Religion Reconsidered

The debate over whether religion is a natural phenomenon has raged for centuries. 

John Calvin was the first person to talk of a sensus divinitatis but it is an idea that has stretched back to the Greeks and Romans. The idea is that religion is a natural phenomenon in human society and we as humans have a capacity to engage with the divine. The ubiquity of religion throughout the globe and across history as well as our divine sense, it is said, results in a rather resounding proof of God’s existence. 

However with the rise of enlightenment ideals and especially evolutionary science, this view has been questioned. People like David Hume argued that religion arose out of fear of the natural world and it became a way to understand it while Durkheim has argued that religion plays a critical role for peaceful human societies. Religion, it is argued, is either a social or cognitive construct that our brains and societies have developed as a way to understand and manage our existence. And so, while it may be natural in this respect, it is proof that an objective idea of God is pure fancy.

In this episode we talk with distinguished academic, Professor David Fergusson, where he lays out the debate and his argument of how in the face of arguments against God's existence, religion will see a refraction of belief and more types of worship rather than a religious retreat. 

As always, feel free to get in touch: [email protected]

A question that I’ve always thought about: if each religion claims that what it teaches is true and that the way to salvation is through its teaching, then aren’t ideas of conversion and even forced conversion morally justified? 

Is it possible to religiously justify a group such as ISIS who may say they are trying to convert people to their religion for their salvation. I appreciate there are many other issues at play with the ISIS thing and there are groups of people that do their utmost to convert people to their religious worldview but at a general level why is there not more attempts at conversion that goes on.

Fr Michael is a Jesuit, a former professor of interreligious relations at Heythrop College in London, was the director of the De Nobili dialogue centre which focused on interfaith communication, and served as a consultant to the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue in Rome and to the ecumenical Churches Commission on Inter-faith Relations. His expertise is on the eastern faiths of Hinduism and Buddhism and it's safe to say he is a preeminent voice in the area of interreligious dialogue. I posed to Fr Michael the question:  if each religion claims that what it teaches is true and that the way to salvation is through its teaching, then aren’t ideas of conversion and even forced conversion morally justified? 

In the ensuing conversation we don’t just talk about the importance of space and respect when it comes to interreligious dialogue but also how we can come to a deeper understanding of our own faith through when we listen and consider the point of view of the other. Ultimately he puts forward a very strong case that ideas of forced conversion are fundamentally antithetical to a loving religious practice.

Fr Michael has also written several books whose titles include: theology and the dialogue of religions, waiting on grace, interreligious learning, and Ignatian spirituality and interreligious dialogue.

In 250AD a young man named Paul walked out into the Egyptian desert in fear of his own life and was never to return. He did not find safety or comfort but rather communion with God.

100 years later, Anthony the Great, a man who had taken Paul's way of life and turned it into a burgeoning communal approach to spiritual living, met the elderly hermit on the day of his death. 

These two great men were the example for the thousands of monks and hermits that came to live in Egypt, Syria and Palestine that would go down in history as The Desert Mothers and Father. 

In this episode, we take a look at The Desert Mothers and Father: who they were, where they came from and what they got up to. At a time of great upheaval throughout the Mediterranean world, they would come to set a foundation of not only monasticism but all Christianity.

This episode forms part of a series on the Desert Mothers and Father and in the next episode we will be heading to Egypt to see the lives of the people who continue to live out this tradition. 

Thanks to Lebot for our new theme music, more of which can be found by clicking this link. 

He has been called the hot priest, the ‘UK's favourite priest’, is a youtube sensation, and an instagram influencer. Rev Chris Lee has amassed a following on social media of over 170,000 people with his account RevChris7 and has become famous for his 60 second sermons where he distils Christian teachings into instagram friendly messages. Beyond this Chris has published a book titled The OMG Effect with two more books set to be published this year.

In this podcast Chris talks about how he came to love God, what it's like dealing with his newfound fame, how he tries to direct people to God and sharing the message the God love us. 

For more content, check us out on Instagram @religion_reconsidered

Yesterday, the Catholic Church published a declaration titled Fiducia Supplicans that looks at The Pastoral Meanings of Blessings. The Declaration has caused a stir in the world with it being called a 'landmark moment for the church’s acceptance of L.G.B.T.Q. faithful.' 

So what does the Declaration say and does it change the Church's position on same-sex relationships? In this brief explainer we consider this question.

As a massive disclaimer, I am not a Church Scholar and while I had tried to give an accurate depiction of the Declaration, please forgive any errors. 

If you have any feedback, as always feel free to reach out at [email protected].

As context for this conversation I recommend the following:

• Video on martial arts;

Geoff Thompson is famous in the world of self defence. After becoming a highly ranked martial artist in numerous disciplines, Geoff became a nightclub bouncer in Coventry in the UK at a time when it was known as the most violent city in Europe. From this experience he went on to develop a form of martial arts based on real world situations that centred on the idea of efficacy, or to put it another way - hitting first. From this he became one of the world’s leading self defence experts and got to a point where he was teaching Chuck Norris’s students in the US.

In this rather esoteric conversation Geoff discusses how he used methods from his martial arts training to develop himself spiritually and overcome the darkness within him. While beginning with spiritual martial arts teachers such as Gichin Funakosi and Morihei Ueshiba, Geoff’s spiritual knowledge has come from places as diverse as George Gurdjieff, the Armenian born mystic, the Srimad Bhagavatam, one of the great Hindu Puranas, Roman Catholicism and Rumi. As you’ll come to hear in our conversation, Geoff considers his time as a nightclub bouncer as being a true metaphysical experience.

A list of Geoff's published works can be found on his Wikipedia page and his instagram is https://www.instagram.com/geoff_thompson_official/?hl=en

If you want to get in touch, my email is [email protected]

Thank you for joining us and I hope you enjoy the podcast.

In this episode we talk with Amandeep Singh of the Singh Sabha Sikh temple in Goodmayes, East London. 

In the conversation, Amandeep runs through some of the basics of the Sikh faith: the Nishan Sahib, the layout of a Gurdwara and the importance of the Langar hall. We also talk about the foundations of Sikhism and how it developed as a religion that stood against persecution of all forms. We finish considering the fundamentals of the faith as expressed in the Ik Onkar.

The overriding theme throughout the interview that Amandeep emphasises is the power of connection that is built through the strength of the Sikh community, its rich history and its enduring power as a force for justice in the world. 

If you want to check out more of what Amandeep has to offer, his instagram page is @amandeep_singh_east_london and you can learn more about sikhism @basicsofsikhi

If you've enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe and if you want to get in touch, my email is [email protected]

Professor Ann Taves has spent her career studying religious experiences trying to understand what it means when someone says that they have spoken with God or they have seen an angel or had non-ordinary experiences. In this episode we talk about her work on visions and trances as well as her deep study on the similarities and differences between Mormonism, Alcoholics Anonymous and A Course In Miracles. We also look at Ann’s recent study into people in both America and India and how they view their own ‘non ordinary’ experiences. It is a fascinating look at one of the fundamental aspects of religious belief and how we can better understand it in the modern world.

This episode looks at the religious history and context of the ongoing conflict in Israel/Palestine. 

With the recent attacks by Hamas on 7 October, we take a look at why this small piece of land on the Eastern Mediterranean is so religiously significant and why it continues to be so hotly contested. 

We look at the origins of the Abrahamic faiths and their associations with the land of Israel/Palestine and how the Zionist movement was imbued with religious significance from the very beginning.

Please feel free to leave a comment or if you would like to get in touch, please email [email protected]

Dr Claire Gilbert joins the Religion Reconsidered podcast to discuss the work of the Westminster Abbey Institute and I, Julian. The episode looks at how The Institute aims to bring a level of moral discernment to the UK public sector, and how Claire brought years of work in medical and environmental ethics to the role. Claire then provides a recount of her religious journey and how Julian of Norwich went from being a subject of study to Claire's closest spiritual confidant that led her to write the fictional autobiography, I, Julian. Throughout Claire discusses her ideas of porosity and how we can learn from Julian to engage with the world and each other with a greater level of compassion.