Fr. John discusses eucharistic worship as an experience of paradise.

Fr. John looks at traditional Christianity's eucharistic rites in order to see how they served to reorient the world toward the kingdom of heaven.

Fr. John explores what exactly monasticim was in the days of St. Macarius.

Fr. John discusses the ways in which iconography was defined and produced in Byzantine Christendom.

Fr. John looks at some of the actual texts of early Christian hymns and the way in which they gave expression to the vision of early Christendom.

Fr. John looks at the development that took place within the Frankish lands themselves, especially those concerning the liturgy.

Fr. John examines the tendency toward eucharistic piety in Frankish Christendom.

After a transition to his new parish assignment, Father John returns to the podcast with a discussion of the atmosphere of catastrophe that hung over the old Christendom of the east as the Muslim Turks advanced on Byzantium, while a defender of traditional Christianity, Saint Mark of Ephesus, prepared to depart for the unionist Council of Florence in the west.

Fr. John introduces the force that kept traditional Christianity on course at a moment of crisis in the east, Hesychasm, and how it maintained Christendom's focus on paradise.

In this episode, Fr. John describes why Saint Gregory's defense of hesychasm against the westernized Barlaam represented a defense not only of Orthodoxy, but of Christendom itself.

In this episode, Fr. John draws upon several scholarly works to show how hesychasm protected eastern Christendom from the forces that had begun to lead the new Christendom of the west away from traditional Christianity.

Fr. John discusses the rise of the Franks in Western Christianity.

Fr. John gives an account of the atmosphere in Italy in which Orthodox and Roman Catholic delegates met to discuss the possibility of union in the middle of the fifteenth century. Only one of the Orthodox would refuse to sign the resulting Treaty of Union, Saint Mark of Ephesus.

In this final episode of Reflection 17, Fr. John relates the final catastrophe to befall eastern Christendom during the period, the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453.

In this anecdotal introduction to the final reflection of Part 2 of the podcast, Father John relates the extraordinary story of a Reformation-era town that declared itself the kingdom of Christ on earth, a "New Jerusalem." Expressing a profound absence of God in the world, however, the story of Reformation Muenster was in fact a sign of the fall of a Christendom centered upon the experience of paradise.

In this episode Fr. John explores the life of Protestant father John Calvin and the reformer's contribution to the Reformation project.

In the first episode of part two of his four-part podcast "Paradise and Utopia," Fr. John Strickland, a professor of history at Saint Katherine Orthodox College, describes how Pope Nicholas I paved the way for the rapid development of the papal theory of empire.

Fr. John concludes his account of the influence of the Franks by returning to the question of the filioque and how the papacy's resistance to its insertion in the Creed finally came to an end on the eve of the Great Schism.

In this reflection, Fr. John Strickland relates how Christianity ceased to motivate and regulate statecraft in Christendom following the Wars of Western Religion. He discusses the cases of France, England, and New England. He concludes with an account of westernization in Eastern Christendom under Peter the Great of Russia.

In this anecdotal introduction to Reflection 21, Father John relates a remarkable but short-lived revolution in fourteenth-century Rome that served as a sign of what the age of utopia would bring. Listeners who enjoy the music of Richard Wagner will recognize the ill-fated revolutionary's name and understand why the turbulent nineteenth-century composer was attracted to him! And speaking of music, if you are wondering about the new closing sequence, it is a chorus from Mozart's utopian opera The Magic Flute and consists of the following (in translation): "When virtue and justice strew with fame the path of the great, then earth is a realm of heaven, and mortals are like the gods."

In this episode the "father of humanism," Francesco Petrarch, broods over his sense of guilt and despair, seeking a new path for Western Christendom known as the saeculum, or "secular."

Modern historians often bring attention to the effects of secularization on the West. Once traditional Christianity ceased to influence Western culture, the experience of the kingdom of heaven naturally diminished, something the famous German sociologist Max Weber called the "disenchantment of the world." In this episode, Fr. John describes how the concept of the saeculum, a kind of neutral cultural space cut off from the life of the Church, first appeared, and how, with Petrarch, it became a haven for humanists fleeing the pessimism of the fourteenth century.

In this episode, Father John relates a case in which the early humanist Petrarch confronted one of the new Christendom's chief architects, Pope Innocent III. Applying his newly developed secular thinking, he rejected the pope's notorious treatise entitled On the Misery of the Human Condition.

In this episode, Fr. John Strickland recounts the efforts of three Italian humanists of the quattrocento ("fourteen hundreds") to rescue the dignity of man from the pessimism of Western culture. Departing from traditional Christianity's dignification of man through communion with God, they looked instead to Neoplatonism and there found a model of the fully autonomous human being, Prometheus.

Fr. John Strickland announces the release of the third volume of his book series. The Age of Utopia: Christendom from the Renaissance to the Russian Revolution (store.ancientfaith.com/the-age-of-utopia) is a companion to the podcast, but, as he notes, contains quite a bit of material that is unique. Here he summarizes some of its content.

In this introduction to the final part of Paradise and Utopia, Fr. John reads the prologue to his recently released book, The Age of Nihilism: Christendom from the Great War to the Culture Wars. The episode introduces the nihilistic philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and the role compositions by Richard Wagner played in his formation. Included are musical excerpts of the latter's famous "Wedding March" and "Ride of the Valkyries."

Friedrich Nietzsche is in many ways the father of modern nihilism. In this episode, Fr. John describes the philosopher's relationship to the atheism of contemporary utopian Christendom, and how the music of Richard Wagner played a role in leading him toward nihilism. As with previous episodes, this one introduces the listener to some music that is both beautiful and historically important.

In this episode, Fr John reflects on the Scripture readings for the Divine Liturgy of the Feast of the Holy Ascension—and their impact on our mission and commission as Orthodox Christians.

In this episode, Fr John Parker discusses the difference between ‘worship evangelism’ and ‘worship as evangelism’, and encourages us to offer to God the most beautiful worship of which we are capable, and to ‘get out of the way’ for visitors—so that they can encounter God.

Fr. Chad Hatfield, Dean of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Seminary, gave a Lenten retreat at Fr. John Parker's Holy Ascension Orthodox Church. He spoke on Basic Christian Discipleship - Three Proven Methods for Holy Living. This is part 1.

Fr. Chad Hatfield, Dean of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Seminary, gave a Lenten retreat at Fr. John Parker's Holy Ascension Orthodox Church. He spoke on Basic Christian Discipleship - Three Proven Methods for Holy Living. This is part 2.

Fr. Chad Hatfield, Dean of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Seminary, gave a Lenten retreat at Fr. John Parker's Holy Ascension Orthodox Church. He spoke on Basic Christian Discipleship - Three Proven Methods for Holy Living. This is part 3.

Fr. John Parker recently traveled to Kodiak, Alaska, and Spruce Island, Alaska, for the Feast of St. Herman of Alaska. While there, he had the chance to speak with all sorts of Orthodox Christians who minister in this beautiful, holy land of America. Today he introduces this series and then we will post updates every couple of days.

Fr. John Parker interviews Archimandrite David Mahaffey, Chancellor and Administrator of the Diocese of Alaska of the Orthodox Church in America.

Fr. John interviews Fr. John Dunlop, Dean of St. Herman’s Seminary, Kodiak, Alaska, about the seminary, the incredible Archives (which include the handwritten documents of St. Innocent as well as the journals of St. Iakov Netsvyetov), and his own missionary work in the villages.

In this episode, Fr. John interviews Fr. Jason Foster, pastor of Holy Nativity Orthodox Mission in Shreveport, LA. Fr. Jason is doing amazing and catalytic missionary work in Louisiana.

Fr. John Parker reflects on his appearance on the new live call-in program entitled Faith Encouraged Live with Fr. Barnabas Powell. This is the first of two podcasts where he talks about effectively reaching out as a parish.

Fr. Josiah Trenham speaks about Islam at a parish retreat earlier this month at Holy Ascension Orthodox Church in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. This is Part 1 of his talk.

Fr. John recently spoke at St. Basil's Mission in Wilmington, NC, on their parish feast and on the occasion of the blessing of land for the construction of a church. He discusses the definition of "success" for a mission and parish.

Fr. John shares the Homily of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) for the Sunday of the Last Judgment.

Fr. Josiah Trenham speaks about Islam at a clergy retreat for the Carolina Deanery of the Orthodox Church in America.

Recorded on March 17, Fr. John remembers Fr. Thomas Hopko who reposed on March 18, 2015. May his memory be eternal. These links were referenced: Fr. John's reflection soon after Fr. Tom's repose Fr. Tom's lecture on Understanding the Cross Funeral homily by Fr. John Behr

Fr. Michael Oleksa shares on the lives of saints in Alaska, the stories of their mission work, and connects his personal experiences with the many diverse cultures found there.

Fr. John shares some reflections on the death of Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko.

What does the Orthodox Church have to say about Charlottesville? In the vocabulary of the day, nothing. In the language of the redemption of mankind: the Good News of Redemption found alone in Jesus Christ, and a life committed to imitation of his Royal way. The greatest mistake any human person can make, in this situation or any other, is to think that human means and ways will solve the tragedies and disasters of the fallen world. The solution must come from outside us, above us. Salvation is not found in killing our neighbor or our enemy. Salvation is found is seeing the Lord Jesus Christ in neighbor and in blessing our enemy, both. So if you wish to be saved, and if you want to make “a positive change in the world,” look neither to the Left, nor to the Right. Look up to Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the World.

Fr. John Parker speaks about the life of Fr. Thomas Hopko, this being the liturgical anniversary of his repose, and his reflections on the Cross. Listen to Fr. Tom's reflections here: *Part 1*Part 2*Part 3*Part 4

Fr. John Parker exhorts us to be grateful for the spiritual oases we experience.

Fr. John Parker shares reflections from Crete at the 2nd International Conference on Digital Media and Orthodox Pastoral Care. Learn more about the conference at http://pemptousia.com/2018/01/2nd-international-conference-on-digital-media-and-orthodox-pastoral-care-the-living-water-2/.

Fr. John Parker shares reflections from Crete at the 2nd International Conference on Digital Media and Orthodox Pastoral Care. He tells about St. Nikephorus the Leper. Learn more about St. Nikephorus at https://orthodoxwiki.org/Nicephorus_the_Leper. Learn more about the conference at http://pemptousia.com/2018/01/2nd-international-conference-on-digital-media-and-orthodox-pastoral-care-the-living-water-2/.

Fr. John Parker shares reflections from Crete at the 2nd International Conference on Digital Media and Orthodox Pastoral Care. He tells about Olga, a woman he met at the conference who is editor of the Russian magazine, Foma. Learn more about Foma. Learn more about the conference.