Walking With Christ In A Postmodern World
A Discussion with Rev. Dr. Harris Athanasiadis
I’m so thrilled to share my very first guest discussion on this platform!
It was always my intention for this space to be community based. A space that welcomes multiple voices from various spiritual traditions with wisdom to share that is both lived & studied.
As such, I will be hosting guest discussions each month on various spiritual topics, available for free for all to enjoy!
So with that, I’m so pleased to announce my first guest on The Modern Mystic; Rev. Dr. Harris Athanasiadis, PhD, Head Minister at Armour Heights Presbyterian Church.
A little more about Harris;
He began studying Theology in the 1980s at universities in the Montreal area, receiving a PH.D with distinction in 1998 at McGill with a focus on theology, spirituality and philosophy.
Working as a minister was meant to be a short-term job until he found a university position, but the longer he stayed in ministry, the more he fell in love with it.
He has taught and is still considered adjunct faculty at Knox College (part of the TST consortium at U of T) in the areas of Theology and Spirituality. He’s also written a book published by U of T press in 2001 titled “George Grant and the Theology of the Cross”, and has published many academic papers and delivered papers at conferences. He’s also written smaller articles and book reviews for various academic journals and church magazines over the years.
Despite his academic prowess, his biggest passion right now is his congregational ministry, inspiring people to grow spiritually as persons and within community, building up the ethos and spirit of the Armour Heights community in particular.
To find out more about Armour Heights Presbyterian Church, visit: https://armourheights.org/
Our discussion topic is all about Walking with Christ in a Postmodern World.
What does it actually mean to be a follower and student of Jesus?
How can we adapt Christ’s teachings for the world we’re living in now?
Is the way of Jesus the only way to God? What does this mean about other faith traditions?
Why are so many seekers from ‘the new age’ turning to Jesus now more than ever?
These are a few of the questions we discussed!
You can watch the discussion below either through video or audio!
I’ve also included the audio version as well as timestamps below, so if you prefer, you can tune into the part of our discussion that most interests you.
Listen to the audio version:
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro to our guest and theme
3:15 - Brief overview on Christian sects & denominations from a historical perspective
10:10 - Religion vs. Spirituality; how do we move forward?
14:50 - Modern scripture, translations & authenticity; can we trust modern scripture to be an authentic translation of Christ’s teachings? What translations are most accurate?
18:00 - Interpreting scripture; a mystical journey
23:26 - John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. Does this scripture mean Jesus is the only way to God?
29:50 - Modernism vs. Postmodernism: How has our relationship to faith changed?
34:00 - Given our shift in faith and priorities, why are some church’s flourishing while others are declining?
37:20: - What does it mean to take Jesus into one’s heart, and walk with christ today?
39:15 - The cosmic christ
42:54 - Christ lives within me
48:18 - What is the role of church in postmodern society?
50:30 - Community
52:50 - Next Steps
If you enjoyed this discussion and would like to Listen to Rev. Dr. Harris preach, you can visit the Armour Heights Website or Youtube Channel (all Sunday services are streamed live). Of course if you’re in the Toronto area you’re welcome to check out a service in person!
Personal Reflections
Although Rev. Harris is my dad, this was my first time asking these questions in the role of interviewer, collaborator and host! I truly learned a lot from this dialogue. I hope this discussion proves to be fruitful and insightful for you also.
A few of my favourite takeaways; I loved the whole conversation on the history of Christianity, the church, our discussion around interpretations of scripture, the cosmic christ, and how christ shows up in other faiths and traditions. As a spiritually-fluid person who resonates deeply with the way of Christ, I found this take to be equal parts refreshing, insightful and educational.
Christ’s path is truly one of the heart.
What did you takeaway from this conversation? Feel free to share with me via the comments below or via email!
And as always, if you loved this conversation and want to be part of more like this, please subscribe to The Modern Mystic, or send this to someone you know would find value in it!