Let's Talk Religion

The Jesuits, officially known as the Society of Jesus, are one of the most influential religious orders in the Catholic Church. Founded in 1540 by St. Ignatius of Loyola, they have played a central role in education, missionary work, science, and global history. This video explores who the Jesuits are, their origins, their impact on the Counter-Reformation, and their lasting influence on culture, politics, and spirituality.Find me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonateSources/Recomended Reading:Freidrich, Markus (2023). "The Jesuits: A History". Princeton University Press.Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.O'Malley, John W. (2014). "The Jesuits: A History from Ignatius to the Present". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Discover the life, works, and enduring influence of Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274), the Dominican friar whose synthesis of faith and reason transformed philosophy and theology.Find me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonateSources/Recomended Reading:Aquinas, Thomas (1998). "Selected Writings". Penguin Classics.Davies, Brian & Elenore Stump (ed.) (2012). "The Oxford Handbook of Aquinas". OUP USA.Kretzmann, Norman & Eleonore Stump (ed.) (2010). "The Cambridge Companion to Aquinas". Cambridge University Press.The Summa Theologica Translation by Ave Maria Press (1981). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dive into the forgotten history of the Amalricians, a radical medieval sect branded heretical by the Catholic Church. Followers of philosopher Amalric of Bena, the Amalricians believed in a mystical union with God and a controversial idea: that God was not separate from creation. Discover how their daring pantheistic beliefs challenged Church orthodoxy — and led to their dramatic suppression in the early 13th century.Find me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonateSources/Recomended Reading:Angus Braid's Website "The Amalrician Heresy" is an excellent source on the Amalricians in particular: https://theamalricianheresy.wordpress.comCohn, Norman (1970). "The Pursuit of the Millennium: Revolutionary Millenarians and Mystical Anarchists of the Middle Ages". Oxford University Press.McGinn, Bernard. "The Presence of God" Series, in several volumes. Perhaps the best and most comprehensive introduction to Christian mysticism. Published by Crossroad Publishing Co. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we explore the powerful philosophy of Pantheism—the belief that God is identical with the universe and everything in it. From ancient roots to modern interpretations, we dive deep into how Pantheism connects spirituality, science, and nature in a unified vision of reality.Find me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonateAlso check out the Let's Talk Religion Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0ih4sqtWv0wRIhS6HFgerb?si=95b07d83d0254bSources/Recomended Reading:Chittick, William (1989). "The Sufi Path of Knowledge: Ibn 'Arabi's Metaphysics of Imagination".Chittick, William (1998). "The Self-Disclosure of God: Principles of Ibn al-'Arabi's Cosmology". State University of New York Press.Chittick, William (2005). "Ibn Arabi: Heir to the Prophets". OneWorld Publications.Garrett, Don (1996). "The Cambridge Companion to Spinoza". Cambridge University Press.Gatti, Hilary (ed.) (2002). "Giordano Bruno: Philosopher of the Renaissance". Routledge.Idel, Moshe (1990). "Kabbalah: New Perspectives". Yale University Press.Inwood, Brad (ed.) (2003). "The Cambridge Companion to the Stoics". Cambridge University Press.Levine, Michael P.P. (2014). "Pantheism: A Non-Theistic Concept of Deity". Routledge.McGinn, Bernard. "The Presence of God" Series, in several volumes. Perhaps the best and most comprehensive introduction to Christian mysticism. Published by Crossroad Publishing Co.Scholem, Gershom (1995). "Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism". Schocken Books; Revised edition.Rubenstein, Mary-Jane (2018). "Pantheologies: Gods, Worlds, Monsters". Columbia University Press.Wolfson, Harry Austryn (2014). "The Philosophy of Spinoza: Unfolding the Latent Processes of His Reasoning". Harvard University Press."The Ethics" by Spinoza"Cause, Principle & Unity" by Giordano Bruno Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we given an academic, historical overview of the concept of Jihad in Islam, dispelling some misconceptions and nuancing an otherwise thorny topic.Sources/Recomended Reading:Al-Dawoody, Ahmed Mohsen (2009). "War in Islamic Law: Justifications and Regulations". PhD Thesis. University of Birmingham.Bashir, Khaled Ramadan (2018). "Islamic International Law: Historical Foundations and Al-Shaybani's Siyar". Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.Bonner, Michael (2008). “Jihad in Islamic History: Doctrines and Practice”. Princeton University Press.Brown, Jonathan A.C. (2019). "Slavery and Islam". Oneworld.Ghazi, Mahmood Ahmad (translated by) (1998). "Kitab al-Siyar al-Saghir" by Muhammad al-Shaybani. Islamic Research Institute.Hallaq, Wael (2004). "The Origins and Evolution of Islamic Law". Cambridge University Press. Hallaq, Wael (2009). "Sharia: Theory, Practice, Transformations". Cambridge University Press. Judd, Steven C. (2009). "al-Awza'i and Sufyan al-Thawri: The Umayyad Madhhab". In Bearman, Peri; Rudolph Peters & Frank E. Vogel (ed.), "The Islamic School of Law: Evolution, Devolution & Progress". Brill.Judd, Steven C. (2019). "'Abd al-Rahman b. Amr al-Awza'i". In the "Makers of the Muslim World" Series. Oneworld.Khan Nyazee, Imran Ahsan (translated by) (2000). "The Distinguished Jurist's Primer: Bidayat Al-Mujtahid Wa Nihayat Al-Muqtasid." Vol. 1-2. Garnet Publishing.Kimball, Michelle R. (2018). "Shaykh Ahmadou Bamba: A Peacemaker for Our Time". The Other Press Sdn. Bhd.Kiser, John W (2015). "Commander of the Faithful: The Life and Times of Emir Abd El-Kader". Monkfish Book Publishing Company.Urban, Elizabeth (2020). "Conquered Populations in Early Islam: Non-Arabs, Slaves and the Sons of Slave Mothers". Edinburgh University Press.Zawati, Hilmi M. (2015). "Theory of War in Islamic and Public International Law". In "Is Jihad Just War? War, Peace and Human Rights under Islamic and Public International Law", (Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press, 2001) 9-47, reprinted in Niaz A. Shah, ed., Islam and the Law of Armed Conflict (Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar,2015) 249-287.Zemmali, Ameur (1990). "Imam al-Awza'i and his humanitarian ideas". In International Review of the Red Cross (1961 - 1997) , Volume 30 , Issue 275 , April 1990 , pp. 115 - 123. International Committee of the Red Cross. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Find me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonateSources/Recomended Reading:Gutierrez, David (1984). "The Augustinians in The Middle Ages 1256-1356". In "History of The Order of Saint Augustine. Volume 1 - Part 1.". Augustinian Historical Institute. Villanova University.McGinn, Bernard. "The Presence of God" Series, in several volumes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Find me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonateSources/Recomended Reading:Clarke, Abdussamad (translated by) (2021). "The Kitab al-Athar of Abu Hanifah". Turath Publishing.El Shamsy, Ahmed (2013). "The Canonization of Islamic Law: A Social and Intellectual History". Cambridge University Press.Gohlman, William E. (translated by) (1974). "The Life of Ibn Sina: A Critical Edition and Annotated Translation". State University of New York Press.Haider, Najam (2012). "The Origins of the Shi'a: Identity, Ritual and Sacred Space in Eighth Century Kufa". Cambridge University Press.Haider, Najam (2013). "Contesting Intoxication: Early Juristic Debates over the Lawfulness of Alcoholic Beverages". In Islamic Law and Society 20 (2013) 48-89. Brill. Hallaq, Wael (2004). "The Origins and Evolution of Islamic Law". Cambridge University Press. Hallaq, Wael (2009). "Sharia: Theory, Practice, Transformations". Cambridge University Press. Wyman-Landgraf, Umar F. Abd-Allah (2013). "Malik and Medina: Islamic Reasoning in the Formative Period". Brill.al-Tahawi's "al-Mukhtasar". Arabic version. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Find me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonateSources/Recomended Reading:Badakhchani, S.J. (translated by) (1999). “Contemplation and Action: The Spiritual Autobiography of a Muslim Scholar”. I.B. Tauris.Badakhchani, S.J. (translated by) (2004). “The Paradise of Submission: A Medieval Treatise on Ismaili Thought”. Ismaili Texts and Translations. I.B. Tauris.Chittick, William (1981). “Mysticism versus Philosophy in Earlier Islamic History: The Al-Ṭūsī, Al-Qūnawī Correspondence”. In Religious StudiesVol. 17, No. 1 (Mar., 1981). Cambridge University Press.Daftary, Farhad (2007). "The Isma'ilis: Their history and doctrines". Cambridge University Press.Meisami, Sayeh (2019). “Nasir al-Din Tusi: A Philosopher for All Seasons”. The Islamic Texts Society.Qara’i, Ali Quli (translated by) (?) “Awsaf al-Ashraf: Attributes of the Noble”. In al-Tawhid Islamic Journal, Vol.11, No.3, No.4. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Find me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonateAlso check out the Let's Talk Religion Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0ih4sqtWv0wRIhS6HFgerb?si=95b07d83d0254bSources/Recomended Reading:Elsie, Robert (2019). "The Albanian Bektashi: History and Culture of a Dervish Order in the Balkans". I.B. Tauris.Kingsley Birge, John (1937). "The Bektashi Order of Dervishes". Hartford Seminary Press.Smith, Grace Martin (1993). "The Poetry of Yunus Emre: A Turkish Sufi Poet". University of California Press.Soileau, Mark (2018). "Humanist Mystics: Nationalism and the Commemoration of Saints in Turkey". The University of Utah Press. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Find me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonateSources/Recomended Reading:Ahmed, Shahab (2017). "What is Islam?: The Importance of Being Islamic". Princeton University Press.Bulliet, Richard (2004) "The Case for Islamo-Christian Civilization". Columbia University Press.Melvin-Koushki, Matthew (2017). "Powers of One: The Mathematicalization of the Occult Sciences in the High Persianate Tradition". Intellectual History of the Islamicate World 5, no. 1: 127-99.Ragep, F. Jamil (2004). "Copernicus and His Islamic Predecessors: An Aspect of Islamic Influence on Science". Osiris 16 n.s.: 49-71.SHWEP episodes:https://shwep.net/podcast/matthew-melvin-koushki-on-islam-the-west-and-western-esotericism/https://shwep.net/podcast/matthew-melvin-koushki-on-the-west/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We explore one of the most influential and significant Hindu figures in modern times.Written by Anmol KohliCo-written by myself (Filip Holm)Find me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonateSources/Recomended Reading:Swami Saradananda, Sri Ramakrishna and His Divine Play (translated by Swami Chetanananda) - the "Leelaprasanga". Vedanta Society of St. Louis.Mahendranath Gupta, The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (translated by Swami Nikhilananda) - the "Kathamrita". Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center,N.Y.Ayon Maharaj, Infinite Paths to Infinite Reality: Sri Ramakrishna and Cross-Cultural Philosophy of Religion. OUP USA.The Life of Swami Vivekananda, by his Eastern and Western Disciples. Vedanta Pr. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we talk about the so-called "Book of the Holy Hierotheos", a Syriac work that contains some of the most radical and shocking mystical teachings from the corpus of early Christian writings.Find me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonateSources/Recomended Reading:Chatonnet, Francoise Briquel & Muriel Debié (2023). "The Syriac World: In Search of a Forgotten Christianity". Darling Young, Robin; Joel Kalvesmaki; Columba Stewart; Charles M. Stang & Fr. Luke Dysinger (Translated by) (2024). "Evagrius of Pontus: The Gnostic Trilogy". OUP USA.King, Daniel (2018). "The Syriac World". Routledge.Luibheid, Colm (Translated by) (1987). "Pseudo-Dionysius: The Complete Works". Classics of Western Spirituality. Paulist Press International.Marsh, F.S. (Translated by) (1927). "The Book Which is Called The Book of the Holy Hierotheos". Williams & Norgate.Also check out more info about Evagrius on Luke Dysinger's website: http://www.ldysinger.com/Evagrius/#hierotheos #mysticism #christianity Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we try to get a basic overview of the religion that was practiced in Ancient Egypt.Find me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonateSources/Recomended Reading:Assmann, Jan (2001). "The Search for God in Ancient Egypt". Translated by David Lorton. Cornell University Press.Dunand, Françoise & Christiane Zivie-Coche (2005). "Gods and Men in Egypt: 3000 BCE to 395 CE". Translated by David Lorton. Cornell University Press.Hornung, Erik (1996). "Conceptions of God in Ancient Egypt: The One and the Many". Translated by John Baines. Cornell University Press.Hornung, Erik (1999). "Akhenaten and the Religion of Light". Translated by David Lorton. Cornell University Press.Meeks, D., & Favard-Meeks, C. (1997). Daily Life of the Egyptian Gods (G. M. Goshgarian, Trans.; Pimilco).Pinch, G. (2002). Handbook of Egyptian Mythology.Quirke, Stephen (1992). "Ancient Egyptian Religion". British Museum Press. Teeter, Emily (2011). "Religion and Ritual in Ancient Egypt". Cambridge University Press.Wilkinson, R. H. (2003). The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt.Wilkinson, R. H. (2000). The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we tackle one of the most important figures in the history of religion, philosophy, mysticism & the esoteric - the writer calling himself Dionysios, and who would create a synthesis between Neoplatonic philosophy and Christianity in ways the echoed down the centuries.Check out the Secret History of Western Esotericism Podcast (SHWEP) for more Dionysius content: https://shwep.netFind me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonateSources/Recomended Reading:Lossky, Vladimir (1944). "The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church". James Clarke & Co.Luibheid, Colm (Translated by) (1987). "Pseudo-Dionysius: The Complete Works". Classics of Western Spirituality. Paulist Press International.McGinn, Bernard. "The Presence of God" Series, in several volumes. Perhaps the best and most comprehensive introduction to Christian mysticism. Published by Crossroad Publishing Co.McGinn, Bernard (2001). "The Mystical Thought of Meister Eckhart: The Man From Whom God Hid Nothing". Crossroad Publishing Co.The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Entry on Pseudo-Dionysius: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pseudo-dionysius-areopagite/Earl's section:Human and celestial hierarchies compared: EH 373AB, 376BC; CH 208BCD; EH 501A-D.Angelic triads: CH 200D: 3 threefold groups of angels, as taught by Pseudo-D's sacred initiator (i.e. Hierotheos); CH 257C: each angelic triad has Iamblichean-style first and last terms with a necessary median term. Cf. Iamb. De myst. V.8.225.5-8; CH 273C ditto; EH 501A: triads au go-go.Angelic mediation between humans and god: CH 180A. God never appears without intermendiaries, even to the saints: m180C. Even to Jesus: 181C. Long discussion of Isaiah and the Seraphim: 300B ff. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A long awaited episode, in which we finally talk about the important and controverisal 20th century sufi Inayat Khan and the Sufi Movement that he started in the West.Sources/Recomended Reading:Gandhi, Supriya (2020). "The Emperor who never was: Dara Shukoh in Mughal India". Belknap Press.Inayat Khan, Pir Zia (ed.) (2001). "A Pearl in Wine: Essays on the Life, Music & Sufism of Hazrat Inayat Khan". Omega Publications.Inayat Khan Zia (2006). "A Hybrid Sufi Order At the Crossroads of Modernity: The Sufi Order and Sufi Movement of Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan". Doctoral Thesis. Duke University.Khan, Inayat (1996). "The Mysticism of Sound & Music". Shambala.Khan, Inayat (2003). "The Sufi Message: Spiritual Liberty" (Vol. 5). Motilal Banarsidass Publications.Miner, Allyn (translated by) (2016). "The Minqar-i Musiqar: Hazrat Inayat Khan's classic 1912 work on Indian musical theory & practice". Suluk Press.Nair, Shankar (2020). "Translating Wisdom: Hindu-Muslim Intellectual Interactions in Early Modern South Asia". University of California Press. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Discover the mysteries of Picatrix (Ghayat al-Hakim), one of the most influential books of magic ever written. This ancient Arabic text has fascinated mystics, scholars, and occultists for centuries with its unique blend of astrology, alchemy, and Hermetic philosophy. In this episode, we explore its origins, history, and the themes it contains.Thank you to Dr. Saif for appearing in, and helping out with, this video. Check out her excellent work (some of which is listed in the sources below).Find me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonateSources/Recomended Reading:Attrell, Dan & David Porreca (translated by) (2019). “Picatrix: A Medieval Treatise on Astral Magic”. Pennsylvania State University Press. Fierro, Maribel (1996). “Batinism in al-Andalus: Maslama b. Qasim al-Qurtubi, author of the Rutbat al-Hakim and the Ghayat al-Hakim (Picatrix)”. In “Studia Islamica, 1996/2, 84”. Brill.Melvin-Koushki, Matthew & Noah Gardner (2017). "Islamicate Occultism: New Perspectives". Brill.Pingree, David (1981). “Between the Ghaya and the Pixatrix”. In “Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, Volume 44, 1981”. University of Chicago Press.Saif, Liana (2015). "The Arabic Influences on Early Modern Occult Philosophy". Palgrave Macmillan.Saif, Liana; Francesca Leoni; Matthew Melvin-Koushki & Farouk Yahya (2021). "Islamicate Occult Sciences in Theory and Practice". Brill.Savage-Smith, Emily (ed.) (2004). "Magic & Divination in Early Islam". Ashgate Publishing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this interview, I speak with Dr. Per Faxneld about Satanism and its different historical and contemporary features & connections.Check out Dr. Faxneld's Academia page for more: https://sh.academia.edu/PerFaxneldFind me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonate Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're celebrating this years Halloween by talking about... Halloween. Join me as we explore the history and development of this fascinating holiday, from ancient Celtic roots, to Catholic celebrations and modern pop culture.Sources/Recomended Reading:Morton, Lisa (2019). "Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween". Reaktion Books.Rogers, Nicholas (2002). "Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night". Oxford University Press USA. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we explore the fascinating world of Satanism, its history and different manifestations in the contemporary world. From the ancient history of the devil to the modern Satanic temple, the story of satanism is an intriguing one that touches on everything from religion, occultism, socialism and feminism.Thank you to Dr. Per Faxneld for appearing in the episode. Check out his publications for more occultism and esotericism!Find me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonateSources/Recomended Reading:Barber, Malcolm, The Cathars: Dualist heretics in Languedoc in the High Middle Ages, Second edition (Harlow, United Kingdom: Pearson, 2013).Broedel, Hans Peter (2003). "The Malleus Maleficarum and the construction of witchcraft: Theology and popular belief". Manchester University Press.Faxneld, Per (2017). "Satanic Feminism: Lucifer as the Liberator of Woman in Nineteenth-Century Culture". OUP USA.Faxneld, Per & Johan Nilsson (2023). "Satanism: A Reader". OUP USA.Massignon, Louis (1979). "The Passion of Hallaj: Mystic and Martyr of Islam". Vol. 1-4. Translated by Herbert Mason. Princeton University Press. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dive into the captivating world of vampire lore as we unravel the centuries-old history of these immortal creatures. From ancient myths to modern pop culture, join us on a mesmerizing journey through the evolution of vampire legends. Discover the origins, folklore, and enduring fascination surrounding these mythical beings & their influence on culture, religion & philosophy.Sources/Recomended Reading:Adams, Paul (2014). "Written in Blood: A Cultural History of the British Vampire". The History Press.Barber, Paul (2010). "Vampires, Burial, and Death". Yale University Press.Groom, Nick (2020). "The Vampire: A New History". Yale University Press. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.