The Lord of Spirits episodes

Why is the Western theology of salvation, both Catholic and Protestant, different from Orthodoxy? Where did the Latin "treasury of merit" come from? Did Martin Luther fix it? Join the Podfathers for a direct look at a core theological difference with Orthodoxy.

Old Testament sacrifices were offered for sins, but was it only accidental ones? What happens if you sin on purpose? Does Jesus' sacrifice change all this? And why repent if Jesus paid it all? Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew explore the relationship between sin and sacrifice.

What do you do with a dead human body? The ancient world had strong opinions about this, and they showed up not only in their cemeteries and funerary rites but also in the myths central to their religious practice.

Icons of God in the Old Testament depict Jesus. The Hymn of Kassiani includes "I will kiss Thy feet whose tread, when it fell on the ears of Eve in Paradise..." How can this be? Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew discuss the eternality of the incarnation of Christ.

Mankind has looked to the heavens with fascination since pre-history, always charting the stars and sometimes worshiping them. But what is the Biblical witness? And is there such a thing as a Christian Zodiac? Join Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew for a look at astrology.

Christianity has been called a “mystery” religion. There are some who say that it is simply one of many mystery cults that existed in the ancient Greco-Roman world, such as the Eleusinian, Dionysian, Orphic or Samothracian mysteries. So what were their mysteries really like?

In 1954, deep under the streets of London, a mysterious 3rd c. temple was unearthed, but it was not as hoped a Christian church. It was a Mithraeum, a place of bloody secret rituals practiced by Roman soldiers. Who is their god Mithras? And is he the real Jesus?

In this live-recorded, in-person Q&A session, Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew respond to questions and comments from the attendees at the Lord of Spirits Conference, hosted Oct. 2-5 at the Antiochian Village in Ligonier, Pennsylvania.

Some say that the Persians had their own Messiah, and some even say that this is where Israel got the idea. Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, once ruled much of the ancient world. But was he God's anointed?

Nebuchadnezzar II, king of the Neo-Babylonian empire, most powerful man in the world, was brought low by divine madness. Who was this king who lived in the shadow of Etemenanki, whose visions were revealed by a prophet, and whose apex in pop culture is as a wealthy zucchini?

The ancients told tales of the inundation of the world with water -- the Great Flood. How do these stories compare with the story told in Genesis, and what does this event mean for the Christian?

It's time to call in with all your weirdest, nuttiest, and most mind-bending questions, from giants to the gyrations of James T. Kirk.

The audio mailbag is starting to fill up again, so it's time to take out the garbage. Wait, that didn't come out right.

Fr. Stephen reads tales from the ancient world calculated to drive you mad.

The Apostles are given authority by Christ to preach, to bind and loose, to exorcise, to baptize, and so on. Did that authority die with them? What is the nature of the authority of a bishop?

Christ said that the scribes and Pharisees sat on the seat of Moses (Matthew 23:2). Is this a metaphor or a defined position of authority? Did Moses pass on his authority in succession, and is it the same as his own?

The Podfathers open their audio mailbag and turn it upside down to see what shakes out: How many will be saved? What's the deal with saints associated with certain themes? Is dancing wrong? And lots more!

Were there really 400 silent years between Malachi and Matthew? Is there a sudden disjunction starting with the New Testament? In this final episode of the History of Israel series, Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew look at the Second Temple Jewish period.

Continuing their series on the Biblical history of Israel, Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew chart the progress from after the Exodus up to the Second Temple Period. (Get excited about giants.)

In this first episode concerning the story of Israel, Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew take us from Abraham to the Exodus.

Is the Cross just what the Romans happened to use to kill Jesus? Or is there something deeper and older that culminates in the crucifixion of Christ? Join Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew for a thorough look at the Cross in the Old Testament.

Ever read the Bogomil Bible? If not, you might still be interested in the place of Azazel in apocrypha. Continuing their series on Second Temple Jewish texts, Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew read the Apocalypse of Abraham.

It's another no-holds-barred live Q&A with the Podfathers! Got a dragon on your mind, a giant in your closet, or a screech owl in your filing cabinet? This is your moment, scorpion-stompers! Give us a call.

Angels are active in the world. What does that activity actually look like? Is it just “benevolent haunting”? What about guardian angels? Join Fr. Andrew and Fr. Stephen as they also look at what all this means for human destiny.

Is your house haunted? Do demons still possess people? Can we see the activity of demons in the modern world? How would we recognize it? Join Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew as they uncover the darkest of all conspiracies.

What exactly is ritual impurity? Does it equal sinfulness? How do bodily functions figure in? Did the New Testament abolish the ritual impurity traditions of the Old Testament? And does it have any meaning today?

It's another metaphysical head-scratcher! Following up on some episodes from 2024, the podcast looks at what change actually means (if anything?) and what bearing that has on teleology.

The Podfathers clear out the voicemail backlogs with this pre-recorded end-of-year episode, covering everything from whether Eglon was fat or handsome to if the Orthodox believe in a kind of Calvinism to the unsettling logismoi of Wham! at Christmastime.

At the heart of Christian faith and life is the incarnation of the Son of God. When does that happen, exactly? It seems easy enough to answer, but a close look at Scripture yields a more complex picture.

In this pre-recorded episode, Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew respond to your voicemail, ranging from whether Jesus could get a speeding ticket to why some canonical texts don't actually get read in church. And Fr. Andrew tries to nail down Fr. Stephen's notorious Nietzsche talk.

It’s Election Day on Lord of Spirits! Who is elected? What are they elected to? How is Israel involved in all this?

What if Guardian Angels had an exact opposite—Guardian Devils? Are some of those demons actually the evil dead? Or what about the ones who come for you while you’re asleep?

"Modernism” is anything bad and not Orthodox, right? Or maybe 20th century? It's said the Church has to confront the modern world or finally enter it, but what does that mean? Join Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew as they look at this most unhistorical of historical phenomena.

Orthodox Christianity is said to be "unchanging." The Synodikon even says it's the faith that established the universe. Yet if you look at Christian worship centuries ago, it’s not exactly the same as Orthodox worship now. And we don’t see it in Gen. 1. So what's going on?

What does evidence from the Neolithic period tell us about truly ancient religion? How does that fit into the Bible? How should Christians understand this prehistorical part of the human story?

The whole episode is dedicated to live calls! Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew want to talk to you about whatever is on your mind. Give them a ring at 855-237-2346.

In the age to come, all of humanity will be raised from the dead -- bodily. This core dogma of Christianity, the bodily resurrection, is often misunderstood or even ignored. Yet what does it mean that all will be raised? Will the human body be changed? Join us and find out.

Our understanding of time forms the basis of many theological assumptions. But how does it work in the Scriptures and throughout Christian tradition? Is it truly linear? Are "before" and "after" always real? Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew look at the hazy shades of time.

Is there magic in the Bible? What about outside the Bible? How does magic differ from miracles? Is it even real? Join the Podfathers as they look at the phenomenon of sorcery.

Christian tradition refers to “the devil” or “the evil one,” but is this one being? What about (the) Satan -- or Samael, Mastema, and Azazel? Join Fr. Andrew and Fr. Stephen as they have a look at the wickedest of the wicked. *PRE-RECORDED EPISODE*

Continuing their series on Second Temple Jewish apocrypha in this pre-recorded episode, Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew read two texts about the apocalyptic visions of prophets: the Ascension of Isaiah and the Assumption of Moses.

What if you could see the unseen spiritual reality in Genesis? How did the world into which Jesus was born understand this story? Explore the ancient Book of Jubilees in this next in the Apocrypha series with Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick.

What might the 12 sons of Jacob have said before they died? Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew begin a new series on Second Temple Judaism literature, an exploration of religion in the time and place of the Apostles.

In this pre-recorded episode, Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew respond to some of many voicemails, covering the falls of angels, the bones of Elisha, David Bowie, ethno-nationalist tchotchkes, Psalm 82/81, Theophany, the Book of Enoch, prayer against blacksmiths, and more.

The last several episodes have generated a lot of questions, so Fr. Andrew and Fr. Stephen are dedicating this episode fully to taking live questions. So it’s time to remember that your phone actually makes phone calls! Give them a ring at 855-237-2346.

Continuing their examination of the Torah and its place in the Christian Church, Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew look at Torah themes of worship, uncleanness, and the death penalties.

Christ said that He did not come to abolish the Torah but to fulfill it (Matt. 5:17), but a lot of Christians seem to think He came to abolish it. All that Old Testament stuff is over. But is that the real relationship of the OT to the NT? Tune in and find out.

People often say "Lent is not in the Bible," claiming that it's a medieval invention, and the traditionally elevated prayer and fasting of Lent are dismissed as "earning your way to heaven." Is that true, though? Join Fr. Andrew and Fr. Stephen to find out.

What does it mean that Jesus is the Messiah? What were the apostles saying when they said that, identifying Him as the Christ? Find out the weight behind their words with Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick.

What’s Good? What does it mean that God is good? Are good and right the same thing? Are bad and evil the same thing? Does bad still mean good, like in the '80s?

In the great feast of Theophany, Christ is baptized by the Forerunner in the Jordan river. What is the cosmic spiritual reality of what’s happening there? What is going on in Theophany icons? And how does this affect Christianity? Find out with Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew.

What does it mean for a Christian to have a patron saint? For a church? For a nation? What is the biblical basis for this practice? Join Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew for a look into this spiritual relationship.

How did the ancients understand the source of technology? How does that relate to the Fall? What does that mean for our own age and the age to come? Why do printers never work? Join Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew for an ages-long look at the work of men's hands.

Time to open up the voicemail and see what weird recordings you people have sent it. In this pre-recorded episode, Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew respond to questions they've received via voicemail. And you never know what people will say into microphones

Expanding on what's in the episodes "But We Have the Mind of Christ" (July 2021) and "How (and How Not) to Read Your Bible" (April 2022), the podcast dives back into how meaning is constructed and what that has to do with being Christian.

On Oct. 26, 2023, Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew recorded a live, in-person Q&A at the Lord of Spirits Conference held at the Antiochian Village – featuring questions from conference attendees. This episode of Lord of Spirits was recorded before a live studio audience. We apologize for any inconsistencies in audio quality.

What happens when you have to miss the party? What happens when you miss the party in the Ancient Near East?

What actually is a religious icon? How does it work? In this second episode of a two-part series, Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew look at iconography – pagan, Israelite, and Christian.

"Idol” gets used for a lot of things, but what was its ancient meaning? How did idols actually work? What does it mean for a people to engage in idolatry? And what does the Bible say about all this? Join Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew for this first in a two-part series.

For their third anniversary episode, Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew open up the lines for an all-live, all-Q&A episode. No topics are off-topic! You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll wonder why you can't find anything else to do on Thursday nights.

What is eternal condemnation? Do people go to heaven or hell when they die? What are the Biblical images? Is universalism an acceptable Orthodox view? Join Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick as they look at the Orthodox tradition on this dark question

Christians commonly speaking of the "Second Coming of Christ." Is that the right terminology? What does it mean that there are two advents of the Messiah? Join Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and Fr. Stephen De Young as they continue their series on Orthodox eschatology.

The Four Horsemen. Gog and Magog. Locusts. It's going to be an uncomfortable apocalypse, and a rogues' gallery of agents of destruction will be showing up. Are you ready? Find out with Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick.

What happens on Judgment Day? What criteria are used? Do Christians go to heaven and non-Christians go to hell? What is the Book of Life? Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick take a look at what the Bible says about that Day before the throne of God.

What exactly is the Millennium? Is it in the future? Are we in it? Did we miss it? What about Chiliasm? Was St. Irenaeus really a Chiliast? Join Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to see what Scripture says about this eschatological period.

Are we living in the time of the Antichrist? Is the Antichrist alive right now? What are the signs? Join Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to see what the Scripture says about this eschatological figure.

Q&A May continues! Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew respond to questions they've received via voicemail, ranging from giants to psychedelics to unicorns to polygamy to Eckankar.

It's an open-line night with the Podfathers for an all-live, all-Q&A show! This episode is your chance to ask whatever is on your mind. Nothing is off-limits, so tune in LIVE and give us a call.

What is a soul? Do you have one? Are you one? Do dogs and oak trees have them? Are they made of rubber? What happens to the soul when the body dies? Join Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew as they talk about the Biblical understanding of the soul.

What is water really for? Is holy water magic? In the final episode of their series on the sacraments (but not the final sacrament) of the Orthodox Church, Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew discuss the blessing of waters.

Was Samson a good monk or a bad monk? What does it mean to take the Nazirite vow, and does this relate to Christian monasticism? Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew continue their series on the sacraments of the Orthodox Church.

Did you think the series on sacraments was done at 7? Fr. Andrew and Fr. Stephen continue with the coronation of emperors. Why did the Church do this? What does it say about the Christian view of government and politics?

The mystery of Unction can be slippery to get our minds around. What does it do? Why don’t we see miracles every time it’s applied? Is sin related? Is unction different from other anointings? Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew look at the relationship between sin, healing, and oil.

Everybody has nice stuff but me. Why do bad things happen to good Babylonians? Why do good things happen to bad Babylonians? How are the gods involved in all of this? Two guys had an argument more than 2500 years ago to fill us in

Is marriage a merely human institution? Does it exist outside the Church? What does the rite actually do? Continuing their series on the holy mysteries of the Church, Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick examine the Biblical texts on marriage.

Confession of sins is mentioned throughout the Scriptures and practiced by the Orthodox Church. But is a priest really necessary for this practice? What happens if he withholds forgiveness? Did God really give that kind of authority to sinful clergy? Can’t we just confess alone to God at home? Why confess at all, if God knows our thoughts? Join Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick as they continue their series on the sacraments of the Orthodox Church.

What does it mean to be ordained? What exactly are holy orders? Does ordination change the man ordained? How? Does he remain ordinary–or become it? In the next episode of this Lord of Spirits series, Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick examine the holy mystery of ordination.

Continuing their series on the sacraments of the Orthodox Church, Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew examine the holy mystery of chrismation. What is chrism? What does it do? How was chrism used in the Old Testament? Where is chrismation in the New Testament? What does it have to do with the Holy Spirit?

The central act of faithfulness of the Christian life is Holy Communion, eating and drinking the Holy Eucharist. What are its Biblical roots? Is it derived from the Jewish Seder? Was the Reformation right about the Eucharist not being a sacrifice? And just how is bread and wine Christ’s Body and Blood? Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick continue their series on the Holy Mysteries by taking a close look at the greatest of all the sacraments.

What is baptism? How is it different from the ritual washings of the Torah? What does it do? How is it related to circumcision? Why is this water so cold? What does St. Peter mean when he says that baptism “saves”? Is anything happening in the unseen world? Join Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick as they look at this essential Christian mystery with a deep dive into Biblical texts in this first part of a series on the sacraments of the Orthodox Church.

Lord of Spirits discusses the monstrosity of madness and demonic possession. What does the Bible say about these things? What is the ancient context? Join Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew for their annual Halloween episode.

What is a spirit? Is it a ghost? Do schools have school spirit? (“Then we need to hear it!”) What does it mean to be “spiritual”? The word “spirit” gets used all the time in Christian and other religious language, but it is almost never defined, at least not in a way that makes sense of how it is used in the Bible and other Christian texts. Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick do a close reading to focus on this core concept.

In a very special mini-episode of Lord of Spirits, it’s Sorcerer v. Witch for Dairy Dominance.

For their second anniversary episode, the Podfathers take your LIVE questions and nothing but your questions. Nothing is off-limits! And they also will be featuring some of their favorite moments from past episodes.

Baal, Zeus, Thor, and other thunder gods were worshiped by pagans in the ancient world. Who were these spirits, and what do we actually know about them? How did God’s people understand them? And what is God’s response to them? In this pre-recorded episode, Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick look at these thunderous deities from of old and the God Who thundered.

Completing their three-part series on the Fall of Man, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and Fr. Stephen De Young look at the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11, the event that solidifies the dominion of the dark powers over mankind.

Continuing their three-part series on the Fall of Mankind, Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick turn their attention to the unleashing of sin into the world through death and the first victim upon whom it pounces – Cain.

In Genesis, we see that the fall of humanity consists of three problems that Christ comes to to solve – death, sin, and slavery to demons. In the first of this three-part series, Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick examine the first of these three human afflictions to arise – death – and how God deals with it.

People often say, "The Church isn't a building," or "We could worship anywhere." But is that actually true? Why do ancient Israel and the Church worship in buildings? Is it merely practical, to have a roof over our heads? Or is there a purpose given by God? Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick have a look over the blueprints of the house of the living God.

In this pre-recorded episode, Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick answer your recorded questions! They cover such topics as nakedness in Genesis, cannibalism and the Eucharist, women’s ministry in the Church, transgenderism, and even the curse of the Black Tongue. Tune in for a wild array of Q&A!

How exactly does textual authority function within the Church? Whether discussing the Scriptures, the Apocrypha, the Church Fathers, the Ecumenical Councils, or the liturgical tradition, the Orthodox Church is awash in texts. How are they properly used? What about misuse? What makes them authoritative? Join Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and Fr. Stephen De Young as they look at the Orthodox tradition of textual authority.

What is prophecy? Who is a prophet? Do prophets predict the future? Does prophecy still happen in our times? What is the difference between a prophet and an apostle? How can we recognize a true prophet or prophecy? Join Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick as they look at the Biblical vision of the prophetic ministry.

What happened to people who died before the Harrowing of Hades? What happened to those people after? And what happens at death after the Harrowing? And what’s going to happen at the resurrection of all the dead? Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and Fr. Stephen De Young track the Biblical imagery of life after death and life after life after death.

What exactly is a blessing? Or a curse? Are these just religious-sounding synonyms for good things or bad things? What does it mean when God blesses or curses? Do the blessings and curses of human beings actually do anything? Is this some kind of Christian magic? Join Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick as they look at how blessings and curses work in the Bible.

On this special bonus episode, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick introduces and then reads the full text of the Harrowing of Hell from the Gospel of Nicodemus. Christ is risen! He truly is risen!

Reading the Bible is easier now than in any previous moment in history. And misreading it is also the easiest it’s ever been. What does it mean to read the Bible historically? To read it literally? What are some interpretive/hermeneutic ideas that don’t make sense if you look closely at them? Join Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick as they go “meta” for this episode and talk about what it means to read the Bible as Orthodox Christians.

In this pre-recorded episode, Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick tackle dozens of recorded questions sent in by listeners from all over the world, with topics ranging from catechism to giants to the evil eye to the Ziz.

When ancient Israel encountered pagan nations worshiping their gods (and sometimes joined in themselves), what exactly were they worshiping? Are they fallen angels, demons, ancestors, the spirits of dead humans, or maybe even nothing at all? How did the early Church understand this worship? What is idolatry and how does it work? Do idolatry and paganism exist today? Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and Fr. Stephen De Young look at ancient heathen religion and what it means in the Bible and for us today.

What exactly is a priest? Who is a priest? Are all believers priests? Is that the same thing as presbyters? And what are those priests in the Bible wearing, anyway? Join Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick as they look closely at what the Bible says about priests in their ancient context and what that means for Christians today.

The podcast is back with all Q&A, all the time. Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick make it an open-line night at the podcast. With calls stretching from California to Romania, callers asked about God's foreknowledge, UFOs, Sasquatch, spirits imprisoned in the underworld, the difference between hell and Hades and Sheol, prayers for the departed, and a host more.

When the prophets ascend in heavenly visions they see the divine council, the throne of God, the cherubim and seraphim, the angels—and a man. And sometimes, outside of prophetic visions, that man shows up on earth, and he talks and even eats with people. Who is this man in heaven? Who is this man from heaven? Join Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick as they conclude their four-part series on the Christology of the Old Testament.

The phrase “son of man” appears over 100 times in the Old Testament, and most of them are in the book of the Prophet Ezekiel. It shows up again, dozens of times, in the Gospels and then gets used elsewhere in the New Testament. What does it mean? Does this refer to Jesus? Every time? Join Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick for part 3 of their 4-part series on the Christology of the Old Testament.

Fr. Andrew and Fr. Stephen continue their four-part series on the Christology of the Old Testament. This time they discuss the Word of the Lord or the Word of God. Like "Angel of the Lord," this is another phrase that gets people confused sometimes. What does "Word of God" mean exactly? Is it the Bible? Is it Christ? Can we use the phrase for both? Is it preaching? Listen and find out.

The Angel of the Lord is mentioned dozens of times in the Holy Scriptures, yet the identity and nature of this figure is fuzzy for many Christians. Is he an angel like one of heavenly hosts? Is he a symbol of Jesus Christ? Is he the Son of God Himself? Does he have a body? Is this figure compatible with Trinitarian theology? Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and Fr. Stephen De Young begin a four-part series on the Christology of the Old Testament.

Werewolves. Vampires. Lilith. Lamia. Unicorns. Donkey-centaurs. Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick open up their demonic bestiary and their Bibles for this special episode.

Leviathan, Behemoth, and other monsters lurk in the Bible—demonic horrors and other assorted beasts. Did ancient people believe these were real creatures? Do they have some kind of global, geo-political meaning? How do they figure into the biblical narrative? Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick pull out their Bibles and go monster-hunting.

Melchizedek is a figure who gets mentioned three very brief and mysterious times in the Scriptures. But who is he? Why does he have a pagan name? Why does St. Paul’s Epistle to the Hebrews link him to Christ? Is he a pre-New Testament appearance of the Son of God? What is the “order of Melchizedek”? Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and Fr. Stephen De Young unravel the mystery and weave the threads together.

The great biblical patriarch Abraham began his life in the shadow of the sacrificial ziggurat of Ur, dedicated to a pagan moon god. What does it mean that God called him out of that context, why did God direct Abraham's gaze to the stars, and why did Abraham bring his son Isaac to the top of a mountain? Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick focus on this towering biblical figure, this father of all the faithful.

In the Scripture and throughout Orthodox Tradition, the holy Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John occupies a place parallel though not identical to that of the Holy Virgin Mary. Yet he is at the same time a more enigmatic and lesser-understood figure in Christianity. Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick together discuss the Voice that prepared the way for the coming of God in the flesh.

The keeping and veneration of relics of saints is one of the practices of Christianity that may disturb or even shock some. How do the bodies of saints relate to their lives? Is that body still their body even after death? Why do some relics have miracles associated with them? And how does this relate to Christian burial? Join Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and Fr. Stephen De Young as they take a journey into the catacombs with the bones of the saints.

The word "Apocalypse" stirs up forebodings of the end of the world—natural disasters, wars, massive destruction, giant comets, etc. But is that how the Bible uses the term? What if there were apocalypse throughout the Scriptures? And even now? Join Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and Fr. Stephen De Young for this sequel to the "Nous" episode to see what apocalypse has to do with your life as a Christian.

According to the Bible, how do we know things? What exactly is the mind? What is consciousness? What are thoughts, and how do they work? And what does knowledge do to someone? Join Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick as they take a mind-bending journey into the Biblical image of the Nous.

The Day of Pentecost is the end of a golden thread that begins with Eden and runs through the Tabernacle, the Temple, the Theotokos, Christ, Christians, the Church and the whole Cosmos. What is that thread? Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick look to the Scriptures to show what connects all these things together.

The Ascension of Christ in glory is not merely Jesus going back where he came from when he was done on earth. Nor is it an abandonment of his disciples. But what is it? Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick look at how ancient people would have understood the Ascension of Christ to his throne in the heavens.

Christ appeared to his disciples and to many others after he rose from the dead, numerous times over the forty days leading up to his Ascension. What happened at those appearances? What was their purpose? And how do the Gospel writers understand what was happening? Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick explore the vision of the resurrected Jesus Christ.

It's all Q&A, all the time. Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick make it an open-line night at the podcast.

With this Holy Week / Pascha special episode, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and Fr. Stephen De Young take a close biblical look at what happens when the Lord of Spirits himself journeys into the underworld to set his people free.

With this second installment of their series on sacred geography, Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick take a journey into the shadowy and much-misunderstood realm of the dead—the Underworld, Hades, Hell, Sheol, the Grave. Do these words mean the same thing? Where is this place? And who or what exactly is there?

The Scriptures speak of what we might call spiritual places—sacred geography—the Mountain of God, Heaven, Paradise, the Underworld. Are these imaginary places? If not, how does one go there? In this first of two episodes on sacred geography, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and Fr. Stephen De Young begin a fantastic voyage into another world.

"Atonement" is a word invented for the translation of the Bible into English, because there was no good English word for the concept it describes. So what does it mean? People have atonement theories. Is atonement purely theoretical? Does it have anything to do with suffering or punishment? And who or what is atoned for? Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick finish their three-part series on sacrifice.

Ancient pagans sacrificed to their gods, and ancient Israel was no exception when it came to offering sacrifice to the One they belonged to. But what did those sacrifices look like, and what did they do? Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and Fr. Stephen De Young continue their series on sacrifice, showing both the surprising similarities and striking differences between pagans and Israel.

What exactly is worship? What does it do? Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick explore worship in the ancient world, both pagan and Israelite, showing how it all resolves into one act—sacrifice. And does that mean killing?

Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew continue their discussion on bodies. What about angel bodies? How many types of human bodies are there? Are human and animal bodies the same? And how many bodies does Christ have?

What exactly is a "body?" Do gods have bodies? How many? Does God, being immaterial, have one? If so, where exactly is it? How do we make sense of the Old Testament passages which talk about God walking, standing, fighting in battles, eating, or speaking face to face with Moses? Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and Fr. Stephen De Young tackle one of the most difficult teachings of the Scripture.

The Star of Bethlehem has long been seen as a sign of Christ’s birth, but was it just an astronomical event such as one might observe with a telescope? Why a star? And what does Jewish astrology have to do with this? Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and Fr. Stephen De Young discuss the true nature of the great Star of the Nativity.

The Messiah is the Son of David and King of Israel, surrounded by His royal court, including His mother—just like the Davidic kings before him. Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick explore how Christ united the court of David with the Divine Council and how the role of the Theotokos was established in ancient Israel, centuries before she was born.

There are giants in the Bible. Many Christians have tried to explain them away, ignore them, or treat them as mere metaphors. But the Orthodox Church takes giants seriously. Join Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick as they venture into the ancient Land of Giants and discuss why the Book of Joshua is probably not what you thought it was.

Will heaven be boring? Do the saints sit around on clouds playing harps for all eternity? Or is there something that they're doing? Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick continue their discussion of what it means to become part of God's divine council.

Christians argue every year about Hallowe’en: Is it participation in the occult, cavorting with demons we should be running away from, or is it harmless dressing up and candy? Some more traditionally-minded say it’s not about demons; it’s about the feast of All Saints. In this special Hallowe’en episode, Orthodox Christian priests Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and Fr. Stephen De Young say it really is about demons, and they’re ready to run toward them.

Theosis—becoming like God—is perhaps the best-known understanding of salvation in the Orthodox tradition. But what isn't often discussed is what angels have to do with it. Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick discuss how God's divine council is the intended destiny of mankind.

When did the fallen angels fall? Before the creation of the world? Did they all fall at once? How does angelic fall affect mankind? Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick take another deep dive into the Holy Scriptures and other parts of Orthodox tradition to explore these major questions that frame salvation history.

Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick are back with their second episode focused on angels and demons in the Orthodox tradition, laying more critical groundwork for this program by talking about God's Divine Council, then looking at the various kinds of angels, and finishing up by talking about what demons are and why they’re still around.

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and Fr. Stephen De Young inaugurate this new live, call-in podcast focused on the union of the seen and unseen in Orthodox Christian biblical, patristic and liturgical tradition.

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and Fr. Stephen De Young introduce a new live call-in show, beginning Thursday (9/10/20) at 7pm Eastern / 4pm Pacific.

My Sentiment & Notes The Lord of Spirits

The Lord of Spirits