Renaissance

A reflection on the excellent documentary "Dangerous Knowledge", from BBC Channel 4 (2007).https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xdoe8uWe'll look at the presentaion of four great thinkers and mathematicians: Georg Cantor, Ludwig Boltzmann, Kurt Gödel and Alan Turing - and then view the changes in both Science and the Viennese culture and society of the early 19 hundreds in light of the nature of the brain hemispheres, and the cosmology of Dante's Divine Comedy.Thanks for listening!

An introduction to 10 key insights from McGilchrist's "The Master & His Emissary", and 3 (or 7) practical tips for how to become more aware and rebalance the brain.10 key insights - We have "Two brains". One can even split them, by cutting off the Corpus Callosum, and the person still functions largely fully normal.- One brain is for focus and manipulation, and one brain is for the overview, letting it all flow in.- The focused and systematic brain is supposed to be embedded in the more overall brain, over time.- When the systematic brain rules, it cuts off the other brain.- The focused brain (Left Hemisphere) is blind to everything it doesn't know, and often reacts with aggression and anger.- Relationships to people, to nature, and to the Divine is all in the Right Hemisphere.- The differences of the brain hemispheres are largely found through studies of strokes and brain damage.- Reason is great, but, it tends to tilt towards LH dominance over time, thus dismissing everything it doesn't now.- The tilt of the brain is a very slippery slope, and self-reinforcing through culture, architecture, and habits.- We can rebalance the brain actively through good habits and awareness, which gives a richer experience of life, and a better ability to apprehend the world, understand the world and human nature, and make good choices long term. And for building better personal relationships, too.The 50 video clips are here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI1xsHRB2M4&list=PLqBHk3itxyPDKFnwj8-SmlwHra64cCrkyThanks for listening!

Book review and analysis of the recent book:"Jordan Peterson, God, and Christianity: The Search for a Meaningful Life" by Christopher Kaczor and Matthew Petrusek, published July 22nd, 2021.We'll look at the book itself, and how Peterson's Theology is gradually and slowly moving towards that of the big Catholic and Orthodox Traditions, including the discovery that Science and Reason were an integral and unified part within them.A highly recommended book as food for thought, inspiration for more published books on this topic, and for widening conversations about Tradition and our current moment, in Time.Thanks for listening!

Commentary on an interesting conversation with Dr. Jordan Peterson, Dr. James Orr and Dr. Nigel Biggar titled: "Searching for God within Oxford and Cambridge".Main points standing out were the relationship and unity of the Spiritual and Material, and reflections on the higher-level structure of the spiritual forces (or Angelic Beings in the language of St. Dionysius), with examples of how they can be manifested.The full conversation is here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsmSBJMSRQkThanks for listening!

Reflections on Pope Innocent III's treatise "On the Misery of Man" (c.1200 AD), and the later counter-reactions to the dark and negative theology from the New Papacy after the Great Schism - with the celebration of positivity and incredible beauty in the Florentine Renaissance!This could also serve as a reminder of the contrast between the Papal pessimism vs. the more positive, glowing and life-affirming view of the Earthly Life in the Eastern Tradition.Historian Fr. John Strickland's books are here:The Age of Paradise: Christendom from Pentecost to the First Millenniumhttps://amzn.com/B07W89XLNCThe Age of Division: Christendom from the Great Schism to the Protestant Reformationhttps://amzn.com/B08N2KZ138And his latest episode "Subverting a Sacramental Culture" is here:https://spoti.fi/3iLuCVrThanks for listening!

Commentary on a splendid and inspiring talk between Tommaso Todesca and Fr. Paul Pearson, about Fr. Paul's books called "Spirtual Direction from Dante."Fr. Paul's books:"Spiritual Direction from Dante: Avoiding the Inferno":https://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Dire..."Spiritual Direction from Dante: Ascending Mount Purgatory":https://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Dire...And Tom's Youtube Channel with an ongoing Dante Series:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKVGwJVK1dMEnjoy!

In the latest episode on the Lord of Spirits podcast, the topic was the uncovering (Greek: Apocalypse) of the spiritual reality through the material, and in our everyday lives:https://open.spotify.com/episode/6WF294k9OKNiF1YlnVjUEuThis also ties into the ideas in Dante's Comedy and the Medieval Cosmology of Angelic Beings/Forces being manifested everywhere around us, every day:https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ego1kwlSADdOIHbzmVwlsEnjoy!

Commentary on the "Siren Song" of the Left Hemisphere, and the differing views on morality in the two hemispheres.And a BIG thank you to one of our listeners, Aidan, who sponsored us a year's membership on McGilchrist's member platform! ChannelMcGilchrist.com.

Reasons why thoughtful, rational, secular intellectuals might be drawn to the Christian Tradition.Douglas Murray's surprise at this development is here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8oHTKMsze4

About two different thinkers discussing the nature of reality and our experience of the mind - and the hidden "tug of war" of which territory from which to deliberate these topics.Great watch - highly recommended!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Zld-MX11lA