A timely essay collection on the development and influence of secular expressions of Buddhism in the West and beyond.
How do secular values impact Buddhism in the modern world? What versions of Buddhism are being transmitted to the West? Is it possible to know whether an interpretation of the Buddha’s words is correct?
In this new essay collection, opposing ... Show More
Sep 15
Catherine A John, "Afroindigenization: A Theory of Grassroots Cultural Practice" (Duke UP, 2026)
In Afroindigenization: A Theory of Grassroots Cultural Practice (Duke University Press, 2026), Catherine A. John addresses the underbelly of spiritual resilience shaping a range of African diasporic institutions, traditions, and practices. John argues that repressed forms of indi ... Show More
42m 4s
Sep 12
Han Hsien Liew, "Preaching Pious Rulership in Medieval Islam: Ibn Al-Jawzi's Political Thought" (Edinburgh UP, 2026)
Han Hsien Liew’s fascinating and insightful new book, Preaching Pious Rulership in Medieval Islam: Ibn al-Jawzi’s Political Thought (Cambridge University Press, 2026) offers a new way of understanding the political thought of one of medieval Islam’s most influential preachers, Ib ... Show More
1h 26m
Sep 10
A Nation Wrestles With God: American Prophets, Philosophers, and Firebrands
Spanning more than 400 years of spiritual transformation and imagination, A Nation Wrestles With God (Restless Books, 2026) collects diverse writers—poets, novelists, theologians, scientists, musicians, politicians, comedians, artists, mavericks, naturalists, futurists, and more ... Show More
1h 15m
Jul 2025
Required Readings: Buddhism - A Journey Through History
In this episode of "Decoding Academia: Required Readings", Chris and Matt take a joint stroll through the history of Buddhism through Donald S. Lopez Jr.'s latest book, 'Buddhism: A Journey Through History.' We discuss the unexpected historical and cultural facets of Buddhism, ho ... Show More
28m 53s
May 2021
Zen Buddhism and Social Transformation
Zen Buddhist and Philosophy Professor David R. Loy, author of "EcoDharma" and "Money, Sex, War, and Karma", joins Breht to discuss Zen Buddhism, Western and Eastern Philosophy, Awakening, Socially Engaged Buddhism, the Relevance of Marxism, the psychology of consumerism, and more ... Show More
1h 27m
Mar 2016
8 - Problems with Terminology & Symbols
In this episode, I will explore the typical problems that people encounter when first learning or hearing about Buddhist terminology and symbols. Buddhism emphasizes truth rather than God, meditation rather than prayer, enlightenment rather than salvation, and universal life rath ... Show More
29m 22s
May 2024
Wei Wu, "Esoteric Buddhism in China: Engaging Japanese and Tibetan Traditions, 1912–1949" (Columbia UP, 2023)
During the Republican period (1912–1949) and after, many Chinese Buddhists sought inspiration from non-Chinese Buddhist traditions, showing a particular interest in esoteric teachings. What made these Buddhists dissatisfied with Chinese Buddhism, and what did they think other Bud ... Show More
1h 4m
Sep 2011
David McMahan, “The Making of Buddhist Modernism” (Oxford UP, 2008)
For many Asian and Western Buddhists today, Buddhism means meditation and an embrace of the world’s interdependence. But that’s not what it meant to Buddhists in the past; most of them never meditated and often saw interdependence (or dependent origination) as something fearful t ... Show More
56m 15s
Feb 2021
Buddhist Enlightenment: Impermanence, No Self, and the Dark Night of the Soul
<p>Breht is joined by Dr. Daniel M. Ingram, author of "Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha", to discuss what Enlightenment is in the Buddhist tradition, what it feels like from the inside, what it can and cannot offer the individual and society, spirituality and mysticism ... Show More
1h 37m