Welcome to another episode of Energeia.LIVE. In our last episode, we featured Orthodox Christian scholar Frederica Mathewes-Green, which I guess you would call a "primer" of sorts on the Orthodox lifestyle.

However, having embarked on this podcast specifically named Energeia, I wanted to have someone who could speak with authority on the word as it was used in Ancient Greek times, specifically in the Holy Scriptures.

So I reached out to Frederica to ask if she'd be game for another podcast, and it turns out she has written quite a bit on the topic; and even emailed me a document listing all the times Energeia is used in the New Testament, and even its synonyms such as synergeia.

The conversation was insightful and, well, full of energy. In it you'll hear some "academic" expounding on Energeia, but we had a lively discussion on Energeia as it pertains to how the Holy Spirit operates in our lives today.

We humanfolk refer to these divine interventions as "miracles."

So we ended up sharing a few personal miracle stories, and my wife Sana even got to share some really powerful stories.

Enjoy this one!

Episode highlights:

-How Western translations of the Bible into Latin have obfuscated somewhat the meanings of key words used by its authors...02:05

-How the Latin word operatio which has been in turn translated into English versions just doesn't have the same "umph" as its Greek counterpart Energeia...12:40

-Energeia refers to both positive and negative divine energy...18:10

-Why some Christians are so hesitant to believe in miracles in modern times...25:40

-Frederica shares a miracle involving a $50 bill...26:55

-A ground shift in how the Gospel is shared with the younger generations...31:35

-How Western views on "winning" affects our understanding of the Gospel...36:10

-Divine assistance on the freeway in Downtown St. Louis, circa 1996...38:15

-Bus driver's lead foot helps Sana avert major injury...42:15

-And many more miracle stories from James and Sana!...

Resources:

Frederica's personal website

12 Things I Wish I'd Known - a Primer on Orthodox Liturgy by Frederica

About Our Guest (in her own words):

I write and speak on a wide range of topics. In recent years I’ve concentrated on ancient Christian spirituality and the Eastern Orthodox faith, but the hundreds of Posts and Essays on this site include movie reviews, humor, marriage and family, cultural issues, and more. Essays can be browsed by date or category, or you can use the search box at the right.

The most recent posts are below. Here’s where you’ll find my published Books.

I travel to Speaking Engagements all year round; you can contact Cynthia Damaskos of the Orthodox Speakers Bureau if you’d like to bring me to an event. This Calendar will let you know when I’m in your neighborhood.

Audio: Here’s where you’ll find many of my commentaries for National Public Radio (NPR), though others have been filed away under many different creative misspellings of my name. I have recorded a podcast for Ancient Faith Radio since 2007.

Video: For Beliefnet.com, I recorded brief videos on...