The Jewish Renewal Movement with Rabbi Simcha Raphael (#399)

The Jewish Renewal Movement with Rabbi Simcha Raphael (#399)

Author: Dan Koch May 11, 2026 Duration: 42:30
I sit down with Rabbi Dr. Simcha Raphael and learn about his remarkably wide-ranging spiritual journey. From a traditional Montreal Hebrew education through India, the San Francisco counterculture, and ultimately into the Jewish Renewal Movement as a scholar of death, afterlife, and the inner life of Judaism, his story mirrors what so many of us are navigating in our own religious explorations. In the Patreon-only second half, we explore what Judaism's rich tradition on death and the afterlife offers to the dying, the grieving, and anyone trying to build a vibrant spiritual life beyond the boundaries of where they started. Highlights: Montreal Jewish upbringing India, gurus, and culture shock Jewish Renewal and Reb Zalman Ecstatic vs. contemplative spirituality Death, grief, and felt presence Judaism's afterlife teachings ___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/dancoke/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/DanKoch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Faith deconstruction resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.soyouredeconstructing.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/dankoch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YHP Patron-only FB group: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.dankochwords.com/yhp.html⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join Dan's email list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.dankochwords.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Artwork by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nickryanluevano.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosted by Dan Koch, Religion on the Mind digs into the messy, fascinating, and deeply personal space where our inner lives meet our search for meaning. This isn't a sermon or a debate; it's a series of conversations that feel more like late-night talks with curious friends. Each episode brings in a different voice-psychologists, scholars, writers, and other experts-to explore how our beliefs, doubts, rituals, and spiritual yearnings are intertwined with the workings of the human mind. We get into the psychology behind religious experience, the spirituality that emerges outside traditional structures, and the very real ways these forces shape identity, community, and coping. The tone is thoughtful but unvarnished, embracing complexity without pretension. You'll hear genuine curiosity, nuanced perspectives, and, yes, the occasional bit of cussing when the topic calls for it. The goal is to offer a space for reflection on how these fundamental aspects of being human collide and coexist. If you've ever wondered about the psychological roots of faith, the spirituality of non-belief, or just how our brains make sense of the profound, this podcast provides a grounded, accessible entry point to those questions.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Religion on the Mind
Podcast Episodes
What Would Jesus Sell? (#342) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:33:04
My friend James Wightman joins me to tell me about What Would Jesus Sell? a documentary he's been working on for eight years about the Christian music industry. We get into how Christian music evolved from the genuine DI…
Shiny Happy People Joins The #Resistance (#341) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:11
Sarah Lane Ritchie is back for our final Shiny Happy People discussion from Season 2 of the Amazon docuseries. Sarah opens with a delightfully unhinged question about whether I've ever been exorcised (spoiler: I haven't,…
A Religious Trauma Scandal & How Childhood Shapes Our Brains (#340) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:35
Top of Mind: I start this episode by addressing the recent report from Baptist News Global regarding former guest Dr. Laura E. Anderson, a well-known therapist and coach in the religious trauma world, detailing ethical b…
Shiny Happy People: Ready for Martyrdom? (#339) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:36
In today's episode, I'm diving back into the deep end with theologian and philosopher of science Sarah Lane Ritchie for part two of our response to the Shiny Happy People docuseries, focusing on episode two's unflinching…
Shiny Happy People: Did You “Acquire the Fire”? (#338) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:34:10
I'm joined again by my dear friend Sarah Lane Ritchie, theologian and scholar of science and religion, for the first of three episodes responding to the new season of Amazon's Shiny Happy People docuseries. This season s…
The "Middle Path" in Politics & Purity Culture (#337) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:41
Dan kicks off the episode with a new segment, Top of Mind, focused this week on former President Obama’s entry into the discourse around struggles currently faced by men and boys in the US and elsewhere: education, menta…
A Boyhood Spiritual Experience & Great Religious Films (#336) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:43
In this special "after hours" episode, I dive deep with my friend Chase Willett into the surprising abundance of religious and spiritual themes running through the New York Times' list of the 100 greatest films of the 21…
Are the Deconstruction Podcasters Okay?! (#335) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:00
A spiritual sequel of sorts to episode #330 on youth pastors, I’m joined by Casey and Sam from the Growing Up Christian Podcast to explore their experiences as ex-vangelicals and the evolution of their faith and show. Th…
The Science of Social Connection (#333) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:16
I chat with journalist Julia Hotz about her book The Connection Cure: The Prescriptive Power of Movement, Nature, Art, Service, and Belonging. Julia introduces me to the fascinating world of "social prescribing," where h…