Unraveling Religion
These mystical and practical discussions are explorations of spirituality and its relation to religion and psychology, with questions always. Beyond a specific religion or spiritual practice; what do we share, what do we have in common? These talks are a work in progress evolving our rich inner life, including reflections on religious texts, poems, art, and what is common in our human experience enhancing understanding of our relationships: with ourselves, with one another, and with the world we share. Unraveling Religion has developed a cross-collaboration with both Lisa Carley's The Labyrinth podcast and Henry Cretella's Alchemical Dialogues podcast, cross-posting episodes both 'Selected, Best of The Labyrinth' podcast and 'Selected, Best of Alchemical Dialogues' podcast episodes, periodically.
Episodes
Pulled from the Archives of Unraveling Religion, this September 2009 episode recorded at the studio in the Home of The Future, Chris and Joel speak of the Erie County Holding Center Federal Investigation Findings of Human and Constitutional Rights abuses which open the talk to the practical responses from ancient and spiritual foundations and teachings to point the way and address to t...
Sitting down with Chris Barbera at Network of Religious Communities to record this trailer, Joel opens to discuss, introduce, and summarize three recorded conversations, previously archived, and these newly edited talks include:
- 2009 'Real Flowers Of This Painful World,' Compassion Manifest For All Beings, Spirituality Forged Through Practical Application: A Conversation With Chris ...
In Part 2 of this heartfelt talk, David and Joel discuss poetry as a transmission, what the heart of one poet offers to others, and their community, and the notion of transmission from 'mind to mind from mind' within the frame of poetry.
David recalls a story of Maj pulling up in David's driveway in Maj's Chevy Nova and Maj reciting Antonio Machado's 'Last Night, As I Was Sleeping.'
Davi...
Part 1 as the conversation begins, David and Joel share David's introduction and talk about poetry as a growing voice to address 'what troubles us' and the community of poetry providing a sense of belonging.
David gives a history of the Wick Poetry Center and his academic career.
The conversation examines 'how do we make sense of the world and manage our own life?' with and through poetr...
Part 2 the Panels opens to discuss:
- 'What makes us come alive?'
- 'What is your 'note' in life?' (Rumi's 'be your note.')
How do we attune to spiritual teachers?
How do we know who our spiritual teachers are meant to be?
Moments that open and we ...
Part 1 of this discussion examines psychology, philosophy, religion, spiritually, science, and medicine, a panel of five (5) people opens with the question, 'where am I?' and 'what is going on [in the world]?' and refers to James Hillman, ideas and action as an artificial distinction, are they the same thing? How are they interlinked?
The poet Major Ragain is quoted, 'contemplation alter...
Rabbi Jessica Minnen and Joel sit for a deep examination of work and the different forms work takes for us as human beings.
Rabbi Jessica and Joel start with discussing Torah and the teaching of G-d's Work (i.e., Six (6) Days of Creation) and G-d's Rest, and how that relates to Shabbas:
- The conversations about the Shabbas Hebrew shoresh (i.e., root of the word) 'shin, bet, and taf' ...
Leanne and Joel met at the Lamberton Conservatory move to sit on the grass near Poet's Park in Rochester's Highland Park. The time opens with Leanne asking Joel about his sweatshirt and the meaning of 'Am Yisrael Chai' as Joel explains the emblem on the sweatshirt, a Hamsa and the talk moves to intentions of people, ill intention and service orientated intention and how the Universe mirr...
In today’s The Labyrinth podcast, retired psychiatrist Henry Cretella joins us to share both his philosophy and personal experience with surrender. We begin our conversation with Eckart Tolle’s view that surrender requires an expansion (and often suspension) of our rational mind. From there, we discuss the general nature of surrender and the role of intuiti...
Cross posting this episode recorded for Alchemical Dialogues, Henry Cretella hosts Lisa Carley from the podcast The Labyrinth regarding mental health and spirituality and Lisa's lived experience.
Avoiding and easing unnecessary suffering is a worthwhile goal, but so is the less often discussed opportunity for transformation that distress provides.
Mystics teach that the heart and mind ...
In this panel discussion with four Rabbis from America's West Coast to Israel, Joel guides an exploration of mobilizing Jewish outreach (i.e., or 'inreach' or 'in reach') how to, why, and what Jewish tradition teaches and offers from a wide range of teachings including Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson and the Baal Shem Tov.
This collection of dedicated and diverse Jewish voices guide the...
From the archives, the fourth ever episode recorded of Unraveling Religion, this from June 18th, 2008 is reposted In Memoriam for Reverend Kyoki Roberts of Pittsburgh's Deep Spring Temple.
In speaking with Joel, Kyoki explored insights from her long time Zen practice.
What is the nature of Self?
Questions opening into 'what is Zen?' and the relation to Dukkha (Sanskrit, suffering), how Z...
This initial epsiode of Unraveling Religion recorded on November 14th, 2007 in Buffalo, New York explores the question 'what's it all for?' in the largest scale we can imagine. Maj Ragain, who passed in 2018, presents in this talk the intersection of loneliness and its cure, touch, and the ways in which we can comfort one another. Sharing poetry and the makeup of what is meaningful to hi...
This episode asks the questions:
- How do we resolve life's Existential Delimma and paradox?
- What is 'Virtue?'
- Can 'Virtue' be taught?
Joel drops in at Before Your Quiet Eyes Bookstore and finds Ken Kelbaugh, David White, and 'Ted' Estragon in philosophic discourse and joins the discussion examining Bishop Butler, Plotinus, and Plato.
A few minutes into the conversation, Roche...
In this trailer of The Labyrinth Podcast, Lisa Carley introduces the podcast's orgins, philosophy, topics, and terrain covered in curiosity of life and existence with these conversations, an invitation to join.
2015; 'The Sound of Silence' (Instrumental); Immortalized; Reprise Records
This conversation with Lisa and Joel explores Lisa Carley's new podcast 'The Labyrinth' and its slogan 'Destination Unknown' and its relationship to the 'Unraveling Religion' podcast, whose own slogan 'What You Are Is More Than What You Want.' These two old friends share deep vision of hope and work toward a brighter future as they deconstruct meaning, mission, and purpose, and the mecha...
In Part 1 of this three part episode, Joel
In Part 2, Lisa, Rich, and Joel explore knowing
In Part 3 Lisa, Rich, and Joel examine the secret to the existential delimma and how to resolve it.
The answer, 'service.'
Also, surfing and meditation and the story of Reb Zusha, a Hasidic Master.
A Jewish Kabbalistic look at death, judgment, and Heavenly Decrees, ultimately who judges us?
Does human life have spiritual veils and what do they hide?
Also discussed is American Zen Buddhis...
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