ReligionForBreakfast

Epizode

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  What Does it Mean to Be Religious? 19.08.2026 7min

  Many define "religion" as a "belief system." But religion encompasses a lot more than "belief" and "doctrine." In fact, many religions don't emphasize personal faith much at all. For many people, their religious identity is derived through the rituals they decide to participate in and the cultural identity that they have adopted. How, then, can we complicate our "belief centric" view of religious identity?Patreon: www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastFacebook: www.facebook.com/religionforbreakfastTwitter: @andrewmarkhenryAndrew's religious studies book recommendations: http://amazon.com/shop/religionforbreakfastB-reel footage used with permission from the following photographers:EC Henry: https://www.youtube.com/user/tlwllJennifer Lindsay: https://www.youtube.com/user/jenniferslindsayBibliography:Ben Marcus on the 3B Framework of Religious Identity:“Religious Literacy in American Education,” in The Oxford Handbook of Religion and American Education, ed. Michael D. Waggoner and Nathan C. Walker (Oxford: Oxford University Press, Forthcoming).More from Ben Marcus on 3B Framework: http://www.religiousfreedomcenter.org/schools/grounding/identity/Belief in God Pew Research study: http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/belief-in-god/Catholic views Pew Research study: http://www.pewforum.org/2013/03/18/us-catholics-happy-with-selection-of-pope-francis/Another study on Catholic views on birth control and homosexuality: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/09/19/majority-of-u-s-catholics-opinions-run-counter-to-church-on-contraception-homosexuality/For a fuller discussion on Charles Hardwick and the "Protestant bias" in the study of religion, see:Dr. Tomoko Masuzawa, "The Invention of World Religions," p. 127Dr. JZ Smith, "Drudgery Divine," (the whole book, its great).
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  Agnostics Spiritually Struggle More Than Atheists—But Feel Better About God 19.08.2026 22min

  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 RELIGION4 will get the first month for free on me: https://planetwild.com/r/religionforbreakfast/join/4 If you want to get to know them better first, check out their mission creating the world's longest wildlife corridor: https://planetwild.com/r/religionforbreakfast/m37/4A new psychology of religion study finds agnostics struggle more with doubt, meaning, and morality than atheists, but also feel more drawn to God. As it turns out, nonbelief has a lot to do with emotions.00:00 Differences Between Agnostics and Atheists4:42 Spiritual Struggle Explained6:30 Exline Study's Methods 7:54 Exline Study's Results12:14 Broader Implications About Non-Religion
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  What Did Freud Think About Religion? 19.08.2026 8min

  Sigmund Freud: Famous psychoanalyst with famously eccentric research. But did you know some of his research focused on theories about religion?@andrewmarkhenrywww.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastwww.religionforbreakfast.comThanks to our Patreon patrons!:Brian B.Kalei W.Alex B.Mark H.Alice C.WilsonCain
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  How to Become Immortal According to Daoism (in 5 not-so-easy steps) 19.08.2026 37min

  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=religionforbreakfastDaoist texts describe a path to transcendence through diet, celibacy, breathwork, and alchemy. From grain avoidance to mercury elixirs, how did Daoists try to live forever—and what did “immortality” really mean?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/religionforbreakfast
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  The Academic Study of Religion Explained 19.08.2026 7min

  Religious studies draws inspiration from multiple academic disciplines: sociology, anthropology, history, neuroscience, biology, psychology, political science..so no matter what you're interested in, you can probably find a home in religious studies!Patreon: www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastFacebook: www.facebook.com/religionforbreakfastTwitter: @andrewmarkhenryBlog: www.religionforbreakfast.comAndrew's religious studies book recommendations: http://amazon.com/shop/religionforbreakfastSpecial thanks to the Religious Freedom Center for helping to film and edit this video. The Religious Freedom Center is a nonsectarian organization based out of the Newseum in Washington D.C. They are developing online curriculum to help public school teachers to improve their religious literacy in the classroom. This video is part of two classes I helped to design: RLIT 100 Religions of the World, and EDU 300 Teaching About Religion in Public School. If you are interested in signing up for one of these courses, head on over to: http://www.religiousfreedomcenter.org/admissions/Buddhism footage is from my friend and colleague Jenn Lindsay. Check out her YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/user/jenniferslindsaySpecial thanks to another friend and colleague, John Balch, for help describing the scientific study of religion. Follow him on Twitter at @PerplexedMonist
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  How to Elect a Pope | Papal Conclave Explained 19.08.2026 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
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  What the Odyssey Gets Wrong About Bronze Age Greek Religion 19.08.2026 39min

  Create your world with WORLD ANVIL ► https://www.worldanvil.com/?c=rfbUse code "RFB" for 51% off ANY yearly subscription!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 ReutersHomer’s Odyssey is set in the Bronze Age, but Homer (if he was even a real person) lived during the Iron Age. So...is he accurate? Explore Mycenaean religion, Linear B, Poseidon, Potnia, sacrifice, and what Homer gets right and wrong.00:00 Anachronisms and Boar's Tusk Helmets2:23 Linear B Tablets and their challenges5:11 The Mycenaean Gods Explained11:50 Mycenaean [State] Ritual18:07 What Homer Gets Right and Wrong
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  The Gen Z “Religious Revival” Isn’t Real 19.08.2026 16min

  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 Lindsay Ellis' "The Macabre World of Bodycam YouTube:" https://nebula.tv/videos/lindsayellis-bodycam-youtube?ref=religionforbreakfastHeadlines claim Gen Z is leading a religious revival—but major surveys show something very different. This video breaks down the data, the myths, and why America is experiencing a plateau, not a comeback.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 Reuters
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  What "Speaking In Tongues" Does To Your Brain 19.08.2026 24min

  Register for my online class "Magic in the Ancient World!": https://www.religiondepartment.com/Scientists have studied the cognitive and neurological effects of speaking in tongues (glossolalia), uncovering its links to language processing, executive control, and mentalization.Join our Patreon community! https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastSelect imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and ReutersThis video was made possible through the support of grant #TRT-2021-10499 from the John Templeton Foundation managed by the Center for Mind and Culture. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation or the Center forMind and Culture.
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  Ancient Greek Sacrifice: Why did they do it? 19.08.2026 7min

  When we think about animal sacrifice, ancient societies such as the Greeks come to mind. But why did they ritually slaughter animals? What did this do for their society?Part 1: The Origins of Animal Sacrifice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw8JD972M78Thank you to our patrons on Patreon who support this channel!Patreon: www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastFacebook. www.facebook.com/religionforbreakfastTwitter: @andrewmarkhenryAndrew's religious studies book recommendations: http://amazon.com/shop/religionforbreakfastPhoto attributions: Sphageion: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sphageion_01_pushkin.jpgRoman Procession image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Turquie_2009_212a_Pamukkale_Hierapolis.jpgHermes altar, Agora of the Competaliasts on Delos: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ancient_Greek_Altar_Hermes_Delos_102292.jpglimestone Cypriot priest: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/74.51.2466/Demeter votive: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Votive_relief_sacrifice_Louvre_Ma756.jpg
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  What is Ritual? 19.08.2026 9min

  "Ritual." We all think we know what it means...right? Ritual, though, is a lot more complicated than you think. Patreon: www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastTwitter: @andrewmarkhenryFacebook: www.facebook.com/religionforbreakfastBlog: www.religionforbreakfast.comThanks to our Patreon patrons!:Brian BDan DAlex BJohn MWilsonCain DMannyMark HImage Attributions:Fasting Buddha: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Fasting_Buddha#/media/File:Siddhartha_Gautama_meditating.PNGhttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Prayer_in_art#/media/File:Teodor_Axentowicz,_Anachoreta.jpgwedding: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Marriage#/media/File:%22The_Moldavian_wedding%22_(the_end_of_60th_years)._(6149079487).jpgOrthodox Eucharist: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Eucharist#/media/File:%D0%9F%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%B0%D1%89%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5_%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%83%D1%8E%D1%89%D0%B8%D1%85_(1801436812).jpgEucharist portions: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Communion_Baptist.jpgArmy priest: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Eucharist#/media/File:US_Navy_041024-N-6495K-028_Chaplain_Lt._John_Burnette_prays_over_the_Blood_and_Body_of_Christ_during_Sunday_Roman_Catholic_Mass_aboard_the_Nimitz-class_aircraft_carrier_USS_Harry_S._Truman_(CVN_75).jpgAltar pic: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Eucharist#/media/File:StJamesAltar.jpg
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  Modesto, CA: A Public School with Mandatory Religion Courses? 19.08.2026 7min

  Teaching neutral, academic religious studies courses in American public schools is tricky. Many people don't even realize that it is legal! But one school district in Modesto, California is proving that a world religions requirement for all students can help improve religious literacy and foster respect for religious freedom.Twitter: @andrewmarkhenryBlog: www.religionforbreakfast.comPatreon: www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastThanks to our Patreon patrons!:Brian BDan DAlex BJohn MWilsonCain DMannyMark HSources and photo attributions:First Amendment Center report: http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/madison/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/FirstForum_ModestoWorldReligions.pdfReport on outrage over Islam class: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/19/us/lesson-on-islam-shuts-down-virginia-school-district.htmlSued School District: http://www.fox5dc.com/news/local-news/83461841-storyBible Belt report: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/teaching-not-preaching-in-ca-bible-belt/Religion Dispatches: http://religiondispatches.org/reading-writing-religion-back-to-school-at-the-first-public-school-in-the-country-to-require-a-world-religions-course/Classroom Image: By Nan Austin of Modesto Bee
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  Why Fictional Religions Feel So Fake 19.08.2026 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/religionforbreakfastWhy do fictional religions feel so fake? This video explores what fantasy and sci-fi often miss about real-world religion—like ritual, syncretism, and lived practice—and how adding these elements can make your worldbuilding feel more authentic and alive.Join our Patreon community! https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastSelect imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and Reuters00:00 Intro3:00 Syncretism6:45 Ritualization11:08 Religious Materiality13:26 Lived Religion
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  Is Animal Sacrifice Legal in the USA? 19.08.2026 8min

  We always think of animal sacrifice as an ancient ritual, but many people still practice it today. This sparked some controversy in Florida in the late 1980s, leading to a landmark Supreme Court decision in Lukumi Babalu Aye, Inc. v. Hialeah. This case still influences religious freedom law today, even being cited in the courts' decisions to strike down President Donald Trump's so-called Muslim Ban.Twitter: @andrewmarkhenryFacebook. www.facebook.com/religionforbreakfastBlog: www.religionforbreakfast.comPatreon: Patreon.com/religionforbreakfastThanks to our Patreon Patrons!Bibliography:http://www.casebriefs.com/blog/law/constitutional-law/constitutional-law-keyed-to-sullivan/the-religion-clauses-free-exercise-and-establishment/church-of-the-lukumi-babalu-aye-v-city-of-hialeah/https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2017/02/09/17-35105.pdfhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/02/12/the-role-an-old-florida-case-on-ritual-goat-sacrifices-played-in-blocking-trumps-travel-ban/Santeria Photograph AttributionsPhoto 1: Jorge Royan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santer%C3%ADa#/media/File:Havana_-_Cuba_-_0616.jpgPhoto 2: Santería en Cuba, Creative Commons License CC-SA-BY-3.0 by Jorge Royan.Photo 3: Ji Elle https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:La_Havane-Vente_d%27articles_religieux-Santer%C3%ADa_(3).jpg
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  Why Religions Survive When Prophecies Fail 19.08.2026 30min

  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.
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  Crash Course Mythology Review 19.08.2026 9min

  Crash Course Mythology has brought a much needed series to YouTube. As a religious studies scholar, I want to offer some thoughts and critiques of the series. Twitter: @andrewmarkhenryFacebook: www.facebook.com/religionforbreakfastPatreon: www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfasthttps://www.instagram.com/andrewmarkhenry/Lays Farra's review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igrsfx0sLpI&t=1236sCrashCourse Mythology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRCVcuA6yZQ&list=PL8dPuuaLjXtNCG9Vq7vdvJytS-F-xGi7_Andrew's religious studies book recommendations: http://amazon.com/shop/religionforbreakfastBibliography:Russell McCutcheon: Critics Not Caretakers: Redescribing the Public Study of Religion, 2001Russell McCutcheon: Manufacturing Religion, 1997
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  Who Are the 144,000 in the Book of Revelation? 19.08.2026 29min

  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​
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  Is the Gospel of Jesus' Wife a Forgery? 19.08.2026 13min

  Gospel of Jesus' Wife. Authentic or Forged?Patreon: www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastTwitter: @andrewmarkhenryFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/religionforb...Blog: www.religionforbreakfast.comAll images are public domain.Royalty-free Music: Kevin Macleod, incompetech.com
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  What is Zen Buddhism? 19.08.2026 36min

  Use code RFBINCOGNI at the link below to get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan: https://incogni.com/rfbincogni.Join our Patreon community! https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastSelect imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and Reuters00:00 Intro1:42 The Legendary Origins2:26 Bodhidharma and Buddha-nature5:58 A Special Transmission Outside of Scriptures9:22 Lineage10:13 Sudden Awakening14:45 Zazen explained17:04 Chan moves to Japan22:38 Zen Buddhism goes abroad
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  How to Make an Ancient Curse Tablet 19.08.2026 7min

  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/