The Lord of Spirits Podcast

Episode: "Pantheon and Pandemonium: Live Q&A May 2021"
Hosts: Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick, Fr. Stephen De Young
Date: May 14, 2021
Theme: The Seen and Unseen World in Orthodox Christian Tradition

Overview

This special live Q&A episode marks the first dedicated question-and-answer session of The Lord of Spirits podcast. Fr. Andrew and Fr. Stephen field a range of listener questions exploring the intersection of the seen (material) and unseen (spiritual) worlds as understood in Orthodox Christianity. Callers, many referencing previous episodes or personal experiences, ask about raising children with a spiritual worldview, national and spiritual identity, the afterlife (including pets!), the Book of Enoch, ritual purity, demons and giants, Christian ritual vs. witchcraft, and much more.

The episode's tone is lively, humorous, and accessible—often brimming with inside jokes, cultural references, and deep theological insight. Throughout, the priests demystify complex topics, insisting that biblical and patristic understandings of spiritual reality aren't advanced secret knowledge but are the shared inheritance of the whole Church and its people.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Raising Children with a Spiritual Worldview

(04:14–11:21)

• Main Question: How to help children see the world spiritually in a secular/materialist culture?
• Insights:
  • The spiritual worldview is not advanced or esoteric but basic to Orthodox faith and liturgy ([05:22]).
  • Children often “get” the mythic, spiritual reality more easily than adults ([05:50–07:13]).
  • Examples: Explaining dragons as demonic presences, using festival rituals, and visual aids (icons, art) help make spiritual realities concrete ([06:46–08:36]).
  • Emphasis on ritual participation at church and home; surround children with prayer and icons ([09:13]).
  • Quote: “Kids have a better time connecting with this stuff.” – Fr. Andrew ([06:46])
  • Biblical Roots: Adults are to hand down the faith and its stories in ritual practice—this is essential to the meaning and transmission of faith (e.g., Passover, Torah directives – Fr. Stephen, [10:13–11:18]).

2. Nationhood, Ritual Identity, and Storytelling

(13:22–17:26, 17:37–21:28)

• Main Question: What defines a “nation” or “people” spiritually and ritually? Can new nations be created by ritual?
• Key Ideas:
  • Languages and stories—what Tolkien called the “main definition” of peoples—bond communities ([14:34–15:41]).
  • Orthodox liturgy refers often to “the race of Christians,” suggesting the Church itself is a new nation defined chiefly by ritual participation ([15:32–17:24]).
  • Four pillars shape a people: language, music, art, and ritual (Fr. Stephen, [17:46–18:24]), and these can be used both naturally and manipulatively (propaganda, spectacle).
  • Christian rituals, iconography, and language push back against the worldly imposed “system”—the Church forges a new identity against the negative “world” ([20:20–21:28]).

Follow-up:

• Can you start a separatist “clean” Christian nation because the land is defiled?
  • Early Christians did not separate from the pagans, despite living in corrupt civilizations ([23:04–24:04]).
  • Christians act as priests, sanctifying the space they inhabit, not abandoning it ([25:23–25:43]).

3. Do Dogs (and Pets) Go to Heaven? Nature of the Afterlife

(26:06–39:53)

• Example Questions: Will we have our bodies and our pets in paradise? What about marriage in heaven?
• Highlights:
  • Animals have souls—but of a different, “lower” kind than humans, per St. Gregory Palamas ([28:19–29:10]).
  • Possibility: Humanized animals (pets) might somehow participate in resurrection life, though not as humans do ([31:02–32:38]).
  • The life of the age to come will not disappoint; joys will exceed anything here ([33:17–34:47]). “Paradise is going to be awesome. Whatever it’s like.” – Fr. Andrew ([35:03])
  • Marriage: Quoting Christ, marriage is transcended in the resurrection (Matthew 22:30: “...they neither marry nor are given in marriage...”) ([35:33–39:53])
  • Orthodox belief emphasizes a transfigured, not merely material, resurrection life ([37:56–38:49]).

4. Occult Practices, Dungeons & Dragons, and Spiritual Warfare

(40:13–50:41)

• Neighbor engaging in occult rituals
  • Response: Pray and increase your own spiritual life; pray for those involved ("the people are not the enemy") ([42:34–43:40]).
• Is D&D (or theater) demonic?
  • No; storytelling by itself is not ritual magic. The intent and content matter ([44:50]).
  • The real spiritual danger is not in “objects” or “artifacts” (books, games), but in vices and passions we refuse to address ([48:52–50:41]).
  • Memorable admonition: “The saints could get together and play a game of D&D and it wouldn’t be a problem. They have better things to do, but hypothetically.” – Fr. Stephen ([50:35])

5. The Book of Enoch and Non-Canonical Texts

(54:07–66:08)

• Should we be wary of doctrine from Enoch?
  • The Church’s faith is not derived from Enoch; Enoch is a witness to the tradition ([56:46]).
  • Orthodox doctrine comes from a living two-witness tradition: apostolic testimony and the ongoing inspiration of the Holy Spirit in the Church ([57:56–59:19]).
  • The Eastern practice: 3 categories of texts—read in church (canonical), read at home (useful but not canonical), and not to be read ([63:56–65:47]).
  • Quote: “We don’t derive doctrines from Scripture and then construct Christian theology in that way… That is the conservative Protestant approach to doctrine. But that’s not how we approach it.” – Fr. Stephen ([57:37])
  • Reading Enoch is fine if you apply spiritual discernment as with any patristic or spiritual writing ([63:56–65:47]).

6. Ancient Cosmology vs. Modern Science

(66:26–72:21)

• Ancient people were not “primitive screwheads”—they could hold multiple models (e.g., flat and round earth) and saw the heavens as both physical and spiritual ([67:48–68:32]).
• Their myths and stories are not replaced by science; they do a different thing ([72:00–72:21]).
• Scientific insight (what the sun "is") does not negate ancient religious beliefs about its spiritual significance ([70:28–72:21]).
  • Quote: “The myths, the stories, the religion is not a primitive form of science that science has replaced...it is doing a different thing.” – Fr. Stephen ([72:00])

7. Astrology, Signs, and Biblical Symbolism

(72:31–78:31)

• Orthodox tradition distinguishes “Christian astrology” (symbolic, Christological interpretation of the heavens) from fatalistic or divinatory astrology (“newspaper astrology”) ([73:40–74:40]).
• Divination seeks to control the future via technique – it’s always rejected ([75:24–76:28]).
• The heavens indeed “pour forth speech” about God (Psalm 19); Christians are invited to perceive God’s glory—not control their fates via astrology ([74:46–75:17], [76:28]).
• On personality “star charts”: Premodern astrology is not compatible with Orthodox anthropology ([78:12–78:21]).

8. Seraphim, Serpents, and Angelic Iconography

(78:38–86:36)

• Historical development: Seraphim’s association with serpents comes from Egyptian, Canaanite, and Israelite synthesis. Iconography evolved from winged cobras (cobra hood = “wings,” “burning ones” = venom), to human-faced, multi-winged forms ([81:07–85:04]).
• Present iconography reflects a desire to distinguish the loyal Throne Guardians from the devil and fallen spirits ([85:04–86:27]).

9. "Keep Your Mind in Hell and Despair Not": Interpreting St. Silouan

(91:24–96:51)

• Spiritual Application: The call is to humility and repentance, not to obsession or despair ([92:27–93:44]).
• Elder Sophrony advised—“stand at the brink [of despair] until you can take it no longer, then step back and have a cup of tea.”
• Much spiritual literature is for advanced monastic practice. Most laypeople should apply basic humility: consider all others saints and oneself the worst sinner ([94:32–95:47]).

10. Ritual Purity, Blood, and the Old Testament

(97:25–104:46)

• Blood makes holy by purifying, but outside its context (e.g., menstrual blood, blood shed) it also renders unclean ([98:25–100:07]).
• Rules about both “male emissions” and menstruation exist; taboos are about symbolic wholeness (not about impurity of being a woman/man) ([101:10–104:24]).
• Modern culture highlights one aspect and ignores the male parallel ([102:03–104:24]).

11. Demons, Giants, Chaos and Order

(110:01–115:28)

• Demonic powers use both tyranny (order imposed by force) and chaos to destroy God’s creation ([110:48–114:57]).
• No created thing is “pure chaos”—even evil imposes a dark, destructive order ([112:49]).
• Examples from history (Nazism, war) illustrate this "order in service of destruction" ([113:23–114:57]).

12. The Book of Enoch’s Nephilim and the Origin of Demons

(117:11–123:00)

• The New Testament never spells out a theory of where demons come from; Second Temple Judaism (especially Enoch and Jubilees) taught that the spirits of dead giants (Nephilim) are demons ([119:58–121:31]).
• Evidence in the Gospels is consistent with this view (e.g., “Have you come to torment us before the time?” – Matt. 8:29) ([121:14–121:31]).
• Further reading: “The Origin of Evil Spirits” by Archie Wright ([122:11–122:41]).

13. Atonement, Cosmic Geography, and Sacred Space

(123:18–128:29)

• Christ’s death is cosmic: He reclaims the nations (cosmic geography), and individuals participate by becoming “sacred space” ([123:18–124:26]).
• Christ’s defeat of death is for all humanity (“all will rise” – universal); atonement for sin is for the faithful—those “in Christ” ([124:48–127:55]).
• “The sin part is not universal… The whole thing is not somehow universal and then not universally applied, it's that there's two elements of it.” – Fr. Stephen ([127:29])

14. Reconquering Sacred Space (e.g., Constantinople and Hagia Sophia)

(128:35–131:36)

• When Christian lands fall, it is seen as a judgment permitted by God ([131:05]).
• Reclaiming or reconsecrating space would involve missionary activity and spiritual renewal, not mere military action ([130:51–131:23]).
• Parallel to Old Testament Israel: Loss of land due to unfaithfulness; restoration requires repentance ([131:05–131:23]).

15. Christian Ritual vs. Witchcraft

(132:12–142:59)

• True worship is distinguished from witchcraft by its orientation and purpose—ritual changes us, not God ([138:44–139:41]).
• Witchcraft/priestcraft seek to manipulate divine/spiritual power for personal (or community) gain or control ([138:44–139:41]).
• All human societies are inherently ritualistic—even modern, “non-ritualistic” groups engage in ritual actions ([135:41–138:33]).
• Biblical worship is not about technique, but about communal transformation and entering into the life God intends ([139:41–142:59]).

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “Kids have a better time connecting with this stuff.” – Fr. Andrew ([06:46])
• “Our faith is what it is, and that book [Enoch] witnesses to some elements of it.” – Fr. Andrew ([56:46])
• “We don’t derive doctrines from Scripture and then construct Christian theology in that way… That is the conservative Protestant approach to doctrine. But that’s not how we approach it.” – Fr. Stephen ([57:37])
• “The myths, the stories, the religion is not a primitive form of science that science has replaced...it is doing a different thing.” – Fr. Stephen ([72:00])
• “The saints could get together and play a game of D&D and it wouldn’t be a problem. They have better things to do, but hypothetically.” – Fr. Stephen ([50:35])
• “The problem is when you’re doing another kind of ritual other than the rituals God laid out for us that are going to lead us deeper and more fully into our humanity...those are also changing you…but drawing you away from the fullness of your humanity.” – Fr. Stephen ([139:41])

Memorable Moments

• Multiple half-jokes about being “kicked off the air” for answering ritual purity questions in candid detail ([98:25–104:46]).
• Warm encouragement to parents: bring your kids to services, explain mythic imagery—kids "get it." ([05:50–09:51]).
• “Do all dogs go to heaven?” – “Maybe.” ([27:52–28:11])
  • The conversation covers St. Gregory Palamas, dog-illustrations of theosis, and what “paradise” means for pets.
• “Reconquering” Constantinople—explained as spiritual, not military ([130:51–131:23]).
• Final explanation: witchcraft and Christian worship may look similar in ritual, but the heart—the orientation—is utterly different ([138:44–142:59]).

Conclusion

This Q&A episode is a rich, engaging introduction—or deepening—for anyone interested in the spiritual worldview of Orthodox Christianity. The hosts gently but confidently situate everything—parenting, nationality, ritual, cosmology, scripture, afterlife, and even pop culture—within the Church’s vision of the seen and unseen realms. The result is an episode that is both highly informative and welcoming—disarming fears, affirming tradition, and always inviting active, communal participation in the life of God.

Further Reading/References:

• "Religion of the Apostles" by Fr. Stephen De Young
• "The Origin of Evil Spirits" by Archibald Wright
• "The Holy Angels" by Mother Alexandra
• "Saint Silouan the Athonite" by St. Sophrony Sakharov

For more listener discussion, join the Lord of Spirits Podcast Facebook Group or the Divine Council Podcast Discord.

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