E203 - Dr. Justin Sledge: The Occult, Witch Trials & the Forbidden Teachings of Gnosticism
Summary
Host Andre talks with Dr. Justin Sledge about Western esotericism, exploring suppressed traditions like Gnosticism and Kabbalah. They discuss classical skepticism as withholding judgment to let texts speak for themselves. The conversation covers the nature of mystical experiences, distinguishing between non-rational insights and irrational dogma. Sledge emphasizes recovering marginalized voices without imposing modern biases or universalizing subjective truths.
Topics discussed
Introduction: Religion, power, and the guest's background
Defining skepticism, humility, and the value of not knowing
Gnosticism, mysticism, and marginalized religious voices
William James and the four qualities of mystical experiences
The limits of language and propositional truth in philosophy
Rationality vs. non-rationality in mystical and philosophical inquiry
The mystical origins of modern science and rationalism
Mary Magdalene, early Christianity, and historical suppression
Witch trials, conspiracy theories, and social control
Cornelius Agrippa's occult books and the alphabet of angels
Hermeticism, alchemy, and the Hermetic Renaissance
The Great Chain of Being and the scale of existence
The host's personal history with the Satanic Panic
Democratizing scholarship and the potential for a new Renaissance
Q&A: Forensic recreation of magic and concluding thoughts
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