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Christian Saints Podcast

Christian Saints Podcast

By: James John Marks
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About this listen

The Christian Saints Podcast is a joint production of Paradosis Pavilion & Generative Sounds which explores the calendar of The Church

Episodes are hosted by James John Marks of Chicago, with oversight by Fr Symeon Kees, a priest of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America, through which he is currently serving St Raphael Orthodox Church in Iowa City.


If this podcast is edifying for you, please consider the entire Paradosis Pavilion catalog as well as the music of Generative Sounds

https://www.youtube.com/@paradosispavilion9555
https://generativesoundsjjm.bandcamp.com


https://www.instagram.com/christiansaintspodcast

https://twitter.com/podcast_saints

https://www.facebook.com/christiansaintspodcast


Iconographic images used by kind permission of Nicholas Papas, who controls distribution rights of these images


Prints of all of Nick’s work can be found at Saint Demetrius Press - http://www.saintdemetriuspress.com


Please forgive us our shortcomings, and pray for us

© 2026 Christian Saints Podcast
Christianity Spirituality
Episodes
  • Human Persons Are Not Infinite
    Jan 9 2026

    00:00 Introduction
    05:25 Competing ideologies
    09:46 The fundamentals - vision of humanity
    12:27 Are humans good or evil
    16:20 Are people evil or deluded?
    19:46 Can we agree on what good & evil are?
    22:55 The sinless passions
    25:29 Issues of identity
    28:00 The Prince of Peace is Born!
    31:44 Too much Emmanuel Kant
    33:36 Christmas proclaims Love Incarnate
    35:00 Genesis 3, The Lie is "Be Unconstrained"
    38:12 Optimistic Christianity
    40:30 The subtle lie of the brazen serpent
    44:15 Christmas is the beginning of the end of Death
    47:29 Closing

    Human Persons Are Not Infinite - S7E17

    We are nearing the end of season seven & Fr Symeon didn't want to miss the opportunity to talk about how the two dominant ideologies in our culture both rely on what we could call an unconstrained vision of humanity - the dream of The Enlightenment still alive. We are suggesting the journey on the way of the life of faithfulness to the evangelion of Jesus, The Christ requires us to accept we are created, finite beings & as a consequence we must have a constrained vision of humanity - the dream of The Enlightenment is not only dead, if it came true, we would become either monsters or animals.

    Yes, there is a way in which our understanding theosis, divination, is a vision of an unconstrained humanity, we can become divine through grace! And the world's denial of this is a kind of constrained vision. Yes, we see this irony. But for the sake of the conversation, we're framing our thoughts as we outlined them above.

    This conversation was quite long! So the production team has decided to cut it into three sections this time, not just two.


    The Christian Saints Podcast is a joint production of Generative sounds & Paradosis Pavilion with oversight from Fr Symeon Kees

    Paradosis Pavilion - https://youtube.com/@paradosispavilion9555

    https://www.instagram.com/christiansaintspodcast
    https://twitter.com/podcast_saints
    https://www.facebook.com/christiansaintspodcast
    https://www.threads.net/@christiansaintspodcast

    Iconographic images used by kind permission of Nicholas Papas, who controls distribution rights of these images

    Prints of all of Nick’s work can be found at Saint Demetrius Press - http://www.saintdemetriuspress.com

    All music in these episodes is a production of Generative Sounds
    https://generativesoundsjjm.bandcamp.com
    Distribution rights of this episode & all music contained in it are controlled by Generative Sounds
    Copyright 2021 - 2023

    Show More Show Less
    48 mins
  • Look Here, Christ Is Born!
    Dec 26 2025

    00:00 Intro/lead in from previous episode
    02:49 Icon of The Nativity, concentric circles
    09:05 She Isn't Looking At Her Baby?!
    13:00 We Are Joseph, Trying to Understand
    18:18 Everyone Has Doubts, We Can't Stay There
    22:06 Joseph As Exemplar for Masculinity
    29:29 There is Doubt & There is Doubt
    33:31 Overcoming Sin Is Target Practice
    35:50 Bethlehem is The Church
    39:30 Wanting to Believe, Over Time, Changes Us
    45:25 Who Is The Hairy Old Man?
    48:01 When Jesus Talked to Job About Doubt
    51:53 Listen to God, Not Lies
    56:20 Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Mankind!
    57:49 Is Mary Beckoning to Joseph?
    62:03 Closing thoughts & outro

    In this second half of our conversation with friend of the show, iconographer Nick Papas, we turn primarily to Christmas, while continuing to explore the relationship between the Old Testament icon of The Tree of Jesse & the icon of The Nativity of Our Lord God & Savior Jesus Christ.

    If you would like access to the spreadsheet which details the relationship of the figures on the tree to Jesus or The Theotokos, please contact us so we can provide it to you.

    Reference materials for this episode:
    - Nick’s work
    - https://www.saintdemetriuspress.com
    - https://www.facebook.com/Nick.Papas.Studio

    Scripture citations for this episode:
    - Genesis 18: Sarah laughed
    - Isaiah 11: The Peaceful Kingdom prophecy of The Messiah
    - Luke 1: Zechariah doubts the birth of John & Mary is amazed at the birth of Jesus
    - Luke 24: The Road to Emmaus
    - Romans 15; references Isaiah 11

    #advent #christmas #nativity #iconography


    The Christian Saints Podcast is a joint production of Generative sounds & Paradosis Pavilion with oversight from Fr Symeon Kees

    Paradosis Pavilion - https://youtube.com/@paradosispavilion9555

    https://www.instagram.com/christiansaintspodcast
    https://twitter.com/podcast_saints
    https://www.facebook.com/christiansaintspodcast
    https://www.threads.net/@christiansaintspodcast

    Iconographic images used by kind permission of Nicholas Papas, who controls distribution rights of these images

    Prints of all of Nick’s work can be found at Saint Demetrius Press - http://www.saintdemetriuspress.com

    All music in these episodes is a production of Generative Sounds
    https://generativesoundsjjm.bandcamp.com
    Distribution rights of this episode & all music contained in it are controlled by Generative Sounds
    Copyright 2021 - 2023

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 4 mins
  • A Shoot from The Stump of Jesse
    Dec 12 2025

    00:00 Intro/Catching up together
    04:48 Pairing Old & New Testament Icons
    11:42 Fr Symeon tells a story
    17:12 Adoption, grafting, Friendsgiving & the cherry on top
    24:05 Saint Paul explaining the reality of Israel in Romans
    34:07 The secret in The Nativity icon about Joseph & Mary
    37:37 The presence of The Son at both ends of The Tree of Jesse
    41:10 Saint Paul at Mars Hill, is the problem life or death
    51:15 The importance of physicality & mental stillness
    55:09 Closing thoughts & outro

    A Shoot from The Stump of Jesse - S7E15

    In this special Advent themed conversation we again welcome friend of the show, iconographer Nick Papas to help us dive deep into the relationship between the Old Testament icon of The Tree of Jesse & the icon of The Nativity of Our Lord God & Savior Jesus Christ.

    If you would like access to the spreadsheet which details the relationship of the figures on the tree to Jesus or The Theotokos, please contact us so we can provide it to you.

    Reference materials for this episode:
    - Nick’s work
    - https://www.saintdemetriuspress.com
    - https://www.facebook.com/Nick.Papas.Studio

    Scripture citations for this episode:
    - Genesis 18: Sarah laughed
    - Isaiah 11: The Peaceful Kingdom prophecy of The Messiah
    - Luke 1: Zechariah doubts the birth of John & Mary is amazed at the birth of Jesus
    - Luke 24: The Road to Emmaus
    - Romans 15; references Isaiah 11

    #advent #christmas #nativity #iconography


    The Christian Saints Podcast is a joint production of Generative sounds & Paradosis Pavilion with oversight from Fr Symeon Kees

    Paradosis Pavilion - https://youtube.com/@paradosispavilion9555

    https://www.instagram.com/christiansaintspodcast
    https://twitter.com/podcast_saints
    https://www.facebook.com/christiansaintspodcast
    https://www.threads.net/@christiansaintspodcast

    Iconographic images used by kind permission of Nicholas Papas, who controls distribution rights of these images

    Prints of all of Nick’s work can be found at Saint Demetrius Press - http://www.saintdemetriuspress.com

    All music in these episodes is a production of Generative Sounds
    https://generativesoundsjjm.bandcamp.com
    Distribution rights of this episode & all music contained in it are controlled by Generative Sounds
    Copyright 2021 - 2023

    Show More Show Less
    57 mins
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