
Formation is a podcast for leaders, seekers, and lifelong learners at the intersection of theology, psychology, and lived wisdom. Hosted by John Ortberg, PhD, each episode explores the science and soul of spiritual flourishing: what shapes us, what changes us, and what it means to be fully human. Topics include:- Spiritual formation- Contemplative practice- The psychology of transformation and hab... more
| Publishes | Twice monthly | Episodes | 12 | Founded | 5 months ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | Religion & SpiritualityArts | |||

What happens when the person managing everyone else's anxiety is the most anxious one in the room?
Steve Cuss joins John for a conversation that starts in a childhood home in Western Australia and ends up inside the emotional wiring of every leader,... more
Since Formation launched, we've talked about giving our listeners the chance to have their questions answered by John. This is that episode. No guest this time, just John and Creative Director, Jackson, working through the questions you sent in when ... more
About the Guest
Kara Powell leads the Fuller Youth Institute as its Executive Director, where for more than twenty years her team has tracked how young people are changing across three generational cohorts, from Millennials to Gen Z to Gen Alpha. Sh... more
In this episode of Formation, John Ortberg sits down with Carey Nieuwhof to talk leadership, fame, faith, and what it means for the church to stay human as the world turns synthetic.
Carey Nieuwhof has spent the last decade in a chair few people occ... more
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I feel like the Formation podcast is the best of what podcasting should be about: thoughtful, highly engaging important long form conversations. And John is an incredible conversation partner.
I started following John on Wednesday evenings on Chicago. I really enjoy when he leans into teaching. I learned how to develop a personal relationship with Jesus through John’s well balanced teaching.
I started following John and his team on YouTube earlier this year, and have enjoyed every episode, and I can truly say I have grown in my walk with Jesus. When I heard John and Tim talk about Formation, I knew I was all in on following this podcast. I have been regularly listening and I was all caught up on episodes when the Joni Tada broadcast dropped. So now I am all caught up, and waiting patiently for the next show. Thank you John, Tim, Bucky, and the whole team for Become New and Formation... more
I want to send the first episode to everyone I love. Ortberg is answering every question we were too afraid to ask. This podcast is the perfect addition to Become New and the ministry of prayer and contemplation that has blessed so many of us.
I have a deep appreciation for John Ortberg and this podcast is certainly a great reason why. Wisdom is obtained through learned experience and that is apparent in this show. I’m excited to see this continue and will certainly keep listening.
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
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Apple Podcasts | #175 | |
Apple Podcasts | #200 |
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
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A deep exploration of spiritual formation at the intersection of theology, psychology, and everyday leadership. Conversations center on practical practices for attention, presence, and transformation, often weaving personal stories with wide-ranging guests from theology, business, public life, and social impact. The show blends contemplative discipline with real-world applications—leadership, ethics, and resilience—focusing on how faith informs meaning, work, and humane organizational culture. A notable strength is long-form, thoughtful dialogue that bridges ancient wisdom and modern science, offering listeners actionable steps for growth and leadership with humility and grace.
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Formation. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Formation and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
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These podcasts share a similar audience with Formation:
1. Become New with John Ortberg
2. The Contemplative Pastor
3. Practicing the Way with John Mark Comer
4. The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast
5. Bridgetown Audio Podcast
Formation launched 5 months ago and published 12 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Formation from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
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Recent guests on Formation include:
1. Jay Kim
2. Gary Hamel
3. Michael Wear
4. Gary Haugen
5. Tremper Longman III
6. Tyler Staton
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