{"podcast":{"title":"Heavy Things Lightly","slug":"heavy-things-lightly-296775","podcast_index_feed_id":296775,"rss_url":"https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/1370745/s/105738.rss","website_url":"https://johnheersftf.substack.com/s/podcast","image_url":"https://substackcdn.com/feed/podcast/1370745/s/105738/215a2cf1757192be63d7f527ec08531e.jpg","author":"John Heers","episode_count":244,"summary":"This “Enlightened” New World utopia isn’t turning out to be all it was cracked up to be. Society is disenchanting, but are the only alternatives hiding out in the hills or burying yourself in books? With an air of levity and a touch of humor, John Heers teaches how to examine the confusing New World by calling upon the mind and wisdom of oft-forgotten Old. Heavy Things, Lightly.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-23T06:20:09.962090+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/heavy-things-lightly-296775"},"episode":{"title":"The Ancient Christianity That is Alive and Well in Georgia","slug":"the-ancient-christianity-that-is-alive-and-well-in-georgia","published_at":"2026-06-02T13:57:37+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/heavy-things-lightly-296775/the-ancient-christianity-that-is-alive-and-well-in-georgia","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/heavy-things-lightly-296775","url":"https://johnheersftf.substack.com/p/the-ancient-christianity-that-is","audio_url":"https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/199763614/72d86e35219c924db25093cbefe25bd1.mp3","summary":"Georgia's ancient faith is still alive — and it demands more than just going through the motions.Professor Levan Gigineishvili joins John to discuss the importance of continuous personal growth as an Orthodox Christian, the ultimate answer to avoiding complacency and transforming our lives in Christ. A medievalist, philosopher, and one of Georgia's most respected public intellectuals — walks us through 1,600 years of Christianity that refuses to die.This conversation goes deep, we cover:✧ Why Ilia Chavchavadze (philosopher, national hero, and saint) believed good ritual isn't good enough✧ The Golden Age of Georgia: Rustavelli, Neoplatonism, and the \"Second Athens\"✧ How Georgia kept the faith when empires — Byzantine, Persian, Ottoman, Russian, Soviet — tried to erase it✧ Why Sola Scriptura and the Reformation never took root in the Caucasus✧ Levan's own journey from Soviet atheism to Orthodox Christianity✧ The Georgian Supra: why Americans are falling in love with this ancient feast tradition✧ And one unforgettable story about a panic attack, a monastery, and a phone call🕯️ \"Be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.\" — That's the Christianity Georgia has been living for centuries. It might be the Christianity we've forgotten.00:00 - Introduction: Professor Levan Gigineishvili02:30 - Ilia Chavchavadze: Saint, Philosopher & National Hero11:45 - Why the Church Canonized a Modern Thinker15:08 - Georgia's Golden Age: Rustavelli & the Second Athens20:00 - The Reformation That Bypassed Georgia22:00 - Soviet Atheism to Orthodox Faith: Levan's Journey30:00 - Field Report: Sarah in Mozambique32:00 - Georgia Between Iran & Russia: Choosing the Lesser Evil38:00 - A Panic Attack, a Monastery & Georgian Hospitality42:00 - Why Americans Love Supra (The Georgian Feast)44:00 - Be…","meta_description":"Georgia's ancient faith is still alive — and it demands more than just going through the motions.Professor Levan Gigineishvili joins John to discuss the i…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3887,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/heavy-things-lightly-296775/episodes/the-ancient-christianity-that-is-alive-and-well-in-georgia/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/heavy-things-lightly-296775/the-ancient-christianity-that-is-alive-and-well-in-georgia.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}