Mystic-skeptic Radio Show

In this week’s show our guest is Robert Conner author of Jesus the Sorcerer and the website Magic in Christianity. His articles “The Romans meet Jesus” and “Faking Jesus” are featured on disinfo.com and Scribd respectively.We discuss the topic Magic & The Supernatural in the early church focusing on Jesus’ relation to Greek Culture and how the apostle Paul borrowed ideas from some of the mystery cults in the Mediterranean. We also discuss sourcery and demonology in the Greco/Roman culture of that time.According to Gershon Scholem, the late expert in Jewish mysticism, Jewish Gnosticism did not exist since as Kabbalistic literature did not develop until later centuries. Mr. Conner discusses the work of Elaine Pagels,’ an expert in the Gnostic Gospels, as she wrote the most extensive work on Gnosticism in Paul’s writings.Our topic is very controversial in nature, especially as our guest discusses information that can be misconstruded by some. For example: when discussing how early Christians commited acts o

This episode is part II of our interview with Robert Conner author of Jesus the Sorcerer and the website Magic in Christianity. His articles “The Romans meet Jesus” and “Faking Jesus” are featured on disinfo.com and Scribd respectively.Mystic-Skeptic Radio produces programs such as Uncensored & Raiders of the Unknown. Some of the ongoing series are: Jesus The Israelite, Anti-Semitism Rising & Paul's Legacy (all available on our YouTube channels). In the past 8 years we have featured academics (Amy Jill Levine) , presidential candidates( Howie Hawkins), Commentators (Jay Michaelson) , Advocates (Vanessa Guillen), Scholars(John Dominic Crossan) and Holistic Healers (Rosemary Gladstar). We have taken deep dives on the topics of human trafficking, ancient civilizations, demonology and the occult, social movements, controversial topics and many of the current affairs affecting our society. Join us as as we explore the mystic-skeptic mind space…

“I command you, ghost of the dead (nekudaimon), by the powerful and implacable god and by his holy names, to stand beside me in the night to come, in whatever form you had…” Michael A. Morgan Sepher Ha-Razim: The Book of Mysteries., Chico, CA: Scholars Press, 1983., pg. 36,38.In this week’s show we continue our discussion of early Christianity, Greco-Roman culture and Gnosticism with Robert Conner. He is the author of Resurrection or Ghost Story? available on Scribd.During our program we discuss his research and the different types of ghosts stories in the ancient world. He shares how modern ghost stories are influenced by ancient ones and describes the documented apparitions of Romulus & Apollonius of Tyana which have many parallels to the resurrection stories in the New Testament and other stories.Mystic-Skeptic Radio produces programs such as Uncensored & Raiders of the Unknown. Some of the ongoing series are: Jesus The Israelite, Anti-Semitism Rising & Paul's Legacy (all available on our

In this week's episode we discuss the Christian roots of Anti-Semitism and what history and archeology can tell us about the original Jesus movement. The show comprised of two interviews. One with Amy-Jill Levine, University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt University and the other with Israel Knohl, the Yehezkel Kaufmann Chair of Biblical studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.Dr. Amy-Jill Levine’s discusses her book The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus and the historical framework of the writing of the New Testament. She shares alternatives for interfaith relations.Israel Knohl discusses his book Messiahs and Resurrection in ‘The Gabriel Revelation’. Which focuses on his research on the Gabriel Tablet, an ancient document believed to support Knohl’s theory. He believes that a group of surviving followers of a ‘messianic king’ wrote the document to make sense of their loss, just like Jesus’ disciples.Historically, an Anti-Jewish bias fro

In this week’s show we are honored to have a world renown scholar who participated in the Jesus Seminar in the 1990’s. His books include Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography and The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant. During our show John Dominic Crossan explains his view of the historical Jesus and elaborates on his reconstruction of the historical figure. In his research he portrays Jesus as a hellenized Jewish cynic philosopher, he also discussed Jesus Jewish heritage, his social teachings as well as his revolutionary tactics against the Roman empire.Along with Marcus Borg, John Dominic Crossan has co-authored a series of books: The Last Week: A Day by Day Account of Jesus’s Final Week in Jerusalem (2006); The First Christmas: What the Gospels Really Teach about the Birth of Jesus (2007); and The First Paul: Reclaiming the Radical Visionary Behind the Church’s Conservative Icon(2009).His most recent book is How to Read the Bible and Still Be a Christian: Struggling with Divine Violen

In this week’s show our guest is Juan Marcos Bejarano Gutierrez, a graduate from Siegal College and Spertus Institute of Jewish Learning and Leadership. He is a rabbi who received ordination from Yeshiva Mesilat Yesharim. He lives in Dallas and is a researcher in Spanish Jewish history. He is the author of Secret Jews: The Complex Identity of Crypto-Jews and Crypto-Judaism. As part two of our exploration of the surviving Jewish communities in Latin America which have encountered much the religious persecution, since their massive exodus from Spain. Dr. Bejarano Gutierrez book describes the struggles of the Anusim or Conversos (forced converts) and shows through historical sources that these converts and their children were, more often than not, treated as Jews by the rabbis of that period. This book shows, through the well researched sources, that the current tendency of some authorities to reject the descendants of the Anusim is more driven by political reasons rather than based on religious, legal or histor

In this week’s show our guest is David Ramírez, a former Counselor to the Board of Directors for Congregation Ess Hayim – the Spanish and Portuguese Jews of Houston. He is an independent researcher on Sephardic history and currently lives in Mexico.Our topic is the surviving Jewish communities in Latin America which have encountered much the religious persecution, since their massive exodus from Spain. There was a thriving Jewish community in Iberian Peninsula for centuries. The time period we discuss started in the 14th century as Jews were forcibly baptized bringing about the phenomenon where they practiced Judaism underground. The descendants of these Spanish-Portuguese Jews in Latin America have been returning to the greater Jewish community for centuries. However, this process has been a difficult one due to how some groups being more insular than others.In Jewish law the term “Anusim” is applied to these forced converts, whether of Spain, Portugal, Persia, Hungary, or elsewhere, and to their descendant

In this week’s show we discuss the child abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Church and review the film “Spotlight” with our Catholic friend Joe Balog.Why has the largest Christian church not taken this type of abuse seriously? In this episode address the issues around religious authority and lack of oversight.In this type of abuse there is an intrinsic attack on the soul of the individuals, which cannot be ignored. In the film, they discuss the number of predators working as priests to be as many as 6% among Catholic religious leaders. With compassion and sensitivity to the victims and their families we discuss the implications of this film, which is based on a true story.Mystic-Skeptic Radio produces programs such as Uncensored & Raiders of the Unknown. Some of the ongoing series are: Jesus The Israelite, Anti-Semitism Rising & Paul's Legacy (all available on our YouTube channels). In the past 8 years we have featured academics (Amy Jill Levine) , presidential candidates( Howie Hawkins), Commen

In this week’s show we review the Fox TV Series “The Exorcist” which just completed it’s first season and is now available on Hulu.Based on the hit 1973 film by the same name (from a novel by William Peter Blatty), the show follows Father Tomas Ortega and Father Marcus Keane both exorcists from the Roman Catholic Church. The main victim of possession is Casey Rance daughter of Angela Rance played Geena Davis who is actually Regan MacNeil from the original story.The show expands “The Exorcist” universe to include other plot twists such as a plan to assassinate the Pope by a secret society made up of church leaders, a group of demons who are trying to take over Chicago by stealing organs from residents of poor neighborhoods and a group of rebel nuns that perform exorcism outside of official approval. The Salesman / Captain Howdy or Pazuzu, is depicted as an elderly gentleman who appears to Regan while playing with a Ouija board.Our guest Joe Balog, offers his perspective on the show and discusses the rite of po

In this week’s show we feature a review of the film “The Possession.” This story about a Jewish exorcist is a new take on the well-known Horror genre. Our guest is the writer of The Dibbuk Box Jason Haxton who offers insider information as he is involved with the production of the sequel and was an advisor for the original film which came out in 2012.Mystic-Skeptic Radio produces programs such as Uncensored & Raiders of the Unknown. Some of the ongoing series are: Jesus The Israelite, Anti-Semitism Rising & Paul's Legacy (all available on our YouTube channels). In the past 8 years we have featured academics (Amy Jill Levine) , presidential candidates( Howie Hawkins), Commentators (Jay Michaelson) , Advocates (Vanessa Guillen), Scholars(John Dominic Crossan) and Holistic Healers (Rosemary Gladstar). We have taken deep dives on the topics of human trafficking, ancient civilizations, demonology and the occult, social movements, controversial topics and many of the current affairs affecting our socie

In this week’s show we discuss mysticism with Jason Haxton the owner of the dybbuk box; a wine box surrounded by mysterious events. This item first appeared on eBay and became popular in the 2012 Hollywood blockbuster “The Possession.” Mr. Haxton has been featured on many shows dealing with the supernatural for the SyFy channel, The Travel Channel and The History Channel.When I first heard about the movie I was afraid that Jewish folklore was being exploited for cheap thrills. I saw the movie and was impressed with it since it appeared to be a respectful take on the Jewish understanding of demonology. Mr. Haxton is the Director of the Museum of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Missouri, a scientist by profession he first encountered the supernatural when he obtained the box. We spoke about the physical ailments, natural phenomena he experienced and how the idea of the box is similar to concept to the genie in a bottle or Jinn in Middle Eastern culture.The contents of the box are the following: 4 stones fro

In this week’s show our guest is Joseph Balog a friend of the show and Catholic theologian in training. We decided to bring him back to discuss demons and exorcism for our All Hallow’s Eve/Day of the Dead special. We delved deeply in the religious tradition of the Roman Catholic Church about how these spiritual entities operate. We discussed the demons influence on our health and the way Catholics deal with possession.The study of demons is a complex topic, as it taps into the most supernatural aspects of the monotheistic traditions. These mysterious beings have sparked countless legends, from tales about their origin, to perspectives that claim they can take hold of human consciousness and bodies. According to the biblical narrative, these fallen angels were originally created to serve G-d and communicate his presence in the world. The Book of Enoch is where the Catholic tradition of angels rebelling against God comes from, but it is in the NT that the role of Satan is defined. At the same time, Jewish theo

In this week's show our guest is Dr. Brenda Shoshanna, psychologist, author and workshop leader, who provides therapy to individuals and couples who wish to find relief from stress, anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, grief and more.She has been in private practice in New York for over 30 years, and is a best-selling author who has been published in over 13 languages. Dr. Shoshanna has provided over 500 talks and workshops on all aspects of relationships, personal and spiritual development and creating authentic peace of mind.The topic of our program is the relationship between American Jews and Eastern thought especially Buddhism. Dr. Shoshanna is the author of 11 books including Jewish Dharma which focuses on common issues that introduce disorder to our lives and how the intersection of Judaism and Zen Buddhism can help find understanding, meaning, and a life grounded in these authentic faiths.Mystic-Skeptic Radio produces programs such as Uncensored & Raiders of the Unknown. Some of th

In this week’s show our guest is Dr. Jay Michaelson author of Evolving Dharma: Meditation, Buddhism, and the Next Generation of Enlightenment. The topic of our program is the relationship between American Jews and Buddhism. We also discussed buddhist principles and what different spiritualities have in common.Dr. Jay Michaelson is the author of six books and over three hundred articles on religion, sexuality, law, and contemplative practice. He is a columnist for The Daily Beast and the Forward newspaper, and is a frequent commentator on NPR, MSNBC, and online. In his ‘other’ career, Jay is an affiliated assistant professor at Chicago Theological Seminary, teaches meditation in Jewish and Theravadan Buddhist lineages, and holds nondenominational rabbinic ordination.During the interview he shares his knowledge about the different types of Buddhism that are popular with American audiences. In the last couple of decades meditation and yoga have become more acceptable even among conservative and some traditiona

"‘Christianity’ under its various names had been thriving for centuries before that. As we may now appreciate, it was the more original cult that was driven underground by the combined efforts of the Roman, Jewish, and ecclesiastical authorities; it was the supreme “heresy” which came on, made terms with the secular powers, and became the Church of today." (Allegro, XX)During our third show we discussed the above book and explored some of its assertions. One topic addressed on our podcast is Allegro’s obsession with sexualizing the Bible, another one is his portrayal of the “Yachad” or the community of Qumran, as Gnostics Christians not apocalyptic Jews as they were. On one side of the debate David discussed the lack of evidence regarding biblical figures creating potions or amulets. In support of the book claims Ryan discussed the parallels between ancient religions and the use of plants and fungi by indigenous groups. According to the majority of scholars the writers of the Dead Sea Scrolls were e

" ‘Christianity’ under its various names had been thriving for centuries before that. As we may now appreciate, it was the more original cult that was driven underground by the combined efforts of the Roman, Jewish, and ecclesiastical authorities; it was the supreme “heresy” which came on, made terms with the secular powers, and became the Church of today." (Allegro, XX)During our third show we discussed the above book and explored some of its assertions. One topic addressed on our podcast is Allegro’s obsession with sexualizing the Bible, another one is his portrayal of the “Yachad” or the community of Qumran, as Gnostics Christians not apocalyptic Jews as they were. On one side of the debate David discussed the lack of evidence regarding biblical figures creating potions or amulets. In support of the book claims Ryan discussed the parallels between ancient religions and the use of plants and fungi by indigenous groups. According to the majority of scholars the writers of the Dead Sea Scrolls were

The Mystic-Skeptic Podcast was present at The First Annual Herbal Synergy Conference last year which featured Rosemary Gladstar. We interviewed her at The WUTZ FM Radio Studio during the Conference held at the Farm intentional community. Ms. Gladstar is a pioneer in the herbal movement and has been called the ‘godmother of American Herbalism’. She began over 35 years ago developing herbal formulas in her herb shop, Rosemary’s Garden in Sonoma County, California. She is the founder of the California School of Herbal Studies, the oldest running herb school in the United States, author of The Science and Art of Herbalism home study course, and is the organizer of the International Herb Symposium and The New England Women’s Herbal Conference held annually in NE. Rosemary lives and works from her home, Sage Mountain Herbal Retreat Center, a 500 acre botanical preserve in central Vermont.Mystic-Skeptic Radio produces programs such as Uncensored & Raiders of the Unknown. Some of the ongoing series are: Jesus The

During our first show we discuss the social and spiritual roots of the hippie movement with our original producer Rick Diamond who shares the fascinating history of The Farm radio station WUTZ 88.3 of the FM dial in Summertown, TN. He also conveys the evolution of progressive politics which came from a group of social maverics called the Diggers in Europe in the 17th century. Mystic-Skeptic Radio produces programs such as Uncensored & Raiders of the Unknown. Some of the ongoing series are: Jesus The Israelite, Anti-Semitism Rising & Paul's Legacy (all available on our YouTube channels). In the past 8 years we have featured academics (Amy Jill Levine) , presidential candidates( Howie Hawkins), Commentators (Jay Michaelson) , Advocates (Vanessa Guillen), Scholars(John Dominic Crossan) and Holistic Healers (Rosemary Gladstar). We have taken deep dives on the topics of human trafficking, ancient civilizations, demonology and the occult, social movements, controversial topics and many of the current a