Podcasts: Sharing Unificationist Voices
FFWPU-USA
What’s your favorite podcast?
More than 50 percent of U.S. homes are now podcast fans, according to a 2021 Forbes report which shows popularity exploded in the past year during the pandemic. This trend includes many Unificationists, a number of whom launched their own digital audio programs discussing everything from family and faith, to entertainment, finances, and more.
For Unificationists Josh and Allen, two friends in their 20s who “love to talk,” they debuted their “Filial Thoughts” podcast this past April. The podcast aims to create a public space to talk candidly about relatable topics such as discipline, mistakes, real love, integrity, and family. In the pilot episode, “Parent-Child Relationship,” the duo discusses filial piety—honoring and serving our parents, which is a component of Unification teachings.
“Filial piety is essentially having a heart of serving, selflessness, and living for the sake of others,” explains Josh in the premiere episode. “This extends to our parents, parental figures, and God, who is our Heavenly Parent.”
While the co-hosts explore how filial piety relates to respect, love, and harmonious relationships, they also touch on more difficult subjects in other weekly episodes. The episode “Hatred” and “Me, Myself, & I” addresses traits like hate and selfishness.
“I see selfishness typically described as something done at the expense of others for the sake of oneself,” said Allen. “But I don’t think selfishness always means that you are inherently harming someone in some way at their expense… I think it can be okay to focus on yourself.”
The two discussed “boundaries” in the episode, and explored whether a selfish mindset is okay in some instances while weaving in guidance from their faith. Through the podcast, which offers differing perspectives, listeners enjoy a conversational experience that makes it easier to navigate challenging topics.
With 60 percent of podcast listening done at home, according to Forbes, the mainstream surge occurred during the height of the pandemic. In 2020, an estimated 100 million people listened to a podcast each month, and experts project it to reach 125 million people in 2022.
“BC Girls,” a podcast for Unificationist women by Unificationst women, uplifts female voices and taps into the feminine world and corresponding themes. Launched in January by hosts Matogba, Hanfil, and Akane, the podcast covers topics of self love, gratitude, and confidence, as well as diving into subjects like jealousy, forgiveness, and women’s history.
“The environment that we’re in can sometimes make us feel inadequate or unworthy,” said Akane in an episode about self love. “Women can feel negative and compare.” The hosts talk openly about their personal experiences and struggles, and encourage listeners to focus on meaningful things that add value to their lives.
In 2019, Unificationist leaders in the U.S. launched Godible, a podcast to “let God’s Word be heard.” Translated into multiple languages, and available internationally, the daily podcast has covered readings of Unification text including co-founder Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon’s bestselling memoir, Mother of Peace.
Now, with top audio-streaming provider Spotify announcing more than 2.2 million podcasts on its platform—a threefold increase from 2019 with time spent listening nearly doubling—the time is ripe for Unificationists to share their unique voices, too.
You can explore more podcasts by Unificationists here.
