The Lord of Spirits
- Episodes
- 151
- Released
- every two weeks
- Latest episode
- Oct 23, 2026
About the podcast
The Seen and Unseen World in Orthodox Christian Tradition
Episodes 151
The Sapphire Throne
Where is heaven? Is it the same as the sky? Is it a god? And what about the heavens of heavens or the seventh heaven? The Podfathers complete this two-part series with a biblical look at the throne of God.
The Footstool of His Feet
Ancient peoples worshiped the earth as a goddess, but how does the Christian tradition see it? In the first of a two-part series, Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew look into the Scriptures to see what they say about …
Show notes
Ancient peoples worshiped the earth as a goddess, but how does the Christian tradition see it? In the first of a two-part series, Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew look into the Scriptures to see what they say about humanity’s home.Pantheon and Pandemonium XXII: Asynchronous Q&A Sept 2026
The ol' mailbox is starting to get full, so the Podfathers are dumping all your voices out on the floor just to see what kinds of vibrations they make.
I Remember Running Through The Wet Grass
Ezra, Esdras - how do you even spell that name? Who is this person, and just how many E[z/d]ra[s] books are there? What is going on in them? Tune in and see if the Podfathers can solve this Old Testament mystery.
Whenever I Want You
What is the meaning of dreams in the Scriptures? The Bible takes dreams pretty seriously, but in our time, this seems to be the domain of New Agers and Freudians.
Apostolic Apocalypse
For years, the Podfathers have been rumored to be merely re-presenting warmed-over material from a prominent biblical scholar. In this episode, the depth of the theft will finally be revealed.
We Are the Aliens
Father Stephen discusses our alienation from our humanity, and how the Orthodox Church is positioned. Live Q&A with Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew follows. Recorded at the 2026 Parish Life Conference of the …
Show notes
Father Stephen discusses our alienation from our humanity, and how the Orthodox Church is positioned. Live Q&A with Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew follows. Recorded at the 2026 Parish Life Conference of the Antiochian Diocese of Miami and the Southeast, June 10-13, 2026 in Springdale, AR.Convert Surge: The Wise Welcome
Father Andrew presents on the current Orthodox convert surge. How do we understand and address it? Live Q&A with Fr. Andrew and Fr. Stephen follows. Recorded at the 2026 Parish Life Conference of the Antiochian …
Show notes
Father Andrew presents on the current Orthodox convert surge. How do we understand and address it? Live Q&A with Fr. Andrew and Fr. Stephen follows. Recorded at the 2026 Parish Life Conference of the Antiochian Diocese of Miami and the Southeast, June 10-13 in Springdale, AR.Commander Shepherd
The strangest and most mysterious of the texts in the ancient Christian collection known as the Apostolic Fathers is the Shepherd of Hermas. How should this apocryphal text be read, and what does it mean?
Pantheon and Pandemonium XXI: Asynchronous Q&A June 2026
The Podfathers reach down into the audio mailbag to answer your questions. You never quite know what people are willing to say into voicemail, so here we go!
The Gods of Gerizim
When the Assyrians carried off the 10 northern Israelite tribes, they imported pagans into Samaria. What is the nature of the religion these people then practiced, and why did Judeans despise them? Take a deep …
Show notes
When the Assyrians carried off the 10 northern Israelite tribes, they imported pagans into Samaria. What is the nature of the religion these people then practiced, and why did Judeans despise them? Take a deep dive with us into the history of the Samaritans.Let Me Acts You Something
What happened to the Apostles after the events of Acts? Traditions regarding them are preserved in apocryphal texts from the early Church, but how are we to understand them?
From Abel to Zechariah
Martyrdom runs throughout the whole Scriptures, memorably referenced by Christ in His phrase "from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah." What is the inner meaning of martyrdom? Is it just getting …
Show notes
Martyrdom runs throughout the whole Scriptures, memorably referenced by Christ in His phrase "from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah." What is the inner meaning of martyrdom? Is it just getting killed, or does it have actual theological purpose? Intro: 0:00 1st Half: 1:08 2nd Half/Callers: 1:22:24 3rd Half/Callers: 1:45:06 Conclusion: 2:54:00He Suffered and Was Buried
What is going on with the Gospel accounts of the passion of Jesus? Why do the Gospel writers describe it as they do? Join us for a close look at the moment when God died.
What Must I Do to Be Saved?
Is "salvation" a technical term in Christianity? How is it used in the Bible? And what does it mean to be faithful to the calling of salvation? Tune in to explore this key Christian term.
Pantheon and Pandemonium XX: Live Q&A March 2026
"If you were ever turned away for being too off-topic, this is your moment. The lines are open. Jam them up with your calls. No question is too weird. No questioner is unwelcome. (That means you, Bart Ehrman.)"
Pantheon and Pandemonium XIX: Asynchronous Q&A Feb 2026
The voicemail is full. Doom. Doom. Doom. The system is down. Join the Podfathers for a pre-recorded SpeakPipepalooza.
East End Boys, West End Girls
Why is the Western theology of salvation, both Catholic and Protestant, different from Orthodoxy? Where did the Latin "treasury of merit" come from? Did Martin Luther fix it? Join the Podfathers for a direct …
Show notes
Why is the Western theology of salvation, both Catholic and Protestant, different from Orthodoxy? Where did the Latin "treasury of merit" come from? Did Martin Luther fix it? Join the Podfathers for a direct look at a core theological difference with Orthodoxy.Stole Something? Kill a Goat!
Old Testament sacrifices were offered for sins, but was it only accidental ones? What happens if you sin on purpose? Does Jesus' sacrifice change all this? And why repent if Jesus paid it all? Fr. Stephen and …
Show notes
Old Testament sacrifices were offered for sins, but was it only accidental ones? What happens if you sin on purpose? Does Jesus' sacrifice change all this? And why repent if Jesus paid it all? Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew explore the relationship between sin and sacrifice.Bring Out Your Dead
What do you do with a dead human body? The ancient world had strong opinions about this, and they showed up not only in their cemeteries and funerary rites but also in the myths central to their religious practice.
Yesterday, Today & Forever
Icons of God in the Old Testament depict Jesus. The Hymn of Kassiani includes "I will kiss Thy feet whose tread, when it fell on the ears of Eve in Paradise..." How can this be? Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew …
Show notes
Icons of God in the Old Testament depict Jesus. The Hymn of Kassiani includes "I will kiss Thy feet whose tread, when it fell on the ears of Eve in Paradise..." How can this be? Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew discuss the eternality of the incarnation of Christ.When the Morning Stars Sang
Mankind has looked to the heavens with fascination since pre-history, always charting the stars and sometimes worshiping them. But what is the Biblical witness? And is there such a thing as a Christian Zodiac? …
Show notes
Mankind has looked to the heavens with fascination since pre-history, always charting the stars and sometimes worshiping them. But what is the Biblical witness? And is there such a thing as a Christian Zodiac? Join Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew for a look at astrology.Magical Mystery Tour
Christianity has been called a “mystery” religion. There are some who say that it is simply one of many mystery cults that existed in the ancient Greco-Roman world, such as the Eleusinian, Dionysian, Orphic or …
Show notes
Christianity has been called a “mystery” religion. There are some who say that it is simply one of many mystery cults that existed in the ancient Greco-Roman world, such as the Eleusinian, Dionysian, Orphic or Samothracian mysteries. So what were their mysteries really like?No, Virginia, Christmas Isn’t About Mithras
In 1954, deep under the streets of London, a mysterious 3rd c. temple was unearthed, but it was not as hoped a Christian church. It was a Mithraeum, a place of bloody secret rituals practiced by Roman soldiers …
Show notes
In 1954, deep under the streets of London, a mysterious 3rd c. temple was unearthed, but it was not as hoped a Christian church. It was a Mithraeum, a place of bloody secret rituals practiced by Roman soldiers. Who is their god Mithras? And is he the real Jesus?Pananthropon & Pandemonium II: Live, In-Person Q&A
In this live-recorded, in-person Q&A session, Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew respond to questions and comments from the attendees at the Lord of Spirits Conference, hosted Oct. 2-5 at the Antiochian Village in …
Show notes
In this live-recorded, in-person Q&A session, Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew respond to questions and comments from the attendees at the Lord of Spirits Conference, hosted Oct. 2-5 at the Antiochian Village in Ligonier, Pennsylvania.The Other Messiah in the Bible
Some say that the Persians had their own Messiah, and some even say that this is where Israel got the idea. Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, once ruled much of the ancient world. But …
Show notes
Some say that the Persians had their own Messiah, and some even say that this is where Israel got the idea. Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, once ruled much of the ancient world. But was he God's anointed?Ye Wrote an Opera?
Nebuchadnezzar II, king of the Neo-Babylonian empire, most powerful man in the world, was brought low by divine madness. Who was this king who lived in the shadow of Etemenanki, whose visions were revealed by a …
Show notes
Nebuchadnezzar II, king of the Neo-Babylonian empire, most powerful man in the world, was brought low by divine madness. Who was this king who lived in the shadow of Etemenanki, whose visions were revealed by a prophet, and whose apex in pop culture is as a wealthy zucchini?Soon the Water Will Come
The ancients told tales of the inundation of the world with water -- the Great Flood. How do these stories compare with the story told in Genesis, and what does this event mean for the Christian?
Pantheon and Pandemonium XVIII Live Q&A August 2025
It's time to call in with all your weirdest, nuttiest, and most mind-bending questions, from giants to the gyrations of James T. Kirk.
Pantheon and Pandemonium XVII Asynchronous Q&A August 2025
The audio mailbag is starting to fill up again, so it's time to take out the garbage. Wait, that didn't come out right.
These are the latest 40 of 151 episodes. You’ll find older episodes in the podcast’s feed.
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