313 - Fr. Andrew Damick - Redeeming Pagan Symbolism

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick is Chief Content Officer of Ancient Faith Ministries. He has been podcasting since 2007 and is the host of Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy, Orthodox Engagement, and Roads from Emmaus, as well as co-host of The Lord of Spirits, The Areopagus, and Amon Sûl.<br />I had a wonderful conversation with Fr. Andrew about his latest project, The Wolf and the Cross. This podcast series documents his Orthodox pilgrimage to Lithuania, the last pagan nation in Europe.<br />We discuss how Eastern Orthodoxy deals with the traditions and symbols from paganism and how it adapts elements of non-orthodox branches of Christianity.<br />Listen to The Wolf and the Cross: https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/wolfandcross<br /><br />-----------------------<br />JOIN US FOR THE SYMBOLIC WORLD SUMMIT: https://thesymbolicworld.com/summit<br />Feb 29th - Mar 2nd, 2024<br />Tarpon Springs, Florida, US<br />Tickets start at $399<br />-----------------------<br /><br />PAST INTERVIEWS WITH FR. ANDREW<br />• Arise O God: A Cosmic Vision of the Gospel | https://youtu.be/6U7c_89FeWM <br />• The Areopagus Podcast: Storytelling by Subverting Subversion | https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/areopagus/storytelling_by_subverting_subversion_with_jonathan_pageau<br />• JRR Tolkien and The Applicability of Stories | https://youtu.be/QcQShPpbEgc <br />• Gods, Angels and Demons | https://youtu.be/NW_WlIurGtA <br /><br />-----------------------<br />⏯️ TIMESTAMPS<br />00:00 - Preview<br />00:28 - Intro music<br />00:52 - Introduction<br />02:59 - Second visit to Lithuania<br />03:00 - Lithuania on the border between Catholicism and Orthodoxy<br />04:05 - The last pagan nation in Europe (late 14th century)<br />05:42 - The backstory of Christianity and other religions<br />09:55 - God redeems or untwists pagan symbolism<br />13:22 - Transformation and creative engagement<br />19:14 - Germanic Paganism and Christianity<br />29:46 - Orthodox and non-orthodox Christians<br />37:47 - The Sun Cross<br />39:44 - Dievdirbys and Pensive Christ (Rūpintojėlis)<br />44:05 - The Hill of Crosses (Kryžių Kalnas)<br />48:45 - St. Peter Mohyla and Latinization<br />50:24 - All Souls Day in Lithuanian Orthodoxy (Vėlinės)<br />55:19 - Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn, Theotokos<br />57:16 - Our Lady of Pažaislis<br />1:03:04 - The porous nature of religious traditions<br />1:09:20 - Humility vs. the demonic spirit of polarization<br />1:11:32 - Conclusion<br />-----------------------<br /><br />LINKS<br />💻 Website &amp; Blog: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com <br />🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau <br />🗣 Join The Symbolic World Community for discussions about symbolism: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe <br /><br />🔒 BECOME A PATRON <br />Website: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe <br />Patreon: www.patreon.com/pageauvideos <br /><br />📱 SOCIAL MEDIA <br />Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheSymbolicWorld <br />Twitter: www.twitter.com/pageaujonathan <br />Instagram: www.instagram.com/jonathan.pageau/ <br /><br />Our website designers: www.resonancehq.io/ <br />My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson.<br /><br />----------------------<br /><br />Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976 <br />A small portion of the audio content in this episode belongs to Dirt Poor Robins. We have received explicit permission from Dirt Poor Robins to use their music in this video to advertise an event where they will be present as performing artists.<br />All content posted is merely for educational, commentarial, and informational purposes under Fair Use law. All rights and credit go directly to its owners. No copyright infringement intended.