Month: October 2018

Shiva

S1 E4 Wendy Doniger on Hinduism

October 25, 2018 Dale atheism, God, Hinduism, Judaism, pantheism Comments Off on S1 E4 Wendy Doniger on Hinduism

On Hinduism by Wendy DonigerDr. Wendy Doniger’s On Hinduism is a sort of captstone on an epic career exploring Hindu literature, religion, and history.

In this conversation we discuss a number of themes from the book, including her own religious background, common misconceptions about Hinduism, the caste system, orientalism, the so-called “Hindu Trinity,” Hindu nationalism, a controversy in India over the charge that she committed blasphemy, goddess worship and its relationship to the status of women, non-violence, how Western cultures have influenced recent Hindu thought, and reincarnation.


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The Hindus - An Alternative History - Wendy Doniger

Maurycy Gottlieb - Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur - detail

S1 E3 Amy-Jill Levine on The Jewish Annotated New Testament

October 20, 2018 Dale Christian Bible, Christianity, Jewish Bible, Judaism Comments Off on S1 E3 Amy-Jill Levine on The Jewish Annotated New Testament

Jewish Annotated New Testament, 2nd Ed.Typically religious scholars will comment on the scriptures of their own religion. But sometimes, bold scholars will go where others fear to tread, commenting the scriptures of another religion. The situation is all the more sensitive when historically, one religion branched off of the other.

 

This episode of Thinking About Religion is a wide-ranging conversation with Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, co-editor of The Jewish Annotated New Testament, a “study Bible” edition of the New Testament featuring lengthy commentary and essays by (non-Christian) Jewish scholars.

 

Among other things we discuss faith, clashing interpretations of scripture, misconceptions about Judaism, conversion, humor in the Bible, and the theological significance of local thunder during the interview.

 

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Hitler portrait

S1 E2: Richard Weikart on Hitler’s Religion

October 12, 2018 Dale atheism, Christianity, God, naturalism, pantheism Comments Off on S1 E2: Richard Weikart on Hitler’s Religion

The cover of Hitler's Religion by historian Richard Weikart.The ghost of Hitler has been drafted into the culture wars – for the other team. Christian leaders have suggested that Nazism was a variety of “atheist extremism.” Atheist champion Richard Dawkins retorted that “Hitler was a Roman Catholic.“

 

Is either side correct? After analyzing thousands of primary sources, historian Dr. Richard Weikart has written the definitive book on Hitler’s own religious views. In this episode we discuss his findings in Hitler’s Religion: The Twisted Beliefs that Drove the Third Reich.

 

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