The theme for season 5 is gender and sexuality in Islam. In our first episode we provide the framework for understanding gender, sex, and sexuality in the Islamic world. We discuss three influences on the framework: cultural beliefs, the Qur'an, and the philosophical tradition of the high Abbasid period. We discuss how Muhammad strove to reform Arabian tribal society and the ways in which the Qu'ran reflects this mission as well as codifies certain social differences and structures. We talk...

In this special we cover the history of Islamophobia and the way it intersects with other forms of bigotry like antisemitism and its connection with Orientalism. We try to put the tragedy of the Christchuch, New Zealand shooting into a broader context by examining the discourse on Muslims. We start by examining Orientalism and its imagining of the Middle East and the racialization of Europeans and Semites. We explore how this forms the backdrop of the imagined community of the nation state...

In our final episode of the season, we wrap up our theme of Empires of Faith. We start out with some shout outs and then present a brief timeline of the Roman and Byzantine Empire. We discuss the Romanization of Christianity and the Christianization of the Roman Empire. We talk about Constantine with the imperial intervention into theology through the Council of Nicea. We examine how the intersection of empire and religion produces an orthodoxy enforced by force. We link this to the...

In this episode we explore the history of Israelite religion under Hellenism and the Roman empire. We examine the ways in which Judeans responded to, absorbed, and resisted Hellenic culture resulting in messianic movements, the Sadducee sect, Pharisee sect, and Essene sect. We investigate the cosmopolitan culture of Judea under the Seleucid Empire and later the Roman Empire. We examine the changing relationship of various Israelite groups to the Temple and with their imperial overlords. We...

In this episode we explore Roman religion and how it was shaped by the empire. We begin with a brief chronology of Roman history from its early days through the republic until the empire. We sketch out the structure of Roman society and some of the features of it's politics. We spend the bulk of our time examining Roman religion, cults, and the way of the ancestors. We discuss the gods, the integration of foreign gods, the religious function of the state, and the priestly class. We talk about...

This episode provides a brief sketch of the history of the Greeks. We start with a short discussion on the Minoans and the Mycenaean invasion. We talk about the emergence of a common culture within Homer's epic of the Iliad and Odyssey while noting that "Greek" was a single, unified people, but rather autonomous and warring city-states that shared some common characteristics. We compare and contrast Spartan and Athenian society and trace the rise of democracy. We then explore the...

In this episode we pick up with the Babylonian Captivity. We discuss the rise of Cyrus the Great and the Achaemenid empire. We examine the origins of the Persians and their consolidation into an empire that conquers the Neo-Babylonians. We talk about the policy of religious pluralism instituted by Cyrus the Great and its links to Zoroastrianism. We discuss the ideals of universal kingship espoused in the Cyrus Cylinder and its consequences for world history. We examine the major tenets of...

In this episode we examine the complexities of ancient Israelite religion by placing it within the historical context. We put forth theories about the origins of the religions while situating it within the broader ancient near east and Mediterranean religious traditions. We talk about the establishment of temple religion and the historical experience of empires that shaped Israelite religion and set the conditions for the emergence of monotheism. We explore the history and evolution of...

Today we discuss the rise of the Assyrian empire. From the Old Assyrian Empire to the Neo Assyrians we discuss how the technological developments of the Iron Age radically transformed the empire-building powers of the ancient world and the ways it impacted the religious ideologies of the Assyrians. We dissect the militaristic culture and its consequences for gender relations, sexuality, and concepts of law. We discuss the imperial tactics of the Assyrians and how kingship and religion...

In this episode we dive into the world of ancient Egypt. We start with a discussion on religion in the ancient world and the difference between our modern assumptions of religion. We discuss the impact of the Nile as a stable irrigation system on Egyptian society and religion. We compare and contrast the Pharaohs with the Mesopotamian counterparts and relate the myth of Osiris and Set from the Pyramid Text. We analyze the mythology of ancient Egyptians and the way it intersects with their...

Today we take a look at the Babylonian empire and the rise of Hammurabi. We analyze the way kingship and religion worked hand-in-hand to justify rule. We take a close look at the Code of Hammurabi and what it tells us about Babylonian religion. We examine the cosmology of the Enuma Elish and the Babylonian pantheon and how in turn it impacted the formation of the empire. We discuss the way in which the Babylonian empire built on what can before and the ways it built ideological structures...

Welcome to season 4 of Head on History: Empires of Faith. This season we are going to discuss the ancient world up to the arrival of Islam through an examination of the intersection of empire and religion. In this episode we establish the basic outline of complex societies, the common characteristics of the early civilizations, and introduce the Akkadian Empire and Sargon of Akkad. We discuss the likely theories for how civilizations emerge, the environmental influence of early Sumerian...

With the recent tragic news of Jamal Khashoggi's murder likely at the hands of Saudi officials, it is imperative we take a look at the long history of Saudi Arabia's troubled past and its relationship with the United States. In this episode we examine the founding of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from the alliance between the House of Saud and Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab to its rebellion against the Ottomans. We discuss the relationship of Saudi Arabia with Great Britain and the United States...

In this special episode of Head On History we discuss the history, origin, and practices of Muharram and Ashura. We start with the Battle of Karbala and the lead up to the schism in the nascent Muslim community. We talk about the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali and the consequences for the community. We then explore how mourning and commemorating the tragedy emerged as a practice from the Buyids to the Safavids. We examine how Muharram and Ashura become pivotal in shaping communal identity. We...

In the last episode of season 3 we look at the Male Revolt and dig deeper into the history of Islam in South America. We look at the slave trade to Brazil and the formation of Muslim communities. We examine the unique rituals and authority African Muslims were able to forge and how they secretly continued their faith. We look at the backdrop to the revolt and the interpersonal relationships that endangered it. Finally we conclude with the consequences of the event for the remaining...

From colonial America to 20th century, Islam has a long history in the United States. We start with the transatlantic slave trade and tracing some of the demographics that made up the colonial US. We examine material evidence, paintings, and written sources to uncover the lives of African Muslims living the United States. We talk about Muhammad Bilali who left behind religious treatise and became the forefather of the Sapelo Islands. We discuss Yarrow Mamout who as a freeman became a black...

In light of the ongoing crackdowns in Xinjiang, this special episode explores the history of Islam in China. Pushing back against some of the narratives that imagine Islam as a foreign threat, we look at the premodern history of Islam and how it arrived in China. We talk about the early connections between the Rashidun Caliphate and the Tang Dynasty. We explore how Islam was localized over several centuries, the impact on Chinese society, and in turn how Islam itself was shaped by merchants...

Continuing from last week's episode on Islam in Southeast Asia, in this podcast we take a closer look at the melding of Islam and folk religion in Javanese and Malay practices. We start with the story of famed Sufi saints like Sheikh Siti Jenar then examine the slametan feast as a ceremony that fuses Islam with local customs. We look at kejewen and the healing and mystical traditions that incorporate Sufism with the folk traditions and lore of Java. This leads us to an exploration of the...

Heading East from our last episode this podcast examines the entrance of Islam into Southeast Asia. Following the naval trade of the Indian Ocean we trace Islam to the port cities of Java, Sumatra, and the islands of Indonesia and Malaysia. We discuss the rise of the Malacca Sultanate and travel to Samudera Pasai as we relate the story of Islam through merchants, kings, mystics, and scholars. We explore how Islam was integrated into the administration of rulers, how Muslim scholars undertook...

Who is Al Khidr and what can he tell us about Islam? In this episode we examine the enigmatic figure of Al Khidr, recording his appearance in the Qur'an, the Hadith, and Al Tabari's Tarikh. We explore his connections to other figures in world religions through a study of his name and his associations. We study his connections to Zoroastrianism's Anahita and Ugartic deities and Jewish mysticism. By examining Al Khidr we place Islam within a specific cultural-religious milieu that tells us...