[Intro Music – soft instrumental with subtle Eastern tones]
Marcus (Host):
Welcome to The Beginning of Our Journey: The Alexandrian Institute. I’m Marcus dela Peña, and I’ll be your guide in this first episode as we lay the foundation for everything that’s to come.
This podcast is the companion voice of the Alexandrian Institute, a space we’ve built to explore the richness of Christian thought, church history, and theological renewal. Whether you’re a student, a pastor, a curious believer, or simply someone longing to recover wisdom that’s been lost in modern noise, you’re in the right place.
[Soft transition sound]
Let’s start with a question: Why are we looking back?
Some people might ask, “Why talk about the early church? Why dive into ancient texts, forgotten fathers, or old creeds when the world today is so different?”
And the answer is simple, because we’ve lost our grounding.
In a culture obsessed with speed and relevance, we’ve become untethered from the deeper story. We often approach the faith as consumers, looking for inspiration or solutions, but not necessarily for formation.
The Alexandrian Institute exists to push against that trend.
Our goal? To help today’s believers recover the beauty of historic Christianity, not as a museum piece, but as a living tradition that forms us, anchors us, and points us toward Christ.
[Brief music pause]
Now, let me tell you why we chose to call this first season “Road to Nicaea.”
The Council of Nicaea in 325 AD wasn’t just a moment in time, it was a culmination of centuries of debate, reflection, and, yes, even conflict. But behind all that theology was a question that still haunts the church today:
Who is Jesus?
Is He fully God? Fully man? What does it mean that He is the Word made flesh? These aren’t abstract questions, they shape how we worship, how we live, how we suffer, and how we hope.
This season, we’ll walk through five key themes leading to Nicaea:
- Theological Retrieval – What does it mean to retrieve rather than reinvent?
- The Great Tradition – How do we honor the historical continuity of the church?
- Creeds & Confessions – Why did the early church write them, and how should we read them today?
- Church Fathers – Who were they, and why does their voice still matter?
- Theological Interpretation of Scripture – How did the early church read the Bible differently than we often do?
Each episode will unpack these ideas, not just to inform, but to form. Because we don’t just want to give you knowledge. We want to invite you into a journey of wisdom.
[Soft chime transition]
Before we end this first episode, I want to leave you with a quote that’s shaped our vision here at the Institute.
It’s from Gregory of Nazianzus, a fourth-century theologian who once wrote:
“It is more important to remember God than it is to breathe.”
That line reminds me, and I hope reminds you, that theology is not about showing off ideas. It’s about learning to love God with all our mind, all our soul, and all our strength.
So wherever you are listening from, in traffic, at your desk, or on an evening walk, I want to thank you for beginning this journey with us.
This is only the beginning.
[Outro music fades in]
In the next episode, we’ll explore the idea of retrieval, what it means to look back in order to move forward. Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss it.
Until then, stay rooted. Stay curious. And walk the ancient path.
[Outro music fades out]
