313 - Fr. Andrew Damick - Redeeming Pagan Symbolism
Oct 26, 2023
auto_awesome
Fr. Andrew Damick, Chief Content Officer of Ancient Faith Ministries, discusses the integration of pagan symbolism in Christianity, focusing on Lithuania's unique context. Topics include: Lithuania's split between Catholicism and Orthodoxy, reclaiming pagan symbolism in Christian worship, recognizing saints beyond traditional boundaries, edits to a Catholic text, the transformation of pagan symbols into Christian icons, and creatively engaging with pagan symbolism in the Orthodox Church.
Christianity integrated elements of pagan traditions, resulting in a world rooted in ancient pagan forms but with a focus on God and Christ.
Lithuania showcases a living and evolving relationship between Orthodox Christianity and Catholicism, where elements from both traditions are interwoven and celebrated.
The history of Lithuania involves a rich tradition of adapting and adopting religious practices from different traditions, showcasing a messy yet organically evolving relationship between Orthodox Christianity and other religious practices.
Deep dives
Christianity: Integration of Pagan Traditions
Christianity integrated elements of pagan traditions that could be adapted, resulting in a world rooted in ancient pagan forms but with a focus on God and Christ.
Lithuanian Practices: Visiting Graves and Hill of Crosses
In Lithuania, it is common to visit the graves of loved ones on specific days, such as Valenice, a holiday where people bring candles and pray at cemeteries. The Hill of Crosses is an important pilgrimage site where people place crosses to pray for the departed, representing a mix of Catholic and Orthodox influences.
Icons: Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn and Pizysalus Monastery
Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn is a national icon in Lithuania, venerated by both Catholics and Orthodox Christians. It is believed to have an Orthodox origin but has been predominantly housed in a Catholic chapel. Pizysalus Monastery, originally Catholic, is now visited by Orthodox Christians as well, representing the religious diversity in Lithuania.
Adoption and adaptation of religious practices in Lithuania
In Lithuania, there is a history of adopting and adapting religious practices from different traditions. For example, the Athabaskan spirit houses, originally a pagan practice, were allowed to continue by Orthodox saints who reinterpreted them and added three-barred crosses. The use of Arabic numerals, predominantly Hindu in origin and developed by Muslims, is now widespread and intertwined with everyday life. The Orthodox Church also recognizes saints from different Christian traditions, such as the martyrs of Nazran, who were part of Oriental Orthodox and Assyrian Church of the East communities. Saints like Saint Caleb and Saint Isaac of Syria, who were not Orthodox themselves, have been venerated and embraced by the Orthodox Church through their writings and their impact on spiritual life. These examples show the organically evolving and sometimes messy relationship between Orthodox Christianity and other religious practices.
The dynamic interaction between Orthodox Christianity and Catholicism in Lithuania
In Lithuania, there is an interesting blend of Orthodox and Catholic influences, where elements from both traditions coexist. The pagan sun cross, a symbol from Baltic paganism, can now be seen on top of almost every church in Lithuania, despite the absence of pagan worshipers. Wooden poles with carved religious images, known as Coplet Stupus, incorporate traditional pagan symbols. These practices have been adapted with the inclusion of Orthodox Christian figures like Rupentoyelis, the image of Christ in a contemplative or bound pose, along with depictions of the Virgin Mary, Saints George and Kazimir. Furthermore, the Orthodox veneration of a Catholic icon, Our Lady of Puzysalus, demonstrates how a miracle-working Catholic icon was embraced and maintained by the Orthodox Church, even after the monastery returned to Catholic ownership. These examples highlight how Lithuania showcases a living and evolving relationship between Orthodox Christianity and Catholicism, where elements from both traditions are interwoven and celebrated.
Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick is Chief Content Officer of Ancient Faith Ministries. He has been podcasting since 2007 and is the host of Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy, Orthodox Engagement, and Roads from Emmaus, as well as co-host of The Lord of Spirits, The Areopagus, and Amon Sûl. I had a wonderful conversation with Fr. Andrew about his latest project, The Wolf and the Cross. This podcast series documents his Orthodox pilgrimage to Lithuania, the last pagan nation in Europe. We discuss how Eastern Orthodoxy deals with the traditions and symbols from paganism and how it adapts elements of non-orthodox branches of Christianity. Listen to The Wolf and the Cross: https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/wolfandcross
----------------------- JOIN US FOR THE SYMBOLIC WORLD SUMMIT: https://thesymbolicworld.com/summit Feb 29th - Mar 2nd, 2024 Tarpon Springs, Florida, US Tickets start at $399 -----------------------
PAST INTERVIEWS WITH FR. ANDREW • Arise O God: A Cosmic Vision of the Gospel | https://youtu.be/6U7c_89FeWM • The Areopagus Podcast: Storytelling by Subverting Subversion | https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/areopagus/storytelling_by_subverting_subversion_with_jonathan_pageau • JRR Tolkien and The Applicability of Stories | https://youtu.be/QcQShPpbEgc • Gods, Angels and Demons | https://youtu.be/NW_WlIurGtA
----------------------- ⏯️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Preview 00:28 - Intro music 00:52 - Introduction 02:59 - Second visit to Lithuania 03:00 - Lithuania on the border between Catholicism and Orthodoxy 04:05 - The last pagan nation in Europe (late 14th century) 05:42 - The backstory of Christianity and other religions 09:55 - God redeems or untwists pagan symbolism 13:22 - Transformation and creative engagement 19:14 - Germanic Paganism and Christianity 29:46 - Orthodox and non-orthodox Christians 37:47 - The Sun Cross 39:44 - Dievdirbys and Pensive Christ (Rūpintojėlis) 44:05 - The Hill of Crosses (Kryžių Kalnas) 48:45 - St. Peter Mohyla and Latinization 50:24 - All Souls Day in Lithuanian Orthodoxy (Vėlinės) 55:19 - Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn, Theotokos 57:16 - Our Lady of Pažaislis 1:03:04 - The porous nature of religious traditions 1:09:20 - Humility vs. the demonic spirit of polarization 1:11:32 - Conclusion -----------------------
LINKS 💻 Website & Blog: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com 🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau 🗣 Join The Symbolic World Community for discussions about symbolism: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe
🔒 BECOME A PATRON Website: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe Patreon: www.patreon.com/pageauvideos
📱 SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheSymbolicWorld Twitter: www.twitter.com/pageaujonathan Instagram: www.instagram.com/jonathan.pageau/
Our website designers: www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson.
----------------------
Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976 A small portion of the audio content in this episode belongs to Dirt Poor Robins. We have received explicit permission from Dirt Poor Robins to use their music in this video to advertise an event where they will be present as performing artists. All content posted is merely for educational, commentarial, and informational purposes under Fair Use law. All rights and credit go directly to its owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.
