EP27 | Krista Tippett - The Transformative Power of Language

Thomas is joined by Peabody Award-winning broadcaster, New York Times bestselling author, and the host of On Being, Krista Tippett.  They discuss the virtues of hospitality, humility, and creativity in spirituality, and in creating spaces where deep subjects and emotions can safely emerge. Krista explains how her upbringing and work as a journalist have shown her the need for human civilization to outgrow our binary ways of thinking and have the courage to hold contradictions and complexities. She and Thomas explore how humanity can mature and spiritually evolve, starting from within ourselves and our bodies, and expanding into an understanding of the shared traumas of our past. They discuss the continuing legacy of racial trauma that began with slavery, and how the progress of civil rights is being impeded by our collective unwillingness to fundamentally change our way of life.  Krista maintains, despite the horrors of history, that “hope is not wishful thinking,” but a necessary trait of those who inspire us to transform for the better. Key Points: 00:00 Introduction 02:16 The power of language in trauma healing 06:20 Creating spaces conducive to safety 14:44 How healing trauma creates presence 21:10 Finding tools to integrate stored trauma 26:29 Lessons from Germany and Holocaust Survivors 36:42 An aspirational sign of societal maturity 44:08 Solidarity through action 48:49 The need for a spiritual anchor for healing Krista Tippett is a Peabody Award-winning broadcaster, a National Humanities Medalist, and a New York Times bestselling author. She attended Brown University and became a journalist and diplomat in Cold War Berlin. After studying theology at Yale Divinity School in the early 1990s, she saw a black hole where intelligent public conversation about the religious, spiritual, and moral aspects of human life might be. She launched Speaking of Faith — later On Being — as a weekly national public radio show in 2003. What launched on two radio stations grew to over 400 across the U.S. and has received the highest honors in broadcasting, the Internet, and podcasting.