ReligionForBreakfast

Episoder

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  Is Witchcraft Going Mainstream? | Interview w/ Thorn Mooney 20.08.2026 1t 8min

  Register for Thorn's seminar American Paranormal!: https://www.religiondepartment.com/AmericanParanormalThe number of witches in the U.S. has increased dramatically. I sit down with scholar and practicing witch Thorn Mooney to talk about Wicca, WitchTok, misconceptions, and what it means to be a witch in 2025.
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  The Gods of Pre-Islamic Arabia 20.08.2026 41min

  With my link, you can get 50% off of Nebula. It’s just $30/year, or $2,5/month, at https://go.nebula.tv/religionforbreakfast Watch SarahZ's "Three Dead Girls I Love": https://nebula.tv/videos/sarahz-three-dead-girls-i-love?ref=religionforbreakfastThumbnail design by ⁨ @ECHenry Religion for Breakfast videos take a lot of research and collaboration. Patreon support helps fund editors, scholars, and future episodes. Support us here: https://www.patreon.com/c/religionforbreakfastSelect imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and ReutersBefore Islam, Arabs worshipped many gods. Using newly deciphered ancient desert inscriptions, we explore the forgotten religious world of pre-Islamic Arabia: The goddess Allāt, sacrifice, pilgrimage, fate, magic, and the everyday prayers of ordinary people.00:00 Intro to Safaitic Inscriptions3:44 The Goddess Allat (also Rodaw and Dushara)8:35 The Gods On Humanity's Side (Shams, Ba'al Samin, the Gadds)15:07 Ritual Practice (prayer, pilgrimage, sacrifice, magic)25:45 Fate
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  What Did Marcion Believe? 20.08.2026 11min

  Marcion...hated heretic or influential maverick?Twitter: @andrewmarkhenryFacebook: www.religionforbreakfast.com/facebookBlog: www.religionforbreakfast.comAnimation: EC Henry, http://echenry.com/Design: Chris Maghintay, http://www.chrismaghintay.com/Music: Kevin MacLeod, www.incompetech.com
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  What Is Religion? 20.08.2026 9min

  What is religion? The answer might not be as simple as you thought.Twitter: @andrewmarkhenryFacebook: www.facebook.com/religionforbreakfastBlog: www.religionforbreakfast.comAndrew's religious studies book recommendations: http://amazon.com/shop/religionforbreakfastDesign: Chris Maghintay, http://www.chrismaghintay.com/Animation: EC Henry, http://echenry.com/Music: Kevin MacLeod, http://incompetech.com/Attributions:Star Wars Medieval Illumination: Chawakarn KongprasertFor God, Country, and Coca-Cola image: Mark PendergrastReligion Evolution Tree: Simon E. Davies, https://www.facebook.com/HumanOdyssey
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  What is the History of Magic Wands? 20.08.2026 9min

  Magic wands...we see them everywhere in the modern fantasy genre. But what is the history of these mythological tools? Patreon: www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastTwitter: @andrewmarkhenryFacebook: www.facebook.com/religionforbreakfastBlog: www.religionforbreakfast.comThanks to our supporters on Patreon!:Brian B.Daniel D.Kalei W.Alex B.Mark H.Alice C. WilsonCain D. Bibliography and Attributions:Pseudo-Bacon "Thesaurus Spirituum:" http://archives.wellcomelibrary.org/DServe/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqCmd=show.tcl&dsqSearch=(RefNo==%27MS110%27)Aramaic Incantation Bowl: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coupe_Aram%C3%A9en_Nippur_Mus%C3%A9e_Mariemont_08112015.jpgJoseph H. Peterson's history: http://www.esotericarchives.com/wands/Holly tree photograph: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holly#/media/File:Ilex-aquifolium_(Europaeische_Stechpalme-1).jpgMore on the carved doors depicting Jesus wielding a wand or a staff: https://cyberdisciple.wordpress.com/2011/09/11/carved-doors-of-santa-sabina-rome/
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  Why Ancient Christians Destroyed Greek Statues 20.08.2026 37min

  Compare news coverage. Spot media bias. Avoid algorithms. Try Ground News today and get 40% off your subscription by going to https://ground.news/religionforbreakfastIn Late Antiquity, Christian leaders condemned paganism, sometimes leading to violent attacks on divine statues. What do these attacks teach us about Christianization of the Roman Empire?Join our Patreon community! https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastSelect imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and Reuters00:00 Setting up the topic1:40 How did the Greeks and Romans view statues?5:28 Idolatry and Cult Statues7:30 Demonology12:12 Selective Damage and Embodied Objects14:07 Christian Triumphalism 20:24 Christianization: Syncretism vs. Antisyncretism
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  The Ancient Jerusalem Soundscape: They Experienced Life Differently 20.08.2026 4min

  One day, I was trying to write my dissertation while sitting in my room in east Jerusalem. I was writing about ancient soundscapes...how the lack of ambient sounds in ancient cities would have made conversation and religious chants audible from over 100 feet away. Then a traffic jam happened outside my window. It was very loud. So I made this video.(The ancient city you see in some of these clips comes from the city of Hippos, a Roman city in the Galilee). Andrew's religious studies book recommendations: http://amazon.com/shop/religionforbreakfasthttps://www.instagram.com/andrewmarkhenry/Sources:Bruce Smith, “The Acoustic World of Early Modern England."Massachusetts Birth rate stats: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/infant_mortality_rates/infant_mortality.htm
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  Big News... 20.08.2026 8min

  Join The Religion Department: https://www.religiondepartment.com/The Religion Department is our new online learning platform and community where you can learn about religion from scholars around the world. We offer lectures, multi-week seminars, and guided reading groups that explore the fascinating complexity of religion in all its forms.
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  Why These Christians Worship with Deadly Snakes 20.08.2026 24min

  Compare news coverage. Spot media bias. Avoid algorithms. Try Ground News today and get 40% off your subscription by going to https://ground.news/religionforbreakfastJoin our Patreon community! https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastSelect imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and ReutersIn parts of Appalachia, a few Pentecostal Christians handle live venomous snakes during worship, following a literal reading of Mark 16. This video explores the history, psychology, and faith behind one of America’s most dangerous religious traditions.
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  I'm in Jerusalem! [2018 Channel Update] 20.08.2026 3min

  I'm in Jerusalem! We passed 10,000 subscribers! Here's to 2018, and here's to religious studies!Oh, and my videos keep getting demonetized. If you'd like to support the show to offset this problem, head on over to: www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfast and donate. Even a dollar a month can really add up to make this channel sustainable.Andrew's religious studies book recommendations: http://amazon.com/shop/religionforbreakfast
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  Why Fictional Magic Systems Feel So Fake 20.08.2026 43min

  Want to restore the planet’s ecosystems and see your impact in monthly videos? The first 100 people to join Planet Wild with my code RELIGION2 will get the first month for free on me: https://planetwild.com/r/religionforbreakfast/join/2If you want to get to know them better first, check out their mission supporting Brazil’s Xingu region: https://planetwild.com/r/religionforbreakfast/m29/2Thumbnail by @ECHenry 00:00 Intro1:24 Part 1: Magic is Mundane8:39 Part 2: Magic as a Profession?14:10 Part 3: Magic as Energy?22:08 Part 4: Good vs. Evil27:47 Conclusion
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  When Did Christianity and Judaism Part Ways? 20.08.2026 11min

  30 CE? 70 CE? 135 CE? 200 CE?Twitter: @andrewmarkhenryFacebook: www.religionforbreakfast.com/facebookBlog: www.religionforbreakfast.comAnimation: EC Henry www.echenry.comDesign: Chris Maghintay http://www.chrismaghintay.com/Music: Kevin MacLeod www.incompetech.comAll images my own or Public Domain.
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  The Jade Emperor: The Daoist God Who Out-Buddha’d the Buddha? 20.08.2026 28min

  Use code RFBINCOGNI at the link below to get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan: https://incogni.com/rfbincogni.The Jade Emperor is one of the most important gods in Chinese religion, but he didn’t start that way. This video traces his rise from mortal prince to cosmic ruler, his role in Daoism and popular religion, and his surprising rivalry with the Buddha.Join our Patreon community! https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastSelect imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and Reuters
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  Coptic Christianity Explained 20.08.2026 53min

  Want to learn Coptic? Join our 8-week Intro to Coptic course and start reading the Gospel of Thomas: https://www.religiondepartment.com/copticSpecial thanks to the Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church Macon, GA for the Port Said icon footage. For the original footage, check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUjqmUGxbfo&ab_channel=ArchangelMichaelCopticOrthodoxChuchMacon%2CGACoptic Orthodox Christianity is one of the oldest branches of Christianity, tracing its roots to first-century Egypt. This video explores its history, theology, saints, and unique traditions.Join our Patreon community! https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastSelect imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and Reuters
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  Whose Religion Counts as "American?" | ft. Dr. Simran Jeet Singh 20.08.2026 1t 10min

  Watch Simran's new docuseries UNDIVIDED on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKFaEhkvrfIWhat counts as "American" religion? Dr. Simran Jeet Singh joins me to talk pluralism, religious freedom, and the religious communities often overlooked in US history.
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  6000 subscribers! (and channel update) 20.08.2026 3min

  We have passed 6000 subscribers and are growing more every day! Thank you so much everyone for supporting Religion for Breakfast. Religious literacy is needed more than ever in this day and age, and I hope, in some small way, RFB can help. All summer I have been working at the Newseum Institute's Religious Freedom Center developing educational material for religious studies teachers. Part of this project involved creating videos on a variety of religious studies topics. So stay tuned in the coming months, and you will see some new videos in this different format. I hope you like them!Twitter: @andrewmarkhenryblog: www.religionforbreakfast.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/religionforbreakfastPatreon: www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfast
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  Nimrod: The Bible’s Most Mysterious King 20.08.2026 27min

  Compare news coverage. Spot media bias. Avoid algorithms. Try Ground News today and get 40% off your subscription by going to https://ground.news/religionforbreakfastShoutout to Paul Davidson for writing this episode. Check out his amazing YouTube channel @InquisitiveBible Who was Nimrod, the Bible’s mighty hunter and empire-builder? Some scholars think he’s more than myth—maybe even Sargon of Akkad, one of the great kings of Mesopotamia. In this video, we explore the mystery behind one of Genesis’s most enigmatic figures.Join our Patreon community! https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastSelect imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and Reuters00:00 Intro1:15 Nimrod in the Table of Nations5:12 Sargon of Akkad Theory7:07 Ninurta Theory10:03 Later Identities of Nimrod15:38 Nimrod = Zoroaster?
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  The Greco-Roman Origins of the Eucharist 20.08.2026 45min

  Compare news coverage. Spot media bias. Avoid algorithms. Try Ground News today and get 40% off your subscription by going to https://ground.news/religionforbreakfastJoin our Patreon community! https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastSelect imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and Reuters
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  Can A Robot Be a Priest? 20.08.2026 6min

  A Japanese company has programmed a popular robot, Pepper, to perform Buddhist funeral rites. But will society ever accept artificial intelligence as religious authorities and ritual specialists?BECOME A PATRON!: www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastFACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/religionforbreakfastTWITTER: @andrewmarkhenryAndrew's religious studies book recommendations: http://amazon.com/shop/religionforbreakfastBibliography:Dr. Ian Reader, Buddhism in Crisis?: Institutional Decline in Modern Japan: https://journals.equinoxpub.com/index.php/TEST/article/viewFile/upload/pdfNippon News Network clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOQa3PIg3PcCremation statistics from National Funeral Directors Association: http://www.nfda.org/news/statistics27,000 Buddhist temples shutting down from The Guardian's reporting: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/06/zen-no-more-japan-shuns-its-buddhist-traditions-as-temples-close)Buddhist b-reel footage from:EC Henry: www.youtube.com/echenryJenn Lindsay: https://www.youtube.com/user/jenniferslindsayPhoto Attributions:Pepper stock image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pepper_the_Robot.jpgPepper looking quizzical: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pepper-robot-near-harajuku-may8-2016.jpg Self-Driving Car from Steve Jurvetson: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Google%27s_Lexus_RX_450h_Self-Driving_Car.jpg
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  Why Is Christmas on December 25th? | Dr. Tom Schmidt 20.08.2026 1t 17min

  Religion for Breakfast videos take a lot of research and collaboration. Patreon support helps fund editors, scholars, and future episodes. Support us here: https://www.patreon.com/c/religionforbreakfastRead Dr. Schmidt's Christmas publications here: https://tcschmidt.com/christmas-publications/The Bible doesn't say when Jesus was born...so why December 25th? New Testament scholar Dr. Tom Schmidt explains.00:00 Intro: The Debate Over December 25th01:20 What We Know for Sure (John Chrysostom)05:25 The History of Religions Thesis (Sol Invictus)07:43 Problems with the Sol Invictus Theory11:20 The Winter Solstice in Ancient Culture13:05 The Calculation Theory: Passover & The Equinox15:34 "Cosmic Perfection": Linking Conception & Crucifixion19:42 The Hippolytus Statue (222 AD)22:36 Deciphering the "Genesis of Christ" Inscription27:14 Calculating the Birth Date from Creation30:04 Other Early Chronographers (Julius Africanus & Clement)34:12 How December 25th Spread & "Won"53:29 Other Holidays: Saturnalia, Kalends, & Brumalia56:44 Conclusion