The Lord of Spirits Podcast

Episode: "Pantheon and Pandemonium VII: Asynchronous Q&A May 2023"

Hosts: Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick & Fr. Stephen De Young
Date: May 26, 2023

Episode Overview

This pre-recorded Q&A episode dives into listener-submitted questions on the spiritual world, Orthodox Christian tradition, and biblical interpretation. The priests tackle topics spanning giants and Nephilim, the interplay of sin and repentance, ritual impurity, marital ethics, apocalyptic prophecies, spiritual authority, and more—including some lighthearted moments about unicorns and new age religions. The episode explores how ancient and modern questions about spirituality, humanity, and morality intersect in real Orthodox life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Nature of Giants, Repentance, and Pop Culture

• Caller Maria wonders if giants (biblical "Nephilim") can repent, noting pop culture fixations on half-human/half-monster figures.
  • Main Insight: Giants remain human and can repent; the ritual surrounding their birth is not a DNA change, but an initiatory, demonic practice.
  • Spiritual traditions, such as the Basque legend of a "repentant giant," illustrate archetypes of redemption amid monstrosity.
  • Modern culture projects these themes onto stories of misunderstood or repentant monsters, reflecting a longing for hope even when people feel monstrous inside (see: 11:22).
  • Quote (Fr. Stephen): "Giants are humans. Theologically, the only being with two natures is Christ. You’re either human or you’re a demon. But giants are humans." [10:09]
  • Cultural obsessions with "irredeemable evil" (e.g., Calvinism’s concept of total depravity) war with ideas of absolute self-transformation—a tension mirrored in fiction.

2. Sexual Rituals, Idolatry, and Modern "Cults"

• Caller Caitlin asks if sexual abuse rituals in modern cults (e.g., FLDS) parallel ancient Nephilim rituals.
  • Dug into the deep connection between idolatry and sexual immorality in ancient and modern cults. All spiritual sects veering from God’s will eventually become "sex cults," blending idolatry and abuse.
  • Quote (Fr. Andrew): "Invariably, all cults become sex cults. Once you go down the road of spirituality following a spirit other than the Holy Spirit, you end up with sexual immorality and other kinds of corruption." [20:09]

3. Haman the Agagite—Biblical Giants in Esther

• Caller Paul wonders if Haman from Esther is a giant.
  • Haman being called an "Agagite" is an intentional tie to the giants—specifically the Amalekite king Agag, a giant tribe. His 75-foot gallows allude to his mythic stature, but also emphasize the narrative’s moral about the persisting threat of demonic powers through surviving Amalekites.
  • Quote (Fr. Andrew): "That’s what it’s trying to Tell us. It’s trying to say, see, this is why God said we can’t have any Amalekites, because as long as there were Amalekites, ... the demonic powers who were controlling and manipulating them would be trying to destroy God’s people." [27:06]

4. Jewish Family Purity and Christian Marital Ethics

• Caller Monica asks about Jewish purity codes and their fulfilment in Christian marriage.
  • Orthodox Christian marriage calls for purity not just via abstinence before marriage, but also by what acts are permitted within marriage. Not all sex acts are sanctified by marriage; certain acts remain sinful (ref. Leviticus 18; see 34:07).
  • The "marriage bed is holy and undefiled" means maintaining purity, not unleashing unchecked passions after wedding vows ("lust with permission" critique) [32:28].
  • Evangelical purity culture and over-reactions to sexualized society both distort the Orthodox balance.
  • Quote (Fr. Andrew): "Love does not require sex acts. And love also is unselfish. It’s not about getting what you want." [38:40]

5. Martyrdom and Marriage: Crowns as Victory

• Crowns given to martyrs and married couples represent anticipated victory (not just authority), a "taste" of the goal to be attained by struggle and repentance over a lifetime.
  • Quote (Fr. Andrew): "The hope of the prayer is that this married couple will complete the race and be crowned as victors at the end." [43:36]

6. Ezekiel’s Temple: Allegory and Incarnation

• Caller Dorian is confused by literal readings of Ezekiel’s temple visions.
  • No physical temple was ever built to Ezekiel’s specs; both Rabbinic Judaism and the Church interpret these as symbolic of the final union of God and man—fulfilled in Christ’s Incarnation. The gates in Ezekiel are referenced in feasts of the Mother of God as typology.
  • Quote (Fr. Andrew): "The way the New Testament interprets it is very clear... Christ says, destroy this temple and I’ll rebuild it in three days. And St. John adds the editorial note, by this, he meant the temple that is his body." [48:05]

7. Teaching Children a Symbolic Scriptural Worldview

• Advice for Orthodox parents confronting literalist (Ken Ham, Ray Comfort, etc.) apologetics in homeschool curriculums.
  • Stress positive formation over strictly "what's wrong" critiques; use iconography and the saints’ prayers to cultivate the Church’s symbolic, participatory worldview (see 59:15, 61:07).
  • Classic Orthodox texts and children’s books featuring icons are recommended as gateways.

8. Prayer in the Orthodox Life

• Inquiry from a Protestant convert about the "rules" of Orthodox prayer.
  • Pray as the Church prays: use written prayers, participate in services, pray with icons and aloud as possible. Prayer’s goal isn’t to change God (as in magic), but to change us, aligning our will with His (see 73:36).
  • Written prayers shape us; extemporaneous prayer alone risks becoming self-referential. Ultimate prayer is "abiding in God," a gift that transcends words (c.f. Elder Emilianos discussion). [80:07]
  • Quote (Fr. Andrew): "Prayer doesn't change God because God doesn't change ... Prayer is about changing us. It’s about bringing ourselves in line with God's will..." [74:37]

9. Unicorns, Medieval Symbolism, and Hybrid Creatures

• Reflection on unicorns in the Bible and Christian art.
  • KJV “unicorn” refers to wild oxen (aurochs); medieval unicorns are Christological allegory. Not every hybrid or monster is evil—symbolic use can be redemptive.

10. Discerning the True Church Without Scholarship

• How does an ordinary person find the "true Body of Christ" among the historic churches?
  • God honors what one does with what they have; it’s not reserved for scholars. Convert stories often revolve around experiencing love and authenticity in a parish.
  • The true “expert” in Church is not the intellectual, but the holiest person.
  • Quote (Fr. Andrew): "The expert on orthodox Christianity is not the smartest guy in the room. It’s the holiest guy in the room." [95:29]

11. Authority and Spiritual Fatherhood

• Navigating spiritual authority post-Enlightenment, amidst the danger of clerical abuse.
  • For laity, the priest offers guidance, not decisions; obedience is weighing a teacher’s insight more heavily, not surrendering all life decisions. Abuse arises when people give more power to clergy than is proper (see 124:03).
  • Quote (Fr. Andrew): "Your spiritual father should not be making decisions for you about your finances... You should be going to them to get their insight and guidance in the decisions you make." [124:05]

12. End Times and Orthodox Eschatology

• Orthodox tradition affirms Christ’s future "glorious appearing" (not a "return" from absence), the resurrection, and last judgment. Details about tribulation and the Antichrist have multiple traditions, none of which stack prophecies or predictions like Western dispensationalism (see 143:06).

13. Polygamy & Leverate Marriage in the Old Testament

• Leverate marriage was about providing an heir and was a selfless act, not standard polygamy or sexual opportunism. It reflected ancient social structures where widows lacked protections.

14. Physical Death and Evolution

• Genesis is agnostic on whether animals died before human sin. Spiritual death for humans caused physical death; animal/plant death is not treated as equivalent or evil. The ultimate renewed cosmos is not a simple "reset" of Eden (see 162:16).

15. Divination, Prophecy, and Clairvoyance

• Divination is a magical technique to extract knowledge, forbidden by God. Prophecy/clairvoyance is always God-given for His purposes, not gained by technique (see 165:06).
• Spiritual experiences are judged by their fruits—do they lead to humility and closeness with Christ, or pride and disturbance?
  • Quote (Fr. Andrew): "Any spiritual experience in our life of any kind... Number one thing is you look at the fruit of it..." [168:08]

16. Embodied Saints in Heaven

• How do Enoch, Elijah, and Christ exist bodily in heaven if it’s not a physical place?
  • The categories of time and space belong to human experience; after death, saints exist "beyond" these, participating in God’s life. Their “location” is meaningful only relative to our experience (see 172:02).

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• "You are this, but you can change what you are now. You can't change your nature, but you can change the way that you are."
  — Fr. Stephen DeYoung [10:00]

• "Invariably all cults become sex cults. Once you go down the road of spirituality following a spirit other than the Holy Spirit, you end up with sexual immorality."
  — Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick [20:09]

• "Love does not require sex acts. And love also is unselfish. It’s not about getting what you want."
  — Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick [38:40]

• "The way the New Testament interprets [Ezekiel’s Temple]: Christ says, destroy this temple and I'll rebuild it in three days. And St. John adds... by this he meant... his body."
  — Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick [48:05]

• "The expert on orthodox Christianity is not the smartest guy in the room. It's the holiest guy in the room."
  — Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick [95:29]

• "Prayer is about changing us. It’s about bringing ourselves in line with God's will..."
  — Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick [74:37]

Memorable & Lighthearted Moments

• Discussions of unicorns and Scarecrow’s "fear gas" (Dr. Crane) [165:01], Star Trek’s "Hugh," and medieval monster symbolism.
• Fr. Stephen jokes about giant questions becoming a Q&A "lightning round" [02:49].
• Repeated jabs at American overreaction within Orthodoxy—hyper-sexualized mainstream culture leading to reactionary puritanism [32:28].
• A digression on World of Warcraft boss mechanics ("Hoo hoo was a major gear check... encourage back in vanilla") when answering about new religious movements [130:44].

Useful Timestamps

• Giants & Repentance Q&A – 03:45–14:46
• Nephilim Ritual & Modern Cults – 14:58–21:52
• Haman the Agagite – 22:01–27:30
• Jewish Purity Laws & Christian Marriage – 27:37–39:59
• Martyr's Crown and Marriage – 39:59–43:55
• Ezekiel’s Temple – Allegory – 43:55–52:30
• Teaching Symbolic Thinking – 52:54–63:49
• Prayer Primer for Converts – 65:58–81:15
• Unicorns & Medievalism – 81:30–88:17
• Church Authority & Expertise – 88:25–102:57
• Spiritual Fatherhood – 118:03–127:17
• End Times: Orthodox View – 141:24–146:31
• Polygamy & Leverate Marriage – 146:47–155:54

Episode Tone & Style

Engaging and often humorous, this episode mixes scholarly rigor with practical, street-level advice and story-telling. The priests balance directness ("I'm just using this as an example"; "I’m going to get people mad, but when have I ever cared?") with warmth and encouragement, creating a Q&A that is welcoming to all—whether beginners or theological nerds.

Takeaways For New & Seasoned Listeners

• Orthodox tradition sees both scriptural and modern spiritual phenomena through a lens of repentance, transformation, and community.
• Contrary to legalism or mere intellectualism, Orthodoxy’s path is defined by shared struggle, humility before spiritual authority, healthy boundaries, and constant prayer—woven into the lived reality of saints, martyrs, married couples, and even unicorn tapestries!
• Authority in the church is ultimately about holiness and self-emptying, not just knowing facts or following rules.
• The spiritual world remains as close as our next prayer—and as real as the struggles, failures, and victories of all who seek to become what God has made them to be.

For more, listen to the upcoming episode on the Antichrist and the Mark of the Beast—or leave your own voicemail for a future Q&A!