The Two Tongues Podcast

This episode revolves around "Resentment" as a human motivation. We begin with a discussion of a debate conducted by two AI's on the topic of Capitalism vs Socialism and remark on how whinny, nit-picky and generally ungrateful the Socialist bot's arguments were. From here we move into the topic of racial violence in South Africa, apartheid and the history of Rhodesia. Here we again find ourselves discussing resentment as it pertains to social unrest and human tribalism. Next we tackle grandiose ideas, which have played out in human history such as: Manifest Destiny, the Divine Right of Kings and the Right of Conquest. And, as you probably guessed, we can't discuss the Right of Conquest without a detour into the Gaza-Israel conflict and the resentment that so often comes with Imperialism and Colonialism. And finally, we wrap with a commentary on freedom of speech, whether speech can be violence (or incite it) and the special status given to the so-called N-word. Enjoy :) 

In this episode Kyle and Chris reunite after several weeks off. They discuss Chris' family vacation to the frontier lands of West Texas and his friggin' sweet cowboy hat. They then turn to their latest YouTube rabbit-holes including what Chris calls his 'ASMR,' which turns out to be time-lapse videos of landscaping and antique restoration. What's more satisfying than a good 'before-and-after' photo? A few words on seeing Kevin Nealon doing stand-up and Chris' friend's terrarium project, which is a miniature Tolkien forest complete with hobbit-hole, etc. Then we arrive in more somber territory, discussing the decline of race relations in the U.S. and the increasing violent and resentful rhetoric that seems to rampant these days. A few examples from the news courtesy of Governor Pritzker of Illinois and a lowly high school teacher, bring us home. Enjoy ;) 

In this episode Kyle and Chris return to the topic of current events. We talk about Trump's tariffs and the reactionaries in the news media. Are there chinks beginning to appear in the armor of MAGA enthusiasm? Maybe, maybe not, but according to Chris, it's too soon to tell. Are we dealing with the art of the deal through the haze of strategic uncertainty or are the markets poised to take us all down? We compare the subprime mortgage market crash of the early 2000s with what's going on today. Chris is optimistic (surprise, surprise), Kyle is more leery. Not to forget pop-culture, we also discuss the Dave Smith-Douglas Murray debate on JRE and round things off with the hits and misses of Apple TV's current line-up including: Shrinking, Severance and Ted Lasso. Enjoy ;)

In this episode Chris brings us Opinion Scholarship on the Creation myths of ancient Greece. We begin with an exploration of so-called "Old Europe" and a cavalcade of archeological evidence of the Great Mother Goddess religion that prevailed in the Stone Age. From there we follow Author--Robert Graves--as he reconstructs from ancient sources the oldest Creation myths of Greece; following the symbolic breadcrumbs which connect Zeus and the Olympians with the Great Mother Goddess who came before them. This takes us from Homer and the Orphics to the Bible, into Zoroastrianism and Ancient Egyptian myth, then we trip over Homer, Hesiod and Apollodorus and fall squarely into the Aryan migration theory (which we navigate tactfully). And before all is said and done, we pepper in a dash of depth psychology. Enjoy ;)

In this episode Chris and Kyle conclude their exploration of the infamous Ted Kaczynski manifesto titled: “Industrial Society and It's Future.” The later section covered in this episode hinges on one existential dialectic--Technology or Freedom?  We discuss Kaczynski's opinion about the nature of freedom and how it's preservation is inconsistent with the endless advancement of technology. What will it be, Modern Man? An apocalypse Terminator-style, a voluntary species-wide self-sacrifice...or perhaps something else. Can the advance of technology provide an alternative? Might our enslaver become our savior? Or, might there be a place for two versions of society to exist alongside each other? Could Brave New World have provided the blueprint? Advanced technological utopia on one side, and "primitive" reservations on the other? Enjoy :)

How does a child math prodigy with an Ivy League pedigree turn into a domestic terrorist? What could drive such a person to sacrifice their future? For what end? What could possibly be worth it? How about saving the world? In this episode we discuss Ted Kaczynski aka the UNABOMER. Straight to the horses mouth, we let Ted tell his side of the story, reading through his infamous 50 page manifesto titled: “Industrial Society and It's Future.” Was Kaczynski a madman bent on destruction or was he something more? Was his beef with a future technological utopia or was it with the ideological left? If that question surprises you, strap in! 'cause you're in for an enlightening stroll through history, propaganda and the mind of desperate, troubled, genius. Enjoy ;) 

In this episode Chris brings us Opinion Scholarship on the theology of ancient Egypt. This was a fascinating exploration of Egyptian religious hymns and inscriptions which speak of the Creation of the cosmos. We encounter such gods as Ptah, Amun, Atum and Re who stand firmly in the position of Supreme Being. But, how does classical Egyptian polytheism reconcile the notion of God with the gods? Through mystical enlightenment and the notion of a sole, primordial, pre-existing Monad. A divine, conscious singularity; God with a capital 'G'. Don't believe me? Hear it from the horses mouth through the myths of Heliopolis, Thebes, Hermopolis and Memphis. Hear it from the Pyramid Text, Coffin Texts and the Book of the Dead. Enjoy ;)

In this episode we risk offense in the name of having an authentic (albeit pointless), bourbon fueled conversation. You know? Like in the old days, before politics crept into every corner of our lives. To accomplish such a feat, we bring in the old guard and talk to a real life boomer. Does Bill care about political correctness? Does he self-censor? Absolutely not. Does he say inflammatory things for comedic effect? And embellish where ever it suits him? Indeed, he does. But he winds a good yarn and has a lifetime of stories to tell, so join us for some laughs and controversy 1990s-style. Enjoy ;)

Kyle and Chris wrap us season 4 with a contemplative episode. We have a strange discussion about religious sacrifice, focusing on the Christian notion that you should give yourself to God. We wonder what it means to 'give ones life to God' and contemplate suicide as an act of worship. We go from Kenosis to the Buddhist monk Luang Pho Daeng who died in the act of meditation. We sprinkle in a bit of ancient Egyptian mythology and ice the cake with discussion of demon possession and Jungian archetypes.  Enjoy ;)

In this episode Chris brings us Opinion Scholarship on Carl Jung's infamous Red Book. We review four of Jung's visions and analyze their symbolic meaning. This takes us on an adventure through a hostile desert and, with the help of embodiments of his imagination, to the stream of the living. We follow this stream encountering symbols of God from ancient Egypt and Greece until we come at last to a great dark sea. We watch as the waters of the living dissolve into the sea, becoming one with it and we long to be one with it ourselves.  Enjoy ;)

In this episode we check all the forbidden boxes, talking about identity politics and race relations, dual citizenship and divided allegiances, energy and personality and, of course, a controversial dose of religion. What is the risk of allowing non-naturalized citizens the right to vote? How about those with dual citizenship? What are the risks of emphasizing diversity over assimilation? And what are the risks of allowing those ideas that unify us, fall away? We speculate on these questions and much more. Come and get it! Enjoy ;)

In this episode Chris brings us Opinion Scholarship on the ancient Greek god--Dionysus. All due credit to Neal Sendlak of the YouTube show "Gnostic Informant" for much of the historical details presented today. (If you haven't checked out Gnostic Informant, you should!) I discuss the classical myth of Dionysus versus older, secretive myths preserved by the followers of Orpheus. We compare the two traditions and explore the deep historical connections with other myths and archeological evidence to see just how deep the Dionysian rabbit-hole goes. We end by diving deeply into the Orphic myth of the creation of humanity and observing various versions of this same myth which appear all over the world. What does it all mean? Find out here... Enjoy ;)

In this episode Kyle and Chris reunite after many, holiday weeks off...and there's much to catch up on. We discuss Chris' introduction to Jesse Lee Peterson, review the 2024 film "Nosferatu," and rave about the new podcast "The Telepathy Tapes." From here we turn to Chris' anxiety about aging, which takes the form of bitterness toward the new classes of actors and political talking heads, which are slowly replacing the figureheads of his own era. This takes us to a discussion of the political left's new strategy of winning over white, male voters again and challenging the new-media dominance of figures like Joe Rogan. We get controversial when the topic of 'Bacha bazi' or 'boy play' comes up and the attitude that the U.S. military adopted towards it during our occupation of the country over the last decade plus. Through in the mysterious history of the ancient worship of Dionysus and a bit of critique of communism and voila! Enjoy ;)

In this episode Chris brings us Opinion Scholarship on the effects of starvation on human beings. We discuss the Minnesota Starvation Experiment of the 1940s, which leads into the aggregated data and meta-analysis of altered states of consciousness available through the Altered States Database (alteredstatesdb.org). Both sources report that mystical experiences arise spontaneously in subjects who are deprived of food for extended periods of time. From here we turn to a survey of world religions, which describe spiritual revelation elicited through the practice of fasting. The central question being: Is starvation the origin of human spirituality and ultimately religion? Enjoy ;)  

In this episode Chris brings us Opinion Scholarship on the idea of a supreme, monotheistic God as expressed in the Neoplatonic idea of "The One" or "The Monad." We explore the commonalities between Christian Monotheism and Neoplatonism and speculate on the fertile ground for the emergency of this idea prepared by the pre-Socratics and Plato himself. We take a deep dive into Plotinus, Porphyry and Proclus, their descriptions of mystical experience and see see how they rationalizations their mystical intuitions with logic and reason. We then discuss altered states of consciousness, the ancient Greek mysteries and depth psychology to bring this all together. Enjoy ;)

In this episode Chris reconnects with friend of the show--Daniel Torridon of the Onion Unlimited podcast. We talk about U.S. politics in the new Trump era and the English perspective on it; we compare and contrast U.S. and U.K. political parties and platforms...and then pivot to our mutually favorite subject--Religion. Daniel discusses his journey from a repressive upbringing as a Jehovah's Witness, to his discovery of Pandeism and then his rapid subsequent descent through related systems such as Panentheism, Advaita Vedanta and philosophical Monism. Enjoy :)

In this episode we introduce a new friend of the show and have a thoughtful discussion on the origin of religion and just what rests at the historical beginning of organized faith. We discuss the work of Wilhelm Schmidt, E.J. Michael Witzel and Michael Heiser on the subject in addition to a whole host of interesting asides. We discuss the ideas of 'sympathetic magic' and 'archetypes of the mind' as potential answers to the origin of religion, but ultimately end on another possibility--that of personal, individual mystical experience. What follows is an exploration of where mysticism overlaps with Christian theology and where it varies. Agree or disagree, great fun was had by all! If you enjoyed our guest--Chris from YHWH's Janitor--you can take a deeper dive here: www.yhwhjanitor.com  Enjoy ;)  

In this episode Chris returns to the Sermons of Meister Eckhart to build from the first Eckhart episode covering Sermon 52. On this pass we cover Eckhart's conception of the soul and how it relates to God, setting the stage for mystical experience. We then turn to the corpus of Eckhart's sermons in search of a path toward attaining mystical experience for yourself. While there are few direct prescriptions, Eckhart leaves us a breadcrumb trail, which entails detachment and ego death in conjunction with an earnest and steadfast seeking after God. Will this path lead you to mystical illumination? Only one way to find out! Enjoy ;)

In this episode Kyle and Chris re-unite after 2 weeks to catch up on the state of the world and what's new with each of us. The conversation  illustrated the contrast between our relatively recent past and glimpses of our future techo-utopia...or dystopia (a the case may be). Kyle discussed breaking his phone and enjoying the disconnection and independence that comes with it; eliciting nostalgia for the "simpler times" of the 1990s.  Then we discuss Chris' new fascination with various Christian apologists on YouTube--such as Sam Shamoun, Bob Speakers Corner and Cliffe Knechtle. We meander through a discussion of Communism, which leads to speculation about Automation, Universal Basic Income and whether Communism finds a resurgence in a post-labor world. Enjoy ;) 

In this episode Chris brings us Opinion Scholarship on the medieval Christian mystics, Meister Eckhart. We review one of his most famous sermons--Sermon 52--to discover why he was accused of heresy and delivered to the inquisition. We explore his notion of "being free of God," "standing in my first cause," and "breaking through" and the kenosis or self-emptying that is necessary to achieve it. We then follow Eckhart as he describes what mystic experience is, what it tells us about the nature of God and ultimately to the conclusion that Creator and Creation are One. Enjoy ;)

In this episode Chris and Kyle pow-wow with a former evangelist and friend of the show, Daniel Torridon, of the Onion Unlimited podcast, to see what we can make of Jesus as a teacher. What or who Jesus was remains hotly debated after over 2,000 years. Was he God or merely a man? Was he a prophet? A teacher? While we have no hope of consensus as to his godhood, we do have general agreement that he was a great teacher. Oh? So, what then did Jesus teach? Do you know? Could you summarize his teachings? Could your average Western Christian? It turns out, many cannot. This is a shame, but one we can remedy. Come! Pick up your cross and follow me down the rabbit hole of gospel of the Kingdom of God. Enjoy ;)

In this episode Chris brings us Opinion Scholarship, this time surrounding Christianity. We read through the gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, John and Thomas, searching for the teachings of Jesus. Here we find references to the 'gospel of the kingdom of God,' but without any clear description of what that means. So we seek, as Jesus suggested, until we find. And what did we find? A whole host of images and ideas surrounding the symbol of the 'Kingdom of God.' We put those images together like the pieces to a mystical puzzle and voila! We find the Kingdom of Heaven just might be an allegory of unity with the divine. Enjoy ;)

In this episode Kyle and Chris reunite after a few weeks apart to catch up on what's been going on--the presidential debate key among them. We begin with praise and criticism of the GOT series, which Kyle felt compelled to share after re-watching all 8 seasons in bed sick this past week. The theme of political upheaval then took us into a discussion of the Trump-Harris debate and the various conspiracy theories surrounding it. This leads us into a rabbit-hole of public mistrust, racial division and the existential anxiety of wondering just how all this gets resolved...if ever it does. Enjoy ;)

In this episode Chris delivers Opinion Scholarship on the idea of Nothingness and the Zero-Energy Universe Hypothesis in modern physics. He compares these ideas and their implications to humanity's oldest myths about the creation of the cosmos...and finds some striking parallels! In our myths we find a primordial mystery existing before existence from which 2 equal and opposing deities are formed. In physics we find the mystery of the quantum vacuum from which 2 equal and opposing particles are formed. In the case of myth, God created Ex Nihilo--from nothing. In the case of the Zero-Energy Universe, the whole of the cosmos was created Ex Nihilo--from a state of zero energy! Enjoy ;)

In this episode Chris brings Opinion Scholarship on the ancient Persian religion--Zoroastrianism. We discuss the Proto-Indo-European people, their culture and religion and how they came down through the Indo-Iranian tribes that became both Zoroastrianism in Iran and Hinduism in India. We discuss the influence Zoroastrian ideas had on both Judaism and Christianity and explore what Zoroaster meant when he claimed to be restoring monotheistic purity to their ancient, Indo-European faith. This brings us to the Christian idea of the Logos, which compare and contrast to the Zoroastrian idea of Vohu Mana.  Enjoy ;) 

In this episode Chris and Kyle interview Chris' former barber--John--to discuss the sacred confessional of the barbershop. We discuss why people feel so comfortable opening up to their barber, the secrets that get shared and the good-natured ribbing that takes place between a close-knit group of barbers and their regular customers. Chris admits that every conversation he ever had with John in the barber chair could have easily been an episode of the podcast. And to that end, we re-create a barbershop chat. We talk conspiracy theories, politics, the future of AI and psychedelic spirituality. Strap in! Enjoy ;)

In this episode Chris delivers Opinion Scholarship on the meaning of Plato's famous Cave Allegory. He shows through the words of Plato and the ancient Greek Poet Pindar that the secret goings-on of the Eleusinian Mysteries share a hell of a lot with the experience of the prisoner freed from Plato's cave. He then posits that the secrecy surrounding the Mysteries kept Plato from speaking about it directly, leading to the parables and allegories sprinkled throughout his dialogues. And to conclude, he samples accounts from the ancient world all the way through to the modern one of other people who had a mystical experience paralleling the one outlined by the Cave Allegory. We hear the same message from Plato to Plotinus and from Meister Eckhart to Alan Watts. From Jesus to Zoroaster and from Buddha to St. Paul. Enjoy ;)

In this episode Chris asks Kyle about the Indo-European influences on Judaism and Christianity and whether that impacts his personal faith. From there we pivot to a discussion of Chris' latest solo podcast entitled--Paleo Deo--on the subject of primitive monotheism. Then things get political. We discuss the libertarian and conservative revolutions occurring in Central and South America, the migration crisis and the fitness (or lack thereof) of Kamala Harris to right the ship. Enjoy ;)

In this episode Chris highlights the ideas of German Anthropologist--Wilhelm Schmidt--and makes the case for a form of Monotheism as the original expression of religious feeling and intuition. We explore Occam's Razor, look for evidence of any true historical polytheistic faiths and discuss the problem of Henotheism. We also explore the Supreme Beings or "High Gods" of tribal peoples to gain a better understanding of just what we mean by the word "god." And lastly, we review evidence from ancient myths, pre-Socratic philosophers and important religious reform movements, which point to a cross-cultural circumambulation around the symbol of divine unity. Enjoy ;) 

In this episode we cross-over with friend of the show Daniel Torridon of the Onion Unlimited podcast to talk about praise and blame. We discuss the power of positive and negative reinforcement and reflect on those peculiar memories of praise and blame that showed us a mirror of our selves or others impacted our behavior or worldview. We don't conclude without throwing morality and religion in the mix...just to shake things up. Enjoy ;)

In this episode Chris brings some Opinion Scholarship on the Greco-Egyptian tradition of Hermes Trismegistus, who bestowed great and secret wisdom upon humanity. We compare Biblical verses to the famous Hermetic dictum "As Above, So Below," and explore why a group of early Christians in Egyptian would have hid away Hermetic writings along with dozens of early Christian and Gnostic codices. What possible relationship can Hermeticism have with early Christianity? Let's dive in! Enjoy ;)

In this episode Kyle and Chris discuss this past weeks' attempted assassination attempt on former President Donald J. Trump. We give our "first impressions" on the media's reaction as well as the reaction of ordinary people on Twitter. We discuss the many conspiracy theories already exploding from the left and point to the great hypocrisy of the double-standard surrounding "inciting violence." And to wrap up we discuss the PR value of political propaganda, comparing war-time propaganda images of Napoleon and Hitler to the still of Trump surrounded by Secret Service Agents with blood on his face, fearlessly raising his fist into the air. Enjoy ;)  

In this episode Chris is brining you Opinion Scholarship on the myth of the Great Flood. While it's widely known that the deluge story appears all over the world, from every continent, very few people ever read the original sources to see just how similar they are. Today, I have remedied that! We read through the flood account from Ovid's Metamorphosis, compare the Indian account of the Flood of Manu, explore the Greek version through Apollodorus and Lucian and finally compare the Biblical version to the most ancient account in the Babylonian Tablets of Creation. When all is done, we recognize the common skeleton underlying each myth, but we also find some unexpected parallels. We talk Giants, vengeful gods and the motif of death and resurrection! Enjoy ;)  

Have you ever wondered what is meant by the phrase "mystery religions"? Ever wonder, just what the hell this "mystery" is? Are you frustrated by the deafening silence of the ancient writers on this subject? Titillated by the hints left by Plato and the pre-Socratics? Yeah, you're not alone. While the mysteries of Eleusis and the cults of Mithras and Isis may remain in the shadows, the mysteries of Orpheus have been cracked wide open! Like the Rosetta Stone of the Orphic-Dionysian mysteries, an ancient papyrus has been found, which spills the proverbial beans. Join me in exploring the Derveni Papyrus. Enjoy ;) 

In this episode Chris is bringing you Opinion Scholarship on the religion of the Omaha tribe, indigenous to the Ohio Valley in the United States. More specifically, on their conception of God, whom they call Wakonda and their Sioux cousins call Wakan Tanka. We explore the fascinating form of henotheism or even monotheism that the Omaha practice and dive deeply into the opening line of their creation story, which reads: "At the beginning all things were in the Mind of Wakonda." Enjoy ;) 

In this episode Kyle and Chris discuss the first Presidential Debate of 2024--Trump v Biden. This was a difficult conversation, but we pulled no punches, calling it as we saw it. Was there a lack of substance in the debate? Yes. Did it devolve into ad hominems and name calling? Of course, it did. But did we learn anything we didn't already know? We'll let you be the judge. Enjoy ;)  

In this episode Chris brings us Opinion Scholarship on the virgin prophetesses of Ancient Greece--the Sibyls. We discuss first-hand spiritual and mystical experiences versus communal one's like those embodied in organized religions, and how they fit together. From here we turn to shamanism and the mystery cults of the ancient world and describe the thread that runs through these and into the realm of the Sibyls. Lastly, we distinguish between the ancient Sibylline Book versus the more modern Sibylline Oracles and explore if either hold genuine foretellings of the coming of Christ.  Enjoy ;)

This episode was inspired by Terrance Howard's recent conversation with Joe Rogan on the JRE podcast (episode 2152), where Terrance proposes a new understanding of science, which could resolve the mysteries of modern physics. He introduces the work of Walter Russell, American artist, author and mystic would wrote extensively on this new science. In this episode we discuss Walter Russell's 1926 work--The Universal One. Enjoy ;)

In this episode Kyle and Chris discuss The Crucible debate between Paleo-Conservative Andrew Wilson and Libertarian Dave Smith. We highlight the key arguments they tackle surrounding the meaning of "ownership," the application of the "non-aggression principle" and just how closely aligned Libertarian's are to Leftists. We suggest some alternate paths the debate might have taken, under different circumstances. Chris asks how different Jesus' instruction to "do unto others as you'd have them do unto you" is from the Libertarian ethos that "everything is permitted, so long as it doesn't harm someone else." Kyle fires back by asking how different "everything is permitted" is from the Satanist dictum "Do what thou wilt."  Enjoy ;)

In this episode Kyle and Chris discuss an absolutely classic history podcast series entitled Fear and Loathing in the New Jerusalem by Darryl Cooper of the Martyr Made podcast. This one goes back to 2015, but given the actively raging Israeli-Gaza conflict circa 2024, it seems well worth a re-visit. We discuss the many historical facts about the history of this conflict that go under the radar of mainstream messaging and the orthodox American interpretation. Chris points the finger at the British, identifying them as the villain of the story, while Kyle--in typical Kyle-fashion--asks the uncomfortable questions about nationalism, race and culture. Strap in (and check out Martyr Made)? Enjoy ;)

In this episode Chris discusses an episode of the YouTube channel "Mr. Mythos" entitled "Evidence YHWH was a Dragon." We examine the prominent role dragons hold in world mythology and explore evidence in the Bible that describes God as a dragon. We then expand on Mr. Mythos' work to incorporate Jordan Peterson's discussion of the Babylonian "dragon of chaos"--the primordial goddess Tiamat--and it's relation to the Hebrew word Tehom in the book of Genesis. We wrap up with some speculation about the symbolic meaning of the dragon image and its implications for understanding human nature. Enjoy ;)

In this episode Chris explores Professor E.J. Michael Witzel's theory on the source and origin of all the mythologies of the world. A single explanation? Yes, indeed! Witzel uses a historical approach to comparative religion, aided by the latest in linguistic, archeological and DNA evidence to trace the myths of the world back to two distinct groups, an older one he calls Gondwana and a later one called Laurasian. Through this process he traces our myths back some 40,000 years and beyond, constructing a "family tree" of world myths and reconstructing their original form. What he finds is, not just common motifs and characters, but a single unifying story-line--a mythic history--which ties together the myths and religions of our ancient past. Enjoy ;)

In this episode Kyle and Chris reunite after a month of scheduling conflicts. We discuss the solo content each of us produced in the interim, including Kyle's episode with his Eastern Orthodox friends and Chris' piece on Jesus as a "shapeshifter." We catch-up on just about everything else: discussing HBO's latest season of "True Detective," whether women should be allowed in the military and the truth behind Disney's promotion of "woke" ideology and their very public participation in the Culture War. Enjoy ;)

In this episode Chris explores what it means to be a 'Shaman' and how the term relates to the great world religions of the modern day. He asks the questions: Is a priest, technically, a Shaman? What about a Prophet? What about Jesus Christ? And this last question takes us on a journey through long-lost Christian scriptures, folklore, Paleolithic cave paintings and back into the Bible, as we attempt to answer the question--Was Jesus a Shaman?

In this episode Chris riffs on whether or not angels and demons actually exist. He asks the question, just what the hell is an angel or a demon? How do these ideas from our monotheistic traditions compare to the older, classical idea of 'gods' with a lowercase 'g', or to the even older animistic idea of the 'spirits of nature'? Lastly he tries to explain the physical correlates of such spiritual entities in the realm of psychology, motivational forces and their forms as living Archetypes. Enjoy ;)

In this episode we examine a myth from the Basque people of Spain and France. Why? Because I love stories, but also because the Basque people are unique among the ethnicities, cultures and languages of Europe. They do not descend from the Indo-European migration, which so heavily influenced the rest of Europe and do not speak an Indo-European language. That said, their myths give us incredible insight into the development of spirituality in Europe and into those primordial ideas, which rest at the foundation of the human psyche. The myth discussed comes from the folklorist Mariana Monteiro's 1887 book Legends and Popular Tales of the Basque People. It explains the origin of a sacred mountain called--Aquelarre--which sits alone like a leper, isolated from the rest of the mountain chain. Why is it estranged so? What makes it sacred? Let's find out... Enjoy ;) 

In this episode Chris and Kyle conduct a post-mortem on episode 2136 of the Joe Rogan Experience where Graham Hancock finally gets to defend his ideas of a forgotten civilization against a mainstream archeologist.  Enjoy ;)

In this episode Kyle and Chris reunite after an extra week's hiatus...and they had lots to talk about! We cover Kyle's recent experience as a debate moderator on The Crucible and Chris' latest solo episode on the book Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future. But we don't stop there. We hash out a theological disagreement about the origin of religion, discuss the "Neo Trad" movement, the existence or non-existence of demons and a video clip of Jewish men in Israel answering the question: If you had to pray in a mosque or a church, which would you choose? 

In this episode Chris presents Opinion Scholarship on an influential book by a Christian Orthodox Father--Seraphim Rose--titled Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future. This exploration was sparked by Kyle's interest in Eastern Orthodox Christianity and on the recommendation of an Orthodox friend of the show--Jason Mironchuck--of the 2Bit Podcast. I suspected this book was going to argue that Orthodox Christianity is poised to be the "religion of the future," but instead found Father Rose warning of the rise of an ecumenical, multi-faith, hybrid religion of anti-Christ. He warns against inter-faith dialog and the adoption of pagan ideas and practices into Christianity. He warns the seekers of spiritual experiences against seeking them outside of the Church of Christ. And most especially, he warns against the dilution and corruption of the tradition of the Christian church, which he believes risks the souls of the faithful as well as the rest of us. Enjoy ;)

In this episode Chris brings you Opinion Scholarship on a Hindu holy book called the Ashtavakra Gita, which expounds the non-dual philosophy of the Upanishads and Advaita Vedanta. This text is profound and poetic, but as good as it is in describing the nature of God, it fails in other ways to account for the realities of the world and our place in it. Chris outlines his objections and what he sees as shortcomings in its interpretation of mystic experience and, more importantly, in it's implications for human life. Enjoy ;)

This episode originally aired March, 24th on the Onion Unlimited Podcast. It was another classic chat between Chris and Daniel Torridon on the nature of God and of spirit. We discuss the mythological motif of the "Silver Cord" (Ecclesiastes 12:5-7) or "Silver Thread" (Greco-Roman Moirai), which is said to bind the divine spirit to the material body in life and is "loosed" or "cut" at the moment of our death. Daniel speaks to me in memoriam for his departed friend Pieter and we ask the question: Is there an in-between place between the living and eternity?