Podcast episodes – The Secret History of Western Esotericism Podcast (SHWEP)
190 episodes - English - Latest episode: 29 days ago - ★★★★★ - 128 ratingsExploring the forgotten and rejected story of Western thought
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Episodes
Dylan Burns on Proclus the Successor
March 29, 2024 17:51 - 52 minutes - 26 MBWe welcome Dylan Burns back to the podcast to discuss the life, works, and philosophy of Proclus the Successor. ‘All in all, but appropriately to each’
Hierocles of Alexandria and the Pythagorean Golden Verses
March 07, 2024 15:23 - 43 minutes - 30.7 MBWe discuss Hierocles of Alexandria, strudent of Plutarch of Athens made good. He wrote an esoteric commentary on the poem known as the Golden Verses of the Pythagoreans. The poem is full of good advice and the Commentary tells us a lot about the nature and purification of the luminous subtle body.
The Great God Pan Lives: Introducing the Athenian Academy
February 28, 2024 19:36 - 1 hour - 40.1 MBWe turn to the final flowering of polytheist Platonist philosophy, centred on Athens (and Alexandria). We review some useful historical data, discuss the history of ‘the Academy’ as a notional ‘school’ in antiquity, and introduce Plutarch of Athens and Syrianus, teachers of the great Proclus.
Ↄ. Martiana on Martianus Capella and the Marriage of Philology and Mercury
January 24, 2024 17:09 - 55 minutes - 35.2 MBWe discuss Martianus Capella and his extraordinary and vexing philological ascent-account, the Marriage of Philology and Mercury. Ↄ. Martiana guides us through a geocentric kosmos where liberal arts are planetary spheres, gods are physical elements, the planets are daimones, but absolutely nothing is as it seems.
Macrobius and the Commentary on Scipio’s Dream
January 18, 2024 20:51 - 49 minutes - 34.2 MBWe explore the rich seam of late-antique esoteric lore that is Macrobius' Commentary on the Dream of Scipio. We discuss who Macrobius was, what he wrote, what he wrote about, and introduce who read him later on. He emerges as a crucial transmitter of astrologised, arithmologically-informed Platonism to the Latin west in the middle ages.
Augustine of Hippo: Saint of the Exoteric
November 29, 2023 09:28 - 36 minutes - 25.5 MBWe discuss Augustine the anti-esotericist, who denies that Christianity has any esoteric dimensions. He employs the esoteric to do so. Can you trust a guy who does that?
The Manichæan Catholic: Augustine of Hippo
November 23, 2023 15:02 - 47 minutes - 34.4 MBWe turn to one of the most difficult, fascinating, and ultimately consequential thinkers of late antiquity, Augustine of Hippo. In this episode we discuss his relationship with Manichæism and Platonist philosophy, and a few of his important philosophical conclusions.
Stephen A. Cooper on Marius Victorinus and Latinate Christian Platonism
November 15, 2023 11:24 - 1 hour - 47.1 MBWe discuss Marius Victorinus, a fascinating character from the tumultuous Roman scene in the mid fourth century who converted from Platonism to Platonism-plus-Christianity. His life and thought give us a valuable window onto the cultural scene in fourth-century Rome, as well, as some crucial data for the transmission of Platonist ideas into the Latinate middle ages.
Gretchen Reydams-Schils on Calcidius and the Timæus
October 17, 2023 23:01 - 57 minutes - 51.5 MBWe discuss the Latin translation and commentary of Calcidius with Gretchen Reydams-Schils. Who was Calcidius, where did he get his interpretations of what Plato meant, and, best of all, how did his anti-esotericist approach to Plato feed into western Christian esotericisms? We find out.
Plato Latinus
October 11, 2023 21:28 - 29 minutes - 18.7 MBThe podcast turns from the eastern Roman empire to its western reaches, now falling into strife and decline as we move into the fifth century. In this episode we look at languages, especially Latin and Greek, and discuss how their intelligibility declined in the respective halves of the now-sundered empire. And we discuss the fate of Plato and Platonism in western Europe as we move into a series of episodes discussing late-antique esotericism in Latin.
Jay Bregman on Synesius of Cyrene
September 26, 2023 23:17 - 50 minutes - 31.9 MBWe dive into the fascinating life and thought of Synesius of Cyrene, Platonist philosopher and student of Hypatia of Alexandria, and Orthodox bishop of Ptolemaïs. Committed Christian or pagan bishop? We'll see ....
Noble Lies and Philosophic Silence: Hypatia, Synesius, and the New Esotericism in the Fourth Century
September 20, 2023 10:55 - 43 minutes - 27.5 MBFear, loathing, violence, and persecution. How does the philosopher operate under such circumstances? We look at the case-studies of Hypatia of Alexandria and her student Synesius of Cyrene, for some pointers.
Hypatia of Alexandria: The Life and Death of a Philosopher and her City
September 13, 2023 10:01 - 38 minutes - 23.9 MBIn Part I of a two-part-series centred around the great Hypatia of Alexandria, we introduce the life, and the notorious death, of the Late Platonist philosopher Hypatia, one of late antiquity's most evocative enigmas. Plus, a Christian mob didn't destroy the Great Library at Alexandria, but that doesn't mean there weren't some scabrous goings-on.
‘And When Rome Falls, Falls the World’: The Fall of Rome and Western Esotericism
August 29, 2023 23:25 - 45 minutes - 28.9 MBThe sacking of Rome by Alaric and his Visigoths in the year 410 was an ideologically-charged event that left a permanent imprint on the culture of the west. We discuss two contemporary readings of what this event meant – one a polytheist and one a Christian – and, starting from these case-studies, a few of the crucial themes set in motion by the ‘Fall of Rome’ in the history of western esotericism.
‘Visibly a Goddess’: Heidi Marx on Sosipatra of Pergamum
August 02, 2023 10:52 - 45 minutes - 32.7 MBWe discuss Sosipatra of Pergamum, an otherwise-unknown late polytheist holy woman and philosopher, depicted by her biographer Eunapius as a living goddess as well as a philosophic teacher in the lineage of Iamblichus. Come for the Late Platonist resistance to Christianity in the fourth century, stay for the mysterious Chaldæan strangers.
Frederico Fidler on Sallustius’ On the Gods and the World
July 25, 2023 23:07 - 1 hour - 43.2 MBWe are delighted to speak with Frederico Fidler about Sallustius' On the Gods and the World, a short manual of a popular nature outlining how Platonist metaphysics work, how traditional Hellenistic religion is thought to mirror those metaphysical realities, and how esoteric hermeneutics are the key to unlocking the truth in the vast tradition of myth, ritual, and philosophy claimed by Julian, Sallustius, and other late-antique Hellenes. Come for the esoteric myths, stay for the kosmos as esot...
Strategies of the Esoteric in the Hellenism of the Emperor Julian: Exclusion and Pluralism in a Late-Antique Polytheism
July 19, 2023 07:22 - 57 minutes - 36.1 MBWe discuss the dynamics of Julian's esoteric religious/political formulation of Hellenism, and reflect on some of the very strange things that happen when esoteric religions like Iamblichean theurgy (and Christianity) are taken out of the small conclave and projected onto the corridors of power.
Jeremy Swist on Julian, Part II: The Emperor’s Religio-Philosophic Project
May 23, 2023 23:36 - 34 minutes - 28.2 MBOur discussion with Jeremy Swist on The Emperor turns metaphysical, theurgic, and religious, as we discuss Julian's incredible synthesis of Iamblichean theology and metaphysics, traditional religions, and politics. Come for the pagan counter-church, stay for the transcendent solar metaphysics.
Jeremy Swist on the Emperor Julian, Part I: the Political Background and Political Project of the Emperor
May 23, 2023 23:01 - 39 minutes - 32.6 MBJeremy Swist, specialist on Late Platonism, late antiquity, and the great Julian the Faithful, lays out the political background and political project of The Emperor. Part I of a two-part discussion of late antiquity's greatest statesman. No bias here.
Joel Kalvesmaki on Evagrius’ Kephalaia Gnōstika: Philosophy, Scripture, and Apophatic Mysticism
May 16, 2023 23:01 - 37 minutes - 30.6 MBIn Part II of our discussion with Joel Kalvesmaki we explore the philosophy and mysticism of the Kephalaia Gnōstika, Evagrius' masterwork of mind-bending metaphysical aphorisms.
Joel Kalvesmaki on Evagrius of Pontus, the ‘Gnostic Trilogy’, and the Origenist Controversy
May 09, 2023 23:01 - 44 minutes - 36.3 MBPart I of a discussion of Evagrius of Pontus – ascetic, philosopher, developer of Origen's thought, and mystical writer – with Joel Kalvesmaki. In this episode we cover the life and work of the great sage, in particular his ‘gnostic trilogy’, and discuss the ‘Second Origenist Controversy’ which would decide the fate of his opinions vis à vis Orthodoxy in the sixth century.
Theology, Politics, and Radiant Darkness: Michæl Motia on Gregory of Nyssa
April 25, 2023 23:01 - 55 minutes - 45.3 MBHaving introduced the Cappadocians, we must of course explore the thought of the Divine Gregory of Nyssa. Michæl Motia is our expert guide through the territories both of late-antique religious politics and the illuminated darkness of divine unknowing at the heart of Christian mysticism.
Father Sergey Trostyanskiy on the Cappadocian Fathers, Part II
April 18, 2023 23:01 - 30 minutes - 25.2 MBIn Part II with Father Sergey, we explore the Platonist ‘mystical’ themes, esoteric imagery of divine darkness, and the limits of human knowledge in the Cappadocians. Христос воскрес!
Father Sergey Trostyanskiy on the Cappadocian Fathers, Part I
April 12, 2023 00:52 - 1 hour - 51.9 MBWe discuss the great theologians, ascetics, and philosophers of fourth-century Christianity, the Cappadocian Fathers with Father Sergey Trostyanskiy. Come for the Philokalia, the collection which smuggles Origenistic and other anathematised ideas into the very bosom of orthodoxy, stay for the presence of divine darkness to the soul.
Claire Hall on Firmicus Maternus
April 05, 2023 03:16 - 37 minutes - 41.9 MBFirmicus Maternus, a fairly prominent fourth-century intellectual from Sicily, wrote two works which survive: one is our earliest-surviving manual of astrological practice in Latin, and it shows a full-blooded belief in astral determinism, and the second is a rabid Christian polemic against traditional religious practices. Discuss.
Kocku von Stuckrad on Monotheist Astrologies in (Late) Antiquity
March 30, 2023 06:02 - 43 minutes - 36 MB‘With the rise of monotheism in the late Roman world, astrology became a forbidden science and began its long decline.’ Starting from this widespread, and completely false historical myth, we discuss the realities of monotheist astrologies across antiquity and beyond with Professor Kocku von Stuckrad.
Metals, Temples, and Living Statues: Shannon Grimes on Zosimus’ Egyptian Context
March 15, 2023 00:15 - 38 minutes - 31.4 MBWe fill in some of the historical, cultural, and economic background of Zosimus' life and practice with Shannon Grimes. Come for the economics of metallurgy and ancient Egyptian trade-guilds, stay for the living statues.
Bink Hallum on the Extended Zosimus
March 01, 2023 00:01 - 1 hour - 51.1 MBWe further explore the thought of Zosimus of Panopolis with Dr Bink Hallum, whose PhD research centred on the Arabic Zosimean corpus. We cover the basic (if confusing) textual situation, and then discuss astral influences, daimones and demons, mysterious talismans, Enochic ideas, and much more.
Matteo Martelli Introduces Zosimus of Panopolis
January 25, 2023 16:59 - 54 minutes - 44.2 MBWe discuss the life, work, and thought of Zosimus of Panopolis, greatest alchemist of late antiquity, with Professor Matteo Martelli. All is One!
Recognising the Real in the Forgery: The Pseudo-Clementine Literature
January 18, 2023 14:45 - 50 minutes - 35.7 MBWe discuss the extraordinary late-antique novel of the early Christian church at Rome, known as the Pseudo-Clementine literature. Gnosticism, Jewish-Christianity, esotericism, scriptural and other forgery, and the problem of authenticity itself loom large as we quite improperly discuss a text meant only for true initiates.
Charles Häberl on the Mandæans
December 21, 2022 00:01 - 1 hour - 49.6 MBIn one of the single most fascinating interviews we have ever had the pleasure of conducting, we speak with Charles Häberl on the Mandæans, a living religious tradition of Mesopotamia, now largely living in a global diaspora, which is the single Gnostic religion surviving from late antiquity. Forget Nag-Hammadi; it's all about San Antonio.
Paul Pasquesi on Christian Asceticism in the Late-Antique Syriac World
November 23, 2022 00:01 - 1 hour - 51.8 MBWe explore the fascinating world of early Christian asceticism in the Syriac-speaking world of late antiquity. Paul Pasquesi is our guide to everything from the basic historical context to the extreme forms of practice engaged in by these eastern Christians in search of divine revelations.
Korshi Dosoo on Early Christian Magic
November 02, 2022 00:10 - 42 minutes - 33.2 MBWith papyrologist Korshi Dosoo as our guide, we explore the world of first-millennium Christian magic as it is found in the papyrus-records, both published and unpublished. Along the way we learn more about Christianity than we expected.
Prolegomena to Christian Magic
October 12, 2022 12:40 - 35 minutes - 24.8 MBWe set the stage for an examination of early Christian magical traditions, starting from the authoritative writings of the church fathers, who deny that there is such a thing as Christian magic, and insist that polytheist religion is the real sorcery. Then it turns out that there is lots and lots of Christian magic from late antiquity.
The Testament of Solomon and the Solomonic Tradition, Part II
October 05, 2022 18:53 - 37 minutes - 26.3 MBWe explore the astral-demonic lore, the angelic medicine, and the many legendary stories recorded in the Testament of Solomon, and some of the manifold traditions which flow out from this legendary corpus. Come for the Testament, stay for the Pentagram!
The Testament of Solomon and the Solomonic Tradition, Part I
September 27, 2022 23:28 - 35 minutes - 25.4 MBWe want to discuss the Testament of Solomon, an extraordinary demonological, angelogical, astrological, magical work from late antiquity. But we realise that, to get there, we need to spend some time exploring the earlier reaches of the ‘Solomonic tradition’. So we do. Come for the building of the First Temple, stay for the cloud upon the sanctuary.
Exploring the Sefer ha-Razim
September 21, 2022 22:20 - 42 minutes - 30 MBWe explore the earliest-known Jewish ‘magic book’, the Sefer ha-Razim or Book of Mysteries. Angel-magic meets addressative practices aimed at old friends like Helios and Hermes, while Hellenistic astral cosmology collides with fiery heavenly palace-firmaments of the apocalyptic and Hekhalotic stamp.
Curses! Sarah Veale on Roman ‘Curse-Tablets’
September 07, 2022 06:52 - 27 minutes - 21.9 MBWe turn from the far-eastern, Jewish magic of the incantation-bowls to the far-western, polytheist magic of the Roman ‘curse-tablets’. Expect intriguing similarities across cultural divides, along with important differences. Featuring the Great Mother goddess, Isis, and a number of supporting players.
Daniel James Waller on the Jewish Incantation-Bowls
August 24, 2022 11:34 - 36 minutes - 29.9 MBWe dive more deeply into the enigmatic corpus of late-antique Jewish ‘incantation bowls’ from Mesopotamia with the help of researcher Daniel Waller. We discuss the bowls as material objects, functional technology, and their place in late-antique Jewish culture.
Gideon Bohak on Late-Antique Jewish Magic
August 17, 2022 13:27 - 50 minutes - 40.9 MBGideon Bohak provides us with a superb introduction to the evidence for late-antique Jewish magic and to what that evidence tells us. Introducing the essential book of Jewish magic, the Sefer ha-Razim.
Thinking through Monotheism, Henotheism, Polytheism, and Dualism in Late Antiquity
August 03, 2022 02:28 - 36 minutes - 33.4 MBWe wander through a bunch of important (but mushy) ideas helpful for understanding late antiquity and late-antique religion: monotheism, henotheism, polytheism, and dualism. Featuring the triumphant return of Rupert and Steve, and they brought some friends.
Politics and Religion in Late Antiquity, Part II: The Rise of Christianity and the Invention and Eclipse of ‘Paganism’
June 29, 2022 21:03 - 55 minutes - 40.1 MBWe dive into the history of late-antique Rome from the perspective of Jews, Christians, ‘pagans’, ‘heretics’, and others vis à vis the Roman state, and give some partial explanations for how the ‘impossible’ happened, and the Empire became the Christian Empire.
Politics and Religion in Late Antiquity, Part I: Geopolitics, Empire, and Rabbinic Judaism
June 22, 2022 21:54 - 36 minutes - 26.1 MBAt the end of the the third century, the podcast dives back into the realm where politics meets religion. In Part I, we discuss the geopolitical balance of the Roman and Sassanian states, the position of the Jews in late antiquity, and the basics of the future of Jewry, a new form of Jewish life and religion known as Rabbinic Judaism.
Run the Numbers: The Theology of Arithmetic
June 15, 2022 21:55 - 33 minutes - 24.1 MBWe explore the Theolegoumena arithmeticæ, the ‘Theology of Arithmetic’, our most complete extant arithmological treatise from antiquity. It tells us a lot about Neopythagorean theory of number in the Greek ‘alphanumeric age’, it may be by Iamblichus, and it informs us that the Dyad is ‘Daring’.
Brian Alt on Sacred Materials, Divine Names, and Subtle Physiology in Iamblichean Theurgy
May 11, 2022 22:06 - 52 minutes - 42.8 MBWe explore the nitty-gritty of the ritual acts lying behind the theoretical discussions in the De mysteriis. Brian Alt is our guide on a journey through Iamblichean theurgy, its many parallels in Hermetica and ‘magical’ papyri from Egypt, and its echoes in earlier and later Platonism.
Gregory Shaw on the Phenomenology of Iamblichean Theurgy
April 20, 2022 03:39 - 46 minutes - 38 MBWe discuss the phenomenology and meaning of theurgy with Professor Gregory Shaw, whose many publications on the Sage of Chalcis have helped to free his religious ideas from the opprobrium of a century of scholarship and reposition them where they belong: as spiritual practices of late-antique philosophy.
John Finamore on Iamblichean Theurgy in Theory and Practice
April 13, 2022 10:01 - 46 minutes - 37.2 MBWe discuss the practices lying behind the descriptions in the De mysteriis, and the theory behind the practices. Professor John Finamore is our guide through the labyrinth of evidence about theurgy.
The Great Theurgy Debate: Porphyry’s Letter to Anebo, Iamblichus’ Response, and the Question(s) of Ritual
April 07, 2022 22:19 - 57 minutes - 40.8 MBIn a digression-filled survey, we attempt to give some idea of Porphyry's Letter to Anebo, of Iamblichus' responses to that Letter, and the general theological/practical approach found in the De mysteriis, antiquity's greatest philosophic manifesto for addressative ritual practice.
The Esoteric Iamblichus
March 16, 2022 12:33 - 47 minutes - 34 MBWe discuss the rich strata of the esoteric in the work of the sage of Chalcis. Starting from the evidence for socially-esoteric teaching within Iamblichus' school, we move on to discuss his constructions of esoteric wisdom lineages – notably the tradition of ‘the theurgists’ – his employment of tropes of hiding and revealing, and the parameters of the Iamblichean ‘ineffable’.
The ‘Greater Kinds’, Souls, and Kosmos: Iamblichus’ Philosophy, Part II
March 09, 2022 13:08 - 37 minutes - 26.9 MBWe enter into the kosmic reaches of Iamblichus' universe, populated by a host of fascinating fauna, including archangels, angels, daimones, heroes, archontes, and even – weirdest of all – human beings.