Shayne Swenson is a professional Orthodox iconographer and painter living in rural Washington State. He specializes in creating iconography from several different periods and historic Orthodox locales, both Eastern and Western. In addition to iconography, Swenson is also involved in the study and practice of academic oil painting with an emphasis on utilizing the techniques of the Old Masters, again from both East and West. He has been married for nearly two decades and has 5 children, one German Shepherd, and one 17-pound cat.
Swenson and I discuss how how he got into art, iconography and “the rules,” modern art and social decline, his conversion story, the “alt-right,” progressive subversion, faith over ideology, tattoos, and more. Be sure to follow Swenson on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, where you can see more of his work and also contact him about commissions. His website ShayneSwenson.com is forthcoming.
Download this podcast episode, watch on Odysee or YouTube, or listen here. 👇
A few links pertinent to our conversation:
• “Everyday Saints and Other Stories” by Archimandrite Tikhon
• Fr. Seraphim Rose’s “Orthodox Survival Course“
• Rebel Yell, episode 209, “Todd Lewis & the Alt-Right Report II”
• My podcast interview with Dr. Thomas Fleming who defines “ideology” and the problems with it.
Comments
Great interview, DM! Please keep up the good (and I’m certain exhaustive) work.
Mr. Swenson points out that Orthodoxy is the last holdout for the tenets of the Christian faith. Amen. I can’t agree more.
As a former cradle evangelical (Southern Baptist) who converted to Orthodoxy late in life (64), I saw the “writing on the wall” years ago with the general woke direction evangelicalism was headed, the liberalization of many of their seminaries, the decline of based laity and clergy pushing back,
and the drive for mindless and consumer/entertainment based hipster worship with no substance nor heritage, feminized praise & worship music, and prosperity and egalitarian laced expository sermons.
Traditional evangelical bedrock holdouts like the Southern Baptist Convention and the Presbyterian Church in America are heading in the direction of the mainline Protestants who went totally of the rails in the late 19th to mid-20th centuries.
I predict the Southern Baptist Convention, and the Presbyterian Church in America, will be ordaining women clergy, flying rainbow banners, and performing same sex marriages within the next 5 years. I don’t say this lightly, and I’m generally spot on right in my predictions. My prayer is that based displaced and disaffected laity and clergy in these groups will find their way to Orthodoxy.
While we Orthodox don’t have a dog in this fight, we should be mindful of what’s going on around us.
Progressives can find their homes with the Episcopalians or United Church of Christ.
Author
I thought it was a great conversation, as well, so thanks … but that really is just a testament to my awesome guest!
I too am a refugee from evangeleftism, well, I wasn’t a leftist then, but they sure were – and anti-white/anti-Southern (is there any difference?) as all get out, too! I wrote about it during my transition if you’d like to check out those older essays. As a former Baptist, I think you’ll be nodding your head as you read them.
http://www.dissidentmama.net/white-souls-arent-worth-much-these-days/
http://www.dissidentmama.net/white-christians-should-feel-guilty/
“My prayer is that based displaced and disaffected laity and clergy in these groups will find their way to Orthodoxy.” Yes! And you’re spot-on that we should be mindful of what’s happening, not only because we care about the salvation of our Protestant brothers and sisters, but also because what happens within Protestantism still has such an impact on American culture and politics.
And like you said, progressives already have soooooooo much of Murican “Christianity,” so why fight those lost (not losing, in my opinion) battles. Come home to Orthodoxy! And that too is why I personally fight so hard to protect the faith. Like Shayne said and it my stance as well: Orthodox Christianity is the end of the road. Therefore, let’s get that armor of God on good and tight and ready for battle. The spiritual war is everywhere!
God bless you, sir! ☦️
DM-
Thanks 🙏.
When I entered the Holy Orthodox Church, my then priest (now deceased) said “this is your last stop on your journey”. It was, and I never looked back.
Reading your past articles per the attachments, none of this surprises me with the SBC, and their leaders.
Interesting side note for yourself and my other Orthodox Christian brethren in the south. Driving around my big Midwestern city I see a plethora of Southern Baptist churches, both large and small,
with any reference to any affiliation with the SBC removed. These churches are now called “Great Commission Church”, “Acts 2 Church”, “Living Faith Church”,
“Living Word Church”….yada…yada. I’ve asked younger (well meaning) Southern Baptist clergy why this is. Invariably, their reply is that the word Southern carries a negative connotation, especially with the younger hipster crowd they’re passionately trying to reach with the usual bag of tricks and gimmicks. Old boomers like me are “persona non-Grata” 😆 (Jay Dyer and John Adams cover this in a podcast they did on evangelicals and end times).
One of my customers, and a personal friend, is as based as they come (big 2nd amendment guy, pro-life, etc.). He’s about 40 now, has a family, and while a devout and pious Christian, has had a belly full of the SBC.
Author
Just saw this, Antonio, as the hack got me off kilter and now I’m trying my best to play catch up. Thanks so much for another thoughtful comment.
Tonight my thoughts and prayers go out to the Ukrainian people and yes, the Russian people, notwithstanding my sadness that President Putin, who calls himself Orthodox, could do what he is doing to a people he called his brothers. Savior of the world, save Russia.
Author
John, I hope you will read part 3 of my current series which should address some of your faith concerns. (The essay will be done by early April … working on part 2 now.) And here’s the first, in case you haven’t seen it > http://www.dissidentmama.net/russia-ukraine-through-a-dixian-lens-part-1/
But yes, Lord have mercy on us ALL. 🙏🏻