Cogito Ergo Pod

When we picture the origins of early Christianity, we often imagine a unified movement. But the reality was a chaotic, vibrant marketplace of ideas. In this episode of Cogito Ergo Pod , Daniel takes you to the very epicentre of that spiritual collision: ancient Samaria. Join us as we trace the shadowy origins of what we now call Gnosticism. We’re diving deep into the ritual waters of the Samaritan...

Here are the synopses tailored for your podcast platforms and various social media channels, keeping the focus on the Mandaeans, Elkesaites, and Kentaeans as updated in your script. Episode Title: Episode 42: The River of Secret Knowledge – Judean-Israelite Gnosticism Show Notes: When we hear the word "Gnosticism," we usually think of early Christian debates, secret gospels, and the Nag...

Last week, we explored the dramatic cosmic rebellion of Sethian Gnosticism. This week on Cogito Ergo Pod , we pivot to a completely different branch of the esoteric tree: the highly intellectual, deeply philosophical world of Basilidian Gnosticism. Join Daniel on a journey back to 2nd-century Alexandria to explore the mind-bending teachings of Basilides and his followers. We break down the radical...

Move over Valentinus—the punk-rock cousins of early Gnosticism have arrived. In this episode of Cogito Ergo Pod , host Daniel takes us out of the mainstream Sunday pews and plunges us straight into the underground networks of the Sethian Gnostics . If you thought last week’s Valentinian cosmic architecture was wild, brace yourself. The Sethians didn't want to reform early Christianity; they wa...

What if the history of early Christianity had taken a radically different path? What if a brilliant poet and mystical theologian, rather than a traditional institutionalist, had become the Bishop of Rome? In Episode 39 of Cogito Ergo Pod , your host Daniel takes you on a deep dive into the enigmatic and beautiful world of Valentinus and Valentinian Gnosticism. For centuries, this movement was buri...

What if a single, rusted piece of iron held the power to conquer the world—and curse anyone who loses it? In this episode of Cogito Ergo Pod , your host Daniel traces the bloody, mystical timeline of the Spear of Destiny , also known as the Holy Lance. From a standard-issue Roman weapon at the crucifixion to a coveted prize sought after by history’s most powerful rulers, we explore how a singular...

Disclaimer: This episode deals with topics relating to depression and suicidal idealisation. Listeners discretion is advised. What does the Bible actually say about the human mind under pressure? In this episode of Cogito Ergo Pod , Daniel takes a deep, empathetic look at mental health through the lens of ancient scripture. We move beyond modern clinical labels to explore how the authors of the Ol...

Hello, and welcome to Cogito Ergo Pod. The show where we discuss, delve, and dissect theology, philosophy, mysticism, and the esoteric. I’m your host, Daniel, and I’m so glad you’re here. In this episode, we move beyond the "Thundering Scot," John Knox, to explore the turbulent and principled history of the Scottish Kirk. From the bloody moors of the "Killing Times" to the mass...

On this bonus episode, Daniel has a couple of things to share! Firstly, he shares his appreciation and thanks to everyone who gets involved with Cogito Ergo Pod. This could be in the form of; downloading episodes, watching them on Youtube, or various forms of interaction on social media. It means a great deal to us here at C.E.P. , and there is much excitement for what the future holds. Secondly,...

In this episode, we step out of the Celtic mist and into the gale-force wind of the Scottish Reformation. Host Daniel unpacks the life and legacy of John Knox , a man who carried a two-handed broadsword as a bodyguard before he ever carried a pulpit as a reformer. From his humble beginnings in Haddington to his rigorous academic training under the philosopher John Major , we trace the unlikely pat...

From the rain-swept hermit cells of Iona to the fiery pulpits of the Reformation, the story of Christianity in Scotland is one of rugged faith and fierce independence. In this episode of Cogito Ergo Pod , Daniel journeys through nearly 2,000 years of spiritual evolution. We explore the "heavyweights" of the faith, including St. Ninian and St. Columba , and witness the radical shift from...

How does a man go from being the Church's greatest intellectual defender to its most famous condemned heretic? In this episode of Cogito Ergo Pod , we dive into the radical life and mind of Origen of Alexandria. Born into a world of Roman martyrs and Greek philosophers, Origen didn't just study theology—he invented the way we do it. From the staggering scholarship of the 6,000-page Hexapla...

Why does one of the most iconic figures in the Bible—the lawgiver Moses—frequently appear in medieval and Renaissance art with a pair of horns? In this episode of Cogito Ergo Pod , Daniel unpicks a fascinating historical "optical illusion" that started with a single Hebrew word and ended with some of the most famous sculptures in the world. We journey from the 4th-century translation roo...

What happens when you mix ancient Jewish history, a string of mysterious wedding-night murders, and a very unfortunate encounter with a sparrow? You get the Book of Tobit . In this episode, Daniel takes us on an ancient road trip through the 8th-century BCE Assyrian exile to explore one of the most cinematic stories in the Deuterocanonical tradition. We follow the righteous but blind Tobit, the cu...

In this episode, Daniel navigates the "thin places" of the North Atlantic to uncover the gritty reality of Celtic Christianity . We move past the romantic myths to explore a radical world of monastic cities, oar-less voyages, and a philosophy that saw the entire natural world as a visible manifestation of the divine. From the high-level metaphysics of John Scotus Eriugena to the psychological dept...

In this episode of Cogito Ergo Pod , your host Daniel explores the shadows of the early Christian and Jewish imagination. While the canonical Bible provides the foundation for Western views on morality, many of our most vivid images of the Devil, the architecture of Hell, and the nature of betrayal actually stem from the "Expanded Universe"—texts written between the 1st and 4th centuries...

In this episode of Cogito Ergo Pod , Daniel dives into the most complex and controversial text in the Western canon: The Book of Revelation . Far more than a roadmap for the end of the world, Revelation serves as a profound "unveiling" of the systemic and cosmic forces that govern our reality. As the penultimate chapter in our series on Evil in the Bible , we move beyond simple archetypes to disse...

In this episode of Cogito Ergo Pod , we continue to dive deep into a multi-faceted and often misunderstood subject: the anatomy of evil in the Bible . While many look to the dramatic imagery of the Gospels or Job, this episode shifts the lens toward the practical, "boots-on-the-ground" letters found at the end of the New Testament—the Pastoral and Catholic Epistles . Drawing from texts like James,...

As we continue to explore the representation of evil in the Bible, we now move on to explore the Pauline Epistles. For the Apostle Paul, it wasn't just about pitchforks and demons. It was a complex interplay of psychology, paradox, and cosmic oppression. In this episode of Cogito Ergo Pod , Daniel dissects the "flavours" of evil in the Pauline tradition, moving from the personal to the apocalyptic...

In this episode, host Daniel dissects the concept of evil as it's presented in the New Testament Gospels. From a secular, literary, and historical perspective, Daniel first explores why these texts frame evil in a world of cosmic warfare, Roman occupation, and intense sectarianism. The episode then breaks down the three primary categories of evil in the narratives: Personified Evil (Satan, demons...

In the third episode in our series of looking at evil in the Bible, we find ourselves jumping around the Bible. Starting with the first couple of chapters of the Book of Job, and exploring a number of other writings in the Old Testament, we are going to explore the figure of Satan within the Hebrew canon. We are going to consider the questions: Who or what is the Satan which is found in chapters 1...

Welcome back to another episode of Cogito Ergo Pod! In our second episode in our series of looking at evil in the Bible, we find ourselves at the beginning of Genesis, chapter 6. It is here we are introduced to the likes of the 'sons of god', nephilim, and the original of divine reasoning for the imminent flood. In this episode we will consider: What were the events outlined in Genesis, chapter 6,...

Welcome back to another episode of Cogito Ergo Pod! In this, our first episode in a series exploring the nature and understanding of evil in the Bible, we go way back to the Book of Genesis. It is there, in chapter 3, that we are introduced to a serpent, a fruit, and an event known to Christianity as 'the Fall of Man'. In this episode we will explore the questions: What were the events outlined in...

This is a bonus episode regarding something coming up on Cogito Ergo Pod! Nothing to panic about, we are not going anywhere! However, thought it best to share this now!

In this episode we take a couple of steps back, and look at the early Christian alternative (or heretical) doctrine of Docetism. We will look to answer: ​What is Docetism? ​What sources from the New Testament can be used to support or condemn Docetism? ​Are there any non-canonical sources which can be used to support Docetism? ​What happened to Docetism? Find this podcast on most major podcast pla...