“The Essenes & The Dead Sea Scrolls” – Filip HOLM | Let’s Talk Religion

In this episode, we explore the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Qumran community and ask the question whether or not this group can be identified as the Essenes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIxxpesgY_I Sources/Recomended Reading: Klawans, Jonathan (2016). "The Essene Hypothesis: Insights from Religion 101". Brill. Magness, Jodi (2021). "The Archaeology of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls". Second Edition.…

“The way of the saints: Tunisia’s Sufi tradition” – Filip HOLM | Let’s Talk Religion

In this documentary-style video, we explore the many sufi figures that have left a mark on the country of Tunisia, with footage I got while I visited the country recently. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrZodU4a-_Q Sources/Suggested Reading: Chittick, William (2005). "Ibn Arabi: Heir to the Prophets". OneWorld Publications. Chittick, William (1989). "The Sufi Path of Knowledge: Ibn 'Arabi's Metaphysics…

Islamic Pacifism in West Africa – Filip HOLM | Let’s Talk Religion

The concept of jihad in Islam is often oversimplified, and in this episode we explore one example of a "pacifist" tradition within Islam assoicated with Salim Suwari and the Suwarian tradition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-0iPcjQdrI Sources/Suggested Reading: Babou, Cheikh Anta (2007). "Fighting the Greater Jihad: Amadu Bamba and the founding of the Mouridiyya of Senegal, 1853-1913". Ohio University…

“Islamic Non-Dualism: The Sufi Poetry of al-Shuhstari” – Filip HOLM | LET’S TALK RELIGION

This episode is a sort of remake of an earlier one I did on al-Shushtari a few years back, with some added content. Join me as we explore on of the most fascinating Sufi poets in history. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Te-ohX1qfHs Translations of poems and the Baghdad Treatise are from the works of Lourdes Maria Alvarez. Translations from…

Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia – Filip HOLM | Let’s Talk Religion

In this episode, we finally explore the vast and important religious tradition of ancient Mesopotamia! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm0EkFaRxTE Sources/Suggested Reading: Bottéro, Jean (2004). Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia. Translated by Teresa Lavender Fagan. University of Chicago Press. Michalowski, Piotr (2012). The Mortal Kings of Ur: Short Century of Divine Rule in Ancient Mesopotamia. In Religion and Power: Divine…

Neoplatonism in Islamic thought – Filip HOLM | Let’s Talk Religion

It's time to talk about a few ways that Neoplatonic ideas have shown up in the history of Islamic thought. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDfJSbPtAEI This video is part of an amazing collaboration with ESOTERICA, Seekers of Unity, Angela's Symposium, The Modern Hermeticist and John Vervaeke. You can find their videos on Neoplatonism below: ESOTERICA: https://youtu.be/ZV5ubPPzT7USeekers of Unity: https://youtu.be/UmkZ383LcW8Angela's…

Mulla Sadra & Islamic Existentialism – Filip HOLM | Let’s Talk Religion

This has been one of the most requested videos on the channel since its inception, so it is finally time to talk about Mulla Sadra. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMPB6Wj3Fwc Music by Filip Holm Sources/Recommended Reading: Adamson, Peter (ed.) (2005). “The Cambridge Companion to Arabic Philosophy”. Cambridge University Press. Chittick, William (1998). "The Self-Disclosure of God: Principles of Ibn…

“Cioran’s clinamen”: a female Muslim reading – interview with Daria LEBEDEVA

Daria Lebedeva was born in the city of Odessa, Ukraine, and presently lives in Sweden. She obtained a PhD in Philosophy from the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, under the supervision of Agata Bielik-Robson, with a thesis about Cioran’s clinamen: a case study of a philosophical influence (2012). It’s…

“O clinamen de Cioran”: uma perspectiva feminina muçulmana. Entrevista com Daria Lebedeva

DARIA LEBEDEVA é ucraniana, nascida em Odessa, e vive atualmente na Suécia. Realizou seu doutorado no Instituto de Filosofia e Sociologia da Academia Polonesa de Ciências (Varsóvia), sob orientação de Agata Bielik-Robson, com uma tese sobre o filósofo romeno de expressão francesa: Cioran’s clinamen: a case analysis of a philosophical influence (2012).[1] Trata-se de uma…

How is Sufism related to Islam? – Filip HOLM | Let’s Talk Religion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dflhkfF558c Today we talk about an often asked question - what is the relatioship between Sufism and Islam? Are they the same thing or is there some difference? Sources/Suggested Reading: Karamustafa, Ahmet T. (2007). Sufism: The Formative Period. Edinburgh University Press. Knysh, Alexander (2017). Sufism : A New History of Islamic Mysticism. Princeton University Press.…