The Lord of Spirits Podcast

Episode: Pantheon and Pandemonium V: Live Q&A – September 2022 (2nd Anniversary Special)

Hosts: Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick & Fr. Stephen De Young
Date: September 9, 2022
Theme: The Seen and Unseen World in Orthodox Christian Tradition – Live Q&A

Episode Overview

This special episode marks the 2nd anniversary of the Lord of Spirits podcast and, in classic celebratory fashion, is dedicated entirely to listener questions. Hosted by Orthodox priests Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and Fr. Stephen De Young, the show explores the dynamic interface between the visible and invisible realities within the Orthodox Christian worldview, touching on angels, demons, saints, ritual, doctrine, and daily living. The episode features a lively mix of caller questions, scholarly/theological answers, and good-natured banter, as well as memorable moments from past episodes.

Segments, Key Topics, and Highlights

1. Opening and Format (00:00–03:49)

• The show kicks off with a reading from First Enoch about the Lord of Spirits.
• Fr. Andrew and Fr. Stephen welcome listeners to the 2nd anniversary, explaining the Q&A format.
• Three favorite classic clips will be played during the show’s "three halves," amidst live questions.
• Hosts set a warm, humorous, and self-deprecating tone.

2. Call-In Q&A Highlights

Leprechauns and the Pot of Gold (04:00–08:59)

• Caller: John from Sicily
• Question: Hypothetically, if you catch a leprechaun, how do you get its pot of gold?
• Discussion:
  • Fr. Andrew jokingly warns: “Don’t feed it and don’t eat with it. ... that’s a huge problem.” (05:51)
  • Fr. Stephen: “If you could present a good case to the leprechaun… he would see that pot of gold is much more valuable to you than to him.” (07:05)
• Memorable Moment: The segment inspires reflection on myth, fairy lore, and resulted in the podcast’s future "leprechaun episode."

Can Saints or Angels Fall Again? (09:03–16:22)

• Caller: Jim from Florida
• Question: Can there be further angelic or human falls?
• Fr. Andrew: "God is preventing any further falls from angels and human beings once they participate in that first resurrection." (11:32)
• Fr. Stephen: Explains the difference in the experience of time for angels and humans, and why it’s not possible for fully deified saints or remaining angels to fall: “That kind of fall will not be possible.” (13:41)
• Key Concept: The distinction between humanity’s mutable innocence and the perfected state of the saints.
• Quote: “We’re not capable of comprehending things as God comprehends things.” (15:05)

Branch Theory, Israel, Schism, and the Church (16:25–32:12)

• Caller: William
• Question: How does the historical division of Israel relate to Christian unity and the so-called branch theory?
• Fr. Andrew: Discusses that defining who's “in” or “out” via schism is misguided; the Church's motive is always healing, not exclusion.
• Fr. Stephen: “Being Christian, being a member of the Church, and being ‘saved’… those are separate categories.” (23:07)
• On Branch Theory: “Schism is always a tragedy that needs to be fixed.” (26:57)
• Israel’s Splitting and Grafting: The Gentiles, when brought into the faith, reconstitute the lost northern tribes—the fulfillment of Israel. (31:33)

Identity, Relics, and Phenomenology (33:02–40:56)

• Caller: Zach
• Question: Does the phenomenological understanding of relics (e.g., the True Cross) lead to relativism?
• Fr. Andrew: “We don’t have the power to make anything anything. … It still has to be according to its nature.” (34:41)
• Fr. Stephen: “We were speaking at a phenomenal logical level… not at the level of ontology in the sense of a kind of Parmenidean—this is this thing, it is not any other thing.” (38:55)
• Concepts: Distinguishing objective nature from subjective relational experience. Fake relics can still be relationally “real” to the venerator but not to the deceiver.

Matthew 16, Son of Man, and Deuterocanon (41:13–48:53)

• Caller: Andy & son Ezra
• Andy’s Q: How would early Jews have received Jesus’ “Son of Man” title?
• Fr. Stephen: “Both ideas are being brought in. … It has this bigger resonance than just ‘Who do people say I am?’” (44:24)
• Ezra’s Q: Why are there more books in the Orthodox/Catholic Bibles?
• Fr. Stephen: Lists various canons, explains Orthodox received wider canon from early communities; differences in East/West history, not simply books “taken out.” (45:33)
• Memorable Moment: Fr. Stephen jokes, “There was a band called Better Than Ezra … I think they were lying because I think you are better than that.” (45:10)
• Timestamps: Early church canons (46:49); usage of deuterocanonical books (48:33).

Nature of Adam’s Will and the Fall (54:01–60:31)

• Caller: Celeste from Nevada
• Question: How could Adam/Eve sin if free will to do evil is a result of the Fall?
• Fr. Stephen: Introduces the “natural will” vs. “gnomic will.” Innocence ≠ perfection; Adam and Eve’s undeveloped nous allowed for fallibility (56:08).
• Fr. Andrew: The result of the fall is not the capacity to sin, but the inclination (tendency) toward it. (55:20)

Church Architecture & Image of God (60:48–65:51)

• Caller: Samuel
• Q: How does our understanding of God shape church architecture?
• Fr. Andrew: “Traditional Orthodox church architecture comes out of a concept of... the icon of All Saints.” (62:27)
• Fr. Stephen: “Form follows function… in the Orthodox Church, our churches are patterned after the tabernacle, which is patterned after what Moses saw atop Sinai. … It’s patterned after the cosmos.” (64:09)

Angel, Water, and the Paralytic (85:03–93:35)

• Caller: Alexandra
• Q: How do we understand Christ’s healing of the paralytic at the pool—angelic actions vs. Christ?
• Fr. Stephen: “There’s an order of creation and then there is Christ. … All the healings are God’s doing. Sometimes He does it through intermediaries… sometimes directly.” (88:08–89:59)
• Fr. Andrew: “Everything that is good comes from God… some of those gifts at which we go ‘whoa’—that’s what we call a miracle.” (90:56)
• Memorable Moment: A pregnant Alexandra resonates with the “miracle of birth” analogy.

Idolatry, Sexual Immorality, and Metaphors of God (110:54–118:43)

• Caller: Marcus
• Q: What is the relationship between idolatry and sexual immorality? How do marital metaphors work in Scripture?
• Fr. Andrew: Both are fundamentally about serving oneself over God (112:15).
• Fr. Stephen: There is a ritual as well as moral connection (113:49); the bride/bridegroom analogy reflects “our” powerlessness and God as the Giver, reflecting the ancient world’s realities (114:48–117:46).

Evangelizing Angels, Judging Angels, and Babel (119:09–121:58)

• Caller: Nathan
• Q: Who initiated the temptation of the nations post-Babel? Does this relate to “judging angels”?
• Fr. Stephen: “It’s a feedback loop... but St. Dionysius the Areopagite wants to make clear the feedback starts with human instigation. God did not assign fallen beings to the nations.” (120:08)
• Fr. Andrew: “Judging angels” means establishing order/justice, not just pronouncing verdicts (121:01).

Abortion, Legislation, and Beauty (122:23–133:24)

• Caller: Cameron
• Q: OT and abortion; Is legislating morality (e.g., abortion) futile? Can “beauty first” change society?
• Fr. Andrew: Laws to restrain violence are good, but “building communities” also matters (124:51).
• Fr. Stephen: Both sides of the debate have failed to address the underlying social pathology; real change needs systemic commitment to valuing children and mothers, not just law or access (128:28–133:48).
• Quote: “If you want to actually solve the problem … we have to make systemic changes in this country so that we value children and we value families.” (131:08)

The Role of Doctrine in the Church (134:39–144:48)

• Caller: Jack
• Q: Sometimes it feels like the podcast says “doctrine is secondary”—what’s the proper role?
• Fr. Andrew: Doctrine is vital because it guides action; beliefs are judged by how they affect what we do. Cites Florovsky: dogma, doctrine, theology—each with layers; real-world impact matters most.
• Fr. Stephen: “Ideas emerge from praxis. Practices come first.” When practice changes, doctrine follows—not vice versa. (141:25–143:12)
• Quote: “Conviction follows conditioning. … If you go to a certain kind of church, you're going to tend to believe that's the place you should be.” (142:12)
• Balance: Charity and truth should never be set against each other (144:51).

Orthodox Evangelism in Practice (146:30–159:15)

• Caller: Nicholas
• Q: What’s an Orthodox approach to evangelism—not just to Protestants, but in general?
• Fr. Andrew: Preaching the Gospel is key, but the method depends on context. It’s not about “being right” but about drawing people to Christ Himself and authentic community. Saints’ lives illustrate real approaches better than apologetics tracts. (147:47–158:14)
• Fr. Stephen: Frame matters: your character/witness give people a reason to listen. Refer to St. Herman—translation was not enough; real-life engagement was crucial. (153:50–158:14)
• Advice: Read missionary saints' lives and Acts, not just apologetics.

3. Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “Don’t feed it and don’t eat with it.” (06:13, Fr. Andrew, on catching leprechauns)
• “Branch theory… basically says that schism is normal and doesn’t have to be overcome. … That is indefensible from the Christian tradition.” (26:31, Fr. Andrew)
• “It’s not over until it’s over. We don’t really know the effect of a schism until it’s truly, truly over.” (21:56, Fr. Andrew)
• “Form follows function… the bridge of Picard’s Enterprise looks like a Hilton lobby.” (64:09, Fr. Stephen)
• “Miracles are simply gifts from God at which men marvel.” (90:56, St. Nikolai Velimirovic, paraphrased by Fr. Andrew)
• “Conviction follows conditioning.” (142:12, Fr. Andrew)
• “Ideas emerge from praxis. Practices come first.” (141:25, Fr. Stephen)
• “We have to examine the pathology in our society… and try to fix it.” (132:38, Fr. Stephen on abortion)
• “Preaching the gospel means: who is Jesus Christ? What did he accomplish? What does he expect from us?” (150:32, Fr. Andrew)
• On doctrine: “Dogma is things we don’t compromise on, doctrine is the way you teach dogma, and theology is the application and reflection.” (136:24–137:27, Fr. Andrew paraphrasing Florovsky)

Episode Tone, Structure & Style

The episode is dynamic, relatable, and often humorous, full of good-natured jabs between the co-hosts, pop culture references, and playful interactions with callers. In keeping with the show's ethos, questions are treated seriously, answers are carefully nuanced, and the conversation is rich in Orthodox history and spirituality—with frequent reminders that doctrine, ritual, community life, and lived experience are deeply intertwined.

Key Takeaways

• Doctrine and Praxis: Belief matters because it shapes what you do—and liturgy, prayer, and doctrine all feedback into each other.
• Mystical Anthropology: The distinction between pre-fall innocence and post-fall maturity is crucial; sainthood/theosis includes a definitive preservation from future fall.
• Unity and Division: Schism is a tragedy, not a norm. Protestant "branch theory" is rejected; Orthodox ecclesiology is both mystical and sober.
• Ritual Reality: Phenomenology shapes experience (as with relics or icons), but reality has a foundation in nature and collective practice, not relativistic subjectivity.
• Evangelism: Preaching Christ must be contextual, relational, and rooted in real-life community, not just the right answers.
• The Seen and Unseen: Angels, saints, architecture, and even debates about life's beginning are rooted in the deep connection between the visible and the invisible in Orthodox theology.

Recommended Resources & Assignments

• Missionary Lives: Read the Acts of the Apostles and the lives of missionary saints (e.g., St. Herman of Alaska).
• Father George Florovsky’s Writings: On dogma, doctrine, and theology.
• Reflect on Practice: Consider how your normal actions and rituals shape your actual beliefs and convictions.

Closing

The episode embodies the Lord of Spirits’ mission: to draw listeners beyond a “flat” secular materialism into a vision of reality, church, and worship that integrates heaven and earth, reason and experience, doctrine and love. With humor and insight, the hosts mark their second anniversary by demonstrating (in live format) how deep questions, honest answers, and communal dialogue are at the heart of living Orthodox faith.