Posted on 2 December 2012
Neoplatonism is fused with Christianity by the pseudonymus author known as Dionysius. Peter looks at his Divine Names, a monument to God’s transcendence.
14 commentsPosted on 29 September 2013
Al-Ghazālī’s search for truth leads him to philosophy, Ash'arite theology, and ultimately the mystical tradition of Ṣūfism.
18 commentsPosted on 2 November 2013
Intellect and alienation in Ibn Bājja and Ibn Ṭufayl, author of the philosophical desert island castaway tale Ḥayy Ibn Yaqẓān.
14 commentsPosted on 8 December 2013
Sufism, the mystical tradition of Islam, unites with philosophy in the work of Ibn 'Arabī.
31 commentsPosted on 23 March 2014
The rich symbolism of the Zohar and the spiritual practices of Abraham Abluafia feature in the mystical movement known as Kabbalah.
6 commentsPosted on 1 June 2014
The Persian poet Rūmī and mystical philosopher al-Qūnawī carry on the legacy of Sufism.
16 commentsPosted on 7 June 2014
Peter is joined by Mohammed Rustom in a discussion about Sufi authors including Ibn 'Arabī, al-Qūnawī, and Rūmī.
19 commentsPosted on 12 October 2014
Muḥammad 'Abdūh and Muḥammad Iqbāl challenge colonialism and the traditional religious scholars of Islam.
16 commentsPosted on 26 April 2015
The life, visions, political intrigues and scientific interests of Hildegard of Bingen.
9 commentsPosted on 16 July 2015
Bonaventure argues that human knowledge depends on an illumination from God.
2 commentsPosted on 27 September 2015
Two Beguine authors, Hadewijch and Mechthild of Magdeburg, deploy the tropes of courtly love in vernacular writings about their mystical experiences.
11 commentsPosted on 20 November 2016
An introduction to philosophy in the 14th century, focusing on two big ideas: nominalism and voluntarism.
14 commentsPosted on 27 November 2016
A leading expert on the founding text of Yoga tells us why, when, and by whom it was written, and what it has to do with modern day yoga practice.
1 commentsPosted on 18 December 2016
Marguerite Porete is put to death for her exploration of the love of God, The Mirror of Simple Souls.
17 commentsPosted on 22 October 2017
The scholastic and mystic Meister Eckhart sets out his daring speculations about God and humankind in both Latin and German.
7 commentsPosted on 5 November 2017
Dietrich of Freiberg, Berthold of Moosburg, John Tauler and Henry Suso explore Neoplatonism and mysticism.
4 commentsPosted on 17 December 2017
Julian of Norwich’s Shewings and the Cloud of Unknowing lay out challenging paths to knowledge of, and union with, God.
3 commentsPosted on 7 January 2018
Philosophy is put into practice in Kashmir Śaivite Tantra and Buddhist Tantra.
2 commentsPosted on 11 February 2018
Jean Gerson’s role in the political disputes of his day, the spread of lay devotion and affective mysticism, and the debate over the Romance of the Rose initiated by Christine de Pizan.
6 commentsPosted on 28 October 2018
Peter speaks to Souleymane Bachir Diagne about Islamic scholars in West Africa.
1 commentsPosted on 21 April 2019
Gregory Palamas and the controversy over his teaching that we can go beyond human reason by grasping God through his activities or “energies”.
7 commentsPosted on 23 February 2020
Jewish philosophers in Renaissance Italy, focusing on Leone Ebreo’s Dialogues of Love, the Averroism of Elijah del Medigo, and Italian Kabbalah.
9 commentsPosted on 6 June 2021
The radical negative theology of Nicholas of Cusa, and his hope of establishing peace between the religions of the world.
9 commentsPosted on 20 June 2021
Learned ignorance, coincidence of opposites and religious peace: Paul Richard Blum discusses the central ideas of Nicholas Cusanus.
0 commentsPosted on 5 June 2022
A Renaissance queen supports philosophical humanism and produces literary works on spirituality, love, and the soul.
6 commentsPosted on 5 March 2023
Sun Ra and Parliament-Funkadelic return to claim the pyramids, and Octavia Butler uses science fiction to confront the brutal past of slavery.
Thanks to Stephan Terre for the creation of the futuristic intro music!
3 comments
Posted on 8 July 2012
Plotinus posits an absolutely transcendent first principle, the One. What is it (or isn’t it), and how does it relate to Intellect?
12 comments