Many people spend this time of year contemplating the big picture, asking the heady, existential questions we don’t have time to ponder while moving at the usual breakneck pace of modern life.
As with most pursuits these days, there are plenty of podcasts that aim to help. In fact, some sources list spiritually-oriented pods among the most popular shows in Richmond, particularly those produced by churches in the area.
For an option that doesn’t favor a specific denomination and includes fun music history, there’s “The Theology of Hip Hop.” The podcast is the latest from Dr. Chris Burton, a chaplain at the Union Presbyterian Seminary and a Style Top 40 Under 40 honoree. The show explores the sometimes uneasy collision of hip-hop music and faith, as expressed by some of hip-hop’s most famous practitioners.
Though only five episodes have aired as I’m writing this, Burton has already shown a deep knowledge of hip-hop and an earnest interest in digging into the catalogs of a wide range of artists. He kicked off the series with deep dives into the careers of OG rappers like DMX and Tupac Shakur, but more recent episodes have looked at artists both more contemporary (Doechii) and less renowned (Ka).
For the casual listener, the podcast provides both delights and frustrations. Burton asks provocative questions, like wondering whether DMX, who is famously depicted doused in blood on the cover of his album “Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood,” is rap’s most powerful theologian. The episode on Doechii is structured much like a sermon where each song on her sole album is explicated for lessons about the messy reality of life.
At times, the sonic dynamics of the show fluctuate, prompting an annoying need to make volume adjustments mid-episode. The spotty engineering is surprising given that Burton’s been doing podcasts since “Cross Streets” in 2018. The first episodes were also disappointing in their relative lack of music clips, making it hard for those unfamiliar with a rappers’ catalog to truly understand the impact of some of the songs discussed.
The Doechii episode seems to be a corrective on that issue and, even with those criticisms, I’d still recommend “Theology” as an interesting source for both spiritual and cultural revelations. Furthermore, if you like this show, it can serve as an introduction to the extended Burton universe. Podcasts he’s hosted in addition to “Cross Streets” include “Invisible Strength,” about the frustrations of living with an autoimmune disease, and “BaddestChaplain,” which supplements “Theology” with spiritual thoughts not necessarily related to music.
A podcast mentioned in the first installment of this column was Holly Zajur’s “How the Wise One Grows,” still an excellent source for guidance on mindfulness and meditation. Shortly after that column came out, someone recommended “Practically Happy” to me and I’ve been ducking in and out of it ever since.
Hosted by Miranda Anderson, a registered nurse with a master’s degree in applied cognitive psychology, “Happy” seeks to help listeners find a kind of spiritual clarity that is more functional than theological. Episodes featuring enumerations – “Five Factors for Flourishing” or “Five Things to Feel Better Today” – exemplify the kind of straightforward, plain-spoken enlightenment Anderson is offering.
While there are other podcasts, like Pushkin Industries’ “The Happiness Lab,” that also explore the science of simplicity, Anderson’s engaging energy makes for an easy listen. She stopped putting out new content in spring of 2025, but she’s produced over 300 episodes going back 7 years, some less than 20 minutes long. A listener perusing the “Happy” back catalog is sure to come across a topic that sparks interest and they’ll be treated to evergreen advice for life enhancement as soon as they press play.
More esoteric than “Happy” is “This Mindful Muse,” a podcast looking to guide journeys of self discovery and motivate mindset shifts, hosted by Richmond actor, director, and educator Irene Kuykendall. For the show, Kuykendall taps into her work as a Somatic Healer and Akashic Records Reader.
When I tried to find out what those skills entailed, I came across phrases like “energetic imprint” and “vibrational signature,” concepts that were a bit too “woo woo” to hold my interest. But specific episodes of the podcast that investigate concepts associated with Eastern religion, like reincarnation and karma, highlight Kuykendall’s ability to effectively draw from a wide range of influences.
Whether the changes you want to make are pragmatic or mystical, one of these podcasts may end up being just the inspiration you need for a successful and satisfying 2026.
