Dr. Cyril Gary Jenkins makes his triumphant return to the Areopagus, and this time he’s got a book. The Areopagites chat with him about his newly-published “A Perilous Realm: Confronting Dragons, Angels, and Saints in the Ordering of the Soul.”

The Areopagites do their year-in-review episode, discussing things they’ve accomplished, books they’ve read, places they’ve been, people they’ve lost and things they’ve learned.

The Areopagites take email and voice questions from listeners, discussing issues such as whether social media is worth using, how to talk to Evangelical friends about Orthodox services, the true nature of schism, and the rotating Guamanian pope statue.

Podcaster and musician Jim Lovelady of Serge (formerly World Harvest Mission) joins the Areopagites to talk about his pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain as well as the work he does with missionaries and pastors.

Fr. Andrew and Pastor Mike talk about their two very different experiences this summer as Fr. Andrew details his return to Lithuania and Pastor Mike walks through his father’s passing.

The Areopagites welcome Fr. Christopher Rowe, the Assistant Director of Development for the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC), talking about the foreign missionary work of the Orthodox Church as well as Christian mission in general – why, how, and how not to do foreign and local evangelism.

Discussing the confusing, conflicting definitions in play for “ecumenism,” the Areopagites talk about ecumenical history, what the Church Fathers say about relations with other Christians, and finally reveal their own true feelings about the Pan-Heresy of Ecumenism.

The Areopagites talk about the good side of church leadership, basing their discussion on the enthronement speech of Metropolitan Saba, the new leader of the North American Antiochian Archdiocese. Jack Chick and Joel Osteen also make appearances.

The Areopagites greet each other (and you) with the resurrection of Christ and then delight in commenting on incoherent and heretical takes on the feast.

In February 2023, tens of thousands participated in a religious revival at Asbury University in Kentucky. What is the context of the Asbury revival? How can people outside the Wesleyan/Methodist tradition understand the Asbury revival? Can revival outside our boundaries even be a real thing? The Areopagites welcome Fr. Symeon Kees, an Orthodox priest from Appalachia with a Wesleyan background who studied at Asbury Theological Seminary – right across the street from the university.

Are in men in crisis? How did that happen? What does authentic men’s ministry look like? What are good and bad ways to do it? What does all this have to do with priesthood? The Areopagites welcome Michael Baclig, president of the Antiochian Men of the Diocese of Miami and the Southeast, to talk about ministry to men. Meanwhile, Fr. Andrew fills us in on wacky Lithuanian pre-Lenten rituals.

The Areopagites embark on an epic journey into the strange, millenarian world of Jack Chick.

Christian Gonzalez and Steven Christoforou show up for one last Pop Culture Coffee Hour crossover with the Areopagus. They talk about the origins of PCCH, what they hoped to accomplish when they started in 2015, and how they feel about its 200 episodes. They and the Areopagites also share the stories they’re into lately in a bald-faced attempt by the Areopagites to commandeer all 13 of PCCH’s listeners.

The Areopagites host Anglican priest Fr. Wesley Walker to talk about how he sees the problems of deconstructionist Exvangelicalism, to talk disenchantment in the Evangelical world within which he was raised, and to share Raleigh in-jokes, but not before Fr. Andrew reveals his weird hobby of researching episcopi vagantes – and how they seem to be following him.

The Areopagites hone in on revivalism – its origins, how it functions, how it distorts church and culture, and how it’s made its way into nearly every facet of American life – bracketing the episode with clips from a couple of their favorite films.

For their fifth anniversary, the Areopagites do a self-indulgent retrospective episode, looking back at their five years of making the second-greatest podcast in existence. Fr. Andrew tells about his upcoming big pilgrimage, Pastor Mike reveals his Lenten secrets, both struggle to remember how this all started, and they do an MST3King of the first five minutes of the Areopagus. Fr. Andrew reveals the ur-podcast of Fr. Stephen De Young, and Pastor Mike tries not to cry. This retrospective does not include Pentatonix, but includes the Pentaverate and… wait, David Bowie?

Steven Christoforou joins the Areopagites in the Emmaus studio to do a post mortem on 2021. Now that it’s in the past even for the Old Calendarists, what did these three guys learn about life and ministry over the past year? And what judgy things can they say to each other about those lessons? Pastor Michael tries not to cry.

Author and podcaster Dr. Nicole Roccas of AFR's Time Eternal podcast joins the Areopagites to return to the Christianity Today podcast The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill, which wrapped up this month. They give their assessment of the podcast, asking why it was valuable and why it got millions of downloads, including bringing to bear Nicole's newly-acquired trauma-informed training. She repeatedly surprises the Areopagites with her wit, Fr. Andrew reminisces about radio dramas from his childhood, and Pastor Mike tells the story of how he was given a gun to wear in church.

The Areopagites welcome Fr. Patrick Cardine and Dr. Cyril Jenkins to discuss the phenomenon of Anti-Westernism in Orthodox discourse and writings. What is it? Is the standard polemic against “The West” damaging to our faith and evangelistic witness? If so, how? And what would a proper approach to the Western Christian past and present look like?

The Areopagites go full Q&A, addressing questions on parenting and prayer, finding spiritual profit from authors outside your tradition, how life changes when becoming Orthodox, singleness, keeping sane in the midst of Internet travails, profiting from criticism, what it means that the Orthodox Church is the “true church,” and what exactly is in their coffee cups.

The Areopagites say that there is a crisis of the gospel in the modern world. A lot of people have no idea what it even is. There are numerous versions being preached. And almost all of them are missing something -- demons. And Fr. Andrew promises he’s not trying to sell you a book. Really. No, really.

What happens when ministry success outpaces personal character? The Areopagites welcome fellow AFR podcaster Jamey Bennett to discuss the new Christianity Today podcast The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill, which tracks the meteoric rise and collapse of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, led by Mark Driscoll. Far from looking only at Mark Driscoll himself and the particular story of his church, the CT podcast examines the context that made that kind of rise possible and draws out lessons for any who are in ministry or Christian leadership. Fr. Andrew reminds Jamey that he owes him a goat, Pastor Mike does his cartoon Tasmanian Devil impersonation again, and Jamey offers his help with creating Rap Knights.

Fr. Stephen De Young comes back to the Areopagus to talk disenchantment and re-enchantment within a fractured Christian world. How did we get here? And does spiritual warfare “work” outside the Orthodox Church? Fr. Andrew quotes Hamlet, Pastor Mike casts out ghosts, and Fr. Stephen Hulks out.

The Areopagites tackle the phenomenon of the “Exvangelical,” the (de)conversion of prominent Evangelical Christians away from traditional doctrines or from Christianity altogether, tracing it back to the iconoclasm of the Reformation. They launch into a discussion of what Christian culture is and what this has to do with ritual. And Pastor Mike tells the story of how he parted the waters at a charismatic church service by doing his best Tasmanian devil impression.

Icon carver and YouTuber Jonathan Pageau joins the Areopagites to talk about parasitic storytelling in popular culture -- pushing the outsider and the marginal into the inside -- and offering both critique to diversity as a core value and positive responses to this inversion of hierarchy in culture. The revolution of the culture is coming to its end, but what will be next?

Germanic philologist and Amon Sûl podcast co-host Richard Rohlin joins the Areopagites to talk about the good, bad, and ugly in how modern people deal with the past and incorporate it (or don’t) into their present, not to mention why English spelling reform is a terrible idea and why there is no such thing as an “incense holder.”

Fr. Anthony Perkins, archpriest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA living in the State of Georgia, mission pastor covering two parishes, AFR podcaster, Ph.D. student in political science at the University of Georgia, former US Army intelligence officer, and probably not secretly an operative of the CIA, FBI and NSA all at once, joins the Areopagites to talk UFOs, aliens, the paranormal, conspiracies, and whether it’s all just a big joke -- featuring special guest appearances by Fr. Anthony’s birds.

The Pseudo-Areopagite Dr. Mike Petrow returns to the podcast after a 2-year hiatus to talk friendship (especially in the midst of pandemic), where he’s been all this time, and with long but relevant detours into the Ralph Bakshi (and other renditions of) Lord of the Rings. Prominently featured is the leaking of nearly every other podcast Fr. Andrew has ever made into this one episode of the Areopagus.

Reformation historian Dr. Cyril Gary Jenkins returns to the Areopagus to talk politics -- not candidates or elections, but what it means for Christians to live under human governments, what the Bible says about government, and the spiritual realities that we face here in 2020 America. And Fr. Andrew makes a dumb joke about a centaur.

Former Pentecostal pastor and now Orthodox Christian priest Fr. Barnabas Powell joins the Areopagites to discuss the book he's writing about the relationship between Pentecostalism and Orthodox Christianity, how charismatic gifts function within the Orthodox tradition, and what Pentecostal experience means in the light of that tradition.

The Areopagites welcome podcaster, Biblical scholar and On-Site Holy Land Professor/Instructor (NOT "tour guide"!) Dr. Cyndi Parker to discuss sacred space and sacred place, with an emphasis on her scholarly focus of the book of Deuteronomy. But they begin with a deep dive into whether there can be sacraments or even church life at the Starbucks.

Fr. Andrew and Pastor Mike discuss prominent Christians falling from grace, including comedian John Crist and Liberty University president Jerry Falwell, Jr. They finish up with the “Don’t Go to Church, Be the Church” slogan during the present pandemic. But first they begin with a listener question about whether schisms ever heal.

Shawn Raymer, a former ministry co-worker with Pastor Mike, has journeyed from mission work in the heart of the prophetic movement in the Pentecostal world to becoming an Orthodox Christian

Christian Gonzalez and Steven Christoforou are back with the Areopagites to talk ministry in the time of global pandemic -- live-streaming, virtual communion, Zoombombing, Daleks, bidets, mystically multiplying toilet paper, and a whole lot more!

Fr. Andrew and Pastor Mike wrestle with tough questions such as the return of the Orthodox Kevin Bacon to the show and the right response of Christians to the political process. (This episode was recorded before the onset of COVID-19 restrictions in the US, so that topic is not addressed.)

The Areopagites welcome Marc Richter, a long time friend of Pastor Mike, to the podcast to talk about his upbringing in the Roman Catholic Church, what led him away to Protestantism, and what is leading him back. They also introduce a new segment on the latest amazing public things said by religious leaders.

Epic fantasy novelist and Russian Orthodox deacon Nicholas Kotar joins the Areopagites to talk culture creation in a wide-ranging conversation including everything from Tolkien to Star Trek to techniques of story-writing and the place of religion in imaginative fiction.

Dr. Cyril Jenkins joins the Areopagites to talk about the rough and rowdy world of being Christian on the Internet. The conversation ranges from social media to education to reading to ministry and content creation online.

Are pagan gods just made-up stories? How many gods are there? Biblical scholar and AFR podcaster Fr. Stephen De Young returns to the Areopagus to talk with Pastor Michael and Fr. Andrew about gods as depicted in the Bible, as understood and worshiped in the ancient world, and as seen in the historical Christian tradition.

The Areopagites compare notes from their respective Holy Week and Paschal worship traditions and even find some surprising points of contact. They also address an email they received after their last episode.

The Areopagites tackle the question of how religious communities engage in internal criticism, when and how that criticism can be received, as well as how and why it might be rejected. The discussion ranges throughout Protestantism, Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism, with both drawing on their own experiences in multiple traditions.

Fr. Andrew and Pastor Michael answer your questions, finally revealing the secrets behind Michael's relationship to the UCC, Fr. Andrew's thoughts on woodchucks who won't just chuck wood like they're supposed to, and how they both feel about secret agent Michael Scarn.

The Areopagites have the tables turned and get asked questions by their friend the 'Lost Areopagite,' Dr. Mike Petrow! Together they discuss liturgy both in its more technical sense and also in the sense that nearly everything we do in life is liturgical. They also discuss their first encounters with liturgical worship, how it changed them, and also struggles with reforming the liturgy of their daily lives.

Fr Andrew and Pastor Michael welcome Brian Gillispie, worship leader at Wolfforth United Methodist Church in Lubbock, TX, and an avowed Areopagite, to talk about all things worship. What is worship and what does it do? Is there some value in contemporary worship? Are younger people turning to more traditional forms of worship? Is Timothy Dalton the unappreciated James Bond? Find out on this episode of the Areopagus!

For the first time, Fr. Andrew and Pastor Michael record with a live audience, hosted by the Eastern University Orthodox Christian Fellowship and the St. Basil Center for Orthodox Thought and Culture. Featured are two guests as well as a Q&A with the audience, discussing what the Church's mission in the world is and how it moves in that context.

The Areopagites welcome Fr. Stephen De Young, Orthodox priest, Biblical scholar and Ancient Faith podcaster and blogger, to discuss his work on understanding the Bible and the Church Fathers better in terms of the ancient religious mindset, especially Second Temple Judaism. Topics discussed: The Holy Trinity, venerating the Theotokos, giants, Voltron and William Shatner.

Fr. Andrew and Pastor Michael begin Season 2 of the Areopagus with a wide-ranging chat covering clergy scandals, worship and church styles, catechism, and clergy marriage in the Orthodox Church. It's classic coffee talk with just our two hosts!

Fr. Theodore Petrides returns to the Areopagus for the second part of this two-part discussion focusing on the Jesus Prayer. What are the conditions needed for this prayer? How is it practiced? What does it accomplish? Dr. Mike Petrow also joins for this intimate and in-depth conversation.

The Areopagites welcome back Fr. Theodore Petrides to discuss the topic of prayer, particularly the Jesus Prayer. In this first part of two, Dr. Mike Petrow sits in for Pastor Michael, who will return for part 2 of this illuminating discussion on a central piece of Christian life.

The Areopagites recorded their 27th episode while also broadcasting live on Facebook video. They start by discussing Evangelical preacher Andy Stanley's claim that Christians need to 'unhitch' their faith from the Old Testament but then get into taking live questions from the Facebook audience.

Welcoming back Professors Jenkins and Tighe, the Areopagites engage with them in a free-for-all on the Reformation, beginning with some surprising survey results about American Protestants, who increasingly no longer believe in key distinctive Reformation doctrines.

The Areopagites welcome Professors Cyril Jenkins and William Tighe to discuss J.R.R. Tolkien and the summer program of the St. Basil Center for Orthodox Thought and Culture, which is focused on Tolkien's works.

Pastor Michael and Fr. Andrew welcome Fr. Theodore Petrides, a frequent pilgrim to the Holy Mountain of Athos and the Holy Land (and who led Fr. Andrew's recent pilgrimage to Athos) to discuss his experiences with miracles, pilgrimage and spiritual fatherhood. Dr. Mike Petrow also joins in, and they explore this beautiful spiritual space together.

The Areopagites welcome Arthur Hatton, a doctoral student in clinical psychology, a counselor, a former Mormon and now Orthodox Christian. They talk faith, doubt and feelings as they are expressed in both Mormonism and classical Christianity.At the end of the interview, Arthur mentioned his music project which can be accessed HERE.

The Areopagites bring back Dr. Mike Petrow to talk Star Wars: The Last Jedi (spoilers!), but mostly to discuss their lives over the past year, what they've learned, and how they've changed. Secrets will be revealed, and Fr. Andrew has way too much fun with a sound effects app.

Pastor Michael and Fr. Andrew welcome Michael's dad, Dr. Michael Landsman. They talk about his conversion from Judaism to Christianity and his experience in the Charismatic movement, as well as dealing with disappointment and longevity over 45 years of ministry. They also talk about Fr. Andrew's new book - Bearing God: The Life and Works of St. Ignatius of Antioch the God-Bearer.

Five-time Emmy award winning actor and musician Jonathan Jackson joins Fr. Andrew and Pastor Michael to discuss his spiritual journey as well as how Christians can minister directly with those whom they encounter in their everyday life.

Welcoming Lutheran Pastor Waldemar Vinovskis (LCMS), the Areopagites discuss the beginning of the Reformation, what drove Martin Luther, and the path of Lutheranism today, including its relationship with other Christian bodies.

Steven Christoforou, a lifelong Orthodox Christian, joins Fr. Andrew and Pastor Michael to discuss his encounters with non-Orthodox theology and practice. Together, they talk about whether and how the Orthodox can learn from other religious groups (and vice versa).

Christian Gonzalez and Steven Christoforou from Pop Culture Coffee Hour join forces again with the Areopagites for a crossover episode discussing controversies that each show recently experienced. They talk about how the questions raised by those controversies flow from issues of trying to remain pure and trying to engage the world.

Fr. Andrew and Pastor Michael welcome Peter Brubacher to the Areopagus, and they discuss Peter's many pilgrimages, including walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain and also walking from Europe to Jerusalem. Far from just giving a travelogue, however, they discuss the meaning of pilgrimage and its place in the Christian life.

Pastor Michael and Fr. Andrew discuss a recent blog post by Fr. Andrew, titled 'Church Work is Mostly Disappointing,' talking about how and why that is, proposed solutions that don't actually work, and what can really be done about it. They also comment on the one question people ask them the most.

After mentioning him on the podcast multiple times, the Areopagites finally welcome Jamey Bennett, who talks about his journey from Mormonism (including his family's history in an alternative Mormon sect) through several kinds of churches and finally to Orthodoxy, featuring discussion of Christian rap and focusing especially on the question of conversion and all that it means.

Ancient Faith author, podcaster and blogger Angela Doll Carlson joins Pastor Michael and Fr. Andrew to talk about her book 'Nearly Orthodox,' her experience in the Emergent Church movement and finding authentic Christian faith in the modern world.

Fr. Andrew and Pastor Michael welcome Dr. Nicole Roccas, 'Time Eternal' podcaster and blogger and author of 'Time and Despondency' from Ancient Faith Publishing to talk early Protestant Reformation apocalypticism, as well as the place of time in Christian theology and life. Calendars, liturgy, times of prayer and even baby noises all come up!

Fr. Andrew and Pastor Michael welcome back the guys from Pop Culture Coffee Hour for an in-depth discussion of what good ministry looks like in our current age (including youth ministry), with a wide-ranging discussion of secularism, James K. A. Smith, ministry frustrations, how liturgy shapes who you are, and lots of personal experience. Finishes up with a Top 5 at the end.

The Areopagites welcome Steven Christoforou and Christian Gonzalez of Pop Culture Coffee Hour in a crossover episode to talk God and Sci-Fi, including their favorite and least favorite religious moments in science fiction (including Firefly!), as well as a Top 5 at the end.

Fr. Andrew and Pastor Michael answer your questions, ranging from whether Christianity is a religion to what Protestantism and Orthodoxy have to offer each other. They first catch up a little, including Fr. Andrew's experiences at #AFCon and Pastor Michael reflecting on his time as an interim pastor.

Continuing their conversation with Dr. Michael and Kristy Petrow, Fr. Andrew and Pastor Michael explore further definition of and also responses to spiritual abuse, including how not to be an abuser.

Pastor Michael and Fr. Andrew welcome back Dr. Michael Petrow and introduce his wife Kristy to the podcast. Together, they discuss the phenomenon of spiritual abuse in multiple Christian traditions.

Fr. Andrew and Pastor Michael talk theatre and the arts with professional stage actor Brandon Talley, who is a 13-year veteran of Sight and Sound Theatre in Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania. Asides include Star Wars and throwing the gauntlet down about the proper sauce for NC barbecue.

Welcoming guest and AFR podcaster Fr. Anthony Perkins, Pastor Michael and Fr. Andrew respond to some listener feedback, which asked why non-Christians should even become Christian and why following Jesus' teachings on your own isn't enough. But first they catch up a little, comparing their experiences of Holy Week and Pascha (Easter).

Pastor Michael and Fr. Andrew discuss how Christians can have theological discussions -- even deeply engaged ones -- without getting angry. Along the way, they introduce principles from the Fathers and one modern Orthodox writer.

Fr. Andrew and Pastor Michael talk with Andy Hall, who as an atheist met Christ and now shares his insights relating to what it's like to be raised without preparation for the Gospel and how Christians can connect with other people without that upbringing.

Pastor Michael and Fr. Andrew talk with Professor Cyril (Gary) Jenkins about his book 'Calvin's Tormenters,' discussing John Calvin's contemporary theological opponents and lots of related questions.

Fr. Andrew and Pastor Michael kick off their inaugural episode of The Areopagus by introducing their purpose for the podcast, introducing themselves, and their first guest, Dr. Michael Petrow, their friend in common who introduced them to each other. The three also discuss the question: Is it dangerous to encounter other religious traditions?