Frank discussion of the (actual) origins of any given holy book is bound to be a fraught undertaking; as it […]

People have been composing tracts outlining formal political systems since the Bronze Age.  As a point of departure, it’s worth […]

“I don’t believe in an afterlife. So I don’t have to spend my whole life fearing hell, or fearing heaven […]

If those who are not ideologically-committed to the ultra-right-wing want a desirable outcome in the 2020 presidential election, it is […]

Let’s define a panjandrum as a charismatic leader who has amassed a cult following, and employed demagogy as a tool […]

For many, there is a claim that is too enticing to resist: “This is THE book.  All that you–or anyone–will […]

Pilgrimages have played an integral role in religious activity since time immemorial.  The largest–and longest-practiced–is the Hindu “Kumbh Mela” in […]

Let’s conclude this trilogy by tracing the legacy of feminism back to the incidence of ancient female deities–specifically: the use […]

As we saw in the previous essay, surveying the incidence of female sovereigns is an indication of a society’s view […]

One of the most significant neolithic societies of south-eastern Europe (in what would later be Dacia / Transnistria) is now […]