Foundations of the Orthodox Faith: Four major themes in Orthodox Christian life, for both the beginner and those already familiar with the faith. The talks were originally presented May 16 – June 13, 2010, by Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick.
Orthodox Church Music: A Retreat with Richard Barrett
On March 3, 2012, a retreat on Orthodox Church Music was held at St. Paul’s, featuring Richard Barrett, Liturgical Musician and Scholar and Artistic Director of the St. John of Damascus Society.
You can download the audio by clicking on the titles below:
- Psalterion as pulpit: The privilege, craft, and discipline of Orthodox liturgical song: The Byzantine rite provides a unique opportunity for the church singer to preach the Orthodox Christian faith in its fullness. In this talk, the practical and spiritual implications for the cantor and choir director are discussed, exploring how liturgical music is a responsibility to be honored, a skill to be learned, and a calling to be respected.
- Mingling Prophecy With Melody: The Ethos of Orthodox Liturgical Music: St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great both describe music as the sweetener that God has given us so that we will want to worship Him. How does music work in that way? What do we sing, who sings it, and why? How does Orthodox liturgical music “set the tone” for our worship? This talk discusses some fundamental musical concepts and explores how they interact with our liturgy and our faith.
Christianity and Ecology: Lessons on Sustainability from the Early Irish Sea
An outreach seminar led by Prof. Alfred Siewers of Bucknell University (Assoc. Prof. of Medieval Literature, Coordinator of the Nature and Human Communities Initiative), originally presented on November 21, 2009.
Download audio: Part 1 (Introduction by Fr. Andrew, Prof. Siewers’s lecture), Part 2 (Q&A with Prof. Siewers and Fr. Andrew)
Handout: Download
The Missionary Apostle: The Life and Work of St. Paul
Orthodoxy & Heterodoxy
Orthodoxy & Heterodoxy is a 7-part lecture series examining the differences between Orthodox Christianity and other religions, presented by Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick. (AFR site, RSS feed)
The series was subsequently published as a book with the same name available from Ancient Faith Publishing (formerly Conciliar Press) (also available from Amazon.com, including as an e-book). The book form is both revised and expanded from the original podcasts.
The topics are as follows:
I. Heterodoxy & Heresy (introduction)– originally presented Sept. 27, 2009
- Part 1: Understanding the Terms
- Part 2: The Essentials of Christian Doctrine
- Handouts: Outline (including Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy quick references)
II. Roman Catholicism– originally presented Oct. 4, 2009
- Part 1: Papal supremacy, papal infallibility, and the filioque addition to the Creed
- Part 2: Purgatory, indulgences, and more
- Handouts: Outline, Dictatus Papae
III. The Classical/Magisterial Reformation (Lutherans, Calvinists, Reformed, Zwinglians, Anglicans, Episcopalians, Methodists, Wesleyans) – originally presented on Oct. 11, 2009
- Part 1: Sola Scriptura
- Part 2: The Remaining Solas (Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solus Christus, Soli Deo Gloria)
- Part 3: Specific Denominations
- Handouts: Outline, Protestant Divisions, Sola Scriptura
IV. The Radical Reformation (Anabaptists, Baptists, Brethren, Amish, Mennonites, Moravians, Restorationists, Adventists) – originally presented on Oct. 25, 2009
- Part 1: “Believer’s baptism” over against infant baptism, anti-sacramentalism, the “invisible Church,” etc.
- Part 2: Denominations that formed after the Radical Reformation, as well as two studies in ecclesiological inheritance (Restorationists and Adventists).
- Handouts: Outline, The Trail of Blood
V. Modern Revivalism (Pentecostalism, Charismatics, Evangelicalism, Emergents) – originally presented on Nov. 1, 2009
- Part 1: Personal conversion, individualism, and private biblical interpretation.
- Part 2: Lecture continuation.
- Part 3: Holiness movement (including Pentecostalism / Charismatics), mega-churches, dispensationalism, fundamentalism, liberalism, and the “emergent” church movement.
- Handouts: Outline, Theosis in the New Testament
VI. Non-Christian Religions (Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shinto, Sikhism, Wicca, Neo-paganism, Zoroastrianism, Modern Gnosticism, Scientology, Animism) – originally presented on Nov. 8, 2009
- Part 1: Judaism, Islam, Druze, Zoroastrianism, and Baha’i.
- Part 2: Buddhism, Hinduism, Shinto, Sikhism, Wicca, Neo-paganism, Modern Gnosticism, and Scientology.
- Handouts: Outline, Sunni/Shi’a Islam Comparison
VII. Non-Mainstream Christians (Swedenborgians, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Unitarian Universalists, Christadelphians, Christian Science, Unification Church (“Moonies”); also includes series conclusions) – originally presented on Nov. 15, 2009
- Part 1: Swedenborgians, Mormons, Unitarian Universalists, Christadelphians, and Christian Science.
- Part 2: Unification Church, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and series conclusions.
- Handouts: Outline, Unitarian Universalists celebrate pagan Solstice, Mormon Progression, Unification Church Wedding Ceremony