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Welcome to this final episode in our season on the history of the Eastern Church. Today, we arrive at the threshold of the modern era, where the clash of ideas between East and West is no longer only about emperors, councils, and icons, but about doctrine itself. In the seventeenth century, the Orthodox world faced one of its most profound internal challenges when Cyril Lucaris—Patriarch of Constantinople—penned what came to be known as The Eastern Confession of the Christian Faith.

The response came swiftly and decisively in The Confession of Dositheus—issued at the Synod of Jerusalem in 1672. This was no mild correction, but a thundering declaration that Orthodoxy would remain firmly opposed to Protestant innovations, reaffirming the authority of tradition, the necessity of the sacraments, and the enduring role of the Church’s magic and mystery.

In this episode, we’ll trace the dramatic story of these two rival confessions, explore what was really at stake, and reflect on how these texts reveal the deep fissures and convictions of a church caught between East and West. And, as always, we’ll ask the question: What can I, as an evangelical Christian, learn from this moment in history today?

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Episode Notes:

Finding God in the Silence: Gregory Palamas

In this episode of the History of the Christian Church podcast, we turn to the 14th century and meet one of the most influential voices of Eastern Christianity: Gregory Palamas. A monk, mystic, and defender of Hesychasm, Palamas taught that the path to God is found not only in theology and doctrine, but in prayer, silence, and communion with the divine. His distinction between the “essence” and “energies” of God became a cornerstone of Orthodox theology.

But how should evangelical Christians view Palamas today? Can we learn from his emphasis on prayer and communion with God while still holding firmly to the sufficiency of Scripture and the finished work of Christ? Join us as we explore his life, his teaching, and why he still matters.

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🎙️ Welcome

In today’s episode — Symeon: Having a Personal Relationship With God — we turn to one of the most radical and profound voices of the 10th century: Symeon the New Theologian.

Long before the Reformation, Symeon challenged the formalism of the institutional church, insisting that every believer is called to a personal, experiential relationship with God through the power of the Holy Spirit.

He was exiled, rejected, and branded controversial — yet his writings, visions, and hymns continue to ignite hearts even today. Join us as we unpack the life, teachings, and legacy of a mystic who burned with divine love and called the Church back to its first love.

✍️ Episode Notes

Title: Symeon – Having a Personal Relationship With God

🔑 Key Themes:

• The necessity of direct encounter with God in the Christian life
• Symeon’s teaching on the visible light of divine presence
• His critique of spiritual formalism and institutional complacency
• The tension between mystical experience and biblical authority
• Relevance of Symeon’s passion for holiness, repentance, and transformation

🧠 Reflect:

• Do I seek a living relationship with Christ, or just religious routine?
• How can spiritual experience be pursued without neglecting Scripture and sound doctrine?
• What does it mean to live a life marked by repentance, holiness, and intimacy with God?

Thanks for listening! Subscribe, share, and stay with us as we continue our journey through Christian history — rediscovering voices that shaped the Church and still speak today.

Let’s not settle for religion without fire. Let’s pursue God Himself.

This channel does a deep dive into the scriptures so as to teach what it means to be...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

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