Eternal Search

This episode focuses on how two systems of thought view death: Ernest Becker's Denial of Death and Zen Buddhism. Ernest Becker was an anthropologist most famous for his Pulitzer-prize winning 1973 book, Denial of Death, where he synthesizes psychology, philosophy and spirituality in a compelling effort to show that much of human behavior is motivated by an unconsicous fear of death. Zen is a school of Buddhism that originated in China in the 5th or 6th century; it can be roughly approximated as a fusion of the Indian Mahayana Buddhist school and Chinese Taoist philosophy.

My guest is Busshin Nash, novice Zen priest and resident monastic at Peace House in Cambridge. He leads many kinds of meditation as part of his ministry, one of them being on death itself. We begin by discussing Becker's ideas and how they relate to Buddhism, before examining how death is treated in Zen.

This episode focuses on Christian Monastic life and the Society of Saint John the Evangelist. My guests today are Brothers Lucas Hall and Geoffrey Tristram, two monks living at the society of saint john monastery in Cambridge Massachusetts. We begin the conversation talking about what Christian monastic life is like, and how the monastery serves the community. We move into discussing Saint John and his writings.

This episode focuses on psychedelics, a group of hallucinogenic substances that trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness. Today they're usually known as recreational drugs, but psychedelics have a long history of spiritual use in many cultures around the world.

My guest today is James Davis, founder of Bay Staters for Creative Well-Being, a grassroots community focused on psychedelic advocacy and educating the public about psychedelics. We begin the conversation focusing on how psychedelics were used by ancient cultures, before moving into use in a more modern context.

https://baystaters.org/

This interview focuses on Shim Gum Do, a zen Buddhist tradition originating in Korea. As its English translation of "Mind Sword Path" suggests, Shim Gum Do places martial arts and sword training as some of its key practices.

My guest today is Mary Stackhouse-Kim, headmaster of the American Buddhist Shim Gum Do association. We discuss how shim gum do was founded and what drew her to the tradition before diving into the practices of Shim Gum Do.

This episode focuses on the Desert Fathers, early Christian hermits and ascetics whose practices formed the prototype for modern Christian moasticism. My guest is Stephen Davis, Professor of Religious Studies and Professor of History at Yale University. He has spent much of his career working in Egypt and studying the modern Egyptian monastic communities that trace their lineage back to the desert fathers. We start by talking about what the early Christian world was like before moving into the world of the Desert Fathers themselves.

This interview focuses on Shim Gum Do, a Zen Buddhist tradition originating in Korea. While featuring common Buddhist practices such as sitting meditation, Shim Gum Do also includes sword training and martial arts as key parts of the tradition.

My guest today is Mary Stackhouse-Kim, headmaster of the American Buddhist Shim Gum Do Association. We discuss the founding history of Shim Gum Do before moving into its practices.

This interview focuses on Friedrich Nietzsche, a German philosopher active during the late 1800s. While famously atheistic, Nietzsche still saw value in a spiritual life… just not a very traditional one. My guest today is David Storey, Professor of philosophy at Boston College. We discuss Nietzsche's most fundamental ideas before honing in on his spiritual ones.

This interview focuses on Christian Science, a denomination of Christianity founded by Mary Baker Eddy in 1800's New England. Herself a devout Christian, she formulated Christian Science as a way to make sense of a miraculous healing she experienced after an accident left her with severe injuries.

My guest today is Scott Shivers, a Christian Science practitioner who works on the church's Committees on Publications. We discuss Mary Baker Eddy's life, key ideas of Christian Science Theology, and how Christian Science is different from other denominations of Christianity.

This episode features a discussion on Confucius and his ideas. Confucius lived during a chaotic time period of Chinese history, and his ideas concentrated on how to restore order to society. Although he only achieved modest success during his lifetime, his ideas have been a key part of Chinese civilization for thousands of years.

Yair Lior returns for this episode. He is a professor at Boston University's department of religion, and an expert in comparative theology.

Unfortunately, I had some audio issues recording this episode. Its still listenable, but sounds more like a recorded zoom call than the in person conversation we had :(

This episode features the Baháʼí faith, a tradition started in 1800s Persia that emphasizes the essential unity of humanity. My guest is Andrés Shahidinejad, a member of Boston's Baháʼí community. We discuss the history of the tradition, as well as its core ideas and spiritual practices.