Misenchantments

This month, we’re reintroducing ourselves and our aims with this project.

When we first started the podcast four (!) years ago (please don’t go back and listen), we described ourselves as an atheist who goes to church (Lorenzo) and a sort-of Christian feeling increasingly allergic to religion (me, Riley). But, as it goes, a lot has changed since then. 

We also talk a bit about Eugene McCarraher’s Enchantments of Mammon, after which our podcast is titled. In particular, we discuss whether the type of enchantment McCarraher describes is possible for the irreligious. 

Then, we talk about belief and structure, and read from the introduction of Patrick Leigh Fermor’s book A Time to Keep Silence, wherein Karen Anderson pushes back against Fermor’s assertion that belief is the first postulate of religion.

We start with a recap our tour of the San Diego Mormon Temple: baptisms of the dead, endless office space, sterile conceptions of heaven, denial of death. Then we talk about Pope Leo’s Magnifica Humanitas. What does it say, how does it relate to the Catholic idea of the whole person, and does it go far enough? Digressions include Lord of the Rings (not even a digression, because Leo cites Tolkien), nihilism, and a convo with Claude.

{follow us on Instagram @misenchantments or email us at misenchantments [at] gmail [dot] com, plus subscribe to our substack! :) }

Riley and Lorenzo discuss Lorenzo’s hobby of attending various local churches, and answer the questions we’re all asking: what is “fundie”? What is “evangelical”? What do Catholics think of the American Pope? Other topics and groups discussed: Quakers, Woke Church, non-denominational-ism, Eastern Orthodox, Lord of the Rings, and more.

In the opening segment, we wade into the “let people enjoy things” debate again, this time, to discuss whether bullying is justified to prevent women from getting cosmetic surgery. 

References:

“The Anti Cosmetic Surgery Essay Every Woman Should Read” 

{follow us on Instagram @misenchantments or email us at misenchantments [at] gmail [dot] com, plus subscribe to our substack! :) }

Riley and Lorenzo chat about Tony Tulathimutte’s “Rejection” and also, strangely, early 2010s Americana music (aka “stomp clap hey”, or, on Spotify, “stomp & holler”). Lorenzo brings up Cloud Atlas a bunch. Riley wonders how people become addicted to p*rn.

References:

This tweet

This Tiny Desk Concert

Cameron Winter’s song “$0”

New Mumford and Sons album that I will not link!!!

Tony Tulathimutte’s “Rejection”

{follow us on Instagram and Twitter @misenchantments or email us at misenchantments [at] gmail [dot] com, plus subscribe to our substack! :) }

Riley and Lorenzo continue their discussion on enchantment – what is it, what is it not, how does technology ruin it, and where can we get some? Topics include myth, liturgy, literature, and cynicism.

References:

Popular book on enchantment 

Joseph Campbell’s “Power of Myth”

Karl Ove Knausgaard’s “The Re-Enchanted World”

{follow us on Instagram and Twitter @misenchantments or email us at misenchantments [at] gmail [dot] com, plus subscribe to our substack! :) }

Riley and Lorenzo discuss enchantment – what is it, why should we care, and what does it mean for something to “have juice”? Topics include hireophany, writing as (failed) sacrament, air conditioning as numbing one’s senses.

Digressions include pet pigs and why it’s cool, actually, to say “TGIF.” 

Authors discussed: Max Weber, Charles Taylor, Katherine May, and Jane Bennett

Riley and Lorenzo watch and discuss Paul Schrader’s 2017 film “First Reformed.” Riley loves it, Lorenzo thinks it does theology right but has other gripes.  Digressions include fall vibes, devotion, whether or not Amanda Seyfried would be Lorenzo’s friend, Riley’s interest in purchasing a Stanley (!?).

What do Noah Kahan, smutty romance novels, and search engine optimization (SEO) have in common? Riley and Lorenzo dive into why so much popular art and media feels so thin. We chat about our recent media favs, Niel Postman’s Epistemology of Technology, and “Rich Men North of Richmond.”

Reading:

NYT “Why Has Culture Come to a Standstill”

Riley and Lorenzo discuss Disneyland, Satanism, treat acquisition, TikTok microtrends, climate change and purchasing massive SUVs, the imperative to buy, and what we owe each other. Part two of a two-part miniseries on convenience and consumption. 

References:

Cushvlog ‘Polypocalypse’

“Against Convenience” 

“The Easy Way Out”

Riley and Lorenzo discuss their new mic, ASMR, TikTok “haul” trends, single-use plastic, Christmastime and Advent (Riley doesn’t know the difference between the two), overconsumption, LARPing prosperity, and class consciousness. Part one of a two-part miniseries on convenience and consumption. 

References:

Operation Niki TikTok

Chelsea Fagan TikTok

De-influencing TikTok

Eula Biss’ “Having and Being Had”

{follow us on Instagram and Twitter @misenchantments or email us at misenchantments [at] gmail [dot] com :) }