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Light Through the Past

Light Through the Past

216 episodes — Page 3 of 5

Origen & Nestorius: A look forward to the Christological Controversies

This episode Dr. Jenkins begins looking at the era of the great Christological debates which will dominate the mind of the Church for the next few centuries, and begins by looking again at the thought of Origen of Alexandria. Orthodoxy and Education: https://tinyurl.com/OrthodoxEducation Doxamoot 2024: https://tinyurl.com/Doxamoot24

May 30, 2024

The Lord of History

This week Dr. Jenkins concludes his discussion of St. Augustine's vision of history, on how the Incarnation is the central fact of history, and the place that the Incarnation plays as the paradigm for all of history. Orthodoxy and Education: https://tinyurl.com/OrthodoxEducation Doxamoot 2024: https://tinyurl.com/Doxamoot24

May 23, 2024

St. Augustine contra Pagan History

We continue our analysis of St. Augustine's monumental work, The City of God, looking at how St. Augustine, in taking on the pagan views of history of his time, lays the groundwork for a Christian theology of history. Orthodoxy and Education: https://tinyurl.com/OrthodoxEducation Doxamoot 2024: https://tinyurl.com/Doxamoot24

May 16, 2024

Let God Arise: the fourth-century fathers on what was happening at Pascha

This week Dr. Jenkins looks at the question of the "atonement" (an English word from the 16th century) in the minds of our Fathers among the Saints, Gregory the Theologian and Gregory of Nyssa."

May 9, 2024

St. Augustine and a Resurgent Paganism

The Church thrived in the Greek East, but not so much in Rome. The old rites were now forbidden, but Rome's educated class of pagans made bold to promote the old Roman ways, and were led by men of real education. This threat in the end moved St. Augustine to pen his greatest work, The City of God. Orthodoxy and Education: https://tinyurl.com/OrthodoxEducation Doxamoot 2024: https://tinyurl.com/Doxamoot24

May 2, 2024

St. Augustine and the Civitatem Aeternam

St. Augustine's idea of the Civitas has almost no correspondence to what we moderns mean when we say "city." So what does he (and his world) mean by this phrase, and what exactly is the Civitas Dei (of his De civitate Dei)? That's what this episode starts to address. Orthodoxy and Education: https://tinyurl.com/OrthodoxEducation Doxamoot 2024: https://tinyurl.com/Doxamoot24

Apr 25, 2024

St. Augustine and the Angelic Destiny of Man

This week we look at St. Augustine's account of the angels, and how his view of the angels affects his theological anthropology and even his doctrines of election and history. Orthodoxy and Education: https://tinyurl.com/OrthodoxEducation Doxamoot 2024: https://tinyurl.com/Doxamoot24

Apr 18, 2024

St. Augustine and Predestination

"This week Dr. Jenkins explores St. Augustine's novel doctrine of predestination, how did he come to believe it, and what we should Orthodox should think of it." Orthodoxy and Education: https://tinyurl.com/OrthodoxEducation Doxamoot 2024: https://tinyurl.com/Doxamoot24 Luxchristi blog for the text from today's episode: https://tinyurl.com/StAugPredestination

Apr 11, 2024

St. Augustine, Pelagius, and the Human Condition

For this episode Dr. Jenkins looks at the debate between St. Augustine and Pelagius on the power of sin in our lives, how extensive is its hold, and how do we 'get' it. Doxamoot tickets: https://tinyurl.com/Doxamoot24 Orthodoxy and Education: https://tinyurl.com/OrthodoxEducation

Apr 4, 2024

Tradition! Tradition!

This week Dr. Jenkins, after a seeming gratuitous poem from John Donne (but can anything from Donne be gratuitous) looks again at how we should think about Tradition, and why this is so relevant when discussing St. Augustine." Dr. Jenkins' book: http://tinyurl.com/DragonsAngelsSaints Donne's poem: https://luxchristi.wordpress.com/2012/03/25/the-feast-of-the-annunciation-via-john-donne/ Orthodoxy & Education: https://tinyurl.com/OrthodoxEducation

Mar 28, 2024

The Pelagians are Coming! The Pelagians are Coming!

This week Dr. Jenkins begins what will be a long and involved discussion of the Pelagian controversy. This touches more than just a British monk, but questions of the soul, freewill, predestination, inherited guilt and corruption, and difference between Greek East and Latin West. Orthodox Education Conference: https://tinyurl.com/OrthodoxEducation A Perilous Realm: http://tinyurl.com/DragonsAngelsSaints

Mar 21, 2024

St. Augustine and the Unity and Purity of the Church

This week we continue our look at St. Augustine, and in particular his controversy with the Donatists, whose vision of a pure Church struck at the very foundation of the Church as God's ordinary locus of grace. For Dr. Jenkins new book: http://tinyurl.com/DragonsAngelsSaints

Mar 14, 2024

St. Augustine and the Harmonious Soul

This week Dr. Jenkins looks at St. Augustine's use of classical and Platonic motifs in describing the soul's relation to the cosmos through his influential treatise On music. Dr. Jenkins most recent book: http://tinyurl.com/DragonsAngelsSaints Orthodoxy & Education Conference: https://tinyurl.com/OrthodoxyEdu

Mar 7, 2024

The Conversions and Conversion of St. Augustine

Continuing with his discussion of St. Augustine, Dr. Jenkins explores the Saint's account of his conversion to Christ as recounted in the Confessions. Orthodoxy and Education: https://orthodoxeducationconference.wordpress.com/ Perilous Realm: http://tinyurl.com/DragonsAngelsSaints

Feb 29, 2024

St. Augustine's life to his conversion

This week Dr. Jenkins continues his discussion of St. Augustine, looking at his life up to his momentous conversion in Milan. Info on Dr. Jenkins new book: http://tinyurl.com/DragonsAngelsSaints Info on the Orthodoxy & Education Conference: https://orthodoxeducationconference.wordpress.com/

Feb 22, 2024

St. Augustine: The path to Christ through Cicero, Mani, and Plato

This episode Dr. Jenkins looks at St. Augustine's intellectual formation, and how he came from rebellious son to intellectual arrogance and at last to a questioning what he thought he believed. Dr. Jenkins new book: http://tinyurl.com/DragonsAngelsSaints

Feb 15, 2024

St. Augustine: An Introduction

This wee Dr. Jenkins begins his discussion of the monumental and monumentally problematic figure of St. Augustine: monk, commentator, preacher, bishop, and writer. You can order Dr. Jenkins recent book at http://tinyurl.com/DragonsAngelsSaints

Feb 8, 2024

What is History? What is Tradition?

In this episode Dr. Jenkins returns to a listener's question about the relationship of history to truth, and the findings of that discipline to our Orthodox understanding of our clearly historical faith. Dr. Jenkins new book can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/DragonsAngelsSaints

Feb 1, 2024

Episode 100: Almost All the Questions Answered

This Episode Dr. Jenkins answers your questions almost completely, but....leaves one that could be quite involved until next week (and thus pushes St. Augustine off for another week). Dr. Jenkins' new book: http://tinyurl.com/DragonsAngelsSaints

Jan 25, 2024

St. John Cassian the Roman and Pelagianism

This week the Podcast shifts towards the west as we look at St. John Cassian. St. John had immense influence on western monasticism through St. Benedict's Rule. But also has been maligned (wrongly) as one of the sources of that dubious theology (dubious in so many ways), Semipelagianism.

Jan 18, 2024

The Many Faces of the Origenist Controversy

This week Dr. Jenkins concludes his discussion of the Origenist controversy by looking at its several stages, the key components, and why it is actually several smaller controversies which each had more or less to do with Origen.

Jan 11, 2024

Evagrius the Apathetic Origenist

This episode Dr. Jenkins continues looking at the first Origenistic controversy by looking at the key Origenist, namely the enigmatic Evagrius of Pontus, and his weird and wonderful teachings on the nature of the soul and prayer (sometimes weird and sometimes wonderful). You can find Dr. Jenkins most recent book at http://tinyurl.com/perilousrealm

Jan 4, 2024

St. Epiphanius and the Origenists

This week we continue our discussion of the first Origenistic controversy by looking closer at the life and teachings of St. Epiphanius, and what it was he found so odious about Origen.

Dec 28, 2023

The Icon of the Invisible God

This episode Dr. Jenkins continues his discussion of the Origenistic controversy by running down the rabbit hole of the Anthropomorphite controversy (AD 399). It is more bizarre than anything Alice encountered.

Dec 21, 2023

An Introduction to the First Origenist Controversy

In this episode Dr. Jenkins begins his look at the first Origenistic controversy, the key players, and some of the messy , bitter, and acrid issues involved.

Dec 14, 2023

The Exile of St. John Chrysostom

Dr. Jenkins comes to the conclusion of the ordeals endured by St. John, including his banishment from Constantinople, the continued persecution of his followers, and the persistent malice aimed at him by his enemies.

Nov 30, 2023

The Synod of the Oak

Dr. Jenkins continues his study of St. John Chrysostom looking at the tragic enormity which was the synod convoked by his over enemies to depose St. John.

Nov 23, 2023

St. John and St. Epiphanius

In this episode, Dr. Jenkins looks at the sad and unedifying episode of St. John Chrysostom's interaction with St. Epiphanius, a confrontation that occurred almost as a prelude to the Synod of the Oak, and left both our fathers in God embittered.

Nov 16, 2023

St. John Chrysostom and the Tall Brothers

This week we dive further into the life of St. John Chrysostom and Dr. Jenkins at last gets to the events that precipitated St. John's banishment from Constantinople. This episode we look at the controversy surrounding the "tall" brothers.

Nov 9, 2023

St. John Chrysostom and the Coming Storm

This week we continue looking at St. John as Bishop of Constantinople. In this episode Dr. Jenkins looks at St. John's relationship with the wandering Bishop and orator, Severian of Gabala and its implications for the disaster of the Synod of the Oak. Dr. Jenkins also begins discussing the background of the coming storm involving Theophilus of Antioch.

Nov 2, 2023

St. John Chrysostom and the Gothic General

This week Dr. Jenkins continues his study of St. John Chrysostom looking at the tumultuous years of 399-400 and the terror to the imperial throne that was the Goth general Genais, and how it seemed on St. John was able to deal with him.

Oct 26, 2023

Saint John Chrysostom and Constantinople

In this episode Dr. Jenkins discusses Constantinople and its environment, and St. John and his uneasy relationship with the imperial city.

Oct 19, 2023

Dr. Aristeides Papadakis: A Remembrances of a Mentor and Friend

This episode Dr. Jenkins takes a break from St. John Chrysostom to reflect upon one of his Graduate Advisors, the Byzantine historian, Prof. Papadakis. Prof. Papadakis as a humble but brilliant teacher set Dr. Jenkins feet firmly on the path to Orthodoxy and his pursuit of the Church.

Oct 12, 2023

Statues and Fear: The Lenten Crisis of 387

A riot in Antioch at the beginning of Lent, 387, set the whole city in a panic over the impending imperial judgment. At this time St. John Chrysostom preached a series of sermons that would place him to the fore in the mind of key imperial officials, and set the stage for his eventual elevation as the bishop of Constantinople.

Oct 5, 2023

St. John Chrysostom's Early Years as Priest & Preacher

This week Dr. Jenkins continues his look at our father among the saint, John Chrysostom. Dr. Jenkins specifically looks at St. John's first year as priest, and the themes of his sermons, which was the main duty that fell to him as the priest of the Golden Church in Antioch.

Sep 28, 2023

St. John Chrysostom's Diaconal Writings

This episode Dr. Jenkins reviews some of the key texts from St. John's years as a deacon. Though different in subject matter and purpose, these texts still carry some common themes and give us information about St. John's life as a deacon, and introduce us to themes that shall be part of his life as priest and bishop.

Sep 21, 2023

St. John Chrysostom and the Decade of Crisis: 371-381

This episode Dr. Jenkins covers the harrowing years of St. John's life when he left Antioch for the life of a monastic upon the expulsion of his bishop, Meletios, from Antioch. He would return upon the restoration of Meletios in 378. St. John's ordination to the diaconate in 381 was followed by the repose of his beloved bishop about a month later.

Sep 14, 2023

St. John Chrysostom's Early Life

This week Dr. Jenkins turns east to begin what will be several episodes on the life and ministry of St. John Chrysostom, beginning with his early life, his conversion to the faith, and the start of his vision for what the life of the Christian entailed. Last week to register for doxamoot: tinyurl.com/doxamoot2023 For St. John's short work comparing a king to a monk, see http://tinyurl.com/kingandmonk.

Sep 7, 2023

St. Ambrose and Sacramental Political Theology, 2

This episode Dr. Jenkins continues to look at our Father among the Saints, Ambrose, Bishop of Milan. This week, working off of last week's episode on St. Athanasius and St. Hilary of Poitiers, Dr. Jenkins looks at St. Ambrose's relationship with the Emperor Theodosius, and how St. Ambrose's view of the kingdom as a sacramental reality worked itself out. For information on Doxamoot: tinyurl.com/doxamoot2023 See luxchirsti.wordpress.com for text for the last few episodes.

Aug 31, 2023

St. Ambrose and Sacramental Political Theology, part 1

This episode Dr. Jenkins continues to look at our Father among the Saints, Ambrose, Bishop of Milan. This week, working off of last week's episode on St. Ambrose on the Sacraments, we look at how the sacramental theology of St. Ambrose's predecessors as bishops, Saints Athanasius and Hilary, framed their responses to the interference of the Empire in the life of the Church. This sets the stage for next week's episode on St. Ambrose and Theodosius the Great. For information on Doxamoot: tinyurl.com/doxamoot2023 See luxchirsti.wordpress.com for text for the last few episodes.

Aug 24, 2023

St. Ambrose and the Sacrament of the Father

This episode Dr. Jenkins continues to look at our Father among the Saints, Ambrose, Bishop of Milan. This week we take a look at the basis of St. Ambrose's sacramental theology, what it entailed, and most of all, what it means for the life of the faithful. For information on Doxamoot: tinyurl.com/doxamoot2023 See luxchirsti.wordpress.com for text for the last few episodes.

Aug 17, 2023

Saint Ambrose and the Arians: Part 2

This Episode we return again to St. Ambrose, this week looking at his defense of Nicaea, but also of the freedom of the Church from the interference of imperial power, a major issue in his life and thought, which we will see as well with regard to the emperor Theodosius. Episode info and the texts can be found at Lux Christi. For information on Doxamoot: tinyurl.com/doxamoot2023

Aug 10, 2023

Saint Ambrose and the Arians: Part 1

This Episode we return again to St. Ambrose, this week looking at his defense of Nicaea, and major issue in his life and thought. Episode info and the texts can be found at Lux Christi. For information on Doxamoot: tinyurl.com/doxamoot2023

Aug 3, 2023

St. Ambrose and the Confrontation with Paganism

This episode Dr. Jenkins looks at St. Ambrose and the Church's confrontation with paganism, particularly over the removal of the Statue of Victory in Rome. For information on Doxamoot: tinyurl.com/doxamoot2023 For today's quoted texts: https://wordpress.com/post/luxchristi.wordpress.com/1196

Jul 27, 2023

St. Gregory the Theologian and the Holy Spirit

This episode Dr. Jenkins continues looking at the Trinitarian controversy by exploring the respective views of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory the Theologian on the Holy Spirit. For information on Doxamoot: tinyurl.com/doxamoot2023 For today's quoted texts: https://wordpress.com/post/luxchristi.wordpress.com/1196

Jul 20, 2023

The Second Ecumenical Council

This episode Dr. Jenkins looks at the 2nd Ecumenical Council, how it happened, the role of the emperor, and why St. Gregory the Theologian wasn't exactly all that happy with it. Info on Doxamoot: tinyurl.com/doxamoot2023 Info on Rule of Faith: https://tinyurl.com/RuleofFaith

Jul 13, 2023

A Q&A Greater Than Which Cannot Be Thought

This episode Dr. Jenkins answers questions on what we can and cannot "learn" from history, what happens when people attempt to use history against the Faith, and where does Tradition enter into our minds as we defend the Faith once given to the saints. Info on Doxamoot: tinyurl.com/doxamoot2023 Info on Rule of Faith: https://tinyurl.com/RuleofFaith

Jul 6, 2023

St. Basil and the Holy Trinity

This episode Dr. Jenkins continues looking at both the question of the Trinity and the life and thought of St. Basil the Great, one of the most celebrated of the early Church fathers. Doxamoot: tinyurl.com/doxamoot2023 Orthodoxy & Ed conference: tinyurl.com/OrthodoxEDU

Jun 29, 2023

St. Basil the Great and his Chaotic World

Dr. Jenkins looks this week at the life and ministry of St. Basil the Great, and the intellectual and theological uncertainty that was his world, and why we should think of our father among the saints indeed as great. For upcoming events regarding the St. Basil Society, see the following: Doxamoot: tinyurl.com/doxamoot2023 Orthodoxy & Ed conference: tinyurl.com/OrthodoxEDU Florovsky Campaign: tinyurl.com/DonateFlorovsky

Jun 22, 2023

St. Gregory of Nyssa and His Long Refutation of Apollinarius

This episode, Dr. Jenkins finishes his discussion of Apollinarius by looking at St. Gregory's Antihereticus. For upcoming events regarding the St. Basil Society, see the following: Doxamoot: tinyurl.com/doxamoot2023 Orthodoxy & Ed conference: tinyurl.com/OrthodoxEDU Florovsky Campaign: tinyurl.com/DonateFlorovsky

Jun 15, 2023