5 Questions with Bruce Feiler

5 Questions with Bruce Feiler

June 18, 2026 · 37 min

About this episode

Bruce Feiler joins Paul Ollinger to discuss his new book on rituals and their significance in modern life.

Thanks very much to Bruce Feiler for joining me on the 5 Questions livestream to discuss his new book A Time to Gather: How Ritual Created the World—and How it Can Save Us . In this upbeat and positive conversation, Bruce and I discuss: • What came first, ritual or religion? • Why SEC football tailgating fits the definition of ritual • How Balinese tooth-filing ritual has much in common with modern Western dental customs • Why so many New Yorkers are jumping on the Knicks bandwagon (including someone’s wife who shall remain nameless) Subscribe to Bruce’s ‘The Nonlinear Life Substack and to Paul’s Reasonably Happy Substack. Get full access to Reasonably Happy at words.paulollinger.com/subscribe

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