Holy Watermelon

The Church of Rome doesn't represent all of Christianity, but it is a major portion of the global population, so it's time for us to look at their foundation, and what makes them distinct from other …

Gods of the underworld are not the same as gods of death, nor are the guides the same--not even the Grim Reaper.

Hades is the minder of the subterrestrial realm, just as Zeus and Poseidon are the mind…

Religious clothing is as varied as any other kind of fashion, but there are a few common themes that we will highlight:

Chastity is encouraged in modesty, and it's weird that covering your hair is mor…

If sin were ugly, the world would be a paradise. Sin has a lot of faces in religious traditions around the world, some more consequential than others. 

Hamartiology is the study of sin, and it looks l…

What is a church? How does a religious society really differentiate itself from any other kind of society? What does it take to become a priest of the Holy Watermelon?

Some people join self-help group…

Bonnie Lu Nettles and Marshall Herff Applewhite, Jr. founded what is known today as Heaven's Gate, a fantastic group of UFO enthusiasts and religious believers. Though they both came from a Christian…

Apotheosis is the process of becoming a god, and that gift isn't always limited to the dead.

Some classic examples include Asclepius, Ariadne, and Glaucus.

Apotheosis also appears in the Abrahamic trad…

Euhemerism is essentially the hypothesis that many of the gods who have been celebrated throughout history may not have been simple fabrications but real people around whom great myths developed and …

Ever wonder why we bother with the groundhog, or horseshoes, or four-leaf clovers? Have you noticed city employees relying on divining rods to find your water leak? Where do all these superstitions c…

Zarathustra is the mythical hero at the foundation of Mazdaism, and thus it is better known as Zoroastrianism. Because ancient sources disagree on when this camel herder lived, it's nearly impossible…

Frank McMahon served in the VATICAN. Now, he's joining us to talk about his experience with Playboy, puberty, alcohol abuse, Buddhism, and the things he loved about his service with the Missionary Ob…

St. Nicholas' Day has passed, but we're not done with Christmas visitors yet. Santa has taken a few different forms over the centuries, and he's got an army of companions and alternates, too. 

Santa C…

There's no shortage of saints with questionable careers, even during their "faithful years." For others, we might be looking at people who never existed. Let's explore more saints who might not deser…

Andrew Penner grew up in the Mennonite tradition of the Anabaptist movement. The Anabaptists have a colorful history of subversion from the Catholic Church, despite their commitment to pacifism. 

Ther…

As we close out the spooky season, it's time to talk about Puritanism and the extremism that led to witch hunts and barbaric murders of innocents.

The Puritan movement was born from the Church of Engl…

Halloween is--despite what you might hear from your local evangelical group--a Christian holiday... kinda.

There's a lot to it, and there are layers of syncretism to dig through, but just under the se…

We've really enjoyed doing this show together, and we've learned a lot. It's time to reflect on the foundation we've built.

The natures of knowledge and belief are tricky philosophical concepts, and t…