Episodes by Circa

An exploration of the Beguines, medieval women who lived faith through work, service, and community—without separating devotion from everyday life.

Shams of Tabriz-the wandering dervish whose fierce honesty transformed Rumi

Haji Bektash Veli taught that the perfected human soul has no gender or tribe --- a radical claim lived quietly in 13th-century Anatolia.

A reluctant 13th century archbishop uses the authority of a life lived with integrity to defend Magna Carta --- and changes the course of history without knowing it.

Shinran's radical insight that self-powered striving blocks the grace already in motion toward every human soul.

Zen master Dōgen returned from China with nothing --- and gave the world the radical teaching that the divine is already here, closer than your heartbeat.

Michael Scot translated Aristotle and Islamic commentaries, carrying recovered knowledge from Toledo to European universities and enabling the Renaissance.

This is the story of Francis-seeker, beggar, brother to all creation-whose life redefined what it means to be rich, holy, and free

This episode explores the life of Ibn ʿArabī, a poet, mystic, and philosopher shaped by the open intellectual culture of Islamic Spain.

Eisai brought Zen Buddhism and tea to Japan, planting seeds that became two of the world's most enduring spiritual traditions.

his episode follows the quiet clarity of Moses ben Maimon-known as Maimonides-who lived in exile, healed with science, led with compassion, and wrote as if truth could be trusted.

Ibn Rushd defended the harmony of faith and reason in twelfth-century Córdoba, preserving philosophy for Europe through his commentaries on Aristotle.

Zhu Xi synthesized competing Chinese philosophical traditions, creating a framework that shaped East Asian thought for centuries and offers insight for our fragmented modern world.

Gerard of Cremona translated eighty-seven Arabic texts into Latin, but his work was only possible because Christian rulers chose preservation over destruction.

Ibn Tufayl's philosophical novel about a child raised alone sparked the nature vs. nurture debate that still shapes education, AI research, and how we see human potential.

Basavanna taught that the sacred lives in ordinary work and every human body --- a 12th-century vision that still speaks directly to modern life.

Akka Mahadevi, 12th century Kannada mystic-poet, renounced everything to follow her devotion to Shiva, leaving behind 430 vachanas and an enduring claim on women's spiritual sovereignty.

This episode explores how Volmar’s steadfast support preserved Hildegard of Bingen’s visions, showing how quiet devotion and patient listening can shape spiritual history just as powerfully as visionary brilliance.

Robert of Ketton translated the Qur'an into Latin in 1143, creating an unexpected bridge between Christian and Islamic thought through patient understanding.

Hermann of Carinthia traveled to the Islamic world to learn astronomy directly from Arab masters, bringing back living knowledge that couldn't be transmitted through texts alone.

Changlu Zongze's 1103 monastic code revealed that full presence in ordinary tasks is inseparable from spiritual awakening.

Al-Ghazālī's journey from intellectual mastery to spiritual crisis shows us that reason and faith were always meant to work together.

A reflection on Saint Bernard of Menthon and how organized care, hospitality, and preparedness quietly shape civilization.

Abdullah Ansari of Herat refused the false binary of faith vs. reason, living as both rigorous scholar and Sufi mystic in 11th-century Afghanistan.

Al-Qushayri defended the inner life of Islam by insisting that mystical experience alone cannot validate itself --- and that the light always comes from beyond the self.