There are two types of oppression: that which is open and blatant, and that which is subtle and difficult to combat.

Fr. Ted explains why we bless the waters on Theophany.

Fr. Ted calls us to keep the coming judgment before our eyes as we enter Great Lent.

Fr. Ted encourages us to allow the story of the healing of the paralytic to move us closer into relationship with God and one another as we live in the light of the resurrection of Christ!

Fr. Ted address three issues that he has encountered in his local parish which speak to the heart of our identity as Orthodox Christians.

Fr. Ted addresses the sacrament of confession and its healing and communal properties.

Fr. Ted begins a new series of sermons on the Church, the House of God, by explaining the meaning of the Greek word ecclesia.

Fr. Ted gave a presentation at the Romanian Orthodox Youth Assoc. (ROYA) North American Conference held in Beaverton, Ontario, Canada from October 5-7, 2017. In his talk, Fr. Ted explores the current political landscape and how it affects Orthodox youth who attend secular schools where Christianity is subtly oppressed by often ultra-liberal agendas.

Fr. Ted speaks to the need for children to be raised in the House of God, and addresses the challenges that parents of young children face when they come to Church.

While the sins of Judas and Peter were the same, Judas chose to wallow in that sin and eventually kill himself.

Fr. Ted leads a Lenten Retreat at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Ocean, NJ. In this first session Fr. Ted delivers a talk on how Orthodox Christians are called to use the contemplation of their own death, using the Lenten season, to prepare for their birth into eternity.

In this second session Fr. Ted discusses how the Holy Sacraments of the Church prepare us for our own deaths and allow us to truly see life through the passion.

Fr. Theodore Paraskevopoulos speaks about the Gospel reading on the Paralytic Man.

Fr. Theodore Paraskevopoulos explains the Synodal System within the Orthodox Church.

Fr. Theodore Paraskevopoulos preaches on Jesus feeding five thousand people with five loaves and two fish.

Fr. Theodore Paraskevopoulos explains the meaning of the Gospel reading on the demonized man of Gadarene, calling us to live our lives in the Church rather than in the World.

Fr. Theodore Paraskevopoulos invites us to consider the reality of our sin and our need for repentance.

Part One of Kevin and Steve's in-depth interview with esteemed Dean Emeritus of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Seminary, Fr. Thomas Hopko, on the important subject, "The True, Visible Church: Is it Eastern Orthodox"? Download this one friends--and wrestle with it at the gym!

Here’s Part II of Kevin and Steve's fascinating interview with Fr. Tom on the True Church. Lots here to digest, friends! Download it and put it on your favorite player to listen to over and over. Have fun!

The Orthodox Church is seeing an influx of graduates from Evangelical Christian colleges and universities, exploring traditional forms of historic Christianity. In this program Kevin Allen discusses this trend with two graduates of BIOLA University (Jesse Cone and Michael Unruh) who were recently chrismated.

Join host Kevin Allen in his interview with Ancient Faith Radio founder and Chief Operating Officer of Conciliar Media Ministries, John Maddex, about his fascinating journey to the ancient faith of Orthodoxy after 30 years as a evangelical radio executive and self-professed "classic Evangelical Protestant Christian"!

Kevin Allen interviews Kyriakos C. Markides, author of The Mountain of Silence and Gifts of the Desert, talks about his life, his books, and his spiritual journey. This interview--you're going to want to listen to over and over...!

Kevin Allen continues his fascinating interview with Kyriakos C. Markides, author of The Mountain of Silence, Gifts of the Desert, and many more. Is it possible that Part Two could be better than Part One? You be the judge!

Listen to part 2 of Kevin's interview with Fr. James Early

In this two-part interview, ex-Baptist seminary graduate and missionary to Bosnia, now Orthodox priest, Fr James Early, recounts with Illumined Heart host Kevin Allen the circumstances under which he had to face and eventually reject core Baptist-Evangelical tenets and come to accept the faith handed down once and for all to the Saints. His book is called From Baptist to Byzantium.

In this section, Metropolitan Kallistos addresses the question of music adaptation to the culture and modern ears.

Mother Melania, stavrophor (little schema) nun at St. Barbara Monastery, Santa Paula, California and author of the series, "The Twelve Great Feasts for Children", and the series, "The 3-Day Pascha" (for Great and Holy Friday, Great and Holy Saturday, and Pascha) discusses purity (and impurity) of heart and overcoming the passions.

Steve McMeans talks to Fr. Josiah about St. John Chrysostom and his views on the relationship between marriage and monasticism. This show will suprise you...!

Kevin Allen talks with Fr. Peter Gillquist about the status of Orthodox Evangelism and the Church in America.

In this encore presentation of The Illumined Heart, hear the story of John Maddex who, along with his wife Tonya, found the Orthodox Church after nearly 40 years in Evangelical Christian radio.

In this edition Kevin tackles the tricky question of which Christian tradition can authentically claim "apostolic succession," with historian, theologian, author, and Dean of St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, Fr John Behr.

In the opening program of a new series of interviews, Dr. Bradley Nassif, theologian, author and life-long member of the Antiochian Archdiocese in North America, speaks about the "The Nature and Mission of the Bishop in the Orthodox Church". You can also read Dr Nassif's one-page piece referred to in the interview from the Antiochian website.

You may be surprised by the answer from musicologist, composer, arranger, author and Sacred Music Department Committee member (Antiochian) Fr. John Finley!

In episode 4, Andrew helps us understand the transformation that takes place when we begin to see iconographically instead of pornographically. The transcript can be accessed HERE.

In episode 5, Andrew continues to explore the transformation of our desires and how that relates to addiction. Click HERE for a transcript.

How do I deal with toxic shame that seems to close off the avenue back to God. Read the transcript HERE.

The fathers tell us it is important to know ourselves, but how many of us can really say that we do? Read the transcript HERE.

Music featured on Our Life of Christ

The phrase "apostolic succession" has a number of different meanings among the various Christian traditions, but is key to a proper understanding of Orthodox ecclesiology and her claim to be the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church stated in the Nicene Creed. Here we offer a modest explanation of the Orthodox Church's view, focusing on the collegiate role of bishops, in whose office and authority is found the continuation of Christ and His Apostles' sacramental unity, oversight, and teaching through history to the present day.

We come to the most sacred and debated words of Christian worship in history: the Epiclesis, the calling down of the Holy Spirit upon the bread and wine to make them into the Body and Blood of Christ. Is the change "real" or is it symbolic? How does the change happen? When does it happen? Are the words just a "hocus pocus" incantation? Can it happen anywhere a priest just speaks the words? Steve and Bill take up the challenge of going three rounds with this theological giant. In the first round they come out hesitant and tentative, dancing around their opponent. In the second and third rounds they get bolder and grapple with the topic but in the end are no match for the great Mystery. The epiclesis wins by a unanimous decision and Steve and Bill go home and hope to recover from their wounds by next week's show.

We continue our discussion of apostolic succession by examining some common objections given by Protestants, found in a sermon outline published on Calvin College's CCEL Historical Church document site. It becomes clear that for Protestants, reaction against apostolic succession is not based on solid Biblical or historical grounds, but rather on the need to question and reject the authority of Rome (papal and magisterial) and its excesses, which are not necessarily a part of the Eastern Orthodox Tradition.

In this program we deal with the concept of prayer and intercession. What is prayer in the scriptures? Is "prayer" worship to be given only to God? What is intercession? Why are we commanded to intercede for each other? More importantly, who can intercede for us?