Christian Saints Podcast

What to Do When The Lights Go Out


Is artificial intelligence the fourth death of The Enlightenment & should Orthodox Christians even care particularly much?

Part 1 of a 2 part conversation.


Reference materials for this episode: 
 - The future of AI
   - https://www.wired.com/story/ai-risk-party-san-francisco/
 - AI is making us less smart
   - https://www.media.mit.edu/public...

Following on our last episode in which we ended with the celebration of the righteous triumph of the gospel, we felt it was important to point out the boundary which must be kept on how we understand this triumph. 

With the rise of nationalism in the USA, much of it Christian nationalism, as well as reflecting on such relatively recent tragedies as The Balkan war of the 1990's, it is crucial we understand winning as g...

We start season seven off with by urging you to attend a [Orthodox] church you can't understand. Co-host Jim has realized he wasted 15 years of spiritual progress waiting for a local parish to be served in English. He traveled The Balkans enjoying all kinds of church services he couldn't understand a word of during early May & this dovetails with Fr Symeon's recent efforts to fulfill the wishes of Metropolitan Sa...

The fifth Sunday of Lent, the veneration of St Mary of Egypt, is the subject of this season finale episode.

Saint Mary did not leave us with insightful writings. Saint Mary left us with an exemplary life we can strive to emulate. Yet, we have almost no details about how she lived her day to day life & we couldn't emulate it anyway because we don't live alone in a desert. But she clearly spent her life cultiva...

The Fourth Sunday of Lent, The Veneration of St John Cassian, is the subject of this week's episode. 

Jim reflects on the core beliefs which come even before details about The Trinity, The Incarnation, The Virgin Birth, The Death, Resurrection & Ascension of this incarnate God, the singularity of the church which His apostles established, or the succession of bishops who have preserved the divine revelation which ...

The third Sunday of Lent, The Veneration of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross, is the subject of this week's episode.

Jim reflects on the paradox of a device of torture & execution becoming the emblem of our military victory, our triumph, over sin & death.

Reference materials for this episode: 
GOA Digital Chanters’ Stand - https://digitalchantstand.goarch.org/goa/dcs/dcs.html
Antiochian Litu...

The Second Sunday of Lent, St Gregory Palamas, is the subject of this week's episode. 

Considered a second triumph of orthodoxy, because just as the veneration of icons is necessary for Christian worship as we remembered last week, the prayer of a single thought, hesychasm, ceaseless prayer, through which we see the uncreated light of God within ourselves, is also necessary. St Gregory defended this tradition against ...

What Does It Mean to Be Orthodox?

The first Sunday of Lent, The Triumph of Orthodoxy, is the subject of this week's episode.

Originally remembering the Old Testament prophets, who spoke truth to power, now remembering the fathers of the 7th ecumenical council, which affirmed the necessity of the veneration of icons in Orthodox worship, Jim takes a few minutes to reflect on why it is Orthodoxy seems to triumph under adv...

How Do We Prepare for the Evangelion of The Christ?

Fr Symeon is busy now with the activities of Great Lent in his parish & so Jim is solo hosting a series of short reflections on the structure of the Paschal cycle. 

This first episode will examine the four pre-Lenten Sundays: 
 - The Publican & The Pharisee
 - The Prodigal Son
 - The Last Judgement
 - Forgiveness

He is choosing to...

Is Jesus a Hippie?

Scripture citations for this episode:
 - Genesis 9:8-17: Covenant with Noah
 - Luke 15:11-32: The Prodigal Son
 - Acts 2:14-43: The declaration of the military conquest of Jesus

The Christian Saints Podcast is a joint production of Generative sounds & Paradosis Pavilion with oversight from Fr Symeon Kees

Paradosis Pavilion - https://youtube.com/@paradosispavilion9555

http...

A just society, politics, economics & ideology. What our culture used to call Civics.

But we don't seem to be civilized these days, do we?

If you keep on the way you have been the past few weeks, it is going to be a long four years. Just remember, nothing is perfect, nothing is finished, & nothing lasts forever. 

Flat earth theory, non-Euclidian geometry, the divinity of George Washington, Sc...

Reference materials for this episode: 

Letters from the Desert: A Selection of Questions and Responses 
 - Ss. Barsanuphius and John 
 - Questions 699 & 700

Past episodes on these saints & feasts
 - St Joseph the Betrothed
   — https://www.buzzsprout.com/1443073/episodes/14219830



Scripture citations for this episode:
Ephesians 6 - the whole armor of God


...

How Can I Become a Real Man?


Reference materials for this episode: 
Past episodes on these saints & feasts
 - St Nicholas of Myra
   — https://www.buzzsprout.com/1443073/episodes/6919991
 - St Stephen
   — https://www.buzzsprout.com/1443073/episodes/6259483
 - St Joseph the Betrothed
   — https://www.buzzsprout.com/1443073/episodes/14219830
 - St James the brother of The LORD in The...

How Can We Avoid Materialism This Christmas Season?


Reference materials for this episode: 
https://orthodoxtao.com/notes/notes-on-lessons-11-20/ - specifically #11


Scripture citations for this episode:
Genesis 1-3 - made to be different, devolve to be more like animals
Exodus 32 - worshipping an animal, behaving like animals
Isaiah 1 - born between an ox & and a donkey
Habakkuk 3 ...

Reference materials for this episode: 
- Google search “vintage santa coca cola advertisements”
 - Saint Demetrius Press website
   — Nick Papas icon of St Nicholas
   — Nick Papas icon of The Nativity
 - Google search Rothko Chapel Houston Texas


Scripture citations for this episode:
Messianic fulfillment
 - Matthew 4:12-17
   — Isaiah 9
 - Luke 4: 16-22
   — Isaiah 61
Luke ...

Reference materials for this episode: 
https://orthodoxtao.com/notes/orthodox-worship-notes/


Scripture citations for this episode:
John 4:1-42 - the Samaritan woman at the well, worship in spirit & in truth

Genesis 1-3 - Jesus walks in the Garden with Adam & Eve
Genesis 3 - Sin results in toil & labor
Genesis 4 - Cain is off the rails which is why God rejects his sacrifice
- Hi...

Reference materials for this episode: 
https://www.catholic.com/tract/sabbath-or-sunday - Early church quotes about not Judaizing 
Hymns of The Lamentations Service
Hymns of Vesperal Liturgy of Holy Saturday
Hymns of The Divine Liturgy

Scripture citations for this episode:
Genesis 2:1-3 - God’s day of rest
Genesis 2:24 - Jesus as the bridegroom going to His bride
Exodus 31:12-17 - sabbath as par...

Reference materials for this episode: 
https://stmaryofegypt.org/files/library/life.htm - St Mary of Egypt


Scripture citations for this episode:
2 Samuel/2 Kingdoms 6:3-8 & 1 Chronicles 13:7-11 - Uzzah is killed for touching The Ark of The Covenant

The Christian Saints Podcast is a joint production of Generative sounds & Paradosis Pavilion with oversight from Fr Symeon Kees

Paradosis Pavil...

What Does It Mean for Christians to Keep Sabbath?

Reference materials for this episode: 
St. Gregory Palamas
The Homilies, edited and translated by Christopher Veniamin
homily 17
"Explaining the Mystery of the Sabbath and of the Lord's Day and Referring to the Gospel of New Sunday"
(Waymart: Mount Thabor Publishing, 2009)


Scripture citations for this episode:
Genesis 18 ...