Eastward Iowa City

Iowa City, Iowa holds an ancient, overlooked spiritual treasure. Among the vestiges of Western Christianity and the diversity of popular ideologies, Eastern Orthodox faithful continue to live the original Way, rooted in the East, passed down from Jesus and his disciples. They are part of the historic church of Antioch of Syria, where, nearly 2,000 years ago, the disciples of Jesus were first called “Christians.” Through this podcast produced in Iowa City for the Greater Iowa City area, discover the refreshing and life-changing benefits of walking the spiritual Path eastward.

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Episodes

Eastern Sacred Art and Spiritual Experience

In this episode, I, Father Symeon, join James John Marks (Christian Saints Podcast), and the iconographer, Nicholas Papas (St. Demetrius Press), in a conversation on Eastern Orthodox iconography and the spiritiual Path toward becoming *like* God. The Christian Saints Podcast is a joint production of Generative Sounds & Paradosis Pavilion with oversight from Fr Symeon Kees (Paradosis Pavilion). Iconographic images used by kind permission of Nicholas Papas, who controls distribution rights of ...

Feb 10, 2024•1 hr 33 min•Season 1Ep. 4

St. Ephrem the Syrian, poetry, and the spiritual life

This is an episode on the spiritual text, Hymns on Paradise, by St Ephrem the Syrian Listen to the conversation between Fr. Symeon and James John Marks, host of the "Christian Saints Podcast." Reference materials for this episode: https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2024/01/28/100328-venerable-ephraim-the-syrian https://orthodoxwiki.org/Ephrem_the_Syrian St. Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns on Paradise, - trans. by Sebastian Brock - St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press - pages 111-112, 157-159, 167-68, 170 - Hymn...

Feb 05, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 3

What's the Point of Christmas, Really?

You probably know a lot of people who will observe Christmas this year in some way. Christmas tree. Presents. Lights. Time off work and school. Travel to see family. But, what does it mean, not just symbolically, but really? Why does it matter to real life, practically? Find out what Christmas meant to the ancient Church who first celebrated it, the same Orthodox Church that continues the Tradition of that meaning today in Bethlehem and Jerusalem (, and even Iowa City.

Dec 22, 2023•17 min•Season 1Ep. 2

To the East

What is the point of this podcast? Here is an introduction to Eastward Iowa City, why the culture of the West - religious and secular - is so different than the ancient Christian spirituality of the East, and why it matters. This podcast is part of the Paradosis Pavilion collection of projects. Technical production support for this episode is provided by Generative sounds. All music in this (& every) episode of Eastward Iowa City is a production of Generative Sounds Paradosis Pavilion - http...

Dec 05, 2023•17 min•Season 1Ep. 1

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