A Christian and a Buddhist walk in to a bar

Free will. Do we have it? What happens if we don’t ? What does God or the Buddha say about it? You are going to listen to this episode anyway, you have no choice.     https://www.theguardian.com/news/2021/apr/27/the-clockwork-universe-is-free-will-an-illusion  

Today we go on our most rambley ramble yet. We talk about justice, economics, build-your-own-God and so much more! 

Today we delve into issues of the Voice, First Nations spirituality and colonialism. And what this all means for religion and theology.     https://www.abc.net.au/religion/rowan-williams-moral-importance-of-the-uluru-statement/101977756 

Tanya is back for another episode, and this time, its deeply theological.  

This week we welcome Tanya Wittwer to the podcast. Theologian, church leader, and all round amazing woman – Tanya joins us to talk about God, gender and the church.     Link to Tanya’s book: https://www.mediacomeducation.org.au/shop/unless-they-are-sent/   

Who is God? and what (if any) Gender is God? What would happen if we approached God without the presumption of gender? These questions and more are tackled on today's episode, repleate with all the usual tangents.   Episode Correction: Jacob says that the Greek for Spirit (pneuma) is feminine. Pneuma is actually neuter, but the Hebrew for Spirit (ruah) is feminine.    https://theconversation.com/c...

Happy Easter listeners! Hop along with us as Jamal learns all about Easter and what it really means.  

We launch off from where we left last week, in asking what is it about the immoral acts of religious leaders that make them particularly shocking? To answer this Jacob takes us all the way back to 1518 and the Heidlberg Disputation, and the idea that maybe being righteous sometimes gets in our own way...   https://bookofconcord.org/other-resources/sources-and-context/heidelberg-disputation/ 

What happens when an entire Monastery worth of Buddhist monks gets busted for meth? This week we discuss how being a monk doesn't always mean you have good ethics and the implications of this for religion.    https://www.vice.com/en/article/epz7ke/thailand-buddhist-monks-drug-test-meth 

We continue our discussion with Yong Kooi Kuo. Former monk, taxi driver, and current yoga teacher.   https://www.grasshopperyoga.com/  

This week we have our very first Guest! Former Buddhist monk Yong Kooi Kuo joins us at the bar to discuss what its like being a monk and how he got there. 

This week we once again ramble off into the weeds of spirituality. What does it mean to live in line with your faith, your practice or God? What do we do when we notice that we are not living in line with our religious teachings? and is doing so even possible?

Today we take ourselves on a walk through impermanence, eternity, and what gives us hope.  Let us know if you'd like more of these 'rambling' episodes at christianbuddhistbar@gmail.com

Today we enter the world of David Foster Wallace, and his assertation: everybody worships. Wallace contends that there is no such this as atheism and we only get to choose what, not if, we worship.  Jacob and Jamal explore this contention, and go off on all the usual tangents.    https://mbird.com/literature/more-david-foster-wallace-quotes/  

Last episode we asked 'what does mindfulness look like without ethics behind it?'. This week we  turn the lens toward the mindfulness industry, and investigate the intersection between mindfulness and capitalism while asking: is there a place for mindfulness as a commodity in the market?   https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jun/14/the-mindfulness-conspiracy-capitalist-spirituality  

Mindfulness is an ancient Buddhist technique for achieving enlightenment. It is also a massive capitalist industry, promising to both counter the issues caused by capitalism, and also to bring productivity and riches to all.  What does 'McMindfullness' have to do with traditional Buddhism, and what does it say about our society and religions? https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jun/14/th...

We continue our discussion on how Buddhist teachings can apply to romantic relationships. How can we accept our partners as they are? How should we think and behave towards our partners?    https://medium.com/@spiver/buddhism-and-relationships-the-eight-qualities-of-love-b820cdc415f0   

What does Buddhism say about relationships? Can you have them? and if so, how should you go about being in relationships in a Buddhist way?  We start the year by exploring the Four Noble Truths of Love, and how these can help us have happier and stronger romantic relationships.   https://medium.com/@spiver/buddhism-and-relationships-the-four-noble-truths-of-love-11859b5ca2df  

Just in time for Xmas, we are rounding out the year with the Christian Buddhist Bar 'Buddhamas special'.  We take a walk through the nativity story of the Buddha, and learn about a silent, holy night - in 564 BCE India We will be taking a break for a little while over the New year, and will be back with new episodes in early 2023. Thanks so much for being with us this year. Please give your friend...

Facebook wants to be your go to platform for your online spirituality. This week we discuss what this means, what the motives might be, and what benefits and negatives this may bring.  Religion. Coming to a facebook page near you!  www.nytimes.com/2021/07/25/us/facebook-church.html

This episode, for the first time ever, we venture away from our well-trodden paths of Christianity and Buddhism and into the world of Jewish debate.  What does it look like to argue with other scholars, with the meaning of texts and even with God? We discuss the Jewish tradition of debate, and its role in the religion, and what it makes us think and feel.    https://asiasociety.org/countries/relig...

This week we try to find a slice of heaven or at least part of heaven itself. Where is it? Does our current earth have any link to this? Does our world have any value? Article: https://www.plough.com/en/topics/justice/environment/jesus-is-coming-plant-a-tree  

This week we talk about mistakes, different types of love, and a bit about what samsara and enlightenment are.    Article: https://bswa.org/teaching/wisdom-of-silence/  

Today we answer YOUR questions!  Thanks so much for writing in, and for being part of this journey with us.  We talk about relationships, detachment, and other questions, as asked by our audience. 

What happens when you get the holy words wrong in a Baptism? Does it change your relationship with God? Does it have spiritual consequences?  We launch from an interesting case from early 2022, into a discussion on  language, meaning and the intersections with theology.  Article:  www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/feb/16/arizona-baptisms-invalidated-priest-uses-one-wrong-word