War Machine

This kicks off a series of conversations centering on Philosopher of Religion Clayton Crockett’s recent monogram, Energy and Change: A New Materialist Cosmotheology. In this episode, Matt Valler and Matt Baker discuss the book's introduction. Buy the book: https://cup.columbia.edu/book/energy-and-change/9780231206112 Music for this episode: Smoke Notturno, Hello Meteor Love Always, Nu Alkemi Nomad...

This episode features a talk given by Andy Hutcheson who is a researcher at the University of East Anglia, and an archaeologist specializing in the role of institutions in developing complexity in cultural heritage. The talk was recently presented at the 43rd Conference of the theoretical Archaeological Group in Edinburgh. The title of the paper is, The Long Roots of the Climate Crisis: An Archaeo...

In this episode Justin Pearl and Matt Baker speak again to Randy Dible about George Spencer Brown's hugely influential but not widely-known mathematical grimoire Laws of Form, originally published in 1969. Randy is a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at St. Joseph's University in New York, and a doctoral student in the Department of Philosophy, at The New School for Social Research. His wor...

In this episode, Ezra Klein shares his recent article "This Changes Everything" which reflects on the impact artificial intelligence is likely to have on human affairs. Just kidding; the voice you hear is an AI generated clone. Read the original article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/12/opinion/chatbots-artificial-intelligence-future-weirdness.html The Ezra Klein show: https://www.nytimes.c...

In this episode, Matt Baker speaks with educator, philosopher, and poet Asha Gowan about art and trauma, poetry and the self. Check out her website here: https://acgowan16.wordpress.com/ The Pit of Fame There’s a pit of fame that rivals the peaks in my lands, one I admit I dug and put there. It’s not a brief dip, not a dimple but a departure where the soul leaves its things. Careful where I step,...

In this episode, Justin Pearl and Matt Baker speak with author and educator Steven Shaviro about his recent book The Rhythm Image, A.I., the philosophical purchase of science fiction, digital media, and more. Shaviro teaches at Wayne University and is a philosopher and cultural critic whose areas of interest include film theory, time, science fiction, panpsychism, capitalism, affect theory, and su...

The Whisperer in the Dark is a novella written by H.P. Lovecraft. Written February–September 1930, it was first published in Weird Tales, August 1931. Similar to The Color Out of Space (1927), it is a blend of horror and science fiction. Although it makes numerous references to the Cthulhu Mythos, the story is not a central part of the mythos, but reflects a shift in Lovecraft's writing at this ti...

"The Silver Key" is a fantasy short story by American writer H. P. Lovecraft. Written in 1926, it is considered part of his Dreamlands series. It was first published in the January 1929 issue of Weird Tales. Episode produced by Matt Baker and War Machine Music by Gdanian from the album "Induction" published by Cryo-Chamber 2022.

In this episode Matt Baker speaks with German-American Theologian Joerg Rieger about his new book "Theology in the Capitalocene: Ecology, Identity, Class, and Solidarity". Joerg is a professor of Christian theology whose work emphasizes economic justice and political movements. Rieger is also an ordained minister of the United Methodist Church. Rieger is Cal Turner Chancellor's Chair in Wesleyan S...

In this episode Matt Baker and Matt Valler discuss chapters 1-4 of Vicky Kirby's "Quantum Anthropologies: Life at Large." Quantum Anthropologies: https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Anthropologies-Life-at-Large/dp/0822350734/ref=sr_1_1?crid=PVP0UJD5OYDE&keywords=quantum+anthropologies&qid=1669433810&sprefix=quantum+anthropologies%2Caps%2C93&sr=8-1&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.08f69ac3-fd3d-4b88-bca2-8997e414...

In this episode Justin Pearl speaks with author and journalist A.M. Gittlitz about the strange intersection of left-wing political organizing with UFOlogy, apocalypticism, and more. Gittlitz is the author of "I Want to Believe: Posadism, UFOs and Apocalypse Communism" and is a journalist and social critic based in Brooklyn, New York. He has contributed to The New Inquiry, The New York Times, The O...

This episode features a talk recently given by Matt Valler exploring a New Materialist conception of time in alchemy as a way to rethink apocalyptic imagination in climate activism. The talk was presented as part of the Material Religion panel at the International Society for Religion, Literature and Culture conference at the University of Chester, UK.

This episode features an essay by philosopher, writer, and priest Steven Shakespeare titled Becoming Mystic, Becoming Monster: The Logic of the Infinite in Kierkegaard, Cusa and Deleuze. Read by Matt Baker. https://www.dropbox.com/s/y9v5rhx2dhlxf41/Becoming_Mystic_Becoming_Monster_The_Log.pdf?dl=0 For more information on Steven's work, go to https://www.stevenshakespeare.com/ Music for this episod...

In this episode, Justin Pearl and Matt Baker speak with Randy Dible who is a doctoral student in philosophy at The New School for Social Research whose work focuses on phenomenology and Ancient Greek philosophy. Randy is the preeminent English speaking scholar working with German phenomenologist Hedwig Conrad-Martius who was a 2oth century thinker concerned with the ontological constitution of rea...

In this episode Justin Pearl and Matt Baker speak with Jeffrey Kripal to discuss aliens, UFOs, and related matters of paranoia and the paranormal. Jeffrey Kripal is J. Newton Rayzor Chair in Philosophy and Religious Thought at Rice University and is the associate director of the Center for Theory and Research at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. He has previously taught at Harvard Divin...

In this episode Justin Pearl and Matt Baker speak with Ben Burgis who is a columnist for /Jacobin/ Magazine, an adjunct philosophy professor at Rutgers University, an online instructor at the School for Social and Cultural Change, and the host of the podcast and YouTube show Give Them An Argument. He’s also an author who frequently debates conservatives and libertarians from a democratic socialist...

In this episode, Justin Pearl and Matt Baker speak with Pablo Sender who is a microbiologist, theosophist, and Madame Blavatsky scholar to discuss key theosophical ideas and Blavatsky's influence on esoteric philosophy, spirituality, culture, and more. Pablo's work can be found here: http://pablosender.com/ The Secret Doctrine, Vol 1+2: https://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/sd-pdf/sdpdf-hp.html The...

Wherein Matt Baker speaks with Kazi Adi Shakti whose research is a creative synthesis of Whiteheadian process thought, critical Marxian political economy, Madhyamaka negative dialectic, Buddhist soteriology, and eco-feminism. Among the topics discussed are dreams, panpsychism, gender, the possible confluence of deconstructive/death-of-god-radical theology with Buddhist notions of emptiness, proces...

Wherein Matt Valler and Matt Baker conclude their discussion of Bernard Stiegler's "Technics and Time: The Fault of Epimetheus". Discussed in this episode is chapter 6: "The Disengagement of the What". Bernard Stiegler, Technics and Time: https://monoskop.org/images/6/6f/Stiegler_Bernard_Technics_and_Time_1_The_Fault_of_Epimetheus.pdf Theology Beer Camp Event: https://homebrewedchristianity.lpages...

Wherein Justin Pearl speaks with musician, educator, scholar, and composer Delvyn Case about the recent premiere of his solo cantata, The Binding of Isaac According to the Elohist which explores themes of faith, sacrifice, ethics, and the absurd. Learn more about Delvyn's work here: https://www.delvyncase.com/ The Binding of Isaac According to the Elohist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czmlakSUG...

Wherein Matt Valler and Matt Baker continue their discussion of Bernard Stiegler's Technics and Time: The Fault of Epimetheus. Discussed in this episode is chapter 5, "Already There." PDF to the full text: calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0/r?pli=1 Part 2: https://www.entheosdesigns.net/items/technics-and-time-%2F%2F%2F-part-2 Part 1: https://www.entheosdesigns.net/items/technics-and-time-%2F%2F%2F-...

Wherein Emery Jones, Justin Pearl, and Matt Baker speak with Jeffrey Kripal and touch on panpsychism, the paranormal, ontology, consciousness, psychedelics, and more. Jeffrey Kripal is J. Newton Rayzor Chair in Philosophy and Religious Thought at Rice University and is the associate director of the Center for Theory and Research at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. He has previously tau...

Wherein Matt Baker speaks with Calvin Warren, Associate Professor in African American Studies at Emory College, about Afro-pessimism, Ontological Terror, lynching, glossolalia, the inadequacy of humanism, and more. Calvin's book Ontological Terror is available here: https://www.dukeupress.edu/ontological-terror War Machine is the podcast of The Radical Theology Seminar: https://www.patreon.com/rad...

Wherein Matt Valler and Matt Baker continue their discussion of Bernard Stiegler's Technics and Time: The Fault of Epimetheus. Discussed in this episode is chapter 4 "Prometheus' Liver". War Machine is the podcast of the Radical Theology Seminar: https://www.patreon.com/radicaltheology Bernard Stiegler, Technics and Time: https://monoskop.org/images/6/6f/Stiegler_Bernard_Technics_and_Time_1_The_Fa...

Wherein Matt Valler, Justin Pearl, and Matt Baker pick up and riff on ideas from the recent episode with Andrew McLuhan which can be heard here: https://www.entheosdesigns.net/podcast/episode/916b6ad5/andrew-mcluhan-techno-maelstrom-28 Music for this episode: Nu Alchemist, Love Always Birds of Prey, Tammuz Hello Meteor, Smoke Nocturno Birds of Prey, Adonis