A Christian and a Buddhist walk in to a bar

Is God a Dungeon-Master? Part 1

We have Rebecca back! And this time, its nerdy. We delve in to the wonderful and spiritual world of Dungeons and Dragons, so see what alignment various characters are, how we might face in the world of D&D and importantly, is God just playing Dungeon Master? 

Becoming a non-monk - part 1 - Before

What is it like going through a spiritual journey. Jamal is starting a lay-ordination process and in part 1 of this series, talks about what he is doing, why he's doing it, and what his hopes and fear are. 
 
https://www.lionsroar.com/what-is-jukai/ 

The Role of Fasting

Its a special time of the year for multiple religions at once. And it all has to do with limiting our intake of food, and reflecting instead on the spiritual path. Today we talk about the coalescence of Ramadan, Lent and the Bahai Fast, and what role fasting plays in religion. 
 
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/10/three-religious-traditions-overlap-this-year-providing-a-rare-opportunity-for-collective-reflection? 

Do cultures evolve?

Today we ask a very old question - is cultural evolution a thing? (bet you cant guess our answer...)
https://scribepublications.com.au/books-authors/books/the-lamb-enters-the-dreaming-9781921640476

Stan Grant and Christmas in March

We love Stan Grant here in the Christian Buddhist Bar. So we did an episode on a wonderful article of his on Christmas. Someone get Stan to listen to the pod!
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/comment/topic/2024/12/14/seeking-the-soul-christmas

Wrestling with cults

Today we approach the thorny topic of religious cults, and what can happen if they really go too far. 
 
TRIGGER WARNING  - this pod discusses a recent manslaughter and death of a child. 
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-29/elizabeth-struhs-diabetes-insulin-witheld-verdict/104863074?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=other 

Divine Music: To Be Alone

We have more divine music! This week looking in to the ephemeral Sarah Blasco, her life growing up in a cult, and how its created her sound and message. 
 
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/oct/08/sarah-blasko-i-just-need-to-conquer-this-mountain-album-interview?CMP=share_btn_url 

Hoping for enlightenment?

Today, Jacob has a question. What is the role of hope?
This launches us off on one of our regular rambles, on all things hope, reincarnation, Buddhism and everything in between. 
 

Divine Music: The Way

Meshell Ndegeocello is a legend. A legend that so few have heard of. Today we unpack her song 'the Way' from her 1996 album, Peace Beyond Passion. We go in to how some artists just are drawn by the music, and how a song can convey so much more than what the words say. 
 
Enjoy! 
 
https://open.spotify.com/track/3txICxEvBgCBV63B4ednNB?autoplay=true

A session at the Zendo

We are back! kicking off 2025 with a ramble about Jamal's recent experiences on a Zen retreat. How he found it, how it was different to others, and what he'll take away.