Podcasts about Coptic church

Fr. Kyrillos Ibrahim- Homily for the Feast of the Lord's Entry into Egypt. The Feast of the Lord's Entry into Egypt presents several imitable virtues of the Holy Family, along with a unique blessing for Egypt and the Coptic Church. A look at the Monastery of El-Muharraq and the contemporary saint, Fr. Theophilus El-Muharraqi. Click the icon below to listen.

Dr. George Doss gives the 3rd talk in a series concerning the saints of March with St. Pishoy Kamel Dr. George gives us the historical context, especially that surrounds the history of Alexandria and its revival before jumping into Fr. Pishoy's life and his impact on the modern history of the Coptic Church in Alexandria and abroad, while also sharing his personal memories with Fr. Pishoy.

Dr. George Doss gives the 2nd talk in series concerning the saints of March with Pope Shenouda III. Dr. George gives us the historical context before jumping into Pope Shenouda's life and his impact on the modern history of the Coptic Church and how his impact continues to be seen today.

Dr. George Doss begins a series on the saints of the month of March with St. Pope Kyrillos VI. Dr. George gives us some historical context before jumping into Pope Kyrillos' life and his impact on the modern history of the Coptic Church.

Fr Mina jumpstarts this week's Bible study by recounting the life of Pope Kyrillos the Sixth. Mocked and belittled in the eyes of laymen and clergy yet by his prayers the Coptic Church was saved after a great period of darkness and ignorance. His holiness and closeness to God was not realized until he was on his deathbed about to be welcomed by our Savior into His kingdom for his faithfulness over his service. This week's Proverbs verses and Fr Mina's commentary on it guides us through how we are like the ignorant who does not value holiness in disguise.

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Friday morning, the 13th of December, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start off in the Book of Job 13:15. And Job says: (Even)”Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” Unconditional surrender! It's not a case of, “Lord, I will serve You if You give me that.” No, unconditional surrender! Then we go to the Book of Daniel and this is when the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, was threatening Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego, and saying, “If you do not worship the god that I made out of gold, we will put you in a fiery furnace and this was their response in Daniel 3:18: “But if not, (if the Lord will not rescue us)…”But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” Oh folks, that is boldness! The Coptic Church in Egypt, those people are so in love with the Lord Jesus Christ, that they take it as a great honour if they die a martyr's death. Remember those 22 Coptic Christians that were working in Libya, when they were caught by ISIS? They were marched down to the Mediterranean Sea in orange uniforms with one man behind each one of them in a black suit with a sword, and they were told to deny their faith in Jesus Christ, and they could live. Not one of them relented. Not one of them said, “Okay, I won't, I will go back to Islam or whatever it was.” No - they said, “We love Jesus.” They weren't bishops, they weren't reverends or evangelists. They were working men. They died for their faith. When we get to Heaven, they will be sitting very close to the throne of Jesus Christ. Then one of my favourites, an old father of the church, you have heard of him before - Polykarp. Polykarp, was the Bishop of Smyrna. He was 86 years old. They took him to the theatre where they were going to burn him at the stake and the soldiers who came to arrest him said, “Look, just deny the name of Christ and we will let you live old man, and you can live peacefully in your old age.” He said, “Never,” He said, ”For 86 years the Lord has never once failed me. How can I betray Him now?” And they took him to the Proconsul, who was the representative of Caesar of Rome, and the Proconsul said to him, “Do you know who I am?” He said, “Yes, I know exactly who you are. You are a son of the devil!” How is that for boldness? And they burned him at the stake. I want to say to you today, you and I need to serve Jesus Christ unconditionally. Jesus bless you, have a wonderful day,Goodbye.

In this episode of Let Me Be Frank, Bishop Frank Caggiano and Steve Lee reflect on their Thanksgiving experiences, discuss the significance of Advent and the Novena to the Immaculate Conception, and emphasize the importance of listening in evangelization. They explore the biblical meanings of the numbers 12 and 40, the rules surrounding the bread and wine used in Mass, and Bishop Frank shares what he would ask Pontius Pilate. In this engaging conversation, Bishop Frank answers more listener questions, ranging from the significance of Easter to the historical context of the Coptic Church and the authorship of the Gospels. They delve into the symbolism of the sign of the cross, the reasons behind Jesus' crucifixion, and the traditions surrounding the chalice veil during Mass. Their discussion culminates in Bishop Frank's reflection for the second week of Advent.   

  In the September 29, 2024 episode of The Interpreter Radio Show, our hosts are Martin Tanner and Mark Johnson. They discuss Come, Follow Me Book of Mormon lesson 43, the Temple on Mount Zion Conference, the Coptic Church, and responding to critics. You can listen to or download the September 29th broadcast of the […] The post Interpreter Radio Show — September 29, 2024 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

St. Mary The Simple Dove. The Coptic Church recently started the St. Mary's Fast. A lot of churches around the world started her revival. so join us. Gospel Reflection (Luke 20:9-19)

General Meeting

In today's show Dr. Anders explains the practice of Sortes Biblicae, talks about an experience in a Coptic Church, sentimentality in prayer and more.

In today's show Dr. Anders explains the practice of Sortes Biblicae, talks about an experience in a Coptic Church, sentimentality in prayer and more.

QA Session @ The Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church - Hong Kong ~ June 20, 2024

Lecture @ The Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church - Hong Kong ~ June 20, 2024

Have you ever considered the miraculous power of the Gospel message as it transcends borders, languages, and opposition? In this episode, we talk about the profound influence of Christian media in the Arab-speaking world through the compelling experiences of Farid Garas, the Senior Director of THE KINGDOM SAT satellite television and internet channel – a media outreach of Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef.Farid's narrative is not just about spreading the Gospel; it's a journey of overcoming adversity, embracing his identity in Christ, and changing lives in a region where broadcasting Christian content can defy expectations and alter eternity.Embark on a captivating journey with Farid, a man who once questioned Christianity but now plays a pivotal role in shaping Christian media in a region where such content has often faced significant obstacles. His encounters with authorities, far from deterring him, only reinforced his commitment to his faith and mission, making his story a testament to the power of unwavering faith in Christ.Through this conversation, Farid highlights the strategic use of drama, film, and satellite television to spread the Christian message, reaching out to believers and those searching for Truth in tumultuous times. He discusses the growth of THE KINGDOM SAT, its impact, and the continuous efforts to foster a connection with the audience through live broadcasts and digital platforms.This episode not only delves into Farid's personal and professional life but also provides a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in media and ministry. Through their resilience and dedication, Farid and THE KINGDOM SAT team offer hope to millions in the Middle East, demonstrating the transformative potential of faith-based media in the face of adversity.To ask Jonathan a question or connect with the Candid community, visit https://LTW.org/CandidFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/candidpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/candidpodTwitter: https://twitter.com/thecandidpodTRANSCRIPT:This transcript recounts Candid Conversations with Jonathan Youssef Episode 251: Broadcasting Hope: Farid Garas.[01:28] JONATHAN: Today we have a special guest, an in-house guest here at Leading The Way. Farid Garas is the senior director of the Kingdom Sat. The Kingdom Sat is our 24/7 satellite channel for the Arab-speaking world, taking biblical teaching and different types of programming through satellite television and internet to the Arab-speaking population. He has become a good friend and I am so honored to have him joining us on Candid Conversations. Farid, thank you for joining us.[02:06] Farid: Thank you, Jonathan, and I would say congratulations. This is the first podcast after being Dr. Jonathan Youssef. So congratulations. It's an honor to be with you.[02:16] JONATHAN: Well, it's an honor to be with you. And you are doing some doctoral work yourself. And we can get into that a little bit later for those who are listening, you're from Egypt. Tell us a little bit about growing up and your life story and then we can transition into how you got into broadcast ministry. [02:39] Farid: Yeah. I feel I am a minority of the minority, an evangelical Christian in Egypt. And that was a great blessing. I didn't like it in the beginning, feeling that minority I'm not like everyone else, but it was great. My father was a scientist. He studied science, and he didn't like all the Christian religious ideas at that time, talking mainly about the traditional Coptic traditions or Christian traditions. And he always thought that those Christians are cheesy and he didn't like that. So his two sisters invited him to a Christian conference, and he said, “Okay, I'll go. But after the first day I will not like it and I will go back home.” So he tried to flee from the conference three times, and those good Christians would go after him and bring him back.[03:42] JONATHAN: Kicking and screaming.[03:44] Farid: Yeah. So God grabbed his attention through Bible study, and also because of the witness of those Christians that went after him. He discovered that those Christians are really good people. They are professionals. They are not cheesy. They are very intellectual, they are funny, they are successful. So he was attracted to God by the witness and the Bible study. The following year, after studying the Bible for one year, he became very excited about this paradigm shift that God allowed him to go through just by knowing the Lord, and he led the conference the following year. He invited eighteen people from his family, young people, and long story short, they all became Christians. They confessed … they gave their lives to the Lord.[04:36] JONATHAN: Were they from a Coptic background? [04:41] Farid: Yeah, they are nominal Christians, mainly. And many of them are leaders in the Christian ministry now. And he played a great role in my life, not just by the Christian teaching, but by his example to me. And he showed me it was a balance between unconditional love and discipline. And it's like your father played a great role in your life, and that prepared me to know the Lord more and to be ready for ministry.[05:14] JONATHAN: Yeah, yeah. So tell us a little bit about your upbringing. Your father's obviously grown into leadership roles within the Christian community, the evangelical community. You're grown up in a covenant home, where you've heard the Word taught. Tell us a little bit about your faith journey.[05:37] Farid: Yeah. So my father and mother brought us in a church setting and in a covenant environment, and they prepared us to hear the word of the Lord in house and also in church. But as a teenager, even a kid in an evangelical church, you get to hear the salvation message more than one time. But one time I remember, and the teacher has related with me, it was a play about the end of days. And the last line in the play, the main character talks to the audience and says, “What if Jesus came today? Are you going to be here or there?”And of course, it was so dramatic. And so I went home and couldn't sleep. I was thinking of all the events of that day. Is my life really Christian? Am I up to the standard that God accepts? And do I enjoy His redemption just because I want to get released of the … get out of … get out of hell?[06:50] JONATHAN: Yeah, sure. Get out of hell.[06:53] Farid: If only that reason, not relationship. So I couldn't sleep, thinking about all these things, and I had to go to the school the following day. I was so tired. So I came back after the school, had a nap, woke up, found I'm home alone; nobody's home. So I thought, “Uh, oh.”[07:14] JONATHAN: It's happened.[07:16] Farid: Yeah. So this was one of the times that God not only grabbed my attention I think He was preparing me for how media ministry could be a tool in evangelism and in Christian life.[07:34] JONATHAN: So the impact of that performance left a mark on you that you wanted to continue to build upon that.[07:44] Farid: Yes. After that, I was becoming like a dedicated Christian. Okay, I need to study the word. I need to practice all these things. And as a result for that, I was invited by the Christian religion teacher, in the middle school, to talk. We have those Christian classes. They separate Muslims and Christians, each group in one class, and there is a curriculum, but he would finish the curriculum and then ask me, “Okay, Farid, tell us what you think about this.”Mainly, I'm the only evangelical. He wanted to know what those evangelicals say, so I would share. And then mostly it went all right, apart from one of my colleagues who was very rigid, very extreme, and he would say all those things, “Oh, you evangelicals say this.” “Oh, you say that.” And long story, but it ended up that we became best friends and he gave his life to the Lord. We used to study every night together and so on. And after he became Christian, he has these leadership qualities and he became also excited. And together we started this evangelistic drama team. This drama team grew very fast because it was very effective. We wrote our own plays, we performed in churches, in youth meetings. Even we started our like independent Christian theater festivals. Like we would do three plays in three nights, and it was very well received. Like most of the nights we find that we have double the number of audience, so we need to perform twice and so on. And we even came here to Atlanta in 1996, during the Olympics, to help in evangelistic campaigns for the Arabic speakers.[09:59] JONATHAN: Wow. I don't know what to call it. The drama bug had been captured and you're seeing this as a tool for evangelism, for outreach even internationally., I think you start to recognize that this is only a small stage. Explain to us how the doors opened up to having a bigger reach and a bigger audience.[10:30] Farid: Yeah, the drama bug is only like a tool in evangelism. And in the Christian media I've been for many years, you would find like two extremes. One extreme you would find some very interesting, exciting but shallow content. On the other side you can find very good, deep teaching, very sophisticated, spiritual, biblical but sometimes boring. [10:57] JONATHAN: This is through television medium.[10:59] Farid: Yeah. And the theater and radio. So, I mean what was special about this team that God showed us how He could use the good content, because the gospel is the core. And when we started presenting the gospel in the drama tool that would communicate to people in our age, we found that it needs to be like this formula. We cannot let one play to be just popular because it's funny. And we found that God is growing the work.So it started with theater, then we started to do some radio with TransWorld Radio, like doing drama on radio and so on. And we went to television. You know in Egypt in those years, early, until early 90s, there's no Christian content available for public audience, even Christians. We are 10 to 15 percent. But the national television would allow a Christian Mass only on Christmas, so it's like one hour per year.So we said, okay, how can we break into television? And it was hard. There was no way. So we tried to read books, practice, and we started like drama schools. We don't know anything, but we start inviting people to teach us. And I wanted to study more about media like in a professional way, so I saved money, worked for eight years, then came here to the States, studied digital filmmaking school, did some internship. Then went back to Egypt, completed more studies, did the diploma in film production and directing in the American university.[13:00] JONATHAN: So your heart was always to go back to Egypt. Yeah.[13:03] Farid: Yes. I mean, it was very good over here. I studied in Hawaii, then internship in San Diego. The goal is to do ministry, so I went back to Egypt and completed this study, which allowed me to be part of the cinema syndicate and also to have my own production house. So it all started from just the first play that introduced me to the Lord, and then it continued to do more. Now I have to do more work for the mainstream media and the Christian. And this production house was very successful. God gave me favor in my vendors and producers and it went fast because mainly I learned here in America a different style than the Egyptian national television. Minimum crew doing quality work in a different way. Of course, technology and so on. And I got the hands-on experience. So I had still the main goal was to do ministry using media, but I was able to fund the Christian work from the secular work I used to do—mainly corporate videos, advertisements and documentaries and so on. So they complemented each other. And it grew like for 2003 to 2009 like for six years.[14:44] JONATHAN: Wow. Wow. Sort of paint a picture for us. What does it look like, up to that point, before there's television broadcasts, evangelistic broadcasts being allowed in the country? What did sort of radio and drama team, what does that kind of penetration into the population look like? [15:07] Farid: I mean, you could easily say there is none official media for Christians. They would allow some official magazine or newspaper from the Coptic Church and some from the evangelical, but mainly they would be accepted only in a church setting. So there is no mass media, no radio. So we had Christian radio, TransWorld Radio, that was being broadcast from—[15:40] JONATHAN: South of France, yeah. Monaco.[15:41] Farid: So you could only receive it at like 10:30 PM to 11:30 PM, and you have to be in an area where there's not a lot of buildings and so on. It was a great blessing. Many people knew the Lord from it. But it didn't serve the mass, those true seekers—Muslims, Christians, nominal Christians. So that was the case until '96 when Christian satellite was there as a technology. The government didn't allow it, but it was there.[16:16] JONATHAN: So that's kind of your introduction into the television world in terms of Christianity.[16:24] Farid: Yes. I mean, it's now available. Can we break into that? After the study and this production house, I was able to share in lots of production. And before that, God had prepared me with working in dubbing Christian media, like Jesus Film, VeggieTales, Super Book, as an actor. And it was a great experience.[16:55] JONATHAN: And where were those being broadcast?[16:58] Farid: In one of the production houses that actually it's like a Christian place but also recognized as a production house. So I got some training in that, and when the satellite started, I was one of the first ones that were ready to do a part.[17:19] JONATHAN: So let's kind of move the timeline forward as Christian media is now being produced. And at what point does the government allow satellite broadcasting?[17:35] Farid: You know they didn't allow it because satellite is broadcasted from abroad. So in order to stop it, they had to stop all the bouquet of channels, so they couldn't do that. So it first started on one of the satellites that was Europe-based, but if you have a big satellite dish and receiver, you could receive it at home. And it's different than here in America. I mean, satellite in the Middle East is free to own. So you just spend maybe $15 or so to have a device recorder and you receive about two thousand channels. So among them are one Christian channel, so if the government wants to stop, they have to stop everything, so they couldn't. [18:31] JONATHAN: Right. There'd be too much backlash. [18:48] So let's fast-forward. It's 2009. You're very busy. Tell us a little bit about what's going on in that year.[18:57] Farid: Yeah. It was a very important year. At that time, I was busy doing production with different now-Christian satellites. They are more than one now and I already started as a part time in one of the satellite ministries out there and at the same time I was having my production house. And I read a book in one of my visits to Europe and America about Muslim testimonies. You never read those in Egypt, so I thought maybe I should film some. I was naïve. I didn't know everything is like under surveillance. So I had this studio in my production house. I was doing lots of projects, but this one I said, okay, I need to be careful just in case, so I'll do it in a secret environment.But it wasn't. So I filmed those testimonies and the following day I started to get visits from the national security. And the way it was done, it wasn't like—they didn't come and say, “We are the national security. WE want to investigate those Christian projects.” No. First they would send like one department of some kind of police, checking the social security or checking the telephone or electricity.[20:40] JONATHAN: They were spying on you.[20:42] Farid: They were—I mean, in Egypt, I mean, not all the businesses would have all the papers right. So the plan was to find something wrong to make a case against this office without saying it's religious, just to keep the face for the media in the West. So they didn't find anything wrong. It took like five weeks, several visits. So the last one they said, “Okay, there is a censorship case against you.” Usually, those are copyrights or not using original software, which is very common in Egypt. But my software was original. I had no violations. But the case was still there. And then the national security officer called me in his office. I mean, before all that happened, God prepared me. I had this shooting day with kids at 9:00 AM. [21:45] JONATHAN: Filming, yeah.[21:46] Farid: Yeah, it was prepared and everything is in place and I had a dream or vision that I woke up early, like 5:00 AM, very alert with this impression that an officer or someone from the security will come and ask about me. And I knew this was from the Lord because it came with a sense of peace. It should be scary because I know what could happen.[22:17] JONATHAN: Yeah, right. And you've got a wife and kids and—[22:20] Farid: Yeah. It's … So I started praying, like reading the Bible and committing the day to the Lord, and I met my friend and production manager at 7:00 AM. I said I had this dream, so I smiled and he said, “What do you want to do? Do you want to cancel shooting today?” I said, “No, no. But if the officer came, please call me outside not to scare the kids.”And we started at 9:00 AM filming. Everything went all right until 3:00 PM I got the visit. They mainly told me “There is a warrant against you. Come to the national security office at 11:00 PM” at night. That's like usual part of the environment you're put in. And at that meeting, the officer confronted me. “Why are you filming those infidels?” according to the apostate law, they were Muslims, now they are Christians, they are supposed to be under this apostasy law. Apostasy law in Islam if someone left Islam he's supposed to be executed. It's not applied in Egypt, but the concept is there, so it's not allowed by the families or by the regime or—[23:45] JONATHAN: Right. It's an intimidation factor, yeah.[23:47] Farid: Yeah, for the what they call the public peace and so on. And he said, “Why did you do that?” I said, “I'm a professional director and filming what they have to say.” And he said, “Yeah, but tell me how much would you take, I see you produce a lot of Christian content.” I said, “Yes.” He said, “Okay, this Christian music video,” it's all like a lot of content from my production house. “How much do you take like to produce one?”I said, “Yeah, like one thousand pounds.”“Okay, what if you do like a music video, secular, mainstream one?” He said, “How much would you take?”I said, “I will be like about fifteen.” “Fifteen thousand to one thousand. So why would you choose to do the Christian work?”I said, “I'd like you to watch one of those music videos, secular ones. Would you be happy to show them to your family, to your kids? I want my family to be proud about what I present.”And he said, “Okay, why did you film those testimonies or stories. For them it's like disaster.”I said, “They … I mean, according to the constitution, we have freedom of speech, right?”“Oh yeah, okay.” And he said, “Okay, do you have license for the production?”I said, “Yes.” And he started asking questions, and we ended up having a case of censorship. And I asked the lawyer at that time, “Okay, why is it censorship. I had nothing wrong.”He said, “Yeah, because it's national security, it's classified. They cannot declare it.” And this lawyer was a Muslim. He said, “We're going to win this.”So God placed that lawyer after like four different lawyers, and that lawyer took maybe five months to one year, I think, until the case was resolved. And it was what was so-called Arab Spring, the revolution.[26:00] JONATHAN: Yeah, the people will remember watching that footage back at 2011 and the revolution in the streets and the overthrow of Mubarak and then somewhat of an election that took place afterwards, yeah.[26:18] Farid: Yes. And during that time, the case was released. And actually they had confiscated two of my editing machines. One of them had my first Christian evangelistic feature film footage and the other one had the backup, so it was unfortunate. I have many other agents witness, but then God really gave us favor in getting those back after all the police stations were burned and somehow God kept those editing suites and the footage, and this film was released and it was even screened here in America. It's an evangelistic movie about an immigrant who thinks that he's persecuted because he's Christian. He doesn't know that his problem is he doesn't have this relationship with God. So he comes here to America and finds that there is another set of challenges, and then he gets to know the Lord and then his life starts to take a positive turn and that film was here in cinemas in I think 2012 and it was shown in five states who have heavy Arabic-speakers population. [27:46] JONATHAN: Well, this wasn't your only run-in with the Egyptian authorities. You continue to produce content and then you find yourself in a similar situation—a worse situation. [28:02] Farid: Yes. Now I have a file. [28:06] JONATHAN: That's right.[28:22] Farid: Yeah, during those years, God made a great awakening in Egypt after the revolution. It was both religious, ritual, biblical and also political for young people especially. And there was not a lot of control at that time, so a lot of ministries were able to go out and do more. One of them was this Christian satellite that I was part of, and God gave us a chance to do things we never were able to do before, like this prayer night, twelve-hours prayer gathering, around 35 thousand. That's like first time in Egypt. And they were gathered at the Cave Church, praying from night to morning, because police were not there. Usually, police does not allow this in the name of security and also—[29:25] JONATHAN: I mean, just for context, this is after the election of—remind me his name.[29:34] Farid: Sisi?[29:35] JONATHAN: No. Before Sisi. Morsi. So this is after the election of Mohammed Morsi.[29:41] Farid: No, this was in 2011.[29:42] JONATHAN: In between. Okay, so this is after Mubarak has been sort of deposed.[29:52] Farid: Yeah. I mean, the army was in control at that time, but there was no president, so there was some more freedom.[29:59] JONATHAN: So there's these all-night prayer meetings taking place in this Cave Church.[30:04] Farid: Yeah. This was 11/11/2011, and it was a great night because it was from all non-official Christian leaders gathering together. And a lot of people, a lot Christians—and Muslims—gathered. Because of all what was happening, people were praying, “God, we need you in this country.”And the satellite ministry I was in broadcasted that live. We experienced a lot of trials for interruption, but God miraculously allowed us to be alive. And a lot of the mainstream media were shocked to see what was happening with the number of people, the prayers for peace, including Al-Jazeera channel. So they called me and said, “Can we have your feed?” And I said, “Sure, of course.” [31:01] JONATHAN: You said 35 thousand people gathered.[31:03] Farid: Yes. [31:04] JONATHAN: I mean, that's just hard to imagine.[31:07] Farid: So a lot of these events took place, a lot of production, a lot of live programs on satellite, and people were all the time looking at news and they really were looking for hope. They lost trust in the government, they lose trust sometimes in their religious leaders, and they were looking for Jesus. And we presented the hope of Jesus Christ through satellite ministry. So the regime came back in 2014 and another case was—I mean, the same scenario happened again. They came to the satellite ministry office, confiscated the machines, like a lot of people, I think there were eleven, twelve people, and they were looking for me. It was the weekend and I wasn't there, so they called me. I went there and then direct to jail, to a case of five charges, very serious charges.[32:12] JONATHAN: Each of them carried the penalty of fifteen to twenty-five years.[32:15] Farid: The minimum. The minimum one of them. And of course, they were false accusations, but in those cases, it doesn't matter.[32:29] JONATHAN: Justice may not prevail.[32:30] Farid: Yeah, it was serious, but the team members started praying, and actually many prayers around the world started because this time it was this Christian ministry, so it was well known. When this happened in 2009 in my office, nobody knew because it's like my private thing. But now many people started to pray. But it wasn't the only case at that time. I mean, the regime started to be back and there was a message through different things. Okay, the regime is back, everything needs to be back now in law and order according to our system. So those who took more freedom politically, they need to go back to their borders, to their limit. Christians who have been talking and doing a lot of ministry, no, they need to stop.[33:25] JONATHAN: Restricted freedoms, yeah.[33:28] Farid: Islamists need to do the same. So they closed a lot of Muslim channels and they had many cases against activists and the revolutionists. And this was the biggest satellite ministry, so this was like a statement that no one needs … everyone needs to go back to the original setup. You should know your limits. Don't evangelize Muslims, don't get too involved in politics and so on. So this case was very serious, and I got very scared. Just I remember in jail that night just thinking. I read the law, and it seemed like I'll not go out. And just thinking of my three kids and my wife and said, “Lord, what is going to happen?” I got really … it's like a panic attack what would happen.And the other prisoner that was in the same cell had smuggled a cell phone, so he said, “Yeah, do you want to talk to your family?” I said, “Yes.” “Okay, I'll give you a call. Let them transfer $15 for each minute.”So I called my wife, and she said, “We're praying for you.” And my eleven-years daughter said, “We're praying for you and I want to share with you the verse from Joshua, ‘Be courageous and be strong.'” And it communicated to my spirit.In the first case, my wife was afraid. She used to walk in the streets with the kids, holding her passports in her case because it was so scary with all those visits. But this time, I was scared, she was confident, and she encouraged me. And my daughter, my kids, at that time they were very young, but somehow God gave them peace, although I was in jail.And miraculously, God resolved this case. And you won't believe this, Jonathan, but all the cases that were initiated at that time are not resolved till today.[36:02] JONATHAN: Except for yours.[36:03] Farid: Yeah. It was a miracle. I can tell you details, but it was a miracle by the hand of God. And yeah, so I—Actually, it was a very special testimony for me during those times. I was released from jail, but the case was still there, so I had a conversation with God. And I said, “God, I am scared. I think it's time to flee the country.”And I felt in my spirit God is saying no. I said, “Why, God? There are biblical escapes. Joseph and Mary and the baby. Could this be one?”[36:46] JONATHAN: Peter, Paul.[36:47] Farid: Yeah. Can you let me go? How do I face those charges? There was no way this case is going to be resolved. And God asked me one question. He said, “Do you believe what you present on screen, or this is separate from you actually?”[37:08] JONATHAN: Is your faith in the thing that you stand behind as a broadcast, yeah, yeah.[37:13] Farid: “Is it only for commercial or is it real? Do you believe I can resolve this no matter what laws are there, no matter what situation?”And I met with my mentors, I prayed with my wife, and I spent time with the Lord the same night, and I ended up saying, “God, I'm yours and I have peace to stay and I am not afraid but I trust you will take care of this, whatever happens.”And I returned the flight ticket I had booked. Actually, my wife said, when I said that, she felt like I'm under a lot of pressure. She said, “Yeah, you can buy a ticket and we have twenty-four hours to return it for free.” And I returned the ticket and it took those five months of investigations, visiting court and all that, but it was resolved. And I spent a few more months in the same ministry and I felt it's time to move on and I felt, okay, I need now some time to pray and see what is next. I had confidence through prayer and through checking with my leaders that it is time for me to move on. But I stayed until God said yes and got the blessing of the leaders and family and all that. And I became independent now, not knowing what to do, and spent some time to pray and ask God what's next.[39:02] JONATHAN: And what was next? You had a special introduction, you read a book, you read another book.[39:12] Farid: Yeah! You know I was in a trip in 2014 while being very busy with my production house and our satellite ministry, so in that trip to Lebanon, I had some free time at night. I finished meetings and I selected a book from the library, and it was Dr. Youssef's book, Trust and Obey. And I couldn't stop reading it until I finished it, because I could resonate with him. And now I know Dr. Youssef from satellite, I know his faithfulness to the Word of God, but I don't know him as a person. I mean, I know him as a minister, as a speaker. So his testimony in Trust and Obey was very fascinating for me. I could visualize what he was telling in his book about his upbringing and all his stages he went through, because of course, my journey was much shorter, different, but I could understand a lot of what he was saying from being there in this culture that he was brought in.And I said this book should be filmed sometime, I mean this testimony. But I have no way of doing that. And so it took two years, and now I am free after 2016. I now have no job. I went to Germany, where my wife's family are having ministry there, and we stayed there a few months to pray and seek God, and then I got an invitation from Joshua Youssef. “Why don't you come to help us at the Kingdom Sat?”I said, “I just moved from Egypt to Germany. I'm not sure what's coming.”He said, “Yeah, pray about it and maybe you can start on a contractor basis, as a consultant.”So I said, yes, that seems good. I prayed about it, of course, and I started coming here to the Kingdom Sat, Leading The Way, and started coming every month for one week or so. And after six months, I had total peace about it and I said, “Yes, Joshua, if you still feel there is a place for me.”He said yes. I met with Dr. Youssef, of course, and they took around one more year to do the visa work and so on, and then I came and joined Kingdom Sat. That was in 2017.[41:46] JONATHAN: Tell us about Kingdom Sat. For our listeners who maybe aren't familiar, broadcasting started in 2009, you joined the team in 2017. Who does it reach? Where does it go? What's the fruit that's being borne from it?[42:07] Farid: Yeah, the Kingdom Sat is a vision of Dr. Youssef. God gave him the vision in 2004, and it took five years in the making because he wanted to have a solid, biblical channel that broadcast the best of the east and the best of the west in terms of Bible teaching. And God used Maged Atalla, my colleague, to start this. He's an engineer. He made a great foundation following the vision of Dr. Youssef and a lot of partners who came together with Dr. Youssef to present their content on the Kingdom Sat that's being translated into Arabic. So this was a big part of what's being broadcasted on the Kingdom Sat, along with selected Bible teachers from the Middle East as well.So it was a great foundation. So I came on a great foundation on a time where social media was coming, live broadcast was being introduced more and more, and when I joined, Joshua asked me, “What proposal do you have for the Kingdom Sat? What do you think?”And I presented a proposal and mainline I met with him and Dr. Youssef and said, “This is what I think. I think Kingdom Sat is a great channel, but it's more like radio. If you turn the screen off and only listen, you don't lose anything. We have a great tool. We can present visuals. We can do more. So I think it's great, but one of the things that we need to do is doing more formats, more genres. We need to reach more people—especially those who are underprivileged like women, kids, young people in the Middle East. And we need to reach out to the non-Christians. He said, “Yeah, this is our vision.” And actually Dr. Youssef said, “Yeah, actually we made a survey and this is what we reached.” And he quoted one of the friends in Egypt. He told them “the Kingdom Sat is like a big, huge, elegant department store, but you enter and you found only navy blue suits, size 42.”And he laughed at that and they said, “Yes, we want to do more.”And I started working on that, like different lines like having broadcasting live, like have live broadcasts, especially from Church of the Apostles. And this was a continuation for the people in the Middle East to know what's this vision. Who is Dr. Youssef? Who is Jonathan? Who are those singers in the Church of the Apostles? And I think that made a great connection, especially with those who don't have churches, like in Nigeria or those places—[45:25] JONATHAN: Where you're isolated and—[45:27] Farid: And they write on Facebook when we broadcast live. For example, when you're preaching they would say, “Oh Jonathan, God bless you and God bless your father. God bless the church,” as if they are there in the church. And in the communion time, they will talk “We don't have a church, so we're taking communion with you now. We're praying.”And the first time in Easter 2018 it was the first time to do live, God encouraged us by two Arabic speakers in the Middle East giving their lives to the Lord. So it was encouragement so we started that once a month, then during the COVID time, we started to do it on a regular basis. So it's a great blessing to have these live broadcasts. And we started to introduce a lot of digital platforms, like Apple TV, Roku, Smartphone application. We updated the website and streaming. So we started to add more genres, add more partners from the west and east, so a lot of things happened.And today the Kingdom Sat reaches 260 million households in the Middle East, and they receive this ministry for free. And anyone with an internet connection can receive the content of the Kingdom Sat.[46:47] JONATHAN: And let's talk a little bit about the follow-up process, because you have people that are standing by phones to answer calls. What are some of the questions and feedback that you get from the broadcast?[47:03] Farid: A lot of viewers are very true seekers, even those from Muslim background, and they are faithful. They really seek God. So they send questions, sometimes in a provoking way, sometimes attacking, but they keep watching. They will attack one time, and then the field team would respond to them in a graceful way and helping them, so they would come back, watch again, and raise another question. And we have great testimonies of those viewers that only watched by chance the Kingdom Sat, they watch some program, and they would keep interacting with us until they become Christians, they commit their lives to the Lord, and they get baptized. Then they join an online study group for discipleship or we would connect them with a local church. So this is one type of persons, those true seekers. And as I said, it changes from very extreme attackers to true seekers that are ready to accept Christ.And the second persona we serve is the new believers. Some people knew the Lord through the Kingdom Sat or online or somewhere else but they don't have a place to grow.[48:37] JONATHAN: They need discipleship, yeah.[48:39] Farid: Yeah, and not to compare, but the Kingdom Sat is very distinct about presenting biblical teaching, solid. Other ministries would present this shallow content that we spoke about. So that's the second persona, like new believers. Third persona is mature believers who are in ministry, for example, and they want to grow, they want to learn. And some of those viewers would write, for example, in YouTube, “I am watching the series so-and-so for Dr. Youssef. Where is episode number 15? I want to finish it tonight!”[49:19] JONATHAN: We're on top of you. That's right.[49:21] Farid: So they are the three main personas. There are subcategories, but we have a great field team that is dealing 24/7 with any viewer who has a question or he wants a prayer request or they ask even other, general questions.[49:39] JONATHAN: And what's the risk for those people that are on the ground, field team workers? I mean, you're working in a hostile environment. It's not like you're in Oklahoma fielding calls. You're in the thick of it.[49:54] Farid: That have the same risk I faced. And yeah, I mean, but again what I experienced. They are also in the protection of God. But they could be charged, they could be persecuted, detained, or all this could happen in an indirect way by the community, by their families. But this doesn't stop them. Most of those in the field team are coming from a Muslim background, have theology degree, so that's their life goal, their vision.[50:39] JONATHAN: Well Farid, your story is just … it's fascinating to me the beginning with the drama, you coming to the West, coming to America, then going back, facing the adversities, then coming back here and now you're presenting on a global stage the very thing that led you to the Lord. And we're just so thankful for the work that you do and the work of the Kingdom Sat. And we're so grateful that you took the time to sit with us and share your story here on Candid Conversations. Thank you for being with us.[51:13] Farid: Thank you, Jonathan. It's an honor to be here, and it's great to be in the kitchen how things are done here. And I see the hand of the Lord every day in this, in your family, in the ministry of the Church of the Apostles, Leading The Way, and it's God work and I'm very grateful to be here.[51:35] JONATHAN: Well, we're grateful for you. Thank you, Farid.[51:36] Farid: Thank you.

In this episode:Major backlash following Pope's Ukraine commentPope bounces back after bronchitis Coptic Church cutting ties with Vatican over gay blessings?Pope visits controversial Belgian bishop11 years of Pope FrancisSupport the show

Today, one Black man's work to connect his faith to his community, and to his fallen leaders. When your path to Islam means walking in the footsteps of Black Revolutionaries. Then, an Oakland artist takes on the issue of sex trafficking, inspired by her faith. And, we get a lesson in an ancient language.

Craig sits down with Shelby Standley to discuss carpentry and how he recently installed some large Egyptian carpentry pieces in a local Coptic Church here in Houston.  If you're looking for some incredible pieces reach out to Shelby at: 907-342-2510 cadeaucarpentry@gmail.com www.cadeaucarpentry.com  

Christianity has a long and fruitful history in Egypt, and when witnesses reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary at a Coptic church in Cairo suburb of Zeitoun in 1968, thousands of people came to see. Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli discuss what happened there and whether the apparitions were genuine. The post Our Lady of Zeitoun (Egyptian Apparition, Coptic Church) appeared first on StarQuest Media.

Christianity has a long and fruitful history in Egypt, and when witnesses reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary at a coptic church in Cairo suburb of Zeitoun in 1968, thousands of people came to see. Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli discuss what happened there and whether the apparitions were genuine.

This is part 21 of the Early Church History class. In the fifth century Christians waged a theological civil war that ended in a massive church split. The issue was over the dual natures of Christ. How was he both divine and human? Did he have a human soul and a divine soul? Did his two natures fuse into one new nature? Although such abstruse distinctions would hardly get anyone's blood boiling today, these doctrinal distinctives resulted in a zero sum war for supremacy involving not only theological argumentation, but also political conniving and outright gangster tactics in the battles that led to the famous Council of Chalcedon in 451. Though church history textbooks often whitewash this period of theological creativity, this episode will give you a brief but unapologetic overview of the major players and their deeds in the dual natures controversy. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKQafdCPXAk&list=PLN9jFDsS3QV2lk3B0I7Pa77hfwKJm1SRI&index=21&pp=iAQB —— Links —— More Restitutio resources on Christian history See other classes here Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Notes —— Options for Two Natures Athanasius (c. 357) affirmed Jesus as God and man but did not explain how the natures united. He called Mary Theotokos (God-bearer). Apollinarius of Laodicea (d. 382) said the Word became flesh without assuming a human mind (Apollinarianism). Gregory of Nazianzus (d. 390) condemned Apollinarius and said that what God has not assumed, he has not healed. Eutyches of Constantinople (380-456) said the divine and human natures combined to form one new nature (Eutychianism/Monophysitism) Nestorius (c. 429) denied Mary as Theotokos, calling her instead Christotokos, and allegedly taught that Christ had two distinct natures in two persons (Nestorianism/dyophysitism). Leo I said Christ had two natures united in person, though the two natures remained distinct (Chalcedonian dyophysitism). Condemning John Chrysostom John Chrysostom represented the Antiochene school of thought (as opposed to the Alexandrian). 397 Chrysostom became bishop of Constantinople. Eudoxia, wife of the emperor Arcadius, worked with Theophilus of Alexandria to depose Chrysostom. 403 Synod of the Oak deposed Chrysostom. 404 Chrysostom exiled. 407 Chrysostom marched to death Condemning Nestorius 428 Nestorius became bishop of Constantinople. He immediately began persecuting “heretics” as a defender of orthodoxy. 429 Anastasius of Antioch preached in Constantinople that no one should call Mary Pulcheria, sister of emperor Theodosius II, worked with Cyril of Alexandria to depose Nestorius. 431 1st Council of Ephesus deposed Nestorius. Condemning Flavian 446 Flavian became bishop of Constantinople. 448 Held a synod that interrogated and condemned Eutyches 449 2nd Council of Ephesus reinstated Eutyches and condemned Flavian. Dioscorus of Alexandria instigated violence against Flavian that resulted in his death. Known to history as the “Robber Synod” Chalcedon 450 Theodosius II fell from his horse and died, leaving Pulcheria, his sister the nun, to marry Marcian, the new emperor. 451 Marcian and Pulcheria called the council at Chalcedon to reverse the 2nd Council of Ephesus and depose Dioscorus. Pope Leo's tome was read and accepted. After much debate, they codified the definition of Chalcedon, declaring Mary as Theotokos and Christ as having two natures in one person. When Nestorius read Leo's tome, he agreed with him and called it orthodox. Several important groups of churches, both Nestorian and Monophysite, rejected Chalcedon, including Egypt, Ethiopia, Armenia, Syria, and Persia. Review Deciding how the divine and human natures worked in Christ became the chief focus for many Christians in the fifth century. Apollinarius of Laodice proposed that the logos (Word) replaced the human mind, the rational part of the soul, in Christ (Apollinarianism). Eutyches proposed that Christ was one nature after the union of the divine and human (monophysitism). Pope Leo I said the two natures retained their distinctive characters in the one person of Christ (dyophysitism). Nestorius allegedly taught that the two natures in Christ were not united in one person (Nestorianism), though this was probably a misrepresentation of Cyril of Alexandria. Powerful Alexandrian bishops worked with powerful empresses to outmaneuver and depose Constantinopolitan bishops John Chrysostom in 404 and Nestorius in 431. Nestorius tried to steer people away from calling Mary Theotokos (God-bearer) by calling her Christotokos (Christ-bearer), but this offended many. Alexandrian bishops from Theophilus to Cyril to Dioscorus increasingly used gangster tactics to intimidate, coerce, beat, and even kill their theological-political opponents. The Chalcedonian definition of 451 condemned Nestorius and Eutyches while endorsing Cyril and Leo, promoting a diophysite statement of two natures in one person, united but not confused. Though trumpeted as "orthodox", Chalcedon alienated a huge portion of Christianity, including the Coptic Church, Ethiopian Church, Syrian Church, Armenian Church, and Assyrian Church.

Former Freemason and author of tell-all books exposing secret societies — from the Illuminati to the Jesuits — Leo Lyon Zagami beams in for episode 102 of the Far Out with Faust podcast.  Leo is an Italian-born writer and researcher, whose work has gained notoriety from pioneers like David Icke and Alex Jones.His grandfather was Senator Leopoldo Zagami, a Sicilian politician who was also a known historian and author, who married into the aristocratic family of the Marquis de Gregorio. Leo's mother, Jessica Lyon Young, is a member of the family of the Queen Mother of England. Her father, Henry Lyon Young, was also a writer.Zagami (aka Leo Young) is also well-known and renowned in the media and music industry as a record producer, but he gained global notoriety in 2006, because of his direct involvement and knowledge of the New World Order and Secret Societies often referred as the “Illuminati.” His writings rose quickly and gained attention from people such as David Icke, for its accurate and evidence-backed inside information. Leo was featured as the protagonist of a highly successful documentary made by Alex Jones in Rome, called “Demonic Possession Of The Vatican Exposed.”Between 2009 and 2013 Zagami began publishing books in Europe and Japan based on a variety of subjects that range from the history of secret societies and the Vatican to geopolitical matters concerning the New World Order. He's contributed and collaborated on books dedicated to exposing the secretive world of Vatican Freemasonry. His multi-volume series in English is available on Amazon. Leo travels around the world giving conferences and has recently relocated with his wife to California after suffering political persecution for his work in Italy.On this podcast, Leo is connecting all kinds of conspiratorial dots, centered mainly on the relationship between the Jesuits, the Vatican, and various secret societies throughout the ages. These two are delving into topics like:-The history of the Jesuits — how they got started and how they became part of the Catholic Church -The relationship between the early Jesuits and the eastern religions-What really happened to Napoleon? Was he an enemy of the Illuminati?-How does culture influence tragedies like school shootings? -Is David Icke actually anti-Semitic?-Who are the Sabbatean Frankists?-What is cyber Satan and how does it relate to AI?-What do the Jesuits have to do with Klaus Schwab and the WEF?-How is Pope Francis related to the Great Reset?-How are the Jesuits and the Rosicrucians related?-What is the “secret” 4th vow of the Jesuits?-Who are the occult groups who have infiltrated Freemasonry? Hint: they're Satanists-How is the Philosophical Society related to the Third Reich?-Who was John Dee (the original 007) and who was he fighting?-How did the Vatican come to power?-How could James be the brother of Jesus?-What does the Coptic Church tell us about Jesus and Christianity?-What happened to the idea of reincarnation in early Christianity?-What is the relationship between Pagan and early Christian traditions and beliefs?-What kind of deal did the Mormons make with the Vatican?-Who is the Black Pope and what is his current and historical role?Check out Leo Lyon Zagami's books on Amazonhttps://www.amazon.com/Books-Leo-Lyon-Zagami/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3ALeo+Lyon+ZagamiConnect with LeoWebsite: https://leozagami.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHLs2vy3GKHrBDG0q6_FFNQFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoZagami888#Podcast #CatholicChurch #Vatican #SecretSociety #Occult

Listen to the Sun. Jan. 8, 2023 special edition of the Pan-African Journal: Worldwide Radio Broadcast hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire. The program features our PANW report with dispatches on the African National Congress (ANC) 111th anniversary commemorations in the Republic of South Africa; Zimbabwe has emerged as the agricultural powerhouse of the continent setting records for grain production inside the country; Egypt's Coptic Church has celebrated the Orthodox Christmas in the North African state; and the government of Ivory Coast welcomed the release 49 soldiers previously held in neighboring Mali. There has been an attempted coup in the South American state of Brazil aimed at removing the recently inaugurated President Lula da Silva. In the second hour we look back on the 60th anniversary of the Birmingham Civil Rights Movement during 1963 and its impact on the mass character of the African American struggle. Finally, we listen to the speech of Republic of South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa at the 111th ANC anniversary rally.

The word of the Lord to St. Ephraim: "Ecumenism has a spirit of wickedness and is dominated by unclean spirits." Demetrios Tselengidis, professor of dogmatic theology at the University of Thessaloniki, writes of his experiences with St. Ephraim of Katounakia: So I asked him on the matter in hand - if he could tell me what kind of thing Ecumenism is. He replied outright and without any difficulty: "This question, my child, had also been posed by someone else, some time before you. I myself have been up here on these rocks for forty years... I have even forgotten my Greek (note that he had completed Middle School) and as such, I haven't preoccupied myself with that issue. But, because I had to reply – seeing that I had been asked about it, and since I had no knowledge of the matter - I went to my cell and prayed, asking Christ to inform me what Ecumenism is. I received His reply, which was that Ecumenism has a spirit of wickedness and is dominated by unclean spirits." So I asked him exactly how that was verified. He replied that "after praying, my cell became filled with an unbearable stench, which caused my soul to feel asphyxiated; I couldn't breathe spiritually." I asked him if that had been an extraordinary event for him, or if that was the way that Christ responds in analogous cases, and he assured me that "in all the cases that are involved with sorcery, with unclean spirits, that is the state in which He enlightens me. Sometimes there is a spoken response, but in the present case, that was His answer and I have the absolute certainty that Ecumenism does not have the Holy Spirit, but the unclean spirit." Read the full account from Professor Tselengidis here: https://orthochristian.com/93492.html Photo in the thumbnail is of an Ecumenical Prayer gathering at Sts. Peter and Paul's Coptic Church in Cairo, Egypt in 2017. Featured at this gathering was Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria, Pope Francis of Rome, Coptic Pope Tawadros II, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and more: https://www.ecupatria.org/2017/05/01/ecumenical-prayer-in-egypt-for-peace-and-unity/ Many canons condemn prayer with the heterodox, among other expressions of the heresy of ecumenism. Apostolic Canon 45: “Let a bishop, presbyter, or deacon, who has only prayed with heretics, be excommunicated: but if he has permitted them to perform any clerical office, let him be deposed.” A useful starting point to understand the heresy of ecumenism is the 1983 ROCOR condemnation of ecumenism, added to the Synodikon read on the Sunday of Orthodox in Great Lent: "Those who attack the Church of Christ by teaching that Christ's Church is divided into so-called “branches” which differ in doctrine and way of life, or that the Church does not exist visibly, but will be formed in the future when all “branches” or sects or denominations, and even religions will be united into one body; and who do not distinguish the priesthood and mysteries of the Church from those of the heretics, but say that the baptism and eucharist of heretics is effectual for salvation; therefore, to those who knowingly have communion with these aforementioned heretics or who advocate, disseminate, or defend their new heresy of Ecumenism under the pretext of brotherly love or the supposed unification of separated Christians, Anathema!" Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/orthodox-wisdom/message

Larry Stalley is a prolific author on the Shroud of Turin, mainly focusing on topics such as the hidden references to the Shroud during the era of the early Church. Many of his papers can be found on Shroud.com and Academia.edu, a few notable ones being "The Shroud of Turin Served as a Tabernacle During the High- Priestly Ministry of Jesus" and "Are There Veiled References to the Shroud of Turin in the New Testament? An Exegetical Summary of Select Texts". Larry even has a paper translated into Arabic by the Coptic Church in Egypt. In addition to his articles, his research and findings can be found at http://incredibleshroud.com/ (incredibleshroud.com) on the Authenticity page.  Subscribe to Spotify or Apple Podcasts to listen each week. New episodes are uploaded every Thursday-Friday. Want to learn more about author Guy R. Powell? Check out the socials below: Website: www.guypowell.com Instagram: @guy.r.powell Facebook: @AHistoryOfTheShroudOfTurin Email List: https://guypowell.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=27f4c87d37aa36fffdca695f3&id=6857bf7051 Connect today to unlock the mysteries of the Shroud of Turin.

The Outer Realm Welcomes Guest Kevin Dermot O'Doherty, and he will be discussing his book “Secrets of the Egyptian Nag Hammadi" , a book loaded with knowledge on Gnosticism, Demonology ETs, Human Genesis and much more. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE BOOK My book is an analysis, re-translation and revision of two of the books of the Nag Hammadi library found in Egypt in 1945. They are late antiquity texts that have escaped any modification. The book is aimed squarely at those with an interest in Gnosticism, demonology, ETs, human genesis, and the true origins of modern divinatory tarot. It will also gratify the interest of those dissatisfied with the orthodox religious and scientific models. This fresh approach counters the sterility, confusion and, dare I say it, derision that is offered by orthodox scholars whose interests in them, if any, lie against them and, further, ignore their warnings and messages to mankind. That is why this book will sell. It offers clarity to those willing to persevere. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kevin Dermot O'Doherty was born in Liverpool, England. He first became interested in the Nag Hammadi Codices (NHC) in 1997 following a BBC documentary which featured the origins of the Coptic Church in Egypt. Like many who encounter them, he found the NHC writings almost unfathomable but felt the need to reveal their strong and relevant messages for modern mankind. Invisibly guided, he embarked on a literary journey to unlock their secrets. Kevin (formerly West) laid the foundation for the understanding of these texts through his forty-two years' experience as a Spiritualist medium and healer. His comprehensive knowledge and ability in the fields of psychic and spiritual science have helped him bring clarity to what these texts say and teach. He was a Spiritualist church president in Waterloo, Liverpool, UK, for many years but is no longer attached to any religion or organization. He is also a multi-award-winning filmmaker with many hours of broadcast experience to his credit, including managing a TV studio. He was a regular on Liverpool's City Talk FM as an esoteric pundit. He holds two black belts with the World Ju-Jitsu Federation Paperback available on Amazon. All other formats to quickly follow, i.e. Ingram/Spark, Kindle, Audio Book. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secr.../dp/B0B86SNBR9/ref=sr_1_1... The Psychic & Spiritual Awareness Manual – A Guide to DIY Enlightenment (2014) Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kevin.west.3956690 https://www.youtube.com/user/WFPCo/videos Twitter @KevinODoherty8 Instagram Kevin Dermot O'Doherty If you enjoy the content on the channel, please support us by subscribing: Thank you All A formal disclosure: The opinions and information presented or expressed by guests on The Outer Realm Radio are not necessarily those of the TOR Hosts, Sponsors, or the United Public Radio Network and its producers. We will however always be respectful and courteous to all involved. Thank you, we appreciate you all!

The Outer Realm Welcomes Guest Kevin Dermot O'Doherty, and he will be discussing his book “Secrets of the Egyptian Nag Hammadi" , a book loaded with knowledge on Gnosticism, Demonology ETs, Human Genesis and much more. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE BOOK My book is an analysis, re-translation and revision of two of the books of the Nag Hammadi library found in Egypt in 1945. They are late antiquity texts that have escaped any modification. The book is aimed squarely at those with an interest in Gnosticism, demonology, ETs, human genesis, and the true origins of modern divinatory tarot. It will also gratify the interest of those dissatisfied with the orthodox religious and scientific models. This fresh approach counters the sterility, confusion and, dare I say it, derision that is offered by orthodox scholars whose interests in them, if any, lie against them and, further, ignore their warnings and messages to mankind. That is why this book will sell. It offers clarity to those willing to persevere. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kevin Dermot O'Doherty was born in Liverpool, England. He first became interested in the Nag Hammadi Codices (NHC) in 1997 following a BBC documentary which featured the origins of the Coptic Church in Egypt. Like many who encounter them, he found the NHC writings almost unfathomable but felt the need to reveal their strong and relevant messages for modern mankind. Invisibly guided, he embarked on a literary journey to unlock their secrets. Kevin (formerly West) laid the foundation for the understanding of these texts through his forty-two years' experience as a Spiritualist medium and healer. His comprehensive knowledge and ability in the fields of psychic and spiritual science have helped him bring clarity to what these texts say and teach. He was a Spiritualist church president in Waterloo, Liverpool, UK, for many years but is no longer attached to any religion or organization. He is also a multi-award-winning filmmaker with many hours of broadcast experience to his credit, including managing a TV studio. He was a regular on Liverpool's City Talk FM as an esoteric pundit. He holds two black belts with the World Ju-Jitsu Federation Paperback available on Amazon. All other formats to quickly follow, i.e. Ingram/Spark, Kindle, Audio Book. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secr.../dp/B0B86SNBR9/ref=sr_1_1... The Psychic & Spiritual Awareness Manual – A Guide to DIY Enlightenment (2014) Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kevin.west.3956690 https://www.youtube.com/user/WFPCo/videos Twitter @KevinODoherty8 Instagram Kevin Dermot O'Doherty If you enjoy the content on the channel, please support us by subscribing: Thank you All A formal disclosure: The opinions and information presented or expressed by guests on The Outer Realm Radio are not necessarily those of the TOR Hosts, Sponsors, or the United Public Radio Network and its producers. We will however always be respectful and courteous to all involved. Thank you, we appreciate you all!

The Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce is holding an event before school starts, school bus drivers are asking drivers to be aware of stop signals, and the Church of Jesus Christ offered condolences after the Coptic Church fire in Egypt.

Listen to the Sun. Aug. 14, 2022 special edition of the Pan-African Journal: Worldwide Radio Broadcast hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire. The program features our PANW report with dispatches on the continuing confusion surrounding the national elections in Kenya; 15 people have been found dead on the border between the Republic of Sudan and Libya; a shipment of grain from Ukraine is said to be destined for regions of Africa where there are food deficits; and a fire at a Coptic Church in Egypt has resulted in numerous fatalities and injuries. In the second hour we continue our focus on Black August with a reexamination of the 1965 Watts Rebellion which shifted the character of the African American struggle against racism and exploitation in the United States. Finally, we look at the public health situation on the African continent with reports from Africa Talk and the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention based in Ethiopia.

ABC News Correspondent Ines de La Cuetara has the latest on a fire at the Coptic Orthodox Church of Abou Seifain.

ABC News Correspondent Ines de La Cuetara has the latest on a fire at the Coptic Orthodox Church of Abou Seifain.

40 കോപ്റ്റിക്_സഭയും_സുറിയാനി_സഭയും_Coptic church and Syriac Church

Anthony had every intention to work as a professional anthropologist. But after finishing his PhD and teaching for a few years, that desire changed. His decision to leave higher ed led to a different higher calling: joining the priesthood of the Coptic Church. Once again, Anthony thought he'd found meaningful work he couldn't imagine leaving. But three years after his ordination, serving in the Coptic Church turned out not to be a long-term calling. After two previous career “certainties,” Anthony doesn't approach UX research the way he did academia or the priesthood. Now, work is work. UX doesn't have to bring meaning and fulfillment into his life. He's, quite happily, found other ways to achieve that.Book mentionedThread of Blood: Colonialism, Revolution, and Gender on Mexico's Northern Frontier by Ana María AlonsoCheck out more from The Work SeminarVisit theworkseminar.com or find @TheWorkSeminar on social media. Sign up for The Work Seminar newsletter to receive updates straight to your inbox.Support the show

Ukrainians in the UAE can now apply for a one-year visa extension. Catholic churches celebrate Easter Sunday, and here in Egypt, the Coptic Church prepares to celebrate the holy day next week. Queen Rania shares a photo of her with King Abdullah II of Jordan wishing him well after a complicated surgery. Sabrina Khalil, Scoop Empire's Partner & Head of Content, gets into balancing work and life and tells the story of Scoop Empire.

What on earth is the Coptic Church? Most of us only know about the 21 Coptic martyrs of 2015, or about the Coptic Church rejecting the Council of Chalcedon in 451. But who are the Copts? Why did they part ways with the rest of the Church? And has persecution prompted us to reconsider if we're closer to them than we think? This week, Onsi (our resident Copt!) gets quizzed by Rhys and Colin.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: Three Arabaic Treatises on Aristotle's Rhetoric: The Commentaries of Al-Farabi, Avicenna, and Averroes  Colin: his own tweets Rhys: The Warden by Anthony TrollopeTexts Discussed"Unity Across the Chalcedonian Divide" by Lukas StockThe 21: A Journey Into the Land of Coptic Martyrs by Martin Mosebach"Cyril of Alexandria, letter to John of Antioch (Formula of Reunion)" by Cyril of AlexandriaSpotlightSubscribe to read the Winter 2022 edition of Ad Fontes

Overview of Coptic Church History: Part 7 | The Harvest (Fr. Matthias Shehad) by Fr. Matthias Shehad

Overview of Coptic Church History: Part 8 | The Harvest (Fr. Matthias Shehad) by Fr. Matthias Shehad

Overview of Coptic Church History: Part 9 | The Harvest (Fr. Matthias Shehad) by Fr. Matthias Shehad

Welcome to the Instant Trivia podcast episode 289, where we ask the best trivia on the Internet. Round 1. Category: Go Old West, Young Man 1: Fort Bonneville in this "Cowboy State" was "Fort Nonsense" to scoffing trappers. Wyoming. 2: Wells, Fargo and Company opened in this California city in 1852 to offer miners express and banking services. San Francisco. 3: "Cowpuncher" was a term for a cowboy; this "puncher" was a preacher. a Bible puncher. 4: Thomas Moran's artwork helped influence Congress to make this America's first national park. Yellowstone. 5: A cowboy who "cut a man down" shot him; if he "cut the dust", he did this. taking a drink. Round 2. Category: Directional Diversions 1: Steinbeck shows sadness in Salinas:" blank of Eden". East. 2: 1948 Pulitzer winner for Michener:"Tales of the blank Pacific". South. 3: Percy Bysshe Shelley:"Ode to the blank Wind". West. 4: Shared title of 2 tales, one by John Jakes and one by Elizabeth Gaskell:" blank and blank ". North and South. 5: Robert Frost's 1914 collection:" blank of Boston". North. Round 3. Category: Russian Cities 1: This city is home to St. Basil's Cathedral and Red Square. Moscow. 2: Novosibirsk and Omsk are the 2 main cities in this large, cold Russian region. Siberia. 3: In 1712 the capital of Russia was moved to this city later named Leningrad. St. Petersburg. 4: The ancestral mother city of the Russian people is this capital of neighboring Ukraine. Kiev. 5: Grozny is the capital city of this region that has waged a struggle for independence since the mid-1990s. Chechnya. Round 4. Category: The "Naked" Truth 1: A Leslie Nielsen comedy. The Naked Gun. 2: Unaided vision. Naked eye. 3: In other words, "dollar bill nude". Buck naked. 4: Boisterous beatnik Burroughs' book. "Naked Lunch". 5: Goya's girl. "The Naked Maja". Round 5. Category: "C" Me 1: An evil prayer appealing for harm to come to another. Curse. 2: Adjective meaning curved inward, like the inside of a circle or sphere. concave. 3: A structure for venting gas or smoke. Chimney. 4: The state of sexual abstinence. Celibacy. 5: This Christian church is headed by The Patriarch of Alexandria, Egypt. the Coptic Church. Thanks for listening! Come back tomorrow for more exciting trivia!

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In the rituals performed by the Coptic Church, a Christian denomination with roots in Egypt, little has changed in eighteen hundred years.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/pulseoftheplanet. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of the Anthro to UX podcast, Anthony Shenoda speaks with Matt Artz about his UX journey. Anthony earned a PhD in Social Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University. He currently works as a Senior UX Researcher at HubSpot. About Anthony Shenoda Anthony holds a joint PhD in Social Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University. His PhD research was on miracle narratives among Coptic Christian in Egypt. Anthony also holds an MA in Latin American Studies from the University of Arizona where he conducted anthropological and historical research on the ne-Zapatista social movement in Mexico. He taught courses in Anthropology & Religious Studies before leaving academia to serve as a priest in the Coptic Church. For the last several years he has worked as a CX researcher at REI and UX researcher with AnswerLab where he conducted research for Instagram and Facebook. He is currently a Senior UX Researcher at HubSpot where he leads research for the artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) team. Recommended Links Anthony Shenoda on LinkedIn Anthony Shenoda on Twitter

In this episode of the Anthro to UX podcast, Anthony Shenoda speaks with Matt Artz about his UX journey. Anthony earned a PhD in Social Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University. He currently works as a Senior UX Researcher at HubSpot. About Anthony ShenodaAnthony holds a joint PhD in Social Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University. His PhD research was on miracle narratives among Coptic Christian in Egypt. Anthony also holds an MA in Latin American Studies from the University of Arizona where he conducted anthropological and historical research on the ne-Zapatista social movement in Mexico. He taught courses in Anthropology & Religious Studies before leaving academia to serve as a priest in the Coptic Church. For the last several years he has worked as a CX researcher at REI and UX researcher with AnswerLab where he conducted research for Instagram and Facebook. He is currently a Senior UX Researcher at HubSpot where he leads research for the artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) team.Recommended LinksAnthony Shenoda on LinkedInAnthony Shenoda on TwitterAbout Anthro to UXThe Anthro to UX podcast is for anthropologists looking to break into user experience (UX) research. Through conversations with leading anthropologists working in UX, you will learn firsthand how others made the transition, what they learned along the way, and what they would do differently. We will also discuss what it means to do UX research from a practical perspective and what you need to do to prepare a resume and portfolio. It is hosted by Matt Artz (https://mattartz.me), a business anthropologist specializing in design anthropology and working at the intersection of product management, user experience, and business strategy. To learn more about the podcast and career coaching services, please visit Anthro to UX (https://anthropologytoux.com).

Saint Mark (also known as John Mark) is best known as the author of one of the four Gospels. Indeed, the Gospel he wrote was the earliest written of the four. He was the first bishop of Alexandria, and for this reason is especially revered in Egypt's Coptic Church. In this episode we discuss Mark's role in the early Christian church, including his interactions with Saint Peter and Saint Paul. We read a traditional account of his martyrdom in Alexandria, and also discuss the gospel that he wrote.

My Coptic Church

Ágnes Mihálykó is a specialist on Christian liturgical papyri. She has recently published a book on the topic, The Christian Liturgical Papyri: An Introduction, with Mohr Siebeck, in which she offered an extensive introduction into the topic, and she discussed the earliest liturgical manuscripts preserved. In the podcast, we discuss the relationship between liturgical papyri and magical texts. Ágnes spent her undergraduate years studying mostly in Hungary, and obtained her PhD in classics at the University of Oslo in 2017. Currently, Ágnes is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas at the University in Oslo, and she is working on a project in collaboration with the project „Euchologia. Daily Life and Religion: Byzantine Prayer Books as Sources for Social History” lead by Claudia Rapp, at the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Ágnes' project centers around collecting and editing Christian liturgical prayers in ancient Greek and Coptic, which have been preserved on papyrus from the third to the ninth centuries, and which testify to a variety of practices and record the early history of the Coptic Church's liturgy. Most of them relate to the Eucharist or are intercessions for various occasions, but there are also prayers for the liturgy of the hours, for the ordination of a monk, and blessings as well. The project will bring together these prayers in one corpus as well as in digital publication with a reliable transcription, an English translation and commentary, with reflections on the text's liturgical function and relation to the intellectual and theological currents of its time.

It occurred to me back in 2017 that of all the different expressions of Christianity there are, the Coptic Church gets very little ink. They have been a major presence in the Middle East for 2 millennia. So, I connected with Monique El-Faizy for some conversation. You'll like this.

Professor Waguih Ishak is a prominent Copt living in Cupertino, California and is also the Chief Technologist at Corning Research and Development Corporation in Sunnyvale, California, an innovative glass technology company. Professor Ishak will take us on the fascinating journey of his life beginning in Egypt then on to Canada and finally settling in Silicon Valley. Nader Hanna (who leads a new news service: www.copticnn.com) and myself spend the forthcoming two episodes learning about Professor Ishak's upbringing in Cairo, his studies and research that lead him to completing a PhD in Toronto and then finally to Silicon Valley. Not only does he have a PhD but so does his wife and two sons! Professor Waguih Ishak discusses with us his involvement in Technology and his love for innovation and how he sees Technology develop into the future. He also brings to the forefront his involvement in the Coptic Church in Canada and the USA and how he sees the Church utilising this technology. Besides these exciting subjects, Professor Ishak also takes us into the intriguing journey of how he discovered his family roots that lead him to take a DNA test in order to find out more about his family history. Be sure to tune in for the next two episodes to be inspired by the journey of the blessed servant of God and a man who has succeeded to reach the status of Chief Technologist at one of the most prominent companies in Silicon Valley. A visionary who may inspire you in your life's journey.

Professor Waguih Ishak is a prominent Copt living in Cupertino, California and is also the Chief Technologist at Corning Research and Development Corporation in Sunnyvale, California, an innovative glass technology company. Professor Ishak will take us on the fascinating journey of his life beginning in Egypt then on to Canada and finally settling in Silicon Valley. Nader Hanna (who leads a new news service: www.copticnn.com) and myself spend the forthcoming two episodes learning about Professor Ishak's upbringing in Cairo, his studies and research that lead him to completing a PhD in Toronto and then finally to Silicon Valley. Not only does he have a PhD but so does his wife and two sons! Professor Waguih Ishak discusses with us his involvement in Technology and his love for innovation and how he sees Technology develop into the future. He also brings to the forefront his involvement in the Coptic Church in Canada and the USA and how he sees the Church utilising this technology. Besides these exciting subjects, Professor Ishak also takes us into the intriguing journey of how he discovered his family roots that lead him to take a DNA test in order to find out more about his family history. Be sure to tune in for the next two episodes to be inspired by the journey of the blessed servant of God and a man who has succeeded to reach the status of Chief Technologist at one of the most prominent companies in Silicon Valley. A visionary who may inspire you in your life's journey.

This is an interesting conversation with the author of "Putting Joy into Practice: Seven Ways to Lift Your Spirit from the Early Church." The author of this book is Phoebe Farag Mikhail from Northern New Jersey. In her inaugural book she describes what joy is and isn't. She also shares stories from her daily life to highlight how to implement the seven ways of living joyfully from the early Church. This book was a #1 bestseller on Amazon in the Christian Orthodoxy category. Phoebe cautions us in this insightful book of the joy thieves and describes them like little animals that steal tomatoes from the garden. The seven practices that Phoebe unravels take us on a spiritual journey in how to live a fulfilled and joyful life. This is Part 1 of a two part conversation. I hope you tune in and learn some practical ways of how joy can enrich your life. Online Retreat in November Paraclete Press is hosting an online retreat with Phoebe Farag Mikhail on Tuesday, November 17, 2020 at 2:30-4:30 pm. The topic is “Giving Thanks in Troubled Times.” There is a 30% discount for groups of five or more registering. For group registrations, please contact Sister Estelle Cole at srestelle@paracletepress.com or 774-801-2041.For individual registration, follow this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/giving-thanks-in-troubled-times-tickets-117930702907?aff=PhoebeFollow Phoebe Farag Mikhail at:Being in Community: beingincommunity.comFacebook: @phoebefaragmikhailauthor or @beingincommunityTwitter: @pkfarag Instagram: @pkfaragRecommended booksNonfictionPutting Joy Into Practice: Seven Ways to Lift Your Spirit from the Early Church by Phoebe Farag Mikhail. (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3gHyTFaThe Life of Repentance and Purity by HH Pope Shenouda III: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/2QDNSplBalance of the Heart by Tamav Lois Farag: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/2YKrrDhThe Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Translated by Sr. Benedicta Ward: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3lz3qc5On the Incarnation by St. Athanasius the Apostolic: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3hVVq2oIntroduction to the Coptic Orthodox Church by Fr. Tadros Malaty (free PDF download): http://copticchurch.net/topics/thecopticchurch/Intro_to_the_Coptic_Church_fr_yacoub_malaty.pdfFor the Life of the World by Fr. Alexander Schmemann: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/34NKBf7I Live Again by Princess Ileana of Romania/Mother Alexandra: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/2GdsxRAHospital of the Queen’s Heart by Princess Ileana of Romania/Mother Alexandra: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/2YLEg00This Child of Faith by Sophfronia Scott and Tain Gregory: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/34LXypWOn Social Justice by St. Basil the Great: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/31Kq4q1Letters to St. Olympia by St. John Chrysostom: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3lAKQjGA Multitude of All Peoples: Engaging Ancient Christianity's Global Identity by Dr. Vince Bantu: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/2EMuJPkFictionLights on the Mountain by Cheryl Anne Tuggle: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/32Kfw9PThe Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengstu: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3gGPtFfBaking Cakes in Kigali by Gail Parkin: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/31IEDu7For childrenPainting Angels, the third book in the Sam and Saucer series by Melinda Johnson: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/32FF2wLPhilo, Rose and the Joy Super Holy by Mireille Mishriky: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/34JtZp0She has a new book out in this series, Philo and the Goodness Super Holy: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/2EHWMPZResourcesPutting Joy Into Practice: Seven Ways to Lift Your Spirit from the Early Church by Phoebe Farag Mikhail. (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3gHyTFa

This is an interesting conversation with the author of "Putting Joy into Practice: Seven Ways to Lift Your Spirit from the Early Church." The author of this book is Phoebe Farag Mikhail from Northern New Jersey. In her inaugural book she describes what joy is and isn't. She also shares stories from her daily life to highlight how to implement the seven ways of living joyfully from the early Church. This book was a #1 bestseller on Amazon in the Christian Orthodoxy category. Phoebe cautions us in this insightful book of the joy thieves and describes them like little animals that steal tomatoes from the garden. The seven practices that Phoebe unravels take us on a spiritual journey in how to live a fulfilled and joyful life. This is Part 1 of a two part conversation. I hope you tune in and learn some practical ways of how joy can enrich your life. Online Retreat in November Paraclete Press is hosting an online retreat with Phoebe Farag Mikhail on Tuesday, November 17, 2020 at 2:30-4:30 pm. The topic is “Giving Thanks in Troubled Times.” There is a 30% discount for groups of five or more registering. For group registrations, please contact Sister Estelle Cole at srestelle@paracletepress.com or 774-801-2041.For individual registration, follow this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/giving-thanks-in-troubled-times-tickets-117930702907?aff=PhoebeFollow Phoebe Farag Mikhail at:Being in Community: beingincommunity.comFacebook: @phoebefaragmikhailauthor or @beingincommunityTwitter: @pkfarag Instagram: @pkfaragRecommended booksNonfictionPutting Joy Into Practice: Seven Ways to Lift Your Spirit from the Early Church by Phoebe Farag Mikhail. (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3gHyTFaThe Life of Repentance and Purity by HH Pope Shenouda III: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/2QDNSplBalance of the Heart by Tamav Lois Farag: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/2YKrrDhThe Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Translated by Sr. Benedicta Ward: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3lz3qc5On the Incarnation by St. Athanasius the Apostolic: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3hVVq2oIntroduction to the Coptic Orthodox Church by Fr. Tadros Malaty (free PDF download): http://copticchurch.net/topics/thecopticchurch/Intro_to_the_Coptic_Church_fr_yacoub_malaty.pdfFor the Life of the World by Fr. Alexander Schmemann: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/34NKBf7I Live Again by Princess Ileana of Romania/Mother Alexandra: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/2GdsxRAHospital of the Queen’s Heart by Princess Ileana of Romania/Mother Alexandra: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/2YLEg00This Child of Faith by Sophfronia Scott and Tain Gregory: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/34LXypWOn Social Justice by St. Basil the Great: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/31Kq4q1Letters to St. Olympia by St. John Chrysostom: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3lAKQjGA Multitude of All Peoples: Engaging Ancient Christianity's Global Identity by Dr. Vince Bantu: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/2EMuJPkFictionLights on the Mountain by Cheryl Anne Tuggle: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/32Kfw9PThe Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengstu: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3gGPtFfBaking Cakes in Kigali by Gail Parkin: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/31IEDu7For childrenPainting Angels, the third book in the Sam and Saucer series by Melinda Johnson: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/32FF2wLPhilo, Rose and the Joy Super Holy by Mireille Mishriky: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/34JtZp0She has a new book out in this series, Philo and the Goodness Super Holy: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/2EHWMPZResourcesPutting Joy Into Practice: Seven Ways to Lift Your Spirit from the Early Church by Phoebe Farag Mikhail. (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3gHyTFa

Today's episode focuses on the Topic of Relationships. Hope you enjoy the episode as much as I enjoyed making it ! Feel Free to suggest a topic using our Contact Form : https://forms.gle/iw8VY9sCWXjUDkTN7 Sorry no Kawaii Clip this week, instead here is that documentary about Mixed Marriage in the Coptic Church : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTp7EyFVp0A

St. Mary Coptic Orthodox church, MD The Holy Family Ministry عروس الفادى القبطية / History of the Coptic Church (part 1) By: Sherif Azmy

Feminism in the Coptic Church? Optometry? Mariam Elias, Rutgers Newark graduate and future optometry student, will help open our eyes about both (yes, pun intended). We often close our minds to ideas that might make us slightly uncomfortable to talk about. But doing so, stunts our growth as a community. The truth is our Middle Eastern culture sometimes clashes with our Coptic faith, feminism being a prime example of these clashes. By addressing these ideas, we are being true to our faith as a church and bringing Christ into our daily lives.

St Athanasius Part ThreeOn the 7th day of the Coptic Month of Pashons we celebrate the life and struggles of the Patriarch St Athanasius the Apostolic. Part Three, Exiled but never ExitedA Greek historian testified about Athanasius saying: "Athanasius’s fluency in speech and his outspokenness in the council of Nicea brought over him all the hardships that he encountered in his life.” A prophecy of the suffering the young Athanasius would endure during his life. For light creates shadows. The greater the light, the more shadows it casts. The young Athanasius demonstrated such Divinely inspired eloquence that the devil made him his target for the reminder of his life.After the passing of Pope Alexander, the patriarch of Alexandria, whom Athanasius had served many years, there was a renowned unified calling to make Athanasius the new Patriarch of Alexandria. This beguiled the wicked followers of Arianism. They crafted false charges against the great saint, and convened their own council at Trye to levy these allegations against the new Pope. Most of the attendants were Arians, and against Athanasius.One of these charges alleged that Athanasius had killed a bishop sympathetic to the Arians. The Arians brought two arms of a dead person and claimed that they were the arms of Arsanius. Then Arsanius, who had shown himself to Athanasius prior to the council’s beginning, was brought in, and showed his arms to the council and declared his regrets. The Arians said that Athanasius was a sorcerer and he was able to make arms for him. They became violent against Arsanius who left the council and went to the Emperor.Despite all the charges being rebuked, the sneaky Arius brought all the false charges against Athanasius before the Emperor. Using the fake council as proof of the new Pope’s guilt. Athanasius was called to the Emperor, but many loyal to Arius prevented his appearing. The Emperor gave his order to exile Athanasius to France in February 5th., 335 A.D. where its bishop had met him with great honor.Arius died a horrible death and it was said: "God made Arius to die in a public washroom, where his bowels poured out of his body, and the people regarded his death as a punishment from the Divine Justice."When the Emperor heard about the death of Arius, he recognized the innocence of Athanasius, and recommended while he was on his death bed, in the year 337 A.D. that Athanasius be returned to Alexandria.But the remaining Arians did not stop. They assembled another fake council, where they excommunicated Athanasius. They appointed instead someone called Gregory, and they sent their decision to Pope Julius, ArchBishop of Rome. Pope Athanasius assembled a council in Alexandria in 340 A.D. where he protested against the Arians, then he wrote a letter to all the churches to declare his innocence.However, the Arians influenced new Emperor, as well as some weak church leaders, to recognize Gregory as the Pope of Alexandria. But Gregory and his fellow Arius demons, raped Alexandria of her wealth and purity. The people of Alexandria were horrified, and decided to resist, but the Arians attacked the churches.Pope Athanasius sought the help of all the churches in the world, left his Seat, and traveled to Rome. A council was assembled in Sardica, where they declared:a. The innocence of Pope Athanasius b. Confirmed the cannons of the Nicean Creed. c. They excommunicated the Arian bishops. d. Deposed Gregory from his office.Athanasius returned for the second time to his Chair, and the people received him with joy. Gregory the Theologian, the writer of the liturgy, described this reception saying: "The people came as the flood of the Nile," and he also pointed out to the palm branches, the carpets, and the many clapping of hands.The Arians did not like the return of Athanasius to Alexandria, and waited unwillingly until the death of new Emperor. The Arians again falsely accused Athanasius before Emperor Constantius, claiming Athanasius was collaborating with the enemy of the Emperor. Constantius exiled Athanasius yet again. The Arians appointed George of Cappadocia, bishop on Alexandria, but the Orthodox people refused to accept him and admonished him. He responded violently, taking over all the churches and its properties.After the death of Emperor Constantius, Julian his cousin became ruler. He wanted to rally the people of Alexandria so he returned Athanasius to his Seat. Athanasius assembled a council in 362 A.D., and provided conditions for the acceptance of the Arians that wish to return to the church. He also gave a special attention to the preaching among the pagans. This was not appreciated by Emperor Julian, who loved and supported the pagans. He therefore ordered the arrest of Athanasius.Those around the Pope were greatly saddened because of the tribulations that befell him again and again. Athanasius told them, that in times of persecution, he felt great inner peace and that God took care of him and embraced him with His grace more than any other time in his life. He also said: "The persecution of Emperor Julian is like a summer cloud that will go away." While they were in these conversation, the news came to them that Julian was killed in his war with the Persians, and that he was killed by St. Mercurius (Abu Sefain), and that he said just before his death: "You have overcome me, O You son of Mary.”Jovian became Emperor breifly, then Valens who was under the spell of the Arians. In 367 A.D. Valens ordered the exile of Athanasius. Athanasius was forced to leave Alexandria yet again, hid in the tomb of his father. Meanwhile, the Emperor killed 30 bishops who were pro-Athanasius. The Emperor saw the determination of the Coptic Church, and decided to lift the persecution, and return Athanasius to his Chair in 368 A.D.Although Athanasius reached the age of 72, he did not compromise in performing his duties. For his steadfastness and his firm stand for justice, the world described him by the saying: "Athanasius against the world.” He wrote several books about the false doctrine of Arius called, On the Incarnation, as well as many other subjects, including the faithful telling of the Life of St Anthony.Athanasius was the first Pope to wear the monastic tunic from the hand of St. Anthony. He made it the uniform for all bishops and patriarchs. He was the one who ordained St. Antonios a priest, and then Archpriest.

- Touching upon the celebrations of the birthday of Jesus this week and the Orthodox Christians (Ethiopia, Coptic Church in Egypt, Greece, Ukraine and Russia) will celebrate in early January - Narrating the first advice that Allah gave to Prophet Isa - The moral lessons behind the 4 mentioned aspects of advice: prayer, charity, devotion to his mother, and the absence of arrogance - It is perplexing how much people are still fighting in the name of religion, despite the numerous common values between faiths - Most of the wars in the last hundred were based on racism or political ideology or territorial disputes, not on basis of religion. - It is a trend to attribute all the conflicts to religions. The Atheist lobby these days is promoting this idea and claiming that all problems are because of religion so let us eliminate religion. - The Muslims should get closer to the example of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.), and the Christians should get closer to the example of Prophet Jesus (a.s.) Youtube: https://youtu.be/8yZ2SRhszi4 MP3: https://f001.backblazeb2.com/file/Jaffari/Fridays/Fridaykhutba_Rizvi_2019-12-27_12-51-15.mp4 Friday Juma Khutba Recited By: Maulana Syed Muhammad Rizvi Date: December 27th, 2019 www.youtube.com/islamicentre https://anchor.fm/islamicentre www.facebook.com/IslamiCentre.org www.islamicentre.org www.facebook.com/sayyidmrizvi www.instagram.com/sayyidmrizvi www.twitter.com/sayyidmrizvi

A guest class on the ancient Egyptian church.

Rev. Thomas Eckstein, pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Jamestown, North Dakota, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 19. The list of nations that began with Babylon in chapter 13 ends with Egypt here in Isaiah 19—the two big bad guys of the Old Testament. This Egypt oracle proceeds as expected, announcing judgment against the false gods of Egypt. God will smite the Nile again as He did at the Exodus, and the wise men will once more be rendered helpless. God will work a second Passover for Jerusalem amidst the Assyrian siege, the Egyptians will cower in fear when they hear of Judah’s victory. But then Egypt will turn to Yahweh! They will speak Hebrew, read the Scriptures, build altars, and offer sacrifices! God will send them a savior to heal them, and God will say, “Blessed be Egypt my people.” If Egypt can be turned, then we can’t give up on anybody. Today we are inspired by the faith of the Coptic Church in Egypt, because even amidst persecution, Christ’s church is the world’s greatest superpower.

In the rituals performed by the Coptic Church, a Christian denomination with roots in Egypt, little has changed in eighteen hundred years. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What's going on in Kurdistan in northern Iraq? Who are the Kurds? What is their status within Iraq? Michael McClellan, career American diplomat and current President of the American University of Kurdistan Foundation was at the Tennessee World Affairs Council for a standing room only Global Town Hall on March 20, 2019 to talk about these questions and about AUK and its exchange programs with Tennessee Universities. This topic plays on a common Kurdish saying, but leaves open the possibility to talk about a wide range of topics and will allow a Q&A to go all over the place. One of the central points I want to make is that Kurds finally have the chance to run their OWN educational system and they are making choices that will benefit Kurds throughout the world. By establishing two American-style universities, Kurds are preparing for a future that can go either way and that is the vital thing now. Also, it is a chance to promote Kurdish culture and language globally, an opportunity that Iran, Turkey, and Syria do not afford the Kurds, but Iraq does. Kurdistan is one of the very few bright lights in the Middle East – the cornerstone of stability and a model of tolerance and diversity for the entire region. McClellan’s brief will be upbeat, but realistic, will address independence/autonomy, but focus on the positive role of education in advancing the cause of the Kurds. About Michael McClellan Michael McClellan became President of the American University of Kurdistan Foundation in August 2018. Prior to that, he was Diplomat-in-Residence at Western Kentucky University and a Recruitment and Outreach Officer with the U.S. Department of State, responsible for recruiting for the U.S. Foreign Service by increasing awareness of the many internship, fellowship, and career opportunities available with the Department. During his three decades with the U.S. Information Agency and the U.S. Department of State, Michael served as a Public Diplomacy Officer in Yemen, Egypt, Russia, Serbia, Germany, Kosovo, Ireland, Iraq (twice), Ethiopia, and South Sudan, where he served as Deputy Chief of Mission. He was also Diplomat-in-Residence at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He retired in 2014 with the rank of Minister-Counselor. Michael’s work in Public Diplomacy focused on press and media, often as the official Embassy Spokesman. He was Spokesman in Kosovo right after the NATO bombing campaign and then in Iraq when the U.S. military withdrew in 2011. However, Michael’s proudest accomplishment in the Foreign Service was founding the American University in Kosovo, which opened its doors in 2004 and continues educating Kosovo’s youth from all communities to this day. As a Public Affairs Counselor in several embassies, Michael oversaw the Public Diplomacy grants to local NGOs and was responsible for ensuring compliance of grantees with USG regulations. Throughout his career, Michael maintained a lifelong interest in photography and religions, which culminated in a book on Egypt’s Coptic Church monasteries that was published by the American University in Cairo Press and extensive outreach on Muslim-Christian interfaith understanding during several overseas assignments. Later in his career, working mainly in Africa, he promoted organic and sustainable farming and Appalachian culture. A Kentucky native, Michael has a B.A. in Journalism and Political Science from the University of Louisville, an M.A. in Photojournalism and International Relations from Syracuse University, and completed doctoral studies in International Communication at Indiana University in Bloomington. As a diplomat, Michael spoke Russian, Arabic, and German, as well as some Serbian and Albanian. He lives in Dohuk, Kurdistan, as well as Bowling Green, Kentucky, where he has a small organic farm and keeps bees.

This week Christine Darg brings a prophetic report of the End-time revival along the Isaiah 19 Highway involving Egypt, Assyria & Israel.

Check out the Podcast Video on youtube. https://youtu.be/kq2qQXgwl_c Join your hosts, Phraydoe Peans and Thompson, as they discuss the Coptic church, specifically, the white American sect, lead by Brother Louv, in Miami on Star Island. They even briefly touch on Judaism, and different denominations of Christianity. Listen in as they passionately debate the morality, and legality, of the Coptics practice of allowing their children to smoke ganja, as it was the church's official sacrament. Tune in now to see what Thompson means by "I can't remember now because you had to throw foreskin into it!" Tune in now watch, like and Subscribe Pretty Please!! Email us at freshproducefloridamedia@gmail.com Follow us at https://www.instagram.com/freshproduc... Peans https://www.instagram.com/phraydoepeans Thompson https://www.instagram.com/tallbearto Graphics by: Chris Thompson = Audio Mix and Edit by: Phraydoe Peans = Background Music: Christopher LeBrane --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Christmas is right around the corner and we are still celebrating the way we know how with Christmas around the World…….We are excited that you are enjoying our different ways people celebrate and how small the World really is when it comes to the Christmas Season. Maybe you will want to visit some of these countries we are talking about either for the Holidays next year or anytime…so welcome to the World of Travel. So if you have been tuning in you know that we have visited a few different countries already. So let’s spin our Globe and let’s see where it lands…looks like we are going to visit Egypt…I know you don’t think Christianity but guess what…Its Christmas in Egypt.The Makahiki season has a lot more to offer than big waves and gushing waterfalls.It’s the Ancient Hawaiian New Year and it’s the season of rest and rejuvenation for both the land and the people…I think this a wonderful…

How is the Kingdom of God winning when it looks like it's losing? All around the world, Christians are persecuted for their faith, the real War on Christmas. "Michael", a leader of the Coptic Church in Egypt, shares his testimony and how the Kingdom of God overcomes in oppression and violence.

The holy family ministry St. Mary Coptic Orthodox Church History of the Coptic Church (Part 2) "سلسلة "عروس الفادى القبطية فترة الخلافة و عصر الولاة By. Mr. Sherif Azmy

In this episode we will explore the first martyrs of Alexandria, and the account of the founding of the Coptic Church by St. Mark from both Coptic and non-Coptic sources. Announcing Joyful.gifts. The best way to do gifts! Visit Joyful gifts to start today! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/historyofthecopts/support

The Christmas season was marred for some believers in Egypt. A gunman attacked a Coptic Christian church in Cairo, Egypt last week, killing 11 people. Here more on this story by downloading now.

On today's edition of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, Hank discusses the difference between the Christian canon, and the Qur'an of Islam. This is taken from the acronym D-O-C-T-R-I-N-E as found in Hank's new book, MUSLIM: What You Need to Know about the World's Fastest-Growing Religion. Hank also answers the following questions: There are three main branches in Christianity that claim to be the Universal Church: The Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Coptic Church. Why do you believe the Eastern Orthodox Church is the true Universal Church?Do you believe that the final battle of Armageddon will be between the Church and Islam?Since we know that God is spirit, and does not have a physical body, what does it mean when the Bible says that Christ has been elevated to the right hand of God?So the "right hand of God" is a metaphor?You are correct that the Qur'an has ethics that should not be allowed in any century; So does the Bible.Is it true that Mormons wear a special garment under their clothes, and if so, what does this signify?What books or scriptures other than the Koran do Muslims believe in?

We talk with Coptic monk Fr. Anastasi Saint Antony about the Christians in Egypt who are being martyred for their faith in Christ. Find out more about the Coptic Church by visiting the Diocese of Los Angeles web site. The charity Fr. Anastasi mentioned is the Santa Verena Charity.

We talk with Coptic monk Fr. Anastasi Saint Antony about the Christians in Egypt who are being martyred for their faith in Christ. Find out more about the Coptic Church by visiting the Diocese of Los Angeles web site. The charity Fr. Anastasi mentioned is the Santa Verena Charity.

Stephen Sackur speaks to the General Bishop of the Coptic Church in the UK, Bishop Angaelos. In just a few days from now Pope Francis will fly to Egypt to offer his personal support to the country's Coptic Christians. He will find a community filled with apprehension, targeted by jihadist extremists, and subject to persistent discrimination and sectarian violence. Elsewhere, in Syria and Iraq particularly, the plight of Christians is even worse. Do Christians have any future at all in the Middle East?(Photo: Bishop Angaelos in the Hardtalk studio)

Stephen Sackur speaks to the General Bishop of the Coptic Church in the UK, Bishop Angaelos. In just a few days from now Pope Francis will fly to Egypt to offer his personal support to the country's Coptic Christians. He will find a community filled with apprehension, targeted by jihadist extremists, and subject to persistent discrimination and sectarian violence. Elsewhere, in Syria and Iraq particularly, the plight of Christians is even worse. Do Christians have any future at all in the Middle East? (Photo: Bishop Angaelos in the Hardtalk studio)

Date: April 9, 2017 Note: sermons are offered each Sunday during the Divine Liturgy Armenian and English. This recording has been edited for content and length and will consist of either English or a mix of Armenian and English.

1 Peter 4:12 NLT 'Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.' January the sixth is the feast of Epiphany, marking the arrival of the Magi in Bethlehem. It is also Christmas day for the Orthodox and Coptic Church. I have written before of the faith and commitment of the Magi in leaving home, crossing a desert in the hope of finding the sign they looked for. It took a large amount of faith to pursue their interpretation of a cosmic invitation, saddle up and cross a desert in a hope that their faithfulness might be rewarded. Scripture reveals that it was. I realised some years ago that I had settled too easily into the assurances my Christian faith offered me. For every question I appeared to have an answer, and when challenged I responded by simply arguing my perspective with arrogant confidence. Life’s events subsequently pitched me into a maelstrom in which I became my own greatest inquisitor. I had no desire to abandon God in light of circumstance, yet I could not with integrity repeat parrot-fashion theological statements that made sense to my head while missing my heart by a country mile. Like the Magi, I had to determine the extent to which I was willing to embrace the discomfort of dislocation. Leave what I had come to love and where I’d sunk my roots, mount up and head in a direction that was as uncertain as the nightly reappearance of my guiding star. Yet, faith is always a journey, and never a settled location. Once we discover we have settled, we are unlikely to find the essence of God and will merely pursue the form of faithful worship and service with none of the excitement of God’s presence. When I want things settled, ordered, in many ways finalised, the Holy Spirit shows up and, much like the pillar of cloud and fire (Exodus 13:21), invites me to get up and journey further. Behind me lay a series of experiences, relationships and learning, all of which provoke me to pursue God wherever he might lead. QUESTION: Are you willing to follow God, even if that means trials and hardships? PRAYER: Jesus, you suffered, but you knew the joy that was before you. Help me see the joy of serving you and others.

Egypt’s Coptic Christians are in a state of mourning after a suicide bomber killed at least 25 people at a Cairo church on Sunday. “Egypt always tends to rally around Christians at moments like this,” said Jayson Casper, CT’s Middle East correspondent. “But over time, [ISIS is] trying to hammer and hammer and hammer the Christians in Egypt and put so much pressure on the internal government that it itself may collapse.” Even if the government does collapse, the Coptic Church “is equipped to deal with it,” said Casper. “They can say, ‘This has always happened to us in our history. It is how God has treated us and he perseveres with us through it.’” While the attack was the worst to target Copts since the 2011 New Year’s bombing of a church in Alexandria that killed 23 people, the population has been the victim of sectarian violence for years. In 2015, ISIS, who also claimed responsibility for the latest attack, beheaded 21 Coptic Christians in Libya. Casper joined assistant editor Morgan Lee and editor-in-chief Mark Galli this week to discuss the fascinating and important history of Coptic Christians, how the Egyptian church relates to a changing government, and why this most recent attack is unique.

Our Verse, once again: Rev 5:9 For you Jesus, were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. Last time we learned about God's amazing world wide family. Its just like the rainbow with its beautiful and different colors, and... everyone is welcome. Let's meet some of these amazing people... The Chicken Lady lives in a tiny village along the Nile. Her home is humble and her one animal, a chicken, lives on her roof. She is poor but full of joy. Her bright smile lights the room as she hugs her chicken and gives God thanks! Tom is a retired businessman. At 65, he helps younger men learn about God and how to be good at their work. His enthusiasm is infectious! Rudy is a former Russian soldier. He is burly and tough. He has travelled far and wide in Russia and abroad for Jesus. He is ready for any adventure. Elizabeth, at 18, is in college and hoping to graduate early. Born with a debilitating disease, she told her doctor that God had allowed the illness for His glory. In spite of limitation, she is active in church and will serve Jesus wherever He chooses. Finally, Daniel, a man of Egypt. At age 16, while a deacon in the Coptic Church, he supernaturally met Jesus. Today, as an adult, he travels the world, sharing Jesus with those people mentioned in our verse- every tribe, language, people and nation. You'll meet more interesting people here...all part of God's Human Rainbow!

Our quote for today is from G.K. Chesterton. He said, "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried." In this podcast, we are making our way through Garry R. Morgan's book, "Understanding World Religions in 15 Minutes a Day." Garry Morgan is a Professor of Intercultural Studies at Northwestern College. He served with World Venture for 20 years in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Tanzania.  Our topic for today is, "Eastern Orthodox Christianity"  Eastern Orthodoxy, the smallest of Christianity’s three major branches and perhaps the least-known by other Christians, has its geographic roots in the Middle East, where the faith began. As it spread, Orthodox Christianity developed regional variations, although most share similar beliefs and practices. Today, it remains dominant in Greece, Russia, and Romania (among other countries) and is the most common form of Christianity in Muslim-majority countries like Egypt and Turkey.  Due to cultural and political differences, the Eastern Orthodox Church quickly developed differences with the Western form that became the Roman Catholic Church. It tended to be more contemplative; the Western church was more pragmatic. Although very much integrated into political life, especially during the Byzantine period, Eastern Christianity did not develop the Roman Church’s secular power. In fact, emperors tended to have influence over the running of the church, whereas the reverse was true in Rome. Furthermore, after the seventh century, much of the Eastern Orthodox Church came under the political domination of Muslim rulers as Islam spread westward, and this influenced its theology and practice. Although the Western church lost territory to Islam in North Africa and Spain, Charles Martel’s decisive victory at the Battle of Tours in 732 kept most of Europe in Christian hands.  In our last episode, we discussed other key historical and political factors that led to schism between the Western (Roman Catholic) and Eastern (Orthodox) branches; there were theological elements, too. Because it produced some of the early church’s most influential theologians and writers, the East resented the insistence that Rome have the final say in all matters. This unwillingness to bow to the pope’s authority was at the heart of this growing divide.  One early theological controversy had to do with understanding relationships within the Trinity. Both branches agreed that God is one being who has existed eternally as three persons, Father, Son, and Spirit. Both rejected poly-theism and mo-dal-ism, the heretical idea that God originally manifested himself as the Father, then became the Son, and now is the Holy Spirit. But the Western church held that the Spirit “proceeded from both the Father and the Son,” while the Eastern branch took Jesus’ words in John’s gospel about the Father sending the Spirit to mean that he “proceeded [only] from the Father.”  More widely familiar was what has come to be called the “Icon-o-clas-tic Controversy.” The Western church used statues of Jesus, Mary, and many saints in their worship. To the Eastern church, this was idolatrous, in violation of the second commandment (to have no graven image). They developed a two-dimensional art form called the icon, a picture for use in worship and prayer.  Before the final split in 1054, the Western church insisted on celibacy for priests, while marriage was permitted in the East. The West baptized infants by sprinkling; the East baptized infants by immersion. The West began giving laypeople only bread during Communion, whereas the laity in the East continued to receive both bread and wine.  Language was important in how the two branches spread and developed. The West used Latin for worship and resisted further translation of the Bible into other tongues. The East used Greek and promoted translation of God’s Word into the vernacular. The Orthodox monk Cyril developed an alphabet for the Slavic languages that bears his name; Cy-rill-ic or-thog-ra-phy is used today for Russian, Polish, Czech, and Bulgarian, among other languages.  Through the missionary work of dedicated monks, Eastern Christianity spread from the Middle East into Eastern Europe and northward into Russia, as well as into what is now Iraq and Iran. By the close of the first millennium, geographic expansion slowed and eventually halted. Leading up to and into the twentieth century, Eastern European and Russian immigrants brought the Orthodox faith to Australia and North America. Today, 270 million Eastern Orthodox members are organized into fellowships of independent churches, usually by country, including Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, and the Orthodox Church in America, each with its own synod of bishops. The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is given the honor of "first among equals" and holds significant influence but does not have the power or authority that the pope has over the Roman Catholic Church.  The Eastern Orthodox Church is also officially known as the Orthodox Catholic Church. Similar to but separate from the Eastern Orthodox Church is the Oriental Orthodox Church (though oriental means "eastern"), which includes the Egyptian Coptic Church, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and several smaller groups. These differ from Eastern Orthodoxy in that they accept only the first three of seven ecumenical councils that Eastern Orthodoxy considers to be the definitive interpretation of Scripture for belief and practice.  The Oriental Orthodox churches are of ancient origin. The Coptic Church traces its beginnings to Mark the Evangelist, while the Ethiopian Orthodox Church traces its beginning to the return of the eunuch who encountered Philip, in Acts 8. These churches refused the conclusions of the Council of Chal-ce-don (in 451) and broke away prior to the East-West split (in 1054). Note: The Orthodox Church of Alexandria, in Egypt, is part of Eastern (not Oriental) Orthodoxy.  Now, for An Extra Minute  How does the name Orthodox differ from the term orthodox? The term comes from two Greek words literally rendered "right belief." So the term orthodox means believing in line with accepted Christian teaching (as opposed to heresy, wrong belief). Any right-believing Christian is orthodox. The Eastern Church adopted the word into their name in the conviction that their belief was correct. 

Fr Greg Tillett of the Coptic Orthodox Church discusses the secret tradition in the Coptic Church.

Fr Greg Tillett of the Coptic Orthodox Church discusses the secret tradition in the Coptic Church. 

While it may seem cliche, I am very thankful that I live in a country where we can worship God freely and openly without infringement.  As of today anyway. Just because it is that way now, it doesn't mean it will always be that way if we do not guard it carefully.  There is a huge force to minimize (( Hallowell, Billy. "NYC Teacher Claims She was Harassed, Then Fired Over Her Christian Faith." The Blaze. 23 May 2011.  Accessed 3 July 2013  )), to trivialize ((Unruh, Bob. "College Defends Prof Who Mocked Christians." WD. 23 January 2010. Accessed 3 July 2013.   )),and even to criminalize (( Klukowski, Ken. "Pentagon May Court Martial Soldiers Who Share Christian Faith." Brietbart. 1 May 2013. Accessed 3 July 2013.   ))  Bible believing Christians.  We are the new group that is on the government "watch lists." (( Starnes, Todd. "Us Army Labeled Evangelicals, Catholics as Examples of Religious Extremism." Fox Nation. 5 April 2013. Accessed 3 July 2013. ))   People are being penalized ((  Harthorne, Michael. "Video Shows men attacking religious protesters at Pridefest." Komo News.  3 July 2013.  Accessed 3 July 2013.   ))  for standing firm for their faith. It is also significant that the day we are celebrating our independence, the citizens of Egypt are fighting for theirs in an uprising against Morsi and his Islamist Muslim Brotherhood regime. (( Kingsley, Patrick. Chulov, Martin. "Mohamed Morsi ousted in Egypt's second revolution in two years." The Guardian. 3 July 2013.  Accessed 3 July 2013.  ))  One where sharia law (( Brown, Ed. "Morsi's New Egyptian Sharia Law Constitution Jails and Abuses Christians." DC Xposed. 20 January 2013. Accessed 3 July 2013.   )) is the law of the land, Christians are being shot within their churches (( CFI Field Staff.  "Coptic Church in Egypt Burned by Muslim Crowd."  Christian Freedom International.  7 October 2011.  Accessed 3 July 2012.   )) (( "6 Coptic Christians in Egypt Shot Dead as They Left Christmas Mass."  Assyrian International News Agency.  7 January 2010.  Accessed 3 July 2013.  )) (( Laessing, Ulf. "New clashes erupt between Coptic Christians, Muslims in Cairo." Reuters. The Christian Science Monitor.  7 April 2013.  Accessed 3 July 2013. )) (( Hennessy-Fiske, Molly, Hassan, Amro. "Egypt: Shooting, clashes at Coptic Christian sit-in injure at least 60."  Los Angeles Times 15 May 2011. Accessed 3 July 2013.   )) , and women are treated as chattel (( Ibrahim, Raymond.  "Egypt's Sex-Slave Marriage."  The Gatestone Institute International Policy Council.  5 July 2012.  Accessed 3 July 2012.   )) . We are not immune to despotism.  We are not so sophisticated and evolved that what is happening in other countr...

In our first installment in our series, we talked about the mission of the church and how God has given to the church its precious message-the good news of Jesus Christ. God was in the world reconciling Himself to men through the cross. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5 (page 1144 of pew Bibles) that He has given to us the church, the ministry of reconciliation. We are ambassadors for Christ, making an appeal to the world to be reconciled to God. The Bible also says theres an enemy. God has an enemy; the church has an enemy who is named Satan, and he desires to thwart that mission. Paul says in the Book of 2 Corinthians 2:11 (page 1143 of pew Bibles), the church is not to be ignorant of his schemes or ignorant of his devices. How does he work? How does he operate? His method of operation has not changed since the beginning. It has not changed since the Garden of Eden. The first thing that Satan will do is he will attack the truth. Paul says of first importance, in 1 Corinthians 15:3 (page 1139), …I delivered unto you of first importance: that Jesus was crucified for our sins according to the Scripture, that He was buried and that He rose again on the third day. That is of first importance to the church. That is our mission: to protect, to defend, to communicate and share with the world that important news of Gods hope-of our hope, of salvation through Christ. So, where does Satan attack first? Satan will attack the truth of the Gospel. Satan will attack the integrity of the Gospel. He will seek to pervert it; to distort it; to dilute it, but he attacks the truth. When he attacks the truth, that leads to a breakdown in unity. We become divided or fragmented as the body of Christ. When that happens, we are not as effective as we could be because we are a divided people. Our energies are not channeled in the same direction. I read an article recently about a man who found a large amount of money hidden inside a wall. When he tore down the wall in the bathroom of a church, there inside the wall were these two medal cases filled with envelopes of money from the Depression Era. We all have fantasies of finding something like that, right? Wouldnt that be fun if you were renovating a house and found almost $200,000 in currency, in cash? Wow! [He said], So, what can I do? I can keep it to myself, which wouldnt be moral, thought the man, or I can share with the owner of the house this good news of the money I found. She was about ready to declare bankruptcy, so she was ecstatic. I saw a picture of them in happier times around their hoard, holding up the money with big smiles on their faces. They had all the dreams of the things they were going to buy and the things they were going to do with all of that money. The relationship soured when he said, I think Im entitled to some of this since I found it. You wouldnt know about it if not for me. She said, Well, I think you can have 10 percent. He was offended by that and wanted much more. She was offended by that, Hes greedy. So their relationship broke down, and it made the newspapers. When it made the newspapers, the heirs of the original homeowner, the man who put the money in the wall, heard about it and hired a lawyer. They sued those two and won. The remodeler and the woman who now owned the house got a pittance. The lawyer for the family said, You know, if they would have just worked out their differences, they would have split these thousands and thousands of dollars; and the family would not have known. When unity broke down, of course, problems began to ensue. When we break down as brothers and sisters in Christ, when Christians are fighting amongst themselves or denominations are fighting amongst ourselves, we lose our effectiveness. Thirdly then, love is damaged. The first thing that Satan does is he distorts the truth. He attacks the Gospel. We see that, the rise of Gnosticism, in movies like the Da Vinci Code-where they are trying to attack the integrity, the purity of the Gospel message. Thats where he attacks first and foremost. If the church does not rise up and defend that, then what happens is unity breaks down. When unity is destroyed, love is displaced. He seeks to get us to love our structures, our denominations, our buildings, our programs, our systems more than we love God, more than we love one another and more than we love the message that has been entrusted to us. He gets us to diminish in our love, and that is to be our witness to the world. They will know you are My Disciples, and that you love one another, said Christ. We saw that in the media this morning. When the truth was distorted, that distortion was adhered to and believed, unity broke down, and love was diminished. We see the same thing happen in relationships, and we can see the same thing happen in the church from time to time. You and I have all heard stories like that. Were going to take a look in the Bible and see what happened when Satan attacked the church. There was a region in which he got a foothold in. There was a region that we read about in which he attacked the truth, and the domino effect took place. Unity was damaged, and love was diminished amongst those believers; and there are lessons we can learn from them. Lets open our Bibles up to the Book of Galatians 1 (page 1151 of pew Bibles). I want to first of all draw your attention to the uniqueness of this book. If you look at Verse 2, [youll see] what Paul says to the churches in Galatia. Youll notice that in the other epistles that he writes, he writes it either to a person as in the Pastoral Epistles, or he writes it to a specific church: the church in Rome, the church in Corinth, or the church in Ephesus. Here he writes to a group of churches in Asia Minor, which is now Turkey, that he visited on his first missionary journey. Among them are Iconia, Lystra and Derbe. All these cities represent this Roman providence called Galatia. He writes to this region because this region had come under a satanic attack. The mission of the church-the all important mission of communicating the Gospel-was under attack. Were going to see that domino effect that I talked about happen, and were going to see how Paul counter-attacks the enemy. Before we begin reading, let me tell you a little bit about whats going on. There are a group of men that history now looks back on and calls Judaisers. The Judaisers were men who were always going around stirring up trouble for Paul. When Paul would preach, they would come around, and they would say, Oh, hes against the law of Moses. Theyd stir the crowd up against Paul. Recall that happening: the riots and troubles that followed Paul because of them? The Judaisers taught that its not just enough to believe in Jesus. You have to believe in Jesus and practice the law. Men, if youre going to convert to Christianity, you Gentiles, you Greeks out here, you need to become circumcised as a sign of the covenant. You need to follow these laws, these principles, of the Mosaic Law. It is Christ plus the law, Christ plus the works of the law, that justify you before God. So, in essence, the Gospel becomes this innocuous thing. Its just added to this list of requirements. Its simply another requirement to add. It is the Jesus plus theology. Paul sees this as an extreme threat to the church. It still is a threat to the church. The essence of that said, that Christs atonement was not enough… When Jesus said on the cross, It is finished, bowed his head and gave up His spirit, the debt was not paid. You have to add to what Christ has already done. You have to add through your righteous works of the law. They shared this with the Galatian churches, and they believed it. Now, Paul is writing, and he is angry at the men who have perpetrated this perversion of the Gospel. He has grieved because he taught them better. When you see your children do something contrary to what you taught them, youre grieved. You might say to them, I taught you better than this. You know better than that. Thats what is happening here. Paul is reprimanding them. They should have known better. Chapter 1:6 (page 1151), he says, I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel… The word different is heteros. Youve all heard of the word hetero. It means of another kind. Youve turned to another gospel… This is not the same Gospel I taught you. When you add Christ to the old covenant, this is not what I taught you. …which is no gospel at all. The word Gospel means good news. It means saying, Listen, if you have to be justified by the works of the law, that is not good news. If nothing has changed but we simply added Christ, and you still have to rely upon your righteous works to be right with God, thats not good news, and its not the Gospel that was delivered to you. I want you to notice how Paul uses the strongest words he can possibly use to communicate with the churches. Thats because so much is at stake. This is not a minor difference of opinion. This is not a peripheral, doctrinal matter. This is the core of the Gospel that is under attack. He is perverting the truth of the Gospel, and Paul says, We must rise to defend that. [Verse 7], …Evidently, some people are throwing you into confusion or trying to pervert the Gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from Heaven… Wow! …should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! Anathema-cursed, cut off from God. If an angel comes to you in glowing robes and speaks to you in an angelic, heavenly, majestic voice and tells you a different gospel, let him be cursed. [Verse 9], As I have already said and now say again: if anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! How strong of words could Paul have used here? [There is] nothing stronger than the word he used. They had believed a lie. They had bought in to this perversion of the gospel. As a result, disunity had taken hold in the Church of Christ because thats what happens. When truth is attacked and a lie is believed, disunity is the result. Even good people can be led astray. Thats why its so important in churches, and our elders and our ministerial staff and all of us-all of us from the youngest to the oldest-from those who have been Christians for a short period of time to those who have been Christians their entire lives-guard the truth of the Gospel. In Chapter 2:11 (page 1152), were going to read about a confrontation or a conflict between the Apostle Paul and the Apostle Peter. Judaisers are going to come into the group that is meeting, and Peter is going to withdraw from the Gentile Christians. Verse 11 says, When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. Before certain men from James… That means from Jerusalem. Its not at all saying that James believes or aligns himself with the Judaisers; he simply wants us to identify that these men had come from Jerusalem where James was the head of the church. …he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The Judaisers. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. A wonderful man of God. When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the Gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all… I made Peter an example. ‘…You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile… You live under the new covenant. You dont follow the law anymore. …‘and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? Why do you seem not to be aligning yourself with the party of the circumcision? Gentiles are hurt, and that was part of it. Paul is coming to their defense. Imagine youre in junior high, and you are a nerd. Youre a dweeb. A cool kid comes and sits by you in the lunchroom. Youre like, Wow! Ive arrived. A cool kid is eating with me. I matter! Into the lunchroom comes a bigger group of cool kids. Immediately, they realize they are with a nerd, so they stand up and leave you alone and go and sit with the cool kids. Aw, I wasnt really sitting with that guy. He had to help me with my homework. Then youre embarrassed and ashamed. Thats what they feel like. Peter and others immediately withdraw from them and head over and associate with the Judaisers. The Judaisers are bullies. They were intimidators. They had some power and clout. There is peer pressure that is taking place here, and Peter, sadly, lets us down; but a bigger picture is what is at stake. You can see unity begin to break down. Unity was breaking down in the church-churches in this region. Peter is going to stress to them the importance of oneness and unity in Christ. As Satan seeks to destroy unity, the church must display unity-unity in the midst of our diversity. In Chapter 3:26 (page 1153), Paul writes, You are the sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. These divisions have to seize. These barriers have to be brought down. We are one in Christ. We are a body of believers. The same Spirit we are baptized into is in all of us. The same Gospel ties us together and unifies us. The Gospel, the truth of the Gospel, is our unity. Thats why when the Gospel is attacked and that distortion is believed, unity breaks down because it is that unity which ties us together as brothers and sisters in Christ. That unity should be seen by the world. Sometimes its not. Sometimes what the world sees from Christians is our infighting, squabbling and bickering as we parse verbs. Im not talking about the core of the Gospel. Im not talking about the 1 Corinthians 15:3 (page 1139), the Lord Jesus, the deity of Christ, the atonement on the cross, the resurrection. Im not talking about that. Im talking about other matters that divide Christians. Augustine said, In the essentials, unity; in the non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, love. What do we communicate to the world when we squabble and fight and cant get along as Christians? I heard about a man who wanted to end his life. This is an illustration; this is not true. He walked on top of a bridge; he looked at the raging waters below; and he said, All I have to do is jump off, and Ill end my life. A passerby came and saw the man ready to jump. He said, Dont do it! Dont do it! The man said, Why should I live? Thinking quickly, he said, Do you believe in God? Well, yes, I believe in God. Well, see, thats a reason. You believe in God. Now, Im just curious, do you believe in the Christian God, the Muslim god or….where are you coming from here? He said, Oh, Im a Christian. Oh, good. Im a Christian too. Now are you a Protestant or a Catholic? He said, Well, Im a Protestant. Oh, yeah, me too. Im a Protestant too. Now are you Episcopalian or a Baptist, Assembly of God or Presbyterian, Methodist? He tells him what denomination he is and says, I am too. Thats the denomination I am. Thats really cool! So are you like pre-trib or post-trib? Me too! Im pretrib. Now, in our denomination, we revitalized our bylaws. Are you from the 1936 convention or the 1954 revised convention? Oh, Im of the 1954 revised convention. Then he pushed him off the bridge and said, Die heretic! The message Im trying to convey to you: in the Gospel, if we are in agreement on the essentials, you are my brother and my sister, regardless of your denomination. You are my brother and sister in Christ regardless of some of the differences we have in those peripheral matters. One of the things I love about our church is we come from all different backgrounds, all different denominations and theologies, and we love each other. We love each other, and that always has gotten me excited to think about because unity, when it is displayed, is a powerful manifestation of the presence of God in the church. Some of us were moved by the story of genocide in Rwanda in 1994. The civil war there between the Hutus and the Tutsis-and Im not going to get into that; you can look that up. Thats why God made Wikipedia. If you have any questions about that, you can study it for yourself. There were some Tutsi warriors who wanted to kill the Hutus in a region. They went into the church with guns, and they told the pastor, We demand you to tell us who are the Tutsis and who are the Hutus in your congregation. The pastor said, We have no Tutsis and Hutus here, only Christians. He said, I need to know! I must know! You tell me now who the Hutus are in your congregation! He said, We are Christians here. There are no Tutsis. There are no Hutus in this body. We all belong to Jesus Christ. He said, I have orders to kill the Hutus in this church. If you value your life, you will tell me who in your church is a Hutu. The pastor understanding what was on the line stared the man in the face, and he said, There are no Hutus and Tutsis in this church. We are all Christians here. The men with the guns then broke their way into the church and killed every single Christian. We are going to live together, or were going to die together. We are not Hutus or Tutsis. We belong to Christ. Friends, I dont know what your political persuasion is; I dont know what your theological background is; I dont know what union or non-union you belong to, but the highest bond we have is the bond that we have in Jesus Christ. That is our greatest loyalty: the blood of Christ which has taken away our sin. The grace of Christ that has forgiven us our sins is what binds us together as brothers and sisters. When the unity is present, it is a powerful witness to the world that God is among us. We said the third thing that happens is when the truth is distorted; thats how the enemy attacks, distorts and perverts the truth. The church is called to defend the truth, and Paul defended the truth of the Gospel-the churches in Galatia. We said the second thing that happens, the second domino that falls, is unity is destroyed; so Paul encourages the churches to display unity. The third domino that falls is when love is displaced. People start to love the wrong things, to love themselves and their mission or their cause, rather than the cause of Christ or the mission of the church. So Paul is going to encourage the churches of Galatia to demonstrate love. In Galatians 5:5 (page 1154), Paul says hes going to try to put them on the right track here, But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts… How many things count? The only thing that counts-this one thing. …is faith expressing itself through love? You are running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? What kind of persuasion? That kind of persuasion does not come from the One who calls you. ‘A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough. I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be. Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves! If theyre going to go around saying they had to circumcise the Greeks, why dont they just go all the way and castrate themselves? Tell us how you really feel about this issue, Paul. I understand when Paul says, I am serious about defending the purity of the Gospel. When somebody attacks the purity of the Gospel, the church has to be serious about that and in defending that. It says, You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge in the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. How many of you know of churches that have allowed this kind of disunity to happen in the body and ended up devouring each other and causing the church to split? Let me see your hand if you know churches like that? That's sad, isnt it? Isnt that just pitiful sad? That happened in this church. They werent loving each other. They werent demonstrating love. They were fighting amongst themselves. Thats what happens when we depart from the truth-when the truth is not protected. I see its time for me to be quiet, but I want to just share one more illustration with you. In the Holy Land, the church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, supposedly the burial place of Christ-on top of that, above that, on the ground there is a monastery, a chapel. Theres a big debate over who owns the rights to that property between the Coptic or the Egyptian Christians and the Ethiopian Christians. They have guards up there. They have a priest up there at the top of the chapel from the Coptic Church and one from the Ethiopian Church. One time, the Ethiopian priest was too hot in the sun, so he moved his chair toward the shade and got too close to the Coptic side. A big fist fight broke out. Christians from either side came up and began to fight. The police were called, and people were hospitalized because of this. There was a ladder that was put up there to repair something that has never been brought down because they cant agree on who has authority to take the ladder down. There was a needed fire exit that Israel wanted to put in the building in case there was a fire, but the Coptics and the Ethiopians cannot decide where the exit should go. More importantly, there are repairs that need to be done. There are people who are afraid that structurally if these repairs are not done, this building could collapse-not only destroying the chapel, but possibly causing damage to the church of the Holy Sepulcher, including the loss of life. Israel says, We will do these repairs for you, but we first have to know who were working with. Who is in charge? They, of course, cannot agree. So this chapel that they claim to love so much, in order to be right-in order for their cause to win-they are willing to let the building collapse under their feet and be destroyed. Its a sad thing when we put our agendas, our structures and our systems over the unity that is in Christ. What does that say to the non-Christians in Jerusalem when these two groups of people who both claim to love the Lord Jesus Christ are fighting like children over territory of a place that is so holy? Its sad! Its sad when it happens there; its sad when it happens in the churches of Galatia; its sad when it happens here. Augustine said, In the essentials, unity; the non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, love. Might we follow that creed today.

This week's episode is titled – “Challenge.”We've tracked the development and growth of the Church in the East over a few episodes. To be clear, we're talking about the Church which made its headquarters in the city of Seleucia, twin city to the Persian capital of Ctesiphon, in the region known as Mesopotamia. What today historians refer to as The Church in the East called itself the Assyrian Church. But it was known by the Catholic Church in the West with its twin centers at Rome and Constantinople, by the disparaging title of the Nestorian Church because it continued on in the theological tradition of Bishop Nestorius, declared heretical by the Councils of Ephesus in 431 and Chalcedon 20 years later. As we've seen, it's doubtful what Nestorius taught about the nature of Christ was truly errant. But Cyril, bishop of Alexandria, more for political reasons than from a concern for theological purity, convinced his peers Nestorius was a heretic and had him and his followers banished. They moved East and formed the core of the Church in the East.While that branch of the Church thrived during the European Middle Ages, the Western Catholic Church coalesced around 2 centers; Rome and Constantinople. Though they'd reached agreement over the doctrinal issues regarding the nature of Christ and expelled both the Nestorians to the East and the Monophysite Jacobites to their enclaves in Syria and Egypt, the Western and Eastern halves of the Roman Church drifted apart.The Council of Constantinople in 692 marked one of several turning points in the eventual rift between Rome and Constantinople. Called by the Emperor, the Council was attended only by Eastern Bishops. It dealt with no real doctrinal matters but set down rules for how the Church was to be organized and worship conducted. The problem is that several of the decisions went contrary to the long-held practice in Rome and the churches in Western Europe that looked to it. The Pope rejected the Council. à And the gulf between Rome and Constantinople widened.This gap between the Eastern and Western halves of the Church mirrored what was happening in the Empire at large. As we've seen, Justinian I tried to revive the gory of the Roman Empire in the 6th C, but after his death, the Empire quickly reverted to its path toward disintegration. What helped this dissolution was the emergence of Islam from the southeast corner of the Empire.Historically, the Arabs were a people of multiple tribes who shared both a common culture and distrust of one another which fueled endless conflict. But the early 7th C saw them united by a new and militant religion. The endless struggles that had kept them at each other's throats, were merged into a shared mission of setting them at everyone else's. Why steal from each other in generations of just transferring the same loot back and forth when they could unite and grab new plunder from their neighbors?And so much the better when those neighbors who used to be too strong to attack, were now in decline and under-defended?It was a Perfect Storm. The emergence of the Muslim armies in the early 7th C, bursting forth from the furnace that forged them, came right at the time when the once unstoppable might of the Roman Empire was finally a relic of a bygone age. Constantinople was able to hold the invaders at bay for another 700 years, but Islam spread quickly over other lands of the once great Empire; into the Middle East, North Africa, and was even able to get a foothold in Europe when they jumped the Straits of Gibraltar and landed in Spain. In the East, the Muslims swept up into Rome's ancient nemesis, Persia, and quickly subdued it as well.It all began with the birth of an Arab named Muhammad in 570.Since this is a podcast on the history of Christianity rather than Islam, I'll be brief in this review of the new religion that moved the Arabs out of their peninsula during the 7th C.Islam marks its beginning to the Hegira, Muhammad's move from his hometown of Mecca to the city of Medina in AD 622.  This began the successful phase of his preaching. Muhammad built a theology that included elements of Judaism, Christianity, and Arabian polytheism.While there's much talk today about Islam's place with Judaism and Christianity as a monotheistic religion, a little research reveals Muhammad really only elevated one of the Arab's gods over the others – that is Il-Allah, or as it is known today – Allah. Allah was the moon god and patron deity of Muhammad's Quraysh tribe. The enduring proof of this is the symbol of the crescent moon that adorns the top of every Muslim mosque and minaret and is the universal symbol of Islam.Muhammad's new religion included elements of both Judaism and Christianity because he hoped to include both groups in his new movement.  The Jews refused his efforts while several Christians joined the new movement. It's understandable why. The church Muhammad was familiar with was one that had been co-opted by Arab superstition. It hardly resembled Biblical Christianity. It was ripe pickings for the emergent faith. When Islam later ran into more orthodox Christian communities, they refused the new faith. Muhammad was incensed at the Jews and Christians refusal to join, so they became the object of his wrath.Part of Muhammad's genius was that he sanctified the Arabic penchant for war by uniting the tribes and sending them on the mission of taking Islam to the rest of the world thru the power of the sword. Loot was made over as a religious bonus, evidence of divine favor.Islam's rapid spread across Western Asia and North Africa was facilitated by the vacuum left from the chronic wars between Rome and Persia. Just prior to the Arab conquests, the old combatants had concluded yet another round in their long contest and were exhausted!In the 2nd decade of the 7th C, the Persians conquered Syria and Palestine from the Romans, took Antioch, pillaged Jerusalem, then conquered Alexandria in Egypt. That means the Persians ruled what had been the 2nd and 3rd most populous cities of the Roman Empire. They conquered most of Asia Minor and set-up camp just across the Bosporus from Constantinople.Then, in one of the great reversals of history, Emperor Heraclius rallied the Eastern Empire and launched a Holy War to reclaim the lands lost to the Persians.  They retook Syria, Palestine, Egypt and invaded deep into Persia. You can well imagine what all this war did politically, environmentally and economically to the region. It left it exhausted. Like a body whose defenses are down, the Eastern Empire was ripe for a new invasion. And look; Oh goodie à Here come the Arabs swinging their scimitars. The Arab advance was nothing less than spectacular.Muhammad died in 632 and was followed by a series of associates known as caliphs. In 635 the Arabs took Damascus, in 638 they captured Jerusalem. Alexandria fell in 642. Then the Muslim armies turned north and swept up into the demoralized region of Persia. By 650 it was theirs, as were parts of Asia Minor and a large part of North Africa.The Muslims realized conquering the Mediterranean would require they become a naval power. They did and began taking strategic islands in the Eastern and Central sea. In the 670s with their new navy, they began taking shots at Constantinople but were chased off by a new invention – Greek Fire.They conquered Carthage in 697, the center of Byzantine might in North Africa. Then in 715, they hopped the Straits of Gibraltar and landed in Spain, bringing the Visigothic rule there to an end. They then crossed the Pyrenees and laid claim to Southwestern Gaul. It wasn't ill the Battle of Tours in 732 that the Franks under Charles Martel were able to put a halt to the Muslim advance. That also marks the beginning of the ever so slow roll-back of Muslim domination in the Iberian Peninsula.But what territory Islam lost in the far western reach of their holdings was made up for by their advances in the East. During the 8th C, they reached into Punjab in India and deep into Central Asia.The major islands of the Mediterranean became coins that flipped from Byzantine to Muslim, then back again. The Muslims even managed to settle a couple of colonies on the coast of Italy. They raided Rome.These conquests tapered off as the old tendency toward animosity between the Arabic tribes returned. The thing that had united them, Islam, became one more thing to fight over. The main point of contention was over who was supposed to lead the Umma – the Muslim community. Islam fractured into different camps who turned their scimitars on each other, and the rest of the world breathed a collective sigh of relief.The Church in those lands that now lay under the Crescent moon suffered. Islam was supposed to hold a certain respect for what they called “The People of the Book” - meaning Christians and Jews. Moses and Jesus were considered great prophets in Islam.  While pagans had to convert to Islam, Christians and Jews were allowed to continue in their faith, as long as they paid a penalty tax. The treatment of Christians varied widely across Muslims lands. Their fate was determined by the intensity of the rulers' faith and adherence to Islam.  This was largely due to the conflicting instructions found in the Koran about how to treat people of other faiths.In Islam, later revelation supersedes earlier pronouncements. Early in Muhammad's career, he hoped to win Christians by persuasion to his cause so he called for kindly treatment of them. Later, when he had some power and Christians proved intractable, he spoke more stridently and urged their forced compliance. Conversion FROM Islam to any other religion was to be punished by execution. But the Koran isn't set down in a chronological sequence and readers don't always know which was an earlier and which a later revelation. Some Muslims rulers were stern and read the harsh passages as being the rule. They persecuted Christian and tried to eradicate the Church. Others believed the call to a more merciful relationship with Christians was a higher morality and followed that. Churches were allowed to meet under such rulers, but public demonstrations of faith were banned and no new church building was permitted.Interestingly, there was a flowering of Arabic culture that took place due to rule by benevolent Muslims. Because Christian scholarship was allowed, the Classics of Greek and Roman civilization were translated into Arabic BY CHRISTIAN CLERGY and SCHOLARS. It was this that led to the emergence of the Arabic Golden Age modern historians make so much of. That such a Golden Age was sparked and enabled by Christian scholars giving Muslims access to the works of classical antiquity is rarely mentioned.The severe limits placed on the Faith by even lenient Muslim rulers, combined with the harsh treatment of the Church in other places led to widespread loses by the Church in terms of population and influence. Catholic Christians living in North Africa fled north to Europe where they were welcomed by those of similar faith. But the Jacobite Monophysite community was left behind to languish, and the vibrant church culture that had once dominated the region was nearly lost. The resurgent radical Islam of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is now putting the final nails in the coffin of the Coptic Church, the spiritual heirs to that once vibrant history.Nearly everywhere Islam spread, it was accompanied by mass defections of marginal Christians to the new faith. Pragmatism isn't such a modern philosophy after all. Many nominal Christians assumed the single God of Islam was the same as the one God of Christianity and He must favor the Muslims – I mean > look at how successful they are in spreading their religion. Might makes right – Right? // Well, maybe it doesn't . . . Shhh! Not so loud, the mullahs might hear and their scimitars are sharp.As many had converted to the newly emergent Christianity under the auspices of Constantine in the early 4th Century, now many converted to Islam under the caliphates in the 7th.Along with the restrictions placed on those Christians who refused to convert to Islam was added a practice the Muslims picked up from the Zoroastrian rulers of Persia.  They required Christians to wear a distinctive badge and prohibited them from serving in the army. That was probably for the best since the army was used specifically to spread the Faith by the sword – the Muslim practice of jihad. But being banned from the military meant they were prohibited the use of arms, and forced to wear distinctive clothing meant easy identification for those hostile elements who saw the presence of Christians as contrary to the will of Allah. Christians became targets of public shame and often, violence. Since conversions FROM Islam were punishable by death, while conversion TO Islam was rewarded, even in the most lenient realms under the banner of Crescent Moon, the church experienced a steady decline.As Islam settled in and became the dominant cultural force throughout its domains, most of the Christian communities that remained became tradition-bound. They reacted strongly against any innovations, fearing they were dangerous deviations from the Faith they'd held to so tenaciously in spite of persecution. Another reason they rejected change was for fear it might lead to success and the church would grow. Growth meant the Muslim authorities paying closer attention, and that was something they wanted to avoid at all costs. For that reason, to this day the Church in Muslim lands tends to be archaic and bound to traditions practiced for hundreds of years.

This episode is titled “Meanwhile, Back in the East” because before we dive into the next phase of church history in Europe, we need to catch up on what's happening to the East.The Mongol Empire of the 13th and 14th Cs occupied the largest contiguous land empire in history. Rising originally from the steppes of Central Asia and stretching from Eastern Europe to the Sea of Japan; from Siberia in the north to Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, the Iranian plateau, and the Middle East. At its greatest extent it spanned 6000 miles and covered about 16% of the planet's total land area.Genghis Khan was a shamanist, but recognizing the need to unite the Mongol clans. He adopted a policy of religious toleration that remained official policy during his reign and that of his son Ogedai. Several of the tribes that formed the core of the Mongol horde were Christians in at least a cultural sense. The Keriats, Onguds and Uighurs owed the Christianization of their culture to the Eastern expansion of Christianity we've looked at in earlier episodes.It's important to insert a short parenthetical comment here. Knowing what devastation the Mongols wrought during the 13th and 14th Cs and the literal wagon-loads of blood they spilled, we have to be careful when we call these tribes Christian. They certainly weren't evangelical missionaries. Their faith was a highly-distorted Nestorian version of the Gospel that exercised little restraint on the barbaric rapaciousness that marked their conquests. Still, they called themselves ‘'Christians and their claimed allegiance to the Gospel had a huge impact on what happened in the Middle East.Genghis Khan's son Tolui, married a Christian woman from the Keriat tribe. One of their sons was the Mongol ruler Hulegu. Another was the famous Kublai Khan, founder of the Yaun Dynasty in China. While Hulegu seems to have identified as a Christian, Kublai certainly favored Christians in his court. When Hulegu conquered Baghdad, the Islamic capital of the day, his Christian wife urged him to destroy the city's mosques but protect the churches. Her goal was to dismantle Islam in the region and hand it a permanent setback.The Mongols took control of the Caliph's palace and gave it to Baghdad's Christian patriarch. It ended up being made into a grand church. With such obvious favor being shown Christians, many Mongols converted.Asian Christians who'd suffered under the tyranny and oppression of Islamic rule for generations began to look to the advancing Mongol army as deliverers. One writer lauded the genocidal Hulegu and his wife as great luminaries and zealous combatants for the Christian religion. Beleaguered Western Crusaders were stoked by reports of allies in the East doing noble battle with the Muslims. Some Crusaders even sent emissaries to try to link up with the Mongols and help them in their conquest of the Egyptian Mamelukes in 1260. The Mameluke victory at Ain Jalut over the Mongols was a major disappointment.Hulegu's son married a Byzantine princess and he favored Christianity over both Buddhism and Islam. Over the next few decades the Mongols didn't persecute Muslims but they did impose what the Muslims felt was a heavy burden. They were no longer able to treat Christians living among them as a subject people they could extract heavy tolls and fines from. The Mongol attitude was that as long as everyone paid their taxes, they were free to practice whatever religion they wanted. So a huge source of wealth to Muslims was lost.Christians all across the Middle East took advantage of their newfound freedom and hoped things would stay that way indefinitely under a sympathetic Mongol rule. With Hulegu and his heirs in power, Christians began doing things that had been forbidden under Islam; like carrying the cross in public processions, drinking wine, and building churches where none had been permitted.Then, in 1268 in Baghdad, I aks you to pay close attention to. Maybe this will bring a little light to why there's such tremendous hatred on the part of certain elements within Islam towards Christians today; especially in that region of the world. The Christian Catholicos, the title of the archbishop, ordered a man drowned for converting from Christianity to Islam. Muslims were scandalized and rioted. Following Mongol policy, the rioting was brutally crushed. Christians took this as further evidence they were now the favored faith. But that favor was soon to turn against them.The Mongol leaders became increasingly aware that Islam, with its embrace of jihad in the extension of the Faith by the power of the sword, was much more compatible with their values than either Christianity or Buddhism. They began to drift towards Islam until 1295, when the new Khan, Mahmoud Gazahn, persecuted Christianity and Buddhism. His successors followed his policies. During the early years of the 14th C, Christians found themselves under the control of a Muslim super-state. Their position radically change from what they'd known under the Arab caliphate. Now Christians were subject to intense persecution. In the regional capital of Al-Malek in 1338, all Christians in the city were killed. The few traces of faith among the Keriats and Uighurs didn't last much into the 15th C.Islam's victory among the Mongols proved devastating for the remaining Christians of Central Asia and the Middle East. These communities had managed to weather the storm of the Muslim Arab conquest of the 7th C and it settled down to an uneasy peace with their new neighbors. But the brief respite brought by the Mongol invasion allowed the Christians to emerge in a dominant role for a time that they used to inflict the Muslims with real hurt. When a few years later, Muslims were back in control, this time with the authority of a Mongol Muslim powerhouse à Well, they decided it was payback-time. It was the Christians in Egypt who first bore the brunt of this new intolerance.From the start of the 13th C, Egypt was the main target of Western Crusades. Frustrated Egyptian governments regularly retaliated for the Crusades by attacking the Copts, the native Egyptian church. In the mid-13th C, Egypt was ruled by the Mamelukes and with the loss of Baghdad to the Mongols, the center of gravity of the Muslim world shifted to Mameluke Egypt. They considered the Christians in their region as a 5th column, in cahoots with the Mongols pressing west toward Egypt. After the loss of Baghdad, it wasn't hard to imagine a world in which Egypt would stand alone as the last great Muslim power in a Middle East dominated by Christian-Mongols.The greatest Mameluke leader was General Baibar, the Scourge of both Crusaders and Mongols. Baibar hated Christians in general, but had an extra dose of loathing for those of the European variety. When he captured Antioch in 1268, he wrote the city's Crusader ruler, who'd barely escaped, “Had you stayed, you'd have seen the crosses in your churches smashed, the pages of a false testament scattered, the patriarchs' tombs overturned. You would have seen your Muslim enemy trampling over the places where you celebrated Mass, cutting the throats of monks, priests, and deacons upon your altars--bringing sudden death to the patriarchs and slavery to your royal princes.”This attitude was radically different from the tone of earlier Muslim-Christian affairs. It reflected Baibar's fury at the Christian alliance with the Mongols who themselves were utterly brutal in their conquests. This intolerance was increasingly evident in Egyptian policies toward their still substantial Christian minority. Persecution in Egypt wasn't new, but things deteriorated quickly after the Mameluke-Mongol wars.Between 1293 and 1354, the Egyptian government launched four campaigns to enforce the submission of Christians and Jews and drive them to accept Islam. Each wave of violence became more intense and better organized. A review of this half-century gives us a much better understanding of the ancient hostilities that have inflamed the Middle East ever since.A quick sketch of what happened.In 1293, an initial persecution fizzled when the sultan's officials realized the Christians they were about to execute controlled the country's finances and were the most competent scribes.In 1301, a vizier visiting from Morocco was appalled at the wealth and status of Egyptian Christians and Jews. In Morocco, they had to pay a steep fine if they refused to convert and were subject to all kinds of public indignities.  But in Egypt they held high public office, wore rich clothes and rode the best mounts. The vizier's criticisms moved Egyptian officials to install the same rules as Morocco. A wave of repressive laws followed, and ordinances closed all the churches and synagogues outside of Cairo. Some ancient churches were demolished, relics burned. Non-Muslims were dismissed from public employment and were forced to wear distinctive clothing; blue turbans for Christians, yellow for Jews. They were forced to ride only on donkeys and whenever a Muslim approached, they had to dismount and bow. Visitors to Egypt said that the enforcement of these rules continued all the way into the 19th C.The effects of this crisis linger to the present day, since the rigorous Muslim legalism that emerged at that time shaped modern Islamic fundamentalist movements. From the 1290s, Muslim jurists produced ever harsher interpretations of the laws governing minorities, particularly through the work of militant puritanical scholars like Ibn Taymiyyah. His life was shaped by the disasters of the Mongol wars which forced him into exile in Egypt. He saw his goal as the militant restoration of Islam in the face of its enemies at home and abroad. His work has had a long afterlife. Ibn Taymiyyah is regarded as the spiritual godfather of the Wahhabi movement and of most modern extremist and jihadist groups. Among many others, Osama bin Laden cited him as a special hero.The Muslim hostility toward Christianity in the early 14th C was reflected in outbreaks of extreme anti-Christian violence.  In 1321, Muslim mobs looted and destroyed Cairo's Coptic churches. Usually, a Muslim cleric would give the signal for the attacks by mobilizing crowds in the mosques under the cry of “Down with the churches.”Now, the sultan tried to keep order, but the hatred of Christians was too powerful to contain. They were blamed for setting fires across Cairo. When some of the accused confessed under torture, the authorities were forced to support the popular movement. At one point, the Sultan faced a mob of 20,000 calling for the forceful suppression of Christians. In order to safeguard his rule, the Sultan permitted purge. The government went further and announced that anyone who found a Christian was permitted to beat him and take his goods.By the mid-14th C, Muslim writers had a whole catalog of anti-Christian charges that bear a close resemblance to the libelous anti-Jewish tracks - The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Christians were accused of being spies, ever on the lookout for opportunities to betray the Muslim cause. Cases in both Egypt and Syria proved, and I'm using air-quotes around that word “proved”-- they were serial arsonists. Some were even reported to have planted a bomb in the Great Mosque of Medina.Given modern-day stereotypes of Islam in the West, it's ironic that Christian minorities were then so feared because they allegedly plotted terror attacks against prestigious symbols of Muslim power.In a society founded on honor and family pride, the humiliations of these new policies were too much to bear for many wealthy urban Christians who then converted to Islam. Other, poorer Christians proved firmer; particularly if they were located in rural areas where government policies were slower to penetrate. But later waves of intimidation wore down there resistance. Violence in the 1320s reduced Christian numbers and prepared the way for the disasters of 1354. From the end of the 14th C, Egypt's Coptic Christians were reduced to a minority they retain up to the present day. The Coptic Church entered a period of hibernation that lasted until the mid-19th C. This is sad when we consider that Egypt had been a major center of Christianity for hundreds of years, and the place of dozens of vital and prolific monasteries. What were once the thousand monks of Bufanda, were reduced to just two.Once their Mongol rulers converted to Islam, conditions became equally difficult for the Christians of Mesopotamia and Syria. Between 1290 and 1330, the story of Christianity in these parts, like that in Egypt, becomes a long list of disasters and ever harsher laws. One edict commanded that churches be demolished and services halted. All clergy and Christian leaders were to be executed. The storied churches of Tabriz, Arbella, Mosul, and Baghdad were torn down. Bishops and priests were tortured and imprisoned. Some laws struck directly at ordinary believers rather than just the institutions and hierarchy. Some of these edicts came from the Khans themselves while others came from the initiation of local governors. But the effects were just as damaging. Even when the Khans tried to limit persecution, they could hardly stem the zeal of local officers. In some cities, local laws ordered forcible conversion to Islam and prohibited the exercise of Christianity upon the pain of death. One Muslim ruler in Armenia passed ruinous taxes and ordered that anyone who refused to convert to Islam should be branded, blinded in one eye, and castrated. Christians and Jews were to be instantly recognizable by wearing distinctive clothing. In the words of one contemporary, “The persecutions and disgrace and markings and ignominy which the Christian suffered at this time, especially in Baghdad, well the words cannot describe.” The persecution reached its height with wholesale massacres at Arbella in 1310 and at Amita in 1317. There at Amita, where 12,000 were sold into slavery, the destruction of churches and monasteries was so thorough the fires burned for a month. These persecutions had a greater effect on the churches of the Middle East than any other event since the conversion of the Roman Empire. The succession of church leadership that had remained unbroken since the time of the Apostles came to an abrupt end. Whole Christian communities were annihilated across Central Asia and surviving communities shrank to tiny fractions of their former size. Christianity disappeared in Persia and across southern and central Iraq the patriarchs of Babylon now literally headed for the hills, taking up residence on the safer soil of northern Mesopotamia.