Raised by the Hell’s Angel’s motorcycle gang as a youth, John Franklin lived a hell on earth before submitting to Christ and discovering The Orthodox Church while serving a third-term in prison. A story of (continuing) repentance and the grace and mercy of God, this is one you won’t want to miss!

Orthodox churches in America are separated into multiple ‘jurisdictions’ based on ethnic-national lines. Antiochian priest Fr Josiah Trenham (PhD.) speaks frankly and passionately about the subject and its implications, both spiritual and pastoral. Everyone may not agree with his perspective, but it raises important questions for the future of Orthodoxy in America!

As many as 30%+ of Iraqi's 4.2 million displaced refugees are Christian. They are being persecuted from all sides of the conflict. Amal Morcos of IOCC recently returned from Syria and Lebanon and reports first hand on what the U.N. calls "the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world."

Dr Bradley Nassif, a “pioneer of Orthodox-Evangelical Dialogue” talks with host Kevin Allen about “where things are” formally and informally between The Orthodox Church and Evangelical Christians. Kevin asks the question: “What is an Evangelical?”

Dr. Christine Mangala was raised in India and brought up a devout Hindu. Her family was close to one of India's leading Hindu gurus and teachers. Now an Orthodox Christian writer and teacher, she and Illumined Heart host Kevin Allen speak about whether various aspects of Hindu Yoga are compatible with Christian faith and practice, or whether Yoga should be shunned entirely.

In this two-part series, Illumined Heart host Kevin Allen speaks with Eastern Orthodox priest and occult-specialist Father George Aquaro about the attractions and dangers of the metaphysics and practices of what is called the occult. From seemingly benign astrology to ghost-chasing, and Father George speaks extensively about these practices and what is behind them from the Orthodox Christian perspective. Do ghosts and apparitions exist, or are they necessarily demonic? This and other questions will be addressed in this fascinating two-part series you will not want to miss.

Listen to Part 2 of this fascinating concluding conversation between host Kevin Allen and Orthodox priest and occult-specialist, Father George Aquaro.

Jeremy (Basil) Dannnebohm was an ardent young Catholic. What made him journey from his cradle Church to the Eastern Orthodox Church, only to return to Rome and then revert to Orthodoxy? His story is on this episode of the Illumined Heart.

In this edition Kevin Allen speaks with priest, missionary, author and an adjunct lecturer at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and Hellenic College, Fr Luke Veronis, about the challenges he faced when he came home from the mission field to take over a moribund Orthodox parish that had a revolving door of former priests. This is an inspiring and instructive story that will be an encouragement to all!

Kevin's guest is Alexei Krindatch, the research director of the most extensive and authoritative study ever conducted on how American Orthodox view the Orthodox Church today. This just-published study is full of interesting surprises and will shatter many stereotypes about Orthodoxy in America.

Jesus said “Everyone who practices sin is the slave of sin!” (Jn. 8:34). But we know so long as we live, we live only through God’s dynamic, life-sustaining power active in us. Read the transcript HERE.

Frederica Mathewes-Green

In the final program of the series on "Prayer to the Saints" we continue the discussion of the state of the departed from the Scriptures. In many enigmatic passages we find the foundations for why the Church affirms the "Communion of the Saints" as including both those "in Christ" on earth and the "departed in Christ." Within these passages we find the rationale for believing that those who have gone before us do stand before the throne of God and intercede on our behalf because of our prayers to them.

Steve and Bill offer indisputable evidence that they are still alive by breaking radio silence. Tune in and find out what has been going on for the last few weeks, and then join them in a discussion of "The Unseen Warfare," a Lenten discussion of the spiritual warfare.

In this podcast, the Chancellor of the Seminary, Fr. Chad Hatfield talks about the year just completed, the financial picture and some myths that need to be dispelled.

Fr. Chad interviews Greg Hatrak, the new bookstore manager at St. Vladimir's Seminary, about some exciting new developments in the school's publishing division.

The Very Rev. Dr. John H. Erickson, former seminary Dean (2002-2007), speaks at the first annual "Father John Meyendorff Memorial Lecture" at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary on September 15, 2013.

Archpriest Chad Hatfield, CEO of St. Vladimir's Seminary, giving the opening charge to the OCA's Diaconal Vocations Program.

St. Vladimir's Seminary's 75th Commencement, held May 20, 2017, included several distinguishing moments: granting degrees to 16 graduates in three academic programs; remarks to graduates by His Beatitude the Most Blessed Tikhon, of the Orthodox Church in America; the commencement address by His Grace the Right Reverend John of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America; the appointment of Archpriest John Behr to the newly established “Father Georges Florovsky Distinguished Professorship of Patristics"; and the bestowal of the St. Macrina Award upon Archpriest Chad Hatfield, Seminary President.

The 2018 Commencement at St. Vladimir's Seminary, held May 19, was truly a blessed occasion. In addition to graduating 20 students from the Class of 2018, the seminary also awarded honorary doctorates to three distinguished figures for their contributions to the Orthodox Church: composer Mitered Archpriest Sergei Glagolev, Dr. David Bradshaw, chair of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Kentucky, and Protodeacon Peter Danilchick, seminary trustee emeritus and former ExxonMobile executive. Hear the Commencement Exercises in their entirety, which included remarks from His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon and the Commencement Address from Dr. Bradshaw.

At Orthodox Education Day (OED) on October 6, 2018, former SVS Press director Ted Bazil and St Vladimir's Seminary Professor Emeritus David Drillock offered a fantastic look back and wonderful stories from the fifty-year history of SVS Press and Orthodox Education Day.

The 36th Annual Father Alexander Schmemann Lecture at St. Vladimir's Seminary proved to be an insightful tribute to Fr. Alexander’s memory. On Wednesday, January 30, 2019, guest lecturer Dr. David Fagerberg, professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame and author of the recently released Liturgy outside Liturgy: The Liturgical Theology of Fr. Alexander Schmemann (Chora Books, 2018), took the audience through a beautiful exploration of what he termed "the house of Schmemann."

At its Commencement Ceremonies Saturday, May 18, 2019 St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) conferred degrees upon twenty-two graduates, including fourteen Master of Divinity, three Master of Arts, and five Master of Theology students. The Seminary also awarded two honorary doctorates, one to His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East (Syriac Orthodox Church) and longtime Seminary Trustee Alex Machaskee. Hear the Commencement Exercises in their entirety, which included remarks from His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon and the Commencement Address from Orthodox Church in America Chancellor Archpriest Alexander Rentel.

St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS), Yonkers, NY, and St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, Armonk, NY, celebrated fifty years of collaboration with a special event Friday, October 11, on SVOTS’ campus. The event included the annual Father John Meyendorff Memorial Lecture, delivered by SVOTS/St. Nersess Alumnus His Grace, Bishop Daniel Findikyan, Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America and President of St. Nersess Seminary.

St. Vladimir’s Seminary celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA)’s autocephaly Thursday, January 30, 2020. A full-day of events culminated with a passionate, heartfelt 37th Annual Father Alexander Schmemann Memorial Lecture delivered by His Eminence, Archbishop Michael (Dahulich). Hear his lecture, "The Gift of Autocephaly," the Mid-Year Commencement Ceremony, and a final reflection from His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon.

St. Vladimir’s Seminary celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA)’s autocephaly Thursday, January 30, 2020. A full-day of events included three workshops on the topic of autocephaly. In the second, “Autocephaly & Evangelism," Archpriest John Parker, dean of Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, delivered a passionate call to action and reminder that "autocephaly is an inner evangelism in reminding all Orthodox Christians that in Christ Jews and Greeks, Turks and Cretans, Romanians, Latinos, Africans, Asians all find true motherland in the nave and at the chalice."

St. Vladimir’s Seminary celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA)’s autocephaly Thursday, January 30, 2020. A full-day of events included three workshops on the topic of autocephaly. In the third, “Autocephaly & New Saints,” His Grace, Bishop Daniel (Brum) of Santa Rosa explored the importance and canonization of North American saints including St. Herman of Alaska, who was canonized the same year the Tomos of Autocephaly was granted (but decided upon a year earlier). Excitingly, Bishop Daniel’s talk also touched upon the possibility of new North American saints, notably Metropolitan Leonty (Turkevich, d. 1965) and Matushka Olga Michael of Alaska (d. 1979).

The Saint Vladimir's Seminary community entered into its annual two-day Lenten Retreat March 2 and 3, 2020. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington and Metropolitan of All America and Canada (Orthodox Church in America), delivered four reflections over the two days loosely built around his own experience of life in community.

The Saint Vladimir's Seminary community entered into its annual two-day Lenten Retreat March 2 and 3, 2020. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington and Metropolitan of All America and Canada (Orthodox Church in America), delivered four reflections over the two days loosely built around his own experience of life in community.

The Saint Vladimir's Seminary community entered into its annual two-day Lenten Retreat March 2 and 3, 2020. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington and Metropolitan of All America and Canada (Orthodox Church in America), delivered four reflections over the two days loosely built around his own experience of life in community.

The Saint Vladimir's Seminary community entered into its annual two-day Lenten Retreat March 2 and 3, 2020. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington and Metropolitan of All America and Canada (Orthodox Church in America), delivered four reflections over the two days loosely built around his own experience of life in community.

Antwian (Anthony) Davis has been experiencing and witnessing God's miraculous grace from a time beyond his own memories as a small child, and seemingly at every turn since: through the profound faith of his parents; in his journey from serious illness and near death in childhood to health and adulthood; from ordained Baptist minister to seminarian at St Vladimir's Seminary; and during his encounters with the sick, suffering, and incarcerated. In this episode of Voices from St Vladimir's Seminary, Antwian shares powerful stories from his life and conversion to Orthodox Christianity—including why he's thankful to his Baptist parents, who he says "actually raised me to be Orthodox." Antwian, who currently serves as SVS Press Bookstore manager, also reveals his favorite Press books and announces the next stop in his grace-filled journey, this time away from St Vladimir's Seminary.

Dn. Michael begins a new series discussing the book Beginning to Pray by Anthony Bloom.

Dn. Michael continues his discussion of Anthony Bloom's book, Beginning to Pray. He emphasizes the importance of humility when approaching our Lord in prayer.

Dn. Michael discusses chapter 3 of Anthony Bloom's book, Beginning to Pray . He borrows Nike's slogan and urges all of us, when it comes to prayer, to "Just Do It."

Dn. Michael continues his discussion of Anthony Bloom's book, Beginning to Pray . This week he looks at chapter 4.

Dn. Michael concludes his study of Anthony Bloom's book, Beginning to Pray.

Dn. Michael continues his series," In But Not Of," and discusses chapter one of On the Incarnation.

Dn. Michael discusses chapter three in St. Athanasius's book On the Incarnation. This is lesson five in his series "In But Not Of."

Domingo 16 de Febrero Pd. Nicolás predico sobre el arrepentimiento sin desesperación. No es bastante a conocer sus pecados pero cada uno tiene que tener esperanza en la misericordia del Señor. Lucas 15:11-32 Sunday February 16 Fr. Nicholas preached about repentance without despair. It is not enough to know your sins but everyone has to have hope in the mercy of the Lord. Luke 15:11-32

Domingo 16 de Marzo Pd. Nicolás predicó sobre la grandeza del Señor y sobre la importancia de la teología apofático en la Iglesia Ortodoxo, que Dios no es. Marcos 2:1-12 Sunday 16 of March Fr. Nicholas preached about unknowingness of the Lord and about the importance of Apophatic Theology in the Orthodox Church, what God is not. Mark 2:1-12

Domingo 23 de Marzo Pd. Nicolás predicó sobre Domingo de la Cruz y los labores que tenemos para recibir la salvación que es gratis. Marcos 8:34-9:1 Sunday 23 of March Fr. Nicholas preached about Sunday of the Cross and the work we have in order to receive salvation which is free. Mark 8:34-9:1

Domingo 30 de Marzo Pd. Nicolás predicó sobre la liberación de pecado en la vida de Cristo. Reflejó sobre el consejo de San Juan de la escalera y la carta San Pablo a los Hebreos. Hebreos 6:13-20 Sunday 30 of March Fr. Nicholas preached about the liberatioin from sin in the life of Christ. He reflected on the consel of St. John of the Ladder and the letter of St. Paul to the Hebrews. Hebreos 6:13-20

Domingo 11 de Mayo Pd. Nicolás predicó sobre como el amor para Dios puede dar nos la fuerza para evitar parálisis del espíritu. Hechos 9:33-42 Sunday May 11 Fr. Nicholas preached about how the love for God can give us the strength to avoid spiritual paralysis. Acts 9:33-42

Domingo 20 de Julio Pd. Nicolás predicó sobre la salvacion y como Dios utiliza toda la creación para salvarnos. Él utiliza personas, oraciones, nuestros hijos y hasta nuestras vocaciones. Tenga tus ojos abiertos a la misericordia del Señor. Santiago 5:10-20 Sunday July 20 Fr. Nicholas preached about salvation and how God utilizes all of creation in order to save us. He uses people, prayers, our children and even our vocation. Open your eyes to the mercy of the Lord. St. James 5:10-20