July 01, 2009

Ten Famous Speeches in American History

Listen to ten of the most famous historical speeches in American history. For the past three years we've featured hundreds of free audio & video resources as part of our Free Resource of the Day Emails. From these resources we've selected the top 10 free speeches from American history from famous speakers such as Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy, and more . You can check them all out by clicking the links below:

1. Gettysburg Address

For our first speech, we thought it fitting to feature Lincoln's most famous speech delivered at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania during the American Civil War. American Rhetoric offers the speech in four different versions, one narrated by musician Johnny Cash, and the others read by actors Jeff Daniels, Sam Waterson, and Jim Getty. Sam Waterson has portrayed Lincoln on TV and film and delivers the address in how we typically assume Lincoln to sound like. Jim Getty is one of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania’s "most recognized" residents as he often plays the role of Lincoln there, and his reading sounds like a historical reenactment. Johnny Cash strums the guitar on his reading and Jeff Daniels offers the most dramatic reading complete with orchestral accompaniment. The speech is about 2 minutes and 30 seconds and is available on streaming audio from American Rhetoric.

2. I Have a Dream Audio and Video

One of our favorite free titles in our free directory is Martin Luther King, Jr.'s classic "I Have a Dream" speech. Delivered on August 28th, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., King's passionate call for justice and equality was the battle cry for the civil rights movement in America. Choose from an audio version of the speech from American Rhetoric or a video version from YouTube.

3. Patrick Henry's "Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death" Speech

Download this free inspiring speech delivered by Patrick Henry on the brink of the Revolutionary War. This key speech in American history called forth the Founding Fathers to break the encroaching chains of slavery put on them by the British. It's a stirring cry for freedom delivered with gusto by narrator Jon Reiss, and it's available for MP3 download through LearnOutLoud.com.

4. Remarks on the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated during his campaign for president in June of 1968. Two months before his tragic death, on April 4, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy delivered a moving eulogy on the night of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. In the speech he calls for "love, and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country". This great 5 minute speech is available on streaming audio and MP3 download from American Rhetoric.

5. D-Day Pre-Invasion Address to Soldiers

Listen to General Dwight D. Eisenhower's D-Day Pre-Invasion Address delivered on the morning of June 6th, 1944. This short, inspiring message was delivered to 175,000 soldiers of the allied expeditionary force. This speech is available on MP3 download and streaming audio from American Rhetoric.

6. Speech on Women's Right to Vote

Listen to American civil rights leader Susan B. Anthony's inspiring speech "On Women's Right to Vote". After casting her vote in the 1872 election, Anthony was arrested and brought to trial in the case of the United States v. Susan B. Anthony. She pleaded not guilty and in this famous speech she asserts that voting is her legal right as a United States citizen under the Constitution which promises all people the blessings of liberty. This speech is narrated by Antonia Bath and available exclusively through LearnOutLoud.com on MP3 download.

7. First Inaugural Address of President George Washington

Listen to the First Inaugural Address of President George Washington. In this address Washington reluctantly accepts the call of the American people and humbly stresses his shortcomings in carrying out the role of president. He expresses gratitude for the divine providence that led the United States to independence, and he sets his intention to be a selfless public servant, even asking that he not receive any form of compensation for his duties. This address is available on MP3 download exclusively through LearnOutLoud.com.

8. John F. Kennedy Speeches: The Inaugural Address

The Miller Center of Public Affairs features downloadable audio of the speeches by numerous Presidents in the 20th century. They offer over a dozen John F. Kennedy speeches, including his famous Inaugural Address, his inspiring address at Rice University on the space effort, his Civil Rights Address, and his "Ich bin ein Berliner" Speech which delivered next to the Berlin Wall criticizing communism. All these speeches can be downloaded on MP3.

9. Daniel Webster's Plymouth Oration

Daniel Webster's famous Plymouth Oration did much to establish the Pilgrims as the forefathers of America. After this speech delivered in 1820, the journey of the Pilgrims to Plymouth, Massachusetts became the nation's founding myth, and by 1863 Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day which has been celebrated ever since. This historic speech is available on MP3 download and streaming audio directly through LearnOutLoud.com.

10. I've Been to the Mountaintop

On April 4th, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. The night before he was assassinated Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his prophetic "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech. In this stirring speech Dr. King looks back on his life and is thankful for all the positive changes in civil rights that occurred in his lifetime, and he is grateful to have lived in the second half of the 20th century when masses of people all over the world were standing up for freedom and human rights. Listen to this speech on streaming audio or download it on MP3 from American Rhetoric.

We've been sending out our Free Resource of the Day Emails for many years now. If you've not subscribed yet, we highly encourage you to do so. Who knows what magnificent free audio & video learning resources we'll dig up in the future...

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June 24, 2009

Top Wealth Building & Economics Free Audio & Video Resources

Listen to the top wealth building & economics audio books, podcasts, and lectures with these 15 free resources on audio & video. For the past three years we've featured hundreds of free audio & video resources as part of our Free Resource of the Day Emails. From these resources we've selected the top 15 free resources covering wealth building & economics. You can check them all out by clicking the links below:

1. The Wealth of Nations, Book 1

Listen to Book 1 of Adam Smith's classic work on economics The Wealth of Nations. Book 1 covers the division of labor, prices, wages, and profit. Written at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, this book has heavily influenced modern economics and economists to the present day. This 9 hour audio book is well narrated by Stephen Escalera over at LibriVox and is available on MP3 download.

2. The Fundamental Principles of Personal Wealth

Listen to this free audio book entitled The Fundamental Principles of Personal Wealth. This motivational, one-hour audio book examines the methods for gaining wealth in all aspects of one's life. It covers how to shape one's thoughts and emotions in order to thrive in the area of wealth. This audio book is available on MP3 download from TFPPW.com.

3. APM's Marketplace Podcast

Catch up on the latest business and economics news on American Public Media's Marketplace Podcast. They currently feature podcasts from the past week covering the current economic crisis in America and the potential government bailout. These half-hour podcasts feature commentary and short interviews that cover a range of opinions about what the cause of the current financial crisis is and what can be done to solve it. Learn about the economics of today with the Marketplace Podcast.

4. Wealth Wisdom Podcast

Listen & subscribe to LearnOutLoud's latest podcast release: The Wealth Wisdom Podcast. In the coming weeks we'll be showcasing classic wisdom on business & finance from many wealth & success classics. We're offering for free Benjamin Franklin's The Way to Wealth, which is an essay written by Franklin that contains a condensed collection of the wealth advice he had presented in Poor Richard's Almanac during its first 25 years of publication.

5. Rich Dad's Podcast

Rich Dad's Podcast features audio lectures and videos from Robert T. Kiyosaki, the author of the classic book on wealth & personal finances: Rich Dad, Poor Dad. Kiyosaki summarizes ideas in his book explaining the lessons he was taught by the "rich dad" and "poor dad" that he grew up with. The podcast also includeds videos with advice from inside The Rich Dad Company.

6. Extra Tips for The Freeway Guide to Maximizing Your Money

In this downloadable offering from the The Freeway Guides, financial expert Peter Bielagus gives tips to maximize your money. He covers ways to improve your credit score, to pick your financial advisor, to choose the right loan for a home. and how to get the most out of applying for financial aid. This title is available on MP3 download directly through LearnOutLoud.com.

7. Ragged Dick

Listen to Horatio Alger, Jr.'s success classic Ragged Dick. Famous for his rags to riches stories, Horatio Alger wrote over 100 novels in the 19th century. Most of them deal with characters which rose out of poverty to achieve the American dream of wealth and success through hard work, courage, and determination.

8. Phil Town's Rule Number 1 Podcast

Listen to author Phil Town's investment advice on his Rule #1 Podcast. Town's Rule #1 for investing is "don't lose money" and all of his advice stems from this rule. Following the advice of investors Benjamin Graham and Warren Buffett, Town is a regular guy who gives practical advice to investors who don't have many hours of week to spend analyzing their stocks. Enjoy these free 15-minute podcasts from Phil Town.

9. Global 3.0

In this hour long audio documentary from American Public Media, Chris Farrell and John Biewen jump all over the world to see how the latest wave of globalization is affecting people from Pittsburgh to Bangladesh to India to China. They provide a look at the winners and losers of the global economy, and tend to think in the end that globablization in its latest incarnation is a good thing. This audio documentary is available on streaming audio as well as on MP3 digital download.

10. Money, Mission & Meaning Podcast

Listen to this podcast from PersonalLifeMedia.com called the Money, Mission & Meaning Podcast hosted by CEO Mark Micheal Lewis. This podcast explores ways to unite personal meaning and professional mission in business. Lewis interviews a number of corporate coaches, entrepreneurs, and other business leaders who are creating synergy between purpose and profitability. Lewis also explores on his own the psychology behind goal setting, and what does and doesn't work. It's an interesting podcast for those looking to discover more meaning in their work life.

11. The Emergence of China in the Global Economy

This streaming audio and video lecture from MIT professor Lester Thurow analyzes the economic awakening of China. This macro analysis features a lot of economic concepts, but is still fairly accessible for those of us who've never taken an economics course. He addresses key issues that arise with China as a player in the global economy such as the gap between what China buys and what it produces, the lack of intellectual property laws of the Chinese government, and the inability to get accurate statistics from a government which demands certain kinds of numbers, even if they are exaggerated.

12. Bankrupt: Maxed Out in America

This audio documentary from American Public Media examines the record number of bankruptcy filings in recent years in the United States. Documentarians Chris Farrell and Sasha Aslanian travel to Memphis, a city with one of the highest rates of bankruptcy in the country. They interview many people who are declaring bankruptcy and the people who are assisting them in filing for bankruptcy. They also examine the history of bankruptcy and how it has changed over the years from a social stigma to a calculated risk that some feel is worth taking. This audio documentary is available on streaming audio from American Public Media and on audio download from iTunes U. The iTunes U link also features a Speaking of Faith episode entitled "Money & Moral Balance" which mostly looks at ways parents can teach children to be financially responsible in a consumerist society.

13. Kiplinger's Personal Finance Podcast

Whether you have a diversified investment portfolio or you are interested in starting to invest some money, Kiplinger's Personal Finance Podcast provides you with bi-weekly advice with dozens of podcasts going all the way back to a year ago. These podcasts keep you up to date on the changes that are happening in the investment world. Topics currently on the feed include retirement, getting rich, investing in "green" companies, and much else.

14. Walter Block: Mises Institute Lectures

Download and listen to dozens of lectures by Walter Block a leading Austrian School economist. In his lectures he provides introductions to libertarianism as well as his libertarian ideas on specific social issues such as advocating legalization of pimps, drugs, and the privatization of roads. All these lectures are available as MP3s from the Ludwig von Mises Institute.

15. Beyond Freakonomics

In this lecture from Princeton's University Channel, economist and author of Freakonomics Steven D. Levitt lectures on his unique methods of economic research. Through entertaining stories Levitt discusses the economics of prostitution, whether or not people are generally altruistic, and many other interesting topics. This lecture was recorded at Princeton University and is available on streaming video from the University Channel.

We've been sending out our Free Resource of the Day Emails for many years now. If you've not subscribed yet, we highly encourage you to do so. Who knows what magnificent free audio & video learning resources we'll dig up in the future...

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May 26, 2009

Audio Courses

Looking for audio courses to listen to? Download over 100 courses on audio from the Modern Scholar series featuring great university professors teaching college-level courses on a variety of subjects:

Download Over 100 Audio Courses from the Modern Scholar Series

You can browse their audio courses by subject by clicking the following links featuring philosophy courses, history courses, literature courses, politics courses, business courses, religion courses, science courses & more.

To help introduce you to the magnificent Modern Scholar audio courses, we're offering these ten free course lectures to download from ten of their best audio courses. These recorded lectures are taught by eminent university professors. Here are the 10 lectures you can download right now on MP3:

1. The Foundations of Language

In this lecture Professor Michael Drout focuses on language as a whole and how it develops and is learned. He points out the amazing ability that children have for speaking and comprehending a language they are immersed in until they reach about six years old without having to "learn" the language at all. While the origins of human language are endlessly debated, he does provide some interesting examples of how languages develop such as through mixing of people speaking different languages in the case of Hawaiian Creole, and through the isolation of people developing different languages over time in the case of the over 850 indigenous languages spoken in Papua New Guinea.

2. Introduction to Human Anatomy

Learn about your body with this lecture delivered by Professor John K. Young on the axial skeleton of the human. Professor Young starts the lecture with some definitions of basic human anatomy terms. He then proceeds to cover the axial skeleton of a human starting with the cranium and proceeding down the spinal cord with many interesting tidbits along the way. Professor Young proves that studying human anatomy doesn't require diagrams as we have our own human anatomical specimen right at our fingertips. He points out many of the bones along the way which you can touch while listening (just keep one hand on the wheel if you're driving!).

3. Romeo and Juliet

In this audio lecture provided as part of the Modern Scholar Series, noted author and literary critic Harold Bloom provides his unparalleled analysis of Shakespeare's tragic love story. Focusing his attenion squarely on the role Juliet plays in the play, Bloom argues that it is her characterization and dialogue that marks the beginning of Shakespeare's maturity as an artist. In this tale we see what may be the definitive portrait of a woman in love, and indeed, Juliet's ability to find words for complicated emotions is a major reason Romeo and Juliet have become the romantic ideal.

4. Earth and the Universe

In this lecture Professor James Kaler puts Earth in perspective within the solar system, the galaxy, and the whole universe. He covers what makes a planet and the diversity of planets in our solar system discussing their size and their distance from the sun. Professor Kaler provides dozens of awe-inspiring facts about our solar system in this fascinating introductory astronomy lecture.

5. Understanding the French Revolution

In this lecture esteemed professor Donald M.G. Sutherland sets out to define revolution and how the French Revolution has in turn changed the definition of revolution. He then examines a number of the proposed causes of the French Revolution that have been debated since then. He concludes that no one could've predicted in summer of 1789 that in a few years King Louis XVI would be executed, over 16,000 people would be killed by the guillotine during the Reign of Terror, and that a military officer named Napoleon Bonaparte would rise to become the dictator and emperor of France.

6. The Scopes Monkey Trial

In this lecture American lawyer, prolific author, and Harvard professor Alan M. Dershowitz examines one of the most significant American cases in the 20th century: The Scopes Trial. Dershowitz looks closer at the trial than its typical portrayal of fundamentalist creationism vs. evolution characterized in the film and play Inherit the Wind. Through examining the court transcript it becomes clear that the prosecutor William Jennings Bryan was not arguing for Biblical fundamentalist creationism. Rather he was far more concerned with the ideas of segregation and racist eugenics that were taught along with evolution between the first and second World Wars. Dershowitz examines how creation-evolution controversy has changed since then and how God and religious terminology has been replaced with the idea of intelligent design. It's a fascinating lecture from one America's leading legal authorities.

7. Introduction to Macroeconomics and Microeconomics

In this lecture Professor Navarro talks about the basics of macroeconomics and microeconomics. He provides numerous real life examples about how both macroeconomics and microeconomics affect our personal and professional lives. Professor Navarro is able to articulate a number of economic principles in a clear and concise way that is relevant to everyday life.

8. Teddy Roosevelt

In this first lecture in a series touching on how the U.S. Presidency changed during the 20th century, noted historian Robert Dalek begins with his take on Theodore Roosevelt. In this concise biographical sketch, Dallek describes Roosevelt as the first great president to arrive at the turn of the century, painting the portrait of a charismatic visionary that cast a long shadow on his successor, President William H. Taft. In this introduction, Dallek develops themes that run throughout the course, providing students with an unparalleled view of how modern America was shaped by the men that led it.

9. What Is Religion?

In this lecture Professor Kreeft explores what religion is and what questions it tries to answer. He goes over a brief history of philosophical definitions of religion. He feels that religion relies on faith and experience, while philosophy focuses on reason and logical argument, and yet he finds many ways that the fields of philosophy and religion have intersected throughout history.

10. Hiroshima and the Origins of the Cold War

In this lecture professor David Painter discusses the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945 during World War II. Professor Painter establishes how the groundwork for nuclear warfare was established by President Franklin Roosevelt. He then provides reasons why the new President Harry Truman decided to use nuclear weapons against Japan, and provides some criticisms that have been brought forward since then which argue that dropping the atomic bomb was not necessary and was not for the purpose of winning the war against Japan. In the aftermath of dropping the bomb, professor Painter shows how it created the origins of what would come to be known as the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Enjoy these free sample lectures. At LearnOutLoud.com we plan to listen to all of these Modern Scholar courses! Join us in listening to the classes of some of the best teachers in the world.

Posted by LOLDavid | Permalink

May 22, 2009

Ten Top Audio & Video Debates

Listen to ten great debates with these ten free resources on audio & video. For the past three years we've featured hundreds of free audio & video resources as part of our Free Resource of the Day Emails. From these resources we've selected the top ten free debates covering issues such as abortion, gay marriage, religion, politics, intellectual property, evolution, and more. You can check them all out by clicking the links below:

1. 2008 Presidential Debates Video Podcast

In case you missed the 2008 presidential debates or the vice presidential debate, you can now watch them as podcasts. CBS News is offering all the debates on their podcast series. The first presidential debate between Republican Party nominee John McCain and Democratic Party nominee Barack Obama focused primarily on foreign policy, while the second one focused on domestic issues covering the economic crisis, and the third debate again focused the economy addressing Joe the Plumber. The only vice-presidential debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden covered a range of issues and what a vice president's role was in confronting them.

2. A Public Debate On The Limits of Intelligent Machines

Can we Create conscious machines that are every bit as self-aware as a human being? Ray Kurzweil and David Gelertner debate the feasibility of this question in this downloadable audio released by WGBH. Kurzweil argues that future technology will allow humans to mechanically simulate consciousness, to which Gelertner counters that mere replication doesn't necessarily lead to self- awareness. Listen in on this lively and thought provoking discourse on what makes the human brain unique. This debate is available on streaming audio & video and MP3 download.

3. Is Abortion Morally Justifiable in a Free Society?

Listen to this 90-minute debate offered by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. It's a well-organized debate with interesting arguments for pro-life advocate & philosophy professor Peter Kreeft and pro-choice advocate and author of A Defense of Abortion David Boonin. Boonin argues for the right of a woman to not keep the fetus on "life support" in the womb, while Kreeft that abortion is wrong by moral and religious standards. This debate is available on MP3 download and streaming video.

4. Al Sharpton and Christopher Hitchens Debate

Listen to a stimulating debate between the Reverand Al Sharpton and God Is Not Great author Christopher Hitchens. Hitchens provides many arguments against religion, arguing against religious texts, dogmatic beliefs, and a creator God. Al Sharpton contends that Hitchens cannot prove the non-existence of God and argues that if immoral acts are performed in the name of God that they have no relation to the great character of God. They both reflect on the modern implications of a belief in God, as Hitchens denounces the intrusion of religion into politics and culture (particularly in the Middle East) and Sharpton emphasizes the role of religion in positive social change such as in the American Civil Rights Movement. The whole debate is handled with good humor, even if neither Sharpton nor Hitchens are able to change one another's minds. This debate was held at the New York Public Library and is available on streaming video and MP3 download from FORA.tv.

5. Was America Responsible for the Attacks of September 11th?

A bit of a provocative title perhaps, but this debate offered from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute really doesn't cover the September 11th attacks. Instead it is more of an overall debate about whether American power and wealth in the world is generally good or bad. Dinesh D'Souza, author of What's So Great About America, argues that the American way of life is superior than other cultures and that we all too often ignore the freedoms and priviledges that make us the envy of the world. Rabbi Michael Lerner argues that the American empire is excessively selfish and greedy, and that our financial and military power has been used to oppress cultures throughout the world. It makes for a very heated and interesting debate. It is available on streaming audio and video as well as on MP3 download.

6. Creativity, Commerce, & Culture: Lessig vs. Valenti

If you want to hear an interesting debate over copyright in the digital age, tune into this free online video from the USC Annenberg School for Communication. President of the Motion Picture Association Jack Valenti is hilarious as he stubbornly keep to his position for the entertainment industry's battle to maintain it's intellectual property as long as it wants to. Law professor and author Lawrence Lessig has a sense of humor too, but he is seriously concerned that in our increasingly copyrighted culture the artist's freedom and fair use is being stifled. Decide for yourself and be entertained while doing so.

7. A Debate over Intelligent Design

Timely and provocative, this talk provided by the Intercollegiate Study Institute presents a debate between intelligent design advocate William Dembski and evolutionist Lee Silver. Both men are given equal time to present their case, giving the listener a detailed examination of how the case for a creator might work with or run counter to the biological foundations of modern science. We are then asked to come to our own conclusions based on the evidence at hand in a debate that has captured the headlines and continues to be a hot button issue in science classrooms across the nation. This debate is available on MP3 download, streaming audio, and streaming video.

8. Gay Marriage Debate

Watch this debate on gay marriage with David Blankenhorn, author of The Future of Marriage, and Evan Wolfson, author of Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality, and Gay People's Right to Marry. This 2 hour debate, along with audience questions, becomes quite heated, but is very informative as to the positions on each side of the gay marriage debate. Blankenhorn expresses his belief of what marriage is and what it means for parents and children if the definition of marriage is changed. Wolfson cites studies by numerous organizations that have shown gay marriage to not be harmful in regards to raising children, and to deny gay couples marriage is discrimination and violates their civil rights. This debate was conducted on C-SPAN and can be viewed on streaming video through FORA.tv.

9. Howard Dean and Richard Perle Foreign Policy Debate

Today's resource consists of a very entertaining debate between Richard Perle and Howard Dean that was held at Pacific University in Portland, Oregon on February 17, 2005. In front of this mostly anti-war audience, Richard Perle gets a shoe thrown at him and Howard Dean delivers his points to uproarious applause almost as if he is at the Democratic Convention. Richard Perle is one of the most articulate proponents of the foreign policy behind the war on terrorism and Howard Dean is a key voice of how the Democrats believe we should defend America so it makes for an excellent debate. This debate was recorded by C-SPAN and is available on audio download from Audible.com.

10. Jimmy Wales and Andrew Keen Debate Web 2.0

In this debate from the Commonwealth Club of California journalist David Ewing Duncan moderates a debate over Web 2.0 between Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and author Andrew Keen. Keen brings up many interesting objections to Web 2.0 and its user-based sites such as Wikipedia, YouTube, and Craigslist. He feels these sites are undermining the ability for creative professionals to make a living because they give everything away for free. He also criticizes Wikipedia because the authors are anonymous and he feels an individual author is required in order to evaluate their writing. Wales feels that Web 2.0 has contributed to a growing creative class and that while the new Internet paradigm has created disruptions in the economy it ultimately leads to a better knowledge-based economy and a better world. This debate is available on streaming video and MP3 download from FORA.tv.

And for more debates on a wide variety of topics you might want to check out: NPR's Intelligence Squared U.S. Podcast.

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Posted by LOLDavid | Permalink

May 06, 2009

Learn About World Religions with Free Audio & Video

Learn about world religions with these 20 free resources on audio & video. For the past three years we've featured hundreds of free resources as part of our Free Resource of the Day Emails. From these resources we've selected the top 20 free resources to learn about world religions covering Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and more. You can check them all out by clicking the titles below:

1. Buddha, Man, and Jesus

Three advocates argue for their differing belief systems in this downloadable audio lecture released by the Veritas Forum. Christian, Buddhist and Secular perspectives are each given equal weight in addressing humanity's long quest for knowledge and meaning. Issues such as religious fanaticism, the existence of evil, the afterlife, and social justice are all given balanced appraisal in this remarkably even-handed debate. Available on MP3 download.

2. Alan Watts Podcast

The Alan Watts Podcast features recordings of one of the great western interpreters of Eastern religion: Alan Watts. In lectures on this podcast feed, Alan Watts discusses Buddhism, Zen, Hinduism, Taoism, and much else related to the world's religions. If you've never heard Alan Watts lectures before, please do yourself a favor and listen to this podcast.

3. Revealing World Religions Podcast

Revealing World Religions Podcast is offered by ThinkingStrings.com and features the narrated text of Revealing World Religions by Dr. Cynthia Eller of Montclair State University. This podcasted audio book features these 10 modules covering many of the World's Religions:

* Exploring Religion
* Hinduism
* Confucianism
* Taoism
* Buddhism
* Shinto
* Judaism
* Christianity
* Islam
* Religious Pluralism

All of these are currently available on the feed and work as introductions to these religious traditions.

4. Crash Course on Jewish History

This is a free course on Jewish History from a Jewish perspective taught by Rabbi Ken Spiro. In over 30 lectures, Spiro covers everything from Abraham to modern Israel always pointing out the lessons that Jews can learn from their history. Many of the lectures are free to download on MP3 from SimpleToRemember.com.

5. Zencast

Zencast has been offering Zen Buddhism teachings on podcast for many years now and the great thing is they've kept all their podcasts up on their feed so each of them can still be downloaded. Included on this feed is an unabridged recording of the key Buddhist text The Dhammapada translated and read by Zencast host Gil Fronsdal. Fronsdal also teaches a five part "Introduction to Meditation" class. Other frequent speakers on Zencast include Thich Nhat Hanh and Eckhart Tolle. These podcasts are essential listening for anyone looking to learn more about Zen Buddhism.

6. The Genius of Jesus

In this lecture from the Veritas Forum, Christian philosopher and author Dallas Willard talks about the importance of Jesus of Nazareth throughout history when it comes to confronting the reality of existence. Willard feels that present-day universities apply a materialistic knowledge or a New Age philosophy when it comes to confronting moral life, which leaves out the essential teachings of Jesus. He posits four great questions of existence and explains the answers which Jesus gave to these questions. This lecture is available on streaming audio and MP3 download from the Veritas forum.

7. Karen Armstrong in Conversation with Alan Jones

Listen to this discussion between author Karen Armstrong and Rev. Alan Jones, the Dean of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. They discuss Armstrong's latest book The Bible: A Biography and Armstrong provides her interpretation of The Good Book. They discuss biblical criticism, biblical literalism, and the Golden Rule. They also confront the New Atheists who have recently attacked the Abrahamic religions. This talk is available on MP3 download and streaming video through FORA.tv.

8. The Nature of Islam

In this streaming audio discussion offered by Boston University's World of Ideas forum, spokesman for Islam, Christianity and Judaism convene to examine the modern misconceptions of Islam in the wake of 9/11. Each pundit is given equal footing on hot topic issues such as Islam's concept of Jihad, Martyrdom, Women's rights, Religious Tolerance and other explosive issues that have become part of everyday news. Join these three men of faith as they work to find common ground on what binds their separate religions, and work to illuminate misunderstandings that could potentially tear the world apart.

9. Huston Smith

In this streaming video interview, MeaningOfLife.tv host Robert Wright interviews world religions scholar Huston Smith (author of the bestselling classic The World's Religions). Wright asks Smith some difficult questions regarding the state of religion in the present world and about Smith's tolerant and inclusive views towards all religions. Huston Smith replies with clarity and compassion. This interview is available as a streaming video through Google Video.

10. His Holiness - The XIV Dalai Lama

In this free video from UCTV, His Holiness the Dalai Lama addresses a packed crowd at UC-Irvine on the topic of "Ethical Self-Awareness & Personal Transformation". With humor and humility the Dalai Lama speaks on the importance of awareness in overcoming anger and other negative emotions. This event is available on streaming video or video download from Google Video.

11. Sadhana, the Realisation of Life

From the preeminent Bengali poet & philosopher Rabindranath Tagore, comes this free audio rendition of his 1913 book Sadhana, the Realisation of Life. Published the same year he won the Nobel Prize for Literature, this audio book is an accessible introduction to India's philosophical and spiritual heritage. The chapters include:

* Chapter 1: The Relation of the Individual to the Universe
* Chapter 2: Soul Consciousness
* Chapter 3: The Problem of Evil
* Chapter 4: The Problem of Self
* Chapter 5: Realisation In Love
* Chapter 6: Realisation In Action
* Chapter 7: The Realisation of Beauty
* Chapter 8: Realisation of The Infinite

This book is narrated by some of the better narrators at LibroVox (including 3 chapters by my favorite, Chip Doc). It is available on MP3 download from LibriVox.

12. Spiritual Classics Podcast

We've launched a new podcast at LearnOutLoud.com entitled Spiritual Classics. In the coming weeks we plan to feature passages of classics texts from a variety of spiritual traditions. We've started the podcast off with an excerpt from William James' classic work The Varieties of Religious Experience in which he lectures on mystical experience. We promise many more fascinating selections from religious classics so please subscribe. Click Here to Subscribe to this Podcast on iTunes.

13. Christian Faith in a Postmodern World

Os Guinness claims that progress has lead America into a crisis of truth. For this MP3 download presented by the Veritas Forum, the noted writer leads his lecture with this provocative declaration, and explains how the nation's notion of truth has been eroded by relative morality. Guinness provides his listeners with tools to counteract these trends and reclaim what he feels is the lost wisdom that has come about as result of the information age.

14. President's Forum with Thich Nhat Hanh

Watch or listen to this talk delivered by Vietnamese-born Buddhist teacher, scholar, and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh delivered at the Asia Society with questions from Asia Society President Vishakha N. Desai. The 81-year-old Thich Nhat Hanh begins with a brief meditation followed by an extended talk about his life as a Buddhist monk and teacher, including his recent return trips to Vietnam. Vishakha N. Desai asks some difficult questions such as how to deal with violent terrorists like Osama bin Laden. This talk is available on streaming video and MP3 download from FORA.tv.

15. The Jesus Dynasty

In this downloadable interview conducted at the Grace Cathedral, archeologist James D. Tabor gives listeners a hard look at his efforts to pare down the mystery that still surrounds the historical Jesus and his followers. A specialist in the surviving documents of early Christianity, Tabor takes apart the accepted facts surrounding Jesus' life. Here he introduces the notion that Christ's Brother James may have been the first man to spread the gospel and refers to evidence that claims the apostle Paul altered the original message. This titles is available from the Grace Cathedral on streaming audio & MP3 download.

16. Authors@Google: Lama Surya Das

In this hour-long talk from Authors@Google, American Buddhist teacher and bestselling author Lama Surya Das gives a multifaceted discussion on Buddhism and Bodhisattvas in contemporary life. He discusses the path of overcoming ignorance and awakening to one's true self, along with many other central teachings in Buddhism. He emphasizes that one doesn't need to become a Buddhist or follow a creed in order to take the path to enlightenment, and that Buddhism is more of an ethical philosophy and a personal journey rather than a religion. This talk is available on streaming video from YouTube.

17. Huston Smith: The Soul of Christianity

In this downloadable audio conversation, Grace Cathedral hosts Huston Smith in a dialogue that asks the question: is Christianity outdated? Smith, a popular scholar on the world's religions discusses the historical importance of Christianity and how it has faltered in the recent past due to ongoing secularization. Always thoughtful, funny and humble, Smith describes a future scenario for the role of religion which would allow it to dovetail with science in new and profound ways. Listen to this lecture on streaming audio or download it as an MP3.

18. Keith Ward

In this streaming video released by MeaningofLife.tv, noted Oxford Divinity Professor Keith Ward discusses his argument that the three major western religions share the same God. Ward compares Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, and includes other religions within his concept of a monotheistic God whose face may change according to cultural understanding, but whose major attributes are consistent among all. This fascinating conversation goes on to touch on related topics such as self-denial, the problem of evil and how physics is making spirituality more and more compatible with science. A must for anyone interested in a modern take on religion.

19. An Hour with the Honorable Dalai Lama

Listen to this hour-long conversation with the Honorable Dalai Lama on the Charlie Rose Show. In this interview Charlie Rose talks with the Dalai Lama about the political situation in Tibet and China, and what the Dalai Lama's hopes are for the Tibetan people. The Dalai Lama then talks about exercising compassion on a global scale and the ways in which he feels this will make the 21st century a better century than the 20th century. This talk is available on streaming video.

20. Sharon Salzberg

In this interview from MeaningOfLife.tv, cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society Sharon Salzberg talks about her spiritual path while introducing listener's to many concepts of Buddhist practice. Host Robert Wright asks her many of the hard questions about Buddhism such as why should one focus on their own suffering and death, what is nirvana and enlightenment, and why is it important to learn to love oneself. Salzberg also talks about her idea of bright faith which lead her through many hardships in her own life. This 45-minute talk is available through Google Video as a streaming video and is offered by MeaningOfLife.tv.

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