Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What if religion, philosophy, mysticism, and spirituality are not separate boxes, but interwoven ways of responding to the meaning crisis?
In this excerpt, John Vervaeke and Ethan Hsieh introduce Zen Neoplatonism as a way of bringing the two ends of the Silk Road into dialogue. John explains that Zen represents one of East Asia’s great integrations, while Neoplatonism forms a spiritual backbone running through Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and pagan philosophy in the West.
The conversation moves through mysticism, philosophy as a way of life, spirituality, religion, syncretism, and the problem of treating religious traditions as pure or self-enclosed. Rather than founding a new religion, John frames Zen Neoplatonism as a framework for helping people better perceive, apprehend, and appreciate the advent of the sacred in response to the meaning crisis.
Full video:
youtube.com/watch?v=9qVLqLg49Pg
Join the full course Between East and West
lectern.johnvervaeke.com/courses/between-east-and-west
If you would like to donate purely out of goodwill to support John’s work, please consider joining our Patreon.
patreon.com/johnvervaeke
John Vervaeke:
johnvervaeke.com
twitter.com/drjohnvervaeke
youtube.com/@johnvervaeke
patreon.com/johnvervaeke
What if religion, philosophy, mysticism, and spirituality are not separate boxes, but interwoven ways of responding to the meaning crisis?
In this excerpt, John Vervaeke and Ethan Hsieh introduce Zen Neoplatonism as a way of bringing the two ends of the Silk Road into dialogue. John explains that Zen represents one of East Asia’s great integrations, while Neoplatonism forms a spiritual backbone running through Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and pagan philosophy in the West.
The conversation moves through mysticism, philosophy as a way of life, spirituality, religion, syncretism, and the problem of treating religious traditions as pure or self-enclosed. Rather than founding a new religion, John frames Zen Neoplatonism as a framework for helping people better perceive, apprehend, and appreciate the advent of the sacred in response to the meaning crisis.
Full video:
youtube.com/watch?v=9qVLqLg49Pg
Join the full course Between East and West
lectern.johnvervaeke.com/courses/between-east-and-west
If you would like to donate purely out of goodwill to support John’s work, please consider joining our Patreon.
patreon.com/johnvervaeke
John Vervaeke:
johnvervaeke.com
twitter.com/drjohnvervaeke
youtube.com/@johnvervaeke
patreon.com/johnvervaeke
