Think Like The Church: Phronema Explained | Learning To See As Christ Sees | Guest Deacon Anthony Cloud Of Witnesses Radio podcast

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Think Like The Church: Phronema Explained | Learning to See as Christ Sees | Guest Deacon Anthony

2d ago 36:51

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Learning to See as Christ Sees: Phronema, Sacrament, and the Healing of the Whole Person

When friends tear open a roof to lower a paralytic, Jesus forgives because of their faith—and the room’s understanding of God, sin, and healing is turned inside out (Mark 2). What if the Christian life is, at its core, learning to see as Christ sees?

In this conversation, Deacon Anthony (St. Anthony the Great Orthodox Church, San Diego) joins us to unpack the Orthodox phronema—the Church’s way of seeing and living—which is not just ideas on a page but a formation of the heart through Scripture, sacrament, repentance, and community.

What we explore

What is “phronema”?
More than a “mindset,” it’s a ecclesial way of perceiving: how Christians notice, judge, and love. It’s shaped by the Church’s worship, her Scriptures in their liturgical home, and a life together that actually heals.
Body and soul—no split life:
Christianity is incarnational. God meets us through tangible signs—mud on eyes (John 9), bread and wine, water and oil—so grace reaches the whole person.
Confession as diagnosis, not humiliation:
We don’t “check a box” for breaking rules; we name the illness so the Great Physician can heal its root. The priest’s role is merciful and confidential; accountability is real, not shaming.
Repentance (metanoia):
A change of mind and course—cleansing the inside of the cup—that frees us from self-deception and pride. Orthodoxy invites us to tell the truth about ourselves and to begin again.
The Eucharist as mystery (not mere symbol):
Communion is an encounter with the living Christ that binds wounded people into one Body—the Church as a hospital for the soul.
From the apostles to the saints:
How the same mind of Christ echoes across centuries and cultures—Saints Macarius, Paisios, and modern elders—so different in personality, yet recognizably one in humility, mercy, and love.
Heaven and hell begin now:
Entitlement, isolation, and self-invention taste like hell—a life disconnected from reality. Humility, communion, and thanksgiving taste like heaven—alignment with the Truth who is Christ.
Countering today’s scripts:
Why “live for today” and “my truth” leave us lonely and unstable—and how the Church’s life offers a steadier identity rooted in Christ and community.

Practical takeaways

Accountability with love: spiritual fathers, godparents, spouses, and friends who won’t let us settle for less than the truth.
Guarding your tongue: how community and confession help us master reactions before they harm.
Role models that last: why our children need saints more than celebrities—and how holy lives reawaken desire for God.
Unity without centralization: the Church’s phronema holds people together even across languages and jurisdictions because Christ is the center.
A different question: not “What’s the least I must do?” but “How can I give more of myself to the One who gave all?”

Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdh

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Please leave a comment with your thoughts!

Chapters

1. Welcome, Guests, and Big Question (00:00:00)

2. Christ’s Phronema and the Healed Mind (00:02:58)

3. Roof, Friends, and Forgiveness (00:05:55)

4. How the Church Forms Phronema (00:09:20)

5. Mystery, Eucharist, and Unity (00:13:20)

6. The World’s Mindset vs. the Church (00:16:45)

7. Metanoia: Changing the Inner Root (00:20:10)

8. Hell as Disconnection from Reality (00:23:10)

9. Identity, “My Truth,” and Belonging (00:26:30)

10. Salvation in Community, Not Alone (00:29:30)

11. Confession as Healing and Accountability (00:33:30)

118 episodes

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