In this episode, we speak with writer Lamorna Ash about her two-year immersion in Christianity—an unexpected journey that took her from conservative Bible studies and charismatic worship to Quaker silence, Jesuit retreats, and the poetry of mystical experience.
Inspired by the sudden conversions of two close friends, Lamorna set out to understand what faith might look like from the inside. Along the way, she wrestled with the limitations of belief, the beauty of ancient rituals, and the uncomfortable weight of institutional Christianity. Her story is one of tentative openness—a slow, uncertain movement toward mystery rather than certainty.
Following the interview, Nomad hosts Tim Nash and Nick Thorley reflects on their own journey through doubt, deconstruction, and the quiet possibility of faith on the edges.
Interview starts at 16m 22s
SOCIALS
BOOKS
Don’t Forget We’re Here Forever
BOOKS MENTIONED
The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James
Times Square Red, Times Square Blue by Samuel Delany
Heroes of the Fourth Turning by Will Arbery
QUOTES
“I suddenly realised, what [Christianity] could do was make the life that I already had larger.”
“When I realised that I can accommodate doubt and faith together, that felt quite exciting.”
“I really appreciate the idea of searching for faith, which I think was something that I thought would come to me rather than something that I would go looking for.”
“Faith is more like longing. It’s this active thing with no sense of ever getting an answer.”
