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The Surprising Rebirth Of Belief In God

S2 E13. The Orthodox Boom: New converts to an ancient faith

The Surprising Rebirth Of Belief In God

Justin Brierley

Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.8592 Ratings

🗓️ 3 June 2025

⏱️ 91 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Eastern Orthodox parishes in the USA have been seeing a remarkable increase in numbers, especially among young men. Justin speaks to converts, priests and journalists about why this ancient church stream is encountering a fresh wave of seekers. Fr Andrew Stephen Damick, John Mark Reynolds, Jonathan Pageau and Rod Dreher explain the attraction of Orthodoxy's ritual and sense of the supernatural. Storyteller Martin Shaw, Gen Z influencer Freya India and 'Apostate Prophet' Ridvan Aydemir, tell their stories of conversion to Eastern Orthodoxy. More info, book & newsletter: https://justinbrierley.com/surprisingrebirth/ Support via Patreon for early access to new episodes and bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/justinbrierley/membership Support via Tax-deductible (USA) and get the same perks: https://defendersmedia.com/portfolio/justin-brierley/ Give a one-off gift via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/brierleyjustin Buy the book or get a signed copy: https://justinbrierley.com/the-surprising-rebirth-of-belief-in-god/ Got feedback? Share it with us by emailing: feedback@think.faith Ep 13 show notes: https://justinbrierley.com/surprisingrebirth/season-2-episode-13-the-orthodox-boom-new-converts-to-an-ancient-faith Also, check out our show ‘Uncommon Ground’ for discussion and debates: ⁠https://justinbrierley.com/uncommon-ground-podcast/⁠ The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God is a production of Think Faith in partnership with Genexis, and support from The Jerusalem Trust. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Well, we were not prepared for this. The venue is full. However, the mission is bigger than the room. You can still join us. Due to the incredible uptake, our responding to the Rebirth Conference will now be live streamed. Book your online pass now at rebirthconference.net. You may not be in the room, but you can still be part of the

0:22.5

response from anywhere in the world on Saturday the 22nd of November. On the live stream,

0:28.5

you'll get full access to all keynote sessions, panels and interviews with guests, including

0:33.6

John Lennox, Paul Kingsnorth, Elizabeth Oldfield and Al Gordon. You can take part in the

0:38.9

Q&A. You'll get to take home recordings of all of the sessions and get a front row seat to what God is doing.

0:45.7

A rebirth is happening. Let's respond together wherever we are. Book your live stream pass at

0:52.0

rebirthconference.net.

0:57.0

Are you ready for a story?

1:00.4

This is the voice of storyteller and mythologist Dr Martin Shaw

1:04.7

some 12 years ago leading a storytelling workshop.

1:08.7

This is a story from so long ago.

1:12.6

It was when men still had a hand on the tail of the Wolverine.

1:19.6

And the women.

1:22.6

I was to tell you about the women.

1:26.6

I would have to say, a great firebird lived in their chest, and

1:31.9

wherever these women's hips sashed through life, red feathers fell. And it was a time like

1:42.4

that that the Seneca people walk this earth and the great forests of this very land.

1:54.0

Over the course of decades, Martin Shaw had become a well-known and respected practitioner of storytelling and mythology, running the

2:02.1

West Country School of Myth and publishing many notable books of poetry and story. Drawing on ancient

2:08.4

tales and myths from diverse cultures, he aimed to help people reconnect to the transcendence found

2:15.0

in nature and the wilds. The esoteric form of spirituality that Martin

2:20.0

embraced seemed a far cry from the Christian home he grew up in. While he valued his parents' faith,

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