Mysterion

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Two friends. Two pastors. Two theologians explore the greatest questions of life and the mystery of God. In each episode, Dr. Wes Arblaster and Dr. Ethan Smith probe a question of spiritual life in conversation with Scripture and figures from the first 1000 years of the church. In the process th…

Mysterion


    • Apr 4, 2022 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 51m AVG DURATION
    • 79 EPISODES

    5 from 39 ratings Listeners of Mysterion that love the show mention: great, wes and ethan, mysterion.



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    Latest episodes from Mysterion

    March 29 Class

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2022 81:06


    Ignatius: My Love is Crucified

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2021 52:18


    Wes and Ethan explore the famous line of Ignatius's and discuss the relationship between worldly desire and the love of God.

    Psalms and Commandments: The Unity of Scripture

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2021 27:39


    Ethan reflects on the practical and spiritual use of the Psalms and divine commandments in spiritual life. He ends with a brief theological exposition on the unity of Scripture.

    Ignatius of Antioch on the Sound of Silence

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2021 39:20


    Wes explores the relationship between sound and silence in the spiritual theology of Ignatius of Antioch.

    Love in a Time of Apocalypse

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2021 45:52


    Wes and Ethan explore Ignatius's teaching on silence and stillness in the face of death and the end of the world. Ignatius points us to Christ's silence as manifest in the Gospels and urges us to be temples of this silence so that we might be capable of love.

    Ignatius of Antioch Beyond the Authority of Death

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2021 53:26


    Ethan and Wes discuss Ignatius of Antioch as a living exposition of the teachings of Paul the Apostle.  That is to say, Ignatius writes as one living beyond the fear of death.  This he accomplishes through actively taking up his cross in his journey to martyrdom.

    St. Ignatius of Antioch: An Introduction

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2021 36:57


    Wes and Ethan introduce the new season and St. Ignatius of Antioch. They discuss how Ignatius can provide a hopeful posture towards our own mortality.

    When You Don't Love God

    Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2021 49:32


     Wes and Ethan end the season by exploring what Origen has to say about the love of Christ and our struggle with it.

    The Fragrance of Holiness

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2021 48:05


    Wes and Ethan explore Origen's account the fragrance of the Holy Spirit in the Song of Songs.

    The Experience of Spiritual Reading

    Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2021 46:42


    Wes and Ethan examine Origen's reading of the first verses of the Song of Songs as a guide to spiritual reading.

    Singing the Songs of Scripture with Origen

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2021 30:21


    Wes explores Origen’s treatment of the 7 songs of Scripture as marking our spiritual journey toward God.

    Origen reads Solomon's Sex Poetry

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2021 51:39


    Origen shows how the Song of Songs is not simply bizarre erotic poetry, but central to revealing the relationship between Christ and the soul and church.

    Scholarly Special: Nathan Gilmour on Ways of Reading

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2021 72:47


    Nathan Gilmour joins Mysterion to discuss ways of reading Scripture from antiquity to our modern period.  Along the way they touch on everything from Aristotle to Dante to Walter Brueggemann.

    What is the Resurrected Body?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2021 48:45


    Wes and Ethan explore Origen's view of the resurrection and how it includes the church and the whole cosmos.

    Triumphal Entry: Scripture, Savior, and the Soul

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2021 48:05


    Wes and Ethan explore Origen's interpretation of Christ's entry into Jerusalem as also His entry into the human soul.

    The Priority of Christ

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 29, 2021 27:50


     Ethan follows Origen's lead in a meditation on the radical priority of Christ in theology, Scriptural reading, and spiritual life. Along the way he let's Origen challenge our modern assumptions about how to identify God.

    Is the Word God? Why?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2021 50:24


    Wes and Ethan discuss Origen's profound reflections on "the Word was with God and the Word was God."

    In the Beginning...Jesus

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2021 52:59


    Wes and Ethan allow Origen to lead them through John 1:1, revealing the ways in which Christ is "the beginning" and "the Word."

    Origen as Interpreter // Priest and First-fruits

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2021 49:26


    Ethan and Wes begin Origen's commentary on John by discussing the role of the interpreter of scripture.  Origen's view, they suggest, is surprising and fruitful.

    Why Origen?: His Life and Legacy

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2021 48:28


    Wes and Ethan open the season by introducing Origen, the church Father who will be leading us through the Gospel of John.

    Fr Seraphim Aldea on the Celtic Saints and the desire for God.

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2021 54:37


    Ethan and Wes interview Fr. Seraphim Aldea, orthodox monastic and founder of Mull Monastery in Scotland, about the Celtic Saints and desire for God.

    Trinity and the End of All Things

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2020 57:41


    Wes and Ethan explore the relationship of the Trinity to the full and final coming of the Kingdom of God. They consider both our relationship to the End and it's implications for our spiritual lives.

    A Bittersweet Symphony: Trinity and Creation, Pt. 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2020 58:25


    Wes and Ethan explore creation as glory and symphony.  In it they learn our redemption is nothing less than the Spirit transforming our groans into glorious praise.

    Trinity and Creation: Intelligent Designer?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2020 59:16


    Wes and Ethan contrast the picture of creation as a piece of technology with a picture of creation as words spoken in the eternal Word.

    Hot Topics: Faith and Salvation

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2020 50:11


    Wes and Ethan answer listener questions about faith, works, and salvation as well as preview an upcoming season on Scriptural interpretation.

    The Trinity and the "Mostly" Dead

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 28, 2020 59:40


    Wes and Ethan examine how through Christ and the Spirit the life of the Trinity invades and overcomes the kingdom of death that we carry in us in our everyday lives.

    Trinity and the Cross: Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2020 57:17


    Wes and Ethan discuss how the cross is a revelation of the life the Trinity according to the Scriptures and Church Fathers.

    The Trinity and the Cross

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2020 59:01


    Wes and Ethan ask how does Christ's suffering reveal the Triune life of God?

    Who is the Holy Spirit?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2020 60:59


    Wes and Ethan explore the Gospel of John and discover that the Holy Spirit is a personal actor cooperating with Christ for our salvation.

    Is God a Person? Is God 3 People?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2020 54:45


    Wes and Ethan discuss the way in which God is personal. In the process, they discover what it means for us to be persons.

    Rublev's Holy Trinity and the Eucharist

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2020 57:39


    Wes and Ethan explore the Trinitarian dimensions of the Lord's Supper through reflecting on Rublev's icon of the Holy Trinity.

    The Mystical Body of Christ: An Interview with Dr. Timothy Gabrielli

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2020 53:23


    Ethan interviews a special guest scholar about the theology of the church and Christian Life.

    BIBLICAL CONTRADICTIONS? Trinity and Truth

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2020 55:06


    Wes and Ethan discuss what the Trinity has to do with reading the Scriptures.

    Maximus the Confessor: An Interview with Dr Paul M. Blowers

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2020 61:00


    Wes and Ethan discuss Maximus the Confessor with international patristics scholar Paul M. Blowers

    Worship: It's Not What You Think It Is!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 27, 2020 49:35


    Wes and Ethan explore how the Spirit draws us into the life of the Trinity by gathering us for worship. John's vision of the eternal throne in the book of Revelation is explored in detail.

    Baptism UNVEILED!!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2020 52:15


    Wes and Ethan trace Trinity in baptism.  By exploring Matthew and Ezekiel they find baptism to be our entrance into God’s triune life.

    Your theory of the Trinity sucks.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 13, 2020 44:22


    Wes and Ethan dive into the problems of most theologies of the Trinity.  By looking to Gregory Nazianzen they lay out the grounds for a better approach.

    Our Hearts Prepared: A discussion with Gene Saunders

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2020 59:41


    Ethan, Wes, and Gene discuss how to prepare our hearts to encounter Christ through humility. 

    Scripture and Spiritual Depths

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 9, 2020 60:14


    A special guest joins Wes and Ethan as they continue to explore St. Isaac's homily 1.

    St Isaac the Syrian, Homily 1.

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2020 49:23


    Wes and Ethan dive into week 1 of Lent by exploring St. Isaac on the fear of God and faith.

    What is Prayer? Pt 2: Prayer of the Heart

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2020 54:44


    Ethan and Wes discuss the Jesus Prayer, Prayer of the Heart, and prayer as incense before the Lord.

    What is Prayer?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2020 54:57


    Ethan and Wes discuss the nature of prayer and the importance of prayer practices for Lent.  They also explore the relationship between prayer and personal transformation.  

    Why Fast? Pt. 2: Mysterion goes goth!

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2020 50:26


    Wes and Ethan discuss the relationship between Lent, fasting, and death. They explore the role of fasting in finding freedom in our relationship with weakness, pain, and mortality.

    Why Fast? Pt. 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2020 50:39


    Ethan and Wes explore the issue of fasting during Lent.  Why do it?  What should we expect?  And what should we avoid?

    What is Lent? With Fr. Silviu Bunta

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2020 53:54


    Ethan and Wes ask Fr. Silviu about the history, practice, and purpose of Lent.  In this discussion we learn more about fasting, Lenten observance, scripture, and the practice of humility.

    The Hour of Christ and Mary

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2020 54:01


    Wes and Ethan explore the character of Mary in the Gospel of John. They discover that her apparent insignificance is the sign of her sharing in the glorious life of her Son.

    Mary and Eve

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2019 51:29


    Wes and Ethan explore the Scriptural and Patristic accounts of Christ's relation to Adam and Mary's to Eve.

    Church, Our Mother

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2019 56:56


    Ethan and Wes tackle the biblical image of Church as Mother through reading Galatians 4 in the manner of the Fathers.

    A Scholarly Special - Archbishop Alexander Golitzin joins Mysterion

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2019 54:01


    World-renown patristic scholar Archbishop Alexander Golitzin discusses how the Fathers and Scripture mutually illuminate each other.

    God-Bearers by Faith

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2019 48:54


    Wes and Ethan take an in-depth look at Galatians and discover what it means to become a God-Bearer.

    Mary, What's the big deal?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2019 46:53


    Ethan and Wes discuss  the history of Christian devotion to Mary in light of the Scriptures.  In it we take the first steps into understanding who she is and who she isn't.

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