves" than Christian civilizational project. Very interesting. Feels like there's a lead there I should follow. The interview provided many of those. Thanks to you both.
Sometimes God speaks through collapse (decomposition). The wilderness strips us of our illusions, and what is left is longing. Longing that is already God’s answer in our hearts.
I have pre ordered your book already. Is it a collection of the Machine essays? Is it different? Of course I will find out soon enough but I’m just wondering. I’ve read all the essays, but look forward to having them in a book format.
I could listen to you two “chat” all day Paul. My only mild critique is in your friction with Jesus as Prince of Peace. There is indeed a paradox to wrestle with there but He indeed is given that as one of His “titles.”. I think Frederick Buechner did well with this idea:
“PEACE HAS COME TO MEAN THE TIME when there aren't any wars or even when there aren't any major wars. Beggars can't be choosers; we'd most of us settle for that. But in Hebrew peace, shalom, means fullness, means having everything you need to be wholly and happily yourself.
One of the titles by which Jesus is known is Prince of Peace, and he used the word himself in what seem at first glance to be two radically contradictory utterances. On one occasion he said to the disciples, "Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matthew 10:34). And later on, the last time they ate together, he said to them, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you" (John 14:27).
The contradiction is resolved when you realize that, for Jesus, peace seems to have meant not the absence of struggle, but the presence of love.”
Your interviews have been brilliant with great guests - they give me hope in the midst of the chaos, degradation and blindness of present societies. We have to press presenting Jesus in his true strength and weirdness (wildness? Fearsomeness? ) What I often appreciate with Martin Shaw is his way of surprising me, his hints and pointers which require of my imagination to fill gaps and reach towards the indescribable. Wishing you good rest before your tour in America!
Wonderful conversation, thank you.
I've listened to many conversations with you and Martin and I never tire of them. His insights into the wildness of Christ are so helpful in our mechanized age.
Can't wait to listen to this.
Brilliant! I shall look forward to another trip to St Seraphim’s but will the super funny priest Fr Phillip be there again?
Not this time. But the British Saints gathering is happening again in May. I hope he'll be there then. He is very cool.
He was such fun and it turns out he was a teacher at my old school, the one that made him give up teaching! It will be just as good without him. That’s great to know it’s happening again in May :-)
W00T! Can’t wait to listen to this one. Gonna be brilliant I can feel it. Booked my tix for Irvington NY!! Very excited to finally be able to see Paul speak in person and hopefully get my book signed. Wish I could go to ALL the Northeast US events but - life! Lol.
Well...lucky you! I just wish Paul was coming to the PNW to speak, even just the NW...
Finally got to listen on our annual family trek to the Berkshires of Western Mass for our extended Labor Day weekend reunion with college friends (went to UMass Amherst in the early 80s) and their families. A few days of sunshine (hopefully), improptu sports, games, kayaking, campfire shenanigans and camaraderie & fellowship before the new school year. Been doing this for nearly if not actually 30 years. Our kids now adults grew up with this annual event. Rooted in this place are our hearts, though time & change have taken their toll - as responsibilites of their adulthood have crept up. Wonderfull episode!!! My favorite thusfar. I could listen to you both wax eloquently on these topics for hours on end. Really whets my appetite to gnaw on the book soon. Thanks Paul & Martin. 🙏 Will definitely be relistening to this one a few times I think.
Paul, this was a great interview - thank you! One issue: audio balance. Have you noticed that your sound level is often lower/quieter than your guest's? In order to hear you well and clearly, I increase the volume when you speak, (- not wanting to miss the words that are frequently softly uttered ) but then it is too loud when, in this case, Martin, speaks. Is there a convenient way to achieve audio balance?
Yes I also experienced this. I had to have it on very loud to clearly hear both of you!
I need a better microphone. I have one which doesn't work properly and I need to sort it out, but have been too tech-incompetent to do it so far. I will make it happen.
*UPDATE*: a new microphone is in the post. Let's hope I can make it work this time.
Thank you for another deeply positive and uplifting conversation. It has converted me to Martin Shaw - I always feel negative towards people who self describe as story tellers, which must tell me something about my own shadows 😂 - but he’s a lovely man. He said his Walsingham day is in November 2026, but you seem to imply it’s this coming November. Can you clarify? And now I have your talk with Ian McGilchrist to look forward to, which I seem to have missed ( Substack is increasingly full of distracting clutter, which it seems, deliberately?, to make very difficult to cut away).
Yes, the event is this November, he must have misspoken. All details on my events page.
A lot of 'storytellers' are pretty poor - it's a lost art - but Martin is the real deal.
For some of us, our best hope now is to go out where the bus doesn’t park. Brilliant interview! Martin is my pied piper back to Orthodoxy. Glory to God for all things
Prehistoric Jesus vs. Empirical Jesus. "More interested in Jesus of Lascaux caves" than Christian civilizational project. Very interesting. Feels like there's a lead there I should follow. The interview provided many of those. Thanks to you both.
Sometimes God speaks through collapse (decomposition). The wilderness strips us of our illusions, and what is left is longing. Longing that is already God’s answer in our hearts.
The American Tour page still lists October 4 in Charlottesville, although your events page no longer does. Please come to Charlottesville!
I'll be there. I don't have details yet, but when I do they will be posted on my events page.
I have pre ordered your book already. Is it a collection of the Machine essays? Is it different? Of course I will find out soon enough but I’m just wondering. I’ve read all the essays, but look forward to having them in a book format.
Pre-Ordered
What a great conversation. Merrie indeed.
I could listen to you two “chat” all day Paul. My only mild critique is in your friction with Jesus as Prince of Peace. There is indeed a paradox to wrestle with there but He indeed is given that as one of His “titles.”. I think Frederick Buechner did well with this idea:
“PEACE HAS COME TO MEAN THE TIME when there aren't any wars or even when there aren't any major wars. Beggars can't be choosers; we'd most of us settle for that. But in Hebrew peace, shalom, means fullness, means having everything you need to be wholly and happily yourself.
One of the titles by which Jesus is known is Prince of Peace, and he used the word himself in what seem at first glance to be two radically contradictory utterances. On one occasion he said to the disciples, "Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matthew 10:34). And later on, the last time they ate together, he said to them, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you" (John 14:27).
The contradiction is resolved when you realize that, for Jesus, peace seems to have meant not the absence of struggle, but the presence of love.”
Peace as shalom…indeed!
🌳🙏🌳