Theoria Audiobooks

To Autolycus is an apologetic work by Theophilus of Antioch, written around 180 A.D. Although not much is known about the life of Theophilus, Eusebius and Jerome note that he was a defender against heresies. Sadly, To Autolycus is his only extant work. In 168 A.D. he became bishop of Antioch where he served until around 182 A.D. It bears noting here that this Theophilus of Antioch is not the same as the Theophilus greeted in the books of Luke and Acts. Composed in three books, To Autolycus addresses a pagan named – you guessed it – Autolycus. In it, Theophilus, a convert from paganism with a strong background in Greek philosophy, critiques Greek mythology and polytheism, and advocates for the coherence and superiority of Christian monotheism. Would you help us produce more audiobook like this by joining as a member here on substack or on our Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/theoriatv]? Theoria: Orthodox Christian Faith and Culture is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Theoria: Orthodox Christian Faith and Culture at theoriatv.substack.com/subscribe [https://theoriatv.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Tatian's "Address to the Greeks," was written around 160-170 A.D. Originally a pagan, Tatian converted to Christianity after encountering Justin Martyr's teachings in Rome. After Justin's martyrdom, Tatian returned to Syria and established an influential Christian school.  In "Address to the Greeks," Tatian condemns Greek moral decay and philosophical inconsistencies, asserting that many Greek ideas were borrowed from older sources. He argues that Christian doctrine is both morally superior and more ancient than Greek philosophy, claiming that the wisdom of figures like Moses predated and surpassed that of Greek philosophers. Although Tatian’s work, particularly his Diatessaron which harmonizes the four gospels into a single narrative, is an admirable contribution to Christian literature, he promoted a kind of extreme asceticism unknown to the received tradition. Saint Irenaeus of Lyon, who was a contemporary of Tatian, called such individuals Encratites, noting that they “preached against marriage, thus setting aside the original creation of God, and indirectly blaming Him who made the male and female for the propagation of the human race.” He goes on to claim that this heresy came “springing from Saturninus and Marcion” (AH, 5.28.1). For his part, Eusebius of Ceasarea names Tatian as the author of the Encratite heresy (EH, 4.28–29). Would you help us produce more audiobook like this by joining as a member here on substack or on our Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/theoriatv]? Theoria: Orthodox Christian Faith and Culture is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Theoria: Orthodox Christian Faith and Culture at theoriatv.substack.com/subscribe [https://theoriatv.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Book 4 of Against Heresies – the longest of the five books – is a critical defense of early Christian orthodoxy, addressing and refuting Gnostic beliefs. A significant portion of the Book defends the Old Testament against Gnostic claims of its irrelevance. In light of the Gnostic claim of secret knowledge, Irenaeus hearkens to Apostolic Tradition, noting its centrality to the Christian faith. He argues that God’s revelation is intended for all believers, not just a select few with special insights. Elsewhere, he addresses the ethical implications of Christian faith, critiquing the Gnostic disregard for moral laws. He emphasizes that true knowledge of God should lead to righteous living, distinguishing orthodox Christianity from Gnostic practices. Finally, he concludes with the economy of salvation and the important dimension of faith.  Would you help us produce more audiobook like this by joining as a member here on substack or on our Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/theoriatv]? Theoria: Orthodox Christian Faith and Culture is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Theoria: Orthodox Christian Faith and Culture at theoriatv.substack.com/subscribe [https://theoriatv.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

In Book 3 of Against Heresies, Saint Irenaeus of Lyons continues his refutation of Gnostic teachings and elaborates on the unity and truth of the Christian faith. He begins by pointing out that the Apostles did not speak about the mysteries of God until they received gifts and power from the Holy Spirit. The fact that we have an unbroken lineage from the Apostles to our own day points to this power. Indeed, Irenaeus lists, by name, the bishops of Rome in this lineage, further drawing out that it is through the Church – through the Holy Spirit – that the truth is preserved. And it is in the church that it can be found. Next, he shows how the Holy Spirit is present in the Old Testament, reaffirms that God is the creator, not a demiurge, and refutes the error of the Ebionites who claimed that the Apostle Paul was the only Apostle with true wisdom.  Theoria: Orthodox Christian Faith and Culture is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Theoria: Orthodox Christian Faith and Culture at theoriatv.substack.com/subscribe [https://theoriatv.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Within the Second Book of Against Heresies, Saint Irenaeus endeavors yet again to lay bare the sophistries of the gnostic sects by demonstrating that neither the angels nor any supposed Demiurge distinct from a higher, supreme God created the universe. Instead, he shows that there is but one God – and it is this one God who created the Universe. Building upon his work in the first book, he further shows that the created world is neither an image nor a shadow of a higher spiritual plane. Such gnostic inventions, he claims, are the result of a wicked interpretation of scripture – a hermeneutic that he corrects by explaining the proper method of interpretation.  In the last portion of the book, Ireneaus explores the relationship between the body and the soul. In Chapter 29, he briefly explores their resting states after biological death. Later he touches on metempsychosis arguing that logic does not permit the passing of the soul from one body to another after death simply because the soul would remember the experiences in prior bodies. In Chapter 34, he notes that souls can be recognized in the liminal space of being separated from the body before the general resurrection – something possible by what Saint Augustine would call a quasi corpus in On the Soul and Its Origin, 4.34 (for more on the soul, check out my book here [https://www.amazon.com/Gender-Soul-Exploration-Relation-According/dp/B0BMJHBVWR/ref=sr_1_1?crid=321LQFMMH3S1V&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.dQMnr77dExHhepR0vFjaQb_XUiqsaRQ7pqoCtV_WOvnEe3uWDe4FLDTpo3zeEketdJSIkCC2C2_RKjNpfRBcAuM7Tzs80TMlEa68bTGfynjIXGNC82LrSsZsI6jULvbOLAva_2cVwcjbw1mL4E10jIG3S28M610WB8_4J4AN5bw-NYsIu8PbYGmvOOSLRJl4Ak38EnhcT1cyf5b34aMhBGvg5-U3crnbb_5I5P-wufk.t1ON9YJzSlXbWSHomhIA77wJqSwPqUnoNYtWJB9G5xA&dib_tag=se&keywords=on+gender+and+the+soul&qid=1715345461&sprefix=on+gender+and+the+soul%2Caps%2C115&sr=8-1]). According to Irenaeus, it would seem that many of the issues that plague Christianity today were already present in the late second century (namely, restricting God to man-made systems designed to use human reason to explain things better left to the wisdom and mystery of God).  Theoria: Orthodox Christian Faith and Culture is a reader-supported publication. If you appreciate our work to bring you professionally produced audiobooks of the Church Fathers free of charge, would you support our work by joining as a paid substack member below or becoming a Patron on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/theoriatv]? Listen on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxcntdlvObPjxd2GsYt6O0oe_NUdQP1Ft] | Join Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/theoriatv] Get full access to Theoria: Orthodox Christian Faith and Culture at theoriatv.substack.com/subscribe [https://theoriatv.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]