The Two Tongues Podcast

S4E30 - Logos in Zoroastrianism

In this episode Chris brings Opinion Scholarship on the ancient Persian religion--Zoroastrianism. We discuss the Proto-Indo-European people, their culture and religion and how they came down through the Indo-Iranian tribes that became both Zoroastrianism in Iran and Hinduism in India. We discuss the influence Zoroastrian ideas had on both Judaism and Christianity and explore what Zoroaster meant when he claimed to be restoring monotheistic purity to their ancient, Indo-European faith. This brings us to the Christian idea of the Logos, which compare and contrast to the Zoroastrian idea of Vohu Mana. 

Enjoy ;) 

S4E29 - What Happens in the Barbershop

In this episode Chris and Kyle interview Chris' former barber--John--to discuss the sacred confessional of the barbershop. We discuss why people feel so comfortable opening up to their barber, the secrets that get shared and the good-natured ribbing that takes place between a close-knit group of barbers and their regular customers. Chris admits that every conversation he ever had with John in the barber chair could have easily been an episode of the podcast. And to that end, we re-create a barbershop chat. We talk conspiracy theories, politics, the future of AI and psychedelic spirituality. Strap in!

Enjoy ;)

S4E28 - Plato's Cave - Parable of the Mysteries

In this episode Chris delivers Opinion Scholarship on the meaning of Plato's famous Cave Allegory. He shows through the words of Plato and the ancient Greek Poet Pindar that the secret goings-on of the Eleusinian Mysteries share a hell of a lot with the experience of the prisoner freed from Plato's cave. He then posits that the secrecy surrounding the Mysteries kept Plato from speaking about it directly, leading to the parables and allegories sprinkled throughout his dialogues. And to conclude, he samples accounts from the ancient world all the way through to the modern one of other people who had a mystical experience paralleling the one outlined by the Cave Allegory. We hear the same message from Plato to Plotinus and from Meister Eckhart to Alan Watts. From Jesus to Zoroaster and from Buddha to St. Paul.

Enjoy ;)

S4E27 - Religious Restoration and Kamala as POTUS

In this episode Chris asks Kyle about the Indo-European influences on Judaism and Christianity and whether that impacts his personal faith. From there we pivot to a discussion of Chris' latest solo podcast entitled--Paleo Deo--on the subject of primitive monotheism. Then things get political. We discuss the libertarian and conservative revolutions occurring in Central and South America, the migration crisis and the fitness (or lack thereof) of Kamala Harris to right the ship.

Enjoy ;)

S4E26 - Paleo Deo - Primitive Monotheism

In this episode Chris highlights the ideas of German Anthropologist--Wilhelm Schmidt--and makes the case for a form of Monotheism as the original expression of religious feeling and intuition. We explore Occam's Razor, look for evidence of any true historical polytheistic faiths and discuss the problem of Henotheism. We also explore the Supreme Beings or "High Gods" of tribal peoples to gain a better understanding of just what we mean by the word "god." And lastly, we review evidence from ancient myths, pre-Socratic philosophers and important religious reform movements, which point to a cross-cultural circumambulation around the symbol of divine unity.

Enjoy ;) 

S4E25 - Praise and Blame with Daniel Torridon

In this episode we cross-over with friend of the show Daniel Torridon of the Onion Unlimited podcast to talk about praise and blame. We discuss the power of positive and negative reinforcement and reflect on those peculiar memories of praise and blame that showed us a mirror of our selves or others impacted our behavior or worldview. We don't conclude without throwing morality and religion in the mix...just to shake things up. Enjoy ;)

S4E24 - Saint Hermes - Hermeticism and the Holy Scriptures

In this episode Chris brings some Opinion Scholarship on the Greco-Egyptian tradition of Hermes Trismegistus, who bestowed great and secret wisdom upon humanity. We compare Biblical verses to the famous Hermetic dictum "As Above, So Below," and explore why a group of early Christians in Egyptian would have hid away Hermetic writings along with dozens of early Christian and Gnostic codices. What possible relationship can Hermeticism have with early Christianity? Let's dive in!

Enjoy ;)

S4E23 - The Assassination of Donald Trump by the Coward Matthew Crooks

In this episode Kyle and Chris discuss this past weeks' attempted assassination attempt on former President Donald J. Trump. We give our "first impressions" on the media's reaction as well as the reaction of ordinary people on Twitter. We discuss the many conspiracy theories already exploding from the left and point to the great hypocrisy of the double-standard surrounding "inciting violence." And to wrap up we discuss the PR value of political propaganda, comparing war-time propaganda images of Napoleon and Hitler to the still of Trump surrounded by Secret Service Agents with blood on his face, fearlessly raising his fist into the air.

Enjoy ;)  

S4E22 - Stories of the Great Flood

In this episode Chris is brining you Opinion Scholarship on the myth of the Great Flood. While it's widely known that the deluge story appears all over the world, from every continent, very few people ever read the original sources to see just how similar they are. Today, I have remedied that! We read through the flood account from Ovid's Metamorphosis, compare the Indian account of the Flood of Manu, explore the Greek version through Apollodorus and Lucian and finally compare the Biblical version to the most ancient account in the Babylonian Tablets of Creation. When all is done, we recognize the common skeleton underlying each myth, but we also find some unexpected parallels. We talk Giants, vengeful gods and the motif of death and resurrection!

Enjoy ;)  

S4E21 - Orphic Mysteries Unveiled - The Derveni Papyrus

Have you ever wondered what is meant by the phrase "mystery religions"? Ever wonder, just what the hell this "mystery" is? Are you frustrated by the deafening silence of the ancient writers on this subject? Titillated by the hints left by Plato and the pre-Socratics? Yeah, you're not alone. While the mysteries of Eleusis and the cults of Mithras and Isis may remain in the shadows, the mysteries of Orpheus have been cracked wide open! Like the Rosetta Stone of the Orphic-Dionysian mysteries, an ancient papyrus has been found, which spills the proverbial beans. Join me in exploring the Derveni Papyrus.

Enjoy ;)