This podcast will look at the course and development of the Orthodox Church, its struggles with heresy, the empire, and relations to other Christian bodies.
Dr. Cyril Jenkins and Ancient Faith Radio
Building off of last week's episode, Dr. Jenkins continues discussing the preconditions of the schism, the geographical, cultural, historical, and linguistic concerns that fed into the schism, though certainly didn't create it. The links for the two conferences this Fall with the St. Basil Center. https://tinyurl.com/Doxamoot2025 https://tinyurl.com/OrthEd2025 Byzantine course: https://tinyurl.com/LuxchristiByzantium To subscribe to The Rule of Faith: https://stbasilcotc.org/journal/
Prompted by thoughts on the ecclesiology of Pope St. Gregory the Dialogist, this episode begins a long discussion of the history of the schism: what it is, what's involved, and how it happened. The links for the two conferences this Fall with the St. Basil Center. https://tinyurl.com/Doxamoot2025 https://tinyurl.com/OrthEd2025
Dr. Jenkins begins a discussion of the power and prerogative of the bishops of Rome, looking at the second-century Quartodeciman controversy over the date of Pascha. This controversy marks the first interaction of the bishops of Rome with the Churches of the eastern Mediterranean. Byzantine course: https://tinyurl.com/LuxchristiByzantium
Finishing his look at the Rule of St. Benedict, this week Dr. Jenkins explores how St. Benedict's vision of the monastic life came off the rails and morphed into something he had no intention for in the centuries following his death in the Latin west. Dr. Jenkins on Byzantine Empre: https://tinyurl.com/LuxchristiByzantium
Dr. Jenkins continues his look at St. Benedict, this episode focusing on the goal of the monastic life, the attaining of God. For the Byzantine Course: https://tinyurl.com/LuxchristiByzantium
This episode Dr. Jenkins continues his look at St. Benedict's Rule treating the place of the Abbot, his authority, duties, and obligations, and most importantly, the place he holds in St. Benedict's monastery. For the Video of the Benedictine Monastery: https://tinyurl.com/BenedictineOrthodox For the Audio Book on St. Patrick: https://tinyurl.com/StPatrickAudio For the Audio Book on Eusebius's Ecclesiastical History: https://tinyurl.com/EusebAudio And for the Byzantine Course: https://tinyurl.com/LuxchristiByzantium
For St. Benedict, that most necessary thing a monk could do was pray, what he called the work of God (Opus Dei), adn this episode Dr. Jenkins unpacks exactly what that looked like in a Benedictine monaster. For the Video of the Benedictine Monastery: https://tinyurl.com/BenedictineOrthodox For the Audio Book on St. Patrick: https://tinyurl.com/StPatrickAudio For the Audio Book on Eusebius's Ecclesiastical History: https://tinyurl.com/EusebAudio And for the Byzantine Course: https://tinyurl.com/LuxchristiByzantium
Dr. Jenkins continues his investigation of Latin monasticism by at last turning to the man most responsible for its shape, St. Benedict of Nursia. You can find Dr. Jenkins course at https://tinyurl.com/LuxchristiByzantium
This episode Dr. Jenkins concludes his discussion of early Irish Christianity but noting some possible links between the the earliest Irish Christians and influences on them that semm peculiar to eastern Mediterranean. For Dr. Jenkins new course on Byzantium: https://tinyurl.com/LuxchristiByzantium For Connie Marshner's Monastery and High Cross: https://tinyurl.com/MonasteryHighCross
This week Dr. Jenkins continues his discussion of the life of St. Patrick speaking, inter alia, about his confrontations with the Druids. On the Byzantine Course: https://tinyurl.com/LuxchristiByzantium
Dr. Jenkins continues his investigation of western Monasticism by looking at the life of St. Patrick of Armagh (Ireland). Though a monk, St. Patrick is better known for his missionary work among the Irish, a people who once had been his masters.
This episode, beginning our podcast's fourth year, Dr. Jenkins begins our look at monasticism in the Latin west.
This episode Dr. Jenkins looks at the beginnings of monasticism in Asia Minor, with whom we rightly associate St. Basil the Great, but who was inspired by the wayward Eustathios of Sebastea.
This episode Dr. Jenkins continues his survey of the history of early monasticism, looking at the several monastic communities of anchorites and hermits that made up the world of Egyptian monasticism.
Dr. Jenkins continues he discussion of the history of monasticism. This week Dr. Jenkins looks at the shift in monasticism that the introduction of Pachomius's early fourth-century reforms entailed.
St. Pachomius called St. Antony a pattern for those who pursued the life in the desert. This episode Dr. Jenkins unpacks what this means.
"Christian discipleship is one of leaving the world and following Christ. This episode Dr. Jenkins explores how the Church in the shadow of Martyrdom became the Church of monasticism, and why this shift was not as great as it might seem."
A cold has seized Dr. Jenkins, and so we have but an abbreviated version of Path to the Academy this week. You should however, read St. Ignatius of Antioch's beautiful Epistle to the Romans, as it will be discussed next week. You can find it here: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/richardson/fathers.vi.ii.iii.iv.html
Why do we have monks? Why do we have laity? Shouldn't all seek to lay aside all earthly cares all the time? This episode Dr. Jenkins explores the place of "simplicity" in the Christian life, both lay and monastic and how this informs the life of the desert. Fr. Patrick Reardon interview. https://tinyurl.com/FrReardon Are We All Cyborgs discount. https://tinyurl.com/cyborgsreduced
This episode Dr. Jenkins begins looking at Orthodox Monasticism and the question of the search and pursuit of God.
The "Three Chapters" caused real consternation among Latin Christians, and embroiled the duplicitous Pope Vigilius for years in a game of cat and mouse with the ever-exasperated Emperor St. Justinian. This episode Dr. Jenkins details how this issue was resolved in the 5th ecumenical council.
This episode Dr. Jenkins jumps into the deep, muddy, and at times turbulent waters that comprise the world of the Ecumenical councils, how the Church in the fifth and sixth centuries inchoately seemed to understand them, and how we should think about them.
Dr. Jenkins dives into the Christology of the Emperor St. Justinian, who, though not an original thinker, full grasped the theological currents of his day, and his writings set down the path the Church would follow in Her understanding of the Union of Christ in the One Hypostasis of the second Person of the All Holy Trinity.
This episode, abbreviated for the American holiday, Dr. Jenkins begins our look at Emperor St. Justinian.
The Cyrillian Defense of Chalcedon 2: Leontius of Jerusalem Description: Leontius of Jerusalem was the foremost of the defenders of Chalcedon in the early sixth century who showed how the council was not only faithful to Cyril, but the only way to understand Cyril. Links: Pelikan, Bach, Tolkien Lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdYpFTQc3FM&t=1060s Rule of Faith subscription: https://stbasilcotc.org/journal/
Mrs. Wolfe, author, inter alia, of Sasha and the Dragon, and Patterns for Life, introduces us to the incredible world of Charlotte Mason, the late 19th - early 20th educator who saw the formation of the soul, and not just the creation of factory workers, as the true goal of education. Laura explores how this world fits into Orthodox paideia, and is so suitable for homeschoolers especially.
Dr. Joshua Moritz of Chrysostom Academy tackles the nagging rumor that science and faith are two different systems that have nothing to do with each other, pointing out that most of the great scientists of centuries past were confessing Christians, and many of them Orthodox, whose faith was integral to their work.
Mr. Heitzenrater, Headmaster of Chrysostom Academy, explores what exactly an Orthodox school looks like, how it will differ from other schools, and why it is not merely the same old curriculum with some prayers added.
This week Dr. Jenkins looks at three defenders of Chalcedon and touches on a fourth, and treats their varied approaches to the question, each of which aims to show that Cyril of Alexandria was a Chalcedonian.
Dr. Chris Perrin of Classical Academic Press and Scholé Academy begins the conference introducing us to the rich heritage of Paideia that comes to us from our Saints and Tradition, and what this heritage entails.
This episode Dr. Jenkins looks at some of the main defenders of Chalcedon, and how they could sometimes be more a hindrance than a help in the defense of the Faith.
This week Dr. Jenkins explores why the Church found itself in such chaos following the Council of Chalcedon, and how under the emperor St. Justinian a resolution was advanced that answered matters not addressed by Chalcedon without undermining it.
This episode Dr. Jenkins covers the ecclesio-political struggle over Chalcedon, especially during the reign of Anastasius I after the death of Zeno in 491.
This episode we continue our look at the Council of Chalcedon and its aftermath. Dr. Jenkins discusses the emperor Zeno's attempt to heal the schism in the East by his political sleight of hand called The Henotikon: an effort to bridge the gap created by those who rejected Chalcedon by asking them to ignore it.
This episode, Dr. Jenkins continues looking at the Council of Chalcedon and its aftermath, focusing on the two decades of bitter unrest that followed as the schism over Chalcedon develops.
This episode Dr. Jenkins begins looking at the variegated and often troubled relationship between the Church and the empire, and how this relationship played a key role in the shape the history of the Chalcedonian and monophysite controversy.
This week we look back at what we've covered, but more so at what the future of the podcast entails with regards our study of the division between Chalcedon's defenders and detractors. Orthodoxy and Education: https://tinyurl.com/OrthodoxEducation
This episode Dr. Jenkins looks at the ways that the Latin Church talked about the economy or dispensation of the Incarnation, and what this means for its language about the realtionship of the human and Divine in the Incarnation. Orthodoxy and Education: https://tinyurl.com/OrthodoxEducation
Dr. Jenkins continues his study of the Council of Chalcedon, looking at how the fathers of the council labored to address both Nestorius and Eutyches all the while staying true to St. Cyril's single subject (but dual nature) Christology. Orthodoxy and Education: https://tinyurl.com/OrthodoxEducation Dr. Jenkins new website with the Atheism course: luxchristi.co/ (note, not .com)
This episode Dr. Jenkins formally begins the Council of Chalcedon, looking at the main actors and also the two fundamental questions facing the council.
This Episode Dr. Jenkins looks at the council of Ephesus of 449, its background, its consequences, and why it is called the Robber or Brigand council (from the Latin, latrocinium). Orthodoxy and Education: https://tinyurl.com/OrthodoxEducation Dr. Jenkins new website with the Atheism course: luxchristi.co/ (note, not .com).
While the Church held St. Cyril as a standard for Orthodoxy in the same way it did St. Athanasius, divisions still emerged over an understanding his language. This episode Dr. Jenkins looks at how this all started, and how the Church persisted in the doctrines enshrined at Ephesus while refining its understanding of St. Cyril's language. Orthodoxy and Education: https://tinyurl.com/OrthodoxEducation Doxamoot 2024: https://tinyurl.com/Doxamoot24 Dr. Jenkins new website with Atheism course: luxchristi.co (note, not .com).
The period between the Council of Ephesus (431) and the Council of Chalcedon (451) laid the groundwork for the controversy of the latter. St. Cyril's explicit use of a single-subject Christology that at the same time embraced the two natures of God Incarnate, still sought a precision of terminology that was only gradually being developed. Orthodoxy and Education: https://tinyurl.com/OrthodoxEducation Doxamoot 2024: https://tinyurl.com/Doxamoot24 Dr. Jenkins new website with Atheism course: luxchristi.co (note, not .com).
Dr. Jenkins explores how St. Cyril of Alexandria reconciled with John of Antioch and mend the schism brought about in the Church over the condemnation of Nestorius.
The conflict between St. Cyril and Nestorius culminates in the Council of Ephesus that not only vindicated St. Cyril's single-subject Christology, but canonized his second letter to Nestorius as a standard for understanding the Creed, and which letter became the basis for the definition of Chalcedon...but that's for a few weeks from now. Orthodoxy and Education: https://tinyurl.com/OrthodoxEducation Doxamoot 2024: https://tinyurl.com/Doxamoot24 Dr. Jenkins new website with Atheism course: luxchristi.co (note, not .com).
Dr. Jenkins continues looking at the history of the Council of Ephesus, and how both St. Cyril and Nestorius had cause for both optimism and alarm as the council approached. Orthodoxy and Education: https://tinyurl.com/OrthodoxEducation Doxamoot 2024: https://tinyurl.com/Doxamoot24 Dr. Jenkins' new website with Atheism course: luxchristi.co (note, not .com).
Continuing our study of the Nestorian controversy, Dr. Jenkins looks at the expansion of the dispute and the issues the propelled it out of Constantinople and across the Mediterranean to Rome and Alexandria. We shall also see St. Cyril's first entrances into the controversy and his keen focus on the issues involved. Orthodoxy and Education: https://tinyurl.com/OrthodoxEducation Doxamoot 2024: https://tinyurl.com/Doxamoot24 Dr. Jenkins new website with Atheism course: luxchristi.co (note, not .com).
Having looked at the heretical Christology of Nestorius, this week Dr. Jenkins wades into the deep but wonderful waters of St. Cyril's doctrine of the Incarnation, looking at why St. Cyril believed that our salvation was at stake in the questions dividing him from Nestorius.
What did Nestorius teach that struck St. Cyril of Alexandria as heresy? This episode Dr. Jenkins tackles the theology of Nestorius, archbishop of Constantinople, and how it was he came to the conclusions he did.
Constantinople seemed always an event, either coming, happening, or going. In the years before the Council of Ephesus (431) the city, reeling still from the deposition and exile of St. John Chrysostom, now faced a new challenge with the arrival of an Archbishop, Nestorius, at odds with the life and thought of the most influential elements of the city. This episode we get into the details.
Constantinople seemed always an event, either coming, happening, or going. In the years before the Council of Ephesus (431) the city, reeling still from the deposition and exile of St. John Chrysostom, now faced a new challenge with the arrival of an Archbishop, Nestorius, at odds with the life and thought of the most influential elements of the city. This episode we get into the details.
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