Best Patrick Oxford Podcasts (2024)

1
James Krishna Floyd: Actor, Writer & Director: The Swimmers, My Brother the Devil, Unicorns. 56:51

1d ago56:51

56:51

James Krishna Floyd is an award winning actor, a screen writer and director. He has been described as a young Robert de Niro and his versatility is displayed in the extraordinary breadth and variety of roles he has played to date. His film Unicorns which he wrote and co-directed came out last week (July 5th). It’s not only entertaining but also imp…

1
Rory Lindsay, "Saving the Dead: Tibetan Funerary Rituals in the Tradition of the Sarvardurgatipariśodhana Tantra" (WSTB, 2024) 43:04

2d ago43:04

43:04

Saving the Dead: Tibetan Funerary Rituals in the Tradition of the Sarvardurgatipariśodhana Tantra (WSTB, 2024) explores Tibetan funerary manuals based on the Sarvadurgatipariśodhana Tantra (SDP), focusing on the writings of the Sa skya author Rje btsun Grags pa rgyal mtshan (1147–1216) and the diverse forms of agency—human, nonhuman, and material—a…

1
Ellen Gough, "Making a Mantra: Tantric Ritual and Renunciation on the Jain Path to Liberation" (U Chicago Press, 2021) 1:01:51

7d ago1:01:51

1:01:51

Jainism originated in India and shares some features with Buddhism and Hinduism, but it is a distinct tradition with its own key texts, art, rituals, beliefs, and history. One important way it has often been distinguished from Buddhism and Hinduism is through the highly contested category of Tantra: Jainism, unlike the others, does not contain a ta…

1
Case 155: Haunted by a Curse - Templemichael Ireland Graveyard 54:52

9d ago54:52

54:52

Templemichael Church in County Waterford Ireland has been the scene of a large number of reported paranormal sightings and folktales. Now, in ruins, it stands as a reminder of the religious upheavals that faced the Irish nation during rebellions and wars centuries ago. The Church is known to be the site of strange occurrences including sightings of…

1
Aaron Sherraden, "Śambūka's Death Toll: A History of Motives and Motifs in an Evolving Rāmāyaṇa Narrative" (Anthem Press, 2023) 35:03

9d ago35:03

35:03

According to Vālmīki's Sanskrit Rāmāyaṇa (early centuries CE), Śambūka was practicing severe acts of austerity to enter heaven. In engaging in these acts as a Śūdra, Śambūka was in violation of class- and caste-based societal norms prescribed exclusively by the ruling and religious elite. Rāma, the hero of the Rāmāyaṇa epic, is dispatched to kill Ś…

1
Tim Sullivan: Director, Author and Screenwriter: ‘Letters to Juliet’, ‘My Little Pony’ and the DS Cross Thriller Series 49:42

11d ago49:42

49:42

Tim Sullivan is a screenwriter, film and TV director and author. He wrote and directed 'Jack and Sarah' with Richard E. Grant, Judi Dench and Ian McKellan. He directed 'The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes', 'Thatcher The Final Days', the last 90 minute episode of 'Cold Feet' and 'Coronation Street'. His scripts include 'Letters to Juliet' with Amanda S…

1
Shyam Ranganathan, "Yoga - Anticolonial Philosophy: An Action-Focused Guide to Practice" (Singing Dragon, 2024) 35:18

16d ago35:18

35:18

Providing a decolonial, action-focused account of Yoga philosophy, Yoga - Anticolonial Philosophy: An Action-Focused Guide to Practice (Singing Dragon, 2024) from Dr. Shyam Ranganathan, pioneering scholar in the field of Indian moral philosophy, focuses on the South Asian tradition to explore what Yoga was like prior to colonization. It challenges …

1
Pinky Hota, "The Violence of Recognition: Adivasi Indigeneity and Anti-Dalitness in India" (U Pennsylvania Press, 2023) 51:49

20d ago51:49

51:49

The Violence of Recognition: Adivasi Indigeneity and Anti-Dalitness in India (U Pennsylvania Press, 2023) offers an unprecedented firsthand account of the operations of Hindu nationalists and their role in sparking the largest incident of anti-Christian violence in India’s history. Through vivid ethnographic storytelling, Pinky Hota explores the ro…

1
Case 154: Black Magic Church Clopp Hill UK 1:11:06

22d ago1:11:06

1:11:06

The ruins of the Old St Mary's Church in Clophill, Bedfordshire, UK has an enormous reputation for the occult and paranormal. In 1963, an incident made headlines across the world and put the fear of God into the local community. The incidents gave rise to a huge black magic outbreak across the country. Sinister events have continued at Clophill to …

1
Suganya Anandakichenin, "For My Blemishless Lord: Commentaries on Tiruppāṇāḻvār's Amalaṉ Āti Pirāṉ" (de Gruyter, 2023) 35:03

24d ago35:03

35:03

For My Blemishless Lord (de Gruyter, 2023) presents the text and translation of the exquisite poem Amalaṉ Āti Pirāṉ by Tiruppāṇ Āḻvār, which is part of the Śrīvaiṣṇava canon, the Nālāyira Divya Prabandham (6th- 9thcenturies CE), as well as of the three Śrīvaiṣṇava commentaries in Tamil-Sanskrit Manipravala (13th- 14th centuries) by key figures in t…

1
Carl Ernst and Patrick D'Silva, "Breathtaking Revelations: The Science of Breath from 'The Fifty Kamarupa Verses' to Hazrat Inayat Khan" (Suluk Press, 2024) 1:00:31

29d ago1:00:31

1:00:31

In Breathtaking Revelations: The Science of Breath from the Fifty Kamarupa Verses to Hazrat Inayat Khan (Suluk Press, 2024), Carl W. Ernst and Patrick J. D’Silva explore the intersections of Sufi and yogic breath-based meditation. Ernst and D’Silva offer us here two stunning texts for study. The first, an anonymous Persian translation of a 14th cen…

1
Matthew Robertson, "Puruṣa: Personhood in Ancient India" (Oxford UP, 2024) 47:39

1M ago47:39

47:39

Personhood is central to the worldview of ancient India. Across voluminous texts and diverse traditions, the subject of the puruṣa, the Sanskrit term for "person," has been a constant source of insight and innovation. Yet little sustained scholarly attention has been paid to the precise meanings of the puruṣa concept or its historical transformatio…

1
The European Association for South Asian Studies 14:47

1M ago14:47

14:47

Ute Husken discusses the European Association for South Asian Studies and its upcoming conference in Heidelberg, Germany in October 2025. This conference is open to scholars of wide-reaching disciplines and career stages. Feel free to contact: info@ecsas2025.com with general queries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Su…

1
The Enlightenment of the Body, with Naomi Worth 54:12

1M ago54:12

54:12

In this episode, Dr Pierce Salguero sits down with Naomi Worth, a scholar and practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism’s postural yoga tradition. We dive into Naomi's experiences in yogic retreats, highlight the vigorous movement and intense visual elements of the practice, and explore yoga’s role in the Nyingma contemplative path. Naomi also shares how sh…

1
Case 153: The Lord Milner Hotel South Africa 56:08

1M ago56:08

56:08

Out in the middle of no where in South Africa lies a township that looks like it has been transported directly from Victorian England and randomly dumped in a totally foreign landscape. It is so strange that it attracts tourists from all over the world. The most unique spot here, is the Lord Milner Hotel. It is a grand Hotel with lace ironwork and …

1
Marcus Schmücker, "Visnu-Narayana: Changing Forms and the Becoming of a Deity in Indian Religious Traditions" (Austrian Academy of Sciences Press, 2023) 31:05

1M ago31:05

31:05

The contributions to Visnu-Narayana: Changing Forms and the Becoming of a Deity in Indian Religious Traditions (Austrian Academy of Sciences Press, 2023) deal with the complex history of the Indian deity Visnu-Narayana. This conception of God evolved in various traditions in India, especially in South India, during the first millennium CE. The hist…

1
The secrets to living longer and healthier lives - with Dr Michael Mosley: Medical Journalist & International Bestselling Author 49:42

1M ago49:42

49:42

This interview was recorded on March 15th 2024. Dr Michael Mosley is a household name and one of the best loved and most respected doctors in the UK. He’s a medical journalist, a producer and presenter of award-winning television programmes. He has written international bestselling books on diet, sleep and a myriad of health topics. He has a brilli…

1
SPECIAL EVENT: An Interview with Yvette Fielding, Most Haunted, with Patrick Keller of The Big Seance Podcast 57:31

1M ago57:31

57:31

We have a treat for our listeners today. We have done an episode swap, with one of the people who inspired US to become podcasters, Patrick Keller of The Big Seance Podcast. Enjoy this episode, where he interviews Yvette Fielding, from MOST HAUNTED. If you've love this, make sure you head over and subscribe to Patrick's Podcast. Patrick's candid in…

1
Sohini Pillai, "Krishna's Mahabharatas: Devotional Retellings of an Epic Narrative" (Oxford UP, 2024) 43:19

1M ago43:19

43:19

Between 800 and 1700 CE, a plethora of Mahabharatas were created in Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Konkani, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Tamil, Telugu, and several other regional South Asian languages. Sohini Pillai's Krishna's Mahabharatas: Devotional Retellings of an Epic Narrative (Oxford UP, 2024) is a comprehensive study of premode…

1
Bernardo Kastrup, "Analytic Idealism in a Nutshell: A Straightforward Summary of the 21st Century's Only Plausible Metaphysics" (Iff Books, 2024) 1:53:15

2M ago1:53:15

1:53:15

Is reality more than the material? Raj Balkaran holds a fascinating interview with philosopher Bernardo Kastrup on this topic. At the vanguard of the modern renaissance of metaphysical idealism, Bernardo presents cogent argumentation that reality is essentially mental, and examines the proper place of the scientific method in this deliberation. Ber…

1
Case 152: Eva Carriere - Physical Medium - PART 2 51:41

2M ago51:41

51:41

In this episode we conclude our look into the extraordinary world of physical mediumship and the influence of a woman simply called EVA C - who went under the microscope as she forged her career as a medium and cabinet sitter creating some of the most compelling experiences for her audience ever witnessed. Would what she went through be allowed in …

1
Stephen Phillips, "The Metaphysics of Meditation: Sri Aurobindo and Adi-Sakara on the Isa Upanisad" (Bloombury, 2024) 37:45

2M ago37:45

37:45

In The Metaphysics of Meditation: Sri Aurobindo and Adi-Sakara on the Isa Upanisad (Bloombury, 2024), Stephen Phillips focuses on one of the most important poems about meditation in world literature, as understood by two of the greatest philosophers of India, one classical, one modern. This book traces a worldview and consonant yoga teaching common…

1
Anusha Rao and Suhas Mahesh, "How to Love in Sanskrit" (HarperCollins, 2024) 48:58

2M ago48:58

48:58

How to Love in Sanskrit (HarperCollins, 2024) is an invitation to Sanskrit love poetry, bringing together verses and short prose pieces by celebrated writers. How do you brew a love potion? Turn someone crimson with a compliment? How do you make love? How do you quarrel and make up? Nurse a broken heart? And how do you let go? There's something for…

1
Martin Sixsmith: From The Cold War to Putin, the highs and lows of Government and uncovering the scandal of the lost children of Ireland. 57:30

2M ago57:30

57:30

Martin Sixsmith is many things; he’s an academic, an investigative journalist, a documentarian and he spent years as a foreign correspondent for the BBC working in Russia, Washington and Poland. He’s an author of both fiction and non-fiction, a radio and television presenter and he was an adviser to the Labour Government. Of the 8 books he has writ…

1
Case 151: Eva Carriere - Physical Medium PART 1 57:49

2M ago57:49

57:49

Eva Carrière, also known as Eva C, was a French medium, and spiritualist, who gained attention in the early 20th century. She is particularly associated with the field of spirit photography and séances. Eva C, became known for her ability to produce physical manifestations of spirits during the séance sessions that she held. During her time as a ph…

1
Karen Pechilis et al. ed., "Devotional Visualities: Seeing Bhakti in Indic Material Cultures" (Bloomsbury, 2023) 45:53

2M ago45:53

45:53

Devotional Visualities: Seeing Bhakti in Indic Material Cultures (Bloomsbury, 2023) is the first to focus on material visualities of bhakti imagery that inspire, shape, convey, and expand both the visual practices of devotional communities, as well as possibilities for extending the reach of devotion in society in new and often unexpected ways. Com…

1
Richard M. Jaffe, "Seeking Sakyamuni: South Asia in the Formation of Modern Japanese Buddhism" (U Chicago Press, 2019) 1:06:50

2M ago1:06:50

1:06:50

Though fascinated with the land of their tradition’s birth, virtually no Japanese Buddhists visited the Indian subcontinent before the nineteenth century. In the richly illustrated Seeking Śākyamuni: South Asia in the Formation of Modern Japanese Buddhism (U Chicago Press, 2019), Richard M. Jaffe reveals the experiences of the first Japanese Buddhi…

1
Nancy M. Martin, "Mirabai: The Making of a Saint" (Oxford UP, 2023) 47:17

2M ago47:17

47:17

Mirabai, an iconic sixteenth-century Indian poet-saint, is renowned for her unwavering love of God, her disregard for social hierarchies and gendered notions of honor and shame, and her challenge to familial, feudal, and religious authorities. Defying attempts to constrain and even kill her, she could not be silenced. Though verifiable facts regard…

1
Kenneth R. Valpey, "Cow Care in Hindu Animal Ethics" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2019) 58:00

2M ago58:00

58:00

What does cow care in India have to offer modern Western discourse animal ethics? Why are cows treated with such reverence in the Indian context? Join us as we speak to Kenneth R. Valpey about his new book Cow Care in Hindu Animal Ethics (Palgrave Macmillan, 2019). Valpey discusses his methodological odyssey looking at ancient Hindu scriptural acco…

1
Jason Birch, "The Amaraugha and Amaraughaprabodha of Goraksanatha" (Institut Francais de Pondichery, 2024) 55:40

3M ago55:40

55:40

The Lineage of Immortals (Sanskrit Amaraugha) is the earliest account of a fourfold system of yoga in which a physical practice called Haṭha is taught as the means to a deep state of meditation known as Rājayoga. The Amaraugha was composed in Sanskrit during the twelfth century and attributed to the author Gorakṣanātha. The physical yoga practices …

1
Case 150: The George and Pilgrim in Glastonbury UK - Sinister ghosts and haunted rooms 1:07:43

3M ago1:07:43

1:07:43

Once upon a time, there was an old pub in Glastonbury called The George and Pilgrim. It was a popular stop for travelers but it was said that on nights when the fog rolled in, strange things happened. People would hear strange noises creeping out of the pub, moans and howls, like something was waiting to come out. Others would vanish without a trac…

1
Purushottama Bilimoria et al., "Contemplative Studies and Jainism: Meditation, Prayer, and Veneration" (Routledge, 2023) 41:21

3M ago41:21

41:21

Contemplative Studies and Jainism: Meditation, Prayer, and Veneration (Routledge, 2023) is one of the first wide-ranging academic surveys of the major types and categories of Jain praxis. It covers a breadth of scholarly viewpoints that reflect both the variegation in terms of spiritual practices within the Jain traditions as well as the Jain herme…

1
From New College, Oxford to Westminster; from Call my Bluff to writing Prince Phillip’s biography: A conversation with Gyles Brandreth 1:01:23

3M ago1:01:23

1:01:23

In no particular order, Gyles Brandreth was an MP in John Major’s government, is a writer of novels, biographies, autobiographies and stageplays, is a broadcaster, a podcaster, a television presenter and an accomplished speaker. He has set up a teddy bear museum, he started the UK Scrabble competition, he campaigns for public spaces. Veteran of Cal…

1
Robert P. Goldman and Sally J. Sutherland Goldman, "The Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki: The Complete English Translation" (Princeton UP, 2022) 1:43:16

3M ago1:43:16

1:43:16

The Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki, the monumental Sanskrit epic of the life of Rama, ideal man and incarnation of the great god Visnu, has profoundly affected the literature, art, religions, and cultures of South and Southeast Asia from antiquity to the present. Filled with thrilling battles, flying monkeys, and ten-headed demons, the work, composed almost 3…

1
Sanskrit Study: A Conversation with Antonia Ruppel 1:35:22

3M ago1:35:22

1:35:22

A candid conversation with renowned Sanskritist and online teacher Antonia Ruppel on her love of the language, teaching philosophy, views on academia, and online programs, here and here. Antonia Ruppel is a researcher on the project Uncovering Sanskrit Syntax. She did her PhD in Classics at the University of Cambridge and was subsequently the Towns…

1
Case 149: Pilliga Princess - Phantom? Hallucination? Or Reality? 57:05

3M ago57:05

57:05

The Pilliga Scrub is an expansive area of 5,000 km2 (3,100 m2), made up of dense, semi-arid woodland 🌲🌲, located inland of northern New South Wales. This forest has a reputation for being the most spine-chilling area of wilderness in Australia 🇦🇺, with a long history of unexplained disappearances, involving sheep and cattle 🐑🐄, vehicles 🚗, and even…

1
Peter Scharf, "Ramopakhyana - the Story of Rama in the Mahabharata" (The Sanskrit Library, 2023) 35:19

3M ago35:19

35:19

Consisting of about 25,000 verses in Valmiki's Rāmāyaṇa, the story of Rāma was summarized in 704 verses in eighteen chapters in the Rāmopākhyāna, which comprises chapters 258--275 of the Aranyaka Parvan of the great epic Mahābhārata. Peter Scharf's Ramopakhyana - the Story of Rama in the Mahabharata (The Sanskrit Library, 2023) is suitable for stud…

1
Tantra: A New Understanding 42:44

3M ago42:44

42:44

Professor Gavin Flood of Oxford University discusses new insights on tantra to be released in an upcoming publication stemming from his Continuing Studies teaching at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies. Flood's online Tantra course is here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member…

1
Translating a Śrī Vidyā Text: The Cidvilāsastava of Amṛtānanda 48:23

3M ago48:23

48:23

The Cidvilāsastava is one of the most comprehensive treatments of the esoteric contemplation of ritual found within the Śrīvidyā tradition and Śaiva tantra in general. This short forty-verse hymn offers esoteric knowledge and creative contemplations (bhāvanā) for critical steps in the ritual worship of Tripurasundarī. Although belonging to the Śrīv…

1
Patrick Olivelle, "Ashoka: Portrait of a Philosopher King" (Yale UP, 2024) 52:49

3M ago52:49

52:49

Ashoka: Portrait of a Philosopher King (Yale UP, 2024) is the first biography of the great Emperor Ashoka relying solely on his own words. Ashoka sought not only to rule his territory but also to give it a unity of purpose and aspiration, to unify the people of his vastly heterogeneous empire not by a cult of personality but by the cult of an idea—…

1
William S. Waldron, "Making Sense of Mind Only: Why Yogacara Buddhism Matters" (Wisdom Publications, 2023) 2:14:11

3M ago2:14:11

2:14:11

Through engaging, contemporary examples, Making Sense of Mind Only: Why Yogacara Buddhism Matters (Wisdom Publications, 2023) reveals the Yogacara school of Indian Buddhism as a coherent system of ideas and practices for the path to liberation, contextualizing its key texts and rendering them accessible and relevant. The Yogacara, or Yoga Practice,…

1
Ben Goldsmith: Environmentalist, Financier, Author & Podcaster who talks about rewilding the world and coming to terms with the loss of his daughter. 57:50

3M ago57:50

57:50

My guest today Ben Goldsmith has been dealt cards of both privilege and tragedy. In our conversation, Ben covers his upbringing, his time at Eton, his love of nature, the tragic loss of his daughter Iris and the organisation he has set up in her memory; ‘The Iris Project’. Ben is also a pioneer in the rewilding movement and has his own podcast ‘Rew…

1
Case 148: Yellowstone National Park - stay on the track! 1:06:30

4M ago1:06:30

1:06:30

With hundreds of years of history, Yellowstone National Park is no stranger to ghost stories. From headless brides in the Park’s hotel, to wandering dark shadows, carnivorous plants and bubbling mud pools, Yellowstone is NO DISNEYLAND! The stunning beauty of Yellowstone hides that fact that you must watch where you walk as you too could become a gh…

1
Pravina Rodrigues, "A Sakta Method for Comparative Theology: Upside Down, Inside Out" (Lexington, 2023) 27:23

4M ago27:23

27:23

Pravina Rodrigues' book A Sakta Method for Comparative Theology: Upside Down, Inside Out (Lexington, 2023) discusses the issue of the missing Hindu interlocutors in the disciplines of theology of religions, interreligious dialogue, and comparative theology. It fills the gap left by the missing Hindu interlocutors by offering a first-ever Śākta thea…

1
Making Sense of Yogacara with William Waldron 1:27:29

4M ago1:27:29

1:27:29

Professor William Waldron teaches courses on the South Asian religious traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism, Tibetan religion and history, comparative psychologies and philosophies of mind, and theory and method in the study of religion at Middlebury College. His publications focus on the Yogacara school of Indian Buddhism and its dialogue with mode…

1
Shakuntala Gawde, "Narrative Analysis of Bhagavata Purana: Selected Episodes from the Tenth Skandha" (Dev Publishers, 2023) 32:58

4M ago32:58

32:58

Shakuntala Gawde's book Narrative Analysis of Bhagavata Purana: Selected Episodes from the Tenth Skandha (Dev Publishers, 2023) presents an analytical study of selected narratives of the tenth skandha of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa with the framework of Narratology. It checks the possibilities of interpretation of some popular narratives from Kṛṣṇa saga. …

1
SherAli Tareen, "Perilous Intimacies: Debating Hindu-Muslim Friendship After Empire" (Columbia UP, 2023) 1:31:35

4M ago1:31:35

1:31:35

Friendship—particularly interreligious friendship—offers both promise and peril. After the end of Muslim political sovereignty in South Asia, how did Muslim scholars grapple with the possibilities and dangers of Hindu-Muslim friendship? How did they negotiate the incongruities between foundational texts and attitudes toward non-Muslims that were in…

1
Case 147: Oxford Castle - A Place of Torture and Defence 54:23

4M ago54:23

54:23

With 1,000 years of history to its name, Oxford Castle & Prison has seen many people come and go, but some remain long after their first departure… Oxford Castle & Prison was recognised by the BBC as one of the most haunted buildings in the UK. Paranormal Investigators have made contact with many spirits that haunt the Castle and its grounds. The s…

1
Pankaj Jain and Jeffery D. Long, "Indian and Western Philosophical Concepts in Religion" (Rowman and Littlefield, 2023) 40:54

4M ago40:54

40:54

Philosophical concepts are influential in the theories and methods to study the world religions. Even though the disciplines of anthropology and religious studies now encompass communities and cultures across the world, the theories and methods used to study world religions and cultures continue to be rooted in Western philosophies. In Indic philos…

1
Religious Minorities Online 51:20

4M ago51:20

51:20

Religious Minorities Online (RMO) is the premier academic resource on religious minorities worldwide, reflecting the state of the art in scholarship. It is written by leading scholars and is rigorously peer-reviewed. Available as an Open Access publication and written in an accessible style, Religious Minorities Online is an indispensable resource …

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