Father Chris Flesoras joins Mark and Rex to discuss Eastern Orthodox spirituality, a spirituality marked by ritual, tradition, and beauty in worship.

TRANSCRIPT

0:02

Welcome to Jessup think I'm your host Mark Moore,

0:05

and your co host Rex Gurney. And today mark, we're actually going to break with traditional a little bit. And although we're going to be talking about I know Yeah, we're gonna focus on tradition, and I'm going to introduce our guest today, and it's father, Chris Flesoras or Dr. Chris Flesoras or pastor Chris Flesoras depending on how you how you know him. He's the priest at St. Anna's Greek Orthodox Church here in Roseville, and he has been teaching with his sewer Jessup, particularly the history department. He does have a PhD in history, along with his laundry list of other degrees. And he's been teaching with us for about 10 years. And he's actually one of the most more popular teachers in in the history department. I've actually never heard anybody say, it's a negative thing about about his his classes on even though he really does challenge ourselves. But I think you'll really, really enjoy what Chris has to say, just sort of explaining a little bit about the Orthodox tradition. And and what that brings to the wider Christian world.

1:08

Yeah, he's such a great voice to have on campus, and we're just excited to be able to share his voice with you on the podcast. Hope you enjoy the show.

1:24

Father, Chris, it's great to have you on the show. And I was even I was thinking this morning. I was like, I can't believe we haven't had you on the show yet. So my apology right, right away. No worries. Because, because I think you are are such a unique voice at Jessup. And and one that every student I've talked to has loved your classes. And, and you bring more students. They live in terrified. Yeah. pool of students. I talked. There was a student back in 2018. Yeah, they loved it. But now just excited to have have you on the show and kind of talk about orthodox spirituality. And, and, and I think it's really important that here just we have your voice with all of our voices, too, right. So we can kind of learn from different traditions, and but maybe to help our listeners, how long have you been teaching at Jessup? I think about 10 years,

2:25

you know, I was trying to think actually, when when it's like, how and when I like first, you know, I don't know got in contact with you or something for

2:34

Yeah, cuz you would have been the connecting piece. Right. I don't even remember that. It

2:38

was sort of Professor Professor Nystrom that used to be here. Okay. Yeah. teach, teach early church, but I became familiar with the campus through his brother that's at Sac State. For him, okay, and then learned of Jessup a. Right That's and then from there. I think when he went down to Southern California, then that was an opportunity to come and have a conversation with Rex about the department about maybe some needs here. Yeah. So I believe that's one thing started off. And

3:05

you've been teaching our early church history class, like forever. Right. Right. And, and there's no better person actually to teach that. Oh, right. I'm, I'm not making this up. Yeah.

3:15

When we may have came to Jessup at the same time, because I came around was fall 2010 was when I taught my first class, Jessup, and I'm trying to think I would have we would have connected shortly after that, I think yes. 2011. in there, so. So thank you, Rex for connecting for us and maybe played a nice drone for having a brother.

3:44

It's been a real benefit for not just our department, but I think for the whole school, especially with, ya know, what you brought to some of the conferences that we've had and such. I mean, it's good to have somebody that knows everybody. That's actually a good thing. Yeah. And, and Chris does.

3:58

Yeah, that's true. And, and with the church, too. How lon