Podcast episode
Episode 193: All from Nothing: Sara Rappe on Damascius
We discuss the great Damascius, final scholarch of the Athenian Academy, with Sara Rappe. Things become very apophatic.
Recently posted
Podcast episode
Members only: Joseph Sanzo on Magic and Confessional Boundaries in Late Antiquity
We dive back into the dossier of late-antique magic with Joseph Sanzo, looking at the ways in which late-ancient religious communities used magic to define who they were and who they weren't.
Podcast episode
Episode 192: Hagia Sophia and the Problem of ‘Esoteric Architecture’
We discuss Justinian's great church, Hagia Sophia, the gem of Constantinople and of Orthodox Christianity. We then look at a number of theories out there which read Hagia Sophia as encoding esoteric messages beneath her Orthodox exterior, and use this case-study as a springboard for discussing the thorny problems involved in interpreting architecture, especially esoteric architecture.
Podcast episode
Members only: Robbert van den Berg on Proclus’ Hymns
Porphyry wrote hymns, Julian wrote hymns, but Proclus' hymns are special in the canon of ancient Platonism. Robbert van den Berg is our guide in discussing Proclus' surviving texts in their general late-antique and specific theurgic contexts.
Blog post
Review of Roth and George, eds., Explorations in Music and Esotericism
We review a new collection of essays on the history of music and esotericism. It's an interesting collection of papers from what must have been a great conference, and your host does his best to get through the bits which require actual, technical knowledge of music-theory. This is a field of study demanding to be expanded upon, and this volume is a worthy addition to the studies out there so far.
Podcast episode
Episode 191: Kevin van Bladel on the Ṣābians of Ḥarrān and the Fate of the Athenian Academy
We discuss the fascinating town of Ḥarrān (in present-day Türkiye), a place known from late antiquity until at least the eleventh century for its continued tradition of astral, polytheist worship. Kevin van Bladel tells us much to enthral us about this place, but also crushes the dream of a continued tradition of Athenian Late Platonism at Ḥarrān.
Listen to the Introduction
An introduction to the podcast, discussing briefly what we mean by ‘western esotericism’. This episode also answers the burning question, ‘What’s so “secret” about The Secret History of Western Esotericism Podcast?’ and features a short quiz to test your knowledge of western esoteric history.
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