The Classical Ideas Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ep 34: Queer and Feminist Religious Studies with Dr. Melissa Wilcox Jan 23, 2018

Show notes

Melissa M. Wilcox received her doctorate in Religious Studies from U.C. Santa Barbara in 2000. Her transdisciplinary research program focuses on gender studies and queer studies in religion, with particular emphasis on the U.S. and Europe in the context of transnational queer and religious politics. Her books include Coming Out in Christianity: Religion, Identity, and Community (Indiana University Press, 2003); Sexuality and the World's Religions (co-edited with David W. Machacek; ABC-CLIO, 2003); Queer Women and Religious Individualism (Indiana University Press, 2009); and Religion in Today's World: Global Issues, Sociological Perspectives (Routledge, 2013). Her 2009 book received the annual book award from the Sociology of Religion Section of the American Sociological Association. Her newest book, Queer Nuns: Religion, Activism, and Serious Parody, is forthcoming in 2018 from the Sexual Cultures series at NYU Press, and she is currently working on two textbooks focused on sexuality and queer studies in religion.

Ep 33: The Life of Alan Watts (Part Two with Anne Watts) Jan 18, 2018

Show notes

Anne Watts is one of the co-editors of the new book, "The Collected Letters of Alan Watts," released in January 2018 from New World Library. Anne Watts is a facilitator and educator who is committed to creating a world where everyone wins. She honors each individual for the gift she or he is, and believes that love and nurturance are the most important aspects in human healing. She regularly leads workshops at the Esalen Institute and you can find her upcoming events online at www.annewatts.org.

Ep 32: The Life of Alan Watts (Part One With Joan Watts) Jan 12, 2018

Show notes

Alan Watts was one of the first to interpret Eastern wisdom for a Western audience. Joan Watts, Alan's eldest daughter, is the co-editor (along with her sister, Anne) of the new volume, "The Collected letters of Alan Watts," out now from New World Library. This is part one in a two-part series on the Life of Alan Watts, featuring Joan and Anne Watts.

Ep 31: Korean (Soen) Zen Buddhism with Anita Feng (Jeong Ji) Jan 07, 2018

Show notes

Anita Feng (Zen Master Jeong Ji) serves as the guiding teacher at Blue Heron Zen Community in Seattle, Washington. She has practiced Zen in the lineage of Zen Master Seung Sahn since 1976. In the late '70s she lived and studied intensively with Zen Master Seung Sahn at the Providence Zen Center. She received Inka from Zen Master Ji Bong 2008 and received final transmission as a Zen Master in 2015.

http://www.anitafeng.com/wp/

Ep 30: Sufism, Mysticism, and Esoteric Practices with Patricia Riely Jan 04, 2018

Show notes

Patricia Riely is a student in the Ruhaniat, a universal Sufi order founded by Samuel Lewis, whose teacher, Inayat Khan, lived from 1882-1927. Riely also is an important organizer for the Ozark Sufi Camp, a large, biannual Sufi gathering at the Lake of the Ozarks in mid-Missouri, United States. We talk a lot about the Sufi camp in this episode. Anyone wishing to learn more can check out OzarkSufiCamp.org.

Ep 29: Ian Johnson on resurgence of Taoism and Christianity in China Dec 29, 2017

Show notes

A Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist, Ian Johnson is a regular contributor to the New York Review of Books and the New York Times; his work has also appeared in The New Yorker and National Geographic. He is an advising editor for the Journal of Asian Studies and teaches courses on religion in Beijing. He is the author of The Souls of China, Wild Grass, A Mosque in Munich, and The Rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in the West. He is based in Beijing and spoke to me from Berlin, Germany.

Ep 28: Dr. Max Perry Mueller on Mormonism, Race, and Politics Dec 22, 2017

Show notes

Max Perry Mueller received his PhD from Harvard University. He is a historian of American religion and an assistant professor of religious studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is the author of Race and the Making of the Mormon People, published by the University of North Carolina Press in September 2017.

Ep 27: Dinty W. Moore on Accidental Buddhism and the Writer's Life Dec 16, 2017

Show notes

Dinty W. Moore is author of The Accidental Buddhist and The Mindful Writer. He is a professor of nonfiction writing at Ohio University, the editor of Brevity Magazine, and lives in Athens, Ohio.

www.dintywmoore.com

Ep 26: Leaving Apocalyptic Splinter Groups Dec 12, 2017

Show notes

Brandon used to be a member of a church called the "Church of God Preparing for The kingdom of God." The group holds an apocalyptic view of end times prophecy and the end of the world as we know it. Brandon left in 2013.

Ep 25: Podcasting, Publishing, and New World Library with Kim "Skipper" Corbin Dec 07, 2017

Show notes

Kim 'Skipper' Corbin is the host of the New World Now podcast at New World Library, where she serves as a senior publicist/social media manager. She has also been a passionate promoter of the benefits of adult skipping since 1999 via her iskip.com website, which has been featured in Time, Newsweek, and People Magazines. Her website iskip.com offers an information source and gathering place for people all over the world who enjoy a good skip.

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