Long before modern horror imagined zombies or demons, ancient Arabic folklore spoke of the Ghoul (غول) — a terrifying shape-shifting creature haunting deserts, ruins, and graveyards. In this video, we uncover the true origins of the Ghoul: its roots in pre-Islamic Arabian mythology, its transformation through Islamic tradition, and its lasting influence on global horror culture.

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Sources/Recommended Reading:

Al-Rawi, Ahmed (2009). "The Mythical Ghoul in Arabic Culture". Article. The University of California.

Al-Rawi, Ahmed (2009). "The Arabic Ghoul and its Western Transformation". Folklore 120 (December 2009): 291–306.

Lebling, Robert & Tahir Shah (2014). "Legends of the Fire Spirits: Jinn and Genies from Arabia to Zanzibar. I.B. Tauris.

Henninger, Joseph (2004). "Beliefs in Spirits among the Pre-Islamic Arabs". In "Magic and Divination in Early Islam". Edited by Emile Savage-Smith. Ashgate Publishing Company.

Rašić, Dunja (2024). "Bedeviled: Jinn Doppelgangers in Islam and Akbarian Sufism". State University of New York Press.

"The Annotated Arabian Nights: Tales from 1001 Nights". Edited by Paulo Lemos Horta. Translated by Yasmine Seale. Liveright Publishing Corporation.

Online version of Qazwini's "Wonders of Creation": https://shamela.ws/book/30006/310?utm_source=chatgpt.com

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Who were the mysterious Sabians of Harran? This forgotten group of ancient star-worshippers left behind one of history’s most fascinating mysteries. We look at the contemporary sources to (try to) find out what these ancient peoples actually believed and practiced.

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Also check out the Let's Talk Religion Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0ih4sqtWv0wRIhS6HFgerb?si=95b07d83d0254b

Sources/Recommended Reading:

Dodge, Bayard (translated by) (1970). "The Fihrist of al-Nadim: A Tenth Century Survey of Muslim Culture". Columbia University Press.

Gunduz, Sinasi (1994). "The Knowledge of Life: The Origins and Early History of the Mandaeans and Their Relation to the Sabians of the Qur'an and to the Harranians". Oxford University Press.

Hjärpe, Jan (1972). "Analyse critique des traditions arabes sur les Sabéens Harraniens". Doctoral thesis. University of Uppsala.

Moses Maimonides - "The Guide for the Perplexed - A New Translation". Translated with commentary by Lenn E. Goodman & Philip I. Lieberman.

Stanford University Press.

Tardieu, Michel (1986). "Sabiens coraniques et Sabiens' de Harran'. Journal Asiatique 274, 1-44.

Tardieu, Michel (1987). "Les calandriers en usage a Harran d'aprés les sources arabes et le commentaire de Simplicius a la physique d'Aristotle". In Ilsetraut Hadot, ed., "Simplicius: Sa vie, son aevre, sa survie. Acted du colloque international de Paris (28 Sept.-1 Oct. 1985)". Berlin, de Gruyter, 40-57).

Van Bladel, Kevin (2009). "The Arabic Hermes: From Pagan Sage to Prophet of Science". OUP USA.

Van Bladel, Kevin (2017). "From Sasanian Mandaeans to Sabians of the Marshes". Brill.

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Who were the Sabians (Ṣābi’ūn) mentioned in the Quran? Were they a mysterious religious community, early monotheists, Mandaeans, star-worshippers, or something else entirely? In this video, we explore the fascinating question of the identity of the Sabians, drawing on Islamic sources, Quranic references, historical accounts, and scholarly debates.

Music by Filip Holm (me)

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Sources/Recommended Reading:

Gunduz, Sinasi (1994). "The Knowledge of Life: The Origins and Early History of the Mandaeans and Their Relation to the Sabians of the Qur'an and to the Harranians". Oxford University Press.

Van Bladel, Kevin (2009). "The Arabic Hermes: From Pagan Sage to Prophet of Science". OUP USA.

Van Bladel, Kevin (2017). "From Sasanian Mandaeans to Sabians of the Marshes". Brill.

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Who are the Druze? In this video, we explore the history, culture, and beliefs of the Druze people — a small but influential religious community mainly found in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.

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Sources/Recommended Reading:

Betts, Robert Brenton (2009). "The Druze". Yale University Press.

Daftary, Farhad (2007). "The Isma'ilis: Their history and doctrines". Cambridge University Press.

Firro, Kais M. (2011). "The Druze Faith: Origin, Development and Interpretation". Arabica 58 (2011) 76-99. Brill.

Hirschberg, H.Z. (1981). "The Druzes". In "Religion in the Middle East: Three Religions in Concord and conflict (ed. Arberry, A.J. & Beckingham, C.F.), vol 2. Cambridge University Press.

Hitti, Philip K. (2007). "The Origins of the Druze People and Religion: With Extracts from their Sacred Writings." Saqi Books.

Hodgson, Marshall G.S. (1962). "Al-Darazi and Hamza in the Origins of the Druze Religion". Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol 82, No. 1.

Walker, Paul E. (2010). "Caliph of Cairo: Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, 996-1021". The American University in Cairo Press.

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The Jesuits, officially known as the Society of Jesus, are one of the most influential religious orders in the Catholic Church. Founded in 1540 by St. Ignatius of Loyola, they have played a central role in education, missionary work, science, and global history. This video explores who the Jesuits are, their origins, their impact on the Counter-Reformation, and their lasting influence on culture, politics, and spirituality.

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Sources/Recomended Reading:

Freidrich, Markus (2023). "The Jesuits: A History". Princeton University Press.Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

O'Malley, John W. (2014). "The Jesuits: A History from Ignatius to the Present".

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Discover the life, works, and enduring influence of Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274), the Dominican friar whose synthesis of faith and reason transformed philosophy and theology.

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Sources/Recomended Reading:

Aquinas, Thomas (1998). "Selected Writings". Penguin Classics.

Davies, Brian & Elenore Stump (ed.) (2012). "The Oxford Handbook of Aquinas". OUP USA.

Kretzmann, Norman & Eleonore Stump (ed.) (2010). "The Cambridge Companion to Aquinas". Cambridge University Press.

The Summa Theologica Translation by Ave Maria Press (1981).

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Dive into the forgotten history of the Amalricians, a radical medieval sect branded heretical by the Catholic Church. Followers of philosopher Amalric of Bena, the Amalricians believed in a mystical union with God and a controversial idea: that God was not separate from creation. Discover how their daring pantheistic beliefs challenged Church orthodoxy — and led to their dramatic suppression in the early 13th century.

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Sources/Recomended Reading:

Angus Braid's Website "The Amalrician Heresy" is an excellent source on the Amalricians in particular: https://theamalricianheresy.wordpress.com

Cohn, Norman (1970). "The Pursuit of the Millennium: Revolutionary Millenarians and Mystical Anarchists of the Middle Ages". Oxford University Press.

McGinn, Bernard. "The Presence of God" Series, in several volumes. Perhaps the best and most comprehensive introduction to Christian mysticism. Published by Crossroad Publishing Co.

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In this episode, we explore the powerful philosophy of Pantheism—the belief that God is identical with the universe and everything in it. From ancient roots to modern interpretations, we dive deep into how Pantheism connects spirituality, science, and nature in a unified vision of reality.

Find me and my music here:

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Support Let's Talk Religion on Patreon:

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Also check out the Let's Talk Religion Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0ih4sqtWv0wRIhS6HFgerb?si=95b07d83d0254b

Sources/Recomended Reading:

Chittick, William (1989). "The Sufi Path of Knowledge: Ibn 'Arabi's Metaphysics of Imagination".

Chittick, William (1998). "The Self-Disclosure of God: Principles of Ibn al-'Arabi's Cosmology". State University of New York Press.

Chittick, William (2005). "Ibn Arabi: Heir to the Prophets". OneWorld Publications.

Garrett, Don (1996). "The Cambridge Companion to Spinoza". Cambridge University Press.

Gatti, Hilary (ed.) (2002). "Giordano Bruno: Philosopher of the Renaissance". Routledge.

Idel, Moshe (1990). "Kabbalah: New Perspectives". Yale University Press.

Inwood, Brad (ed.) (2003). "The Cambridge Companion to the Stoics". Cambridge University Press.

Levine, Michael P.P. (2014). "Pantheism: A Non-Theistic Concept of Deity". Routledge.

McGinn, Bernard. "The Presence of God" Series, in several volumes. Perhaps the best and most comprehensive introduction to Christian mysticism. Published by Crossroad Publishing Co.

Scholem, Gershom (1995). "Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism". Schocken Books; Revised edition.

Rubenstein, Mary-Jane (2018). "Pantheologies: Gods, Worlds, Monsters". Columbia University Press.

Wolfson, Harry Austryn (2014). "The Philosophy of Spinoza: Unfolding the Latent Processes of His Reasoning". Harvard University Press.

"The Ethics" by Spinoza

"Cause, Principle & Unity" by Giordano Bruno

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