Talking About Silence

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

An Invitation To Silence

20220411

20230703 (R3)

Talking about Silence' is a personal pilgrimage around an enjoyable paradox: that you can understand silence better if you talk about it. In his new series of essays, Diarmaid MacCulloch explores the many varieties of spiritual silence in human life and beyond, and what he's learned of its meanings in his six-decade career as a historian of religion.

Framed by his memories of filming at some of the most significant Christian sites in the world for his land-mark TV series on the history of Christianity, Diarmaid explores how even though Christianity has been a religion of the word, it cannot escape silence, because silence is wrapped up in the lived experiences of Christians through time. He presents silence in all its different forms: as the truest expression of the divine, as well as a vehicle of the greatest evil, over the course of Christianity's two thousand years of existence.

In his first essay, Diarmaid MacCulloch introduces us to the theme of silence and how he has returned to the subject at key points during his career. Looking back on his life, Diarmaid sees it was a path laid down from the beginning, which sprang from the experience of a happy but isolated country parsonage childhood: alert already to history and its delights, but also alert as a gay teenager to the way in which things are not said, and what the meaning of that silence is. The hero of Diarmaid's favourite story is the little boy who told the crowd that the emperor had no clothes on. That, says Diarmaid, is what his whole career writing and teaching history has been devoted to: showing up the Emperors with no clothes and ending the silences that need ending.

A Blakeway production for BBC Radio 3

Photo credit: Chris Gibbions

Diarmaid MacCulloch introduces us to the theme of spiritual silence.

The Wild Track

20220412

20230704 (R3)

In this essay, Diarmaid MacCulloch introduces us to the concept of the 'Wild Track' of the TV or radio interview, whose rationale in recording silence is that every silence is different and has its own personality. Diarmaid's life-long research into the history of Christianity has helped him listen to the 'wild-track' of Christian silences, and how Christians have changed their minds on the subject of silence over time. In fact, the first Christians had little respect for silence: they experienced their God in noise. But in seeking to understand their disasters, they gradually saw how they might find their God in profound silence. Jesus' life, as portrayed by the Gospel writers, is punctuated by meaningful silence. So, says Diarmaid, silence is built into the foundation of Christian history, and it has taken a multitude of wild-track byways over two thousand years.

Producer Melissa FitzGerald

A Blakeway Production

Diarmaid MacCulloch explores the 'wild track' of Christian silences.

In A Monastery Garden

20220413

20230705 (R3)

Today Diarmaid takes us inside the spiritual homes of Christian silence, the monasteries. But he says, although they seem a natural part of its two millennia of history, monasteries are actually an early import into Christianity from Syria, which made sense for Christianity. The monastic life of contemplation and silence went on to triumph for a thousand years throughout the Church. The triumph was so complete, that monks developed a language of silence, using all ten fingers of the hand to convey meaning in everyday life. And yet, says Diarmaid, as in all triumphs, there was a reckoning.

Producer Melissa FitzGerald

A Blakeway Production

Diarmaid MacCulloch takes us inside the spiritual homes of Christian silence.

Reformation: Losing Silence

20220414

20230706 (R3)

Today Diarmaid MacCulloch takes us inside Martin Luther's home in Wittenberg, Germany, to explore how Luther's message rewrote the lived experience of Christian silence from the moment he burst onto the scene with his radical, reforming message. The monasteries, as factories of silent prayer, were symbolic of the majesty of the medieval western Church, and so they became the chief casualties of the Protestant Reformation. It took the most radical spirits of the Reformation to realise that something precious was in danger of being lost: the Quakers, who have often found that silent gatherings are the best settings in which to worship. Modern Protestants can still be very noisy, says Diarmaid, and he recalls visiting a revivalist megachurch in South Korea that was the loudest of them all.

Producer Melissa FitzGerald

A Blakeway Production

Diarmaid MacCulloch explores how the Reformation rewrote Christian silence.

05 LAST

Good Silence, Bad Silence

20220415

20230707 (R3)

In his final essay, Diarmaid MacCulloch explores how Christianity contains silences that need ending and the role the historian takes in doing so.

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
01	An Invitation To Silence	20220411	20230703 (R3)	Talking about Silence' is a personal pilgrimage around an enjoyable paradox: that you can understand silence better if you talk about it. In his new series of essays, Diarmaid MacCulloch explores the many varieties of spiritual silence in human life and beyond, and what he's learned of its meanings in his six-decade career as a historian of religion. Framed by his memories of filming at some of the most significant Christian sites in the world for his land-mark TV series on the history of Christianity, Diarmaid explores how even though Christianity has been a religion of the word, it cannot escape silence, because silence is wrapped up in the lived experiences of Christians through time. He presents silence in all its different forms: as the truest expression of the divine, as well as a vehicle of the greatest evil, over the course of Christianity's two thousand years of existence. In his first essay, Diarmaid MacCulloch introduces us to the theme of silence and how he has returned to the subject at key points during his career. Looking back on his life, Diarmaid sees it was a path laid down from the beginning, which sprang from the experience of a happy but isolated country parsonage childhood: alert already to history and its delights, but also alert as a gay teenager to the way in which things are not said, and what the meaning of that silence is. The hero of Diarmaid's favourite story is the little boy who told the crowd that the emperor had no clothes on. That, says Diarmaid, is what his whole career writing and teaching history has been devoted to: showing up the Emperors with no clothes and ending the silences that need ending. A Blakeway production for BBC Radio 3 Photo credit: Chris Gibbions Diarmaid MacCulloch introduces us to the theme of spiritual silence.
02	The Wild Track	20220412	20230704 (R3)	Talking about Silence' is a personal pilgrimage around an enjoyable paradox: that you can understand silence better if you talk about it. In his new series of essays, Diarmaid MacCulloch explores the many varieties of spiritual silence in human life and beyond, and what he's learned of its meanings in his six-decade career as a historian of religion. In this essay, Diarmaid MacCulloch introduces us to the concept of the 'Wild Track' of the TV or radio interview, whose rationale in recording silence is that every silence is different and has its own personality. Diarmaid's life-long research into the history of Christianity has helped him listen to the 'wild-track' of Christian silences, and how Christians have changed their minds on the subject of silence over time. In fact, the first Christians had little respect for silence: they experienced their God in noise. But in seeking to understand their disasters, they gradually saw how they might find their God in profound silence. Jesus' life, as portrayed by the Gospel writers, is punctuated by meaningful silence. So, says Diarmaid, silence is built into the foundation of Christian history, and it has taken a multitude of wild-track byways over two thousand years. Producer Melissa FitzGerald A Blakeway Production Diarmaid MacCulloch explores the 'wild track' of Christian silences.
03	In A Monastery Garden	20220413	20230705 (R3)	Talking about Silence' is a personal pilgrimage around an enjoyable paradox: that you can understand silence better if you talk about it. In his new series of essays, Diarmaid MacCulloch explores the many varieties of spiritual silence in human life and beyond, and what he's learned of its meanings in his six-decade career as an historian of religion. Today Diarmaid takes us inside the spiritual homes of Christian silence, the monasteries. But he says, although they seem a natural part of its two millennia of history, monasteries are actually an early import into Christianity from Syria, which made sense for Christianity. The monastic life of contemplation and silence went on to triumph for a thousand years throughout the Church. The triumph was so complete, that monks developed a language of silence, using all ten fingers of the hand to convey meaning in everyday life. And yet, says Diarmaid, as in all triumphs, there was a reckoning. Producer Melissa FitzGerald A Blakeway Production Diarmaid MacCulloch takes us inside the spiritual homes of Christian silence.
04	Reformation: Losing Silence	20220414	20230706 (R3)	Talking about Silence' is a personal pilgrimage around an enjoyable paradox: that you can understand silence better if you talk about it. In his new series of essays, Diarmaid MacCulloch explores the many varieties of spiritual silence in human life and beyond, and what he's learned of its meanings in his six-decade career as a historian of religion. Today Diarmaid MacCulloch takes us inside Martin Luther's home in Wittenberg, Germany, to explore how Luther's message rewrote the lived experience of Christian silence from the moment he burst onto the scene with his radical, reforming message. The monasteries, as factories of silent prayer, were symbolic of the majesty of the medieval western Church, and so they became the chief casualties of the Protestant Reformation. It took the most radical spirits of the Reformation to realise that something precious was in danger of being lost: the Quakers, who have often found that silent gatherings are the best settings in which to worship. Modern Protestants can still be very noisy, says Diarmaid, and he recalls visiting a revivalist megachurch in South Korea that was the loudest of them all. Producer Melissa FitzGerald A Blakeway Production Diarmaid MacCulloch explores how the Reformation rewrote Christian silence.
05 LAST	Good Silence, Bad Silence	20220415	20230707 (R3)	Talking about Silence' is a personal pilgrimage around an enjoyable paradox: that you can understand silence better if you talk about it. In his new series of essays, Diarmaid MacCulloch explores the many varieties of spiritual silence in human life and beyond, and what he's learned of its meanings in his six-decade career as a historian of religion. Framed by his memories of filming at some of the most significant Christian sites in the world for his land-mark TV series on the history of Christianity, Diarmaid explores how even though Christianity has been a religion of the word, it cannot escape silence, because silence is wrapped up in the lived experiences of Christians through time. He presents silence in all its different forms: as the truest expression of the divine, as well as a vehicle of the greatest evil, over the course of Christianity's two thousand years of existence. In his final essay, Diarmaid MacCulloch explores how Christianity contains silences that need ending and the role the historian takes in doing so.