Podcasts about orthodox christianity

Something unusual is happening across American Christianity: more people are walking into Orthodox parishes, signing up as catechumens, and staying long enough to be reshaped by the Divine Liturgy. We zoom in on what that “Orthodox surge” looks like on the ground, from standing-room-only Sundays to communities talking seriously about planting multiple missions because their current buildings cannot hold the crowd.*****Music:  ⁨@neffexmusic⁩ "Manifest It" (Instrumental)*****Witness Weekly Team:Jeremy JeremiahMario Andrew "Andrew St Mercy"  ⁨@Orthobigbro⁩ James St Simon  ⁨@jamessaintsimon⁩ Michael "Redlines" Lindsey  ⁨@redlineshq⁩  *****Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/jRXxRaqK9Please prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Audio: https://cloudofwitnessesradio.buzzsprout.comPlease leave a comment with your thoughts!

Today on Uncommon Sense with Ginny Robinson, I'm addressing the divorcee community and I'm going straight to the Bible.Why does God say He hates divorce? What does Scripture actually teach about marriage, covenant, divorce, and the responsibilities of husbands and wives? And why have divorce rates become so incredibly high, particularly as wives increasingly initiate divorce over reasons that, from a biblical perspective, are trivial, selfish, or completely unbiblical?This is not a message designed to just shame people who have experienced divorce. It is a challenge to the culture that has normalized abandoning marriage whenever things become difficult, inconvenient, or uncomfortable. We need to be willing to distinguish between legitimate biblical grounds for divorce and the endless list of modern excuses we've created to justify walking away from a sacred covenant.And that's not all we're discussing.I'm also talking about Donald Trump's continued failures, the gap between political promises and political reality, and why Americans should be questioning the decisions being made in our name.Plus, we're talking about the Iran War and why I believe this conflict is unnecessary and why Americans should be asking whether another foreign war actually serves the interests of the United States.Marriage. Divorce. Biblical truth. Trump. Iran. War. Political accountability.I'm saying what I believe needs to be said, even when it isn't popular (as usual).--https://www.youversion.com/bible-app

Nephilim Death Squad goes live from The Standard Coffee Shop in Lady Lake, Florida, for a chaotic Brohemian Grove 4 preview and audience Q&A featuring David L. Corbo, TopLobsta, and Straight Bible host Matthew Hepner. The crew breaks down the Brohemian Grove VIP experience, livestream access, the general admission schedule, live music, creator roundtables, the Nephilim Death Squad game demo, after-hours meetups, drinks, and the long list of Christian, comedy, and conspiracy personalities expected throughout the weekend.The conversation moves from event planning into serious Christian questions about grief, loss, prayer, and trusting God when life does not make sense. The hosts discuss the need to experience grief rather than suppress it, along with biblical ideas connected to 2 Timothy 1:7, Romans 8:28, Proverbs 3:5–6, John 1:1, and 2 Timothy 3:16. They also preview a live roundtable Bible study with Ed Mabrie and Laura Baker focused on intimacy with God, hearing God's voice, prayer, deliverance, and audience Q&A.Other topics include the Action Bible, The Message Bible, Smith Wigglesworth, Charles Spurgeon, apostolic succession, Orthodox Christianity, Jay Dyer, Andrew Wilson, and the claim that salvation is available only through the Orthodox Church. Dr. Heather Lynn and Owen Benjamin are discussed in connection with an upcoming Brohemian Grove conversation examining occult cannibalism, ancient religious practices, blood rituals, and speculation surrounding Charlie Kirk.The Q&A gets stranger as the crew debates whether clouds could be frozen and dropped, Brandon Biggs' vision of water powering an AI-based beast system, mysterious underground Florida water, inner-earth theories, and the meaning of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Along the way, the audience fuels the show with Super Chats, jokes, event questions, and BroGrove predictions.What part of the Brohemian Grove lineup or biblical discussion stood out most to you? Share your thoughts in the comments.► Subscribe for more Biblical analysis, Christian worldview discussions, and conspiracy research through a Biblical lens.Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere podcasts are available.00:00 Intro and Brohemian Grove 4 Setup02:26 Fasting, Prayer, Patreon, and Livestream Access04:15 Demonic Pigs, Legion, and the Viral Pig Video05:24 BroGrove Questions, Tickets, Posters, and Library Access10:01 Coping With Grief and Loss Through Christian Faith14:20 Audience Super Chats and BroGrove Comedy24:20 How Brohemian Grove 4 Differs From Last Year29:18 BroGrove 4 Schedule, Performers, and Creator Lineup31:44 Occult Cannibalism and Charlie Kirk Speculation41:25 The Action Bible and The Message Bible45:14 Deliverance Prayer With Laura Baker49:52 Smith Wigglesworth, Charles Spurgeon, and TPUSA57:05 Raven and Matt Discuss Friendship and Criticism01:00:08 Spanish Springs and BroGrove Afterparty Plans01:05:03 Fan Gifts, Event Access, and Livestream Tickets01:10:41 Andrew Wilson, Jay Dyer, and Orthodox Salvation01:15:21 Fasting, Prayer, Community, and Supporting the Show01:18:52 Matt Hepner Leads the BroGrove Bible Study01:26:49 Hearing God's Voice and Intimacy With the Lord01:31:38 Frozen Clouds and Weather Weapon Theories01:37:06 Brandon Biggs, the AI Beast System, and Florida Water01:38:09 BroGrove Drinks and the Twin Towers Sangria Story01:43:55 Tattoos, Event Logistics, and Final Super Chats01:45:44 Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and Rejecting God's Word01:46:23 ClosingBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nephilim-death-squad--6389018/support.☠️ Nephilim Death Squad — New episodes 5x/week.Join our Patreon for early access, bonus shows & the private Telegram hive.Subscribe on YouTube & Rumble, follow @NephilimDSquad on X/Instagram, grab merch at toplobsta.com. Questions/bookings: chroniclesnds@gmail.com — Stay dangerous.

He “blew up overnight” but the real story is years of research, catechesis, and court-tested thinking. Why does a trial lawyer's mindset work so well for Orthodox apologetics?Cloud of Witnesses Mario Andrew, Jeremy Jeremiah, Michael, and James St Simon talk with online Orthodox Christian apologist Alex Sorin (https://www.youtube.com/@Alex_Ortodoxie/videos) and we wrestle with a challenging line from Father Josiah Trenham: the Church doesn't need you to defend her. So what is apologetics for? We land on a grounded answer: not saving the Church, but curing ignorance and clearing away myths, including “Constantine set the canon at Nicaea” and blanket accusations about icons, saints, and idolatry. If you care about evidence-based faith, patristics, and a historically rooted Christianity, you'll leave with better questions and sharper tools.*****Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/jRXxRaqK9Please prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Audio: https://cloudofwitnessesradio.buzzsprout.com*****Panel:Michael w/ Red Lines  @redlineshq James St Simon  @jamessaintsimon Mario St Andrew  @AndrewStMercy  Jeremy JeremiahPlease leave a comment with your thoughts!

This edition was available to Cloud of Witnesses Patreons since July 6, 2026.Her dad died by suicide when she was 9 and it rewired everything. Years later, a hunger for truth pulled her from non-denominational church to Hebrew Roots, then to Orthodox liturgy.A faith crisis rarely starts with an abstract argument. Sometimes it starts with a funeral, a silent house, and a kid trying to understand why a father is suddenly gone. Our guest Taylor Biss (Voice of Taylor on Instagram) joins Jeremy Jeremiah of Cloud of Witnesses from Australia to share the story that shaped her: losing her Catholic father to suicide at nine years old, growing up detached, and carrying questions about grief, isolation, and what God does with the brokenhearted.• childhood trauma after a parent's suicide and the loneliness that follows• wrestling with fears about eternity and learning to trust God's compassion• a decisive encounter with prayer and a message about God's heart for daughters• being discipled by older women and learning the basics of Christian faith• tensions in non-denominational church life when serious Bible questions arise• why Hebrew Roots feels solid at first through Torah, Sabbath, and festivals• the movement's internal chaos, sacred name confusion, and anti-divinity claims about Jesus• a 2020 Israel trip exposing racism and excuses framed as “bloodline” privilege• leaving Hebrew Roots, resisting New Age drift, and seeking reverent worship• stepping into Orthodox Christianity and returning to weekly liturgy with her childrenTaylor walks us through the moment everything changed at seventeen when she finally said yes to church and encountered Christ through prayer and a message about God's heart toward daughters. We talk about discipleship, older women stepping in with real spiritual care, and how discovering the Father's love can heal places you didn't even know were starving. From there, the conversation turns to something many listeners will recognize: reading the Bible deeply, asking sincere questions, and realizing the non-denominational model often cannot answer with consistency or depth.That hunger for truth leads Taylor into the Hebrew Roots movement, Torah-keeping, Sabbath practices, and biblical festivals that feel “original” at first, until the cracks show up: endless private interpretations, sacred name confusion that wrecks prayer, and even teaching that denies the divinity of Jesus. A trip to Israel in 2020 becomes a major turning point as she sees racism and spiritual double standards up close. When she finally steps away, she admits how close she comes to drifting into New Age spirituality, before a longing for reverent worship pulls her toward historic Christianity and her first Divine Liturgy during Holy Week and Pascha.If you've wrestled with deconstruction, Hebrew Roots, church hurt, or a search for Orthodox Christianity that actually feels grounded, this one will meet you where you are. Subscribe, share this with a friend who's searching, and leave a review then tell us: what question or moment most shaped your faith journey?Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses Radio: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses Radio on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Please leave a comment with your thoughts!

Find this episode on YouTube: Jay Dyer joins John Heers to discuss the decline of 2000s New Atheism, shifting internet culture, the Enlightenment, Americanism, Orthodox Christianity, and the political forces shaping the modern West.They examine growing skepticism toward claims of scientific neutrality and political objectivism, arguing that politics often functions as a substitute religion—complete with its own dogmas, sacred myths, and promises of salvation. The conversation also explores whether political systems are ultimately controlled by deeper oligarchic and bureaucratic forces operating behind the scenes.Jay and John critique the Enlightenment as a project that elevated human reason into an idol, connecting its assumptions to liberalism, American civic religion, text-centered religion, and modern ideas about human nature. They contrast abstract systems that promise to save society with the concrete virtue—or vice—of the people who actually operate them.The conversation also covers monarchy and democracy in the Christian tradition, the American Dream, Tucker Carlson's interest in theology, Kant, postmodernism, the decline of New Atheism, and what may come after the Enlightenment project.Along the way, Jay discusses his background, podcasting, internet culture, humor, and the importance of embodied community. They also introduce upcoming Art of Tamada events in Greenville, South Carolina, August 28–29, and Islamorada, October 29–November 2, describing Supra as a communal and experiential practice rooted in hospitality and Orthodox theology.Topics include:- The decline of New Atheism- The Enlightenment and reason as an idol- Americanism and liberal rights- Politics as a substitute religion- Democracy, monarchy, and Christian political thought- Oligarchy, bureaucracy, and political power- Kant, postmodernism, and human nature- Orthodox Christianity and political theology- Supra, hospitality, and the Art of Tamada- Tucker Carlson and the return of theology__

Anxiety and depression have become some of the greatest struggles of our time. Join the Louhs as they explore how Orthodox Christianity and psychology work together to offer hope, healing, and practical tools for finding peace in the midst of life's storms.

Deplatforming is real. So two Orthodox filmmakers built their own infrastructure: “an Orthodox Netflix” designed to outlast trends and serve truth, goodness, and beauty. You can feel it the moment you walk into an Orthodox church: beauty isn't decoration, it's a doorway. That's the thread we pull with Logos Cinema (https://www.logoscinema.com/) founders Zachary Delaney and Andrew Stokich as they explain why they're building what many are calling “an Orthodox Netflix” and why it has to be more than a content library.• Beauty as a window into the divine through moving images• Why simple stories can carry the deepest Orthodox meaning• The hero's journey as a pattern that resonates with the Gospel and the lives of the saints• How COVID-era cultural pressure and distribution dead-ends sparked Logos Cinema• Orthodox phronema on screen, from saint stories to everyday sacrificial love• A convert filmmaker's struggle with “in the world, not of it” and the parable of the talents• Building independent infrastructure in response to censorship and demonetization• The bigger vision: networking creators, an Orthodox economy, and expanding beyond videoJeremy Jeremiah talks with Logos Cinema about icons as stories that are written, and how filmmaking can become “moving iconography,” a window into the divine without turning into preachy, low-quality Christian media. From Dostoyevsky's line “beauty will save the world” to the hero's journey that shows up across cultures, we explore why the most powerful films often plant a seed and let God do the slow work in the heart. Along the way, we get concrete: how distribution questions kill promising projects, why great films can still go unseen, and what it means to build a platform that can actually support Orthodox Christian filmmakers.Then we go deeper into the realities of the modern internet: demonetization, deplatforming, and the risk of building your creative life on platforms you don't control. Logos Cinema is aiming for independent infrastructure, global reach, and a growing Orthodox economy that supports creators and Orthodox-run businesses, while still refusing to become an echo chamber. We also dig into their curation criteria, including a priest advisory board and the careful, nuanced line between mature storytelling and spiritually harmful content.Can a streaming subscription become a counterculture act? Logos Cinema says yes: support creators, grow an Orthodox economy, and connect artists worldwide.If you care about Orthodox storytelling, faith and culture, and a serious future for Orthodox films, podcasts, and media, hit subscribe, share this conversation with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it.Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Audio: https://cloudofwitnessesradio.buzzsprout.comPlease leave a comment with your thoughts!

Send us Fan MailOn the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the First Six Ecumenical Councils, Fr. reflects on why the Church fought so fiercely to preserve the truth about Christ—and why correct doctrine alone is not enough.The Fathers safeguarded the faith so that we might be transformed by it. Orthodox Christianity is not merely about being correct; it is about becoming like Christ through prayer, repentance, love, forgiveness, and self-sacrifice. The true faith bears fruit in a changed life."If we have the true faith, where is the love? Where is the transformation? Where is Christ in us?"

In this final part of his Evangelism 101 series, Fr. Matthias Shehad focuses on the specific challenges and cultural differences faced by the Coptic Church in the West, particularly in American society. He discusses the importance of both active and passive evangelism, emphasizing the need for the church to be welcoming and accessible to newcomers who may have little understanding of Orthodox traditions. Fr. Matthias addresses real-life issues such as relationships, marriage, divorce, abuse, sexuality, and the struggles with faith in a highly individualistic and rationalistic culture. He highlights the significance of the church as a healing community and the need for balance between upholding biblical truth and showing compassion. Additionally, Fr. Matthias explores how Western cultural mindsets like hyperrationalism, postmodern relativism, and democratic values contrast with Orthodox Christianity's teachings and communal nature, encouraging believers to embrace transformation through faith. #CopticChurch #Evangelism #OrthodoxChristianity #FaithAndCulture #ChurchOutreach #StPaulHouston #Coptic #FrMatthias Subscribe to us on YouTube https://youtube.com/stpaulhouston Like us on Facebook https://facebook.com/saintpaulhouston Follow us on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/stpaulhouston Follow us on Instagram https://instagram.com/stpaulhouston Visit our website for schedules and to join the mailing list https://stpaulhouston.org

The Authority Crisis Inside Christianity: If the Bible Is the Answer... Who Interprets It?Who decides?“Jesus is Lord + baptized in the Spirit = you're set.” Sounds simple… but who gets to define those words? We dig into authority, sola scriptura, and why interpretation without a Church fractures faith. Listen and tell us: who's your authority?Authority shapes everything, from how we read the Bible to how we treat the people sitting next to us in church. We start with a blunt comment that tries to shrink Christianity into a simple checklist and then ask the question most people skip: by what authority can anyone define the faith that way, and who gets to decide what those words mean?• Mount Sinai and St. Catherine's Monastery land dispute and why it matters to Christians• SSPX excommunication story and what it reveals about papal authority• Parish Life Conference takeaways and how shared worship strengthens unity• Responding to a comment that reduces salvation to a simple formula• Sola scriptura in practice and how interpretation often becomes self-authority• What “baptized in the Holy Spirit” means across denominations and why definitions diverge• Why the New Testament calls for lived obedience, not just verbal profession• Protestants bringing Protestant assumptions into Orthodoxy and why we must leave them at the door• Orthodoxy as lived faith versus Christianity as an academic subject• Book of the week: A Tale Of Two Cities and how cruel authority breeds violence• Authority as service, responsibility, and burden rather than privilege• The cloud of witnesses, inherited wisdom, and the problem of American individualism• Listener stories from Hebrew Roots, synagogue searching, tongues, and finding rooted worshipFrom there we get practical about the authority problem inside modern Christianity. If “the Bible alone” is the final authority, who is the final interpreter? We talk about how sola scriptura often slides into self-authority, why Protestantism can't easily speak with one voice about baptism, salvation, or essentials, and how rhetoric can masquerade as certainty. Against that backdrop, we explain the Eastern Orthodox view of authority as inherited life: Scripture read in the Church, sacred tradition, the teaching of the apostles and fathers, the ecumenical councils, and the sacramental reality that trains us to forgive, repent, pray, and endure.Authority isn't privilege, it's burden. From Mount Sinai's ancient monastery to Dickens' A Tale Of Two Cities, we trace what happens when leaders serve vs dominate.We also zoom out to real examples. We cover updates on St. Catherine's Monastery at Mount Sinai and why protecting ancient Christian institutions matters. We touch on Roman Catholic controversy around the SSPX as another case study in competing claims of authority. Then we bring it home with a powerful reflection on A Tale Of Two Cities, where cruel authority produces violence, while true authority looks like sacrifice, service, and responsibility. Along the way, listener comments add hope-filled stories of people moving from Hebrew Roots and Pentecostal backgrounds toward Orthodoxy because they're hungry for historical rootedness and worship that feels alive.What if “tradition” isn't worshiping ashes, but preserving fire? We talk Orthodox authority, humility, the cloud of witnesses, and why individualism isolates believers from 2,000 years of wisdom.If this conversation helped you rethink authority, share it with a friend who's asking similar questions, subscribe for more, and leave a review so more people can find the show.Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Please leave a comment with your thoughts!

Most Christians Misunderstand Spiritual WarfareTarot, “spiritual but not religious,” self-medication, therapy culture. Why are people chasing spiritual answers everywhere except the Church? We dig into the hunger underneath it all.Spiritual warfare gets weird fast if we only talk about the most extreme cases. We wanted to bring it back to real life: the battle you feel in temptation, shame, anxiety, isolation, and that quiet voice that says, “You are on your own.” From our new studio setup, we (Jeremy Jeremiah, Michael, James St. Simon, and Mario Andrew on keys) dig into what spiritual warfare meant to us as Protestants and how that understanding changed after becoming Orthodox Christians.• Protestant instincts toward “just pray and read” when suffering persists• Orthodoxy framing spiritual warfare through theosis and holiness• Fasting as training that pushes us into the arena• Demonic influence showing up in ordinary temptations and discouragement• Psychology and therapy having a place without replacing spiritual diagnosis• Confession, spiritual fatherhood, Eucharist, almsgiving as practical remedies• Isolation as a tactic that makes addiction and shame worse• Secular culture offering self-medication and “you can do it alone” narratives• Occult and “spiritual but not religious” as substitutes for Christian spirituality• Love as action and the Church as the place we experience Christ's careWe keep coming back to the Orthodox framework of theosis, union with Christ, where the goal is not just “surviving attacks” but moving toward holiness with the support of the Church. We talk about why fasting can feel like stepping into an arena, how confession and a spiritual father break the trap of isolation, and why the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, aren't symbolism but medicine for the soul and body. We also wrestle with the everyday nature of the fight: habits, intrusive thoughts, passions, and the moments where it gets hardest exactly when you try to be faithful.Ever notice fasting gets hardest when you try to be faithful? We talk theosis, confession, Eucharist, and why you are not meant to “white-knuckle” your way through spiritual warfare.We also look outward at modern replacements for spiritual care: therapy culture, self-medication, pharmacies on every corner, and the promise that you can fix yourself alone. Then we connect that to the rise of tarot and “spiritual but not religious,” including the backlash when a tarot creator turns to Christ. People are hungry for the spiritual, and we believe the Church actually has what many are searching for, but it comes with a cost: love expressed in action.Spiritual warfare is not just Hollywood exorcisms. What if the real battle is isolation, temptation, and despair, and the Church gives actual tools to fight?Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review if it helps you, then tell us: where do you see the real front lines of spiritual warfare today?Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Please leave a comment with your thoughts!

Her dad died by suicide when she was 9 and it rewired everything. Years later, a hunger for truth pulled her from non-denominational church to Hebrew Roots, then to Orthodox liturgy.A faith crisis rarely starts with an abstract argument. Sometimes it starts with a funeral, a silent house, and a kid trying to understand why a father is suddenly gone. Our guest Taylor Biss (Voice of Taylor on Instagram) joins Jeremy Jeremiah of Cloud of Witnesses from Australia to share the story that shaped her: losing her Catholic father to suicide at nine years old, growing up detached, and carrying questions about grief, isolation, and what God does with the brokenhearted.• childhood trauma after a parent's suicide and the loneliness that follows• wrestling with fears about eternity and learning to trust God's compassion• a decisive encounter with prayer and a message about God's heart for daughters• being discipled by older women and learning the basics of Christian faith• tensions in non-denominational church life when serious Bible questions arise• why Hebrew Roots feels solid at first through Torah, Sabbath, and festivals• the movement's internal chaos, sacred name confusion, and anti-divinity claims about Jesus• a 2020 Israel trip exposing racism and excuses framed as “bloodline” privilege• leaving Hebrew Roots, resisting New Age drift, and seeking reverent worship• stepping into Orthodox Christianity and returning to weekly liturgy with her childrenTaylor walks us through the moment everything changed at seventeen when she finally said yes to church and encountered Christ through prayer and a message about God's heart toward daughters. We talk about discipleship, older women stepping in with real spiritual care, and how discovering the Father's love can heal places you didn't even know were starving. From there, the conversation turns to something many listeners will recognize: reading the Bible deeply, asking sincere questions, and realizing the non-denominational model often cannot answer with consistency or depth.That hunger for truth leads Taylor into the Hebrew Roots movement, Torah-keeping, Sabbath practices, and biblical festivals that feel “original” at first, until the cracks show up: endless private interpretations, sacred name confusion that wrecks prayer, and even teaching that denies the divinity of Jesus. A trip to Israel in 2020 becomes a major turning point as she sees racism and spiritual double standards up close. When she finally steps away, she admits how close she comes to drifting into New Age spirituality, before a longing for reverent worship pulls her toward historic Christianity and her first Divine Liturgy during Holy Week and Pascha.If you've wrestled with deconstruction, Hebrew Roots, church hurt, or a search for Orthodox Christianity that actually feels grounded, this one will meet you where you are. Subscribe, share this with a friend who's searching, and leave a review then tell us: what question or moment most shaped your faith journey?Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses Radio: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses Radio on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Please leave a comment with your thoughts!

If “Bible alone” is the one thing thousands of denominations share, why so many interpretations? We dig into humility, Church fathers, and who decides what's “faithful.”Unity sounds like a warm word until you try to live it with real people, real history, and real politics. Witness Weekly hosts Mario Andrew, Jeremy Jeremiah, James St Simon, and Michael start with Orthodox news that instantly raises eyebrows: Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem awards President Donald Trump the Grand Cross of the Holy Sepulchre, and reports swirl about a gifted relic of the True Cross. From there we ask what everyone is thinking but few say out loud: what does that mean for the Church's public witness, and could a religious leader actually help broker peace where political leaders keep failing, especially with Russia and Ukraine?We weigh church unity against real-world headlines, personal conversion stories, and the everyday habits that shape what we worship. We keep coming back to one claim: unity grows when we choose humility, repentance, and love instead of winning arguments.• Patriarch Theophilos honoring President Trump and the controversy around a reported relic of the True Cross• Whether an Orthodox patriarch can serve as a credible mediator for peace between Russia and Ukraine• Georgia's mass baptisms as a long-term strategy for strong families and a durable Church• Serbian pilgrims venerating the Holy Belt of the Theotokos and what it says about devotion• Why “services are too long” often masks a deeper comfort and pleasure culture problem• East Of Eden, timshel, and choosing good despite inherited wounds and trauma• Approaching Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant relationships with humility and love• Political unity as a hollow slogan without a foundation and what “American Orthodoxy” could mean• The convert surge, online apologetics, and why true Orthodoxy is lived in the Church• Sola scriptura, perspicuity, and the authority problem behind endless competing interpretations• Why “faithful church” claims collapse without a shared standardThe conversation pivots from geopolitics to formation. We celebrate Georgia's mass baptism of hundreds of children and talk about why the future of Orthodox Christianity depends on families and parish life more than online discourse. Then we sit with an arresting image from Serbia: tens of thousands of pilgrims waiting hours to venerate the Holy Belt of the Theotokos. That devotion challenges our favorite modern excuse that Orthodox services are “too long,” especially when we'll gladly stand for concerts, rallies, and anything else we value.A Patriarch gives Trump a relic of the True Cross and talks Ukraine peace talks. Political stunt or spiritual diplomacy? We debate what unity can actually look like.To tie it together, we recommend John Steinbeck's East Of Eden and its idea of timshel, the daily choice to overcome evil even with inherited wounds. That becomes our framework for church unity: humility over pride, repentance over scorekeeping, love over endless relitigation of old conflicts between Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant communities. We also tackle sola scriptura, interpretation, and the question behind every “faithful church” claim: faithful to what standard, and who gets to decide?“Services are too long” might be the weakest excuse we've got. People wait hours for concerts and rallies but won't stand for worship. What does that reveal about our culture and our hearts?Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Audio: https://cloudofwitnessesradio.buzzsprout.comPlease leave a comment with your thoughts!

Is the theory of evolution truly incompatible with Christianity? Many assume the Church Fathers rejected evolution outright — but is that what they actually taught?In this episode, Nathan Jacobs examines the writings of the Eastern Church Fathers on creation, death, Genesis, and the age of the earth. Rather than asking whether evolution is scientifically true, this discussion explores whether Orthodox Christianity actually requires Christians to reject it.Drawing from figures such as St. John of Damascus, St. Irenaeus, St. Basil the Great, and other early Christian writers, Nathan explores what the Fathers believed about creation, corruption, the Fall, the image of God, and the purpose of humanity.If you've ever wondered whether evolution and Orthodox Christianity must be in conflict, this discussion offers a historical and theological perspective that is often missing from the conversation.======================================Timestamps:00:00 Why Evolution and Christianity Are Seen as Opposed01:19 The Two Biggest Objections to Evolution04:09 Why the Eastern Church Fathers Matter05:41 What “Death” Really Means10:41 Was Death Present Before the Fall?13:28 Are Animals Naturally Mortal?22:15 Did Animal Death Exist Before Adam?27:14 The Age of the Earth31:13 Are the Days of Genesis Literal?37:15 What the Church Fathers Actually Believed40:57 Final Thoughts ======================================Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and our book club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/======================================Relevant Links:Essence-Energies Episode: https://youtu.be/lO1rAzvK3lQRessurection Episode: https://youtu.be/Pwgm-7d2O2kDo All Dogs Go to Heaven? https://youtu.be/HlAk0Jm8xd4?si=BwTMvHqJ5ye3PXmKWhy Do Christians Worship on Sunday? https://youtu.be/0wCnpitmfZg?si=7UUKhaIMZK1YSQHF Substack on EvolutionPart 1: https://theologicalletters.com/p/an-eastern-perspective-on-the-creation Part 2: https://theologicalletters.com/p/an-eastern-perspective-on-the-creation-fd5All links:The Theological Letters (Substack): https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastX: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobsAcademia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobsListen and please review the podcast elsewhere:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

In this post-conference conversation, Fr. Turbo Qualls joins me to reflect on the themes, insights, and discussions that emerged from the inaugural OINTMENT Conference—an event bringing together clergy, clinicians, and laypeople to explore the relationship between Orthodox Christianity, mental health, and the healing of the human person.   Our discussion moves beyond the usual debates about therapy and religion to examine deeper questions: What is healing? What role do trauma, suffering, and repentance play in spiritual growth? How should Orthodox Christians think about psychology, medication, and mental health treatment? And how do we avoid reducing human beings to either diagnoses or demons?   We explore the Orthodox understanding of the person, the Church as a hospital for the soul, the modern crisis of loneliness and fragmentation, and the ultimate goal of the Christian life—theosis.   Whether you're a priest, clinician, convert, or simply someone seeking healing, this conversation offers a thoughtful and deeply Orthodox vision of what it means to become whole.   In This Episode   * Reflections and takeaways from the OINTMENT Conference * Orthodoxy and modern psychology * Trauma, suffering, and spiritual healing * The relationship between clergy and clinicians * The Church as a hospital for the soul * Medication, therapy, and discernment * Theosis as the goal of the Christian life * The deepest wounds of modern America * Hope for the future of Orthodox ministry and mental health care   About Fr. Turbo Qualls   Fr. Turbo Qualls is the rector of St. Mary of Egypt Orthodox Church in Kansas City, Missouri. He is the founder of the OINTMENT Institute, an initiative dedicated to fostering collaboration between Orthodox clergy and mental health professionals in the care and healing of the human person.   Fr. Turbo holds graduate and postgraduate degrees in Addiction Studies and Pastoral Counseling with an emphasis in crisis response and trauma. He also serves as a spiritual father, speaker, educator, and conference organizer, helping Orthodox Christians think more deeply about healing, suffering, and the therapeutic tradition of the Church.   Learn More:   OINTMENT Institute⁠  A growing network dedicated to fostering collaboration between Orthodox clergy and mental health professionals while remaining rooted in the Orthodox understanding of the human person and the healing of the soul.   OINTMENT Conference    St. Mary of Egypt Orthodox Church⁠  Located in Kansas City, Missouri, St. Mary of Egypt Orthodox Church is known for its commitment to Orthodox evangelism, pastoral care, education, and outreach. The parish also supports ministries including Mt. Tabor School of Liberal Arts and has become a hub for Orthodox formation and discipleship.   Support the Show:   If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with a friend.   Your support helps us continue exploring faith, culture, and the pursuit of truth through conversations with Orthodox clergy, scholars, clinicians, and cultural commentators. www.patreon.com/counterflow Sponsor: Podsworth App: https://podsworth.com  Code: BUCK50 for HALF off your first order! Clean up your recordings, sound like a pro, and support the Counterflow Podcast! Full Ad Read BEFORE processing: https://youtu.be/F4ljjtR5QfA  Full Ad Read AFTER processing: https://youtu.be/J6trRTgmpwE Donate to the show here: https://www.patreon.com/counterflow  Visit my website: https://www.counterflowpodcast.com  Leave us a review and rating on Apple Podcasts! Thanks!

Why Men Feel Lost (And How to Find Direction) Masculinity has become a moving target. One day you're told male strength is the problem, the next you're told you're failing unless you look like a superhero and never show emotion. We sit down with licensed marriage and family therapist Jacob Sedan and Deacon Anthony from St. Anthony the Great Antiochian Orthodox Church to clear the fog and name what healthy masculinity actually requires: responsibility, accountability, integrity, and a life rooted in Christ rather than image.We get concrete about what men miss when “I work and pay the bills” becomes the whole definition of fatherhood. We talk about the power of example, how hypocrisy teaches louder than lectures, and why emotions are not the enemy. From a clinical perspective, Jacob breaks down the cycle of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and what it looks like when men swing to extremes, either suppressing everything until it explodes or expressing everything in ways that make relationships feel unsafe.Then we go straight at the pain point for a lot of young men: dating. We unpack fear of rejection, the trap of wearing a persona, and why authenticity and consistency create real safety. We also share practical frameworks for men who did not have strong role models, including building an “internal board of advisors” from faithful men, saints, and mentors. We close with boundaries that protect marriage, including a hard truth many couples learn late: your spouse cannot be your therapist.If you want a Christ-centered roadmap for modern manhood, press play, share this with a friend who needs it, and subscribe and leave a review so more people can find the series. What narrative about being a man are you ready to unlearn?Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Please leave a comment with your thoughts!

‘Slavlander' - formerly ‘Rurik Skywalker' - is a Ukrainian-born, American-raised researcher who specialises in the kind of Slavic conspiracy issues with which we are less familiar in the West. James (as you all know) is a massive Russophile and a big fan of Orthodox Christianity. ‘Slavlander' is neither and here he explains why. So here they have a right old ding dong which hopefully you will enjoy as much as James did. Substack: https://substack.com/@rurikskywalker & https://slavlandchronicles.substack.com ↓ ↓ How environmentalists are killing the planet, destroying the economy and stealing your children's future. In Watermelons, an updated edition of his ground-breaking 2011 book, James tells the shocking true story of how a handful of political activists, green campaigners, voodoo scientists and psychopathic billionaires teamed up to invent a fake crisis called ‘global warming'. This updated edition includes two new chapters which, like a geo-engineered flood, pour cold water on some of the original's sunny optimism and provide new insights into the diabolical nature of the climate alarmists' sinister master plan. Purchase Watermelons by James Delingpole here: https://jamesdelingpole.co.uk/Shop/ ↓ ↓ ↓ Buy James a Coffee at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jamesdelingpole To support independent, no-holds-barred journalism and gain first and full access to all James's content, subscribe directly at https://www.jamesdelingpole.co.uk x

Witness Weekly | WW001 | Kickoff Episode!0:00 Intro0:15 Mario Andrew – News6:26 Discussion of the Week21:05 James St Simon – Book & Film Recommendations / Review26:28 Michael – Redlines (Philosophy & Politics)30:25 Jeremy Jeremiah – Viewer Comments & Questions“Smells and bells” vs “bare walls” misses the point. We debate beauty, Scripture, continuity, and why people say they met God at the Divine Liturgy.A bishop detained under murky circumstances. A fresh call for Orthodox unity a decade after the Council of Crete. A study that claims part of a papal encyclical reads like it was AI assisted. We kick off the first Witness Weekly by moving fast through the headlines, then slowing down where it matters: what these moments reveal about religious freedom, public pressure on clergy, and the real stakes for Christians trying to live faithfully in a tense political climate.We launch Witness Weekly with Orthodox news, a deep dive on why evangelicals convert to Orthodoxy, and a candid look at how rhetoric and assumptions can flatten real theological differences. We close with Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, a challenge to political fixes for evil, and listener questions on worship music, conversion, and parish life.• Metropolitan Hilarion's detention in Lithuania and why prayer for clergy matters• Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew's renewed call for Orthodox unity and what changed since Crete• A study suggesting AI assisted writing in a papal encyclical and where the line might be• Archbishop Elpidophoros' hospitalization and continued prayers for his recovery• Common conversion motives and why “aesthetics only” is an unfair summary• Purgatory as a Roman Catholic doctrine and why Orthodoxy gets mislabeled• Institutional continuity versus doctrinal continuity and how Reformers argued their case• The catechumen process as evidence that conversion is usually slow and deliberate• Book of the week The Brothers Karamazov and why it speaks to believers and skeptics• The problem of evil, the Grand Inquisitor, and the limits of political solutions• Listener comment on worship music, tradition, standards, and Christian art• Advice for Protestants navigating hard conversations when exploring OrthodoxyPlease let us know your thoughts in the commentsFrom there, we take on a question we keep seeing everywhere: why are evangelicals converting to Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy? We challenge the lazy take that people switch churches because they got dazzled by “smells and bells” or seduced by a vague sense of history. We talk about the long, prayerful process most converts go through, the catechumen journey, and the way outsiders often lump Orthodoxy and Catholicism together, especially around doctrines like purgatory. We also dissect the rhetoric behind “continuity” claims, including how Reformers like John Calvin argued they were the true heirs of the ancient Church.We pivot into culture and formation with our book of the week, The Brothers Karamazov, and why Dostoevsky still feels uncomfortably current. We connect the problem of evil, the Grand Inquisitor's political temptation, and the hard truth that there is no ideology that can substitute for personal responsibility and repentance. Finally, we respond to listener comments on worship music, tradition, and standards, and we offer practical advice for Protestants navigating difficult conversations while exploring Orthodoxy. Can worship music be “frozen in time” and still alive? We respond to a tough listener critique, talk standards, lyrics, and the difference between church worship and Christian art. Mario Andrew  ⁨@AndrewStMercy⁩ James St Simon  ⁨@jamessaintsimon⁩ Michael  ⁨@redlineshq⁩  Jeremy Jeremiah Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Please leave a comment with your thoughts!

https://www.patreon.com/breakingsocialnorms/posts/does-marriage-w-160760285?pr=true (*UNLOCK FULL 90 MINUTES ON PATREON!)We're doing the June Supporters-Only BONUS show called "After Dark with the Weishaupts!" Today we're debating and discussing an analogy about being in a relationship like building a puzzle. We'll discuss the western ideas of being "whole" in a marriage by finding the perfect puzzle piece, versus the realities of marriage and the age of self-worship along with some words from Father Abbot Tryphon on the ego!Unlock the full 90 minute version on Patreon.com/BreakingSocialNorms or Apple Podcast Premium! FULL SHOW NOW UP AD-FREE with early access on Patreon.com/BreakingSocialNorms and Apple Podcast Premium; free feed gets a preview! You can now sign up for our commercial-free version of the show with a Patreon exclusive bonus show called “Morning Coffee w/ the Weishaupts” at Patreon.com/BreakingSocialNorms  OR subscribe on the Apple Podcasts app to get all the same bonus “Morning Coffee” episodes AD-FREE with early access! (*Patreon is also NOW enabled to connect with Spotify! https://rb.gy/r34zj)Want more?…Index of all previous episodes on free feed: https://breakingsocialnorms.com/2021/03/22/index-of-archived-episodes/Leave a review or rating wherever you listen and we'll see what you've got to say!Follow us on the socials:instagram.com/theweishaupts2/Check out Isaac's conspiracy podcasts, merch, etc:AllMyLinks.com/IsaacWOccult Symbolism and Pop Culture (on all podcast platforms or IlluminatiWatcher.com)Isaac Weishaupt's book are all on Amazon and Audible; *author narrated audiobooks*STATEMENT: This show is full of Isaac's and Josie's useless opinions and presented for entertainment purposes. Audio clips used in Fair Use and taken from YouTube videos.

Find this episode on YouTube: Is American Orthodoxy even possible? John Heers sits down with Ben Michael (Orthodox Luigi) to talk about race, ethnicity, what it means to be an American — and whether there's a future for Orthodox Christianity in a nation built on rootlessness.This conversation goes where most won't — deep into the tension between ethnic identity and faith, the rise of nationalism, and the hard question: can America — a country of immigrants with no single ethnic root — ever truly become an Orthodox nation? John and Ben pull from history, theology, and their own experiences to explore what American Orthodoxy might actually require.

I answer listener-submitted Bible questions live on the first Wednesday of every month. On today's livestream, the first question I will answer is:  Is full preterism a heresy?That You May Know Him, Episode 301.

In Episode 234, Joe Rodriguez and I answer listener questions in this June '26 edition of Ready With an Answer. We discuss aliens, the antichrist, Orthodox Christianity, and more! Rate/Review our Spotify Channel - Reclaiming the Faith Apple Podcasts Channel - Reclaiming the Faith Phil's Website – https://philsbaker.com Patreon Page - patreon.com/philsbaker The Faithful Podcast with Stephanie Baker Contact me – philsbaker@protonmail.com The Ante-Nicene Writings - https://thehistoricfaith.com/en/library

A host admits taking communion at home daily, then asks what the Eucharist really is. The reactions are priceless, but the pastoral wisdom is the point.A priest goes on a massive Protestant podcast and a slice of Orthodox internet melts down. We don't. We ask the harder question: if we won't talk to people outside the Orthodox Church, how will anyone ever hear what Orthodoxy actually teaches, believes, and lives? Father Josiah Trenham's appearance on Girls Gone Bible becomes a real-time case study in evangelism, online criticism, and what it looks like to show up publicly without compromising the faith.“The Eucharist is just a symbol” sounds harmless until John 6 lands with full force. What happens when a huge audience hears the Orthodox view of Communion for the first time?Jeremy Jeremiah, Mario Andrew, and Michael of Cloud of Witnesses talk through the backlash to Father Josiah Trenham (Patristic Nectar) appearing on Girls Gone Bible and argue that Orthodox evangelism requires real conversations outside Orthodox-only spaces. We also dig into why the Eucharist is not merely symbolic, how John 6 reframes everything, and why the Divine Liturgy is where many people first feel the presence of God and can't look back.• why some Orthodox listeners object to public conversations with Protestants• the case for assuming good intent instead of hunting for scandal• how common ground can open doors without conceding doctrine• a host's “Eucharist journey” and the confusion around at-home communion• Father Josiah's John 6 teaching on the body and blood of Christ• why the symbolic-only view is rejected and what that implies pastorally• the Divine Liturgy as an encounter that convinces seekers• Paul on preparation for Communion and the fear of receiving casually• why the Protestant Reformation is not one thing and why that matters• born again language alongside baptism as water and the SpiritFrom there we follow the thread that grabbed the hosts and their audience: the Eucharist. You'll hear why “Communion is just symbolic” isn't a harmless difference in emphasis, how John 6 frames Jesus' words about eating his flesh and drinking his blood, and why the Orthodox Church insists on the real presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. We also react to the surprising honesty of a host describing daily at-home communion, curiosity about transubstantiation, and a search for healing, then break down the pastoral wisdom of responding with one clarifying question: “What do you mean by that?”We widen the lens to the Divine Liturgy and why so many visitors say they feel the presence of God and can't leave, plus Paul's warnings about approaching Communion without preparation. Finally, we touch the complexity of the Protestant Reformation, the wide range of Protestant sacramental beliefs, and why “born again” language is incomplete without being born of water and the Spirit through baptism. If you care about Orthodox Christianity, Eucharist theology, and real conversations across denominations, hit play, then subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more seekers can find the show.An Orthodox priest goes on a major Protestant show and people panic. Should Christians avoid hard conversations, or is that exactly where conversion begins?Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses Radio: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses Radio on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTokPlease leave a comment with your thoughts!

In this interview, I'm joined by Dr. Sarah Riccardi-Swartz to discuss how an uptick in converts, especially among young men, is impacting Orthodoxy in America. Dr. Riccardi-Swartz brings an interesting perspective to this topic as she is both an academic anthropologist and an Orthodox Christian herself. Her research is some of the first of its kind regarding Orthodoxy in America. Pre-order my novel, The Long Road to Holy Island: https://amzn.to/4sISAC9Get access to my book club, show notes, ad-free episodes and more:  https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity Make a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicityBook a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austinRead my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.comGet her book, Between Heaven and Russia: https://amzn.to/3SdX6vdLearn more about Dr. Riccardi-Swartz: https://www.riccardiswartz.com/About the Guest:Dr. Sarah Riccardi-Swartz is an assistant professor of religion and anthropology at Northeastern University, where she is also an affiliate faculty member in the women's, gender, and sexuality studies program. Before joining Northeastern University she was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Recovering Truth: Religion, Journalism, and Democracy in a Post-Truth Era project at the Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict (Arizona State University). She has a Ph.D. in Sociocultural Anthropology from New York University. After completing an honors B.A. and M.A. in Religious Studies (American religions) at Missouri State University, she attended NYU to study and research religion and politics in the United States from an anthropological perspective. Along the way, she obtained a graduate certificate in Culture and Media (ethnographic filmmaking) and an M.Phil in Anthropology from NYU. Her research focuses on conservative politics, gender/sexuality, race, media worlds, and Orthodox Christianity.Chapters00:00 Orthodoxy: An Anthropological Perspective06:11 Media & Orthodoxy's Visibility09:07 Cultural Identity and Conversion 12:10 Politics & Conversion20:55 Community in Conversion Experiences23:56 ROCOR and the Fascination with Russia26:54 The Future of Orthodoxy in America30:36 Orthodoxy in Appalachia35:47 The Emergence of Political Conversations40:39 Understanding the Unique Nature of ROCOR42:24 Cultural Heritage45:49 The Internet & Orthodoxy53:02 Fr. Seraphim RoseSupport the show

In this episode of That Would Be Rad, we dive headfirst into one of the strangest intersections of religion, history, folklore, and the modern UFO phenomenon.For decades, reports of mysterious craft and non-human intelligences have captured the imagination of millions. Governments investigate them. Fighter pilots report them. Entire belief systems have formed around them. But long before congressional hearings, Pentagon footage, and discussions about "non-human intelligence," a group of Orthodox Christian mystics and saints were issuing a very different warning.What if the phenomenon is real... but not extraterrestrial?Join Woody and Tyler as they explore the ancient world of Orthodox Christianity, the Desert Fathers, aerial spirits, Ezekiel's famous "wheel within a wheel" vision, the Nephilim, medieval encounters with strange beings in the sky, and the teachings of four influential Orthodox holy men who all arrived at a remarkably similar conclusion about UFOs.What We Talk About in This Episode:• Why UFOs and UAPs have suddenly become mainstream topics of discussion• The Pentagon, military encounters, and the rise of "non-human intelligence" conversations• What Orthodox Christianity actually is and why it differs from most forms of Christianity in America• The Desert Fathers, spiritual warfare, and the Orthodox tradition of discerning spirits• Ezekiel's bizarre vision and why UFO researchers have been fascinated by it for decades• The Nephilim, the Book of Enoch, and ancient stories of beings descending from the sky• Medieval encounters with faeries, aerial beings, and mysterious sky phenomena• St. Gabriel Urgebadze, St. Paisios of Mount Athos, St. Porphyrios, and Fr. Seraphim Rose• Why these four influential Orthodox figures all viewed UFO encounters through a spiritual lens• The fascinating idea that humanity may interpret the same unexplained phenomena differently depending on the culture and era• Whether modern UFO encounters are something entirely new—or simply the latest version of a mystery humans have been trying to explain for thousands of yearsWhy You NEED to Listen:Whether you're a skeptic, a believer, a Christian, an atheist, a UFO enthusiast, or just someone who loves exploring strange ideas, this episode is guaranteed to make you think.This isn't an episode about proving that aliens are demons.It's an exploration of one of the most fascinating questions we've ever discussed on the show:If something beyond human understanding really was interacting with humanity... would we even recognize it for what it truly is?So grab your Bible, your tinfoil hat, or maybe both—and join us as we venture into one of the weirdest rabbit holes we've explored in a long time.Be Rad.RAD WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT OUR SHOW:JOIN OUR PATREON: Exclusive episodes, bonus content, and behind-the-scenes weirdness: patreon.com/thatwouldberadBUY US A COFFEE: Fuel our late-night research sessions — buymeacoffee.com/thatwouldberad ☕️CHECK OUT OUR MERCH: Grab official That Would Be Rad gear — thatwouldberad.myspreadshop.comSHOW INFO:

Men are tired, and it's not just work and bills, it's the mental pressure of trying to decode what “being a man” is supposed to mean now. One voice says masculinity is toxic. Another says you have to be an always-on, hyper-disciplined “uber man.” Jeremy Jeremiah and Mario Andrew of Cloud of Witnesses sit down with special guests Deacon Anthony (https://st-anthony.org/) and Jacob Sadan (LMFT) (https://jacobsadan.com/) and name the real problem: the narratives we inherit about manhood, and the damage they cause when we never slow down to test them against truth.Men are getting whiplash from culture: “too manly” vs “never soft.” We talk responsibility, emotions, and why Christ is the model of healthy masculinity.We talk about why men feel pulled between competing cultural definitions of masculinity and how that confusion spills into family life, relationships, and the church. We connect Christian manhood with responsibility, emotional honesty, and the courage to live with integrity instead of performing a persona.• competing messages about masculinity and the search for real authority• responsibility accountability and integrity as core markers of healthy manhood• fatherhood as presence guidance affection and example not only providing• masculinity as what we do and what we refuse to do• thoughts feelings and behaviors as a cycle shaping identity• church seasons as a healthy place for repentance joy and emotion• therapy work on balance when men suppress or overflow emotionally• examining the narratives we inherited about manhood and love• vulnerability as the foundation of real relationships and the fear of rejection in datingTogether with Deacon Anthony and Jacob from a clinical therapy perspective, we get concrete about healthy masculinity and Christian manhood: responsibility, accountability, and integrity that show up at home, at church, and in everyday relationships. We talk about fatherhood that goes beyond providing and protecting, because kids learn what love is by what they watch, not what they're told. We also challenge the idea that emotions make men weak, pointing to the Church's wisdom around repentance, tears, joy, and self-control, and to Christ himself as the fullest picture of strength that includes compassion and honesty.“The more you deny your emotions, the more emotional you are.” A deacon and a therapist unpack why men shut down, why it explodes later, and how the Church can help you heal.We also go into what therapy rooms are seeing right now: men swinging between emotional shutdown and emotional overflow, the body storing anger, and the fear of vulnerability that makes dating and intimacy feel risky. If you've ever felt like you're performing a role instead of living with integrity, this conversation offers a path back to center, with practical insight and spiritual grounding.Providing and protecting isn't the whole job. What do kids actually learn from a father's presence, integrity, and apology? We get practical about manhood, family, and relationships.Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Please leave a comment with your thoughts!

Orthodox Christianity is exploding in popularity online, but are all the arguments and memes actually convincing? In this episode, we react to some of the most viral Orthodox memes and respond to the thought-provoking takes of Father Moses McPherson, a Russian Orthodox priest with over 100,000 followers on Instagram.Whether you're a Christian, exploring Christianity, struggling with your faith, or simply curious about the growing influence of Eastern Orthodoxy, this conversation dives into important questions about church history, theology, tradition, authority, and what it means to follow Jesus today.We break down popular Orthodox claims, discuss where we agree and disagree, and examine how these ideas impact everyday believers. Our goal isn't to attack anyone, but to have an honest, biblical conversation that helps people think critically about faith and truth.If you're interested in Christian apologetics, theology debates, Protestant vs Orthodox discussions, church history, faith deconstruction, faith reconstruction, or learning how to evaluate religious claims, this episode is for you.Be sure to like, subscribe, and share if you enjoy thoughtful conversations about Christianity, faith, culture, and defending the Christian worldview.

Frank welcomes back occult researcher and Illuminati Watcher founder Isaac Weishaupt for the first time in two years to break down the most coordinated predictive programming rollout we have seen yet. The final trailer for Steven Spielberg's "Disclosure" just dropped, and Isaac argues Spielberg is the king of subconscious programming, hired specifically to walk the public into accepting the alien origin story right as the White House activates aliens.gov and the Department of War begins releasing files. The conversation goes deep. Isaac shares his late nineties ghost hunting story that drove him into Orthodox Christianity and the conclusion that the phenomenon is angels and demons, not little gray men. They cover Jordy Rose summoning Lovecraftian entities through quantum computing, Rudolf Steiner's century-old prediction that vaccines would inoculate the soul, and the CCRU collective whose member Nick Land claims he made contact with entities from the future who use capitalism to manifest AI. From there it is Curtis Yarvin, Peter Thiel's Antichrist lectures, and the 23andMe CIA Nordic bloodline hunt. Then Frank closes with the White House Harambe tweet at ten years, meme magic in 2016, and a Robert Frost parody from John Ward to send everyone off.

A pastor rips a page from the Bible and tells a young man to eat it. What does that reveal about authority, emotion, and bad theology?A pastor tells someone to open Proverbs for him, rips out a page, and orders a young man to eat it while the music swells. The clip is hard to watch, but it's also clarifying: when church turns into a stage and “holy things” become props, people get pressured, confused, and spiritually harmed. Michael, Jeremy Jeremiah, and Mario Andrew slow the moment down and ask what's really being taught about God, authority, and power. From there, we trace the theology underneath the stunt. Why does it accidentally resemble the language Christians use about communion and the Eucharist? What happens when communion is treated as purely symbolic, and the weight of “real presence” gets shifted onto a printed Bible instead of Christ himself? We also explain how Orthodox Christianity holds Scripture as central and life-giving while keeping it rooted in the Church's worship, tradition, and lived authority, not in a lone pastor's improvised performance. We talk candidly about spiritual manipulation, emotional hype, and the subtle guilt that follows when leaders tell you what you're supposed to be feeling. We even share a personal story that captures the same dynamic in a different setting. If you've ever wondered about church abuse warning signs, the difference between the Eucharist and symbolic communion, or what historic Christianity actually looks like week to week, this conversation will help you name what you're seeing. Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who's sorting through faith and church culture, and leave a review if this helped you. What's the clearest red flag you hear in the clip?If “holy things” become props, people get hurt. We react to a viral church clip and unpack spiritual manipulation, Scripture, and the Eucharist. We watch a shocking church video where a preacher rips out a Bible page and pressures a young man to eat it, then we unpack why the moment feels spiritually wrong instead of holy. We connect the stunt to deeper issues of authority, emotional manipulation, and what historic Christian worship actually centers on. • reacting to a pastor ordering someone to eat a page from Proverbs • why the staged music and public pressure signal manipulation • Eucharist as true communion versus treating objects as power sources • how Scripture is central in Orthodoxy without becoming a substitute for Christ • how “anything goes” practices grow when authority and tradition collapse • comparing the logic to Roman Catholic adoration and asking what worship is for • recognizing spiritual abuse patterns and the guilt they can produce • why what you see in the clip is not historic Christianity If anyone watching this right now, if you're at all, if maybe you don't know a lot about Christianity, maybe you're just curious about it, please understand what you saw in this video is not a representation of the historic practice of the church. Period. No questions about it. Um, and we would obviously encourage you come find an Orthodox church near you today.Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Please leave a comment with your thoughts!

ABOUT THE EPISODEJoin David Schrock and Stephen Wellum as they interview Tony Costa on his COA Longform "The Challenge of Eastern Orthodoxy: Comparing Evangelical and Eastern Orthodox Theology"SponsorThis month's sponsor is Grimke Seminary. Pastors are called to care for the church of God that God called them to. So why do seminaries require men to leave their church to pursue theological studies? At Grimké Seminary, you can get Christ-centered, theological training in the Reformed, Protestant tradition, without leaving your local church. They offer a range of pastoral studies for students of all backgrounds to serve your growth in ministry, from a Bachelor's to a Doctor of Ministry.To apply, go to grimkeseminary.org and use the code “christoverall” to have your application fee waived.Timestamps00:31 – Intro04:30 – Dr. Costa's Ministry and Familiarity with Eastern Orthodoxy07:51 – What Did Dr. Costa See That Made Him Know that EO Would Be a Problem Today?09:40 – Has Dr. Wellum Had Any Engagement with EO?12:13 – The Vibe Online16:03 – What is the Protestant Way to Think through Tradition?19:25 – How EO Thinks of Scripture and Tradition26:40 – Who in the Church is the Final Authority?35:00 – Sponsor: Grimke Seminary36:10 – Is the Canon Closed for EO?41:40 – Do EO and Antisemetic Sentiment Correlate to One Another?43:27 – The Counsel of Jerusalem46:15 – What Will the Priest tell Catechumens to Read as They Join the Church?48:38 – The Doctrine of the Filioque51:37 – Why Would EO Still Deny the Filioque Today?55:25 – Understanding Justification in EO1:01:12 – Assurance & Atonement1:05:40 – Original Sin & Theosis1:08:03 – Counsel to Those Considering EO1:12:10 – Final Thoughts1:13:26 – OutroResources to Click“The Challenges of Eastern Orthodoxy: Comparing Evangelical and Eastern Orthodox Theology” – Tony Costa“Masculinity, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Search for Stability” – Alexander Breytenbach“A Protestant Appraisal of Rock & Sand: Sola Scriptura Properly Understood” – Tyler Cox“Frank Schaeffer, Former Evangelical Leader, is a Self-Declared Atheist Who Believes in God” – Huffington Post“'The Bible Answer Man' Turns East: An Unlikely Conversion” – Erwin Lutzer“Young Men Leaving Traditional Churches for ‘Masculine' Orthodox Christianity in Droves” – Rikki Schlott“Evangelical Pastors and the Challenge of Eastern Orthdoxy” – Scott Hurst and Christian Clement-Schlimm“Reality: Questions regarding the Authenticity of the Sigillion of 1583” – Joshua Schooping“The Sunday of Orthodoxy 2024”“Service of the Small Paraklesis”“Entrance of the Mother of God into the Temple” – Orthodox Christianity“Debatable, Unnecessary, or Essential? The Virgin Birth and Mary as the Mother of God” – Michael Pereira“Confession of Dositheus”“What is Salvation?” – Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon“Divine Energies: Eastern Orthodoxy's Strangest and Most Important Doctrine” – Knox BrownTheme of the Month: Go West, Young Men: Evaluating the Drift toward Eastern OrthodoxyGive to Support the WorkBooks to ReadDancing Alone: The Quest for Orthodox Faith in the Age of False Religion – Frank SchaefferThe Orthodox Church: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity – Timothy WareThrough Western Eyes: Eastern Orthodoxy, A Reformed Perspective – Robert LethamThree Views on Eastern Orthodoxy and Evangelicalism – ed. James J. StamoolisDisillusioned: Why I Left the Eastern Orthodox Priesthood and Church – Joshua SchoopingEastern Orthodoxy: Through the Lens of Sola Scriptura – Samuel S. FaragThe Holy Standards: The Creeds, Confessions, and Catechisms of the Eastern Orthodox Church – Joshua SchoopingThe Filioque: History of a Doctrinal Controversy – A. Edward SiecienskiVindicating the Filioque: The Church Fathers at the Council of Florence – Thomas Crean, O.P.The Holy Trinity: In Scripture, History, Theology, and Worship – Robert Letham

Online detractors of Orthodox Christianity accuse Orthodox Christianity of producing nominal Christians. Is Orthodoxy created to subvert deep faith in God? What should Christian faithfulness to Christ look like? We bring the receipts to disprove this slander.

“I walked in and started to cry.” What happens when an Orthodox Divine Liturgy feels more real than anything you've known?One visit to an Orthodox Divine Liturgy can expose a hunger you did not know you had. Hannah describes walking into the church, catching the smell of incense, hearing the choir, seeing the priest with the censer, and suddenly fighting tears. It is not just emotion for its own sake. Something feels ancient, steady, and real enough to set off a relentless chain of questions about the Eastern Orthodox Church, worship, and what it means to actually be formed by faith.Always reforming sounds noble until you ask: reform into what? We talk Reformation fatigue, denominational confusion, and why Orthodoxy feels like “home” for many.Jeremy Jeremiah and Mario Andrew talk with Hannah and Brian about what it feels like to walk into an Orthodox church for the first time and realize something deeper is happening than a new “style” of worship. We follow their move from Protestant assumptions to Orthodox practices that feel like home, and we ask what happens when the Church is meant to hold on to us.• Hannah's first Divine Liturgy experience, from incense to tears to nonstop questions• Curiosity turning into daily research, conversations, and a fast moving sense of conviction• Brian's slower pace, his prayer for truth, and the desire to avoid false teaching• First Holy Week and Pascha, including the beauty and the reality of the marathon• Intentional prayer, written prayers, veiling, icons, saints, and learning to die to self• Denominations, ongoing reform, and why Protestant apologetics can feel like mental gymnasticsWe talk through what happens after that first encounter: the research spiral, the awkward first-timer moments, and the different speeds two people can move at while still walking the same direction. Hannah dives in headfirst, hunting for the “why” behind icons, long services, and Holy Tradition. Brian shares a more cautious posture shaped by prayer, asking God to “lead me in all truth,” and naming the fear many seekers feel about being misled by bad information or falling into false doctrine.Holy Week and Pascha become a turning point, not because everything gets easier, but because the Church's rhythm starts to make sense. We explore the intentionality behind Orthodox practices like written prayers, a prayer rule, fasting, confession, reverence for icons, and learning to “die to self” so prayer becomes real instead of rushed. Along the way, we wrestle with Reformation after Reformation, denominational confusion, and why defending every disagreement can feel like mental gymnastics.If you're exploring converting from Protestant to Orthodox, or you're simply trying to understand why Orthodoxy emphasizes embodied worship, mystery, and continuity, this conversation gives you language for the pull you may already feel. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review to help more people find Cloud of Witnesses.Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Audio: https://cloudofwitnessesradio.buzzsprout.comPlease leave a comment with your thoughts!

She chased “healing” through mushrooms, moon rituals, and mediumship then saw Jesus while channeling a client. That one moment changed everything. Money showed up fast, love felt uncertain, and the noise in Kara Mosher's (https://www.instagram.com/herecomestroublexo) mind kept getting louder. We talk with Kara, author of Here Comes Trouble, about growing up in a family that went from motorhome living to million-dollar restaurant success, and how that same rise coincided with divorce, abandonment, and a deep inner instability she tried to outwork. From obsessive thoughts and depression to chasing approval through achievement, her story puts language to the hidden pain so many people carry behind “successful” lives.“Satanism rebranded” is how she describes the occult hiding in plain sight through trendy spirituality. From third-eye talk to Divine Liturgy, her path is intense. Jeremy Jeremiah of Cloud of Witnesses sits down with author and podcaster Kara Mosher to trace her path from sudden family wealth and deep emotional instability into drugs, occult spirituality, and years of psychiatric labels that never quite fit. We follow the turning points that lead her to renounce mediumship after encountering Jesus and to keep searching until she finds a home in Orthodox Christianity.• Hot 'n Now family origin story and how money changes a household• divorce, abandonment, and the start of obsessive compulsive thoughts• overachieving as distraction and a bid for attention• panic attacks, emergency care, and a New Age rehab introduction• marijuana and psychedelics escalating into spiritual experiences• occult practices, mediumship, and “Satanism rebranded”• psych ward intake, bipolar misdiagnosis, and years of heavy medication• antidepressant withdrawal, brain zaps, and a suicide attempt• COVID-era conspiracy rabbit holes and moon ceremony communities• a vision of Jesus, quitting divination, and learning the faith under pressure• losing a Christian community, then rebuilding through church history• encountering Divine Liturgy, catechumenate, and a hunger for communion• “Dosage” and “Wasted Youth” as music that reframes her pastFrom there, Kara walks us through marijuana, psychedelics, and the moment panic cracked everything open. Rehab didn't bring the grounding she needed, and she explains how New Age spirituality, yoga, meditation, and ritual practices became stepping stones into deeper occult involvement. She shares what it was like to experience spirits, to be pulled into mediumship and “enlightenment” culture, and then to be labeled bipolar in a psych ward within seconds. We also dig into years of medication changes, side effects, withdrawal, and how a late realization about misdiagnosis forced her to rethink both mental health treatment and spiritual reality.Then the story turns on a single, disruptive encounter: Kara sees Jesus while channeling for a client, quits divination, and starts trying to follow Christ with almost no support system. We talk about viral testimony, online backlash, conspiracy-heavy Christian spaces, and why church history eventually leads her to Orthodox Christianity and the shock of experiencing Divine Liturgy for the first time. We close with her music, including “Dosage” and “Wasted Youth,” and what it means to tell the truth even when it costs you friends.Your copy of Here Comes Trouble: https://www.amazon.com/Here-Comes-Trouble-Kara-Mosher/dp/B0F74PNH6S/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2E83J501THSPV&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.m_X-dOmOU-hA_ZoD6ow27v8xKMK6sgGvTjsaOWk6nlUJk-l_9z64XRQ-YELB844c.moplmsLa2-zYqV5cB_S6ycaz_qON5XtWLaguXnXCG8Q&dib_tag=se&keywords=here+comes+trouble+kara+mosher&qid=1779119461&sprefix=here+comes+trouble+kara+mosh%2Caps%2C208&sr=8-1Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Audio: https://cloudofwitnessesradio.buzzsprout.comPlease leave a comment with your thoughts!

“If the church compiled the Bible, what was the authority before the Bible?” A candid journey from Protestant certainty to Eastern Orthodoxy, sparked by a friend's conversion and a history problem you can't ignore.A friend you trust changes everything. Brian tells us how years of Protestant assumptions started cracking when his friend James, a man he respects as clearly regenerated and serious about Christ, said he felt led toward Roman Catholicism and later Eastern Orthodoxy. Brian's mind could not make it add up, and that tension launched a long stretch of debate, study, and a surprisingly practical test during Lent: what happens if you try living like an Orthodox Christian for 30 days?Jeremy Jeremiah and Mario Andrew, of Cloud of Witnesses, talk with Brian and Hannah about how a trusted friend's move toward Catholicism and then Eastern Orthodoxy forced a hard rethink of authority, history, and the first thousand years of the Church. We trace what finally opened the door, from catechism confusion and trauma triggers to a change in prayer life at home and a first visit to an Orthodox parish on Forgiveness Sunday.• growing up on YouTube apologetics and adopting harsh views of Catholics and Orthodox Christians• watching a friend show clear fruit while moving toward Rome and then Eastern Orthodoxy• debating sola scriptura alongside the formation of the biblical canon and early Church councils• asking where Protestant identity fits in the first thousand years of Christianity• trying “30 days living like an Orthodox Christian” during Lent through prayer, study, and liturgy• reacting to catechism language and fears about exorcism due to past Pentecostal experiences• choosing unity in marriage and taking the discipline to explore the faith together• stepping into an Orthodox church for the first time near Forgiveness SundayWe dig into the core questions that keep coming up for seekers: Where do you place yourself in the first thousand years of Christianity? What does sola scriptura mean once you face the history of the biblical canon, the early Church councils, and the claim that the Church is the “pillar and ground of the truth”? Brian shares why “historical reliability” began to matter more than hot takes, and how Orthodox prayer, worship, and tradition started to feel less like an argument and more like a lived inheritance.Hannah brings the marriage and mindset side of the journey. She's honest about being put off by long Orthodox services and about how unfamiliar words like catechism, plus vague talk about “emptying yourself,” can trigger fears shaped by past church experiences. But she also shares what softened her posture: seeing a new consistency and depth in Brian's prayer life, and choosing not to build a divided household. Their first visit to an Orthodox parish lands near Forgiveness Sunday, a moment that reframes repentance and community in a powerful way.If you're exploring Eastern Orthodoxy, church history, Orthodox conversion, or the authority of Scripture and tradition, come listen and think with us. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review with the biggest question you're still wrestling with.Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Please leave a comment with your thoughts!

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ABOUT THE EPISODEYoung Protestants are reportedly departing for Eastern Orthodoxy in droves. What are the major differences between Eastern Orthodoxy and Evangelical Protestant Christianity?SponsorThis month's sponsor is Grimke Seminary. Pastors are called to care for the church of God that God called them to. So why do seminaries require men to leave their church to pursue theological studies? At Grimké Seminary, you can get Christ-centered, theological training in the Reformed, Protestant tradition, without leaving your local church. They offer a range of pastoral studies for students of all backgrounds to serve your growth in ministry, from a Bachelor's to a Doctor of Ministry.To apply, go to grimkeseminary.org and use the code “christoverall” to have your application fee waived.Resources to Click“The Challenges of Eastern Orthodoxy: Comparing Evangelical and Eastern Orthodox Theology” – Tony Costa“Frank Schaeffer, Former Evangelical Leader, is a Self-Declared Atheist Who Believes in God” – Huffington Post“'The Bible Answer Man' Turns East: An Unlikely Conversion” – Erwin Lutzer“Young Men Leaving Traditional Churches for ‘Masculine' Orthodox Christianity in Droves” – Rikki Schlott“Evangelical Pastors and the Challenge of Eastern Orthdoxy” – Scott Hurst and Christian Clement-Schlimm“Reality: Questions regarding the Authenticity of the Sigillion of 1583” – Joshua Schooping“The Sunday of Orthodoxy 2024”“Service of the Small Paraklesis”“Entrance of the Mother of God into the Temple” – Orthodox Christianity“Debatable, Unnecessary, or Essential? The Virgin Birth and Mary as the Mother of God” – Michael Pereira“Confession of Dositheus”“What is Salvation?” – Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon“Divine Energies: Eastern Orthodoxy's Strangest and Most Important Doctrine” – Knox BrownTheme of the Month: Go West, Young Men: Evaluating the Drift toward Eastern OrthodoxyGive to Support the WorkBooks to ReadDancing Alone: The Quest for Orthodox Faith in the Age of False Religion – Frank SchaefferThe Orthodox Church: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity – Timothy WareThrough Western Eyes: Eastern Orthodoxy, A Reformed Perspective – Robert LethamThree Views on Eastern Orthodoxy and Evangelicalism – ed. James J. StamoolisDisillusioned: Why I Left the Eastern Orthodox Priesthood and Church – Joshua SchoopingEastern Orthodoxy: Through the Lens of Sola Scriptura – Samuel S. FaragThe Holy Standards: The Creeds, Confessions, and Catechisms of the Eastern Orthodox Church – Joshua SchoopingThe Filioque: History of a Doctrinal Controversy – A. Edward SiecienskiVindicating the Filioque: The Church Fathers at the Council of Florence – Thomas Crean, O.P.The Holy Trinity: In Scripture, History, Theology, and Worship – Robert LethamEarly Christian Creed and Hymns, What the Earliest Christians Believed in Word an Song: An Exegetical-Theological Study – Tony CostaThe Biblical Canon: Its Origin, Transmission, and Authority – Lee Martin MacDonaldThe Canon Debate – Lee Martin MacDonald and James A. SandersThe Biblical Canon Lists from Early Christianity: Texts and Analysis – Edmon Gallagher and John D. MeadeThe Old Testament in Eastern Orthodox Tradition – Eugen J. PentiucThe Acts of the Second Council of Nicaea (787) – Richard PriceIcons and Power: the Mother of God in Byzantium – Bissera V. PentchevaThe Orthodox Study Bible – eds. Joseph Allen and Michel NajimProtestant Patriarch: The Life of Cyril Lukaris (1572-1638) Patriarch of Constantinople – G.A. Hadjiantoniou

Two Protestants can sound airtight when they critique Eastern Orthodoxy together, until you ask a simple question: do they even agree on what a church is? Jeremy Jeremiah of Cloud of Witnesses pulls apart a popular interview between Dr. Gavin Ortlund and Joshua Schooping, author of Disillusioned, a former Orthodox priest who is now a Lutheran pastor, and we respond point by point from an Orthodox perspective with church history, theology, and plain logic.We spend real time on the practical consequences of Protestant ecclesiology, not just the slogans. If a Lutheran pastor shaped by the Augsburg Confession would refuse communion to a Reformed Baptist who follows the 1689 London Baptist Confession, what does that say about claims of easy unity in the “invisible church”? We talk Eucharist theology, baptism debates, and how sacramental disagreement turns into competing definitions of a “true church.”Then we tackle the biggest claims head-on: Has the Eastern Orthodox Church truly remained unchanged? What counts as doctrine versus liturgical development? How should Christians read Nicaea II and the language around icons and veneration? And when Marian prayers are quoted as proof that Mary replaces Jesus, we slow down and read them in context as devotional, poetic language about intercession, while keeping Christ's saving work central.We respond to a now Protestant discussion critiquing and frankly attacking Eastern Orthodoxy and explain why its framing collapses when you examine Protestant disagreements on the sacraments, the church, and salvation. We also defend Orthodox claims about continuity by separating minor liturgical development from core doctrinal stability across church history.• framing the interview as a strictly Protestant critique of Orthodoxy• contrasting Lutheran and Reformed Baptist ecclesiology on communion, baptism, and sacraments• challenging the idea that Protestantism offers a unified “invisible church” solution• addressing “one true church” anxiety and how mercy and salvation are discussed• separating liturgical variation from doctrinal continuity over 2,000 years• defending icons with early church evidence and the witness of ancient apostolic churches• responding to Nicaea II claims about forced icon veneration• interpreting Marian prayers as poetic intercession language rather than replacement of Christ• pushing back on claims that the gospel is absent from Orthodox worshipIf you care about Eastern Orthodoxy, Protestant apologetics, apostolic succession, icons, Mariology, and what it means to belong to the historic visible church, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with a friend who's debating Orthodoxy, and leave a review telling us where you agree or disagree.Two Protestants critique Orthodoxy, but can they even agree on baptism or communion? We break down the hidden contradiction and what it means for “the true church” claims. Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Audio: https://cloudofwitnessesradio.buzzsprout.comPlease leave a comment with your thoughts!

Against the Machine: On the Unmaking of Humanity By: Paul Kingsnorth Published: 2025 368 Pages Briefly, what is this book about? Before Kingsnorth can tell you how to be against the Machine, he first sets out to define it. The Machine is multi-faceted, but Kingsnorth distills it down into four S's: Science, The Self, Sex, and the Screen. To take a position "against the Machine" he urges a return to the four P's: People, Place, Prayer, and the Past. But before you grasp this simple heuristic too firmly, it turns out that not all P's are good, and not all S's are bad. He is opposed to progress, particularly as it reduces everything to the parameterized, portable, plannable, and ultimately purchasable. On the other side, he is attempting to carve out a path to salvation, through a return to Christian values, a settledness that comes from having a place and community, and a sacredness that comes from connecting with the natural world. What authorial biases should I be aware of? Kingsnorth has huge biases. He's an ex-environmental activist who converted to Orthodox Christianity. He's spent decades opposing globalization, technocratic progress, and materialism. It's not true to say that he opposes all progress, but he certainly thinks that progress has gone from something we do, to something that is done to us—the Machine of the title, which turns everything (nature, people, culture, pleasure)  into raw material that needs to serve ever more productive ends.  As such he makes no pretense at being balanced. And that's part of the book's value. This is a steelman of the anti-progress argument and a powerful rhetorical broadside against the technological miasma we're currently wading through.  Who should read this book? I think those who would benefit most from this book probably won't read it. And those who will read it, might end up being too radicalized. I personally think that Kingsnorth is pointing in the correct direction, but as a practical matter we can't all duplicate Kingsnorth's life in rural Ireland, growing our own food and fuel, while making a living as a writer. To be fair that's not how he sees things playing out, but he still has a tendency to lump all of progress into one negative whole, without much effort to identify things that might have been useful. What does the book have to say about the future? He doesn't think we're going to overthrow the Machine, or even deflect it very much. He's urging people to outlast it in the same way that Irish monasteries kept the light of knowledge alive during the Dark Ages.   Specific thoughts: What exactly is the "Machine"?

In this episode, I talk with Darryl Cooper, host of the Martyr Made Podcast, and cohost of the Provoked Podcast (with Scott Horton as well) to talk about war, power, and the unseen forces shaping both.   With a background as a Navy Aegis technician and a decade as a DOD engineer, Darryl brings a unique perspective on leadership, influence, and the gap between narrative and reality. We get into his evolving views on political power, the danger of losing moral clarity in the pursuit of "understanding," and why history is often more complicated—and more uncomfortable—than people want to admit.   We also talk about something deeper: spiritual warfare.   Darryl shares how his conversion to Orthodox Christianity changed the way he sees the world—not just politically or historically, but spiritually. Because at a certain point, you realize this isn't just about what's happening out there.   There's a battle happening beneath it all.   About Darryl Cooper   Darryl Cooper is the host of the Martyr Made Podcast, and cohost of the Provoked Podcast. His MartyrMade show is known for long-form, narrative-driven explorations of history and culture. He previously served 10 years in the U.S. Navy as an Aegis fire control technician and spent another decade as a Department of Defense engineer. His work focuses on understanding the deeper forces—historical, cultural, and spiritual—that shape the world around us.   For more from Darryl, go here:  Martyr Made Podcast https://martyrmade.com   Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-martyrmade-podcast/id978322714   Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2c8v0K3T8XxZpK0s8AjtKf   X https://x.com/martyrmade   YouTube https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=martyr+made+podcast   Provoked with Scott Horton and Darryl Cooper Official site https://provoked.show Get the new Counterflow T-shirt before it sells out! Visit https://www.counterflowpodcast.com/store or send $30 via PayPal to buck@counterflowpodcast.com with your size and shipping address! Donate to the show here: https://www.patreon.com/counterflow  Visit my website: https://www.counterflowpodcast.com  Audio Production by Podsworth Media: https://www.podsworth.com  Leave us a review and rating on Apple Podcasts! Thanks!

After some ecstatic & triumphant kirtan (which you can watch in the last video here) at our second session at our second Denver retreat in April 2026, we take up our evening's lecture, an Easter special featuring some of my most inspired reflections on Tantra, gnostic Christianity and the politics of spirituality to answer the question:Who has the right to teach & practice Tantra? We reference some of Cynthia Bourgeault's and Elaine Pagel's academic work on the early history of Christianity to consider the politics around the resurrection of Christ (i.e Mary vs Peter, Gnostic Christianity vs Orthodox Christianity) which I'm going to argue mirrors the politics of Left-Hand Path vs Right Hand Path (read also: institutional) Tantra. Much of this lecture is my loving middle finger to those who say we should not be doing what we're doing. Whatever such people may say and however good their intentions, with love and respect we say to them, like the Gnostics before us: we're going to do it anyway. Support the showLectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and again at Friday 11am PST Use this link and I will see you there:https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnishTo get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

“If 10 people say the Holy Spirit told them 10 different meanings, how do I know who's right?” A raw conversation on Protestantism, Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and the early Church.He tried to quit porn for the millionth time, sat down in silence, and opened the Bible at random. Proverbs 5 stared back like a warning with his name on it and that was the moment Tremayne Collins (https://www.instagram.com/tremaynecollins001/) stopped being a “fan” of church and started taking Christ seriously. What follows is a story of repentance, recovery, and rebuilding a life around Scripture, mentorship, and real spiritual discipline.Jeremy Jeremiah of Cloud of Witnesses talks with Tremayne Collins about leaving atheism behind, confronting a long battle with pornography, and finding a serious Christian life through repentance, recovery, and Scripture. Then we follow the questions that hit next when sincere Christians disagree on doctrine and church history starts pointing beyond modern Protestantism.• Tremayne's background in Lutheranism, then years away from faith• A moment in Proverbs 5 that sparks repentance and change• Porn addiction recovery, mentorship, and building daily Scripture habits• Why theological disagreement in non-denominational churches creates an authority crisis• Early church fathers and what they teach about Eucharist, baptism, and holiness• Orthodoxy's critique of Western innovations and why the Reformation happened• Purgatory, Mary, papal claims, and what Orthodoxy does and does not affirm• Why sola scriptura depends on later historical conditions and canon choices• A reading recommendation for comparing Protestantism, Catholicism, and OrthodoxyBut a new problem shows up fast: theology. In a non-denominational world, smart and sincere Christians can read the same passage and still end up in opposite places on salvation, assurance, righteousness, and church practice. Tremayne asks the question many people are afraid to say out loud: if everyone claims the Holy Spirit, how do you tell which interpretation is true? That question pushes us into church authority, the limits of private interpretation, and why “Bible alone” can feel impossible to live out without a coherent guide.From there we head into early church history, the church fathers, and the surprising discovery that writers like Irenaeus and Ignatius don't sound like modern Protestantism on the Eucharist and baptism. We also dig into Catholic vs Orthodox differences, the Great Schism, “innovations” in the West, and why Orthodoxy rejects purgatory. Along the way, we recommend Rock and Sand by Father Josiah Trenham for anyone who wants an Orthodox perspective on the Reformation and a grounded introduction to Eastern Christianity.If you're sorting through Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, and Eastern Orthodoxy or you're searching for the historic Christian faith, this conversation will give you better questions and clearer next steps. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves church history, and leave a review with your biggest sticking point: authority, Mary, purgatory, or something else?Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Audio: https://cloudofwitnessesradio.buzzsprout.comPlease leave a comment with your thoughts!

On this week's episode of TheFallenState TV, host Jesse Lee Peterson is joined by Jay Dyer—He is a YouTuber, comedian, writer, author, and TV presenter. Jay joins Jesse for a deep and wide-ranging conversation on theology, philosophy, and the hidden structures shaping modern culture. He breaks down his perspective on Orthodox Christianity, metaphysics, and why he believes many mainstream worldviews fail to account for truth and reality. He and Jesse dive into topics like faith, skepticism, conspiracy, and the spiritual battle underlying today’s social and political conflicts. It’s an intense, thought-provoking exchange filled with big ideas, sharp debate, and moments that will leave you thinking long after it’s over.

Orthodoxy Ended Church Shopping: When Church History Won My Heart.  Special Uncut Edition.What if the ache you feel on Sunday isn't a lack of passion, but a hunger for roots? Tony Nektarios Vasquez joins us to share how a Pentecostal upbringing, a non-denominational season, and eventually a Calvinist-leaning church plant still left him asking where the first 1,500 years fit in. His story is not a theory lesson—it's a family saga: a praying father discovering the Desert Fathers, a brother slipping out to Vespers, a wife and children encountering reverence for the first time, and a co-pastor who realized that history, Scripture, and worship belong together.We trace Tony's path from Pentecostal roots and a non-denominational church plant to a sober look at church history, liturgy, and apostolic succession. Family doubts, online study, and the beauty of Vespers turn hesitation into conviction as Scripture and tradition align.• questioning charismatic altar practices and emotionalism• moving from Reformers to the first 1,500 years• parish visits to St James and first Vespers• answers on icons, relics, and intercession from Scripture• liturgy as continuity with Old Testament worship• apostolic succession and the promise that the Church endures• closing a young church to enter Orthodoxy• finding healing and stability in the sacramentsWe walk through the uncomfortable questions most avoid. Are altar manifestations genuine or coached? Does sola fide stand when held beside James and the early Church? How do relics, icons, and the intercession of the saints square with the Bible? Tony takes us inside St. James Orthodox Church in Modesto, where incense and chant weren't novelty, but a doorway to Christ-centered prayer. He shares the moment his daughter said the hymns made her want to cry, the way Revelation reframed prayer as a communion of heaven and earth, and how apostolic succession answered the authority problem that haunted his independent church.This conversation is a guided tour from system to story, from proof texts to a living tradition. We touch on the continuity between Old Testament worship and the Divine Liturgy, the claim that the Church Christ founded never paused or rebooted, and the quiet courage it took to close a young church for a faith that felt both ancient and alive. If you've wondered where the dots connect—Scripture, history, and sacrament—this is an honest map drawn in real time.If this resonates, share it with a friend, subscribe for more thoughtful journeys into the ancient faith, and leave a review to help others find the show. Your questions and stories shape future episodes—drop them in the comments and say hello to Tony.Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Please leave a comment with your thoughts!

Ubi is here https://www.youtube.com/@ubipetrus3882In a multifaceted interview, Jay Dyer initially explains his reasons for converting from Protestantism to Catholicism and then from Catholicism to Orthodox Christianity before delving into how he started out in comedy, the story behind authoring his three books, his experience directing a television program, how he both met and began to work with both Alex Jones and Sam Hyde, appearing on Tucker Carlson's show, recent debates he has had, common logical fallacies one encounters in debates, the likely routes the current Israel-Iran war could take, as well as what the future may hold for Jay. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jay-sanalysis--1423846/support.

Send Superchats at any time here: https://streamlabs.com/jaydyer/tip Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnt7Iy8GlmdPwy_Tzyx93bA/join Order New Book Available here: https://jaysanalysis.com/product/esoteric-hollywood-3-sex-cults-apocalypse-in-films/ Get started with Bitcoin here: https://www.swanbitcoin.com/jaydyer/ The New Philosophy Course is here: https://marketplace.autonomyagora.com/philosophy101 Set up recurring Choq subscription with the discount code JAY60LIFE for 60% off now https://choq.com Subscribe to my site here: https://jaysanalysis.com/membership-account/membership-levels/ Follow me on R0kfin here: https://rokfin.com/jaydyer Music by Dr Evo the Producer, Jay Dyer and Amid the Ruins 1453 https://www.youtube.com/@amidtheruinsOVERHAUL Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnt7Iy8GlmdPwy_Tzyx93bA/joinBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jay-sanalysis--1423846/support.

Cooley is here https://www.youtube.com/@nofugazeepodcastSend Superchats at any time here: https://streamlabs.com/jaydyer/tip Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnt7Iy8GlmdPwy_Tzyx93bA/join Order New Book Available here: https://jaysanalysis.com/product/esoteric-hollywood-3-sex-cults-apocalypse-in-films/ Get started with Bitcoin here: https://www.swanbitcoin.com/jaydyer/ The New Philosophy Course is here: https://marketplace.autonomyagora.com/philosophy101 Set up recurring Choq subscription with the discount code JAY60LIFE for 60% off now https://choq.com Subscribe to my site here: https://jaysanalysis.com/membership-account/membership-levels/ Follow me on R0kfin here: https://rokfin.com/jaydyer Music by Dr Evo the Producer, Jay Dyer and Amid the Ruins 1453 https://www.youtube.com/@amidtheruinsOVERHAUL Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnt7Iy8GlmdPwy_Tzyx93bA/joinBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jay-sanalysis--1423846/support.

In this episode I am once again joined by Rebekah Sturgill, mother, school teacher, and convert to Orthodox Christianity. Rebekah discusses the contemplative methods of Orthodox Christianity; shares one of the tradition's core practices, the Jesus Prayer; and discusses the importance of the liturgical year. Rebekah explorex the phenomenology of a felt sense of Christ, explains the ideal of theosis, and reveals why the imagination is discouraged in Orthodox practice. Rebekah also details the Orthodox view on demons, compares it to popular depictions in books and films, and offers her own experience of the supernatural dimensions of the spiritual war for the human will. … Video version: www.guruviking.com Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:48 - Practice of Orthodox Christianity 03:37 - Time, community, and individual practice 10:51 - Learning how to be an Orthodox Christian 13:50 - The Jesus Prayer 16:11 - Against the imaginal 17:11 - Breathing practice in the Jesus Prayer 18:51 - Focusing on Christ 22:17 - A felt sense of Christ 24:38 - Phenomenology of meditation 26:49 - False vision and dangers of the imagination 29:50 - Warnings and special experiences 32:29 - Community as a check on spiritual pride 33:52 - Theosis and the goal of Orthodox Christian practice 38:36 - The heat of God 40:42 - Ethics and positive behavioural change 44:57 - The ethical ideal of Christ 47:18 - Angels, demons, and supernatural entities 51:08 - Screwtape Letters and the ontology of demons 53:59 - Theories of demonology 55:35 - War for the human will 58:56 - Levels of understanding 01:01:41 - How much should catechumens be taught about demons? 01:06:00 - Orthodoxy is in vogue 
… Previous episode with Rebekah Sturgill: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=sturgill For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James

Why are Christians turning to more traditional expressions of the faith? Is there something in Orthodoxy that's missing from Protestantism? Are there things we misunderstand about it? Ben talks with French-Canadian artist and YouTuber Jonathan Pageau about the beliefs, and practices of the Orthodox church, why it has become to attractive to a growing number of Christians worldwide.----------------------Ben has completely revised and updated his powerful book, Jesus in the Secular World: Reaching a Culture in Crisis—a must-read guide for anyone longing to reach those who may never step foot in a church. Packed with real-world insights and practical strategies, this book could be the breakthrough you've been searching for.Don't wait—get your copy today!Click HERE to check it out on Amazon.For more information, go to: jesusinthesecularworld.com------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Click HERE to receive news, thought-provoking articles, and stories directly in your inbox from Ben, David, Luke, and Chad!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke GreenwoodSend a text.

Jonathan Pageau is a French-Canadian liturgical artist, writer, and public speaker on religious philosophy, symbolism, and Orthodox Christianity. Pageau's commentary can be found on his YouTube channel, “The Symbolic World,” as well as in Dr. Jordan B. Peterson's 17-part “Exodus” seminar and The Daily Wire's latest series, “Foundations of the West.” In today's flashback clip, Jonathan and I discuss the biblical themes found in classical fairy tales like “Jack and the Beanstalk,” and the important role that storytelling plays in establishing our most deeply held cultural norms. - - - Click here to join the member-exclusive portion of my show: https://bit.ly/3WDjgHE - - - Facts Don't Care About Your Feelings - - - Today's Sponsor: ExpressVPN - Go to https://expressvpn.com/benYT and find out how you can get 4 months of ExpressVPN free! - - - DailyWire+: