Seekers of Unity

Rav Kook was a polymath, a legalist and rationalist, a mystic and poet. He was a world leader of Jewry and one of her most influential thinkers of the past century. His legacy as both a nationalist and universalist continues to baffle his admirers and detractors. Joining us to help sort out this enigmatic spiritual giant and his messianic vision is Rabbi Bezalel Naor, an author and teacher, a preeminent scholar, translator and lifelong student of Rav Kook, and founder of Orot inc, a research centre and publishing house dedicated to the elucidation and dissemination of the teachings and poetry of Rav Kook. In this conversation we discuss, Bezalel’s journey to becoming a student of Rav Kook, and take a glimpse into Rav Kook’s Spiritual Renaissance, his universal love, and his peculiar mystical atheism.  “All religions will recognize each other as brothers; how each serves its purpose... The relationships between religions will be organic. This realization will automatically bring about (and is brought about by) the higher realization of the unity of the light of Ein Sof [the Infinite, God], that manifests in and through all. And with this, automatically the pride of Israel must be uplifted.” - Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook’s Messianic Prophecy

Dr. Shaul Magid joins Seekers of Unity for an interview about living inside the paradox, the possibilities, opportunities and dangers of real spirituality today, the intersection between Jewish theology and other traditions on incarnation and apotheosis, and mystical antinomianism, clash of realities, in today’s day and age.  We get to talking about Zalman Schachter-Shalomi’s new vision for reality, paradigm shifts in religion, how to build new universal metaphysics without erasing differences, and ask what’s unique about Jewish mysticism?  About our Guest: Dr. Shaul Magid is a Senior Research Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute and the Distinguished Fellow of Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College, rabbi of the Fire Island Synagogue, contributing editor to Tablet Magazine and editor of Jewish Thought and Culture at Tikkun Magazine. He is also a member of the American Academy for Jewish Research. Shaul received his rabbinical ordination in Jerusalem and his PhD from Brandeis University.  His work spans the scope of Jewish thought, specializing in Jewish mysticism, Kabbalah and Hasidism, Modern Jewish thought, with specific emphasis on American Jewish thought and culture, Zionism, and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.  His published books include: From Metaphysics to Midrash: Myth, History, and the Interpretation of Scripture in Lurianic Kabbalah which won the 2008 American Academy of Religion Best Book Award; Hasidism Incarnate: Hasidism, Christianity, and the Construction of Modern Judaism; Hasidism on the Margin Reconciliation, Antinomianism, and Messianism in Izbica/Radzin Hasidism; The Bible, the Talmud and the New Testament: Elijah Zvi Soloveitchik’s Commentary to the Gospels; and Piety and Rebellion: Studies in Hasidism.

Who was Giordano Bruno? Why was he Killed? and Why did the Catholic Church cover up his Death? Continuing our Series on the History of Pantheism, the Story of an Immanent God, with the Renaissance Mystery Giordano Bruno. Scientist? Mathematician? Philosopher? Mystic? Martyr? Exploring the Mystery of The Man who Bet his Life Against the Catholic Church and Won, His Gambit, His Poem, His Universe and His Miracle. Sources and Further Reading: Primary: Giordano Bruno, Cause, Principle and Unity, Cambridge Edition (Not only valuable for the main text, but has a nice introduction explaining what made Bruno’s philosophy so revolutionary in its time.)  Secondary: Blum, Paul Richard, 2012, Giordano Bruno. An Introduction, Amsterdam: Rodopi.  Gatti, Hilary (ed.), 2002, Giordano Bruno. Philosopher of the Renaissance, Ashgate. Gatti, Hilary, 1999, Giordano Bruno and Renaissance Science  Kessler, John J., 1997, "Giordano Bruno: The Forgotten Philosopher"  Kuhns, Bill, 1996, Reviewing the Reviews, Giordano Bruno and Marshall McLuhan http://dbanach.com/archive/mickelsen/1_2art5.htmlLux, Simonetta, Giordano Bruno for Saint? Patron Saint of Political Memory? http://www.taniabruguera.com/cms/files/lr_-_giordano_bruno_-_simonetta_.pdfRowland, Ingrid D., 2008, Giordano Bruno, Philosopher, Heretic, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.  Yates, Frances A., 1964, Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition, London: Routledge.   Link to recording of R’ Adin Steinsaltz talk at the commemoration of the burning and celebration of the completion of the translation of the Talmud. Campo de 'Fiori November 2010: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRjRtKgz54g

In the ninth century, a Christian mystical philosopher tried to end the world (as we know it), with a book. The Philosopher: John Scotus Eriugena, the Book: Periphyseon, On the Division of Nature. Exploring Eriugena's philosophical system and the deifying implications it holds for us humans, soon to be, and always have been, Gods.

Why was Pantheism suppressed in the Middle Ages? What Darkened the Middle Ages? Is Aristotle to blame for the “Dark Ages”? Join us for an epic showdown: Scholasticism vs Neoplatonism, where we’ll try answer these questions.

How I left Conservative, Fundamentalist, Calvinist, Evangelical Christianity. The Story of Steve as told by Steve.  A Story of Self-Discovery, Mystical Experiences, Happiness in Poverty, Finding Ourselves and Jesus in a Bathroom in Miami.

What Happens when East meets West? Exploring the History of Cultural and Philosophical Exchange between Ancient Greece and Ancient India.   In last part of the series we discussed Indian and Greek Pantheism. This week we take a look at some points of historical and conceptual contact between these two great civilizations.  Key words: Buddhist influences on Pyrrhonism, Greek influence on Indian thought. Three Marks of Existence, Deconstructing Personhood, Epoché, Ataraxia and Nirvana, Undifferentiated Nature, Two Truths Doctrine, Dependent Origination, Tetralemma and Catuṣkoṭi Logic. Scepticism, Pyrrho, Pyrrhonism and Nāgārjuna, Madhyamaka, Mahayana, Buddhism.

What do Thales, Heraclitus, Pythagoras, Parmenides, Plato, Stoicism and Plotinus have in Common? Were they all Pantheist? Maybe.                 Pantheism Between the One and the Many.  Exploring the attempts of the Ionians (Anaximenes, Thales, Anaximander, Heraclitus and Anaxagoras), the Eleatics (Xenophanes and Parmenides), Pythagoras, Plato, Stoicism and Neoplatonism, To Mend the Broken Relationship between Being and Becoming, the Absolute and the Relative, the Ideal and the Actual, the Infinite-Unchanging with the Finite and Transient. What we call God and the World.

Are Eastern Religions Pantheistic? Is Eastern Pantheism even a thing? Tracing a Theological trajectory through Myth, Mantra and Metaphysics to demonstrate the presence of Pantheistic (and Panentheistic) thought, the belief that identifies God with the Universe, in Hinduism, Daoism and Buddhism.  Join us, as we seek unity, sacrality and divinity in the trembling, thunderous dance of Shiva, in the wise, patient, silent presence of the Dao, in the vast, empty, compassionate embrace of the Buddha. In the Om, the Dao and the Here and Now.

Pantheism. Radical. Dangerous. Seductive. Born from the awe and wonder that reality itself inspires. From the experience which dissolves boundaries and egos, of union between the human, the world and God.     Kicking off this series on key concepts of mysticism, by exploring the varieties of pantheism, the ways it has been formulated and expressed. Related concepts; panentheism, pandeism, panpsychism, acosmism and monism… The religious and philosophical arguments make for it. The objections raised against it, and responses. The quandaries it gives rise to and what it might mean for us today and for the future of humanity.