Podcasts · Religion & Spirituality

The Lord of Spirits

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick, Fr. Stephen De Young, and Ancient Faith Ministries

151 episodes

The Seen and Unseen World in Orthodox Christian Tradition

Episodes page 1 of 4

  1. 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.

  2. 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…

  3. Pantheon and Pandemonium XXI: 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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 Antiochian…

  8. 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 Diocese…

  9. 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?

  10. 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!

  11. 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 dive…

  12. 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?

  13. 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 killed, or…

  14. He 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.

  15. 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.

  16. 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.)"

  17. 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.

  18. 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 look at a…

  19. 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 Fr.…

  20. 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.

  21. 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 discuss the…

  22. 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? Join Fr.…

  23. 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…

  24. 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. Who is…

  25. 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 Ligonier,…

  26. 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 was he…

  27. 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…

  28. 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?

  29. 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.

  30. 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.

  31. Storytime with Fr. Stephen

    Fr. Stephen reads tales from the ancient world calculated to drive you mad.

  32. Apostolic Succession

    The Apostles are given authority by Christ to preach, to bind and loose, to exorcise, to baptize, and so on. Did that authority die with them? What is the nature of the authority of a bishop?

  33. Mosaic Succession

    Christ said that the scribes and Pharisees sat on the seat of Moses (Matthew 23:2). Is this a metaphor or a defined position of authority? Did Moses pass on his authority in succession, and is it the same as his own?

  34. Pantheon and Pandemonium XVI: Asynchronous Q&A June 2025

    The Podfathers open their audio mailbag and turn it upside down to see what shakes out: How many will be saved? What's the deal with saints associated with certain themes? Is dancing wrong? And lots more!

  35. Hasmonean? Nah, I’m Broke

    Were there really 400 silent years between Malachi and Matthew? Is there a sudden disjunction starting with the New Testament? In this final episode of the History of Israel series, Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew look at…

  36. Kingdoms of Israel: Reckoning

    Continuing their series on the Biblical history of Israel, Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew chart the progress from after the Exodus up to the Second Temple Period. (Get excited about giants.)

  37. I Will Make a Distinction

    In this first episode concerning the story of Israel, Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew take us from Abraham to the Exodus.

  38. Every Stick of Wood in the Old Testament

    Is the Cross just what the Romans happened to use to kill Jesus? Or is there something deeper and older that culminates in the crucifixion of Christ? Join Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew for a thorough look at the Cross in…

  39. Apocalypse of Abraham and Atonement Revisited

    Ever read the Bogomil Bible? If not, you might still be interested in the place of Azazel in apocrypha. Continuing their series on Second Temple Jewish texts, Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew read the Apocalypse of Abraham.

  40. Pantheon and Pandemonium XV: Live Q&A March 2025

    It's another no-holds-barred live Q&A with the Podfathers! Got a dragon on your mind, a giant in your closet, or a screech owl in your filing cabinet? This is your moment, scorpion-stompers! Give us a call.

  41. Your Skin Makes Me Cry

    Angels are active in the world. What does that activity actually look like? Is it just “benevolent haunting”? What about guardian angels? Join Fr. Andrew and Fr. Stephen as they also look at what all this means for…

  42. Who is Your Demon and What Does He Do?

    Is your house haunted? Do demons still possess people? Can we see the activity of demons in the modern world? How would we recognize it? Join Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew as they uncover the darkest of all conspiracies.

  43. Purifications of the Law

    What exactly is ritual impurity? Does it equal sinfulness? How do bodily functions figure in? Did the New Testament abolish the ritual impurity traditions of the Old Testament? And does it have any meaning today?

  44. Is Progress Even a Thing?

    It's another metaphysical head-scratcher! Following up on some episodes from 2024, the podcast looks at what change actually means (if anything?) and what bearing that has on teleology.

  45. Pantheon and Pandemonium XIV: Asynchronous Q&A Dec 2024

    The Podfathers clear out the voicemail backlogs with this pre-recorded end-of-year episode, covering everything from whether Eglon was fat or handsome to if the Orthodox believe in a kind of Calvinism to the unsettling…

  46. When God Became Man

    At the heart of Christian faith and life is the incarnation of the Son of God. When does that happen, exactly? It seems easy enough to answer, but a close look at Scripture yields a more complex picture.

  47. Pantheon and Pandemonium XIII: Asynchronous Q&A Nov 2024

    In this pre-recorded episode, Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew respond to your voicemail, ranging from whether Jesus could get a speeding ticket to why some canonical texts don't actually get read in church. And Fr. Andrew…

  48. Israel, I Choose You!

    It’s Election Day on Lord of Spirits! Who is elected? What are they elected to? How is Israel involved in all this?

  49. Fiend Folio

    What if Guardian Angels had an exact opposite—Guardian Devils? Are some of those demons actually the evil dead? Or what about the ones who come for you while you’re asleep?

  50. Modernism 101

    "Modernism” is anything bad and not Orthodox, right? Or maybe 20th century? It's said the Church has to confront the modern world or finally enter it, but what does that mean? Join Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew as they…

Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them. Explicit shows are for adult profiles only, and children’s profiles hear only children’s shows. More about this list.