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Who Is A Christian?

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick is Kevin's guest as they discuss what it means to be a Christian in light of the thousands of Christian denominations. Fr. Andrew is the host of two podcasts on AFR and the author of the Conciliar Press book Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy.




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Living in a Neo-Pagan Culture Today

Father John Strickland, Assistant Professor of History, St. Katherine College (Encinitas, CA), and assistant priest at St. John of Damascus Orthodox Church (Poway, CA), draws important parallels between the early Christian Church, confronting a pagan culture in the Roman Empire, and Christianity and life in a neo-pagan, postmodern North America and Western Europe in the 21st century.




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Orthodoxy and War

Orthodox Military Chaplains Fr. David Alexander and Fr. Sean Levine discuss important questions about war, serving under combat conditions, whether war is justified and under what conditions, and counseling soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.




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A Christian in Egypt

Ancient Faith Radio presents a special edition of Ancient Faith Today with Kevin Allen – A Christian in Egypt. Kevin interviews a Coptic Christian in Cairo by telephone to get a first hand report on what has been happening in this troubled country over the last several days and weeks. For his own safety, we use only his first name.




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Christian Persecution: A Conspiracy of Silence

Host Kevin Allen talks with Faith McDonnell and Ralph H. Sidway about the rising tide of Christian intolerance and genocide—the intentional killing of people for their Christian faith—and why global Christophobia is rarely covered by Western media or addressed by the United Nations. Faith McDonnell is the Director of Religious Liberty Programs at the Institute for Religion and Democracy and the author of the book Girl Soldier: A Story of Hope for Northern Uganda's Children. Her blog is titled "Juicy Ecumenism." Ralph H. Sidway is the author of Facing Islam and the blog of the same name.




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Sexuality, Virginity, and Marriage

In this two-hour special, Kevin's guest is the V. Rev. Fr. Josiah Trenham, pastor of Saint Andrew Orthodox Church, Riverside, California, and the author of the recently published Virginity and Marriage According to Saint John Chrysostom (St Herman Press). They discussed and took calls on the views of the church fathers and the contemporary Orthodox Church on sex, marriage, and celibacy (monasticism) in the context of a sex-obsessed contemporary Western culture.




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Reclaiming Evangelism in the Orthodox Church

Kevin's guest is Fr. John Parker, the Chair of the Department of Evangelization in the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). How does the Orthodox Church "do" evangelism and what do we need to do better to introduce people to Christ and His Church?




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Demons, Exorcism, and the Paranormal

On the May 6, 2012, program, Kevin's guest was Father George Aquaro (Antiochian Orthodox priest), who has done advanced training as an exorcist. Continue the conversation on the Ancient Faith Today Forum found HERE.




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Christianity and Same-Sex Attraction

Dr. Philip Mamalakis and Andrew Williams, the creators and facilitators of “Finding the freedom to live in the image of God,” a new therapeutic program based on Orthodox principles for sexual addictions and sex-related issues.




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Christianity and Bioethics

Kevin's guest is Fr John Breck, theologian of the OCA specializing in Scripture and ethics, and the topic is "Orthodox Bioethics: Contraception, Stem Cells, and Reproductive Technologies."




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Spiritually Minded Eating and Cultivating a Spiritually Minded Lifestyle

Kevin's guest is Rita Madden, host of the AFR podcast "Food, Faith, and Fasting." Rita is a Registered Dietitian who finds inspiration in the great role that the Orthodox Christian faith can play in her modern-day healthcare profession. Here she discusses caring for your health in a spiritually minded manner.




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Answering the Tough Questions About the Orthodox Faith

Kevin's guest is Dn. Michael Hyatt, former Chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers and the host of the AFR podcast "At the Intersection of East and West."




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The Orthodox Church—Today and Tomorrow

Fr. Josiah Trenham, member of the Secretariat of the Canonical Assembly of Orthodox Bishops of North and South America and podcaster on Ancient Faith Radio ("The Arena") talks with Kevin and the listeners about the Church today, its standing in the culture, and the recent work of the Canonical Assembly of Orthodox Bishops in America, which just met for the third time in September.




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A Christian Ending

Guest: Deacon J. Mark Barna, author of A Christian Ending: A Handbook For Burial in the Ancient Christian Tradition, speaks about dying, death, the movement toward natural burial, and dealing with grief from the perspective of the ancient Orthodox Christian tradition.




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Angels: Our Heavenly Guides and Guardians

Guest: Joel Miller, author of the recently published Lifted by Angels: The Presence and Power of Our Heavenly Guides and Guardians discusses with Kevin Allen and the callers the reality and role of angels within the Christian salvation context.




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The Humanity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Guest: The V. Rev. Patrick Henry Reardon, pastor of All Saints Antiochian Orthodox Church, Senior Editor of Touchstone magazine, AFR podcaster, and author of the newly released The Jesus We Missed: The Surprising Truth About the Humanity of Christ, speaks about the often misunderstood human nature of Christ just two days before His Advent celebration!




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Faith and Celebrity

Kevin talks with five-time Emmy Award-winning actor Jonathan Jackson—who can currently be seen on the ABC primetime drama Nashville—about his faith journey to the Eastern Orthodox Church, how he balances his faith life with his daytime job, and why he gave a public "shout out" to the monks of Holy Mount Athos when he received his recent Emmy Award!




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Mormonism and Orthodox Christianity

Chris Ionna Holland, an ex-Evangelical who was drawn to Mormonism as a teenager and (later) returned to her traditional Christian roots before becoming an Orthodox Christian (and taught how to evangelize Mormons), and Andrew Gusty (M.D.), a cradle Mormon, Temple worthy, an LDS High Priest, and Second Counselor to the Bishop, discuss their unique perspectives with Kevin Allen about Mormon theology, doctrines, and practices, as well as why they left the Mormon faith and became Eastern Orthodox Christians.




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Buddhism and Orthodoxy

Buddhists in the US are double the number of Orthodox Christians, and most American Buddhists are Western, not raised in Buddhist traditions. Kevin and his guests Fr. Brendan Pelphrey (GOA), an ex-missionary in Asia who has had dialogue with the Dalai Lama, and R. Todd Godwin, ex-Buddhist and Orthodox Christian, discuss the attractions of Buddhism, as well as its key teachings and practices, in comparison with and in contrast to those of Eastern Orthodox Christianity.




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Tribute to Metropolitan Philip

In a touching and emotional special edition of Ancient Faith Today, Kevin Allen welcomed the Vicar General of the Antiochian Archdiocese Fr. Thomas Zain as well as former EOC (Evangelical Orthodox Church) Bishop Fr. Wayne Wilson to discuss the life and legacy of Metropolitan Philip Saliba. The program also included listener calls and a tribute from Fr. Jon Braun.




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Human Exceptionalism and the Animal Rights Movement

Are Humans the Centerpiece of Creation? This episode deals with "Human Exceptionalism" and its threat by the animal and nature rights movements. Kevin Allens's guests are lawyer and award-winning author (and Orthodox Christian) Wesley J. Smith ("A Rat Is a Pig is a Dog is a Boy"), and Fr Christopher of New Skete monastery.




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Orthodoxy and the Environment

Kevin Allen talks with guest Father Michael Butler about how we might address the environmental issues that confront us today by appealing to the authentic Orthodox Tradition. Fr. Michael is the co-author of Creation and the Heart of Man.




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The Pope and the Patriarch

Kevin Allen and his guests discuss the joint statements made in Jerusalem by Pope Francis I and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and their potential impact on Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox relations. Kevin is joined by Fr. Matthew Baker (Greek Archdiocese of America) and Fr. John Whiteford (Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia).




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Scripture and Tradition

Kevin Allen speaks with the William F. Orr Professor of New Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Dr Edith M. Humphrey, on the relationship between the oral and written traditions of the Bible and how the various Christian faith traditions have made a relatively modern dichotomy between Scripture and Holy Tradition.




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Pentecostalism and Eastern Orthodox Christianity

Father Barnabas Powell talks about why he left Pentecostalism, why he was drawn to Eastern Orthodox Christianity, and how he and the Orthodox tradition view this contemporary Christian movement.




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Back to the Future: A Reflection on the Past and Future Legacy of the “Evangelical Orthodox”

Guest: The V. Rev. Jon Braun, ex-Campus Crusade for Christ Regional Director and former leader of the Evangelical Orthodox Church.




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Early Lutheran/Orthodox Dialog After The Reformation

Most Christians are not aware that in the latter part of the 16th century, early Lutheran Reformers - close colleagues and followers of Martin Luther - set in motion an eight year contact and correspondence with the (then) Ecumenical Patriarch, Jeremias II of Constantinople. The outcome might have changed the course of Christian history. Kevin Allen speaks with scholar Dr Paraskeve (Eve) Tibbs about this fascinating and largely unknown chapter in post-Reformation history.




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Addiction, Recovery, and Orthodox Christianity

Fr. George Aquaro, author of the blog "Orthodoxy and Recovery," and Dr. Albert Rossi, a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of New York, discuss addiction and ways to overcome it.




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Rock and Sand - Orthodoxy and Reformed Theology

We welcome back Kevin Allen to AFR with his inaugural come back podcast which is part 1 of an interview with Fr. Josiah Trenham. They discuss his new book Rock and Sand - An Orthodox Appraisal of the Protestant Reformers and their Teaching, published by New Rome Press. This interview is also available in video format from Patristic Nectar Films.




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Rock and Sand - Orthodoxy and Reformed Theology - Part 2

In part 2 of his interview with Fr. Josiah Trenham, Kevin Allen gets specific on some of the modern day expressions of Reformed teaching and how it differs from the Orthodox Church. Fr. Josiah authored the book Rock and Sand: An Orthodox Appraisal of the Protestant Reformers and Their Theology. Click here to view the video version of this interview.




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David Daleiden - The Man Behind the Planned Parenthood Exposé

In this special edition of Ancient Faith Today, Kevin speaks, in this extensive interview, with David Daleiden, the director of the Center For Medical Progress, the pro-life activist organization that planned and produced the ​exposé videos that have shaken the abortion industry in the United States.




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Anglicans and Orthodox in Russia

Kevin speaks with Fr. Chad Hatfield and Bishop Keith Ackerman shortly after their return from Moscow where bishops from the Anglican Church in North America were invited by Patriarch Kirill and Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) for a summit.




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Orthodox Fundamentalism: What is it and does it exist?

Earlier in the year one of Kevin's guests, Dr. George E. Demacopoulos, wrote on the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese blog that through the increasing expansion of 'Orthodox fundamentalism' in ordinary parishes, "the entire Orthodox Church is at risk of being hijacked by extremists." Father John Whiteford, ROCOR priest and blogger wrote a robust rebuttal to this article. On this episode of Ancient Faith Today, Kevin discusses with his guests their views of 'Orthodox fundamentalism': what it is, whether it truly exists, and what impact it is having on the Orthodox Church today.




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Islam: Through the heart and mind of a convert to Orthodox Christianity - Part 1

In this two-part interview Kevin's guest is "George," who became a Sunni Muslim at age 14 and studied to become an Imam at a madrasa, studying Quran, Arabic language, Islamic theology, hadith, and jurisprudence. He left Islam and became an Orthodox Christian 20 years later. Among other things, Kevin and his guest discuss Islamic theology, common misunderstandings of Christianity by Muslims, differences between "orthodox" Islam and the Nation of Islam, the true understanding and practice in Islam of slavery and jihad, and the extraordinary journey that led "George" to Orthodox Christianity.




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We Wish You an Ascetic Christmas! Understanding the Ascetic Struggle in Orthodoxy

For most people in our society the Christmas season is a time of celebration, with holiday parties, and unleashed consumerism. For Orthodox Christians however the Advent Season is a time of fasting, prayer and ascetic struggle. Why? In this edition of Ancient Faith Today, host Kevin Allen discusses with Father Gregory Jensen, author of the book The Cure for Consumerism, the reason for the ascetic struggle for Orthodox Christians.




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Islam: Through the heart and mind of a convert to Orthodox Christianity - Part 2

In this two-part interview Kevin's guest is "George," who became a Sunni Muslim at age 14 and studied to become an Imam at a madrasa, studying Quran, Arabic language, Islamic theology, hadith, and jurisprudence. He left Islam and became an Orthodox Christian 20 years later. Among other things, Kevin and his guest discuss Islamic theology, common misunderstandings of Christianity by Muslims, differences between "orthodox" Islam and the Nation of Islam, the true understanding and practice in Islam of slavery and jihad, and the extraordinary journey that led "George" to Orthodox Christianity.




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The New Atheists and their Claims

Kevin's first guests were Fr. Hans Jacobse, President of the American Orthodox Institute, and Dr. John Mark Reynolds, philosopher, author, and newly appointed Provost of Houston Baptist University. The subject was The New Atheists and their claims against Christianity




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An Orthodox Christian Leads the Fight Against Human Trafficking

One of the great evils of all times is slavery and in this time human trafficking. Unknown to many an Antiochian Orthodox Christian has dedicated his life to educating the public and ending this evil practice. In this episode host Kevin Allen speaks about human trafficking with Tony Nassif Jr, the President of the Cedars Cultural and Educational Foundation. He also produces national Preventing Abuse Conferences which focuses on preventing human trafficking and child abduction.




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Steps to Transformation

In this first episode of 2016, host Kevin Allen speaks with Archimandrite and Abbot Sergius of the Monastery of Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk, the oldest Orthodox monastery in the U.S., about practical ways Christians can cooperate with the grace of God to "...be transformed ..." (Rom. 12:2) into the Likeness of Christ. Abbot Sergius is the author of the book "Acquiring the Mind of Christ: Embracing the Vision of the Orthodox Church" (St Tikhon Seminary Press). Father Sergius is the 16th Abbot of Saint Tikhon’s Monastery and Lecturer of Orthodox Spirituality at Saint Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary.




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Surviving College as an Orthodox Christian

In America Christianity is losing its youth, especially when they enter college and university. This is the case across all Christian faith traditions. Two recent studies conducted by both the Barna Group and USA Today found that nearly 75 percent of Christian young people fall away from the faith between the ages of 18 and 22. In this program, host Kevin Allen discusses with his guest Emma Solak, an Orthodox Christian university student and active member of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship—a pan-Orthodox Christian campus ministry—he challenges today’s Christian students face in college and our increasingly secular culture, and ways to stay strong in the faith.




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Orthodox Christianity and Politics

As we enter the election cycle in 2016 what biblical principles or Church canons should be priorities in selecting candidates and supporting party platforms? Should Christian teachings, moral and bio-ethical teaching and Orthodox canons be disregarded in a contemporary secular society? Kevin’s guest is George E. Demacopolous, a Professor of Theology and the Fr. John Meyendorff and Patterson Family Chair of Orthodox Christian Studies, as well as the Co-Director of the Orthodox Christian Studies Center at Fordham University in New York.




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The Feminist Movement: Its Consequences for Women, Men, and Our Culture

Guest: Frederica Mathewes-Green, ex-feminist turned pro-life Christian, author of Gender and Real Choices, and a cultural commentator for NPR, National Review, Beliefnet.com, and Ancient Faith Radio.




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‘Mindfulness' Meditation from an Orthodox Christian Perspective

We are seeing eastern meditation and mind-body practices like hatha yoga, tai chi, qi gong; and mindfulness-based therapy gaining wide credibility and attracting more and more adherents. Whether we as Orthodox should adopt eastern spiritual mind-body practices is a matter of great debate in the Orthodox Church. In this edition of Ancient Faith Today, Kevin discusses with his guest Christopher Kies what “Mindfulness” meditation is in its secular and Buddhist spiritual contexts; the Orthodox Christian correlative approach of Nipsis or Watchfulness; how they differ in goals and approaches; and whether formal Mindfulness meditation practices are appropriate for Orthodox Christians.




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Tech Life: The dangerous job of online moderating

We hear from a former moderator in Kenya who was left traumatised by his previous job.




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Christians Must Be Different

So you're doing well are you? Ooops! Christians are required to be different.




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Life and Death

Death crawls down the hill but life springs towards Paradise.




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Mocked and an Object of Disgust

As a Christian you should expect to be mocked or to be the object of disgust but the Lord will heal you. You'll not be the first to be ridiculed!




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A Bent Down Body and a Bent Down Soul

The Lord invites us to come to and be healed, forgiven and made perfect as on the first Sabbath.




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So you have a more important engagement?

What happens if we refuse the most important invitation ever?




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Sunday Before Theophany

The Apostle Paul tells Timothy to fulfil his ministry (his "diaconia"). That ministry was as an evangelist - someone who carries the Good News. All the Royal Priesthood of Christ are called to fulfil their diaconia too: by living the Christian life you also become an evangelist and will receive your due award.