Bobby Maddex interviews Dn. Patrick Mitchell, author of A Crown of Life, an epic romance spanning ten pivotal years in the history of the world, beginning in 303, when churches were closed, scriptures were confiscated, and Christians were forbidden to assemble and later forced to prove their loyalty to the empire by offering a sacrifice to the government’s gods.

Meet Fr. Dale Brown, pastor of the Church of the Advent in Atlanta, an Anglican parish on the way to Orthodoxy. Learn about their journey but also about Save Christians Now, a grass roots effort to bring attention to the plight of persecuted Christians.

Bobby Maddex interviews Fr. Christophe Lepoutre, the director of the Fellowship of the Inexhaustible Cup, an organization committed to honoring Our Most Holy Lady, the Theotokos, by acquiring and maintaining quality sobriety and purity as a way of life.

Fr. Stephen Powley, the Executive Director of Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry, speaks at Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Church in Livonia, Michigan.

Bobby Maddex interviews Chaplain Patrick Tutella and Jason Irwin, the individuals behind both the organization Caring Connections in Corrections and the new book In the Shadow of the Forty-Foot Wall.

Bobby Maddex interviews Yianni Gagianas, the chairman of the student leadership board of Orthodox Christian Fellowship, about all things OCF. If you're not yet familiar with this campus ministry organization, then this is the perfect place to start.

Bobby Maddex interviews April French, the editor of a new book titled An Inner Step Toward God: Writing and Teachings on Prayer by Father Alexander Men, published by Paraclete Press.

Bobby Maddex interviews Nathan Jekel, the President of the Penn State Harrisburg chapter of OCF, about how to create a successful and invested chapter of Orthodox Christian Fellowship.

On this special edition of Ancient Faith Presents, Fr. Evan Armatas, priest at St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church in Loveland, Colorado, and the host of Orthodoxy Live on Ancient Faith Radio, speaks at Holy Apostles Orthodox Church in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Holy Apostles holds an annual dinner in the Cheyenne community to raise funds and awareness about Orthodoxy. Each year they invite a keynote speaker to address their guests and speak about the Faith. This year the host committee asked Fr. Evan. The event occurred outside of Cheyenne at the historic Shellback Ranch on July 19, 2016.

Fr. Gregory Hallam joins us from St. Aidan's Orthodox Church in Manchester, United Kingdom, to speak about a new educational program for children designed to teach them about the Orthodox Faith. It is freely available worldwide and it is called Followers. This program is under the pastoral leadership of Metropolitan Silouan, primate of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland.

Bobby Maddex interviews Fr. Stephen Powley, the Executive Director of Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry, about OCPM's new Matthew 25:36 Fellowship.

Bobby Maddex interviews Alexei D. Krindatch, the Research Coordinator for the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America, about a new study titled “Go and Make Disciples: Evangelization and Outreach in US Orthodox Parishes."

One of the extremely complicated issues with which Orthodox parents must contend these days is that of homosexuality. How do we talk to our kids about same-sex desires and relationships and how do we do so with the sensitivity, nuance, and frankness that the topic requires? At the request of Carole Buleza, the Director of the Antiochian Department of Christian Education, Bobby Maddex once again interviews Dr. Philip Mamalakis, an Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, about how to talk about marriage, intimacy, and homosexuality with your children. This is part two!

One of the extremely complicated issues with which Orthodox parents must contend these days is that of homosexuality. How do we talk to our kids about same-sex desires and relationships and how do we do so with the sensitivity, nuance, and frankness that the topic requires? At the request of Carole Buleza, the Director of the Antiochian Department of Christian Education, Bobby Maddex interviews Dr. Philip Mamalakis, an Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, about how to talk about marriage, intimacy, and homosexuality with your children.

At the dinner following the 33rd Annual Schmemann Lecture at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Seminary, Dr. Charles Ajalat, the former chancellor for the Antiochian Archdiocese and the co-founder of International Orthodox Christian Charities, presented a plan for a governing structure of the world wide Orthodox Church. Also see transcript below. Earlier in the evening, Dr. Ajalat received an honorary doctorate in Canon Law. Here he is with his January 31, 2016, proposal.

Bobby Maddex interviews Fr. Thomas Colyandro and Hieromonk Mark about the new Orthodox Monastery of the Mother of God, Joy of All Who Sorrow in Monteagle, TN. Listeners can learn more and help support this amazing monastery here.

Bobby Maddex interviews a handful of OCF students and alumni about the importance and reach of Orthodox Christian Fellowship. In part, the students discuss the OCF Now Campaign. Help OCF reach $25,000 by August 4, and this amount will be matched! Find out more here.

Fr. Barnabas Powell interviews Fr. Evan Armatas about Fr. Evan's new Ancient Faith book Toolkit for Spiritual Growth.

Bobby Maddex interviews Georgia Georgiou, a member of the executive committee of SOFIA, which stands for Student Orthodox Fellowship in Australia.

Bobby Maddox, the Director of Digital Media for Ancient Faith Ministries, interviews Dr. Philip Mamalakis, author of the Ancient Faith publishing book Parenting Toward the Kingdom: Orthodox Christian Principles of Child Rearing, about the book's new Companion Guide.

Bobby Maddex interviews Kendra Hunter, Kristina Tartara, and Stephanie Petrides, the authors of the new companion guide to Dr. Philip Mamalakis's book Parenting Toward the Kingdom: Orthodox Christian Principles of Child Rearing, publishing by Ancient Faith Publishing.

Researchers find that people think they know enough to make informed decisions—regardless of what information they have. / Ars Technica

A detailed investigation into how Russian propaganda reaches and influences Americans. / NBC News

Donald Trump blames Ukraine for Russia's invasion. / The Washington Post

Analysts at the Department of Homeland Security warn of right-wing extremists attacking election facilities. / WIRED

What does merch mean to political campaigns? "It's a medium for expressing a networked collection of different beliefs and values." / It's Nice That

Some thoughts on what the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar means for the Middle East. / NPR

A short quiz about Shein, Delhi's Chandni Chowk market, and the global fashion business. / rest of world

See also: Notes from a day in the life of a small British bookstore. "Shop goes quiet for ages but it's okay." / Receipt from the Bookshop

A young person's tips for navigating an urban social life while newly sober. / plant life

A deep dive into all things tech-related from 2004. / The Verge

Some aerial photographs of scrap yards with their junk arranged into collages. / Kottke

For everyone who's not from southern Ontario, an explainer for understanding the rare game of Crokinole. / The Pudding

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North Korea launches an intercontinental ballistic missile, perhaps looking for attention prior to the US presidential election. / USA Today

The Economist magazine endorses Kamala Harris, saying "being independent and being opinionated" aren't in conflict with each other. / Semafor

Election officials in battleground states are trying—and mostly failing—to fact-check Elon Musk in real time. / CNN

An argument that social scientists don't seem to know how to incorporate the nonlinearity of chaos. / Aeon

Unrelated: Dodgers fans set a Metro bus on fire after their team wins the World Series. / KTLA

Facebook is auto-generating militia group pages. / WIRED

Users report still being able to use Microsoft's controversial AI-powered gender classifier. / 404 Media

Schools are banning Crocs because the shoes are said to be a distraction, and dangerous. / Fortune

Related: How the font Comic Sans became the Crocs of typefaces. / FastCompany

An eating tour of eastern France's choucroute garnie, pretzels, and pork knuckles. / The Financial Times [+]

Diwali and Halloween overlap this year, producing "Diwalloween." / The Washington Post [+]

An annual favorite, a round-up of "mundane" Halloween costumes from Japan. / Spoon & Tamago

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The release of Windows 11 is still a number of months away, and we're still learning a lot about Microsoft's latest operating system update. In addition to the confusion about hardware requirements, there have been questions about other necessities.

Microsoft is changing its famous Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) to black in Windows 11. The software giant started testing its new design changes in a Windows 11 preview earlier this week, but the Black Screen of Death isn’t fully enabled yet. The Verge understands Microsoft will be switching to a Black Screen of Death for Windows 11, matching the new black logon and shutdown screens.

Fr. Pat continues the allegory that Jesus began in the parable of the sowing of the seed.

Fr. Pat discusses the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes.

If we are justified by faith, if we live in the Holy Spirit, and if Christ is our Lord, then what should our lives be like? Fr. Pat looks at Paul's exhortations to the believers at Rome.

St. Paul says, "It is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ" (2 Corinthians 1:21). In a certain sense, every verse in the Bible is telling us to stand firm. In this homily Fr. Pat encourages us to do just that.

At the foot of the mount of transfiguration, we find out what we’re made of.

The Cross of Christ addresses the human condition. On the Sunday before the Elevation of the Holy Cross Fr. Pat examines three traits of the human condition.

Fr. Pat considers with us the Icon of the invisible God from three perspectives that Christ Himself gave to us when He declared "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”

Fr. Pat expounds upon Paul’s exhortations in Romans 12:6-14.

The account of the man born blind serves as a narrative completion of the themes introduced on the night of Pascha. Fr. Pat preaches on the darkness of blindness and the True Light, which gives light to every man coming into the world.

Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit will be our teacher and instructor; He will lead us into all truth. When we pray Psalm 118:66 we ask the Holy Spirit to teach us goodness, discipline, and knowledge. Fr. Pat looks a these three things.

The English word “time” has various meanings. Fr. Pat looks at three of these in regard to our experience and knowledge of God.

Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon discusses the meaning of the Ecclesiastical New Year for Christians, its connection with the Feast of Joshua, and the significance of the Biblical texts chosen for this date.

In this meditation on Isiah 1:16-31, Fr. Pat reflects upon the Bible’s prophetic voice on behalf of the poor.

Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon discusses Paul’s response to the Gentile converts in Galatia being compelled by Jewish Christian teachers to live according to Jewish customs.

When, in Matthew 18, Jesus instructs us to be merciful as the Heavenly Father is merciful, he is telling us how to partake of the life of God; how to arrive at theosis.

Fr. Pat shows us how the Roman centurion who comes to Jesus for healing for his servant can be a model to us of how to approach Jesus. The text is Matthew 8:5-13.

What sort of life we live is determined by who we think we are. If we are servants of God, that means that not one of us belongs to himself. His time, his energy, his resources, all belong to the King that he serves.

This week we're answering another of your questions! What should we do when we try showing love to people and don't get anything positive in return?

How do Christ and the Church teach us to read the Bible? Here are three things you need to know!

When we look at snow with the eyes of a bee, we can learn an important lesson for our spiritual lives. Snow is a beautiful metaphor for our ideal spiritual state, as we read in Psalm 50(51). If we're not careful, snow can slowly be transformed into disgusting muck. Thank God, the Church offers us a reset button!

You've probably heard the Parable of the Sower, and that we're called to make our hearts good soil, ready to receive God's Word. But what about our call to be sowers, to be people who plant the seeds of the Gospel? Y2AM has a special challenge for you this Advent: are you ready to #BeTheSower?