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 draws attention to a feature of Byzantine statecraft in which the Emperor persecuted and manipulated the leadership of the Church.

In this episode, Fr. John discusses Pope Urban II's calling of the First Crusade and the impact it and the crusades of the twelfth century had upon relations between the Orthodox and Roman Catholics.

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.

Having related the fall of Byzantium to the Turks, Fr. John now begins a reflection on the only remaining Orthodox state in eastern Christendom, Muscovite Russia. In this introductory anecdote he tells of an event in the history of this "Third Rome" that signaled the coming decline of ecclesio-political symphony, and with it the experience of paradise.

In this episode, Fr. John discusses an important and fateful development in the history of Russian Christendom before modern times, the Possessor Controversy.

In this episode, Fr. John discusses Muscovite Russia's encounter with the West in the face of Uniatism, military invasion, and theological "captivity," all of which contributed to the decline of eastern Christendom.

In this final episode of his reflection on Muscovite Russia, Fr. John describes the Old Believer Schism as a crisis in the formerly optimistic cosmology of eastern Christendom, leading to its decline on the eve of modern times.

In this episode Father John explores the way in which the loss of sacramental experience among Calvinists led to the rise of a political ideology that would unintentionally lay the foundation for utopia.

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.

Fr. John delineates the various ways in which Constantine contributed to the Christianization of the Roman state.

Fr. John discusses the spiritual transformation of time by Christianity.

Fr. John discusses the ways in which the Church tries to create a sanctified topography in Christendom.

In this special video episode (the first of two parts), Father John discusses the background to the revolution in art during the Italian Renaissance. Though it produced some of the most stunning and innovative works ever, secular humanism represented a radical departure from the heavenly orientation of traditional Christian art.

This is part 2 to last week's special video episode, on the revolution of art during the Italian Renaissance.

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.

What was the genius of classical music during its nineteenth-century golden age? According to Fr. John Strickland, it was an effort to rescue Christendom's transformational imperative in an age when secularization threatened to sever earth from heaven. No longer influenced by traditional Christianity, great composers like Beethoven exaggerated earthly passions (especially sexual love) to communicate the West's primordial desire for transcendence. But the emotionalism that resulted threatened to take the floor out from underneath them. This episode concludes by analyzing famous works by Schubert and Berlioz which show how transcendence gave way to descent, and how utopian hopes plunged into irreversible spiritual agony.

In this special edition of Paradise and Utopia, Fr. John Strickland responds to a recent review of the first two volumes of his book series. In it, he notes the failure to consider the books on their own terms. He uses the opportunity to elaborate what he considers a healthy vision of Christian historiography, one that supports what many consider the need for a "re-enchantment" of modern culture.

In this second half of his response to a recent review of his books, Fr. John Strickland discusses his use of scholarly sources (The Age of Division required more than three hundred and fifty of them). He also reflects on how criticisms of his sources and his arguments may have been provoked by the unconventional way in which he tells the story of Christendom.

In this final episode of part three of the podcast, Fr. John Strickland traces the outcome of secular humanism in the case of the Russian Revolution. Though numerous Orthodox Christians warned of the impending disaster facing a post-Christian Christendom, Vladimir Lenin and his Bolsheviks took advantage of discontent caused by the First World War to plunge violently into a project of counterfeit transcendence they called "building socialism."

In this episode, Fr John Parker address same-sex marriage and homosexuality, in response to the frenzy of discussion on these topics today in the public sphere.

Fr. John leads a discussion at a Diocese of the South (OCA) luncheon where attendees share their experiences.

In today’s episode, Fr John Parker addresses “becoming fishers of men” using Mormon practice as a catalyst to missionary work.

In this episode, Fr. John interviews Fr. Sergius Halvorsen, professor of Homiletics and Rhetoric at St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. Fr. Sergius discusses the vital link between solid preaching and evangelization.

Fr. Josiah Trenham speaks about the connection between church building consecration and people consecration at a clergy retreat for the Carolina Deanery of the Orthodox Church in America.

Fr. John interviews Fr. Josiah Trenham about the importance of preaching in fulfilling the Great Commission.

Fr. John shares the story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman, her response, and our response in light of recent statistics about faith and culture.

Fr. John shares about the Sunday of All Saints and gives a challenge for us to follow the examples of the missionary saints.

Fr. John reflects on a few experiences at Costco, and then about Clemson and Christianity.

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

Fr. John shares about some of the Orthodox missionaries from North America and reflects on the beauty of the Holy Saturday services (including baptisms) and Pascha services.

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 reflects on the Myrrhbearing woman and the healing of the paralytic. There are two types of messages in sharing our faith: the preaching of Jesus as the Son of God and personal testimony of what God has done in our lives. He asks for listener feedback regarding this sentence describing the Myrrhbearers, "They went and told no one because they were afraid." What keeps us from boldly proclaiming Christ? (Email Fr. John at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)/**/.)

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.

Fr. John Parker shares reflections from Crete at the 2nd International Conference on Digital Media and Orthodox Pastoral Care. He introduces Orthphoto.net. Learn more about the conference.

Dr. Humphrey takes us to the letter to the Hebrews for the Christian Hall of Fame as we approach the Sunday of Orthodoxy.

Dr. Edith Humphrey considers the Judges’ parable of the bramble and the trees, and the most famous of the Servant Songs of Isaiah, to illuminate the godly vs. self-seeking ambition, and the New Testament readings for this week.

As we approach the Feast of Feasts, Dr. Humphrey takes us again to the Old Testament to illumine the Paschal New Testament readings including the story of the Prophet Jonah as well as the Three Youths in the fire.

How do we understand God’s wrath, when there is also His love and peace?

Here the Old Testament readings for Great Vespers and the New Testament readings for Divine Liturgy are used to illuminate the importance of councils and primacy in the holy Church—a Church that is visible and concrete, with a recognizable and divinely-ordained shape, just as our Lord actually took on humanity, and did not simply visit us in an “appearance.”

This week Edith Humphrey considers the Dormition and Translation (Assumption) of the Holy Theotokos, using Old Testament passages as well as the book of Revelation in order to clarify why Holy Mary’s death as well as her assumption glorify the Lord Jesus, in an “echo” of the gospel.

This week’s readings for divine liturgy correct any notion we might have that the physical, material world does not matter. While the physical is ordered under the spiritual realm by God, it is also meant to be taken up into it, transformed. We see this careful balance and valuing of the spiritual and material worlds in the lives of the Theotokos and St. Edith of Wilton, as well as in the Old Testament narratives of the “fiery serpent” and the promised “new heavens and new earth.”

What is sure and what is shallow? Our Great Vesper readings (Genesis 14:14-20, Deuteronomy 1:8-11, 15-17 and Deuteronomy 10:14-21) guide us in understanding what the fathers of the ecumenical councils have done, and in reading Titus 3:8-15 and Luke 8:5-15.