Fr. David Galloway, a recently ordained priest, presented a school project to the bishops at a wrap-up session at the 2023 Diocesan Pastoral Conference in KY. The project was a survey to solicit the opinions of priests and deacons on 50 Orthodox based websites. https://athanasiusoca.org/2023/02/wrap-up-resources-from-the-2023-diocesan-pastoral-conference-in-ky/
As a result of this presentation, they offered him the job of “Media Czar” in the OCA. Unfortunately, however, his presentation invites more questions than he answers.
For example, how many people were included in the survey? How many were priests? How many were deacons? Was there just one priest and one deacon? Was he the deacon? A small number of participants would certainly skew the data.
How many survey questions were there, specifically what were they? Some surveys are decidedly better than others. For example, did Fr. David qualify the participants with respect to the subject matter? I think anyone would be hard-pressed to admit they were familiar with 50 websites! That’s an enormous number. Even being asked one or two questions about 50 sites would be a monumental task. Sometimes people get bored with long surveys and just put down random answers to get them over with.
Did he insure the participants were answering based on their own personal experience as opposed to what they’ve heard? An example of a good question might be: Based solely on your own observations, how would you rate . . .? As we saw in Father Andrew’s piece, strong opinions can be based on nothing more than gossip. It would be unfortunate, however, if this sort of gossip could not be supported by fact, because it can result in defamation suits, as many owners of sites depend on the revenue they generate.
Did Fr. David only ask people to participate in the survey who would likely agree with him?
I ask because he admitted the following on Twitter: “I’ve had more Twitter activity than I’m accustomed to today. I was happy to answer Jay’s [Dyer] question of why I don’t recommend his work, but I don’t plan on attacking him or other people I disagree with regularly.” https://twitter.com/davidgalloway/status/1636874866727976961?cxt=HHwWgoCw0ZnBrLctAAAA
So was he presenting the results of a survey or was he presenting biased information on people with whom he disagrees regularly?
Although his entire presentation is about the evils of social media sites, he has a vast number of his own. In addition to Twitter with his 2,794 Tweets (what priest spends that kind of time on Twitter), he’s on Instagram, Facebook (multiple pages, too, one devoted to a Pipe Smoker’s group.), YouTube, Patreon, Substack, WordPress (2 blogs), Reddit, and possibly others.
He makes a point of saying to avoid the bowels of the Internet, but he’s all over it.
He also makes a big deal about those who use the term “normiedox.” I’ve never used this term in my life. Never even heard of it. Reckless statements like this can get you in trouble if they’re not true and someone were to take issue with it.
On LinkedIn, he lists one of his previous jobs as a “Happiness Engineer” where he provided “epic-level service to premium, and business customers via email, live chat, social media, and forum engagement.”
On Patreon he charges $3 a month to be on his daily prayer list! For $25 a month you get a quarterly hand written note or he says, “We can carry on a correspondence or I can just give you a written update of life at St. Vlad’s.” Why would anyone care about his experience at St Vlad’s? https://www.patreon.com/davidgalloway
He also says he worked for lifehacker.com from – where he did “15 weekly posts each generating 10,000-25,000 views within 24 hours along with a few of his greatest hits reaching over 100k.” That’s quite an accomplishment. Lifehacker.com is a well known site that has a pretty extensive resume on Wikipedia in terms of who was there and when. Galloway isn’t listed. As a matter of fact, during the entire time he was there they were doing a website redesign. Not saying he didn’t work there or he wasn’t a star, it’s just interesting that someone that outstanding isn’t mentioned. . . anywhere. Here
Here he says he worked for lifehacker.com from June 2011-March 2013. He should probably straighten out the dates. https://dgalloway.wordpress.com/about/
Let’s be honest. The guy is a media hound (it’s an expression) and yet his stated purpose within the OCA is to warn people off the Internet.
He, himself, has run afoul of media sites: On his blog he states: “Note: originally this was intended a social media post on Facebook, but it was blocked upon posting saying that it violated Human Exploitation Standards (the same category used for sex traffickers).” What? That sounds serious. Most people just get their hands slapped.
And does a grown-up, responsible would-be priest pre-empt Holy Week to give people an update on his Instagram account? “I’m trying to stay away from social media for Holy Week but wanted to give everyone an update on my Instagram hacking. I am now back in control of my account for over 12 hours, so I think I am in the clear. If you’re interested, here’s what happened and how I dealt with it.” And he’s got a problem with what we post??? https://dgalloway.wordpress.com/2022/04/20/the-ordeal-of-having-my-instagram-account-hacked/
Putting Galloway in the role of Media Czar is kind of like putting an alcoholic in charge of the liquor cabinet.
At least Orthodox bloggers, podcasters, news outlets, etc. talk about the Church. On his blog, he talks about dressing up in period clothes for the Society for Creative Anachronism. SCA is an organization who hosts tournaments, royal courts, feasts, dancing, and crafts, and skills of the pre-17th century.
There is even a YouTube clip out there of him moving into his dorm room! How edifying!
His presentation is based on a number of assumptions that are either unsupported or downright incorrect:
- “The Internet has become the biggest stumbling block over which an inquirer might trip.” The biggest stumbling block??? The biggest stumbling block in comparison to what exactly? This has certainly not been my experience. George and I have witnessed many people come into the Church based on our blog alone. They literally introduce themselves to us on their way into the Church. How many has Fr. Galloway brought in?
- “The American cultural and political divide is reflected within online Orthodox communities who now wrestle with strains of rigorism on the one side and progressivism on the other due to the rise of increasingly-radical online echo chambers.” What does this even mean? Is the divide any less great without the Internet?
- “Inquirers and catechumens often first learn about the Church by consuming internet media and being influenced by these echo chambers.” Where is the support for this statement? This certainly wasn’t my experience.
- “Before most people become inquirers, they have spent years on the internet having their minds, bodies, and souls shaped by advertising algorithms, corporate greed, and powers and principalities that know how to manipulate us.” Huh? He’s the one all over the Internet!
- Inquirers/Catechumens that present unhealthy habits in consumption of Orthodox content online often have spent years of the internet exacerbating and creating short circuits for enslavement to their passions.” Sounds like he talking about himself . Could it be that he is jealous that with his many forays into all things Internet he doesn’t get the attention he perceives the rest of us get?
- “Inquirers and Catechumens often first learn about the Orthodox Church from consuming internet content served up by algorithms that prioritize controversial content over that provided by bishops, senior clergy, or legitimate lay academics in good standing in the Church.” Our blog has escaped the algorithms. If you Google anything that was said on Monomakhos it will come up first, as is. He seriously does not know what he is talking about.
- “Many of these inquirers have watched hundreds of hours of video and audio content about dogmatics as well as “the Orthodox position” on controversial social issues before ever darkening the doors of a parish.” “Darkening the doors of a parish??? Darkening the doors means to appear at a place where one is not welcome. Is he saying inquirers are not welcome in the Church?
- “It can be difficult to properly shepherd those who want to join the Church from the perceived adherence of the Orthodox Church to their ideological views.” How would he know what’s difficult? The maturity is just not there. He is the one addicted to the Internet.
The height of insanity is saying Monomakhos advocates the disobedience of priests and bishops. That’s an absolute lie. The bishops know this is not the case.
One final question: How many of the bishops really know Fr. David Galloway? I’m guessing they don’t and might want to reconsider.
[Edited for clarity 3/20/23.]
He charges money to pray for others? Sounds a lot like Papist Indulgences so me……
You’d think there would be rules against this at St. Vlads.
🤣😄🤣🤣 $3 bucks to be on his prayer list? Shove it where the sun don’t shine!
Almost universally, people like this accuse others of “disobedience of priests and bishops” yet cant provide a single reference. Their source is usually just “trust me bro”.
People like this (Pope Francis is another) spew nothing but strawmen.
Yes, if I am looking for a new Church to become part of, I’m going to do my research first.
Do these priests and bishops have any intention of evangelizing our Very Online culture as it exists, or are they just setting up the justifications for their evangelism failures ahead of time?
I’m not sure catechumens would find our website all that enlightening because we’re more of a geopolitical blog. Funny Galloway didn’t pick that up when he consigned us to the Not Recommended Inferno “abandon all hope” sites.
Seems to me that virtually all of this perceived need to control internet conversation about important Church topics stems from fear of where the conversation may go, from fear about what may be said.
We try to control things that we fear…. some Church leaders fear certain topics of conversation among the incredibly diverse American flock, thus the perceived need to try to control it.
My opinion is that it’s a losing battle to try to control internet conversation without outright censorship/dictatorship/papalism, but that cuts into God’s free will that He gave humanity and which God cannot rescind.
Interesting how incredibly tempting the desire to control is…. to want to make the conversation conform to how some feel it should go. Everyone’s Orthodox Christian life brings with it their personal baggage which they must work out among themselves, God, their parish priest/father confessor, their personal family, and parish family. For some, working things out through internet discussions is part of that process. For others, internet conversations are useless and irrelevant.
I simply don’t see how anyone can realistically stamp a “one size fits all” approach onto everybody with respect to Orthodox Christian internet conversations. It a silly escapade and won’t work. The papist approach of “everyone must do as I say” is indeed a huge temptation… I think moreso here in the West, where the papist/protestant mindset (same thing…. all protestants are crypto-papists) is often unconsciously considered the appropriate approach to life. Even among Orthodox Christians living in the West.
It’s very true, for virtually all Orthodox podcasters and websites where topics of interest to Orthodox Christians are discussed and hashed out, the one factor they most share is a love for Christ and for His Church. That is not a bad thing.
My feelings exactly.
I agree.
God gave us the ability to think.
I think he expects us to use it,
carefully of course.
Well I was first exposed to Orthodoxy from Seinfeld!
WHOA! How did Seinfeld expose you to Orthodoxy? I want to see the episode!!!
Latvian Orthodox priest (to George who wants to convert in order to get a certain girl who is Latvian Orthodox): “Zo vat vas it zat drew you to za Faith?:
George: “I think it was the hats, Father. They have that solemn look you want in a religion.”
I tease my Father confessor with that line whenever he wears his.
I can’t believe I missed it! I thought I had seen every episode.
It’s a funny one. Though in retrospect, it’s the Orthodox who get mocked. In the old Taxi series, the Andy Kaufman character was Orthodox and his religious persona was mocked as well.
S5.E11. The Conversion
Episode aired Dec 16, 1993. George changes his religion to Latvian Orthodox to keep his girlfriend happy
Verb
darken someone’s door (third-person singular simple present darkens someone’s door, present participle darkening someone’s door, simple past and past participle darkened someone’s door)
(idiomatic) To arrive at someone’s residence or location, especially as an unexpected visitor
According to Merriman-Webster, it’s an idiom that means “to go to or appear at a place where one is not welcome anymore.
She told him to leave her house and never darken her door again. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/darken%20someone%27s%20door%2Fdoors
Every definition that suggests this includes “never” in the phrasing. If you search excluding the word never, you’ll see that this phrase is regularly used when discussing people not coming to churches in particular; in any case, Cambridge and Collins dictionaries give broader readings than Webster. Language being like this shouldn’t surprise you.
Why don’t you provide the links. I’d like to see them.
Oxford English Dictionary [OED]
https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/47297?redirectedFrom=darken#eid
Phrases
to darken a person’s door and variants: to set foot inside a person’s home. Usually in negative constructions indicating that a person should not, or does not, visit another; frequently in never darken my door, used to express that a person should stay away forever. Later also in extended use: to go to or visit a place.
?1645 J. Taylor Most Learned & Eloquent Speech 4 We have taken order, and given Ordinances that he shall not be troubled with either much money, or meate, and that his very Queene and lawfull Wife, shall not so much as darken his doore.
1748 S. Richardson Clarissa VII. xl. 159 If ever my sister Clary darkens these doors again, I never will.
1826 Blackwood’s Mag. 19 11/1 You are the first minister that ever darkened these doors.
1847 C. G. F. Gore Castles in Air II. iv. 82 Bella..has got it running in her head that my poor brother will never darken our threshold again.
1953 E. S. Grenfell in Landfall June 99 You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Tolly, never darkening a church door.
1988 S. Rushdie Satanic Verses (1998) 134 She..sent her whole family packing.., never darken her doorstep, she told them, cut the whole lot off without a penny.
2018 Times (Ireland ed.) (Nexis) 19 Feb. (Opinion section) 38 I hate you. Never darken my door again.
Thanks, Brendan. I cannot understand how one would use that expression when one talking about inquirers.
Scenario 1:
It is night. The porch is lit. A visitor arrives.
The householder sees him and opens the door.
The open door is lit and the visitor welcomed.
Scenario 2:
It is night. The porch is lit. A visitor arrives.
The householder sees him and switches off the light.
The door is darkened and visitor unwelcomed.
I came into the Church before “Online Orthodoxy” in its current form was a thing, but I am very happy to have around a dozen young people at my parish who were evangelized (and in some cases re-evangelized) by the Twitter/Telegram/YouTube Orthodox. They wouldn’t be in the Church if it wasn’t for that stuff existing.
Maybe Fr. Galloway would rather have these people not find the Church and end up like the rest of the “Nones” in their generation?
The Church is not afraid of robust debate, but maybe some of the precious academics in the hierarchy are. Maybe we need to be training our clergy in how to engage people in the current century and bring them into the Church, rather than shaming people they don’t understand?
If they are infected with modern liberal ideology then yes, they would rather we be lost than have people who stand against the spirit of the world.
Jay Dryer commenting on this matter:
https://www.youtube.com/live/ZgTo_I2WZvc?feature=share
Give him a few years as a parish priest and see if he mellows. Seminarians always come out full of energy and ideas until the realities of being in the trenches manifest themselves. Best to just ignore him and not make an issue of it.
If he wasn’t advising the bishops, I would be fine with him.
Isn’t selling prayer subscriptions the literal definition of simony?
Isn’t selling a prayer subscription the literal definition of simony? I hope someone has reported this scandalous behavior to his ecclesiastical head, along with St. Vladimir’s seminary. Attending an OCA parish is better than not being at church at all, but America isn’t an orthodox nation and is way too immature to be given an autocephalous church of it’s own- it’ll just be invaded by liberals and skin suited like most protestant orgs, and thousands of catholic parishes have.
It’s scummy for a priest with an online presence, but it’s not simony. That’s selling sacraments like baptism or ordination. Even monasteries ask for donations sometimes to commemorate people in prayer in order to keep them afloat. It’s not much different than almsgiving back in the day, when people would give the poor food or money in exchange for their prayers. That’s different than a clearly financially secure priest asking for Patreon bucks to be on his prayer list. Even the monks that ask for donations will stay pray for you even if you can’t donate.
How many financially secure seminarians have you known? It costs a lot to leave a career and move a family to a new state. He did this as fundraising for tuition for seminary. Maybe it wasn’t the best idea but it certainly wasn’t just greed.
That is a good point, albeit one that indicates a less-than-ideal set of circumstances. The dioceses need to pony up more for their seminarians.
You’ve got my agreement there. I’m willing to bet any number of reasonable godly men have decided not to pursue seminary to avoid putting their families through the financial strain. During my family’s time at seminary pretty much all the OCA students got help with tuition from scholarships, but had to take out student loans for all the other living expenses (rent, food, health care, transportation etc). A seminarian cannot hold down a job while he studies full time. And most priests aren’t settling into cushy paid positions after graduating.
After the whole Covid thing, I trust priests and bishops as far as I can throw them. I avoid the bishops like the plague on the church they are. It was clear to me they don’t actually believe unction does anything. If they did, why would they withhold it during a “pandemic”. They just want to shut down voices like y’all because the prophetic words spoken here and other places. The bloggers are like Nathan going before king David in this case they (bishops) have no intention of repenting.
“The bloggers are like…”
Amos going to Bethel?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amos_(prophet)
Well said! The Eucharist also. I’m grateful that many faithful priests like mine disobeyed and communed anyone who dared to come to church during those dark 8 weeks.
Gail,
Here is the Seinfeld Latvian Orthodox episode, George Costanza at his best
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=seinfeld+latvian+orthodox+episode&iax=videos&ia=videos&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DIck7CcASccQ
Thanks!
The church shown in the clip is an OCA parish in Brooklyn that still uses the Old Calendar and mostly Slavonic in their services: http://www.roct.org/
Thank you, Gail. I appreciate your honest reporting and exposure of malfeasance and illogic over the years. May God continue to bless you and George. Blessed Lent you.
Thank you, Father.
Fr. Galloway started something, and Monomakhos looks to finish it, haha. Simony — tsk, tsk.
I’m curious what you make of OiD also being “Tier 3.”
The Oxymoron of
American Orthodoxy
W L Westermann wrote (J Egy Arc 18#1 p27) “Further, I would add that this is another, though humble, example of the greatest among the gifts of the ancient Greeks to human society, namely, the secularization of human life” Greek America was built by glorious Masons like Taki Metaxas, Charlie Cacoures, and Jack Casavis. Jack N Casavis is considered the Liberator of the Dudcanses by the Greek Governement. Vatikiotis (1998) says both Metaxus and Vanizelus were masons. Greek Tectons of the 1821 Revolution included Emanuel Xanthos, Nicholas Scufas, Athansius Tsacalov, and probably also Capo d’Istria, Ypsilanti and Coloncotron.
As evidenced by the anti-americanism of Comitazis Stone on the ultra-orthodox blogs, American Orthodoxy is an Oxymoron which inevitably ends up shilling for the islamo-soviets, as per Huntington’s Clash (FP 72#3 p30). The best the GOA can hope to be is a gateway to western religions and a caricature of grecletude. When Zembillas uses Chrysostolm to justify socialism and Demacopoulos uses Justinian to justify gun control, you have no chance of ever justifying yourself as an American institution. The 80% did not leave because of language but when they walked into a Good Thursday service and heard the pogrom inciting rants “Jews Jews” (anomus, adioscorus, anarcus) in ENGLISH; If they were in Koine, Tridentine or Klingon, they could have claimed denaibility. Good luck finding a Jewish Service in English. Pope Benedict Ratzinger believes abandoning the Tridentine Latin Mass led to corruption of the RC church. We should learn and insist all services be in Koine Greek.
Smyrna, Instanbul, Cyprus, the Athens Olympics that both bankrupted , and now Macedonia were all concocted while nursing hangovers at the Cafeneum after a night of bouzocchan tavern orgy. After boondoggles like the Antirheum Bridge to Nowhere, and the WTC church, now they have an even bigger doozie: rebuilding the Colus of Rhodes! Graecians need to reject the sclavonian mongols in favor of their pelasgian progenitors in Albania who, being a much hardier race, continuously replenish grecletude when orgies decimate it.
The entire fascination with Oriental “Orthodox” is fraudulent and based on anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism, as the pre-Chalcedonians are, if anything, proto-muslims. And it derives from the Nesselrode Uspensky Aflaq attempt to fabricate and conjure up “Arab” nationalism. “Bonaparte, with his cynical view of religion, was perfectly content to issue an Arabic proclamation that the French were ‘muslims’ (as deist unitarians)” (p 31 Napoleon’s Egypt Juan Cole Palgrave Macmillan 2007) The Moscow and Antioch patriarchs would do us a favor if they joined the monophysites, showing they, too, are proto-muslim semi-Christians, following the hideous path scorched my Nesselrode when he sent Uspensky to de-Hellenize the Antiochians and almost Jerusalem, eventually spawning the Ba’ath Part of Michel Aflaq, Saddam and Assad. That is why the Russians turned to satanic syncretism of monphysite Skoptosy circumcision, Zoroastrian toll houses and mir obsinas and that is how the nigrasiates brought their miaphysitic communism to bloody Greece where the Ignatieff Comitazis left off. Jones (JTS59) disproves the Marxist allegations of Greek suppression of Arabs leading to the pre-Chalcedonian schism. In Bava Kama (82b-83a) Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi debunks the Aramaic myth “Why use Syriac in Eretz Israel? Speak either Hebrew or Greek!” D W Riddle (J Bibl Lit 54#3 p138) “Since Aramaic exists only in fragments he cannot illustrate his locutions by citing actual parallels” The diglossism of demonic demoted demotic is a marxist fraud. We want to read Apostles and Philosphers, not mistranslated news and minaret music.
Composition by Artificial Intelligence
is probably not the answer…
Nah, the commenter was just a crazy human. In contrast, ChatGPT not only managed to make sense of it, but also composed a plausibly cogent, though platitudinous, response:
There are very many ways to say
little of any real substance at all.
Better artificial INTELLIGENCE than natural squipid
squipid?
So is the whole of OCA compromised? I’m concerned because Jay Dyer has been pointing out a lot of serious issues in the OCA and it seems like the whole jurisdiction is just bad. I’m a new catechumen and I don’t have any other options for myself or my family in the area, so now there is worry that we don’t even have a church to go to now.
I’m really not even sure how to proceed, because if my current priest is compromised then he could easily “tickle my ears” to believe whatever he says.
RE: “So is the whole of OCA compromised?”
No more so than any other group with people in it. They’re mortal men. Of course, they have limitations but that’s true of all the jurisdictions. They each have their foibles. – Frankly, I think working through these things was an intended part of the journey. The Apostles also had trouble with the leadership in various churches which they had to work through. At least the Orthodox Church gives you that opportunity. Think of it as part of the struggle.
The great thing about the Church is we have the freedom to talk about these things.
Dear Josiah, it’s an encouragement to hear that you are a new catechumen. Welcome to Orthodoxy! Godspeed to you as you begin to dig into the riches of the Faith. Although I am not a member of the OCA, I am certain that there are many orthodox OCA parishes with standup priests and people. One hopes that yours is one of those. In any case, Jesus the Great Shepherd of the sheep will lead you as you grow in your walk with him. It’s clear that you are self-aware enough to be cautious and to find support from your Orthodox brethren on the Internet, if that is lacking in your parish. The road ahead of you may be long and winding, but I believe you will see that it is a road with a blessèd continuity just the same.
Although I have a tremendous appreciation for the holiness and integrity of this blog and count many friendships of the same people as the Michalopulos, there is one major disagreement I have and that is to endorse participating in the OCA at all, ever. This might make me a schismatic, but I’ll have to pray God gives mercy to my soul if that’s the case. If the OCA was the only jurisdiction to participate in, well I would go worship in the woods and eventually I’d just move to another country altogether (which I did), simply to not have to be involved with it. Now, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with the grace in the sacraments but from my point of view there’s not much difference between the mainstream Roman Catholicism and the OCA. The principal I hold is that any church that closed it’s doors in 2020 is as good as dead. You all are free to call me a radical but that’s my view. The Church that kept it’s doors open is the true one. Now that’s not to say even some Russian dioceses or local pastors/bishops did not go astray, obviously the whole west coast, NYC, SF and Canadian regions have plenty of weak backbone but as a jurisdiction let us say they were less prone to a continuous sort of compromise with evil. This one error is not the single factor of problems with the OCA it’s only the most recent symbolic one that comes to mind, surely there is a laundry list of others many here already know.
I have too much inside information about the OCA to think it is redeemable. A famous holy courageous bishop practically willing to die as a martyr who helped probably over 60 men become holy monks thrown out of the OCA as if he is some heretic. The more people participate in it the more they perpetuate the problems, as a jurisdiction it needs to dissapear, and the only way that happens is if the people drop out and go to better pastures, whether that’s another jurisdiction or another region of the world. Complacency is not an option. I know God has allowed this to exist and may His will be done rather than my own, What do I know, I don’t see the OCA as much different than the Greek Archdiocese. The ones who think this are fooling themselves. Perhaps the quote some will use is the one about does the OCA bear good fruits? This do not claim to deny or say it does not, but various other schismatic sects also bear good fruits….the episcopal “church” also bears good fruits here and there?
I had to laugh when you said you “have too much inside information.” We have that in common.
I don’t recall endorsing the OCA. But as we have argued for 14 years now, and even in the last few days, the bishops are not the sum total of any jurisdiction. A jurisdiction is also the priests, the deacons, and us (the laity). And as you said, the OCA is not without grace when it comes to the sacraments.
BTW, the OCA parishes did not close their doors in 2020.
Speaking of good fruit, there was a very good bishop (some say a saint) in the South named Archbishop Dmitri (Royster). He, may his blessed memory be eternal, allowed my husband who is very Greek (he yells and everything) to BUILD the parish we attend, against the strong objections of the GOA who didn’t get why converts needed a parish. I have pictures of George running around in a toolbelt. But as much as we love Holy Apostles (the priest is a good one), it’s also worth mentioning that the Georgian monastery in Piedmont was birthed IN OUR LIVINGROOM. So we go there to worship, as well.
At any given moment, you might find us anywhere in the canonical Church. We belong to the entire Church. Not to a jurisdiction. There is nothing in the Creed about the OCA.
When in comes to the blog, we are “equal opportunity employers.” At no point do we think, “Oh, this has to do with the OCA so we’re not going to print it.”
People make up the jurisdictions. We are all flawed to varying degrees in different ways. God clearly wants us to struggle through all this, as the Apostles dealt with the same issues. Even in Revelations, Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea are called out: “I like this about you/I don’t like that about you.”
There is no jurisdiction free of issues and after reading what you wrote, my friend, and I do consider you a friend, you have some blind spots in terms of your information. I’m not talking about your reasoning as I understand what you are saying and why you’re saying it.
What we might consider better pastures are not always available to everyone but the Church will stand no matter where people go or what people do.
I am sorry for suggesting that perhaps you were endorsing the OCA unnecessarily. I confess that I may be mistaken in not knowing that there were OCA parishes that were able to remain open during very much of the second half of 2020. I believe you. Perhaps there was more variety to what was found open and closed than than I have realized. Yes, please send an email to me, a little more extensive commentary and explanation.
Still I am not so certain there is a logic in trying to work too much within a region or bishop with too severe of a deviation from certain boundaries of good governance. A person ought to more carefully define these terms and boundaries to make clear sense. I know this a more complex and long discussion and I am flawed for not being specific and exact.
Totally agree, and same here. I think this helps better form people in Orthodoxy if they visit parishes of other jurisdictions to see the different Traditions.
In my time being Orthodox because of the places I have lived I’ve belonged to the: Antiochians, OCA, GOA, ROCOR and have visited those plus Serbian & Albanian.
I think looking back on ‘rona what it taught us was that bishops don’t make the jurisdiction, almost all of the bishops fumbled the ball (minus maybe most ROCOR), but, many priests across all jurisdictions defied the orders of their bishops (Thanks be to God) and kept their parishes open, and of course the GOA monasteries never closed.
Very well said, my dear.
I thank you for mentioning Archbishop Dmitri of blessed memory as it was he who gave us the blessing to start Holy Apostles. I would be remiss however if I didn’t point out that his successor, His Eminence Archbishop Alexander has also continued his good work as our archpastor.
To all: we should pray for all our bishops of whatever jurisdiction, that they continue on the Royal Path and not succumb to the dictates of the world. Hopefully, we have all learned our lesson from the COVID madness.
Well? Can’t make a statement like that and not give up the goods. I take the Synod’s statements at face value, including the very good one last summer about marriage and sexuality, and presume they support the true faith. What do you know that we need to know?
Well, you complain about his being on the internet a lot, but then you wonder where he’s meeting all these people who are introduced to Orthodoxy through the internet….the answer seems fairly obvious. You meet people in the “worlds” you inhabit, which in turn shapes your view of the world. Hence the “echo chamber” he refers to.
A LOT of the catechumens and inquirers in our parish (and we have quite a few right now) first found Orthodoxy on the Internet.
Also, this is not a fresh-faced college kid following his childhood dream straight into the priesthood. He is a middle-aged father of three becoming after decades of thinking it would never happen. He had a LIFE beforehand, and a lot of it, both in business and pleasure, was spent online. He speaks of what he knows. Should he delete it all and become a media hermit? That’s between his bishop and himself. They seem to have decided that his experience can serve the Church a better way.
I should mention, I do know this man and his family personally. I don’t even agree with them on everything! But he’s neither stupid or malicious and honestly loves God (so far as I can tell) and desires to serve.
He’s a new priest. Pray for him, please, he and all priests need it. Maybe reach out and discuss with him what he finds concerning. In love, perhaps both of you could learn something.
That can go both ways because I know Jay Dyer personally. Nonetheless, Fr David did something that has upsetted people, perhaps inadvertently, but did it he did. He is not above reproach because of all the things you listed, nor is Jay Dyer. That needs to be acknowledged by him and perhaps some introspection on what could have been done differently.
I would endorse for Jay Dyer to take an approach which is even more courageous and focused on criticism toward those who deny the truth which these obstinate bearers of error deny, for the glory of God, with humility, prudence, charity of all. Such a thing is possible to be done with what God fearing clergy and faithful exist, they will help Jay take on the wordly Goliath of the OCA and “americanist/modernist/masonic” heresy bearers. Many others should raise themselves as fine apologists and perhaps are, theres nothing unique about Jay other than his courage. There is a consistent concensus of true teaching in the Fathers, councils, doctors and saints over time which may be discovered through regular study of the faith. prayer and reception of grace filled sacraments. The truth is not a secret, nor does much controversy exist toward it amongst the holiest ones.
Of men such as Fr Peter Heers, Fr. John Whiteford and Vladyka Jonah Paffhausen none is beyond reproach, but yet moderation of the truth is fully possible through reading their writings and hearing their sermons. I count all as far as I know as holy men who for the most part have born very holy fruit. Fr Peter has made errors in terms of reception of converts (re-baptism and severe attitudes to sacraments of schismatics being without grace is clearly renounced in many councils and throughout Church history). Fr John Whiteford at least in the past made errors concerning contraception being acceptable – if it was “non-abortifacient” (a concept that is novel and not discoverable in Church history). Vladyka Jonah has made errors concerning the innovational darwinian theology of the creation of the world, such as that the “intelligent design” theory is somehow aligned with Patristic concensus. Yet all these men on the whole are great teachers and have benefitted many people including myself, who also has made errors before and surely even does so now. Brother Jay Dyer tends to be drawn to men of integrity and honesty who have courage to confront the truth even when the world says otherwise.
I noticed on brother Jays video that brother David Erhan stated he believed that the man behind Theoria TV may have had negative reasons , or ulterior motives perhaps to in a subtle manner slander Rev Fr. Peter Heers for his approach toward reception of converts. On the one hand, I could not deny that that video could be taken to discourage appreciation in Fr. Peter’s otherwise scholarly work, but in and of itself need not be seen means to explicitly slander Fr Peter. However I happen to agree with Theoria’s video in that it is apostolic tradition to receive converts through chrismation if they have been baptised in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in water and I do think that is a serious mistake on the part of Rev Fr Peter. That being said it is the only mistake I have ever seen from Fr Peter Heers who in all other areas of study has appeared wholly faithful to tradition, wholly orthodox and full of courage against covidianism. Therefore if he makes one error, I am inclined to not pay it too much mind and I would still endorse all of Fr. Peters work to be beneficial as that one topic is less than %1 of his focus.
Additionally the fellow behind Theoria TV on a separate video stated that although many priests would tell people in confession that it was a sin and could not condone any contraception at all, he himself did not know how most people could possibly live without contraception and therefore may not always be a sin. I would argue that is a mistake worse than Fr Peters but.. I have no knowledge of the Theoria TV man to make any judgements about him other than these two particular statements and two videos of his I saw, only to show that he is both right and wrong and as are many of us.
Charging money for prayers isn’t holy and quite inexcusable.
Out of curiosity, when did the Church begin to crown and enthrone bishops?
I have understood that the word bishop translates to overseer. Is that correct?
How did we get from an overseer to essentially a king? And therefore royalty.
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Lina,
There is no denying that a great deal of the ‘traditions’ (thrones, crowns, etc.) arose in Byzantium. But as to the Tradition such things are intended to reflect, please read the letters of St. Ignatius of Antioch. These letters were written on his journey to martyrdom in Rome.
Thrones are from much earlier. St. Cyprian of Carthage mentions them on more than one occasion, and Eusebius reports that the Jerusalem Christians took St. James’ throne with them when they fled the city before the Jewish Revolt (AD 66-70).
Thank you for this.
Yes, the Greek word for “bishop,” “επίσκοπος” (episkopos) literally means “overseer.” The root of the work, “skopos,” is present in words such as “telescope” and “microscope.” As for the rest of your question, I defer to others.
English is such strange language…. fascinating that the verbs “to oversee” and “to overlook” have completely opposite meanings in colloquial English. Hopefully our Orthodox bishops do a good job of “overseeing” the American Orthodox flock but not a good job “overlooking” — haha.
Maybe there’s a fat chance of that happening. Or is it a slim chance? In colloquial English, a “fat chance” of something happening means the same thing as a “slim chance” of it happening.,…
So thankful that I’m a native English speaker…. it must be disastrously painful to learn English as a foreign/second language !!!
It’s not as simple as that. “Overlook” also means “oversee”;
and, depending on context, many other things besides;
and context is all!
Oxford English Dictionary [OED]
overlook, v.
1. a. transitive. To look upon from above; to survey; to view openly. Frequently in passive. Also figurative.
a1400 (▸a1325) Cursor Mundi (Trin. Cambr.) 8211 God þat al haþ to kepe And al ouerlokeþ [a1400 Vesp. for-lokes; a1400 Fairf. ordens] in his siȝt.
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 648/1 I overlooke, je regarde par dessus.
1593 W. Shakespeare Venus & Adonis sig. Biiijv The shadow had forsooke them, And Titan..With burning eye did hotly ouer-looke them. View more context for this quotation
1631 T. May tr. J. Barclay Mirrour of Mindes i. 284 From hence, hee..began with a scornefull pride to ouerlooke the wealth of Europe.
1669 J. Dryden Wild Gallant iii. i. 29 Have you no more manners then to overlook a man when he’s a Writing?
1741–3 J. Wesley Extract of Jrnl. (1749) 60 At dinner their little table, and chairs were set..where they could be overlooked.
1777 W. Hamilton Acct. Discov. Pompeii 8 The windows were placed too high for any one in the streets to overlook them.
1852 I. Pfeiffer Journey Iceland 32 I went on deck and overlooked the boundless waters.
1886 R. L. Stevenson Strange Case Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde x. 129 The news that the murder had been overlooked, that the guilt of Hyde was patent to the world.
1977 B. Bainbridge Injury Time (1978) v. 53 Edward made me draw the shutters… He doesn’t like being overlooked.
1997 R.-M. Rejouis & V. Vinokurov tr. P. Chamoiseau Texaco (1998) 41 From there she overlooked the fields, the pasture, the small coffee shrubs.
b. transitive. Of a place, etc.: to afford or command a view of.
1632 W. Lithgow Totall Disc. Trav. x. 494 Goatfield Hill..ouer-looketh our Westerne Continent.
1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis vii, in tr. Virgil Wks. 420 The Stygian Fury to the Trojans flies: New Frauds invents, and takes a steepy Stand, Which overlooks the Vale with wide Command.
1756 C. Lucas Ess. Waters iii. 259 The pump room windows overlook the King’s Bath.
1792 M. Wollstonecraft Vindic. Rights Woman xii. 378 The tyrant of this domain used to sit by a window that overlooked the prison yard.
1818 M. W. Shelley Frankenstein II. ii. 12 I sat upon the rock that overlooks the sea of ice.
1895 Sc. Antiquary 10 80 The brow of the hill overlooking the Nairn valley.
1951 R. Campbell Light on Dark Horse ii. 29 This roof-garden overlooked our fig tree.
1988 Hamilton (Ont.) Spectator 19 Apr. a1/6 The top of Mount Royal..overlooks Montreal and the surrounding area.
2. transitive. To look (a thing) over or through; to examine, scrutinize, inspect; to peruse, read through.
a1400 Siege Jerusalem (Laud) (1932) 962 (MED) Þe lord vnlappeþ þe lef, þis letres byholdeþ, Ouer-lokeþ [v.rr. loketh; radde ouer] ech a lyne to þe last ende.
c1450 (▸1369) G. Chaucer Bk. Duchess 232 Whan I had red thys tale wel, And overloked hyt everydel.
a1456 J. Shirley in E. P. Hammond Eng. Verse Between Chaucer & Surrey (1927) 196 Ye haue þis booke ouerlooked, Þe right lynes with þe crooked.
1546 Supplic. Poor Commons sig. a.vii Your highnesse..appoynted two of them to ouer loke the translation of the bible.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona (1623) i. ii. 50 And yet I would I had ore-look’d the Letter. View more context for this quotation
1624 W. Laud Diary 21 Dec. in Hist. Troubles (1695) 14 My Lord sent him to me to overlook the Articles.
a1690 S. Jeake Λογιστικηλογία (1696) 249 I have..transited Decimals..and shall now..overlook Logarithmes.
a1713 T. Ellwood Hist. Life (1714) 260 To take a journey into Kent and Sussex, to Accompt with their Tenants, and overlook their Estates.
1744–91 J. Wesley Wks. (1872) VIII. 319 To over-look the accounts of all the Stewards.
1793 Sporting Mag. 2 160/1 The Duke..overlooked his cards, and..begged one, which was granted, though he held the ace, deuce, and jack of trumps.
1870 W. C. Bryant tr. Homer Iliad I. iv. 115 Carefully O’erlooked the wound and cleansed it from the blood.
1926 G. Clapperton & R. H. Clapperton Pract. Paper-making (ed. 3) ii. 10 The rags..are usually overlooked again..to ensure the further removal of contraries and buttons.
1976 Nation (Bridgetown, Barbados) 20 June 7 The youngster overlooked my friend’s expensive American car with admiration and asked ‘How many yards to the gallon?’
†3. transitive. figurative. To look down on; to despise; to treat with contempt, to slight. Obsolete.
a1450 (▸c1412) T. Hoccleve De Regimine Principum (Harl. 4866) (1897) 429 Þogh he iette forth a-mong þe prees And ouer loke euerey pore wight His cofre and eke his purs ben penylees.
c1475 (▸c1399) Mum & Sothsegger (Cambr. Ll.4.14) (1936) ii. 35 (MED) Thus leuerez ouere-loked ȝoure liegis ichonne.
a1535 T. More Dialoge of Comfort (1553) ii. xvii. sig. L.iii An whole floud of all vnhappy mischief, arrogant maner..ouerloking ye poore in worde and countenaunce.
1646 H. Lawrence Of Communion & Warre with Angels 170 To be supercilious, to overlooke men, and little things.
1794 G. Adams Lect. Nat. & Exper. Philos. II. xxi. 469 The success of the present age..is very apt to elate the minds of men, and make them overlook the ancients.
4. a. transitive. To fail to see or observe; to pass over without noticing; to leave out of consideration, disregard, ignore.In quot. 1459: to turn a blind eye to (a person doing something irregular); with infinitive.
1459 in C. Innes & P. Chalmers Liber S. Thome de Aberbrothoc (1856) II. 107 Owr predecessoris owrlukyt and tholyt the smyth tyll byg ane smyde in the moss becaus of his..fuell that was necessar to his office.
1524 Queen Margaret Let. to Henry VIII (Calig. B.i) f. 216v Wylke wol be grett danger to ye Kyng my sonis parson, and thys tyme be owr lokyd.
1570 in J. Cranstoun Satirical Poems Reformation (1891) I. xvi. 9 Our Lordis ar blinde and dois ouerluik it.
1650 in A. Macdonald & J. Dennistoun Misc. Maitland Club (1840) II. 484 God having..furnished him with resolutione to overlook the reproches of men, and to behold him for whois caus he suffered.
1692 R. Bentley Boyle Lect. v. 6 He over-looks those gross Absurdities, that are so conspicuous in it.
1761 D. Hume Hist. Eng. to Henry VII I. iii. 98 The French..found it prudent to overlook this insult.
1829 K. H. Digby Broad Stone of Honour: Godefridus xx. 240 Agesilaus punished great men for the same faults which he overlooked in their inferiors.
1872 C. H. Spurgeon Treasury of David III. Ps. lxvi. 7 He oversees all and overlooks none.
1947 J. Steinbeck Pearl i. 3 The early pigs were already beginning their ceaseless turning of twigs and bits of wood to see whether anything to eat had been overlooked.
1990 Country Walking Jan. 43 (heading) The area around Aberfeldy in Scotland is often overlooked by walkers.
†b. transitive (reflexive). To fail to perceive one’s duty; to forget oneself. Cf. oversee v. 7. Obsolete.
1724 Duke of Wharton True Briton No. 65. ¶3 Vex’d that I..should have overlook’d myself so far as to have given any Room [etc.].
5. transitive. To watch over officially, look after, oversee. Now rare.
1532 (▸c1385) Usk’s Test. Loue in Wks. G. Chaucer i. f. cccxxix So many let games and purpose brekers ben maked wayters, suche prisoners as I am euermore to ouerloke and to hynder.
1605 Famous Hist. Capt. Stukeley sig. Lv And least they loyter we our selfe in person, Will ouerlook them.
1650 Earl of Monmouth tr. J. F. Senault Man become Guilty 340 He was overlooking his harvest men..judging their labour by their sheaves.
1744 D. Garrick Let. 16 Sept. (1963) I. 44 I called often at his house to overlook his servants, and preach up order, œconomy, and care to them.
1798 G. Washington Writings (1893) XIV. 85 For overlooking this farm I would stretch the wages to £45.
1848 G. C. Furber Twelve Months Volunteer 292 This is prefecto… It is this officer’s duty..to overlook the alcaldes in their administration of justice.
1879 Temple Bar 55 453 You must find some one else to overlook the beamers.
1908 M. D. Harris in Coventry Leet Bk. 284 The mayor to be compelled by oath to overlook [L. supervidendum] the wall, that no one move earth from it, or 20s fine.
1950 Packaging (Anglo-Amer. Council on Productivity) in Webster’s Dict. Eng. Usage (1989) 704/1 The operators ‘overlook’ the machines.
†6. a. transitive. To look over the top of (something) so as to see what is beyond. Also figurative. Obsolete.
1559 J. Heywood tr. Seneca Troas v. sig. F.i Some on the rockes a tiptoe stande to ouerlooke the rest.
1559–60 Cott. Libr. Cal. B. ix Use ws as a fote stole to overloke ȝow.
1610 J. Guillim Display of Heraldrie ii. vii. 71 The walles of Townes were but low,..the walles of Winchester..were ouerlooked by Colebrand the Chieftaine of the Danes.
1636 S. Rutherford Lett. (1863) I. 160 If great men be kind to you, I pray you overlook them;..Christ but borroweth their face to smile through them upon His afflicted servant.
1863 N. Hawthorne Our Old Home II. 21 The wall was just too high to be overlooked.
b. transitive. figurative. To rise above; to be higher than. Obsolete.
1567 G. Turberville Time Conquereth in Epit., Epigr. 70 b It makes the Oke to ouerlooke the slender shrubs bylow.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry V (1623) iii. v. 9 Our Syens..Spirt vp so suddenly into the Clouds, And ouer-looke their Grafters. View more context for this quotation
1671 R. Bohun Disc. Wind 64 The Peruvian [mountains], and some others which may be reckon’d as the Extravagancys of Nature..overlook the Clouds.
1700 J. Dryden tr. Homer 1st Bk. Ilias in Fables 218 The laughing Nectar overlook’d the Lid.
1748 T. Smollett Roderick Random I. iii. 13 A..hat whose crown over-looked the brims about an inch and a half.
7. transitive. To cast the evil eye on; to bewitch. Now chiefly regional.
1579 [implied in: T. Lupton Thousand Notable Things vi. 140 Women that haue double apples in theyr eyes, or strales: do euery where hurt with their looking (Which is called of some ouerlooking). (at overlooking n.)].
1600 W. Shakespeare Merchant of Venice iii. ii. 15 Beshrow your eyes, They haue ore-lookt me and deuided me. View more context for this quotation
a1616 W. Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor (1623) v. v. 82 Vilde worme, thou wast ore-look’d euen in thy birth.
1651 tr. J. Kitchin Jurisdictions 406 Embraceor is he which comes to the Bar with the party, and speaks in the matter, or is there to overlook the Jury, or to put them in fear.
1698 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 20 51 They..told them, they were Over-look’d by some unlucky Person.
1742 M. Jones Let. June in Misc. in Prose & Verse (1750) 396 Whether any evil Eyes have been upon me, I cant tell; but theres an old Lady over the way, I a little suspect, who has very bad ones; and Im pretty sure Ive been overlookd by her twenty times.
1825 Sporting Mag. 16 342 ‘I wish’, said the man, ‘we may not be overlooked’.
1887 A. Jessopp Arcady ii. 59 [The] firm belief in being ‘overlooked’ is very much more common..than is generally supposed.
1895 F. T. Elworthy Evil Eye i. 11 In England, of all animals the pig is oftenest ‘overlooked’.
1928 A. E. Pease Dict. Dial. N. Riding Yorks. 91/2 Owerleuk, to overlook in the sense of to bewitch.
1954 Caribbean Q. 3 i. 5 A baby that has been overlooked will begin to pine away, and must be given certain herb remedies—among others, tea made from the overlook bean.
1994 R. Davies Cunning Man 465 If somebody had overlooked your cattle he could take off the spell, and maybe track down the overlooker.
†8. transitive. To look or appear more than. Obsolete.Apparently an isolated use.
1822 Ld. Byron Let. 23 Sept. (1979) IX. 213 My mind misgives me that it [sc. the bust] is hideously like. If it is—I can not be long for this world—for it overlooks seventy.
In St. John’s vision of the worship of Heaven, God showed him twenty-four holy priests (presbyteroi) seated on thrones and crowned with gold circlets (Revelation 4:4).
And later he says, “Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom judgment was committed” (Revelation 20:4).
Words have meanings:
presbyteroi : When I looked up the Greek word presbyteroi the translation is ‘elders’. Having had many Presbyterian friends I already knew that, but I checked.
bishop : How did the word overseer/manager change into being crowned a king?
This word is also the root of Episcopal in English. meaning ‘having bishops’.
Seems as if the secular world crept in with the desire to have a king. Back in the OT God warned the Israelites about the difficulties they would have with a king. He said that He is our only king. Reading through the stories of the kings of Israel, we learn that few were good. One could say that most humans do not make good kings.
How do we rate our present bishops/kings.
Christ: This word means the anointed one or the Messiah in Greek. How did we turn the title of Jesus into a proper name and why? The gospels clearly tell us that his name is Jesus, but for some reason we don’t like that name. Jesus in Hebrew is Yeshua, a variant of Joshua. It means “Y-H-V-H saves” and in Hebrew is also the masculine form of the word “salvation”. So, Jesus Christ literally means Jesus the Messiah. Jesus the one who saves. Christ is not his last name nor His first name, as in Christ Jesus. So why don’t we say, “Jesus the Messiah”?
I have read paragraphs where He is referred to as Christ in one sentence and Jesus in another. Quite confusing, I think.
What other words or practices have we changed to suit our fancy?
PS. A comment concerning blogging and becoming Orthodox. While I was in the process of transition, I came across a photo of a service picturing several overstuffed men in royal robes during a service. My immediate reaction was, “This is the epitome of Christianity?” I almost backed out. Jesus came as a humble servant. He is never pictured in royal robes. Should we, his servants? A servant is not greater than his master, we are told.
“Christ” is a title, just like we say “the President”. Misgivings aside, referring to him as “Joe” is disrespectful on account of his office (and people generally mean to be disrespectful when they do this, proving the point).
We believe as we pray, and very few prayers or hymns of the Church use the personal name Jesus by itself. Generally it’s considered overly personal in reference to God, so we don’t tend to say Jesus by itself. I think “Jesus” also has a lot of sentimental baggage attached to it via the Roman church.
God is a personal God. He told us to call Him, Abba. Which means daddy. More formally. father.
God was a personal God in the Garden of Eden and He been a personal God ever since. He even descended to earth and lived among us. How much more personal can He get. And He says He is with us 24/7. He works one on one with us. Jesus is His name.
The name “Jesus” is a very personal name of God, and God makes Himself known to us personally “in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).
One of the most beautiful and personal Orthodox prayers I know is the “Akathist to our Sweetest Lord Jesus Christ,” which repeats the treasured name “Jesus” over and over: with honor, yes, but also with intimacy. Here it is!
Akathist to our Sweetest Lord Jesus Christ
True, but I don’t call my father by his first name. And we are fallen from the state of Eden, we are separated from that innocence. Even though we can regain this through theosis, we also don’t see the saints referring to Christ in informal ways; if anything they go the opposite way.
Our quibbles won’t change the fact that the Church generally addresses him as Christ. There are good reasons for this. And in an age of radical informality and general disrespect and “Buddy Jesus”, I don’t see attempts to make the Church go in the same direction gaining traction.
If anything, what sets Orthodoxy apart is our deep reverence and awe for God and our recognition of his other-ness.
Regarding what you posted about priestly robes, my bishop once said it well: We wear vestments to cover up the man. When you look at me, you don’t see me, you see Christ.
In St. John’s vision of the worship of Heaven, God showed him twenty-four holy priests (presbyteroi) seated on thrones and crowned with gold circlets (Revelation 4:4).
And later he says, “Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom judgment was committed” (Revelation 20:4).
We always put Lina’s comments through.
I’m sorry! That “Your comment is awaiting moderation” line at the beginning was my own copy/paste mistake. Could you delete that from my post? 🙂
I’ll try.
Thank you!
GALLOWAY IS A PLAGIARIST
Lol a quick Google and apparently his lecture is a cliff notes version of an Antiochian article published in 2005, with a few additions for razzle dazzle (ie attacking Fr Heers and others) but the basic skeleton is there. There are a couple instances of word for word verbatim lifted from this article and found in his lecture-without credit given to the original author of course. Coincidence? You be the judge.
https://stelizabethtn.com/2022/09/09/internet-theology/
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sEpnbGvFmloFwZH8sA664htkNRyHWWOR/view