To be a human is to have a body, and to have a body is to touch and be touched.

The silky softness of a dog’s fur, the grainy roughness of sand, the bracing coolness of water. Touch is the triumph of a high five, the comfort a bear hug, the lurching nervous magic of a kiss. Touch is the shock of a slap to the face, the grief of a hand that slips out of our own, the betrayal of a smack that should be a caress. Touch is safety, danger, pleasure, pain, comfort, courage, human. We are touching creatures, feeling our way through the world. We reach for the world, for each other, for God.

To touch and be touched is to be human.

ABOUT SPEAKING WITH JOY

A podcast that explores pieces of great art and discusses how art shapes our character and our world. Hosted by Joy Clarkson, this wonderful addition to our podcast family gives listeners the chance to delight in classics you might have missed.

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Recent Podcasts
The Art of King Arthur's Court
The Art of King Arthur's Court

Join the hosts for an exploration of visual depictions of Arthurian legends across the centuries.

The Once and (Always) King: Arthur Legends through the Centuries
The Once and (Always) King: Arthur Legends through the Centuries

. In this episode, we trace the remarkable evolution of the Arthurian legends from the shadowy origins in post-Roman Britain through Saxon England and the French courts, up through Victorian writers and into the modern day. 

Telling a Beautiful Story
Telling a Beautiful Story

Following the Gathering’s Arthurian Pub night, the hosts discuss The Kitchen Knight, the importance of triumphant stories, and how we can subcreate beauty amidst our sin and limitations. 

Why Phantastes Still Matters
Why Phantastes Still Matters

Meredith Finch joins the pub table to discuss the new graphic novel adaptation of Phantastes from Cave Pictures Publishing.

Who Continues the Lore?
Who Continues the Lore?

Join the digital pub table to learn more about fanfiction and its purpose in continuing the conversation with the works it pays homage to.

Who Owns the Lore?
Who Owns the Lore?

At the digital pub table, we explore the history of intellectual property, the evolution of mythology, and how Christians should think about storytelling, creativity, and what it really means to “own” a story.

Telling a Bigger Story
Telling a Bigger Story

In this week's season finale, Brian, Amy, and Christina ask: what story are you telling that might need two hundred years to prove itself?

The Long Defeat
The Long Defeat

Brian, Amy, and Christina explore the story of Athanasius.

The Other Inklings
The Other Inklings

G. Connor Salter joins the Anselm Digital Pub table to discuss his new book, The Other Inklings.

The Theology of Vampires and Zombies
The Theology of Vampires and Zombies

Dr. Amy Hughes, a theology professor, scholar, and author joins the pub table to discuss our favorite supernatural creatures and what they have to say about humanity and God.