Episode five in the Mystics series is about a saint who was devoted to Saint Francis’ rule to live in absolute poverty. She defied her aristocratic family, powerful bishops, and several popes to do just this. This saint is the first female founder of a monastic order. She was a celebrity in life and played a role in defining 13th-century European politics – all while confined within the walls of a monastery. She’s also the patron saint of television. This is the story of Saint Clare the Mighty Abbess in the Shadows.

This is I Am Milk, a special episode inspired by an exhibition at the Wellcome Collection in London entitled, Milk. It explores our relationship with milk and its place in politics, society, and culture. Judaeo-Christian legends are filled to the brim with stories about milk from lactating saints to a promised land of milk and honey and a Christian morality that developed around the symbolism of the white liquid. I Am Milk is a special Saint Podcast episode that delves into the link between saints’ legends and milk, featuring co-curators from the Wellcome Collection, Honor Beddard and Marianne Templeton.

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This is a special episode inspired by an exhibition at the National Gallery in London entitled, Saint Francis of Assisi, featuring a special guest, curator Dr Joost Joustra. Presenting the art and imagery of Saint Francis from the 13th century to today, the exhibition looks at why this saint is a figure of enormous relevance to our time due to his spiritual radicalism, commitment to the poor, and love of God and nature, as well as his powerful appeals for peace, and openness to dialogue with other religions. It’s an incredible exhibition that explores the life of an enormously popular saint through some of the earliest Medieval depictions, manuscripts written in Francis’ hand, a tunic that the saint wore, modern-day films – and even a Marvel comic book! The Art of Saint Francis is a special Saint Podcast episode about the way art has shaped our understanding of the poverello from Assisi.

This bonus episode for Patreon supporters and Spotify/Anchor subscribers is about a saint whose holy day is also a secular holiday, a day in which couples around the world buy each other flowers, chocolates, and other tokens of love. Facebook statistics suggest something else is brewing beneath the romantic dinners, something darker. The two weeks immediately before and after the feast day record the highest changes in relationship status from DATING to SINGLE. The irony perhaps makes sense because the original hagiography of this Ancient Roman martyr has nothing to do with romantic love. This is the story of Saint Valentine the Ersatz Patron of Love.

This is a special episode created in collaboration with the York Art Gallery. It’s inspired by an exhibition curated by Dr Joost Joustra called Sin, organised by the National Gallery, London with York Museums Trust. The exhibition explores the theme of sin through a collection of artworks spanning a Medieval depiction of demons consuming the soul of a sinner to old masters paintings of saints and other divine figures – and a provocative contemporary sculpture that confronts the assumptions we make about sin and sinners. This is It’s a Sin, a special Saint Podcast episode that explores the history of sin.

Episode four in the Mystics series is about a saint who was born in the year 1181. He was a middle-class party boy who aspired to the upper-class sex, drugs, and rock and roll lifestyle of an aristocrat until a chance encounter with a leper changed him. His love for nature is commonly referenced, as are the bloody stigmata he bore on his body. The saint we know today, however, bears superficial resemblance to the man pieced together from historical evidence.  This is Part I of the story of Saint Francis of Assisi the Wayward Stigmatic.

Halloween is upon us! The day was originally a Christian holy day, heavily influenced by ancient pre-Christian traditions, known as All Hallows Eve. This All Hallows Eve, we’re going to explore a bloody phenomenon that has afflicted – or perhaps blessed – the faithful for centuries. The phenomenon manifests as open wounds corresponding to Christ’s crucifixion. Over the last 700 years, the marks have appeared on the bodies of dozens of believers all over the world from saints to accountants. They've baffled medical professionals, scandalised communities, fortified devotees, and inspired Gothy artists since the 13th century.  Join us for a Saint Podcast Halloween exploration of stigmata and the bloody wounds of the Crucifixion.

Episode three in the Mystics series is about one of the most influential figures in Medieval Europe, She was a 12th-century author composer, theologian, author, naturalist, visionary, and exorcist. She began life as an oblate, a child who was donated irrevocably to the church by her wealthy parents, sealed up in a cell for life. How she emerged to become one of the most sought after advisors to bishops, kings, and popes is incredible, especially so given the stringent restrictions that greatly narrowed the possibilities open for women. Her tale is one of amazing triumph - and also one of heartbreak over the departure of her beloved nun, Richardis. This is the story of Saint Hildegard of Bingen the Mystical Polymath.