The Academy Podcast

By The Academy for Spiritual Formation

Welcome to The Academy Podcast, a podcast dedicated to sharing rich content for the purpose of spiritual growth. The Academy Podcast is brought to you by The Academy for Spiritual Formation, an intern... more

· Religion & Spirituality

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FAQs about The Academy Podcast:

How many episodes does The Academy Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 101 episodes available.

The Academy Podcast episodes:

November 11, 2025 Liturgy That Protects Life with Cláudio Carvalhaes
In this month’s episode, Shalom Agtarap is joined by Cláudio Carvalhaes, a theologian, liturgist, performer, artist, and activist whose work bridges worship, ecology, and justice.
In this conversation, we explore how formation—not just information—shapes a Christian life rooted in practice and theory, community and land. Cláudio invites us into sentipensar (to think-feel), reflecting on “traditioning,” the power of ritual to stretch us toward the needs of our neighbors, the collective nature of faith beyond the merely human, and how worship becomes a way of protecting life—people, rivers, soil, and skies.
Whether you long to renew your worship life, deepen your ecological awareness, or reorient your spirituality toward the suffering and beauty of the world, Cláudio’s wisdom will call you to listen more deeply—to God, to the land, and to one another—and to become people of courageous, communal love.
Cláudio Carvalhaes, earth thinker, theologian, liturgist, performer, artist and playwright, a native Brazilian from São Paulo, he is now the Professor of Worship at Union Theological Seminary in New York. In the Summer of 2023, Carvalhaes received the Honorary Degree Sacrae Theologiae Doctor bestowed by the Board of Trustees of Starr King School for the Ministry. In the Fall of 2023, Carvalhaes received the award of The Most Creative Play at the New York Theater Festival with his play "When Wajcha Meets Pachamama."  Carvalhaes will teach on Liturgy & Spirituality for Academy #43, which began in November 2025.

Show Notes:
Episode tracks: “Far Side of the Sea,” “Versailles,” and “Fearless” by Amy Stroup, used with permission.
Audio editing and production by Tim Savage.
A special thanks to the staff of The Upper Room, the Academy team, and everyone who helps bring this podcast to life.
For more information and resources visit: academy.upperroom.org/resources

Join Us
The next Two-Year Academy begins October 26, 2026. Learn more about Two-Year Academy #44 and apply here.

Support Our Work
If the Academy Podcast or any of the ministries of The Academy for Spiritual Formation have benefited your life and spirituality, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to show your support. You can learn more about how your gifts make a difference at https://academy.upperroom.org/donate/
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50min
October 13, 2025 Grounded in God’s Presence with Beth Richardson
In this month’s episode, Shalom Agtarap is joined by Beth Richardson. Beth Richardson is a longtime Upper Room writer, leader, worship designer, and spiritual guide whose journey with The Academy has reawakened her sacramental calling and shaped her ministry of hope, healing, and creativity.

In this conversation, we explore how the rhythm of The Academy — prayer, worship, silence, learning, and community — shapes vocational discernment, spiritual formation, and public ministry. Beth tells the story of first encountering The Academy while working at The Upper Room, and reflects on practices that keep her grounded in difficult times. She also shares how long-term community formation equips people to face issues of justice and reconciliation, and why The Academy matters to the world today.

Whether you are discerning participation in The Academy or longing for practices that ground you in hope, healing, and God’s presence, Beth’s story invites you to listen and discover the rhythm of life that sustains us.

Originally from Oklahoma, Beth now lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her spouse, Jenni, and their spirited Scottie, JJ Shannon McGreggor. A retired Elder from the Mountain Sky Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, she continues to serve the Academy community as worship leader for Spirituality in Practice. As a faculty member for Academy #43, Beth will teach on the curriculum of Spirituality & Ways of Healing, guiding participants into practices that nurture wholeness, restoration, and God’s transforming presence in their lives.

JOIN US
The next Two-Year Academy begins November 3, 2025. Learn more about Two-Year Academy #43 and apply here.

Show Notes:
Episode tracks: “Far Side of the Sea,” “Versailles,” and “Fearless” by Amy Stroup, used with permission.
Audio editing and production by Tim Savage.
A special thanks to the staff of The Upper Room, the Academy team, and everyone who helps bring this podcast to life.
For more information and resources visit: academy.upperroom.org/resources
Support Our Work
If the Academy Podcast or any of the ministries of The Academy for Spiritual Formation have benefited your life and spirituality, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to show your support. You can learn more about how your gifts make a difference at https://academy.upperroom.org/donate/

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40min
September 08, 2025 Rhythms of Retreat, Return, and Reconciliation with Amy Oden
In this month’s episode, Shalom Agtarap is joined by Amy Oden—professor, theologian, and longtime Academy faculty member. Amy reflects on her first encounter with the Academy and how its rhythms of silence, spaciousness, and community reshaped her pedagogy and her life. She shares about her teaching on hospitality, Christian spiritualities, Protestant traditions, and mindfulness, weaving in voices that have shaped her, from Julian of Norwich to Howard Thurman.
Together, they explore how the Academy’s rhythm of retreat and return develops “muscle memory” for attentiveness, how practices of Sabbath and simplicity resist the demands of empire, and how spiritual formation is always tied to justice and reconciliation. Amy also speaks candidly about privilege, formation, and what it means to steward our social location faithfully.
Whether you are discerning participation in the Academy or seeking to deepen your own practice of pausing, listening, and being present, Amy’s insights offer an invitation into the open space of God’s life with us.
Amy is a faculty member for Two-Year Academy #43, which begins in November 2025. During her time with #43, he will be guiding participants through the theme “Traditions of Christian Spirituality.”
Dr. Amy G. Oden is a working professor, teaching church history and Christian spirituality for several seminaries. She has served on the faculties of Oklahoma City University, Saint Paul School of Theology and Wesley Theological Seminary where she also served as Dean. She holds a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Southern Methodist University and a baccalaureate in Letters from University of Oklahoma. Born and raised on the prairies of Oklahoma, Amy has found her spiritual home under the wide-open sky. Her passion is to introduce spiritual practices that can ground and nourish lives for justice in the world. Amy teaches theology, history of Christianity and spiritual formation, walking with students in learning.
JOIN US
The next Two-Year Academy begins November 3, 2025. Learn more about Two-Year Academy #43 and apply here.
Show Notes:
Episode tracks: “Far Side of the Sea,” “Versailles,” and “Fearless” by Amy Stroup, used with permission.
Audio editing and production by Tim Savage.
A special thanks to the staff of The Upper Room, the Academy team, and everyone who helps bring this podcast to life.
For more information and resources visit: academy.upperroom.org/resources
Support Our Work
If the Academy Podcast or any of the ministries of The Academy for Spiritual Formation have benefited your life and spirituality, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to show your support. You can learn more about how your gifts make a difference at https://academy.upperroom.org/donate/
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49min
August 11, 2025 Living in Hope — A Conversation with Juan Carlos Huertas
We’re thrilled to announce the relaunch of The Academy Podcast, a space for deep listening, spiritual insight, and meaningful conversation. Hosted by Shalom Agtarap, a Two-Year Academy alum, the podcast will feature thoughtful interviews with Academy faculty, program leaders, and special guests who embody the Academy’s values of spiritual depth, justice, and community.
Each episode invites listeners to engage in conversations that stir the soul—exploring the intersections of spiritual formation, leadership, creativity, and transformation. Whether you’re an Academy alum or new to our community, this podcast offers an accessible way to stay rooted in the Academy rhythm.
The Academy Podcast will follow a seasonal format, with regular episodes during the spring and fall, and intentional summer and winter breaks for rest and renewal. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
This month on The Academy Podcast, Shalom sits down with Juan Carlos Huertas for a rich and layered conversation about embodied spirituality, ancestral memory, and resistance rooted in joy. Drawing from his lived experience as a pastor, parent, Puerto Rican, and Academy faculty member, Juan Carlos reflects on how spiritual formation practices—prayer, rest, storytelling, silence, and community—can help us reclaim hope in the face of empire.
Together, Juan Carlos and Shalom explore what it means to walk the streets of a diverse neighborhood, listen to the wisdom of the body, and carry the legacy of ancestors who “were grinding for all of us.” This is a conversation about freedom, healing, and the sacred, liberating rhythm of life that The Academy invites us to live into—both in retreat and in the everyday.
Juan Carlos is a faculty member for Two-Year Academy #43, which begins in November 2025. During his time with #43, he will be guiding participants through the theme “Attentiveness of the Word,” exploring how we listen deeply to God, scripture, and the world around us.
JOIN US
The next Two-Year Academy begins November 3, 2025. Learn more about Two-Year Academy #43 and apply here.
Show Notes:
Episode tracks: “Far Side of the Sea,” “Versailles,” and “Fearless” by Amy Stroup, used with permission.
Audio editing and production by Tim Savage.
A special thanks to the staff of The Upper Room, the Academy team, and everyone who helps bring this podcast to life.
For more information and resources visit: academy.upperroom.org/resources
Support Our Work
If the Academy Podcast or any of the ministries of The Academy for Spiritual Formation have benefited your life and spirituality, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to show your support. You can learn more about how your gifts make a difference at https://academy.upperroom.org/donate/
...more
42min
January 11, 2025 Pause, Reflect, Reimagine: An Update on Our Podcast Journey
In this episode of The Academy Podcast, we share an important update: a hiatus and reimagination of our podcast journey. Join host Shalom Agtarap as we reflect on the gifts of the new year, the wisdom of the Magi, and the importance of rest and discernment.
While we pause to prayerfully envision the future of this offering, we encourage you to revisit past episodes and share your feedback in this survey to help shape what’s next: https://bit.ly/academypodcast2025
Thank you for being part of this transformative community. Keep listening—to life, to creation, and to the still, small voice guiding us all. For updates and to stay connected, visit Academy.UpperRoom.org.
We look forward to returning with renewed vision and purpose.
Shalom Agtarap is a graduate of Two-Year Academy #29 and has served on multiple Academy leadership teams, including the upcoming Two-Year Academy #43. She is an ordained minister in The United Methodist Church who builds community through relational organizing. Her roots are in the church but they are watered by many streams as she intentionally cultivates connection across racial/ethnic lines, religious traditions, and socioeconomic backgrounds for the common good. Shalom lives in Tacoma, Washington with her spouse and three children.
JOIN US
We're excited to announce that the next Two-Year Academy begins November 3, 2025. Learn more about Two-Year Academy #43 and apply at https://academy.upperroom.org/event/two-year-43/
Show Notes:
Episode tracks: “Far Side of the Sea,” “Versailles,” and “Fearless” by Amy Stroup, used with permission.
For more information and resources visit: academy.upperroom.org/resources
Support Our Work
If the Academy Podcast or any of the ministries of The Academy for Spiritual Formation have benefited your life and spirituality, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to show your support. You can learn more about how your gifts make a difference at https://academy.upperroom.org/donate/
...more
7min
December 09, 2024 Advent Through Immigrant Eyes with Rubén Ortiz
This month, the Academy Podcast features Rubén Ortiz's teaching from the 2022 online Academy Day Apart retreat called “Hope in a Time of Despair: Advent Through Immigrant Eyes." In this episode, Rubén Ortiz shares his personal journey as a migrant, weaving together stories of family, faith, and transformation. Through the lenses of familia, nepantla (the in-between spaces), and diaspora, Rubén reflects on the spiritual lessons he’s learned through migration and exile. Drawing on biblical narratives, his own experiences, and the themes of Advent, Rubén explores the creative and transformative potential of waiting, belonging, and building bridges across cultures.
Join us as Rubén invites us to expand the boundaries of our hearts, see the vast ocean of possibilities in migration, and discover how faith shapes a life in motion.
Take a look at Rubén's presentation slides here: https://bit.ly/rubenortizacademy
Rev. Rubén N. Ortiz, M.Div., is the Latino Field Ministries Coordinator for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF). He a two-time immigrant: Cuba to Ecuador (1993) and Ecuador to USA (2000). With studies in music, communications, and theology, Rubén has served as a pastor for more than two decades as well as a Spiritual Director. He is often called upon as a consultant, advisor, and resource facilitator and is passionate about promoting the wellbeing of congregations and pastors. Rubén was a participant in Two-Year Academy #32 (a Spanish and English bilingual Academy) and is also part of the Academy Advisory Board. In his ministry with CBF, he works with Latino congregations and partners and provides leadership to FAMILIA, CBF’s Latino Network. Rubén and his wife, Xiomara, are “empty-nester” parents of Natalia Sofia and Daniel Andrés.
JOIN US
We're excited to announce that the next Two-Year Academy begins November 3, 2025. Learn more about Two-Year Academy #43 and apply here: https://academy.upperroom.org/event/two-year-43/
Show Notes:
Episode tracks: “Far Side of the Sea,” “Versailles,” and “Fearless” by Amy Stroup, used with permission.
For more information and resources visit: academy.upperroom.org/resources
Support Our Work
If the Academy Podcast or any of the ministries of The Academy for Spiritual Formation have benefited your life and spirituality, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to show your support. You can learn more about how your gifts make a difference at https://academy.upperroom.org/donate/
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40min
November 11, 2024 Exploring Liminality in Faith and Practice with Barbara Brown Taylor
This month, the Academy Podcast features Barbara Brown Taylor's teaching from a Five-Day in Alabama in 2022. In this episode, Barbara reflects on the spiritual significance of twilight, exploring how this threshold time between light and dark mirrors our own journeys through faith, transformation, and the unknown.
Join us for a compelling discussion as Barbara invites us to embrace the sacredness of liminal spaces, to find divine presence in moments of transition, and to open ourselves to the mystery that twilight holds. Discover how twilight can be a teacher in the journey of descent and transformation, where we are invited to live faithfully in the tensions of life.
Barbara Brown Taylor is a best-selling author, teacher, and Episcopal priest. Her first memoir, Leaving Church, won an Author of the Year award from the Georgia Writers Association in 2006. Her next three books earned places on the New York Times bestseller list. Taylor has served on the faculties of Piedmont College, Emory University, Mercer University, Columbia Seminary, Oblate School of Theology, and the Certificate in Theological Studies program at Arrendale State Prison for Women in Alto, Georgia. Her latest book, Always a Guest, was released in October 2020 from Westminster John Knox Press.
JOIN US
We're excited to announce that the next Two-Year Academy begins November 3, 2025. Lear more at https://academy.upperroom.org/event/two-year-43/. The online application for Academy #43 will be available in the very near future. If you want to be one of the first to know when registration is open, please complete this simple form to give us your name and contact information so that we can inform you as soon as the application is ready.
Show Notes:
Episode tracks: “Far Side of the Sea,” “Versailles,” and “Fearless” by Amy Stroup, used with permission.
For more information and resources visit: academy.upperroom.org/resources
Support Our Work
If the Academy Podcast or any of the ministries of The Academy for Spiritual Formation have benefited your life and spirituality, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to show your support. You can learn more about how your gifts make a difference at https://academy.upperroom.org/donate/
...more
30min
October 07, 2024 Spirituality and Embodiment with Molly Vetter
This month, the Academy Podcast features Molly Vetter's teaching from Academy #42 in 2023 on the topic, "Spirituality and Embodiment." In this episode, Molly Vetter reflects on the intersection of scripture, art, and spirituality, inviting listeners to see how sacred traditions and personal experiences converge in daily life.
Join us for a thought-provoking discussion that invites us to see our faith embodied in everyday life, to find the sacred in art and community, and to live faithfully—even when it challenges institutional norms.
Rev. Molly Vetter is passionate about many things: building community with unlikely and diverse people, making the church more boldly welcoming, and caring for the earth. Since 2019, she has served as Senior Pastor of Westwood United Methodist Church in Los Angeles, a congregation with a rich legacy of thoughtful engagement on social issues and incredible worship gatherings in which to connect to the grace and mystery of our God. Molly received her Masters of Divinity from Claremont School of Theology and studied Art History for undergrad at Boston University. In her personal and professional life, she loves planning events and trips, and enjoys experiencing them, too. She loves designing and making things, especially out of fabric or food or the internet. Outside of the local church, Molly has served in several leadership roles in the broader United Methodist Church and stays active in organizations that serve the local community. She volunteers with the Grain Place Foundation, a non-profit that will inherit and continue her family’s organic farm in central Nebraska. Molly lives with her husband, Matthew Parker, and their son Jonah. Molly is an alum of Two-Year Academy #41 and will serve as Retreat Leader for upcoming Two-Year Academy #43.
Artwork & Photos from the episode:
The Trinity — Kelly Latimore: https://kellylatimoreicons.com/products/the-trinity
That they may have life — Corita Kent:
https://collection.corita.org/piece/64-24
Enriched bread — Corita Kent:
https://collection.corita.org/piece/65-02
Welcome Sign — Noah Purifoy:
https://bit.ly/3BKvF3V
Toilet Bowl Sculpture — Noah Purifoy
https://bit.ly/3Y32fG2
Sitting in The White House — Noah Purifoy:
https://bit.ly/3ByXyfr
White/Colored — Noah Purifoy:
https://bit.ly/3BsD5bZ
Claremont School of Theology Cross — Sam Maloof:
https://bit.ly/3XPVMho
JOIN US
We're excited to announce that the next Two-Year Academy begins November 3, 2025. A website and online application for Academy #43 will be available in the very near future. We’ll be sharing those details in the coming weeks. If you want to be one of the first to know when registration is open, please complete this simple form to give us your name and contact information so that we can inform you as soon as the application is ready. Link to Form: forms.gle/X63WN8RHtAvLDWLL7
Show Notes:
Episode tracks: “Far Side of the Sea,” “Versailles,” and “Fearless” by Amy Stroup, used with permission.
For more information and resources visit: academy.upperroom.org/resources
Support Our Work
If the Academy Podcast or any of the ministries of The Academy for Spiritual Formation have benefited your life and spirituality, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to show your support. You can learn more about how your gifts make a difference at https://academy.upperroom.org/donate/
...more
32min
September 09, 2024 Attentiveness to the Word with Juan Carlos Huertas
This month, the Academy Podcast features Juan Carlos Huertas' teaching from Academy #42 in 2023 on the topic, "Attentiveness to the Word." In this episode, Huertas dives into the rich world of prophetic literature, exploring how the ancient texts of the Bible connect to the realities of our lives today, emphasizing how scripture mirrors modern challenges in justice, leadership, and kinship. Join us for a thought-provoking discussion that invites us to engage more deeply with scripture, justice, and our role in building a more equitable and loving world.
Juan Carlos describes himself as a follower of Jesus, husband, dad, spiritual director, and pastor. Currently he is Minister of Proclamation and Practice of Justice at First-Plymouth Congregational Church in Lincoln, NE. Previously, Juan Carlos was the pastor of Grace Community United Methodist Church in Shreveport, Louisiana. Juan says what God has called him to do in his ministry is, “To work as Jesus would have us work to make a difference in our community, to work together for peace and justice.” Juan is married to Shannon Perry Huertas and they have three children, Seth, Isabelle, & Lucas. For more information, go to https://www.firstplymouth.org/juan-carlos-huertas.
JOIN US
We're excited to announce that the next Two-Year Academy begins November 2, 2025. A website and online application for Academy #43 will be available in the very near future. If you want to be one of the first to know when registration is open, please complete this simple form to give us your name and contact information so that we can inform you as soon as the application is ready. Link to Form: https://forms.gle/X63WN8RHtAvLDWLL7
Show Notes:
Episode tracks: “Far Side of the Sea,” “Versailles,” and “Fearless” by Amy Stroup, used with permission.
For more information and resources visit: academy.upperroom.org/resources
Support Our Work
If the Academy Podcast or any of the ministries of The Academy for Spiritual Formation have benefited your life and spirituality, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to show your support. You can learn more about how your gifts make a difference at https://academy.upperroom.org/donate/
...more
31min
August 12, 2024 New Testament Spirituality with Shively Smith
This month, the Academy Podcast features Shively Smith's teaching from Academy #42 in 2023 on the profound spirituality of the New Testament. In this episode, Dr. Smith explores the diversity within early Christian texts, emphasizing how the spirit of new life and love was interpreted across various cultures, languages, and geographies. She encourages listeners to reflect on the spiritual and social implications of the crucifixion, urging us to consider who stands with us at the cross and who we wish were there. Tune in to be challenged, inspired, and invited into deeper reflection on the intersections of faith and society.
Shively Smith is Associate Professor of New Testament and Director of the PhD Program at Boston University School of Theology. She is also Resident Scholar and an itinerant elder at the historic Metropolitan AME Church of Washington DC. Since the age of 16, Smith has been a student of the Bible and other sacred texts. Dedicated to the life of the mind and journey of the spirit, she goes about her work as a scholar and teacher of biblical texts and histories with hopes of making a difference by speaking informed, courageous, and spirit-filled truths. Smith says: “I'm proud to have studied and collaborated with some of the most committed and educated scholars, teachers, and preachers in theological education, the Church universal, other religious traditions, and beyond. Each day, I aim to grow in my understanding and faith to create bridges for people from different walks of life to talk to each other.” For more information, go to https://www.shivelysmith.com/about.
You can hear more from Shively in her session on Spirituality and Scripture at the first session of The Academy's new hybrid offering mentioned below!
JOIN US
The Academy for Spiritual Formation presents Spirituality in Practice. This newest offering is a unique six-session hybrid model that consists of three immersive, five-day in-person retreats and three online one-day retreats plus monthly two-hour online practice sessions to support integration of learnings and nurture community. Spirituality in Practice is structured to provide an in-depth spiritual journey while keeping the time and financial commitments at more manageable levels. We are accepting applications now. Session 1 begins September 6, 2024, in Mundelein, IL (near Chicago). Find more details and apply here
Show Notes:
Episode tracks: “Far Side of the Sea,” “Versailles,” and “Fearless” by Amy Stroup, used with permission.
For more information and resources visit: academy.upperroom.org/resources
Support Our Work
If the Academy Podcast or any of the ministries of The Academy for Spiritual Formation have benefited your life and spirituality, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to show your support. You can learn more about how your gifts make a difference at https://academy.upperroom.org/donate/
...more
23min

FAQs about The Academy Podcast:

How many episodes does The Academy Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 101 episodes available.

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