Athens and Jerusalem (in Education)

By: Knut Ove Æsøy Steven Phelps Kamran Namdar
  • Summary

  • In this podcast we explore the relationship between a scientifically rational and a spiritual approach to reality. That is the relationship of Athens and Jerusalem. Our currently prevalent Western worldview is supposed to be based on rationality. If production of weapons of mass destruction, degradation of the natural environment, and increasing deterioration of mental well-being are signs of rationality, the term is to be considered a dangerous one. In all these, one can detect lack of ethical and existential considerations which renders this worldview essentially an irrational one. On the other hand, various forms of religious dogmatism and fundamentalism lack true spirituality, as they fail to create both a personal experience of serenity and upliftment and a social practice of empathy, solidarity, and equality. Essentially, both scientific and religious dogmatism seem to fail due to their disregard for a true and holistic view of human nature. Neither traditional Athens nor historical Jerusalem, alone, have been able to help our deepest human potential flourish, which we consider the task of our modern school system.
    © 2025 Knut Ove Æsøy, Steven Phelps, Kamran Namdar
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Episodes
  • Spinoza and human natur in school
    Apr 26 2025

    In this episode we start discussing Spinoza's thoughts on God, universe and the human existence. In the end we discuss what kind of abilities human being have that should be unfold in school. Maybe there is a connection between Spinoza's philosophy of human being as part of the eternal universe, and to try to raise children based on the nature God has given us, that school could be a space where children are able to search and find their inner gems?

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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • Praying
    Apr 5 2025

    In this episode we explore the phenomenon of praying. What does it really mean to pray and what is the meaning of this kind of activity. We also touches upon love and the courage to risk loving someone or something in the world and what kind of dimention of hope this receivingness of inner lust could bring into existence.

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    42 mins
  • The Holy
    Mar 5 2025

    In this episode we discuss the holy. Our starting point is Mircea Eliade and Rudolf Otto. The German theologian and philosopher Rudolf Otto in his influential 1917 German book The Idea of the Holy gives us the term numinous, meaning "arousing spiritual or religious emotion; mysterious or awe-inspiring" also "supernatural" or "appealing to the aesthetic sensibility." Eliade, a historian of religion is famous for splitting the human experience of reality into sacred and profane space and time. In the podcast we discuss how the modern world has become more profane than sacred, and how the sacred could still be an essential part of human existence.

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    55 mins
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