I Have Been An Orthodox Priest For 30 Years — Theosis, Demons, and the Truth About Salvation

Fr. Jonathan Ivanoff of the ‪@TheTransfiguredLife‬ is an Orthodox Archpriest with over 30 years of priestly ministry and the co-founder of The Transfigured Life, one of the most thoughtful platforms exploring ancient Christianity in the modern world. In this conversation, he makes the case for why Orthodoxy is the church the apostles actually left behind, breaks down the key differences between Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Protestantism, and walks through what salvation, theosis, and the Eucharist really mean in the Orthodox tradition. We also get into what daily life as a priest actually looks like, how he navigates temptation and doubt, and why he believes America is in the middle of a serious spiritual crisis. The conversation closes with his take on aliens, demons, his favorite biblical story, and a surprisingly profound answer to the question of what he would ask God. #orthodox #orthodoxy #priest 00:00 Meet Fr. Jonathan Ivanoff 00:25 His Origin Story: From LA to Orthodox Priesthood 3:13 Why He Believes Orthodoxy Is the True Church 7:06 Orthodox vs. Roman Catholic: The Real Difference 9:14 What's Missing in Protestantism 12:44 How Orthodoxy Understands Salvation 21:57 Sharing the Gospel: Live Roleplay 25:43 Theosis: What It Means to Become Like God 31:20 What Being a Priest Is Actually Like Day to Day 34:02 How a Priest Deals With Temptation 38:41 America's Deepening Spiritual Crisis 41:07 The Role of Doubt in the Life of a Believer 42:41 AI, Doubt & the Sins He Struggles With Most 46:33 How Orthodoxy Is Growing Around the World 48:40 What the Church Teaches About Aliens and Demons 52:09 His Favorite Story in All of Scripture 53:34 The Most Misunderstood Passages in the Bible 56:10 The One Question He Would Ask God 59:03 Final Words & an Invitation