Fr. Stephen De Young, a theologian specializing in ancient texts, joins to discuss the importance of extra-Biblical literature, especially the Book of Jubilees. He emphasizes a more ancient approach to theology through story and ritual, rather than modern academic arguments. The conversation highlights how Jubilees expands biblical narratives and connects themes like creation and prophecy to contemporary spirituality. De Young also critiques modern interpretations, advocating for a deeper engagement with these ancient texts to enrich our understanding of faith.
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insights INSIGHT
Ancient Theology Through Storytelling
Theology in Second Temple Judaism relied heavily on story, ritual, poetry, and image instead of academic argumentation.
This ancient approach offers a richer participatory theology contrasting modern scholarly methods.
insights INSIGHT
Extra-Biblical Traditions Enrich Theology
Extra-biblical traditions or imagery help deepen understanding and participation in biblical narratives.
Iconography and liturgical texts add layers of theology that do not contradict but illuminate Scripture.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Don’t Reduce Theology to Logic
When approaching theological debates or historical councils, avoid reductionist interpretations focused only on logic.
Appreciate the broader liturgical, poetic, and communal context that shapes theological understanding.
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Fr. Stephen De Young returns to the channel to explore how we should approach extra-Biblical literature—looking especially at the Book of Jubilees in anticipation of his upcoming Symbolic World course: Jubilees and the Nephilim. We discuss a different, more ancient way of doing theology—through story, ritual, poetry, and image rather than flat modern academic argument. If you’ve ever wondered how texts like Jubilees, Enoch, or the Lives of Adam and Eve connect to Christian theology, this conversation is for you.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/poAELqTQTo0
NEW COURSE: Jubilees and the Nephilim, by Fr. Stephen De Young - Catch the early bird special of 15% off with code: EARLYJUBILEES, valid until 11:59 pm EST (midnight) of August 8th. - Price: 180 USD (Discounted to 158 USD) - Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/jubilees-and-the-nephilim - Course Length: 6 Weeks, 12 Hours - Dates: Live classes are on Tuesday at 7 - 9 pm Central Time, starting August 19th through September 23rd, 2025 - Participants will be given access to lesson recordings. - The course is hosted on the Symbolic World Circle Community platform. Sign up as a free member before making your purchase.
Step into the strange and revelatory world of the Book of Jubilees, an ancient retelling of Genesis that shaped ancient Jewish thought and still echoes through Christian tradition. In this course, Fr. Stephen De Young guides students through the book’s expansion of biblical history, unveiling the significance of the fall of the angels, the rise of the Nephilim, and the heavenly origins of the feasts of the Old and New Testaments. Along the way, he'll explore how Jubilees reinterprets creation, demonology, and the prophetic structure of time, and why these themes mattered not only to Second Temple Judaism, but to later Christian understandings of the unseen world.
Timestamps 00:00 - Coming up 00:55 - Intro music 01:20 - Introduction 02:11 - Jubilees 05:08 - A different way of doing theology 15:23 - Why do we have peripheral stories? 22:34 - The twelfth apostle 24:16 - Blood libel 27:09 - Adam's skull 31:19 - Sacred geography 34:09 - The sacramental reality 39:01 - The modern trade 41:52 - UFOs, psychedelics, and materialism 44:43 - Reading extra-biblical texts and Jubilees 47:53 - What can extra-biblical traditions offer us?
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The Symbolic World 
