Podcasts about Eastern Orthodox Church

Send us a textThe guys kick off this weeks episode addressing a pastor's recent comments about a historic Christian doctrine being "crap theology". In the second half, we explore some of the history and key theological distinctives of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Support the show

Original Publish Date: 5/8/2025 Description: The conclave is over and the prediction markets were dead wrong. In this episode of History of the Papacy, we dive into the fascinating rise of Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope. Just days before his election, he barely registered in the prediction markets. So how did he win in less than five ballots? We explore how these markets work, why they usually get things right, and why the conclave is one place where money can’t predict the Holy Spirit. Support the show: Buy me a coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/historyofthepapacy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/historyofthepapacy Buy me a book! https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1MUPNYEU65NTF Have questions, comments or feedback? Here are ways to contact me: Email Us: steve@atozhistorypage.com https://www.atozhistorypage.com/podcast Music Provided by: "Sonatina in C Minor" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) "Funeral March for Brass" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) "Crusade Heavy Perfect Loop" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Agnus Dei X - Bitter Suite Kevin MacLeaod (incomptech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Begin Transcript: [00:00:00] Welcome back to the History of the Papacy Podcast, a podcast about the Popes of Rome and Christian Church. Prepare yourself to step behind the ropes and leave the official tour of the story of the Popes and Christianity. I am your host, Steve Gura, and I thank you for joining me on this journey. Hey everybody, it's Steve here. I recorded this episode about, uh, maybe two days ago, and a lot has changed since that recording. We do have a new Pope, Pope Leo the 14th, who was former Cardinal. Robert Prevost, who is the [00:01:00] first American Pope, or who is the first American pope. We'll get into a lot of the details about this future Pope. We'll probably do an episode on this Cardinal Prevost, where he came from. There's a lot of interest. Details with his life. We probably won't get into a tremendous amount of detail because there's just so much new information coming out about him, but related to this episode that I recorded before, and I think this, this, uh, you should definitely hang on all the way to the end because it's so interesting. This whole episode was based around the prediction markets around who would be Pope, and I said it in this episode and I've said it many times. Prediction markets are very accurate in some ways, but I think that it was very inaccurate with this current Pope and just it would be inaccurate with Popes in general because it's such a unique election and that the only data points are the [00:02:00] 140 cardinals who go in, or the X amount of Cardinals will say in future conclaves. And we just don't know what the politics are. We don't a hundred percent know what the politics are going in, and we know. Basically 0% of what political machinations went on in that enclave. It must have been fascinating because of how quickly they came up with him. It was less than five ballots to get Cardinal Privos to become Pope Leo the 14th. It's one of the shortest conclaves of all times, only two days to get white smoke. So I think that that is fascinating. So definitely keep listening and let's see a little bit of how these markets worked. I'll just say that going in Cardinal Perlin was up. To 67% and Prevost was [00:03:00] pretty low down there. I don't even think he was on my uh, radar at all. He was on the poly market in the under 5%. So this will be definitely an interesting pay papacy to watch out for with this young pope, relatively young, not super young. 69 for an elected leader or of any sort or stripe in this era. That's young. So let's, let's check out and think a little bit more about these markets today. I'm going to address some of the top contenders for the, uh, next Pope. I'm not gonna get too much into the, the detail of each of these Cardinals, because again, there's 140 of them. All of them are in play as. To be the next Pope. So what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna take a little different tack than our friends over at Pontax or Popular History. Definitely tune [00:04:00] into both of them because they are doing continued coverage as well. Way I'm going to look at it today is I wanna look at some of the, what are these cardinals who are meeting in conclave looking for in the next Pope? And then what I'm also going to look at is. The poly market prediction. Market website. And what the poly market is, is people literally put their money where their mouth is. They put um, I guess what you might call wagers or their maybe investing in their own money on who they, the next Pope is. Honestly, they don't, most of these people, they're not gonna have any more insider information than you or I do. They're just predicting who they think the next Pope is. And what I think is valuable about poly market is this was more, this website was more accurate in the 2024 [00:05:00] presidential election than any of the polling and generally. Poly market is very accurate, especially as it gets closer and closer to the actual events, the more accurate it becomes. Again, there's some problems with the, the nature of. The conclave process because once they're in conclave, these 140 cardinals, a lot of politics breaks down when they're face to face and they're horse trading inside of the inside of the conclave. Somebody could be up, up, up, up, up in the ballots, but they're just not hitting that number, and then the whole conclave starts to switch and they could. Do a 180 turn that person who on the first initial ballots could have been the top contender, and then they start to lose steam and it [00:06:00] starts swinging towards somebody else. That can very easily happen when these popes. When these cardinals are on lockdown, could this be a quick conclave or could it be a long, drawn, drawn out affair? We just don't know at this time. Now, before we get too far into the actual, who's the, who are our top contenders? As on poly market. Let's talk a little bit about what these cardinals are actually looking for and what are some of the, the factors at play. This, it really is the, the chest, the 3D chest, the five D chest, if you will, of a conclave. What, what some of the factors that they're looking for is regionality. Is it going to be somebody from Europe inside of Europe? Is it an, is it an Italian or a Southern European versus the [00:07:00] Germans who have a really powerful block? Is it, are they looking? Are they looking for somebody who is. Theologically driven from a certain bent. Are they a moderate theologically? Are they liberal? Are they conservative? Are they a moderate conservative or liberal politically? And that politically charged moderate tism or liberalism or conservatism can very much change whether they are depending based on what region they're from. And then another factor, of course, is the. The person's age, are they looking for a pope that is younger or older? Are they looking for somebody who could be a placeholder? Fra? Pope Francis was Pope for a long time. He made a lot of changes. Are they looking for that cardinal? Who will become Pope, who's gonna be pretty much status quo? Are they gonna be a [00:08:00] Francis site, so to speak and continue his. Reforms and his changes and his policies, or are they going to look for somebody who's Auntie Francis, who's gonna go back on a lot of the things that he's done? Then there's the, it's sort of the X factor. Most of the popes who are real contenders are, uh, are all Latin, meaning that they're Roman. Roman and they're vet. But there's also this, uh. The so-called Sury Juris or Sury juris churches that are self-governing autonomous churches within the Roman Catholic Church. They're generally, uh, on the outside they would look like an Eastern Orthodox or an Oriental Orthodox, but they're not in communion with the Orientals or the. Or the Eastern Orthodox, but externally they look like them and [00:09:00] they have a lot of the same theological bents. None of these guys are really in the running, but it, it could be interesting that they wind up going with one of these. It's kind of an a way outsider possibility, but it's not. Impossible. So let's just talk about region quickly. Regions, we have the United States, we have South America, Europe. Then Africa and the East China and, uh, China really being the, that 800 pound gorilla in the room, generally speaking, the I. African cardinals are much more theologically conservative than maybe your European cardinals. You've got South America who many of their cardinals are much more. [00:10:00] Liberal politically and liberal, more liberal on the theological bent America, a real mixed bag. You have some very conservatively political and conservatively theological cardinals mixed in with some very liberal on both political and theological. Issues Europe. Again, a a mixed bag, but generally more liberal theologically and a mixture of liberal conserv or conservative politically. Now talking about theologically, you have your conservatives, your liberals, and your moderates, and your moderates. It's not like they're 50 50. A lot of times they don't have a a, they haven't drawn stark lines either liberal or conservative, or they do [00:11:00] have a mixed bag of both opinions. I. As far as somebody liberally, theologically, they're gonna be people who are more for remarriage, which was always a big no-no in the, uh, in the Catholic church where if you got divorced and you're not. You haven't been, your marriage wasn't a nulled in an official church capacity. These people, people, these laypeople who were married and divorced, were not allowed to get communion. They were essentially ex-communicated. So there's a lot of cardinals who wanna liberalize that. You have liberals who want to be ecumenical, meaning they wanna have strong ties and maybe even form communion again with some of the Protestant groups or some of the Eastern Orthodox and I. Oriental Orthodox [00:12:00] churches, they want much tighter, much tighter connections with these other churches that are not in communion with Rome. Conservatively, uh minded Cardinals want to be much stricter on those issues and they don't wanna. Necessarily have stronger ecumenical relationships with the other churches, or if the other churches wanna have relations with the Catholic church, they're gonna have to become Catholic and fall in line with Catholic Church dogmas. There's this big issue of the ordination of women. Liberals are leaning more towards the ordination of women. Maybe not full, full-blown priests, but maybe women, deacons. The conservatives are really against that. Then you have the issue of the Latin mass and the Latin mass is a. Huge [00:13:00] issue. Pope Francis the co, the Council of Vatican ii, all the way back in the sixties kind of dialed back and went back on the traditional Latin mass. And what we should really just say is the traditional Latin mass is not just saying the mass in Latin. There's a whole. Environment around that, where the people who are into the traditional Latin mass have certain political views, certain theological views. Popes later on, after Vatican two started to give the Latin mass a little bit more consideration. John Paul two light loosened up and allowed more groups to do this Latin mass. And then Pope Benedict. Loosened it a lot more, but Pope Francis really pulled back the reigns on how much the Latin mass was allowed and he fairly much banded except for certain groups and [00:14:00] certain circumstances. Hey, Steve here. If you're enjoying the history of the Papacy podcast joining us. On Patreon at patreon.com/history, ofthe papacy, we're working toward going completely listener funded, which means no more ads ever. When you join, you get early access to episodes, monthly book giveaways, and most importantly, your name is added to the history of the papacy dip. Dicks our own list of commemorated supporters. You can become an Antioch level supporter. For just $3 per month, but it makes a huge difference to making the history of the papacy ad-free and independent. Nobody likes ads, not you, not me, and I'm the guy who records them, so let's just give rid of them. Visit patreon.com/history of the papacy and join [00:15:00] today. Now, politically speaking, that's a whole different ball of wax. Like I said, regionally that's gonna change a lot because a conservative in Europe is going to look a lot different than, uh, conservative from say, the United States and what they believe in. Another big issue is on abortion, generally speaking. Abortion is an ex communicatable offense. If somebody gets an abortion, you're out and there's not a lot of options to get back in. You're more liberally inclined. Uh, pres and Cardinals would be willing to give people who have women who have had an abortion an option to get back into the church. Then we have this age issue, and age is very, it can be complicated because. Popes do not have to resign. [00:16:00] So you a, a cardinal could be right on the cusp of nine, uh, that 80-year-old of where they're no longer payable, but that cardinal could be 79 and 364 days old. Get elected Pope and still have good 10 years or more left in them and could still make a lot of changes. But then again, you have Cardinals who are in their fifties. They could have a 20 year reign no problem, and be very transformative. You could have a cardinal get picked who's very administrative minded and doesn't wanna make these big changes and all these different issues that are at play. There's just, we're talking about. Each, each single category that I've laid out, four, four different, five different categories, that they could be all over the place on these and inside of the conclave. They could be looking for somebody who's a little bit [00:17:00] of this, a little bit of that. It could just get down to the fact that as the, as the ballots start rolling out. They could go to somebody all together who's not any of these, and the cardinals could go for somebody who's in a way, opposed to them on many of the issues just because of way, the way this balloting inside of the conclave breaks down. There's probably going to be a lot of impetus for them to make it a, a conclave short. Like just let's boom, boom, boom and get it done with. There could be, but they could also get drawn out and it could take months. We just don't know. Pope Francis was a very quick conclave, not many ballots, but that doesn't necessarily mean the way it, it could play out in this current enclave. There's just so, so many factors at play. Then the, there's the, also the issue, a big issue [00:18:00] that in a lot of ways Pope Francis pun punted on, he talked a big game, but he didn't do much with the huge issue of the child sex abuse scandal. That's really been rocking the church since the sixties, but it's really played out during Francis' Reign. And Francis in Word took a very hard line, but then he didn't do much. And a lot of cardinals who are in sitting in conclave right now have very questionable backgrounds on what they, they actually did to fight against this. Major, major scandal. They, uh, some of the cardinals were very loose on who they were, who they clamped down on of priests that were known to have been essentially predators, and some cardinals came down hard on them.[00:19:00] Just another issue at hand. Now getting into who were the really, the guys who are in the top on Poly Market. We have Pietro Parlin. He's the top contender right now by far on Poly Market. He is. Coming in at 29% chance there's over a million dollars in play at his, uh, election. You can buy a, a share in Cardinal Parlin at uh, 29 cents us. He's youngish at 70 years old. He's an Italian, he's all of these cardinals. Uh, the thing you can really say is that they're all insiders. They all have top jobs. They are top, um, they're really ingrained into the, the whole. [00:20:00] Administration of the church. You can't really be a cardinal without doing that. He is the Cardinal Bishop of Santi, Simon, uh, GI Angela. As his, um, official post, he's also a member of the Council of Cardinal Advisors, and he's had a bunch of jobs. He was consecrated. He's actually one of the rare, uh, cardinals that was put in place by Pope. Uh. Pope Benedict. So he's been a, he's been around, even though he is only 70 years old. Most of the, of the vast majority of the Cardinals were actually appointed by Francis at this point. So this Pietro Harlene, he is definitely one to keep your eye on. Steve here with a quick word from our sponsors. The next one on the list [00:21:00] is coming in at 18% with, um, a, a well over $1.1 million in volume trading volume. So he's being heavily traded. Is Luis San Antonio Tagle and he is a Filipino. Uh, Cardinal. He seems to lean a little bit more on the theologically and politically liberal side, just from, you know, real broad strokes. And he is very young coming in at 67 years old and he's a. Probably, uh uh, what you could really call is a Francis site, and I think if he became Pope, he would definitely continue Francis' reforms and Francis' policies going forward. And somebody like him, you could see a easily a 20 year reign out of somebody [00:22:00] like him, maybe 25 year reign, somebody who's only 67 years old. Then we have coming in just a few percent lower Mateo Zui. He is coming in at about eight, $800,000 in volume on poly market. He's another Italian. He's a, uh, straight from Rome again. Young at 69 years of age. He's, uh, he's the bishop of Bologna, which is a powerful Italian episcopate. Again, I mean, these guys, they're, uh, they're, every single one of the, the top contenders resumes are totally, totally. Insiders, uh, inside of the, the papal, the curia, and the administrative arm of the papacy. [00:23:00] He's definitely another liberal who, uh, on political issues for sure. And again, he's another one who's probably would very much continue a lot of Francis' policies. Then you have. Coming in at 9%. So these top four that I've mentioned, they are, they're taking up about 70% of poly market. Turkson is an African Pope, or he's a African Cardinal Archbishop of Cape Coast in Africa Again. Full resume of all these jobs inside of the curia. A lot of these, uh, it, it's very interesting amongst the African Cardinals. Uh, Cardinal Syrah is another one who, uh, he's a little bit lower on the list only coming in at 3%. Where to Turin [00:24:00] is in at 9%, but with a lot of trading volume of over a million dollars. In volume. The African cardinals are of particular note because they are, the Catholicism is just exploding in Africa and it's bringing in a lot of, uh. New converts who are converting from either different Protestant groups or from the Native African religions, but they're, they're bringing in a lot, a lot of new, new converts. So that's something to watch because you're really in a, uh, an, an expansion mode. So they have to make certain compromises with native. Internal politics in Africa as well as the particular needs of these, the, these new groups of people who are coming into the church [00:25:00] who. Have their own beliefs, but are with an evangelistic faith. Some are, when they become Catholics, they're going to be very much, they wanna follow the letter of the law, but also they have their own thoughts on issues. I. And because they are growing so much, they're a force to be reckoned with. And I think that it's not impossible that they could go with an African cardinal just because this is such a powerful and growing block. And then the last Pope coming in at, or the last PO potential Pope is Pierre Batista Pizza Ball, who is an Italian again. He's leaning in. He's leaning in some ways towards the conservatives, but also the liberals. He is kind of a moderate. But he's really big into interfaith dialogue or ecumenical relationships between the different churches. Now, [00:26:00] another huge issue that I didn't mention is where cardinals are falling on some of the big hot button issues and. Two of the big hot button international issues in 2025 is the UK Russo Ukrainian War, which really pits in a lot of ways Catholicism versus Eastern Orthodoxy because there's, wow. We could get into a lot of issues here. Western Ukraine is largely Roman Catholic. Eastern Ukraine is largely amongst, especially amongst the Russian population. Russian Orthodox with deep, deep, deep ties to the Russian Orthodox Church under the patriarch Cial. Then in the middle, stuck in the middle are the what the Eastern Orthodox will call uni eights. But, [00:27:00] um, they're these, uh, the self-governing. Churches that would on the outside look Eastern Orthodox, but are actually in communion with Rome and they're stuck in the middle. But then you also have Eastern Orthodox who are a part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church that's split away from the Russian Orthodox Church. They're accepted by some Eastern Orthodox but not accepted by the Russian Orthodox, so that's a huge issue going on. The popes of Rome have been sort of leaning more towards the, the breakaway Ukrainian Orthodox Church and against the Russian. Orthodox church inside of Ukraine. Huge political issue. Then you have the whole fight in the war that's currently going on in Gaza. [00:28:00] Now, that mostly focuses mu, most of the Gazen, uh, people are Muslim, but there's a significant Christian population and many of them are tied to the Eastern Orthodox Church. So beyond the religious issues, there's also the humanitarian issues for the Muslims and the Christians inside of Gaza. All issues that we're gonna have to look at, that we look at, uh, as outsiders not sitting inside of the conclave issues that. Many Catholics find very important to them, be it, uh, revolving around the Russo Ukrainian war and the war that's currently going inside of Gaza. Very important to many people in sitting inside of that conclave, the cardinals and the priest's laity, everybody who's outside of the conclave, [00:29:00] all issues that. Uh, we should be looking at and thinking about, and that these cardinals will certainly be looking at. So this is my little take on what to look for in the conclave, and definitely send in your comments and look for more. Coverage of conclave of 2025 coming up soon. I will talk to you next time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How long was the longest conclave? Was St. Peter actually buried in the Vatican? Has the papacy always been in Rome? In this interview, we discuss the following: ►secret excavations in the Vatican►an ancient Roman cemetery under St. Peter's Basilica ►How did Rome remain the center of Christianity? The answer is not that simple! ►In early Christianity, was the See of Rome superior to other Patriarchies? ►How did the Great Schism happen? ►What was Charlemagne's role in the split between the Western Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church? ►How did language barrier contribute to the divide between East and West? ►What was the Reformed Papacy? ►What was the Byzantine Papacy? ►What was the Avignon Papacy? ►Why did kings and emperors kidnap popes? ►What was the Donation of Constantine - the forgery with huge geopolitical ramifications?

pWotD Episode 2912: Pope John Paul II Welcome to Popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 263,814 views on Tuesday, 22 April 2025 our article of the day is Pope John Paul II.Pope John Paul II (Latin: Ioannes Paulus II; Italian: Giovanni Paolo II; Polish: Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła, Polish: [ˈkarɔl ˈjuzɛv‿vɔjˈtɨwa]; 18 May 1920 – 2 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his death in 2005.In his youth, Wojtyła dabbled in stage acting. He graduated with excellent grades from an all-boys high school in Wadowice, Poland, in 1938, soon after which World War II broke out. During the war, to avoid being kidnapped and sent off to a German forced labour camp, he signed up for work in harsh conditions in a quarry. Wojtyła eventually took up acting and developed a love for the profession and participated at a local theatre. The linguistically skilled Wojtyła wanted to study Polish at university. Encouraged by a conversation with Adam Stefan Sapieha, he decided to study theology and become a priest. Eventually, Wojtyła rose to the position of Archbishop of Kraków and then a cardinal, both positions held by his mentor. Wojtyła was elected pope on the third day of the second papal conclave of 1978, and became one of the youngest popes in history. The conclave was called after the death of John Paul I, who served only 33 days as pope. Wojtyła adopted the name of his predecessor in tribute to him.John Paul II was the first non-Italian pope since Adrian VI in the 16th century, as well as the third-longest-serving pope in history after Pius IX and St. Peter. John Paul II attempted to improve the Catholic Church's relations with Judaism, Islam, and the Eastern Orthodox Church in the spirit of ecumenism, holding atheism as the greatest threat. He maintained the Church's previous positions on such matters as abortion, artificial contraception, the ordination of women, and a celibate clergy, and although he supported the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, he was seen as generally conservative in their interpretation. He put emphasis on family and identity, while questioning consumerism, hedonism and the pursuit of wealth. He was one of the most-travelled world leaders in history, visiting 129 countries during his pontificate. As part of his special emphasis on the universal call to holiness, John Paul II beatified 1,344 people, and canonised 483 saints, more than the combined tally of his predecessors during the preceding five centuries. By the time of his death, he had named most of the College of Cardinals, consecrated or co-consecrated many of the world's bishops, and ordained many priests.He has been credited with fighting against dictatorships for democracy and with helping to end communist rule in his native Poland and the rest of Europe. Under John Paul II, the Catholic Church greatly expanded its influence in Africa and Latin America and retained its influence in Europe and the rest of the world. On 19 December 2009, John Paul II was proclaimed venerable by his successor, Benedict XVI, and on 1 May 2011 (Divine Mercy Sunday) he was beatified. On 27 April 2014, he was canonised together with John XXIII. He has been criticised for allegedly, as archbishop under Communist Poland, having been insufficiently harsh in acting against the sexual abuse of children by priests, though the allegations themselves have been criticised. Posthumously he has been referred to by some Catholics as Pope St. John Paul the Great, though that title is not official.Under John Paul II, two of the most important documents of the contemporary Catholic Church were drafted and promulgated: the 1983 Code of Canon Law, which revised and updated the 1917 Code of Canon Law, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the first universal catechism to be issued since the Roman Catechism.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 02:52 UTC on Wednesday, 23 April 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Pope John Paul II on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm generative Danielle.

This episode launches a two-part discussion on the growing evangelical interest in the Eastern Orthodox Church.Dr. Williams and Dr. Shrader offer historical, theological, philosophical, and pastoral insights into Orthodoxy's appeal, while evaluating differences and potential dangers. We explore key doctrinal divides, the allure of ancient liturgy, and the exclusive claims of Eastern Orthodoxy.

Dr John Mark Reynolds is the president of the Constantine Schools and College in Texas and the author of numerous books including 'When Athens Met Jerusalem: an Introduction to Classical and Christian Thought'. He is a frequent blogger and lecturer on a wide range of topics including ancient philosophy, classical and home education, politics, faith, and virtue.John Mark was involved in recent research that made global headlines, showing a huge upswing in the numbers of young men entering the Eastern Orthodox Church - precisely the demographic most absent in many churches.Belle Tindall and Justin Brierley ask John Mark: What is it about this ancient church stream that has re-enchanted these young converts?John Mark Reynolds: https://www.saintconstantinecollege.org/about/welcome-from-the-presidentFor Re-Enchanting: https://www.seenandunseen.com/podcastThere's more to life than the world we can see. Re-Enchanting is a podcast from Seen & Unseen recorded at Lambeth Palace Library, the home of the Centre for Cultural Witness. Justin Brierley and Belle Tindall engage faith and spirituality with leading figures in science, history, politics, art and education. Can our culture be re-enchanted by the vision of Christianity? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

pWotD Episode 2876: Saint Patrick's Day Welcome to Popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 556,467 views on Monday, 17 March 2025 our article of the day is Saint Patrick's Day.Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick (Irish: Lá Fhéile Pádraig, lit. 'the Day of the Festival of Patrick'), is a religious and cultural holiday held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (c. 385 – c. 461), the foremost patron saint of Ireland.Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early 17th century and is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland), the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Lutheran Church. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, and, by extension, celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general. Celebrations generally involve public parades and festivals, céilithe, and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks. Christians who belong to liturgical denominations also attend church services. Historically, the Lenten restrictions on fasting and drinking alcohol were lifted for the day, which has encouraged the holiday's tradition of revelry.Saint Patrick's Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador (for provincial government employees), and the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated in places with a large Irish diaspora community, such as Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival. Modern celebrations have been greatly influenced by those of the Irish diaspora, particularly those that developed in North America. However, there has been criticism of Saint Patrick's Day celebrations for having become too commercialised and for fostering negative stereotypes of the Irish people.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 11:18 UTC on Tuesday, 18 March 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Saint Patrick's Day on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Kajal.

In this episode, Fr. Nicholas Loudovikos, during his recent visit to the Holy Monastery of Vatopedi, engages in a heartfelt discussion with the fathers of the monastery. He shares his personal encounters with revered modern Saints—Saint Paisios the Athonite, Saint Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia, and Saint Iakovos Tsalikis—and the profound miracles he experienced during these blessed moments. Fr. Nicholas Loudovikos is a prominent Orthodox Christian theologian and priest, known for his academic and theological contributions within the Eastern Orthodox Church.The talk was recorded by pemptousia.tv in September 2022. This English translation was recorded for otelders.org by Peter Eliades.Read the full English transcript on our website otelders.org, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/otelders and subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/otelders

We dive into the complexities of Sola Scriptura and its role in shaping modern Christianity through the lens of non-denominational pastor Jakob Wendesten. This episode interrogates the interpretative nature of faith and the resulting fragmentation.• Exploration of Jakob Wendesten's beliefs and ministry• Discussion on Sola Scriptura and its consequences on denomination proliferation• Examination of personal interpretation and the absence of central authority in modern faithPlease keep me in your prayers, as I'll keep you in mine.*****Faith has always been a labyrinth of complex beliefs, interpretations, and traditions. In our latest episode, we delve into the intricacies of Sola Scriptura, the idea that the Bible alone is the ultimate authority for Christian beliefs and practices. This episode features a compelling exploration of Jakob Wendesten, whose unique approach raises thought-provoking questions about faith, scripture, and the various interpretations that sprout from a seemingly singular source. Our discussion uncovers the tension present within modern Protestantism and how different views lead to a multitude of denominations, each claiming to reveal the purest interpretation of God's word.The conversation begins with an introduction to Jakob Wendesten, a pastor who embodies the modern non-denominational movement. His followers resonate with his interpretations, but we challenge listeners to consider the deeper implications of his beliefs. The exploration of Wendesten's views reveals a broader issue at play — the fragmentation of faith that arises from individual interpretations of scripture. This brings us to the doctrine of Sola Scriptura. While it aims to establish the Bible as the foundational text guiding Christian life, it inadvertently paves the way for thousands of denominations, each asserting their understanding as the most authentic.As we unpack Wendesten's beliefs, we also confront the idea of final authority. What are the consequences when every pastor interprets the scripture through their lens? The episode emphasizes the reality that without a governing authority—like a bishop or a traditional church structure—individual leaders often steer congregations based on personal convictions. This lack of a centralized authority can lead to varying doctrines that may not align with traditional understandings of faith.Listeners are prompted to reflect on their spiritual journeys, questioning what it means to belong to a faith community that values personal interpretation. The discussions highlight the tension between ancient traditions and contemporary beliefs and encourage deeper exploration into what one must sacrifice when choosing a path different from the Eastern Orthodox Church. As the episode unfolds, listeners are invited to consider their spiritual lives in light of these discussions, considering the broader implications of faith within a rapidly diversifying landscape.*********Find an Orthodox Church near you today.  Visit https://www.antiochian.org/homeQuestions about Orthodoxy?  Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdh*****Contact this episode's sponsor:LuciaCandleCompany.Etsy.com*****Please prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses Radio:https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesRadioFind Cloud of Witnesses Radio on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Thank you for journeying w/ the Saints with us!

Exactly a month into his new term, President Donald Trump's latest major pick, Kash Patel, has been appointed as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation after a grueling confirmation in the US Senate. Tulsi Gabbard had earlier been confirmed as the Director of National Intelligence. Both these are positive from India's point of view: they signal that the sinister Deep State may well be reined in, after decades of anti-India activism on its part.Over the last week or two, there have been revelations after revelations of bad faith on the part of the disgraced US establishment, most notably in the shadowy USAID agency, which, it appears, was the absolute “Heart of Darkness” of the Deep State, neck-deep in covert operations, election interference, and general mayhem all over the world, and certainly in India.Trump himself emphasized that $21 million in covert funds had gone towards affecting election outcomes in India. Presumably the reduced majority Modi got in 2024 could be traced back to this. Fortress AmericaThe general contours of Trump's foreign policy are beginning to emerge. I predicted a month ago, before Trump had taken over, in ‘Greenland, Canada, Panama: Chronicles of a Foreign Policy Foretold', that Western Europe, and the United Kingdom in particular, would find themselves treated as irrelevant to the new order to come. That has happened.In fact, things have gone beyond what I anticipated. In a nutshell, Trump is downgrading the Atlantic, and his focus will be on the Americas, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific. Which, from a historical perspective, makes sense: the world's economic center of gravity is moving towards Asia; trade flows in the Pacific and the Indian Oceans are increasingly more important than in the Atlantic; and a few centuries of European domination are pretty much over.Sorry Europe, Atlanticism is at an endTo put it bluntly, the vanity that Europe is a ‘continent' is now being exposed as hollow: to be precise, it is merely an appendage, an outpost, to vast Asia. Europe is at best a subcontinent, like India is; it should probably be renamed as ‘Northwest Asia'. The saga of ‘Guns, Germs and Steel' post the Industrial Revolution is winding down rapidly. There is some schadenfreude in that the UK becomes even more irrelevant: just a small, rainy island off NW Asia.The Putin-Trump dialog suggests that Ukraine, and even NATO, are now superfluous. Atlanticism has been a constant in US foreign policy, mostly pushed by two forces:* Eastern European-origin State Department officials who have inherited a blood-feud with Russia from their ancestors, eg. Brzezinski, Albright, Nuland, Blinken, Vindman* an ancient intra-Christian schism between the Eastern Orthodox Church and (for a change) an alliance of Roman Catholics and Western Protestants like Lutherans, Anglicans and Calvinists.It is time that the Americans realized they've been turned into cats'-paws by these forces, and turned their backs on these ancient animosities, which have almost no relevance today. In fact one could argue that a NATO-Russian alliance is the right solution in the medium term, because otherwise both could become puppets of China. Bringing the Ukraine war to an end is a start.The general tone of the Trump White House implies a Fortress America. In practice, this seems to mean that instead of being Globocop, the US focuses on a) the Americas, North and South, b) the Pacific Ocean, d) the Indian Ocean, in that order.A new Monroe Doctrine in the AmericasThe attention being paid to Canada and Mexico over and above the tariffs issues suggests that there is a plan to create a stronger and more unified North American entity; the noises about “Canada the 51st state” and “Gulf of America” suggest that maybe a new NAFTA-style agreement could be inked, especially now that the warming Arctic Ocean makes the thawing tundra of Canada more appealing.It is true that there is no immediate thrust for a Monroe Doctrine-style exclusive US ‘sphere of influence' in South America, but I suspect it is coming. Already, there have been positive vibes between Trump and Argentina's Milei, and Salvador's Bukele: the former for his DOGE-style chainsaw-wielding that's showing results, and the latter for his strong law enforcement.The Island Chains and other red lines in the PacificIn the Pacific, there has been pushback against China's moves on the Panama Canal: there are two Hong-Kong-based entities (read proxies of the Chinese government) controlling ports around it: Balboa on the Pacific side, and Cristobal on the Atlantic side.On the other hand, there is increasing global support (with the judicious use of Chinese carrots such as BRI) for the annexation of Taiwan by China, including, if necessary, by force. A Lowy Institute study (“Five One Chinas: The Contest to Define Taiwan”) suggests that some 119 UN member states accept the official Chinese position on ‘reunification'. Only 40 countries are not on board with China's claim of sovereignty over Taiwan.It is very likely that there will be a showdown between the US and China over Taiwan, within the next two years. It is said that Xi Jinping has given a timeframe of 2027 for all this. It will be interesting to see how many states that condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine will condemn China's future attack on Taiwan. Chances are that many will be strategically silent.Japan, Australia, South Korea and other friends of the US will have a hard time keeping the peace in the Pacific. The “Three Island Chains” act as increasingly critical red lines to contain an aggressive China. In fact, the Asia Maritime Initiative is speaking of five island chains (“China's Reach Has Grown, So Should the Island Chains”), including those in the Indian Ocean (remember the “String of Pearls” intended to tighten around India's throat).The three island chains: 1. Taiwan, Japan, Philippines; 2. Guam, Marianas; 3. Hawaii(Source: China is making waves in the Pacific, Alexandra Tirziu, Jan 2024 https://www.gisreportsonline.com/r/china-pacific-conflict/)Meanwhile, in a show of aggression far from its shores, three Chinese warships indulged in “live firing” in international waters between Australia and New Zealand, and commercial aircraft were warned to keep away. This is a warning to Australia, which, thanks to AUKUS foolishness, cancelled French submarines and now await British submarines… in the 2040s.The increasing relevance of the Indian Ocean and the Middle EastMuch of the world's trade, including 75% of global maritime trade and 50% of its daily oil shipments, go through the Indian Ocean.The main issues will be the control of the Straits of Malacca and Hormuz, and the alternative routes being explored by China via the Isthmus of Kra in Thailand, possible use of Coco Islands and other Myanmarese ports including Sittwe and (a bit of a stretch for China) access to Chittagong. There are also troublesome pirates, including Houthis, that make for perilous journeys leading to the Suez Canal, the Gulf of Aden, and the Red Sea.Interestingly, the US is making moves in the Indian Ocean that will support both the IMEC (India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor) and I2U2, the India-Israel-UAE-US economic partnership. IMEC is the old Spice Route, revivified.There is also the proposed Ben-Gurion Canal through the Negev Desert in Israel that would benefit Saudi Arabia as well (its futuristic NEOM city is nearby), and this would be made feasible by Trump's proposed transformation of Gaza. It would be an alternative to Suez.Following up on the Abraham Accords, Trump 2.0 would like to bring the Gaza war to an end, and create an environment in the Middle East where Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE et al will form a counter and a buffer to the machinations of Iran and Turkey.The Indo-US joint communique is a statement of intentIt is in this global context that we need to analyze the joint communique between the US and India after the Trump-Modi summit. Both nations will be attempting to advance their own strategic doctrines. The US would like India to become a non-treaty ally. India would like to keep its multi-alignment policy going, along with Atmanirbharatha. These may make any bilateral progress a little rough but some give and take will work.There are a few specific areas of interest:* Defense* There is an effort by the US to wean India away from its dependency on Russia for weapons. The most evident carrot here is the F-35 advanced fighter jet, which has now been offered to India for the first time, along with other conventional weapons such as Javelin anti-tank missiles, Stryker infantry combat vehicles, as well as the P8i Poseidon anti-submarine patrol aircraft, and various drones* The P8i is already in service in India, and it would help keep an eye on the southern Bay of Bengal with its proximity to China's submarine pen on Hainan Island* The F-35 raises some questions. In the Bangalore Air Show it was pitted against the Russian Su-57, which is a lot less expensive. Also, the F-35 needs extraordinary levels of maintenance for its ‘stealth' coating. Finally, should India invest in building its own AMCA 5th-generation fighter jet rather than buying?* Even though there will be co-production agreements, the US is a whimsical supplier (remember Tarapur), and there will be little transfer of technology, so military procurement and cooperation must be carefully thought through by India* Trade and Investment* The goal is to reach $500 billion in bilateral trade by 2030, which would involve a doubling from current levels ($200 billion in 2023). Besides, the Trump doctrine of reciprocal tariffs and zero trade imbalance may make some of this difficult* Indian firms are planning to invest $7.35 billion in the US* Energy* India will now get access to US civil nuclear technology, but there's a small twist: the clauses invoking civil liability for nuclear damage will be deleted. This is reminiscent of Pfizer's covid-era contract with developing countries: Pfizer was assured of indemnity (with the local governments being liable) in case of injury or death caused by its vaccine. This sounds like a bad idea* India will increase its purchases of US oil and natural gas. This is a win-win: it will increase US imports to India, thus reducing the trade deficit, and India will be assured of additional supplies* Technology and Innovation* A whole raft of actions have been proposed, including a tie-up between the US National Science Foundation and the Anusandhan National Research Foundation in India, a program called TRUST, another called INDUS innovation, and one in the area of space collaboration, titled NISAR* Multilateral Cooperation* The Quad, IMEC and I2U2 figured in communique, but also something called the Indian Ocean Strategic Venture. I note this nomenclature progress with approval: there used to be the Asia-Pacific, then it was the Indo-Pacific, and now the Indian Ocean is being singled out* In the area of counter-terrorism, the communique explicitly named Pakistani entities such as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Toiba, among others. This is a welcome change from the shadow-boxing indulged in by the Biden administration and others, whereby Pakistani terrorists were treated as ‘assets'* The extradition of Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian now in a Los Angeles jail, to India for investigation into his role supporting David Headley, in the 26/11/2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, is a welcome sign, after the curious Biden exertions in the Pannun case* People to people links* Indian parents are spending $8 billion a year to support 300,000 Indian students in the US. This amounts to a sort of ‘foreign aid', and also incidentally supplies a lot of especially STEM graduates to the US economy* Facilitating visas, which have become frustratingly difficult for Indian business and leisure travelers to the US. Last year, the wait for just a visa interview was 452 days in Chennai (as compared to 15 days in Beijing), which probably was the result ot the Biden State Department ‘punishing' India for refusing to toe their Ukraine sanctions line* The legal movement of students and professionals between the two countries is to be eased.Overall, this is a statement of intent: both Modi and Trump are laying their cards on the table, and they will both (as they should) bargain hard to benefit their own nations. But India is no longer being treated as a pariah as it was since the Pokhran blasts, the denial of cryogenic rocket engines (via, yes, the Biden Amendment), and so on.As Trump moves towards the inevitable multipolar world, he does not wish to leave Asia to eager hegemon China; as he wishes to move the US out of military entanglements in far-off places (for which he expects Europe and others to bear the burden of their own defense), it is natural for him to want India to punch its weight in Asia.A mutually beneficial relationship free of the supercilious lectures by previous Democratic administrations (eg Daleep Singh on Ukraine sanctions, and he was, ironically enough, the great-grand-nephew of Dalip Singh Saund) would be welcome from the Indian point of view. Having a counterweight to China, and a G3 instead of a G2, would likewise be useful from the US point of view. Thus, there are glimpses of a possible win-win situation.2222 words, 22-02-2025 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rajeevsrinivasan.substack.com/subscribe

pWotD Episode 2845: Valentine's Day Welcome to Popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 505,146 views on Friday, 14 February 2025 our article of the day is Valentine's Day.Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a martyr named Valentine, and through later folk traditions it has also become a significant cultural, religious and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world.There are a number of martyrdom stories associated with various Saint Valentines connected to February 14, including an account of the imprisonment of Saint Valentine of Rome for ministering to Christians persecuted under the Roman Empire in the third century. According to an early tradition, Saint Valentine restored sight to the blind daughter of his jailer. Numerous later additions to the legend have better related it to the theme of love: tradition maintains that Saint Valentine performed weddings for Christian soldiers who were forbidden to marry by the Roman emperor; an 18th-century embellishment to the legend claims he wrote the jailer's daughter a letter signed "Your Valentine" as a farewell before his execution.The 8th-century Gelasian Sacramentary recorded the celebration of the Feast of Saint Valentine on February 14. The day became associated with romantic love in the 14th and 15th centuries, when notions of courtly love flourished, apparently by association with the "lovebirds" of early spring. In 18th-century England, it grew into an occasion for couples to express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). Valentine's Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. In the 19th century, handmade cards gave way to mass-produced greetings. In Italy, Saint Valentine's keys are given to lovers "as a romantic symbol and an invitation to unlock the giver's heart", as well as to children to ward off epilepsy (called Saint Valentine's Malady).It is a day of commemoration in the Anglican Communion and the Lutheran Church. Many parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrate Saint Valentine's Day on July 6 in honor of Roman presbyter Saint Valentine, and on July 30 in honor of Hieromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna (modern Terni).This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 02:06 UTC on Saturday, 15 February 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Valentine's Day on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Russell.

The Catechism introduces us to the Holy Spirit and describes how the Spirit reveals the Father and the Son to us. It also gives us some background and context regarding the way we describe the Holy Spirit in the Roman Catholic Church compared to the way that the Eastern Orthodox Church describes the Holy Spirit. Fr. Mike breaks it down for us and gives us some hope for a future reconciliation between Eastern and Western Churches. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 243-248. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

In a recent article in the New York Post entitled "Young men leaving traditional churches for ‘masculine' Orthodox Christianity in droves", journalist Ricki Schlott analyzes the growing trend among young men in Gen Z leaving Evangelicalism for the Eastern Orthodox Church. In this week's episode we discuss why we believe this is happening, what it teaches us about the needs of young people, and what we as Reformed Christians can do about it.   Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley Christian Reformed Church in Ripon, CA. Music by Jonathan Ogden used with permission.

Agnes of Rome is a virgin martyr, venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, Oriental Orthodox Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, as well as the Anglican Communion and Lutheran Churches.

When there are so many people who say they are correct, from Pope Francis to Jordan Peterson to the Eastern Orthodox Church, where should you turn? How do we remain captive to Christ in a world full of countering ideas? For more resources, visit emetministry.org  Follow us: on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/emetministries/profilecard/?igsh=Z2c5NnA1dTJhN20y  on Spotify:⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-four-fold-disciple/id1505547928 on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-four-fold-disciple/id1505547928 my reading list:⁠ https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/74696644-christian-barrett

Full Text of ReadingsThursday of the First Week of Advent Lectionary: 178The Saint of the day is Saint SabasSaint Sabas' Story Born in Cappadocia, Sabas is one of the most highly regarded patriarchs among the monks of Palestine, and is considered one of the founders of Eastern monasticism. After an unhappy childhood in which he was abused and ran away several times, Sabas finally sought refuge in a monastery. While family members tried to persuade him to return home, the young boy felt drawn to monastic life. Although the youngest monk in the house, he excelled in virtue. At age 18 he traveled to Jerusalem, seeking to learn more about living in solitude. Soon he asked to be accepted as a disciple of a well-known local solitary, though initially he was regarded as too young to live completely as a hermit. Initially, Sabas lived in a monastery, where he worked during the day and spent much of the night in prayer. At the age of 30 he was given permission to spend five days each week in a nearby remote cave, engaging in prayer and manual labor in the form of weaving baskets. Following the death of his mentor, Saint Euthymius, Sabas moved farther into the desert near Jericho. There he lived for several years in a cave near the brook Cedron. A rope was his means of access. Wild herbs among the rocks were his food. Occasionally men brought him other food and items, while he had to go a distance for his water. Some of these men came to him desiring to join him in his solitude. At first he refused. But not long after relenting, his followers swelled to more than 150, all of them living in individual huts grouped around a church, called a laura. The bishop persuaded a reluctant Sabas, then in his early 50s, to prepare for the priesthood so that he could better serve his monastic community in leadership. While functioning as abbot among a large community of monks, he felt ever called to live the life of a hermit. Throughout each year—consistently in Lent—he left his monks for long periods of time, often to their distress. A group of 60 men left the monastery, settling at a nearby ruined facility. When Sabas learned of the difficulties they were facing, he generously gave them supplies and assisted in the repair of their church. Over the years Sabas traveled throughout Palestine, preaching the true faith and successfully bringing back many to the Church. At the age of 91, in response to a plea from the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Sabas undertook a journey to Constantinople in conjunction with the Samaritan revolt and its violent repression. He fell ill and soon after his return, died at the monastery at Mar Saba. Today the monastery is still inhabited by monks of the Eastern Orthodox Church, and Saint Sabas is regarded as one of the most noteworthy figures of early monasticism. Reflection Few of us share Sabas' yearning for a cave in the desert, but most of us sometimes resent the demands others place on our time. Sabas understands that. When at last he gained the solitude for which he yearned, a community immediately began to gather around him, and he was forced into a leadership role. He stands as a model of patient generosity for anyone whose time and energy are required by others—that is, for all of us. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

In the United States, rainmaking was attempted by traveling showmen. It was practiced on the American frontier, but may have reached a peak during the Dust Bowl drought of the US west and midwest in the 1930s. The practice was depicted in the 1956 film The Rainmaker. Attempts to bring rain directly have waned with development of the science of meteorology, laws against fraud, and improved weather forecasting, with some exceptions such as cloud seeding and forms of prayer including rain dances, which are still practiced today. Prayers for rain is also a common cultural practice for Christians and Muslims. In some Christian areas, clerics of the Eastern Orthodox Church are believed to possess the power to arrest rain, bring hail to the farms of wayward souls, as well as to bring rain when the rainy season falls short. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/maranatha-ministries/support

In this episode, I had a conversation with Tammy Peterson. Tammy is the wife of Dr. Jordan Peterson, the world-famous psychologist and author. Tammy recently converted to Catholicism so we discussed the reasons for her conversion and why she chose the Catholic Church instead of a Protestant Church or the Eastern Orthodox Church. We also discussed the role of architecture and fashion in our society and how they can help orient our lives toward what is good and true. We talked about the food industry and how it has become too complicated and foreign. We also discussed the carnivore diet and how it changed her and her family's lives. I hope you enjoy! Sign up for my newsletter and never miss an episode: https://optivnetwork.comFollow me on X: https://x.com/andyschmitt99Email me at andy@optivnetwork.com with your questions!Music: "nesting" by Birocratic (http://birocratic.lnk.to/allYL)

In this special episode of The Breakdown, we dive into a heartfelt and transformative journey of faith. John sits down for a one-on-one conversation with Jason Miller, a former Protestant who is now a catechumen in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Jason shares his story, starting from his early years growing up in a Protestant household with a Calvary Chapel background, through his rebellious young adulthood, and ultimately to his current path toward Eastern Orthodoxy. Jason's testimony is a powerful exploration of spiritual growth, personal struggle, and the search for truth. Join us as we explore the complexities of faith, the nature of Orthodoxy, and the unique experiences that led Jason to embrace this ancient Christian tradition. Whether you're familiar with Orthodoxy or just curious about different faith journeys, this episode offers an insightful look into one man's quest for spiritual fulfillment and a spirit of charity across traditional lines. 

Maniphesto and Father John Strickland discussed the importance of understanding history, particularly from an orthodox Christian perspective, and the role of the Orthodox Church in providing a transformative process for modern individuals seeking a life of purpose and meaning. They also explored the historical and cultural developments that led to the division between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, and the disintegration of orthodox Christianity after the great schism. Lastly, they discussed the challenges and opportunities facing men in contemporary society, and the need to understand the past in order to move forward and overcome the challenges of the present.

What is Luke 6:38 really saying about giving and receiving from God? How can we respond to the Eastern Orthodox Church who claims to be the one and only original church today? What is freedom in Christ? What kind of “freedom” are we really talking about? Romans 14 tells us not to judge other people and references the final judgment. What is the reasoning there?

What is Luke 6:38 really saying about giving and receiving from God? How can we respond to the Eastern Orthodox Church who claims to be the one and only original church today? What is freedom in Christ? What kind of freedom are we really talking about? Romans 14 tells us not to judge other people and references the final judgment. What is the reasoning there? To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1258/29

Hey, Hi, Hello, this is the History Wizard and welcome back for Day 19 of Have a Day w/ The History Wizard. Thank you to everyone who tuned in for Day 18 last week, and especially thank you to everyone who rated and/or reviewed the podcast. I hope you all learned something last week and I hope the same for this week as well. Originally this week was going to cover the currently ongoing genocide in Ukraine, but I need to do some more research before I'm ready to record that episode so instead today's episode is going to be an interlude and we're going to be talking aboutone of my favorite women in history. Olga of Kiev, a woman who is the very definition of fuck around and find out. But first! The Alchemist's Table! Today's libation is called Kissed by Summer. It's 2 oz of bourbon, 1 oz each of amaretto and francelico. .75 oz of vanilla simple syrup, 3 dashes of angostura bitters. Shake well and pour over ice. Top with equal parts lemonade and ginger beer and enjoy! So, now onto Ola of Kiev, the Saint of Slaughter. Olga's exact year of birth is unknown, but we know she was born somewhere between 890 and 925 CE in Pleskov. She was of Varangian origin, which was an ethnic group descended from Swedish vikingr invaders that eventually settled in the area of the Kievan Rus. She was 15 years old when she was married to Prince Igor I of the Rurik Dynasty. Igor was the son of Rurik, making him only the second ruler of this particular dynasty. During Igor's reign and owing to a great deal of military aid from his guardian Oleg the Wise the Kievan Rus, and the many tribes of people living in it all came under Rurik control. Tragedy would strike the Rurik Dynasty in the form of a neighboring tribe known as the Drevelians, a tribe of Eastern Slavic peoples. The Drevelians were not part of the Kievan Rus, though they had joined them in military campaigns against the Byzantine Empire previously and paid a yearly tribute to Igor's predecessors in the Rurik Dynasty. After Oleg the Wise died in 912 CE the Drevelians stopped paying their tribute to Igor, instead paying it to a local warlord.  In 945 CE Igor set out with his army to bring the Drevelians into line. No longer would he allow them to deny him what he saw as his rightful tribute. He marched his army to the traditional Drevelian capital, Iskorosten, today known as Korosten in the Zhytomyr Oblast in northern Ukraine. Now, Igor's army was much larger than any the Drevelians could field, so they backed down and agreed to resume their payments to Igor. However, Igor became greedy and after leaving to return home he turned around and went back to Iskorosten to demand even MORE tribute, at which point he Drevelians captured him alone and killed him. According to the Byzantine chronicler Leo the Deacon, Igor's death was caused by a gruesome act of torture in which he was "captured by them, tied to tree trunks, and torn in two." They allegedly tied one leg each to two bent over birch trees and then let them catapult up in opposing directions, tearing him in half. Though it is possible that this exact story is apocryphal, the fact that Igor was killed by the Drevelians cannot be denied. Upon learning of the death of her husband Olga ascended to the throne to rule as regent in the name of her son Sviatoslav. Olga was the first woman to rule over the Kievan Rus. Now, there isn't a great deal of information in the historical record regarding what Olga's reign was like. But there is A LOT of information detailing the bloody revenge she got on those who stole her love from her. The Drevelians, now firmly in the Fuck Around stage and emboldened by their successful murder of Igor sent a missive to Olga. They proposed that Olga should marry the Drevelian prince Mal. The man directly responsible for killing her husband. According to the Russian Primary Chronicle, a document formerly thought to have been written by Nestor the Chronicler, although now it is considered to be of unknown authorship, Olga responded to their bold pronouncement thusly: “Your proposal is pleasing to me, indeed, my husband cannot rise again from the dead. But I desire to honor you tomorrow in the presence of my people. Return now to your boat, and remain there with an aspect of arrogance. I shall send for you on the morrow, and you shall say, "We will not ride on horses nor go on foot, carry us in our boat." And you shall be carried in your boat.” When they returned the next day the Drevelians repeated the words Olga had bade them and the people of the Kievan Rus lifted their boat upon their shoulders and carried them into the courtyard of Olga's castle. The Drevelians were thrilled by this, feeling as though they were carried in great honor upon a palanquin. Once they were brought into the courtyard their porters dropped them, boat and all, into a trench that Olga had ordered dug the day before and were buried alive. It is written that Olga bent down to watch them as they were buried and "inquired whether they found the honor to their taste." The Drevelins were now squarely in the middle of the Find Out stage, although they didn't know it yet as all 20 of the men from the initial retinue they had sent were now buried in the courtyard of Olga's home. So Olga wrote to the Drevelians and asked them to send “their distinguished men to her in Kiev, so that she might go to their Prince with due honor.” The Drevelian, completely unaware of the fate of the previous retinue sent others to Olga, who ordered a bath be drawn so that they might wash off the dust of the road. Once the bath was drawn and the Drevelians were comfortably in the bathhouse, Olga set the damnthing on fire. No one escaped alive. But Olga's revenge was not complete. The Drevelians, still unaware that Olga was engaged in acts of genocidal revenge over the death of her husband, received another missive from her. She was on her way to Iskotorsten and asked that they prepare great quantities of mead so that she might mourn and feast her husband as is proper. And the Drevelians compiled and a funeral feast was held by Igor's tomb. When the Drevelians were good and drunk on mead, Olga ordered her followers to fall upon them and slaughter them all. According to the Primary Chronicle some 5000 Drevelians were killed in a single night. Olga would then return to Kiev, her capital city, and prepare her armies to march back to Iskotorsten. She swept across Drevelian land like an avenging angel until she reached, once again, their capital. Here is where things stalled and Olga entered into a year long siege. Eventually she sent another missive to the Drevelians asking them why their capital refused to surrender. “All of your other cities have surrendered and now pay tribute to me, why would you rather die of hunger than pay tribute.” The Drevelians, as you might expect, responded that they were worried that Olga ws still dead set on revenge, but Olga told them that the boat, bathhouse, and feast massacres had satisfied her. She instead asked them for 3 pigeons and three sparrows from each house and the Drevelians rejoiced that the price they were asked to pay was so low. Oh those poor fools. Olga then instructed her army to attach a piece of sulphur bound with small pieces of cloth to each bird. At nightfall, Olga told her soldiers to set the pieces aflame and release the birds. They returned to their nests within the city, which subsequently set the city ablaze. As the Primary Chronicle tells it: "There was not a house that was not consumed, and it was impossible to extinguish the flames, because all the houses caught fire at once." As the people fled the burning city, Olga ordered her soldiers to catch them, killing some of them and giving the others as slaves to her followers. Olga would go on to become a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Not because of the genocide she committed. Mostly because of her efforts to Christianize the Kievan Rus, a mission that she did not succeed in, but that was carried to fruition by her grandson Vladimir. Well… that's it for this week folks. No new reviews, so let's get right into the outro. Have a Day! w/ The History Wizard is brought to you by me, The History Wizard. If you want to see/hear more of me you can find me on Tiktok @thehistorywizard or on Instagram @the_history_wizard. Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe to Have a Day! On your pod catcher of choice. The more you do, the more people will be able to listen and learn along with you. Thank you  for sticking around until the end and, as always, Have a Day.

Day 3 of QUOIR WEEK on Honoring the Journey features Quoir Author, Pierce Marks. Pierce is the author of A New Way of Seeing: Meaning of Life and the Christian Vision of Nature. He is not only an author, but also a philosopher and artist and deep thinker. He has had an incredible journey out of evangelicalism, and now is happily planted in an Eastern Orthodox Church. He craves liturgy, tradition and authenticity in his religion. His journey shows us all how important it is for an artistic philosopher to find meaning and connection in God and nature! It's quite beautiful. Enjoy the journey, friends!Pierce's book,A New Way of Seeing: Meaning of Life and the Christian Vision of Nature, can be found here. Find Pierce on Facebook.To find out more about Religious Rehab, the Group Coaching Experience, with Leslie Nease, click here.Register for Theology Beer Camp and use code JOURNEY2024 to save $50!Learn more about Quoir Publishing here!Join The Quoirlings on Facebook here!    Honoring the Journey is hosted, produced and edited by Leslie Nease and the artwork for the show is also created by Leslie Nease.Interested in working with Leslie as your Life/Faith Transitions Coach? Check out her website and learn more about what she offers! https://www.leslieneasecoaching.comIf you are looking for community as you deconstruct or just a place to go and enjoy the company of people who are seekers, learners and who are looking to connect with the Divine without religious baggage, please join the Private Facebook Community! Leslie is very passionate about connection and community, so if that sounds like you, please come join us!

Michael Lofton discusses the recent ordination of a deaconess in the Eastern Orthodox Church and briefly examines different perspectives on deaconesses throughout church history.

In this, the last, episode of my series on God's Holy Spirit I present the theology of Kallistos Ware. A bishop in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Ware emphasizes that God's Spirit is encountered especially through other people. More particularly, through holy fools and seasoned soul-guides. What are those two types? How do we, might we, encounter such personalities in our Protestant world? In the show's cultural-critique portion I continue my reflections on why it is so brutally hard to have hetero-nuclear families today. What is the ideology that weighs down upon them? Why is there such structural and systemic oppression? Come laugh and think with me about being a Christ-follower in a century speeding toward terminal absurdity.

Today's Headlines Egyptian Christians attacked by Islamic extremists Manipur still a guerilla war zone Easter is coming for the Eastern Orthodox Church

Embark on an intellectual pilgrimage with the esteemed Reverend Dr. Andrew Jackson as we dissect the delicate interplay of the Holy Spirit and profound scriptural truths that are steering today's church reformation. Our exchange delves into the historical ebbs and flows of spiritual revivals, offering listeners a unique lens through which to view the transformative effects of diverse Christian traditions on collective growth and personal discipleship. By threading the needle between ecclesiastical history and modern application, this episode promises to enrich your understanding of faith's evolving landscape.Navigating the mysterious dance of spirit and truth within the church, we surface the potent metaphors that describe our interaction with the divine, challenging established notions of worship and leadership. The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod's journey from rigid bylaws to a culture of trust serves as a powerful case study, reflecting the broader shifts in generational worship styles and the enduring impact of denominational legacies. With insights from Reverend Jackson, we grapple with the balance needed for both personal and corporate spiritual renewal, rooting our discussion in the practical realities faced by congregations today.As we traverse the historic routes of the early Christian church's eastward expansion, the episode casts new light on the pivotal role of cities such as Antioch and Edessa in shaping the spread of Christianity into Asia. We celebrate the Eastern Orthodox Church's legacy, its contribution to ecumenical councils, and the implications for unity within the global Christian diaspora. Listeners are invited to join us on a voyage through time, where the ancient paths of the faith provide a compass for the future of church reformation and unity.JOIN OUR NEW ONLINE LEARNING PLATFORM!ENTER CODE - 75ULC2023 for 75% off! Support the showWatch Us On Youtube!

Join us for conversations on salvation and embark on an extraordinary voyage into the heart of Christian diversity with our guest, Redeemed Zoomer, whose remarkable journey from a secular Jewish background to passionate Christianity opens the door to an intricate tapestry of faith. Within this episode, we navigate the transformative landscape of interreligious dialogue, traversing from the enduring mysteries of Catholic miracles and relics to Presbyterian services. Dive with us into the profound waters of the Church Fathers' teachings, the fiery debates on purgatory and the afterlife, and the nuances of Presbyterianism that have shaped Zoomer's faith.We don't just talk theology; we live it. As Zoomer shares his personal anecdotes, we explore the intimate struggles and joys of maintaining authenticity in a digital world of content creation and the pursuit of a genuine Christian life amidst the pressures of preaching and finding assurance in salvation. Together, we tackle the complexities of divorce across denominations, the heartfelt intercession of saints in the Catholic tradition, and the profound unity found in the communion of the Eucharist.As the conversation unfolds, we grapple with the impact of ideologies on church institutions and the delicate balance between tradition and innovation in worship practices. Through laughter and sincerity, we examine the rich heritage of Christian worship, from the solemn Latin Mass to the vibrant traditions of the Eastern Orthodox Church, and question how our digital age shapes the expression of our faith. Tune in for a refreshing perspective on the realities of Christian life and worship as we share stories, insights, and reflections that are sure to enlighten and inspire.********************************************************https://www.avoidingbabylon.comLocals Community:  https://avoidingbabylon.locals.comRSS Feed for Podcast Apps: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1987412.rssSpiritusTV:  https://spiritustv.com/@avoidingbabylonRumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-1626455Odysee:  https://odysee.com/@AvoidingBabylonSupport the show********************************************************https://www.avoidingbabylon.comLocals Community: https://avoidingbabylon.locals.comRSS Feed for Podcast Apps: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1987412.rssSpiritusTV: https://spiritustv.com/@avoidingbabylonOdysee: https://odysee.com/@AvoidingBabylon

Michael Lofton reviews Eastern Orthodox Brother Nathanael’s video that claims the Eastern Orthodox Church is undergoing a crisis of Modernism. He also examines his controversial perspective on reception of converts by chrismation.

Uncover the deep-rooted connections and divisions that have sculpted Christianity into the diverse tapestry we see today. We navigate the historical and theological nuances that differentiate the Catholic Church from other Christian traditions. Unpacking the significance of the Second Vatican Council, we confront how Catholicism stands as the one holy and apostolic Church, distinct from the broader category of denominations. Diving into the contentious topics of scripture interpretation and the Sola Scriptura principle, we strive to foster a dialogue that stretches beyond mere labels, encouraging a broader perspective on what it means to identify as Christian within varying cultural contexts.Navigating the once inseparable realms of church and state, we traverse the historical landscape that saw the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church split amidst a whirlwind of politics and theology. We dissect the complex ecclesiastical relationships and the concept of schism, revealing how such religious rifts birthed modern sovereign states. As the discussion unfolds, we reflect on the resilience of faith through human imperfection and the transformative evolution that led to the current secularism. Join us on this enlightening episode as we examine the profound influence of Christendom on politics and the enduring legacy of the church in shaping nations.Have something you'd love to hear Fr. Stephen and John talk about? Email us at myfriendthefriar@gmail.com or click here!

St. Gregory of Nyssa was a 4th century Bishop who is highly revered by both the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church in the west. His take on prayer, Christocentric focus, theosis (divinization), and emphasis on God as infinitely transcendent illuminates a pathway to Christian mysticism and the divine.If you would like to order a copy of Dr. Carlos Eire's new book, "They Flew: A History of the Impossible," you can order a copy HERE (Yale University Press) or HERE (Amazon).If you have any questions, you can email us at christianmysticismpodcast@gmail.com. Your question and the answer may appear in a future episode of the podcast.You can visit our podcast website HERE. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the better part of 2,000 years the question of who gets to interpret scripture has been the key challenge to the church. The answer to questions of faith, doctrine, and praxis often depend on the interpretation (and application) of a particular text or passage of scripture and have historically resulted in fierce disagreement. In the face of this uncertainty a variety of new institutions and movements, often cults, have sprung up in the last several hundred years claiming divine authority to interpret scripture, either by virtue of a supposedly restored Apostolic succession or some form of continuity with the early church. The Mormon church claims their “quorum of the twelve apostles” is the restored priesthood of Christ on earth. Jehovah's witnesses assert that 1st-century Biblical Christianity was restored through the New World Translation of the Bible and the Watchtower and Tract Society in Philadelphia. And in recent years in the West an old authority is seeing renewed interest and conversions: the Eastern Orthodox Church, which claims to be the one true Church and to alone possess the authority to interpret scripture. But does their claim of direct continuity with Apostolic and early church practice hold up to scrutiny? Tune in now as we discuss. Livestream the conference by becoming a Patron at patreon.com/rightresponseministries Ministry Partners: Private Family Banking: Email: chuck@privatefamilybanking.com Website: https://privatefamilybanking.com/chuck-deladurantey/ For a free copy of a new book "Protect Your Money Now! How to Build Multi-Generational Wealth Outside of Wall Street and Avoid the Coming Banking Meltdown" by Private Family Banking Partner, Chuck DeLadurantey, go to https://www.protectyourmoneynow.net *For setting up a free 30-Minutes Private Family Banking consultation go to: https://calendly.com/familybankingnow/30min

I have just finished reading Crisis of Confidence: Reclaiming the Historic Faith in a Culture Consumed with Individualism and Identity, by my friend Carl R. Trueman. Dr. Trueman is professor of Biblical and Religious Studies at Grove City College, and a member of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (which, despite the title, has no connection with our own Eastern Orthodox Church).

I have just finished reading Crisis of Confidence: Reclaiming the Historic Faith in a Culture Consumed with Individualism and Identity, by my friend Carl R. Trueman. Dr. Trueman is professor of Biblical and Religious Studies at Grove City College, and a member of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (which, despite the title, has no connection with our own Eastern Orthodox Church).

In Lesson 5 we will learn: -When and how Islam became a significant power - What “iconoclasm” means and why it matters - How the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church separated from one another. In Lesson 6 we will learn: - How missionaries and monks modeled holiness in Cluny, Damascus, and Moravia - How mystics affected people's faith in the Middle Ages - How mendicants proclaimed the gospel throughout Europe - How the Scholastics glorified God through their scholarly pursuits

https://www.npr.org/2022/05/10/1096741988/orthodox-christian-churches-are-drawing-in-far-right-american-convertsHunter wasn't always a member of the Eastern Orthodox church. In fact, he was quite the opposite! However, as a young religious pre-teen, Hunter found himself looking for a place of worship that he felt was more serious, and less of the concerts he felt modern Non Denominational churches had become. In this episode, Hunter shares with us how he went from considering life in a monestary, to being an active and outspoken atheist on platforms all across the internet. _______________________________________________________________Find this episode, and others here:Website:www.growingupfundiepodcast.comSpotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/2EHJGf8kGbSV9SRbqsfYKSApple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growing-up-fundie/id1602008078Amazon Music:https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ad6ac91e-c2fb-47d6-8658-df8aed941eac/growing-up-fundiePatreon:https://www.patreon.com/sydneydavisjrjrBuzzsprout Subscriptions:https://www.buzzsprout.com/https://www.buzzsprout.com/1908164/supporters/new1908164/supporters/newYoutube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5QuI5etVfbJoTVAhbRGMkADiscord:https://discord.gg/XQNG4nD5Our Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/GrowingUpFundie/More about the host, Sydney Davis Jr. Jr.sydneydavisjrjr.comThink you might make a great guest, or know someone who would be?Apply for yourself, or nominate someone here:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeHiy8KYW38tyKUD6MbFmOwCKdeWVHAbIA9qst1RBQf4rRPXg/viewform?usp=share_linkSupport the show

The Catechism introduces us to the Holy Spirit and describes how the Spirit reveals the Father and the Son to us. It also gives us some background and context regarding the way we describe the Holy Spirit in the Roman Catholic Church compared to the way that the Eastern Orthodox Church describes the Holy Spirit. Fr. Mike breaks it down for us and gives us some hope for a future reconciliation between Eastern and Western Churches. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 243-248. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

In this stream I host an open panel to discuss why people think men flock to and love the Eastern Orthodox Christian church. Make sure to check it out and let me know what you think. God bless Superchat Here https://streamlabs.com/churchoftheeternallogos Donochat Me: https://dono.chat/dono/dph Join this channel's YouTube Memberships: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH8JwgaHCkhdfERVkGbLl2g/join Intro Music Follow Keynan Here! https://linktr.ee/keynanrwils b-dibe's Bandcamp: https://b-dibe.bandcamp.com/ b-dibe's Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/b-dibe Thumbnails by iPAK: https://linktr.ee/ipak_arts Support COTEL with Crypto! Bitcoin: 3QNWpM2qLGfaZ2nUXNDRnwV21UUiaBKVsy Ethereum: 0x0b87E0494117C0adbC45F9F2c099489079d6F7Da Litecoin: MKATh5kwTdiZnPE5Ehr88Yg4KW99Zf7k8d If you enjoy this production, feel compelled, or appreciate my other videos, please support me through my website memberships (www.davidpatrickharry.com) or donate directly by PayPal or crypto! Any contribution would be greatly appreciated. Thank you Logos Subscription Membership: http://davidpatrickharry.com/register/ Venmo: @cotel - https://account.venmo.com/u/cotel PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/eternallogos Donations: http://www.davidpatrickharry.com/donate/ PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/eternallogos Website: http://www.davidpatrickharry.com Rokfin: https://rokfin.com/dpharry Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/COTEL Odysee: https://odysee.com/@ChurchoftheEternalLogos:d GAB: https://gab.com/dpharry Telegram: https://t.me/eternallogos Minds: https://www.minds.com/Dpharry Bitchute: https://www.bitchute.com/channel/W10R... DLive: https://dlive.tv/The_Eternal_Logos Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dpharry/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/_dpharry

Full Text of ReadingsTuesday of the First Week of Advent Lectionary: 176The Saint of the day is Saint SabasSaint Sabas' Story Born in Cappadocia, Sabas is one of the most highly regarded patriarchs among the monks of Palestine, and is considered one of the founders of Eastern monasticism. After an unhappy childhood in which he was abused and ran away several times, Sabas finally sought refuge in a monastery. While family members tried to persuade him to return home, the young boy felt drawn to monastic life. Although the youngest monk in the house, he excelled in virtue. At age 18 he traveled to Jerusalem, seeking to learn more about living in solitude. Soon he asked to be accepted as a disciple of a well-known local solitary, though initially he was regarded as too young to live completely as a hermit. Initially, Sabas lived in a monastery, where he worked during the day and spent much of the night in prayer. At the age of 30 he was given permission to spend five days each week in a nearby remote cave, engaging in prayer and manual labor in the form of weaving baskets. Following the death of his mentor, Saint Euthymius, Sabas moved farther into the desert near Jericho. There he lived for several years in a cave near the brook Cedron. A rope was his means of access. Wild herbs among the rocks were his food. Occasionally men brought him other food and items, while he had to go a distance for his water. Some of these men came to him desiring to join him in his solitude. At first he refused. But not long after relenting, his followers swelled to more than 150, all of them living in individual huts grouped around a church, called a laura. The bishop persuaded a reluctant Sabas, then in his early 50s, to prepare for the priesthood so that he could better serve his monastic community in leadership. While functioning as abbot among a large community of monks, he felt ever called to live the life of a hermit. Throughout each year—consistently in Lent—he left his monks for long periods of time, often to their distress. A group of 60 men left the monastery, settling at a nearby ruined facility. When Sabas learned of the difficulties they were facing, he generously gave them supplies and assisted in the repair of their church. Over the years Sabas traveled throughout Palestine, preaching the true faith and successfully bringing back many to the Church. At the age of 91, in response to a plea from the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Sabas undertook a journey to Constantinople in conjunction with the Samaritan revolt and its violent repression. He fell ill and soon after his return, died at the monastery at Mar Saba. Today the monastery is still inhabited by monks of the Eastern Orthodox Church, and Saint Sabas is regarded as one of the most noteworthy figures of early monasticism. Reflection Few of us share Sabas' yearning for a cave in the desert, but most of us sometimes resent the demands others place on our time. Sabas understands that. When at last he gained the solitude for which he yearned, a community immediately began to gather around him, and he was forced into a leadership role. He stands as a model of patient generosity for anyone whose time and energy are required by others—that is, for all of us. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Dr. Eve (Paraskevè) Tibbs is an Affiliate Professor of Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary, where she teaches Historical Theology, Systematic Theology, and Eastern Orthodox Theology. Her research and teaching interests include: the Holy Trinity and Personhood, Ecclesiology, Early Church History and Doctrinal Development. Dr. Tibbs served as Chair of the Eastern Orthodox Studies Group of the American Academy of Religion for six years, and has served as a member of the Executive Steering Committee of the Huffington Ecumenical Institute at Loyola Marymount University since 2015. Dr. Tibbs' most recent book is: A Basic Guide to Eastern Orthodox Theology: Introducing Beliefs and Practices.  In this conversation, Dr. Tibbs gives an overview of the beliefs and practices of the Eastern church, and identifies ways in which the Eastern church differs from Evangelical Protestantism.   Support Theology in the Raw through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theologyintheraw

"When All The Saints" ©1997, Christopher Miner Music. Used by permission. All rights reserved.http://hymnbook.igracemusic.com/hymns/for-all-the-saintsChristopher MinerChristopher Miner-MusicWilliam Walsham How-TextIn this podcast episode titled "All-Saints-Day and Halloween's-Christian-Origins," Dr. Jeffrey D. Skinner, the host of "Echoes-Through-Eternity-Podcast," explores the fascinating intersection of Christian tradition and the origins of Halloween. Dr. Skinner delves into the significance of All-Saints-Day, shedding light on its deep roots in Christian history and its celebration across various denominations. He also uncovers the surprising connections between Halloween and Christian traditions, revealing how this holiday evolved over time.Throughout the episode, Dr. Skinner emphasizes the unity of Christians of all ages, countries, and races in Christ, highlighting the importance of recognizing the rich history of Christianity and finding inspiration in the stories of saints and martyrs. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on the meaning of All-Saints-Day and its relevance to their faith.This thought-provoking podcast provides valuable insights into the spiritual significance of All-Saints-Day and offers a fresh perspective on the origins of Halloween, ultimately encouraging individuals to embrace the Christian heritage and the unity it represents.Transcript:Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner (00:00.414)Welcome into Echoes Through Eternity. I am Dr. Jeffrey D. Skinner. This is a bonus episode. It's our All Hallows' Eve episode. Halloween. And today we're delivering, we're delving into a topic. Stop.Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner (00:36.33)Welcome to another episode of Echoes Through Eternity with Dr. Jeffrey D. Skinner. I am your host, and today we're delving into a topic that's both fascinating and deeply rooted in Christian tradition, All Saints Day.This isn't your typical Halloween episode. Instead, we'll be uncovering the meaning and history behind the November 1st holiday. That might just change the way you think about saints and Halloween itself. So what exactly is All Saints Day? It's a Christian solemnity, a dignified remembrance where we honor all the saints from Christian history.Whether they're well-known figures or those whose names have been lost to time.Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner (01:34.582)It goes by various names, All Hallows Day, the Feast of All Saints, the Solemnity of All Saints, and Hallow, Hallowmas.Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner (01:47.638)But who are these saints? You might be surprised to learn that it's not just those immortalized in statues within church buildings. According to the Bible, saints are anyone who trust in Christ alone for salvation.Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner (02:05.502)If you, if I trust in God for our salvation, we are saints. Yep, you heard it right. You can be a saint too if you are a follower of Christ. It's not a title bestowed by religious leaders. It's granted by God to anyone who simply trusts in Christ.This Christian celebration is observed on November 1st by the Roman Catholic Church, the Methodist Church, from which the Church of Nazarene, the Wesleyan Church we all held from the were cousins to the Methodists there, the Lutheran Church, and other Protestant denominations in Western Christianity. The Eastern Orthodox Church observes it on the first Sunday following Pentecost. It is a day that reminds us...of our connections as Christians and the spiritual bond between those in heaven and on earth.Now you might be wondering about the connection between All Saints Day and Halloween. Believe it or not, Halloween in its origins was a Holy Christian celebration. The word Halloween comes from Hallows Eve, meaning the evening of holy persons. And it refers to the evening for All Saints Day, which is November 1st on both Anglican and Catholic calendars. Anglican being that Church of England.Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner (03:41.826)Halloween is a blend of Celtic religious ideas and Christian martyrology, showing how traditions can evolve over time.The history of All Saints' Day dates back to early years of Christianity when the Roman Empire persecuted Christians. So many martyrs died from their faith that the Church set aside special days to honor them.In the seventh century, the pantheon in Rome was consecrated to all saints, and many bones of martyrs were brought there. Over time, all saints' day evolved into what we know today. In the tenth century, All Souls' Day on November 2nd was added to honor all Christians who had passed away. People prayed for the dead, but some…Un-Christian superstitions also began to creep in. The holiday absorbed some pagan customs, but we can use it positively to remember and give thanks for Christians from the past who inspired us.Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner (04:55.926)So how can we celebrate All Saints Day? It's about recognizing the unity of Christians of all ages, countries, and races in Christ. While we don't pray to or through the saints, we can find inspiration in their stories of God's faithfulness.The Bible tells us about this great cloud of witnesses whose lives speak of God's unfailing loving grace. There is a beautiful hymn called For All the Saints. It encourages believers to look back through the years of Christian history and think of the millions now enjoying rest and salvation in the presence of God.Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner (05:41.95)And we're using that hymn today by permission from the authors. And you'll find that in the author notes, in the publisher notes, in the show notes. It inspires us to press on. Look forward to the glorious day when the strife is over and we join the triumphant song. No more tears, no more pain.just as we've been talking about in Revelation. That chapter 21 that paints to that new creation, that glorious day when all things are new.Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner (06:26.37)to this All Saints Day. Let's remember that you can be a saint too and take inspiration from the rich history of Christianity.Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner (06:39.042)Thanks for joining us on this journey through the Echoes of Eternity.This has been our All Saints Day episode. Until next time, stay curious and keep seeking the truth. Hallelujah.Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner (06:57.296)Amen.

On this special episode of Faith Unaltered we invited Jay Dyer, Fr. John Whiteford and Fr. Jonathan Ivanoff on to have a roundtable discussion about the Normative Authority of the Eastern Orthodox Church and Apostolic Succession! Join us as we will be taking audience questions (superchat priority) during the episode!

Mother Miriam Live - October 23, 2023 Peter's message to the Jews in the first Book of Peter Have you heard anything about the synod in the last week or two regarding how things are going? Are there any worthwhile updates floating around? Have you heard of the Book of Enoch? If so, what is your opinion of it? The problems with the song "Mary Did You Know" Is a Catholic married in an Eastern Orthodox Church a valid marriage in the eyes of Jesus? Why don't people remove their shoes when entering a church? If a priest who has had five years to discern his vocation can be laicized, why does a couple, who may court only six months to a year, need a Church annulment? Is it better not to receive Communion than to receive it improperly from the hands of a lay person?

Welcome to Grace in Focus radio. Today, Bob Wilkin and Mike Lii are responding to a question about the origins and practices of Eastern Orthodoxy. What is the history of the Eastern Church (Orthodoxy) and the Western Church (Catholicism)? What is the “saving message” of these churches? How can their beliefs be refuted? Listen and

Olga (Old East Slavic: Вольга, romanized: Volĭga;[a] Old Norse: Helga; Lith: Alge; Christian name: Elena; c. 890–925 – 969) was a regent of Kievan Rus' for her son Sviatoslav from 945 until 960. Following her baptism, Olga took the name Elenа (Old East Slavic: Ѡлена, romanized: Olena).[2] She is known for her subjugation of the Drevlians, a tribe that had killed her husband Igor of Kiev. Even though it was her grandson Vladimir who converted the entire nation to Christianity, because of her efforts to spread Christianity through Rus', Olga is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church with the epithet "Equal to the Apostles". Her feast day is 11 July. Our theme song was written and performed by Anna Bosnick. If you'd like to support the show on a per episode basis, you can find our Patreon page here.  Be sure to check our website for more details.

Despite being the second largest Christian communion globally, Eastern Orthodox Theology is unknown or misunderstood for most people living in the West. When Hank Hanegraaff joined the Eastern Orthodox Church, many were left wondering what it is that Eastern Orthodox Christians actually believe.In A Basic Guide to Eastern Orthodox Theology: Introducing Beliefs and Practices, Dr. Eve Tibbs has written the preeminent resource for a comprehensive yet accessible introduction to the beliefs and practices of the Eastern Orthodox Church for Western readers. Tibbs has devoted her career to translating the Orthodox faith to an evangelical audience and has over twenty years of experience teaching this material to students. She joins Hanegraaff to discuss the basic ideas of Eastern Orthodox Christianity—from its origins at Pentecost to the present day.To learn more about receiving A Basic Guide to Eastern Orthodox Theology: Introducing Beliefs and Practices for your partnering gift please click here.Topics discussed include: Orthodox Christianity is a well-kept secret in the West (4:50); the three distinct branches of Christianity that came as a result of schism (7:10); the emphasis on mystery in Eastern Orthodoxy (10:10); the Orthodox term to describe Salvation—Theosis (11:45); what is Apophatic (negative) theology? (17:15); the communal importance of the Church and the centrality of the Eucharist (22:30); how Orthodox architecture corresponds to Orthodox Theology (26:35); what is the significance of liturgy? (28:25); what does it mean to be made in the image AND likeness of God? (31:25); the interrelated nature of Holy Tradition and Holy Scripture (33:40); What is the Septuagint? (39:45); seeing the gospel—the significance reality of icons (43:30); Acts 15 shows the importance of a conciliar approach—the importance of the seven ecumenical councils (46:05); did we inherit Adam's guilt? an Orthodox perspective on the fall of man (42:45); Mary the Mother of God, the Immaculate Conception and inherited guilt (56:10); the role of women in the Church (1:02:50); the sin of fratricide that caused the split between the Eastern and Western Christian Church (1:08:50); the meaning and importance of being Trinitarian (1:14:35); the significance of Confession in the Orthodox Church and how it compares to the practice in the Roman Catholic Church (1:16:25); infant baptism in the Orthodox Church—is baptism a gift? (1:19:45); the intentional meaning of the architecture and environment in the Orthodox Church (1:22:25); will the 21st century be the Orthodox Century? (1:26:25). Listen to Hank's podcast and follow Hank off the grid where he is joined by some of the brightest minds discussing topics you care about. Get equipped to be a cultural change agent.Archived episodes are on our Website and available at the additional channels listed below.You can help spread the word about Hank Unplugged by giving us a rating and review from the other channels we are listed on.

The Catechism introduces us to the Holy Spirit and describes how the Spirit reveals the Father and the Son to us. It also gives us some background and context regarding the way we describe the Holy Spirit in the Roman Catholic Church compared to the way that the Eastern Orthodox Church describes the Holy Spirit. Fr. Mike breaks it down for us and gives us some hope for a future reconciliation between Eastern and Western Churches. Today's reading is Catechism paragraphs 243-248. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB.