Libsyn Directory

[BEST OF] Islamic Mysticism: Rumi, Sufism, and Authentic Spirituality

Release Date: 05/25/2025

[BEST OF] The Chinese Revolution: Chairman Mao, Cultural Revolution, & Communist China

Rev Left Radio

ORIGINALLY RELEASED Jun 4, 2018 In this episode, Breht is joined by Yueran Zhang, a PhD candidate in Sociology at Harvard University, to discuss the Chinese Revolution and the legacy of Mao Zedong. Together, they explore the historical context of China's revolutionary transformation, socialist construction, contradictions in post-revolutionary society, and how Maoist thought continues to shape political struggles today. A nuanced and rigorous conversation grounded in historical materialism. Here are the recommendations Yueran gave at the end of the episode: - Mao's China and After: ...

[BEST OF] On Mysticism: Ego, Suffering, & Love

Rev Left Radio

ORIGINALLY RELEASED Feb 20, 2024 On this episode of Red Menace, Alyson and Breht had some things come up such that they couldn't record their planned episode on Marx's 18th Brumaire (coming soon!), so instead they have a deep, organic and wide-ranging conversation on mysticism; together they explore humanities religious and spiritual traditions and the mystical strain within them, discuss atheism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Sufism, mystical experiences, the role of suffering, holy union and oneness, the dissolution of subject/object duality, the role of psychedelics historically...

[BEST OF] Jesus Christ: Historical Materialism, Class Conflict, and the Jesus Movement

Rev Left Radio

ORIGINALLY RELEASED May 22, 2023 Professors James Crossley and Robert J. Myles join Breht to discuss their fascinating work Together, they discuss their application of historical materalism to the life of Jesus, the difficulty of studying and sourcing the ancient past, the gospels and what they offer (as well as how they differ from one another), the mode of production and major classes of Jesus' era, John the Baptist and his ideological influence on the Jesus Movement, Jewish Millenarianism, Jesus' crucifiction, the Jesus Movement after Jesus' execution (and purported resurrection), and...

[BEST OF] The Principles of Communism: Friedrich Engels and Communist Political Theory

Rev Left Radio

ORIGINALLY RELEASED Sep 27, 2023 In this crossover conversation, Jared from Millennials Are Killing Capitalism joins Breht to dive deep into Friedrich Engels’ Principles of Communism—a crucial draft that laid the groundwork for the Communist Manifesto. Together, they unpack the text’s key insights, from the historical development of class struggle to the revolutionary role of the proletariat. This episode explores Engels’ clear, accessible articulation of communist principles, examines the dialectical materialist worldview that underpins the document, and connects these foundational...

[BEST OF] Is Marxism Just Religion by Another Name?

Rev Left Radio

ORIGINALLY RELEASED Dec 15, 2022 Breht responds to the criticism that Marxism is just Christianity mixed with the Enlightenment concept of Progress; that it is basically just a religious faith... Listen to the full episode here: ---------------------------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: or here: Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio & Red Menace: https://revleftradio.com/

[BEST OF] Buddhist Enlightenment: Impermanence, No Self, and the Dark Night of the Soul

Rev Left Radio

ORIGINALLY RELEASED Feb 28, 2021 Breht is joined by Dr. Daniel M. Ingram, author of "Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha", to discuss what Enlightenment is in the Buddhist tradition, what it feels like from the inside, what it can and cannot offer the individual and society, spirituality and mysticism on the fascist right, perennialism, the adaptability of capitalism, tips and advice for starting a spiritual journey, and so much more! Check out Daniel's website: His book "MTCB" (free): Dharma Overground: The EPRC: ---------------------------------------------------- Support Rev...

[BEST OF] The German Revolution: Radical Potential and Reactionary Backlash in 1918–1919

Rev Left Radio

ORIGINALLY RELEASED Dec 10, 2024 Alyson and Breht finally dive into the German Revolution of 1918! This pivotal yet often overlooked revolutionary moment saw the collapse of the German Empire at the end of World War I, the rise of workers' and soldiers' councils, and intense ideological and political struggles shaping the future of socialism, liberalism, and fascism in Europe. Together they discuss this rather ambigious revolution, give a detailed overview of events, and reflect on what lessons we can learn from it. From the toppling of the Kaiser, to the brutal fight between social democrats...

[BEST OF] Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism (Upstream)

Rev Left Radio

ORIGINALLY RELEASED Jan 2, 2025 Capitalism, imperialism, monopoly—far from being separate concepts that just happen to take shape parallel to one another or to overlap from time to time, these terms all really refer to the exact same overall process. We call it capitalism because it’s not always practical to call it “monopoly capitalism in its imperialist stage” or something like that, but really, capitalism is, as we’ll see, inevitably monopolistic and imperialist. The process of capitalism’s historical evolution from its so-called, and somewhat fabricated stage of free-enterprise...

[BEST OF] Continuity & Rupture: Maoism and the Science of Revolutionary Communism

Rev Left Radio

ORIGINALLY RELEASED Mar 18, 2018 In this engaging episode, Breht sits down with philosopher and author J. Moufawad-Paul, the mind behind the influential books "The Communist Necessity" and "Continuity and Rupture" among others. Together, they delve deep into JMP's profound exploration of communism and Maoism, unpacking key concepts like revolutionary necessity, historical continuity, and theoretical rupture. This wide-ranging discussion tackles pivotal questions of Marxist theory: Why is communism not merely an ideological preference, but a necessity born from the contradictions of capitalism?...

[BEST OF] Buddhism and Marxism w/ Della from Upstream

Rev Left Radio

ORIGINALLY RELEASED Aug 1, 2023 When you think about the philosophies and practices of Buddhism and Marxism, you might not immediately think that they have much in common. However, you might be surprised at how much overlap and complementary resonance there actually is between these two rich and beautiful traditions. We’ve brought on , a Buddhist practitioner and Marxist political educator based out of Omaha, Nebraska. Breht is the host of the podcast and co-host of the podcasts , , and, most recently, . In this conversation, we explore how both Buddhism...

More Episodes

ORIGINALLY RELEASED Feb 17, 2025

Dr. Rory Dickson is a professor of Islamic Religion and Culture and author of several publications on Sufism, the mystical path within Islam. He joins Breht to have an incredibly deep conversation about the Sufi poet Rumi, his life and work, Rumi's relationship to his teacher Shams of Tabriz, the concepts of fana (annihilation of the self) and baqa (subsistence in God), the spiritual practices of Sufism, non-duality and perennialism, "dying before you die", Buddhist enlightenment, the Quran, Serving the People in politics and religion, the role of Divine Love in spiritual transformation, transcending the ego, Bodhicitta and the Heart of the Bodhisattva, the counter-cultural aspects of the historical dervishes, The Masnavi (aka the "Persian Quran"), Christian Mysticism, the evolution of human consciousness, the linguistics of translation, and much, much more!

Check out Rory's book "Dissolving into Being: The Wisdom of Sufi Philosophy"

Recommendations for Further Exploration:

Rumi's World: The Life and Work of the Great Sufi Poet
The Sufi Path of Love: The Spiritual Teachings of Rumi

Check out our related episodes with Dr. Adnan Husain:

------------------------------------------------------------

Outro Music: Something's Out There by Neva Dinova

Support Rev Left and get bonus episodes on Patreon

Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio

Learn more about Rev Left HERE

TOPICS