Podcasts about orthodox christians

Listen to Fr. Abraham's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

A Bible Study for Orthodox Christians on the Bible as Story in History. This session was originally LIVESTREAM in Tarpon Springs, FL on November 18, 2025. Study guide available at https://liveanewlifeinchrist.org/bible-studies/back-to-bible-basics/bbb09

Listen to Fr. Timothy's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

Jonathan Pageau returns to explore the symbolic meaning behind Christianity, evil, gender confusion, and why civilizations collapse at the height of abundance. In the conversation, Aaron respectfully challenges aspects of Christian doctrine, asking hard questions about hell, salvation, and religious exclusivity.OUR GUESTJonathan Pageau is a professional artist, writer, and public speaker based in Quebec, Canada. He specializes in carving Orthodox Christian icons and designing traditional sacred images and products. Through his YouTube channel and podcast, The Symbolic World, he explores how symbolic patterns inform our experiences of the world and can re-enchant contemporary life.Jonathan is the founder of Symbolic World Press, a publishing house dedicated to the renewal of culture through storytelling and rediscovering symbolic thinking. The Press publishes works such as the Tales for Now & Ever fairy tale series—which includes The Tale of Snow White and the Widow Queen, Jack and the Fallen Giants, and the most recent publication now available for pre-order, Rapunzel and the Evil Witch—as well as the GodsDog graphic novel series and other books. The Press also hosts online courses led by Jonathan and other influential thinkers such as Dr. Martin Shaw, Fr. Dcn. Seraphim Rohlin, and Prof. John Vervaeke, covering topics from storytelling and literature to cognitive science and philosophy.In addition, the Symbolic World website features a community forum and a contributor-driven blog that deepen engagement with symbolic thinking. Jonathan has written extensively on artistic and religious symbolism, including hundreds of articles for the Orthodox Arts Journal.JONATHAN PAGEAU

Jeremy Jeremiah, Orthodox Christian, and host of today's Cloud of Witnesses episode, reacts and responds to Dillon Baker of The Protestant Gentleman podcast (https://www.youtube.com/@theprotestantgentleman) testimony that he, Dillon, is leaving the Non-Denominational church, and why.What if the Sunday you know has drifted far from the church you need? We follow a thoughtful journey out of a non-denominational megachurch toward a rooted, reverent, and sacramental vision of Christian life. The conversation starts with authority and structure: why do so many churches teach different things, and who decides? From sola scriptura to elder boards with conflicting interpretations, we unpack how fragmentation becomes normal when there's no visible, historic body to anchor doctrine and practice.We trace the journey out of a non-denominational megachurch toward a historic, sacramental, and accountable expression of the church. Along the way we examine authority, discipleship, pastoral care, reverence, and why communion belongs at the center.• identifying fragmentation born of solo interpretation and weak structures• contrasting seeker models with worship for the baptized• reclaiming the pastor as present shepherd, not executive• rejecting a popular gospel that mutes sin and judgment• restoring reverence through sacred space, symbols, and creeds• embracing participatory liturgy over passive consumption• naming the limits of unformed community group leadership• elevating communion and baptism as the church's heartbeat• counting the relational cost of leaving and discerning next steps• inviting conversation about apostolic continuity and unityFrom there, we move into discipleship and the true purpose of Sunday. If church is designed as a seeker venue, believers become spectators and the gospel gets softer. We make the case that the gathered church should be for the baptized—shaping souls through confession, accountability, and the ordinary disciplines that form resilient Christians. That priority reframes the pastor's role from CEO to shepherd and challenges the assumption that charismatic leadership and scalable programs equal spiritual health.Reverence takes center stage as we explore the power of sacred space, ancient hymns, creeds, and participatory liturgy. This isn't about aesthetics; it's about recognizing the holiness of God and recovering practices that have carried the church for centuries. The climax lands on the sacraments, especially communion. We consider the real presence, why the Lord's Table once stood at the heart of worship, and what is lost when a sermon becomes the main event. Along the way, we count the cost of leaving a beloved community and open a path toward unity with a church that offers accountability, depth, and apostolic continuity.If you're wrestling with megachurch hype, soft preaching, or surface fellowship, this conversation offers a map back to depth and stability. Listen, share with a friend, and then tell us: what anchors your worship—stage or altar? Subscribe for more thoughtful, tradition-aware conversations and leave a review to help others 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 Radio: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses Radio on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTokPlease leave a comment with your thoughts!

Join Fr. Anthony Messeh for part 5 of "[re]Learning to Pray" a 6-part series at The Well.https://www.youtube.com/stsachurchhttps://www.stsa.church/the-well

What if the church you've been searching for all along is the one you didn't know existed? Kyle David shares how a lifetime of sincere belief still left him split between Sunday performance and weekday drift—until a medical collapse forced brutal honesty about faith, pride, and the limits of self-reliance. The story begins with restless church-hopping across megachurch stages and traditional pews, and moves through a pandemic-era return to the sanctuary that felt more like rebellion than routine.We trace Kyle's path from church fatigue and a divided life to a near-death crisis that reawakened faith, reverence, and daily discipline. The journey lands in Orthodoxy, where mystery is honored, repentance is central, and community finally feels like home.• Protestant upbringing across multiple denominations• dissatisfaction with casual worship and lack of reverence• gap years from church without renouncing belief• pandemic as a catalyst to reexplore tradition• medical collapse, surgery, and dependence on grace• honoring science while affirming providence• music as a metaphor for spiritual discipline• Eastern sense of mystery aligning with Orthodoxy• finding belonging at St. Anthony the Great• repentance and Christ as the physician of soulsThat restlessness turns into a reckoning when COVID pneumonia, a hurricane evacuation, and months in hospitals strip away pretense. Kyle talks candidly about respecting modern medicine and still seeing providence at work: surgeons and science as channels, not the source, of healing. From that edge of life, he stops “presenting” as Christian and starts practicing one—daily prayer, Scripture, repentance, and a slower, steadier walk. We explore how Orthodoxy's humility before mystery resonates with his Korean heritage and why the Church as a “hospital for the soul” shifted his understanding of mercy, sin, and healing.Music threads through the conversation as a living metaphor. As a drummer, Kyle learned to keep time within and adjust to the room without losing the beat. That's how he approaches faith now—discipline that makes space for grace. The turning point came at St. Anthony the Great in San Diego, where belonging finally felt honest: fewer smoke machines, more reverence; less hype, more healing. If you've felt the gap between head knowledge and a changed life, this story will meet you where you are and invite you deeper into a faith that doesn't explain away mystery but teaches you to stand before it.If this conversation moved you, tap follow, share it with a friend who's searching, and leave a review so more listeners 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 Radio: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses Radio on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTokPlease leave a comment with your thoughts!

00:00 Intro/Back from China03:56 Journalism in China & The West09:51 Harmony, rancor, journalism, editorial & social media19:49 Saint Paul to The Church in Rome on quiet living23:07 Vacation vs daily life in a place27:29 Nominalism cannot be the path to social harmony35:57 To love neighbor & enemy we must participate in God's holiness40:12 Humble repentance is the path to a just society43:11 Christianity isn't convenient, look at Syria50:10 Models of church & state53:20 No such thing as Orthodox government54:54 The Church is perfect, stop trying to defend it from itself58:55 The is no invisible church, there is only The Church63:45 Two ways to try to be above the bishops65:27 No, we can't all just get along/ClosingA huge part of the problem with "politics" in The United States is both "sides" have the same underlying assumption: we can't live the good life until everyone agrees with us & the laws reflect our agreement.Fr Symeon's recent trip to visit his family in China provides an opportunity to poke holes in this assumption by discussing the ways in which, simply as a practical example, we can see people living, as St Paul said "...aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands..." in a country most Americans would insist is about as far from what we want our society to be as is possible. Well, if people can do it in China, then Orthodox Christians can do it in the USA, whether the political winds are going their way, or against them.And if we can walk in the way of the life of faithfulness no matter the political climate, then why are we spending so much time getting wound up about it? Maybe what it boils down to, is we're afraid of inconvenience.Reference materials for this episode: St John Chrysostom's commentary on Romans -12:9-21 - https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/210221.htm & https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/210222.htm - 13:1-7 - https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/210223.htmScripture citations for this episode:Romans - 12:9-21 live in harmony - 13:1-7 be good citizens1 Corinthians - 6:1-11 lawsuitsEphesians - 6:5-9 no slave rebellionsPhilemon - no slave rebellions#china #syria  #journalism #editorial #quietlifeThe Christian Saints Podcast is a joint production of Generative sounds & Paradosis Pavilion with oversight from Fr Symeon KeesParadosis Pavilion - https://youtube.com/@paradosispavilion9555https://www.instagram.com/christiansaintspodcasthttps://twitter.com/podcast_saintshttps://www.facebook.com/christiansaintspodcasthttps://www.threads.net/@christiansaintspodcastIconographic images used by kind permission of Nicholas Papas, who controls distribution rights of these imagesPrints of all of Nick's work can be found at Saint Demetrius Press - http://www.saintdemetriuspress.comAll music in these episodes is a production of Generative Soundshttps://generativesoundsjjm.bandcamp.comDistribution rights of this episode & all music contained in it are controlled by Generative SoundsCopyright 2021 - 2023

Listen to Fr. Anthony's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

This week I am joined by Neil from Dirt Poor Robins, Madeby Jimbob and John Heers to discuss cultural Orthodox Christianity, Social Cohesion and Consumerism, Conjuring AI Super-reflections as Idols/Gods in the Age of Moral Therapeutics, the dangers of Nominalism and regarding all of Reality as mere material process, Evolution as a source of Depression, Full-Spectrum Orthodoxy, Authority, Beauty as An Act of War --- We Covered many bases.Meet the Blessed is a panel talk show featuring Orthodox Christians to discuss the intersection of Orthodoxy, politics, and culture. It's like Meet the Press...but BLESSED!Please remember to Like, Subscribe, and SUPPORT this show and channel anyway you can - God Bless! Help Cooper Brooks pay his medical bills: https://www.givesendgo.com/GKB8F?utm_source=sharelink&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=GKB8FSTOP PAYING YT! Send Tips via Stream Labs: https://streamlabs.com/mironchucknow/tipOR Send me PayPal Bucks! https://paypal.me/2BITPODCAST?country.x=AU&locale.x=en_AUFOLLOW AND WATCH ON KICK:https://kick.com/mironchucknowTales of the Shadow Empire: https://mironchucknow.gumroad.com/l/ShadowempireSupport the Show on Patreon: www.patreon.com/2BitPodcastGO BUY SOME COFFEE AT FOX AND SONS! www.foxnsons.comUse Coupon Code NOW to get 15% off all orders over $30 Follow Me:X: https://x.com/MironchuckNOWSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/46drg48IIT4W4lDyRfkHFH?si=sAE_dgo5T_G10UpPnqHb_ASubstack: https://mironchucknow.substack.comContact: Mironchucknow@gmail.com

A Bible Study for Orthodox Christians on the Bible as Story in Parables. This session was originally LIVESTREAM on November 11, 2025, in Tarpon Springs, FL. Study guide available at https://liveanewlifeinchrist.org/bible-studies/back-to-bible-basics/bbb08

Listen to Fr. Abraham's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

Join Fr. Anthony Messeh for part 4 of "[re]Learning to Pray" a 6-part series at The Well.https://www.youtube.com/stsachurchhttps://www.stsa.church/the-well

Listen to Fr. Timothy's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

I think it's time to REDEEM the Ortho-Bro label! Join Ben Luigi, Cleave to Antiquity & Matt 'Kingpilled' Erickson as we discuss converting young men to Orthodoxy through debate and content creation, the dangers of trying to smuggle in previous beliefs and ideologies and share stories of balancing the demands of the Church and living a modern life. Meet the Blessed is a panel talk show featuring Orthodox Christians to discuss the intersection of Orthodoxy, politics, and culture. It's like Meet the Press...but BLESSED!Please remember to Like, Subscribe, and SUPPORT this show and channel anyway you can - God Bless! Help Cooper Brooks pay his medical bills: https://www.givesendgo.com/GKB8F?utm_source=sharelink&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=GKB8FSTOP PAYING YT! Send Tips via Stream Labs: https://streamlabs.com/mironchucknow/tipOR Send me PayPal Bucks! https://paypal.me/2BITPODCAST?country.x=AU&locale.x=en_AUFOLLOW AND WATCH ON KICK:https://kick.com/mironchucknowTales of the Shadow Empire: https://mironchucknow.gumroad.com/l/ShadowempireSupport the Show on Patreon: www.patreon.com/2BitPodcastGO BUY SOME COFFEE AT FOX AND SONS! www.foxnsons.comUse Coupon Code NOW to get 15% off all orders over $30 Follow Me:X: https://x.com/MironchuckNOWSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/46drg48IIT4W4lDyRfkHFH?si=sAE_dgo5T_G10UpPnqHb_ASubstack: https://mironchucknow.substack.comContact: Mironchucknow@gmail.com

A group linked to the Al Qaeda Islamist network is closing in on the capital of Mali, in north-west Africa. This group, known as JNIM, now controls swathes of territory in the Sahel, a region that stretches across several countries in the Sahara. If JNIM takes the capital, Bamako, it would be the first time an Al Qaeda affiliate has seized power in a country. What would that mean for Africa and the Islamic world? Dr TESSA DEVEREAUX has been analysing the situation.On the fiftieth anniversary of the dismissal of the Whitlam government, you'll hear many theories about Gough Whitlam's downfall. But ROY WILLIAMS has explored one reason that by no means caused but may have contributed to the events of November 11, 1975. Williams is the author of In God They Trust: The Religious Beliefs of Australia's Prime Ministers. He also has a very personal connection. His late father, Evan Williams, was a speechwriter and long-time confidante of Whitlam. Roy wonders if a throwaway insult about the faith of then Queensland premier Joh Bjelke Petersen hardened the resolve of Whitlam's opponents.One of the geopolitical tactics Russia has used in its war with Ukraine has been to divide opinion among the world's Orthodox Christians. Vladimir Putin is not the first Russian leader to style himself as a champion of Orthodox communities but in Greece and the Middle East, he's tried to marshal sympathy among Christians. Dr MANOS KARAGIANNIS aas in Australia recently with the Affinity Intercultural Foundation.GUESTS:Dr Tessa Deveraux- Assistant Professor in Politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies in LondonProfessor Roy Williams - legal academic and authorDr Manos Karagiannis specialises in international security at Kings College, London.This program was made on the lands of the Gadigal People

One of the geopolitical tactics Russia has used in its war with Ukraine has been to divide opinion among the world's Orthodox Christians. Vladimir Putin is not the first Russian leader to style himself as a champion of Orthodox communities but in Greece and the Middle East, he's tried to marshal sympathy among Christians.Dr MANOS KARAGIANNIS specialises in international security at Kings College, London. He was in Australia recently with the Affinity Intercultural Foundation.

Listen to Fr. Abraham's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

Introducing the first of a series of panel talks with fellow Orthodox Christians to discuss the intersection of Orthodox Christianity, politics, and culture. It's like Meet the Press...but BLESSED!Join Jay Dyer, Buck Johnson and Jim Jatras as we discuss Cultural Shifts and Superficial Faith, Orthodox Conversions and Growth, Ecumenism, Church Divisions, and Schisms, Geopolitics and Religion's Intersections, Technocracy, Perennialism, and Future “Religion”, Spiritual Priorities Over Politics, and Impending Crises and Optimism. Please remember to Like, Subscribe, and SUPPORT this show and channel anyway you can - God Bless! Help Cooper Brooks pay his medical bills: https://www.givesendgo.com/GKB8F?utm_source=sharelink&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=GKB8FSTOP PAYING YT! Send Tips via Stream Labs: https://streamlabs.com/mironchucknow/tipOR Send me PayPal Bucks! https://paypal.me/2BITPODCAST?country.x=AU&locale.x=en_AUFOLLOW AND WATCH ON KICK:https://kick.com/mironchucknowTales of the Shadow Empire: https://mironchucknow.gumroad.com/l/ShadowempireSupport the Show on Patreon: www.patreon.com/2BitPodcastGO BUY SOME COFFEE AT FOX AND SONS! www.foxnsons.comUse Coupon Code NOW to get 15% off all orders over $30 Follow Me:X: https://x.com/MironchuckNOWSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/46drg48IIT4W4lDyRfkHFH?si=sAE_dgo5T_G10UpPnqHb_ASubstack: https://mironchucknow.substack.comContact: Mironchucknow@gmail.com

Join Fr. Anthony Messeh for "[re]Learning to Pray" a 6-part series at The Well.https://www.youtube.com/stsachurchhttps://www.stsa.church/the-well

Listen to Fr. Abraham's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

As we continue our discussion of the difficulty in integrating the journey on the way of the life of faithfulness to the evengalion of Jesus, The Christ, the Orthodox Christian way of life, into contemporary western culture, Jim & Fr Symeon take the opportunity to discuss "the other side". Last conversation we defined & critique "woke" as the civil religion of the so-called Left. This time we will define & critique "Make America Great Again" as the civil religion of the so-called Right. The reason we wish to critique it is because it uses Christian language but is not Christian. And yet we can end the episode with the hymns to The Theotokos which call her a military leader, proclaiming our victory & the establishment of our way of life. Find out why this isn't about theocracy & isn't about violence, by tuning in!Scripture citations for this episode: - Genesis 1 & 2   - Creation as a battle against chaos & death - Genesis 11   - Tower of Babel - Galatians 5:16-26   - Fruits of The SpiritThe Christian Saints Podcast is a joint production of Generative sounds & Paradosis Pavilion with oversight from Fr Symeon KeesParadosis Pavilion - https://youtube.com/@paradosispavilion9555https://www.instagram.com/christiansaintspodcasthttps://twitter.com/podcast_saintshttps://www.facebook.com/christiansaintspodcasthttps://www.threads.net/@christiansaintspodcastIconographic images used by kind permission of Nicholas Papas, who controls distribution rights of these imagesPrints of all of Nick's work can be found at Saint Demetrius Press - http://www.saintdemetriuspress.comAll music in these episodes is a production of Generative Soundshttps://generativesoundsjjm.bandcamp.comDistribution rights of this episode & all music contained in it are controlled by Generative SoundsCopyright 2021 - 2023

Mount Athos, in northern Greece, is the beating heart of the Orthodox Christian faith and home to 2,000 monks. But for the past year, it has also become a place of refuge and pilgrimage for Ukrainian soldiers. For these men, wounded at war and suffering from deep trauma, Mount Athos's retreats offer them a respite from the front lines. The goal is to heal their trauma through faith and soothe their invisible wounds before returning to battle. Eric de Lavarène and Alexandros Kottis report.

Listen to Fr. Timothy's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

Introducing the first of a series of panel talks with fellow Orthodox Christians to discuss the intersection of Orthodox Christianity, politics, and culture. It's like Meet the Press...but BLESSED!Join Jay Dyer, Buck Johnson and Jim Jatras as we discuss Cultural Shifts and Superficial Faith, Orthodox Conversions and Growth, Ecumenism, Church Divisions, and Schisms, Geopolitics and Religion's Intersections, Technocracy, Perennialism, and Future “Religion”, Spiritual Priorities Over Politics, and Impending Crises and Optimism. Please remember to Like, Subscribe, and SUPPORT this show and channel anyway you can - God Bless! Help Cooper Brooks pay his medical bills: https://www.givesendgo.com/GKB8F?utm_source=sharelink&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=GKB8FSTOP PAYING YT! Send Tips via Stream Labs: https://streamlabs.com/mironchucknow/tipOR Send me PayPal Bucks! https://paypal.me/2BITPODCAST?country.x=AU&locale.x=en_AUFOLLOW AND WATCH ON KICK:https://kick.com/mironchucknowTales of the Shadow Empire: https://mironchucknow.gumroad.com/l/ShadowempireSupport the Show on Patreon: www.patreon.com/2BitPodcastGO BUY SOME COFFEE AT FOX AND SONS! www.foxnsons.comUse Coupon Code NOW to get 15% off all orders over $30 Follow Me:X: https://x.com/MironchuckNOWSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/46drg48IIT4W4lDyRfkHFH?si=sAE_dgo5T_G10UpPnqHb_ASubstack: https://mironchucknow.substack.comContact: Mironchucknow@gmail.com

A Bible Study for Orthodox Christians on the Bible as Story in Miracles. This session was originally LIVESTREAM in Tarpon Springs, Florida, on October 28, 2025. Study guide available at https://liveanewlifeinchrist.org/bible-studies/back-to-bible-basics/bbb07

Join Fr. Anthony Messeh for "[re]Learning to Pray" a 6-part series at The Well.https://www.youtube.com/stsachurchhttps://www.stsa.church/the-well

This talk was given at St. Nicholas Orthodox Church (UOC-USA) in Charlottesville, VA. In it, Fr. Anthony presents Orthodoxy's sacramental view of creation and uses music as an example of how the royal priesthood, in Christ, fulfills its commission to pattern the cosmos according to that of Eden. My notes from the talk: I'm grateful to be back in Charlottesville, a place stitched into my story by Providence. Years ago, the Army Reserves sent me here after 9/11. I arrived with a job in Ohio on pause, a tidy life temporarily dismantled, and a heart that didn't care for the way soldiers are sometimes told to behave. So I went looking for an Orthodox church. I found a small mission and—more importantly—people who took me in as family. A patient priest and his matushka mentored me for six years. If anything in my priesthood bears fruit, it is because love first took root here. Bishops have a sense of humor; mine sent a Georgian convert with no Slavic roots to a Ukrainian parish in Rhode Island. It fit better than anyone could have planned. The Lord braided my history, discovering even ancestral ties in New England soil. Later, when a young man named Michael arrived—a reader who became a subdeacon, a deacon, and in time a priest—our trajectories crossed again. Father Robert trained me; by grace I was allowed to help train Father Michael; and now he serves here. This is how God sings His providence—melodies introduced, developed, and returned, until love's theme is recognizable to everyone listening. Why focus on music and beauty? Because they are not ornamental to the Gospel; they are its native tongue. Beauty tutors us in a sacramental world, not a "God of the gaps" world—where faith retreats to whatever science has not yet explained—but a world in which God is everywhere present and filling all things. Beauty is one of the surest ways to share the Gospel, not as salesmanship or propaganda, but as participation in what the world was made to be. The Church bears a particular charism for beauty; secular beauty can reflect it, but often only dimly—and sometimes in ways that distort the pattern it imitates. Beauty meets the whole human person: the senses and gut, the reasoning mind, and the deep heart—the nous—where awe, reverence, and peace bloom. Music is a wonderfully concrete instance of all of this: an example, a symbol, and—when offered rightly—a sacrament of sanctifying grace. Saint John begins his Gospel with the Logos—not a mere "word" but the Word whose meaning includes order, reason, and intelligibility: "All things were made through Him." Creation, then, bears the Logos' stamp in every fiber; Genesis repeats the refrain, "and God saw that it was good"—agathos, not just kalos. Agathos is goodness that is beautiful and beneficial, fitted to bless what it touches. Creation is not simply well-shaped; it is ordered toward communion, toward glory, toward gift. The Creed confesses the Father as Creator, the Son as the One through whom all things were made, and the Spirit as the Giver of Life. Creation is, at root, Trinitarian music—harmonies of love that invite participation. If you like, imagine the first chapter of Genesis sung. We might say: in the beginning, there was undifferentiated sound; the Spirit hovered; the Logos spoke tone, time, harmony, and melody into being. He set boundaries and appointed seasons so that music could unfold in an ordered way. Then He shaped us to be liturgists—stewards who can turn noise into praise, dissonance into resolution. The point of the story is not that God needed a soundtrack; it is that the world bears a pattern and purpose that we can either receive with thanksgiving or twist into something self-serving and cacophonous. We know what happened. In Adam and Eve's fall, thorns and thistles accompanied our work. Pain entered motherhood, and tyranny stalked marriage. We still command tools of culture—city-building, metallurgy, and yes, even music—but in Cain's line we see creativity conscripted to self-exaltation and violence. The Tower of Babel is the choir of human pride singing perfectly in tune against God. That is how sin turns technique into idolatry. Saint Paul describes the creation groaning in agony, longing for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God. This is not mere poetic flourish; it is metaphysical realism. The world aches for sanctified stewardship, for human beings restored to their priestly vocation. It longs for its music to be tuned again to the Logos. Christ enters precisely there—as the New Adam. Consider His Theophany. The Jordan "turns back," the waters are sanctified, because nothing impure remains in the presence of God. He does not merely touch creation; He heals it—beginning sacramentally with water, the primal element of both life and chaos. In our services for the Blessing of Water we sing, "Today the nature of the waters is sanctified… The Jordan is parted in two… How shall a servant lay his hand on the Master?" In prayer we cry, "Great are You, O Lord, and marvelous are Your works… Wherefore, O King and Lover of mankind, be present now by the descent of Your Holy Spirit and sanctify this water." This is not magic; it is synergy. We offer bread, wine, water, oil; we make the sign of the cross; we chant what the Church gives—and God perfects our offering with His grace. The more we give Him to work with, the more He transfigures. And then Holy Friday: the terrible beauty of the Passion. Sin's dissonance swells to cacophony as the Source of Beauty is slandered, pierced, and laid in the tomb. Icons and hymns do not hide the scandal—they name it. Joseph and Nicodemus take down a body that clothes itself with light as with a garment. Creation shudders; the sun withdraws; the veil is rent. Liturgically, we let the discomfort stand; sometimes the chant itself presses the dissonance upon us so that we feel the fracture. But the dissonance does not have the last word; it resolves—not trivially, not cheaply—into the transcendent harmony of Pascha. On the night of the Resurrection, the church is dark, then a single candle is lit, and the light spills outward. We sing, "Come receive the Light from the unwaning Light," and then the troparion bursts forth: "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death…" The structure of salvation is musical: tension, longing, silence, and a resolution that is fuller than our peace had been before the conflict. Here is the pastoral heart of it: Christ restores our seal. Saint Paul says we are "sealed with the promised Holy Spirit." Think of a prosphora seal pressed into unbaked dough; the impression remains when the loaf is finished. Sin cracked our seal; everything we touched bore our corruptions. In Christ, the seal is made whole. In Baptism and Chrismation, that seal is pressed upon us—not only on the brow but on the whole person—so that our very engaging with the world can take on the pattern of the Logos again. We do not stop struggling—Paul's "what I would, I do not"—but we now struggle inside a music that resolves. Even our failures can become passing tones on the way to love, if we repent and return to the key. This is why the Church's common life matters so much. When we gather for Vespers and Liturgy, we enact the world's purpose. The Psalms give us perfect words; the Church's hymnody gives us perfected poetry. Music, rightly offered, is Logos-bearing—it is rational in the deepest sense—and love is the same. Music requires skill and repetition; so does love. Music benefits from different voices and timbres; love, too, is perfected when distinct persons yield to a single charity. Music engages and transfigures dissonance; love confronts conflict and heals it. Music honors silence; love rests and listens. These are not analogies we force upon the faith—they are the way creation is built. The world says, "sing louder," but the will to power always collapses into noise. The Church says, "sing together." In the Eucharistic assembly, the royal priesthood becomes itself—men, women, and children listening to one another, matching pitch and phrase, trusting the hand that gives the downbeat, and pouring our assent into refrains of "Lord have mercy" and "Amen." The harmony is not uniformity; it is concord. It is not sentimentality; it is charity given and received. And when the Lord gives Himself to us for the healing of soul and body, the music goes beyond even harmony; it becomes communion. That is why Orthodox Christians are most themselves around the chalice: beauty, word, community, and sacrament converge in one act of thanksgiving. From there, the pastoral task is simply to help people live in tune. For families: cultivate attentiveness, guard against codependence and manipulation, and practice small, steady habits—prayer, fasting, reconciliation—that form the instincts of love the way scales form a musician's ear. For parishes: refuse the twin temptations of relativism and control; resist both the shrug and the iron fist. We are not curators of a museum nor managers of a brand; we are a choir rehearsing resurrection. Attend to the three "parts" of the mind you teach: let the senses be purified rather than inflamed; let the intellect be instructed rather than flattered; and let the nous—the heart—learn awe. Where awe grows, so does mercy. And for evangelization in our late modern world—filled with distraction, suspicion, and exhaustion—beauty may prove to be our most persuasive speech. Not the beauty of mere "aesthetics," but agathos beauty—the kind that is beautiful and beneficial, that heals what it touches. People come to church for a thousand different reasons: loneliness, curiosity, habit, crisis. What they really long for is God. If the nave is well-ordered, if the chant is gentle and strong, if the icons are windows rather than billboards, if the faces of the faithful are kind—then even before a word is preached, the Gospel will have begun its work. "We no longer knew whether we were in heaven or on earth," the emissaries of Rus' once said of their time at worship in Hagia Sophia. Beauty did not close their minds; it opened them to truth. None of this bypasses suffering. In fact, beauty makes us more available to it, because we stop numbing ourselves and begin to love. The Scriptures do not hide this: the Jordan is sanctified, but the Cross remains; the tomb is real; the fast is pangful. Yet in Christ, dissonance resolves. The Church's hymnody—from Psalm 103 at the week's beginning to the Nine Odes of Pascha—trains us to trust the cadence that only God can write. We learn to wait in Friday night's hush, to receive the flame from the unwaning Light, and to sing "Christ is risen" not as a slogan but as the soundtrack of our lives. So: let us steward what we've been given. Let us make the sign of the cross over our children at bedtime; let our conversations overflow with psalmody; let contended silence have a room in every home; let reconciliation be practiced before the sun goes down. Let every parish be a school for choir and charity, where no one tries to sing over his brother, and no one is left straining alone in the back row. If we will live this way, not perfectly but repentantly, then in us the world will begin to hear the old pattern again—the Logos' pattern—where goodness is beautiful and beauty does good. And perhaps, by God's mercy, the Lord will make of our small obedience something larger than we can imagine: a melody that threads through Charlottesville and Anderson, through Rhode Island and Kyiv, through every parish and prison and campus, until the whole creation—long groaning—finds its voice. Let God arise. Let His enemies be scattered. Christ is risen, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.

Thank you for joining us for our monthly Silk Road Seminar!  Today's guest is  @JonathanPageau  Jonathan Pageau is a Canadian artist, writer, and public thinker exploring the patterns that unite art, symbolism, and meaning. As an icon carver and lecturer on symbolic thinking, Jonathan has become a prominent voice in the growing movement to recover traditional ways of seeing the world. His work brings together theology, myth, and modern culture to help audiences rediscover the sacred patterns underlying reality. He is the host of The Symbolic World, a popular podcast and YouTube channel where he examines culture, art, and current events through the lens of symbolism and story. Jonathan's insights have made him a sought-after speaker at universities, conferences, and major podcasts, including appearances on Jordan Peterson's podcast and The Portal with Eric Weinstein.  Beyond his media work, Jonathan is a skilled icon carver in the Orthodox Christian tradition, producing liturgical and commissioned pieces that embody the very principles he teaches. He is also the editor of The Orthodox Arts Journal and co-founder of Symbolic World Press, which publishes works on theology, philosophy, and art that bridge ancient wisdom and contemporary experience. Silk Road Seminars are a live event where John weaves together threads from his various theoretical conversations along with a distinguished guest. These hour-long conversations are live on Youtube followed by an exclusive Q&A, where you can ask questions directly to John and his guest. To be entered onto the guest list for these Q&As, you can sign up at the Gamma Tier (and above) on The Lectern at https://lectern.teachable.com/p/lectern-lounge Currently enrolled university students at all levels up to doctoral studies get free access to the Q&A. To gain access to Silk Road seminars, please email your proof of student identity to ethan@vervaekefoundation.org to be added to the guest list and watch previous seminars as well! If you would like to donate purely out of goodwill to support John's work, please consider joining our Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/johnvervaeke. The Vervaeke Foundation is committed to advancing the scientific pursuit of wisdom and creating a significant impact on the world. https://vervaekefoundation.org/ If you would like to learn and engage regularly in practices that are informed, developed and endorsed by John and his work, visit Awaken to Meaning's calendar to explore practices that enhance your virtues and foster deeper connections with reality and relationships. https://awakentomeaning.com/join-practice/ John Vervaeke: https://johnvervaeke.com/ https://twitter.com/DrJohnVervaeke https://www.youtube.com/@johnvervaeke https://www.patreon.com/johnvervaeke  

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Dylan Pahman, research fellow at the Acton Institute and founder and president of the St. Nicholas Cabasilas Institute for Orthodoxy & Liberty, about his new book, The Kingdom of God & the Common Good: Orthodox Christian Social Thought. What is the state of contemporary Orthodox Social Thought? What is […]

Listen to Fr. Abraham's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

A Bible Study for Orthodox Christians on the Bible as the Source of Tradition. This session was originally LIVESTREAM October 21, 2025, in Tarpon Springs, Florida. Study guide available at https://liveanewlifeinchrist.org/bible-studies/back-to-bible-basics/bbb06

This week on the podcast, I'm excited to feature Nicholas Mamey, an Orthodox Christian and psychotherapist. Nicholas joins me to discuss the positive and negative aspects of therapy and self-healing through an Orthodox Christian lens. In a world filled with pop-psychology "white noise" and self-obsession, Nicholas offers a unique perspective on what true healing entails. Tune in for this important conversation. Learn more about Nicholas here: https://www.ngmtherapy.com/about Support our friend Cooper Brooks in his time of need: https://www.givesendgo.com/GKB8F  Sponsors: Fox n Sons Coffee: https://www.foxnsons.com  Code: BUCK15 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  Audio Production by Podsworth Media: https://www.podsworth.com  Leave us a review and rating on Apple Podcasts! Thanks!

As we continue our discussion of the difficulty in integrating the journey on the way of the life of faithfulness to the evengalion of Jesus, The Christ, the Orthodox Christian way of life, into contemporary western culture, Jim & Fr Symeon take the opportunity to discuss "the other side". Last conversation we defined & critique "woke" as the civil religion of the so-called Left. This time we will define & critique "Make America Great Again" as the civil religion of the so-called Right. The reason we wish to critique it is because it uses Christian language but is not Christian. In fact, by the end of this first half of the conversation Fr Symeon will straight up ask "...what religion are you following?!"Scripture citations for this episode: - Genesis 1 & 2   - Creation as a battle against chaos & death - Genesis 11   - Tower of Babel - Galatians 5:16-26   - Fruits of The Spirit#nostalgia #maga #goldenage #conservativeThe Christian Saints Podcast is a joint production of Generative sounds & Paradosis Pavilion with oversight from Fr Symeon KeesParadosis Pavilion - https://youtube.com/@paradosispavilion9555https://www.instagram.com/christiansaintspodcasthttps://twitter.com/podcast_saintshttps://www.facebook.com/christiansaintspodcasthttps://www.threads.net/@christiansaintspodcastIconographic images used by kind permission of Nicholas Papas, who controls distribution rights of these imagesPrints of all of Nick's work can be found at Saint Demetrius Press - http://www.saintdemetriuspress.comAll music in these episodes is a production of Generative Soundshttps://generativesoundsjjm.bandcamp.comDistribution rights of this episode & all music contained in it are controlled by Generative SoundsCopyright 2021 - 2023

Fr. Evan answers your questions on whether or not Orthodox Christians should celebrate Halloween, why the Holy Spirit might call protestants to Orthodoxy when they are already engaged in fruitful ministry elsewhere, how the Orthodox interpret biblical references to Peter as the rock, possible solutions to the clergy shortage, and more on this week's episode of Orthodoxy Live!

(2:48) Bible Study: Luke 12:13-21 What are the dangers of a lot of wealth? Romans 4:20-25 Trusting Jesus is an action (21:18) Break 1 (23:37) Letters: How are Orthodox Christians different from Catholics? How does science in archeology fit in with the creation story in Genesis. Father answers these and other questions, send him a letter at simon@relevantradio.com (39:01) Break 2 (40:56) Word of the Day Arbitrator (43:08) Phones: Ann - Did David practice circumcision. Josiah said that it hadn’t been practiced since the time of the judges. Arkaan - Genesis 1 takes about the creation about heaven and earth. What is the water 'above'? Ray - Can you recommend any good readings from the crusades?

Join Fr. Anthony Messeh for "[re]Learning to Pray" a 6-part series at The Well.https://www.youtube.com/stsachurchhttps://www.stsa.church/the-well

Listen to Fr. Anthony's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

Join Fr. Anthony Messeh for "The God Who Isn't," a 5-part series at The Well.https://www.youtube.com/stsachurchhttps://www.stsa.church/the-well

Thousands of people are becoming Orthodox Christians. It's an amazing journey of discovery and growth. But what happens after we join? Is the journey over?

A Bible Study for Orthodox Christians on the Bible as the Source of Tradition. Study guide available at https://liveanewlifeinchrist.org/bible-studies/back-to-bible-basics/bbb05 This session was originally LIVESTREAM in Tarpon Springs, FL October 14, 2025.

This week, we are featuring one of the most unique interviews I've ever conducted. My guest, Justine Alter (a pseudonym), is an Orthodox Christian and author of the book *Outside of the World*. In her book, Justine shares her incredible journey from a difficult childhood through the occult, her experiences as a psychic medium, and even her time as a cult leader, ultimately finding her way to the Orthodox Church. During the interview, Justine uses a voice augmenter to disguise her identity due to multiple death threats she has received from individuals within occult circles. You can order her book directly at: https://www.newmartyrpress.com  Sponsors: Fox n Sons Coffee: https://www.foxnsons.com  Code: BUCK15 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  Audio Production by Podsworth Media: https://www.podsworth.com  Leave us a review and rating on Apple Podcasts! Thanks!

Listen to Fr. Abraham's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

Listen to Fr. Anthony's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

Listen to Fr. Anthony's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

Natalia Moskvitna, founder of Women for Life, shares how Russia's dramatic turnaround, from 2.5 million abortions annually to under 500,000, was born out of personal resistance to Soviet-era abortion pressure. Her organization has since saved over 9,000 children, offering women financial, legal, and emotional support while pushing for protections against abortion coercion. Unlike Western pro-life movements often detached from religious roots, Russia's revival is openly faith-based, bolstered by Orthodox Christian values and state initiatives that honor large families. For Natalia, abortion is not freedom, it's psychological and spiritual bondage. Her vision of a culture that celebrates motherhood as national strength offers a challenge and inspiration to the pro-life movement worldwide.U.S. residents! Create a will with LifeSiteNews: https://www.mylegacywill.com/lifesitenews ****PROTECT Your Wealth with gold, silver, and precious metals: https://sjp.stjosephpartners.com/lifesitenews +++SHOP ALL YOUR FUN AND FAVORITE LIFESITE MERCH! https://shop.lifesitenews.com/ ****Download the all-new LSNTV App now, available on iPhone and Android!LSNTV Apple Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lsntv/id6469105564 LSNTV Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lifesitenews.app +++Connect with John-Henry Westen and all of LifeSiteNews on social media:LifeSite: https://linktr.ee/lifesitenewsJohn-Henry Westen: https://linktr.ee/jhwesten Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Fr. Anthony Messeh for "The God Who Isn't," a 5-part series at The Well.https://www.youtube.com/stsachurchhttps://www.stsa.church/the-well

Listen to Fr. Abraham's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

What if the world's brightest engineers aren't just building smarter tools—but opening a door to something older, darker, and more sinister? In this episode of The Russell Moore Show, RDM sits down with Paul Kingsnorth—novelist, essayist, and former pagan turned Orthodox Christian—to talk about his searing new book Against the Machine: On the Unmaking of Humanity. Kingsnorth argues that the technologies we treat as neutral conveniences may, in fact, be spiritual weapons. The internet as a giant Ouija board. AI not as invention, but as invocation. It sounds insane—until you realize the people creating these systems admit they don't fully understand them either. In this conversation, Kingsnorth tells the unlikely story of his journey from Wiccan witchcraft to baptism in the Orthodox Church, why he believes our cultural obsession with screens, sex, and selfhood is a trap, and why Christians in particular must stop treating technology as just another tool. What if it's more than that? What if, in chasing progress, we've been summoning something we cannot control? This isn't your average hand-wringing about iPhones or social media. It's a bracing, unsettling, and oddly hopeful dialogue about how to remain human in an age increasingly hostile to humanity itself. Listen in if you've ever wondered: Why AI feels less like a tool and more like a presence How paganism and environmentalism can point toward, but never satisfy, the longing for God What the “four pillars of the machine” are—and how they're shaping us without our consent Whether resistance to the machine is possible, and how communities of faith might embody it Resources mentioned in this episode: Against the Machine: On the Unmaking of Humanity by Paul Kingsnorth Savage Gods by Paul Kingsnorth Buccmaster Trilogy by Paul Kingsnorth Paul's Essay, “The Cross and the Machine” Keep up with Russell: Sign up for the weekly newsletter where Russell shares thoughtful takes on big questions, offers a Christian perspective on life, and recommends books and music he's enjoying. Submit a question for the show at questions@russellmoore.com  Subscribe to the Christianity Today Magazine: Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: Click here for 25% off a subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices