EducationReligion & SpiritualityScience

ReligionForBreakfast

An educational channel dedicated to the academic, nonsectarian study of religion. We promote improving the public's religious literacy by exploring humanity's beliefs and rituals through an anthropological, sociological, and archaeological lens.

Religion for Breakfast does not endorse any particular religious tradition or non-religious perspective. Please be respectful in the comments!

The host, Dr. Andrew M. Henry, is a scholar of religious studies. His research focus is early Christianity and late Roman religion. He earned his PhD at Boston University. Follow him on Twitter @andrewmarkhenry.
fan Made. no infringement intended.

Links:
Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfast
Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewmarkhenry
Blog: http://www.religionforbreakfast.com

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October 25 · 10 min
What is Satanism?
Satanism is a widely misunderstood tradition. Misconceptions about it are influenced, in part, by a moral panic that swept through the US in the 1980s and 1990s. But what really is Satanism? Uploaded 28-06-18 Twitter: @andrewmarkhenry Facebook: www.facebook.com/religionforbreakfast Patreon: www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewmarkhenry/ Bibliography: Jenny Reichert and James Richardson, “Decline of a Moral Panic: A social psychological and socio-legal Examination of the Current Status of Satanism,” Nova Religio 16:2 (2012) 47-63. Jesper Aargaard Petersen, "Contemporary Religious Satanism: A Critical Anthology," Ashgate Publishing, 2009. David Frankfurter, "Evil Incarnate," Princeton University Press, 2008. Geraldo Rivera, "Devil Worship," NBC Special Short article on Rivera's special: https://io9.gizmodo.com/5829171/when-geraldo-rivera-took-on-satanism-and-a-very-confused-ozzy-osbourne Excellent Vox article on the history of the Satanic panic: https://www.vox.com/2016/10/30/13413864/satanic-panic-ritual-abuse-history-explained Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 25 · 40 min
The Gospel of Philip Explained (and why Jesus kisses Mary Magdalene)
With my link, you can get 50% off of Nebula. It’s just $30/year, or $2,5/month, at https://go.nebula.tv/religionforbreakfast Get Lifetime memberships!: https://go.nebula.tv/lifetime?ref=religionforbreakfast Uploaded 05-12-25 Was Jesus secretly kissing Mary Magdalene? This video dives into the Gospel of Philip, its infamous “kiss” passage, Valentinian theology, and how baptism, anointing, and the “bridal chamber” were meant to turn Christians into Christs. 00:00 Jesus kisses Mary Magdalene? 1:18 Discovery, Date, Place of Origin 4:04 A Brief Intro to Valentinianism 6:31 Christians Becoming Christs 7:13 The Two Births of Christ 11:04 Protology, Modeling vs. Begetting, a New Adam 16:47 Baptism and Chrismation 20:10 The Bridal Chamber Explained 24:47 Mary Magdalene in the G.Phil 33:58 Nebula is awesome! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 25 · 27 min
Korean Shamanism Explained
Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/religionforbreakfast Uploaded 20-02-25 Korean Shamanism (Musok) is a dynamic religious tradition rooted in spirit mediation, ritual healing, and ancestral veneration. Join our Patreon community! https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfast Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and Reuters 00:00 Basic overview 1:25 What is Shamanism? 5:46 Shamanic Deities Explained 7:38 Who are the shamans? 12:40 Shamanism in Korea's religious landscape 14:25 Why the stigma? 18:26 Korean Shamanism in the 21st c. 21:37 Sign up for Nebula! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 25 · 24 min
Do Dreams Explain the Origin of Religion?
Register for our seminar American Paranormal!: https://www.religiondepartment.com/offers/zhS22t4k/checkout Uploaded 17-09-25 Join our Patreon community! https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfast Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and Reuters Do dreams explain the origins of religion? From biblical visions to Tibetan dream yoga, anthropologists, psychologists, and neuroscientists have long debated how our nightly visions shape gods, spirits, and sacred traditions. This video was made possible through the support of grant #TRT-2021-10499 from the John Templeton Foundation managed by the Center for Mind and Culture. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation or the Center for Mind and Culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 25 · 19 min
The Prophet Idrīs: The Islamic Enoch?
Register for our Coptic class!: https://www.religiondepartment.com/coptic Uploaded 21-10-25 Few prophets in Islam are as mysterious as Idrīs. In this video, we explore his identity, tracing how Muslims connected Idrīs with Enoch and Hermes Trismegistus, and why this ancient figure became a bridge between prophecy and esotericism. Join our Patreon community! https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfast Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and Reuters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 25 · 6 min
The Pre-Christian Origins of Baptism
Baptism is one of the most well-known rituals in Christianity. But what are the origins of this ritual? Did John the Baptist invent it himself? Uploaded 08-05-18 Support the show on Patreon!: www.patreon.com/religionfobreakfast www.religionfobreakfast.com www.facebook.com/religionforbreakfast https://www.instagram.com/andrewmarkhenry/ Bibliography: Jonathan Klawans, "Impurity and Sin in Ancient Judaism," Oxford University Press, 2000 Brook W.R. Pearson, "Baptism and Initiation in the Cult of Isis and Sarapis," in "Baptism, the New Testament, and the Church: Historical and Contemporary Studies in Honour of R.E.O White." Jodi Magness, "Stone and Dung, Oil and Spit: Jewish Daily Life in the Time of Jesus," Eerdmans, 2011. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 25 · 33 min
The Origins of Infant Baptism
Watch my Josephus interview with Dr. Tom Schmidt!: https://nebula.tv/videos/religionforbreakfast-did-josephus-really-write-about-jesus-interview-w-dr-tom-schmidt?ref=religionforbreakfast Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/religionforbreakfast Uploaded 13-06-25 Was early Christian baptism always full immersion for adults? Or did infant baptism and pouring water evolve earlier than we thought? Join our Patreon community! https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfast Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and Reuters 00:00 Intro 1:22 Origins of Baptism 4:22 Adult-Full-Immersion-With-Exceptions Model 6:36 Earliest Evidence for Infant Baptism 10:43 1st or 2nd century evidence? 18:51 Archaeological Evidence for Diversity of Practice 23:37 The Influence of Original Sin Theology 26:56 Nebula is seriously awesome, you should check it out Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 25 · 15 min
What is Day of the Dead?
Join the RFB Patreon community!: https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfast Uploaded 24-10-21 Writer: Dr. R. Andrew Chesnut Editor: Mark Henry Executive Producers: Daniel Cuevas, Jay Gotschalk Producers: Lyndsay Ballew Further Reading: R. Andrew Chesnut, "Devoted to Death: Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint," 2011. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 25 · 1 hr 15 min
Why AI Feels Spiritually Dangerous | ft. Jared Henderson
Support Religion for Breakfast on Patreon! It's the best way to keep the channel going. We recently grew from 700 to 800 patrons, and the goal is 1,000 in 2026. Join us and help make it happen: http://patreon.com/religionforbreakfast Uploaded 25-03-26 Check out Jared's channel @_jared Philosopher Jared Henderson joins me to explore AI, attention, and the future of human thought. We discuss the post-literate age, synthetic relationships, and whether technology is reshaping what it means to be human. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 25 · 10 min
The Gnostic Gospels: Were They Illegal?
A common theory is that the Nag Hammadi Library, a collection of Gnostic texts, were an illegal stash of books hidden from Orthodox Christian authorities. But recent scholarship has called this theory into question. Were the Gnostic Gospels legal? Uploaded 16-07-19 Support us on Patreon!: https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfast Or Paypal: https://www.paypal.me/religionforbreakfast Check out my favorite religious studies books: https://www.amazon.com/shop/religionforbreakfast Follow me on Twitter: @andrewmarkhenry Bibliography: Mark Goodacre: https://www.academia.edu/26053912/How_reliable_is_the_story_of_the_Nag_Hammadi_discovery Nicola Denzey Lewis and Justine Ariel Blount: https://www.academia.edu/8105963/_Rethinking_the_Origins_of_the_Nag_Hammadi_Library_ Brent Nongbri, "The Nag Hammadi Discovery Story," https://brentnongbri.com/2018/08/20/the-nag-hammadi-discovery-story/ Tony Burke, "What Do We Talk About When We Talk About the Nag Hammadi Library?" http://www.tonyburke.ca/wp-content/uploads/What-Do-We-Talk-About.pdf Lundhaug and Jenott, The Monastic Origins of the Nag Hammadi Codices Photo credits: Amulet: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jasper_intaglio-_Harpocrates_seated_on_lotus_in_papyrus_boat_MET_DP280467.jpg Coptic Magical Text: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coptic_magical_text_599v_apis.jpg Book of the Dead: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Imhotep%27s_Book_of_the_Dead.jpg Byzantine Amuletic Armband: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Byzantine_-_Amuletic_Armband_with_Holy_Rider,_Saints,_and_Magical_Symbols_-_Walters_542657.jpg Codex II: http://ccdl.libraries.claremont.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/nha/id/1381 Codex V Interior: http://ccdl.libraries.claremont.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/nha/id/1997/rec/1 Gospel of Thomas manuscript: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:El_Evangelio_de_Tom%C3%A1s-Gospel_of_Thomas-_Codex_II_Manuscritos_de_Nag_Hammadi-The_Nag_Hammadi_manuscripts.png Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 25 · 26 min
Why Religions Survive When Prophecies Fail
Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/religionforbreakfast Watch QAnon Bonus Video: https://nebula.tv/videos/religionforbreakfast-why-people-still-believe-in-qanon?ref=religionforbreakfast Get Lifetime memberships!: https://go.nebula.tv/lifetime?ref=religionforbreakfast Uploaded 16-10-25 Join our Patreon community! https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfast Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and Reuters When prophecies fail, religious movements don't always collapse. They adapt. From TikTok’s Rapture predictions to 19th-century millenarian movements, this video explores why religious groups often grow stronger after being proven wrong, and how communities survive disappointment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 25 · 26 min
The Pre-Biblical Origins of Noah's Flood
Get a free copy of the 80,000 Hours in-depth career guide: https://80000hours.org/rfb Uploaded 25-07-24 Special thanks to the writer of this episode Paul Davidson. Check out his blog "Is that in the Bible?": https://wp.me/p4jfyy-jKF Join our Patreon community to vote on the next episode in this series! https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfast One-time donations here!: https://www.paypal.me/religionforbreakfast 00:00 Introduction 2:11 Sumerian Flood Story 3:47 Atrahasis Epic 5:12 Epic of Gilgamesh 6:58 Genesis and Noah's Flood 8:58 Comparing the Arks 15:47 Comparing Major Themes 20:42 Sponsor: 80,000 Hours Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and Reuters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 25 · 29 min
What is Daoism?
Thank you to Wondrium for sponsoring today's video! Signup for your FREE trial to Wondrium here: http://ow.ly/pNJv50KwXxF Uploaded 22-09-22 Daoism, sometimes spelled as Taoism, is a religious and philosophical tradition indigenous to China. But what is Daoism? Join our Patreon community!: https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfast One-time donations here!: https://www.paypal.me/religionforbreakfast Check out my favorite religious studies books by following this affiliate link to my Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/shop/religionforbreakfast Bibliography: There are several excellent intro books available. Here are a few I consulted for this video: Ronnie Littlejohn, Daoism: An Introduction, 2009. Livia Kohn, Introducing Daoism, 2008. James Miller, Daoism: A Beginner's Guide, 2003. Stephen Prothero, Religion Matters: An Introduction to the World's Religions, 2020. 00:00 Intro 1:00 The Dao Explained 2:53 The Dao De Jing 7:43 The Zhuangzi 12:00 "Religious" Daoism Intro 13:40 Tianshi dao 15:07 Quanzhen dao 16:13 Daoist Canon 16:45 Daoist Deities 19:05 Self-Cultivation Techniques 21:58 21st-century Daoism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 25 · 23 min
Grimoires Explained: Manuals of Magic
Register for our online class "What Does It Mean To Be a Witch?" https://religionforbreakfast.eventbrite.com/ Uploaded 23-10-24 In this video, we explore the history of grimoires, manuals of magic, that shaped magical practices from ancient Egypt to modern witchcraft. Discover how these spellbooks and magical textbooks held esoteric knowledge and influenced occult traditions for centuries. Join our Patreon community! https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfast Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and Reuters 00:00 Intro and Basics 1:56 Grimoires as Elite Texts 6:31 The Magic of Writing 11:12 The Democratization of Grimoires and Contemporary Witchcraft 16:25 The Dematerialization of the Grimoire Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 25 · 15 min
Americans Exaggerate How Often They Go to Church
Compare news coverage. Spot media bias. Avoid algorithms. Try Ground News today and get 40% off your subscription by going to https://ground.news/religionforbreakfast Uploaded 27-03-25 New research using smartphone location data reveals a massive gap between how often Americans say they attend religious services and how often they actually do. Are surveys wrong? Are memories fuzzy? Here's what the data really shows about religion in America. The article: Devin Pope, BFI Working Paper·May 8, 2024, "Religious Worship Attendance in America: Evidence from Cellphone Data," https://bfi.uchicago.edu/working-paper/religious-worship-attendance-in-america-evidence-from-cellphone-data/ Join our Patreon community! https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfast Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and Reuters 00:00 Intro 00:43 Problems with self-reported surveys 2:20 How the Smartphone Study Worked 5:12 The Results Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 25 · 23 min
Are Animals Religious?
Register for our 8-week seminar, Religion and Science!: https://www.religiondepartment.com/offers/iQaLcZhh/checkout?coupon_code=CLASSMATES Uploaded 07-12-25 Are humans the only religious species? New research on chimpanzees, elephants, and other animals challenges our assumptions about awe, grief, ritual, and the emotional roots of religion. Join our Patreon community! https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfast Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and Reuters This video was made possible through the support of grant #TRT-2021-10499 from the John Templeton Foundation managed by the Center for Mind and Culture. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation or the Center for Mind and Culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 24 · 10 min
What is the Hagia Sophia?
Join our Patreon community!: https://patreon.com/religionforbreakfast One-time donations here!: https://www.paypal.me/religionforbreakfast Uploaded 17-09-19 The Hagia Sophia is a super famous building in Istanbul. Officially, at least according to the Turkish government, it is a museum. But it was originally built as a church and then was converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453. So what is it? Church, mosque, or museum? Follow me on Twitter at: @andrewmarkhenry I'm a current fellow with the Foundation for Religious Literacy, a nonsectarian philanthropic organization dedicated to the academic study of religion. They are supporting my work on Religion for Breakfast during 2019-2020. Check out their work here: https://tfrl.org/ Thumbnail photo credit: Arild Vågen Sources: Erdogan and converting back to mosque: https://www.apnews.com/9d7a4644abb04b9788c1ba37ec71c4ac ; https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-election-museum/turkeys-erdogan-says-he-plans-to-change-hagia-sophias-title-from-museum-to-mosque-idUSKCN1RA1ZB Structural integrity of Hagia Sophia including Rob Ousterhout and Stephen Kelley quotes: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/a-monumental-struggle-to-preserve-hagia-sophia-92038218/ Bissera Pentcheva, Hagia Sophia: Sound, Space, and Spirit in Byzantium (Pennsylvania State University Press, 2017) Eve Avdoulos, "Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia: Challenges of Managing Sacred Places" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 24 · 22 min
Melchizedek: The Most Mysterious Man in the Bible
Compare news coverage. Spot media bias. Avoid algorithms. Try Ground News today and get 40% off your subscription by going to https://ground.news/religionforbreakfast Uploaded 27-09-24 Join our Patreon community! https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfast Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and Reuters In Genesis 14, a priestly king named Melchizedek randomly appears and gives bread and wine to the patriarch Abraham. And then...he's never mentioned again in the story. Who is this mysterious man? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 24 · 5 min
Jerusalem Syndrome: Real or Not?
Lots of people have heard of Jerusalem Syndrome...the phenomenon of tourists suddenly having religiously-themed psychotic episodes upon visiting Jerusalem. But is this a real mental condition? Uploaded 18-04-18 Support the show on Patreon!: www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfast Follow on Twitter: @andrewmarkhenry Facebook: www.facebook.com/religionforbreakfast Insta: https://www.instagram.com/andrewmarkhenry/ Sources: Louise Howard (ed.), Kalian and Witztum, "Comments on Jerusalem Syndrome." British Journal of Psychiatry (2000) 176 Moshe Kalian and Eliezer Witztum, “Jerusalem Syndrome as reflected in the pilgrimage and biographies of four extraordinary women from the 14th century to the end of the second millennium.” Mental Health, Religion and Culture, Vol. 5, No. 1, 2002. Yair Bar-El et. al. “Jerusalem Syndrome,” British Journal of Psychiatry, (2000), 176, 86-90. Samson episode: http://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/13/world/what-makes-samson-run-amok-he-s-manic-in-jerusalem.html Moshe Kalian and Eliezer Witztum, "The management of Pilgrims with Malevolent Behavior in a Holy Space: A study of Jerusalem Syndrome,” chapter 8 in Maria Leppakari et. al. (eds.) Pilgrimage and Tourism to Holy Cities: Ideological and Management Perspectives 2017 Tourist Figures: http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/More-tourists-visit-Israel-in-2017-thaa-ever-before-522665 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 24 · 34 min
Who Were the Last Pagans of Europe?
If Europe's "last pagans" sparked your curiosity, join other curious learners for an 8-week seminar exploring modern Pagan traditions with scholar Thorn Mooney: https://www.religiondepartment.com/contemporarypaganism Uploaded 06-03-26 Europe was supposedly Christian by the Middle Ages, but the reality is more complicated. From the Sámi in Fennoscandia to the Baltic countryside, sacred groves, sacrifices, and animist traditions survived into the modern era. 00:00 Intro 1:43 Who are these people groups? 4:22 Unchristianized society, Christianization, creolization, syncretism 14:48 Case Study: Estonian Paganism 25:31 Why the slow Christianization in Estonia? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Showing 241–260 of 341 episodes