313 - Fr. Andrew Damick - Redeeming Pagan Symbolism

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick is Chief Content Officer of Ancient Faith Ministries. He has been podcasting since 2007 and is the host of Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy, Orthodox Engagement, and Roads from Emmaus, as well as co-host of The Lord of Spirits, The Areopagus, and Amon Sûl.I had a wonderful conversation with Fr. Andrew about his latest project, The Wolf and the Cross. This podcast series documents his Orthodox pilgrimage to Lithuania, the last pagan nation in Europe.We discuss how Eastern Orthodoxy deals with the traditions and symbols from paganism and how it adapts elements of non-orthodox branches of Christianity.Listen to The Wolf and the Cross: https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/wolfandcross-----------------------JOIN US FOR THE SYMBOLIC WORLD SUMMIT: https://thesymbolicworld.com/summitFeb 29th - Mar 2nd, 2024Tarpon Springs, Florida, USTickets start at $399-----------------------PAST INTERVIEWS WITH FR. ANDREW• Arise O God: A Cosmic Vision of the Gospel | https://youtu.be/6U7c_89FeWM • The Areopagus Podcast: Storytelling by Subverting Subversion | https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/areopagus/storytelling_by_subverting_subversion_with_jonathan_pageau• JRR Tolkien and The Applicability of Stories | https://youtu.be/QcQShPpbEgc • Gods, Angels and Demons | https://youtu.be/NW_WlIurGtA -----------------------⏯️ TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Preview00:28 - Intro music00:52 - Introduction02:59 - Second visit to Lithuania03:00 - Lithuania on the border between Catholicism and Orthodoxy04:05 - The last pagan nation in Europe (late 14th century)05:42 - The backstory of Christianity and other religions09:55 - God redeems or untwists pagan symbolism13:22 - Transformation and creative engagement19:14 - Germanic Paganism and Christianity29:46 - Orthodox and non-orthodox Christians37:47 - The Sun Cross39:44 - Dievdirbys and Pensive Christ (Rūpintojėlis)44:05 - The Hill of Crosses (Kryžių Kalnas)48:45 - St. Peter Mohyla and Latinization50:24 - All Souls Day in Lithuanian Orthodoxy (Vėlinės)55:19 - Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn, Theotokos57:16 - Our Lady of Pažaislis1:03:04 - The porous nature of religious traditions1:09:20 - Humility vs. the demonic spirit of polarization1:11:32 - Conclusion-----------------------LINKS