What is a person? Is our culture confused about what a person is? What is morality? What does it mean to be moral? How does sex fit in? What about homosexuality, abortion, euthanasia, stem cell research and assisted suicide? How should we as Orthodox Christians live regarding these matters? How should we talk to our family and friends about them? How should we talk to the wider society about them? Should we engage in political action over them?

On this Sunday of Zacchaeus, Fr. Andrew talks about how this ancient tax collector teaches us a lesson in Christian ethics.

In the introduction to a new series, host Mathew Monos interviews Fr. Brendan Pelphrey about the proper way to share the Orthodox faith on college campuses.

Mathew Monos once again interviews Fr. Brendan Pelphrey—this time about how to explain what Eastern Orthodox Christianity is.

Mathew Monos once again interviews Fr. Brendan Pelphrey—this time about how to explain Orthodox baptism.

Mathew Monos once again interviews Fr. Brendan Pelphrey—this time about how to explain fasting.

Mathew Monos once again interviews Fr. Brendan Pelphrey—this time about how to explain iconography.

Mathew Monos once again interviews Fr. Brendan Pelphrey—this time about the Orthodox view of salvation.

Mathew Monos once again interviews Fr. Brendan Pelphrey—this time about the Theotokos.

Mathew Monos once again interviews Fr. Brendan Pelphrey—this time about the Priesthood.

Mathew Monos once again interviews Fr. Brendan Pelphrey—this time about the Eucharist.

Mathew Monos once again interviews Fr. Brendan Pelphrey—this time about the Problem of Evil.

Do Orthodox Christians believe in the Bible? On the first episode of the new season of the OCF podcast, media student leader Dan Bein asks Fr. Brendan Pelphrey this question and more.

Dan and Fr. Brendan discuss exactly what people mean when they say they're "Spiritual but Not Religious," and how to address that without turning into a patronizing nuisance.

Original guilt, immaculate conception, the Filioque, papal authority: Sometimes it can be difficult to explain the differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism. OCF Student Media Leader Tasya Lysack and Fr. Brendan Pelphrey will be speaking about other Christian denominations for the next few episodes of Orthodox Apologetics, and today they discuss the answers to common questions our peers might ask us about the differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism.

Fr. Brendan Pelphrey returns for the second instalment of Orthodox Apologetics for the 2017-2018 school year. In this episode, Fr. Brendan gives an overview of the history of the Protestant churches. He also answers some questions that Protestants may ask Orthodox college students. If you have any questions for Fr. Brendan, please email Tasya at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)/**/.

"As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." What is belief? Tasya and Fr. Brendan discuss the fact that belief is more than recognizing the historical existence of Jesus Christ and His resurrection—the Church Fathers explain to us that it means that we try to be like Him.

"This is how the Church address politics every Sunday. Not by endorsing or opposing candidates, but by dealing with the spiritual roots of all the issues that affect all citizens. We locate the heart, then work our way out from there."

After talking a bit more about narcissism in the priesthood (and a brief word from a sponsor), Fr. Anthony uses some insights from comparative politics to help explain some of the divisions that plague some communities and why things often get blown out of proportion.

Join Fr. Anthony and Fr. Harry as they talk about how artificially romanticizing the Golden Age of the Councils contributes to the polarization of our communities, how politics are the new idolatry, and why it is so easy to anathematize heretics over vaccines and masks. Enjoy the show!

I had a conversation recently in which I couldn’t explain very clearly a comment I made several times, and as a result there was a certain amount of misunderstanding. I realize that perhaps many people have this same misunderstanding, and since it has to do with the Kingdom of Heaven, and how it “comes” or how we actually enter and live the life of the Kingdom of Heaven while we are still on earth, I thought that discussing this misunderstanding and how to overcome might be a good way to begin our discussion of “Let Your Kingdom come (as in heaven, so also on earth).”

Fr. Philip reflects on the lives and witness of the early Christian martyrs and saints in Rome.

To be Christ's disciple requires taking up a cross, denying oneself, and losing one's life in the world.

Fr. John discusses the development of Christian hymnography.

What was the genius of classical music during its nineteenth-century golden age? According to Fr. John Strickland, it was an effort to rescue Christendom's transformational imperative in an age when secularization threatened to sever earth from heaven. No longer influenced by traditional Christianity, great composers like Beethoven exaggerated earthly passions (especially sexual love) to communicate the West's primordial desire for transcendence. But the emotionalism that resulted threatened to take the floor out from underneath them. This episode concludes by analyzing famous works by Schubert and Berlioz which show how transcendence gave way to descent, and how utopian hopes plunged into irreversible spiritual agony.

When we change teachings of the Faith, we are no longer preaching Truth.

Fr. Theodore Paraskevopoulos defines the difference between heresy and schism, and why unity matters to us today.

There are over 20 ancient Eastern Christian churches in communion with the Pope of Rome whose liturgies and "ethos" are more "Orthodox" than their Latin-Rite brothers. Some of them claim to be "Orthodox in communion with Rome". Some Orthodox disagree, calling them (pejoratively) "Uniates" or Eastern Rite Catholics, who have made significant compromises to come into such communion. In this episode host Kevin Allen speaks with Melkite (Eastern Catholic) priest Father James Babcock about the similarities and differences between Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Catholics and the Roman Catholic Church.

After being AWOL for several months, we're actually back in the Basement Catacomb Studio recording new material! In the first of a several part series on "relics," we discuss the universal human behavior of collecting "memorabilia" of significant people, the universal human struggle to define the relationship between the spiritual and material worlds, and the significance of Christian relics based on the Incarnation of Christ and the Orthodox view of salvation.

Hierotheos Vlachos of Nafpaktos said, "The job of the Church is to make relics." The phenomenon of relics is not merely a human sentimental reaction to the past, but it is a real evidence of our salvation in Christ in whom "the fullness of deity dwells bodily" (Colossians 1:19, 2:9). The consequences of the incarnation go beyond a juridical declaration of innocence, they are evidence of the eternal destiny of the human being. In this program Steve and Bill begin to delve into the theology of the Church regarding our union with God in Christ through the Holy Spirit.

We continue the discussion of essence and energy and give a very broad overview of the influence of the Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle on Augustine and Aquinas and how philosophy has influenced the views of God in the West. We also discuss how the East and West's views of God manifest themselves in how we view creation and the human being's relationship to God.

After a two-month disappearance, Steve and Bill resurface and finally record part three of the series on "Relics." In this program they discuss the Orthodox view of God and how the creation can literally "participate in God," or, as St. Peter says, be a "partaker of the divine nature." How can the infinite God who says, "You cannot see my face and live," also promise that "the pure in heart shall see God"? The distinction between the essence and energies of God is one of the fundamental dogmas of the Orthodox faith and gives us a vision of our union with God which is ultimately our salvation.

In part four of our discussion of relics, we tackle the nature of God and the nature of the human being and how we can "know" a person. What is the relationship of "nature" to a "person"? What is an "energy"? How are a nature's energies expressed? The proper definition of nature, energy and personhood form the cornerstone for a proper definition of salvation and the goal of our existence in God.

As we have learned, “the theologian is one who prays.” While that is certainly important, it’s not the only characteristic of true theologians. There’s more to it than that—much more. In this episode, Dn. Michael considers ten characteristics of true theologians. Surprisingly, they’re relevant to all Orthodox Christians not just theologians.

Fr. Apostolos Hill homily about the parable of the unforgiving servant.

What would you do if God gave you the silent treatment? Fr Thomas reminds us that we must persist in our pleas to God and in so doing, exercise great faith.

Christ our God gave the paralytic a choice, and respected his free will, when He asked him:- “Do you want to be healed?”. As always, He asks the same question of each one of us.

Professor David Frost continues his exploration in the field of ethics and tries to find an answer to the question, "How do we discover and apply a Christian standard?"

Professor David Frost, the Principal of the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies, speaks about "Christian and other ways of deciding what is right" in this first of two lectures on ethics.

Dr. Rossi addresses the often controversial subject of politics. He encourages us, through the teaching of St. John Chrysostom, to always keep an eschatological view of this world and our engagement in the political arena.

Dr. Rossi interviews Fr. Sergius Halvorsen on the topic of apologetics.

Dr. Albert Rossi interviews Dr. Gayle Woloschak on the topic of bioethics. Dr. Woloschak is a professor of Radiation Oncology at Northwestern University in Chicago and an adjunct professor of Religion and Science at Lutheran School of Theology Chicago, and at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, as well as Professor of Bioethics at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in Yonkers, NY.

Dr. Rossi interviews Fr. Sergius Halvorsen on the place of the homily in the life of the average parishioner. The Rev. Dr. J. Sergius Halvorsen is the Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program, Assistant Professor of Homiletics and Rhetoric at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in Yonkers, NY.

Dr. Albert Rossi interviews Fr. Sergius Halvorsen on the topic of "Apologetics and Evangelization: The Dangers of Profiteering." Rev. Dr. J. Sergius Halvorsen is the Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in Yonkers, NY.

Dr. Albert Rossi discusses how we express our beliefs as Orthodox Christians with Dr. Peter Bouteneff, Professor of Systematic Theology at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in Younkers, NY.

Fr. John Parker, Chair of the Dept of Evangelization of the Orthodox Church in America, comments on an Op Ed piece in the New York Times about Russia and the Olympics. An edited version of Fr. John's comments can be found in the The Post and Courier.

Fr. Philip LeMasters, a professor of religion at McMurry University and the host of the AFR podcast Eastern Christian Insights, discusses how Orthodox Christians should approach politics.