The Leader’s Way
Join Brandon Nappi, DMin, and Hannah Black, PhD, on this audio pilgrimage from Berkeley Divinity School, the Episcopal seminary at Yale. Journey with us as we contemplate life’s biggest questions together. In this podcast, we interview leaders and scholars as we think through the Church in the world today, theology, leadership, and innovation. Join us on this pilgrimage, where we cultivate hope and find inspiration along the way. New episodes drop every other Monday.
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Join an audio pilgrimage into the heart of human thriving and the spiritual leadership needed to create a world where all of us can come fully alive. The Leader’s Way Podcast convenes inspiring conversation at the intersection of spirituality, innovation, leadership, and transformation from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale. We invite deep reflection on what matters most in life by catalyzing innovative action for justice, healing, and compassion. We explore emerging spiritual movements and celebrate visionary leadership in its countless disruptive expressions—in Church and religious institutions, in local communities, and in nonprofits, government, universities, popular culture, and the arts.
Episodes
3 hours ago
3 hours ago
Futurist and Berkeley Divinity at Yale alum Rachel Hatch (‘08) joins Brandon and Hannah for a conversation about how to look for signals of change within our own parishes and communities as we make thoughtful choices for the future. In this episode, Rachel encourages leaders to cultivate a practice of imagining possibilities and taking steps toward hope-filled futures, while still addressing the urgencies of the present.
Monday Jun 02, 2025
Monday Jun 02, 2025
Hannah has news, and you have new friends! Tune in to meet guest hosts Whitney and Misty as they join Brandon in interviewing Hannah for our season finale. Why is Gregory of Nyssa’s take on salvation so different from what Hannah heard in church growing up? Are there risks in the regular ways we talk about Christian salvation? How did feminist theology help her untangle all of this? How much can we know or talk about God? And why is wonder, an antidote to certainty, so important? Listen to find out.
Hosts: Brandon Nappi, Whitney Kimball Coe, and Misty Krasawski
Guest: Hannah Black
Production: Goodchild Media
Music: Wayfaring Stranger, Theodicy Jazz Collective
Art: E. Landino
Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast
berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast
You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders
Monday May 26, 2025
Monday May 26, 2025
The penultimate episode of season 4 is here, and it's with someone we know you'll love, @bishopmello of @episcopal_ct!! Tune in to hear about how Jeff Mello's experience in social work impacts his ministry, how a posture of curiosity and willingness to fail are key, and at the very end, hear all about Bishop Jeff Mello as a person when we play our new favorite game: Holy Cow!
Monday May 19, 2025
Monday May 19, 2025
Join co-hosts Brandon Nappi and Hannah Black in an engaging episode of The Leaders Way as they sit down with Linn Tonstad, Professor of Theology, Religion, and Sexuality at Yale Divinity School. In this episode, Tonstad shares her unique perspective on queer theology and how it relates to potential for social transformation. Perfect for Pride Month, this episode challenges us to envision a world with "a little less violence."
Hosts: Brandon Nappi and Hannah Black
Guest: Linn Tonstad
Production: Goodchild Media
Music: Wayfaring Stranger, Theodicy Jazz Collective
Art: E. Landino
Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast
berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast
You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders
Monday May 12, 2025
Monday May 12, 2025
Dean Andrew McGowan joins us to further unpack shifting dynamics, changing landscapes, and the future after addressing the topic at the Episcopal Parish Network (EPN) conference. McGowan describes his observations of Australian secularization and how he sees similar dynamics arising in the United States. We talk about why church attendance is changing, the difference between hope and optimism, and consumer capitalism's effect on church dynamics. After a rich conversation, we play our signature game, Holy Cow!, and learn McGowan's opinion on THE best bread for the Eucharist.
See the EPN talk here: https://youtu.be/5MJmTGvn6y4?si=HyfwtXe_nPI0Nmc5
Hosts: Brandon Nappi and Hannah Black
Guest: Andrew McGowan
Production: Goodchild Media
Music: Wayfaring Stranger, Theodicy Jazz Collective
Art: E. Landino
Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast
berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast
You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders
Monday May 05, 2025
Monday May 05, 2025
THE Father Lizzie is back on The Leader's Way podcast, talking about her new devotional God Didn't Make Us to Hate Us. We talk about the alternative to "billboard Christianity" and how an expansive, inclusive God affects individual spirituality and corporate worship in church.
Finally, the Golden Retriever Games are back, baby. Stay 'till the end for "Holy or Horror?"
https://bookshop.org/contributors/lizzie-mcmanus-dail
Hosts: Brandon Nappi and Hannah Black
Guest: Lizzie McManus-Dail
Production: Goodchild Media
Music: Wayfaring Stranger, Theodicy Jazz Collective
Art: E. Landino
Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast
berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast
You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders
Monday Apr 21, 2025
Monday Apr 21, 2025
Yale Divinity School Professor Teresa Morgan shares her expertise about the Greek word “pistis,” often translated in the New Testament as “faith.” The conversation revolves around faith, trust, and faithfulness and touches on the importance of a nuanced understanding of atonement theology. Brandon challenges Morgan and Black to “Gregory or Gregory?” Tune in for an enlightening discussion that bridges the gap between ancient texts and modern faith.
Hosts: Brandon Nappi and Hannah Black
Guest: Teresa Morgan
Production: Goodchild Media
Music: Wayfaring Stranger, Theodicy Jazz Collective
Art: E. Landino
Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast
You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders
Monday Apr 07, 2025
Monday Apr 07, 2025
The Rev'd John Burruss (The Leader's Way ’23 Fellow) and the Rev'd Mary Bea Sullivan join hosts Hannah Black and Brandon Nappi to tell the story of the Threshold Center, a vibrant space designed to address loneliness and foster connection in Birmingham, Alabama. Born from a tragic event in the life of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, the Threshold Center nurtures well-being and connection by engaging practices of the heart, body, and imagination through innovative programs like trauma-informed yoga, listening as an act of love, and peace through poetry. This episode offers rich insights into the power of collaboration, creativity, and radical hospitality.
https://www.thethresholdcenter.org/
Advertising partners: http://livingchurch.org/events
Hosts: Brandon Nappi and Hannah Black Guests: The Rev'd John Burruss and the Rev'd Mary Bea Sullivan
Production: Goodchild Media
Music: Wayfaring Stranger, Theodicy Jazz Collective
Art: E. Landino
Instagram: @theleadersway.podcast
https://berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast
You can support our work at https://tinyurl.com/support-transforming-leaders