Religion in Conversation
By Religious Studies Collective of Western Sydney University
Follow Religion in Conversation on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform. You can find all our episodes and more on the Religious Studies Collective webpage westernsydney.edu.au/human
Episode 16 Tantric Buddhism with Elizabeth McDougal
Milad Milani interviews Tantric Buddhism expert Elizabeth McDougal about her new book, The Words and World of Ge bcags Nunnery: Tantric Meditation in Context, published by Brill, and her fieldwork experiences within a Tibetan Buddhist nunnery.
Episode 15 Philosophy of Place with Jeff Malpas
Milad Milani interviews philosopher Jeff Malpas on "The Brightness of Place."
Episode 14 Religion and the History of Ideas with Garry Trompf
Milad Milani interviews Emeritus Professor in the History of Ideas about his career in the study of religion from Papua New Guinea to the University of Sydney, including discussions on his work on "recurrence" and "payback."
Episode 13 Matthew J. Dal Santo on the idea of "theocracy" in Russian political imagination
Mark Kelly interviews Matthew J. Dal Santo n the idea of "theocracy" in Russian political imagination and state power from the 1917 Revolution to Putin’s contemporary Russia.
Episode 12 God Bothering Beckett with literary theorist Chris Conti
Milad Milani interviews Chris Conti, literary theorist and Beckett expert on the literary apophaticism of Beckett and other questions about the role of religion in human life....
(recorded December 2025)
Episode 11 Katabasis in religious history with Mario Baghos
Milad Milani interviews Mario Baghos of Notre Dame University (Sydney) on the theme of Katabasis in the history of religion, from Gilgamesh to Jesus to Tolkien...
(recorded December 2025)
Episode 10 Magical Amulets and the Study of Religion with Jay Johnston
Milad Milani interviews interdisciplinary expert in the study of religion Jay Johnston about her latest book Amulets in Magical Practice published by the Cambridge Elements series. We discuss, religion, religious studies, and methodologies.
*NB, Jay Johnston is Honorary Professor in (not ‘of’) Gender and Cultural Studies at USyd.
Episode 9 Invented Religions, Sports and Religion, NRMs, and more with Carole Cusack
Milad Milani interviews distinguished religious studies scholar Carole Cusack about her work on Invented Religions, Sports and Religion, New Religious Movements, and much more.
Episode 8 Engaging Philosophies of Religion with Bilimoria, Loewen, and Kopf
Milad Milani interviews Purushottama Bilimoria (The University of Melbourne), Nathan Loewen (The University of Alabama), and Gereon Kopf (Luther College) about their latest co-edited book, Engaging Philosophies of Religion: Thinking Across Boundaries.
Episode 7 Political Theology, Bruno Bauer, and Karl Marx with Charles Barbour
Milad Milani interviews Charles Barbour, expert on political theology and nineteenth century intellectual history about the legacy of Hegel and the Young Hegelians and situating Marx's philosophy.
Episode 6 Attar and the Religion of Love with Cyrus Zargar
Milad Milani interviews Sufi Studies expert Cyrus Zargar of UCF on Attar's "religion of love."
Episode 5 Sociology of religion and religious life with Bryan Turner
Milad Milani interviews eminent sociologist of religion, Bryan S. Turner of ACU on his lifetime work in sociology and his work on Islam.
Episode 4 Dickinson, religious experience, and poetry with Helen Koukoutsis
Milad Milani interviews Helen Koukoutsis on Emily Dickinson’s relationship to religion and religion in her poetry. Helen also reads some of her own poetry (Dickinson inspired).
Episode 3 Stories of Deconversion with Sarah Bacaller
Milad Milani interviews Sarah Bacaller on submitting her thesis Thinking Finitude and Faith: Hegel’s Epistemic Reconciliation and her new edited book Apostate: Stories of Deconversion.
Episode 2 Fundamental Islam with Milad Milani
Mark Kelly interviews Milad Milani about his 2024 book, Heidegger, Ontology and the Destiny of Islam.
Episode 1 Normal Now with Mark G. E. Kelly
Milad Milani interviews Mark G. E. Kelly about his book Normal Now: Individualism as Conformity (Polity, 2022)