The Mount Thabor Academy Podcasts

“Mystical Theology: Introducing the Theology and Spiritual Life of the Orthodox Church”, with Prof. Christopher Veniamin

Mystical Theology: Introducing the Theology and Spiritual Life of the Orthodox Church, with particular reference to the Holy Bible and the witness of the Church Fathers, past and present. 

“Sts Silouan and Sophrony the Athonites: Principles of the Christian Life.”

Based on the reading of excerpts from Silouan’s chapter, “On the Knowledge of God”, from the masterpiece, Saint Silouan the Athonite, by St. Sophrony the Athonite, this first episode will focus on such fundamental questions as “What is theology?”, “Who is a theologian?”, and “How does one theologize?”.

Themes covered include our creation in the image of God, the Commandments of Christ, how to attract the grace of God, and then how to preserve it; the role of the Holy Spirit; and the place of Christlike humility in the life of the Christian. And most especially, how does one live a fully Christian life in the world today?

It is hoped that these presentations will help the enquirer discern the interwoven character of Orthodox theology and the Orthodox Christian life, and to identify the ascetic and pastoral significance of the Orthodox ethos.

Q&As related to Episode 1 available in The Professor’s Blog

Recommended background reading: 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 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 2023

“St Gregory Palamas: An Introduction”

This unit, “St Gregory Palamas: An Introduction”, itself part of a wider series on Mystical Theology, is an overview of the teachings of one of the greatest Fathers of the Orthodox Church. Presentations cover St Gregory’s defense of the Orthodox Faith against his three main theological opponents; and focus on the main themes raised by his debates with them, including the nature of revelation and the knowledge of God, direct personal experience of God from this life, the Jesus Prayer, the Vision of God, and the sanctification of the body and its final place in the life to come.

It is hoped that these presentations will help the enquirer discern the profound interrelationship between Orthodox theology and the Orthodox Christian life, and to identify the ascetic and pastoral significance of the Orthodox ethos contained therein. 

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, and particularly to Mtp Kallistos Ware and Prof. Panayiotes Chrestou: 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 2023

“Mystical Theology: Holy Scripture & Greek Philosophy”

 This Unit, "Holy Scripture & Greek Philosophy", consists of a presentation of select passages from Holy Scripture and a discussion of the language of the Bible, in both Old and New Testaments. Followed by a brief presentation of (chiefly) Platonic philosophy, we endeavour to underline the key features of these fundamentally different worlds. 

Inspired by the spiritual lineage and ascetico-theological vision of Sts. Silouan and Sophrony the Athonites, a wide range of themes pertaining to the mystical theology of the Christian Church will be discussed.

It is hoped that these presentations will help the enquirer discern the interwoven character of theology and the Christian living, and to identify the ascetic and pastoral significance of the Orthodox ethos.  

Q&As related to Episode 1 available in The Professor’s Blog.

Recommended background reading: Christopher Veniamin, ed., Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilies (Dalton PA: 2022).

“Mystical Theology: Philo of Alexandria, Part 1”

This Episode, "Philo of Alexandria, Part 1", consists of a presentation of Philo, an Alexandrian rabbi of the first century, who was a near contemporary of Christ, and sought to introduce the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, to his pagan intellectual contemporaries.

In this episode, Dr. Christopher Veniamin presents the following aspects of Philo’s contribution in particular: his apophatic (mystical theology), his created–uncreated distinction, the distinction Philo makes between the divine nature and the powers of God, and also the distinctiveness of his Logos theology.

It is hoped that these presentations will help the enquirer discern the interwoven character of theology and the Christian living, and to identify the ascetic and pastoral significance of the Orthodox ethos.

Q&As related to Episode 2 available in The Professor’s Blog.

Recommended background reading: Christopher Veniamin, ed., Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilies (Dalton PA: 2022).

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, Fr. Andrew Louth, and particularly to Mtp Kallistos Ware and Prof. Panayiotes Chrestou: 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 2023

“Mystical Theology: Philo of Alexandria, Part 2”

This Episode, "Philo of Alexandria, Part 2", consists of a presentation of Philo, an Alexandrian rabbi of the first century, who was a near contemporary of Jesus Christ, and sought to introduce the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, to his pagan intellectual contemporaries. 

In this episode, Dr. Christopher Veniamin presents the following aspects of Philo’s contribution in particular: his apophatic (mystical theology), his created–uncreated distinction, the distinction Philo makes between the divine nature and the powers of God, and also the distinctiveness of his Logos theology.

It is hoped that these presentations will help the enquirer discern the interwoven character of theology and Christian living, and to identify the ascetic and pastoral significance of the Orthodox ethos.  

Q&As related to Episode 3 available in The Professor’s Blog.

Recommended background reading: Christopher Veniamin, ed., Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilies (Dalton PA: 2022).

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, Fr. Andrew Louth, and particularly to Mtp Kallistos Ware and Prof. Panayiotes Chrestou: 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 2023