The Rational Decision-makerIn the post-enlightenment west, we have this idea that man is rational; that when he approaches a decision, he gathers the available data, calculates the costs and benefits of each alternative, and selects the one that he determines is most likely to be the best (i.e. expected utility maximization). Very few people […]
The REAL Reason People Leave the Church!
February 24, 2015 By
Google “why people leave the church” and you will get a bazillion links to articles describing why people leave the church (okay, there may be fewer than a bazillion… I stopped counting at a hundred when I ran the search this morning). Put the same query in at Amazon and you will get similar results. In […]
Homily Notes for Pentecost: How to Acquire the Holy Spirit
June 9, 2014 By
How to acquire the Holy Spirit Come to Church and follow the Orthodox Way. A fruit of the Orthodox Way is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit. Won’t happen; can’t happen outside of Church. Look at the icon; look at the scripture It is not an individual gift, meant for our personal satisfaction. Reinforces the […]
Notes on Christian Meditation and Living the Good Life
May 14, 2014 By
Talk on Christian Meditation and Living the Good LifeSt. Michael UOC Ladies’ Sodality RetreatFr. Anthony Perkins, 13 May 2014 There is within us, a yearning for something better. We feel ourselves to be refugees in a land that isn’t quite right. We desire peace, joy, and growth within our own lives; but find peace to […]
Podcast – 20140313 Epistemology, Schindler, and Ukraine
March 14, 2014 By
This episode begins with a reflection on the Orthodox understanding of knowledge (epistemology), but the bulk of it is an interview with John Schindler, PhD (XXCommittee.com) on spycraft, propoganda, provokation, disinformation and Ukraine. I know you will love it! http://traffic.libsyn.com/orthoanalytika/20140312-Schindler-Ukraine.mp3
War, Ukraine, and Orthodox Epistemology
March 13, 2014 By
“Love your enemies… unless they invade your ancestral homeland, overthrow a government you prefer, or enact policies you find abhorrent.”The Antigospel of Satan (i.e. “Things Jesus NEVER said”). Introduction: the temptation of demonization in times of warI have seen what what war does to the souls of good people. Far too often, the temptations of […]
From Intelligence Officer to Orthodox Priest
February 13, 2014 By
I gave this talk as part of the “Orthodoxy on Tap” program. It is designed to take Orthodoxy out to where it can meet people where they are (the fact that that place happens to have good food and drinks is a bonus). While the conversation went in many directions (but not into aliens, […]
Orthodox Help on Keeping Resolutions (from Sunday’s bulletin)
January 11, 2014 By
As Orthodox Christians, we can draw on a lot of wisdom on how to improve our lives. As we go into the New Year and all its hopes, let me share some nuggets that I have found useful. Resolution (i.e. “willpower”) is not enough. Our faith is built around this reality. If we want to […]
Waiting Tables, Nepsis, and Diaconia
December 27, 2013 By
A few days ago, I wrote about how much we are like the toy monkey with the cymbals: our buttons get pushed and we start to clang. It’s as if everything were pre-programmed. Psychologists have found that this isn’t far from the case. My favorite political psychologist Jonathan Haight puts it this way when summarizing […]
