Nearly Numinous

We’re back with another monthly installment of our “In The News” episode. This week, we chat about a wide range of topics including; the psychology of religion and how religion is studied in the brain, the ethics of AI, and Islamophobia in Canada.

Want to read the articles we talk about?

“Religion on the Brain” from The Scientist

“Can Silicon Valley Find God” from The New York Times

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Join Rachel and Jacqueline for a special interview with Faezeh Izadi about Muslims in Canada. Faezeh is an International Ph.D. student of Religious Studies at the University of Calgary, originally from Iran. She got her bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, but after two years of engineering works, Faezeh changed her path to humanities and joined the Comparative Religions and Mysticism MA program at the University of Kashan,...

Welcome to the 2nd episode in our series on CW’s hit show, The 100! If you haven’t listened to the first episode yet, check it out here! And if you haven’t seen Season 1 of The 100, then we recommend watching it before you dive into this episode (otherwise you’ll get a lot of spoilers).

In this episode, we focus more on group identity and cohesion using all our fancy background and language about religion an...

Join your hosts, Steph and Rachel, for an interview with yoga teacher and practitioner Laura Chaignon. We get deep into gender binary language in yoga (and elsewhere) and chat about the effect of the western lens on yoga, gendered language, and the importance of making yoga a safe and comfortable space for everyone.

Resources Laura mentions:

@yogaisdeadpodcast (Hosted by Tejal Patel and Jesal Parikh)

Artist Sarah Cargill fro...

Welcome to the first of a special 2-part episode on the hit CW show “The 100”.  The show originally premiered in 2014 and ran for seven seasons – but today, we’re only getting into the first season. Of course, there are some spoilers, so feel free to go watch the entire first season and come back to this episode.

In the first part of our series on “The 100,” we introduce the premise of the show, ...

This week, jump in with Rachel and Steph while they talk about different religious symbols being taken from their original meaning and used in either dangerous ways or just taken out of context. We also get pretty deep into the COEXIST bumper sticker’s history.

As always, don’t forget to check out nearlynuminous.ca for previous episodes, to subscribe to our newsletter, or get in touch with us! You can also find us on Fa...

After weeks of recording snags (long distance podcasting is hard!) we’re back! This week it’s the June edition of “In The News”. Join ALL THREE of your hosts (for the first time in months) while we try to stay on topic about the blood flower super moon and pride but end up in side chats about if reading the bible from front to back is a good idea.

Check out Church Clarity at: https://www.churchclarity.org/

D...

We’re back (well…Steph and Rachel are! Jacqueline will be soon!). Join us while we catch up on what’s been happening in the news. We give some background about Quebec’s Bill 21 and the most recent ruling. We also chat about Peloton’s religiously infused classes and how that plays into the wellness and exercise brand.

Want to read the articles from today’s episode?

Read about Bill 21:

https://www....

Join your three hosts this week to talk all about the latest trend – manifestation and the Law of Attraction. We go into the history of the practice, all the way back to the dawn of the New Thought and New Age movements. Then we chat about how people actually partake in it, if it works as its own religious tradition or as part of other religious traditions, and then we chat about how spiritual bypassing functions within the w...

This week join your hosts while they talk about different ways Orientalism has creeped into pop-culture for the past few centuries. They chat Mulan, Freaky Friday, and Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone. Find the episode anywhere you get your podcasts! Just search Nearly Numinous.

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram! We’re @nearlynuminous. Also check our website for more resources and transcript...

Ever wonder what it is about cult leaders that draw people to them? This week, join your hosts Rachel, Steph, and Jacqueline as they dive deep into the charismatic leader and what makes people so willing to follow them, even when their ideas might seem radical or outlandish to outsiders. We discuss the specific terminology surrounding “cults,” if charisma is a dangerous characteristic, and whether or not the charismatic leader arch...

This week, join Rachel and Steph as they discuss all things eating and not-eating and how it relates to religion. They give some historical examples of fasting and other ascetic practices, but also get into the religious language we use surrounding the modern food and dieting industry.

Don’t forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can also check us out on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – just search Ne...

Join Steph and Jacqueline while they give you a ton of history on the beginning of Celtic Christianity and the history and contemporary relevance of St Brigid! And for an added surprise (like when St Brigid turns water into Ale, or when Jesus turns water into wine, or when Jacqueline turns water into Hot Chocolate) Rachel retells the greatest hits from the life of this beloved feminist and environmentalist Irish icon, who also happ...

We’re baaaack! After an extended break from lockdowns and holidays and all things, we’re here with an all-new Enneagram themed episode! Before the holidays, we interviewed Enneagram coach Steve Van Kleeck about his practice called The Mindful Enneagram. We discuss the spiritual approach to the enneagram, as well as the various spiritual and personal development uses that the personality theory can be used for.

Interested in the app...

This week, the hosts gather around eggnog lattes and hallmark movies (and some other classics) and chat about all things festive, Christmas, and holiday-esque. After getting nostalgic about their own traditions, they question; is Christmas a religion of its own? Is it only a Christian holiday? Or is it completely areligious? Listen in to find out the verdict!

Disclaimer – we may be on the edge of “mythbusting” whe...