Podcast episodes – The Secret History of Western Esotericism Podcast (SHWEP)

Esoteric Orthodoxy in East Rome: Jonathan Greig on Maximus the Confessor

Maximus the Confessor, Μάξιμος ὁ Ὁμολογητής (late sixth century – 13 August 662), was an erudite monk, theologian, and philosopher of the East Roman empire; during his eventful life he travelled the soon-to-be-Arab territories of North Africa and the Near East (as well as visiting Rome, currently under the theoretical control of Constantinople via the […]

Introducing the Apocalypse of the Pseudo-Methodios, with Christopher Bonura

Christopher Bonura introduces us to the Apocalypse of Pseudo-Methodios, a seventh-century Syriac prophetic universal history. Come for the Arab conquests reflected in Christian revelation, stay for the apocalyptic Roman emperor.

Jewish Apocalypse in the Seventh Century: Martha Himmelfarb on the Sefer Zerubbabel

In this interview we explore a crucial document of seventh-century Judaism: the Sefer Zerubbabel, an apocalyptic ‘future history’ allegedly written in the past. The Temple will descend, the evil Armilus (son of Satan and a statue) will wreak havok, and two messiahs will arise to redeem Israel.

Touraj Daryaee on Zoroastrianism in the Seventh Century and Beyond

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 are now part of the story of western esotericism. We explore their extraordinary religion with Touraj Daryaee.

Ahab Bdaiwi on the Rise of Shī‘ī Esotericism

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 very esoteric. Come for the programmatic esoteric hermeneutics, stay for the occult sciences.