Show notes: https://jamesdnewcomb.com/jeannie

We welcome biblical scholar and author Dr. Jeannie Constantinou for a sweeping, heartfelt, and clarifying conversation on phronema—the ancient Christian mindset preserved in the Orthodox Church.

I open the conversation by sharing my own journey of transitioning into Orthodoxy, reflecting on how Western Christianity shaped my early worldview and how the discovery of the Orthodox Church revealed an entirely different way of understanding faith, thought, and spiritual life. As you'll hear, reframing an entire worldview and mindset does not happen overnight!

In this episode, you'll hear why Orthodoxy speaks so deeply to those seeking “something more” i.e. a fuller experience of Christ rather than a purely symbolic one. The discussion highlights the West’s long-standing reliance on human reason, logic, and systematic explanations, contrasted with the Orthodox emphasis on mystery, experience, sacrament, community, and the healing of the heart.

To put it another way: We can't possibly understand God in all His fullness, and we're perfectly okay with that!

Dr. Jeannie explains the ancient Greek concept of phronema. This goes beyond a mere “worldview.,” It is a mindset, disposition, and lived mentality that flows from the apostles and the early Church, unchanged for two millennia.

She also explains in detail how the Orthodox Church has maintained continuity with Christ’s original intent, what early Christian worship actually looked like, why tradition (and the dreaded ritual) matters, and how one begins to cultivate the mind of Christ through prayer, humility, sacramental life, and participation in the community.

Whether you’re new to Orthodoxy, curious about early Christianity, or simply wrestling with the limits of Western religious paradigms, this episode offers clarity, depth, and a pastoral invitation to encounter the reality of Christ via the fullness of His Church.

Episode highlights:

01:10 – James’s transition (not conversion) from Protestant/Western Christianity into Orthodoxy

07:10 – The unfulfilled Protestant mindset: salvation as a “destination” vs. lifelong journey

10:10 – Western fixation on explanation vs. Orthodox acceptance of mystery

13:10 – What phronema is—and isn’t

14:10 – How Christ Himself taught “the mind of God” through His deeds and teachings

17:10 – The West’s attempt to reconstruct early Christianity through reason

21:10 – The problem of individualism and denominational fragmentation

24:10 – The Church is the physical body of Christ, not some invisible abstraction

28:10 – The Eastern Church didn’t “break off” from Rome

30:10 – Bishops, councils, and why the early Church rejected papal monarchy

34:10 – The sincere desire to rediscover early Christianity

37:10 – How the apostles taught—and preserved—Christ’s actual teachings

41:10 – Early Christian worship: sacred, communal, experiential

46:10 – Oral tradition and why Scripture was never meant to stand alone

49:10 – Understanding the much-maligned Constantine’s role in Church history

51:10 – Why ritual is natural, ancient, and thoroughly Christian

53:10 – How to acquire phronema through lived participation within community

01:03:10 – How to connect with Dr. Jeannie and closing remarks

Quotable...

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In this episode, host James Newcomb welcomes French hornist and educator Juan Berrios, a longtime member of the acclaimed Dallas Brass and professor at Virginia Tech. Juan’s story is not simply about craft—it’s about resilience, self-reinvention, and learning to navigate a challenge that touches the smallest, most ordinary motions of his work.

What begins as a mysterious struggle with tasks others find effortless becomes a decade-long journey of self-diagnosis, trial-and-error, and deep introspection. Juan’s candor offers a rare look into how invisible adversity shapes a performer’s inner world—how imposter syndrome forms, how expectations distort identity, and how persistence can become a quiet form of wisdom.

While his experience isn’t presented as medical advice, Juan’s reflections illuminate universal themes: the danger of perfectionism, the burden of “natural talent,” and the unexpected strength that emerges when we learn to work with—rather than against—our limitations.

This conversation is honest, vulnerable, and ultimately hopeful. It reveals not only a craftsman rebuilding himself, but a teacher learning to guide others through struggles he once faced alone.

Episode highlights:

01:10 – James shares how he met Juan at the Bud Herseth celebration concert.

04:10 – Juan’s background and 15-year journey with the Dallas Brass.

06:10 – Early curiosity across instruments and how he chose his craft.

11:10 – The balance between performing and teaching—and where they overlap.

19:10 – Why the adrenaline of performing fades and what remains after.

24:10 – The early signs that something inside Juan’s technique wasn’t working.

28:10 – Misdiagnoses, endurance issues, and the challenge of one-size-fits-all coaching.

37:10 – The physical and neurological dimensions of his mysterious malady.

44:10 – The breaking point: when familiar motions suddenly failed.

49:10 – Turning imposter syndrome into power and embracing vulnerability.

51:10 – Neuroplasticity, relearning the basics, and building new pathways.

56:10 – Advice for students: mindset, stress, and wellness come first.

59:10 – Reprioritizing well-being and reshaping identity.

Sites mentioned:

Dallas Brass – https://dallasbrass.com

The Embouchure Project – https://www.theembouchureproject.org/

Instagram – @jberrios05

#JuanBerrios #DallasBrass #FrenchHorn #MusicEducation #FocalDystonia #MusicianWellness #Resilience #Neuroplasticity #BrassCommunity #jamesdnewcomb #trumpetpodcast #trumpet