Rejected Religion Podcast

This month’s guest on the Rejected Religion Podcast is Brennan Kettelle. Brennan returns for Part 2 of our discussion on Monster Theory, this time looking at the applications of Monster Theory, as well as a more in-depth look at how Brennan is using this theory, along with other related concepts and theories. Brennan is a PhD researcher at the Centre for History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents (HHP), University of Amsterdam. Brennan holds an MA in Gender and Cultural studies (2016) and a research MA in Religious Studies, specializing in Western esotericism (2021). She is currenting writing her doctoral dissertation, investigating historical associations between the religiomythic demoness Lilith and queerness within artistic, literary, and occult discourses. Brennan also teaches an 8-week online course on Lilith - focusing on Lilith’s origins and cultural receptions within Western esotericism - for the Brooklyn-based organization Morbid Anatomy. Utilizing monster theory and queer theory in her research, Brennan is more broadly interested in investigating themes of the ‘monstrous-queer’ within esoteric literature, orders, and figures, as well as esoteric themes within queer subcultures, politics, and histories.Some highlights:Brennan’s areas of exploration are primarily located in Gender Studies, Queer Theory, Religious Studies, Horror Theory, and Esotericism. In addition, as Monster Theory has a foundation in psychoanalysis and postmodern theories, Brennan expands on this in greater detail. This leads us into a conversation about the recent film, The Substance, as well as theories found in Foucault’s works. Shifting the focus to Religious Studies, Brennan notes how monsters are most often aligned with evil; however, there are exceptions to this when it comes to werewolves in the Bible, for example. [Note: the text that I am reading from regarding werewolves in the Bible as well as the Werewolf Renaissance is taken from my own Research Master thesis.] Religion and Horror Studies intersect in films such as Longlegs, where we can see themes such as “monstrous infection” or a returning sickness.As Brennan states, “the monster is the illumination of everything a society oppresses or represses.”Speaking on the working term of ‘stigmatized alignment,’  Brennan uses the examples of poet Renee Vivien, and “The Witch of Kings Cross” Rosaleen Norton to explain this concept in more detail. In closing, Brennan touches upon the adjacent theory of Hauntology, where past ‘monsters’ linger in the present and haunt us. Time, in this instance, could be seen as a monster as well. This is the Free Content version of Episode 33; you can find the full episode at my Patreon page: https://patreon.com/RejectedReligion?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkThis episode is also available for a one-time purchase.PROGRAM NOTESFind Brennan:https://uva.academia.edu/SBrennanKettellehttps://www.instagram.com/_restingwitchface/ Monster Theory Resources:https://ieas-szeged.hu/downtherabbithole/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Barbara-Creed-The-Monstrous-Feminine-2007.pdfhttps://archive.org/details/monstersincloset0000benshttps://www.amazon.com/Celluloid-Closet-Arthur-Laurents/dp/B001NI5C6Uhttps://archive.org/details/religionitsmonst0000bealhttps://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9780203361894/philosophy-horror-noel-carrollhttps://revisesociology.com/2016/09/21/foucault-surveillance-crime-control/https://medium.com/deterritorialization/jacques-derridas-specter-s-of-marx-and-the-concept-of-hauntology-reflections-on-deconstruction-2eb687322a69https://academic.oup.com/fs/article/59/3/373/638853 Films and Shows Mentioned (Selection):https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17526714/ The Substancehttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt23468450/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt  Longlegshttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt14966898/ Late Night with the Devilhttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt4574334/  Stranger Things https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5040012/ Nosferatu 2024Renee Vivien:https://allpoetry.com/Renee-Vivien https://youtu.be/3dUc17ut3as?si=KJ9ZDCBFct00eQuj Spotlight with Brennan Kettelle 2021Rosaleen Norton:https://www.witchofkingscross.com/about-new/ Theme Music and Editing: Daniel P. SheaEnd Production: Stephanie Shea

This month’s Patreon Tier 2 guest is Peg Aloi. Peg is a freelance film and TV critic, a former professor of media studies, and co-editor (with Hannah Sanders) of The New Generation Witches: Teenage Witchcraft in Contemporary Culture (Routledge) and Carnivale and the American Grotesque: Critical Essays on the HBO Series (Macfarland). With Hannah she also co-organized two scholarly conferences at Harvard University on paganism, witchcraft and media. Peg's forthcoming book The Witching Hour: How Witches Enchanted the World is a cultural analysis of the witch in contemporary media. Peg was also one of the co-founders of The Witches' Voice and wrote about film and TV for the site for over a decade. Her long-running blog "The Witching Hour" can now be found on Substack. This conversation was inspired by a lecture in April of 2024 by Peg for The Last Tuesday Society called “The Satanic Panic: Its Roots and Branches,” that explored a number of disparate but often-related elements that converged to create the Satanic Panic of the 1980s and 90s, including Satanic-themed horror films. In this discussion, we pick up were Peg left off and explore how viewpoints surrounding Witchcraft and ‘The Occult’ have changed since that time until our present day. Peg talks about various instances within popular culture that have shown a shift in the ‘negative’ paradigm. This conversation spans several different areas, ranging from politics and society, education and scholarship, entertainment media, films and series, to magic and other ‘occult’ practices.I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!You can find the Full Episode with Peg Aloi at my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/RejectedReligion The episode is also available for a one-time purchase. PROGRAM NOTESMentioned by Peg:Documentary Hail, Satan? https://youtu.be/27RtJp-rhHk?si=1IEizfm8d4xCVvV5 (trailer)Agatha, All Along https://youtu.be/R9pXbNz6Vbw?si=WDEc8Q3Lb-92pNlB (trailer)AHS: Coven  https://youtu.be/ra8aQ-CfKVw?si=J9W74jUct4dNJcPm (trailer)Film Realm of Satan https://youtu.be/7ANZCk97F7Y?si=L7rC4VStmYo_NkrL (trailer)Find Peg Aloi here:https://x.com/themediawitchhttps://themediawitch.substack.com/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7lfIuXsQmI (Podcast)Works:https://www.amazon.com/New-Generation-Witches-Witchcraft-Contemporary/dp/0754657841https://www.amazon.com/Carnivale-American-Grotesque-Critical-Essays/dp/0786448164The Witching Hour: How Witches Enchanted the World (forthcoming)Theme Music and Editing: Daniel P. SheaEnd Production: Stephanie Shea

My guests this month are Dr. Bernd-Christian Otto and Andrea Centore, co-founders of the Research Network for the Study of Esoteric Practices, otherwise known as RENSEP. In this discussion, Bernd and Andrea talk about how this network came to be, why it was created, and the exciting work that they are doing. As the name suggests, RENESP is focused on working with practitioners in all areas of esotericism, and fostering the relationships between academic research and real-life practitioners. RENSEP is still in its early stages, having officially launched in 2023, and is a unique resource for both researchers and those outside of academia who are interested to interact with scholars, as well as to help educate the public about esoteric practices. Bernd-Christian Otto (b. 1976) is a scholar of religion. After gaining his PhD in 2009 at the university of Heidelberg (Germany) with an extensive study on the conceptual history of magic, Otto pursued his academic career at various universities, among them Heidelberg, Erfurt, Bochum, Leipzig, Erlangen (Germany) and Bergen (Norway). Otto is co-founder and permanent fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies ‘Alternative Rationalities and Esoteric Practices from a Global Perspective’ at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (www.cas-e.de); he is a board member of the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism (www.esswe.org); and he is co-founder, trustee and scientific director of the Research Network for the Study of Esoteric Practices (www.rensep.org). Otto's research focuses on magic and esotericism, where he combines different methodologies such as conceptual history, discourse analysis, social theory, ritual studies, qualitative interviews, participant observation, and practitioner-scholarship. His book publications include "Defining Magic: A Reader" (Routledge 2013), co-edited with Michael Stausberg; the duograph "Magical Manuscripts in Early Modern Europe: The Clandestine Trade in Illegal Book Collections" (Palgrave MacMillan 2017), co-authored with Daniel Bellingradt; and the anthology "Fictional Practice: Magic, Narration and the Power of Imagination" (Brill 2021), co-edited with Dirk Johannsen. Andrea Centore holds a master's degree in Translation Studies from the University of Mons-Hainaut (Belgium), and a master's degree in Religious Studies from the University of Amsterdam. His research explores the intersection of Jewish and Islamic esotericism through the perspectives of intellectual and global history, with a particular focus on Kabbalah and Sufi lettrism. In addition, Andrea has engaged with texts from a wide range of esoteric traditions including Islamicate occultism, strands of Western esotericism, and Nāth Tantric Yoga. He is the co-founder and managing director of the Research Network for the Study of Esoteric Practices (RENSEP), where one of his key aims is to foster a more systematic dialogue between the academic community and esoteric practitioners. Andrea is also an entrepreneur in the professional services sector.  We take a look at the website, and the different options available to the members. Not only are there blog posts and research updates available, but members can also take part in study groups and take part in livestreams with scholars and practitioners alike (titled “ask a scholar” and “ask a practitioner”). Another great opportunity is the ability to meet new people, forming connections with other members to foster communication and learning, growing one’s own network of contacts in the process. RENSEP has also just launched an open-access, peer-review journal, too, called Praxis-Knowledge! RENSEP is a fantastic place to share and learn with other people with similar interests, and is one-of-a-kind with regard to online communities that offer grounded, interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed research and a wonderful platform for practitioners to engage with scholars and others who share the same interests. Bernd and Andrea have also very generously offered a 50% discount on membership for all viewers/listeners of Rejected Religion! Use the promo code RR50 when signing up at www.rensep.org! Patreon members also receive special discounts -- Tiers 1& 2 get 70% off on membership, and Tiers 3 & 4 get a FREE membership!This is a fabulous opportunity to join and start learning about esoteric practices, with access to information and resources that usually only are available to those within academia! Members can find their promo codes on the Patreon page. Rejected Religion | Illuminating the Obscure | Patreon My thanks to RENSEP for making this possible!  Theme music & video production: Stephanie Shea of Rejected Religion

Hi Friends!As promised, here is the impromptu discussion I just had with Dr. Christian Greer and Brennan Kettelle RMA about the new online winter school course, offered by the University of Amsterdam, called Forbidden Knowledge: Introduction to Esotericism.Christian and Brennan talk a bit about the changes that have been made in the summer and winter intensives, and how the desire for 'Forbidden Knowledge' has been in the works for some time. They both explain their vision for this course, how it's set up, who will be teaching, and most importantly, the fact that anyone who's passionate about esotericism is welcome to join.They both stress the opinion that esotericism studies is entering a new 'era,' so to speak, and that alongside the traditional historical and empirical approaches, they aim to branch out to include interdisciplinary approaches, together with a focus on art, music, film, and other media. The goal is to create new discussions and paths for those who are interested in this exciting field of study.For those who are interested to join, please follow this link for all information and how to register: https://www.uva.nl/en/programmes/winter-courses/introduction-to-western-esotericism/introduction-to-western-esotericism.htmlThe deadline to apply is 8 December 2024.Theme music and outro music: Daniel P. SheaEnd production: Stephanie Shea