Soul Stirrings

“Soul Stirrings” is Dr. Paul Patton’s 5-7 minute attempt to provide clarifying, maybe even inspiring, nuggets of insight about faith, communication, and culture along the journey of our existence. Paul is Professor Emeritus of Communication and Media at Spring Arbor University in Michigan, a former pastor, theater practitioner, author, and playwright. This podcast, certainly assuming Judeo-Christian presuppositions, draws steadily from the biblical witness. The concept of “soul stirring” is readily tied to Jewish rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s insight that moments of inspiration come and go, yet “having been inspired never passes” (Heschel, Man Is Not Alone, Harper and Row, 1966, p. 78). In other words, if one can retrieve the inspiring insight from literature, from performance art, or even the memorable quip of a friend as circumstances invite clarity and depth, one has an oasis of the mind whenever it is needed. A “soul stirring” is a truth, an insight, an observation that stirs the soul to reconsider its assumptions and reflect on its current course.

The topics covered include the “Fruits of the Spirit,” as laid out in Saint Paul’s letter to the Galatians, nine virtues cultivated over a lifetime in the garden of one’s life. Another over-arching theme is the wise engagement with the title-wave of pop culture, technology, and media entertainment offerings that can inadvertently move us away from a healthy balance of work and rest. As the podcast’s introduction asserts, “where all things regarding faith, communication, and culture are considered.