Doug’s Theological Thoughts

  • Theophan the Recluse

    I asked a friend for help finding a Saint name for when I get received into the Orthodox Church. My birth name, Douglas, isn’t a Saint’s name. I was stuck. He suggested I look at the meaning of Douglas but it came back as something like “dark waters”. I couldn’t find anything redemptive in that…

  • Parables about the Church

    In a previous BLOG, it was established that the Gospel references to Kingdom of Heaven and Kingdom of God are references to the church. Since this identification has been established we can turn and look at the things Jesus said about the Kingdom to help better understand the Church. Much of this information comes from parables.…

  • Is Kingdom of Heaven/Kingdom of God the Church?

    The New Testament has quite a few parables about the Kingdom of Heaven and Kingdom of God. Is the phrase Kingdom of Heaven the same as the church? My Evangelical Protestant training led me to think that they are not the same, but they are related. More Dispensational Falsehoods First, let’s look at one Dispensational…

  • Epistle Reading 2024-11-18

    The Epistle reading is:  Col 2:13-20 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to…

  • Gospel Reading 2024-11-17

    The Gospel reading for today is Luke 12:16-21. Luke 12:16-21 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I…

  • Daily Epistle Reading 2025-11-17

     The Epistle reading for today is Galatians 2:16-20. Galatians 2:16-20 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by…

  • Why I’m an Orthodox Christian (w/ Fr Andrew Stephen Damick)

     

  • Protestant authors that are gateways to Orthodoxy

    The Protestant authors that are gateways to Orthodoxy are largely English Anglican authors and still preserve something of the historical church. Two good ones are NT Wright and CS Lewis.  Wright and the New Perspective of Paul (NPP) have caused a stir in the Reformed world. He’s taken on the Reformed view of justification. The…

  • Another Old Testament Prophecy of Christ and the Church

    Here is another prophecy of Christ and the Church Isaiah 60:1-3 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.…

  • Old Testament Prophecy of the Church

    There’s a prophesy of the church found in the Old Testament Malachi 1:11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be…

  • CS Lewis and Theosis

    This week’s Catechumen class reading is from The Orthodox Faith, Worship, and Life.  The subject is Section 3.7 The deification of man. This is also called theosis. Theosis is “to become Gods by grace.” CS Lewis had the same teaching. Lewis the lover of myth, and Lewis the imaginative writer who was most sensitive to…

  • Friend of a friend tells his journey to Orthodoxy

      I knew Seraphim Hamilton when he was “Cage Stage” Orthodox. He even blocked me on Facebook at one point. He’s grown a lot over the years. “Cage” stage is a borrowed term from Calvinism.

  • Daily Reading – 2024-11-16

    The daily reading today is here. What impressed me from today’s epistle reading is that there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile. All are one in the Church. Rom 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon…

  • The Fast and My Puppy

     My puppy is doing the fast along with me. In fact, he’s probably doing it better than me. 

  • Authority in the Church

    Authority in the Early Church Jesus established His Church with a structure that had authorities. Jesus is the Head of the Church Jesus is the head of the Church. The Church is His body. Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and…

  • Orthodoxy and Freemasonry

    In 1933, the Orthodox Church of Greece officially declared that being a Freemason constitutes an act of apostasy and thus, until he repents, the person involved with Freemasonry cannot partake of the Eucharist. This has been generally affirmed throughout the whole Eastern Orthodox Church. The Orthodox critique of Freemasonry agrees with both the Catholic and…

  • Orthodox YouTube Channels

    PatristicNectarFilms Kyle Ancient Faith (Radio) David Erhan Trisagion Films SHAMOUNIAN Lives of Orthodox Saints NFTU: True Orthodox News and Apologetics Orthodox Church Protecting Veil Orthodox Teaching of the Elders OrthodoxSermons GreekOrthodoxChurch Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St John the Baptist in Washington DC Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church Orthodox Christian TV Archimandrite Philip ACRODDIOCESE Saint Anne…

  • Orthodox vs Protestantism

    Background My faith background was as an Evangelical Protestant. I attended two Evangelical seminaries and got a Master of Theology degree and a Master of Divinity degree. I was an Evangelical church pastor for a few years. It didn’t end well. Good Things about being an Evangelical One thing I am thankful about being an…

  • Orthodox Nativity Fast

    Today is the first day of the season of the Orthodox Nativity Fast. Fasting for the feast I spoke with my Priest about fasting during the 40-day period. My concern was related to my history of Type 2 diabetes which in in remission due to a Low Carb diet. When I tried the fast for…

  • Orthodox Eschatology Series

    Fr. John Brown presents a series of lectures on “The End Times: A comparison between the Orthodox understanding and Evangelical Protestant Teachings.”

  • Anabaptists Go Crazy – The Dark History of Münster…

    Wikipedia article 

  • Apostolic Succession: Common Objections Refuted w/ Perry Robinson

     

  • The Confession of Dositheus (1672)

    This is clarifying – Even Dositheus Did Not Think the Confession of Dositheus Was Infallible. The Synod of Jerusalem of 1672 soundly rejected any further attempts at reformulation of Orthodox teachings and strengthened Orthodox beliefs against both the Protestant Reformation and Catholicism. The Synod produced its own confession, The Confession of Dositheus (Patriarch of Jerusalem),…

  • Orthodox Apologist Responds to Tony Costa’s Critique of Eastern Orthodox Theology

    Orthodox Apologist Perry Robinson has a five hour response to Reformed Baptist Tony Costa’s critique of Eastern Orthodox Theology. (Perry on Ancient Faith Today podcast with Kevin Allen).