Men Among Demons

Dan and Greg kick off with a discussion of cults and high control groups, and then shift to begin thinking about the relationship between cult, cultus, and culture. In what ways is the Church different from what are often called "cults" today? In what ways does the Church attempt to build a culture and community while avoiding the pitfalls of high control groups? And what happens to groups or entire societies when they fall into demonic traps either on the side of too much cult and control, or on the side of having no real "culture" at all?

Dan and Greg discuss the concept of social justice especially with regard to modern homelessness, aiming to elucidate some more complete Christians responses in the face of extremely complex problems for which there is no simple solution.

Greg and Dan discuss angels. What are they? How do they interact with the world? What experiences do we have of them? What do they...look like? And much more.

Dan, Greg, and guest Nick P. discuss martial arts, the body, competition and games seeking out what role they might play in a Christian life and in society at large. A possible need for more attention to bodily exercise and training among Christians emerges, and the three tackle the question of whether competition is fundamentally fallen or truly has a place in a Christian life and in God's Kingdom.

Greg and Dan discuss the new pope, the institution of the papacy, and the costs and benefits of various church and community structures within the Christian world.

In this episode, Dan and Greg discuss human intelligence and free will in the context of some problematic enlightenment assumptions about humanity. How do we as Christians grapple with the simple fact that human intelligence varies tremendously across individuals, and that while free will clearly exist it is difficult to exercise for all human beings? What problems arise in our political and social life owing to Enlightenment assumptions that all human beings are capable of "rational self interest," clear critical thinking, and the detached exercise of free will?

Greg and Dan discuss the cult of change and our culture's obsession with disruption for its own sake, reflecting on how change is an essential but differently oriented part of the life in Christ. The episode concludes with reflections on the importance of forgiveness in a world in which human beings are both dynamic and fallen.

Dan and Greg discuss the meaning of maturity, and the immaturity of our present age, looking for the demonic patterns that draw us to immature places and the telos of human life into which we are called to grow.

Greg and Dan discuss experiences of demonic activity and the presence of conscious demons in the world.

Dan and Greg discuss one of the most interestingly wrong visions of theological anthropology circulating in our society today: the idea that humans are effectively computers, and that human consciousness may one day be downloaded into electronic machines. By reflecting on the demonic twists in this vision of humanity we can see more fully what humans are genuinely created to be.

Dan and Greg discuss death, exploring funeral rites and rituals, the cultural fear and denial of death, the demonic twists and distractions the falsely frame life, and ultimately the meaning of Resurrection in Christ.

Greg and Dan welcome Fr Yuri Hladio for a conversation about celebrities, fame, and their impact on western culture and the Church.

Dan and Greg discuss modern expectations around romantic love and relationships, moving forward into a discussion of the place of eros in the Christian life. In a world where finding the perfect partner and living up to a romantic ideal have become so important, how do Christians respond? Is there any value at all to romantic love, or is it side-lined by the pursuit of universal agape? And what is eros anyway?Our apologies in this episode for mixing up Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky. We have included a clarification at the end of the episode.

Dan and Greg discuss how electoral politics can serve more as means of creating identity and "team" loyalty than as a method for solving problems and engaging idea, then consider what kinds of ordering principles rule our lives and ask the essential question of what would happen if we put Christ at the centre of our thinking.

Dan and Greg welcome special guest Eleni O to continue the discussion about psychedelics with an eye to exploring the meaning of mystical experiences and the role they play in our mental and spiritual health.

In this episode Dan and Greg speak with special guest, Fr Geoffrey Ready, about psychedelics and their (potential) place in medicine and the Church.DISCLAIMER: Hopefully it is clear already from the episode, but Dan and Greg do not condone or advise the use of psychedelics in Orthodox Christian life. Fr Geoffrey's views push the envelope in interesting ways and his opinion may differ, but the Men among Demons continue to recommend a focus on the tried and true pathways that the Church provides us for gaining spiritual insight and a deeper relationship with Christ.

Dan and Greg are joined by professional tax accountant Andrew Hudson who shares some of his insights into the implications of modern finance and capitalism on Christian life. The men among demons discuss money, capitalism, value, and the demonic trends in our current economic culture and system.

Most of this month's episode will be posted only for our patrons on Patreon.com For the public podcast we share the last portion of our discussion centering on how Christians in the West can best respond to the crisis in Israel and Palestine through prayer. Dan and Greg discuss the power of prayer as a form of real and genuine Christian action that guides us to wisdom and humility, and allows us to participate in God's shaping of the world even when there is truly nothing else we can do to help fix our broken world.

Greg and Dan talk about the purpose and different forms of education, and the tendencies of the modern educational system to tend toward angelic and demonic vectors. The episode concludes with some reflections on how to approach education in the body of Christ and the need for a diversity of responses to the problem of how to teach ourselves and our children in today's world.