Podcast episodes – The Secret History of Western Esotericism Podcast (SHWEP)
Episodes
Three Ancient Sages: On East Roman Magical Books
13 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Looking through the lens provided by three central figures of the western esoteric tradition -- Hermes Trismegistus, Apollonios of Tyana, and King Sol...
Gerasimos Merianos on East Roman Alchemy in Late Antiquity and Beyond, Part II
01 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We delve further into the laboratories, workshops, and even state coffers of East Rome with Gerasimos Merianos. East Roman alchemy becomes mathematise...
Gerasimos Merianos on East Roman Alchemy in Late Antiquity and Beyond, Part I
25 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In Part I of a two-parter we explore the contours of East Roman alchemy from the seventh century onward. Gerasimos Merianos is our guide to the many a...
The Horoscope of Islām and The Alchemical Stone: Maria Papathanassiou on Stephanos of Alexandria, Part II
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In Part II we explore two of Stephanos' works: the astrological piece entitled Apotelesmatikē pragmateia, with its katarchic ‘Horoscope of Islam’...
Philosophy and Occult Sciences at Constantinople: Maria Papathanassiou on Stephanos of Alexandria, Part I
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We speak with Maria Papathanassiou about Stephanos of Alexandria: the last known Platonist/Aristotelean philosopher trained at Alexandria, a political...
Esoteric Orthodoxy in East Rome: Jonathan Greig on Maximus the Confessor
07 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Maximus the Confessor, Μάξιμος ὁ Ὁμολογητής (late sixth century – 13 August 662), was an erudite monk, theologian, and philosoph...
Introducing the Apocalypse of the Pseudo-Methodios, with Christopher Bonura
26 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Christopher Bonura introduces us to the Apocalypse of Pseudo-Methodios, a seventh-century Syriac prophetic universal history. Come for the Arab conque...
Jewish Apocalypse in the Seventh Century: Martha Himmelfarb on the Sefer Zerubbabel
27 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this interview we explore a crucial document of seventh-century Judaism: the Sefer Zerubbabel, an apocalyptic ‘future history’ allegedly writte...
Touraj Daryaee on Zoroastrianism in the Seventh Century and Beyond
13 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With the Arab conquest of Sasanian Persia, a new religion enters the west. Once the great religious Other to the Græco-Roman world, the Zoroastrians ...
Ahab Bdaiwi on the Rise of Shī‘ī Esotericism
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Part I we looked at the political events leading up to the formation of the Shi'a. In Part II we see that it did not take long for things to get ve...
Ahab Bdaiwi on ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, his Family, and the Origins of Shī‘ī Islam
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We pick up from our last episode, where geopolitics and esotericism met in the crucible of Roman, Sassanian, and Arab political struggles. Ahab Bdaiwi...
Seventh-Century History for Students of Western Esotericism
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We return to the history of late antiquity in the eastern Mediterranean and central Asia. Momentous events occur, empires rise and fall, and Jews, Chr...
Introducing the Qur’an Part III: Qur’ānic Texts vs. the Qur’ān
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss some of the history of how the Qur'ān came to be ‘the Book’: it started in the oral milieu of the high-octane early Believers' movemen...
Introducing the Qur’ān, Part II: Ambiguity and Esoteric Themes
18 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We begin to explore the esoteric side of the Qur'ān, examining several case-studies in terms of ambiguity and esoteric themes. It turns out that ever...
Introducing the Qur’ān, Part I: Revelation, Text, and History
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We cover some basic territory in introducing the Qur'ān, the holiest text of Islām. We introduce the text, discuss the traditional story of the Qur'...
Fred Donner on the History of Early Islām
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss what little we know and how much we don't know about the nature of the early ‘Believers' movement’, the nature and origins of the Qur'ā...
Matthew Melvin-Koushki on Islam, ‘the West’, and Western Esotericism
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We welcome Matthew Melvin-Koushki back to the show to discuss how we might improve our historical picture of western esotericism by including the vast...
Introducing Islām
03 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With Episode 200 the SHWEP has reached a milestone of sorts. We are in the seventh century, and the world-order suddenly changes irrevocably as a new ...
Paul Pasquesi on the Book of the Holy Hierotheos
25 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss one of the lesser-known, but most esoterically-important, classics of Syriac spiritual literature, the Book of the Holy Hierotheos. Hieroth...
The Pseudo-Dionysios, the Esoteric, and (Christian) Mysticism
22 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We turn to the questions: What is ‘mystical’ in the Corpus Dionysiacum? What is esoteric? The answers we come up with involve pretty much every as...
Naming Divine Nothingness: Introducing the Pseudo-Dionysios
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Into the divine darkness of a hyper-non-existent god walks the Pseudo-Dionysios. In this episode we join many esoteric currents from the antique and l...
One Empire, Many Names: Reading “Byzantium” with Anthony Kaldellis
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We are delighted to speak with Anthony Kaldellis about ‘Byzantium’, fabled empire full of Greek-speaking Romans which never fell until the fifteen...
Contested Esotericisms at the End of Antiquity: Simplicius, Philoponus, and Olympiodorus
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss three of the most important thinkers from the final generations of philosophical teaching at Alexandria. One is an upstart Christian. Two a...
The Last Platonists? Philosophic Teaching, Christianity, and Polytheism in Late-Antique Alexandria
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss how Platonist philosophical teaching played out at Alexandria before Justinian's edict of 529 and in its aftermath. Featuring cameo appeara...
All from Nothing: Sara Rappe on Damascius
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss the great Damascius, final scholarch of the Athenian Academy, with Sara Rappe. Things become very apophatic.
Hagia Sophia and the Problem of ‘Esoteric Architecture’
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 th...
Kevin van Bladel on the Ṣābians of Ḥarrān and the Fate of the Athenian Academy
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Edward Watts on the Age of Justinian and the Closing of the Athenian Academy
24 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss the life, times, and reign of Justinian, ‘probably the most consequential Roman emperor, at least since Constantine, and maybe since Augu...
Danielle Layne on Proclus’ Religious Life and Thought
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We are delighted to discuss what you might call Proclean spirituality with Danielle Layne. Platonic prayer as a way of living, the erotic quest for th...
Graeme Miles on Proclus the Commentator
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss Proclus' titanic labours in the field of commentary – on many Platonic dialogues, but also on the Chaldæan Oracles, the Homeric poems, a...
The Esoteric Proclus, Part II: Esoteric Exegesis and the Occult Ontology of Language
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We enter the interconnected webwork of a reality where signs are things, things are signs, and everything means everything, but appropriately. Come fo...
The Esoteric Proclus, Part I: The Life and Thought of an Esoteric Sage
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We look further into Proclus' esoteric doings, as a sage whose privileged status is marked by inspirations and epiphanies, omens and miracles. We then...
Dylan Burns on Proclus the Successor
29 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We welcome Dylan Burns back to the podcast to discuss the life, works, and philosophy of Proclus the Successor. ‘All in all, but appropriately to ea...
Hierocles of Alexandria and the Pythagorean Golden Verses
07 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss Hierocles of Alexandria, student of Plutarch of Athens made good. He wrote an esoteric commentary on the poem known as the Golden Verses of...
The Great God Pan Lives: Introducing the Athenian Academy
28 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We turn to the final flowering of polytheist Platonist philosophy, centred on Athens (and Alexandria). We review some useful historical data, discuss ...
Ↄ. Martiana on Martianus Capella and the Marriage of Philology and Mercury
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss Martianus Capella and his extraordinary and vexing philological ascent-account, the Marriage of Philology and Mercury. Ↄ. Martiana guides...
Macrobius and the Commentary on Scipio’s Dream
18 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We 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 wro...
Augustine of Hippo: Saint of the Exoteric
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss Augustine the anti-esotericist, who denies that Christianity has any esoteric dimensions. He employs the esoteric to do so. Can you trust a...
The Manichæan Catholic: Augustine of Hippo
23 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We turn to one of the most difficult, fascinating, and ultimately consequential thinkers of late antiquity, Augustine of Hippo. In this episode we dis...
Stephen A. Cooper on Marius Victorinus and Latinate Christian Platonism
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss Marius Victorinus, a fascinating character from the tumultuous Roman scene in the mid fourth century who converted from Platonism to Platon...
Gretchen Reydams-Schils on Calcidius and the Timæus
17 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss the Latin translation and commentary of Calcidius with Gretchen Reydams-Schils. Who was Calcidius, where did he get his interpretations of ...
Plato Latinus
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The 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...
Jay Bregman on Synesius of Cyrene
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We dive into the fascinating life and thought of Synesius of Cyrene, Platonist philosopher and student of Hypatia of Alexandria, and Orthodox bishop o...
Noble Lies and Philosophic Silence: Hypatia, Synesius, and the New Esotericism in the Fourth Century
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Fear, loathing, violence, and persecution. How does the philosopher operate under such circumstances? We look at the case-studies of Hypatia of Alexan...
Hypatia of Alexandria: The Life and Death of a Philosopher and her City
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 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 p...
‘And When Rome Falls, Falls the World’: The Fall of Rome and Western Esotericism
29 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The 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...
‘Visibly a Goddess’: Heidi Marx on Sosipatra of Pergamum
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss Sosipatra of Pergamum, an otherwise-unknown late polytheist holy woman and philosopher, depicted by her biographer Eunapius as a living god...
Frederico Fidler on Sallustius’ On the Gods and the World
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We are delighted to speak with Frederico Fidler about Sallustius' On the Gods and the World, a short manual of a popular nature outlining how Platonis...
Strategies of the Esoteric in the Hellenism of the Emperor Julian: Exclusion and Pluralism in a Late-Antique Polytheism
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss the dynamics of Julian's esoteric religious/political formulation of Hellenism, and reflect on some of the very strange things that happen ...
Jeremy Swist on Julian, Part II: The Emperor’s Religio-Philosophic Project
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our discussion with Jeremy Swist on The Emperor turns metaphysical, theurgic, and religious, as we discuss Julian's incredible synthesis of Iamblichea...
Jeremy Swist on the Emperor Julian, Part I: the Political Background and Political Project of the Emperor
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jeremy Swist, specialist on Late Platonism, late antiquity, and the great Julian the Faithful, lays out the political background and political project...
Joel Kalvesmaki on Evagrius’ Kephalaia Gnōstika: Philosophy, Scripture, and Apophatic Mysticism
16 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In Part II of our discussion with Joel Kalvesmaki we explore the philosophy and mysticism of the Kephalaia Gnōstika, Evagrius' masterwork of mind-ben...
Joel Kalvesmaki on Evagrius of Pontus, the ‘Gnostic Trilogy’, and the Origenist Controversy
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Part I of a discussion of Evagrius of Pontus – ascetic, philosopher, developer of Origen's thought, and mystical writer – with Joel Kalvesmaki. In...
Theology, Politics, and Radiant Darkness: Michæl Motia on Gregory of Nyssa
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Having introduced the Cappadocians, we must of course explore the thought of the Divine Gregory of Nyssa. Michæl Motia is our expert guide through th...
Father Sergey Trostyanskiy on the Cappadocian Fathers, Part II
18 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In Part II with Father Sergey, we explore the Platonist ‘mystical’ themes, esoteric imagery of divine darkness, and the limits of human knowledge ...
Father Sergey Trostyanskiy on the Cappadocian Fathers, Part I
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss the great theologians, ascetics, and philosophers of fourth-century Christianity, the Cappadocian Fathers with Father Sergey Trostyanskiy. ...
Claire Hall on Firmicus Maternus
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Firmicus Maternus, a fairly prominent fourth-century intellectual from Sicily, wrote two works which survive: one is our earliest-surviving manual of...
Kocku von Stuckrad on Monotheist Astrologies in (Late) Antiquity
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
‘With the rise of monotheism in the late Roman world, astrology became a forbidden science and began its long decline.’ Starting from this widespr...
Metals, Temples, and Living Statues: Shannon Grimes on Zosimus’ Egyptian Context
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We fill in some of the historical, cultural, and economic background of Zosimus' life and practice with Shannon Grimes. Come for the economics of meta...
Bink Hallum on the Extended Zosimus
01 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We further explore the thought of Zosimus of Panopolis with Dr Bink Hallum, whose PhD research centred on the Arabic Zosimean corpus. We cover the bas...
Matteo Martelli Introduces Zosimus of Panopolis
25 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We 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
18 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss the extraordinary late-antique novel of the early Christian church at Rome, known as the Pseudo-Clementine literature. Gnosticism, Jewish-C...
Charles Häberl on the Mandæans
21 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 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...
Paul Pasquesi on Christian Asceticism in the Late-Antique Syriac World
23 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We explore the fascinating world of early Christian asceticism in the Syriac-speaking world of late antiquity. Paul Pasquesi is our guide to everythin...
Korshi Dosoo on Early Christian Magic
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With papyrologist Korshi Dosoo as our guide, we explore the world of first-millennium Christian magic as it is found in the papyrus-records, both publ...
Prolegomena to Christian Magic
12 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We set the stage for an examination of early Christian magical traditions, starting from the authoritative writings of the church fathers, who deny th...
The Testament of Solomon and the Solomonic Tradition, Part II
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We explore the astral-demonic lore, the angelic medicine, and the many legendary stories recorded in the Testament of Solomon, and some of the manifol...
The Testament of Solomon and the Solomonic Tradition, Part I
27 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We want to discuss the Testament of Solomon, an extraordinary demonological, angelogical, astrological, magical work from late antiquity. But we reali...
Exploring the Sefer ha-Razim
21 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We explore the earliest-known Jewish ‘magic book’, the Sefer ha-Razim or Book of Mysteries. Angel-magic meets addressative practices aimed at old ...
Curses! Sarah Veale on Roman ‘Curse-Tablets’
07 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We turn from the far-eastern, Jewish magic of the incantation-bowls to the far-western, polytheist magic of the Roman ‘curse-tablets’. Expect intr...
Daniel James Waller on the Jewish Incantation-Bowls
24 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We dive more deeply into the enigmatic corpus of late-antique Jewish ‘incantation bowls’ from Mesopotamia with the help of researcher Daniel Walle...
Gideon Bohak on Late-Antique Jewish Magic
17 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gideon Bohak provides us with a superb introduction to the evidence for late-antique Jewish magic and to what that evidence tells us. Introducing the ...
Thinking through Monotheism, Henotheism, Polytheism, and Dualism in Late Antiquity
03 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We wander through a bunch of important (but mushy) ideas helpful for understanding late antiquity and late-antique religion: monotheism, henotheism, p...
Politics and Religion in Late Antiquity, Part II: The Rise of Christianity and the Invention and Eclipse of ‘Paganism’
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We dive into the history of late-antique Rome from the perspective of Jews, Christians, ‘pagans’, ‘heretics’, and others vis à vis the Roman ...
Politics and Religion in Late Antiquity, Part I: Geopolitics, Empire, and Rabbinic Judaism
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
At 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 balan...
Run the Numbers: The Theology of Arithmetic
15 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We explore the Theolegoumena arithmeticæ, the ‘Theology of Arithmetic’, our most complete extant arithmological treatise from antiquity. It tells...
Brian Alt on Sacred Materials, Divine Names, and Subtle Physiology in Iamblichean Theurgy
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We 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 throu...
Gregory Shaw on the Phenomenology of Iamblichean Theurgy
20 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss the phenomenology and meaning of theurgy with Professor Gregory Shaw, whose many publications on the Sage of Chalcis have helped to free hi...
John Finamore on Iamblichean Theurgy in Theory and Practice
13 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss the practices lying behind the descriptions in the De mysteriis, and the theory behind the practices. Professor John Finamore is our guide ...
The Great Theurgy Debate: Porphyry’s Letter to Anebo, Iamblichus’ Response, and the Question(s) of Ritual
07 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 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 th...
The Esoteric Iamblichus
16 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss the rich strata of the esoteric in the work of the sage of Chalcis. Starting from the evidence for socially-esoteric teaching within Iambli...
The ‘Greater Kinds’, Souls, and Kosmos: Iamblichus’ Philosophy, Part II
09 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We enter into the kosmic reaches of Iamblichus' universe, populated by a host of fascinating fauna, including archangels, angels, daimones, heroes, ar...
Esoteric Hermeneutics, Divine Hierarchy, and the Ineffable: The Philosophy of Iamblichus, Part I
16 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We explore Iamblichus' extraordinary ‘esoteric-literalist’ approach to the Platonic corpus and the upper reaches of his complex metaphysics, the r...
Introducing Iamblichus of Chalcis
09 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We introduce Iamblichus, known to later Platonists as ‘the Divine’, ‘the Great Iamblichus’, Platonist philosopher and wonder-working holy-man....
A Word to Conjure With: On ‘Theurgy’ in Late Antiquity and Beyond
26 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about theurgy: what, where, when, and, indeed, how? It's more complicated than we thought. Come for the Chaldæan Oracles, stay for the Techni...
Astral Accretions, Fate, and the Resurrection-Body: Other Subtle Bodies of Antiquity
20 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss other subtle-body theories in antique esoteric literature from the Hermetica, the Platonists, Basilides, Origen, and other esoteric Christi...
Soul-Flight, Noetic Bodies, and Pneumatic Vehicles: Toward a History of the Platonist Subtle Body
12 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss the soul-flight practices found in our testimonies to the ancient Greek iatromanteis, Middle-Platonist and other early testimony to the the...
Methodologies for Studying the Subtle Body
29 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We formally introduce the ‘subtle body’, the mysterious tertium quid which, alongside the soul and the physical body, occupies a central place in ...
Nilüfer Akçay on Porphyry’s On the Cave of the Nymphs
08 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We speak with Nilüfer Akçay, author of the only full-length English monograph on Porphyry's On the Cave of the Nymphs.
Porphyry and the Barbarians: Ethnicity, Religious Practice, and Esoteric Interpretation
27 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We get into Porphyry's reception of Greek and non-Greek wisdom, and the ways in which esoteric truth is to be found in various cultural locales. We al...
Dorian Greenbaum on Porphyry and Astrology
20 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We talk astrology in Porphyry with Dorian Greenbaum, historian of astrology and philosophy. Along the way we situate ourselves within the history of a...
Porphyry’s Gods: The Metaphysics and Physics of Divinity
13 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss the universe of Porphyry, which is crawling with gods, powers, and daimones, and some of the ways a human being might expect to navigate su...
‘Poet, Philosopher, Hierophant’: Introducing Porphyry of Tyre
29 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We introduce Porphyry of Tyre, a most prolific Platonist writer and thinker. Come for the Platonist metaphysics, stay for the esoteric reading-strateg...
Charles M. Stang on the Divine Double in Late Antiquity
08 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss the motif of the divine twin, angelic counterpart, personal daimōn, and other forms of higher, divine self with Charles Stang. We may not ...
Jason BeDuhn on Mani and Manichæism
25 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss one of the most anomalous, vexing, and fascinating religious movements in history, the first to span east and west, the elusive but crucial...
Radcliffe G. Edmonds III on the ‘Mithrasliturgie’
27 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss PGM IV 475-824, the famous ‘Mithrasliturgie’, with Radcliffe G. Edmonds III. Come for the immortalisation, divinisation, and visionary ...
Mithras and the Stars: Astral Elements in the Cult of Mithras
30 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss all the amazing astral imagery associated with Mithraic temples, the extraordinary testimonies to ascent of the Mithraic soul given by Cels...
Mysteries of the Rock-Born God: The Roman Cult of Mithras
09 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We introduce the enigmatic evidence for an innovative initiatory cult of the Roman empire, the mysteries of Mithras. Come for the underground cave-tem...
Jean-Marc Narbonne on Plotinus in Dialogue with the Gnostics
04 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A leading scholar of the interconnections between Plotinus' thought and the thought of the Gnostics whom he disliked so much, Jean-Marc Narbonne discu...
Dylan Burns on Sethian Gnosticism
21 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss the Platonistic Sethian tractates and the movements which lay behind them with Copticist and scholar of Platonistic esotericism Dylan Burns...