ReligionForBreakfast

Epizódy

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  The Gospel of Philip Explained (and why Jesus kisses Mary Magdalene) 22.09.2026 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 Get Lifetime memberships!: https://go.nebula.tv/lifetime?ref=religionforbreakfast Was Jesus secretly kissing Mary Magdalene? This video dives into the Gospel of Philip, its infamous “kiss” passage, Valentinian theology, and how baptism, anointing, and the “bridal chamber” were meant to turn Christians into Christs.00:00 Jesus kisses Mary Magdalene?1:18 Discovery, Date, Place of Origin4:04 A Brief Intro to Valentinianism 6:31 Christians Becoming Christs7:13 The Two Births of Christ11:04 Protology, Modeling vs. Begetting, a New Adam16:47 Baptism and Chrismation20:10 The Bridal Chamber Explained24:47 Mary Magdalene in the G.Phil33:58 Nebula is awesome! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Nimrod: The Bible’s Most Mysterious King 22.09.2026 25min

  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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  How to Make an Ancient Curse Tablet 22.09.2026 6min

  Ever wanted to curse your neighbor as the ancient Romans did? Watch to find out how!Patreon: www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastwww.religionforbreakfast.comwww.facebook.com/religionforbreakfastTwitter: @andrewmarkhenryAttributions:Music: Kevin MacLeod, www.incompetech.comJerusalem curse tablet: Robert Walter DanielCharakteres graphic: http://blog.charakteres.com/the-charakteres-projectNailed Defixio: http://archaeologicalmuseum.jhu.edu/the-collection/object-stories/a-roman-lead-curse-tablet/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  What Are Frankincense and Myrrh? 22.09.2026 5min

  According to the Gospel of Matthew, the magi bring gold, frankincense, and myrrh as expensive gifts to the young Jesus. We all know what gold is, but what is this frankincense and myrrh stuff? What did the ancients use it for?Patreon: www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastTwitter: @andrewmarkhenryFacebook: www.facebook.com/religionforbreakfastBlog: www.religionforbreakfastFurther Reading:Dr. Sarah Bond's article: https://marquettehistorians.wordpress.com/2012/12/24/sweat-of-the-gods-frankincense-and-myrrh-in-antiquity/Dr. Susan Ashbrook Harvey: "Scenting Salvation: Ancient Christianity and the Olfactory Imagination"Ambrose quote from his "Exposition of the Christian Faith," ch. IV.31: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf210.iv.iv.iii.v.htmlIncense altar painting from Aldobrandini Wedding Fresco found in Rome: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldobrandini_WeddingSpecial Thanks to Our Patrons!:Brian BDan DAlex BJohn MWilsonCain DMannyMark H Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Why Religions Survive When Prophecies Fail 22.09.2026 29min

  Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/religionforbreakfast Watch QAnon Bonus Video: https://nebula.tv/videos/religionforbreakfast-why-people-still-believe-in-qanon?ref=religionforbreakfast Get Lifetime memberships!: https://go.nebula.tv/lifetime?ref=religionforbreakfast Join our Patreon community! https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastSelect imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and ReutersWhen prophecies fail, religious movements don't always collapse. They adapt. From TikTok’s Rapture predictions to 19th-century millenarian movements, this video explores why religious groups often grow stronger after being proven wrong, and how communities survive disappointment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Melchizedek: The Most Mysterious Man in the Bible 22.09.2026 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 Genesis 14, a priestly king named Melchizedek randomly appears and gives bread and wine to the patriarch Abraham. And then...he's never mentioned again in the story. Who is this mysterious man? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Dagon: The "Philistine Fish-God" That Everyone Gets Wrong 22.09.2026 19min

  Watch my Nebula video on the Temple of Ramesses III here!: https://nebula.tv/videos/religionforbreakfast-sacred-spaces-inside-the-temple-of-ramesses-iii?ref=religionforbreakfastGet Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/religionforbreakfast If you try to Google Dagon, chances are you'll see some sort of "fish" god. And if you look him up in the Bible, you'll learn that he was a Philistine god. But, these two claims are actually wrong. He wasn't a Philistine god, nor was he a fish god.Join our Patreon community! https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastSelect imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and ReutersThumbnail art by @hotcyder00:00 Dagon, the Philistine fish god?1:19 Philistine Religion Explained5:31 Dagon Explained7:40 Did the Philistines really worship Dagon?9:28 Was Dagon a fish god?11:57 Check out my Nebula Plus series Sacred Spaces! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  What is the Western Wall? 22.09.2026 9min

  Join our Patreon community!: https://patreon.com/religionforbreakfastOne-time donations here!: https://www.paypal.me/religionforbreakfastCheck out my favorite religious studies books: https://www.amazon.com/shop/religionforbreakfast The Western Wall is one of the most iconic religious sites in the world. Tens of thousands of Jews travel there to pray. But what is the Western Wall?Twitter: @ andrewmarkhenryInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewmarkhenry/ Sources:Jodi Magness, "Archaeology of the Holy Land."Estimated visitors/per year: https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/750000-people-visit-Western-Wall-since-start-of-Passover-587868 Clashes with Women of the Wall: https://religionnews.com/2019/10/30/womens-group-brings-torahs-to-western-wall-faces-backlash-from-conservatives/https://www.timesofisrael.com/haredi-women-mass-at-kotel-for-standoff-with-feminist-group/Clearing of the Moroccan Quarter:Thomas Philip Abowd, "Colonial Jerusalem," p. 124-125Kotel Heritage Foundation: https://english.thekotel.org/Report on prayer note removal: https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Notes-to-be-removed-from-Western-Wall-602558Photo credits:Thumbnail: Photograph attributed to Daniel Majewski. This photograph is used under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license. Changes were not made to the photograph: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Western_Wall,_Jerusalem,_Shavuot.JPG Women praying at the Wall: WikiCommons, Yochi RappeportWomen at the Wall, WikiCommons, Britchi Mirela, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Exploring Qumran: The Dead Sea Scrolls Community 22.09.2026 8min

  Qumran is a small settlement on the west shore of the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea Scrolls were found nearby. The archaeology of this settlement sheds light on the Jewish community that lived here and how they were connected to the Dead Sea Scrolls. All of the footage that you see comes from my trip there in Spring 2018.Support the show on Patreon!www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastpaypal.me/religionforbreakfastCheck out my religious studies book suggestions at:http://amazon.com/shop/religionforbreakfastBibliography:Most of my data came from Jodi Magness' "The archaeology of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls," 2002.Photo Attributions:Qumran Dining Room: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Qumran_refectoire_locus_77.jpgScriptorium: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Qumran_L30_scriptorium.jpg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Vesak: The Most Important Buddhist Holiday? 22.09.2026 17min

  Subscribe to Sacred & Profane's newsletter here!: http://eepurl.com/gjbzuXVesak is celebrated by millions of Buddhists around the world. A day commemorating the birth, awakening, and death of the Buddha. Special thanks to @gunnertravel for his Singapore footage! Join our Patreon community!: https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastOne-time donations here!: https://www.paypal.me/religionforbreakfastSign-up for my mailing list to be notified of online classes: https://classes.religionforbreakfast.com/00:00 Intro2:08 Unknown Historical Origins of Vesak3:10 Vesak Rituals and Practices6:06 Buddhist Modernism and Vesak9:57 Growth of Vesak Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and Reuters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  The Ancient Egyptians Believed in Invisibility Spells 22.09.2026 9min

  An example of a magical text from the 5th century CE. What can it tell us about the beliefs and practices of ancient individuals living in Greco-Roman Egypt?Patreon: www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastFacebook: www.facebook.com/religionforbreakfastBlog: www.religionforbreakfast.comTwitter: @andrewmarkhenryImages/Videos Bibliography:Cicero: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Tullius_Cicero#/media/File:Cicero_-_Musei_Capitolini.JPGExperiment: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Chemistry_experiments#/media/File:Universidad_San_Pedro_practica_de_Qu%C3%ADmica_I.jpgAntikythera Mechanism Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eUibFQKJqIBending Visible Light Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtKBzwKfP8E Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  The Pre-Biblical Origins of Noah's Flood 22.09.2026 29min

  Get a free copy of the 80,000 Hours in-depth career guide: https://80000hours.org/rfbSpecial thanks to the writer of this episode Paul Davidson. Check out his blog "Is that in the Bible?": https://wp.me/p4jfyy-jKFJoin our Patreon community to vote on the next episode in this series! https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastOne-time donations here!: https://www.paypal.me/religionforbreakfast00:00 Introduction2:11 Sumerian Flood Story3:47 Atrahasis Epic5:12 Epic of Gilgamesh6:58 Genesis and Noah's Flood8:58 Comparing the Arks15:47 Comparing Major Themes 20:42 Sponsor: 80,000 HoursSelect imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and Reuters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Pilgrimage or Tourism at the Baha'i Gardens? 21.09.2026 8min

  Akko and Haifa are the two holiest cities for the Baha'i Faith. The Baha'i Gardens, located on the slopes of Mt. Carmel in Haifa, Israel, have become a major tourist site in recent years. Baha'i pilgrims also travel there to pray and meditate at the Shrine of the Báb located in the gardens. Why are these two cities holy to the Baha'is? What is the significance of pilgrimage here?Become a member of our Patreon community!: www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastOne time donations can be sent to: paypal.me/religionforbreakfastFor religious studies book recommendations, see: https://amazon.com/shop/religionforbreakfastTwitter: @andrewmarkhenryFacebook: www.facebook.com/religionforbreakfast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Who Are the 144,000 in the Book of Revelation? 21.09.2026 28min

  Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/religionforbreakfastGet Lifetime Access to Nebula here: https://go.nebula.tv/lifetime?ref=religionforbreakfast Join our Patreon community! https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastSelect imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and ReutersA mysterious group of 144,000 people, sealed on the forehead, appear in the Book of Revelation. But who are these people?Thumbnail by @ECHenry​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Göbekli Tepe: Prehistoric Evidence for Animism? 21.09.2026 21min

  Go to https://nordvpn.com/rfb to get a 2-year plan plus 4 additional months with a HUGE discount. It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee!Join our Patreon community!: https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastOne-time donations here!: https://www.paypal.me/religionforbreakfastSign-up for my classes list to be notified of online classes: https://classes.religionforbreakfast.com/Bibliography:Dušan Boric, "Theater of Predation: Beneath the Skin of Göbekli Tepe Images," 2013Oliver Dietrich, "Shamanism at Early Neolithic Göbekli Tepe," Praehistorische Zeitschrift, 2023.O. Dietrich, Notroff, Walter, and L. Dietrich, "Markers of 'Psycho-Cultural' Change," in "Handbook of Cognitive Archaeology Psychology in Prehistory," 2020.Anne Porter, "Beer, Beasts, and Bodies: Shedding Boundaries in Bounded Spaces," Routledge Companion to Ecstatic Experience in the Ancient World, 2021.Gesualdo Busacca, "Places of Encounter," 2017.Anna Fagan, "Hungry Architecture," dainst.blog, Dec 18, 2017.Nerissa Russell and Kevin McGowan, "Dance of the Cranes: Crane Symbolism at Çatalhöyük and beyond," 2003.Hodder and Meskell, "A Curious and Sometimes a Trifle Macabre Artistry," Current Anthropology, Vol. 52, No. 2 (April 2011).00:00 Introduction1:39 Animal iconography overview4:00 Animism Explained6:59 Neolithic Animal Personhood11:00 Predatory, Male, Aggressive IconographySelect imagery/video supplied by Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Why Are Congregations So Divided? 21.09.2026 19min

  Join our Patreon community!: https://patreon.com/religionforbreakfastOne-time donations here!: https://www.paypal.me/religionforbreakfastCheck out my favorite religious studies books: https://www.amazon.com/shop/religionforbreakfast FULL INTERVIEW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTK_a-VaHHs&feature=youtu.beWhether we're talking about race or economic class, most religious congregations in the United States are super homogeneous. This reflects the sociological principle called "homophily," or in simpler terms, "birds of a feather flock together." But why is this? Why are religious congregations so divided?Special thanks to Dr. Tricia Bruce for co-writing this episode. You can find her on Twitter: @TriciaCBruce or her website: triciabruce.com. Also check out her book "Parish and Place: Making Room for Diversity in the American Catholic Church."This video was brought to you, in part, by support from Sacred Writes: Public Scholarship on Religion, funded by the Henry R. Luce Foundation and hosted by Northeastern University: https://www.sacred-writes.org/aboutCheck out my favorite religious studies books: https://www.amazon.com/shop/religionforbreakfast Follow me on Twitter: @andrewmarkhenryShout out to the awesome work of Sacred Writes at Northeastern University: https://www.sacred-writes.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  The Chinese Ghost Festival Explained 21.09.2026 20min

  Compare news coverage. Spot media bias. Avoid algorithms. Be well informed. Download the free Ground News app at https://ground.news/religionforbreakfastJoin our Patreon community!: https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastOne-time donations here!: https://www.paypal.me/religionforbreakfastCheck out my favorite religious studies books by following this affiliate link to my Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/shop/religionforbreakfastThe Hungry Ghost Festival in China is held on the 15th night of the seventh lunar month. It's a time when it's believed that restless ghosts roam the earth. During this festival, people pay homage to these deceased ancestors and other wandering spirits, seeking to appease them. Families often prepare offerings of food and drink, and make ritualized items such as joss paper (hell money) and incense to honor the departed souls. These offerings are meant to satisfy the 'hungry ghosts,' preventing them from bringing misfortune to the living. Performances, including opera and puppet shows, are held to entertain both the living and the spiritual guests.Bibliography:Stephen Teiser, "The Ghost Festival in Medieval China," 1988.Mu-Chou Poo, "Ghosts and Religious Life in Early China," 2022.Ingmar Heise, "For Buddhas, families, and ghosts: the transformations of the Ghost Festival into a Dharma Assembly in southeast China," in "Buddhist Funeral Cultures of Southeast Asia and China," 2012.Hong Yin Chan, "The Hungry Ghost Festival in Singapore: Getai (Songs on Stage) in the Lunar Seventh Month," Religions 2020. 11(7), 356.Select footage and images courtesy of Getty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  How to Elect a Pope | Papal Conclave Explained 21.09.2026 13min

  Join our online guest lecture: Environmental Catastrophe, The Fall of Rome, and the Rise of Christianity with Dr. Travis Proctor!: https://www.religiondepartment.com/environmental-catastropheWhat happens when a pope dies? Who picks the next one—and how? From locked doors to smoke signals, discover the secretive process behind the papal conclave.Join our Patreon community! https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastSelect imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and Reuters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Why Baseball Players Are So Superstitious 21.09.2026 21min

  Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/religionforbreakfastWatch Becoming Human here: https://nebula.tv/videos/realscience-how-burial-marks-the-start-of-human-culture?ref=religionforbreakfastBaseball players do a lot of rituals...and anthropologists of religion have noticed. Some call it superstition, but are there other reasons why athletes might ritualize so many of their behaviors?Join our Patreon community!: https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastOne-time donations here!: https://www.paypal.me/religionforbreakfastSign-up for my classes list to be notified of online classes: https://classes.religionforbreakfast.com/Thumbnail art by @hotcyder Bibliography:George Gmelch, "Baseball Magic," Society 8(8) June 1971Michael Jackson, "Existential Anthropology," 2005.Xygalatas, "Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living," 2022.Stanley Tambiah, "The Magical Power of Words," Man, New Series, Vol. 3, No 2 (Jun., 1968), 175-208Stanley Tambiah, "Form and Meaning of Magical Acts: A Point of View,"00:002:08 Malinowski's uncertainty theory of magic4:13 Pre-Performance Routines 8:06 Empirical Studies of Sports Magic11:35 Is it Superstition?Select images courtesy of Getty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Computer Modeling Religious Violence 21.09.2026 8min

  This is the 2nd part of my interview with Dr. Connor Wood talking about the Modeling Religion Project. Please check out the first half here!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPUFBCtlz_APatreon: www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastTwitter: @andrewmarkhenryFacebook: www.facebook.com/religionforbreakfastBlog: www.religionforbreakfast.comMusic: Kevin MacLeod, www.incompetech.comLinks to this research!: Science On Religion Blog: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/scienceonreligion/Connor Wood Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/connor-wood/how-can-computer-models-h_b_9358258.htmlInstitute for the Bio-Cultural Study of Religion: https://www.ibcsr.org/Jenn Lindsay: http://jennlindsay.com/Thanks so much to Religion for Breakfast Patreon supporters!:Brian B.John M.Alex B.Cain D.MannyMark H.Dan D. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices