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Episode 9: Holy Myrrh and Holy Relics
Unit 15: “John of the Ladder: Principles of the Christian Life”, by Prof. Christopher Veniamin
Series: “Mystical Theology"

“Holy Myrrh and Holy Relics”, Episode 9 in our series, "John of the Ladder, is based on the readings, “About Menas” and “About Saint Acacius”. In it, inter alia, Prof. Christopher Veniamin discusses the significance of holy myrrh and holy relics.

Themes from this episode are listed in the Timestamps below.

Q&As available in The Professor’s Blog: https://mountthabor.com/blogs/the-professors-blog

Recommended background reading: The Ladder of Divine Ascent (Holy Transfiguration Monastery); Saint Silouan the Athonite, by St. Sophrony the Athonite; and The Enlargement of the Heart, by Archimandrite Zacharias

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: I wish to express my indebtedness to the spoken and written traditions of Sts Silouan and Sophrony the Athonites, Fr. Zacharias Zacharou, Fr. Kyrill Akon, Fr. Raphael Noica, Fr. Symeon Brüschweiler; Fr. John Romanides, Fr. Pavlos Englezakis, Fr. Georges Florovsky, Prof. Constantine Scouteris, Prof. George Mantzarides, Prof. John Fountoulis, Mtp Hierotheos Vlachos, Mtp Kallistos Ware, and Prof. Panayiotes Chrestou. My presentations have been enriched by all of the above sources. Responsibility however for the content of my presentations is of course mine alone. ©Christopher Veniamin 2024

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Series: Mystical Theology

Episode 22: Augustine of Hippo: An Orthodox Perspective, Part 3, Revelation of "I AM" (Exod. 3:18), with Prof. Christopher Veniamin

In Part 3 of “Augustine of Hippo: An Orthodox Perspective”, Episode 22 of our series in “Mystical Theology”, we discuss St. Augustine's understanding of the revelation of "I AM", given to Moses on Sinai (Exod. 3:14). Other themes broached in this episode are listed in the Timestamps below.

Q&As available in The Professor’s Blog: https://mountthabor.com/blogs/the-professors-blog

Recommended background reading: Christopher Veniamin, ed., Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilies (Dalton PA: 2022); The Orthodox Understanding of Salvation: "Theosis" in Scripture and Tradition (2016); The Transfiguration of Christ in Greek Patristic Literature (2022); and Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos, Empirical Dogmatics of the Orthodox Catholic Church: According to the Spoken Teaching of Father John Romanides, Vol. 1 (2012), Vol. 2 (repr. ed. 2020).

Further bibliography may be found in our "Scholar's Corner" webpage: https://mountthabor.com/pages/the-professors-suggested-reading-lists.

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Dr. Christopher Veniamin
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Further bibliography may be found in our Scholar's Corner.

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Series: Christology 
Episode title: Special Edition: The Incarnation: “That God the Word did not become a Human Being”, Prof. Christopher Veniamin

Special Edition: The Incarnation: “That God the Word did not become a Human Being”, is a deeper probe in to the mystery of the Person of Jesus Christ, our Lord, God, and Saviour.

Following the teachings of St. Cyril of Alexandria, who gives us the foundations of Orthodox Christology, Dr. Christopher Veniamin expounds upon the significance of the asymmetrical union of the two natures of Christ in the single and unique “prosopon-hypostasis” of the Son and Word of God; and in the process of doing so, offers a corrective to the erroneous Christologies of both past and present.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: I wish to express my indebtedness to the spoken and written traditions of Sts Silouan and Sophrony the Athonites, Fr. Zacharias Zacharou, Fr. Kyrill Akon, Fr. Raphael Noica, Fr. Symeon Brüschweiler; Fr. Pavlos Englezakis, Fr. Georges Florovsky, Prof. Constantine Scouteris, Prof. George Mantzarides, Prof. John Fountoulis, and particularly to Mtp Kallistos Ware, Prof. Panayiotes Chrestou, Fr. John Romanides, and Mtp Hierotheos Vlachos: certain sentences and phrases utilized in these presentations are taken directly from my notes of some of their lectures. My presentations have been enriched by all of the above sources, owing to the adoption of certain structures, lists, schemata, and the paraphrasing of themes taken from them. Responsibility for the content of my presentations is of course mine alone. ©Christopher Veniamin 2024

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Episode 8: How to Deal with Pain and Suffering
Unit 15: “John of the Ladder: Principles of the Christian Life”, by Prof. Christopher Veniamin
Series: “Mystical Theology"

In Episode 8 of "John of the Ladder, Prof. Christopher Veniamin reads the sections “Macedonius the archdeacon” and “Again about the steward”, who are placed before us as an examples of Christlike humility. Themes include accepting injustice, how the Saints deal with suffering and the enemy, thoughts, reason and the imagination, the noetic and rational faculties, following the way of Christ, and the need for guidance.

Themes from this episode are listed in the Timestamps below.

Q&As available in The Professor’s Blog: https://mountthabor.com/blogs/the-professors-blog

Recommended background reading: The Ladder of Divine Ascent (Holy Transfiguration Monastery); Saint Silouan the Athonite, by St. Sophrony the Athonite; and The Enlargement of the Heart, by Archimandrite Zacharias

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: I wish to express my indebtedness to the spoken and written traditions of Sts Silouan and Sophrony the Athonites, Fr. Zacharias Zacharou, Fr. Kyrill Akon, Fr. Raphael Noica, Fr. Symeon Brüschweiler; Fr. John Romanides, Fr. Pavlos Englezakis, Fr. Georges Florovsky, Prof. Constantine Scouteris, Prof. George Mantzarides, Prof. John Fountoulis, Mtp Hierotheos Vlachos, Mtp Kallistos Ware, and Prof. Panayiotes Chrestou. My presentations have been enriched by all of the above sources. Responsibility however for the content of my presentations is of course mine alone. ©Christopher Veniamin 2024

Join the Mount Thabor Academy Podcasts and help us to bring podcasts on Orthodox theology and the spiritual life to the wider community. 

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Dr. Christopher Veniamin

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Series: Mystical Theology
Episode 21: Augustine of Hippo: An Orthodox Perspective, Part 2, Analogies, with Prof. Christopher Veniamin

In Part 2 of “Augustine of Hippo: An Orthodox Perspective”, Episode 21 of our series in “Mystical Theology”, we present the terminology of St. Augustine's "analogies of Trinity". Our episode begins with a brief clarification regarding Augustine’s two sources of divine revelation: Holy Scripture (analogy of faith) and creation (analogy of being); and then proceeds to refer to Augustine’s place in the study of Patristic theology in the West. Other themes broached in this episode are listed in the Timestamps below.

Q&As available in The Professor’s Blog: https://mountthabor.com/blogs/the-professors-blog

Recommended background reading: Christopher Veniamin, ed., Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilies (Dalton PA: 2022); The Orthodox Understanding of Salvation: "Theosis" in Scripture and Tradition (2016); The Transfiguration of Christ in Greek Patristic Literature (2022); and Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos, Empirical Dogmatics of the Orthodox Catholic Church: According to the Spoken Teaching of Father John Romanides, Vol. 1 (2012), Vol. 2 (repr. ed. 2020).

Join the Mount Thabor Academy Podcasts and help us to bring podcasts on Orthodox theology and the spiritual life to the wider community. 

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Dr. Christopher Veniamin

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Episode 7: Compassion, the Body, and St. Abbacyrus
Unit 15: “John of the Ladder: Principles of the Christian Life”, by Prof. Christopher Veniamin
Series: “Mystical Theology"

In Episode 7 of "John of the Ladder, Prof. Christopher Veniamin talks about the compassion of the Saints, the place of the human body in the spiritual life, and the remarkable example of St. Abbacyrus, who teaches us how to handle adversity.

Themes from this episode are listed in the Timestamps below.

Q&As available in The Professor’s Blog

Recommended background reading: The Ladder of Divine Ascent (Holy Transfiguration Monastery); Saint Silouan the Athonite, by St. Sophrony the Athonite; and The Enlargement of the Heart, by Archimandrite Zacharias

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: I wish to express my indebtedness to the spoken and written traditions of Sts Silouan and Sophrony the Athonites, Fr. Zacharias Zacharou, Fr. Kyrill Akon, Fr. Raphael Noica, Fr. Symeon Brüschweiler; Fr. John Romanides, Fr. Pavlos Englezakis, Fr. Georges Florovsky, Prof. Constantine Scouteris, Prof. George Mantzarides, Prof. John Fountoulis, Mtp Hierotheos Vlachos, Mtp Kallistos Ware, and Prof. Panayiotes Chrestou. My presentations have been enriched by all of the above sources. Responsibility however for the content of my presentations is of course mine alone. ©Christopher Veniamin 2024

Join the Mount Thabor Academy Podcasts and help us to bring podcasts on Orthodox theology and the spiritual life to the wider community. 

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Dr. Christopher Veniamin

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Series: Mystical Theology
Episode 20: Augustine of Hippo: An Orthodox Perspective, Part 1, Introduction, Episode 20 in Mystical Theology, with Prof. C. Veniamin

In Part 1 of “Augustine of Hippo: An Orthodox Perspective”, Episode 20 of our series in “Mystical Theology”, we present the theology of the most influential Christian figure in Western thought. Our introduction begins by making reference to Augustine’s seminal work on the Trinity, and setting the context of his approach to the mystery by identifying his two sources of divine revelation: faith (Holy Scripture) and philosophy (analogy of being). Other themes broached in this episode are listed in the Timestamps below.

Q&As available in The Professor’s Blog: https://mountthabor.com/blogs/the-professors-blog

Recommended background reading: Christopher Veniamin, ed., Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilies (Dalton PA: 2022) ; The Orthodox Understanding of Salvation: "Theosis" in Scripture and Tradition (2016) ; The Transfiguration of Christ in Greek Patristic Literature (2022) ; and Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos, Empirical Dogmatics of the Orthodox Catholic Church: According to the Spoken Teaching of Father John Romanides, Vol. 1 (2012), Vol. 2 (repr. ed. 2020).

Join the Mount Thabor Academy Podcasts and help us to bring podcasts on Orthodox theology and the spiritual life to the wider community. 

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Dr. Christopher Veniamin

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Unit 15: “John of the Ladder: Principles of the Christian Life”, by Prof. Christopher Veniamin
Series: “Mystical Theology"

In Episode 6 of "John of the Ladder, Prof. Christopher Veniamin discusses the benefits for lay folk of reading literature that is intended first and foremost for a monastic audience.

Themes from this episode are listed in the Timestamps below.

Q&As available in The Professor’s Blog: https://mountthabor.com/blogs/the-professors-blog

Recommended background reading: The Ladder of Divine Ascent (Holy Transfiguration Monastery); Saint Silouan the Athonite, by St. Sophrony the Athonite; and The Enlargement of the Heart, by Archimandrite Zacharias

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: I wish to express my indebtedness to the spoken and written traditions of Sts Silouan and Sophrony the Athonites, Fr. Zacharias Zacharou, Fr. Kyrill Akon, Fr. Raphael Noica, Fr. Symeon Brüschweiler; Fr. John Romanides, Fr. Pavlos Englezakis, Fr. Georges Florovsky, Prof. Constantine Scouteris, Prof. George Mantzarides, Prof. John Fountoulis, Mtp Hierotheos Vlachos, Mtp Kallistos Ware, and Prof. Panayiotes Chrestou. My presentations have been enriched by all of the above sources. Responsibility however for the content of my presentations is of course mine alone. ©Christopher Veniamin 2024

Join the Mount Thabor Academy Podcasts and help us to bring podcasts on Orthodox theology and the spiritual life to the wider community. 

Support the show

Dr. Christopher Veniamin

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Series: Mystical Theology
Episode 19: "Hypostasis": the Threeness of God, The Cappadocian Fathers, Pt 4, Prof. Christopher Veniamin

In Part 4 of “The Cappadocian Fathers”, Episode 19 of our series in “Mystical Theology”, we present the doctrine of the mystery of the Threefoldness of God.

Themes broached are listed in the Timestamps below.

Q&As available in The Professor’s Blog: https://mountthabor.com/blogs/the-professors-blog

Recommended background reading: Christopher Veniamin, ed., Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilies (Dalton PA: 2022): https://mountthabor.com/products/saint-gregory-palamas-the-homilies ; The Orthodox Understanding of Salvation: "Theosis" in Scripture and Tradition (2016): https://mountthabor.com/products/the-orthodox-understanding-of-salvation-by-dr-christopher-veniamin ; and Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos, Empirical Dogmatics of the Orthodox Catholic Church: According to the Spoken Teaching of Father John Romanides, Vol. 1 (2012), Vol. 2 (repr. ed. 2020).

Join the Mount Thabor Academy Podcasts and help us to bring podcasts on Orthodox theology and the spiritual life to the wider community. 

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Dr. Christopher Veniamin

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St Isidore, St Laurence & St Sophrony, in John of the Ladder, Ep 5, Prof. C. Veniamin
Unit 15: “John of the Ladder: Principles of the Christian Life”, by Prof. Christopher Veniamin
Series: “Mystical Theology"

In Episode 5 of "John of the Ladder, Prof. Christopher Veniamin presents two great examples of Christian obedience, St Isidore and St Laurence, and also adds a story from the life of his spiritual father, St Sophrony the Athonite; all of which serve to illustrate that inspired obedience in the Orthodox Christian tradition is nothing less than the practice of Christlike humility.

Themes from this episode are listed in the Timestamps below.

Q&As available in The Professor’s Blog: https://mountthabor.com/blogs/the-professors-blog

Recommended background reading: The Ladder of Divine Ascent (Holy Transfiguration Monastery); Saint Silouan the Athonite, by St. Sophrony the Athonite; and The Enlargement of the Heart, by Archimandrite Zacharias

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: I wish to express my indebtedness to the spoken and written traditions of Sts Silouan and Sophrony the Athonites, Fr. Zacharias Zacharou, Fr. Kyrill Akon, Fr. Raphael Noica, Fr. Symeon Brüschweiler; Fr. John Romanides, Fr. Pavlos Englezakis, Fr. Georges Florovsky, Prof. Constantine Scouteris, Prof. George Mantzarides, Prof. John Fountoulis, Mtp Hierotheos Vlachos, Mtp Kallistos Ware, and Prof. Panayiotes Chrestou. My presentations have been enriched by all of the above sources. Responsibility however for the content of my presentations is of course mine alone. ©Christopher Veniamin 2024

Join the Mount Thabor Academy Podcasts and help us to bring podcasts on Orthodox theology and the spiritual life to the wider community. 

Support the show

Dr. Christopher Veniamin

Join The Mount Thabor Academy
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2232462/support

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Print Books by MOUNT THABOR PUBLISHING

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Further Info & Bibliography
The Professor's Blog
Further bibliography may be found in our Scholar's Corner

Contact us: [email protected]...