Apostolic Christianity S Kovasevich

Apostolic Christianity and the 23,000 Western Churches
Steven Kovacevich
Contents Apostolic Christianity and the 23,000 Western Churches Steven Kovacevich Steven Kovacevich 1. Survey of Church History: he !e"innin"s. 2. !y#antiu$ and the Church of the Seven Councils. 3. !y#antiu$ and the Church of the Seven Councils %Continuation&. '. he Holy (cons. ). Saints, *on+s and ,$perors. -. he .reat Schis$. /. Survey of 0octrine: Holy radition. 1. .od And *an. 2. *an: His Creation, 3ocation and 4ailure. 10. he Church of .od. 11. 5rthodo6 Worship. ,pilo"ue.
Foreword. his 7oo+ started out as a correspondence course on ,astern 5rthodo6 Christianity, the ancient faith that the popular i$e89ife series on the "reat reli"ions of the :orld calls ; Christendom's oldest Church< =Christendom and Christianity, vol. 3 of The World's Great Religions , >e: ?or+: i$e, (nc., 12-3, p. 2--@. he author too+ the course $any years a"o after a lon" and vain search for the fullness of truth alon" the hi"h:ays and 7y:ays of Western Christianity, all of :hich proved dead8end paths :here one encounters truth in varyin" de"rees, plus falsehood in one concentration or another.
Holy Trinity Orthodox Mission
(n the passa"e of ti$e, it 7eca$e o7vious that there are $any Ao$an Catholic theolo"ians :ho do not a"ree :ith the teachin"s of the first and second 3atican Councils, and :ho are "rapplin" :ith the pro7le$s of papal pri$acy, papal infalli7ility, and Catholic ecclesiolo"y. (t also 7eca$e apparent that there are $any Catholic and Brotestant litur"ical scholars, cler"y and laity today :ho are interested in learnin" a7out the 5rthodo6 Church and its $aintainin" the for$ of early Christian :orship and its 0ivine 9itur"y. A$on" these people :ere friends and co8:or+ers of the author. Still later, it 7eca$e increasin"ly clear that this :or+ could 7e turned into a 7oo+ in Cuestion and ans:er for$at for these individuals. (n $a+in" this chan"e, the author re:rote lar"e sections of it for the 7enefit of Western Christians so that they could as+ the$selves :hat +ind of historical connection does their particular Church have :ith the Apostles :hen it :as founded in schis$ in 10)' 7y a falli7le $an called the pope, or founded a fe: centuries a"o 7y so$eone na$ed Doe S$ithE 4or those :ith $ore than an idle curiosity, the doctrines of the Western Churches are freCuently co$pared and contrasted :ith those of another $uch older Church, the 5rthodo6 Christian Church. his church is the ori"inal Church and the depository of Apostolic Christian ruth, and a Church that until recently re$ained so$ethin" $ysterious and inaccessi7le for Western people. Althou"h this study does not force anyone to accept the 5rthodo6 faith, still every truth8 see+in" person :ho read it ca$e to the inelucta7le conclusion that alone a$on" the Churches, the 5rthodo6 Church has retained the continuity and purity of ancient Christian teachin" and preserves the oldest, fullest and $ost accurate traditions of all. he sa$e readers also ca$e to understand that the ancient Church founded 7y Christ throu"h the Apostles is still present in the :orld today, Fust as it has 7een :ithout interruption for t:o thousand years. hey no: understand that that ancient Church is the 5rthodo6 Church, the Church of the Apostles and $artyrs, and the only Church that has an un7ro+en line 7ac+ to the Apostles. With this insi"ht, all :ent on :ith their lives :ith a ne: clarity of thou"ht, li+e a pure $ountain sprin". As the pa"es of this 7oo+ sho:, the 5rthodo6 Church has $aintained a livin" connection :ith the Apostles throu"h Apostolic Succession. he Apostles chose as their successors 7ishops for local con"re"ations %Bhil 1:1&. o these 7ishops, they i$parted the Apostolic "race they had received fro$ Christ Hi$self, :hich is the process of Apostolic Succession, so$ethin" pro$inently discussed in the >e: esta$ent %cf. itus and 1 and 2 i$othy&. here is a t:ofold nature to Apostolic Succession. 4irst, there is an un7ro+en historical consecration of the 7ishops fro$ the hands of the Apostles. A 7ishop $ust 7e a7le to trace his linea"e throu"h a continuous, uninterrupted chain of ordinations throu"h the Apostles. Secondly, there is an unco$pro$isin" fidelity to the correct doctrines and correct practices esta7lished 7y the Apostles. A 7ishop $ust 7e a7le to de$onstrate that the faith and practices of the Church have not chan"ed. While the Ao$an Catholic Church can trace its 7ishopsG linea"e, it cannot de$onstrate an unchan"ed faith or unchan"ed practices, for it does not adhere to the Apostolic teachin" or Apostolic practices. After the 9atin Church severed itself fro$ the true Hniversal Church in 10)', the West entered into the *iddle A"es, :hich $ar+ed the "radual transition 7et:een the ancient Christian :orldvie: and the $odern "odless one. 0urin" that period, and continuin" into the present ti$e, the 9atin Church $ade $any deviations and changes fro$ the ancient Christian faith and ancient Christian practices "oin" 7ac+ to the ti$e of the Apostles. 5ne of Ao$eGs $any innovations without Apostolic foundation is its procla$ation of papal infalli7ility, a doctrine that caused the Christian :orld to reel in shoc+. Accordin" to this 2
teachin", :hen the pope spea+s ex cathedra %;fro$ the throne< =of Beter@&, that is, officially, concernin" $atters of faith and $orals, he is incapa7le of spea+in" falsehood. Ho:ever, papal infallibility was vehemently denied by popes and faithful laymen alike for almost nineteen centuries. ((t :as not invented until 11/0&. *oreover, as chapter si6 of this 7oo+ notes, papal infallibility continues to be denied by the very Church that invented it . (t is an indisputa7le fact that $any Ao$an popes :ere heretics and that they spo+e falsehood :hen $a+in" ex cathedra pronounce$ents concernin" faith and $orals. he Ao$an Catholic Church itself admits this fact, and in this ad$ission, it alto"ether negates this false teachin". % o this ti$e, papal infalli7ility is denied in the Catholic Church. 4or e6a$ple, accordin" to an in8depth survey 7y the National Catholic Reporter dated Septe$7er 11, 121/, only 2-I of Ao$an Catholics in this country 7elieve in the infalli7ility of the pope&. 5f further note, :hile Ao$an apolo"ists $a+e $uch of the Apostle BeterGs supposedly e6alted position, Holy Scripture $a+es it plain that Beter hi$self $ade "rave errors 7oth 7efore and after ChristGs death and Aesurrection. he second chapter of .alatians sho:s that Beter spo+e falsehood at the Apostolic Council held at Derusale$, that he had to Fustify his actions 7efore the Church, that Baul re7u+ed Beter ;to his face< sternly and pu7licly, and that as a result, Beter turned fro$ his erring ways. Clearly, there is neither ;papal supre$acy< nor ;papal infalli7ility< here. .iven the fact that Beter, :ho the 9atin Church proclai$s :as its first pope, spo+e falsehood at the Apostolic Council, Ao$eGs ar"u$ent of papal infalli7ility collapses. As chapter si6 additionally "oes on to point out, the Ao$an Catholic Church is presently involved in a frenzied effort to e6plain its fraudulent papal clai$s in the face of a "ro:in" a:areness a$on" its cler"y and laity that these clai$s are impossible to defend. So$e years 7ac+, a Catholic se$inarian stru""led :ith Ao$eGs papal clai$s. When he as+ed the se$inaryGs rector if Ao$eGs clai$s :ere valid, the rector replied that they :ere not. he se$inarian then as+ed that, "iven the fact that the cru6 of Ao$eGs clai$ to 7e the true Church hin"ed upon the $atter of its papal clai$s, :hich of the t:o Churches actually is the ancient Church "oin" 7ac+ t:o thousand years J Ao$e or 5rthodo6yE he rector replied that :hen the positions of Ao$e and 5rthodo6y are e6a$ined, Ao$eGs clai$ is alto"ether spurious and falsified, :hile 5rthodo6yGs clai$ is entirely valid. o the se$inarianGs Cuery as to ho: the rector could re$ain in the Catholic Church if he did not 7elieve it :as the true Church, the rector replied that he :as co$forta7le :ith his spirituality and that his fa$ily e6pected hi$ to 7e Catholic. he se$inarian could no lon"er feel co$forta7le, ho:ever, and he 7e"an a search that eventually 7rou"ht hi$ to the 5rthodo6 Church and its priesthood. His conversion is 7ut one of thousands of others li+e it, for :hen e6posed to 5rthodo6yGs ancient teachin"s, people co$e to understand that the ,astern 5rthodo6 Church alone has not distorted or falsified any sin"le doctrine of the 5ne, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church founded 7y Christ. hey also understand that the sa$e 5rthodo6 Church is that very Church that has $aintained the sa$e e6act faith delivered to the Apostles. here :ere $yriad deviations :ithout Apostolic foundation that developed in the West over the course of its thousand8year separation fro$ 5rthodo6y. (n addition to the doctrinal diver"ences, there :ere also departures fro$ Apostolic practices as :ell. 5ne of these chan"es involves the si"n of the Cross, an i$portant practice to e6a$ine.
An 5rthodo6 Christian $a+es the si"n of the Cross 7y puttin" the thu$7 and first and second fin"ers of the ri"ht hand to"ether, :hich represent the three Bersons of the Holy rinity. At the sa$e ti$e, the fourth and fifth fin"ers are folded a"ainst the pal$, and these represent the t:o natures of Christ. hen, in +eepin" :ith the most ancient tradition of the Holy Apostles and Holy Fathers, he or she touches the tips of the thu$7 and first t:o fin"ers to the forehead %for the 7lessin" of the $ind&, and then the abdomen %for the 7lessin" of oneGs internal feelin"s&. 4ro$ there, the cross7ar is $ade 7y "oin" fro$ the right shoulder to the left shoulder %for the 7lessin" of oneGs 7odily stren"th&. (n this "esture, one affir$s oneGs faith in ChristGs sacrifice on the Cross at .ol"otha, and affir$s oneGs 7elief in the Holy rinity and in the hu$an and divine natures of Christ J that is, the 7asic do"$as of the 5rthodo6 Christian faith. (n the lives of the saints fro$ Apostolic ti$es do:n to the present, there are $any references that 7ear :itness to the tre$endous spiritual stren"th and security that are "iven to a Christian throu"h this ancient tradition of crossin" oneself. *a+in" the cross7ar fro$ right to left is not :ithout si"nificance. Classically, the ri"ht is the sy$7ol of li"ht, "ood and truth, :hile the left is the sy$7ol of dar+ness, evil and error. (n +eepin" :ith the $eanin" of this sy$7olis$, "oin" fro$ ri"ht to left as+s .odGs 7lessin" that sanctification fro$ the ri"ht side :ould cross over to the fallen, sinful side of oneGs nature in order to transfor$ and redee$ it. 5ver the course of its lon" separation fro$ 5rthodo6 Christianity, the 9atin Church reversed the direction of the cross7ar and started tracin" it fro$ left to right, the si"nificance of :hich should 7e apparent. his practice re$ains in the 9atin Church to this day. Still another chan"e fro$ the Apostolic practice involves the 9atins no lon"er touchin" the abdomen, 7ut the chest instead %see Archpriest Seraphi$ Slo7ods+oyGs dia"ra$ a7ove&. (n $a+in" this chan"e, Ao$an Catholics no lon"er $a+e the life8"ivin" Cross of Christ upon the$selves, 7ut distort it and seal the$selves instead :ith a travesty of the Cross J that is, an upside down cross. As the sa$e 4r. Seraphi$ e6plains in his 7oo+ The Law of God, the Catholic si"n of the ;cross< 7rin"s Foy to the de$ons, for it is a profane "esture. Apostolic Succession does not e6ist outside ChristGs Church. Accordin" to the first canon of St. !asil, outside the Church the 7esto:in" of "race is reduced to nothin" and every sort of succession is unla:ful. hese thin"s are so 7ecause a lay$an %actually even less than a lay$an& e6ecutes the layin" on of hands upon a lay$an :ithout transferrin" any sort of "race to hi$, 7ecause there is none, nor can there 7e "race outside the one Church, outside of the unity of the !ody of Christ. 5nce a 7ishop leaves the Church in schis$ as the pope did in the eleventh century, the continuin" Church does not reco"ni#e any consecrations or ordinations he perfor$s. 5rdinations are invalid :hen those ordained do not have the ri"ht faith, and there is neither '
Apostolic Succession or priesthood. he episcopi vagantes are not :ithin the succession and can no lon"er sho: an uninterrupted priesthood, for Apostolic Succession :as severed in the West as of its apostasy and schis$ fro$ ChristGs Church in 10)'. 5nly the 5rthodo6 Church can ri"htfully clai$ continuity in 7oth episcopate and faith, for 5rthodo6y has the co$plete and preserved Apostolic faith, :ithout any additions or su7tractions, and it alone is unchan"ed fro$ the Apostolic period. hus, :hen an 5rthodo6 7ishop is consecrated today, or :hen an 5rthodo6 priest is ordained %fro$ Apostolic ti$es the priesthood has 7een the second de"ree of the hierarchy&, that consecration or ordination can 7e traced historically all the :ay 7ac+ to the Apostles and 7ac+ to Christ. he hierarchy :as esta7lished 7y Christ, and the Apostles :ere al:ays citin" its divine institution. he Apostles the$selves chose their successors throu"h ordination, and those successors :ere the 7ishops of the Church. hrou"h Apostolic Succession, the 5rthodo6 Church traces its e6istence to Christ and is the one Church founded 7y Hi$. As Holy Scripture states, ; one 9ord, one faith, one !aptis$< %,ph ':)&, one Holy radition %2 hes 2:1)&, and one Christian Church %*t 1-:11&. All other Churches that is! the "#!$$$ Churches of the %est! originate from &rthodo' Christianity by way of reduction and separation. his su7Fect is $ost serious, for in the >icene Creed, Christians confess 7elief in ; &ne! Holy! Catholic and Apostolic Church .< Brecisely these four :ords sho: the characteristics of the one Church esta7lished 7y Christ and the Apostles. hus, in addition to 7ein" 5ne, Holy and Catholic %$eanin" universal&, the true Church has an un7ro+en tie :ith the Apostles and is in historic continuity :ith the Church of the Apostles. he Apostles are the foundation of the Church, for it is ;7uilt upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, Desus Christ Hi$self 7ein" the chief cornerstone< %,ph. 2:20&. Callin" the Church Apostolic indicates that it :as esta7lished not on a sin"le 7ishop, as the Ao$an Church :ould later co$e to assert %7e"innin" in the ninth century&, 7ut upon all the Apostles. %Contrary to Ao$eGs teachin" of papal supre$acy, Christ Hi$self forbade eter and the other Apostles to rei"n or e6ercise lordship over the floc+ li+e the +in"s of the .entiles J cf. 9+ 22:2)&. he 5rthodo6 Church is also Apostolic 7ecause it alone has its 7e"innin" in Christ, Who is the Apostle and Hi"h Briest of the confession %He7. 3:11&. (n the $atter of the teachin"s of the Christian Churches, :henever it :as necessary to contrast the theolo"y of the 5rthodo6 Church :ith Western ChristianityGs deviations fro$ its former confession of 5rthodo6 Christianity, these distinctions are presented in an o7Fective, non8 pole$ical :ay. he author feels no irritation at all a"ainst non85rthodo6 Christians %for he :as once one hi$self&, nor does he dispute the piety and "ood :ill of these people. (n fact, there is no dou7t that $ost of these individuals are $otivated 7y a love of .od. Ho:ever, the concern of this study is the correct confession of faith J not personal inte"rity. he reader is therefore as+ed not to 7e offended :hen, for the sa+e of truth, contrasts are $ade 7et:een 5rthodo6yGs ancient and unchan"in" teachin", vis8K8vis the deviations of Western Christianity fro$ the faith it held prior to 10)'. (t is also i$portant for the reader to understand that 5rthodo6yGs clai$ of 7ein" ChristGs one and only Church should not 7e a stu$7lin" 7loc+ to Western Christians. A .ree+ arch7ishop points out that it should 7e Fust the opposite: a point of attraction. He e6plains that 5rthodo6y does not $aintain its clai$ of pri$acy out of arro"ance, 7ut out of love for its traditions. 9i+e:ise, as a $on+ notes in this re"ard, 5rthodo6yGs pri$acy does not ste$ fro$ any hu$an $erit on the part of the 5rthodo6, 7ut 7ecause .od is pleased to preserve His treasure in earthen vessels. he arch7ishop further e6plains that 5rthodo6 Christians do not i$a"ine that they hold )
so$ethin" in their hands :hich is theirs, 7ut :hich is universal and the domain of all who confess Christ. He states that 5rthodo6y has $aintained the inte"rity of faith, and that in this ancient Church is found the fullness of .odGs "race and truth. 5rthodo6y offers that faith in the pure for$ in :hich it :as handed do:n fro$ the Apostles, and its boundaries are open to all human beings who embrace it. he reader should also 7e told that so$e parts of this 7oo+ $ay see$ difficult. (n order to o7viate difficulties as $uch as possi7le, the :riter consistently turned to Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+yGs !rthodox "ogmatic Theology. As the preface to the ,n"lish edition of this invalua7le 7oo+ notes, this :or+ has 7eco$e a standard source of 5rthodo6 theolo"y and has a practical approach that is $issin" in $any :or+s of conte$porary acade$ic theolo"y. As the preface also states, 4r. *ichael presents the certain and unchan"in" teachin" of the Church in a clear and o7Fective $anner, :ith so7er understate$ent, and there7y eli$inates any confusion as to :hat that actual teachin" is. 5ther sources :ere also used :hen they sho:ed an unadorned directness of presentation, so$ethin" often lac+in" in the te6t7oo+ that :as used for the correspondence theolo"y course that :as the 7asis of this 7oo+. Any further si$plification of the ans:ers, thou"h, :ould have resulted in distortin" and de"radin" the$. (f difficulties are encountered in a fe: places, let the reader not 7e discoura"ed, 7ut continue until the readin" 7eco$es easier. He or she :ill then "ain an understandin" of :hat Western Christianity #sed to profess %prior to 10)'&, and :hat ,astern 5rthodo6y still professes to this day, since Apostolic ti$es. he perceptive reader :ill o7serve that footnotes are not al:ays "iven for cited te6ts. his shortco$in" could not 7e e$ended as the :riter no lon"er has access to $any of the 7oo+s and periodicals :hose contents :ent into this :or+. When notes :ere initially "leaned fro$ readin" in $onasteries and parish li7raries around the country, it :as never i$a"ined that they :ould eventually 7e used in a 7oo+, and as a result, oftenti$es there :as no docu$entation of sources as :ould 7e done in for$al research and co$posin". *oreover, as this :or+ unfolded, it :as not intended for pu7lication, and thus there :as no editor in its early sta"es to alter, adapt, refine and other:ise $a+e valua7le su""estions in $atters of for$at and style to $a+e the te6t 7etter suited for presentation. Ho:ever, author and title are "enerally "iven so that anyone interested in acCuirin" the 7oo+s $ay do so. 4or those :ith a thirst for $ore +no:led"e, $ost of the 7oo+s can still 7e o7tained throu"h the catalo"ues of the follo:in" pu7lishin" concerns: Holy rinity *onastery, B.5. !o6 3-, Dordanville, >? 133-18003St. Dohn of Kronstadt Bress, 1110 5rthodo6 Way, 9i7erty, > 3/02)8'3-As noted, the updated version of this 7oo+ :as :ritten for individuals of the :riterGs acCuaintance. (t is especially $eant for those a$on" the$ :ho have no +no:led"e of 5rthodo6yGs 7oundless :ealth of divinely revealed teachin" and the patristic :orldvie:. 9ivin" in a post8Christian pseudo8culture, $odern people are saturated :ith Holly:oodGs decadent false values, and saturated :ith i$a"es and infor$ation filtered 7y a radically secular $edia 7ent on pro"ra$$in" its audience :ith an anti8Christian :orldvie:. All people are constantly e6posed to $any dan"ers fro$ ChristianityGs ene$ies, :ho have 7een pro$otin" a syste$atic destruction of Christian practices, and :ho have no: su7verted the entire civili#ed :orld that :as once fully -
Christian. (t is hoped that this $aterial can serve to antidote that pa"an indoctrination, and that it can lift the readerGs heart a7ove this fallen :orld so as to live in e6pectation of the eternal +in"do$. (n presentin" this revised redaction to the reader, a dile$$a arose as to :hether or not to use ;"ender neutral< or ;inclusive< lan"ua"e. his concern is co$$on to all $odern :riters, "iven the a:areness that our fallen :orld has dealt so$e very real inFustices to :o$en, and also 7ecause non8se6ist lan"ua"e is 7eco$in" the preferred standard in the acade$ic and intellectual :orld. 5n the other hand, inclusive lan"ua"e hinders clear :ritin" and co$$unication. (t $a+es for clu$sy, cluttered :ritin" that dra:s attention to construction and hinders $eanin", so$ethin" that :ould very $uch :or+ a"ainst the entire purpose of this :or+. *oreover, inclusive lan"ua"e eli$inates the possi7ility of transparency. o the :o$en readers of this 7oo+, you are pro7a7ly not the 7elchin", s:a""erin" :o$en :ho de$and to 7e on top and lord it over $en, or :ho de$and that the Christian Churches revise their doctrines accordin" to the fe$inist prescription. (n their act of re7ellion a"ainst .od, these :o$en see+ to have .od and reli"ion serve their o:n purposes, and they operate :ith the idea that hu$an 7ein"s are free to construct their o:n faith. % his :ay of thin+in" sho:s the e6tent to :hich su7Fectivis$ and relativis$ have 7een carried in an a"e of doctrinal relativity&. While these +inds of :o$en are +no:n to the author and are :elco$e to read these pa"es, $ost :ho actually read this $aterial :ill 7e those :ho see+ instead to 7e found :orthy to serve .od. (t is for these hu$7le :o$en that a note is in order to e6plain that :henever this 7oo+ spea+s a7out .od and $an, the :ord man in this conte6t is used in the traditional and "eneral sense of man$ind, $eanin" h#man$ind, $en and :o$en. 9est the reader dis$iss the :riter as an o7scurantist for not usin" the politically correct :ord h#man, it has to 7e pointed out that the distinction of ;e6clusive< lan"ua"e is political, not lin"uistic. 4r. Batric+ Aeardon, a convert to 5rthodo6y and a scholarly philolo"ist, notes that in its ordinary and "enerally understood use a$on" the populace at lar"e, :hen the :ord man is not "ra$$atically or socially conte6tuali#ed, it refers to hu$an 7ein"s "enerally and is not used in a sense that e6cludes :o$en. !oth man and h#man are derived fro$ the 9atin h#man#s, :hich is "eneric. %4r. Batric+ notes that :hen this fact is discovered 7y the faddish acade$ic :orld at lar"e, and :hen the offensive :ord man is discovered in h#man and h#man#s, acade$iaGs thou"ht police $i"ht ne6t insist on e6pun"in" the :ord h#man fro$ the ,n"lish lan"ua"e as :ell&. he sa$e lin"uistic scholar points out that the use of $an and $an+ind to desi"nate hu$an 7ein"s is co$pletely and uneCuivocally proper, and he de$onstrates that lin"uistic tradition is a7undantly clear on this point. 4or e6a$ple, all the follo:in" :ords nor$ally $ean hu$an 7ein"s as such %althou"h in so$e conte6ts they can refer to $en alone&: ho anthropos %.ree+&, ha'adam %He7re:&, nLshL %Syriac&, al8insan %Ara7ic&, chelovye$ %Aussian&, der %ensch %.er$an&, de man %0utch&, &mog#s %9ithuanian&, and homo %9atin&, alon" :ith its derivations in (talian, 4rench, Spanish, Bortu"uese and Ao$anian. *oreover, literally thousands of other e6a$ples fro$ other lan"ua"es could 7e "iven to sho: that this usa"e is a universal pheno$enon, 4r. Batric+ adds. As a for$er fe$inist, Sarah Co:ie, :ho is no: an 5rthodo6 Christian, also e6plains, for centuries :o$en had no trou7le in see$in" the$selves included in the :ords man$ind' men' man, and the $asculine referent pronoun. She notes that inclusive lan"ua"e, :hich is a7out po:er and control and has the real "oal of forcin" social chan"e, carries the false assu$ption that the present lan"ua"e is not inclusive.
o no oneGs surprise, se$antic confusion in this area has 7een created 7y fe$inis$. As this political interest "roup ca$e into 7ein" a"ainst a 7ac+"round of $ass apostasy and the co$plete seculari#ation of society, it is one :hose sociopolitical pro"ra$ should 7e e6a$ined. At its inception, fe$inis$ %then called :o$enGs li7eration& clai$ed to have as its purpose increased opportunities for :o$en. 5nce its or"ani#ed activities attracted peopleGs attention throu"h this alle"ed o7Fective, this concern :as Cuietly placed on a 7ac+ 7urner in favor of another one J that of reducin" hu$anity to a collection of victi$s of patriarchal tyranny and reducin" the study of history and literature to political :arfare carried on 7y other $eans. Such a politici#in" of history and literature is part of a 7roader deculturation that elite "roups in the West are forcin" onto people, a deculturation that atte$pts to re"ulate Christianity to a ;re"ressive< $entality and that proclai$s that it should not 7e "iven a pu7lic hearin". 4e$inis$Ms a"enda has not only conver"ed :ith this 7roader ideolo"ical pro"ra$, 7ut it has also pushed harder alon" these lines than any other sin"le political interest "roup. 4or this reason, a "ro:in" nu$7er of :o$en in the acade$ic :orld have co$e to see fe$inis$ as an attac+ upon hu$anity itself, an attac+ on the West, and $ost of all, an attac+ upon Christianity. hey also understand that in all the politically correct routine 7ashin" of Western civili#ation %and 7y e6tension Christianity& as the root of all evil, the overridin" concern of the cultural elite and fe$inists ali+e is to $a+e people for"et :ho they are and :here they ca$e fro$ J the first necessary step in indoctrinatin" the$ for the anti8Christian ;utopia,< the ne: :orld order. 4r. Batric+ "oes on to note that today there are entire 7attalions of self8appointed theorists, ;e6perts,< political a"itators and other :ardens of the $ind :ho issue orders to university ad$inistrators and see to it that acade$ic :riters 7rin" the$selves into confor$ity :ith the ne: rules. When their de$ands are not co$plied :ith, :ritersG $anuscripts are either reFected or edited, and so$e professors have even 7een denied tenure for not usin" the ne: politically correct :ay of thin+in" or :ritin". 4r. Batric+ e6a$ines this e6tensive and all8pervasive ideolo"ical control and notes that it is unparalleled in A$erican history. *oreover, he adds, for so$e ti$e no:, those :ho pro$ote it have even forced the$selves into Church circles. here, thou"ht police are co$in" to accredit a "ro:in" nu$7er of Christian se$inaries, and the sa$e orders are "iven to se$inary ad$inistrators and 7ishops as are "iven to universities. (n that environ$ent, radical fe$inist thou"ht police atte$pt to ;re8i$a"e< .od and ;revise< divine revelation 7y $odifyin" $asculine titles throu"h :hich He has traditionally 7een invo+ed or referred to: 4ather, Son, 9ord, Kin", and so forth, even thou"h Christians have al:ays :orshiped .od as 4ather and pray to Hi$ as ;our 4ather.< An e6a$ple of this lin"uistic en"ineerin" is a ne: *ethodist service 7oo+ in :hich .od is invo+ed 7y such na$es as ;4ather8*other,< in direct contradiction to :hat .od has revealed a7out Hi$self. Another e6a$ple is the (ncl#sive Lang#age Lectionary of the !i7le that :as produced in 1213. (n it, 202 passa"es :ere re:ritten so that there :ere no $asculine "ender references to .od. Dohn 3:1-, for instance, is re:ritten in this a7surd :ordin": ;4or .od so loved the :orld that .od "ave .odGs only Child....< 4e$inis$ is also pro$otin" a fe$ini#ation of the Holy Spirit so that :o$en can 7e consoled :ith their o:n divine Berson. When fe$inis$ is not al:ays successful in turnin" .od into ;*other,< then it at least atte$pts to turn Hi$ into a "enderless a7straction: ;the Creator,< or ;the Source.< (n its advanced sta"es, that is, in its anti8rational, "oddess8:orship $odes, fe$inis$ is offerin" a ne: anti(Christian way for a ne: a"e in the ne: :orld order. (ts a"enda in this re"ard is one and the sa$e as that of the forerunner a"ents of the antichrist.
Berhaps so$e readers of these lines have felt inti$idated 7y the cultural tyranny, $ind control and pseudo8intellectual 7a77le co$in" fro$ educators, $edia personalities, Fud"es and 7usiness leaders :ho to"ether shape the intellectual, political and social at$osphere of our country. 4e: can escape 7ein" affected in one :ay or another 7y the ideolo"ical :ar ra"in" :ithin our 7orders as it co$es fro$ a very :ell8educated, :ell8heeled, po:erful cultural elite. 4or those :ho have felt coerced into 7ein" politically correct 7y their ideolo"ically char"ed environ$ent, understand that the ene$ies of Church and state have 7ullied and 7ro:7eat you into this su7$ission in an atte$pt to de8Christiani#e you for the ne: :orld order. (n order to achieve their "lo7al i$periu$, the "lo7alists rely on their a7ility to poison people :ith hatred, :hich is the old principle of divide et impera %divide and rule&. !y pro$otin" discord and dividin" people a"ainst one another alon" as $any lines as possi7le %"ender, racial, and other lines&, the $asses can 7e turned into o7edient instru$ents of the one8:orld forces in their sinister a"enda. At present, their :or+ is that of dis$antlin" all underlyin" foundations of society J $ost of all the Christian Churches. hen, at the ti$e the united :orld "overn$ent is ushered in, their ulti$ate ai$ :ill 7e the total e6ter$ination of Christianity. At that ti$e, Christians :ill 7e politically incorrect for professin" Christ and for not 7o:in" do:n to the $odern idol of politically correct secular ideolo"y. 4or these ;cri$es a"ainst hu$anity,< all of the$ :ill su$$arily 7e dealt :ith 7y a :orld court of the ne: :orld order, or a Ha"ue tri7unal. he :orld is no: seethin" :ith unprecedented passions, and everyone can sense the approachin" dar+ness. (n vie: of these develop$ents, the choice is no: co$pletely clear: capitulation to the politically correct $entality of the ne: :orld order that is undenia7ly insane and 7ent on the co$plete eradication of Christianity, or adherence to the traditional Christian :orldvie: that is no: out of fashion, ;re"ressive.< 4or a Christian, there can 7e no dou7t that the ti$e has co$e for there to 7e no further thou"ht of 7ein" pro"ra$$ed li+e a co$puter into 7ein" politically correct. Concernin" $en and :o$en, an 5rthodo6 nun o7serves that the separation into "ender :as $ade 7y .od in fore+no:led"e of the fall of the pri$o"enitors of the hu$an race. his condition is te$porary, so$ethin" $eant only for this :orld. he nun "oes on to note that the Holy 4athers teach that the souls of $en and :o$en are the sa$e and that they have the sa$e spiritual capacities and capa7ilities and needs. 5rthodo6y therefore does not deni"rate or dispara"e 7ut e6alts Christian :o$en. As a deacon "oes on to note in this re"ard: he 5rthodo6 Church venerates tens of thousands of saints, 7oth individually and collectively. A "reat $any of these are :o$en. A particular role is played 7y the *yrrh7ear8ers, to :ho$ the Aesurrection :as first revealed, and also 7y a "roup of :o$en +no:n as )*#als+of+the+Apostles, :ho include "reat $issionary saints. he Church also has collections of Sayin"s of the Spiritual *others containin" the :isdo$ of fe$ale ascetics. 5ne instance of the veneration of the Church for :o$en is the :ay in :hich the Church venerates St. *onica as a saint 7ut reveres her son as ;!lessed Au"ustine,< thus reco"ni#in" a "reater de"ree of saintliness in the $odest hu$ility and silence of the $other than in the son :ho :rote $any to$es of learned theolo"y, $uch of it spiritually inspired, 7ut a s$all a$ount of it sadly erroneous. (t is al$ost to confir$ a popular prover7: ;!ehind every "reat $an stands a "reat :o$an.< (ndeed, this is confir$ed in Church historyN every "reat $ale saint has so$eho: 7een lin+ed to a "rand$other, a $other, a sister, a spiritual $other or sister or dau"hter, or si$ply, in the
case of lay$en and $arried cler"y, a hu$7le and pious spouse. he fore$ost e6a$ple is, of course, our 9ord and His Holy *other =0eacon Andre: Bhilips@. 9i+e:ise, as the a7ove $entioned Sarah Co:ie :rites in her 7oo+ %ore ,pirited than Lions( :as still a fe$inist :hen ( discovered the 5rthodo6 Church. (n $y study of 5rthodo6y, ( discovered its soul8stunnin" 7eauty and po:er. ( fell in love :ith its saints. ( :as profoundly touched 7y the vision of Christian :o$anhood ( sa: throu"h their lives. hey :ere livin" proof that the 5rthodo6 Church is "raced :ith $ystical po:er that can 7rin" a soul into direct, personal co$$unication :ith its Creator =p. 11@. Ae"ardin" the :o$en saints of the Church, the sa$e :riter notes that: hese :ere :o$en li+e us :ho found ans:ers J :ho lived heroic lives of coura"e, :isdo$ and holiness. hey found a :ay of life and follo:ed it uns:ervin"ly. hey conCuered 7oth the$selves and lifeGs difficulties, and rose up to 7eco$e no7le, po:erful :o$en. heir lives shine forth in our lives :ith a li"ht that is not of this :orld.... hey are a7le to touch our souls and lift us up out of our Cuotidian life into a vision of no7ility and 7eauty of soul =p. 12@. Sarah Co:ie co$$ents further on :o$en :ho :ere ,Cuals8of8the8Apostles, 4ools8for8ChristGs8 Sa+e, holy eldresses, preachers, ascetics, a77esses, anchorites, prophetesses, Cueens, $others, confessors, teachers and $artyrs, notin" that these saints did not find favor :ith .od throu"h a$7ition or de$andin" their ;ri"hts.< (nstead, they :ere "iven the "ifts of the Holy Spirit accordin" to their hu$ility, and 7ecause they su7$itted to Christ throu"h His Church. hey :ere also "ranted unceasin" noetic prayer and 7eca$e $iracle8:or+ers and healers, and after their repose, their 7odies re$ained incorrupt and "ushed $yrrh that healed the sic+. So po:erful an i$pact does the e6a$ple of their lives have that it :as a7le to dra: Sarah Co:ie and $any li+e her out of the anarchy and hell of fe$inis$ and the >e: A"e $ove$ent, to 5rthodo6 Christianity, :hich transfor$s $en and :o$en and "ives the$ the stren"th to live in the $ost difficult and tor$entin" conditions, and :hich prepares the$ to depart :ith peace into the ne6t life. Althou"h :o$en have 7een "reatly $istreated in this sinful :orld, this 7oo+ does not do the sa$e throu"h its use of traditional lan"ua"e. (t 7ears e$phasi#in" that in no :ay does this :or+ overloo+ that half of the hu$an race J women J to :ho$ .od Hi$self "ranted a $ore sensitive, +een and i$pressiona7le nature, "ifted :ith $ore :ar$hearted tenderness than $en, :ho are coarse 7y nature. herefore, let no :o$en 7e trou7led 7y the politically incorrect :ord man in the te6t. here is no antife$inine 7ias in this :ordin", and $ost certainly there is none :hatsoever in 5rthodo6 Christianity. o all readers J $en and :o$en ali+e J if you have studied Church history in your spiritual search 7ut have not loo+ed to the ,ast, :hich is the very cradle of Christianity, your search is not co$plete. Co$$entin" on the vision of Church history that e6ists in the West, a convert fro$ Ao$an Catholicis$ to ,astern 5rthodo6y :rites that: *ost Ao$an Catholics, :hen they thin+ of the early Church, thin+ of Ao$e, the popes, the $artyrs, the cataco$7s and the Coliseu$. his vie: is perfectly understanda7le, 10
7ecause for Ao$an Catholics and Brotestants, their spiritual "enesis lies in Ao$e J i.e., Ao$e :as the center of Western Christianity. he early Church, ho:ever, :as over:hel$in"ly ,astern and .ree+. = he ,ast@ had the "reatest population density and its people :ere 7etter educated and $ore sophisticated than their Western 7rethren. he ,ast could clai$ forty8four Churches of Apostolic ori"in, versus one for the West. he West :as not the center of Christianity 7ut for $any hundreds of years :as a $issionary field and :ith the 7ar7arian invasions had 7eco$e a cultural 7ac+:ater. he ,ast held four of the five Batriarchates J i.e., Constantinople, Ale6andria, Antioch and Derusale$N t:o of these, Ale6andria and Antioch, contained the first schools of 7i7lical interpretation. he Seven .reat ,cu$enical Councils :ere all held in the ,ast, :ith an over:hel$in" presence of ,astern 7ishops =*ichael Whelton, Two aths... p. '2@. *any Western Christians, parched :ayfares in these dry and thirsty ti$es, have 7eco$e totally disillusioned as their Churches have Foined the latest :hi$s and infatuations of the surroundin" culture in an atte$pt to 7e ;relevant< and e6perience :orldly "lory. *oreover, they have co$e to understand that their seculari#ed Western Churches have succu$7ed to ChristGs three te$ptations in the desert instead of overco$in" the$, and that they 7elon" to a Church that crucifies instead of 7ein" crucified. As one individual :ho 7eca$e 5rthodo6 e6pressed it, Western Christianity :as ;too out:ard< for hi$, ;not in:ard.< (t :as ;too co$forta7le, havin" acco$$odated itself to the :orld and ta+en its lead fro$ the :orld< =4r. 0a$ascene Christiansen@. As he and countless other converts to 5rthodo6y have o7served, the Western Churches offer only easy, trivial and shallo: solutions to the deeper Cuestions that confront all people on their Fourney throu"h life. As a result, those Churches can only spread disappoint$ent and despair to all :ho try to find so$ethin" deeper and $ore essential. hrou"h the $ercy of .od, $any conservative Ao$an Catholic and Brotestant Christians are findin" their :ay throu"h the doors of the Ar+ of Salvation, the 5rthodo6 Church, 7efore .od closes its doors forever in the final ti$es. As the )ncyclopedia .ritannica /earboo$ reports, the 5rthodo6 Church is the fastest "ro:in" $ainline Church in >orth A$erica =122) ed., p. 2/)N 122- ed., p. 221@. 9i+e:ise, an article in the April ', 1221 edition of the Chicago Trib#ne noted that ;:ithin the last decade, 5rthodo6 Christians in A$erica have 7e"un to :elco$e tens of thousands of converts, especially dissatisfied Brotestant Christians.< 4or these people, 5rthodo6yGs un:orldliness, the 7eauty of its services, the lon"evity of its radition, its 7ein" the ori"inal and the one Church founded 7y Christ, and its holdin" and preservin" the faith of the Apostles as a precious Fe:el J all these thin"s $a+e 5rthodo6y hi"hly attractive to these Western ne:co$ers. *any of these inCuirers are $inisters or 7etter8infor$ed lay$en, and all are sincere see+ers of the truth. Aeaders of this 7oo+, you of different 7ac+"rounds and concerns, you have all 7een disappointed 7y hu$anistic syste$s and stran"e ideas that you have pic+ed up alon" the :ay in see+in" so$ethin" true to fill your soul. All of you have had ne"ative e6periences and "reat spiritual sufferin" in this neo8pa"an society of our ti$es. ?ou loo+ to Christianity for a +no:led"e of the true .od, the uncreated Consu7stantial rinity and Source of all "ood, so that you can ri"htly 7elieve in Hi$ and :orthily honor Hi$. ?ou have had so$e positive e6periences in the Western Churches %for in the$ the .ospel is proclai$ed&, yet you have also had to feel the spiritual 7an+ruptcy that e6ists in the su7Fective, $a+e8it8up8as8you8"o8alon" deno$inations that are forever chan"in", that are constantly see+in" to develop new theolo"ical ideas, new truths, and new understandin"s, and :here reli"ion is anythin" its adherents :ant it to 7e. 11
his study is for such people as yourselves, for it offers an initial "li$pse of true historical Christianity that never chan"es %so$ethin" you did not +no: e6ists&, and it contrasts that purest for$ of Christianity :ith the "reat distortions of it that have co$e do:n in the West. ;As far as the ,ast is fro$ the West< %Bsal$ 103:12&, so far is the ruth of ,astern 5rthodo6 Christianity fro$ the contradictory teachin"s of the 23,000 Western deno$inations. 5nce you co$e to see :hat those differences are a7out, you :ill never vie: thin"s the sa$e a"ain. hese pa"es invite you to loo+ to the ,ast, to ,astern 5rthodo6y, for the 5rthodo6 Church is the sole "race8"ivin" Church. As one :riter reflects, its altar is undefiled, its doctrine is pure, its *ysteries %Sacra$ents& are full of "race and holy, and its Sacred Apostolic radition has 7een preserved. (t is in this ancient Church, that 7y .odGs "race, oneGs salvation fro$ this life of perdition is acco$plished.
Steven Kovacevich
Bascha of 2003
1. Survey of Church
istory! "he #e$innin$s.
). %hat is meant by the e'pression the Church has come a full circle* he Cuestion refers to the historic Church that Christ and His Apostles esta7lished on earth, the +astern &rthodo' Christian Church, :hich co$es do:n in a strai"ht succession :ithout chan"e fro$ the a"e of the Apostles. he 5rthodo6 Church has retained the continuity and purity of ancient Christian teachin", and as a Aussian $on+ e6plains, it is the carrier of the fullest, $ost accurate, authentic, ancient and historic Christian tradition, one that dates to the earliest Christian ti$es. ,ven the $ost pole$ic Westerners ac+no:led"e that 5rthodo6yGs tradition is the oldest in Christendo$. 5rthodo6 Christianity has the ;fullness of faith delivered once and for all to the saints< %Dude 1:3&, and it is the repository of ;all that the 9ord "ave, the Apostles preached, and the 4athers preserved,< as St. Athanasius the .reat %O3/3& e6pressed it. 4ro$ the 7e"innin" of the :orld, there :as one faith only, and one Saviour and Aedee$er. he 5rthodo6 Christian faith is 7ut the ori"inal and 5ld esta$ent faith $ade co$plete and clear. *any Western Christians have co$e to reali#e that the 5rthodo6 Church is the very continuation of the ancient Church in $odern ti$es. :o A$ericans :ho converted to 5rthodo6y, for e6a$ple, o7serve that: he 5rthodo6 Church, especially no: :ith the freedo$ of ,astern ,urope, is "ainin" ever "reater attention in the Christian West. he Western :orld is suddenly discoverin" that the second lar"est Christian Church, nu$7erin" 3)0 $illion or $ore souls, lays clai$ to antiCuity J indeed to a history that reaches 7ac+ to the ti$e of the Apostles J and to a rich spiritual tradition that reaches far 7eyond the li$its of Western theolo"ical thou"ht. As they rediscover the Church of the sars and of the nineteenth8century ,astern $onarchies, the Christians of the 5ccident are also discoverin" a Christianity $uch older than the Church of Ao$e, a Church :hich discussed and resolved $any of the issues of the Aefor$ation lon" 7efore Western Christianity :as separated fro$ its ,astern roots. hey are findin" that the old political and theolo"ical preFudices that served to rele"ate 12
that separation to the short $e$ory of history are fallin" a:ay. With the li"ht of ne: +no:led"e fro$ the ,ast, :e in the West are co$in" to understand that it :as Ao$e that 7ro+e a:ay fro$ the ancient Batriarchates of the ,ast in 10)', not the ,astern 5rthodo6 Church :hich cut itself off fro$ the 9atin Church. We are co$in" to see the truncated vision of Christianity :hich has $ar+ed our intellectual history for $ore than five centuries. And as this happens, $ore and $ore Western Christians are e$7racin" the 5rthodo6 Church as the criterion of Christianity, as the source and $other of their o:n 7eliefs =4r. 0avid Co:nie and Bres7ytera Duliana Co:nine, A G#ide to !rthodox Life,ome .eliefs' C#stoms and Traditions of the Ch#rch' p. 1@. Concernin" the 23,000 Western Churches %:hich are not the direct concern of this :or+, 7ut :hich :ill still 7e e6a$ined&, these are part of a lar"er 7ody of "roups that 7ro+e a:ay fro$ 5rthodo6y since the ti$e of the pri$itive Church, in accordance :ith the Apostle BaulGs :ords that ;there $ust also 7e heresies a$on" you, that they :hich are approved $ay 7e $ade $anifest< %1 Cor 11:12&. As St. Dustin %Bopovich& of CheliFe %O12/2& :rites in this re"ard, fro$ ti$e to ti$e, $any individuals ... have cut the$selves off and have fallen a:ay fro$ the one and indivisi7le Church of Christ, :here7y they ceased to 7e $e$7ers of the Church and parts of her heanthropic 7ody. he first to fall a:ay thus :ere the .nostics, then the Arians, then the *acedonians, then the *onophysites, then the (conoclasts, then the Ao$an Catholics, then the Brotestants, then the Hniates, and so on.... As Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y "oes on to add: Side 7y side :ith the strai"ht, or ri"ht, path of faith, there have al:ays 7een those :ho thou"ht differently %heterodoxo#ntes, or heterodox, in the e6pression of St. ("natius the .od8!earer&, a :orld of "reater or lesser errors a$on" Christians, and so$eti$es even :hole incorrect syste$s :hich atte$pted to 7urst into the $idst of 5rthodo6 Christians. As a result of the Cuest for truth there occurred divisions a$on" Christians. !eco$in" acCuainted :ith the history of the Church, and li+e:ise o7servin" the conte$porary :orld, :e see that the errors :hich :ar a"ainst 5rthodo6 ruth have appeared and do appear a& under the influence of other reli"ions, 7& under the influence of philosophy, and c& throu"h the :ea+nesses and inclinations of fallen hu$an nature, :hich see+s the ri"hts and Fustifications of these :ea+nesses and inclinations. ,rrors ta+e root and 7eco$e o7stinate $ost freCuently 7ecause of the pride of those :ho defend the$, 7ecause of intellectual pride = !rthodox "ogmatic Theology, pp. 2382'@. Here it is i$portant to note that 5rthodo6y does not 7elittle those :ho have separated fro$ it. A .ree+ hierarch e6plains that St. *a6i$us the Confessor %O--2&, :hile e6pressin" a7solute disdain for false teachin"s and those thin"s :hich defile the faith, nevertheless dis$issed as a7horrent any har$ directed a"ainst those :ho hold false 7eliefs the$selves. He clearly separated false 7eliefs fro$ the people :ho held the$. (n the sa$e :ay, 5rthodo6y a7hors intolerance, conde$nation, and the dis$issal of the :orth of any hu$an 7ein". While 13
5rthodo6y conde$ns false 7eliefs that threaten it, it does not conde$n those :ho are $isled 7y falsehood. he devil is the source of evil doctrine, and 5rthodo6y conde$ns hi$ and his $inions and the poison they spread. Ho:ever, the 7ishop concludes, those :ho are poisoned 7y the devil 7y holdin" false 7eliefs are not his, 7ut are creatures of .od, sufferin" fro$ the deadly, soul8destroyin" Fealousy of the devil. he full circle concept in the Cuestion refers to the co$plete cycle that the 5rthodo6 Church has "one throu"h over the course of t:o thousand years. rue to ChristGs :ords that His follo:ers :ould 7e hated 7y the :orld %cf. Dn 1):11820, *+ 13:13, *t ):11, 9+ -:22823, *t 2':2813&, virtually all ma,or persecutions for the Christian faith have fallen upon ancient &rthodo' Christianity. *any in (srael chose not to follo: Christ, and as a result, the torch of faithfulness to Christ lar"ely passed to the .entiles, for$er pa"ans, as the Brophet (saiah had foretold so$e seven hundred years earlier %(s 2:2,-0:3,)&. Christianity then 7e"an to spread :ith $iraculous speed fro$ Derusale$, throu"h the 9evant and the Ao$an ,$pire and 7eyond, and it continued to $a+e inroads a$on" the pa"ans. As the prince of this :orld, Satan, rei"ned in pa"anis$, :hich :as a +in"do$ of sin, he inevita7ly sensed a destructive force for hi$ in Christianity. Havin" at his disposal the full political force of the pa"an :orld, his i$$ediate reaction :as to pro$ote a 7loody and total annihilation of the Church. 4or three centuries, Christian 7lood :as spilt throu"hout the lands of the entire Ao$an ,$pire, althou"h the re$ar+a7le steadfastness and self8sacrifice of the Christian $artyrs proved to 7e the 7est :itness of their faith. he pa"ans :ere a:estruc+ 7y this :itness, and they the$selves converted and 7e"an to fill the ran+s of the $artyrs of the persecuted faith. hus, the 7lood of the Christian $artyrs 7eca$e the seeds or Christianity, and persecution could not halt its spread. Althou"h the author of the te6t7oo+ for this course states that the Ao$an ,$peror ConstantineGs conversion to Christianity 7rou"ht an end to the a"e of $artyrs, this assertion is not in fact so, and one can only conclude that he is si$ply not co$pletely :ell "rounded in Church history to $a+e so ele$entary an error of fact. ConstantineMs conversion did end the initial a"e of the cataco$7s and produced the Christian Ao$an ,$pire %or .y&antine ,$pire, as Western historians na$ed it&, durin" :hich ti$e the 5rthodo6 Church produced the 9itur"y, the Creed, the !i7le, $onasticis$, and the :hole Christian lifestyle :ith its elevated ideals and holiness that are totally alien to the corrupt :orld. ,ven so, the age of martyrs continued . As Archpriest Ale6ey ?oun" notes in this re"ard, 5rthodo6 Christianity has lived for t:o thousand years on the ed"e of eternity. (t has 7een faced ti$e and a"ain :ith virtual e6ter$ination 7y different conCuerors, persecutors and heretical $ove$ents, nourished even in our ti$es 7y the 7lood of countless $artyrs. 5rthodo6y has al:ays passed throu"h the a"es persecuted, :ounded and 7loody, li+e its 0ivine 4ounder. he sa$e :riter continues, notin" that true to ChristGs pro$ise, ho:ever, the "ates of hell never prevailed a"ainst His Church %*t 1-:11&. 0espite all possi7le persecution 7y the $i"hty of this :orld, 5rthodo6y has not 7een vanCuished, 7ut it has al:ays survived victorious. o this day it still survives intact and "loriously pure, its "a#e steadily focused on the end of the a"es and the Second Co$in" of Christ. !e"innin" in the seventh century, the rise of (sla$ ca$e a7out :ith astonishin" speed, ta+in" Syria, Balestine, ,"ypt and northern Africa, and Spain. 9ater, startin" in the fourteenth century, the 5tto$an ur+ish Sultanate 7e"an to conCuer the !al+ans, anterior Asia and northern Africa, 7e"innin" a do$ination that :ould continue until the early part of the t:entieth century. 1'
A .ree+ hierarch e6plains that in essence, (sla$ is a Christian heresy, havin" its historical roots in the very areas inha7ited and sanctified 7y the ancient 0esert 4athers. He $entions that it too+ fro$ Christianity not only the dress of its cler"y, 7ut the $odel for the $inaret %the to:ers on top of :hich the stylites lived and practiced their ascesis&, the practice of $a+in" full prostrations durin" prayer, and other thin"s as :ell. %,ven the practice of re$ovin" their shoes in prayer :hen enterin" a $osCue is of Christian ori"in. (n early ti$es, this practice :as o7served in Christianity, Fust as priests re$oved their shoes :hen enterin" the altar&. (t is also a :ell8+no:n fact that *oha$$ed :as educated 7y a De:ish relative 3ara+h, :ho tau"ht hi$ the 5ld esta$ent and instilled in hi$ a hatred of Christianity J a hatred that :as trans$itted strai"ht into the Koran. (t is the duty of (sla$ and of each individual *osle$ to convert every person to the (sla$ic reli"ion, and 7y :hatever $eans necessary, includin" s:ordpoint. his policy is funda$ental for (sla$Gs teachin" %and it :as li+e:ise adopted 7y Ao$an Catholicis$ after its apostasy and schis$ in 10)', in co$plete contradiction to the teachin" of the .ospel&. *oreover, in the event atte$pts at conversion fail, the ulti$ate ai$ of (sla$ is the e6ter$ination of every ;infidel< fro$ the face of the earth. Hnder the *osle$s, Christians :ere once a"ain forced to enter the cataco$7s, as it :ere, to live in constant e6pectation of violence, horrendous torture and death %thin"s the West is only 7e"innin" to understand in li"ht of the recent "ro:th of (sla$ic funda$entalis$ and the Septe$7er 11, 2001 terrorist attac+s on the Hnited States&. 4or '00 years in .reece and )00 years in Ser7ia and other parts of the !al+ans, entire villa"es of Christians J $en, :o$en and children J :ere i$paled on thousands of sta+es planted alon" the sides of roads. his situation of livin" in a sea of violence continues una7ated even to this day a$on" those Christians :itnessin" a recrudescence of :arli+e fanaticis$ on the part of the *osle$s. 9i+e:ise, the Ao$an Catholic Church, ever since its departure fro$ the ancient Apostolic Church in 10)', has acted :ith all possi7le $alice in its atte$pts to destroy ChristGs Church. Writin" of the 9atin ChurchGs nu$erous inCuisitions and $ass $urders of the 5rthodo6 %so$ethin" that continues to these ti$es&, St. Dohn of Kronstadt %O1201&, a conte$porary of the last Aussian sar, stated: he Ao$an Church is not only the $other of countless offenses perpetrated a"ainst .od and His Holy Scriptures, and a"ainst radition, 7ut of "rueso$e and 7loody atrocities a"ainst 5rthodo6 Christians on the part of Ao$eGs pope, its 7ishops and its cler"y. Brior to the year 10)', the Ao$an Church :as united to the ,astern 5rthodo6 ChurchN 7oth :ere a part of the ancient Apostolic Church of Christ. 5rthodo6 Christianity is indi"enous to all the West, as :ell as the ,ast, havin" co$e to (taly, .aul, Scandinavia, (reland and the entire West lon" 7efore the ,ast8West schis$ of 10)'. here :as only one Christendo$ %so$ethin" :hich has survived do:n to our o:n days in the for$ of the 5rthodo6 Church, :hich is the only true continuation of the early undivided Church&. 4or one thousand years, the Christian Church J 7oth ,ast and West J lived to"ether in har$ony and essential oneness, and its 7ishops "overned the Church as eCuals. (n addition, the 7ishop of Ao$e held a position as patriarch of the West, :hose authority consisted of Furisdiction over all the 7ishops in his $etropolitan see, Fust as the patriarchs of Derusale$, Constantinople, and else:here, oversa: the 7ishops of their respective sees. %A see is the territory of a 7ishopGs Furisdiction&. All 7ishops in Christendo$ :ere re"arded as eCual, and none :as seen as an episcop#s episcopor#m, a ;7ishop of 7ishops.< his sa$e 1)
understandin" has 7een $aintained to this day in 5rthodo6y. Certain of its 7ishops J patriarchs, $etropolitans, arch7ishops J enFoy special status among other 7ishops, 7ut they are not above the$. !e"innin" in the ninth century, ,ast and West 7e"an to drift apart :hen the 7ishop of Ao$e, or pope, 7e"an to introduce ne: and forei"n ideas into the faith. % he :ords pope and patriarch :ere co$$only used in the early Church to refer to the 7ishops of i$portant historical sees. ope :as not a desi"nation reserved only for Ao$eGs 7ishop, contrary to :hat $any today erroneously thin+&. 5ne of the false ideas :as that of the supre$acy of the 7ishop of Ao$e over the 7ishops of Derusale$, Constantinople, Ale6andria and Antioch, and over all other 7ishops, of :ho$ there :ere hundreds 7y that ti$e. Brotopriest 3ictor Botapov notes that under the influence of national traditions that :ere 7ound up :ith the $i"ht of ancient Ao$e, the Ao$ans ca$e to thin+ that $i"hty Ao$e should have the sa$e si"nificance in Church affairs as it had in affairs of state. ,specially po:erful in the Ao$an $indset :as the idea of the $onarchical a7solutis$ of the Ao$an e$perors, :hich :ent so far as proclai$in" the$ "ods. he idea of unli$ited supre$acy in one person over the :hole :orld 7eca$e an ecclesiastical idea in the West, and it ca$e to 7e transferred fro$ the e$peror to the Ao$an pope. ,ven the title ontifex %axim#s that the Ao$an e$perors 7ore :as ta+en over 7y the popes. hus, 4r. 3ictor notes, a strivin" for self8e6altation and do$ination over the Church overtoo+ the Ao$an popes, and in this strivin", Ao$e entered the path of error. As 4r. heodore Bulcini, a convert fro$ Ao$an Catholicis$ to 5rthodo6y, "oes on to point out, ;-he division between the +astern and %estern Churches was not the result of &rthodo'y's stubborn refusal to recognize papal authority! but of .oman Catholicism's un,ustifiable claims.< =!rthodoxy and CatholicismWhat are the "ifferencesE pp. 182@. Concernin" the role that the Apostle Beter played in Ao$e, Scripture is silent. Ho:ever, 4r. Aay$ond !ro:n, a Ao$an Catholic priest and Church historian, $a+es the follo:in" note:orthy o7servations: We have no +no:led"e at all :hen =the Apostle Beter@ ca$e to Ao$e and Fust :hat he did there 7efore he :as $artyred. Certainly he :as not the ori"inal $issionary :ho 7rou"ht Christianity to Ao$e, and therefore :as not the founder of the Church of Ao$e in that sense. here is no proof that he :as the 7ishop %or local ecclesiastical officer& of the Ao$an Church J a clai$ not $ade =7y Ao$e@ until the third century. *ost li+ely he did not spend any $aFor ti$e in Ao$e 7efore )1 A0... and ca$e to the capital city shortly 7efore his $artyrdo$ =Puoted in The %yth of apal (nfallibility, pp. 3383'@. As 0.W. 5MConner also :rites concernin" this $atter: >othin" can 7e finally deter$ined, ho:ever, a7out when Beter ca$e to Ao$e, how lon" he stayed, or what function of leadership, if any, he e6ercised in the Ao$an Church =(bid., p. 3)@. Harvard8educated and t:ice 4ul7ri"ht scholar 0r. Constantine Cavarnos su$s up this uncertainty of Catholic scholars in his notation that the .oman Catholic Church defined its founder to be the Apostle /eter. his clai$ :as $ade not 7ecause Beter had in fact founded the Church of Ao$e, 7ut 7ecause the 0atin Church wanted to e'ploit certain passages in the 1ospels
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where the Apostle /eter is mentioned! and wanted to base the dogma of papal primacy on those passages. Accordin" to the Acts of the Apostles, it :as the Apostle Baul :ho first tau"ht Christianity in Ao$e. Ho:ever, neither St. Baul, the actual founder of the Church of Ao$e, nor St. Beter %perhaps the co8founder& ever held any actual pri$acy in the Church, nor did any city. %(n the $atter of BeterGs 7ein" the co8founder of the Church of Ao$e, the authorities differ, althou"h had Beter truly 7een the first 7ishop of Ao$e, it is inconceiva7le that Baul :ould have i"nored his presence %cf. Ao$ 1):20&. he notion of papal pri$acy is ludicrous to ,astern Christians, for Christian pri$acy rests sCuarely on the 0ivinity of Christ. As Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y e6plains: he 5rthodo6 Church of Christ refuses to reco"ni#e yet another head of the Church in the for$ of a 0icar of Christ on )arth, a title "iven in the Ao$an Catholic Church to the 7ishop of Ao$e. Such a title does not correspond either to the :ord of .od or to the universal Church consciousness and traditionN it tears a:ay the Church on earth fro$ i$$ediate unity :ith the heavenly Church. A vicar is assi"ned durin" the a7sence of the one replacedN 7ut Christ is invisi7ly present in His Church al:ays. he reFection 7y the ancient Church of the vie: of the 7ishop of Ao$e as the Head of the Church and 3icar of Christ upon earth is e6pressed in the :ritin"s of those :ho :ere active in the ,cu$enical Councils =Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y, !p1 cit., p. 221@. As another :riter also noted, the ;3icars of Christ on ,arth,< :ith their pretensions not only to spiritual, 7ut also to te$poral authority, :ere representatives of spiritual pride. >o "reater spiritual pride can 7e i$a"ined than the conviction of oneGs o:n infalli7ility. St. Cyprian of Cartha"e %O2)1&, hi$self a 7ishop and one of the most authoritative of the early Church Fathers J and also re"arded as a saint 7y the Ao$an Catholic Church J spo+e a7out the authority of 7ishops in the follo:in" :ay: 9et each one "ive his opinion :ithout Fud"in" anyone and :ithout separatin" fro$ the co$$union of those :ho are not of his opinionN for none of us sets hi$self up as a 7ishop of 7ishop, nor co$pels his 7rethren to o7ey hi$ 7y $eans of tyrannical terror, every 7ishop havin" full li7erty and co$plete po:erN as he cannot 7e Fud"ed 7y another, neither can he Fud"e another. 9et us all :ait the Fud"$ent of our 9ord Desus Christ, Who alone has the po:er to appoint us to the "overn$ent of His Church and to Fud"e our conduct =Puoted in A77Q .uetQe, The apacy- (ts 2istoric !rigins and rimitive Relations with the )astern Ch#rches, 11--@. Kno:in" that Ao$eGs novel teachin" of a supre$e ruler :ith pri$acy of Furisdiction :ould divide and corrupt the Church, the ,astern patriarchs pleaded :ith the Ao$an patriarch not to introduce this false teachin". Another innovation that Ao$e 7e"an to introduce :as its chan"in" the >icene Creed that had 7een esta7lished 7y the early Church. !ased on Holy Scriptures and the truths that the Church has al:ays held since the ti$e of the Apostles, this Creed is a su$$ary of the 7eliefs of the Christian Church. he ,astern Church :arned the Church in the
1/
West of the dan"ers of chan"in" any part of the Christian faith, and especially the very Creed itself. Ho:ever, Ao$e insisted on its innovations, even thou"h the 7elievers resisted. 0urin" these difficult ti$es, $any atte$pts :ere $ade to :or+ out the differences 7et:een the ,astern and Western Churches, and all of Christendo$ tried to call Ao$e 7ac+ to the orthodo6 understandin" of Christianity. (n the end, thou"h, the 5rthodo6 Church could not co$pro$ise and allo: the faith to 7e chan"ed and corrupted, and for its part, Ao$e had already $ade its decision to part :ays and :ould not co$e 7ac+. 2n )$34! the .oman Church officially severed itself from the ancient sees of the Christian Church , includin" the *other Church, the first Church of Christendo$ J Derusale$, and fro$ the Church :here Christians :ere first +no:n 7y that na$e J Antioch %Acts 11:2-&, and fro$ the rest of the Christian Church. As ho$as Hul7ert, a 0utch convert to 5rthodo6y notes, the .reat Schis$ of 10)' proved to 7e a heavy curtain dividin" Christianity: it cut the West off fro$ the ri"ht doctrines and the ri"ht faith preserved in ,astern 5rthodo6y. 9i+e the non8Chalcedonians 7efore hi$, the pope precipitated another schis$, and li+e the$, he estran"ed hi$self and his follo:ers fro$ the Church. (n the .reat Schis$ of 10)', one of the Churches and only one Rome! separated itself from the ancient Churches which had been preserved in the +ast since the time of the Apostles . Concernin" Ao$eGs schis$, the Ao$an Catholic :riter, for$er Desuit priest and insider at the 3atican, *alachi *artin, :rites that the 9atin Church :as Rno: ready to a7andon one half of Christianity %and the $ore ancient, the $ore flourishin" part& for the sa+e of :orldly a$7ition.... (n their "reed and Fealousy, the Ao$an popes asserted an a7solutist pri$acy that ,astern Christians :ill never accept. he da$a"e :ent even further. 5nce Ao$e :as :illin" to sacrifice the oldest and $ost su7stantial part of Christianity to its o:n concept of po:er, it is s$all :onder that it could not 7e 7othered 7y an o7scure 7ut loud$outhed Au"ustinian $on+ called *artin 9uther.... he popes, 7lindly and :ithout thin+in", cast off half of ,urope and $ade strai"ht the :ay for the Brotestant Aefor$ation =The "ecline and 3all of the Roman Ch#rch, 1211@. (n the after$ath of this devastatin" schis$, the West e6perienced tre$endous tur$oil and corruption. he Crusades :ere underta+en, :hich evolved into an attac+ upon the ,astern Church. 9ater ca$e the (nCuisition, then the Aenaissance, :hich $i6ed pa"an ideas :ith Christianity, and finally the Brotestant Aefor$ation, :hich splintered Western Christianity into thousands of deno$inations. Havin" succu$7ed to one of the te$ptations put to Christ 7y Satan in the :ilderness, that of :orldly do$ination, and severed at that Functure fro$ the true doctrine of the ,ast and the "race of the Holy Spirit, Ao$e stopped loo+in" to the Church as so$ethin" other:orldly :hich pointed 7elievers to Heaven. (nstead, it 7eca$e this8:orldly and pointed the$ to the earthly or"ani#ation, thus 7e"innin" ;or"ani#ed reli"ion.< >o: re"ardin" the authority of the Ao$an Caesars as their o:n prero"ative, the popes sei#ed po:er in the te$poral sphere and asserted an a7solute authority and universal do$ination over all $an+ind. Carryin" one step further the a$7ition of supre$e :orldly po:er that the po:er8hun"ry popes arro"ated to the$selves, the infa$ous Desuit order, the shoc+ troops for Ao$e, pro$ul"ated the slo"an that the end Fustifies the $eans. ranslated into action, this principle $eant that :henever Ao$eGs 7loodthirsty Hniate $ove$ent could not persuade 5rthodo6 11
Christians to 7eco$e Hniate Catholics under Ao$e throu"h :ords, the 9atin Church :as then Fustified in usin" force and $urder, for ;error has no ri"hts,< Ao$e 7elieves, and is therefore su7Fect to ;control< 7y decree and deed. 5ne such decree, the ,yllab#s of )rrors propa"ated 7y Bope Bius (S in 11-', de$ands that the ;Ao$an Church 7e re"arded as the only reli"ion of the state, to the e6clusion of all other reli"ions< %T//&. his sa$e decree, :hich is listed in the Catholic "ictionary as 7ein" the official teachin" of the faith, has never 7een retracted or diso:ned 7y the 9atin Church, althou"h its contents have 7een closeted. (n another place, the decree proclai$s that the Ao$an Catholic Church has ;the po:er to e$ploy force, or any te$poral po:er, direct or indirect,< :hen dealin" :ith persons dan"erous to it %T2'&, and it clai$s that it is pernicious to deny that the Church has ;i$$unity fro$ civil la: or its penalties< %T3/&. he te6t7oo+ for this course notes that the tale of the Hniate $ove$ent in Boland $a+es sorro:ful readin": the Desuits 7e"an 7y usin" deceit and ended 7y resortin" to violence. After its separation fro$ 5rthodo6y, the 9atin Church pro$oted countless $urderous inCuisitions in ,astern ,urope. As a .ree+ $on+ notes, Ao$e conducted these "enocides throu"h the sa$e Hnia, the papacyGs $ost effective sie"e en"ine, :hich operates as the Fanissaries of the papacy, :ith all the fanaticis$ of the Fanissaries, a"ainst 5rthodo6y. A$on" the $any inCuisitions in the t:entieth century, one too+ place in World War (( Boland, :here the 9atins $urdered 100,000 5rthodo6. At the sa$e ti$e and at the direction of the sa$e 7lac+ hand, in Croatia, Catholic +iller cler"y %$ost nota7ly the 4ranciscans& and +iller police $assacred /)0,000 5rthodo6 for their refusal to renounce 5rthodo6y and e$7race Ao$an Catholicis$, althou"h not 7efore su7$ittin" the$ to infinitely "rueso$e tortures, no dou7t the :orst recorded in the annals of history. 5ne of the $e$7ers of the evil coven of sadistic cler"y assassins openly 7oasted that he alone had +illed '0,000 of the 5rthodo6. As Ale6ei Kho$ia+ov percepti7ly noted, the ancestors of Ao$an Catholics :ho lon" a"o co$$itted $oral fratricide 7y unilaterally chan"in" the ChurchGs Creed invaria7ly :ould resort to physical fratricide. Such they did, and :ell did St. >i+olai 3eli$irovich %O12)-& call the 9atin Church a se$i8$ilitary or"ani#ation that has used all $eans to "ain :orld do$ination. !y far the $ost virulent and deadly for$ of anti8Christianity the :orld has so far :itnessed is the end8ti$es pheno$enon of Co$$unis$, an out7urst of pri$ordial satanis$ that :as created and financed in the West, and that :as unleashed upon Aussia 7y Western capitalis$ as an e6peri$ent for the one8:orld "overn$ent of the antichrist. !ecause of that "reat cataclys$, far $ore Christians have lost their lives for their 5rthodo6 faith in the tra"ic, pre8apocalyptic t:entieth century than in the three hundred years follo:in" ChristGs Crucifi6ion. Co$$unis$ is part of the ;mystery of ini5uity< %2 hes 2:/, Apoc 1/:)&, that is, SatanGs plan of 7attle :ith ChristGs Church. Archpriest !oris *olchanoff e6plains that this process has 7een in $otion for a"es and that it :ill reach its cul$ination at the appearance of the antichrist %2 hes 2:1&. Writin" of a ;force that withholdeth< the $ystery of iniCuity %2 hes 2:-&, the Apostle Baul states that this force :ill 7e ; taken out of the way< %2 hes 2:/&. As the $eanin" of the withholding power in this passa"e is not o7vious, 4r. Baul 3ol$ens+y provides the follo:in" e6planation: (n seein" the everlastin" 7attle of Satan for supre$acy over the entire :orld, .od "ave a restraining power :hich does not let the devil deploy his various $eans. 9i$itin" the po:er of the devil so that he could not destroy us, .od does not deprive us of the freedo$ to choose to serve Hi$. 0i"ression fro$ .od denotes an increase of iniCuity. 12
When al$ost all of $an+ind of its o:n :ill shall 7e i$$ersed in evil, not see+in" co$$union :ith .od and eternal life, then the restrainin" po:er of .od :ill :ithdra:, antichrist :ill appear, and the end shall co$e to all.... he appearance of the antichrist shall not ta+e place until divine providence deter$ines the ti$e at :hich $o$ent the ;withholder< :ill 7e ta+en a:ay. According to the Holy Fathers! what withholdeth is the Holy 6pirit and .oman authority =;(n *e$ory of sar8*artyr >icholas ((,< !rthodox Life, vol. '3, no. ', 1223, pp. 28'N e$phasis added@. Concernin" these t:o parts of the :ithholdin" force J the role of the Holy Spirit and that of Ao$an authority, co$$ent is needed on 7oth. he sa$e 4r. Baul e6plains the Holy SpiritGs role 7y notin": So$e 4athers e6plain that antichrist shall not co$e :hile the Holy Spirit a7ides in people, :hile people possess an inti$ate, "race8filled union :ith the 9ord throu"h the fulfill$ent of .odGs co$$and$ents. When evil shall 7e $ultiplied a$on" people and no lon"er shall there 7e $en see+in" eternal life, then the Holy Spirit :ill :ithdra: fro$ the :orld. (f there is no one on earth 7ein" saved, then there is no further need for its e6istence. Beople dar+ened 7y sin, in :ho$ the Holy Spirit is a7sent, :ill accelerate the end of the :orld. hey the$selves shall rise up a"ainst la:ful "overn$ent authority and deprive the$selves of that restrainin" po:er :hich :ould have hindered the appearance and activities of the antichrist =(bid., p. '@. Archi$andrite Bantelei$on %O121'&, a co8founder of the Holy rinity *onastery in Dordanville, >e: ?or+, provides a :ell developed and detailed analysis of the other factor that :ithholds J that is, the Ao$an authority. He :rites: What are the $eans for restrainin" the antichrist so that the elect $ay 7e 7rou"ht to salvationE 5ur 4athers considered the :ithholdin" po:er of the antichrist to 7e the .oman +mpire. (n their ti$e the Ao$an ,$pire still e6isted and it :as possi7le to support this interpretation 7ased on the prophecy of the Brophet 0aniel. (n our ti$es, the only si"nificance :e can "ive to such an idea is :ithin the conte6t of understandin" the Ao$an ,$pire to $ean imperial (monarchical7 power in general. Concernin" such po:er, :e should understand it to 7e a $onarchy :hich has the a7ility to control social $ove$ent, and at the sa$e ti$e adhere to Christian principles. (t does not allo: the people to stray fro$ these principlesN it contains the people. Since the antichrist :ill have as his $ain tas+ the "oal of attractin" the people a:ay fro$ Christ, he therefore :ill not arrive if $onarchy is still in control. his po:er :ill not allo: hi$ to appearN it i$pedes his ne"atin" spiritual activity. -his is the withholding power. When the $onarchy fails, and every:here nations institute self8"overn$ent %repu7lics, de$ocracies&, then the antichrist :ill 7e a7le to act freely. (t :ill not 7e difficult for Satan to prepare voters to renounce Christ, as e6perience tau"ht us durin" the 4rench Aevolution. here :ill 7e no one to veto the $ove$ent. A hu$7le declaration of faith :ill not 7e heard. hus, :hen such a social order is instituted every:here, $a+in" it easy for anti8Christian $ove$ents to appear, then the antichrist :ill co$e forth. St. Dohn Chrysosto$Gs :ords lead us to this thou"ht :hen in his ti$e $onarchy :as understood to $ean the Ao$an ,$pire. ;When 20
it is said that the Ao$an "overn$ent has ceased to 7e, then the antichrist :ill appear. Hntil that ti$e the "overn$ent =$onarchy@ :ill 7e feared. >o one :ill easily follo: the antichrist. After this ti$e, :hen such control :ill 7e liCuidated, anarchy :ill triu$ph, and the antichrist :ill try to capture all hu$an and divine po:er.< = A Ray of Light(nstr#ctions in iety and the ,tate of the World at the )nd of Time , p. 31N e$phasis added@. Analy#in" further the ter$ what withholdeth, 4r. Baul adds that: he Aussian 4athers of the Church ascri7ed particular si"nificance to the .ussian &rthodo' sovereign, the only protector of 5rthodo6y in the :hole :orld. 4or e6a$ple, this is :hat the holy ri"hteous Dohn of Kronstadt tau"ht a7out royal authority: ;!y $eans of soverei"ns the 9ord :atches over the "ood of earthly +in"do$s, especially the "ood of the peace of His Church. hrou"h the$ He does not allo: "odless teachin", heresies and schis$s to over:hel$ her. And the "reatest villain of the :orld, the antichrist, cannot appear in our $idst, 7ecause of autocratic authority %that is, the 7enevolent 5rthodo6 soverei"nty&, deterrin" the la:less reelin" and a7surd teachin" of the un"odly. he Apostle says that antichrist shall not appear on earth as lon" as autocratic authority shall e6ist.< =5p. cit., p. '@. (n these pre8apocalyptic ti$es, the si"nificance of the re$oval of the :ithholdin" po:er cannot 7e overe$phasi#ed. (t is therefore i$portant to e6a$ine this $atter even further, and 4r. *ichael A#+oul does so :ith careful and ela7orate detail. (n his 7oo+let ,acred %onarchy and the %odern ,ec#lar ,tate, 4r. *ichael e6plains that Co$$unis$ put an end to the four great empires that :ere to rule upon earth, as foretold 7y the /rophet 8aniel. Accordin" to this prophecy, these four e$pires :ere the +gyptian, the /ersian, the 1reek and the .oman, after :hich :ould co$e the end times. he sa$e :riter "oes on to note that the .oman +mpire :as 7oth pa"an %inau"urated 7y Au"ustus Caesar& and Christian %inau"urated 7y Constantine the .reat&. he Christian .oman +mpire had t:o phases as :ell: the 9yzantine 1reek and the .ussian. As Sche$a8 Archi$andrite 0a$ian of the Ascension *onastery in Aesaca, .eor"ia adds, fro$ Constantine to the fall of Constantinople in 1')3, the $antle of ;Brotector of the Church< fell upon the shoulders of the Ao$an authority, then resident in Constantinople, the Second Ao$e. With the fall of Constantinople, this $antle fell to the linea"e of the Aussian sars to protect and preserve the :ell87ein" of the Church. hus, sar >icholas (( and his predecessors, havin" received autocratic authority fro$ !y#antiu$, :ere successors to Constantine and those .ree+ %or !y#antine& e$perors :ho follo:ed hi$. Such :as 1od's providential means of establishing the &rthodo' Christian Church in the world. Continuin", 4r. *ichael e6plains that the .ussian +mpire, the last phase of the Ao$an ($periu$, successor to !y#antiu$ or Christian Ao$e, :as the last Christian society, and sar >icholas (( :as the last Christian e$peror, as true +in"ship depends upon the true faith. hus, none of the heretical societies of the post85rthodo6 West can 7e spo+en of as a societas Christiana. 4r. *ichael also states that there has never 7een a $onarch in the post8schis$ West ;7y the "race of .od.< %5ne can o7serve a stri+in" e6a$ple of this principle in the so8called 2oly Roman )mpire. Historians note that this e$pire :as not holy 7ut :as very secular. As an 5rthodo6 historian notes in this re"ard, the Holy Ao$an ,$pire :as conceived in heresy, 7orn 21
in schis$, and $aintained in e6istence in order to 7olster the po:er of the heretical popes a"ainst the 5rthodo6 Church&. Hnli+e the $onarchies and +in"do$s of apostate Western ,urope, the .ussian monarchy maintained the true faith as given by the Holy Apostles and kept in the +astern &rthodo' Church. he Aussian sar played a decisive role in restrainin" the approach of the satanic po:ers. Western ,urope :as :ell a:are of the $i"ht of its 5rthodo6 Christian nei"h7or in $aintainin" peace, and the title the eacema$er was ascri7ed to sar Ale6ander ((( not 7y the Aussians, 7ut 7y the West. 9i+e:ise, after the destruction of Aussia 7y Co$$unis$, one authoritative Western historian, Brofessor .. 4errero of the Ao$an >ational Hniversity, :rote that: ,urope ur"ently needs peace. (nnu$era7le $isfortunes are threatenin" us fro$ all sides. WhyE !ecause ($perial Aussia is no $ore. And :ithout her, there is no $ore peace, :hich she alone 7rou"ht to the :orld. After the victory over >apoleon, Aussia co$pletely "ave herself over to the cult of peace. AussiaGs a$a#in" aspiration to $aintain and protect peace at any cost and si$ultaneously :ith a7solute selflessness, $ust 7e ac+no:led"ed as a deep $ystery. !alance in the :orld shall not ensure and :e shall not avoid crises until Aussia :ill arise in all of her "lory =Puoted in 4r. Baul 3ol$ens+y, op1 cit., pp. '8)@. As the devil reco"ni#ed that the Aussian $onarchy interfered :ith his atte$pts to possess the :hole :orld, it :as necessary to destroy that authority. Arch7ishop Aver+y %O12/-& of Dordanville e6plains that the $urder of the Aoyal House of Aussia :as not a political act, 7ut rather purely spiritual. He states: his $urder :as thou"ht out and or"ani#ed 7y none other than the servants of the approachin" antichrist. hose people, :ho havin" sold their souls to Satan, are e6ecutin" the $ost intense preparation for the hasty rei"n of the ene$y of Christ, antichrist, over the :hole :orld. hey understood perfectly :ell that the $ain o7stacle standin" in their :ay :as 5rthodo6 ($perial Aussia.... And for the Cuic+est and surest annihilation of Aussia, it :as necessary to annihilate the one :ho :as its livin" sy$7ol, the 5rthodo6 sar. (t is for the fore"oin" reasons that the Aussian 4athers of the Church vie: the .ussian monarchy as the withholding power. *oreover, as 4r. *ichael e6plains, the $urder of the last sar 7rou"ht a7out the e'tinction of the Age of Constantine and the end to 1od's plans concerning world empires. With the disappearance of Christian Ao$e, that :hich restrained :orld revolution, :orld atheis$, anarchy and apostasy is no more, and Satan :or+s un7ridled and perfor$s his dar+ sche$es on a :orld scale. >o lon"er is there any earthly authority to hinder hi$. 1211, the year AussiaGs royal fa$ily :as +illed, is a :atershed year in hu$an history, for it ushered in the pre(apocalyptic epoch throu"h :hich :e are currently livin". he seer of $ysteries, St. Dohn the heolo"ian, descri7es these end8ti$es events in ter$s of SatanGs 7ein" set free fro$ his te$porary 7onda"e, or thousand(year bondage, as he alle"orically calls it in Aevelation 20:182. his thousand8year 7onda"e is another i$portant $atter to e6a$ine, "iven its si"nificant connection to conte$porary history. So$e $odern sectarians have misinterpreted the ,van"elist DohnGs :ords. hese ne: teachers, rehashin" the ancient heresy of chiliasm, $aintain that 7efore the end of the :orld, Christ :ill co$e to earth 22
a"ain to overthro: the antichrist, to resurrect the ri"hteous, and to esta7lish a ne: +in"do$ on earth in :hich the ri"hteous :ill rei"n to"ether :ith Hi$ for a thousand years. his incorrect interpretation is an e6act repetition of the heretic ApollinariusG false teachin", :hich :as conde$ned 7y the Hniversal Church at the Second ,cu$enical Council %311&. ($portantly, it :as in response to this ancient heresy that this Council introduced into the very Sy$7ol of 4aith %the Creed& these :ords concernin" Christ: ; and His kingdom will have no end.< hus, it :as no lon"er per$issi7le for an 5rthodo6 Christian to hold chiliastic ideas as private opinions after an ,cu$enical Council e6pressed its Fud"$ent on the $atter. .iven these thin"s, it can 7e as+ed Fust :hat does the thousand(year bondage $eanE Arch7ishop Aver+y of Dordanville and Hiero$on+ Seraphi$ Aose co$$ent on this ter$ in their 7oo+ The Apocalypse and the Teachings of Ancient Christianity %pp. 2)38)'&. St. Andre: of Caesarea, they e6plain, interprets the thousand8year 7onda"e as the ti$e ;fro$ the (ncarnation of Christ to the co$in" of the antichrist.< 0urin" that ti$e, Satan :as 7ound, pa"anis$ :as cast do:n, and there ca$e upon earth the thousand8year rei"n of Christ. he authors "o on to e6plain that the definite number one thousand is used in place of an indefinite nu$7er, si"nifyin" the long period until the 6econd Coming of Christ. *oreover, as the editor notes in Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+yGs !rthodox "ogmatic Theology %pp. 3''8')&, !lessed Au"ustine of Hippo connects the ;7indin"< of the devil for a thousand years %Apoc. 20:2& :ith the ;7indin"< of the ;stron" $an< in *ar+ 3:2/ %see also ChristGs :ords in Dohn 12:31, that ;no: shall the prince of this :orld 7e cast out<&. !lessed Au"ustine also states that ;the 7indin" of the devil is his 7ein" prevented fro$ the e6ercise of his :hole po:er to seduce $en.< hus, the thousand years %the :hole period& of ChristGs rei"n :ith His saints and the li$ited po:er of the devil is the victory of Christ over paganism and the establishment on earth of the Church of Christ! and that time is now. (t is also of i$portance to note that a related error to the resuscitated heresy of chilias$ is the ;rapture.< his false teachin", a $isinterpretation of 1 hes ':1/, clai$s that Christians :ill 7e enraptured fro$ the earth and cau"ht up in the clouds seven years 7efore the Second Co$in" of Christ. his teachin" is Brotestantis$Gs false hope to avoid sufferin" since its theolo"y does not "ive a :ay to deal :ith it. Ho:ever, in contrast to its idea of a non8sufferin" Church stands the :itness of the $artyric deaths of $illions of 5rthodo6 Christians, not only in the early Church, 7ut also durin" the Arian controversy, the (conoclastic stru""le, the *osle$ yo+e and the Hniate persecutions, and $ost especially :hen Co$$unis$ rava"ed nearly the :hole of the 5rthodo6 :orld durin" the last century. he rapture teachin" is false 7ecause it is refuted by 6cripture, :hich $a+es it entirely clear that the elect will suffer on earth during the reign of the antichrist and that for their sa+e that period :ill 7e shortened %cf. *t 2':21822&. % his point is very i$portant and $ust 7e e$phasi#ed particularly, inas$uch as the acceptance of the false teachin"s of Chilias$ and the rapture can lead people to the erroneous e6pectation that they :ill 7e ta+en fro$ the face of the earth :hen the antichrist $a+es his appearance. (n such a state of co$placency, $any people :ill not reco"ni#e hi$ and :ill end up acceptin" hi$, there7y losin" their souls&. ,ven as the political structure of a united :orld "overn$ent is 7ein" planned %it :ill clai$ to 7e the revitali#ed Ao$an ,$pire&, so too is a single(world religion to e$er"e. his reli"ion is 7ein" for$ed 7y the >ational Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches, :hich created ecumenism, a ne: heresy in the Church. 9i+e the reli"ion of the pa"an Ao$an ,$pire, :hich :as syncretic in its 7orro:in" fro$ various pa"an reli"ions in the ancient :orld, the reli"ion of the one8:orld "overn$ent :ill also 7e syncretic in its supposedly 7ein" 23
7ased on the 7est principles of $any reli"ions. Hnder the "uise of a ;reconciliation< of faiths, ecu$enis$ eCuates truth :ith falsehood and pro$otes a future ecu$enical ;church< that :ill unify all e6istin" creeds, even thou"h such a unification entails a relativi#ation of .odGs ruth. As a .ree+ 7ishop notes, 7y 7rin"in" to"ether all the :orld reli"ions, ecu$enis$, rather than co$7inin" all the partial truths that various reli"ions supposedly contain, $ay co$7ine all the falsehoods that they e$7race, thus creatin" a one(world religion that embraces all evil. (n the past, :hen Satan :as unsuccessful in 7rin"in" a7out the co$plete physical destruction of ChristGs Church throu"h persecution, he turned to a different tactic: heresies. As can 7e o7served in history, Satan used heresies to attac+ Christian truths in al$ost the same identical order in :hich they are listed in the >icaeo8Constantinopolitan Sy$7ol of 4aith, the ChurchGs Creed. >o:, throu"h the heresy of ecu$enis$, the devilGs final onslaught a"ainst these truths is ta+in" place, and this ti$e the attac+ is a"ainst the :ords: ; 2 believe in... &ne! Holy! Catholic and Apostolic Church.< !y $eans of such an attac+ upon the Creed, upon the Holy Apostles, and upon the ,cu$enical Councils, Satan denies the truth that the Saviour founded only one true Church on earth. hrou"h ecu$enis$, Satan denies Holy Scriptures, :hich teach that there is ;one 9ord, one faith, one !aptis$< %,ph ':)&, one Holy radition %cf. 2 hes 2:1)&, and one Christian Church founded 7y Christ %cf. *t 1-:11&. Hiero$on+ Sava ?anFic e6pends further on this end8ti$es heresy, statin" that the :orld:ide ecu$enical apostasy is spreadin" on all levels. ,verythin" possi7le is 7ein" done, he states, in order to esta7lish an anti(church, a ;reborn Christianity.< 0o"$as are 7ein" revised, Church history is 7ein" re:ritten, and there is an intense seculari#ation and $oderni#ation of spiritual life. 4r. Sava "oes on to li+en todayGs ecu$enis$ to a BandoraGs 7o6 fro$ :hich hundreds of ancient heresies are 7rea+in" loose. Arch7ishop Aver+y notes the sa$e thin"s and adds: ,cu$enis$ is the heresy of heresies. Hntil no:, every separate heresy in the history of the Church has striven itself to stand in the place of the true Church, :hile the ecu$enical $ove$ent, havin" united all heresies, invites the$ all to"ether to honor the$selves as the one true Church. Here ancient Arianis$, *onophysitis$, *onothelitis$, (conoclas$, Bela"ianis$, and si$ply every possi7le superstition of the conte$porary sects under co$pletely different na$es, have united to char"e and attac+ the Church. his pheno$enon is undou7tedly of an apocalyptic character. %Here the arch7ishop is referrin" to the fact that very fe: heresies since the ti$e of the early Church have 7een ori"inal, and that $ost have 7een rehashes of ancient follies. *onophysitis$ of the fifth century, for e6a$ple, contri7uted to the *onothelitis$ of the seventh century, and to the syncretis$ and out"ro:th of so$e of the conte$porary heresies of the present ti$e. Another e6a$ple is the ancient Arian heresy, :hich surfaced in our ti$es as the Dehovah1s Witnesses&. As the panheresy of ecu$enis$ "ains $ore and $ore $o$entu$ and increased support fro$ :orld "overn$ents, and as it co$es to re"ard itself as an ecu$enical ;super8church,< its infinite hatred of Christ and 5rthodo6 Christianity is 7eco$in" increasin"ly apparent. 5nce the ecu$enical $ove$entGs $an8$ade reli"ion %or, $ore precisely, its devil+made reli"ion& is installed as the official state reli"ion under the antichrist, $ost esta7lished Church institutions :ill 7e dra:n into this :orld:ide ;church.< 5rthodo6 Christianity :ill then 7eco$e a religio illicita, even as it :as in the days of the pa"an Ao$an ,$pire. As the sa$e 4r. Sava notes 2'
concernin" the ti$es that are approachin", 5rthodo6 Christians :ill once a"ain 7e persecuted, Fust as in Ao$an and Soviet ti$es. He further notes that: he adherents of the false ;Christianity< and other united reli"ions :ill accuse =the 5rthodo6@ of 7ein" intolerant and hateful people, opponents of the ne: :orld order and, 7y e6tension, of the :elfare and happiness of $an+ind. *any :ill 7e i$prisoned in special ca$ps for ;reeducation, ; :here they :ill 7e severely tortured in an effort to force the$ to deny the 9ivin" .od and His Church, and to 7o: do:n 7efore the rulers of this :orld. And thus the Church, li+e a pure and undefiled vir"in, :ashed in the 7lood of $artyrs... Fust as in the early years of Christianity, :ill :ait to "reet her !ride"roo$ =;,cu$enis$ in an A"e of Apostasy,< !rthodox America, vol. 11, nos. /81, 2000, p. 1-@. As Archpriest !oris *olchanoff also notes concernin" the final ti$es: When the day shall co$e :hen antichrist, the false $essiah, shall enter into Derusale$, the fate of hu$anity conte$porary to hi$ shall also 7e decided, irrevoca7ly and forever. !lessed are those :ho, at that final day "iven 7y .od for the decisive self8deter$ination of the people, :ill 7e a7le to see the servant of Satan and perceive the inescapa7le destruction :ith hi$ of all hu$anity that ac+no:led"es hi$ =Antichrist, p. '@. o reiterate and su$$ari#e, the full circle concept refers to the historical develop$ent that 7e"an :ith ChristGs Church 7ein" poor and persecuted, after :hich it 7eca$e the reli"ion of the Christian Ao$an ,$pire, only to end up once a"ain in its final state in a cataco$7 e6istence. (t 7ears repeatin" that the idea is not entirely accurate inas$uch as there have 7een constant and dreadful persecutions a"ainst the Church throu"hout the centuries. Ho:ever, "iven the apocalyptic nature of Co$$unis$ and its satanic hatred of 5rthodo6 Christianity, the full circle idea is still si"nificant. Whereas Co$$unis$ i$pin"ed only upon the periphery of the Ao$an Catholic and Brotestant :orlds, ei"hty8five percent of 5rthodo6 Christians ca$e to 7e enslaved in Co$$unist totalitarian police states that sou"ht the co$plete destruction of ChristGs Church and all 5rthodo6 Christians. (ndeed, it :as for that very reason Co$$unis$ :as invented and forced upon the ,astern 5rthodo6 Christian :orld 7y the totally seculari#ed and apostate West. he WestGs support of the Soviet revolution is no: a :ell8+no:n fact. (n the present cal$ 7efore the stor$ of the one8:orld "overn$ent, even thou"h the atheistic Soviet re"i$e of the past no lon"er e6ists, recycled Co$$unist leaders continue to $eddle in Church affairs 7y appointin" sycophantic hierarchs %often secret police in cassoc+s& :ho traffic in the evil ecu$enical $ove$ent and :ho see to the persecution of those Christians :ho do not "o alon" :ith their apostasy. (t is the intent of these 7ishops to 7rin" the various local 5rthodo6 Churches over :hich they preside into the e$7race of the one8:orld ;church< of the antichrist. hus, ecu$enis$ is upheld and is e$anatin" fro$ $any of ;those :ho appear to 7e the protectors and leaders of the Church.< With this develop$ent, that portion of the Church that has not capitulated to the ecumenist heresy has largely returned to the catacombs , thus presa"in" the end8ti$es events that are foretold in the Apocalypse, that is, the Aevelation of the Holy Apostle and ,van"elist Dohn the heolo"ian, :hose 7oo+ concludes the >e: esta$ent. As the te6t7oo+ for this course states, ;Christians today stand far closer to the early Church than their "randparents did.< (t also notes that ;Christianity 7e"an as a reli"ion of a s$all $inority
2)
e6istin" in a predo$inantly non8Christian society, and such it is 7eco$in" once $ore.< (n this sense, the Church has indeed co$e a full circle. (n spite of all the persecution of Christianity %includin" that :hich is to co$e&, true to ChristGs pro$ise, the "ates of hell :ill never prevail a"ainst the Church %*t 1-:11&, for ;the foundation of .od standeth sure< %2 i$ 2:12&. As the >e:8*artyr i+hon %O122)&, Batriarch of All Aussia, :rote in this re"ard, ChristGs Church is ;a +in"do$ not of this :orld, a +in"do$ that has no :orldly $eans at its disposal, no earthly entice$entsN a +in"do$ that is despised, persecuted, po:erless.< He added that the Church ;has not only not perished in this :orld, 7ut has "ro:n and conCuered the :orld.< And he concluded, ;(n spite of all $anner of coercion, attac+s and opposition, the &rthodo' Church has preserved the faith of Christ as a priceless treasure! in its original purity and entirety! unharmed! so that our faith is the faith of the Apostles! the faith of the Fathers! the &rthodo' faith.< ". %hat 6cripture describes the beginning of the history of the :ew -estament Church* he history of the >e: esta$ent Church 7e"ins at Bentecost %circa 33 A0&, :ith the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. And suddenly there ca$e a sound fro$ Heaven, as of a rushin" $i"hty :ind, and it filled the :hole house :here they :ere sittin". And there appeared to the$ divided ton"ues, as of fire, and it sat upon each of the$. And they :ere all filled :ith the Holy Spirit and 7e"an to spea+ :ith other ton"ues, as the Holy Spirit "ave the$ utterance %Acts 2:28'&. *etropolitan Hierotheos of >afpa+tos $a+es the i$portant notation that Bentecost is the 7irthday of the Church fro$ the point of vie: that it :as then that the Church 7eca$e the !ody of Christ, that Bentecost :as :hen the Church acCuired su7stance. He "oes further into the $atter, thou"h, and points out that the 7e"innin" and e6istence of the Church is actually found in the ti$e 7efore Bentecost. he $etropolitan notes that it is the teachin" of the Holy 4athers that :ith the creation of the an"els, there is the e$er"ence of the first Church, for the an"els too are $e$7ers of the Church. .od is the Creator of ;all thin"s visi7le and invisi7le,< and a$on" the invisi7le are listed the an"els, :ho sin" in praise of .od. his :itness is preserved in the 7oo+ of Do7, :hich states: ;When the stars :ere 7orn, all the an"els in a loud voice san" in praise of *e< %Do7 31:/&. he fact that an"els are $e$7ers of the Church is also :itnessed 7y the saints, $any of :ho$ sa: an"els :orshipin" :ith the$ at the 0ivine 9itur"y. Archi$andrite Bantelei$on of Dordanville "oes on to e6plain that the na$e of the Church of Christ is used in t:o :ays. (n the narro:er sense, he states, it is co$posed strictly of people professin" the faith of Christ, :hether they live on earth or have already parted into the future life. hose livin" on earth co$pose the +in"do$ of "race, the earthly or $ilitant Church, :hile those departed co$pose the heavenly or triu$phant Church. 4r. Bantelei$on continues, sayin" that in a $ore "eneral or inclusive sense, ho:ever, the Church is a society of all free, intelli"ent 7ein"s, 7oth an"els and people, :ho 7elieve in Christ the Saviour and are united to Hi$ as the ChurchGs one Head. he Apostle Baul understands the Church in this :ay :hen he instructs that .od has ordained the union of all thin"s in Heaven and on earth under Christ the Head and placed Hi$ as the Head of the Church %,ph 1:10,23N Col 1:11&. he an"els 7elieve in Christ as the true .od8*an. hey also serve as His $inisters in esta7lishin" the Church on earth, and they are sent 7y Hi$ to assist every $an in inheritin" salvation %He7 1:1'&. 2-
hus it can 7e said that the history of the Church dates to the creation of an"els and the creation of $en, that it continues in the 5ld esta$ent, and that :ith the (ncarnation of .od the Word, the Church 7eco$es the !ody of Christ. 5ne can spea+ of the Church in this sense. 0r. (van Andreyev adds the follo:in" su7stantive e6planation concernin" the relation 7et:een the 5ld and >e: esta$ent periods of the Church: 5f all the reli"ions in the :orld, only the Christian reli"ion possesses all the inner and e6ternal indications of divinely revealed di"nity and possesses true prophecies and $iracles. Christianity is the sole, true, divinely revealed reli"ion. his reli"ion is su7divided into the 5ld esta$ent and the >e: esta$ent, co$posin", ho:ever, one or"anic :hole, and represents the develop$ent of one divine plan for the salvation of $an+ind. he difference 7et:een the 5ld and >e: esta$ents lies not in its nature, 7ut in the de"ree of its fullness and perfection. he 5ld esta$ent revelation pertains to the >e: esta$ent as a preparation does to a perfor$anceN as a pro$ise does to a fulfill$entN and as a sy$7ol does to an i$a"e. he ai$ of >e: esta$ent revelation :as the preparation of $an+ind in its historic life for the acceptance of a hi"her Christian revelation. his :as spo+en of 7y the 5ld esta$ent prophets the$selves, for they it :as :ho e6pressed the thou"ht that the *essiah :ill co$e and :ill Hi$self announce to the people the >e: Covenant %see the prophecy of Dere$iah 31:3183)& =!rthodox Apologetic Theology, p. 11)81-@. #. %hich book contains the first survey of history in the :ew -estament Church* his survey is found in the Acts of the Apostles. 4. %ho was the author of this book* he Holy ,van"elist 9u+e, a physician :ho :as chosen to 7e one of the seventy disciples, :rote the Acts. his sa$e disciple :rote his .ospel fifteen years after ChristGs Ascension. 3. At what level does the Church e'ist in all its fullness* he Church e6ists in all its fullness in each local co$$unity "athered around its 7ishop as it cele7rates the Holy ,ucharist Sunday 7y Sunday. ;. %hat early Christian writer clearly e'presses this concept in seven short letters* his concept :as e6pressed 7y an Apostolic 4ather, St. ("natius the .od8!earer, !ishop8 *artyr of Antioch %O10/&, :ho :as the child :ho$ the 9ord too+ into His ar$s %*t 11, *+ 2&. He proclai$ed the .ospel in Antioch and 7eca$e the 7ishop of that city after the Apostle Beter. While on his :ay to his $artyrdo$ in Ao$e %he :as fed to the lions&, he :rote seven epistles to Christian co$$unities and to another Apostolic 4ather, St. Bolycarp, a disciple of the Apostle and ,van"elist Dohn the heolo"ian and 7ishop of S$yrna %O1)-&. hese epistles contain a :ealth of infor$ation on early Church do"$a, or"ani#ation, the 0ivine 9itur"y, and the readiness for $artyrdo$. <. 9y what term does 6t. 2gnatius of Antioch refer to the Holy =ysteries* he hiero$artyr refers to the Holy *ysteries %Sacra$ents& as ;the $edicine of i$$ortality.< 2/
>. %hat is meant by referring to the Church as a +ucharistic 6ociety* St. ("natius sa: the Church in 7oth its hierarchical and sacra$ental aspects, and he laid special stress on the place of the 7ishop in the Church, and upon the 7ishopGs pri$ary and distinctive tas+ of cele7ratin" the Holy ,ucharist. 4or ("natius, the Church :as pri$arily a ,ucaristic Society J that is, one :hich reali#es its proper function :hen cele7ratin" and receivin" the Holy *ysteries %Sacra$ents&. He e$phasi#ed that the ,ucharist is so$ethin" that can happen only locally in each individual co$$unity "athered around its 7ishop, and that the :hole Christ is present at each individual ,ucharist cele7ration. hus the Church e6ists in all its fullness in each local co$$unity in the cele7ration of the ,ucharist. St. ("natiusM teachin" occupies a per$anent place in the tradition of the Church. 5rthodo6y vie:s the Church fore$ost as a ,ucharist Society, for the !ody and !lood of Christ are the inner life and soul of the 5rthodo6 Church, and they are the heart and center of all Church life. he ChurchGs life7lood flo:s fro$ the ,ucharist that is cele7rated at every 9itur"y. o parta+e of this *ystery is the $ost i$portant act of :orship in the 5rthodo6 Church, and to 7e united :ith it is to 7e united :ith the Head and 4ounder of the Church, Desus Christ. Without ChristGs divine presence in this *ystery, the Church could not achieve its earthly $ission. (t is in the ,ucharist that the 5rthodo6 Church has the livin" presence of .od. *oreover, 5rthodo6y e$phasi#es the i$portance of the local co$$unity in the Church, so$ethin" o7vious to anyone :ho o7serves a Bontifical 9itur"y in :hich the 7ishop is in the center of the Church, surrounded 7y his floc+. o this day, 5rthodo6y still retains the catholicity of the early Church, :here the focus of unity is the 7ishop. Concernin" the :ord %ysteries %.ree+ %ysteria& that often co$es up in this 7oo+, it is "enerally used in the 5rthodo6 ,ast for Sacra$ents. he :ord ,acraments %9atin ,acramenta& is the ter$ used in the 9atin West. Since the latter ter$ ori"inated :hen Ao$e :as still fully united :ith 5rthodo6y J that is, 7efore the .reat Schis$ of 10)', there is nothin" :ron" :ith its usa"e, especially since fe: Westerners are fa$iliar :ith the :ord *ysteries. Ho:ever, a$on" the$selves, 5rthodo6 tend to use the latter :ord. ?. %ho is the visible center of Church life* he hierarchical ran+ is the hi"hest ran+ in the Church. hus, 5rthodo6 7ishops, li+e their predecessors, the Apostles, occupy the visi7le center of Church life. Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y e6plains that Christ called the Apostles to the highest ministry in the Church, and that the Apostles in turn na$ed bishops as their i$$ediate successors and continuers. As another :riter adds in this connection, after Dudas turned traitor, Beter, applyin" Bsal$ 102:1, declared, ;his bishopric let another ta+e< %Acts 1:20N e$phasis added&. Althou"h Apostolic Succession :as severed in the West as of Ao$eGs apostasy in 10)', it continued in the ,ast. he 5rthodo6 Church is the only Church in Christendo$ that has to this day an uninterrupted succession of 7ishops "oin" 7ac+ to the Apostles. )$. 2f each bishop and his diocese (eparchy7 can be said to contain the fullness of Church life! why is it that only the entire body of the &rthodo' faithful is referred to as the Church* he student does not i$a"ine that he ;+no:s 7etter< than the professor of this course, nor does he presu$e to consider hi$self an e6pert on 5rthodo6y. All he can do is rely on the various
21
7oo+s that teach of it. hese in turn sho: that, on the 7asis of Scripture, the a7ove assertion that ;only the entire 7ody of 5rthodo6 faithful is referred to the Church< is not tena7le. 5ne e$inent authority, Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y, points out that the $e$7ers of oneGs fa$ily co$prise a ho#se Ch#rch. his ter$ :as used 7y the Apostle Baul :hen referrin" to the "atherin" of the $e$7ers of a fa$ily and friends :hich too+ place durin" the early years of Christianity, :hen Christians did not have their o:n church 7uildin"s in :hich to pray %cf. Ao$ 1-:)8-, et al.&. he :ord Ch#rch is e$$lesia in .ree+, :hich $eans to "ather, to "ather to"ether, to call, to call out, or to call to"ether. hus, Church $eans a "atherin" of people, a con"re"ation. he sa$e 4r. *ichael adds that: he na$e Ch#rch :hich 7elon"s to every Christian co$$unity, even of a sin"le house or fa$ily, indicates the unity of this part :ith the :hole, :ith the 7ody of the :hole Church of Christ =!rthodox "ogmatic Theology, p. 22'@. (n no place does 4r. *ichael indicate that it is incorrect to use the :ord in a narro: sense %that is, :ith re"ard to a fa$ily or individual co$$unity&. (n fact, 7oth he and the Apostle Baul hi$self variously use the :ord in 7oth the narro: and the 7road sense. he :ord Ch#rch is al:ays used in reference to the four ancient Batriarchates, to the eleven other autocephalous Churches %includin" Sinai&, and also :hen referrin" to the several autono$ous Churches %includin" China, Dapan and 4inland&. (n addition to these independent local Churches, ho:ever, the Church has a :ider unity. he Church 4ather Cyprian, !ishop8 *artyr of Cartha"e %O2)1&, descri7es ho: all 7ishops share in the one episcopate, yet share it in such a $anner that each possesses the :hole rather than Fust a part. St. Cyprian :rites: he episcopate is a sin"le :hole, in :hich each 7ishop enFoys full possession. So the Church is a sin"le :hole, thou"h it spreads far and :ide into a $ultitude of Churches as its fertility increases. here are $any episcopi 7ut only one episcopate. here are also $any local Churches, yet 5rthodo6y is so$ethin" $ore than a "roup of local 7odies that share a unity of faith and full a"ree$ent :ith the rest on all $atters of doctrine: it is nothin" less than the Church of Christ on earth. (t is this :ider unity of all 5rthodo6 faithful into the !ody of Christ that is also called the Church. )). %hat is meant by calling the Church conciliar* he :ord conciliar $eans ;of, relatin" to, or "enerated 7y a council< %A$erican Herita"e 0ictionary&. Callin" the Church conciliar underscores the "reat i$portance of the ChurchGs Councils. !ishop Ale6ander of !uenos Aires and South A$erica of the Aussian Church in ,6ile "oes on to e6plain conciliaris$ as that special state in :hich 7ishops decide Church $atters, first havin" prayed and i$plored the "race of the Holy Spirit. he sa$e 7ishop adds that throu"h the enli"hten$ent and "race that overshado: 7ishops "athered in Councils, the $ost co$plicated Cuestions are resolved and decisions are $ade :hich 7enefit the Church. (n the ti$e of the Apostles, $isunderstandin"s arose in Antioch re"ardin" the applica7ility of the ritual la: of *oses. Since there :as a need to appeal to a hi"her authoritative voice or Fud"$ent, the Apostles "athered in a Council at Derusale$ %Acts 1)&, and the decrees of 22
this Council :ere ac+no:led"ed as o7li"atory for the :hole Church %Acts 1-:'&. 9y means of the Council of @erusalem! the Apostles gave an e'ample of the conciliar resolution of the most important 5uestions in the Church for all times. (t is i$portant to note here that the Apostolic Council spea+s especially clearly against the supre$acy of the Apostle Beter. (f one :ere to 7elieve the Catholic do"$a of the supre$acy of the Ao$an pope, then the Christians of Antioch should have appealed to the Apostle Beter for the resolution of their perple6ity. Ho:ever, they appealed not to Beter, 7ut to all the Apostles and pres7yters. At this first Council, the Cuestion is su7Fect to a "eneral discussion, and the co$pletion of the $atter 7elon"s to the Apostle Da$es. 4ro$ Da$esM :ords %not BeterGs&, the decision of the Council is :ritten. Also i$portant to note is that Sacred Scripture reveals a nu$7er of :ei"hty thin"s that ta+e place: Beter is sent 7y the Apostles %Acts 1:12&, he "ives an account of his actions to the Apostles and faithful %Acts 11:'811&, and he also listens to their ob,ections and even denunciations %.al 2:11812&. hese facts de$onstrate that /eter was not the prince of the Apostles and the head of the Church , as the Ao$an Catholic Church falsely teaches. 5rthodo6 theolo"y strictly differentiates 7et:een the $inistry of the Apostles and that of the 7ishops. As !ishop Ale6ander Se$onov8 ian8Shans+y :rites in this re"ard: he si"nificance of the Apostles :as e6ceptional and in $any :ays e6ceeded the si"nificance of 7ishops. !ishops head local Churches, :hile the Apostles :ere :anderin" preachers of the .ospel. An Apostle, havin" founded a ne: Church in so$e locale, :ould ordain a 7ishop for it and :ould hi$self "o to another place to preach. (n conseCuence of this, the 5rthodo6 Church does not honor the Apostle Beter as the first 7ishop of Ao$e. >onetheless, the Holy Church al:ays allo:ed that a$on" the 7ishops one is reco"ni#ed as first in honor, 7ut concernin" his infalli7ility there is no discussion. (n the first centuries, the pri$acy of honor 7elon"ed to the Ao$an 7ishop, 7ut after his fallin" a:ay into schis$, it passed to the patriarch of Constantinople =As Cuoted fro$ Brotopriest 3ictor Botapov, !rthodoxy and 2eterodoxy@. 4ro$ Apostolic ti$es and throu"hout the su7seCuent history of the Church, even prior to Ao$eGs departure fro$ the Church in 10)', no 7ishop had a7solute authority over any other. -he Church is not and never was monarchical in structure! centered around a single bishop. (nstead, all 7ishops :or+ to"ether in eCuality, and all consult :ith one another to achieve a co$$on $ind under the influence of the Holy Spirit. St. Cyprian of Cartha"e :rites that this collegial structure %that is, :here all 7ishops share authority& is 7ased on divine law. (f the 7ishop of Ao$e :as every:here re"arded as the supre$e head of the Church, as the 9atin Church teaches, :hy :ere there no cries of heresy to such state$ents as that of St. CyprianE 4ro$ the :itness of Church history, $any Ao$an Catholics readily understand these facts and convert to 5rthodo6y. 5ne :ho did, *ichael Whelton, :rote an entire 7oo+ that deals :ith the 5rthodo6 ChurchGs conciliar tradition %an understandin" that Ao$e itself adhered to prior to the ninth century&, vis8K8vis Ao$eGs divisive doctrine of papal monarchy. his authorGs :ell researched findin"s $erit special attention. He correctly o7serves that the early Church was conciliar in its government! that the +cumenical Councils represented the highest ,udicial body of the Church! that these +cumenical Councils were not called to advise the
30
bishop of .ome! and that the bishop of .ome did not en,oy veto power. *r. Whelton "oes on to e6plain that: >o:here in the canons or creeds of these =,cu$enical@ Councils do :e find any reco"nition of Ao$eGs clai$ to supre$e universal Furisdiction. >one of the Church 4athers or "eneral councils settled doctrinal disputes 7y appealin" to an infalli7le pope. Clai$s of infalli7ility 7y a sin"le 7ishop :ould have 7een inco$prehensi7le. 4urther$ore, the idea that the 7ishop of Ao$e :as superior to a council of the Church and that a council :as ecu$enical only 7ecause the 7ishop of Ao$e alone confir$ed its decrees :as un+no:n. (n fact, all five patriarchs J =those of@ Ao$e, Constantinople, Ale6andria, Antioch and Derusale$ J had to confir$ the decrees = Two aths- apal %onarchy 4 Collegial Tradition, pp. )28)3@. (n another 7oo+, the sa$e :riter notes that: 4or at least the first thousand years, Christendo$ :as an undivided Church "overned 7y councils that offered a co$$on foru$ for 7oth Churches ,ast and West to settle differences and thus provide a co$$on 7ond. (t is pro7a7le 7eyond dou7t that the early Church does not point to the office of a sin"le 7ishop as the livin" tradition of the Church, 7ut to an ecu$enical consensus or collective conscience, :hich is 7est e6e$plified 7y the early "eneral councils. (t is this $odel of "overn$ent that is intrinsic to the nature of the Church and it is this that supplies her :ith endurin" stren"th and sta7ility =The earl, p. '3@. *r. Whelton adds that: oday the 5rthodo6 Church is the only Church in Christendo$ that preserves and "uards this colle"ial traditionN thus she ri"htly calls herself the Ch#rch of the ,even )c#menical Co#ncils.... oday :ith her self8"overnin" Churches 7ound to"ether in a fraternal unity, she presents herself to the :orld Fust as the early Church did =(bid., pp. '38''@. %(n the Ao$an Catholic Church, on the other hand, the Ao$an Curia :as created 7y Bope Si6tus 3 =the ;iron pope<@ in the si6teenth century in order to crush the influence of cardinals and 7ishops. (t is of interest to o7serve that in April of 2002, :hen the A$erican cardinals :ere su$$oned to the 3atican in response to a scandal in the 9atin Church, the cardinals co$plained that they :ere treated not li+e 7ishops, 7ut li+e altar 7oys, 7y the pope. At that ti$e, the cardinals :ere cla$orin" for less dictatorship, and a $ore conciliar approach to resolvin" $atters&. he 5rthodo6 Church 7elieves that the council is the chief means by which 1od has chosen to guide His flock. Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y e6plains that the hi"hest or"an of authority in the Church, and the hi"hest authority in "eneral, is a council of 7ishops. 4or a local Church, it is a council of its local 7ishops, and for the ,cu$enical Church, a council of 7ishops $ade up of representatives of independent local Churches, in confor$ity :ith the hirty84ourth Canon of the Holy Apostles. )". 9y what name is the first Council of the Holy Church called* (t is +no:n as the Council of Derusale$, or the Apostolic Council. 31
)#. %here are the details of this Council recorded* he details of the Council of Derusale$ are recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. Acts 1):18) descri7es the open opposition to St. BaulGs teachin" 7y the salvation87y8faith8and8 circu$cision party. So vital an issue as ChristianityGs enterin" into the .entile :orld under the veil of Dudais$ had to have an authoritative decision 7y the Apostles and elders in order to avoid a split. Acts 1):-821 "oes on to descri7e the de7ate of the issue and its final resolution. )4. %here did the Council take place* he Council too+ place in Derusale$, :hence its na$e. )3. %hat was the ma,or 5uestion debated at the first Council of the Holy Church* he Council of Derusale$ convened a7out )0 A0 to decide the e6tent to :hich ne:ly converted .entiles :ould have to su7Fect the$selves to the reCuire$ents of *osaic la:. (t :as decided that non8De:s :ho turned to .od should not 7e trou7led :ith the ri"orous precepts of the la: of *oses, save in certain social $atters so the Church could $eet as one. his Council then $ade its decision +no:n throu"h letters to all the Christian Churches. his first Council is si"nificant for t:o reasons: 1& throu"h it, the Christian Church 7eca$e a Hniversal Church :hose $ission :as no lon"er restricted to the De:ish peopleN and 2& the Council set the precedent for Church leaders to $eet in Councils in future internal and e6ternal conflicts. (t is i$portant to note here that when a decision has to be made! the Apostle /eter was not asked for his single(minded decision! as if he were an AinfallibleB pope. 2nstead! a Council of Apostles was convened. );. %hat event in #)" A8 resulted in some ma,or developments in the administrative structure of the visible facet of the Church* 312 A0 :as the year that St. Constantine had his fa$ous vision of the Cross in front of the sun, alon" :ith the inscription in this sign con5uer e$7la#oned in the s+y. With this vision, Constantine placed the Christian sy$7ol of the chi rho %5 & on the :eapons and tunics of his troops and :ent on to :in a 7attle. his vision and his victory in 7attle led to ConstantineGs 7eco$in" the first Ao$an e$peror to e$7race the Christian reli"ion, and to his puttin" an end to the persecution of the Church. hese events $ar+ed the end of the first $ain period of Christianity and $ar+ed the ChurchGs co$in" of a"e. !ecause the pious $onarchs Constantine and his $other Helen spread the Christian faith li+e the Apostles, the Church "ives 7oth saints the title Holy Aulers, ,Cual8to8the8Apostles. he title ,Cual8to8the8Apostles :as "iven as :ell to saints :ho spread the Christian faith in various places: *ary *a"dalene, the first :o$an $artyr hecla, the pious Aussian prince 3ladi$ir, St. >ina, :ho :as the ,nli"htener of .eor"ia, and others. )<. 1ive the understanding you derived from this chapter concerning the position of the bishop in the Church. Christ called the Apostles to e6ercise the hi"hest $inistry in the Church, and the Apostles in turn na$ed 7ishops as their i$$ediate successors and continuers.
32
he ad$inistrative structure of the early Church consisted of a 7ishop of a particular city and the floc+ he "overned. Bres7yters %priests& and deacons assisted the 7ishop in a threefold $inistry, a pattern that 7eca$e :idely esta7lished 7y the end of the first century. !ishops have the hi"hest ran+ in the Church, and they therefore receive the hi"hest de"ree of "race. St. ("natius of Antioch sa: the 7ishop of the Church as presidin" as the visi7le representative of Christ, Who is the Head of the Church. He also sa: the 7ishopGs pri$ary tas+ as that of cele7ratin" the ,ucharist. his teachin" occupies a per$anent place in the tradition of the Church. St. ("natius sa: the 7ishop as the center of unity in the local co$$unity. 4or ("natius, the local co$$unity J that is, the 7ishop surrounded 7y his floc+, is the Church. his concept of the central i$portance of the local co$$unity %7ishop and floc+& is e$phasi#ed in 5rthodo6y. he 5rthodo6 Church is a conciliar Church in :hich 7ishops consult :ith one another in Councils in order to achieve a co$$on $ind under the influence of the Holy Spirit. And, as noted in the introduction and this chapter, the 5rthodo6 Church is the only Church in Christendo$ that has an uninterrupted succession of 7ishops "oin" all the :ay 7ac+ to the Apostles.
%A $ore co$plete develop$ent on the position of the 7ishop in the Church :ill 7e "iven in chapter ten&. )>. %hat 5uestions did this chapter raise in your mind and then leave unanswered* he Council of Derusale$ asse$7led the leaders of the Church and its decisions :ere su7seCuently approved 7y the entire Church in all places and ti$es. Why is the Council of Derusale$ not considered the first of the ,cu$enical CouncilsE =BrofessorGs addendu$: he Apostolic Council :as not ecu$enical, 7ut :as local in nature. he Church had not yet reached the ec#mene 7ut :as essentially Balestinian %in a 7road sense&. (t see$s that no one 7ut De:ish %Balestinian& Christians actually participated in the Council, and only Da$es, the 7ishop of Derusale$, had an actual see. !ecause it consisted of the Apostles, it is "iven a hi"her callin" than a local council and is called the Apostolic Council@.
2. #y%antiu& and the Church of the Seven Councils.

1. %hat is meant by the term the Church of the Seven Councils* he Church of the Seven Councils is another na$e for the 5rthodo6 Church. his title e$phasi#es the i$$ense i$portance that 5rthodo6y attaches to the 6even +cumenical Councils, those "iant foundations of the Christian faith. As Dohn ((, *etropolitan of Aussia 33
%1010812& stated, ;All profess that there are seven holy and ,cu$enical Councils, and these are the seven pillars of faith of the 0ivine Word on :hich He erected His holy $ansion, the Catholic =i.e., Hniversal@ and ,cu$enical Church.< ". %hat is necessary in order for a council to be canonical* o 7e canonical, a council $ust 7e accepted and certified 7y the local Churches and 7y a su7seCuent "eneral council. #. %hat is necessary in order for a council to be ecumenical* An ,cu$enical Council starts out as a "eneral council J that is, a council in :hich all 5rthodo6 7ishops of all 5rthodo6 co$$unities "ather to solve pro7le$s pressin" to the entire Church. When the decisions reached in such a council are accepted 7y the entire Church in all places and ti$es, and :hen the decisions are certified 7y a su7seCuent "eneral council, the council is then ter$ed ec#menical1 4. %hat is meant by the e'pression the conscience of the Church* he conscience of the Church is the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 3. %hat age! according to the te'tbook! ended with the con of Constantine* he te6t7oo+ states that ConstantineGs conversion 7rou"ht an end to the a"e of $artyrs. his e$perorGs reco"nition of Christianity stands as a :atershed in the history of the Church, for under hi$, Christianity received le"al status in the Ao$an ,$pire, and this develop$ent supported the spread of Christianity throu"hout the Ao$an :orld. Hnder Constantine, the Church of the cataco$7s 7eca$e the Church of the ,$pire. Ho:ever, :hile ConstantineGs conversion did 7rin" a7out a radical transfor$ation in the relations 7et:een the Christian Church and the Ao$an state %and 5rthodo6 Christianity J not Ao$an Catholicis$ J :as the Church of the Ao$an ,$pire and of the +no:n earth&, the age of martyrs did not end in the fourth century . Since that ti$e, $illions of $artyrs have 7een tor$ented and +illed for the truth of ChristGs Holy Church, and 5rthodo6 Christianity has 7een persecuted unendin"ly. As noted in the previous chapter, one can cite any nu$7er of lar"e8scale $artyrdo$s throu"hout Church historyN the one precedin" ConstantineGs rei"n :as 7ut one. (n fact, after !y#antiu$, under the 7oot of the ur+s, the Hnia, and finally Co$$unis$, 5rthodo6y suffered near8continual $artyrdo$ and :as lar"ely ta+en up :ith $atters of si$ple survival. Such is the 5rthodo6 Church J crucified, yet havin" the "lory of the Aesurrected ChristN poor, yet havin" :ithin a priceless treasure. -. %hat transition in the e'ternal life of the Church occurred at this timeE (n the early days of Christianity, in order to :orship .od, Christians had to leave the city at ni"ht and "o into caves. ,ven there, ho:ever, they :ere not safe. When they :ere discovered, the authorities :ould 7loc+ the caveGs entrance and :ould collect 7rush and set it on fire, there7y +illin" those inside. (n addition to le"ali#in" Christianity, Constantine $oved the seat of the e$pire east:ard fro$ (taly to the shores of the !osphorus, callin" this city >ea Ao$i %>e: Ao$e&, althou"h people referred to it as ConstantineMs City, or Constantinople. 4ro$ the $o$ent that the Christian ,$pire :as esta7lished, the center of the :orldMs life :as shifted fro$ ancient Ao$e to Constantinople, the latter of :hich 7eca$e the sy$7olic center of Christianity. 5ld Ao$e thus 3'
Foined Constantinople, >e: Ao$e, the for$er city of !y#antiu$, and a pri$acy of honor, one that :as reco"ni#ed 7y the Second ,cu$enical Council, ca$e to 7e shared 7y these t:o "reat capitals. :o .ree+ hierarchs e6plain the purpose of the Ao$an ,$pire, and they "ive a hi"hly refined assess$ent of the first Christian e$peror, a vie: that is sadly lac+in" in Western accounts, particularly in the historio"raphies of the Brotestant :orld. hey e6plain that: 4or the !y#antine, the e$pire, as the structure into :hich the Church :as inte"rated, :as not a po:er that, 7ecause of increasin" stren"th and nu$7ers in Christianity, had capitulated to this ne: force. (t e6isted for the very purpose of acco$$odatin" the Christian Church. hus the ,$peror Constantine :as "enuinely enli"htened fro$ :ithin to favor the Christian reli"ion, havin" 7een convinced of its po:er 7y a $iraculous i$a"e of the Holy Cross that pro$ised hi$ victory in 7attle. His participation in the theolo"ical de7ates and dialo"ues that helped safe"uard and standardi#e the Christian 7eliefs and traditions :hich had reached his a"e fro$ the ti$e of the Apostles :as, therefore, not J as prevailin" historical theories :ould have it J an atte$pt to s:ay the Christian Church to:ards a theolo"y of his li+in". His participation "re: out of his internal +no:led"e and acceptance of the divinely ordained role of the Ao$an ,$pire in the spreadin" of Christianity. (t :as not a life of piety or a $artyric confession of Christianity that ulti$ately $a+es the ,$peror Constantine :hat he is. His si$ple ac+no:led"e$ent of his role and the role of the e$pire in the Christian sche$e $ade hi$ a saint, an ,Cual8to8 the8Apostles J the hu$an throu"h :ho$ the divine $ission of Christianity :as $ade $anifest =Arch7ishop Chrysosto$os of ,tna and !ishop Au6entios of Bhoti+i, The Roman West and the .y&antine )ast, p. 22@. (t is i$portant to pause on St. Constantine, for a co$$on Brotestant $isconception of Church history is that the Church fell into apostasy fro$ the ti$e of Constantine to the Aefor$ation. A for$er Brotestant $inister :ho converted to 5rthodo6y, 4r. Dohn Whiteford, co$$ents that in reply, it can 7e stated that had the Church ceased for even one day, then the "ates of hell :ould have prevailed a"ainst it on that day, so$ethin" contrary to ChristGs pro$ise %*t 1-:11&. *oreover, the sa$e author continues, if the Church did indeed cease for a period of ti$e, ...:hen Christ descri7ed the "ro:th of the Church in His para7le of the $ustard seed %*t 13:31812&, He should have spo+en of a plant that started to "ro: 7ut :as sCuashed, and in its place a ne: seed sprouted later on. (nstead, He used the i$a"ery of a $ustard seed that 7e"ins s$all, 7ut steadily "ro:s into the lar"est of "arden plants = ,ola ,cript#ra- an !rthodox Analysis of the Cornerstone of Reformation Theology, p. 12@. hat the Church did not cease to e6ist at the ti$e of Constantine is also sho:n to 7e false inas$uch as Christ is the Head of the Church %,ph. ':1)81-&, the Church is His !ody %,ph. 1:228 23&, and 7ecause Christ pro$ised to 7e :ith the Church ;even unto the end of the :orld< %*t 21:20&. 4r. Dohn points out that Christ did not pro$ise that His Church :ould 7e prosperous or the $ost nu$erous of reli"ionsN in fact, He pro$ised the opposite %*t /:1381', 10:22N Dn 1):20&. >either did Christ pro$ise that there :ould 7e no sinners in the Church %*t 13:'/8)0&, or that it :ould not have to contend :ith false shepherds or :olves in sheepGs clothin" %Dn 10:1,12,13&. Christ did pro$ise, ho:ever, an a7idin" and ulti$ately triu$phant Church that :ould have His 3)
a7idin" presence and that :ould 7e "uided into all ruth 7y the Holy Spirit %Dn 1-:13&. (f the Church had indeed fallen into apostasy fro$ the ti$e of Constantine to the Aefor$ation, then these and $any other scriptural passa"es :ould 7e rendered $eanin"less, 4r. Dohn concludes. >o: that the Church :as out of the cataco$7s, churches 7e"an to 7e 7uilt a7ove "round. So$e of the first churches constructed :ere over the holy sites in Balestine :here Christ had lived. he ,$peror Constantine and the ,$press Helen, his $other, 7uilt a $assive church in honor of the Aesurrection of Christ, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. hey also 7uilt churches on the *ount of 5lives in !ethlehe$, and in He7ron at the 5a+ of *a$re. 9ater, in the si6th century, St. CatherineGs *onastery :as 7uilt on *ount Sinai over the site of the 7urnin" 7ush, near the place :here *oses received the en Co$$and$ents. *ost of these 7uildin"s serve to this day as 5rthodo6 churches and $onasteries. Also durin" this ne: ti$e of freedo$ and rest for the Church, the ,$peror Constantine called a Council of 7ishops to "ather fro$ the four corners of the :orld. *odeled after the Council in the ti$e of the Apostles, it :as the first of seven ,cu$enical Councils in the history of the Church. his 4irst ,cu$enical Council held at >icaea, as :ell as the Second ,cu$enical Council of Constantinople, articulated the Creed of Christianity, the >icaeo8Constantinopolitan Sy$7ol of 4aith, or >icene Creed %also called the Creed&, so that there :ould 7e one confession of the faith and not different interpretations. his Creed %;( 7elieve in 5ne .od...<& is a concise su$$ary of all the truths of the Christian faith, and it is sun" at every 0ivine 9itur"y and recited in several other places in the daily services of the 5rthodo6 Church. he ,cu$enical Councils the$selves ac+no:led"e the Creed as 7ein" pri$ary and funda$ental a$on" all the doctrinal decrees of the Councils, and they for7ade any chan"es :hatsoever in it, not only in its ideas, 7ut also in its :ords, either 7y addition or su7traction. Whoever does not accept the truths of the Creed is not an 5rthodo6 Christian. his ne: period li+e:ise 7eca$e a ti$e to articulate the 7eliefs of the faith and to choose the 7oo+s that :ould co$prise the standard of Scripture. !efore the 4irst ,cu$enical Council, there :as no universally accepted >e: esta$ent canon of Scripture, and thus no !i7le. here :ere accounts of ChristGs life 7y the four ,van"elists, and $any epistles fro$ several of the Apostles such as Baul and Beter. here :ere also the letters and :ritin"s of the disciples of the Apostles such as Saints ("natius, Cle$ent, 0ionysius and others. 5ne of the persons instru$ental in the 4irst ,cu$enical Council :as St. Athanasius of Ale6andria, :ho is responsi7le for the canon of the >e: esta$ent Scriptures that :e have today. Christianity 7e"an to flourish once the Church ca$e a7ove "round. he ne: freedo$ allo:ed the perfection of litur"ical $usic %chant& and the refine$ent of reli"ious art %icono"raphy&, and Christian literature proliferated. (n short, the Church 7eca$e the center of every aspect of life. <. %hat was the +dict of =ilan in #)# A8* he ,dict of *ilan, issued 7y Constantine and his fello: e$peror 9icinius in 313 A0, officially proclai$ed the toleration of the Christian faith. Christians :ere no lon"er re"arded as reli"ious and political cri$inals in the Ao$an ,$pire. >. -o what limits did Constantine carry his toleration of the Christian Church* Althou"h Constantine initially sho:ed no $ore than toleration of the Christian faith, he soon ca$e to favor it a7ove all the other tolerated reli"ions of the e$pire.
3-
?. +mperor -heodosius carried this toleration to its final conclusion with what act* he e$peror enacted le"islation that $ade Christianity the only reco"ni#ed reli"ion of the e$pire. ;?our faith is the victory :hich defeats the :orld< %1 Dn ):'&, the Holy Apostle and ,van"elist Dohn :rote in the first century, and no: his :ords :ere fulfilled. )$. %hat two further conse5uences of ConstantineCs con occurred during his lifetime! which were to affect the later developments of the Christian world* Constantine created >e: Ao$e, Constantinople, out of $otives that :ere in part econo$ic and political, 7ut :hich :ere also reli"ious: 5ld Ao$e :as too deeply stained :ith pa"an associations to 7e the center of the Christiani#ed Ao$an ,$pire. He also su$$oned the first .eneral Council of the Christian Church. )). 1ive at least one effect which the movement of the capital to the +ast had. An i$portant effect of $ovin" the capital to the ,ast :as that the seat of the ne: Christian ,$pire :as ta+en a:ay fro$ the heathen associations of 5ld Ao$e. >o pa"an rites :ere ever to 7e perfor$ed in the >e: Ao$e. )". %hat was the primary purpose for which Constantine called together the first 1eneral Council* he te6t7oo+ for this course notes that Constantine :anted the Ao$an ,$pire to 7e a Christian e$pire 7ased upon the 5rthodo6 faith. o this end, he convened the >icene Council to clarify and ela7orate the funda$ental doctrines of Christianity. *ore specifically, the 4irst ,cu$enical Council :as convo+ed a"ainst the false teachin" of Arius, :hich denied the truth that ;in Hi$ =Christ@ d:elleth all the fullness of the .odhead 7odily< %Col 2:2&. his Council anathe$ati#ed 7oth the Arian heresy that distur7ed the :hole Christian :orld, and Arius, the corrupter of faith. (t also anathe$ati#ed those :ho $aintained that there :as a ti$e :hen the Son of .od did not e6ist, and those :ho $aintained that He :as created or that He is of a different essence fro$ .od the 4ather. While Arius falsely tau"ht that the Son of .od :as not the Creator 7ut :as a created 7ein", the 4irst ,cu$enical Council affir$ed that the 6on of 1od is of the same nature as 1od the Father. he 4irst ,cu$enical Council also co$posed the ChurchGs Sy$7ol of 4aith, the Creed, :hich :as confir$ed and co$pleted later at the Second ,cu$enical Council. he unity and eCuality of the Son of .od :ith .od the 4ather :as e6pressed in this Creed 7y the :ords: ; of one essence with the Father.< Concernin" .od the 4atherGs 5nly8!e"otten Son, the ,ternal .od 7efore the A"es, Desus Christ, Hiero$on+ 0a$ascene Christensen e6plains that 7y $eans of the ter$ begotten in ChristGs :ords and in the Creed, the e6istence of the Son is sho:n to 7e a7ove any +ind of creatureliness, a7ove so$ethin" created. An e6istence :hich co$es fro$ the essence of God can only 7e divine and eternal. hat :hich is 7e"otten is al:ays of the sa$e essence as that :hich 7e"ets. Ho:ever, that :hich is created and $ade is of another, lo:er essence, and it is e6ternal :ith relation to the Creator. he sa$e :riter "oes on to e6plain that the Son :as 7e"otten 7efore the creation of Heaven and earth. Created thin"s are $ade at a certain ti$e, 7ut the Son, co$in" directly fro$ the essence of the 4ather, :as 7e"otten outside ti$e, in eternity. (n other :ords, there :as a ti$e :hen created thin"s did not e6ist, 7ut there :as never a ti$e :hen the 5nly8!e"otten Son did not e6ist. 3/
4r. 0a$ascene also states that Christ Hi$self referred to His eternal begetting :hen He called Hi$self ;the &nly(9egotten 6on of 1od< %Dn 3:11&, and He spo+e of His eternal e6istence :hen He said: ;!efore A7raha$ :as, 2 am,< and, ;4ather... ?ou loved *e 7efore the foundation of the :orld< %Dn 1:)1N 1':2'&. )#. %hat aim inspired the discussion at the Councils* he Councils :ere inspired 7y the purpose of $anGs salvation. )4. %hat were the Councils mainly concerned with safeguarding* he Councils :ere concerned :ith safe"uardin" the $essa"e of rede$ption, the central $essa"e of the 5rthodo6 faith. As Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y :rites: ;4ro$ the first days of her e6istence, the Holy Church of Christ has ceaselessly 7een concerned that her children, her $e$7ers, should stand fir$ in the pure truth.< = !rthodox "ogmatic Theology, p. 22.@ With this purpose in $ind, the Councils defended the ancient teachin" of the Church a"ainst the false teachin"s of the heretics. he prefatory notes to this theolo"y course additionally e6plain that: his chapter concerns the Councils throu"h :hich the Holy Spirit delivered to us the understandin" of the .ospel $essa"e and the orderin" of the life of the Church. 5f course, the $eanin" of the teachin"s of Christ and the Apostles :as :ell understood :ithin the Church 7efore the Councils, 7ut the e6planations of the$ had never 7een set forth in clearly :ritten for$ for the "uidance of all $an+ind. ,ssentially, the Councils $et to discuss and "ive a correct interpretation of Scripture in the face of so$e self8 :illed, private interpretations :hich had 7een 7uilt into dan"erous heresies, often havin" 7een $i6ed :ith pa"an philosophies. he Councils of the 7ishops of the :hole Church :ere called, and the Holy Spirit "uided the$ as a :hole in correctly settin" forth the true $eanin" of the .ospel $essa"e. )3. -here are two types of Councils within the Church. %hat are they called* 4ro$ profound Christian antiCuity, local councils of separate 5rthodo6 Churches "athered t:ice a year, in accordance :ith the hirty8Seventh Canon of the Holy Apostles. his canon states: ;9et there 7e a $eetin" of the 7ishops t:ice a year, and let the$ e6a$ine a$on" the$selves the decrees concernin" reli"ion and settle the ecclesiastical controversies :hich $ay have occurred....< =,erd$ans ,even )c#menical Co#ncils, p. )2-@. 9ocal councils :ere attended 7y all the 7ishops of a particular province of the Ao$an ,$pire. hese councils :ould ordinarily convene in a provincial capital and :ould 7e presided over 7y the 7ishop of the capital, the $etropolitan. hese asse$7lies, as the canon states, had as their purpose the 7ishopsG "ivin" their opinions on pro7le$s that arose J that is, local pro7le$s. %Althou"h not $entioned in the te6t7oo+, Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y notes that often in the history of the Church there :ere also councils of re"ional 7ishops representin" a :ider area than individual Churches&. he te6t7oo+ "oes on to list general councils in :hich 7ishops fro$ the :hole 5rthodo6 Church, 7oth ,ast and West, "athered in order to reach a co$$on $ind :ith re"ard to pro7le$s pressin" to the entire Church. (ncluded in these "eneral councils are the ,cu$enical Councils. he sa$e 4r. *ichael e6plains that :hen the decisions reached in "eneral councils are approved and accepted into the radition of the Church 7y the confir$ation of the 7ishops at a su7seCuent "eneral council, the councils then received the title !i$o#men$ie ,ynodos %,cu$enical Synods&, 31
fro$ oi$o#meni$os, $eanin" fro$ all the inha7ited earth J that is, the land :hich 7elon"ed to the .raeco8Ao$an civili#ation. );. %hat does the author of the te'tbook mean by saying that these Councils fulfilled a double task* he te6t7oo+ introduces the discussion of the ,cu$enical Councils :ith the popular J thou"h erroneo#s J idea that these Councils ;defined once and for all the ChurchGs teachin" upon the funda$ental teachin"s of the Christian faith< %e$phasis added&. Actually, as Brotopres7yter .eor"es 3asilievich 4lorovs+y e6plains, the ,cu$enical Councils defended :hat the Church has al:ays +no:n to 7e the truth =.ible' Ch#rch' Tradition- an )astern !rthodox 0iew' vol1 6 of The Collected Wor$s of Georges 3lorovs$y, pp. 2-82/@. (n addition, the Councils :or+ed out the ChurchGs visi7le or"ani#ation. he local Churches :ere placed under the Furisdiction of ecclesiastical provinces, and the position of the five Batriarchates :as defined. )<. 8id the bishops e'plain the mysteries of 1od (that is! the -rinity! the 2ncarnation! etc.7 at the Council* he 7ishops did not e6plain and never i$a"ined they had e6plained the $ysteries of .odN they $erely dre: a fence around the$. hat is, they e6cluded certain false ideas a7out the$ so that people :ould not fall into error and heresy. Such is apophatic or ne"ative theolo"y. While cataphatic or positive theolo"y proceeds 7y affir$ations, apophatic theolo"y proceeds 7y ne"ations. *etropolitan Hierotheos of >afpa+tos e6plains that the Holy 4athers used apophatic lan"ua"e to de$onstrate the incapa7ility of the $ind to understand and e6press .od, and that they transcended philosophy 7y $eans of apophatic theolo"y and apophatic e6pressions. St. .re"ory the heolo"ian %O320&, for e6a$ple, says: ;(t is i$possi7le to e6press .od and even $ore i$possi7le to conceive Hi$.< As Hiero$on+ 0a$ascene Christensen "oes on to add, St. *a6i$us the Confessor %O--2& states in his %ystagogy that :e can use 7oth affir$ative and ne"ative e6pression a7out .od. !y the first, His e6istence is affir$ed, and 7y the second, His transcendence is sho:n in relation to His created :or+s. Ho:ever, as St. *a6i$us also states, the 7ein" of .od is si$ple, un+no:a7le and inaccessi7le to $an and alto"ether i$possi7le to interpret, 7ecause it is 7eyond all affir$ation or ne"ation. 4r. 0a$ascene continues, notin" that the ancient Christian :riters say that althou"h :e can apply to .od such ter$s as ,ssence, !ein", *ind or hou"ht, :e have to understand that ulti$ately, .od is 7eyond all these. he e6pression of St. Dohn of 0a$ascus %O/)0& is characteristic: All that :e can say affir$atively a7out .od does not sho: His essence, 7ut only :hat relates to His essence. And if you should ever spea+ of "ood, or Fustice, or :isdo$, or so$ethin" else of the sort, you are not descri7in" the essence of .od, 7ut only thin"s relatin" to His essence =!rthodox 3aith, p. 1/2@. he sa$e Holy 4ather also :rites that:
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he 0ivinity, then, is li$itless and inco$prehensi7le, and His li$itlessness and inco$prehensi7ility are all that can 7e understood a7out Hi$. All that :e state affir$atively a7out .od does not sho: His nature, 7ut only :hat relates to His nature. 4r. 0a$ascene e6plains that 7ecause the $ystery of the Holy rinity has to do :ith the essence of .od, it is ulti$ately inco$prehensi7le not only to hu$an 7ein"s, 7ut to an"els as :ell. St. .re"ory the heolo"ian says that it :ould 7e i$possi7le to spea+ of .odGs essence, ... even if you :ere a *oses... to Bharaoh, even if you :ere cau"ht up li+e Baul to the third Heaven and heard unspea+a7le :ords, even if you :ere raised a7ove the$ 7oth and e6alted to an"elic or archan"elic place and di"nity. 4or thou"h a thin" 7e all heavenly, or a7ove Heaven, and far hi"her in nature and nearer to .od than :e, yet it is farther distant fro$ .od, and fro$ the co$plete co$prehension of His essence, than it is lifted a7ove our co$ple6 and lo:ly and earthly8sin+in" co$position =,econd Theological !ration, p. 212@. )>. How can man break down the wall of sin which separates him from 1od* 5f his o:n efforts, $an cannot 7rea+ do:n this separation. )?. %hat is the central message of the &rthodo' Christian faith* *etropolitan Hierotheos of >afpa+tos $a+es this $atter clear and understanda7le 7y "ivin" so$e needed preli$inary infor$ation. He states that no:here in Holy Scriptures does it appear that .od is reconciled :ith $en, 7ut that Christ reconciles $an to .od. *oreover, the $etropolitan notes, it appears in the :hole of patristic radition that .od is never opposed to $an, 7ut $an opposed hi$self to .od 7y havin" no co$$union or participation :ith Hi$. hus, $an $a+es .od his ene$y, 7ut .od does not $a+e $an His ene$y. hrou"h the sin :hich he co$$its, $an sees .od in an an"ry and hostile :ay. 5rthodo6 ChristianityGs central $essa"e is that .od the Son has ta+en the initiative in 7rea+in" do:n the :all of separation that $anGs sinfulness created 7et:een .od and $an. he hu$an race fro$ the start had fallen a:ay fro$ the divine life 7y e$7racin" sin, and it had fallen under the po:er of death. Ho:ever, so$e t:o thousand years a"o, in an act of self8e$ptyin" and a7ase$ent, .od the Son directly intervened in hu$an history 7y 7eco$in" incarnate. !y His (ncarnation, death on the Cross and Aesurrection fro$ death, Christ destroyed the po:er that death had over $an+ind. hrou"h His teachin" and His :hole savin" :or+, Christ reconciled to .od a hu$anity that had "ro:n distant fro$ .od and enslaved in sins, and He a7olished the authority that the devil had acCuired over $en. !y 7rid"in" the a7yss that separates $en fro$ .od, and throu"h the union of $an and .od in His o:n Berson, Christ opened the :ay to eternal life in Heaven for all :ho :ould accept it J that is, He ena7led people to find eternal life and happiness :ith Hi$. (n connection :ith this $essa"e, >icholas Ca7asilas, the "reat !y#antine theolo"ian of the fourteenth century, $a+es these additional co$$ents: hou"h $en :ere triply separated fro$ .od J 7y nature, 7y sin and 7y death J yet the Saviour $ade the$ to attain to Hi$ perfectly and to 7e i$$ediately united to Hi$ 7y successively re$ovin" all o7stacles. he first 7arrier He re$oved 7y parta+in" of $anhood, the second 7y 7ein" put to death on the Cross. As for the final 7arrier, the '0
tyranny of death, He eli$inated it co$pletely fro$ our nature 7y risin" a"ain = The Life in Christ, p. 10-@. Concernin" the -heanthropos (1od(=an7 Christ and His a7ility to save people, He is the /re( +ternal 1od %Dn 1:183&. He is consubstantial %of one essence, one nature& with the Dn( &riginate Father, and He is e5ual with the Father in authority and honor %Dn ):1/82'&. Christ is the &nly(9egotten 6on of the Father %Dn 3:1-&, He is the Almighty 0ogos of the Father, and He is the 0ord of All %Bhil 2:2811&. "$. %hy are heresies considered dangerous* he doctrinal teachin" of ChristGs Church :as co$posed and ratified 7y the Seven ,cu$enical Councils. hese Councils, representin" the voice of the :hole Church, represent the voice of ruth, for the Church is ;the pillar and "round of the ruth< %1 i$ 3:1)&, and the Church as a :hole cannot err. (f the :hole Church :ere to fall into error, it :ould $ean that the "ates of hell had prevailed a"ainst it, so$ethin" Christ pro$ised could not happen %*t 1-:11&. (n order to enter into co$$union :ith .od and 7e saved %and the "oal of our life is the attain$ent of eternal 7lessedness&, :e $ust co$e to +no: .od in so$e $easure. ; his is life eternal, that they $i"ht +no: hee, the only true .od, and Desus Christ, Who$ hou hast sent< %Dn 1/:3&. .od is ruth %Dn 1':-&, and one $ust :orship Hi$ ;in spirit and in truth< %Dn ':2382'&. ,very falsehood is contrary to truth, and a person :ho has a :ron" understandin" a7out .od does not +no: Hi$. he acceptance of a false teachin" a7out .od also deprives people of oneness of $ind :ith other Christians and causes a spiritual separation fro$ the$. 57edience to the Church reCuires that :e hold the true do"$as, li+e other Christians. (f a person is diso7edient 7y holdin" false 7eliefs, he is separated fro$ the Church and fro$ Christ Hi$self, Who is its Head. As Christ said, ;(f a $an ne"lect to hear the Church, let hi$ 7e unto thee as a heathen and a pu7lican< %*t 11:1/&. *oreover, :ith the acceptance of falsehood, a person is unnoticea7ly led into su7Fection 7y the devil, :ho is falsehood and the father of lies %Dn 1:''&. A stu77orn persistence in falsehood ulti$ately $a+es people its slave, and if they re$ain stu77orn and unrepentant, they are deprived of eternal salvation. herefore, in Cuestions of doctrine, the i$portance of holdin" the ChurchGs correct teachin"s, and the dan"er of acceptin" the false teachin"s of heretics, :ere so "reat that there are countless e6a$ples of true Christians :ho preferred e6ile, cruel torture and death, rather than renouncin" the ChurchGs ruth throu"h the acceptance of so$e +ind of false teachin". he :ord heresy co$es fro$ the .ree+ hairo#mai, to choose. A heretic is one :ho chooses his o:n 7eliefs over the ChurchGs divinely revealed ruth. Heresies are dan"erous and reCuire conde$nation 7ecause they deny 1od's revelation, and throu"h the use of philosophy and conFecture, they use the words of the Holy 6pirit against the Holy 6pirit. -his human reason misled by the devil is deadly . As 4r. Kyril Uaits e6plains in this connection, the pri$ordial ene$y, the devil, does not lead people astray 7y presentin" the$ :ith "rossly 7latant falsehoods or :ith an initial reFection of Christianity. (nstead, he 7e"ins :ith a shred of truth, la7els it ;Christian,< and then, attractin" their attention, presents the$ :ith Fust enou"h truth to entice the$ to follo: hi$. After:ards, 7y ever graduating degrees, the devil introduces open falsehoods :hile nurturin" the pride :hich leads deceived people to create their o:n false teaching. As 4r. Baul 3ol$ens+y "oes on to add, if ri"ht 7elief saves a $an, then dis7elief is the lethal :eapon of the devil. He spreads his deadly poison throu"h heresies and $oral depravity, fa7ricatin" lies :ith utter cunnin", al$ost indo$ita7le, psycholo"y. he devil '1
has continuously :a"ed :ar a"ainst ChristGs Church throu"h this $eans, throu"h heresies. He especially used the$, thou"h, after he :as una7le to defeat Christianity fro$ :ithout, fro$ persecution on the part of the pa"an Ao$an authorities. All heresies t:ist the truth of the revelation of the Church and i$pair the teachin" of the >e: esta$ent, and all of the$ distort ecclesiolo"y. Since the Church is the !ody of Christ %,ph. 1:22823&, every alteration in the teachin" a7out Christ, a7out the Holy Spirit, a7out the :ay of $anGs salvation, also has ecclesiastical conseCuences. he 7lasphe$ous :isdo$ of heresies causes "reat da$a"e for the Christian :orld 7ecause fallin" into heresy separates people fro$ .od, it severs the$ fro$ the Holy Church, and it has 7een the reason for spiritual and $oral falls. *oreover, as *etropolitan Hierotheos of >afpa+tos e6plains, heresies reverse the :ay of $anGs cure for reachin" deification, and they setup a barrier 7et:een $an and .od, leavin" people permanently without a cure! without hope of cure or salvation . And ulti$ately, heresies cause the eternal death of the souls of those :ho follo: heretics. (n his 7oo+ The River of 3ire, 0r. Ale6ander Kalo$iros poses the Cuestions, What :as the instru$ent of the devilGs slanderin" .odE What $eans did the devil use in order to convince hu$anity, in order to pervert hu$an thou"htE he author ans:ers: = he devil@ used theology. He first introduced a sli"ht alteration in theolo"y :hich, once it :as accepted, he $ana"ed to increase $ore and $ore to the de"ree that =Western@ Christianity 7eca$e co$pletely unreco"ni#a7le. his is :hat :e call %estern theology =,$phasis added@. 0r. Kalo$iros correctly discerns that %estern theology's ;principal characteristic is that it considers 1od as the real cause of evil.< He notes that ;Catholics and $ost Brotestants consider death as a punish$ent fro$ .od.< He "oes on to state that: So$e Brotestants consider death not as punish$ent 7ut as so$ethin" natural. !ut is not .od the Creator of all natural thin"sE So in 7oth cases, .od J for the$ J is the real cause of death. V...V he ;.od< of the West is an offended and an"ry .od, full of :rath for the diso7edience of $en, Who desires in His destructive passion to torment all humanity into eternity for their sins, unless He received an infinite satisfaction for His offended pride. What is the Western do"$a of salvationE 0id not .od +ill .od in order to satisfy His pride, :hich the Westerners euphe$istically call ,usticeE =,$phasis added@. Western theolo"y concludes that ;salvation... is to 7e saved fro$ the hands of .odW< 0r. Kalo$iros :rites. 4r. .eor"e *acris e6plains that in 5rthodo6 theolo"y, the Cross :as not a necessity i$posed upon .od, nor :as the blood of the 5nly8!e"otten Son a source of satisfaction to .od the 4ather, as the 9atin scholastics teach. he $atter of ;satisfyin" the Fustice of .od< is a phrase no:here to 7e found in Scriptures nor in the :ritin"s of the Holy 4athersN instead, it :as a fabrication of Ansel$ of Canter7ury %c. 1100& that appeared after the 9atin Church severed itself fro$ ChristGs Church in 10)'. his false doctrine :as later developed 7y ho$as ACuinas to 7eco$e the official soteriological doctrine of the 0atin %est.
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,6plainin" ho: $ost Westerners anthropo$orphi#e .od, or proFect sinful Cualities in fallen $en onto .od, 0r. Kalo$iros adds: his Furidical conception of .od, this co$pletely distorted interpretation of .odGs Fustice, :as nothin" else than the pro,ection of human passions on theology. (t :as a return to the pa"an process of humanizing 1od and deifying man. *en are ve6ed and an"ered :hen not ta+en seriously and consider it a hu$iliation :hich only vengeance can re$ove, :hether it is 7y cri$e or 7y duel. his :as the :orldly, passionate conception of Fustice.... Western Christians thou"ht a7out .odGs Fustice in the sa$e :ay alsoN .od, the infinite !ein", :as infinitely insulted 7y Ada$Gs diso7edience. He decided that the "uilt of Ada$Gs diso7edience descended eCually to all His children, and that all :ere to 7e sentenced to death for Ada$Gs sin, :hich they did not co$$it. .odGs Fustice for Westerners operated li+e a vendetta. >ot only the $an :ho insulted you, 7ut also all his fa$ily, $ust die. And :hat :as tra"ic for $en, to the point of helplessness, :as that no $an, not even all hu$anity, could appease .odGs insulted dignity, even if all men in history :ere to 7e sacrificed. .odGs di"nity could 7e saved only if He could punish so$eone of the sa$e di"nity as He. So in order to save 7oth .odGs di"nity and $an+ind, there :as no other solution than the incarnation of His Son, so that a $an of .odly di"nity could 7e sacrificed to save .odGs honor =,$phasis added@. he Western theolo"ical concept of .odGs Fustice is not ChristianN rather it is a pagan concept that $a+es 1od the source of all our misfortunes. Such a Fustice is not Fustice at all, for it punishes people :ho are co$pletely innocent of the sin of their forefathers. 0r. Kalo$iros therefore concludes: What Westerners call Fustice ou"ht rather to 7e called resentment and vengeance of the worst kind. ,ven ChristGs love and sacrifice lose their si"nificance and lo"ic in this schizoid notion of a 1od %ho kills 1od in order to satisfy the so8called Fustice of .od =,$phasis added@. (n his 7oo+ The %ind of the !rthodox Ch#rch, *etropolitan Hierotheos of >afpa+tos li+e:ise "ives a careful and ela7orate e6planation of the Western concept of .od. He :rites that: (t is sinful to ascri7e to .od the characteristic features of fallen man, such as that .od is angry and vengeful and therefore He $ust 7e propitiated and appeased. Such an attitude :ants to $a+e it appear that it is .od Who needs curin" and not $an. !ut this is sacrilegious. he sinful $an :ho is characteri#ed 7y egoism and arrogance is offended. St. Dohn Chrysosto$ says characteristically: ;(t is not He Who is at en$ity, 7ut :eN for 1od is never at enmity.< We cannot say that .od is $anGs ene$y, 7ut that $an, 7y the sin :hich he has co$$itted, has 7eco$e an ene$y of .od. ConseCuently, sin is not an offense to .od, Who $ust 7e cured, 7ut our o:n illness, and therefore :e have need of a cure =p. 1/0N e$phasis added@. he $etropolitan continues:
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!y His sacrifice on the Cross, Christ did not propitiate the 4ather, 7ut He cured the ailing nature of man. And this is said not solely a7out the sacrifice on the Cross, 7ut a7out the :hole :or+ of the divine econo$ia.... (t is blasphemous for us to $aintain that .od the 4ather :ould 7e pleased to have the blood of His 5nly8!e"otten Son. What is unthinkable even on the hu$an level is $uch $ore unthinkable for .od.... St. .re"ory =the heolo"ian@ says that the 4ather neither as+ed nor needed the 7lood of His 5nly8 !e"otten Son. !ut Christ offered it in order to cure $an and to sanctify hi$ =pp. 1/18/2N e$phasis added@. he $etropolitan su$s up his e6planation :ith the notion that: he =9atin@ teachin"... a7out the propitiation of divine Fustice has direct conse5uences in the spiritual life, 7ecause the :hole ascetic effort is to cure 1od and not man, to satisfy .odGs Fustice.... he 9atinsG :hole effort is to:ards ,ustifying themselves! appeasing 1od, and not to:ard their own cure =pp. 1/28/3@. V...V he legalistic view is alien to the 5rthodo6 $ind. When :e thin+ that .od has 7een offended 7y the sin :hich :e co$$it and that :e $ust therefore do everythin" to appease Hi$, :hen our relationship :ith .od is put on a business basis, then :e are livin" in the legalistic spirit =p. 1/)N e$phasis added@. he Western tendency to ascri7e fallen, sinful Cualities to .od is anthropomorphic. (t is a human pro,ection! a human invention . (n no :ay is such a ;.od< the 1od of revelation, the .od Who revealed Hi$self to the prophets, Apostles and 4athers. % hus, $any in the West have not actually thro:n .od out of their lives, for they have never +no:n Hi$. (nstead, they have discarded only the Western ;.od,< a non8e6istent ;.od.<& .iven the utterly disastrous falsehood that Satan en"endered in the 9atino8Brotestant :orld throu"h heresies, the dan"er of false teachin"s is all the $ore o7vious. "). How does 6t. Athanasius sum up the purpose of the 2ncarnation* St. Athanasius states that ;.od 7eca$e $an that :e $i"ht 7eco$e "od.< "". %hat is meant by the doctrine of theosis* he .ree+ 4athers, ta+in" a nu$7er of scriptural passa"es in their literal sense %includin" those cited in 23 7elo:&, spo+e of $anGs deification %theosis in .ree+&. Ar"uin" that if $an is to share in .odGs "lory and 7e ;perfectly one< :ith Hi$, $an $ust 7eco$e deified. hat is, he is to 7eco$e 7y "race :hat .od is 7y nature. Althou"h 5rthodo6 Christians +no: that they do not 7eco$e .od or a part of Hi$ %so$ethin" that is not only 7lasphe$ous heresy, 7ut i$possi7le&, still, .od calls people into inti$ate co$$union :ith Hi$ throu"h participation in the life of His "race, that they $ay 7eco$e children of .od not by nature and begetting %as :ith Christ, the 5nly8!e"otten Son of .od&, 7ut 7y grace and adoption. Beople are not called to the false "lory :hich Satan once sou"ht and :as therefore cast do:n to hell, 7ut to the true ;po:er to 7eco$e sons of .od< %Dn 1:12&, :hich raises the$ to Heaven. Ae"ardin" the literal interpretation noted a7ove, ,lder Cleopa of Ao$ania e6plains that the $ystery of Holy Scripture is understood and e6plained in three :ays. He lists these :ays as: 1& literal, accordin" to the no$inal, "ra$$atical, ver7al and historical $eanin"N 2& alle"orical or ''
$etaphorical, :hich is superior to the for$erN and 3& spiritual. he elder adds that ;accordin" to the 4athers, the si$plest of senses to ali"ht upon is the first $eanin", accordin" to the letter of Scripture, to penetrate :ith discretion to the nature of Scripture reCuires $odest learnin", :hile to e6plain the depth of the $eanin" of Scripture is of the hi"hest spiritual advance$ent and in need of the $ost divine "race< =The Tr#th of !#r 3aith, p. '1@. "#. 1ive two te'ts from the :ew -estament which reveal this doctrine. 5ur 9ord Desus Christ, thou"h He :as rich, yet for your sa+e 7eca$e poor, that you throu"h His poverty $i"ht 7eco$e rich %2 Cor 1:2&. he "lory :hich hou, 4ather, "avest *e ( have "iven to the$, that they $ay 7e perfectly one %Dn 1/:22823&. hus the 9ord states that He has "iven a share of the divine "lory to His Apostles, and He prays that they $ay 7e united to .od. Althou"h not noted in the te6t7oo+, the italici#ed :ords in the follo:in" passa"e also convey the $eanin" of deification: And He Hi$self "ave so$e to 7e Apostles and so$e pastors and teachers, for the eCuippin" of the saints for the :or+ of the $inistry, for the edifyin" of the !ody of Christ, till :e all co$e to the unity of faith of the +no:led"e of the Son of .od, to a perfect $an, to the meas#re of the stat#re of the f#llness of Christ %,ph ':11813&. "4. -hough it is not mentioned in the te'tbook! can you e'plain how this doctrine is presented in the true &rthodo' icon* 9eonid 5uspens+y deals :ith the pheno$enon of theosis in icono"raphy throu"hout his boo$ Theology of the (con. his author states that ;the icon is inti$ately connected :ith the rene:al, the deification of hu$an nature reali#ed in Christ.< 4urther on he e6plains that ;$en :ho have +no:n sanctification 7y e6perience have created i$a"es that correspond to it.< He continues: he icon is an i$a"e not only of a livin" 7ut also a deified prototype. (t does not represent the corrupti7le flesh, destined for deco$position, 7ut transfi"ured flesh, illu$ined 7y "race, the flesh of the :orld to co$e %cf. 1 Cor 1):3)8'-&. (t portrays the divine 7eauty and "lory in $aterial :ays :hich are visi7le to hu$an eyes. he icon is venera7le and holy precisely 7ecause it portrays this deified state of its prototype and 7ears his na$e. Ae"ardin" tr#e icons %also called .y&antine icons&, these are the traditional icons of intense spiritual 7eauty that lead the vie:er fro$ the :orld of $atter to the holy prototypes and to .od. hese icons 7ear the i$press of holiness as a hi"h decree of sanctification is de$anded of the painter8$onastics, :ho prepare for their tas+ :ith fastin" and ascetic endeavors. (n the final analysis, icono"raphy is the outco$e of a holy life, and it is the fruit of a :ay of life. 5ther true icons havin" the i$print of holiness are those not8:rou"ht87y8$enGs8hands that have appeared $iraculously. rue icons are not those of the :orldly, innovative and ostentatious style patterned after Western paintin"s. he $odernistic, Western8style icons are not holy, and it is an infrin"e$ent of Apostolic radition to use the$. his $atter :ill 7e e6a$ined in further depth in chapter four. ')
"3. 2f man is to share in 1od's glory! if he is to be Aperfectly oneB with 1od! to what state would he have to attain* *an :ould have to 7e deified. hat is, he $ust 7eco$e 7y "race :hat .od is 7y nature. ";. 2n order to make theosis possible! what nature would Christ have to possess* Christ $ust 7e J and is J 7oth fully .od and fully $an. he te6t7oo+ "oes on to note that: ,ach heresy in turn under$ined so$e part of this vital affir$ation. ,ither Christ :as $ade less than .od %Arianis$&N or His $anhood :as so divided fro$ His .odhead that He 7eca$e t:o persons instead of one %>estorianis$&N or He :as not presented as truly $an %*onophysitis$, *onothelitis$&. (n response to these four heresies that attac+ed .odGs revelation, the ,cu$enical Councils defended the truth that Christ is fully .od and fully $an. "<. %hy must Christ be truly! fully 1od* 4or theosis to 7e possi7le, Christ $ust 7e fully .od since no one less than .od can save $an. ">. %hy must Christ be truly! fully man* Christ $ust also 7e fully $an so that hu$an 7ein"s can participate in :hat He has done for our race. "?. %hat bridge was formed between 1od and man* he (ncarnate Christ, Who is 7oth .od and $an, is the 7rid"e 7et:een .od and $an. #$. 2n what 6cripture is this bridge or ladder described* he bridge or ladder is descri7ed in St. DohnGs .ospel. ;Hereafter you shall see Heaven open, and the an"els of .od ascendin" and descendin" upon the Son of *an< %Dn 1:)1&. #). %ho else besides angels use this ladder* he hu$an race uses it. #". Dpon what aspect of the doctrine of Christ's nature did the first two +cumenical Councils concentrate* he first t:o ,cu$enical Councils %fourth century& concentrated on ChristGs 0ivinity and that He $ust 7e fully .od, and they for$ulated the doctrine of the Holy rinity. ##. How was this teaching of divine bridge building undermined by a7 Arianism, and b7 =onophysitism and =onothelitism* 5nce the Christian Church proved victorious over the persecution co$in" fro$ witho#t, fro$ the pa"ans, an even "reater dan"er arose fro$ within. hat dan"er :as in the for$ of attac+s fro$ false 7rothers in the Church J that is, fro$ one heresy and schis$ after another. A$on" those heresies :ere Arianis$, *onophysitis$ and *onothelitis$. '-
Arianis$ under$ined the idea of divine 7rid"e 7uildin" in that it falsely tau"ht that the Son :as inferior to the 4ather. (t also falsely placed the Son a$on" created thin"s: a superior creature, it said, yet still a creature. he effect of this heresy :as to render $anGs deification i$possi7le. Conde$nin" Arianis$, the 4irst ,cu$enical Council %32)& ans:ered that only if Christ is truly .od can He unite us to .od, for the :ay to union :ith .od can 7e opened 7y none 7ut .od Hi$self. he Council :ent on to affir$ the truth that Christ is ;of one essence< %homoo#sios& with the Father. He is not a de$i"od or a superior creature, 7ut He is 1od in the same sense that the Father is 1od. *onophysitis$ and *onothelitis$ under$ined the idea of divine 7rid"e 7uildin" fro$ the opposite approach: 7oth struc+ at the fullness of ChristGs hu$anity and held that He :as not truly $an. *onophysitis$ $aintained that in Christ :as a unity of personality, 7ut only one nature. hat is, it considered that ChristGs hu$an nature had 7een a7sor7ed 7y His divine nature. he 4ourth ,cu$enical Council %')1& replied :ith a procla$ation of 7elief in ;one and the sa$e Son, perfect in .odhood and perfect in $anhood, truly .od and truly $an... ac+no:led"ed in two natures unconfusedly, unchan"ea7ly, indivisi7ly, insepara7lyN the difference 7et:een the natures is in no :ay re$oved 7ecause of the union, 7ut rather the peculiar property of each nature is preserved, and 7oth co$7ine in one Berson and in one Hypostasis.< %Concernin" the :ord hypostasis, *etropolitan Hierotheos of >afpa+tos e6plains that it is derived fro$ the .ree+ ver7 $eanin" to stand underneath, and it i$plies sta7ility, the foundation, 7asis, and so forth. (n theolo"ical lan"ua"e, hypostasis $eans being or reality, in contrast to appearance. he $etropolitan "oes on to state that accordin" to St. Dohn of 0a$ascus, hypostasis $eans t:o thin"s: first, e6istence, and secondly, the particular e6istence of each person. hat is to say, a $an is a hypostasis, he has a real e6istence, 7ut also each person has his particular e6istence, the peculiarly characteristic features :hich distin"uish hi$ fro$ other people, other hypostases&. *onothelitis$, a later for$ of *onophysitis$, held that althou"h Christ has t:o natures, He is still a sin"le Berson and thus has only one :ill J na$ely, the divine :ill. he Si6th ,cu$enical Council %-10& conde$ned this false teachin" and replied that if Christ has t:o natures, then He $ust have t:o :ills. After the conde$nation of *onothelitis$ 7y the Si6th Council, this heresy continued and centered at the *onastery of St. *aron in 9e7anon and "re: into the *aronite Church. )00,000 adherents %121)& :orld:ide. Arius is called a fi"hter a"ainst .od and a rin"leader of the heresies. He :as a second Dudas, althou"h he had a :orse end than Dudas, :ho at least died in a secluded place. As Arius :as on his :ay to 7e reconciled to the Church, the 7ishop :ho had to receive hi$ suspected that his repentance :as not "enuine, and he therefore placed the $atter in .odGs hands. hen, :hile Arius :as on his :ay to church, he stepped into a pu7lic latrine, and there he died :hen his 7o:els 7urst fro$ his 7ody. Arianis$ :as 7rou"ht 7ac+ to life in the $odern .od8fi"htin" sect of the DehovahGs Witnesses, :hich also denies ChristGs 0ivinity and openly and consciously attac+s the Holy rinity. (t should co$e as no surprise that the DehovahGs Witnesses are "iven e6tensive financial support fro$ the ene$ies of Christianity. #4. %hat article of the Creed was set forth by the First +cumenical Council* he 4irst ,cu$enical Council proclai$ed in its Creed: ;( 7elieve in... one 0ord @esus Christ! the 6on of 1od! the &nly(9egotten! begotten of the Father before all agesE 0ight of '/
0ight! true 1od of true 1odE begotten! not made N of one essence with the Father .< !ehind these truths stands the one and only .od, the *ost Holy rinity. #3. &utline the understanding which your derived from this section about the +cumenical Councils. he te6t7oo+ notes that the ChurchGs Councils had as their purpose the salvation of man and that the Council is the chief means by which 1od has chosen to guide His flock . Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y adds that: he hi"hest organ of a#thority in the Church, and the hi"hest authority in "eneral, is a co#ncil of bishops: for a local Church it is a council of its local 7ishops, and for the ,cu$enical Church, a council of the 7ishops of the :hole Church = !rthodox "ogmatic Theology, p. 23)@. As noted, an ,cu$enical Council starts out as a "eneral council of 7ishops fro$ all districts :ho asse$7le in order to discuss and decide Cuestions pressin" to the entire Church. St. >i+ode$os the Ha"iorite %O1102& "ives four distin"uishin" $ar+s of an ,cu$enical Council. he first is that it is convened ;7y order, not of the pope nor of such and such a patriarch, 7ut 7y royal orders.< he ,cu$enical Councils :ere convened 7y the Ao$an %!y#antine& e$perors :hen they :anted to $a+e the definition of an ,cu$enical Council a la: of the e$pire for the peace of its citi#ens. he second is that there should 7e a discussion of topics of faith ;and after:ards a decision and a do"$atic definition should 7e pu7lished in each one of the Batriarchates.< he third is that ;the do"$as $ust 7e correct in their 5rthodo6y and in a"ree$ent :ith the 0ivine Scriptures, or the previous ,cu$enical Councils.< o 7e the voice of the Church, a councilGs decisions $ust 7e in har$ony :ith the Scriptures and the precedin" ,cu$enical Councils, and conversely, a council cannot 7e ecu$enical if its decisions are in dishar$ony :ith the Scriptures or the previous ,cu$enical Councils. (f the decisions $eet these standards, they are valid. As St. *a6i$us the Confessor states: ; he ri"ht faith validates the $eetin"s that have ta+en place, and a"ain, the correctness of do"$as Fustifies the $eetin"s.< he fourth is that it $ust have universal reco"nition. All the 5rthodo6 patriarchs and arch7ishops $ust ;a"ree and accept the decisions and canoni#in"s 7y the ,cu$enical Councils, either throu"h their personal presence or throu"h their dele"ates, and in their a7sence, throu"h their letters.< =Puoted in *etropolitan Hierotheos of >afpa+tos, The %ind of the !rthodox Ch#rch, pp. 21)81-@. Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y additionally notes that: he 5rthodo6 Church of Christ is the !ody of Christ, a spiritual organism :hose Head is Christ. (t has a sin"le spirit, a sin"le co$$on faith, a sin"le and co$$on catholic conscio#sness "uided 7y the Holy SpiritN and its reasonin"s are 7ased on the concrete, definite foundations of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Apostolic radition. his catholic consciousness is al:ays :ith the Church, 7ut, in a $ore definite fashion, this consciousness is e6pressed in the ,cu$enical Councils of the Church =5p. cit., p. 3)@. Concernin" :hat the ,cu$enical Councils acco$plished, 4r. *ichael e6plains that they for$ulated precisely and confir$ed a nu$7er of funda$ental truths of the 5rthodo6 Christian faith. Secondly, they defended the ancient teachin" of the Church a"ainst the distortions of heretics. hirdly, they for$ulated nu$erous la:s and rules, or canons, for "overnin" pu7lic and '1
private Christian life, and they reCuired universal and unifor$ o7servance of these canons. 9astly, the ,cu$enical Councils confir$ed the do"$atic decrees of a nu$7er of local councils, and also the do"$atic state$ents co$posed 7y certain 4athers of the Church. 4r. *ichael "ives $ore details, statin" that :hen it happened that councils of 7ishops per$itted heretical vie:s to 7e e6pressed in their decrees, the catholic consciousness of the Church :as distur7ed and :as not pacified until authentic Christian truth :as restored and confir$ed 7y $eans of another council. (n a footnote, it is e6plained that: rue Councils J those :hich e6press 5rthodo6 truth J are accepted 7y the ChurchGs catholic consciousnessN false councils J those :hich teach heresy or reFect so$e aspect of the ChurchGs radition J are reFected 7y the sa$e catholic consciousness. he 5rthodo6 Church is the Church not of co#ncils as such, 7ut only of tr#e co#ncils, inspired 7y the Holy Spirit, :hich confor$ to the ChurchGs catholic consciousness =(7id., p. 3-@. he te6t7oo+ for this course notes that the decisions of a "eneral council are overturned if the Church reFects the$ as heretical. hree instances of such a reFection are "iven: ,phesus %''2&, the (conoclast Council of Hieria %/)'&, and 4lorence %1'31832&. 4r. *ichael e6plains that the ,cu$enical Councils of the Church $ade their do"$atic decrees a& after a careful, thorou"h and co$plete e6a$ination of all those places in Sacred Scripture :hich touch a "iven Cuestion, and 7& thus testifyin" that the ,cu$enical Church has understood the cited passa"es of Sacred Scripture in precisely this :ay. (n this :ay, the decrees of the ,cu$enical Councils concernin" the faith e6press ... the harmony of ,acred ,cript#re and the catholic Tradition of the Ch#rch1 3or this reason these decrees became themselves' in their t#rn' an a#thentic' inviolable' a#thoritative' )c#menical and ,acred Tradition in the Ch#rch' fo#nded #pon the facts of ,acred ,cript#re and Apostolic Tradition =(bid@. Concernin" the ChurchGs Creed, 4r. *ichael $a+es the follo:in" notation: A$on" all the do"$atic decrees of the Councils, the ,cu$enical Councils the$selves ac+no:led"e as pri$ary and funda$ental the >icaeo8Constantinopolitan Sy$7ol of 4aith, and they for7ade any chan"es :hatsoever in it, not only in its ideas, 7ut also in its :ords, either 7y addition or su7traction %decrees of the hird ,cu$enical Council, repeated 7y the 4ourth, 4ifth, Si6th and Seventh Councils& =(7id., p. 3/@. he first part of the Creed :as :ritten at the 4irst ,cu$enical Council, and it e$phasi#ed the $onotheistic centrality of faith. he second half of the Creed, :ritten at the Second ,cu$enical Council, e$phasi#ed the respective roles of each of the Bersons of the Holy rinity. he doctrinal truth proclai$in" the dyophysite nature of the Son, His t:o %dyo' d#o& si$ultaneous natures, :as the :or+ of St. Cyril of Ale6andria %O'''&. Whoever does not accept the truths of the Creed is not an 5rthodo6 Christian. (t should also 7e noted that the &rthodo' Church to this day retains the original te't of the Creed. he Ao$an Catholic Church, on the other hand, uses an altered te't, thus co$in"
'2
under the condemnation of five ,cu$enical Councils that the 9atin Church itself reco"ni#es as divinely inspired. he doctrinal definitions handed do:n 7y the ,cu$enical Councils are infalli7le, and alon" :ith the !i7le, they have a per$anent and irrevoca7le authority. he ,cu$enical Councils cannot 7e revised or corrected, 7ut $ust 7e accepted in their entirety. Archpriest Seraphi$ Slo7ods+oy :rites in this re"ard that: -he decision of an +cumenical Council is the highest earthly authority of the Holy Church of Christ! guided by the Holy 6pirit! as it was stated in the decision of the first Apostolic Council! AFor it seemed good to the Holy 6pirit and to us ...< %Acts 1):21& =The Law of God, p. '2)@. #;. %hat do you feel was the most important point in this section of the te'tbook* he $ost si"nificant point is that dealin" :ith .odGs plan for the salvation of $an+ind. .od the Son too+ the initiative in 7rea+in" do:n the :all of separation that $anGs sinfulness had created 7et:een .od and $an. o this end, He 7eca$e $an, :as crucified, and rose a"ain fro$ the dead, there7y deliverin" hu$anity fro$ the 7onda"e to sin and death. Christ, Who is 7oth fully .od and fully $an, 7eca$e a 7rid"e 7et:een .od and $an, and He invites people to parta+e of His divine life and 7e redee$ed. Another e6tre$ely si"nificant aspect of this section is that dealin" :ith the ,cu$enical Councils. hese Councils are 7ut one $ore si"n of .odGs concern for $an+ind and ChristGs continued fidelity to His Church. Christ did not leave His follo:ers orphans 7ut sent the Holy Spirit to "uide the Church in truth and to protect it a"ainst error and heresy so that $an can attain full salvation. 9astly, so$e very i$portant o7servations that tie in :ith this section of the te6t7oo+ and :ith this period of Church history are "iven 7y 0r. (van Andreyev. he professor :rites that: he appearance of Christ on earth and the spreadin" of historical Christianity roused a"ainst itself the $o7ili#ation of all the forces of hades. (n ans:er to this, Christianity presented to the :orld its self8defense. (t ans:ered persecutions :ith professions of faith and $artyrdo$N heresies, schis$s and false doctrines :ith the ,cu$enical Councils, the doctrines of the Holy 4athers and do"$asN the continual torrent of na""in" criticis$ :ith i$partial apolo"eticsN slander :ith holinessN and the efforts of all the po:ers of hades :ith the Holy Church =!rthodox Apologetic Theology, p. 1-'@.
3. #y%antiu& and the Church of the Seven Councils 'Continuation(.

). %hat aspect of the :icene Creed was developed at the 6econd +cumenical Council* he Second ,cu$enical Council developed the teachin" of the Holy Spirit and affir$ed that the Holy 6pirit is 1od! even as the Father and 6on are 1od . his Council also adopted the >icene Creed, :hich states that the Holy Spirit ;proceeds from the Father! %ho with the Father and 6on together is worshiped and glorified .< As Archpriest 3ladi$ir .linds+y )0
e6plains, the personal attri7ute of the Holy Spirit is such that He proceeds eternally fro$ the 4ather, Fust as the attri7ute of the Son is to 7e 7orn eternally of the 4ather. hat the Holy Spirit is one in essence :ith the other Bersons of the Holy rinity is sho:n in Scriptures: ;.o therefore, and teach all nations, 7apti#in" the$ in the na$e of the 4ather, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit< %*t 21:12&. he "race of the 9ord Desus Christ, and the love of .od, and the co$$union of the Holy Spirit, 7e :ith you all %2 Cor 13:13&. And :ho shall +no: hy thou"ht, e6cept hou "ive :isdo$, and send hy Holy Spirit fro$ a7ove %Wisdo$ of Solo$on 2:1/&. he sa$e 4r. 3ladi$ir also e6plains that: he 5rthodo6 teachin" on the Holy Spirit is inspired 7y Holy Scripture. (t asserts that the Holy Spirit is the hird 9ivin" Berson of the riune .od, distinct fro$ the 4ather and the Son, 7ut is not an anony$ous force of .od, nor si$ply a force created 7y .od. ,specially contradictory to .odGs Word is the reasonin" that the Holy Spirit is si$ply a "race8filled inspiration in the 7eliever =;4unda$entals of the 5rthodo6 Christian 4aith,< !rthodox Life, vol. )1, no. ', 2001, p. 2'@. ". -he author of the te'tbook! as with most %estern writers! confuses 6t. 1regory the -heologian with his father! 6t. 1regory :azianzus. :oting that this error has been made! name the four Holy Fathers who were the most responsible for the definitive work of the 6econd +cumenical Council. hese 4athers :ere Saints Athanasius of Ale6andria %O3/3&, .re"ory the heolo"ian %O320&, !asil the .reat %O3/2& and .re"ory of >yssa %O32)&. #. %hat is the key word in the :icene Creed and what does it mean* he +ey :ord is homoousios, :hich $eans one in essence or substance! consubstantial. St. Athanasius of Ale6andria :or+ed out the full i$plications of this concept :hich e6plains the SonGs relation to the 4ather. Christ is not so$e +ind of superior creature, 7ut He is .od in the very sense that the 4ather is, and He is eCual in po:er to, and in undivided "lory :ith, the 4ather. Christ is ;true 1od of true 1od! begotten not made! one in essence with the Father,< the ChurchGs Creed proclai$s. 4. -he Cappadocian Fathers gave full meaning to what* he te6t7oo+ states that the Cappadocian 4athers preserved a delicate 7alance 7et:een the threeness and oneness of .od and that they "ave a full $eanin" to the classic su$$ary of rinitarian doctrine, three Bersons in one essence. Concernin" this analysis, Hiero$on+ Batapios of ,tna states that the te6t7oo+ presents a typically Western assess$ent of St. Athanasius the .reat and the Cappadocians, accordin" to :hich the for$er e$phasi#ed the ;unity of .od< and the latter ;.odGs threeness.< 4r. Batapios e6plains that: Such a contrast is not inherently $ista+en, as lon" as it is not pressed so far as to i$ply that St. Athanasius did not appreciate the ;threeness< of .od or that the Cappadocians did not $a+e due allo:ance for His ;oneness.< his difference of e$phasis has $ore to do :ith the different heresies that 7oth :ere co$7atin", than it does :ith any lopsidedness in their respective theolo"ies. 5ne should 7e e6tre$ely cautious a7out )1
posin" contrasts of this +ind, :hich all too easily contri7ute to the $isconception that the 4athers :ere so$eho: at odds with each other, rather than $e$7ers of a har$onious chorus =The !rthodox Ch#rch and The !rthodox Way Reviewed, pp. )8-@. 3. %hat position did the pope of .ome formerly hold in the Church* 4irst, it is to 7e noted that the te6t7oo+ for this course is so$e:hat of a $i6ed 7a". While it $ay 7e the 7est introduction to 5rthodo6y currently availa7le in ,n"lish, it is :ritten 7y an author :hose 7ac+"round is An"lican rather than 5rthodo6, and as a result, $any serious theolo"ical errors find their :ay into the 7oo+. A$on" these errors is the authorGs co$pletely un8 5rthodo6 vie: of the papacy and his appallin" and clearly $isleadin" state$ent that the ;5rthodo6 7elieve that a$on" the five patriarchs, a special place 7elon"s to the pope.< Co$$entin" on this co$pletely false assertion, 4r. Batapios as+s: 0o :e 7elieve this no:E ,6cept for so$e fanatical ecu$enists, most certainly not. What =the author@ should have said is that in the first $illenniu$, the ,ast :as prepared to accord so$e +ind of supre$acy of honor, as he hi$self concedes later in the sa$e para"raph, to the patriarch of Ao$e J thou"h not e6clusively so, "iven the position of honor also accorded to Constantinople and the *other Church of Derusale$. Whatever this pri$acy $ay have 7een in the $inds of the ancient 7ishops, it is no: a dead letterN so, indeed, is Ao$eGs very clai$ to Apostolic Succession. = he te6t7oo+@ also su""ests that :e, as 5rthodo6, "rant that ;the holy and Apostolic see of Ao$e... =has@... the ri"ht %under certain conditions& to hear appeals fro$ all parts of Christendo$.< When it :as still 5rthodo6 in its confession of the faith, the Ao$an papacy $ay have played so$e such role. Ho:ever, since it lapsed into heresy, this li$ited spirit#al prerogative J :hatever it $ay have 7een J has 7eco$e utterly null and void =(bid., pp. -8/@. 5rthodo6y has al:ays 7elieved in the e*#ality of all 7ishops as re"ards grace and divine right, no $atter ho: hu$7le or e6alted the city over :hich he presides. 5rthodo6y distin"uishes 7et:een 7ishops only as re"ards honor. Althou"h all 7ishops %includin" patriarchs& are eCual in the 5rthodo6 Church, they do have different ad$inistrative duties and honors that accrue to their ran+. Brior to 10)', :hen 9atin Christianity :as still in co$$union :ith ,astern Christianity, the 7ishop of Ao$e, or pope %$eanin" father&, :as re"arded as prim#s inter pares %the first a$on" eCuals& a$on" the other 7ishops. he 4irst ,cu$enical Council of >icaea in 32) accorded the 7ishop of Ao$e this distinction not 7ecause Ao$e had 7een the seat of the Apostle Beter, 7ut ;on account of her 7ein" the i$perial city< =Canon 21@. (f the position of honor accorded to the pope :as deter$ined not 7y the political 7ut 7y the religio#s si"nificance of the city, the pri$acy of honor :ould 7e reserved for @erusalem, the *other Church of Christendo$. here :ould 7e no dispute in this $atter, for Christ lived in Derusale$, :as crucified there and arose fro$ the dead there. hus, the first a$on" eCuals position :as not a supremacy, 7ut :as instead a preeminence of honor. his pri$acy of honor :as lar"ely of sy$7olic value. (t $eant that in ecu$enical "atherin"s, the 7ishop of Ao$e could, if he :ished, preside over the $eetin"s and hold center place, inas$uch as the hi"hest ran+in" 7ishop :ould preside in Councils 7ut :ould not i$pose authority. Ho:ever, the popes :ere seldo$ present at the ,cu$enical Councils, and no pope ever presided over one of the$. *oreover, the +cumenical Councils
)2
themselves never imagined that the legitimacy of their decisions was to be determined by papal review and approval. here is si$ply no historical date to support such a vie:. 5f further note, the prero"ative of 7ein" first a$on" eCuals :as also "iven to the 7ishop of Constantinople :hen that city 7eca$e the capital of the Ao$an ,$pire. his honor :as 7esto:ed 7y Canon 21 of the 4ourth ,cu$enical Council held at Chalcedon. *oreover, as the :riter *ichael Whelton e6plains, in no place is any hint ever "iven in any canon or 7y any of the 4athers that the 7ishop of Ao$e has ever 7een the prince of the Hniversal Church, or an infalli7le Fud"e of other 7ishops of the other independent and self8"overnin" Churches, or the successor of the Apostle Beter and the vicar of Christ on earth. he sa$e for$er Ao$an Catholic notes that the Church of the Seven ,cu$enical Councils called for an eCuili7riu$ found in Canon 3' of the Apostolic Canons. hese canons date fro$ the first half of the fourth century and $irror the practices of the Bre8>icaean Church. hese canons :ere translated into 9atin 7y 0ionysius ,6i"uus in the late fifth century and :ere :idely accepted in the West. (n the$, the 3'th Canon states that ;... neither let hi$ :ho is the first do anythin" :ithout the consent of all.< -hus! it was entirely clear that no bishop could claim universal ,urisdiction since he could do nothing without the consent of all. Also of note, every self8"overnin" Church, 7oth in the ,ast and West, :as co$pletely independent and self8ad$inistered in the ti$e of the Seven ,cu$enical Councils. Dust as in the ,ast, the 7ishops of Africa, Spain, .aul, !ritain and else:here $ana"ed the affairs of their o:n Churches throu"h their local councils. -he bishop of .ome had no right to interfere with these Churches! and he also was e5ually sub,ect and obedient to the decrees of the councils . Also, on i$portant Cuestions that reCuired the sanction of the Hniversal Church, an appeal :as $ade not to the 7ishop of Ao$e, 7ut to an +cumenical Council! which alone was (and is7 the supreme tribunal in the Dniversal Church . Such :as the ancient constitution of the Church. he 7ishops :ere independent of one another, they o7eyed only the decrees of the councils, and they sat as eCual to one another in the councils. Also, none of the 7ishops laid clai$ to $onarchical ri"hts over the Hniversal Church. 5n those occasions :hen certain a$7itions 7ishops of Ao$e raised e6cessive clai$s to an a7solutis$ not reco"ni#ed in the Church, they :ere duly reproved and re7u+ed. (n short, the bishop of .ome was never accorded any rights or powers over the entire Church. As patriarch of the %est! he had no more authority than that granted to any of the patriarchs in the +ast. he Ao$an Catholic history of the Church is utterly artificial, i"norin" as it does $ore than half of the Christian :orld, the Christian ,ast, fro$ :hich Western Christianity ulti$ately derives. Contrary to the 9atin ChurchGs assertion, the spiritual center of Christianity :as not Ao$e. (n the earliest e6tant copies of the 9itur"y, it is :ritten that: ;We $a+e offerin" for Uion =Derusale$@, the $other of all Churches.< 9i+e:ise, the Second ,cu$enical Council proclai$s that ;Derusale$ is the $other of all Churches.< As for Ao$eGs ar"u$ent that the Christian Church in Ao$e held an actual pri$acy in the Church, rather than a pri$acy of honor, such a notion :ould have struc+ the pri$itive Church as absurd. 4urther$ore, to trace that pri$acy to the Apostle Beter :ould not have see$ed sensi7le to the early Church. Had any +ind of personal pri$acy J aside fro$ that of Christ J e6isted in the Church, it :ould have 7elon"ed to 6t. @ames! the bishop of @erusalem. Ao$an Catholics and 5rthodo6 7oth 7elieve that St. Da$es :as the first 7ishop of Derusale$, 7ut only Ao$e teaches that St. Beter presided over the Council of Derusale$ as a pope. Ho:ever, the facts of Scripture %Acts 1)& clearly refute this idea. Althou"h Beter spo+e at )3
the Council, @ames disa"reed :ith Beter, and it :as @ames :ho su$$ed up the decisions and decided the issue of the catholicity of the Christian $essa"e. @ames :as the center of the Apostolic Council and :as its voice, and it :as to @amesG voice that Beter submitted. here is no indication in Acts 1) that Beter in any :ay presided over the Council. (f Ao$an Catholics :ould read the 7oo+ of Acts, they :ould see for the$selves that the Council of @erusalem was not presided over by 6t. /eter. (n addition, the Apostle /eter himself never asserted any sort of supremacy over the other Apostles. While Beter :as the first to receive the po:er to 7ind and to loose, this po:er :as su7seCuently "iven to all the Apostles %vide *t 1-:1-812 and *t 11:11&. Had any 7ishops dared to arro"ate to the$selves a supre$acy of po:er over the other 7ishops, the bishops of Antioch would have had all the more reasonable claim than .ome of being the see of /eter inas$uch as the Apostle Beter founded the Church of Antioch and :as its first 7ishop 7efore he ever :ent to Ao$e. *oreover, in addition to Antioch, a si#ea7le nu$7er of Churches trace their foundation to the Apostle Beter: Ale6andria, Caesarea in Balestine, ripoli and Corinth. (f one :ere to suppose that the Ao$an Catholics had correctly interpreted *t 1-:11812, and that pri$acy had actually 7een "iven to eter and his s#pposed s#ccessors' the 7ishops of Ao$e, then Ao$eGs pri$acy does not fro$ it since the bishops from all the above Churches founded by /eter would have to lay claim for primacy for themselves! as successors of the AchiefB Apostle . (n such a case, the do"$a of pri$acy :ould 7e reduced to absurdity. As it :as, ho:ever, these other Churches founded 7y Beter did not fall into .ome's deception, for the teachin" of pri$acy :as unknown to the Church. (n the si6th century, Bope .re"ory ( the .reat %O-0'&, $isunderstandin" the authority assu$ed 7y the 7ishop of >e: Ao$e %Constantinople&, :rote so$e terse :ords to the latter, :arnin" that he should not $isinterpret or overstate the pri$acy of honor due to hi$ as 7ishop of >e: Ao$e. Bope .re"ory clearly points out that actual authority in the Church is shared by all the bishops e5ually = apal Letters, !oo+ ), 9etter 20@. his sa$e pope pronounced any ;universal bishop< to be ;the forerunner of the antichrist.< Bope .re"oryGs letter stands as the clearest possible witness against a primacy in the .oman pontiff, and it clearly sho:s that the idea of papal supre$acy represents a deviation on .ome's part fro$ the correct understandin" of the authority of 7ishops J an understanding that .ome itself had earlier adhered to. St. .re"oryGs opposition to papal authority is :ell docu$ented, and his letters are availa7le to anyone :ho :ishes to read the$. (n these letters, there is stri+in" evidence that even in .ome! the right to claim a primacy over the Church was not recognized. St. .re"oryGs correct understandin" is fro$ a bishop of .ome! no less, and one re"arded 7y the Ao$an Catholic Church as a very eminent pope and a great saint. >eedless to say, the 9atin Church $a+es certain to conceal Bope .re"oryGs letter fro$ its floc+. Another "uarded secret of the 9atin Church is that early popes conde$ned the title ,#preme .ishop of the 7niversal Ch#rch as 7lasphe$ous, as a ;snare of 6atan,< and as an ;imitation of the devil.< Ho:ever, this very title is no: the chief title of the .oman Catholic popes. he falsehood of supre$acy of e6ternal po:er and Furisdiction :as unheard8of in the undivided Christian Church until Ao$e 7e"an to assert it 7e"innin" in the ninth century. (t :as the Carolin"ians that initiated papal clai$s to tre$endous :orldly po:er at that ti$e, althou"h the papacy itself never do"$ati#ed these clai$s in the for$ of papal infalli7ility until the year 11/0. %As noted in the introduction, for al$ost nineteen centuries! papal infallibility was )'
denied by popes and faithful laymen&. Concernin" these false clai$s, St. Dohn of Kronstadt stated that: he cause of all the errors of the Ao$an Catholic Church is pride, and 7elief that the pope is the real head of the Church, and :hat is $ore, that he is infalli7le. he Brotestant Aefor$er Dohn Wycliffe noted the sa$e: he pride of the pope is :hy the .ree+s are divided fro$ the so8called faithful. (t is :e Westerners, :ho are too fanatical 7y far, :ho have 7een divided fro$ the faithful .ree+s and the faith of our 9ord Desus. Writin" of the 9atin ChurchGs departure fro$ the ancient Apostolic Church of Christ, one :riter e6plains that: When Cardinal Hu$7ert :al+ed out of Saint Sophia =in Constantinople@ in 10)', havin" put the popeGs 7ull of e6co$$unication on the altar, he left as an ordinary lay$an, since he %and his superior in Ao$e, and all :ho re$ained in co$$union :ith hi$& ceased 7ein" in open, for$al co$$union :ith the rest of the Christian Church :hich continued holdin" Apostolic doctrine and polity. All :ho Foined the$selves :ith that "roup of $en :ho left voluntarily the unity of the continuin" Church have re$ained apostates and schis$atics ever since, no $atter ho: vast, :ealthy and vociferous they $ay 7e in clai$in" other:ise. %hoever either voluntarily sets himself apart from the continuing unity of the undivided Church founded by Christ! or who alters the teachings defined by that Church! ceases to be a member of it . 5rthodo6y alone has re$ained unchan"ed throu"h the centuries, 7oth in her doctrine and in her or"ani#ationN all other "roups, ho:ever hu"e or :idespread, and ho:ever they $ay choose to style the$selves, are not 5rthodo6, not in $e$7ership :ith that 5ne Church founded 7y Christ =A77ot Au"ustine Whitfield, ;3alid 5rders,< !rthodox America, *arch 1212, p. 1-N e$phasis added@. Co$$entin" further on Ao$eGs fall and its pope %:ho$ he calls the $an8"od and idol of Western hu$anis$&, St. Dustin %Bopovich& of CheliFe states that: (n the history of $an+ind there are three falls, the fall of Ada$, of Dudas (scariot, and that of the pope. he essence of fallin" into sin is al:ays the sa$e: the desire to 7eco$e .od 7y oneself. (n this $anner, a $an insensi7ly eCuates hi$self :ith the devil, 7ecause he also :ants to 7eco$e .od 7y hi$self to replace .od :ith hi$self.... he fall of the pope lies e6actly in this very thin": to :ant to replace the .od8*an =Christ@ :ith the $an. As of Ao$eGs infinitely tra"ic departure fro$ ChristGs Church in 10)', the unity of the Church did not cease at that ti$e, nor did 5rthodo6y and Ao$e 7eco$e separate 7ranches of the Church. he Church, 7ein" one, continued in ancient 5rthodo6y. As Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y e6plains:
))
he Church does not lose its unity 7ecause side 7y side :ith the Church there e6ist Christian societies :hich do not 7elon" to it. hese societies are not in the Church, they are outside it =!rthodox "ogmatic Theology, p. 23)@. A77ot Au"ustine e6plains that once the 9atin Church severed itself fro$ the ,astern Church, the post8schis$ popes invented ne: and unscriptural ecclesiolo"ies that sou"ht to Fustify their separation. hese ecclesiolo"ies clai$ed that Ao$eGs 7ishops so$eho: ;+ept their orders< and ;could perfor$ valid Sacra$ents.< 0eviatin" fro$ :hat the Church has al:ays held, the 9atin Church ca$e to $aintain that sacra$ental authority resides in the person of the cler"y$an 7ecause of his ordination. hus, if that individual secedes fro$ the Church, he can continue to litur"ise and ordain others %althou"h he :ill sin in doin" so&, and his Sacra$ents :ill 7e valid 7ut irre"ular. Ao$eGs ne:ly invented false teachin" in this re"ard 7eca$e the rationale for thousands of independent 7odies that claim to have Apostolic Succession and Sacra$ents, 7ut :hich have lost :hat is essential to the$ 7oth J the characteristic of Church #nity as understood 7y the Holy 4athers. he 4athers teach that the "race of the *ysteries %Sacra$ents&, "iven 7y .od, resides in the Ch#rch. his "race is poured out upon Christians throu"h the cler"y ordained for this purpose. his $ysterious po:er does not reside in the individual $en :ho cele7rate the *ysteries, 7ut it 7elon"s in the body of the Ch#rch, fro$ :ho$ the 7ishops and cler"y receive their authority. (f any cler"y$an separates hi$self fro$ the Church, either 7ecause of teachin" falsely %heresy&, or 7y secedin" fro$ the unity of the Church %schis$&, any ;*ysteries< he perfor$s are totally invalid and void, as ;he has 7eco$e a lay$an< %St. !asil&. hus, after the 9atin Church left ChristGs Church in the .reat Schis$, it had neither 7ishops, nor orders, nor Sacra$ents, nor the "race of the Holy Spirit. As a result of 7ein" cut off fro$ the Holy Spirit, Ao$e :as no lon"er in a position to :ithstand false teachin"s that arose, and these in turn 7eca$e do"$ati#ed %a $atter that :ill 7e e6plored in chapter si6&. 5ne such false do"$a, that of papal infalli7ility, is e6plained 7y Brotopriest 3ictor Botapov. He :rites that: he teachin" on the infalli7ility of the pope, :hich :as co$pletely unknown to the ancient, undivided Church, appeared in the *iddle A"es, Fust li+e the teachin" on the supre$acy of the popeN 7ut for a lon" ti$e it $et opposition on the part of the $ore enli"htened, honest and independent $e$7ers of the Catholic Church. 5nly in the year 11/0, at the 4irst 3atican Council, did Bope Bius (S succeed in turnin" this teachin" into a do"$a, in spite of the protest of $any Catholics, :ho even preferred to leave this Church and found their o:n co$$unity =of the 5ld Catholics@ rather than to accept so a7surd a do"$a. !y virtue of the definition of the 3atican Council, the pope is infalli7le :hen he, as the pastor and teacher of all Christians, defines or proclai$s the truths of the faith ex cathedra, that is, officially, as the head of the Church. he ne7ulous e6pression e6 cathedra is not understood in the sa$e :ay 7y all Catholic theolo"iansN 7ut, no $atter ho: one understands it, the Catholic dogma contradicts the whole spirit of Christ's teaching, :hich reFects the possi7ility for an individual $an to 7e infalli7le, no $atter :hat position he $i"ht occupy. he do"$a of the infalli7ility of the pope contradicts the :hole history of the Church and of the papacy itself. History provides a :hole series of indisputa7le facts concernin" )-
the errors of popes in Cuestions of do"$a and the contradictions of popes among themselves in $atters of faith. 4or e6a$ple, Bope Si6tus 3, in concert :ith the 7ishops, issued a 9atin translation of the !i7le corrected 7y hi$ and, under threat of anathe$a, reCuired it to 7e accepted as the $ost authentic. here proved to 7e $aFor $ista+es in this translation, and su7seCuent popes :ithdre: it fro$ church use. %hich of the popes was infallible, Si6tus or his successorE Bope 9eo ((( not only refused to insert the filio*#e, the addition ;and fro$ the Son,< into the Sy$7ol of 4aith, 7ut even co$$anded that the intact Sy$7ol 7e en"raved on ta7lets and set up in the Church. Within t:o hundred years, Bope !enedict 3((( inserted this addition into the Sy$7ol of 4aith. %hich of them was infallibleE 5ut of the numerous instances of the errors in dogma of the .oman bishops, it is sufficient to $ention Bope Honorius %-2)831&, :ho fell into the *onothelite heresy and :as e6co$$unicated fro$ the Church 7y the Si6th ,cu$enical Council. At this Council, the dele"ates of the Ao$an 7ishop, A"atho, also :ere present and si"ned its decisions =!rthodoxy and 2eterodoxyN e$phasis added@. (t $ay co$e as a surprise to so$e Catholics that 7efore Ao$eGs definition of papal infalli7ility as do"$a in 11/0, the $ost illustrious and 7est8educated 7ishops of the 9atin Church, and $any of its $ost respected historians, roundly denounced the teachin" as untena7le. When Bius (S sou"ht the $antle of papal infalli7ility at the 4irst 3atican Council, one of the Catholic 7ishops, !ishop Stross$ayer, rose and addressed the council :ith these :ords: ( do not find one sin"le chapter, or one little verse =of Scripture@, in :hich Desus Christ "ives to St. Beter the $astery over the Apostles, his fello:8:or+ers.... he Apostle Beter $a+es no $ention of the pri$acy of Beter in any of his letters directed to the various Churches.... What has surprised $e the $ost, and :hat $oreover is capa7le of de$onstration, is the silence of 6t. /eter himselfW A$idst Feers, !ishop Stross$ayer continued: he Councils of the first four centuries, :hile they reco"ni#ed the hi"h position :hich the 7ishop of Ao$e occupied in the Church on account of Ao$e, only accorded to hi$ a preeminence of honor! never of power and ,urisdiction . (n the passa"e tho# art eter' and on this roc$ ( will b#ild %y Ch#rch, the Holy 4athers never understood that the Church :as 7uilt on Beter %s#per etr#m&, 7ut on the roc+ %s#per petram& of the ApostleGs confession of faith %in the 0ivinity of Christ& =Puoted in Archpriest Ale6ey ?oun", Christianity or the apacyE, pp. 182N e$phasis added@. !ishop Stross$ayerGs :ords here are identical to the pre(schism teaching of the Church of Christ! both +ast and %est . While the Ao$an Catholic Church eventually departed fro$ that ancient understandin", ,astern 5rthodo6y did not. Ae"ardin" the loss of "race of the Holy Spirit fro$ the 9atin Church after its apostasy and schis$, the follo:in" papal pronounce$ents8all dia7olical in nature J clearly de$onstrate :hat +ind of spirit possessed the post8schis$ popes :ho uttered the$: he entire :orld +no:s ho: profita7le this fa7le of Christ has 7een to us and ours J Bope 9eo S %1)1381)21&. )/
We hold upon this earth the place of .od Al$i"hty. J Bope 9eo S(((, fro$ his 112' encyclical. he pope is not only representative of Desus Christ, 7ut he is Desus Christ Hi$self, hidden under the veil of flesh. 0oes the pope spea+E (t is Desus Christ Hi$self :ho spea+s. J Bope Bius S. ?ou +no: that ( a$ the Holy 4ather, the representative of .od on earth, the 3icar of Christ, :hich $eans that ( a$ .od on earth J Bope Bius S(. Addin" to these deran"ed 7lasphe$ies, t:o Ao$an Catholic theolo"ians have declared that: he pope can do all thin"s .od can do. J >icholas de udeschis, in Commentaria %lvi, 3'&. o $a+e :ar a"ainst the pope is to $a+e :ar a"ainst .od, seein" that the pope is .od and .od is the pope. J *oreri. Hntil the ritual :as ter$inated 7y Bope Dohn Baul (, :hen the triple cro:n :as placed on the head of a ne: pope at his coronation, the officiatin" cardinal proclai$ed: Aeceive the tiara adorned :ith three cro:ns, and +no: that thou art the 4ather of Brinces and Kin"s, Auler of the World: the 3icar of our Saviour Desus Christ... %,ven thou"h the ritual :as chan"ed, these :ords still re$ain&. he popesG love of po:er e6ceeded every li$it, so$ethin" sho:n in the procla$ations of po:er clai$ed for the$selves 7y these one8$an ;infalli7le< dictators over the Church and :ould87e tyrants of the world. Bope !oniface 3((( %122'81303&, for e6a$ple, proudly insisted, ; 2 am Caesar! 2 am emperor.< Brior to 3atican ( devotion, the Ao$an !reviary ascri7ed various titles to the popes, and these included: Fing of Fings and 6upreme .uler of the %orld. 5ther appellations include Gice(1od of Humanity! +'alted Fing of the Dniverse , and Imperator Totius Mundi %+mperor of the +ntire %orld &. %Althou"h this last title is no lon"er used, the pope re$ains a +in", :ith a pri$e $inister, $inisters and a$7assadors =nuncios@. 9i+e:ise, the papacy re$ains a :orld:ide center of po:er, :hich it e$ploys only in the service of its o:n interests, li+e any other political or te$poral po:er&. (f $ore e6a$ples of this $indlessness are needed, the 3atican ne:spaper La Civilt8 Cattolica %a Desuit intellectual Fournal, every issue of :hich has to 7e cleared 7y the 3atican Secretary of State 7efore pu7lication& recorded that the pope is the ;$ind of .od< and stated that ;:hen the pope $editates, it is .od Who thin+s in hi$.< 9i+e:ise, the cele7rated New /or$ Catechism clearly states that: he pope ta+es the place of Desus Christ on earth... the Arbiter of the %orld, the 6upreme @udge of Heaven and +arth, the @udge of All, 7ein" Fud"ed 7y no one, 1od Himself on +arth =,6act :ords@. he ,astern 5rthodo6 Church does not afford the Ao$an Catholic popes any pri$acy, for 5rthodo6y has never nu$7ered heretical 7ishops :ith 5rthodo6 7ishops. 5rthodo6y does not even re"ard the pope as the 7ishop of Ao$e inas$uch as Ao$e no lon"er had true 7ishops as of 10)', :hen Apostolic Succession :as severed in the West. )1
;. %here and in what year was the -hird +cumenical Council held* he hird ,cu$enical Council :as held at ,phesus in '31. <. %hat doctrinal issues necessitated the -hird Council* Christolo"ical issues J that is, disputes concernin" the nature of Christ, 7rou"ht a7out the hird Council. he Council :as convened a"ainst one of the principal heresies in the Church, >estorianis$. his false teachin" denied that there are t:o distinct natures, divine and hu$an, united in the Berson of Christ %hypostatic union&. his teachin" :as conde$ned at the Council. >. %ho was the formulator of the heresy which necessitated the -hird Council* >estorius %d. c. ')1&, :ho had 7een arch7ishop of Constantinople, for$ulated the heresy of >estorianis$. Ho:ever, he had t:o predecessors in this false teachin" J 0iodorus and heodore of *opsuestia, :hose follo:er he :as. ?. -he Christological emphasis of the various theological centers differed! but the difference was only a particular emphasis. :estorius was educated at one center! but his theological directions were corrupted by his acceptance of certain concepts put forth by false teachers. He then fell into heresy by failing to follow the principle basic in the Holy Church! viz.! he did not verify his teaching with the entire &rthodo' Church! but rather proceeded on self(will. 2n what theological center did :estorius receive his education* >estorius :as educated in the Antiochene theolo"ical center. )$. %hile none of the theological centers of the time taught wrongly! which one of them was in the best position to present the correct! &rthodo' teaching concerning the nature of Christ* 0urin" the "reat doctrinal disputes of the first eight centuries of the ChurchGs history, the see of Ao$e, that once(great bastion of &rthodo'y in the %est , :as "enerally noted for the soundness of its teachin" and its fir$ness of faith. Althou"h there :ere occasions :hen the Ao$an popes fell into heresy, the Batriarchate of Ao$e usually stood as a 7ul:ar+ of the Christian faith in its stru""le a"ainst heresy. 4or this reason, Ao$e :as an honored center of Christian radition at that time. Brotopriest 3ictor Botapov notes that re"ardin" the peculiarities of the spirit of the Ao$an people, :hich defined the character of the direction of the ecclesiastical life in the West after the acceptance of Christianity, one $ay spea+ of these as tendencies, as $oods, as a psycholo"ical cast. 4r. 3ictor continues, statin" that in the first ei"ht centuries of the e6istence of the Hniversal Church, the psycholo"ical cast 7et:een the Churches of the ,ast and West :ere as a :hole 7eneficial rather than har$ful to the Church, for they pro$oted the fullness of the elucidation and incarnation in life of the principles of Christianity, leavin" the Church as one. (t :as reCuired only that they a7ide in $utual ecclesiastical co$$union 7et:een the$selves and that they not depart fro$ the one Hniversal Church. Ho:ever, the Western Church 7ro+e this co$$union, and in this rift is contained the cause of its entry onto the path of heresy and its severance fro$ ChristGs Church in 10)'.
)2
)). 2n what way did :estorius precipitate the controversy which led to the -hird +cumenical Council* >estorius declined to call the 3ir"in *ary -heotokos %.ree+ for !irth"iver of .od or .od8!earer&. o hi$, this popular title see$ed to i$ply a confusion of the $anhood and .odhood of Christ. He ar"ued that *ary can only 7e called the *other of *an %Anthropoto+os&, or at $ost the *other of Christ %Christoto+os&, since she is the $other of ChristGs hu$anity 7ut not His 0ivinity. History sho:s that for this 7lasphe$y, :or$s devoured the ton"ue of this .od8 fi"htin" heresiarch :hile he :as still alive. *odern fello:8travelers :ith >estorius include so$e Brotestants, :ho deny that .od could have a $other, and :ho can only 7rin" the$selves to ac+no:led"e that *ary :as the $other of ChristGs hu$an nature. *ichael Whelton points out that Brotestant reaction to the title of heoto+os runs fro$ a self8conscious uneasy acceptance to outri"ht denial. He adds that the respective responses clearly de$onstrate a "raded scale :ithin the Brotestant co$$unity, fro$ superficial to outri"ht >estorianis$. Ho:ever, the denial of the title heoto+os centers not on *ary, he e6plains, 7ut on Christ Hi$self and the (ncarnation. He further e6plains that :hen $ost of these people thin+ it throu"h, they readily understand that ChristGs hu$an and divine nature cannot 7e separated. )". -he name of -heotokos is given to the Girgin =ary in order to safeguard the understanding of what* his ancient title 7y :hich the Church addresses *ary protects and safe"uards the doctrine of the (ncarnation J that is, the understandin" that *ary 7ore not a $an loosely united to .od, 7ut a sin"le and undivided Berson Who is at the sa$e ti$e fully .od and fully $an. )#. 2n what way does the denial of the title -heotokos to the Girgin destroy the 1ospel of salvation* 0enyin" the *other of .od the title heoto+os is tanta$ount to denyin" that she 7ore the %ord of 1od made flesh, a sin"le and undivided Christ Who is at once 7oth fully .od and fully $an. (t is to su""est that *ary 7ore nothin" $ore than a de$i"od at 7est. he te6t7oo+ "oes on to note that this denial divides the (ncarnate Christ into t:o, 7rea+in" do:n the 7rid"e 7et:een .od and $an and erectin" :ithin ChristGs Berson a $iddle :all of partition. ConseCuently, not only titles of devotion :ere involved at ,phesus, 7ut the very message of salvation. 5f further note, relatin" to Cuestions -813, the hird ,cu$enical Council conde$ned >estorianis$ and the notion that there :ere t:o persons e6istin" side 7y side in Christ J .od and a $an. (t affir$ed that ChristGs hu$anity and 0ivinity :ere united in 5ne Berson %hy8 postatic union&, and that the *other of Desus :ould therefore have to 7e the *other of .od, the heoto+os. )#. At the false council of 44?! two persons from the theological center of Ale'andria fell into the same condition of self(will as :estorius had. -hese two! 8ioscorus and +utyches! created what heresy* hey created the heresy of *onophysitis$. )4. -his heresy taught falsely concerning what aspect of Christ's nature* he :ord %onophysitism is ety$olo"ically derived fro$ the .ree+ :ords mono %one& and physis %nature&. Althou"h 5rthodo6y has $ore in co$$on :ith the *onophysites than :ith -0
any other "roup of separated Christians, still there are "reat do"$atic differences and an ecclesiastical chas$ inas$uch as the *onophysites reFect fully half of the ,cu$enical Councils. *onophysitis$ $aintained that if Christ :ere one Berson, He could not have t:o natures, 7ut only one. he *onophysites did not deny ChristGs divine nature, 7ut they did deny His unity of personality. his :ay of thin+in" endan"ered the fullness of ChristGs $anhood, :hich 7eca$e co$pletely s:allo:ed up in His 0ivinity. (n overe$phasi#in" ChristGs 0ivinity at the e6pense of His hu$an nature, this heresy did a:ay :ith the possi7ility of salvation. As one of the .ree+ 4athers on *ount Athos :rites concernin" this false teachin": ;(f... the eternal Hypostasis of .od the Word is not also the Hypostasis of the assu$ed flesh, the deification of the co$pound $a+eup of $an is not possi7le, in :hich case the salvation of $an throu"h parta+in" of the 0eified and 9ife8"ivin" 4lesh of the 9ord is also i$possi7le.< =Hiero$on+ 9u+e of the Holy *onastery of St. .re"ory, *ount Athos, 122'@. he 4ourth ,cu$enical Council, that of Chalcedon, :as called in ')1 over *onophysitis$, and this heresy :as reFected at that Council. As Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y e6plains, the 4ourth Council ;precisely for$ulated the $anner of the union of the t:o natures in the one Berson of the 9ord Desus Christ, ac+no:led"in" the very essence of this union to 7e $ystical and ine6plica7le.< =!rthodox "ogmatic Theology, p. 112@. )3. -he te'tbook places what seems an odd emphasis on what it views as a 5uarrel between two theological schools the Ale'andrian and the Antiochene. 2n fact! what occurred was that a balance between the two centers of &rthodo' theology was achieved by placing certain 5uestions before the whole Church catholic. -he actual conflict e'isted between e'tremists of these two centers! and it appears incorrect to label them as two different schools1 1ive your own impression of the difference of emphasis of the Ale'andrian center and the Antiochene center. As is :ell +no:n, the conflict 7et:een Ao$e and Constantinople over the $atter of Ao$an pri$acy resulted in t:o opposin" ecclesiolo"ies. Ho:ever, as !ishop Au6entios of Bhoti+i o7serves, the distinction 7et:een a Cuasi8>estorian Antiochene school and an 5rthodo6 Ale6andrian school supposedly tainted 7y Apollinarianis$ is an artificial and overstated one =Cf. Christological %ethods and Their (nfl#ence on Alexandrian and Antiochene )#charistic Theology, p. 1@. (n the sa$e scholarly study, !ishop Au6entios "oes on to e6plain that concernin" the Christolo"ical thou"ht and ,ucharistic thou"ht of the Ale6andrian and Antiochene patristic schools %and he does identify the$ as schools, as does Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y&, this $atter is neither artificial or overstated, 7ut is of "reat i$portance. :o representative fi"ures are "iven of these schools J St. Cyril, Batriarch of Ale6andria, and the ecclesiastical :riter heodore of *opsuestia, :ho had >estorian leanin"s. As Henry Chad:ic+ o7serves, the ar"u$ent 7et:een St. Cyril and the >estorians :as not a political one, as so$e scholars have contended, 7ut :as an ar"u$ent rooted in the profound Cuestion on the nature of Christ =;,ucharist and Christolo"y in the >estorian Controversy,< 9o#rnal of Theological ,t#dies, vol. 2, 12)1, pp. 1')8-'.@ !ishop Au6entios concurs, statin" that the antithetical strands of these t:o fi"ures and their radically diver"ent state$ents of ,ucharist theolo"y are t:o antipodes on a spectru$ of 7elief a7out the nature of Christ. heodore of *opsuestia :as conde$ned 7y the Hniversal Church for his >estorian leanin"s. Ho:ever, as !ishop Au6entios notes, one cannot overstate the i$portance of St. CyrilGs
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Christolo"ical teachin"s. he hird, 4ourth, 4ifth and Si6th ,cu$enical Councils dre: e6tensively fro$ his :ritin"s in for$ulatin" their Christolo"ical confessions. );. &riginally the pope of .ome was the first among e5uals of the bishops of the Church. %hen .ome withdrew from the Church! it was impossible! of course! that the pope could fulfill this position. According to the canons of the Church! in the event of the presiding bishop's falling into heresy or being unable to govern! the remaining &rthodo' bishops must assign the presidency to the senior bishop who is &rthodo'. %hat would have to occur for the pope of .ome to once again be the first among e5uals* Ao$e :ould have to a7andon all its heretical do"$as and other illicit innovations and convert to 5rthodo6y. Such :ould entail its reFectin" its lust for po:er and its aspiration to su7ordinate other 7ishops under its authority J that is, the idea of papal supre$acy. (t :ould li+e:ise entail its reFectin" the doctrine of papal infalli7ility, so$ethin" invented in 11/0 and still tau"ht 7y the Ao$an Catholic Church today, despite the fact that J to the 9atin ChurchGs o:n ad$ission J $any Ao$an popes :ere heretics, and despite the fact that the second chapter of the 7oo+ of .alatians sho:s that the Apostle Beter hi$self :as not infalli7le. =BrofessorGs addendu$: !oth papal supre$acy and papal infalli7ility are the result of earlier heresies and are a root of further heresies. here are Ao$an heresies :orse than these@. While the loss of the Church of Ao$e and so $any of its faithful has al:ays :ei"hed heavily upon 5rthodo6y and has left an unhealed :ound, and :hile 5rthodo6y :ould al:ays :elco$e Ao$eGs return, such a return is not li+ely. Ao$e has 7een estran"ed fro$ ChristGs Church for one thousand years. .iven the 9atin ChurchGs ideolo"y and a""ressive politics, its ;lies, intri"ue, deception, fanaticis$ and villainy< %as 0ostoyevs+y put it&, and $ost of all its 7oundless $alice and 7loody atrocities a"ainst 5rthodo6 Christians throu"hout the centuries, one cannot even 7e"in to i$a"ine that Ao$e :ill ever return. While $any individual Catholics convert to 5rthodo6y and find a ho$e in it, Ao$e sho:s an interest only in destroyin" 5rthodo6y and preparin" the :ay for the throne of the antichrist. (n his 7oo+ The :eys of This .lood- the ,tr#ggle for World "ominion .etween ope 9ohn a#l ((' %i$hail Gorbachev and the Capitalist West %1220&, the Ao$an Catholic :riter *alachi *artin sho:s the papacyGs role in this stru""le. While Bope Dohn Baul (( :as convalescin" after the near8fatal atte$pt on his life in St. BeterGs SCuare, he had :hat he falsely 7elieves :as a vision of the *other of .od. (n the vision, the pope states, he :as told not to lift a fin"er to clean out the 9atin Church, that it is already too late. (nstead, he is to a:ait a cataclys$ic event ... an event that :ill fission hu$an history, splittin" the i$$ediate past fro$ the onco$in" future. (t :ill 7e an event on pu7lic vie: fro$ the s+ies, in the oceans, and on the continental land$asses of this planet. (t :ill particularly involve =the@ sun. (t is not +no:n if the cataclys$ :ill 7e another :orld :ar or natural events, or a co$7ination of 7oth, or if it :ill entail so$ethin" supernatural. he pope indicates that the disaster cannot 7e averted, that the die is cast J b#t, he 7elieves, it :ill 7e a "ood thin", for it :ill 7rin" do:n all the "overn$ents and econo$ic syste$s of the :orld, includin" capitalis$, :hich he has al:ays eCuated :ith $aterialis$. 5ut of such chaos, the pope says, the papacy :ill rise triu$phantly to lead the :orld into a ;new world order< of peace a7ove and 7eyond ideolo"ies, political and econo$ic. *artin :rites that the pope 7elieves that ;this "eopolitical $ission he has chosen to fulfill as pope :ill 7e cro:ned :ith a success that has never re"istered in the life of any precedin" pope.< hus, as Dohn the !aptist :as the herald of Christ at the Dordan, so the pope will be the satanic herald of the antichrist in the new world order. -2
o those readers :ho :onder ho: the anti8Christian $edia can at once 7elittle Christianity yet e6alt the pope, the ans:er is o7vious. he $edia accords the pope the :orldly "lory and advertise$ent he see+s 7ecause he is an o7edient instru$ent of the "lo7alists. hat is, they +no: that in the ti$e of the united :orld "overn$ent, they can count on the pope to $a+e ur"ent appeals for all hu$anity to 7o: do:n and accept the one8:orld ruler, the antichrist. (n 1220, Bope WoFtyla issued a state$ent that the ;$essiah< is presently :al+in" on the face of the earth and that all hu$anity should 7e prepared to accept hi$ :hen he is finally revealed. %(t is not clear if this state$ent :as issued in an encyclical as it :as $entioned only 7riefly in a ne:spaper article&. o these evil :ords spe:in" forth fro$ the $outh of the pope, Christ replies: ; And then if any man shall say to you! 0o! here is the ChristE or! lo! he is thereE believe him notE for false Christs and false prophets shall rise! and shall show signs and wonders! to seduce! if it were possible! even the elect< %*+ 13:21822&. *oreover, the Aussian $on+s of the Solov+i *onastery handed do:n the ans:er that St. Uosi$as "ave :hen his disciples as+ed hi$ ho: to reco"ni#e the antichrist in the end ti$es. St. Uosi$as replied: ;%hen you hear that Christ has come to earth or has appeared on earth! know then that this is antichrist.< (f anyone clai$in" false visions appears in the desert, Christians are not to "o out, nor are they to loo+ do:n to the earth for Christ any $ore, even thou"h the pope is tellin" the$ to do so. he true *essiah, Christ, %hom the pope re,ects, ca$e in the flesh t:o thousand years a"o. he Saviour :ill not a"ain co$e fro$ this :orld, 7ut He is to descend fro$ Heaven. Also, He :ill not co$e alone as 7efore, 7ut escorted 7y $yriads of an"elsN and not secretly, 7ut openly, shinin" li+e li"htnin" %*t 2':2/&. herefore, let all readers 7e:are of the herald of the antichrist, the pope of Ao$e. )<. %hat was the =onothelite heresy* he *onothelite heresy :as a ne: for$ of *onophysitis$. While it correctly $aintained that Christ has t:o natures, it erroneously reasoned that since He is a sin"le Berson, He has 7ut one :ill. his heresy, li+e *onophysitis$, i$paired the fullness of ChristGs $anhood since $anhood :ithout a hu$an :ill :ould 7e inco$plete. *onothelitis$ :as conde$ned 7y the Si6th ,cu$enical Council, :hich replied that since Christ has t:o natures, He $ust also have t:o :ills J one hu$an and one divine. )>. %hat new and alarming development occurred in the fifty years preceding the 6i'th +cumenical Council* he rise of (sla$ ca$e a7out at that ti$e. After conCuerin" *ecca, *oha$$edGs follo:ers su7Fu"ated ,"ypt, Syria, Balestine and even Derusale$ 7y force of ar$s. he ne: (sla$ic rulers shed a7solute rivers of Christian 7lood, and 7efore lon", 5rthodo6y 7eca$e al$ost co$pletely e6tinct in Anatolia. )?. %hat effect did this development have on the 9yzantine +mpire* he ,astern possessions :ere lost to the !y#antine ,$pire, and the three ancient Batriarchates of Derusale$, Antioch and Ale6andria ca$e under infidel control. !y#antiu$ :as under constant attac+ fro$ *oha$$edan forces, and althou"h it :ithstood this onslau"ht for ei"ht centuries $ore, it finally succu$7ed in 1')3. Christianity survived, 7ut :ith difficulty.
-3
"$. %hat do you feel was the most important point brought forth in this section of the te'tbook* his section covered the Second to the Si6th ,cu$enical Councils. he $ost si"nificant point concerns the i$$ense i$portance of these Councils. As the te6t7oo+ notes, the ,cu$enical Councils resolved the Christolo"ical and rinitarian disputes, they identified and uprooted the 7asic heresies, they for$ed the do"$atic and canonical nor$s of the 5rthodo6 faith, and lastly, they :or+ed out the ChurchGs "overn$ental structure. Concernin" the Seventh ,cu$enical Council that defended icons, :hile it see$s at first to stand apart fro$ the precedin" si6, ulti$ately it too :as concerned :ith ChristGs (ncarnation and $anGs salvation.
). "he
oly *cons.
). -he struggle against 2conoclasm was not merely a conflict between two conceptions of Christian art. %hat three deeper issues does the te'tbook point out* he stru""le a"ainst (conoclas$ involved the deeper issues of ChristGs hu$an nature, the Christian attitude to:ard $atter, and the true $eanin" of ChristGs rede$ption. ". -hose who taught against holy icons may have been influenced by what outside ideas* he (conoclasts :ere influenced especially 7y >estorianis$ and 7y the ideas of the Dudai#ers. #. %hat the te'tbook refers to as a puritan outlook was probably a blend of what two influences* he puritan outloo+ that conde$ned icons :as an Asiatic protest a"ainst .ree+ tradition. he te6t $entions that this attitude :as particularly stron" in Asia *inor and that t:o of the leadin" (conoclast e$perors, 9eo ((( and 9eo 3, :ere of Asiatic ori"in. 5ver and a7ove this fact, thou"h, the puritan vie: sa: in the :ords of the Second Co$$and$ent a prohi7ition a"ainst all i$a"es and could not see that the co$$and$ent applies to the $a+in", 7o:in" do:n 7efore and :orshippin" idols, so$ethin" repu"nant to .od. his outloo+ therefore sa: all i$a"es as a for$ of latent idolatry. 4. How long did the 2conoclast controversy last* (conoclas$ :as one of the $ost po:erful and prolon"ed heretical $ove$ents, lastin" for so$e 120 years. he seriousness of this heresy :as increased 7y the fact that a :hole series of !y#antine e$perors ener"etically cha$pioned it for reasons of internal and e6ternal politics. Althou"h the instru$ents of political po:er :ere held 7y the (conoclasts, :ho destroyed icons and e6iled, i$prisoned and so$eti$es even +illed the (conodules, ulti$ately their vie:point :as not victorious over 5rthodo6y. 3. %hich 9yzantine ruler in )>$ suspended the persecution against the Churc h* he ,$press (rene suspended the persecution. ;. 2n what year and in what city did the 6eventh +cumenical Council meet*
-'
he Seventh ,cu$enical Council $et in >icaea in /1/. his Council dealt lar"ely :ith (conoclas$, a heresy :hich closed out the series of "reat heresies of the first period of Church history. (conoclas$ :as conde$ned at this Council. <. Dnder what emperor and between what years did the last persecution of icons take place* he !y#antine ,$peror 9eo 3 started a ne: attac+ on icons in 11). >. -he final victory of holy icons in >4" is known as what* he victory over the (conoclast heresy in 1'2 is +no:n as the riu$ph of 5rthodo6y. At that ti$e, the ,$press heodora and her son *ichael ordained that the feast of the riu$ph of 5rthodo6y should 7e esta7lished. his feast is o7served each year up to the present ti$e on the first Sunday of .reat 9ent. ?. %ho were the chief defenders of holy icons* St. Dohn of 0a$ascus %O/'2& defended icons durin" the first phase of the (conoclast controversy. St. heodore of Studiu$ %O12-& defended the$ :hen the second phase of persecution 7ro+e out under 9eo 3. )$. .ewrite in your own words the paragraph titled Icons as Part of the Church's Teaching. he Church asserts its teachin" 7oth 7y :ord and i$a"e. What Scripture is for the literate, the icon is for those :ho lac+ learnin" or lac+ the ti$e to study :ritten theolo"y. St. Dohn of 0a$ascus advised Christians to ta+e any outsider inCuirin" a7out the faith into a church and place hi$ in front of the icons, for they are a ;revelation and de$onstration of that :hich is hidden.< hat is, icons 7ear :itness to the deification of $an and are visi7le e6pressions of the do"$a of the transfi"uration, and they i$part to the :orld the $ysteries of Christianity and the a"e to co$e. !ecause of the $ysterious Cuality icons have of teachin" 7y i$a"e :hat Scripture teaches 7y :ord, they lead a person to:ards .od. (cons are theolo"y co$$unicated in i$a"es. )). %hat was the real heart of the 2conoclast dispute* he real heart of (conoclas$ :as the theolo"y of the (ncarnation. Hnli+e the for$er heresies that attac+ed so$e partic#lar aspect of the divine econo$y and the salvation co$in" fro$ ChristGs (ncarnation, (conoclas$ attac+ed the entire econo$y of salvation. (t :as 7oth a conseCuence of for$er Christolo"ical controversies and an identical repetition of errors of the past. ;(conoclas$ is the su$ of $any heresies and errors,< stated the 4athers of the Seventh ,cu$enical Council. )". %hy is it essential to have icons* (cons are a visual for$ of theolo"y that acco$plish a silent preachin", and throu"h the centuries they have tau"ht Christians ho: to +no: and love the 9ord and His holy ones, the saints. St. !asil the .reat says in his 9itur"y that Christ is the icon of .od the 4ather. When Christ appeared on earth, those :ho then loved .od the 4ather loved .od the Son. Since that ti$e, those :ho love icons there7y reaffir$ their love for .od in visi7le for$, the .od8*an Desus Christ. Havin" and honorin" icons is deeply rooted in the Sacred Apostolic radition of Christianity. 0r. Constantine Cavarnos notes this fact in his 7oo+ !rthodox (conography, and he -)
"oes on to list seven i$portant reasons :hy it is necessary to adhere to this ancient practice. he professor states that: %1& he $ost o7vious function of icons is that they enhance the 7eauty of a church, an idea that appears in the :ritin"s of the Holy 4athers. A church is the house of .od and a house of prayer. As such, it should 7e $ade as 7eautiful as possi7le, especially inside, :here Christians "ather to :orship. he 7eauty of the church $ust 7ear the i$press of holiness, and the pleasure evo+ed 7y it $ust transcend that of $ere esthetics. (t $ust 7e spiritual. %2& (cons instruct the faithful in $atters pertainin" to the Christian faith, a point e$phasi#ed 7y the .ree+ 4athers. As St. Dohn of 0a$ascus re$ar+s, since not everyone is literate, nor has the leisure for readin", the Holy 4athers a"reed that ChristGs (ncarnation, His association :ith $en, His $iracles, His Crucifi6ion and Aesurrection, and so on, should 7e represented on icons. St. Bhotios, Batriarch of Constantinople, states that: ;Dust as speech is trans$itted 7y hearin", so a for$ throu"h si"ht is i$printed on the ta7lets of the soul, "ivin" to those :hose apprehension is not spoiled 7y =evil@ doctrines a representation of +no:led"e constant :ith piety.< 9i+e:ise, St. !asil teaches that ;:hat the spo+en account presents throu"h the sense of hearin", the paintin" silently sho:s 7y representation.< St. Bhotios "oes on to add that icons not only teach, as :ritten accounts also do, 7ut in so$e cases are $ore vivid than :ritten accounts and thus are superior to the latter as a $eans of instruction. As an e6a$ple, he "ives the representation of the deeds of the $artyrs. (cons present si$ultaneously and concisely $any thin"s: a place, persons and o7Fects, thin"s that :ould ta+e an apprecia7le a$ount of ti$e to descri7e in :ords. Also co$$entin" on the iconGs capacity to teach, 9eonid 5uspens+y and 3ladi$ir 9oss+y e6plain that: he icon contains and professes the sa$e truth as the .ospels and therefore, li+e the .ospels, is 7ased on e6act concrete data, and in no :ay on invention, for other:ise it could not e6plain the .ospels nor correspond to the$. hus the icon is placed on a level :ith the Holy Scriptures and :ith the Cross, as one of the for$s of revelation and +no:led"e of .od, in :hich divine and hu$an :ill and action 7eco$e 7lended = The %eaning of (cons, p.30@. he 4athers of the Seventh ,cu$enical Council fully concurred. hey stated that ;7y $eans of these t:o :ays :hich co$plete one another, that is, 7y readin" =Scripture@ and 7y the visi7le i$a"e, :e "ain a +no:led"e of the sa$e thin".< hus, the icon is one of the :ays .od is revealed to $an. hrou"h icons, Christians receive a vision of the spiritual :orld, for icons are :indo:s into that :orld, :indo:s into Heaven, and they are li"hts :hich "uide us there. %3& !ein" preoccupied :ith everyday :orldly $atters and pursuits, Christians can for"et thin"s that are of vital i$portance J that is, they can fall asleep spiritually. (cons serve as a re$inder of the spiritual real$ and as a $eans of a:a+enin" people. St. Dohn of 0a$ascus :rites in this re"ard that ;$any ti$es, dou7tless, :hen :e do not have in $ind the Bassion of the 9ord, upon seein" the icon of ChristGs Crucifi6ion, :e recall His savin" sufferin".<
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%'& (cons additionally serve to lift Christians up to the prototypes, to a hi"her level of consciousness, of thou"ht and feelin". As 0r. Cavarnos e6plains: he prophets, Apostles, $artyrs, saints in "eneral, enFoy a hi"her level of 7ein" than :e do in our ordinary, distracted everyday life. When :e see their icons, :e recall their superior character and deedsN and as :e recall the$, :e thin+ pure, su7li$e thou"hts and e6perience hi"her feelin"s. hus, for a :hile :e live on a hi"her plane of 7ein". As St. Dohn 0a$ascene re$ar+s, ;We are led 7y percepti7le icons to the conte$plation of the divine and spiritual< =p. 32@. *etropolitan 9aurus of Dordanville further notes that: 5rthodo6 icono"raphy is not realistic, 7ut sy$7olic. (t cannot and should not illustrate anythin" that is of this :orld, :hich lies in evil, disfi"ured 7y sin, carryin" in itself the sta$p of sin and attractin" to sin. (cono"raphy should not re$ind one of anythin" :orldly. 5n the contrary, it should attract oneGs thou"hts and feelin"s a:ay fro$ all :orldliness and carry us over into another, hi"her :orld, the spiritual :orld. >ot only should AaphaelGs $adonnas not 7e found in 5rthodo6 churches, 7ut also all art that cannot cut us off fro$ everythin" earthly, art :hich, even thou"h it $i"ht see$ to 7e inspired and 7eautiful fro$ the point of vie: of aesthetics, nevertheless portrays only :orldly i$a"es encountered upon earth and 7ound up :ith the :orld. (cono"raphy, as :ell as church chant, should co$pletely separate us fro$ the :orld. Without this it is not 5rthodo6 and cannot instruct us in 5rthodo6y =; he Si"nificance of the Bractical Study of 9itur"ies,< !rthodox Life, vol. '), no. ', 122), pp. '-8'/@. 0r. Cavarnos "oes on to state that the iconGs essentially sy$7olic nature is $anifest in its a7ility to lift Christians up to a hi"her level. An icon is not an end in itself, it is not $erely an aesthetic o7Fect to 7e enFoyed for :hatever artistic $erits it possesses, 7ut it is essentially a sy$7ol, carryin" us 7eyond itself. (t is desi"ned to lead us fro$ the physical and psychophysical to the spiritual real$. hus, the icon is a pattern ;typos< of so$ethin" heavenly %St. Dohn of 0a$ascus&. %)& (cons serve to inspire people to i$itate the virtues of the holy ones depicted on the$. (cons help in this :ay 7ecause of their capacity to instruct in the Christian faith, to re$ind people of its truth, ai$s and values, and also 7ecause of their a7ility to lift vie:ers to the prototypes. hus, one of the decrees of the Seventh ,cu$enical Council states that ;the $ore continually holy persona"es are seen in icons, the $ore are the 7eholders lifted up to the $e$ory of the prototypes and to an aspiration after the$.< %-& (cons have the a7ility to transfor$ oneGs character, oneGs :hole 7ein". (cons help sanctify people. As *etropolitan Hierotheos of >afpa+tos points out, the Synodi+on of 5rthodo6y proclai$s that 7y 7o:in" 7efore holy icons and loo+in" at the$, the eyes are sanctified and the no#s %a ter$ the Holy 4athers used to desi"nate the eye of the soul& is lifted up to:ards the +no:led"e of .od. 0r. Cavarnos adds that icons help solve the pro7le$ of hu$an transfor$ation and re"eneration ;7y instructin" us, re$indin" us, and stirrin" us up $orally and spiritually.< his function of the icon is 7ased on the principle that :e 7eco$e li+e that :hich :e ha7itually conte$plate. rue icons focus the distracted, dispersed soul of $an on spiritual perfection, on the divine, and they arouse in hi$ the desire to e$ulate those :ho have achieved spiritual 7eauty. (cons incite the 7eholder ;to see $ore clearly and steadily Hi$ Who to see is to -/
love, and lovin" Who$ one 7eco$es :hat He ori"inally intended us to 7e.< !y d:ellin" steadily and lovin"ly on such perfection, the professor concludes, :e co$e to parta+e of it $ore and $ore. %/& (cons have a litur"ical function, servin" as a $eans of :orship and veneration. 9i+e sacred $usic, the icon is used as a $eans of :orshipin" .od and veneratin" His saints. As such, 0r. Cavarnos e6plains, it is ;essentially sy$7olic, leadin" the soul fro$ the visi7le to the invisi7le, fro$ the $aterial to the spiritual, fro$ the sy$7ol to the prototype or ori"inal :hich it represents.< he professor su$s up the litur"ical function of icons in his notation that: >either .od nor the saints, of course, need the honor :hich :e offer the$, 7e it 7y $eans of icons, or 7y $eans of hy$ns and $usic. !ut it is only proper for us to do so, as the adoration of .od and the ad$iration of saints are e6pressions of a soul that sees and loves the 7eauty of holiness, of spiritual perfection, and feels "rateful to the 0eity and to holy $en for their $any 7enefactions to $an+ind. Such a response is not $erely so$ethin" proper for us, 7ut it is also conducive to our salvation. he follo:in" re$ar+ of Dohn 0a$ascene calls to attention this point, and at the sa$e ti$e it has a 7earin" on several of the functions served 7y icons: ;( enter the co$$on place8of8therapy of souls, the church, cho+ed as it :ere 7y the thorns of :orldly thou"hts. he 7loo$ of paintin" attracts $e, it deli"hts $y si"ht li+e a $eado:, and secretly evo+es in $y soul the desire to "lorify .od. ( 7ehold the $artyr, the cro:ns a:arded, and $y #eal is aroused li+e fireN ( fall do:n and :orship .od throu"h the $artyr, and receive salvation< =p. 3'@. (conoclas$, the conde$nation of icons, results :hen the i$portant function of icons is not understood, and :hen the crucial distinction 7et:een honorable reverence and worship is overloo+ed. he failure to differentiate 7et:een these t:o cate"ories :as the cause of the !y#antine ,$peror 9eo the (saurianGs issuin" an edict in /2- that conde$ned the $a+in" and veneration of icons as contrary to the Second Co$$and$ent, and as idolatry. 4ollo:in" the upheaval a"ainst icono"raphy on the part of the (conoclasts, the Seventh ,cu$enical Council e6pressed the do"$a of the veneration of holy icons in the follo:in" :ords: We therefore... define :ith all certitude and accuracy that Fust as the fi"ure of the precious and life8"ivin" Cross, so also the venera7le and holy i$a"es... should 7e set forth in the holy churches of .od =for veneration@.... 4or 7y so $uch $ore freCuently as they are seen in artistic representation =that is, the 9ord Desus Christ, the heoto+os, the an"els and saints :ho are depicted in the icons@, 7y so $uch $ore readily are $en lifted up to the $e$ory of their prototypes, and to a lon"in" after the$. And to these should 7e "iven due salutation and honora7le reverence =.ree+: timeti$e pros$ynesis@, not indeed that true :orship of faith =.ree+: latreia@ :hich pertains alone to the divine natureN 7ut to these... incense and li"hts $ay 7e offered.... 4or the honor :hich is paid to the i$a"e passes on to that :hich the i$a"e represents =,erd$ans ,even )c#menical Co#ncils, p. ))0@. he .ree+ 4athers distin"uish very sharply 7et:een ;honora7le reverence< :hich is accorded to icons, and ;:orship.< he veneration of icons is reverential respect or ad$iration, :hereas worship is accorded only to 1od. *oreover, the 4athers e$phasi#ed that the veneration "iven to icons "oes to the prototype that it represents J that is, to Christ, the heoto+os, to so$e -1
$artyr or other saint. (n the :ords of St. !asil, :hich :ere repeated 7y St. Dohn of 0a$ascus and other defenders of icons, ; he honor :hich is "iven to the icons passes over to the prototype.< hat is, in veneratin" icons, the honor one renders to the i$a"es passes to the person represented on the i$a"e. herefore, the char"e of idolatry sho:s "ross i"norance :ith re"ard to the nature and function of icons. As the sa$e char"e of idolatry is so$eti$es repeated today, it is necessary to e$phasi#e that 5rthodo6 do not approach icons as idols, 7ut as the spiritual i$a"e of the one to :ho$ the soul addresses itself in prayer. (t is also necessary to point out that the strict prohi7ition in Scripture a"ainst the $a+in" of idols and the :orship of the$ does not apply to Christian icons. Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y e6plains that the i$a"es of false "ods, and peopleGs :orship of the$, entailed the :orship of de$ons %or else i$a"inary 7ein"s that have no e6istence&, and thus it entailed the :orship of lifeless o7Fects the$selves %:ood, stone or "old&. Scripture strictly instructs that one is to put a difference 7et:een holy and unholy, 7et:een unclean and clean %cf. 9ev 10:10&. he person :ho cannot see the difference 7et:een sacred i$a"es and idols 7lasphe$es and defiles icons. Such a person co$$its sacrile"e and is su7Fect to the conde$nation in Sacred Scripture, :hich :arns: ;-hou that abhorrest idols! dost thou commit sacrilegeE< %Ao$ 2:22&. St. >i+olai 3eli$irovich also addresses the char"es of idolatry $ade a"ainst 5rthodo6y over its veneration of icons. he 7ishop as+s: Who has :a"ed :ar a"ainst idolatry throu"h the a"es, if not the 5rthodo6 Church, $illions of :hose faithful have sacrificed the$selves in this victorious 7attleE Who else has destroyed idolatryE So ho: could the Church that has destroyed idolatry 7e idolatrousE =2omilies- a Commentary on the Gospel Readings for Great 3easts and ,#ndays Thro#gho#t the /ear, vol. 1, p. 13/@. A hiero$on+ notes that Calvinists disdain icons, 7ased on their reFection of the Seventh ,cu$enical Council. Ho:ever, as he "oes on to point out, as the funda$ental concern of all the ,cu$enical Councils :as Christolo"ical and soteriolo"ical, the o7durate refusal to reco"ni#e even one of the$ si"nifies in and of itself a $aFor departure fro$ 7asic Christian doctrine. Also, as another hiero$on+ e6plains %one :ho entered 5rthodo6y fro$ the ,piscopal Church&, after Brotestants thre: icons out of their churches throu"h the doors' they 7rou"ht the$ 7ac+ in throu"h the windows. hat is, icons :ere reintroduced into Brotestant churches throu"h stained glass windows. And, the hiero$on+ adds, Brotestants do not re"ard these icons as "raven i$a"es. >o dou7t the $ost ra7id attac+ a"ainst icons co$es fro$ the DehovahGs Witnesses, even thou"h these people have pictures J icons J of their loved ones in their :allets and ho$es. 5nce :hen a .ree+ 7ishop :as reviled 7y one of the :itnesses over the $atter of icons, the 7ishop as+ed the :itness to sho: hi$ so$e pictures of his fa$ily $e$7ers. When the :itness produced pictures fro$ his :allet, the 7ishop re$inded hi$ that the DehovahGs Witnesses are a"ainst icons, $eanin" that he should tear up all these pictures, as :ell as all his pictures at ho$e. When the :itness replied that he does not :orship these pictures, the 7ishop stated that li+e:ise, neither do the 5rthodo6 :orship i$a"es. he 5rthodo6, he e6plained, honor and +iss icons, :hich is passed alon" to the archetype, as the 4athers and teachers of the Church have stated. he 7ishop continued, sayin" that :hen the :itnessG $ind and heart "o out to his loved ones in the pictures, he does not call this idolatry. >either therefore can the 5rthodo6 7e accused of idolatry 7ecause they venerate icons. he icon itself is not an o7Fect of :orship. -2
here are $any idols in the $odern a"e, a$on" :hich are lu6ury, :ealth, reco"nition, and $any other thin"s to :hich people attach $ore i$portance than .od. So$e :ho spend their entire lives in the pursuit of these and other idols of the :orld, and in servin" $a$$on rather than .od, :ould accuse 5rthodo6y of idolatry 7ecause of its veneration of icons. Ho:ever, the o7vious fact re$ains that icons are not idols. he attac+ on icons no: see$s to 7e a7atin". 4or so$e ti$e, there has 7een a return in the West to the icon, :hich :as for"otten for the space of so $any centuries. XX XX XX he use of i$a"es has its 7e"innin"s in 5ld esta$ent ti$es. 0urin" the forty years of :anderin" in the desert, the He7re:s $ade ca$p on *ount Sinai for a :hole year, and there, at .odGs co$$and, they constructed a ta7ernacle, a transporta7le sanctuary, in the for$ of a tent. (nside the ta7ernacleGs holy of holies :as the Ar+ of the Covenant, :hich :as a :ooden chest covered inside and out :ith "old, and upon :hich :ere two golden images of the Cherubim %,6odus 2):11822&. St. Dohn of 0a$ascus traces the origin of iconography 7ac+ to this ti$e, to the *osaic people, :ho ;venerated on all hands the ta7ernacle, :hich :as an i$a"e = ei$on in .ree+@ and pattern of heavenly thin"s, or rather of the :hole of creation< =*i"ne, B., 11-', vol. 2', cols. 11-18/-@. % he :ord icon is a transliteration of the .ree+ ei$on. (n .ree+ it $eans i$a"e, li+eness, representation&. (t is i$portant to note here that the same =oses! through whom 1od gave the commandment against graven images! received at the same time an order from 1od to place representations of the Cherubim in the inner part of the temple to which people turned for the worship of 1od. herefore, the fact that .od Hi$self "ave instructions to include i$a"es J icons J in the place of :orship co$pletely nullifies the $ista+en notion that all i$a"es are prohi7ited 7y the Second Co$$and$ent. While there are nu$erous depictions on the :alls and curtains of the 5ld esta$ent e$ple, there :ere no depictions of the departed ri"hteous ones li+e those seen in the Christian Church. he reason for their a7sence is 7ecause the ri"hteous ones of 5ld esta$ent ti$es :ere a:aitin" their deliverance, :ere :aitin" to 7e 7rou"ht up out of hades. his deliverance :as acco$plished 7y the descent into hades and Aesurrection of Christ. As the Apostle Baul :rites: ; hey :ithout us should not 7e $ade perfect< %He7 11:'0&. he ri"hteous ones of the 5ld esta$ent :ere "lorified as saints only in the >e: esta$ent. Christ, the (ncarnate .od, sanctified the use of icons throu"h a $iraculous i$a"e He sent to A7"ar, the ruler of the nei"h7orin" +in"do$ of ,dessa. A7"ar, :ho had leprosy, had heard of ChristGs preachin" and $iracles durin" His pu7lic $inistry and had heard that He :as not :elco$e 7y $any in Dudea. He therefore sent his court artist, Ananias, to invite Desus to co$e to his +in"do$. (f He did not co$e, then Ananias :as to paint His portrait so that at least the +in" could see an i$a"e of His face, for he felt that if he could Fust see :hat this re$ar+a7le (ndividual loo+ed li+e, so$eho: he :ould 7e healed. Ananias, upon seein" the 9ord8Healer, tried several ti$es to capture His i$a"e. Ho:ever, he :as una7le to set His face do:n on the linen, for DesusG face "ave out rays of so$e unearthly li"ht, it is said. At that ti$e, Desus, +no:in" all thin"s, and +no:in" the sincere desire of the +in", pressed a cloth to His face and i$printed the character of His divine i$a"e upon it. He then "ave the i$a"e to Ananias :ith the $essa"e that one of His disciples :ould visit Kin" A7"ar to heal that :hich the i$a"e did not heal.
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When the +in" 7eheld this sacred i$a"e, the first Christian icon, he :as cured of his leprosy, save for one s$all spot on his face. 9ater, after ChristGs death and Aesurrection, the holy disciple haddeus of the seventy :ent to ,dessa and preached the .ospel of 9ife to the +in" and those :ith hi$. Havin" received enli"hten$ent and +no:led"e of the rue .od, all of the$ received !aptis$, at :hich ti$e the last spot of leprosy left the +in". his sacred i$a"e of Christ :as carefully preserved in ,dessa for $any centuries, even durin" the persecution of the Church. (t :as su7seCuently transferred to Constantinople in 2'', :here it :as 7rou"ht out in procession and veneration once each year. 9ater, durin" the 4ourth Crusade in 120', the i$a"e disappeared and :as never revealed a"ain. %(n the 4ourth Crusade, for three days 5rthodo6 Christian 7lood ran in the streets of Constantinople as a $assive a$ount of art, treasures and $onu$ents :ere stolen fro$ churches and carried off to the West as plunder. (n this officially sponsored ro77ery, the 9atin $arauders placed prostitutes upon the altars of 5rthodo6 churches as they :ent a7out a :anton spree of $urder, pilla"e and sacrile"e. o assua"e their notorious "reed for 7ooty, they tore to pieces the altar and iconostasis of the Church of the Holy Wisdo$ in Constantinople and 7rou"ht $ules into the sanctuary to carry the "old and silver a:ay. his syste$atic lootin" :as underta+en 7y the 9atin cler"y, to :ho$ it proved an irresisti7le chance of a lifeti$e to enrich Western ,uropeGs a77eys and $onasteries :ith !y#antiu$Gs holiest relics J reputedly Christendo$Gs finest collection&. All icons of Christ :ere $ade fro$ the sa$e prototype and pattern of this holy nap+in until its disappearance in the 4ourth Crusade. *oreover, as it is sho:n :ith this first Christian icon, icons are Apostolic, they are healing, and they even pre(date the 1ospels 7ein" :ritten do:n. he ,van"elist 9u+e painted icons, the first of :hich :as the 3ladi$ir icon of the *other of .od holdin" the Bre8,ternal Child. here still e6ist today $any icons painted 7y St. 9u+e. Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y states that it is natural to suppose that in the early history of Christianity, the first need :as that the people 7e dra:n a:ay fro$ pa"an idol8 :orship, and only later could there 7e 7rou"ht into 7ein" the idea of the fullness of for$s for "lorifyin" .od and His saints. A$on" these for$s there is a place for "lorification in colors, in sacred i$a"es. he use of icons 7y Christians, as :as noted, "oes 7ac+ to the first century of Christianity. ,cclesiastical archaeolo"y has found that in the ancient Christian Church, there :ere sacred i$a"es in the cataco$7s and other places of asse$7ly for prayer. A rudi$entary art e6isted a$on" Christians of the first t:o centuries. (t e$ployed such for$s as the dove %a sy$7ol of the peace of Christ&, the fish and the Shepherd %sy$7ols of Christ&, and the peacoc+ %a sy$7ol of the Aesurrection&. Also, as early as the first century, Christians used representations of events in Holy Scripture on their to$7s, and pictorial representations of events fro$ the life of Christ, datin" $ost li+ely fro$ the early part of the second century, have 7een found in cataco$7s of Ao$e and Ale6andria. Hntil the out7rea+ of (conoclas$ in /2-, icono"raphic representations increased :ith each succeedin" century, and icono"raphy 7eca$e $ore refined. !efore a 7oard has the countenance of Christ portrayed on it, it is only a piece of :ood. 5nce the i$a"e of Christ is painted on it, ho:ever, the :ood 7eco$es sanctified and is a source of sanctification for people, even if the :ood is of inferior Cuality. his a7ility to sanctify is seen in the 7e"innin" of the repentance and con of the !ul"arian people to 5rthodo6 Christianity, so$ethin" that happened 7ecause of an icon of the 9ast Dud"$ent. When St. /1
*ethodius sho:ed it to Kin" !oris and e6plained it, the icon $ade such an i$pression on hi$ that !oris, and alon" :ith hi$ all the !ul"arian people, ca$e to 7elieve in Christ. So$ethin" this e6traordinary could happen 7ecause, as St. Seraphi$ of Sarov e6plains, the grace of 1od works through icons. he saint "oes on to state that icons heal sinners, ... and not only their 7odies, 7ut their souls, too, so that even sinners, accordin" to their faith in the "race of Christ present in the icons, :ere saved and attained the Kin"do$ of Heaven. St. Dohn of Kronstadt further instructs that: (f anyone :ould as+ you :hy you pray to soulless icons, :hat profit you derive fro$ the$, say that :e derive inco$para7ly "reater profit fro$ our icons than :e do fro$ the +indest and $ost 7enevolent livin" personsN say that 7lessed po:er and help to our souls al:ays co$es to us throu"h the icons, savin" us fro$ sins, sorro:s and sic+nesses, especially fro$ the icons of the Saviour and of the *other of .odN that one sin"le loo+ :ith faith upon the$, as upon the livin" and those :ho are near to us, saves us fro$ cruel sorro:s, passions and spiritual dar+nessN that if touchin" the SaviourMs "ar$ent, and the "ar$ents and hand+erchiefs of the Apostles could restore health to the sic+, $uch $ore are the i$a"es of the Saviour and the *other of .od po:erful to heal 7elievers of every affliction, in accordance :ith their faith in the 9ord and His *other. Archi$andrite Bantelei$on of Dordanville e6plains that the $ost po:erful :itness to the holiness of icons is the innu$era7le si"ns and $iracles that the 9ord condescends to acco$plish throu"h the$, especially throu"h those ter$ed mirac#lo#s. 5rthodo6 Aussia a7ounded :ith these icons, and several have 7een 7rou"ht to >orth A$erica. 4r. Bantelei$on notes that these icons are fountains of healing and have cured people of $any afflictions J so$e fro$ despondency, so$e fro$ passions, so$e fro$ lifeGs sorro:s, and so$e fro$ 7odily illnesses, and he notes that these icons have healed each and everyone ali+e fro$ :ounds of the soul, fro$ sins. o have icons and venerate the$ 7y honorin" the$ is an Apostolic -radition, one that Christians are 7ound to revere and o7serve. Ho:ever, this tradition refers only to holy %or .y&antine& icons J that is, icons of the sole$n, spiritual and hieratic style that depict deified hu$anity. hrou"h their spiritual e6pression, these traditional icons inspire co$punction and raise people up fro$ the :orld of $atter to the :orld of spirit, to the holy prototypes, and to .od. raditional icons are faithful to the hi"hest de"ree to the spirit of Apostolic radition. here is a "reat difference 7et:een 5rthodo6 icono"raphy and Western reli"ious paintin". Since the (talian Aenaissance of the fourteenth century, the 9atin Church 7e"an to a7andon the sacred art of the ancient Christian period, and it 7e"an to e$ploy naturalistic, carnal reli"ious paintin"s that hold $an+ind captive to the :orld of $atter and flesh. (n this ne: Western reli"ious art, sacred su7Fects served as a prete6t to e6press the su7Fective feelin"s and ideas of a painter, and oftenti$es crudely sensual and senti$ental ele$ents :ould creep into the features of the su7Fects, "ivin" an insipid Cuality to the art. Co$$entin" on the WestGs "reat deviation fro$ 5rthodo6 icono"raphy, Brotopriest 3ictor Botapov :rites that:
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(n the 5rthodo6 notion, an icon depicts the :orld "lorifiedN in it there ou"ht not to 7e anythin" earthly or :orldly. herefore, the techniCues of depiction are alto"ether different fro$ those that are used in realistic paintin". Ao$e has co$pletely departed fro$ classic !y#antine funda$entals. his :as e6pressed particularly forcefully durin" the epoch of the Aenaissance. he very philosophical direction of this period hy$ns $anGs e"ois$ and po:erfulness, his self8perception in the surroundin" $aterial environ$ent. As a result, the ecclesiastical art of the West also headed alon" this path J alon" the path of free creativity, independent of the Church and its enact$ents. A free attitude to:ard Church ideas and a $i6in" of Church traditions :ith conte$porary reality resulted in Western reli"ious art allo:in" the distortion of the sacred i$a"e 7y strivin" to:ard hu$an, earthly sensuality. hat :hich the ancient Church so painsta+in"ly avoided J the influence of antiCue pa"an paintin" and realis$ J :as in full $easure re7orn in Western Christianity and has covered the :alls of the lar"est Catholic churches and cathedrals. >a+ed 7odies, conte$porary dress and decor 7eca$e the nor$, :hile spiritual 7eauty :as reduced to so$ethin" :orldly and everyday =!rthodoxy and 2eterodoxy@. he "reat chas$ 7et:een !y#antine icono"raphy and Western reli"ious art can 7e seen in a Western $adonna, :here the *other of .od is depicted as a :o$an no different fro$ all other :o$en. %At ti$es, it is even 7lasphe$ous. An e6a$ple is a paintin" 7y 4ouCuet in :hich the +in"Gs $istress is used in place of the *other of .od&. 5n the other hand, an icon of the heoto+os i$parts the fra"rance of sanctity and co$$unicates the divine $otherhood. (n the *other of .od of 3ladi$ir, for e6a$ple, one can feel the spirit of faith, the i$print of 5rthodo6y. 9i+e:ise, :here Western paintin"s portray the Bre8,ternal Child as a helpless, na+ed 7a7y indistin"uisha7le fro$ all other 7a7ies, an 5rthodo6 icon sho:s Hi$ as the fullyclothed ,ternal Word, and sho:s the teachin" of the Church on the (ncarnation of .od and 0ivine Wisdo$. (n ei"hteenth8century Aussia, and then a$on" the .ree+s after the Aevolution of 1121, innovative icons $odeled after Ao$an Catholic paintin"s of the Aenaissance :ere introduced. 9i+e their Western prototypes, these icons :ere ostentations, :orldly and devoid of spirituality. he outstandin" Aussian philosopher and "ifted :riter, Brince ,v"enii >i+olaevich ru7ets+oi, e6a$ines these realistic paintin"s of the Western $odels and notes that they depict Christ and the saints :ith ;puffy faces,< ;red $ouths,< ;thic+ ar$s,< ;fat thi"hs,< and the li+e. He re$ar+s that ;icons $ust not 7e painted fro$ livin" people,< 7ecause ;an icon is not a portrait, 7ut a prototype of the future $an8:ithin8the8Church< = (cons- Theology in Color, pp. 20822.@. As 0r. Cavarnos further re$ar+s, the aspect of the fi"ures depicted $ust 7e un:orldly, ascetic, their features refined, spirituali#ed. (n his 7oo+ 0ictories of !rthodoxy' 0r. Cavarnos "ives so$e additional note:orthy o7servations on the difference 7et:een true icons and those influenced 7y Western paintin"s. He e6plains that: *odernistic icons, 7ein" naturalistic, secular in e6pression, instead of liftin" us up fro$ the natural, $aterial real$, leave us prisoners in it. hey focus the attention of the /3
7eholder on the body as s#ch' :hereas a tr#e icon, a traditional icon, focuses the attention on the so#l' on its virtues and holiness, as e6perienced thro#gh the 7ody, particularly the face, a7ove all the eyes. *odernistic icons see+ to e6press physical 7eauty untransfi"ured 7y spiritual 7eauty, and there7y to please the conte$plator 7y sens#o#s Cualities, :hereas the traditional icon see+s to e6press spirit#al 7eauty, and thus to a:a+en in a person an aspiration for it =pp. --8-/@. Western icons patterned after Western reli"ious paintin"s are not only unrelated to the 5rthodo6 Christian faith, 7ut are contrary to it, since their e6pression is carnal, not spiritual. he tradition to honor icons does not apply to innovative icons $odeled after Ao$an Catholic paintin"s of the (talian Aenaissance. (n fact, it is an infrin"e$ent of Apostolic radition to use :orldly icons. 4ortunately, the deviation fro$ icono"raphic tradition has lar"ely ceased, and :ith the restoration of !y#antine icons, 5rthodo6y has :an a "reat victory over a ne: for$ of (conoclas$. *oreover, traditional icono"raphy, :ith its unsurpassed 7eauty, has co$$anded such hi"h respect that !y#antine icons are sou"ht8after throu"hout the :orld, even 7y the non8 5rthodo6. As *ichael Whelton, a convert to 5rthodo6y, :rites, even :hen he and his :ife :ere still Ao$an Catholics, ;icono"raphic art al:ays struc+ us as a $ore $ature reli"ious art for$.< =Two aths111 p. 1).@ *r. WheltonGs o7servations are echoed in Her7ert Aeed, a fa$ous ,n"lish aesthetician and art critic, :ho :rote: ;!y#antine paintin" is the hi"hest for$ of reli"ious paintin" that Christianity has +no:n< =The %eaning of Art' p. 11/@. A .ree+ $on+ re$ar+ed in a lecture that Satan, reali#in" that the Church has saved countless souls throu"h the centuries throu"h icons, presents a parody of icons J that is, fallen, evil i$a"es, on 3 and in the $ovies. As another $on+ noted, :hereas icons, 7ein" :indo:s into Heaven, re$ind one of the i$portance of the spiritual life, thus sanctifyin" and savin" a person, the evil i$a"es presented on 3, 7ein" :indo:s into hell, accusto$ people to terri7le sins :ithout sho:in" the disastrous results. As he :ent on to state, fallen visual entertain$ent has co$e to do$inate the :orld to an incredi7le de"ree, and 7rain:ashin" people and chan"in" their outloo+ on life as it does, it "radually destroys a person. !ecause the 5rthodo6 Christian ho$e is li+e a fa$ily Church %Ao$. 1-:)&, an 5rthodo6 chooses an eastern :all or corner of a roo$ in :hich to set up an icon corner. (n this area are icons of Christ, the heoto+os, and those saints to :ho$ one re"ularly prays. Accordin" to a tradition datin" to the ti$e :hen Christians held their services in the cataco$7s, oil87urnin" la$padas are +ept lit in front of the icons %never votive candles&. At the Aussian $onastery in Dordanville, >e: ?or+, the fla$es 7urnin" in front of the icons throu"hout the churches :ere 7rou"ht over fro$ those 7urnin" 7efore ChristGs to$7 in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Derusale$. he Aussian $on+s at Dordanville, follo:in" the practice of the $on+s on *ount Athos, instruct that the fla$es of the la$padas should 7e lo:, or :hat they call passionless. hat is, the fla$es should 7urn steadily and not flic+er. With a lo: fla$e, one is not distracted :hen one prays 7efore icons. (t is an ancient custo$ to ta+e icons on Fourneys. Aecently the re$ains of a Aussian ship, the ,lava Rossii, :hich :ent do:n off the southern coast of 4rance in 11/0, :ere discovered. Aecovered fro$ the :rec+a"e :ere over ei"hty s$all $etal icons used 7y the sailors in their daily devotions. 5ne authority :rites of this find:
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Why :ere such $etal icons so nu$erous a7oard the Slava AossiiE ,ver since the early Christian period, icons had functioned as palladia J that is, as protectors. he sailors :ere pro7a7ly no $ore pious than other $e$7ers of Aussian society, and in carryin" such icons :ere pro7a7ly e6pressin" their native devoutness and the natural desire to 7e +ept safe fro$ har$ =0iane 9e !errurieur, ;(cons fro$ the 0eep,< Archaeology, vol. '1, no. -, 1221, p. 2/@. 9i+e the Aussian sailors, one ou"ht to $aintain this ancient custo$ :hen travelin" 7y ta+in" alon" a s$all diptych or triptych icon. When one stops for the ni"ht or ta+es a rest durin" oneGs travels, one should deter$ine the direction of east and pray facin" in that direction 7efore the icons. Brayin" facin" east is an ancient Christian custo$ $entioned 7y St. !asil the .reat in his treatise !n the 2oly ,pirit. his Holy 4ather :rites that ;:e all loo+ to the east in our prayers, 7ut fe: of us +no: that :e are see+in" our o:n old country, Baradise, :hich .od planted in the east.< (n veneratin" icons, one should approach the$ :ith the sa$e reverence and love that one reserves for the Holy Cross and Holy Scriptures. 5ne venerates icons in order to co$$unicate the reverence, respect and love that one holds for the su7Fect of an icon. As it is not unusual for people to +iss the pictures of their 7eloved ones, so li+e:ise Christians, as pil"ri$s in this fallen :orld, should reverently +iss the i$a"es of the holy persons in Heaven J the Saviour, His All8 Bure *other, and the $artyrs and other saints. )#. %hat did the 2conoclasts fail to take into account by repudiating icons depicting 1od the 6on* !y reFectin" any representation of Christ, the (conoclasts failed to ta+e into account the full $eanin" of the (ncarnation. As the te6t7oo+ points out, the dispute a7out holy icons :as insepara7ly 7ound up :ith the teachin" a7out the Berson of Christ, and it points out that (conoclas$ is essentially a 7lend of influences fro$ >estorianis$ and the ideas of the Dudai#ers. he prefatory notes to the course therefore conclude that it is safe to say that that all people :ho revile or slander holy icons, or :ho see+ to hu$ani#e or Westerni#e the$, have a non8Christian vie: of so$e aspects of ChristGs Berson, and of the nature of rede$ption. )4. 2n this paragraph! the element of :estorianism (or modern Dnitarianism7 in 2conoclasm is more clearly seen. 2conoclasm betrayed the 2ncarnation by allowing no place to what! and forgetting about what* (conoclas$ 7etrayed the (ncarnation in that it allo:ed no place for ChristGs hu$anity or His !ody. he heresy also overloo+ed the fact that $an is to 7e saved and transfi"ured in 7oth soul and 7ody. St. Dohn of 0a$ascus addressed the issue of $atter, :hich :as so $uch of a pro7le$ for the (conoclasts, in his e6planation that: 5f old, .od the incorporeal and uncircu$scri7ed :as not depicted at all. !ut no: that .od has appeared in the flesh and lived a$on" $en, ( $a+e an i$a"e of the .od Who can 7e seen. ( do not :orship $atter, 7ut ( :orship the Creator of $atter, Who for $y sa+e 7eca$e $aterial and dei"ned to d:ell in $atter, Who throu"h $atter affected $y salvation. ( do not cease fro$ :orshipin" the $atter throu"h :hich $y salvation has 7een affected.
/)
5rthodo6 7elieve that salvation is definitely connected to $atter, for salvation is realized in the hypostatic union of 1od and human flesh. )3. 6ummarize the last paragraph on page 4) of the te'tbook in your own words. he (conoclasts, in their reFection of any representation of the hu$an i$a"e of .od, failed to understand the full $eanin" of the (ncarnation and presented a dan"er to this funda$ental doctrine of Christianity. hey :ere essentially dualists: they :anted a reli"ion freed fro$ all contact :ith anythin" $aterial, :hich they re"arded as defiled, and they felt that anythin" spiritual $ust necessarily 7e non8$aterial. As noted, such a vie: left no place for ChristGs hu$anity or His !ody. (n their denial of the sanctification of $atter in "eneral, the (conoclasts denied the deification of $an in particular. hat is, in their refusal to accept the conseCuences of the (ncarnation, :hich is the sanctification of the $aterial :orld, they overloo+ed the fact that $an is to 7e saved and transfi"ured not only in soul, 7ut in 7ody. (conoclas$ :as therefore $uch $ore than a controversy a7out reli"ions art: the attack on icons was an attack on Christ's 2ncarnation and on the whole economy of salvation. );. -he &rthodo' doctrine of icons is bound up with what &rthodo' belief* he 5rthodo6 doctrine of icons is 7ound up :ith the 7elief that all of .odGs creation J $aterial as :ell as spiritual J is to 7e redee$ed and transfi"ured. .odGs ta+in" a $aterial 7ody de$onstrates that $atter can 7e redee$ed. As St. Dohn of 0a$ascus e6plained: ; he Word $ade flesh has deified the flesh.< hus .od has deified $atter and $ade it ,pirit+bearing. (f flesh so 7eca$e a vehicle of the Spirit, so too can :ood and paint, thou"h in a different :ay. (n her 7oo+ The Artistic 7nity of the R#ssian !rthodox Ch#rch : Religion' Lit#rgy' (cons and Architect#re, 0r. Dane de 3yver "ives additional insi"ht alon" these lines. She e6plains that the $aterial :orld, thou"h fallen, is "ood, 7ecause .od created it and 7eca$e incarnate in it. Sanctified 7y creation and incarnation the $aterial :orld is called to participate in sanctification and 7e restored to its ori"inal 7eauty. he sa$e author, a professor of hu$anities, philosophy and cultural history, also notes that :henever the physical real$ is re"arded as evil, 7ase and corrupt, the arts di$inish. 4or e6a$ple, the si6teenth8century Brotestant refor$er Dohn Calvin reFected $ost arts, especially the visual, precisely 7ecause of his ne"ative vie: of the 7ody and all thin"s physical. his tradition continues to 7e stron" in the Hnited States, 0r. de 3yver o7serves. )<. %hat source does the te'tbook omit in this discussion which ought to have been included! since it is the only source of the correct interpretation of 6cripture* 4irst, any discussion of the !y#antine period of Church history :ould have to include J in addition to the heresies and the ,cu$enical Councils that repudiated the$ J a discussion of Holy Scripture itself. (t :as durin" this period that the 7oo+s of the !i7le as :e +no: the$ today :ere produced in the 5rthodo6 Church. hat is, of the nu$erous copies of various Scriptures then in e6istence, includin" $any false ;scriptures,< Scripture :as canoni#ed fro$ a$on" the :ritin"s of the Apostles and early disciples. As 4r. Dohn Whiteford e6plains: he pri$ary purpose in the ChurchGs esta7lishin" an authoritative list of 7oo+s :hich :ere to 7e received as Sacred Scripture :as to protect the Church fro$ spurious 7oo+s :hich clai$ed Apostolic authorship, 7ut :ere in fact the :or+ of heretics, such as the ;.ospel of ho$as.< Heretical "roups could not 7ase their teachin"s on Holy radition /-
7ecause their teachin"s ori"inated fro$ outside the Church. So the only :ay they could clai$ any authoritative 7asis for their heresies :as to t:ist the $eanin" of Scriptures and to for"e ne: 7oo+s in the na$es of the Apostles or 5ld esta$ent saints. (n esta7lishin" an authoritative list of sacred 7oo+s that :ere received 7y all as 7ein" divinely inspired and of "enuine 5ld esta$ent or Apostolic ori"in, the Church did not intend to i$ply that all of the Christian faith and all infor$ation necessary for :orship and "ood order in the Church :as contained in these :ritin"s. (n fact, 7y the ti$e the Church settled the canon of Scripture, it :as already, in its faith and :orship, essentially indistin"uisha7le fro$ the Church of later periods. his is an historic certainty. As for the structure of Church authority, it :as &rthodo' bishops, "athered to"ether in various Councils, :ho settled the Cuestion of the canon. he Church as :e +no: it :as in place before the !i7le as :e +no: it :as in place =,ola ,cript#ra- an !rthodox Analysis of the Cornerstone of Reformation Theology , pp. 11812N e$phasis added@. Secondly, it :as durin" this period that the Holy 4athers e6plained Scripture. Althou"h the te6t7oo+ does not $ention this develop$ent, it is an i$$ensely i$portant one in the history of the Church, for the 4athers are the only source of the correct interpretation of Scripture. As the te6t7oo+ "ives short shrift to the 4athers, this su7Fect reCuires further co$$ent. 6t. @ustin =artyr %O1-)&, the leading Christian apologist of the second century! e'plicitly e5uates the Holy Fathers with the Holy Apostles . He :rites that: ;A$on" the$, in essence, there is no difference: the sa$e .od8*an Christ lives, acts, enlivens and $a+es the$ all eternal in eCual $easure.< Also concernin" the Holy 4athers, Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y e6plains that: 4or "uidance in Cuestions of faith, for the correct understandin" of Sacred Scripture, and in order to distin"uish the authentic radition of the Church fro$ false teachin"s, :e appeal to the :or+s of the Holy 4athers of the Church, ac+no:led"in" that the #nanimo#s agreement of all the 4athers and teachers of the Church in teachin" of the faith is an undou7ted si"n of truth. he Holy 4athers stood for the truth, fearin" neither threats nor persecutions nor death itself. he patristic e6planations of the truths of the faith 1& "ave precision to the e6pression of the truths of Christian teachin" and created a unity of do"$atic lan"ua"eN 2& added testi$onies of these truths fro$ Sacred Scripture and Sacred radition, and also 7rou"ht forth fro$ the$ ar"u$ents 7ased on reason. (n theolo"y, attention is also "iven to certain private opinions of the Holy 4athers or teachers of the Church on Cuestions :hich have not 7een precisely defined and accepted 7y the :hole Church. Ho:ever, these opinions are not to 7e confused :ith do"$as, in the precise $eanin" of the :ord. here are so$e private opinions of certain 4athers and teachers :hich are not reco"ni#ed as 7ein" in a"ree$ent :ith the "eneral catholic faith of the Church, and are not accepted as a "uide to faith = !rthodox "ogmatic Theology, pp. 3/831@. he rue Church esta7lished 7y Christ rests upon the foundation of the Holy Apostles and the Holy Fathers, :ho are the Apostles' successors in nature and essence. As *etropolitan Hierotheos of >afpa+tos e6plains, the Holy 4athers are the successors of the Holy Apostles not //
si$ply throu"h the trans$ission of the "race of the priesthood, 7ut 7ecause they themselves also reached the same e'perience as the Apostles. %Since chapter 1 ans:er 1' deals :ith the Apostle BeterGs ad$onition that ;no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation< =2 Beter 1:20@, the $atter of the Holy 4athersG e6e"esis of Scripture :ill 7e e6plored in "reater depth at that Functure&. )>. %hat do you feel was the most significant point presented in this lesson* he $ost si"nificant point is that icons are sanctified and are a source of sanctification throu"h :hich the "race of .od :or+s, and that throu"h the$, one is put on the path of salvation. Also of i$$ense i$portance is that the icon is eCual to the Scriptures in its capacity to teach. St. !asil the .reat e6presses this truth :hen he states that ;that :hich the :ord =of Scripture@ co$$unicates 7y sound, the paintin" sho:s silently 7y representation.< he 4athers of the Seventh ,cu$enical Council a"reed, for they also stated that the t:o $ediu$s acco$pany one another and that throu"h the$ one "ains a +no:led"e of the sa$e thin". )?. %hat 5uestions did this section of the te'tbook raise in your mind and then leave unanswered* So$e Brotestants consider the chief proponent of (conoclas$, the !y#antine ,$peror Constantine Coprony$us, to the spiritual ancestor of 9uther and Calvin. !ecause of that connection and the Brotestant :orldGs traditional disdain of icons, Cuestions arose a7out ho: ancient heresies in "eneral J and (conoclas$ in particular J $anifested the$selves in Brotestant theolo"y. >eedless to say, this Cuestion is outside the purvie: of the te6t7oo+ and can 7e researched else:here. =BrofessorGs addendu$: Actually, early Western theolo"y %fro$ the incorrect opinions of Au"ustine on:ard& :as 7ased on Blatonis$. 9ater Western theolo"y :as 7ased on Aristotle, 7ut on a peculiar. (t :as 7ased on the *osle$ sa"e AvicennaGs co$$entaries on Aristotle. Brotestantis$ is so$ethin" of a co$7ination of *osle$VAristotelian ideas and .nosticis$. 9uther and Calvin $ust count as their forerunners Au"ustine %thus Blato&, Avicenna %and his interpretations of Aristotle&, and the ,uropean .nostics. Ho:ever, as you say, this is so$ethin" for later. (t is covered in our fourth course@.
+. Saints, ,on-s and .&perors.

). -he te'tbook gives one of the reasons why 9yzantium was called the icon of the heavenly erusalem. %hat was the reasonE he description of !y#antiu$ as the icon of the heavenly Derusale$ refers to the all8 pervasive influence of Christianity upon all aspects of !y#antine life and upon all strata of society, fro$ the cler"y to the laity, and fro$ the court and scholars to the poor and uneducated. he te6t7oo+ cites e6a$ples of this influence: ho: the circus events 7e"an :ith the sin"in" of hy$ns, ho: trade contracts invo+ed the rinity and :ere sealed :ith the si"n of the Cross, and ho: ordinary citi#ens :ould discuss and philosophi#e a7out the rinitarian and Christolo"ical disputes of the day in the $ar+etplaces and in their 7usiness interactions. he e6a$ple of the circus is an unfortunate one, "iven the repeated denunciations of this spectacle in the ho$ilies of St. Dohn Chrysosto$. he te6t7oo+ could have "iven any nu$7er of /1
different e6a$ples to sho: ho: "reat ChristianityGs i$pact :as on !y#antiu$. >ot $entioned, 7ut a "ood e6a$ple of that influence, is that Constantinople :as said to have 7eco$e li+e a $onastic +in"do$. (t :as also called a second Derusale$ as it :as a city of nu$erous churches and shrines. he "race of .od rested upon it. ". %e understand that the +cumenical Councils were conducted by imperfect men. However! who guided them and filled their shortcomings! leading them to the truth* he 7ishops :ho attended the ,cu$enical Councils :ere "uided 7y the Holy Spirit, Who filled their hu$an deficiencies and led the$ to the truth. #. %hat played a decisive part in the religious life of 9yzantium and in all &rthodo' countries* *onasticis$ played this part. (n ,astern 5rthodo6y, the 7ishops are chosen fro$ a$on" the $on+s, and the "reatest 4athers and theolo"ians have also co$e fro$ the ran+s of the $onastics. 4. %hat do you think is the significance of monasticism* oday in the ;television "eneration,< very little is +no:n a7out the institution of $onasticis$ and its contri7ution to civili#ation. When $on+s or nuns are portrayed on 3, this portrayal is "enerally done :ith utter lac+ of seriousness, if not do:nri"ht $oc+ery. 4or this reason, $onasticis$ is not understood in the secular West. here are other reasons as :ell for that lac+ of understandin". *any people no lon"er read, and also, the technolo"ical chan"e durin" the last century has 7een so stri+in" and fast that it is easy to attri7ute al$ost everythin" to the present and nothin" to the past. We no lon"er loo+ to the past as people used to do, 7ut live in an e6a""erated appreciation for the present. his ans:er :ill therefore e6a$ine the $onastic past, so$ethin" that has :ashed up even to the shores of our $odern :orld. St. Athanasius the .reat :rites that: ; here are t:o for$s and states of life. 5ne is the usual life for $an+ind, $arried lifeN the other is the an"elic and Apostolic life of :hich there is no hi"her, vir"inity or the $onastic state.< *onasticis$ is not so$ethin" alien to the Church, 7ut is life accordin" to the .ospel. hus, it is not :ithout reason that the spiritual :riters have set forth an e6tre$ely e6alted point of vie: of this :ay of life. As one of the$ noted, a$on" the 5rthodo6 ChurchGs $on+s and nuns throu"hout the a"es, the "ifts of castin" out de$ons, healin" sic+nesses, resurrectin" the dead, and "ifts of prophecy, are not e6ceptional. *oreover, the "reatest 4athers and theolo"ians of 5rthodo6y have co$e fro$ the ran+s of $onastics. 4or these reasons, the 7est :ay to penetrate 5rthodo6 spirituality is to enter it throu"h $onasticis$. *onasticis$ had its ori"ins in the 5ld esta$ent period of the Church, :hen .od revealed to *oses the vo: of the >a#arite J a vo: of celi7acy and the consecration of oneGs life to .od %>u$7ers -:2&. Su7seCuently the prophets, fro$ ,liFah to Dohn the !aptist, set e6a$ples of this vo:. he $onastic :ay :as later perfected in the life of Christ. Accordin" to the teachin"s of all the Holy 4athers and teachers of the Church, the first $onastic co$$unity :as that :hich /2
Christ for$ed :ith His Apostles. St. !asil the .reat "ives this teachin" :hen he states that ;the i$a"e of the co$$on $onastic life is truly an i$itation of the :ay of life of the 9ord Desus Christ :ith His disciples.< 9i+e:ise, the Church historian 4ilon notes that ;already in the 7e"innin" of the ApostlesG preachin", there :ere a$on" Christians those :ho :ere distin"uished 7y a special love of :isdo$, that is, a yearnin" to:ard hi"her ascetic stru""les and conte$plation, :hich are the very constituents of the purely $onastic life, and :hich a $erely Christian life lived a$idst the tu$ults and vanities of the :orld J althou"h not in itself for7idden J is not adeCuate to satisfy.< (n the sa$e re"ard, St. Dohn Chrysosto$ :rites: (n the 7e"innin" of Christianity, in the land of ,"ypt there appeared a :onderful ar$y of Christ, leadin" a for$ of life natural only to the celestial po:ersN and it :as $ade up not only of $en, 7ut also of :o$en, :ho no less than the $en led the conte$plative life. As "reat ascetics they entered into spiritual :arfare :ith the devil and the po:ers of dar+ness. Havin" seen ChristGs e6a$ple, the holy disciple and ,van"elist *ar+, :ho esta7lished the Church in ,"ypt, founded the first ascetic co$$unities that continued this :ay of life. hese co$$unities had the 5ld esta$ent prophets as $odels, and they adhered to the principles set forth in Acts ':32. hese co$$unities ca$e to 7e +no:n as $onasteries, and their inha7itants ca$e to 7e called $on+s, fro$ the .ree+ :ord monos %sin"le or alone&, in reference to their choice to 7e alone :ith .od. 4ro$ these $onastic co$$unities arose the "reat $onastic saints, the 0esert 4athers, of the fourth8century ,"yptian he7aid. 0urin" the three hundred years of persecution of Christians, endless nu$7ers of $en, :o$en and children under:ent the cruelest for$s of torture i$a"ina7le, 7ein" lacerated, 7urned, crucified, 7eheaded, dro:ned, thro:n to lions in arenas, and havin" $olten lead poured do:n their throats, for their Christian faith and love of .od. *artyrdo$ had a central place in the spiritual outloo+ of early Christians, 7ein" considered the ulti$ate act of renunciation of the :orld and the hi"hest confession of oneGs faith. All Christians 7elieved and lived in truth, and lived in readiness to 7e +illed. 5nce freedo$ :as "ranted to the Church 7y Constantine, ho:ever, the sufferin" of persecution and $artyrdo$ as a $eans of Christian perfection :as "one. Hnder the ne: conditions :here $any started co$in" to Christianity out of e6pediency, $any Christians in their freedo$ and :ealth 7eca$e :orldly, for"ettin" that the Christian life is underta+en to save oneGs soul, and for"ettin" that this path entails sufferin" in this life in order to o7tain peace in the ne6t. his develop$ent resulted in secularis$, so$ethin" that proved an even "reater dan"er for Christianity than the persecution of the Church, for :ith it, the ascetic :ay of livin" disappeared fro$ the cities. (n reaction to this seculari#ation, the idea of $artyrdo$ too+ other for$s, such as a life of $onasticis$. At that ti$e, there 7e"an to appear anchorites or her$its, people :ho fled society to enter into a voluntary or 7loodless $artyrdo$ in the desert J that is, to preserve the essence of the spiritual life and live a "enuine life accordin" to the .ospel. At first they left the :orld sin"ly, and then in loosely8+nit "roups. (n this :ay, $onasticis$ e$er"ed as a definite institution in the fourth century. As *etropolitan Hierotheos of >afpa+tos "oes on to e6plain, the Holy 4athers e$phasi#e that the $onastic life is the continuity of the Apostolic a"e and the life of the early Church. he 4athers, he states, tau"ht that $onastics are those :ho live the life of the 10
.ospel, :ho e6perience repentance to its ulti$ate de"ree, and :ho try to o7serve the co$$and$ents of Christ unyieldin"ly. 5ne of the earliest records of a $on+ is that of St. Anthony the .reat %O3)-&. When he :as a youn" $an, his parents died and left their su7stantial :ealth to hi$. Sorro:in" over their death, he :ent into church, and there he heard the priest read fro$ Scripture: ;(f thou :ill 7e perfect, "o and sell that thou hast, and "ive it to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven: and co$e and follo: *e< %*t 12:21&. Hpon hearin" these :ords, AnthonyGs heart 7e"an to 7urn for Christ. He then :ent to distri7ute his inheritance a$on" the poor, after :hich he departed to the ,"yptian desert to 7e alone :ith .od. here he lived a life of prayer, fastin" and readin" Holy Scripture, livin" to over a hundred years of a"e. he ulti$ate ai$ and si"nificance of St. AnthonyGs life :as not to :ithdra: co$placently unto hi$self, 7ut to cleanse his heart of the passions and vices that thrive in the :orld. After this cleansin", he :as a7le to help his fello: $en 7y his counsel or throu"h his $iraculous prayer. St. Anthony is the typical her$it J one :ho saved his o:n soul, and also saved the souls of $any of his fello: $en at the sa$e ti$e. After St. AnthonyGs repose, St. Athanasius the .reat, the 7ishop of Ale6andria %the sa$e Athanasius :ho :as responsi7le for the >e: esta$ent canon of Scriptures&, recorded AnthonyGs life for the inspiration of others, eloCuently presentin" hi$ as a $odel of ascetic perfection. As St. Athanasius :rites: Ho: did this recluse in the :ilderness 7eco$e fa$ous in Spain and .aul, in Ao$e and Africa, :ere it not for .od, Who +no:s His o:n people every:hereE... And althou"h such people :ish to live in seclusion, .od reveals the$ and they cannot ;hide their li"ht under a 7ushel< %*t ): 1)&. (n 7rin"in" this story throu"hout the :orld, St. Athanasius chan"ed the face of history :ith the life of St. Anthony, the illiterate cave8d:ellin" $on+ and the founder of anchoritic $onasticis$. St. AnthonyGs fa$e spread not 7ecause he desired it %for he had purposely :ithdra:n into the :ilderness&, 7ut 7ecause .od :anted hi$ to serve as a la$p to illu$ine all. 4ollo:in" St. AnthonyGs e6a$ple, thousands of people J $en and :o$en ali+e J fearin" that the lure of co$fort and security :ould divert the$ fro$ their search for unity :ith .od, :ithdre: fro$ the :orld :hich entan"les the soul, in order to devote attention to the ;one thin" needful< %9+ 10:'2&. A7andonin" all thin"s that tied the$ to the :orld J riches, ho$es, relatives, friends and all earthly consolations, they too+ up the ere$itical :ay of life in the :ilderness areas. 9i+e the :alls of the cataco$7s 7efore, the :ilderness isolated the$ fro$ the :orld and "ave the$ the opportunity for a $ore .od8centered life. here, far fro$ the te$ptations of the :orld and far fro$ the eyes of $en, these ascetic recluses concealed the$selves in solitude in the :ide e6panse of desolate areas, in $ountains and forests, in caves, cells and to$7s, :here they lead a life of self8renunciation and deprivation, one spent in prayer, fastin", chastity and vi"ilance. (n such a state, they 7eca$e lifelon" $artyrs in spiritual :arfare a"ainst the passions and a"ainst the de$ons. ;9o, ( have fled afar off and have d:elt in the :ilderness. ( :aited for .od that saveth $e< %Bs )':182&. So$e of the her$its lived in such co$plete isolation that, in the case of St. *ar+ of hrace, he lived for $ore than ninety years :ithout ever seein" another hu$an face. ,re$etical $onasticis$ :as esta7lished 7y St. Anthony the .reat. Accordin" to this discipline, each $onastic lived separately fro$ the others in a hut or cave, :here he prayed, 11
fasted and la7ored under the "uidance of a leader or elder called an a77a, or father. 0urin" AnthonyGs lifeti$e, another for$ of $onastic life 7e"an to develop J ceno7itic $onasticis$, :here the ascetics "athered into one co$$unity and :ere su7Fect to one rule, under the leadership of an a77ot or archi$andrite. he founder of co$$unal $onasticis$ is St. Bacho$ius the .reat. Aeceivin" and preservin" the sa$e outpourin" of spiritual "ifts :hich distin"uished the first era of Christianity, $onasticis$ spread Cuic+ly throu"h ,"ypt, Balestine, Syria, .reece, ,thiopia and (ndia, and to (taly, .aul, (reland, !ul"aria and Aussia, and to the ends of the :orld. 4irst a $on+ :ould settle in so$e uninha7ited area, after :hich people :ould settle near7y. (n ti$e a villa"e :ould "ro:, and cities and entire societies has their 7e"innin"s in the si$ple poverty of $on+s. (n Aussia, Fust as in !y#antiu$ 7efore it, every aspect of life :as centered around Christianity. Ho:ever, there :as still a need for the $uch deeper, .od8centered life that only the desert can offer. As a result, the thic+ Aussian forests 7eca$e the desert :here .od8see+ers could find the solitude they needed for the austere $onastic life. *onasticis$ Cuic+ly spread and "reatly thrived in Aussia, 7ut it $et its Bassion 4riday on 4e7ruary 11, 1232, :hen all of Aussian $onasticis$ disappeared into the concentration ca$ps. his act too+ place in the dead of one sin"le ni"ht, and it :as i"nored 7y all and :as al$ost un+no:n to the :hole :orld. Soon after this so8called ;holy ni"ht,< the Hnited States reco"ni#ed the Soviet tyranny as the la:ful "overn$ent of crucified Aussia. Co$parin" the life of her$its to those livin" in the :orld, St. Dohn of Kronstadt :rites that the for$er are :orthy of a thousand cro:ns. He continues: hey, out of love for .od, forsoo+ the :orld and all that is in the :orldN they :ent a:ay into the desert, uninha7ited places, and there, shut up in their cells, they spent all their life in thin+in" of .od, in prayer, in renouncin" their o:n :ill, in fastin", :atchin", la7orin", and in doin" "reat deeds for the love of .od, endurin" durin" their :hole life the assaults of the opposin" forces =the de$ons, :ho :ere@ endeavorin" 7y every $eans to sha+e their faith and trust in .od, and especially their love for Hi$. o fi"ht, for the love of .od, a"ainst our o:n flesh and the devil J that crafty, $i"hty and evil ene$y J not for so$e hours, days and $onths, 7ut for $any years, so$eti$es si6ty or seventy J is not this :orthy of cro:nsE And :hat, in co$parison :ith these ascetics, or Holy 4athers, are $en livin" in the :orld, fallin" so often into sin even :ithout 7ein" assaulted, and defeated 7y their o:n flesh :ithout even 7ein" attac+edE What in co$parison to holy ascetics are :orldly $en, livin" in accordance :ith their o:n :ill, in lu6ury, in pleasures of every +ind, "or"eously appareled and livin" delicately %9+ /:2)&, "iven over to pride, a$7ition, envy, hatred, avarice, irrita7ility, :rath, reven"e, a$use$ents, fornication, drun+enness J to all possi7le vices, althou"h not all in the sa$e personE hey are cau"ht alive, :ithout any resistance, in the po:er of the devil, and therefore he does not attac+ the$, 7ut leaves the$ lon" entan"led in the nets in the peace of self8for"etfulness that precede death =%y Life in Christ>1 5rthodo6 $onasticis$ is called the an"elic life. As an old ada"e fro$ St. Dohn of the 9adder has it: ;Christ, the li"ht of an"elsN an"els, the li"ht of $onasticsN $onastics, the li"ht of the laity.< 9i+e:ise, Scripture teaches that ;they :hich shall 7e accounted :orthy to o7tain... the resurrection fro$ the dead, neither $arry, nor are "iven in $arria"e... for they are eCual unto the 12
an"els< %9+ 20:3)83-, cf. *t 22:30, *+ 12:2)&. When the disciples said to the *aster, ;if the case of a $an 7e so :ith his :ife, it is "ood not to $arry,< Christ in reply instructed: All $en cannot receive this sayin", save they to :ho$ it is "iven. 4or... there 7e eunuchs :hich have $ade the$selves eunuchs for the Kin"do$ of HeavenGs sa+eN he that is a7le to receive it, let hi$ receive it %*t 12:12&. A $on+ e6plains that Christ refers to $onastics as eunuchs for the Kin"do$ not only 7ecause of their celi7acy, 7ut $ore i$portantly to e$phasi#e that li+e the eunuchs of His day, :ho :ere influential royal officials, $onastics have a special closeness to .od. hey are ;7efore the throne of .od and serve Hi$ day and ni"ht in His te$ple< %Aev /:1)&. A Aussian priest additionally e6plains that the arduous process of $onastic self8denial and renunciation in and of itself is not the "oal, 7ut that it is the $ost effective $eans of attainin" the hi"hest spiritual life. he ai$ of $onasticis$ is hu$an transfor$ation %the attain$ent of $oral and spiritual stren"th& for the salvation of oneGs soul. his hu$an transfor$ation is the process of theosis %divini#ation&, or a participation of $an in the divine ener"ies of .od. his union :ith .od is possi7le throu"h the conCuest of the passions, for Christ states that those :ho see Hi$ are the pure of heart. As St. .re"ory Bala$as instructs, ;(ndeed, only this is i$possi7le to .od, to enter into union :ith a $an 7efore he has 7een cleansed.< As an A$erican nun notes of this transfor$ation, $any $onastic saints re"ained the li+eness of Ada$ in Baradise, :ho :as ri"htful lord over the ani$als and earthly ele$ents. Wild ani$als, includin" fierce lions and 7ears, and ti$id 7irds, :ere "entle and unafraid in the presence of these $en and :o$en, and the cruel cold of the Si7erian :inters could not har$ the$. 0:ellin" in the antecha$7ers of Heaven as they did, these saints 7arely touched the prosaic aspects of pra"$atic hu$an affairs. Ae"ardin" $onasticis$Ms ulti$ate "oal, the salvation of oneGs soul, the voices of all the Holy 4athers are su$$ed up 7y *etropolitan Bhilaret %3o#nesens+y&, for$er 4irst Hierarch of the Aussian Church in ,6ile, hi$self a $onastic of hi"h spiritual cali7er and one :hose re$ains did not deco$pose after his repose. he $etropolitan :rote that ;accordin" to the definition of the 4athers, the $onastic life is per se the direct road to the Kin"do$ of Heaven.< 5rthodo6 $onasticis$ continues today, particularly in the countries of ,astern ,urope, :here $onasteries dot the countryside :ith noticea7le freCuency. 5rthodo6 $onasticis$ :ill continue to e6ist until the consu$$ation of the a"es. 3. %hat has been the chief center of &rthodo' monasticism since the tenth century* *ount Athos, also +no:n as the Holy *ountain, 7eca$e the $aFor ascetic center of the !y#antine ,$pire. Breservin" the hi"hest ideals of Christian ascetic life as e6pounded 7y the Holy 4athers, this $onastic co$$unity played a decisive role in the ecclesiastical affairs of the late !y#antine period, and especially durin" the hesychast controversy of the fourteenth century. A roc+y, $ountainous peninsula in northern .reece, it Futs into the Ae"ean Sea and cul$inates at its tip in a pea+ -,-/0 feet in elevation. he peninsula consists entirely of $onastic settle$ents, so$e t:enty of the$, and a lar"e nu$7er of s$aller houses and her$itsG cells. o this day on *ount Athos, there are ascetics :ho +eep vi"il in prayer all ni"ht, :ho live in caves in e6tre$e poverty and totally unseen 7y $en, and those :ho d:ell in the open air :ith Fust one "ar$ent and no shoes.
13
he te6t7oo+ states that *ount Athos has e6perienced a ne: ;sprin"ti$e,< or a ne: lease on life, 7ecause of the lar"e nu$7er of youn" and :ell8educated $on+s it has "ained in recent decades. Ho:ever, not all is in order there. Hp until 1222, there :as a "roup of $on+s of the Aussian Church in ,6ile :ho :ould not co$$e$orate the ,cu$enical Batriarch 7ecause of his faith8co$pro$isin" ecu$enis$. (n *ay of that year, those $on+s :ere forci7ly and ille"ally e6pelled fro$ *ount Athos. >ot lon" 7efore their e6pulsion, a fire ra"ed out of control for several days. 0espite their 7est efforts, $on+s and firefi"hters :ere una7le to control it, and litanies and supplications :ere of no avail either as they had 7een in the past under si$ilar circu$stances. Althou"h there :as rain every:here on the peninsula at the ti$e, there :as none over the fire itself. A$on" the older $on+s :ere those :ho sa: the fire as a fore:arnin" of :orse cala$ities in the future. So$e vie:ed the fire as chastise$ent for the capitulation of certain Athonite 4athers to the ecu$enical policies of Batriarch !artholo$e: (, a lar"e nu$7er of :ho$ attended his enthrone$ent as ,cu$enical Batriarch in 1221. (n recent ti$es, the a77ots of the $aFor $onasteries on *ount Athos have lar"ely capitulated to the threats of Constantinople a"ainst any protests directed at that BatriarchateGs 7etrayal of 5rthodo6y throu"h the heresy of ecu$enis$. *ount Athos is therefore e6periencin" anythin" 7ut a ;sprin"ti$e.< ;. Are there orders in &rthodo' monasticism* 5rders do not e6ist in 5rthodo6 $onasticis$. 5rders are a particular develop$ent :ithin the Ao$an Catholic Church, :hich has preserved the institution of $onastic life 7ut has strayed far fro$ the ori"inal spirit of pri$itive $onasticis$. As orders in the West ca$e to assu$e a vast sociolo"ical ran"e of functions, Catholic $onastics 7eca$e functionaries :ho today, often in street clothes, typically act as advocates of social Fustice and political refor$. As Catholic $onasticis$ :as transferred fro$ the Cuiet of the :ilderness to the tu$ult of the city, it 7eca$e :orldly, and Catholic $on+s and nuns there7y 7eca$e directed to social activity and :orldly thin"s, rather than to prayer and the internal life, to ascesis and inner purification. >othin" of the sort too+ place in the ,ast, :here $onastics, in the $anner of pri$itive $onasticis$, dedicate the$selves entirely to the :or+ of hu$an transfor$ation. 5rthodo6 $onastics la7or to cleanse the $ind and 7ody throu"h the conCuest of the passions, even as an an"el instructed St. Anthony the .reat to re$ain in the desert to stru""le a"ainst hi$self, and a"ainst lan"uor and the passions. his stru""le is underta+en in order to 7e united to .od, for as :as noted a7ove, St. .re"ory Bala$as e6plained that only one thin" is i$possi7le to .od: to enter into union :ith a $an 7efore he has 7een cleansed. *etropolitan Hierotheos of >afpa+tos "ives further develop$ent of the difference 7et:een $onasticis$ in the West and ,ast. Western $onasticis$, he notes, e6hausts itself in societal :or+ and e6ternal :orship, :hich is intellectual :orship. He states that there are isolated cases of Western $onastics :ho live an interior life, althou"h even they cannot 7e freed fro$ a 7arren ethicolo"y. He "oes on to note that in 5rthodo6 $onasticis$, on the other hand, a perfect therapeutic treat$ent e6ists, consistin" of purification, illu$ination and divini#ation. he $etropolitan also notes that Western $onasticis$ :as created in an effort to re"enerate the Church. (n 5rthodo6y, ho:ever, $onastics are not stru""lin" to revive the Church or to save it, for it is not the Church they need to save. (nstead, they stru""le to 7e healed livin" :ithin the Church, and they see+ their o:n salvation :ithin the Church, fro$ Christ, in His Holy
1'
*ysteries. hus, 5rthodo6 $onasteries function as hospitals :hich cure people and lead the$ to life 7efore the fall. So$e people conde$n 5rthodo6 $onasticis$ 7ecause of its un:orldliness and its e$phasis on the interior life, and they put the outer life and its activities first. Ho:ever, it is sufficient to recall that Christ did not 7less the activist *artha, :ho :as ;7urdened a7out $uch servin".< (nstead, He 7lessed the Cuiet *ary, :ho sat at His feet to hear the :ords of eternal life %9+ 10:318'2&. Also, Christ specifically 7lesses those :ho en"a"e in ascetic la7or, sayin" that those :ho see Hi$ are the pure of heart %*t ):1&. <. %hat is an elder and what does he do* he Apostle Baul enu$erates three $inistries in the Church that are independent of the Church hierarchy: Apostles, prophets and teachers. % hese $inistries $ay 7e connected to the ran+ of 7ishop or priest, 7ut not necessarily so&. An elder :as one :ho had received the second of these "ifts of the Holy Spirit J that of the prophetic $inistry %cf. ,ph ':11, 1 Cor 12:21&. his "ift :as 7esto:ed as a special "ift of "race, and it :as "iven to those carriers of .odGs "race and other:orldly :isdo$ :hose rare and .od8"iven spiritual discern$ent and insi"ht ena7led the$ to serve as "uides to others. So hi"h a callin" as the prophetic $inistry reCuired a "reat personal sanctity, purity of heart, and uninterrupted a7idin" in .od. Sanctity of life :as definitely a reCuire$ent of the prophets in the ti$e of the first Christians. As is :ritten in one of the oldest :or+s of Christian literature: He $ust have the $anner of the 9ord. 4ro$ his $anner $ay 7e distin"uished the false prophet fro$ the =true@ prophet =The "idache %The Teaching of the Lord to the Gentiles by the Twelve Apostles&@. *any saints :ere "iven the "race of prophecy, includin" 4ools8for8ChristGs8Sa+e % /#rodivi& and holy eldresses, and even the $entally unsta7le. Ho:ever, as Brofessor S$irnov notes in his doctrinal dissertation The ,pirit#al 3athers in the Ancient )astern Ch#rch , ; he charis$atic pheno$ena of the first centuries of Christianity repeated the$selves in ancient $onasticis$: that the elders :ere 7earers of these charis$s J the special "ifts of the Holy Spirit, "iven to $an directly 7y .od, accordin" to oneGs personal :orthiness.< ,ldership, 7ein" a direct continuation of the prophetic $inistry, appeared under this na$e and in this for$ only in the fourth century, :hen $onasticis$ arose as a "uidin" principle. 4ro$ that ti$e on, the "ift $ost co$$only $anifested itself as $onastic eldership. he father of $onasticis$ hi$self, St. Anthony the .reat, :as the earliest and $ost fa$ous of the elders. (n a pattern co$$on to later elders, he :ithdre: fro$ the :orld and spent the first part of his life %fro$ ei"hteen to thirty8five& livin" as a desert anchorite in strict solitude and ascetic endeavors. (n ti$e, a "roup of disciples "athered a7out hi$, and later still, he had a circle of people :ho ca$e fro$ far and :ide to see+ his advice. So "reat did his fa$e for helpin" others 7eco$e that he :as descri7ed 7y his 7io"rapher St. Athanasius as a physician to all ,"ypt. St. Anthony had $any successors throu"h the centuries, $ost of :ho$ follo:ed his pattern of :ithdra:in" fro$ the :orld to return to it :ith "ifts of discern$ent for the 7enefit of their fello: $en. An"els are a li"ht for $on+s, it :as noted, and the $onastic life is a li"ht for all hu$anity. Ho:ever, the hei"hts of Christianity, the 7est e6pression of $onasticis$, is eldership. 1)
his $inistry consisted in edification' exhortation and comfort %1 Cor. 1':3&. As St. !arsanuphius, an elder fro$ the fa$ous 5ptina Her$ita"e, e6plained, the 9ord spontaneously reveals to elders the past, present and future of people. hus, in addition to physical eyes, elders have spiritual eyes 7efore :hich the hu$an soul is revealed, and nothin" is hidden fro$ the$. his "ift, the a7ility to see the hu$an soul, "ives an elder the opportunity to raise the fallen, direct people fro$ a false path to a true one, heal diseases of soul and 7ody, drive out de$ons, and act as direct trans$itters of .odGs :ill for all :ho ca$e to the$. (n the lofty spiritual "a#e of elders, the 7oundaries of space and ti$e :ere set aside, and they sa: the spiritual $eanin" of present and future events, the latter of :hich they :ere a7le to foretell. Archpriest Ser"ei 9e7edev spea+s of the a7ility of elders and eldresses to foretell the future in the follo:in" :ay: (t is not clear to $any Christians ho: these pious people, elders and eldresses, prophecy the future Fust as it :ill happen. *any confuse =their "ift@ :ith a +ind of fortune8tellin" 7ecause of their si$plicity, spiritual i$$aturity, heedlessness and lac+ of faith. Such people so$eti$es spea+ thus a7out these stru""lers for .od: ;Here he "uessed and it ca$e out as he said it :ould.< Herein is revealed "reat thou"htlessness and even sinful8 ness. 4ortune8tellin" is for7idden in the 5ld esta$ent. 4ortune8tellers have the devil and his an"els for their acco$plices. hey are totally sinful and Christians should not turn to the$ under any circu$stances. (f a Christian turns to a fortune8teller, he sho:s hi$self a traitor to Christ and accepts the devilGs help. = he "ift of prophecy@ has the "reat 7lessin" of .od as its foundation, and it is a "reat "ift "iven only to people of the hi"hest spiritual la7ors :ho have a pure heart. hey acCuire inner li"ht as a "ift fro$ the 9ord = Consoler of ,#ffering 2earts- )ldress Rachel' 0isionary of R#ssia, p. 10@. Hiero$on+ Seraphi$ Aose e6plains that elders had their e6ceptional a7ilities as they are an i$a"e of Ada$ in his unfallen state. When Ada$ na$ed the ani$als that ca$e 7efore hi$ in Baradise, he instantly "ave :hatever na$e .od placed in his $ind. (n the sa$e :ay, :hen an elder sees so$eone for the first ti$e, he tells the personGs na$e, tells the personGs sin, and tells hi$ :hat he $ust do to save his soul. he elderGs $ind "ives this startlin" infor$ation 7ecause he is in direct contact :ith .od, Who "ives hi$ this a7ility. As (ulia 0e !eauso7re "oes on to note, 7ecause elders had this a7ility, they :ere sou"ht out in the solitudes of $any lands 7y people ea"er to find a teacher capa7le of 7rin"in" order to their confusion, and capa7le of +indlin" the li"ht of hope in the dar+ness of their despair. Hieroconfessor !arna7as %!elyaev&, !ishop of Bechers+y, hi$self an elder, left the follo:in" description of the institution of eldership and ho: it $anifested itself in Aussia: ,lders in Aussian ecclesiastical consciousness are ascetics :ho have passed throu"h a lon" pro7ation and have co$e to +no: spiritual :arfare fro$ e6perience, and :ho 7y $any e6ploits have acCuired the "ift of discern$ent, and :ho, finally, are capa7le 7y prayer of attainin" to the :ill of .od for $an. hat is, to a "reater or lesser e6tent they have received the "ift of... "ivin" spiritual direction to those :ho co$e to the$. he influence of eldership spread far 7eyond $onasteries. (n Aussia, elders :ere spiritual "uides for thousands of people :ho floc+ed to 7e "uided 7y these holy $en J sars, princes, philosophers, :riters such as .o"ol and 0ostoyevs+y, and ordinary people fro$ all :al+s of life. 1-
hose :ho rendered the$selves to the "uidance of an elder e6perienced a special feelin" of Foy and freedo$ in .od, for contact :ith .od is al:ays co$7ined :ith a feelin" of indescri7a7le peace in the soul. Well8+no:n holy $en fro$ a$on" the Aussian elders :ere Saints Seraphi$ of Sarov and Dohn of Kronstadt. ,ldership flo:ered especially at the 5ptina Her$ita"e, :hich produced no less than t:elve elders: A$7rosi, 9eo, *oses, Anthony, (saa+i, *a+ari, (oasaph, Anatoli, (larion, !arsanuphius, >e+tary and >i+on, all of :ho$ have 7een "lorified 7y saints 7y the Aussian Church in ,6ile. With the 5ptina elders, as :ith others, the 9ord 7esto:ed on the$ the "ift of understandin" the state of soul of people :ho ca$e to the$, plus $iracle8:or+in", the a7ility to drive out de$ons, and the a7ility to heal sic+nesses. he prophetic $inistry flourished :hen the spiritual life in the Church :as hi"h, and it declined in decadent periods. (n these pre8apocalyptic ti$es, :hen the love of $any has "ro:n cold and spiritual i$poverish$ent prevails, the "race of eldership has "ro:n e6ceedin"ly scarce. (t is not +no:n to the :riter if any elders are still alive today. Ho:ever, if any still do e6ist, they choose to conceal the$selves fro$ the "a#e of others rather than see+ the vain"lory that co$es fro$ the hu$an praise they :ould receive fro$ puttin" on display the treasure they have o7tained. Ae"ardin" the present scarcity of elders, Archpriest Ale6ey ?oun" :rites: (n this country, at least, there are no true elders today :hose voice can 7e the voice of Heaven for a disciple or spiritual child. o thin+ other:ise is very dan"erous: :hole "roups have 7een led into schis$ and heresy 7ecause they 7elieved their leader to 7e an unerrin" ;elder.< =;Cults Within and Without,< !rthodox America' vol. 1), no. /, 122-, p. 11@. Also re"ardin" the disappearance of elders in these ti$es, a ne: $artyr of the Co$$unist yo+e, Hiero$artyr 0a$ascene, !ishop of .lo+ov, stated: Berhaps the ti$e has co$e :hen the 9ord does not :ish that the Church should stand as an inter$ediary 7et:een Hi$self and 7elievers, 7ut that everyone is called to stand directly 7efore the 9ord and hi$self ans:er, as it :as :ith the forefathers = )pis$opi+ (spovedni$i, San 4rancisco, 12/1, p. 22@. >. %hat is the significance of the 9yzantine +mpire* !y#antiu$ :as a Christian society dedicated to Christ and His Holy Church, and it produced a "reat nu$7er of saints fro$ every level of society. *oreover, its Christiani#ation of the !al+ans and the Slavo83aran"ian state of AusG stand as supre$e $issionary achieve$ents in the spreadin" of the true faith. Sir 0i$itry 57olens+y, professor e$eritus of Aussian and !al+an history at 56ford Hniversity, e6plains in his $any 7oo+s that a$on" the events that shaped the history of ,urope, a nota7le one is the influence e6erted 7y !y#antiu$ on the society and culture of ,astern ,urope. hrou"h the relations esta7lished 7et:een the ,astern Ao$an ,$pire and the people of the e6tensive territories to the north of the !lac+ Sea and in the !al+an Beninsula, entire nations accepted 5rthodo6 Christianity and adopted $any features of !y#antine civili#ation J its la:, literature and art. As a result, these nations :ere a7le to share in, and eventually contri7ute to, a co$$on cultural tradition J the !y#antine herita"e, :hose principal 7eneficiaries :ere the .ree+s and Slavs. 1/
Althou"h !y#antiu$ :as inspired 7y the "reat vision of esta7lishin" here on earth a livin" icon of .odGs "overn$ent in Heaven, it :as still a hu$an society, one full of hu$an :ea+nesses. he te6t7oo+ descri7es those :ell +no:n :ea+nesses J the duplicity, violence and cruelty. (t additionally $entions the e$pireGs fallin" into the error of identifyin" the earthly +in"do$ :ith the Kin"do$ of .od, and the .ree+ people :ith .odGs people. here can 7e no dou7t that !y#antiu$ fell far short of the hi"h ideal that it itself set. Althou"h not $entioned in the te6t7oo+ 7ut e6plained in the prefatory notes, those failures :ere the result of hu$an nature, for !y#antiu$ :as populated :ith poor, fallen and sinful people li+e ourselves. he prefatory notes to the course also e6plain that the purpose of the !y#antine ,$pire :as to provide a cal$, sta7le and relatively peaceful fra$e:or+ on earth in :hich each person $i"ht strive, in the Holy Church, for the salvation of his soul. As lon" as there :as a "enuine strivin" for the Christian ideal, the e$pire continued to e6ist, no $atter ho: short it fell of the $ar+. 5n the other hand, the notes $ention, :hen that strivin" ceased, the e$pire :as overrun 7y its ene$ies. he sa$e funda$ental la: is seen all throu"hout 5ld and >e: esta$ent history J sc., that the cyclical rise and fall of people and nations is connected :ith their fluctuatin" relationship :ith .od. his principle 7e"an :ith Ada$ and ,ve in the .arden of ,den. he co$$and$ent not to eat fro$ the one tree :as "iven so that throu"h its fulfill$ent $an could e6press his freely8:illed strivin" to:ard .od and love for Hi$. Spea+in" of this $atter, the holy $artyr ,ustratius, :ho :as +illed durin" the rei"n of the e$perors 0iocletian and *a6i$ian, spo+e the follo:in" :ords to his tor$entors: he 9ord... for7ade =Ada$@ to touch the fruit of one tree to instill in hi$ o7edience. (n "ivin" this co$$and, .odGs intention :as to teach $an su7$ission to the divine ordinances and to i"nore the entice$ents of the devil, :ho envied the honor in :hich $an :as held. (f he +ept the co$$and$ent, $an :ould live forever, i$$ortal and incorruptN ho:ever, if he trans"ressed it, he :ould not 7e per$itted to re$ain in Baradise, 7ut :ould 7e e6pelled and co$e under the do$ination of death =St. 0e$etrius of Aostov, The Great Collection of the Lives of the ,aints' vol. ', p. 2)'@. After the first hu$an sin, .od ca$e to Ada$ not to conde$n hi$ or 7anish hi$ fro$ Baradise, 7ut to 7rin" hi$ to his senses, confess his sin, and repent. (n His love for $an+ind, and in His co$plete lac+ of ill :ill, .od could have i$$ediately su7Fected Ada$ and ,ve to punish$ent, 7ut as St. Dohn Chrysosto$ :rites, ;He is lon"8sufferin", delays, as+s and listens for the ans:er, and a"ain as+s, as if evo+in" the "uilty one to Fustify hi$self in order that :hen the $atter has 7een revealed, He $i"ht sho: hi$ His love for $an+ind even after such a trans"ression =2omilies on Genesis, p. 1'0@. hus it cannot 7e stated that Ada$ and ,ve sinned and then :ere conde$ned. (nstead, they :ere "iven a chance to repent, althou"h Ada$ 7la$ed ,ve, and ,ve 7la$ed the serpent. When it :as finally revealed that they had neither repentance nor any true Fustification, only then :ere they conde$ned. St. ,phrai$ the Syrian states that had Ada$ and ,ve repented, then, ;even thou"h they :ould not have restored to the$selves :hat they had 7efore the trans"ression of the co$$and$ent, at least they :ould have 7een delivered fro$ the curses that :ere uttered to the earth and the$selves< =Co$$entary on .enesis, p. 322@. Aassaphore >un *aria "oes on to add that ;.od therefore sa: that if =Ada$ and ,ve@ re$ained in the paradise of deli"ht :here they received all "ood thin"s :ithout pain or toil, they :ould never co$e to a proper reali#ation 11
of their deed, 7ut :ould on the contrary "ro: co$pletely and irreversi7ly hardened li+e the fallen an"els.< hat is, the hu$an race :ould turn into another race of de$ons. ,ven the act of conde$nation itself :as an act of $ercy, for once 7ein" "iven over to illness and sufferin"s, $an had these $isfortunes actin" on hi$ li+e a 7ridle. As St. Cyril of Ale6andria e6plains, these thin"s "ave $an the opportunity to heal in hi$self the disease :hich ca$e upon hi$ in the $idst of 7lessedness. *oreover, the sa$e 4ather states that: !y death, the .iver of the 9a: stopped the spread of sin, and in the very chastise$ent reveals His love for $an+ind. (nas$uch as He, in "ivin" the co$$and$ent, Foined death to the trans"ression of it, and inas$uch as the cri$inal thus fell under the chastise$ent, so He arran"ed that the chastise$ent itself $i"ht serve for salvation. 4or death dissolves this ani$al nature of ours and thus, on the one hand, stops the activity of evil, and on the other delivers a $an fro$ illnesses, frees hi$ fro$ la7ors, puts an end to his sorro:s and cares, and stops his 7odily sufferin"s. With such a love for $an+ind has the Dud"e $i6ed the chastise$ent =Puoted in 4r. Seraphi$ Aose, .enesis, Creation and )arly %an, p. 210@. he Holy 4athers state that death :as not only a punish$ent, 7ut that it :as so$ethin" "ood. 4ro$ Hiero$on+ Seraphi$ Aose :e learn that: (t :as also a "ood, 7ecause once $an fell, if he :ere to still 7e i$$ortal, there :ould 7e no :ay out for hi$. ($a"ine 7ein" in a state of 7ein" una7le to redee$ yourself, una7le to "et to Baradise, and then livin" and livin" and livin", :ith no hope of "ettin" out of this state. 0eath puts and end to sin. he fact that :e are afraid of death already :a+es us up to 7e"in to stru""le. ,ven if :e for"et a7out Baradise, :e :ill 7e afraid of death and 7e"in to stru""le, to overco$e our fallen nature =(bid@. 4r. 0a$ascene Christensen co$$ents further on the $eanin" of sufferin". He states that: !efore the fall, there :as no sufferin" in the :orldN there :as only spiritual pleasure, only Foy. After the fall, .od allo:ed sufferin" to enter the :orld not as a chastise$ent J for He has no need to see people punished J 7ut out of love. (f .od :ould not have allo:ed sufferin", there :ould have 7een nothin" to chec+ the spread of evil in the :orld. *an :ould "et further and further entrenched in love of hi$self, see+in" sensual pleasure for hi$self, "ro:in" in $assive pride Fust li+e the devil, and :e :ould all 7e li+e de$ons. .od allo:ed sufferin" 7ecause, if it is $et in the ri"ht :ay, it can lead to rede$ption, it can purify us. Sufferin" re$inds us that :eGre $ovin" a:ay fro$ our ori"inal destination and fro$ the +no:led"e of :ho :e are. (f :eGre involved in so$e sin J :hether itGs a sensual pleasure or a resent$ent a"ainst so$eone J :e can feel a certain e6hilaration fro$ it, :hich $a+es us feel 7etter and not so "uilty. !ut eventually, throu"h sufferin", :eGre led 7ac+ to the a:areness that so$ethin" is deeply :ron". Without sufferin", thereGs no :ay :e could find that outN :eGd 7e co$pletely 7linded.
12
.od cherishes freedo$. (n order to love Hi$ and each other, :e $ust have freedo$ to love or not love. here is no love :ithout freedo$. hatGs :hy .od has created us free li+e He isN thatGs :hy He allo:s us to rava"e the earth and inflict sufferin" on our fello: hu$an 7ein"s. !ut in the $idst of this sufferin" He :ants to deliver any :ho call upon Hi$ and :ish to turn a:ay fro$ their fallenness, to return to their true desi"nation. He acco$plishes this return :ithout $eddlin" :ith $anGs freedo$. He lets $an $a+e a $ess of thin"s and then in His o$nipotence He uses this very $ess to help $an return to Hi$. 5nly .od can do that. he devil, even :hile see$in" to "ain victory over a $anGs soul, often loses in this very victory, for .od can turn it around and use the $ess the devil created to 7rin" the soul to Hi$ throu"h sufferin" =Puoted in 4r. Baisius Altschul, An 7nbro$en Circle- Lin$ing Ancient African Christianity to the African+American )xperience, p. 21@. (n the :ritin"s of St. >i+olai 3eli$irovich, one freCuently encounters the the$e of ;corrective< or rede$ptive sufferin". *oreover, he freCuently :rites a7out it in the conte6t of chastise$ent that .od sends at the hands of un7elievers. Aeferrin" to the !a7ylonian captivity of the He7re:s, the 7ishop as+s ho: it is that .od calls >e7uchadne##ar, a pa"an and idolatrous +in", %y servant %Der 2):2&E !ecause, the 7ishop e6plains: ... :hen he to :ho$ .od has "iven +no:led"e of Hi$self and His la:s turns +no:led"e to i"norance: la: to la:lessness, then .od ta+es as His servant hi$ :ho does not +no: Hi$, to punish the apostate. 4or an apostate fro$ .od is :orse than a pa"an.... And so, :hen the Christian people in the !al+ans turned 7ac+ fro$ .od and .odGs la:, .od too+ the ur+s as His servants, to punish those in apostasy and 7rin" the$ to their senses 7y this punish$ent = rolog#e from !chrid@. (t is only in this li"ht that the sufferin"s of the 5rthodo6 under the ur+s can 7e seen, contrary to the papacyGs $aintainin" that this chastise$ent :as sent to the 5rthodo6 for their sin of refusin" to su7$it to the ;supre$acy< of the pope. Still, the Cuestion re$ains J ho: is it that hardship and defeat so often fall upon 5rthodo6 Christians, :hile un7elievers are left to prosperE Where is .odGs FusticeE he sa$e St. >i+olai penned this ans:er fro$ his place of i$prison$ent in the infa$ous 0achau concentration ca$p durin" World War ((: When A7raha$ as+ed .od :hether He :ould destroy the sinful city of Sodo$ if ten ri"hteous $en :ere found in it, .od ans:ered that He :ould not destroy it, 7ut that He :ould save the :hole city for the sa+e of these ten ri"hteous $en. ?ou say there :ere $ore than ten ri"hteous a$on"st the Ser7ian people, so :hy did .od not spare usE hat is the :ord of a te$pter. As if you do not +no: that Sodo$ :as a pa"an city, that it did not +no: one .od, as the (sraelite people didN and that it :as not 7apti#ed in the na$e of the Holy rinity, nor did it parta+e of the Holy !ody and !lood of Christ as the Ser7ian nation did. he difference is li+e that 7et:een Heaven and earth. hat is :hy He Who Fud"es in ri"hteousness :anted to save Sodo$ 7ecause of ten ri"hteous people, 7ut :ould not save (srael on account of ten thousand, nor the Ser7s for the sa+e of hundreds of thousands of ri"hteous souls. he Sodo$ites did not +no: the one true .od. he De:s +ne: one true .od throu"h the prophets and throu"h $any $iracles. he Ser7s, 20
ho:ever, +ne: .od, revealed to the :orld in the Berson of the 9ord Desus Christ. Bunish$ent is $easured accordin" to the scale of +no:led"e of .od = Thro#gh a rison Window@. (n sacred history, .od ca$e to the trans"ressor Cain to "ive hi$ a chance to repent after he sle: his 7rother A7el %.en ':-8/&. St. ,phrai$ the Syrian e6plains that .od appears to Cain :ithout an"er so that the prayer pronounced 7y CainGs lips $i"ht :ash a:ay the sin of $urder perfor$ed 7y his hands. Ho:ever, if he does not repent, a heavy punish$ent :ill 7e assi"ned to hi$ such as his cri$e deserves. 4inally, althou"h Cain did co$e to ad$it his "uilt, it :as too late, and his confession :as $ore an ad$ission of fact than it :as an indication of repentance. Cain re"retted his sin, 7ut he did not repent of it %a co$$on state a$on" people to this day&. ConseCuently, Cain :as su7Fected to the curse: ; hou art cursed fro$ the earth.< Here a"ain, .od sho:s first His concern that the "uilty should repent, and then He sho:s His $ercy even :hen there is not repentance. he sa$e thin" happened :ith the He7re:s. 4or a lon" ti$e .od endured their sins and a:aited their repentance. 4inally, :hen they did not refor$ the$selves, they :ent into 7onda"e to the Assyrians and !a7ylonians as a direct conseCuence of their lon"8standin" idolatry and pursin" heathen practices, and 7ecause of their diso7eyin" the 9a: and i"norin" the prophets. he historical 7oo+s of the 5ld esta$ent, as :ell as the five no$othetic 7oo+s of *oses, propound the close relationship 7et:een the piety of the people and their prosperity. (n other :ords, they sho: that national disasters are al:ays 7rou"ht on 7y apostasy fro$ the faith and $oral decline. As A77a 0orotheos of .a#a %si6th century& states: ,verythin" that happens, happens :ith .odGs per$ission or approval, as it says in the Brophet, ;(, the 9ord, $a+e the li"ht and create dar+ness< %(saiah 1':/&, and a"ain, ; here is no evil in the city :hich the 9ord did not $a+e< %A$os 3:-&. He spea+s of evil here in the sense of the conseCuences of evil and the trou7les that are 7rou"ht upon us for correction 7ecause of the evil :e do, such evils as fa$ine, earthCua+es, drou"hts, diseases and :ar. All this happens to us, not accordin" to .odGs pleasure, 7ut 7y His per$ission, :ith His per$ission they co$e upon us for our profit. 5n the other hand, if people repent, ;if *y people :hich are called 7y *y na$e shall hu$7le the$selves, and pray and see+ *y face, and turn fro$ their :ic+ed :ayN then :ill ( hear fro$ Heaven, and :ill for"ive their sin, and :ill heal their land< %2 Chron /:1'&. 4urther on in sacred history, it is sho:n that :hen the Brophet Donah, and later the Brophet >ahu$, prophesied the destruction of >ineveh in Assyria 7y fire and :ater, the >inevites repented for a short period of ti$e. hen, seein" that DonahGs prediction did not co$e to pass, the people returned to their evil :ays, there7y stirrin" up the :rath of the lon"8sufferin" .od. As a result, there :as a "reat earthCua+e, and part of >ineveh :as flooded 7y :aters fro$ a near7y la+e. he re$ainder of the city, the part that stood upon a hill, :as consu$ed 7y a fire that spread fro$ the surroundin" :ilderness. hus did .od in His ri"hteous Fud"$ent punish the sinful people and fulfill >ahu$Gs prophecy. he sa$e principle is seen throu"hout the history of $an+ind: .od chastises only after "ivin" people a7undant opportunity to repent and chan"e their :ays. his lesson is seen in Ser7ia in 1312, in Constantinople in 1')3, and su7seCuently throu"hout the !al+an Beninsula as $any nations fell to the *osle$ ur+s. *ore recently, it :as repeated in 121/, :hen the scour"e 21
of atheistic Co$$unis$ ca$e upon Aussia as a result of its capitulation to Western li7eralis$ in the nineteenth century J that is, :hen it :as overco$e 7y the spirit of $aterialis$ and apostasy, and it too+ place a"ain as Co$$unis$ ca$e to do$inate the various nations of ,astern ,urope in the 7loody century that Fust ended. he lesson in each instance is that there are terri7le conseCuences :hen a nation turns a:ay fro$ .od to the idolatrous :orship of its o:n ideas and passions. !y#antiu$ :as overco$e 7y the sa$e spirit of $aterialis$ and apostasy fro$ the true faith, so$ethin" that clearly $anifested itself at the Council of 4lorence in 1'32. After its 7etrayal of 5rthodo6y at that council, it :as handed over to its do:nfall at the hands of the ur+s in 1')3. After its do:nfall, 5rthodo6y continued to endure $artyrdo$ and persecution fro$ the :orld, this ti$e fro$ the *osle$s. As in the case under the first "reat persecution a"ainst the Church, sufferin" under the *osle$s +ept the Church pure 7y not allo:in" for lu+e:ar$ness of faith. (n such a state, $any saints continued to appear there, thus testifyin" that the Church is not 7ound to !y#antiu$, or to any other nation or syste$ of this earth. he rise and fall of nations or syste$s is not the concern of the ChurchN the ChurchGs concern is the rise and fall of the hu$an soul. As !lessed Au"ustine e6pressed this idea in The City of God, the Church does not e6ist for e$pires or "overn$ents, 7ut for salvation and the Kin"do$ of .od.
/. "he 0reat Schis&.

). From the end of the third century on! what was the state of political unity in the .oman +mpire* Bolitical unity :as in a state of decline. Althou"h still one in theory, the e$pire :as usually divided into an ,astern and Western sphere, each havin" its o:n e$peror. his separation :as further hastened 7y ConstantineMs foundin" a second i$perial city in the ,ast. ". %hat events began to occur at the start of the fifth century which would finally sever the unity of the empire* he 7ar7arian invasions too+ place. 4ollo:in" the$ and the carvin" up of $ost of the West a$on" 7ar7arian chieftains, the .ree+ ,ast and 9atin West :ere driven further apart, and political unity :as never a"ain restored on a per$anent 7asis. 4or all the Christians of the period, and for ,uropeGs heathen 7ar7arians as :ell, the Christian ,$peror of the ,ast stood out as the :orldGs supre$e ruler, and Constantinople as the :orldGs $ost pree$inent and fa7ulous city. he ,ast durin" this ti$e never for"ot the ideals of Ao$e under Au"ustus and raFan, and it still sa: the e$pire as in theory universal. he ,$peror Dustinian atte$pted to 7rid"e the "ulf 7et:een this theory and actual fact 7y his ca$pai"ns to "ain 7ac+ the Western part of the e$pire fro$ the 7ar7arian invaders, yet in spite of his 7old and tenacious efforts to do so, he ended in failure. After Dustinian, no succeedin" e$peror $ade any serious atte$pts to 7rid"e the "ulf 7et:een the theory and fact that the e$pire :as universal. #. -his severance was carried a state further by what*
22
0urin" the rise of (sla$, the *editerranean Sea, fro$ the Byrenees and Spain, throu"h north Africa, Ara7ia, Syria and the ,ast, passed lar"ely into the control of the Ara7s. his develop$ent $ade contacts 7et:een the ,ast and West increasin"ly difficult. 4. %hat action did the .oman pope take in >$$ that would result in political conflict in the .oman world* (n an action that :as to 7eco$e the "reatest source of political and cultural alienation 7et:een the ,ast and West, the pope cro:ned the +in" of the 4ran+s, Charle$a"ne, as e$peror in 100. he ,astern ,$pire, in its adherin" to the principle of i$perial unity, could only re"ard Charle$a"ne as an intruder and the popeGs coronation of hi$ as an act of schis$ :ithin the e$pire. ,ven $any of Charle$a"neGs conte$poraries in the West sa: hi$ as a usurper, for the le"iti$ate Ao$an ,$pire in Constantinople had not ceased to e6ist, nor had it ever "iven up its clai$ to rule the entire Christian :orld. he ,astern e$peror therefore refused the political reco"nition that Charle$a"ne sou"ht fro$ hi$. Charle$a"ne, in his turn, sou"ht to esta7lish his o:n le"iti$acy 7y tryin" to ruin the le"iti$acy of ConstantinopleGs clai$ to universal Furisdiction 7y accusin" the ,ast of heresy: he char"ed the ,ast :ith fallin" into idolatry 7ecause of its veneration of icons. He further accused the ,ast of droppin" the :ord filio*#e %9atin for and from the ,on& fro$ the >icene Creed, even thou"h the :ord :as a Western innovation and never :as a part of the Creed as it :as for$ed 7y the 4irst and Second ,cu$enical Councils. 4ro$ the outset, there :as a $ar+ed antipathy to:ards thin"s .ree+ in the court of the ne:, so8called 2oly Roman )mpire. he hostility and defiance of the ne: e$pire to:ards Constantinople soon e6tended 7eyond the political field and into the cultural real$: literati in Charle$a"neGs court sou"ht to create a ne: Christian civili#ation not patterned after !y#antiu$. %,ven the ter$ .y&antine :as "iven first 7y the 4ran+s in a derisive sense and :ith the idea of re"ardin" the$selves as the successors of the Ao$ans&. he !y#antines, for their part, dis$issed all 4ran+s as 7ar7arians and refused to ta+e Western learnin" seriously. he schis$ 7et:een the t:o civili#ations had thus 7eco$e fir$ly fi6ed. 3. %hat problems of language made unity between .ome and Constantinople more difficult* !y the year ')0, very fe: people in Western ,urope could read .ree+, the lan"ua"e of the !y#antines. Si$ilarly, after -00, very fe: !y#antines could read 9atin, the lan"ua"e of the Ao$ans %even thou"h !y#antiu$ still referred to itself as the Ao$an ,$pire&. (f 9atins and .ree+s :anted to read each otherGs :or+s, they could do so only in translation, althou"h usually they did not do even that. ConseCuently, :ith their no lon"er dra:in" upon the sa$e sources or readin" the sa$e 7oo+s, ,ast and West drifted further apart. ;. 2t is interesting to note that .ussia became the -hird .ome at the time 9yzantium was obliterated by the -urks. .ussia was cut off from close interaction with the 1reeks! there was a considerable language barrier! and both nations embarked upon completely separate political and cultural destinies. -hese events were similar to what happened between .ome and Constantinople! yet in the case of .ussia and 1reece! there was no schism! no severance from the Church. Can you suggest the reason* Bolitical, historical, cultural, lin"uistic and "eo"raphic diversity does not affect the oneness of the Apostolic Church. he Church is al:ays one and the sa$e, re"ardless of the
23
hu$an environ$ent in :hich it is situated, 7e it Aussia, .reece, China, Dapan, or su78Saharan Africa. Aussia did not co$$it Ao$eGs $ista+e of holdin" itself a7ove the ancient Councils and fashionin" unto itself a ne: theolo"y :ithout any reference to the Councils or Sacred Apostolic radition. he Aussian Church :as o7edient to the Councils and the conscience of the Church e6pressed in the$, and as a result, the Aussian Church never cut itself off fro$ the rue Hniversal Church, or fro$ Christ, its Head, as the 9atin Church did. ,ver since it received Christianity, the Aussian nation has al:ays 7een a .od87earin" nation, and the faith of Christ :as al:ays preserved in it. With re"ard to AussiaGs 7ein" the hird Ao$e, the first Ao$e had fallen to the 7ar7arians, and it su7seCuently lapsed into heresy and departed fro$ the Apostolic Church. he Second Ao$e %or >e: Ao$e, or Constantinople& had fallen into heresy at the Council of 4lorence and had 7een destroyed 7y the ur+s as punish$ent fro$ .od, and the "reater part of the !al+ans :as also under the do$ination of the ur+s. o the Aussians it see$ed no coincidence that at the very ti$e the !y#antine ,$pire ca$e to an end, they the$selves :ere at last thro:in" off the last re$ainin" vesti"es of artar su#erainty. .od, it see$ed, :as "rantin" Aussia freedo$ 7ecause He had chosen it to 7e the successor of !y#antiu$. Aussia :as thus called upon to preserve the 5rthodo6 faith and to 7e its cha$pion and protector after the other t:o Ao$es had fallen. As one :riter "oes on to e6pound on this $atter, *osco: :as indeed the hird Ao$e, the la:ful successor of the >e: Ao$e, Constantinople. *oreover, the 7etter Aussian sars too+ this role and its attendant responsi7ilities very seriously. hey :a"ed successive %and usually successful& :ars to li7erate the 5rthodo6 !al+ans fro$ the ur+s and protect the$ fro$ the Western po:ersN they spent lar"e su$s of $oney to support the 5rthodo6 $onasteries of *ount Athos and the Batriarchates of the *iddle ,astN and saris$ itself fell in a self8sacrificial :ar to protect 5rthodo6 Ser7ia fro$ Catholic Austria8Hun"ary. <. -he te'tbook gives a cause of the developing disunity between .ome and the Church. %hat was this cause* 5ne cause :as due to the different political situations in the ,ast and West, :hich in turn caused the Church to assu$e different out:ard for$s. 4ro$ the start, there had 7een a certain difference of e$phasis 7et:een the ,ast and West so that in ti$e, people ca$e to vie: Church order in conflictin" :ays. he ,ast had $any Churches of Apostolic foundation, and it had a stron" a:areness of the eCuality of all 7ishops and of the colle"ial nature of the Church. (t sa: the 7ishop of Ao$e as the first 7ishop, 7ut first a$on" eCuals. (n the West, only one "reat see dated 7ac+ to the Apostles J Ao$e, :hich caused the West to see Ao$e as the Apostolic see. Also, :hile Ao$e adhered to the decisions of the ,cu$enical Councils, it did not play an active role in the$, nor did it see the Church so $uch as a colle"e as it sa: it as a $onarchy J the $onarchy of the pope. he te6t7oo+ "oes on to descri7e ho: a further political develop$ent reinforced this initial diver"ence: in the political vacuu$ created 7y the 7ar7arian invasion of the West, the pope ca$e to "et involved in 7oth the political and spiritual life of Western ,urope. >ot only did he act as an ar7iter of contentions 7et:een disputin" soverei"ns, 7ut he ca$e to assu$e the role of an autocrat and a7solute $onarch over the Church.
2'
As a political leader hi$self, the pope, after a prolon"ed dialectical process in the ,uropean *iddle A"es, arro"ated i$perial authority to hi$self and assu$ed the ri"ht to appoint and depose +in"s and e$perors. (n spite of St. Dero$eGs dictu$ let the lust for .oman power cease, $any popes 7eca$e involved in a relentless ca$pai"n to increase the scope of their authority, there7y esta7lishin" the foundation of papal a7solutis$ and dictatorship. As Archi$andrite Ser"ius, for$er Assistant Brofessor at the 4aculty of heolo"y at the Hniversity of Sofia, !ul"aria, notes of that dictatorship, ;Bapis$Gs earthly centrali#ation and leadership are alien to the heavenly centrali#ation of ChristGs Church, as a heanthropic 7ody, headed 7y the "lorified .od8*an, Desus Christ< %*t 21:11&. he papacyGs earthly leadership is inconsistent :ith the authority of Christ 7oth in Heaven and on earth.< ,ven so, Ao$eGs shrill de$and for su7$ission :as to 7eco$e an invaria7le feature "overnin" its relations :ith !y#antiu$. >. An active interest and participation of the laity in theology and Church life has always been a significant factor in &rthodo'y. 2n the %est! theological education became limited to what group* heolo"ical education in the West ca$e to 7e the e6clusive do$ain of the cler"y. As Arch7ishop Aver+y of Dordanville :rites in this re"ard: ,very +ind of... disre"ard, conte$pt and patroni#ation of oneGs floc+ is characteristic of Ao$an Catholicis$, in :hich the cler"y i$a"ine the$selves to 7e a hi"her, privile"ed class, in co$parison :ith the lo:er class J the floc+ =; he ,ssence and *ethod of rue Bastoral Care in 5ur i$es,< !rthodox Life, vol. '/, no. 3, 122/, p. 1)@. 4urther develop$ent of this idea is "iven 7y Brofessor A.B. 9opu+in of the St. Beters7ur" heolo"ical Acade$y. He notes that: Ao$an Catholicis$ is, as it :ere, a continuation of ancient, pa"an Ao$e, the spirit of :hich it assi$ilated, arrayin" itself in Christian "ar7 only out:ardly. (n ancient Ao$e there :ere only t:o classes J the upper, privile"ed class of the patricians, and the lo:er class of the ple7eians. his dichoto$y :as carried over into Christiani#ed Ao$e: the cler"y 7eca$e the patricians, the upper, privile"ed classN the ran+ and file faithful lay$en 7eca$e the ple7eians, the lo:er class, :ithout any ri"hts, :ho :ere reCuired only to listen and in all thin"s to su7$it :ithout reservation, not darin" to put itself for:ard in any :ay or in anythin" :hatever =(bid@. Another :ay in :hich the 9atin Church 7ro:7eat the laity :as in its deprivin" the$ of the a7ility to co$$une of the chalice, an innovation that :as first allo:ed in the West in the t:elfth century. his chan"e runs contrary to ChristGs direct :ords: ;0rin+ ye all of it,< and also: ;,6cept ye eat the flesh of the Son of *an, and drin+ of His 7lood, ye have no life in you< %Dn -:)3&. 5ther scriptural passa"es as :ell clearly testify a"ainst the Ao$an Catholic practice %1 Cor 10:1-81/N 11:2-830&, as do patristic :or+s. *oreover, Ao$eGs chan"e :ent a"ainst the universal practice of the ancient Church, as :ell as the e6press prohi7ition of $any ancient popes. %(t is i$portant to note, ho:ever, that at that ti$e, the 9atin Church no lon"er had the Holy ,ucharist, nor :as there "race in any of its Sacra$ents, for it :as severed fro$ ChristGs Church as of its schis$ in 10)'&. Brotopriest 3ictor Botapov e6plains that althou"h the 9atin
2)
Church atte$pted to Fustify its deviation in this $atter :ith various prete6ts, the ulti$ate ai$ of this chan"e :as to sho: in the very co$$unicatin" the superiority of the cler"y over the laity. %(t is of interest to note that :hen the !ohe$ian reli"ious refor$er Dan Hus attac+ed the corruption of the 9atin cler"y, he insisted that the laity should 7e a7le to co$$une fro$ the chalice, as :as the 5rthodo6 and early Western custo$. 4or statin" these thin"s, he :as e6co$$unicated in 1'02, after :hich he :as captured and 7urned at the sta+e 7y the 9atin Church&. (n yet another atte$pt to separate the cler"y fro$ the rest of society, a $arried cler"y :as done a:ay :ith in the West. (n the early Church, especially in the ,ast, a $arried priesthood :as the nor$. his ancient practice :as a7andoned in the West :ith the papal chan"es of 10'-8/3. As Brofessor Aristeides Bapada+is :rites concernin" this chan"e: ;!ehind the ca$pai"n for celi7acy, in su$, aside fro$ the $oral and canonical issues involved, :as the desire to set all church$en apart fro$ and a7ove the laityN the need to create a spiritual elite 7y the separation of the priest fro$ the ordinary lay$en :as an ur"ent priority< = The Christian )ast and the Rise of the apacy, p. 3/@. Addin" to these ideas, Brotopriest 3ictor Botapov e6plains that: he Church cannot 7eco$e free of su7ordination to lay$en if clerics do not 7eco$e free of their :ives. With the rise of papal authority, a strivin" naturally had to arise to 7rea+ those ties :here7y the cler"y is united :ith the fa$ily, and throu"h it :ith the stateN only a priest co$pletely free of all fa$ilial and civil 7onds and o7li"ations could serve as a relia7le instru$ent in the hands of the Ao$an pontiffs for the achieve$ent of their a$7itious political plans =!rthodoxy and 2eterodoxy@. he sa$e 4r. 3ictor notes that too sharp a line 7et:een the cler"y and laity :as dra:n 7y the Catholic cler"y :ith the pope at its head. An artificial division into the Church of those :ho teach and those :ho are tau"ht appeared, :hile in the sacra$ental life, the si"nificance of the prayerful participation of the people of the Church has 7een di$inished. (n the Ao$an Catholic Church, the cler"y elevated itself too $uch over the people, and a7usin" its position, it oppressed the$. ?. &ne particular aspect of Church life that the te'tbook often brings out is the contribution which each individual Church center made to theology in ancient times. +ach center put forth understandings and approaches to understandings which were often synthesized at the 1eneral Councils! guided by the Holy 6pirit. %hat were the two theological focal points which separated .ome from this harmonious system* %1& Bapal clai$s of universal Furisdiction and unli$ited soverei"nty over the Hniversal Church. Ao$eGs spirit of lust for po:er and its papal pretenses :ere contrary to the traditions and custo$s of the Church, for, as noted earlier, the Church is not and never was monarchical in structure! centered around a single bishop. (n spite of that fact, ho:ever, the pope 7eca$e an a7solute dictator set up over the Western Church, one :ho issued orders not only to his ecclesiastical su7ordinates, 7ut to secular rulers as :ell. As one :riter notes, the $edieval 4ran+ish8 eutonic conception of the pope entails the "reatest adulteration of Christianity and :as the source of further distortion of Christianity in the West. he 3atican still $aintains that papal pri$acy is 7eyond Cuestion. 5n Dune 2, 2000, the pope approved a so8called ;>ote< of one Doseph Cardinal Aat#in"er. his ;>ote< states that ;no Ao$an pontiff ever reco"ni#ed... =an@... eCuali#ation of sees or accepted that only a pri$acy of 2-
honor 7e accorded to the see of Ao$e.< A si$ilar docu$ent titled "omin#s (es#s :as pu7lished on Septe$7er ), 2000, 7y the 3aticanGs Con"re"ation for the 0octrine of 4aith %for$erly the 5ffice of the (nCuisition&. !oth state$ents are an atte$pt to seduce people into Ao$eGs :e7 of deceit concernin" papal pri$acy and the pri$acy of the 9atin Church. %2& he $atter of Ao$eGs addition of the :ord filio*#e to the Creed. his chan"e of :ordin" in the Creed :as introduced in the early $edieval Western Church so$e centuries 7efore the separation of Ao$e fro$ the Hniversal Church. Ao$e too+ it upon itself to chan"e the Creed :ithout consultin" the rest of the Church, and the addition had ruinous effects upon Western theolo"y. )$. 2n what year and in what council did Charlemagne manage to have the filio!ue approved* Charle$a"ne had the filio*#e for$ula adopted at the se$i8(conoclast council at 4ran+furt in /2'. As Aristeides Bapada+is e6plains in his 7oo+ The Christian )ast and the Rise of the apacy, this addition :as achieved witho#t official papal approval or authori#ation. Charle$a"ne used the filio*#e as propa"anda a"ainst the !y#antine state, his political adversary at that ti$e, yet the addition :as disapproved of 7y the papacy. Whenever Carolin"ian reCuests for an endorse$ent of the filio*#e :ere $ade, these reCuests :ere al:ays firmly denied 7y the papacy. While sin"in" the filio*#e at the royal chapel of Aachen :as apparently per$issi7le, ta$perin" :ith the authoritative te6t of the Creed in a for$al :ay :as not. Si"nificantly, not only did Ao$e condemn the filio*#e phrase on $ore than one occasion, 7ut Ao$e had even 7een its primary opponent in the West since Charle$a"neGs advisors sa: fit to endorse it. Hntil 101', the Western Batriarchate had in fact faithfully adhered to the previous decisions of the Hniversal Church e6pressly prohi7itin" any addition to the Creed. At his coronation in 101', the .er$an e$peror Henry (( de$anded that the pope include the filio*#e in the Creed sun" at *ass %previously the Creed :as not a part of the *ass in Ao$e&. he pope 7al+ed at first, 7ut then su7$itted. As a result of its adoption at that ti$e, the altered Creed 7eca$e standard throu"hout the West. !efore lon", Ao$e 7e"an to Fustify the alteration 7y clai$in" that it had doctrinal authority on its o:n. As papal apolo"ists :ere to ar"ue, it :as sufficient that a Ao$an pontiff had declared it do"$a. !y his o:n petrine po:ers, the apolo"ists asserted, the pope :as not su7Fect to conciliar Fud"$ent, 7ut unli+e everyone else, he had the ri"ht not only to convo+e "eneral councils, 7ut to a$plify and even revise their doctrines. 5f course, the ar"u$ents of the papal apolo"ists :ere not :ithout glaring contradictions. he apolo"ists failed to note the fact that the popes had earlier affirmed the original te't of the Creed. Also, the papal apolo"ists failed to $ention that the popes had earlier refused to fall in line :ith the Carolin"ians in the $atter of the filio*#e1 )). -o what heresy was the council in Frankfurt related* he council :as related to the earlier heresy of (conoclas$. )". How did /ope 0eo 222 demonstrate his re,ection of the filio!ue* Bope 9eo ((( :rote Charle$a"ne a letter statin" that :hile he considered the filio*#e to 7e doctrinally sound, he did not consider it ri"ht to ta$per :ith the :ordin" of the Creed. he
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sa$e pope had the Creed witho#t the filio*#e inscri7ed on t:o silver plaCues8one in 9atin and one in .ree+ J and installed in St. BeterGs. )#. %hat understanding of the filio!ue do you derive from this chapter* 4irst, the filio*#e interpolation should have never 7een inserted into the Creed as it revises the :ords of Christ in Dohn 1):2-, yet the words of Christ and 6cripture cannot be revised. *oreover, as noted a7ove, the ,cu$enical Councils specifically forbade that any chan"es should ever 7e $ade in the Creed, and if it ever see$ed that an addition should 7e necessary, then the only co$petent institution e$po:ered :ith such authority :as another ,cu$enical Council. he Creed is the co$$on treasure of the entire Church, and no individual part of the Church has the ri"ht to $odify an ecu$enical docu$ent 7y its o:n Fud"$ent in such a :ay as Ao$e did. he Ao$an Church, in its ar7itrary alteration of the Creed :ithout the consent of the ,ast, co$$itted :hat one :riter descri7ed as $oral fratricide J that is, Ao$e is "uilty of a sin a"ainst the unity of the Church. %4or this reason and others, so$e do not thin+ that it is insi"nificant that the :ord amor =love@ spelled 7ac+:ards is Ao$a&. As the scholarly !lessed heophylact of 5chrid noted in the t:elfth century, no doctrine could ever 7e vie:ed as correct Fust 7ecause it had 7een declared true 7y the pope, not even if the 9atins ;sha+e the +eys of the +in"do$ in our faces.< he te'tual corruption of the Creed approved 7y the papal throne :as unlawful. heolo"ical o7Fections aside, the addition lacked both biblical and ecumenical authority. Secondly, fro$ the theological standpoint, the filio*#e addition is untrue. ChristGs :ords clearly indicate that the Holy Spirit proceeds fro$ the Father %Dn 1):2-&. 5n this 7asis, it is incorrect to state that the Holy Spirit also proceeds fro$ the Son. Ao$eGs addition of a :ord is not an a7struse theolo"ical issue, 7ut one :ith far8reachin" conseCuences in other areas since the filio*#e addition destroys the 7alance 7et:een the three Bersons of the Holy rinity. (t also leads to an erroneous understandin" of the Holy SpiritGs function in the :orld, thus pro$otin" a false doctrine of the Church. % he $atter of the filio*#e addition to the Creed and ho: it profoundly affected Western theolo"y for the :orse :ill 7e fully developed in chapter 1, ans:ers -8/ and 281'&. )4. 1ive your understanding of the nature of a schism. All the Holy 4athers spea+ as one a"ainst schis$ and consider it to 7e a$on" the most damnable of sins. St. Dohn Chrysosto$, for e6a$ple, states that not even the blood of martyrdom can :ash a:ay the sin of schis$. Also, as St. ("natius of Antioch, a disciple of the Apostle Dohn, :arned: ;*a+e no $ista+e, 7rethren, no one :ho follo:s another into schis$ :ill inherit the Kin"do$ of .od, no one :ho follo:s heretical doctrines is on the side of the Bassion.< =("natius to the Bhiladelphians ):3.@ he sa$e 4ather further instructs: He that is in the sanctuary is pure, 7ut he that is outside the sanctuary is not pure. (n other :ords, anyone :ho acts :ithout the 7ishop and pres7yter and the deacons does not have a clean conscience =Letters to the Romans' A0 110, in The 3aith of the )arly 3athers, vol. 1, p. 11@. 9i+e:ise, St. !asil the .reat instructs:
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!ecause their separation =is@ initiated throu"h schis$s ... those :ho =have@ separated the$selves fro$ the Church no lon"er =have@ in the$selves the "race of the Holy Spirit.... >or could they any lon"er confer on others that "race of the Holy Spirit fro$ :hich they the$selves had fallen a:ay =The 3irst Canonical Letters, A0 3/', in The 3aith of the )arly 3athers, vol. 2, p. -@. St. !asilGs :ords are clear and revealin". 4ran+ Schaeffer, a for$er Brotestant :ho converted to 5rthodo6 Christianity, $a+es a nu$7er of o7servations re"ardin" schis$s. He states that .odGs plan for His Church does not include the unrepentant anarchy of 23,000 deno$inations that have rendered clai$s of a7solute truth ludicrous in the eyes of the :orld. he sa$e :riter "oes on to state that accordin" to Christ, schis$s J that is, divisions a$on" 7elievers, is part of the antichristGs pro"ra$, not that of .od. *oreover, he notes, there are repeated :arnin"s in the >e: esta$ent a"ainst schis$, division, strive and lordin" it over others. hese :arnin"s are so freCuent that the call for Church unity, order and hu$7le colle"iality $i"ht 7e descri7ed as the $ain the$e of the epistles. Holy radition also teaches a"ainst schis$, callin" it a re8crucifi6ion of Christ. )3. %hat is the meaning of the 1reat 6chism* he .reat Schis$ of 10)', that is, the 7rea+a:ay of the Ao$an Church fro$ the Church Hniversal, is the "reatest tra"edy to 7efall Christendo$. 4or the 7enefit of those Christians outside ,astern 5rthodo6y, Brotopriest 3ictor BotapovGs concise e6planation of that event is provided here. 4r. 3ictor :rites that: (n the year /)2, Bope Uacharias anointed Bepin the Short, the chief ste:ard of the 4ran+ish +in"s, to 7e +in", and there7y "ave, as it :ere, the ChurchGs 7lessin" to the overthro:n, carried out 7y Bepin in the 4ran+ish +in"do$, that re$oved the la:ful 4ran+ish +in" fro$ po:er. 4or this, Bepin, in the year /)), too+ a:ay fro$ the .er$anic tri7e of the 9o$7ards the lands conCuered 7y the$ in (taly and delivered into the popeGs hands the Aavenna ,6archate, :hich had previously 7elon"ed to the !y#antine ,$pire, and the +eys to t:enty8t:o cities. hus, the pope :as transfor$ed fro$ a su7Fect of the ,astern Ao$an %Constantinopolitan& e$peror into an independent secular soverei"n, not dependent on any other soverei"n, :ith an independent territory and :ith possession of supre$e state authority on this territory. his rapidly corrupted the $orals of the papacy. he inner contradiction 7et:een the ascetic ideal and secular authority appeared as a dan"erous ene$y of the $oral purity of the popes. (t entailed a radical chan"e not only in the status, 7ut also in the 7ehavior, in the intentions, in the aspirations, and in the $odi operand of the Ao$an popes. Conceit, pride, lust for po:er, and the aspiration to su7ordinate all the local Churches to their authority, :hich had previously appeared in the 7ehavior of the Ao$an popes only as tendencies, as sporadic pheno$ena, no: :holly ta+es possession of the popes. At first, the popes set the$selves the tas+ of stren"thenin" their authority in those Western Churches J the African, Spanish and .allic J :hich did not for$ a part of the Ao$an Church. 0espite a certain resistance on the part of the African Church, the popes
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succeeded co$paratively easily in securin" the su7ordination of these Churches to the$selves: "reat :as the authority of Ao$e in these for$er provinces. As for the Churches ne:ly founded in !ritain, .er$any, and in the other countries of Western ,urope 7y $issionaries of the Ao$an 7ishop, the popes succeeded in su7ordinatin" the$ to their authority all the $ore easily, inas$uch as the idea of the supre$acy of the pope in the Church :as inculcated in the$ si$ultaneously :ith the preachin" of Christianity. he popes, :hile su7ordinatin" the Western Churches to the$selves, :ere si$ultaneously ta+in" $easures in order to su7stantiate their authority, if not do"$atically, then at least Furidically. 4or this, a collection of ecclesiastical Furidical acts :as co$piled in the West at the 7e"innin" of the ninth century in the na$e of the authoritative Spanish sacred $inister, (sidore. Since 7oth the na$e of the co$piler and the contents of the collection, as :as later esta7lished, :ere spurious, it received the na$e ;Bseudo8(sidorian 0ecretals.< he collection consists of three parts. (n the first are fifty Apostolic Canons and si6ty decretals of the Ao$an popes. 5f these si6ty decretals, t:o are partly falsified, :hile fifty8ei"ht are alto"ether spurious. (n the second part, a$on" other spurious $aterial, is the spurious donation of the city of Ao$e 7y the ,$peror Constantine the .reat to the Ao$an Bope Silvester. he collection :as first pu7lished only at the end of the si6teenth century, and then scholars proved :ithout difficulty the spuriousness of the docu$ents that :ere in it. At the present ti$e, even Catholic scholars do not reco"ni#e their authenticity. !ut at that ti$e, the collection served as an authoritative 7asis for the develop$ent of ecclesiastical relations in the West, inas$uch as it :as accepted on faith and enFoyed the authority of authenticity in the course of the *iddle A"es. he popes 7e"an to cite the decretals of the collection cate"orically in su7stantiation of their ri"hts to supre$acy in the :hole Church. Bope >icholas %1)181/-& 7e"an to cite the ;Bseudo8(sidorian 0ecretals< first, inas$uch as he first for$ulated sharply and decisively the idea of papal o$nipotence in the Church. !ut the ,ast, naturally, did not reco"ni#e this o$nipotence. Bope >icholas ( atte$pted to su7ordinate the ,ast to hi$self in one s:oop. !ut he did not succeed in this. As a conseCuence of this failure, a Church schis$ appeared: the first ti$e in the ninth century, and finally in the eleventh century %10)'&. he e6ternal history of the fallin" a:ay of the Ao$an Church is such = !rthodoxy and 2eterodoxy@. he year 10)' is assi"ned to the cataclys$ic schis$ that plun"ed Western ,urope into the dar+ness of heresy, the schis$ :hich produced the Ao$an Catholic Church. After:ards, the continuin" putrefaction of the Ao$an Church produced the thousands of Brotestant Churches and their offsprin". Ae"ardin" the 10)' date, it is lar"ely sy$7olic and does not pinpoint the e6act date of separation of the West fro$ the ,ast. *oreover, it cannot 7e $aintained that the Ao$an Church ceased overni"ht to 7e a repository of ecclesial "race. (nstead, it 7eca$e spiritually ill, the disease of heresy spread, and the West "radually ca$e to 7e detached fro$ the rest of the 7ody.
100
he saints and various synods since that ti$e attest to this fact. Spea+in" of the decline of Christianity in the West, Hiero$on+ Seraphi$ Aose re$ar+s: 5ne $i"ht cite nu$erous $anifestations of this re$ar+a7le chan"e in the West: the 7e"innin"s of Scholasticis$ or the acade$ic8analytical approach to +no:led"e as opposed to the traditional... approach of 5rthodo6yN the 7e"innin" of the ;a"e of ro$ance,< :hen fa7les and le"ends :ere introduced into Christian te6tsN the ne: naturalis$ in art %.iotto& :hich destroyed icono"raphyN the ne: ;personal< concept of sanctity %4rancis of Assisi&, unaccepta7le to 5rthodo6y, :hich "ave rise to later Western ;$ysticis$< and eventually to the innu$era7le sects and pseudo8reli"ious $ove$ents of $odern ti$esN and so forth. he cause of this chan"e is so$ethin" that cannot 7e evident to a Ao$an Catholic scholar: it is the loss of the "race :hich follo:s on separation fro$ the Church of Christ and :hich puts one at the $ercy of the ;spirit of the ti$es< and of purely hu$an :ays of life and thou"ht. 4or a Western Christian, the e6planation of the .reat Schis$ in the te6t7oo+ could lead to the $ista+en notion that Ao$eGs separation fro$ the Church :as nothin" $ore than a fortuitous outco$e of non8theolo"ical factors %historical and political& in the ,ast and West that only secondarily spilled over into the theolo"ical real$. Such :as not the case. ,ven thou"h theolo"ical and non8theolo"ical $atters ali+e :ere $i6ed to"ether in the schis$ that cut the West off fro$ ChristGs Church, it :as ulti$ately the theological issues that :ere the root of the schis$ J a point undere$phasi#ed in the te6t7oo+, 7ut $ade in the prefatory notes to the theolo"y course. he sa$e notes "o on to e6plain that ho:ever deeply Christians in any a"e $ay 7e affected 7y historical events, the Church is not. he Church re$ains ever the sa$e J i$$ova7le, unsha+a7le and eternal J Fust as its Head, Desus Christ, is. he prefatory notes also refer to the fact that all 7ishops are eCual and that none is infalli7le. !ishops and their dioceses are protected fro$ error and heresy 7y their o7edience to the ChurchGs Councils. Since these Councils are asse$7lies of all 7ishops and are under the "uidance of the Holy Spirit, they are e6pressive of the conscience of the Church, :hich alone is infalli7le. When a 7ishop places hi$self a7ove the Councils, he severs hi$self fro$ the only real protection fro$ error and heresy he has J these sa$e ancient Councils, and he has no source of "uidance of the Holy Spirit. Heresy and error are inevita7le for such a 7ishop. 4urther e6plainin" the .reat Schis$, the prefatory notes $ention that all 5rthodo6 4athers presented their :ritin"s as+in": (s this :hat the Scripture teachesE (s this ho: Sacred radition understands itE (s this ho: the previous Councils have defined itE hey :ould then su7$it their :ritin"s to the conscience of the Church for its approval. Anyone disobedient to this way will separate himself from the Church , the notes state. And should this separation involve a bishop who takes a diocese or /atriarchate with him! this separation constitutes a schism. And the notes conclude, to be in schism is to be cut off by one's choice and deed from the Holy Church! and thus cut off from Christ. *etropolitan Anthony, for$er 4irst Hierarch of the Aussian Church in ,6ile, e6plains that it is not possi7le for there to 7e a split within or among the Churches. He states that fro$ ti$e to ti$e, people have fallen a:ay fro$ the one indivisi7le Church, and in doin" so, they ceased to 7e $e$7ers of it. hus, there :as no ;division< of Churches in 10)', 7ut rather a ;fallin" off.< (f a ;division< had occurred, it :ould have $eant that after one unified Church had e6isted for one thousand years, there ca$e into 7ein" not one 7ut two Churches, so$ethin" 101
contrary to ChristGs pro$ise that the Church is one %*t 1-:11&. Accordin" to this pro$ise, the Church can never lose its #nity, 7ut :ill al:ays re$ain one. he Church has e6perienced a succession of heresies and schis$s fro$ the very earliest ti$es. A particularly lon"8lived separation 7e"an in the fifth and si6th centuries over Christolo"ical issues, :hen entire nations J ,"ypt, ,thiopia, Ar$enia, and lar"e parts of the Syrian population a7andoned the co$$union of the 5rthodo6 Church. Ao$eGs schis$ is therefore nothin" ne: to the history of the Church. (t is not the earliest schis$, nor is it the lon"est one in durationN it differs only in its 7ein" the lar"est one in ter$s of the nu$7er of people :ho :ere severed fro$ the Church. After the .reat Schis$ of 10)', there :ere t:o different "roups of 7elievers J the 5rthodo6, :ho $aintained the Apostolic Christian faith of their ancestors, and the Western papal Catholics, :ho after separatin" fro$ the Apostolic Church developed :ith surprisin" rapidity into a reli"ion different 7oth fro$ the pre8schis$ Western Christianity and ,astern 5rthodo6y. As one historian noted, an early Christian :ould have felt at ho$e in the Western Church of the eleventh century, 7ut out of place in that of the t:elfth century. he 9atin Church has not co$e to ter$s :ith the terri7le event of 10)' and falsely $aintains that the 5rthodo6 Church :ent into schis$ at that ti$e. Ao$e adds that :hile 5rthodo6y is schis$atic, it is not heretical. hat is, Ao$e teaches that ,astern 5rthodo6y does not have false doctrines. *oreover, in an atte$pt to +eep its floc+ fro$ ever investi"atin" ChristGs true Church and 7eco$in" 5rthodo6, Ao$e clai$s that nothin" essential separates 5rthodo6y fro$ the 9atin Church, other than 5rthodo6yGs refusal to accept the ;universal authority< of the pope. !eyond this $atter, Ao$e teaches, any doctrinal differences are only ;$isunderstandin"s< 7ecause of inco$plete for$ulations. (n spite of Ao$eGs clai$ that 5rthodo6y :ent into schis$, history is clear in sho:in" that once Ao$e no lon"er loo+ed to Sacred radition, to the ancient Councils, or to the Church 4athers J $uch to the opposition of the entire ,ast, it set itself a7ove these and atte$pted to define theolo"ical issues on its o:n. hus Ao$e cut itself off fro$ its only protection a"ainst error and heresy, and it inelucta7ly fell into heresy itself. Ao$e :as no lon"er a part of the continuin" unity of ChristGs Church after the .reat Schis$ of 10)'. o this day, even thou"h the Ao$an Catholic Church clai$s to 7e the true Church, it stands outside the 7oundaries of the one true Church that Christ esta7lished on earth. After 10)', the 5rthodo6 Church is the only true continuation of the early undivided Church. );. How did papal claims and the idea of papal infallibility ensure that false teachings such as purgatory! merits! atonement! indulgences! the Assumption! etc.! would become embedded in the doctrine of the 0atin Church* 5ver the course of its ten centuries of separation fro$ the 5rthodo6 Church, the 9atin Church introduced a host of innovations, chief a$on" :hich are the do"$as of papal supre$acy and infalli7ility, the filio*#e' created "race, the ($$aculate Conception and pur"atory. o understand ho: these false doctrines 7eca$e solidly esta7lished in Ao$an Catholicis$, it is necessary to recall the for$ula of a schis$. 5nce Ao$e placed itself a7ove the ,cu$enical Councils, :hich are e6pressive of the conscience of the Church, it severed itself fro$ its only protection a"ainst error and heresy, thus ensurin" that it :ould fall into heresy itself J and so it did. When Ao$e turned its 7ac+ on its former correct #nderstanding that all 7ishops are eCual and consult :ith one another in councils, and :hen it li+e:ise i"nored the conscience of the 102
Church, :hich alone is infalli7le, it 7e"an to $a+e pretensions and heretical clai$s a7out its o:n 7ishop, startin" in the ninth century. (n ti$e %11/0&, Ao$e :ent on to invent the false do"$a that the 7ishop of Ao$e is infalli7le :hen spea+in" ex cathedra on $atters of faith and $orals. he doctrine of papal infalli7ility :as actually only an e6tension of the false teachin" of universal authority. As the introduction to this 7oo+ notes, papal infallibility is denied by the very Church that invented it, for the Ao$an Catholic Church admits that $any Ao$an popes :ere heretics and that $any spo+e falsehood :hen $a+in" ex cathedra pronounce$ents concernin" faith and $orals. Bapal infalli7ility is a"ain sho:n to 7e false since the Apostle Beter, :ho the 9atin Church proclai$s :as its first pope, :as not infalli7le. At the Apostolic Council held at Derusale$ %cf. second chapter of .alatians&, Beter :as chided 7y Baul for not +eepin" the faith, :hereupon Beter felt a need to renounce pu7licly his incorrect vie:s. .iven the fact that Beter spo+e falsehood! .ome's argument of papal infallibility collapses. 5ne a7surd and even 7lasphe$ous teachin" of the 9atin Church is that of supererogatory works, :hich can 7e e6plained e6clusively 7y the avarice of the popes and the Catholic cler"y. his false teachin" :as confir$ed in 13'3, and as Brotopriest 3ictor Botapov e6plains, it $aintains that $any of the saints, in endeavorin" to reali#e in their o:n lives not only .odGs la: or the co$$and$ents %praecepta&, offered supera7undant, superero"atory satisfaction to the divine Fustice and perfor$ed superero"atory "ood :or+s % opera s#pererogatonis&. 4ro$ the$, a certain Cuantity still re$ains, as it :ere, of e6cess, superero"atory "ood :or+s. his e6cess $a+es up the so8called treasury of superero"atory $erits %thesar#s meritori#m&, :hich is at the co$plete and unconditional disposal of the pope. Whoever does not have as $any of his o:n deeds as are needed to satisfy .odGs Fustice for his sins, can J by the mercy of the pope J $a+e use of the superero"atory $erits of the saints in the ChurchGs treasury J so .ome teaches in complete contradiction of the clear teaching of 6acred 6cripture on man's salvation. he ideal of Christian perfection is so hi"h, 4r. 3ictor e6plains, is so unattaina7le, that not only can $an never perfor$ anythin" superero"atory, 7ut he cannot even attain this ideal. 4r. 3ictor "oes on to cite t:o scriptural passa"es to e6plain. 4or e6a$ple, the 9ord said to His disciples: ;When you shall have done all these thin"s :hich are co$$anded of you, say, GWe are un:orthy servants: :e have done that :hich :as our duty to doG; %9+ 1/:10&. A"ain, the Apostle Baul :rites: 4or "race ye are saved throu"h faithN and not of yourselves: it is the "ift of .od: not of :or+s, lest any $an should 7oast. 4or :e are His :or+$anship, created in Christ Desus unto "ood :or+s, :hich .od hath 7efore ordained that :e should :al+ in the$ %,ph 2:18 10&. Ae"ardin" Ao$eGs teachin" on so8called purgatory %p#rgatori#m&, 5rthodo6y considers it i$proper to elevate any speculative theolo"ical opinions to the level of do"$a as Ao$e did :ith this $atter. his opinion on the afterlife :as ela7orated and developed in detail after Ao$e cut itself off fro$ the Apostolic Church in 10)', and it :as accepted as do"$a in 1'32. Scriptures spea+ of Heaven and hell, 7ut they $ention no other place for the departed. he 9atin Church :ent on to add an inter$ediate place or state for those souls :ho repented 7ut died 7efore under"oin" te$poral punish$ent here on earth for their sins to satisfy divine Fustice: this sa$e pur"atory. here, souls of the dead suffer various tortures to pay for their sins, and each soul stays there as $uch ti$e as it is necessary to e6piate those sins J or else, the 9atin Church also teaches J the period of tor$ents can 7e shortened 7y :ay of papal indulgences, :hich :ere 103
"ranted not :ithout the influence of financial motives % he $atter of indul"ences :ill 7e discussed 7elo:&. When the period of tor$ent ends, :hen the de7t paid to .odGs Fustice is paid in full, the purified soul then passes fro$ pur"atory to Baradise. >i+olaos 3assiliadis "ives an in8depth e6a$ination of the history of the false teachin" of pur"atory in his 7oo+ he *ystery of 0eath. >otin" that there is no 7asis :hatsoever for the teachin" in Scripture, he e6plains that the teachin" :as 7orro:ed instead fro$ three other sources: 1& fro$ the atheistic Chaldeans, 2& fro$ 5ri"en, :hose teachin" on the su7Fect :as conde$ned 7y the 4ifth ,cu$enical Council, and 3& fro$ the *onophysite and Blatonist Bhiloponos, :hose heretical teachin"s date to the first half of the si6th century. he cleansin" fire of pur"atorial fla$es and tor$ents descri7ed in $edieval literature are a co$plete $yth. he souls of the dead are not cleansed or pur"ed of their iniCuities 7y virtue of $any years of pur"atorial tor$ents the$selves, 7y :hich they personally offer satisfaction to .odGs Fustice. 5nce the soul departs fro$ the 7ody, the a7ility of the soul to chan"e its o:n status disappears. At that ti$e, only the prayers and "ood :or+s of the $e$7ers of ChristGs Church can assist that soul. (f a soul e6periences tor$ents in hades as a result of sins it co$$itted in earthly life, no other tor$ent is per$itted or is even necessary. As St. *ar+ of ,phesus :rote: ;4or if the re$ission of sins is acco$plished for the sa+e of prayers, or $erely 7y the divine love of $an+ind itself, there is no need for punish$ent and cleansin" =7y fire@.< =Puoted in 4r. Seraphi$ Aose, The ,o#l After "eath' p. 212@. *etropolitan Hierotheos of >afpa+tos lists $any sources of the false teachin" of pur"atory, a$on" :hich is the politico8econo$ic connection of popery. He e6plains that: he connectin" of the purifyin" fire :ith $aterial offerin"s 7rou"ht the peopleGs disenchant$ent :ith the popery. (t is said that the purifyin" fire, the so8called pur"atory, :as invented for the co$pletion of the te$ple of the Apostle Beter in Ao$e and the up+eep of the papal palace. !ut it $ust 7e o7served that the do"$a of the purifyin" fire :as not invented si$ply to e6ploit the people, 7ecause... it is in line :ith the 4ranco8 9atinsG scholastic theolo"y. >evertheless, it :as used for econo$ic reasons as :ell = Life After "eath, pp. 1228200@. As the 9atins de$onstrated at the Council of 4errara84lorence %1'31832&, they had no interest :hatsoever in see+in" the truth concernin" pur"atory. heir interest instead :as si$ply to i$pose their heretical vie:s on the 5rthodo6. he fact re$ains, ho:ever, that pur"atory is ;a fruit and result of the scholastic theolo"y of the 4ranco89atins and has no relationship to 5rthodo6 theolo"y as Christ tau"ht it, the Apostles lived it, and the Holy 4athers handed it do:n to us< %*etropolitan Hierotheos&. Ao$eGs $edieval teachin" on indulgences %referred to a7ove& is yet another false teachin" that :as co$pletely un+no:n in the ancient, undivided Church as it contradicts the :hole spirit of 5rthodo6y. An indul"ence is the for"iveness or reduction of the te$poral punish$ent that a sinner $ust under"o for the satisfaction of .odGs Fustice. After the "uilt and e6ternal punish$ent are re$itted in the sacra$ent of repentance, indul"ences are "ranted to a sinner 7y the a"ency of the pope, of the SaviourMs surplus $erits and the superero"atory "ood :or+s of the *other of .od and the saints. 4r. 3ictor Botapov notes that the profita7leness of indul"ences led to their "reater and "reater "ro:th and the search for ne: occasions for "rantin" the$. hey are not usually "iven out ex gratis, 7ut are "enerally sold for $oney J under the prete6t, of course, of perfor$in" "ood :or+s :ith the $oney. As the advocates and sellers of 10'
indul"ences J includin" the popes, :ho traffic+ed in the$, :ere "uided 7y $onetary interests, attac+s on indul"ences :ere so$e of the first features of the Aefor$ation $ove$ent. With re"ard to the 7oundlessly insultin" and 7lasphe$ous do"$a of the 2mmaculate Conception, :hile it see$s to e6alt the *other of .od, it actually 7elittles her 7y denyin" all of her virtues. his false teachin" $aintains that *ary :as placed in a state :here it :as impossible for her to sin, and thus she could not sin even if she :anted to. Ho:ever, :here there is no i$pulse to sin and no effort in overco$in" te$ptations, neither is there any victory. hrou"h the ($$aculate Conception, the 9atin Church ta+es a:ay all victory and $erit fro$ the holiest of all the saints, the *other of .od. %!oth this 9atin do"$a and that of the Assu$ption :ill 7e e6a$ined in detail in chapter ten&. 4alse teachin"s :ould have never 7eco$e a part of the 9atin Church had it re$ained united to ChristGs Church, and had Ao$e su7$itted these teachin"s 7efore a universal asse$7ly of 7ishops fro$ the entire Church, 7oth ,ast and West. As a 7ody "athered in Council, such an asse$7ly :ould have had the Holy 6pirit as its "uidin" force, as opposed to a sin"le falli7le 7ishop. %As previously noted, ho:ever, as of Ao$eGs severance fro$ the Church in 10)', the popes :ere no lon"er so $uch as lay$en in the Church, $uch less 7ishops, for Apostolic Succession :as ended in the West&. Althou"h the Ao$an Church e$er"ed fro$ the 5rthodo6 Church and :as once 7ound to it as the Church of $artyrs, saints, hierarchs and ri"ht87elievin" 5rthodo6 Christians, Ao$e :as severed fro$ it as of the .reat Schis$. After the dictatorial popes :ere cut off fro$ ChristGs Church, they :ere also cut off fro$ the Holy Spirit, and cut off fro$ the fullness of ruth and fro$ the only source of infalli7ility. As a result, they :ere no lon"er a7le to co$7at heresy :hen it arose, and false doctrines 7eca$e fir$ly fi6ed in the 9atin Church throu"h the popesG ex cathedra pro$ul"ations of falsehood. Su7seCuently, a$idst the :aves of apostasy that 7linded future "enerations in the West, the faith of Western Christians slo:ly 7e"an to chan"e and deviate fro$ the pure faith of the Apostolic Church. his process has continued una7ated to the present ti$e, and no: there is hardly any si$ilarity re$ainin" 7et:een the West and ,astern 5rthodo6y. As Bhilip Sherrard notes in this re"ard, the Christian West departed so far fro$ the fullness of ruth, that it no: possesses ;a $entality increasin"ly non8reli"ious in nature,< even :hen it thin+s that it is 7ein" ;reli"ious.< =Bhilip Sherrard, The Gree$ )ast and the Latin West- A ,t#dy in the Christian Tradition' 1222@. Archpriest Ale6ey ?oun" "oes on to e6plain that in the past, Church Councils :ere historically called in order to address errors and heresy 7y triu$phantly proclai$in" the faith. he Second 3atican Council %12-3&, ho:ever, had no such purpose. (nstead, the doors of the 9atin Church :ere thro:n open to: ... naturalis$, hu$anis$, *ar6is$, li7eralis$, $odernis$, and renovation. ,verythin" :as ;ne:<: the ;ne: Church,< the ;ne: priesthood,< the ;ne: 9itur"y,< the ;ne: Christian,< etc. he council itself said that the Church $ust no: ta+e full account of ;ne: for$s of culture %$ass culture& :hich "ive rise to ne: :ays of thin+in", actin" and $a+in" use of leisure.< (n other :ords, the Church $ust ;adapt,< 7e ;relevant,< and turn herself inside out, if necessary. ,verythin" old and venera7le could no: 7e cast aside. *on+s and nuns too+ off their ha7its and 7eca$e social :or+ers. he laity, at last free of Western Christian traditions, :ere per$itted to e6peri$ent :ith so8called ;Christian yo"a< and ;Christian #en,< to na$e Fust t:o of the stran"er for$s of spirituality that 7e"an to 7e da77led in at the parochial level. 10)
Bolitically, Christ Hi$self :as no: seen not as the Aedee$er, 7ut as the Aevolutionary 9i7erator. his $eant that the old $oral restrictions, so heartily proclai$ed and enforced fro$ the pulpit prior to the 3atican Council :ere no: no lon"er tau"ht. V...V o:ards the end of his life, Baul 3( :as stric+en 7y the reali#ation of :hat he had done durin" his rei"n. He reali#ed in his last t:o years that so$ethin" uni$a"ina7ly o$inous had 7een $ovin" ine6ora7ly to:ards the$, :as already in their $idst, and that it had nothin" to do :ith the Holy Spirit. ; -he smoke of 6atan has entered the Church! is around the altar!< he re$ar+ed so$7erly and helplessly.... >othin" he did could ste$ the onslau"ht on hi$ J for had he not espoused a ;peopleGs church< :here all had eCual voiceE J :o$en :ho :anted to 7e priests, priests :ho :anted to 7e $arried ... ho$ose6uals and divorced people :ho called for acceptance of their status on their ter$s, *ar6ist priests and 7ishops and =laypeople@ :ho clai$ed his approval to destroy the social order.... (t :as the ne: ;people< let loose on the old +in"do$, and Baul had no defense a"ainst the$. (ncreasin"ly he reacted :ith tears = The R#sh to )mbrace, pp. '28 ''N e$phasis added@. St. Dohn of Shan"hai and San 4rancisco %O12--& e6plained that ChristGs pro$ise that the "ates of hell shall not prevail a"ainst the Church %*t 1-:11& is pro$ised only to the rue, Hniversal Church. Ho:ever, upon those :ho have fallen a:ay fro$ it %such as the Ao$an Catholic Church& are fulfilled the :ords: AAs a branch cannot bear fruit of itself! e'cept it abide in the vineE so neither can ye! e'cept ye abide in =eB %Dn 1):'&. )<. %hat do you consider to be the most important point made in this chapter* !y far, the $ost si"nificant points are those "iven in the prefatory notesG su$$ation of the .reat Schis$. he te6t7oo+Gs account, :hile not :ithout so$e $erit in "ivin" "eneral 7ac+"round infor$ation, is rationalistic in its approach and is very $uch lac+in" in real su7stance in causal analysis. his defect no dou7t traces to the authorGs non85rthodo6 7ac+"round. he te6t7oo+Gs e6planation of the .reat Schis$ :ould appear fla:ed to 5rthodo6 theolo"ians as they have never thou"ht in the Cartesian $ethod of the West. :o .ree+ hierarchs, Arch7ishop Chrysosto$os of ,tna and !ishop Au6entios of Bhoti+i, co$$ent on this fact, sayin" that unli+e the Western thin+er, 5rthodo6 do not 7e"in at &ero, at nothing, and then develop their o7servations a7out thin"s. (nstead, they 7e"in at one, as it :ere, and :or+ fro$ certain 7asic assu$ptions. (n the Western syste$ that 7e"ins at #ero, the hierarchs e6plain, Western thin+ers $i"ht 7e"in 7y assu$in" that .od does not e6ist %or that nothing e6ists&, and then proceed to esta7lish the e6istence of .od and the created :orld. When the Westerner proFects this :ay of thin+in" onto history, he is confused ho: an o7scure reli"ion in a re$ote section of the :orld could have acco$plished its triu$ph. ,ven if a Westerner does ac+no:led"e the divine nature of the Christian reli"ion, the hierarchs continue, he is inclined to assu$e that the Church :as so$ethin" less than a divine $anifestation. He usually i$a"ines that it too+ root in the Ao$an ,$pire 7ecause of certain social, political and econo$ic factors that favored its "ro:th. A Westerner 7e"ins :ith a secular
10-
history that is infused :ith a divine :itness, 7ut :ith a #ero assu$ption a7out the divine content of history. his :ay of thin+in" i$pin"es upon the te6t7oo+Gs analysis of the .reat Schis$ and taints it, for its author proFects social, political, lin"uistic and cultural factors onto that history. Hlti$ately he "ets 7o""ed do:n in the details of the historical $inutiae of the event until his tas+ of "enerali#ation suffers. hat is, he fails to convey the larger pict#re of the historical event, :hich is the "oal of historical inCuiry. As noted, an 5rthodo6 :or+s fro$ certain assu$ptions. He al:ays assu$es the e6istence of .od and His created :orld, for e6a$ple, and 7ases his intellectual o7servations on this a priori assu$ption. (n vie:in" history, an 5rthodo6 $a+es the assu$ption that the Christian Church is divine and that history is the story of its divine $anifestation. He 7e"ins :ith a history that is divine, a history :hose content is the story of the $anifestation of the divine. he te6t7oo+Gs analysis of the .reat Schis$ ulti$ately fails 7ecause its author, li+e other rationalistic scholars, tends to ascri7e too $uch i$portance to secondary causes to historical events, thin+in" that they are the real causes. his is not so, for political, cultural, econo$ic and other factors are co$pletely secondary. he pri$ary cause of history is al:ays spiritual. As Hiero$on+ Seraphi$ Aose once e6plained at a re$ote $onastery in a $ountain :ilderness: he real cause =of historical events@ is the soul and .odN :hatever .od is doin" and :hatever the soul is doin". hese t:o thin"s actuali#e the :hole of historyN and all the e6ternal events J :hat treaty :as si"ned, or the econo$ic reasons for the discontent of the $asses, and so forth J are totally secondary. (n fact, if you loo+ at $odern history, at the :hole revolutionary $ove$ent, it is o7vious that it is not econo$ics that is the "overnin" factor, 7ut various ideas :hich "et into peopleGs souls a7out actually 7uildin" paradise on earth. 5nce that idea "ets there, then fantastic thin"s are done, 7ecause this is a spiritual thin". ,ven thou"h it is fro$ the devil, it is on a spiritual level, and that is :here actual history is $ade. he pri$ary cause of the .reat Schis$, that is, the spiritual cause, :as the te$ptation placed into the hearts of the popes 7y the devil J the te$ptation to sell out Christ for earthly rule, for universal soverei"nty and do$ination. he popes yielded to that satanic su""estion, even as $any an"els once yielded to 9uciferGs su""estion to re7el a"ainst .od, and even as Ada$ and ,ve yielded to te$ptation in the .arden of ,den. herein lies the spiritual level :here the history of the infinitely tra"ic fall of the Ao$an Church :as $ade. (ndeed, it is on that level that all history is $ade. o vie: history in this :ay is to ac+no:led"e that there is a first cause, :hich is :hat .od does in history and ho: the soul reacts to it, and that the secondary cause is ordinary events. his understandin" is the correct understandin" of history, for it loo+s above, not 7elo:. Hiero$on+ Batapios of ,tna o7serves that the author of the te6t7oo+ apparently does not 7elieve that divine providence is the central "uidin" principle in the historical unfoldin" of the 5rthodo6 Church. 4ro$ an 5rthodo6 point of vie:, the Ca$7rid"e Hniversity8educated scholar e6plains, ;-he 1reat 6chism was not only a tragedy! but also an act of divine providence that protected the +astern Church from infection by the bacterium of 0atin heresy .< (t is parenthetically added that ;the tra"ic di$ensions =of the schis$@ are to 7e found in the loss of hu$an souls, $any of :ho$ :ere innocent victi$s of the heresies pro$oted 7y the popes and their toadies.< =The !rthodox Ch#rch and The !rthodox Way Reviewed, p. 1@. 10/
)>. Although it is not mentioned in the te'tbook! give your understanding of the /etrine theory. 5n the 7asis of *atthe: 1-:11, the Ao$an Catholic Church proudly proclai$s the Betrine theory J that is, that the Apostle Beter is the roc+ upon :hich Christ :ished to 7uild His Church. An analysis of this theory sho:s that Ao$eGs clai$ is alto"ether spurious fro$ the standpoint of the 7i7lico8patristic tradition, and also fro$ a "ra$$atical analysis of the scriptural passa"e. (n the .ree+ lan"ua"e, the eCuivalent for eter is etros, :hich $eans little stone, :hile roc$ is petra. Since petra is of the fe$inine "ender, it cannot refer 7ac+ to a $asculine Beter. his fact is conveniently overloo+ed 7y Ao$an apolo"ists. What Christ :as actually sayin" to Beter :as: ;?ou are Beter = etros, a little stone@, and upon this rock =petra, that is, your proclamation of =e as Christ@, ( :ill 7uild *y Church, since you alone could not support the :ei"ht of its foundation.< (n other :ords, Christ :ill 7uild His Church upon a personGs profession of faith in Hi$ as the Christ, 7ut not upon a $ere $ortal $an such as Beter. Christ never stated that He :ould 7uild His Church on a $an %Beter&, a little stone, as this :ould 7e too faulty a foundation. (nstead, Christ :ill 7uild His Church upon Himself, the only foundation possi7le, and upon BeterGs profession of faith % homologica&. he :ord homologica, coincidentally, is fe$inine in .ree+, thus correspondin" e6actly to petra, a lar"e un$ova7le $onolith. he Apostle Beter hi$self o7viously reco"ni#es these facts as he spea+s of 7elievers as stones, and of @esus as the roc" ;upon which 1od builds< %1 Beter 2:)81&. A"ain, the Apostle Baul ans:ers :ho the roc+ is. He states :ithout Cualification that the rock is Christ. ;4or .od has already placed @esus Christ as the one and only foundation! and no other foundation can be laid< %1 Cor 3:11&. 5ne of the lay$en :ho opposed the false teachin" of papal infalli7ility %so$ethin" that "re: out of the eCually false doctrine of papal supre$acy& :as Dohan Dosef ("na# von 0ollin"er, .er$anyGs "reatest Ao$an Catholic historian. 0r. von 0ollin"er :as a professor of canon la: and Church history at *unich Hniversity and :as president of the !avarian Aoyal Acade$y of Sciences. Hnder his leadership, *unich Hniversity "ained first place in ,urope as a center for ecclesiastical studies. 0r. von 0ollin"er hi$self :as reco"ni#ed throu"hout the :orld as one of the "reatest historical scholars in ,urope, and he :as reco"ni#ed as the "reatest Church historian of his day, 7ar none. 0r. von 0ollin"er :as also universally acclai$ed as a patron of Ao$an Catholic Church history in the nineteenth century. Shortly after the procla$ation of the heresy of papal infalli7ility, 0r. von 0ollin"er pu7lished the 7oo+ The ope and the Co#ncil J a frontal attac+ on papal infalli7ility. (n this 7oo+, the perspicacious author $ade a nu$7er of irrefuta7le o7servations fro$ history, a$on" :hich is the fact that papal infalli7ility :as completely unknown in the early Church and has al:ays 7een relentlessly resisted 7y the 5rthodo6 Church. herefore, he added, ; o the adherents of the theory of infalli7ility, the history of the Church $ust appear as an inco$prehensi7le pro7le$.< =Puoted in *ichael Whelton, Two aths... p. 11'.@ *oreover, 0r. von 0ollin"er :ent on to add, no one :as ever accused of heresy in denyin" the authority of the popes in their pronounce$ents of faith. He also pointed out that it :as only $uch later, 7y $eans of a good number of forgeries %see 7elo:&, that papal infalli7ility "ained "round. (n vie: of these facts, he correctly concluded that .ome would forever be forced to pile one lie on top of another to support this new and false teaching of papal infallibility . 101
4or 0r. von 0ollin"erMs "reat intellectual honesty, his 7oo+ :as Cuic+ly placed on the 2nde' of Forbidden books. Also, to $a+e sure that the 7oo+ :ould never see the li"ht of day in Catholic circles, the decree stressed *#oc#m*#e idiomate J ;in :hatever lan"ua"e< it $ay 7e pu7lished. As for 0r. von 0ollin"er hi$self, the 9atin Church e6co$$unicated hi$ J one additional act of the inti$idatin" coercive tactics that Bope Bius (S used all alon" in order to see that the false doctrine of papal infalli7ility :ould 7eco$e a reality. As for the testi$ony of the Church 4athers, not a sin"le one of the$ interprets *atthe: 1-:11 %et al.& as applyin" to the Ao$an 7ishops as BeterGs successors. St. Dohn Chrysosto$ tau"ht that ;the roc+ on :hich Christ :ill 7uild His Church $eans the faith of confession.< 0r. von 0ollin"er o7served that the other 4athers understood roc+ in this sense, or understood roc+ to 7e Christ Hi$selfN or else they understood it as 7oth of these to"ether J as Christ and as BeterGs confession of faith in Christ. Since the 4athers left so co$plete a :itness, .ome is shorn of all defense in its papal claims. 4or this reason, the su7Fect of patristics %or patrolo"y, the study of the teachin" of the 4athers& is "iven a $inor place in Ao$an Catholic se$inary curricula. 4or this sa$e reason did the 9atin Church resort to editing manuscripts and doctoring the testimony of the Church Fathers. A$on" the Ao$an Catholic ChurchGs numerous forgeries $entioned a7ove, one :as the 8onation of Constantine. Concernin" this docu$ent, Brofessor Walter H. urner of the Hniversity of 0etroit :rites that it is universally accepted as one of the greatest forgeries of history. Accordin" to the 0onation of Constantine, :hich :as defended as authoritative until the si6teenth century, the ,$peror Constantine confers upon Bope Silvester ( and his successors spiritual primacy over all other patriarchs and bishops of the world , "rantin" hi$ i$perial honors and "rantin" to the chief Ao$an cler"y senatorial distinctions and honors. o supre$acy in spiritual $atters :as added te$poral do$inion over Ao$e, over (taly, and over the provinces, districts and cities of the Western re"ions. ($portantly, this docu$ent is not :ithout egregious blunders. 4or e6a$ple, Constantine supposedly "ives the pope do$inion over the four Batriarchates of the ,ast, althou"h Constantinople and @erusalem had not yet been elevated to patriarchal sees. %Derusale$, in fact, :as not declared a see until the Council of Chalcedon in ')1, so$e 130 years later&. ,lse:here, Constantine :as callin" hi$self the conCueror of the Huns fifty years prior to their entering +urope. The Cambridge %edieval 2istory descri7es the 0onation of Constantine as the ;cornerstone of papal po:er< %vol. 11, p. )1-&. For over ;$$ years this fraudulent document was an un5ualified success in advancing the falsehood of papal claims. 4inally, ho:ever, in the face of scholarship that proved it :as a 7ra#en for"ery, the Ao$an Catholic Church itself admitted that it :as a hoa6. %,ven so, in spite of that ad$ission, .ome continued deceiving the %estern world :ith the notion of the pri$acy of the pope&. his counterfeit docu$ent and others li+e it are never $entioned 7y the 9atin Church today, of course, 7ecause of their ori"in and content. Ho:ever, the evidence of the 0onation of Constantine and other e'tensive forgeries in the 0atin Church 7e" the Cuestions: if there :ere a7solute evidence of Ao$eGs supre$e universal Furisdiction, then why did .ome resort to counterfeit documents* %hy the necessity to forgeE As for the Apostle Beter hi$self, he +ne: only one ; 6upreme 6hepherd< J @esus Christ. Beter never spo+e of any pri$acy or soverei"nty over the Church, nor did he ever raise hi$self over the other pastors of the Church. 3ery $uch to the contrary, Beter addressed the other pastors as e5uals and brothers %Acts 1:1-, 2:22, 3:1/, 1):/&. 9i+e:ise, the Apostle Baul
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+ne: nothin" of BeterGs ;pri$acy< or ;infalli7ility< :hen he ;:ithstood hi$ to his face 7ecause he :as to 7e 7la$ed< %.al 2:11&. he Ao$an Catholic Church is presently involved in a frenzied effort to e6plain its utterly fraudulent papal claims in the face of a "ro:in" a:areness J 7oth a$on" its laity and cler"y J that such clai$s are altogether false and impossible to defend by historical data . Had the author of the te6t7oo+ $entioned these facts a7out the Betrine theory, it :ould have 7een all the $ore o7vious to his readers J and to Ao$an Catholics $ost i$portantly J that .ome's papal claims! like all lies! have their source in Athe father of lies!B in 6atan %cf. Dn 1:''&.
1. Survey of 2octrine!
oly "radition.
). How does Gladimir 0ossky define -radition* 9oss+y :rites that ; radition is the life of the Holy Spirit in the Church.< ". -he te'tbook observes that &rthodo' history is marked by a series of sudden political and national brea"s. A7 %hat! according to the author! was transformed by these sudden breaks! and 97 what was never broken by them* he sudden 7rea+s include such thin"s as the capture of Ale6andria, Antioch and Derusale$ 7y the Ara7sN the 7urnin" of Kiev 7y the *on"olsN the t:o sac+s of ConstantinopleN the su7Fu"ation of southeastern ,urope, the *iddle ,ast and northern Africa 7y the ur+sN and the Co$$unist do$ination of ,astern ,urope. A& hese events chan"ed the external appearance of the 5rthodo6 :orld, yet !& they never 7ro+e the inward contin#ity of the 5rthodo6 Church. #. %hat distinctive characteristics did two &rthodo' scholars attribute to the &rthodo' ChurchE Brotopres7yter .eor"es 3asilievich 4lorovs+y and Bana"iotis !ratsiotis "ave as the ChurchGs distinctive characteristics its chan"elessness, its deter$ination to re$ain loyal to the past, and its sense of livin" continuity :ith the Church of ancient ti$es. hese characteristics do not pass unnoticed 7y outsiders. (n fact, they are "enerally the first thin"s a7out 5rthodo6y that stri+e Western Christians. As an ,n"lish Ao$an Catholic :rote to a ne:spaper: We are all sic+ to death of socialists and pro"ressives ali+e :ith their refor$in" =in the 9atin Church@. (t is indeed so$ethin" to than+ .od that the ,astern 5rthodo6 Churches have refused to chan"e anythin" and have stuc+ to the old 9itur"ies =Puoted in Archpriest Ale6ey ?oun", Christianity or the apacyE, p. 12@. 4. 2n what one word is the idea of the living continuity of &rthodo'y summed up* (t is su$$ed up in the :ord Tradition, also called Sacred Apostolic radition as the $ost i$portant and funda$ental part of it co$es fro$ the Apostles. %When Tradition is capitali#ed in this :or+, it refers to Christian radition rather than hu$an traditions&.
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3. -he te'tbook gives a 5uote from the reply of the +astern patriarchs to the non(,urors. %rite out that 5uote. he patriarchs :rote: ;We preserve the doctrine of the 9ord uncorrupted, and fir$ly adhere to the faith He delivered to us, and +eep it free fro$ 7le$ish and di$inution, as a royal treasure, and a $onu$ent of "reat price, neither addin" anythin", nor ta+in" anythin" fro$ it.< =Letter of 6?6@@. ;. Having given the &'ford 8ictionary definition of tradition! the te'tbook continues with an e'planation of what Christian -radition is. How is it defined* he te6t7oo+ e6plains that: Christian radition... is the faith :hich Desus Christ i$parted to the Apostles, and :hich since the ApostlesG ti$e has 7een handed do:n fro$ "eneration to "eneration in the Church. !ut to an 5rthodo6 Christian, radition $eans so$ethin" $ore concrete and specific than this. (t $eans the 7oo+s of the !i7leN it $eans the CreedN it $eans the decrees of the ,cu$enical Councils and the :ritin"s of the Holy 4athersN it $eans the canons, the service 7oo+s, the holy icons J in fact, the :hole syste$ of doctrine, Church "overn$ent, :orship and art :hich 5rthodo6y has articulated over the a"es. <. %hy is it wrong to consider or speak of -radition and 6cripture as two different things* (n his 7oo+ !rthodox Tradition and %odernism, 0r. Constantine Cavarnos "ives a $uch $ore thorou"h e6a$ination of this $atter than the te6t7oo+ for this course. he professor $a+es the i$portant point that the ter$ Tradition has 7een used 7oth in a narrow sense and in a broad sense. (n the narrow sense, radition desi"nates only the #nwritten divine :ord of Apostolic preachin" that :as not :ritten in Holy Scripture, 7ut :as preserved in the Church and :as :ritten in the Broceedin"s of the Synods and in the 7oo+s of the Holy 4athers. 5n the other hand, in the broad sense, radition includes only the #nwritten divine :ord of Apostolic preachin" and the :ritten divine :ord %sc., the 5ld and >e: esta$ents&. (t is in the 7road sense that the Apostle Baul uses the :ord :hen he instructs: ;!rethren, stand fir$ and hold to the traditions :hich you :ere tau"ht 7y us, either by word of mo#th or letter< %2 hes 2:1)&. 0r. Cavarnos e6plains that 7efore the canon of the >e: esta$ent :as for$ed, the 4athers and teachers of the Church used the ter$ Tradition in the broad sense. Ho:ever, he says, ;Since the ti$e that the canon of the >e: esta$ent :as for$ed, the ter$ radition is usually e$ployed in the narrower sense, to desi"nate the un:ritten divine :or+ of Apostolic preachin"< =p. 10@. hus, :hile the narro: sense 7eca$e the nor$, it is not sho:n that this narro: sense is used e6clusively. Puestion seven indicates that the 7road usa"e %accordin" to the distinction Cavarnos $a+es& is prefera7le, and the Cuotation in the previous ans:er sho:s that the te6t7oo+ adheres to the 7road understandin". When one thin+s in this 7roader sense, Scripture and radition are not thou"ht of as t:o different sources of the Christian faith, for there is only one source: radition. Scripture e6ists within radition and for$s a part of radition. >. %hat elements of -radition does &rthodo'y consider to be absolute! unchanging and not sub,ect to revision or being cancelled*
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As noted in chapter t:o, the !i7le, the Creed, and the doctrinal definitions handed do:n 7y the ,cu$enical Councils are infalli7le. All of the$ have a per$anent and irrevoca7le authority, one that is not su7Fect to 7ein" revised or canceled. ?. -he te'tbook makes a distinction between Tradition (being the actual content of 6acred -radition7 and tradition (long established customs7. 2t points out that we must be prepared to critically e'amine our traditions (customs7 and distinguish Tradition and tradition. A7 1ive a source of 6cripture which warns us against making dogma of -radition (long used customs7! and a passage of 6cripture which commands us to preserve faithfully the Apostolic -radition. 97 %hat two groups fell into e'tremism in this matter! and into what errors did their e'tremism lead them* *any people :ho reco"ni#e the authority of Sacred Scripture re"ard Sacred radition :ith s+epticis$, even disdain. Bart of the reason for this reFection ste$s fro$ the fact that the :ord tradition carries the $eanin" of custo$ or ha7it, so$ethin" :hich is not 7indin". 4r. Dohn Whiteford e6plains that the :ord translated as tradition in the >e: esta$ent is the .ree+ :ord paradosis, :hich $eans that which is transmitted or delivered. Scripture uses the :ord in two ways, and to e$phasi#e the i$portant distinction 7et:een these t:o :ays, the te6t7oo+ variously uppercases and lo:ercases the first letter of the :ord. 4r. Dohn sho:s that paradosis is first used :hen referrin" ne"atively to the false teachin"s of the Bharisees, 7ecause they disre"arded the divine radition, the divine teachin", :hile the o7served hu$an traditions that contradicted .odGs la:. Christ told the$: ;?e leave the co$$and$ents of .od, and hold fast to the traditions of $en< %*+ /:1, also /:3,)&. Also, in sayin" ;$a+in" the :ord of .od of none effect throu"h your tradition, :hich you have delivered,< Christ :as referrin" to pernicious and unla:ful custo$s such as cor7an. When a $an did not :ant to support his elderly parents, he $ade a false pro$ise 7efore the Bharisees that he :ould place his estate and possessions into cor7an, that is, that he :ould "ive it a:ay as a sacrifice to .od. hrou"h this act, he :as considered to have $ade a sacrifice to .od, althou"h in actual fact, he :ould "ive part of his estate to the Bharisees and retain the rest for hi$self, there7y leavin" his elderly parents to the :inds of fate. here :ere $any such deplora7le and unla:ful traditions a$on" the Bharisees, for Christ told the$: ;And $any such li+e thin"s do ye.< (t :as these man(made traditions that Christ conde$ned 7y His :ords, not Sacred radition, :hich never contradicts divine co$$and$ents. %5n the contrary, radition confir$s and stren"thens the$&. St. Baul li+e:ise distin"uishes 7et:een these t:o +inds of tradition, hu$an and sacred. Concernin" hu$an traditions, he :rites to the Colossians: ;See to it that no one $a+es a prey of you 7y philosophy and e$pty deceit, accordin" to the ele$ental spirits of the universe, and not accordin" to Christ< %Col 2:1&. he sa$e :ord paradosis, 4r. Dohn continues, is used in a second sense to refer to authoritative Christian teaching! the essential Christian message %cf. 1 Cor 11:2, 2 hes 2:1)&. Scripture co$$ands the faithful to preserve Apostolic radition. As the Apostle Baul :arns: ;.uard the deposit< %1 i$ -:20&. A"ain to i$othy he :rites: ;And the thin"s that thou hast heard of $e a$on" $any :itnesses, the sa$e co$$it thou to faithful $en, :ho shall 7e a7le to teach others also< %2 i$ 2:22&. Also referrin" to Christian radition, the sa$e Apostle states: ;( praise you, 7rethren, that you re$e$7er $e in all thin"s and hold fast to the traditions =paradoseis@ Fust as ( delivered =paredo$a@ the$ to you< %1 Cor 11:2&. He further instructs: ;>o: :e co$$and you, 7rethren ... that ye +eep a:ay fro$ any 7rother :ho is livin" in idleness and
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not in accord :ith the tradition that ye have received fro$ us< %1 i$ 3:-&. hus, 6acred 6cripture legitimatizes 6acred -radition and gives authority to it. What $a+es the tradition of the Bharisees false and that of the Church true is the so#rce. Christ $ade it clear :hat the source :as of the traditions of the Bharisees :as :hen He called the$ ;the traditions of $en< %*+ /:1&. As for St. Baul, Fust :here did he "et these traditions in the first placeE ;( received fro$ the 9ord that :hich ( delivered =paredo$a@ to you< %1 Cor 11:23&. 4ro$ these and other scriptural passa"es that $a+e a clear distinction 7et:een Sacred radition and hu$an tradition, Sacred radition is placed on an inco$para7ly hi"her level than hu$an tradition. 6acred -radition originates from 1od and is divine revelation! whereas human traditions originate from mankind and are the products of the human mind . Sacred radition :as "iven to $en 7y .od, either directly %7y Christ&, or indirectly %throu"h the prophets and Apostles&. Sacred raditionGs inco$para7le superiority is due to its revelatory character. While Sacred Scripture puts forth Sacred radition as divine and conseCuently a sure "uide to our life, it de$otes hu$an tradition. (t sho:s that :e should al:ays o7serve Sacred radition, :hereas one should 7rea+ :ith hu$an tradition %hu$an teachin" and custo$s& :henever the latter is opposed to Sacred radition. An e6a$ple is the evil practice of tellin" fortunes on the even of heophany and the >e: ?ear. he Church has persistently conde$ned and 7attled a"ainst this +ind of tradition, and it al:ays :ill. he a7ove $entioned 4r. Dohn Whiteford, a for$er Brotestant $inister :ho is not an 5rthodo6 priest, understands the trou7le that Brotestants have :ith radition, and he "oes on to e6plain it further. He notes that: What the 5rthodo6 Church refers to :hen it spea+s of the Apostolic radition is ;the faith once delivered =paradotheise@ unto the saints< %Dude 1:3&. (ts source is Christ, and it :as delivered personally 7y Hi$ to the Apostles throu"h all that He said and did J :hich, if it all :ere :ritten do:n, ;the :orld itself could not contain the 7oo+s that should 7e :ritten< %Dn 21:2)&. he Apostles in turn delivered this radition to the entire Church. And the Church, 7ein" the repository of this treasure, thus 7eca$e ;the pillar and "round of the ruth< %1 i$ 3:1)&. he testi$ony of the >e: esta$ent is clear on this point: the early Christians had 7oth oral and :ritten traditions :hich they received fro$ Christ throu"h the Apostles. 4or :ritten tradition they at first had only portions J one local Church had an epistle, another perhaps a .ospel. .radually these :ritin"s :ere "athered to"ether into collections, and ulti$ately, under the "uidance of the Holy Spirit in the Church, they 7eca$e the >e: esta$ent. And ho: did these early Christians +no: :hich 7oo+s :ere authentic and :hich :ere not J for... there :ere nu$erous spurious epistles and "ospels clai$ed 7y heretics to have 7een :ritten 7y the ApostlesE (t :as the Apostolic radition that aided the Church in $a+in" this deter$ination. Brotestants react violently to the idea of Holy radition si$ply 7ecause the only for$ of it they have "enerally encountered is the distorted concept of tradition found in Ao$an Catholicis$. Contrary to the Ao$an vie: of tradition J :hich is personified 7y the pope, and develops ne: do"$as :ithout Apostolic foundation, such as papal infalli7ility J the 5rthodo6 do not 7elieve radition chan"es or ;develops.<
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Certainly :hen the Church is faced :ith a heresy, it $ay 7e forced to define $ore precisely the difference 7et:een truth and errorN 7ut the ruth is never altered. (t $ay 7e said that radition e6pands or $atures, 7ut only in the sense that as the Church $oves throu"h history, it does not for"et its e6periences alon" the :ay. (t re$e$7ers the saints that arise in it, and it preserves the :ritin"s of those :ho have accurately stated its faith. !ut the faith itself :as ;once delivered unto the saints< =Dude 1:3. ,ola ,cript#ra- an !rthodox Analysis of the Cornerstone of Reformation Theology' pp. 1/812N e$phasis added@. With re"ard to the second part of the Cuestion, 7oth the 5ld !elievers and the so8called Living Ch#rch fell into e6tre$is$ in their vie:s on Sacred radition and hu$an tradition. he 5ld !elievers %5ld Aitualists is $ore accurate& :ere a "roup in Aussia :ho :ent into schis$ fro$ the Aussian Church over litur"ical refor$s introduced in the $id8seventeenth century. his "roup fell into e6tre$e conservatis$ :hich :ould allo: no chan"es in tradition, that is, in non8 essential custo$s inherited fro$ the past. he 9ivin" Church, on the other hand, :as a schis$atic or"ani#ation approved and supported 7y the Co$$unist re"i$e, fell into a $odernis$ or theolo"ical li7eralis$ :hich struc+ at the very roots of Sacred radition. he 7elievers of crucified Aussia reFected the 9ivin" Church decisively. )$. %hat divine promise forms the basis of the &rthodo' devotion to Holy -radition* he divine pro$ise is ChristGs pro$ise that ; when the 6pirit of -ruth has come! He will guide you in all truth< %Dn 1-:13&. )). 6ummarize the source and meaning of Holy -radition. Holy radition ori"inates fro$ .od. 0r. Constantine Cavarnos e6plains that it is a divine revelation, that is, a supernatural disclosure by 1od to people of otherwise unknowable truths. he sa$e :riter adds that this revelation is sho:n in 5ld esta$ent phrases such as ; hus saith the 9ord,< ;And the 9ord spo+e to *oses, sayin".< (n the >e: esta$ent, this character of divine revelation appears not only in the .ospels, :here Christ spea+s, 7ut also in the Aevelation of St. Dohn, :hich 7e"ins :ith the :ords: ; he revelation of Desus Christ, :hich .od "ave hi$,< and in the Acts of the Apostles and the epistles, especially those of St. Baul. Baul often stresses that his teachin" is not his o:n, nor of the :ise of the :orld, 7ut is teachin" fro$ .od. o the Corinthians he :rites: ;?et :e spea+ :isdo$... not that of this a"e nor of the rulers of this a"e, :ho are doo$ed to perishN 7ut :e spea+ the :isdo$ of .od that is a $ystery and hidden... :hich .od has revealed to us throu"h His Spirit< %1 Cor 2:-810&. 0r. Cavarnos notes that it is precisely this revelatory character that distin"uishes Christianity fro$ the various and countless syste$s that the hu$an intellect has devised J reli"ious, philosophical, ethical and social syste$s. ,lder Cleopa of Ao$ania states the sa$e and stresses that the teachin"s of the Church of Christ are safe"uarded 7y the Holy Spirit and cannot err, and that the 4ounder of the Church, Christ, "overns it in an unseen :ay until the end of the a"es. ,lse:here the elder notes that Holy radition is .od8"iven and that it is the life of the Church in the Holy Spirit. He adds that: Holy radition is neither a tradition of $en, nor a philosophy, nor so$e +ind of tric+ery, 7ut is the :ord of .od that He delivered to us personally.... So$e counsel :ea+er Christians to slander and a7andon the Apostolic and ,van"elical traditions, :ithout 11'
understandin" that Holy Scripture itself is a fruit of the Holy Spirit that "re: out of the roots and tree of Holy radition =The Tr#th of !#r 3aith, pp. )-8)/@. ,lder Cleopa li+e:ise e6plains that: he Church of Christ deter$ined the truths of the faith accordin" to the lon" course of radition, throu"h the teachin"s and canons of the holy ,cu$enical Councils, decrees and the Sy$7ol of 4aith =the Creed@, and :ith confessions =of faith@ 7y holy and :onder:or+in" hierarchs such as :ere $ade at the $any local synods :hich have 7een held continuously since the days of old. At these synods the authenticity and "enuineness of the holy 5rthodo6 faith :as fir$ly esta7lished, pri$arily therein :here it :as attac+ed 7y the e6istin" heresies of the ti$e. 4ro$ the totality of such synods appears the irrevoca7le and inaltera7le content of Holy radition. his is understood :hen you e6a$ine closely the essence of the follo:in" conditions: 0o not sanction conceptions that contain inconsistencies a$on"st the$selves or contradictions :ith the Apostolic radition and Holy Scripture. %A teachin" is to 7e considered :orthy of ; radition< :hen it ste$s fro$ the Saviour or the Holy Apostles and is directly under the influence of the Holy Spirit&. radition is that :hich has 7een safe"uarded fro$ the Apostolic Church and has an uninterrupted continuity until today. radition is that :hich is confessed and practiced 7y the entire universal 5rthodo6 Church. radition is that :hich is in har$ony :ith the "reatest portion of the 4athers and ecclesiastical :riters.
When a tradition does not fulfill these stipulations, it cannot 7e considered true and holy, and conseCuently cannot 7e considered ad$issi7le or fit to 7e o7served =(bid., p. )1@. he sa$e elder concludes that: We $ust uphold :ith "reat reverence and "odliness Holy radition since all that is needful to effect our salvation is not found :ithin Holy Scripture. Holy Scripture instructs us to do $any thin"sN ho:ever, it does not $a+e $anifest to us the li"ht. 4or e6a$ple, it instructs us to 7e 7apti#ed, 7ut it doesnGt e6plain to us the $ethod. 9i+e:ise, it "uides us to confess our sins, receive Co$$union, 7e cro:ned %$arried& J 7ut no:here does it specify the rite of carryin" out these %ysterion %Sacra$ents&. 4urther$ore, it instructs us to pray, 7ut doesnGt tell us ho:, :here and :hen.... Where in Scripture are :e told the :ords of the epiclesis %invocation& of the Holy Spirit for the sanctification of the all8holy *ysteriesE Which teachin" fro$ Holy Scripture instructs us to 7less the :ater of !aptis$ and the holy Hnction of holy Chris$ationE Which passa"e in Scripture teaches us a7out the threefold denunciation and the renunciations of Satan 7efore holy !aptis$E he prayer of "lorification to:ard the Holy rinity J ;.lory to the 4ather and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit< J fro$ :hich passa"e did it co$e to usE
11)
Bosin" these Cuestions to the slanderer of radition, St. !asil the .reat says: ;(f :e consent to a7andon the un:ritten traditions on the prete6t that they donGt have "reat :orth, :e err in "reat and elevated $atters, reFectin" the .ospel.< he orderin", therefore, 7y :hich the Church upholds the un:ritten is: :hatever is of Apostolic descent and is practiced 7y the 4athers receives the validity of radition and has the po:er of la: in the Church of Christ. Accordin"ly, therefore, it $ust 7e safe"uarded since its i$portance and 7enefit sprin"s fro$ the relationship that e6ists 7et:een it and Holy Scripture. (t is true that 7oth have re$ained :ithin a reciprocal unity and inti$ate relationship J a relationship 7ased on the fact that 7oth co$prise the holy revelation of .od for us are the fount and source of Aevelation. Hence, it is not possi7le for there to e6ist an inner contradiction 7et:een the t:o or for us to e6clude one fro$ the other. Holy Scripture possesses its uniCue :itness of the scriptural canon and its do"$atic character %its divine inspiration& only in and :ith Holy radition, :hile Holy radition is a7le to prove the authenticity of its truth only to"ether :ith Holy Scripture =(bid., pp. -'8-)@. As previously noted, accordin" to the 7roader sense of the ter$ Tradition, Holy Scripture is a part of radition. hese t:o parts of radition J the written and unwritten word J are considered 7y the +cumenical Councils and the Holy Fathers to 7e of e5ual authority. As St. !asil the .reat instructs: 5f the do"$as and procla$ations preserved in the Church, so$e :e possess fro$ :ritten teachin", :hile others :e have received in secret fro$ the radition of the ApostlesN these have the same validity for true reli"ion =!n the 2oly ,pirit, 2/, B. 32:111AN e$phasis added@. St. Dohn Chrysosto$ li+e:ise :rites: = he Apostles@ have not handed do:n everythin" in :ritin", 7ut have also delivered $any thin"s in un:ritten for$. he for$er and latter are e5ually trustworthy, and so :e also consider the =un:ritten@ radition of the Church to 7e trust:orthy. (t is radition J see+ no further =!n A Thessalonians, Ho$ily ', B. -2:'11N e$phasis added@. Also 7earin" special :itness to the e6istence of a rich Apostolic radition are the :ords of St. Dohn the heolo"ian: And there are also $any other thin"s :hich Desus did, that :hich, if they should 7e :ritten every one, ( suppose that even the :orld itself could not contain the 7oo+s that should 7e :ritten. J Dn 21:2) Batristic :ritin"s indicate :hat the content is of the un:ritten Apostolic radition. St. !asil the .reat $entions: %1& that :e $a+e the si"n of the CrossN %2& that :e loo+ to the east :hen :e prayN %3& that :e do not +neel in our prayers on Sunday throu"hout BentecostN %'& that each person is 7apti#ed :ith three i$$ersions and e$ersionsN %)& the renunciation of Satan and his an"els in !aptis$N %-& the confession of faith in 4ather, Son and Holy Spirit, :ord for :ord in 11-
this :ayN and %/& the :ords :hich the priest utters at the chan"e of the 7read and :ine of the 0ivine ,ucharist =!n the 2oly ,pirit, chap. 2/, B. 32:111812, 122823@. St. 0ionysius ten Aeropa"ite %O2-&, a disciple of the Apostle Baul %Acts 1/:3'& and the first 7ishop of Athens, si$ilarly indicates that secret prayers, :hich sanctify and acco$plish the Holy *ysteries %Sacra$ents&, are a part of the un:ritten radition. He :rites: (t is not per$itted to interpret in :ritin" the consecratin" invocations or their $ystical $eanin", or to 7rin" out fro$ secrecy to the pu7lic the po:ers :or+ed 7y .od in the$N 7ut as our Sacred radition holds, :hen you have learned the$ thorou"hly 7y secret instructions... you :ill 7e uplifted 7y the illu$ination :hich is ori"inative of perfection to:ard the hi"hest +no:led"e of the$ =Concerning the )cclesiastical 2ierarchy, 1, B. 3:)-)C@. (n his defense of holy icons, St. Dohn of 0a$ascus :rites that it is Apostolic radition that :e $a+e icons of Christ and the saints, and that :e venerate the$ 7y honorin" the$. He "ives other e6a$ples of the un:ritten radition of the Holy Apostles as :ell: the veneration of the Cross and the practice of turnin" to the east :hen prayin", and he states that ;the Apostles have handed do:n $any thin"s to us un:ritten.< =)xact )xposition of the !rthodox 3aith, (3.1-, B. 2':11/2C811/3!N cf. 130'80).@ he Holy 4athers li+e:ise "ive other e6a$ples of the un:ritten radition: the fast on Wednesday and 4riday, the co$position of the services %especially the 0ivine 9itur"y&, the $anner of cele7ratin" the Holy *ysteries, and the practice of havin" $e$orial services to co$$e$orate the faithful reposed. Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y :rites that the ancient Church carefully "uarded the in:ard life of the Church fro$ those outside it. he Holy *ysteries :ere secret, 7ein" +ept fro$ non8Christians. When these *ysteries :ere perfor$ed J !aptis$ and the ,ucharist J those outside the Church :ere not presentN the order of the services :as not :ritten do:n, 7ut :as only trans$itted orallyN and in :hat :as preserved in secret :as contained the essential side of the faith. 0urin" the era of freedo$ and triu$ph of the Church in the fourth century, ho:ever, al$ost all of the radition received a :ritten for$ and is no: preserved in the literature of the Church, :hich co$prises a supple$ent to the Holy Scriptures. he sa$e 4r. *ichael notes that the follo:in" are included in this sacred ancient radition: %1& the $ost ancient record of the Church, the Canons of the 2oly ApostlesN %2& the Sy$7ols of 4aith of the ancient local ChurchesN %3& the ancient 9itur"ies, the rite of !aptis$ and other ancient prayersN %'& the ancient Acts of the Christian *artyrs. he Acts of the *artyrs did not enter into use 7y the faithful until they had 7een e6a$ined and approved 7y the local 7ishops, and they :ere read at pu7lic "atherin"s of Christians under the supervision of the leaders of the Churches. (n the$ is seen the confession of the All8Holy Consu7stantial rinity, the 0ivinity of the 9ord Desus Christ, e6a$ples of the invocation of the saints, of 7elief in the conscious life of those :ho had reposed in Christ, and $uch elseN %)& the ancient records of the history of the Church, especially the 7oo+ of ,use7ius Ba$philus, !ishop of Caesarea, :here there are "athered $any ancient traditions of rite and do"$a J in particular, there is "iven the canon of the sacred 7oo+s of the 5ld and >e: esta$entsN %-& the :or+s of the ancient 4athers and teachers of the ChurchN and finally, %/& the very spirit of the ChurchGs life, the preservation of faithfulness to all her foundations :hich co$e fro$ the Holy Apostles.
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4r. *ichael :rites that the :itness of Sacred radition is indispensa7le for our certainty that all of the 7oo+s of Sacred Scripture have 7een handed do:n to us fro$ Apostolic ti$es and are of Apostolic ori"in. Sacred radition is also necessary for the correct understandin" of separate passa"es of Sacred Scripture, and for refutin" heretical reinterpretations of it, and, in "eneral, so as to avoid superficial, one8sided, and so$eti$es even preFudiced and false interpretations of it. A"ain, 4r. *ichael notes, Sacred radition is necessary 7ecause so$e truths of faith are e6pressed in a co$pletely definite for$ in Scripture, :hile others are not entirely clear and precise and therefore de$and confir$ation 7y Sacred radition. 9astly, Sacred Scripture %part of Sacred radition& is valua7le 7ecause fro$ it, :e see ho: the :hole order of Church or"ani#ation, the canons, the divine services and rites, are rooted in and founded upon the :ay of life of the ancient Church. herefore, 4r. *ichael concludes, the preservation of radition e6presses the s#ccession of the very essence of the Church. Brotestants deny the un:ritten Sacred radition and accept only :ritten radition, Holy Scripture. Co$$entin" on this $atter, 0r. Constantine Cavarnos "ives this insi"ht: he reFection of un:ritten radition on =the part of Brotestants@ is a superficial and disastrous act. (t is superficial 7ecause it disre"ards the fact that Holy Scripture, :hich the Brotestants "enerally accept as divinely inspired, is a product of oral radition, since the :ritin"s :hich constitute Holy Scripture :ere handed do:n in the Church only around the end of the Apostolic period. (n order to 7e consistent, they ou"ht to discard Holy Scripture also as a divine revelation. So$e Brotestants have done this and have ceased to 7e Christians e6cept in na$e. he denial of un:ritten radition on the part of Brotestantis$ :as so$ethin" ruinous, 7ecause it :as the reFection of a treasury :hich is $ost necessary for salvation =!rthodox Tradition and %odernism, p. 13@. Brotopriest 3ictor Botapov also addresses Brotestantis$Gs reFection of Apostolic e6plains that: radition. He
All of Brotestantis$Gs erroneous repudiations have as a 7asis the no less erroneous repudiation of Sacred radition 7y the Brotestants. hey strive to lean only on Sacred Scripture, not reali#in" to :hat e6tent 7oth constitute one undivided :hole. he Brotestants ar7itrarily li$it the action of the Holy Spirit in the Church to Apostolic ti$es, and that is :hy they consider all Church enact$ents that have appeared definitively after the Apostles as purely hu$an. At the sa$e ti$e, they for"et that even the very co$position of the 7oo+s co$prisin" Sacred Scripture :as deter$ined considera7ly after the death of the Apostles. he Brotestants also for"et, or prefer not to re$e$7er, that the oral preachin" of Christianity %that is, the oral radition& preceded the inscription of the >e: esta$ent. 5r, reco"ni#in" Sacred radition until the ti$e of the definitive co$position of the 7oo+s of the >e: esta$ent in the second century, the Brotestants have difficulty a"reein" that the Holy Spirit, a7idin" in the Church as in the !ody of Christ, did not cease to safe"uard and vivify the true $eanin" of Sacred Scripture in the follo:in" centuries as :ell. Accordin" to the 5rthodo6 teachin", Sacred Scripture is the funda$ental $onu$ent of Sacred radition and contains the fullness of the divine revelation. !ut the Holy Spirit, 111
Who inspired the Apostles and ,van"elists in their oral and :ritten evan"elis$, "uides the Holy Church even no:, pro$otin" the understandin" and assi$ilation of ChristGs Church =!rthodoxy and 2eterodoxy@. ,ven thou"h Brotestants do not ac+no:led"e it to 7e so, :hen they accept the doctrine of the Holy rinity and the doctrine of the t:o natures of Christ, they are un:ittin"ly accepting the teachin" of the 5rthodo6 ChurchGs Sacred Scriptures, and they are accepting the teachin" of 5rthodo6yGs Holy 4athers, its oral radition, its Creed, and the do"$atic definitions propounded at its Seven ,cu$enical Councils. hese thin"s are so 7ecause the :ew -estament came out of &rthodo' Christianity's Holy -radition and is inseparable from it . hus, :hen Brotestants refer to the 7oo+s of the >e: esta$ent as ;the Word of .od,< once a"ain they are accepting the co$$on practices of the 5rthodo6 Church and the decisions of 5rthodo6yGs ,cu$enical Councils as to :hich 7oo+s :ere included in the >e: esta$ent and :hich :ere reFected. *any Brotestants are painfully una:are of ho: it is that Christians have co$e to 7elieve in certain thin"s. hey do not reali#e that the history of doctrine is the history of the &rthodo' Church , and they do not reali#e that :ithout 5rthodo6yGs ,cu$enical Councils, various other doctrines assu$ed to 7e ;7i7lical< :ould not have 7een effectively defended a"ainst heresy as they are not clearly stated in the !i7le. (n the Ao$an Catholic vie: of radition, ne: do"$as witho#t Apostolic foundation are developed, such as the heresy of papal infalli7ility. Ao$eGs scholastic theolo"y teaches that throu"h the a"es there is a "reater deepenin" of the do"$as of the faith and that they are still developin" further. his teachin" is not the 5rthodo6 teachin". he 5rthodo6 understandin" of radition J and note:orthy, it is the understandin" that prevailed earlier in the 0atin Church prior to its separation fro$ the ancient Apostolic Church in 10)' J is that -radition is unchanging and does not AdevelopB %inas$uch as .od does not chan"e&, and that radition is +no:n 7y its catholicity %or universality&, that is, that it is so$ethin" accepted every:here in the Church. 5n the day of Bentecost, the Apostles reached deification, e6perienced revelation, and so reached the :hole ruth. .evelation is not altered with the passage of time . As Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y e6plains: he ChurchGs consciousness fro$ the Apostles do:n to the end of the ChurchGs life, 7ein" "uided 7y the sa$e Holy Spirit, in its essence is one and the sa$e. Christian teachin" and the scope of divine revelation are unchan"in". he ChurchGs teachin" of faith does not develop, and the ChurchGs a:areness of itself, :ith the course of the centuries, does not 7eco$e hi"her, deeper, and 7roader than it :as a$on" the Apostles. here is nothin" to add to the teachin" of faith handed do:n 7y the Apostles. Althou"h the Church is al:ays "uided 7y the Holy Spirit, still :e do not see in the history of the Church, and :e do not e6pect, ne: do"$atic revelations =!rthodox "ogmatic Theology, pp. 3)/8)1@. he Apostle to the nations co$$ands: ; herefore, 7rethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions :hich ye have 7een tau"ht, :hether 7y :ord, or our epistle< %2 hes 2:1)&. 5nly the &rthodo' Church has re$ained a faithful +eeper of radition and has preserved the sacred deposit %1 i$ -:20 and 2 i$ 1:1'& as the Apostles have handed it do:n. -radition in &rthodo'y has a living continuity with the Church of ancient times and has been handed down to us as a treasure from generation to generation! from the time of the Apostles. +ach generation receives and guards this inheritance for future generations! neither adding anything to it! 112
nor taking anything away. he Holy 4athers have e$phasi#ed this loyalty to radition, as have 5rthodo6 theolo"ians. As !asil (oannidis, for$er professor at the Hniversities of Athens and hessalonica, states: he 5rthodo6 Church possesses full and unaltered the teachin" and the tradition of the one, ancient and undivided Church.... She has not altered anythin" of :hat she has received =Puoted in Constantine Cavarnos, !rthodox Tradition and %odernism, p. 1'@. ($portantly, distin"uished theolo"ians of Western Christianity ad$it to the traditional character of the 5rthodo6 Church. ,. See7er", a Brotestant professor at the Hniversity of !erlin, :rites: he 5rthodo6 Church is the one Church, the Catholic Church, the Apostolic Church. She has re$ained faithful to the Apostolic teachin" and the Apostolic canons, and throu"h uninterrupted succession has preserved undi$inished the connection to the Apostles =(bid1@. he Ao$an Catholic theolo"ian Dulius ycia+ adds: 4or the ,astern Church, radition is everythin". She :ants to 7e the Church of radition, the Church of the ancient ti$es =(bid1@. 0r. Constantine Cavarnos e6plains that it is to the +cumenical Councils and Holy Fathers that we owe the preservation and guarding of 6acred -radition! which the 0ord gave! and the Apostles proclaimed! and upon which the &rthodo' Church is founded . he ,cu$enical Councils $ade :ide use of Apostolic radition, stressin" its values and ta+in" $easures to preserve and proclai$ it in their definitions. 0r. Cavarnos further e6plains that the Holy 4athers also ener"etically contended for the preservation and predo$inance of the Apostolic radition :ithout additions or su7tractions. A si#ea7le nu$7er of the 4athers contended throu"h the ,cu$enical Councils. Characteristic of the line that the 4athers $aintained in this re"ard are the :ords of St. Athanasius the .reat: ;( have tau"ht accordin" to the Apostolic faith handed do:n to us 7y the 4athers, devisin" nothin" outside it< =(bid@. 0r. Cavarnos points out that an astonishin" concord e6ists in the teachin" of the .ree+ 4athers. his har$ony ste$s fro$ the fact that they co$pletely assi$ilated Sacred radition and follo:ed the vital principle of trans$ittin" it :ithout $oderni#ation, :ithout e6ternal inventions. he e$inent ei"hteenth8century theolo"ian ,u"enios 3oul"aris e$phasi#ed this accord a$on" the 4athers in his o7servation that: he 4athers and teachers of our Church a"ree on all the do"$as, are unani$ous on all, and differ on none, 7ut for$ a har$onious $elody in the Church as fro$ $any voices, precisely 7ecause the ruth is one, and discord never enters into it. Where there is the illu$ination and operation of the Holy Spirit, there is concord =(bid., pp. 1'81)@. 0r. Cavarnos "oes on to note that :hile 5rthodo6y has al:ays seen its unchan"in" persistence in Sacred radition as its 7oast, Western Christians %:ith so$e e6ceptions& have loo+ed upon this persistence as a si"n of decline, a si"n of deficiency in its inner life. Brotestants, for e6a$ple, have li+ened 5rthodo6y to a ;petrified $u$$y.< Ho:ever, such an accusation 120
sho:s to :hat de"ree Western Christians confuse the revealed faith with different worldly systems! with the different human contrivances and creations . Since in the sciences and crafts there is a continual develop$ent and perfection, the heterodo6 feel the sa$e thin" should happen in the Christian reli"ion, that here too there should 7e a continuous chan"e, revision and replace$ent of the old :ith the ne: J in a :ord, modernization. Seein" Christianity fro$ a rationalistic standpoint, they do not understand its revelatory character, 7ut de$ote it to the level of those syste$s that the human mind has for$ed on the 7asis of hu$an reason and the o7servation of the five senses. Spea+in" a"ainst this error in 1/)-, ,u"enics 3oul"aris :rote: he faith does not alter :ith the ti$es, it does not deteriorate fro$ circu$stances, it does not "ro: old, 7ut re$ains al:ays the sa$e, 7oth old and ne:. Why do these ne: theolo"ians =the Ao$an Catholics@ dare to chan"e :hat cannot 7e chan"edE We +no: that the do"$as of faith are $ore du7ious the ne:er they are, and $ore "enuine and certain the older they are, Fust as the farther a:ay :aters are fro$ their sources the $ore dirty and tur7id they are, and the closer they are to their sources the purer they are = (bid., p. 1-@. (n 1120, Ada$antios Koraes o7served: =5ur@ reli"ion, :hich is a7ove reason, does not rese$7le the rational sciences or arts. = hese@ sciences and arts, the :or+ of the hu$an $ind, are perfected :ith the pro"ress of ti$e, insofar as its rational po:er is perfected 7y philosophy. =Christianity@, the :or+ of .od, is, on the contrary, corrupted, insofar as it is separated in ti$e fro$ its first procla$ation, if its leaders do not ta+e care to "uard it intact, as a deposit entrusted to the$ 7y its Author =(bid@. Blacin" si$ilar e$phasis on the divine provenance of the 5rthodo6 faith and e6cludin" innovations, >eophytos 0ou+as :rote in 11') that: he thin"s of the Church tau"ht and enacted 7y the Holy Apostles, and 7y the Holy 4athers "athered to"ether in the =seven@ Synods, since they :ere illu$ined 7y the All8 Holy Spirit, are unaltera7leN no one can add or su7tract anythin" fro$ the$, or transfor$ the$.... Dust as the 0ivine 9e"islator dictated the$ $any years a"o, so they should re$ain unchan"ed unto all a"es =(bid@. 0r. Cavarnos e6plains that the i$$o7ility of death did not acco$pany 5rthodo6yGs strict adherence to radition as Western Christians $aintained it :ould. 5n the contrary, it 7rou"ht the vi7rancy of life in Christ. (n an 111' letter to the 4rench Dansenist Bierre 9eclerc, 3oul"aris spo+e a7out the $artyrs and other saints, eCual to the ancients, and ho: 5rthodo6y possesses the 7ounty of $iracles unceasin"ly. He continued: ;5ur Church is continuously "lorified and $ade :ondrous 7y .od, no less after the Schis$ than 7efore it, and up to our ti$es< =(bid., p. 1/@. Also proclai$in" 5rthodo6yGs "reat vi7rancy of life :as a serious student of 5rthodo6y, Dohn !ro:nlie, :ho :as a distin"uished An"lican hy$nolo"ist. He $ade the follo:in" o7servations:
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hey tell us that the .ree+ Church is a dead Church :ithout $issionary #eal. !ut ho: can a Church 7e characteri#ed as not $issionary, :hich stretched our her hands to the 4ar ,ast, "ivin" the 7lessin"s of the .ospel to the artars and the (ndiansN in a southerly direction, puttin" up the Cross in Ara7ia, Bersia and ,"yptN and in a northerly direction, spreadin" the li"ht to the ends of Si7eriaE Ho: can a Church 7e called dead, :hich en"a"ed in hand8to8hand co$7at :ith idolatry, not only in the first centuries, 7ut also in the last si6 centuries, under the a7o$ina7le superstition of the ur+s, preservin" her faith in Christ throu"hout this intervalE >o Church offered so $any $artyrs to the Christian faith.... (f under the persistent, ceaseless persecution J not for "enerations, 7ut for centuries J a Church can $aintain her faith and preserve her :itness, then the ter$ dead cannot 7e applied to her =(bid@. hus, Brofessor Cavarnos continues, the strict perseverance in radition does not at all result in the deadenin" of the Church. 5n the contrary, it is a7solutely necessary for the preservation and fruitfulness of the life of the Church. he professor further o7serves that it is the disregard and abandonment of radition that causes a slac+enin" of life and the "radual deco$position of a Church. he history of the Western Church "ives the $ost persuasive :itness to this fact, for there, one novelty and modernization after another :as introduced, chiefly fro$ the ti$e of the .reat Schis$ of 10)' and after. he 7rea+in" a:ay of the Western Church fro$ the Apostolic Church :as the result of the Western ChurchGs innovations. he su7seCuent revolution of the Brotestants, :hich split the Western Church into :arrin" parties, too+ place 7ecause of the do:nfall of the Western Church, a do:nfall that occurred as a direct conseCuence of its distortion of 6acred -radition. >ot:ithstandin" that do:nfall, the introduction of innovations and novelties continued in the West. At the end of the nineteenth century, for instance, fro$ a$idst the decayin" ruins of Western Christianity, a $ove$ent appeared in the 7oso$ of the Ao$an Catholic Church. his :as the $ove$ent of =odernism, or =odernization, :hich had as its "oal the ;renovation< of Christian teachin" 7y adaptin" it to contemporary worldly thought. he representatives of this $ove$ent inflicted incredi7le da$a"e on Christian doctrine, thin+in" that throu"h this $eans they :ould revivify their Church. Ho:ever, the result of this discardin" truths of the faith and $a+in" ;adaptations< :as that lar"e nu$7ers of people 7eca$e un7elievers and stopped "oin" to church. Brotestantis$, for its part in havin" denied radition, divided into $yriad splinter "roups. All the differin" confessional "roups :ithin Brotestantis$ are the result of differin" innovations and adaptations to each ;conte$porary spirit.< 4r. Dohn Whiteford e6plains that in the :ritin"s of the Holy 4athers, innovation and novelty are synony$ous :ith heresy, for the faith :hich :as ;once delivered to the saints< %Dude 1:3& does not change. hus, if so$ethin" is at variance :ith :hat the Church has 7elieved always %since Apostolic ti$es&, it cannot 7e the authentic teachin" of the Church. As the Apostle Baul ad$onished: Desus Christ: the sa$e yesterday, and today, and forever. !e not carried a7out :ith divers and stran"e doctrines %He7 13:182&. 4r. Dohn continues, notin" that if any 7elief has not 7een received 7y the Church in its history, then this is heresy, :hich is li+e so$e foreign contagion introduced into the 7ody of the 122
Church. he Church in turn reacts, as any 7ody :ith a healthy i$$une syste$ :ould react, to :ard off these novel diseases. o su$$ari#e, Sacred radition is the radition :hich co$es fro$ the ancient Church of Apostolic ti$es. (t is the faith that Christ i$parted to the Apostles, the central Christian $essa"e, :hich fro$ the ApostlesG ti$e has 7een handed do:n unchan"ed fro$ "eneration to "eneration of 5rthodo6 Christians. Sacred radition is the :itness of the Holy Spirit, and it is the life of the Church as it is inspired 7y the Holy Spirit, for as Christ pro$ised, the Holy Spirit is to "uide the Church in ruth. Apostolic radition is found in :hat the Church has 7elieved every:here, al:ays %since Apostolic ti$es and throu"hout history&, and 7y all. -herein is the -ruth. )". 0ist the seven written or e'ternal e'pressions of -radition given in the te'tbook. he !i7le. he doctrinal definitions of the Seven ,cu$enical Councils, includin" the ChurchGs Creed. radition are pree$inent and hold first
he te6t7oo+ e6plains that these t:o e6pressions of place. Also included in radition are:
he 9itur"y. he :ritin"s of the Holy 4athers. Holy icons. Canon la:. 9ater councils %that is, local councils and letters or state$ents of faith put out 7y individual 7ishops&.
)#. From where does the 9ible ultimately derive its authority* he !i7le :as :ritten :ithin a ti$e period of close to 1,)00 years J that is, fro$ *oses %1,'00 years 7efore Christ&, until the :riter of the Apocalypse, St. Dohn the heolo"ian %nearly 100 years after Christ&. A Ao$anian priest e6plains that the 5rthodo6 Church reco"ni#es that to"ether :ith the entire content of Apostolic preachin", Sacred Scripture :as produced under divine inspiration. He further e6pounds that Scripture is the result of a colla7oration of a divine8 hu$an syner"is$ :hose internal :or+in" ever re$ains a $ystery. he !i7leGs principal author is .od Hi$self, 7ut it :as :ritten do:n 7y divinely inspired sacred :riters. As other :riters e6plain, Scripture :as produced 7y the ener"y of the Holy Spirit, for ; all 6cripture is given by the inspiration of 1od< %2 i$ 3:1-&. hus, the :ords of Scripture are the :ords of the Holy Spirit. he !i7le ulti$ately derives its authority fro$ the 5rthodo6 Church, :hich is the !ody of Christ %,ph 1:23, ):23& and the pillar and "round of the ruth %1 i$ 3:1)&. he 5rthodo6 Church is the $eans 7y :hich .od wrote the Scriptures. (n other :ords, the Holy Spirit inspired the prophets and Apostles to author the various 7oo+s of the !i7le. *oreover, the 5rthodo6 Church is the $eans 7y :hich .od preserved the Scriptures. hat is, the Holy Spirit inspired 5rthodo6yGs Holy 4athers to canoni#e Scripture, or to deter$ine :hich 7oo+s for$ a part of Scripture. And a"ain, the Holy Spirit continually inspired the Church to interpret Scripture ;for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in ri"hteousness< %2 i$. 3:1-&.
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As noted in chapter one, the 5rthodo6 Church is su7divided into the 5ld esta$ent and the >e: esta$ent, althou"h they 7oth constitute one or"anic :hole representin" the divine plan for the salvation of $an+ind. hus, it is incorrect to $aintain that the $odern De:ish reli"ion is responsi7le for the 5ld esta$ent Scriptures, for $odern Dudais$ is not the sa$e reli"ion as the 5ld esta$ent reli"ion. *odern Dudais$ has chan"ed. he 5ld esta$ent is a foreshado:in" of the >e: esta$ent, and the true De:s of the 5ld esta$ent are a foreshado:in" of Christians, for the 5ld esta$ent De:s lived spiritually in e6pectation of Christ the Saviour, the *essiah. %5n the other hand, the ene$ies of the De:s in the 5ld esta$ent are the foreshado:in" of conte$porary Dudais$, the very foundation of that reli"ion 7ein" a reFection of Christ&. Concernin" the 5ld esta$ent Scriptures, Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y $a+es the follo:in" i$portant notations: (n acceptin" the 5ld esta$ent Sacred Scriptures, the Church has sho:n that she is the heir of the 5ld esta$ent Church J not the national aspect of Dudais$, 7ut of the reli"ious content of the 5ld esta$ent. (n this herita"e, so$e thin"s have an eternal si"nificance and value, 7ut others have ceased to e6ist and are si"nificant only as recollections of the past and for edification as prototypes, as, for e6a$ple, the re"ulations concernin" the ta7ernacle and sacrifices, and the prescriptions for the (sraelitesG daily conduct. herefore, the Church $a+es use of her 5ld esta$ent herita"e Cuite authoritatively, in accordance :ith her understandin" of the :orld, :hich is $ore co$plete than and superior to that of ancient (srael =; he 5ld esta$ent in the >e: esta$ent Church,< ,elected )ssays, p. 1/0@. he te6t7oo+ e6plains that 5rthodo6y re"ards the !i7le as the ver7al icon of Christ, the Seventh ,cu$enical Council layin" do:n that the !oo+ of the .ospels and the holy icons should 7e venerated in the sa$e :ay. he .ospel !oo+, its cover usually "old plated, is +ept in a place of honor in the altar of every church. (t is also carried in procession at the 9itur"y and *atins on Sundays and feasts, and the faithful +iss it and prostrate the$selves 7efore it. Such is the respect sho:n in the 5rthodo6 Church for the Word of .od. )4. %ho alone can interpret Holy 6cripture with authority* he Apostle Beter :arns that ;no prophecy of 6cripture is of private interpretation < %2 Beter 1:20&. 9i+e:ise, St. Cyprian of Cartha"e instructs that private interpretation of Scripture proves that a person or local con"re"ation is not a part of the true Church of Christ. hus, it is the 5rthodo6 Church, :hich is the divine8hu$an !ody of Christ, that not only :rites Holy Scripture, 7ut interprets it as :ell. *oreover, only the 5rthodo6 Church is a7le to interpret Holy Scripture :ith authority. An individual reader, ho:ever sincere he $i"ht 7e, falls into the dan"er of error if he trusts his o:n personal interpretations :ith re"ard to so$e of the !i7leGs $any sayin"s that 7y the$selves are far fro$ clear. he reason for this dan"er is 7ecause, as St. !asil the .reat e6plains, ;/urity of heart is necessary in order to recognize that which is hidden in Holy 6cripture.< he Aussian Sche$a8a77ot Dohn of 3alaa$ *onastery helps e6plain: Holy Scripture can 7e understood ri"htly only 7y the pure in heart, for they co$prehend the :ill and purpose of .od in the Scripture, 7ut for people :ith hearts unpurified of passions it is a stu$7lin" 7loc+.... he 9ord said: ;!lessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see .od< %*t -:1&. And the Holy 4athers purified their hearts of passions. hey 12'
ri"htly +no: the :ill of .od revealed in Holy Scripture, 7ut those :ho have not purified their hearts of passions cannot ri"htly understand the Scripture, and such people stu$7le over it, turn a:ay fro$ the ri"ht path and "o in different directions. 5ne could say that they leave the 7i" ship and sit do:n in a frail 7oat and :ant to sail across the sea of life, and they are perishin" in the :aves of vain sophistries =4r. Dohn, Christ in !#r %idstLetters from a R#ssian %on$, pp. )18)2@. 9i+e:ise co$$entin" on the interpretation of Scripture, the nineteenth8century Aussian 7ishop, St. ("natii !rianchaninov %O11-/&, ad$onishes: 0o not dare to interpret the .ospel or other 7oo+s of Holy Scripture 7y yourself. he holy prophets and Apostles pronounced Scripture. (t :as pronounced not ar7itrarily 7ut by the inspiration of the Holy 6pirit %2 Beter 1:21&. Ho: then is it not senseless to interpret it ar7itrarilyE -he Holy 6pirit! %ho! through the prophets and Apostles pronounced the %ord of 1od! interpreted it through the Holy Fathers. 9oth the %ord of 1od and its interpretation are a gift of the Holy 6pirit . his interpretation alone is accepted 7y the 5rthodo6 ChurchW his interpretation alone is accepted 7y her true childrenW Whoever e6plains the .ospel and all of Scripture ar7itrarily, 7y this very act, reFects its interpretation 7y the Holy 4athers, 7y the Holy Spirit. Whoever reFects the interpretation of Scripture 7y the Holy Spirit, :ithout any dou7t, reFects also Holy Scripture itself. And it happens that the Word of .od, the Word of salvation, is for its audacious interpreters an order of death, a t:o8ed"ed s:ord 7y :hich they sta7 the$selves to eternal destruction %2 Beter 3:1-, 2 Cor 2:1)81-&. !y it did Arius, >estorius, ,utychius and other heretics slay the$selves eternally, havin" fallen into 7lasphe$y 7y ar7itrary and audacious interpretation of Scripture =!n Reading the Gospel N e$phasis added@. he sa$e 7ishop adds: -he writings of the Holy Fathers are all composed under the inspiration of the Holy 6pirit.... 0o not consider it sufficient for yourself to read the .ospel alone, :ithout the readin" of the Holy 4athersW *any people... :ho have senselessly and presu$ptuously reFected the Holy 4athers, :ho have co$e :ithout any inter$ediary, :ith a 7lind audacity, :ith an i$pure $ind and heart to the .ospel, have fallen into fatal delusion. he .ospel has reFected the$: it "rants access to itself only to the hu$7le.... 4ro$ the readin" of the 4athersG :ritin"s :e learn the true understandin" of Holy Scripture =(bid@. he depths of the :ords of the Holy Spirit, that is, Holy Scripture, contain :ithin the$ unans:era7le passa"es, or as St. .re"ory of >yssa puts it, ;stron" 7ones.< hose depths $ay 7e understood only 7y those :ho have received the "race of the Holy Spirit. hese individuals are the holy ascetics, :hose understandin" has 7een opened 7y .od ;that they $i"ht understand the Scriptures< %9+ 2':')&. 5n the other hand, ; he carnal $an cannot co$prehend it< %1 Cor 2:1'&. Since $ost people fall into this second cate"ory, the Church co$es to our aid 7y "ivin" us the spiritual e6planation of Scriptures. 12)
he Apostles received the "ift of understandin" the Scriptures, especially after the Holy Spirit descended upon the$ in the for$ of ton"ues of fire. And every faithful servant of .od, every person :ho $a+es hi$self :orthy of the "ifts of the Holy Spirit, receives this sa$e "ift, accordin" to his spiritual stature. o the de"ree that a person cleanses hi$self fro$ the passions, to the de"ree that he turns aside fro$ his self8:ill and su7$its hi$self to .odGs :ill 7y forcin" hi$self to fulfill .odGs co$$and$ents, to the sa$e de"ree does he $a+e hi$self :orthy to receive .odGs "ifts. A$on" these "ifts is the understandin" of the spiritual $eanin" of Scriptures. he Holy Fathers too+ the narro: path of salvation. hey purified their hearts and souls of earthly attach$ents and hu$an passions, they cleansed the$selves 7y "reat ascetic deeds and unceasin" prayer, they fulfilled the co$$and$ents, and they o7eyed the divine inFunction: ;!e ye holy, as ( a$ holy.< hrou"h such a life, they received .odGs $ercy, and they received the "ift of the spiritual e6planation of the Scriptures. Althou"h the Holy Spirit did not descend visi7ly on the$ in the for$ of ton"ues of fire, they still received these "ifts. *any Holy 4athers and ascetics of the Church have :ritten co$$entaries on various 7oo+s of the Scriptures, and these co$$entaries entered the ChurchGs treasury of spiritual :isdo$. o this day, all the ChurchGs faithful $e$7ers nourish the$selves on these :ritin"s. Also co$$entin" on the ChurchGs interpretation of Scriptures, a Aussian $on+ e6plains that: Anyone :ho has ever read the :or+s of the Holy 4athers has 7een i$pressed 7y their astonishin" unity of thou"ht. 9ivin" in different countries, in different periods of ti$e, the Holy 4athers had the sa$e outloo+, the sa$e perspective. Clearly, it is one and the sa$e Spirit that acted and spo+e throu"h the$ all. Whosoever desires to co$prehend the :isdo$ of the Holy Scriptures :ould do :ell if he does not trust his o:n po:ers 7ut, ;castin" do:n i$a"inations, and every hi"h thin" that e6alteth itself a"ainst the +no:led"e of .od, and 7rin" into captivity every thou"ht to the o7edience of Christ< %2 Cor 10:)&, :ould hu$7ly accept the :isdo$ fro$ the ChurchGs treasury. he $ind of the Church is the $ind of Christ. ;We have the $ind of Christ< %1 Cor 2:1-&. What can 7e $ore 7eneficial for usE o receive fro$ the Church the true understandin" of thin"s, or to proudly re$ain in our delusionsE 4or this reason all true servants of Christ prefer to accept the :isdo$ of the Church and to shun their o:n as useless. 5nly under this condition can :e fulfill the co$$and$ent of the Apostle Baul concernin" li+e$indedness a$on" Christians: ;( 7eseech you, 7rethren, 7y the na$e of our 9ord Desus Christ, that ye all spea+ the sa$e thin", and that there 7e no divisions a$on" you: 7ut that ye 7e perfectly Foined to"ether in the sa$e $ind and in the sa$e Fud"$ent< %1 Cor 1:10&N ;fulfill ye $y Foy, that ye 7e li+e$inded< %Bhil 2:2&. And in $any other places the holy Apostle spea+s of this sa$e li+e$indedness. 4ro$ this it is clear :hat "reat i$portance he placed on this su7Fect. And this is understanda7le: only "iven such li+e$indedness can there 7e preserved ;the unity of the Spirit in the 7ond of peace< %,ph ':3&. 5nly "iven this is true love possi7le a$on" Christians. (f there is no li+e$indedness, there :ill 7e only Cuarrels, disa"ree$ents and divisions. Writin" to the .alatians, the Apostle Baul says that :hile he :as there a$on" the$, they loo+ed at thin"s throu"h his eyes %.al ':1)&. We too should loo+ at thin"s :ith the eyes of the Church. (f :e loo+ :ith the eyes of our o:n unenli"htened $ind, each of us :ill see and understand in our o:n :ay. And the result :ill 7e J division. 12-
o $any it see$s an inconceiva7le constraint for the $ind to renounce its o:n Fud"$ents and su7$it itself to the Fud"$ents of the Church. !ut this is only an apparent constraint. St. Baul :rites to the Corinthians: ;?e are not straitened in us, 7ut ye are straitened in your o:n 7o:els< %2 Cor -:12&. So it is :ith us: it is not constrainin" for us in the Church, 7ut only see$in"ly, since :e have 7eco$e accusto$ed to the evil and falsehood of this :orld and do not :ant to renounce the$. We $ust convince ourselves that in acceptin" the $ind of the Church :e accept truth and in this :ay :e dra: closer to Christ, Who is the ruth %Dn 1':1-&. hese Fud"$ents of the Church concernin" various $atters, includin" co$$entary on Scripture, consistin" chiefly of the :or+s of the Holy 4athers ... 7elon" to the sphere of Sacred radition, and all faithful $e$7ers of the Church confor$ the$selves to these Fud"$ents. Clearly, in the area of Scripture co$$entary it is si$ply not possi7le to $ana"e :ithout Sacred radition. 5ther:ise each individual :ould have to interpret the entire 7ody of Scripture fro$ scratch. We see that every reli"ious confession, every sect, has its traditional e6planation of Scripture, or at least of certain parts, and one can say that these e6planations are the tradition of that particular confession. he authors of these e6planations are, for the $ost part, pastors and preachers. (s it not 7etter to ta+e the co$$entary of Holy Scripture fro$ the ancient saints, :ho acCuired the Holy Spirit and :ho have received testi$ony fro$ a7ove, than fro$ people li+e ourselvesE =*on+ Anthony, ;Sacred radition,< !rthodox America, vol. 11, no. ', p. 10@. 4r. .re"ory Willia$s can therefore conclude: We $ust loo+ to the Church if :e are to have any correct understandin" of the Scripture.... Whenever $an tries to rely upon his o:n reason, rather than upon God's wisdom as imparted in the 2oly Ch#rch , heresy is the certain outco$e ... separation fro$ the ruth. he :riters of Scripture received their +no:led"e fro$ divine vision J theoria in .ree+. he Holy Fathers :ho co$$ented on Scriptures :ere also parta+ers of the sa$e divine theoria. *etropolitan Hierotheos of >afpa+tos e6plains that throu"h the centuries, there have appeared $any heretical teachin"s that have distorted .odGs revealed ruth, that is, various false teachers elevated their $inds a7ove the $ind of .od. he 4athers confronted these heresies, he states, 7y the po:er of the Holy Spirit, for they are the bearers of the pure -radition of the Church . he $etropolitan also notes that callin" the Church Apostolic refers %a$on" other thin"s& to the fact that the Church rests on the foundation of the Holy Apostles and the #oly $athers, who are the Apostles' successors in nature and essence. (t is only our ignorance that allo:s us to consider ourselves $ore ;enli"htened< than the Holy 4athers. ,ven a cursory readin" of their lives and the lives of the other saints :ill de$onstrate that :e are spiritually :ea+ people, 7y co$parison. .iven the 1od(inspired teaching of the Holy Fathers , one can readily discern that the patristic $ind represents no ordinary $ind, 7ut so$ethin" enli"htened fro$ on hi"h, an ineffa7ly no7le treasure. Aeco"ni#in" that the 4athers have a spiritual :isdo$ that :e lac+, and also +no:in" the poverty and fallibility of our $inds, :e $ust reali#e that :e are not free to interpret the divinely inspired 12/
te6t of Holy Scriptures as :e please %so$ethin" the heretics did&. (nstead, :e $ust turn to the 4athers and Church radition to allo: the$ to open our $inds to accept 1od's revelation rather than our o:n ideas. We $ust interpret the Scriptures as the Holy 4athers teach, for the 4athers are the only sure interpreters of Scripture. !y adherin" to this practice, :e are prevented fro$ the $ista+e of interpretin" the !i7le accordin" to our o:n mistaken understanding and opinion, and :e are helped in parta+in" of the catholic consciousness of the Church. hrou"h this practice, one is prevented fro$ "oin" out on a li$7 of oneGs o:n creation. he idea that Holy Scripture is not to 7e interpreted privately, 7ut as a Church, :as "iven its classical definition 7y St. 3incent of 9erins in the fifth century, :hen all the West :as still fully united to the 5rthodo6 Church. his #ealous Church 4ather of Western 5rthodo6 Christianity "ave the reno:ned 3incentian canon of universality! anti5uity and consent J that is, that that doctrine is 7indin" :hich is held ;every:here, al:ays, and 7y all< % *#od semper' *#od #bi*#e' *#od ab omnib#s credit#m&. St. 3incent :rote: Since the canon of Scripture is co$plete and $ore than sufficient in itself, :hy is it necessary to add to it the authority of ecclesiastical interpretationE... Holy Scripture, 7ecause of its depth, is not universally accepted in one and the sa$e sense. he sa$e te6t is interpreted differently 7y different people, so that one $ay al$ost "ain the i$pression that it can yield as $any different $eanin"s as there are $en. ... hus it is 7ecause of the "reat $any distortions caused 7y various errors, it is indeed necessary that the trend of the interpretations of the prophetic and Apostolic :ritin"s 7e directed in accordance :ith the rule of ecclesiastical and catholic $eanin". (n the Catholic =i.e., 7niversal J see note 7elo:@ Church itself, every care should 7e ta+en to hold fast to what has been believed everywhere! always! and by all. his is truly and properly catholic, as indicated 7y the force and ety$olo"y of the na$e itself, :hich co$prises everythin" truly universal. his "eneral rule :ill truly 7e applied if :e follo: the principles of universality! anti5uity and consent. We do so in re"ard to universality if :e confess that faith alone to 7e true :hich the Church confesses all over the :orld. =We do so@ in re"ard to antiCuity if :e in no :ay deviate fro$ those interpretations :hich our ancestors and fathers have $anifestly proclai$ed as inviola7le. =We do so@ in re"ard to consent if, in this very antiCuity, :e adopt the definitions of all, or al$ost all, of the 7ishops =As Cuoted in 4r. Dohn Whiteford, ,ola ,cript#ra... p. 32@. %Here it should 7e noted that fro$ antiCuity, the Christian Church chose the :ord catholic to si"nify one of the principle attri7utes of the Church: its #niversality1 (n the ancient Sy$7ols of 4aith, :henever the :ord Ch#rch appears, it is unfailin"ly used :ith the adFective catholic. 9i+e:ise, the ter$ is constantly to 7e found in the Acts of all the ,cu$enical Councils, as :ell as in the :ritin"s of the 4athers. (n all of these places, the :ord is never used in the sense of Roman Catholic, 7ut in its ori"inal sense, :hich, as Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y e6plains, ;si"nifies the hi"hest de"ree of all8e$7racin"ness, all8inclusiveness, :holeness, fullness.< As a footnote in this professorGs !rthodox "ogmatic Theology notes, the name of catholic :as +ept fro$ early ti$es in the Roman Catholic Church, 7ut the teaching of the early 121
Church has been preserved in the &rthodo' Church, :hich even to this day can 7e and still is called catholic. *oreover, as another :riter adds, since catholic $eans #niversal, ;Ao$an Catholic Church< is a contradiction in ter$s. Ao$eMs 7rea+in" a:ay :as in fact the departure into heresy and schis$ of only a fraction of the Church, and thus the ;Catholic %Hniversal& Church< is :ron"fully appropriated 7y Ao$e. Brotopriest 3ictor Botapov further e6plains that fro$ the ninth century, the ,astern and Western Churches have "one alon" very different paths. he appellations :hich they too+ spea+ of the ai$s pursued 7y the$: the ,astern Church 7e"an callin" itself &rthodo', underscorin" there7y that its $ain ai$ is to preserve the Christian faith unhar$ed. At the sa$e ti$e, the Western Church 7e"an to call itself Catholic e$phasi#in" there7y that its $ain ai$ is the unification of the entire Christian :orld under the o$nipotence of the pope&. he 9atino8Brotestant tradition and its deviations fro$ its for$er 5rthodo6 herita"e are not the $ain focus of this course. Ho:ever, the Brotestant deviation fro$ the 5rthodo6 understandin" of the ecclesiastical interpretation of Scripture :ill 7e e6a$ined here since, carried to its final conclusion, it for$s the 7asis of the tyrannical relativis$ of the $odern ecu$enical $ove$ent. After the 9atin Church severed itself fro$ Apostolic Christianity and fro$ the authority of Sacred Apostolic radition in 10)', the %est was free to pursue its search for a new religion. At that ti$e, a ne: ele$ent 7e"an to enter into Western thou"ht: a growing emphasis on man rather than 1od. his develop$ent :as seen al$ost i$$ediately after the .reat Schis$, and it continued unchec+ed throu"hout su7seCuent centuries. As a result, the %estern Church continuously moved away from the teachings of early Christianity! away from the light of the 1ospel! and into the darkness of humanism. Here it is necessary to pause on humanism, a doctrine that :as 7orn in the fourteenth8 century (talian Aenaissance :ith the rediscovery of the ancient classics. Hu$anis$ e6alted the hu$an intellect, fostered a critical spirit of inCuiry, and beginning with man! and using man as the only integration point, it undertoo+ to create a ne: philosophy of man. Hu$anis$ entails nothin" less than Western $anGs dethronin" .od and placin" $an at the center of the universe in His stead. 4or this reason, hu$anis$ has 7een called the self(worship of man rather than 1od. he prevailin" intellectual current of the Aenaissance :as hu$anis$. 0urin" this period, a ;synthesis< :as $ade of 9atin Christianity and pagan thought. As Archpriest Ale6ey ?oun" :rites concernin" this period: We see this =;union<@ in the :ritin" of 0ante and in the artistic creations of *ichelan"elo J for e6a$ple, his frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. (n art, these ne: concepts are particularly noticea7le. 4or the first ti$e, all artists 7e"an to $a+e use of perspective J :hich is not :ron" in and of itself, 7ut :hich $ade it possi7le to place $an in the center of space. (t :as a very opti$istic, ideali#ed concept of $an. What $an ever loo+ed li+e *ichael8an"eloGs 0avidE his :as not the 5ld esta$ent prophet and +in"N rather, it :as a representation of the hu$anist ideal of $anGs ;"reatness.< Aeli"ious art :as no: couched in co$pletely hu$an ter$s, at ti$es actually 7lasphe$ous. 4or e6a$ple, 4ouCuetGs... paintin", popularly called The Red 0irgin =:as@ the +in"Gs $istress.... What could 7e $ore insultin" to pious feelin"sE While the 3ir"in had for centuries 7een hi"hly re"arded, no: all holiness :as re$oved and representations of her :ere stripped of any ;reli"ious< $eanin". Here :e see ho: individ#al things :ere 7ein" vie:ed as $ore and $ore independent and divorced fro$ reality. 122
he Aenaissance is full of e6a$ples of this ne: e$phasis on $an to the e6clusion of .od. Whereas in the *iddle A"es, artists had re$ained lar"ely anony$ous, and "ave "lory to .od for their achieve$ents, the Aenaissance $an identified hi$self as creator: a :onderful aura 7e"an to surround $en of artistic "enius. (n CelliniGs 7oastful auto7io"raphy %1))1&, he su""ests that ordinary $orality does not apply to "eniuses li+e hi$self, an idea :hich has received lastin" credence a$on" Western artists. What de$onic prideW ,ven the "enre of 7io"raphy stren"thened $anGs faith in hi$self. >ot everyone, ho:ever, sa: life in such overtly pa"an ter$s. So$e reali#ed that it :as indeed Fust that, a pa"an ;cloud< :hich ulti$ately could never support a $eanin"ful philosophy of life. (n 9eonardo da 3inci :e discover that at the end of his life, at the very hei"ht of hu$anis$, he 7e"an to see :here hu$anis$ :ould end. 0a 3inci reali#ed that, startin" :ith $an, one :ould never arrive at any ulti$ate $eanin", and once the $eanin" and purpose of e6istence had 7een lost, $an :as no $ore than a $achine, a collection of $olecules J :hich is precisely the conclusion of $any thin+ers today. (t is no :onder that da 3inci, :ho lost all Christian hope, spent the last years of his life in a state of advanced depression. !ut if $en li+e da 3inci :ere finally a7le to see the lo"ical conclusion of hu$anis$, $ost others did not, and $an+ind :as held fast in the "rip of hu$anis$. ,ven today :e still hear echoes of it: ;( can do :hatever ( :ill, Fust "ive $e enou"h ti$e.< his is fallen $an spea+in". And once $an has placed hi$self at the center of the universe, independent of everythin" else, it :as al$ost i$possi7le to dislod"e hi$N the $ost po:erful patrons of art in ,urope, the Aenaissance popes, the$selves fully supported this neo8pa"anis$ =The Great "ivide- the West ,evers (tself 3rom (ts !rthodox Roots- an 2istorical !verview, pp. 1381'@. 0urin" the ensuin" period of the falsely8called ,nli"hten$ent, hu$anist thin+ers perpetuated the Aenaissance fascination :ith pagan ideas. A$on" those pa"an ideas :as that of rationalism J the assu$ption that 7y the use of intellect alone, $an can ascertain truth and can derive universals fro$ it. hus, the ,nli"hten$ent concluded, $an can re,ect the idea of revealed a7solutes. %Aationalis$, :ith its dependence on fallen hu$an reason, is not to 7e confused :ith reason itself, :hich is a "ift fro$ .od&. he +nlightenment period was rooted in a total re,ection of the Christian basis for life , and :ith its revival of destructive pa"an influence, shoc+ :aves rever7erated throu"hout ,urope and affected everythin", fro$ art and science to educational theory. As the sa$e 4r. Ale6ey o7serves, +urope! %estern man! our world has never recoveredE from this time forth we become a truly post(Christian Acivilization .< (n vie: of :hat has previously 7een e6plained a7out heresies, these historical develop$ents sho: that the West has 7een led 7y the devil onto a dead8end street. (n order to "ain a $ore thorou"h understandin" of ho: so tra"ic a develop$ent could co$e a7out in the West, once fully 5rthodo6 Christian, it is necessary to loo+ 7ac+ to the thirteenth century, to the :ritin"s of a 0o$inican $on+, -homas A5uinas. ACuinasG :or+s :ere conde$ned 7y popes and proclai$ed heretical in 12//. (t :as not until years later that his teachin"s "ained respect and that he ca$e to 7e one of the $ost influential thin+ers of the *iddle A"es. ACuinas is considered a $aFor theolo"ian in the Ao$an Catholic Church, one :hose 130
:or+s :ere selected 7y the Ao$an see as nor$ative and :orthy of $erit. %(n this reversal of position, one can see ho: teachin"s can 7e false and heretical in the 9atin Church at one ti$e, only to 7eco$e ;true< at another ti$e&. ACuinasG teachin"s :ill 7e e6a$ined here as they set the direction for the future development of %estern theology and were the stimulus to the rise of humanism in the %est. ACuinas is fa$ous for his ,#mma Theologica, a $assive set of volu$es of Cuestions and ans:ers that, as Hiero$on+ Seraphi$ Aose e6plains, rese$7le the dossier of so$e le"al case, and one that is filled :ith syllo"istic reasonin" %;if... therefore... and it follo:s... conseCuently...<&. (n descri7in" the fall of $an in this :or+, ACuinas proposed that :hile the :ill of $an :as corrupted, his intellect :as not corrupted. his idea :as co$pletely revolutionary, and it :as totally foreign to Apostolic Christianity. What is $eant :as that $an no lon"er needed 1od's revelation to find the truth, 7ut that he could rely on his o:n hu$an reason instead. 2ntellectual reasoning was elevated to such a lofty height in A5uinas' teaching that all %esterners were seduced into thinking that they can supplant 1od's revelation with human reasoning. ACuinas inadvertently opened the door to the error of the .ree+ philosopher Brota"oras %si6th century !C&, :ho said that ;$an is the $easure of all thin"s.< ACuinasG teachin" :as a departure fro$ the 5rthodo6 patristic approach, :hich 7ases the truths of the Christian faith upon the foundation of divine revelation J and not on rational, a7stract deductions. ,ven as far 7ac+ as the fourth century, St. .re"ory of >yssa stated that ;$en, havin" left off deli"htin" the$selves in the 9ord %Bsal$ 3-:'& and reFoicin" in the peace of the Church, underta+e refined researches re"ardin" so$e +ind of essences and $easure $a"nitudes.< Such a pursuit is forei"n to the ai$ of true theolo"y, :hich has the very practical tas+ of Christian perfection. 8ivine revelation and the patristic witness of revelation cannot 7e ne"lected, for the Holy 4athers are "olden lin+s in the chain of ruth for"ed 7y the Holy Spirit throu"hout the centuries in ChristGs Church. >ot everyone has the intellectual a7ility or "race necessary to e6pound Scripture correctly. his fact is noted 7y the Apostle Beter, :ho states that ;there are so$e thin"s in =BaulGs epistles@ hard to understand, :hich the i"norant and unsta7le t:ist to their o:n destruction, as they do the other Scriptures< %2 Beter 3:1-&. *oreover, :hen Church history is e6a$ined, it is apparent that all the heretics 7e"an :ith human con,ecture and anthropocentric views and al:ays tried to investi"ate and analy#e the ruth of the Church throu"h human reasoning. 5n the other hand, as *etropolitan Hierotheos of >afpa+tos e6plains, the Holy 4athers :ere 7ased on the $ethod of 5rthodo6 devotion, :hich is purity of heart and illu$ination of the no#s %the eye of the soul&. After these t:o sta"es of their spiritual life, the $etropolitan continues, they :ere a7le to attain +no:led"e of .od and to theolo"i#e :ith divine inspiration %cf. The erson in the !rthodox Tradition , p. '0&. As ,lder Cleopa of Ao$ania "oes on to add: ; he... prophets and Apostles, as :ell as the Holy 4athers of the Church, :hile 7y the purity of their lives attainin" to the si$plicity and innocence of infants, at the sa$e ti$e also, on account of their :isdo$, 7eca$e as Yperfect spiritual $enM % The Tr#th of !#r 3aith, p. 1-0&. Hiero$on+ Seraphi$ Aose co$$ents further on the Holy 4athers and e6plains that (n only one place is there to 7e found the fount of true teachin", co$in" fro$ .od, Hi$self, not di$inished over the centuries 7ut ever fresh, 7ein" one and the sa$e in all those :ho truly teach it, leadin" those :ho follo: it to eternal salvation. his place is the 5rthodo6 Church of Christ, and the true teachers of the divine doctrine that issues fro$ 131
this fount are the Holy 4athers of the 5rthodo6 Church =; he Holy 4athers of 5rthodo6 Spirituality,< !rthodox Word, vol. 10, no. ), p. 111@. As 0r. (van Andreyev also notes: he divinely revealed teachin" of .od and $an, preserved throu"hout the centuries and enriched in the savin" enclosure of the 5rthodo6 Church, is a li$itless ocean of :isdo$ and should 7e approached :ith fear and tre$7lin" so as not to soil any aspect of it throu"h out sinfulness and pride. (t can in no :ay 7e i$proved upon 7y the darin" hand of our intellectual :orldliness =!rthodox Apologetic Theology@. Ho:ever, intellectual :orldliness ca$e to prevail in the West throu"h 6cholasticism, a syste$ of acade$ic reasonin" that inte"rated rational philosophy :ith theolo"y and lent itself to speculation. he ScholasticsG unnatural synthesis of theolo"y and philosophy :as 7ased on the a7stract syllo"istic $ethod of inCuiry used 7y Aristotle. (t is ... a for$ of reasonin" in :hich a conclusion is dra:n fro$ t:o "iven or assu$ed propositions %pre$ises&: a co$$on or $iddle ter$ is present in the t:o pre$ises 7ut not in the conclusion, :hich $ay 7e invalid %e."., all trains are longB some b#sses are long N therefore some b#sses are trains: the co$$on the$e is long =The Concise !xford "ictionary of C#rrent )nglish, ninth ed@. Scholasticis$ thus 7eca$e a sterile fra$e:or+ $ore suited to e6ercisin" the intellect than to attainin" a +no:led"e of the Creator and His creation, and it concerned itself :ith ho: $any an"els could fit on the head of a pin. Ho:ever, throu"h this ne: $ethodolo"y, the Scholastics created a syste$ 7y :hich they falsely i$a"ined they could e6plore and investi"ate the $ysteries of the Christian faith. %estern theology therefore began to lose its living relation to the truth of Christianity. 2n the %est! theology was reduced to a system a system intended to AimproveB upon the theology of revelation . *oreover, this atte$pt of the hu$an intellect to revise Christianity :as at the root of the later errors of the %est. Hnder the influence of ACuinasG teachin", Western philosophers increasin"ly 7e"an to thin+ in an independent, autono$ous $anner and ca$e to feel free to $i6 the divinely revealed truths of Christianity with the teachings of non(Christian philosophers . %(t is for this reason that so $any Catholics and Brotestants today 7elieve that Christian truth need no lon"er 7e tied to revelation, 7ut can 7e $i6ed :ith the teachin"s of non8Christian reli"ions and philosophies&. ACuinas hi$self relied on Aristotle, a develop$ent that :as to prove deadly for Western theolo"y, and hence for $odern Western $an. As Archpriest Ale6ey ?oun" :rites: (t is i$portant for us to understand AristotleGs ideas, :hich ACuinas transfor$ed into the fra$e:or+ of post8schis$ Western thou"ht, 7ecause Aristotelianis$ prepared the :ay for Aenaissance hu$anis$, :hich underlies the :hole pro7le$ faced today 7y Western $an. ,ssentially, Aristotle tau"ht the i$portance of ;particulars,< individual thin"s over a7solutes or ;ideal< thin"s. ;Barticulars< 7eca$e so i$portant that their true $eanin" J :hich is derived fro$ their relation to an ethical hierarchy of a7solutes J :as eclipsed. his :as a radical departure fro$ the Blatonic :orldvie: :hich had "iven the pa"an .ree+ :orld a philosophical preparation for 5rthodo6y. (f everythin" is Fud"ed fro$ the 132
relative 7asis of an individualGs vie:point, the finite individual ceases to have an ulti$ate value. And :ithout so$e a7solute $eanin" or purpose, outside of oneself, :hat use is there for livin"E What 7asis is there for $oralsE for valuesE for la:E hus, ever since A5uinas! %estern man has been faced with a crucial dilemmaH how to arrive at universal and absolute ideas that give meaning to the individual's e'istence after the philosophical basis for an absolute has been destroyed =!p1 cit. p. 10N e$phasis added@. he WestGs pro"ressive departure fro$ the 5rthodo6 :orldvie: accelerated durin" the period of hu$anis$. As Scholastic rationalis$ 7e"an to ta+e possession of Western $inds, all of its syllo"is$s J :hether 7ased on Scripture or 7ased on Aristotle J ca$e to 7e of e5ual value. As *etropolitan Hierotheos of >afpa+tos :rites in this re"ard: he Scholastic theolo"ians of the *iddle A"es considered Scholastic theolo"y to 7e a develop$ent surpassin" the theolo"y of the 4athers, and this :as the startin" point of the teachin" of the 4ran+s that Scholastic theolo"y is higher than the theolo"y of the Holy 4athers. herefore the Scholastics, :ho :ere concerned :ith reason, considered the$selves superior to the Holy 4athers of the Church and also considered human knowledge, :hich is a product of reason, to 7e higher than I1od'sJ revelation.... =The %ind of the !rthodox Ch#rch, p. 203@. Hu$anis$ did not "o unchallen"ed. Brior to its spreadin" li+e tares in the ,nli"hten$ent period, a $ove$ent appeared in the late *iddle A"es to counter its ruinous conseCuences. his $ove$ent "re: out of the teachin"s of the fourteenth8century 56ford professor, @ohn %ycliffe. (n an atte$pt to restore 7elief in a universal absolute truth, Wycliffe :ent in the opposite direction and $aintained that the 9ible alone :as the supre$e authority. his idea :as li+e:ise radical and innovative, althou"h it :as not a surprisin" develop$ent, considerin" the confusion of those ti$es in :hich people :ere stru""lin" :ith the Cuestion of truth. Hnfortunately, ho:ever, in his placin" the !i7le 7efore the Church, Wycliffe did not have an understandin" of the nature of ChristGs Church, for 5rthodo6 Christianity had lon" since disappeared fro$ Western ,urope. (ts disappearance fro$ ,n"land too+ place in the follo:in" :ay. 0urin" the eleventh century, the .er$anic popes allied the$selves :ith the all8po:erful feudal, $ilitary aristocracies of ,urope. 5f these, the $ost po:erful one :as that of the >or$ans, and that alliance proved effective in helpin" Ao$e achieve its :orldly ai$s. When ,n"land did not fall in line :ith Ao$eGs schis$ in 10)', the pope financed 0u+e Willia$ of >or$andy to invade and su7due ,n"land. As a conseCuence of the >or$an conCuest and its $ass "enocide of the ,n"lish people in the !attle of Hastin"s %10--&, ,n"land :as 7rou"ht under the control of the .er$anic papacy. his :as a papacy that had already cut itself off fro$ the other four theolo"ically $ore sophisticated Batriarchates of the Christian Co$$on:ealth that had for$ed the Christian Church for one thousand years. his ne: papacy :as isolated and estran"ed fro$ the rest of the Christian :orld as the papacy had fallen into the te$ptation of 7eco$in" a worldly! temporal power, one :ith territorial aims. Willia$ the ConCuerorGs 7rin"in" ,n"land under the control of the 9atin Church entailed nothin" less than a chan"e of reli"ion for ,n"land J a chan"e fro$ the 5rthodo6 Christianity of pre8conCuest ,n"land, to the Ao$an Catholicis$ of its i$$ediate post8conCuest period. hus, :ith the disappearance of the Holy Church fro$ ,n"land in the eleventh century, it 7ears repeatin", Wycliffe had no 133
+no:led"e of it, and as a result, he ironically laid the "round:or+ for another humanist movement the /rotestant .eformation. 4r. Ale6ey ?oun" notes that the Brotestant Aefor$ation had so$e "ood points: it 7elieved that :hat the !i7le says is true and that :e can therefore +no: so$ethin" a7out .od. Ho:ever, the humanist cult of the individual and its trust in human reason that the Brotestant Aefor$ers espoused, provided the "rounds for a total sub,ectivism in religion J a develop$ent that spelled 7oth the 7irth and death of Brotestantis$. (n Brotestantis$, a new Christianity :as created J one that reFects the safe"uards of Apostolic radition, and one that 7ases itself upon private interpretation of 6cripture. !y introducin" the sub,ective principle that each individual can interpret Scripture for hi$self, the sta"e :as set for today's relativism in :hich anyoneGs opinion can 7eco$e a standard of belief. Hierodeacon .re"ory of ,tna, a convert fro$ 0utch Aefor$ed Brotestantis$, e6plains that so it is that an ,van"elical, for instance, 7lushin" li+e a 7lue do", can pro$ote hi$self as a peer of ;Baul.< Such an assertion i"nores the fact that St. Baul :as ;a $an in Christ... cau"ht up to the third Heaven< %1 Cor 12:2& J and, 4r. .re"ory adds, such is the disrespect that one freCuently encounters a$on" Brotestants. He "oes on to call it a spiritual e"alitarian8is$ that is the offsprin" of deep8rooted pride, the very antithesis of Christian virtue. Archi$andrite Bantelei$on of Dordanville also e6a$ines the Western approach, and he "oes on to co$$ent on :here it is ulti$ately leadin". He :rites that: =(n the end ti$es@, the .ospel :ill 7e +no:n to all, 7ut so$e :ill not 7elieve itN a "reater nu$7er :ill hold heretical opinions, follo:in" not the .od8"iven teachin", 7ut 7uildin" up their own religion! of their own fabrication, thou"h 7ased on the :ords of Scripture. hese self8fa7ricated faiths :ill 7e nu$erous. heir roots are found in the papacy, and then continued 7y 9uther and Calvin. hese latter t:o, 7y settin" as a principle their o:n personal understanding of faith fro$ Scripture only, "ave a stron" i$petus to:ard the invention of nu$erous confessions. Althou"h there are $any no:, there :ill 7e $any $ore. 4or every +in"do$ their o:n faith, and later for every province, and then for every city, and finally, perhaps, for every person, his o:n faith. Wherever people devise their reli"ions for the$selves, it cannot 7e other:ise. And all such faiths :ill continue to appropriate to the$selves the na$e Christian =A Ray of Light- (nstr#ctions in iety and the ,tate of the World at the )nd of Time' p. 31N e$phasis added@. 4r. Ale6ey ?oun" $a+es so$e additional pertinent o7servations concernin" the process in :hich the fallen hu$an intellect ca$e to 7e enthroned in the West. He notes that in Western Christianity, people thin+ that one can co$e to a +no:led"e of the truth pri$arily 7y thin+in" throu"h a "iven Cuestion or concept. here is no other reCuire$ent than that a person 7e reasona7ly intelli"ent and infor$ed. Such an assu$ption has 7een the nor$ for so $any centuries no: in Western Christianity that no Western Christian sees anythin" :ron" :ith it, despite the evident fact that individuals, even theolo"ians, startin" out :ith the sa$e 7asic set of facts, can arrive at opposite conclusions. (n Western Christianity, people co$e to su7stitute their o:n $isunderstandin"s for divine understandin", that is, for the all8e$7racin" reality of .odGs ruth. !ecause of that priority that Western Christians place on hu$an reason, and their deification of it, heterodo6 Christianity ca$e to 7e distorted in countless :ays. 2n %estern Christianity! man not 1od has been made the measure of all things.
13'
4r. Ale6ey further e6plains that the Western approach is a deviation fro$ that of the Holy 4athers and saints, :ho, rather than thin+in" thin"s out, first stru""le a"ainst their sins and passions and see+ for"iveness. As Archpriest >icholas 0eputatov adds in this re"ard, ; he $ysteries of our faith are un+no:n and not understanda7le to those :ho are not repentin".< *oreover, as a Aussian hierarch notes, the ,astern 5rthodo6 teachin" differs fro$ that of the Western :riters in that the Holy 4athers lead one to repentance and :eepin" over oneGs sins, :hereas the Western :riter leads one to spiritual enFoy$ent and self8satisfaction. (t is therefore repentance J not acade$ic education or hu$an reason J that is the +ey to the +no:led"e of .od, for it is only after repentance that .od enli"htens a person :ho see+s Hi$. 4r. Ale6ey o7serves that the 4athers did not despise hu$an reason J they had a "reat respect for it, yet they also +ne: that .odGs :ays often see$ foolish to the :ise of the :orld. Su$$in" up the entire alteration of Christianity in the %est, the e$inent do"$atic theolo"ian St. Dustin %Bopovich& of CheliFe :rites that ;in Western ,urope, Christianity has "enerally 7een transfor$ed into hu$anis$.< He then "oes on to "ive the follo:in" co$pellin" insi"ht: (n 7oth =Ao$an Catholicis$@ and Brotestantis$, $an has replaced the .od8*an as 7oth the supre$e value and the supre$e criterion. A painful and sorro:ful ;correction< has 7een $ade of the .od8*an, of His :or+ and of His teachin" =Puoted in Hiero$on+ Sava ?anFic, ;,cu$enis$ in an A"e of Apostasy,< !rthodox America, vol. 11, no. /81, 2000, p. 1)@. >otin" the sa$e thin"s, Brotopres7yter Baul Kalinovich adds that ,uropean Brotestantis$, as in "eneral the entire West, has replaced the "enuine Christ :ith a Christ Who "ives in to the te$ptations of Satan. herefore, he states, the West opposes the "enuine Christ. And so, standin" in opposition to Christ as it does in our ti$e of total seculari#ation, the West is no: at the point :here it is ready to accept the one8:orld ruler, the antichrist. hrou"h $en :ho do his :ill, Satan has laid the "round:or+ for antichristGs appearance throu"h a gradual! seductive! damaging mutation of %estern Christianity into pagan humanism! into pseudo(Christianity. (n his e6a$ination of the pheno$ena assaultin" Christianity in $odern ti$es, Hiero$on+ Seraphi$ Aose notes that for a "ro:in" nu$7er of decades no:, concurrent :ith the $odern cult of self in the affluent West, !uddhis$ and Hinduis$ have $ade $assive inroads into Western culture. his ne: reli"ious vie:, coupled :ith the ne: ;church< 7ein" created 7y the >ational and World Council of Churches, is leadin" to a ne: and universal anti8Christian reli"ion that :ill 7e a synthesis of $any $aFor reli"ions, althou"h it :ill particularly $oc+ Christianity. 5f that ne: :orld reli"ion, 4r. Seraphi$ e6plains that ;the reli"ion of the future :ill not 7e a $ere cult or sect, 7ut a po:erful and profound reli"ious orientation :hich :ill 7e a7solutely convincin" to the $ind and heart of $odern $an.< Such is a historical overvie: of ho: Christianity :as transfor$ed in the West, and :here that ;corrected< and $an8$ade ;Christianity< is ulti$ately leadin". As noted earlier, ho:ever, this ans:er :ill endeavor to e6plore specifically Brotestantis$Gs deviation fro$ the WestGs for$er correct understandin" of the ecclesiastical interpretation of Scripture J an understandin" that prevailed in the West prior to 10)', :hen the West :as still united to 5rthodo6y. (n the scholarly $ono"raph Christianity or the Ch#rchE 7y the Holy >e:8*artyr Arch7ishop (larion roits+y %O1222&, the translatorGs preface notes that Brotestantis$ is the 13)
dau"hter of Ao$eN it :as delivered out of her :o$7 in the si6teenth century 7y various teachers :ho reali#ed the e6istence of "reat errors in Ao$an Catholicis$ and :ere :ell a:are that Ao$e :as only a for"ery of the Church of Christ. When they :ithdre: fro$ Ao$e, ho:ever, they did not see+ to find the rue Church, althou"h Holy Scriptures assured the$ that it :as still to 7e found fir$ and intact on earth. Co$$entin" on this situation, the $artyr8arch7ishop :rites: =Brotestantis$@ did not reesta7lish ancient Christianity, it only replaced one distortion of Christianity with another, and the ne: falsehood :as $uch :orse than the first. Brotestantis$ 7eca$e the last :ord in Bapis$ and 7rou"ht it to its lo"ical conclusion.... Brotestantis$ =as+ed@: Why is the truth "iven to the pope aloneE J and added: ruth and salvation are open to each separate individual independently of the Church. ,very individual was thus promoted to the rank of infallible pope . Brotestantis$ placed a papal tiara on every .er$an professor and, :ith its countless popes, co$pletely destroyed the concept of the Church, su7stitutin" faith :ith the reason of each separate personality =p. 21N e$phasis added@. (n connection :ith these facts, Hierodeacon .re"ory, :ho, as noted earlier, :as for$erly a Brotestant, co$$ents that 7oth Ao$an Catholicis$ and Brotestantis$ are united 7y the sa$e error J that of displacing Christ :ith a derivative ele$ent of the Church. Catholicis$, he states, replaces Christ the 3ictor :ith the ;3icar of Christ,< :hereas Brotestantis$ supplants .od the Word :ith the Word of .od %sola Scriptura&. 4r. .re"ory adds that in 7oth cases, the ulti$acy of Christ .od is co$pro$ised: Ao$an Catholicis$ restricts Christianity to one $an, :hile Brotestantis$ dissipates it a$on" all $en. he strivin" of the Brotestants to restore ecclesiastical truth in the West did not return the$ to ancient 5rthodo6y, 7ut dre: the$ into errors so$eti$es $ore "rave than those present in the 9atin Church. Havin" enthroned hu$an reason, Brotestantis$ advocated the 7elief of sola 6criptura %Scripture alone&. his is the 7elief that the $eanin" of Scripture is clear enou"h that any 7eliever can understand and interpret it si$ply 7y readin" it. hus the ChurchGs help in interpretin" Scripture 7eco$es superfluous :hen every /rotestant individual becomes an infallible pope, to use the co$parison of the hiero$artyr. As *ichael Whelton "oes on to descri7e this ne: doctrine: Sola Scriptura is li+e a faulty "ene e$7edded in the "enetic code of Brotestantis$ that causes it to perpetually $utate, thus "uaranteein" to deny it doctrinal cohesion. (t is therefore conde$ned to do :hat it has al:ays done8divide, su7divide and divide a"ain =The earl, p. 21@. 4r. Dohn Whiteford sets forth a detailed e6a$ination of the Brotestant approach to Scriptures in his ,ola ,cript#ra- an !rthodox Analysis of the Cornerstone of Reformation Theology , a 7oo+ that has 7een :idely disse$inated in Aussia. his scholarGs :or+ is of particular $erit in that he :as for$erly a Brotestant $inister and therefore has firsthand e6perience :ith Brotestantis$Gs thin+in" on Scriptures. 4r. Dohn, no: an 5rthodo6 priest, notes that :hen the :ritin"s of the Holy 4athers are considered at all in Brotestantis$, :hen these teachin"s conflict :ith the individual BrotestantGs o:n private opinions on the Scriptures, those private opinions are considered $ore authoritative. hus, instead of listenin" to the 4athers, :hose lives and :ritin"s "ive :itness to their sanctity 13-
and enli"hten$ent 7y .od, /rotestantism gives priority to fallen human reason. he sa$e hu$an reason, ho:ever, has led the $ost influential 9utheran 7i7lical scholars of the past three hundred years not only to reFect $any essential doctrines of Scripture, 7ut to reFect even the divine inspiration of the very foundation upon :hich the early 9utheran Aefor$ers clai$ed to 7ase their entire faith. he author also o7serves that conte$porary Brotestant scholarship is do$inated 7y $odernists :ho no lon"er 7elieve in the inspiration or inerrancy of the Scriptures. hey no: place the$selves a7ove the !i7le and only choose to use those suit the$, discardin" the rest as ;pri$itive $ytholo"y and le"end.< he only authority left for such as these is the$selves. 4r. Dohn continues, statin" that "iven nothin" $ore than the !i7le and the reasonin" po:er of the individual alone, Brotestantis$ could not a"ree on the $eanin" of the $ost 7asic Cuestions of Christian doctrine. 0urin" *artin 9utherGs lifeti$e, do#ens of differin" "roups ca$e into e6istence, each clai$in" to ;Fust 7elieve in the !i7le,< yet each in disa"ree$ent :ith the others as to :hat the !i7le says. As an e6a$ple, 9uther hi$self stood 7efore the 0iet of Wor$s, statin" that unless he could 7e persuaded 7y Scripture or 7y plain reason, he :ould not retract any of his teachin"s. 9ater, ho:ever, :hen the Ana7aptists, :ho :ere at variance :ith the 9utherans on a nu$7er of points, si$ply as+ed for the sa$e indul"ence, the 9utherans had the$ 7utchered 7y the thousands. %Althou"h at first 9uther opposed the 7urnin" of the Ana7aptists 7y 9utherans, he later reluctantly ca$e to approve of the death penalty for the$ on the "rounds that they :ere "uilty of sedition and 7lasphe$y&. What a trend 9uther started 7y co$pletely i"norin" fifteen centuries of the ChurchGs e6istence and refusin" to return to it, only to invent his o:n Church insteadW As Archpriest .eor"e 9arin notes, since 9utherGs ti$e, there have 7een no end to ;refor$ers< of ;Christianity,< each and all clai$in" to have rediscovered ;lost 7i7lical truth.< his is truly a sad state of affairsW he only thin" that all of these so8called ;refor$ers of the Church< have in co$$on is that each "roup clai$s to ri"htly understand the !i7le, and all of the$ have a particular 7lindness to :hat is :ritten in the !i7le J itself a product of the 5rthodo6 Church that they reFect. 4ran+ Schaeffer, a convert fro$ Brotestantis$ and the son of a noted Brotestant theolo"ian, e6plains that Brotestants 7elieve that they need no interpretation 7ut their o:n in decipherin" the $eanin" of Scriptures. >o 7ishop, Apostolic or other:ise, has any authority over the$ re"ardin" its true $eanin", nor does any 4ather of the Church or Council hold any special :isdo$ to :hich they should hear+en. 4or Brotestants, their reli"ion is a $atter of personal choice. (t is, in fact, anythin" they :ant it to 7e, althou"h they $i"ht not ad$it as $uch. hey proclai$ that :hat they 7elieve is 7i7lical, althou"h the !i7le says anythin" they :ant it to say. hey tend to reFect the ancient Christian idea that the Holy Spirit leads the Church, yet they readily clai$ that the Spirit leads the$ personally, for :hich reason they are correct a7out theolo"ical $atters and are ;doin" the 9ordGs :ill< in personal $atters. (f they disa"ree :ith the teachin" of one deno$ination or $inister, they shop around until they find one :hose doctrine and personality suits the$. *r. Schaeffer points out that intuitive feelin"s and su7Fective interpretations of Scripture ca$e to replace the Apostolic Holy radition as the "uidin" principle for 7i7lical understandin". (n the West, the su7Fective e6pression ;( 7elieve< ca$e to replace the ancient declaration of faith: ; his is :hat the Church has al:ays tau"ht.< 4r. Dohn Whiteford co$$ents further on Brotestantis$Gs su7Fective approach. He e6plains that :ith a su7Fectivity that surpasses that of the $ost speculative 4reudian psychoanalysts, Brotestant scholars su7Fectively choose the ;facts< and ;evidence< that suits their a"enda and then proceed, :ith their conclusions essentially predeter$ined 7y their 7asic assu$ptions, to 13/
apply their $ethods to the Holy Scriptures J all the :hile thin+in" the$selves to 7e dispassionate scientists. *oreover, he notes, since $odern universities do not "ive out Bh0s to those :ho $erely pass on the unadulterated truth, these scholars see+ to outdo each other 7y co$in" up :ith ne: ;creative< theories. (n this entire approach, the for$er Brotestant $inister :rites, is the very essence of heresy: novelty, arro"ant personal opinion, and self8deception. oday the differin" confessions :ithin Western Christianity nu$7er 23,000, and ne: "roups sprin" up al$ost daily. +ach and every one of them whether .oman Catholic or /rotestant has created its own AtruthsB and doctrines! and each has either added to or taken away from the teachings of the Holy Apostles! and has altered the meaning of the Holy 1ospels. he sa$e 4r. Dohn notes that one co$$on approach a$on" the Brotestants today %one that is $ost co$$on a$on" the less educated funda$entalists, evan"elicals and charis$atics& is ;Fust ta+e the !i7le literallyN its $eanin" is clear.< hese "roups also often say: ; he !i7le says :hat it $eans and $eans :hat it says.< Ho:ever, :hen these "roups co$e to scriptural te6ts that Brotestants "enerally disa"ree :ith J for e6a$ple, ChristGs "ivin" the Apostles the po:er to for"ive sins %Dn 20:23&, or ChristGs sayin" of the Holy ,ucharist: ; his is *y 7ody.... his is *y 7lood< %*t 2-:2-,21&, or the Apostle BaulGs teachin" that :o$en should cover their heads in church, then all of a sudden the !i7le no lon"er $eans :hat it saysW With fallen hu$an reason, Brotestants ar7itrarily decide that these verses are not $eant to 7e ta+en literally. (n this :ay individual Brotestants arro"ate to the$selves the po:er of 7ein" infallible popes %as St. (larion correctly noted of the$&, :ho in utter delusion i$a"ine the$selves to have a superior understandin" of truth than the Holy Apostles, the Holy 4athers, and the ruth of truths, the ruth Hi$self, the (ncarnate .od. his pic+8and8choose8:hat8to87elieve approach has 7eco$e the standard Western approach. Seein" that so $any splinter "roups could not a"ree on the interpretation of Scripture, 4r. Dohn adds, Brotestant scholars asserted that the Holy Spirit :ould "uide pious individuals to interpret Scriptures correctly. Ho:ever, everyone :ho disa"reed in $atters of doctrine could not possi7ly 7e "uided 7y the sa$e Spirit. hus, each of the differin" "roups :ithin Brotestantis$ started to de8Christiani#e those others :ho disa"reed :ith it. (f such an idea :ere valid, it :ould produce one "roup of Brotestants :ho had ri"htly interpreted the Scriptures, yet :hich of all the $yriad deno$inations could it possi7ly 7eE As the ans:er depended upon an individualGs particular affiliation, 4r. Dohn states, it 7eca$e increasin"ly popular for Brotestants to conclude that differences do not $atter so $uch, that perhaps each "roup has a piece of the truth, :hile no one "roup has the :hole truth. he idea that all deno$inations, even entire reli"ions, $ust 7e eCually respected, "ave :ay to the 7elief that all reli"ions are eCually true, even when they contradict one another. he utter illo"icality and falsehood of this conclusion 7e""ar the i$a"ination. Ho:ever, this assertion :as ta+en over 7y the Brotestant8do$inated ecu$enical $ove$ent as its 7attle cry. Concernin" the develop$ent of the ecu$enical $ove$ent, the translators of the Holy >e:8*artyr Arch7ishop (larionGs Christianity of the Ch#rchE e6plain in the introduction that: (t :as =at the ti$e of the !olshevi+ Aevolution@ :hen the :ea+ and divided Brotestant deno$inations, :ho previously had attac+ed the Church of Christ :ith their false teachin"s only as isolated viruses, had 7e"un to unite to"ether into :hat later 7eca$e the World Council of Churches in order to attac+ the Holy Church in a ;united front.< he
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7ride of the antichrist :as creatin" herself and ;the 7e"innin" of the illness< :as a7out to erupt =p. -@. And erupt it didW he ecu$enical $ove$ent created the pan heresy of ecu$enis$. his false teachin" $aintains J and modern man has been programmed to believe J that ;all truth is relative,< that there is no such thin" as o7Fective and a7solute truth %:hich $eans that there is no truth at all&, that anythin" and everythin" $ust 7e accepted, no $atter ho: outlandish, perverse or factually untrue. As the :riter Beter Dac+son notes, in pluralistic Western culture, no opinion is per$itted to lay clai$ to a7solute ruth. Hence, any opinion is considered valid Fust as lon" as it $a+es no clai$ to 7e anythin" $ore than a $ere opinion. Any vie: is tolerated e6cept the one :hich says, ; his is the ruth.< hese ideas find fertile "round in the $odern a"e of e6tre$e atheistic relativis$ :ith its popular attitudes that reflect sensitivity to ;$ulticultural diversity< and ;politically correct lan"ua"e.< (n such an environ$ent, the only dogma tolerated is that :e should 7e intolerant of those who actually believe that there are dogmas reflecting absolute truth. (n the ecu$enical $ove$ent, a ne: 7asis of understandin" of the Church and faith is "iven, one that echoes the spirit of the ti$es, 7ut not the eternal Word of .od. *any of the $ove$ents Brotestant leaders reFect 7asic .ospel principles and hesitate to accept ChristGs 0ivinity, the Aesurrection and i$$ortality. *oreover, the a"ents of ecu$enis$ "rant its re"ulatory control to the clear ene$ies of Christianity and to secret societies opposed to Christianity %1 Dn 2:12&. he ecu$enical $ove$ent proclai$s that the 5rthodo6 Church is not the Church of Christ, that there is no visi7le Church of Christ, and that it is only no: 7ein" for$ed. ,cu$enis$ also applies to the notion of the ; rue Church< such epithets as ;$edievalis$,< narro:8 $indedness, fanaticis$, i"norance and dar+ness, yet at this ti$e, it is 7e"innin" to honor itself as the one true ;church.< he ecu$enical $ove$ent also preaches a pluralis$ that $aintains that the "race of .od is present in all the Western deno$inations, that the details of oneGs 7elief in Christ are of no $o$ent, and that oneGs $e$7ership in any particular Church is also of no i$portance. And, ecu$enis$ adds, there is "race in the non8Christian reli"ions as :ell, for all reli"ions co$e fro$ the sa$e source, share co$$on 7eliefs, and thus are the sa$e, are one. he ecu$enical $ove$ent is creatin" a synthesis of reli"ions that :ill co$prise of all ;partial< vie:s %e."., free$asonry, He"elianis$, Hnitarianis$, !ahai, !uddhis$, and all :orld reli"ions&, althou"h it is co$pletely hostile to 5rthodo6 Christianity, alone a$on" all the reli"ions. With such a hod"epod"e of innovations and syncretis$, ecu$enis$ dro:ns out all other voices :ith its procla$ations of Christian unity, unity of all reli"ions, 7ranch theories, unconditional love, love :ith no 7ounds, sharin", salvation, dialo"ues, interfaith prayers, ecu$enical services, and the li+e. his infinitely sinister $ove$ent, ecu$enis$, is financially 7ac+ed 7y those forces 7rin"in" a7out the ne: :orld order, the one8:orld "overn$ent of the antichrist. Actin" at the 7ehest of political leaders, ecu$enis$ see+s to unite all reli"ions into one in order to attac+ and destroy ChristGs 5rthodo6 Church once and for all J that is, to finish off doin" :hat Co$$unis$ :as created in the apostate West to do, 7ut could not do. (ndeed, the sa$e ecu$enical $ove$ent colluded :ith the sa$e forerunner "overn$ent of the antichrist J Co$$unis$ J in its atte$pt to destroy 5rthodo6 Christianity.
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XXXXX 4r. Dohn notes that there is not one sin"le verse in the entirety of Holy Scriptures that teaches the Brotestant doctrine of sola Scriptura, or even co$es close to teachin" it. While nu$erous passa"es in the !i7le spea+ of its inspiration, of its authority and its profita7ility, still, there is no place in the Scriptures that teaches that Scriptures alone are authoritative for 7elievers. (f such a teachin" :ere even i$plicit, then the Holy 4athers :ould $ost assuredly have tau"ht that doctrine. Ho:ever, none of the$ ever tau"ht any such thin". hus, 4r. Dohn o7serves, /rotestantism's most basic teaching is contrary to itself and self(destructs . >ot only is sola Scriptura not tau"ht in the !i7le, 7ut it is specifically contradicted by the 9ible, :hich teaches that Holy -radition is binding to Christians %2 hes 2:1), 1 Cor 11:2&. 4r. Dohn therefore ca$e to understand that in the 5rthodo6 approach to Scriptures, it is not for an individual to strive for ori"inality in interpretation, 7ut rather to understand :hat is already present in the radition of the Church. hus, one is not to "o 7eyond the 7oundaries set 7y the Holy 4athers and the Creeds of the Church, 7ut is to faithfully pass on radition as :e have received it. o do such, one need not only apply oneself to "reat study and thou"ht, 7ut one $ust enter deeply into the $ystical life of the Church. 4r. Dohn $entions that a $illenniu$ and a half a"o, a pre8Schis$ 4ather of the West, !lessed Au"ustine of Hippo, e6pounded on ho: one should study Holy Scriptures. his 4ather placed e$phasis not on hu$an reason or on the intellectual +no:led"e that one should possess, 7ut on :hat +ind of person one should 7e. He :rote that: 5ne $ust love .od :ith oneGs :hole heart and $ust 7e e$pty of pride. 5ne $ust 7e $otivated to see+ the +no:led"e of .odGs :ill 7y faith and reverence rather than 7y pride or "reed. 5ne $ust have a heart su7dued 7y piety, a purified $ind, and $ust 7e dead to the :orld. 5ne $ust neither fear $en nor see+ to please $en. 5ne $ust see+ nothin" 7ut +no:led"e of Christ and union :ith Hi$. 5ne $ust hun"er and thirst after ri"hteousness. 4inally, one $ust 7e dili"ently en"a"ed in :or+s of $ercy and love.
With such a standard, 4r. Dohn states, one should all the $ore hu$7ly turn to the "uidance of the Holy Fathers :ho had these virtues and :ho :ere raised up by 1od as brilliant illuminators who interpreted the mysteries contained in Holy 6criptures. 5ne $ust not delude oneself into thin+in" that one is a $ore capa7le or clever interpreter of Scriptures than the 4athers. 5nce Brotestants co$e to understand the fallacies inherent in the Brotestant approach to Scriptures, it is only a short step for the$ to return to the Church that their Western fore7ears 7elon"ed to prior to 10)', to ; come home< to &rthodo' Christianity, even as the for$er Brotestant $inister and scholar 4r. Dohn did. Havin" co$e ho$e, this 5rthodo6 priest can no: offer the follo:in" insi"ht: (f Brotestants should thin+ the =5rthodo6 understandin" is@ arro"ant or naive, let the$ first consider the arro"ance and naivetQ of those scholars :ho thin+ they are Cualified to override %or $ore often, totally i"nore& two thousand years of Christian teaching. 0oes the acCuisition of a Bh0 "ive one "reater insi"ht into the $ysteries of .od than the common wisdom of millions upon millions of faithful believers and the Fathers and 1'0
=others of the Church who faithfully served 1od and men! who endured terrible tortures and martyrdoms! mockings and imprisonments for the faith* 2s Christianity learned only in the comfort of one's study! or also as one carries his cross to be killed on itE -he arrogance lies with those who! without even taking the time to learn what Holy -radition is! decide they know better that only now has someone come along who has rightly understood what the 6criptures really mean. he Holy Scriptures are the su$$it of the radition of the Church. !ut the "reatness of the hei"hts to :hich the Scriptures ascend is due to the "reat $ountain upon :hich =they rest@. a+en fro$ its conte6t :ithin Holy radition, the solid roc+ of Scripture 7eco$es a $ere 7all of clay, to 7e $olded into :hatever shape its handlers :ish. (t is no honor to the Scriptures to $isuse or t:ist the$, even if this is done in the na$e of e6altin" their authority. We $ust read the !i7leN it is .odGs Holy WordW !ut to understand its $essa"e, let us hu$7ly sit at the feet of the saints :ho have sho:n the$selves ;doers of the Word and not hearers only< %Da$es 1:22&, and have 7een proven 7y their lives worthy interpreters of the 6criptures. 9et us "o to those :ho +ne: the Apostles, such as Saints ("natius of Antioch and Bolycarp, if :e have a Cuestion a7out the :ritin"s of the Apostles. 0et us in5uire of the Church! and not fall into self(deluded arrogance . =,ola ,cript#ra- an !rthodox Analysis of the Cornerstone of Reformation Theology , pp. ''8')N e$phasis added@. 4r. DohnGs re$ar+a7le passa"e needs no e6e"esis. (t spea+s for itself. (n the sa$e vein did 9u+e .ehrin", another convert to 5rthodo6y, respond to the DehovahGs Witnesses :ho ran" his door7ell. He stated: -he 9ible was written by &rthodo' Christians for &rthodo' Christians! preserved in times of persecution even at the e'pense of their own lives. And for you to no: pic+ up the 7oo+ :hich :e have "iven to you, and clai$ that :e are in error in understandin" it, and that you have the true interpretation, is hi"hly presu$ptuous in $y opinion.... here is a succession of 5rthodo6 7ishops 7ac+ to the ori"inal Apostles. !ecause you are outside that linea"e, outside the culture, you have only your speculations as to the $eanin" of Scriptures. ?ou do not have any true understandin", 7ecause you are not a part of ChristGs !ody. 5r, to use another $etaphor, you $ust 7e "rafted to the true vine. Without this, you cannot understand the !i7le ri"htly.... !ein" outside the historic Church85rthodo6y, you are left to your o:n speculations, in place of the ancient understanding of 6cripture =3alse Witness- a "ialog#e with the 9ehovah's Witnesses , pp. 38)N e$phasis added@. )3. %hat verse of 6cripture does the te'tbook offer to demonstrate the necessity of accepting the Church's interpretation of the 9ible* he te6t7oo+ Cuotes the passa"e fro$ the Acts of the Apostles :herein the Apostle Bhilip encountered St. 0Fan 0arada, a eunuch of Pueen Candice of ,thiopia. As the eunuch :as 1'1
readin" the Brophet (saiah, Bhilip as+ed hi$ if he understood :hat he :as readin". he eunuch replied, ;Ho: can (, unless so$eone "uides $eE< %Acts 1:30831&. Bhilip then "ave hi$ the Church's interpretation! the Christian understanding, of :hat he had 7een readin", after :hich he 7apti#ed hi$. his incident serves as a pattern for the spiritual dependency that the 5rthodo6 have on the Holy 4athers. As the Apostle Bhilip catechi#ed the eunuch, so did the 4athers instruct their disciples in 7i7lical e6e"esis, for ;they read in the 7oo+ of the la: of .od distinctly, and "ave the sense, and caused the$ to understand the readin"< %>ehe$iah 1:1&. );. 1ive an outline of when and how much of the 6cripture is read in various &rthodo' services. ,pistle and .ospel readin"s at each 9itur"y. A special readin" is assi"ned to each day of the year so that in a yearGs ti$e, the entire >e: esta$ent %save the Aevelation of St. Dohn& is read. he 9ordGs Brayer, :hich is read at every service in the 5rthodo6 Church. he Bsalter, :hich is read in its entirety in the course of each :ee+Gs *atins and 3espers, and t:ice a :ee+ durin" .reat 9ent. 5ld esta$ent lessons. Hsually three in nu$7er, they are "iven at 3espers on the eves of $any feasts. .ospel readin"s. hese are "iven on Sunday and feast day *atins, :here they are the hi"h point of the services. he prayer ;>o: lettest hou hy servant depart< %9+ 2:22832& and the AeFoice *ary are recited at all daily 3espers. he prayer ;*y soul doth $a"nify the 9ord< %9+ 1:'-8))& is usually sun" at *atins. 5ther 7i7lical lan"ua"e is found all throu"h the ChurchGs various services. (t has 7een calculated that the 9itur"y contains ninety8ei"ht Cuotations fro$ the 5ld esta$ent and 11' fro$ the >e:. )<. 1ive your understanding of the 6eptuagint &ld -estament. he Septua"int of the 5ld esta$ent is the oldest translation of any 7oo+ in history and is the authoritative for 5rthodo6 Christians. Christ Himself used the 6eptuagint in all His 5uotes, :hich sho:s that the Septua"int has the certification of .od Hi$self. *oreover, the Holy Apostles and Holy 4athers consistently used the te6t of the Septua"int 5ld esta$ent. his underta+in" :as to have a $assive i$portance on the spiritual life of $an+ind. Hnder the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the 5ld esta$ent De:ish priests accepted their tas+ :ith an a:areness of their responsi7ility and :ith e6traordinary seriousness. hey proclai$ed a period of fastin" and intensive prayer for the nation, and they as+ed each of the t:elve tri7es to select si6 translators fro$ each tri7e so that the Sacred Scriptures could 7e translated into .ree+, :hich then :as the lan"ua"e of all tri7es and nations. he concerted effort of the entire 5ld esta$ent Church in $a+in" this translation produced the Septua"int of the 5ld esta$ent, :hich $eans of the seventy %althou"h the actual nu$7er of translators :as seventy8 t:o&. A$on" the translators of the holy 7oo+s :as a ri"hteous $an, St. Si$eon, +no:n as the .od8Aeceiver. As he :as occupied in translatin" the sacred 7oo+s fro$ He7re: to .ree+, he paused in perple6ity at the follo:in" :ords of the Brophet (saiah: ;!ehold, a vir"in shall 1'2
conceive in the :o$7 and 7rin" forth a son, and thou shalt call his na$e ,$$anuel< %(saiah /:1'&. >ot "raspin" the $ystery of the 3ir"in !irth, the pious elder pic+ed up a +nife and :as preparin" to scrape out :hat he thou"ht :as an error in the te6t. He :as then stopped 7y an an"el, and it :ar foretold to hi$ 7y the Holy Spirit that he :ould not die until he had seen the pro$ised *essiah, Christ the 9ord =cf. 9+ 2:2-@. he prophecy $ade to the elder did co$e to pass. Accordin" to the 9a: of *oses, on the fortieth day after the 7irth of their first7orn son, all He7re: parents :ere to 7rin" the son to the te$ple to 7e consecrated to .od, and it :as custo$ary to 7rin" a sacrifice in than+s"ivin" to .od as :ell. his la: :as esta7lished in re$e$7rance of the tenth and final pla"ue that led to the He7re:sG deliverance fro$ 7onda"e in ,"ypt. (n fulfill$ent of the la:, the *other of .od and her espoused hus7and, the ri"hteous Doseph, 7rou"ht Christ to the te$ple in order to present Hi$ to the 9ord, and for their sacrifice, they 7rou"ht t:o fled"lin" doves. At that ti$e, the elder Si$eon and Anna the prophetess testified 7efore all the people in the te$ple that the Child :as the *essiah. St. Si$eon, :ho had :aited a lon" ti$e for the fulfill$ent of the pro$ise .od $ade to hi$, too+ Christ into his ar$s, and 7lessin" and "lorifyin" .od, he said: ;9ord, no: lettest hou hy servant depart in peace, accordin" to hy :ord: for $ine eyes have seen hy salvation, :hich hou hast prepared 7efore the face of all peopleN a li"ht to li"hten the .entiles, and the "lory of hy people (srael< %9+ 2:22832&. As Archpriest Seraphi$ Slo7ods+oy e6plains a7out these :ords, St. Si$eon called the ne:7orn 9ord a light to enlighten the Gentiles, that is, all the tri7es and nations, and the glory of Thy people, that is, ;(srael.< here are t:o (sraels, 4r. Seraphi$ :rites: the 5ld esta$ent one and the >e: esta$ent one. (n the 5ld esta$ent, it :as the chose He7re: people, or (sraelites, and in the >e: esta$ent, it is the entire Christian :orld. Considera7ly later than the Septua"int :as produced, an Ara$aic translation of the Holy Scriptures appeared J the /eshitta, :hich coincides on all i$portant points :ith the Septua"int. %!ishop >athanael notes that it apparently dates to the first century !C for the 5ld esta$ent portion of the Holy Scriptures, and a7out the second century A0 for the >e: esta$ent portion&. !oth the .ree+ and Ara$aic translations have 7een preserved free fro$ corruption in the 5rthodo6 Church 7y the "race of .od and the stru""les of pious Christians, :hereas the He7re: te6t in the He7re: co$$unity :as saved 7y technical $eans %an e6planation :ill follo:&. 4or the Syrian 5rthodo6 Church and all ,astern Churches connected :ith it, the Beshitta holds the sa$e authority as the Septua"int holds for the other 5rthodo6 Churches. Also, :hile the West :as still a part of the 5rthodo6 Church, yet another translation appeared: the Gulgate, translated 7y St. Dero$e, :hich $eans the sa$e thin" as Beshitta in Syriac: co$$on. All three of these translations are honored :ith far $ore authority than the He7re: ori"inal. At the ti$e of Christ, the ancient He7re: lan"ua"e that the 9a: and the $aFor portion of the 5ld esta$ent :ere :ritten in :as already a dead lan"ua"e. he lan"ua"e then in use in Balestine :as Ara$aic, :hich :as spo+en 7y Christ. 0urin" the earthly life of Christ, He7re: :as the lan"ua"e only of the learned Scri7es, Bharisees and the sadducee priests, all of :ho$ 7eca$e the ene$ies of Christ. hus, fro$ the very 7e"innin" in the Christian Church, the Scriptures :ere not listened to our read in He7re: in the service.
1'3
After the passin" of a couple of centuries, He7re: Scriptures vanished co$pletely fro$ a$on" Christians. At that ti$e, the De:ish co$$unity, havin" reFected Christ and 7een unfaithful to its ori"inal destiny, received a different char"e. As the De:s :ere the sole repository of the ancient He7re: Scripture, they began to testify against their will that all that the Christian Church teaches with regard to the ancient prophecies and prefigurations of Christ the 6aviour! and of 1od the Father's preparing the people to accept the 6on of 1od! are not fabricated by the Christians! but reveal a genuine! many(faceted! established truth. After $any centuries of separate e6istence in varied places and :ithin ini$ically opposed circles, Scriptures in .ree+ and Ara$aic translation %and also translations fro$ the$& on the one hand, and the He7re: ori"inals on the other, :ere co$pared. With rare e6ception, the Scriptures fro$ 7oth "roups :ere found to 7e identical in all essential matters. (n the face of the :idespread and $alicious slander of all "enerations that :a"es :ar a"ainst the Word of .od, this a"ree$ent sho:s that so carefully and lovin"ly :as the holy te6t of divine :ords 7een preserved that, as !ishop >athanael :rites, ;Hu$anity has praise:orthily vindicated the trust of .od, Who delivered the a7solute ruth to aid :ea+ and li$ited hu$an po:ers.< .iven the fact that the te6ts coincide on all the i$portant points, the Cuestion arises :hy the .ree+ and Ara$aic translations hold "reater authority :ith 5rthodo6 Christians than the He7re: ori"inalsE As noted earlier, the 1reek and Aramaic 6criptures have been preserved free from corruption 7y .odGs "race and the la7ors of "race87earin" individuals. When Christian scri7es copied verses fro$ Scripture, the scri7e hi$self, as a child of the Church, a participant in its divine life, and one +no:in" the truth, did not $a+e "rave errors in the transcri7ed te6t. Also, those to :ho$ he presented his transcri7ed 7oo+ :ould not have overloo+ed any distortion of the $eanin" of the holy :ords to :hich the Church is so attentive. (n contrast, in the De:ish co$$unity, te6ts :ere transcri7ed 7y De:s :ho did not +no: the fullness of truth. hose verses of Scriptures spea+in" of the co$in" of Christ, and of the other $ysteries of the Christian faith, :ere not understood 7y the$. As a result, :hen :or+in" :ith $ista+es of transcription, they could not arrive at a correct understandin" of the te6t, nor :here the De:s :ho listened to the$ a7le to offer correction. Havin" lost "race, the De:ish co$$unity lac+ed a 7uilt8in, livin" corrective for correctin" its entrusted te6t, so$ethin" the Christian Church does indeed have. hus, in the De:sG :or+ of preservin" the holy te6ts, they had only natural hu$an $eans to :or+ :ith, and those $eans are prone to error. he De:ish co$$unity :as clearly and a"oni#in"ly a:are of the fact that errors :ere $ultiplyin" in its $anuscripts, and thus it :as no lon"er a7le to Fud"e the authenticity of any variant readin". (t therefore decided upon underta+in" an astonishin" and $assive proFect to prevent the co$plete corruption of the te6ts of Scripture. At that ti$e, the De:ish scri7es +no:n as $asoretes %preservers of tradition& re$oved all the $anuscripts of sacred 7oo+s fro$ all the syna"o"ues of the :orld and replaced the$ :ith their o:n translations. hese editions :ere strictly precise and had 7een chec+ed letter 7y letter 7y the $asoretes the$selves. Hnder threat of curse, in the future, not one 7oo+ of Scriptures could 7e presented to a syna"o"ue :ithout first 7ein" chec+ed letter 7y letter :ith the initial te6ts. hus, 7y this earthly $eans, 5ld (srael "uaranteed that inte"rity and i$$uta7ility of the te6t of Scriptures :hich the 9ord "ives freely to His Christian Church 7y $eans of "race. he e6tent of the i$$uta7ility of the syna"o"ueGs $asoretic te6t is astonishin". At the end of the nineteenth century in central China, He7re: "roups :ho had lived far fro$ the $ainstrea$ of De:ish life ever since the fourth or fifth century :ere discovered. (t :as sho:n that 7et:een the 7oo+s they had %the orah, Brophets and Bsal$s& and the ,uropean syna"o"ue 1''
te6t, there :ere only fourteen variations of spellin". Ho:ever, all this unifor$ity a$ounts to a7solutely nothin". 5nly standardi#ation of te6t :as achieved, yet those errors :hich already e6isted at the ti$e of the $asoretic refor$ :ere not only allo:ed to re$ain, 7ut so$e distortions :ere purposely introduced 7y the $asoretes to o7scure the clarity of the prophecies :hich foretell Christ the Saviour. 5ne of the $asoretic alterations :as of the a7ove Cuoted (saiah /:1' %;!ehold, a vir"in shall conceive in the :o$7 and 7rin" forth a son<&. he $asoretes deleted the :ord vet#la %vir"in& in the te6t, su7stitutin" in its place al 'ma %youn" :o$an& in all He7re: te6ts throu"hout the :orld. a+in" e6ception :ith the De:ish interpreters at that ti$e :ere Christian apolo"ists :ho as+ed :hat +ind of a sign' a7out :hich the prophet spea+s, :ould 7e the 7irth of a son to a youn" :o$an have 7een, "iven the fact that it is an everyday occurrence. (n a 12)2 edition of Time $a"a#ine %no. 11, p. )&, an article dealt :ith a recently discovered $anuscript of the a7ove prophecy of (saiah :ritten 7efore the 7irth of Christ. (n this $anuscript, the :ord virgin appeared, not yo#ng woman. 9i+e:ise, the >e: esta$ent follo:s the Septua"int te6t: ;!ehold, a vir"in shall 7e :ith child, and shall 7rin" forth a son< %*t 1:23&. (t is therefore clear :hy the 5rthodo6 Church prefers the Septua"int translation as the authoritative te6t of the 5ld esta$ent, over the currently e6istin" He7re: te6t. he Septua"int is the te6t esta7lished under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit 7y the concerted effort of the 5ld esta$ent Church, and its te6t, it 7ears repeatin", re$ains free fro$ corruption. he prefatory notes to this chapter state that research into the 0ead Sea Scrolls su""ests the Septua"int is the older and $ore authentic of 5ld esta$ent Scriptures. As is sho:n in the history a7ove, the Septua"int is $ost assuredly older than the currently e6istin" He7re: te6ts that have 7een revised :ith distortions 7y the $asoretes. Concernin" the sa$e passa"e of (saiah /:1', 4r. Da$es hornton $a+es so$e additional notations. He e6plains that the ori"inal Kin" Da$es of the !i7le correctly interprets this passa"e and retains the :ord virgin. 9i+e:ise, the 0ouay , translated fro$ the 9atin 3ul"ate in the closin" years of the si6teenth century, also correctly retains the :ord virgin. Ho:ever, the 12)2 Aevised Standard of the !i7le, pu7lished under the >ational Council of Churches of the HSA %:hich, in conFunction :ith the World Council of Churches, is for$in" the one8:orld reli"ion of the antichrist&, su7stitutes the a$7i"uous phrase yo#ng woman for virgin. 4r. Da$es notes that this su7stitution :as $ade for no other reason, apparently, than that the notion of the 5ld esta$ent prophecy of the 3ir"in !irth of Christ J and dou7tless the truth of the 3ir"in !irth itself J :as o7no6ious to the rationalists, ideolo"ues and non87elievers responsi7le for this travesty. 9i+e:ise, the World Council of Churches pu7lished and distri7uted Ao$anian lan"ua"e !i7les to the persecuted 5rthodo6 Christians of Ao$ania. (n these translations, the :ord idol had consistently 7een deleted and replaced :ith the :ord icon. his distortion :as $ade in an atte$pt to $a+e 5rthodo6 7elievers thin+ that .od for7ids icons and that 5rthodo6 Christianity is contrary to .odGs revelation. Such an a"enda, of course, is that of the antichrist. (n connection :ith these +inds of :illful distortions of Scripture, the staff of the ne:ly translated hird *illenniu$ !i7le e6plain that ;$ost conte$porary translations of the 7i7lical te6t have 7een $ade to confor$ in i$portant respects to the ever8chan"in" vie:s of translators, social scientists and politicians.< As a result, the !i7le is reduced ;to a +ind of :et clay upon :hich divers translators, representin" nu$erous a"endas< have sou"ht to i$press their vie:s. hese a"enda8driven redactors, the staff $e$7ers o7serve, are really ;lin"uistic en"ineers< :ho
1')
ai$ at $ovin" our culture in a secular direction. hat is, they are preparin" the :ay for the antichrist. he sa$e 4r. Da$es :arns that in an a"e of apostasy and ra7id, soul8destroyin" ideolo"ies and social upheavals, such chan"es can 7e e6ceedin"ly perilous to a Christian 7eliever. herefore, he continues, :e $ust cherish traditional s of the !i7le and not cast the$ aside in favor of the $odern renditions. he latter ones, the street8lan"ua"e s, are at 7est ;i$pious, :itless $uddles and, at :orst, Cuasi8theolo"ical arsenic J or, to use another apt $etaphor, psycholo"ical roFan horses fa7ricated for plantin" :ithin the inner$ost recesses of unsuspectin" $inds,< he concludes. (t should 7e parenthetically 7e added that 4r. Da$es :holeheartedly endorses the hird *illenniu$ !i7le. He o7serves that it preserves the no7le lan"ua"e and di"nified cadence of the traditional Kin" Da$es , :hile chan"in" only those :ords that are inco$prehensi7le to the over:hel$in" $aFority of educated readers of today. 5f the relatively fe: :ords that have 7een updated are those that have disappeared fro$ the lan"ua"e or that convey a su7stantially different $eanin" "enerally understood in 1-11. *oreover, this ne: edition of the !i7le is au"$ented 7y the ten deuterocanonical or apocryphal books, as they are called in the West %they are also called the non8canonical 7oo+s J see note 7elo:&. 4r. Da$es calls the staff of the hird *illenniu$ !i7le honest scholars :ho have stru""led to save :hat is in truth the very core, the heart, of our Christian faith and culture. Concernin" the so8called deuterocanonical or apocryphal 7oo+s, they :ere an inte"ral part of the Septua"int te6t of the 5ld esta$ent as it :as in use at the ti$e of Christ, and these 7oo+s have al:ays 7een an inte"ral part of all 5rthodo6 !i7les. hey :ere also for$erly included in all Christian !i7les, and a la: in 1-1) in ,n"land even for7ade the !i7le to 7e printed :ithout the$. (t is an un+no:n fact to $ost A$ericans that these 7oo+s :ere included in the ori"inal Kin" Da$es of the !i7le until the rise of the $ore e6tre$e and $ilitant of the Brotestant deno$inations. (t :as only under the influence of various funda$entalist "roups that they ca$e to 7e e6cluded fro$ nearly all editions of the KD3 in this country. Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y e6plains that these last ten 7oo+s are of He7raic ori"in and :ere e6tant only in .ree+, althou"h fro$ the ti$e of the De:ish council in Da$nia in 20 A0 %see 7elo:&, the De:s ceased to $a+e use of the$ in their reli"ious life. 4r. *ichael states that the ter$ non+canonical used in reference to these 7oo+s refers to the fact that they are not included in the He7re: canon of Scripture 7ecause they :ere :ritten after the closin" of the canon of the sacred 5ld esta$ent 7oo+s. (n the Brotestant :orld, these non8canonical 7oo+s of the 5ld esta$ent are co$$only called the apocrypha, often :ith a peForative connotation, and also a co$plete $isno$er as there is nothin" hidden a7out the$. (n the Ao$an Catholic Church since the si6teenth century, they ca$e to 7e called deuterocanonical J that is, 7elon"in" to a second or later canon of Scripture. As 4r. *ichael :rites concernin" these 7oo+s: he =5rthodo6@ Church accepts these latter 7oo+s also as useful and instructive and in antiCuity assi"ned the$ for instructive readin" not only in ho$es 7ut also in churches, :hich is :hy they have 7een called ;ecclesiastical.< he Church includes these 7oo+s in a sin"le volu$e of the !i7le to"ether :ith the canonical 7oo+s. As a source of the teachin" of the faith, the Church puts the$ in a secondary place and loo+s on the$ as an appendi6 to the canonical 7oo+s. Certain of the$ are so close in $erit to the divinely inspired 7oo+s that, for e6a$ple, in the ei"hty8fifth Apostolic Canon, the three 7oo+s of *acca7ees and the 7oo+ of Doshua the son of Sirach are nu$7ered to"ether :ith the 1'-
canonical 7oo+s, and, concernin" all of the$ to"ether, it is said that they are ;venera7le and holy.< Ho:ever, this $eans only that they :ere respected in the ancient ChurchN 7ut a distinction 7et:een the canonical and non8canonical 7oo+s of the 5ld esta$ent has al:ays 7een $aintained in the Church =!rthodox "ogmatic Theology, pp. 2/821@. 4r. .re"ory Willia$s "ives the follo:in" e6planation as to :hy the non8canonical 7oo+s :ere e6cluded fro$ the reli"ious life of the De:s after ChristGs Aesurrection: hese apocryphal 7oo+s ca$e to 7e an issue not for the Christians, 7ut for the post8 Aesurrection De:s. hey in $any cases clearly prophesied concernin" the 9ord and so :ere an e$7arrass$ent to those :ho refused to accept His 0ivinity. ConseCuently, they :ere officially 7arred fro$ the 9ewish canon %official ta7le of contents& of the Scriptures at the 9ewish Council of Da$nia at the end of the first century A0, si6ty or so years after the Aesurrection. he Brotestant Aefor$ers of the si6teenth century chose to accept the authority of the De:ish council in preference to that of the Apostles and the 4athers. We $ay reasona7ly as+ :hy. (t $a+es no sense that they should o7Fect to these 7oo+s on the sa$e 7asis as that of the ra77is of Da$nia. he ans:er to the pu##le is Cuite si$ple: the 7oo+s %so$e of the$& also $a+e Cuite evident, prophetically, the special role of the heoto+os, the *other of .od, the $aiden *ary of .alilee, in .odGs plan of salvation. >u$erous passa"es fro$ the$ are cited Cuite effectively 7y the 4athers in discussin" the ChurchGs understandin" of the role of the heoto+os. ConseCuently, the =Brotestant Aefor$ers@ si$ply opted to "et rid of the 7oo+s they disli+ed, usin" the prete6t provided 7y the ra77is that the 7oo+s did not e6ist in the He7re: te6t =Where "id the .ible Come 3romE, pp. '8)@. 4r. .re"oryGs :ell researched 7oo+let is particularly note:orthy in that he, li+e 4r. Dohn Whiteford, :as for$erly a Brotestant :ho converted to 5rthodo6 Christianity and fully assi$ilated the 5rthodo6 understandin". )>. How do the decisions of a local council obtain ecumenical authority* he ,cu$enical Councils are unerrin" and e6press the consciousness and the life of the Church. While the doctrinal definitions of the ,cu$enical Councils are infalli7le, those of local councils of individual 7ishops are al:ays lia7le to error. Ho:ever, if the decisions reached in local councils are accepted 7y the rest of the Church, they then co$e to acCuire ecu$enical authority J that is, a universal authority si$ilar to that possessed 7y the doctrinal state$ents of an ,cu$enical Council. )?. Although it is not mentioned in the te'tbook! can you name one set of local councils which dealt with the same sub,ect! and which obtained ecumenical authority and inclusion in the 6ynodikon of &rthodo'y* *etropolitan Hierotheos of >afpa+tos devotes the entire last chapter of his 7oo+ The %ind of the !rthodox Ch#rch to the Synodi+on of 5rthodo6y. .ivin" 7ac+"round infor$ation, he e6plains that throu"h the a"es, various heresies appeared that denied .odGs revelation and $ade use of philosophy and conFecture. When so$e heresy :ould sprin" up, the Holy 4athers 1'/
:ould oppose it at the place :here it appeared. % he heretic Arius, for e6a$ple, :as confronted 7y the Council of Ale6andria, 7ut :hen his heretical opinions 7e"an to 7e disse$inated 7eyond the 7orders of Ale6andria as :ell, the su7Fect :as confronted 7y the 4irst ,cu$enical Council&. (n their confrontations :ith the heretics, the Holy 4athers :ho for$ed the Synods did not see+ to find the truth 7y $a+in" conFectures 7y reasonin" and i$a"ination. (nstead, they atte$pted to for$ulate in :ords the already8e6istin" revealed ruth, of :hich they also had in their o:n personal e6perience. he $ind of the Church is lin+ed to, and is in har$ony :ith, the decisions of the 4athers of the Church as it has 7een e6pressed :ith conciliar authority. he $etropolitan also e6plains that the decisions of the Synods on do"$atic topics are called provisions, and $ore "enerally spea+in", each decision of the Synods is called a synodi+on. hus, there is a sy$7olical to$e and a synodical provision, and $oreover, each Synod has its o:n synodi+on. Concernin" the Synodi+on of 5rthodo6y, it is a te6t contained in the 9enten riodion and is read on the first Sunday of .reat 9ent, the Sunday of 5rthodo6y, :hence its na$e. his te6t contains the decisions of the Seventh ,cu$enical Council, :hich refer to the veneration of holy icons. o it, there :as later added the definition of faith of the hesychastic councils of the fourteenth century, :hich addressed St. .re"ory Bala$asG confrontation :ith the heretic !arlaa$. %2esychasm is a $ethod throu"h :hich "reat stillness and unceasin" prayer of $ind and heart unite a Christian :ith .od&. hus, the Synodi+on of 5rthodo6y co$prises the decisions of 7oth the Seventh ,cu$enical Council and the councils of the fourteenth century. (t is a holy te6t, one :hich, as the $etropolitan e6plains, su$s up the entire orthodo6 teachin" of ChristGs Church. "$. 9riefly summarize in your own words what you consider to be the main points in sections 4! 3! ; and < of this chapter of the te'tbook. 6ection 4: he definitions handed do:n 7y the ,cu$enical Councils $ust 7e seen in the :ider conte6t of the Holy 4athers, the ChurchGs "reat theolo"ians. (t is not enou"h si$ply to +no: and Cuote the 4athersN one $ust acCuire a patristic $ind. A$on" the 4athers, a special reverence is held for the hree .reat Hierarchs: Saints Dohn Chrysosto$, !asil the .reat and .re"ory >a#ian#us. he te6t7oo+ states that the a"e of the 4athers did not necessarily co$e to and end and that our a"e could possi7ly produce another !asil or Athanasius. 6ection 3: he 5rthodo6 Church does not have the 9atin ChurchGs esta7lished preference for $a+in" for$al do"$atic definitions. Ho:ever, it :ould 7e false to conclude that 7ecause 5rthodo6y has not proclai$ed so$e 7elief to 7e do"$a, it is therefore not a part of radition, 7ut $erely a $atter of private opinion. Certain doctrines, althou"h never for$ally defined, are still held 7y the Church :ith an un$ista+a7le inner conviction and oneness of $ind, and they are Fust as 7indin" as an e6plicit for$ulation. As St. !asil e6plains, ;So$e thin"s :e have fro$ :ritten teachin", others :e have received fro$ the Apostolic radition handed do:n to us in a $ysteryN and 7oth these thin"s have the sa$e force for piety.< >ote:orthy in this connection are the o7servations of 4r. heodore Bulcini, a convert fro$ Ao$an Catholicis$ to ,astern 5rthodo6y. 4r. heodore says e6pressively: 5rthodo6y =vie:s@ theolo"y less as an e6ercise in reason than as an atte$pt to e6press an ineffa7le $ystery. heolo"y in the Catholic West =see$s@ to 7e lar"ely a $atter of precise definition and syllo"istic deduction, hi"hly philosophical and rationalistic in nature. (n the 5rthodo6 ,ast, theolo"y =see$s@ to 7e lar"ely a $atter of do6olo"y, of 1'1
7o:in" in reverent :onder 7efore the ineffa7leN it =is@ less concerned :ith philosophical precision than :ith e6periencin" the inco$prehensi7le. his attitude finds e6pression in the unparalleled 7eauty and $aFesty of 5rthodo6 :orship. (t occurred to $e that if Christianity $ay 7e li+ened to a pool, the Catholic West spent a "reat deal of ti$e descri7in" that pool and analy#in" its :aters. he 5rthodo6 ,ast preferred to dive inW ( did not detect the sort of dryness in 5rthodo6 theolo"y that ( had in the Scholasticis$ of the Catholic tradition =!rthodoxy and Catholicism- What are the "ifferencesE, p. 12@. 5rthodo6yGs radition is preserved fore$ost in the prayers and hy$ns used in its services, :hich e6plain in part the Holy ,ucharist and other $ysteries, the ne6t :orld, the heoto+os, the faithful departed and the saints, thin"s of :hich the Church has $ade fe: e6plicit definitions. Also, it is not $erely the words of the services that for$ a part of raditionN all the gest#res and actions have a special $eanin" as :ell J the three i$$ersions and e$ersions in the :aters of !aptis$, the anointin" :ith oil, the si"n of the Cross, and so forth J all e6press in a sy$7olic :ay the truths of Christianity. 6ection ;: Canons %re"ulations& :ere dra:n up 7y the ,cu$enical Councils, 7y local councils, and 7y individual 7ishops. hey deal :ith the ChurchGs earthly life and are an atte$pt to apply do"$a to the practical situations in the life of each Christian. Canons for$ a part of radition. 6ection <: radition is also e6pressed in art, in icono"raphy. (cons are one of the :ays in :hich .od is revealed to $an. hey are :indo:s into Heaven, and throu"h the$, people "ain a vision of the spiritual :orld. !ecause icons are a part of radition, an icono"rapher is not free to adapt or innovate as he pleases, 7ut paints :ithin certain prescri7ed rules so that his :or+ reflects the $ind of the Church. *ost i$portantly, icono"raphers $ust 7e sincere Christians :ho live in the spirit of radition and :ho prepare for their tas+ throu"h the reception of the Holy *ysteries %Sacra$ents&. "). 8o you agree with the te'tbook's comments concerning the alter(ability and relative value of canons* he te6t7oo+Gs re$ar+s a7out the altera7ility and relative value of canons are a $odernist deviation fro$ the strictest standards of 5rthodo6y. As such, they :arrant co$$ent. o help eli$inate confusion in this $atter, the te6t7oo+ should have 7e"un its discussion of canon la: :ith the notation that there are t:o types of canons: those of a do"$atic or doctrinal nature, and those of an ethical, practical or structural character. his distinction is not "iven. Concernin" the canons of the first "roup, the do"$atic or doctrinal ones, they have a $eanin" that re$ains eternal and #nchanging. An e6a$ple of this +ind :ould 7e a do"$atic canon spea+in" a7out the nature and Berson of Christ. his +ind of canon can never chan"e. he author of the te6t7oo+ is not una:are of this fact. He $erely places all such canons in the cate"ory of doctrinal definitions of the )c#menical Co#ncils, and he reco"ni#es the infallibility and #nchanging nat#re of these definitions. As he points out, they deal :ith eternal tr#ths, they cannot 7e revised or canceled, and alon" :ith the !i7le and Creed, these definitions are a pree$inent part of radition.
1'2
he authorGs 7one of contention is therefore not :ith the first "roup of canons %other:ise he :ould not 7e an 5rthodo6 Christian&N instead, it is :ith :hat he ter$s ;canons as such.< 5f these, he $aintains that they cannot clai$ the a7solute and unaltera7le validity that doctrinal definitions possess. (n reply, it has to 7e noted that even in the second "roup of canons, there are once a"ain those that are absol#te and #nchanging. Canons for7iddin" the sale of the ChurchGs *ysteries are canons of this type: they can never 7e chan"ed. he author has in $ind certain canons of the second "roup, sc., those dealin" :ith ;the earthly life of the Church :here conditions are constantly chan"in" and individual situations are infinitely various.< hese canons, he clai$s, for$ part of Holy radition ;in a relative sense only.< A"ain in reply, this line of thin+in" appeared only in the t:entieth century, and then not a$on" all 5rthodo6, 7ut only a$on" the $odernistVecu$enist ele$ent. *ired in reli"ious relativis$ and a secular $entality, this "roup :ants to ree6a$ine everythin" that 5rthodo6 Christianity ever represented and shed its 7lood for, and :hich it tau"ht throu"h the Holy Apostles and ,cu$enical Councils. he $odernistsG a"enda is :hat Arch7ishop Aver+y of Dordanville calls ;an under$inin" of :hat has 7een esta7lished fro$ of old, :ith the relentless violation of the ancient institutions of the Church :hich ori"inated in Apostolic ti$es, and :ith the... discardin" of all the... 7eliefs and pious traditions 7eCueathed to us 7y the first Christians.< ;5rthodo6< ecu$enists tra$ple on the ChurchGs sacred canons. hey see the canons, do"$as, and the totality of radition as insi"nificant $atters. (t appears that deep do:n inside, these individuals do not 7elieve there is a7solute ruth, that there is divine revelation. As a result, controversies ra"e on the practical canons, that is, on :hich ones are still applica7le and :hich are not, "iven the conditions of $odern life. Ae"retta7ly, the $odernists al:ays conclude that 5rthodo6y should +eep in step :ith the ti$es. Ho:ever, as Arch7ishop Aver+y points out, Christ said to the Apostles at the *ystical Supper, ;?ou are not of the :orld.< (n the sa$e :ay, the Church is not ;of the :orld,< and it never confor$s to the :orld. (nstead, the arch7ishop notes, the true Church of Christ: ... has al:ays 7een, is, and :ill al:ays 7e a stran"er to this :orld. Separated fro$ it, she is a7le to trans$it the divine teachin"s of the 9ord unchan"ed, 7ecause that separation has +ept her unchan"ed, that is, li+e the i$$uta7le .od Hi$self. (t has never 7een the understandin" of the Church that it $ust adapt itself to societal or cultural standards. (nstead, the faithful $ust, 7y the "race of .od and in cooperation :ith Hi$, 7eco$e divini#ed. *oreover, althou"h the Western Churches are tryin" to +eep in step :ith the pa"an culture that surrounds the$, one of the four si"ns of the true Church is that it is holy. he 5rthodo6 Church is holy 7ecause it does not "o the :ay of the :orld, 7ut "oes alon" the path :illed 7y Desus Christ. he te6t7oo+ creates additional confusion in this $atter :ith its assertion that :hen and if a ne: council of the Church is asse$7led, one of its first tas+s :ould 7e the revision and clarification of canon la:. (n final reply, it $ust 7e e$phasi#ed that :hile canons of an unaltera7le and unchan"in" character can 7e clarified J that is, e6plained and developed in ne: and different :ords, their essential $eanin", it $ust 7e repeated, is eternal and unchan"in", and they cannot 7e revised. As for the practical canons, these are not so$ethin" to cast asideN rather their application is left up to a 7ishopGs use of econo$y. % he :ord economy, fro$ the .ree+ 1)0
economia, refers to the fact that as part of a 7ishopGs ste:ardship over the Church, :hen there is a "enuine need, he $ay apply a canon in a strin"ent :ay for specific pastoral reasons, or he $ay even entirely dispense fro$ the canon&. he i$portance of the ChurchGs practical canons is not lost to *etropolitan Hierotheos of >afpa+tos. He e6plains that: (t has 7een o7served fro$ Church history that in the periods :hen Christians had 7eco$e seculari#ed, $any canons :ere for$ulated so that people could discern their spiritual insta7ility, distin"uish "ood fro$ evil, and 7e "uided on the path of a cure. So the la: is not a hu$an invention, 7ut a revelation 7y .od for $an to 7e cured. hus it is not a "oal, 7ut a $eans, a $edicine necessary for $anGs cure. he :ron" use of the la:, chan"in" it fro$ a $eans to an end, fro$ a $edicine to an ideolo"y, is an unhealthy le"alis$ :hich constitutes Bharisaical Fustice and self8Fustification :hich do not save $an = The %ind of the !rthodox Ch#rch, pp. 110811@. "". %hat do you consider to have been the most important point made in this chapter* Christ pro$ised that the Holy Spirit :ould co$e to "uide the Church in ruth %Dn 1-:13&. he $ost i$portant point and the focus of this entire chapter is that in fulfill$ent of that pro$ise, the Holy 6pirit guides Christ's Church through all that is called Holy -radition . he Holy Spirit has spo+en J throu"h Scripture, throu"h the ,cu$enical Councils and the Creed, throu"h the Holy 4athers, the 9itur"y, icons, canons, and throu"h all the thin"s that $a+e up the Sacred Apostolic radition of the 5rthodo6 Church.
3. 0od And ,an.

). According to Fedorov! what is the &rthodo' social program* his Aussian thin+er stated that it is the do"$a of the Holy rinity. ". %hy do you think Fedorov made such a statement* he doctrine of the Holy rinity, rather than 7ein" a recondite su7Fect reserved for professional scholars, is so$ethin" that has an i$$ense practical i$portance for each individual Christian. All people are cau"ht up in the stru""le 7et:een "ood and evil. As 3ladi$ir 9oss+y :rites epi"ra$$atically of this stru""le, ;!et:een the rinity and hell, there is no other choice.< Also, $an is created in the i$a"e and li+eness of .od, and it is only throu"h a correct understandin" of the do"$a of the rinity that hu$an 7ein"s can understand :ho they are and :hat their Creator :ants the$ to 7e. BeopleGs private lives depend on this understandin", as do their personal relations :ith their fello: hu$an 7ein"s. (t :as for these reasons that 4edorov could define the 5rthodo6 social pro"ra$ as the do"$a of the Holy rinity. #. 2n paragraph one of this chapter! 6t. 1regory /alamas is 5uoted. %rite out this 5uote. (n the $iddle of the fourteenth century, this 4ather :rote, ;>o sin"le thin" of all that is created has or ever :ill have the sli"htest co$$union :ith the Supre$e >ature or nearness to it.<
1)1
4. %hy does &rthodo'y make a distinction between the essence and the energies of 1od* At first "lance, there :ould appear to 7e a contradiction 7et:een the concept of .odGs divine transcendence and His divine i$$anence. Actually there is no inconsistency, for 5rthodo6y distin"uishes 7et:een the inaccessi7le essence and the uncreated and co$$unica7le energies of .od. he $ystery of the Holy rinity, since it has to do :ith the essence of .od, is ulti$ately inco$prehensi7le not only to discursive reasonin", 7ut to intuition as :ell. .od is a7solutely transcendent, and His essence is invisi7le and inco$prehensi7le and re$ains unapproacha7le. 5n the other hand, .od is not cut off fro$ the :orld He has $ade: He is a livin" .od Who co$es do:n fro$ a7ove and co$$unicates Hi$self to $an in the for$ of deifyin" "race and divine li"ht. Such are the ener"ies of .od: they are visi7le and perceiva7le $anifestations that $a+e the divine life accessi7le to $an :ithout ta+in" a:ay fro$ the inaccessi7ility of .od. hus, people can 7ehold .od throu"h His ener"ies, 7ut not His essence. *etropolitan Hierotheos of >afpa+tos e6plains that this teachin" is not an isolated opinion of one 4ather alone, 7ut that it is the teachin" of the 5rthodo6 Church. *any Holy 4athers have referred to the distinction 7et:een essence and ener"y. (t is found in the !i7le, in the first Apostolic 4athers, in the Cappadocian 4athers, and especially in St. !asil the .reat and in the "reat do"$atic theolo"ian of the Church, St. Dohn of 0a$ascus. (n the fourteenth century, St. .re"ory Bala$as developed further this already e6istin" teachin" and put for:ard its practical conseCuences and di$ensions. 3. 1od is a -rinity of three /ersons! dwelling in each other by virtue of what* ,ach of the three Bersons of the .odhead, 4ather, Son and Holy Spirit, d:ell in the other :o 7y a perpetual $ove$ent of love. ;. %hy is the filio!ue! like all 5uestions relating to -rinitarian theology! not trivial* he te6t7oo+ states that ;since 7elief in the rinity lies at the very heart of the Christian faith, a tiny difference in rinitarian theolo"y is 7ound to have repercussions upon every aspect of Christian life and thou"ht.< he filio*#e insertion did in fact have a disastrous effect upon Western theolo"y. <. 1ive a summary of your own understanding of the filio!ue 5uestion. As noted in an earlier chapter, the 5rthodo6 Church to this day retains the original te't of the >icaeo8Constantinopolitan Sy$7ol of 4aith %the Creed&, :hile the Ao$an Catholic Church uses an altered te't. he Second ,cu$enical Council affir$ed :ith its sin"le voice the ei"hth article of the Creed, :hich states that the Holy Spirit proceeds fro$ the Father. he hird ,cu$enical Council, 7y prohi7itin" the issuance of any ne: Creeds, decisively confir$ed the truth of the &rthodo' Church's Creed. he si"nificance of .ome's unlawful alteration and te'tual corruption of the authoritative te't of the Creed :ill 7e e6a$ined here. 4irst, no individual part of the Church has any ri"ht to ta$per :ith the Creed such as Ao$e did. he Creed is the very crystalli#ation of Aevelation in hu$an :ords, unchan"in" and unchan"ea7le, and it is the co$$on treasure of the entire Church. A$on" all the do"$atic decrees of the ChurchGs councils, the ,cu$enical Councils the$selves ac+no:led"e the Creed as pri$ary and funda$ental, and they forbade any changes whatsoever in its ideas or its :ords, either 7y addition or su7traction. he hird ,cu$enical Council handed do:n this decree, and it :as repeated 7y the 4ourth, 4ifth, Si6th and Seventh ,cu$enical Councils. hus, the 9atin 1)2
Church stands conde$ned 7y five ,cu$enical Councils :hich it itself reco"ni#es are inspired 7y the Holy Spirit. (n its unilateral and illicit addition of the filio*#e clause, Ao$e co$$itted $oral fratricide and sinned a"ainst the unity of the Church. Secondly, in its theolo"ical aspect, the filio*#e controversy centers on eternal relations :ithin the .odhead, relations :hich e6isted 7efore all a"es 7et:een the Bersons of the 4ather, Son and Holy Spirit. While 5rthodo6y and Ao$e 7oth a"ree that the Holy Spirit proceeds fro$ the 4ather, Ao$e "oes on to proclai$ that the Holy Spirit li+e:ise proceeds fro$ the Son %the 9atin filio*#e $eans and from the ,on&. Christ Hi$self stated that the Holy Spirit proceeds fro$ the Father %Dn 1):2-&, 7ut nowhere does 6cripture speak of the Holy 6pirit's proceeding from the 6on. he filio*#e addition, in its holdin" the Son to 7e an additional source of the .odhead, detracts fro$ the 4atherGs uniCue source of the .odhead. Ao$e sees the principle of unity in the essence shared 7y all three Bersons of the rinity, and such a concept depersonali#es .odGs unity. 5rthodo6y, follo:in" the teachin" of the Cappadocian 4athers, affir$s that there is one .od 7ecause there is one 4ather. he 4ather is the source and cause of the .odhead and is the principle of unity a$on" the three Bersons of the rinity. (n this sense, 5rthodo6y spea+s of the monarchy of the 4ather. !oth Son and Holy Spirit trace heir ori"in to Hi$, and 7oth are seen in ter$s of heir relation to Hi$. >. 6tate the te'tbook's answer to the 5uestion! A9ut if each of the three /ersons is distinct! what holds the -rinity together*B As stated a7ove, there is one .od 7ecause there is one 4ather. he te6t7oo+ e6plains that the 4ather is the cause or source of the .odhead, that He is the principle %arche& of unity a$on" the hree. he 4ather is 7orn of none and proceeds fro$ none. !oth Son and Holy Spirit trace heir ori"in to the 4ather: the Son is 7orn of the 4ather ;7efore all a"es,< and the Holy Spirit proceeds fro$ the 4ather fro$ all eternity. ?. %hat result does the te'tbook mention of the .oman Catholic divergence in the doctrine of the Holy -rinity* he 9atin ChurchGs diver"ence in the doctrine of the Holy rinity resulted in its seein" the principle of unity in the su7stance or essence :hich all three Bersons share. While 5rthodo6y sees the principle of .odGs unity as personal, Ao$an Catholicis$ does not. )$. 2n the 5uestion of the Holy -rinity! what is meant by the term proceed* he ter$ proceed refers to the Holy SpiritGs eternal relations :ithin the .odhead. (t does not refer to the Holy SpiritGs te$poral $ission to the :orld. he Church 7elieves that Christ had t:o 7irths: the one eternal, in :hich He :as 7orn of the 4ather ;7efore all a"es,< and the other at a point in ti$e, in :hich He :as 7orn of the 3ir"in *ary. he sa$e distinction is dra:n 7et:een the Holy SpiritGs eternal procession and His temporal mission of 7ein" sent to the :orld. he eternal procession refers to the relation :hich e6isted fro$ all eternity :ithin the .odhead. he te$poral $ission refers to the relation of .od to creation. Where the Holy SpiritGs te$poral $ission to the :orld is concerned, 7oth 5rthodo6y and Ao$e a"ree that He is sent 7y the Son and is the Spirit of the Son. Where 5rthodo6y and Ao$e disa"ree is in the $atter of eternal procession. When 5rthodo6y says the Spirit proceeds fro$
1)3
the 4ather alone, and :hen Ao$e says the Spirit proceeds fro$ the 4ather and from the ,on ;filio*#e<, they are referrin" to certain relations :hich e6isted in the .odhead fro$ all eternity. )). &n what verse of 6cripture is the &rthodo' position based* 5rthodo6y 7ases its position on Dohn 1):2-. Christ stated: ;When the Co$forter is co$e, Who$ ( :ill send unto you fro$ the 4ather, even the Spirit of ruth Who proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of *e.< Christ sends the Spirit %this is the temporal mission&, 7ut the Spirit proceeds fro$ the 4ather %this is the eternal procession&. his teachin" is the clear and infalli7le teachin" of Christ, of His Holy Church, of Sacred Scriptures, and of the ChurchGs Creed, and this teaching was adhered to by .ome itself until its illicit addition of one :ord to the Creed. >o:here does the !i7le state that the Holy Spirit proceeds fro$ the Son, 7ut the Ao$an Catholic Church 7e"s to differ :ith Christ, :ith Scriptures, :ith the ,cu$enical Councils, and :ith the Creed :hich the undivided Church produced under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. )". Certain &rthodo' hierarchs attempted to bridge the gulf of understanding between .ome and the Holy Church. Can you e'plain the meaning of these attempts* (n the $atter of the eternal procession of the Holy Spirit, the position that St. Bhotius $aintained a"ainst the West :as an eternal procession fro$ the 4ather alone, and a te$poral $ission fro$ the Son. hirteenth and fourteenth8century :riters, ho:ever, $ost nota7ly St. .re"ory of Cyprus, Batriarch of Constantinople, and St. .re"ory Bala$as, Arch7ishop of hessalonica, :ent so$e:hat further in an atte$pt to 7rid"e the "ulf 7et:een ,ast and West. While Bhotius spo+e only of a te$poral $ission, these :riters allo:ed an eternal $anifestation of the Holy Spirit 7y the Son. hey also ad$itted an eternal relation 7et:een the Son and the Spirit :here Bhotius had spo+en only of a te$poral $ission. )#. At what point did they draw the line! and why* !oth .re"ories dre: the line and a"reed :ith Bhotius in the essential $atter that :hile the Holy Spirit is $anifested 7y the Son, He does not proceed fro$ the Son. he reason the Holy Spirit does not proceed fro$ the Son is 7ecause .od the 4ather is the uniCue ori"in and cause of the .odhead. )4. 6ummarize in your own words the &rthodo' ob,ections to the %estern practice regarding the filio!ue. *ichael Whelton, a convert fro$ Ao$an Catholicis$ to ,astern 5rthodo6y, re$ar+s that: As far 7ac+ as ( can re$e$7er :hen discussin" Church history :ith friends, ( can still hear $yself sayin", ;!ut the 5rthodo6 are ri"ht on =the@ filio*#e.< (n fairness, ( had to ac+no:led"e that they had a point =Two aths- apal %onarchy 4 Collegial Tradition, p. 12@. *r. Whelton "oes on to state that the unity of the undivided Apostolic Church :as e6pressed in the cele7ration of the ,ucharist and in the recitation of the >icaeo8Constantinopolitan Sy$7ol of 4aith, or >icene Creed. his Creed, a declaration of faith confessed 7y the entire Church, 7elon"s to the Church, and one part of the Church does not have the ri"ht to chan"e it :ithout 1)'
the consent of all. ,cu$enical Councils produced the Creed, and ,cu$enical Councils prohibited any changes in it. Ao$e :as party to all of these thin"s. hus, if Ao$e :ishes to $a+e a chan"e in the Creed, then an ,cu$enical Council is the only co$petent 7ody to deal :ith it. 5nly an ,cu$enical Council has the ri"ht not to alter, 7ut to a$plify and e6plain the decisions reached at an earlier Council. 4or any part of the Church to ta$per unilaterally :ith the Creed of the ,cu$enical Councils could only create enor$ous divisions. *r. Whelton correctly notes that the %estern Churches' altering the Creed represents an automatic lapse into heresy! and in such a state! no pronouncement by the pope in their favor could ever serve to condone them. Ae"ardin" the theolo"ical issues of the filio*#e interpolation %also referred to as the Western doctrine of the dou7le procession&, its lo"ical conseCuence :ould have to 7e either a ditheis$ or se$i8Sa7ellianis$. %Sa7ellius :as a second8century heretic :ho spo+e of one .od :ith three modes or aspects or manifestations1 hat is, he falsely tau"ht that the sa$e .od appeared as the 4ather in the 5ld esta$ent, as the Son in the >e: esta$ent, and as the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church. hrou"h this heresy, Sa7ellius a7olished the personal $ode of e6istence of each Berson of the Holy rinity. (n other :ords, he denied that .od is three distinct Bersons&. Since Western theolo"y vie:s the Son as :ell as the 4ather as the principle or source of the .odhead, the Cuestion arose a$on" the 5rthodo6 if Western theolo"y held that there :ere t:o independent and separate sources of the rinity. As such a concept :ould a$ount to a 7elief in t:o .ods, the ans:er is an o7vious no. :o reunion councils J those of 9yons %12/'& and 4lorence %1'31832& J :ere careful to point out that the Spirit proceeds fro$ the 4ather and Son ;as fro$ one principle< %tan*#am ab #no principio et #nica spiratione &. Althou"h this e6planation avoided ditheis$, it :as still o7Fectiona7le to the 5rthodo6 in that the Bersons of the 4ather and the Son are not distinct, 7ut are rather $er"ed and confused. 5rthodo6 theolo"y sees the $onarchy as the 4atherGs distinct characteristic and that He alone is the principle :ithin the rinity. (n Western theolo"y, the filio*#e e6tended the 4atherGs distinct characteristic to the Son as :ell, and the t:o Bersons 7eca$e fused into one. his $isunderstandin" :as no $ore than a very old heresy J ;Sa7ellius re7orn, or rather so$e se$i8Sa7ellian $onster,< as St. Bhotius descri7ed it. he te6t7oo+ develops the $atter of se$i8Sa7ellianis$ further. (t e6plains that in 5rthodo6 rinitarian theolo"y, the principle of unity is a personal one, as opposed to that in the West, :hich sees its unitary principle in the essence of .od. (n 9atin Scholastic theolo"y, the Bersons of the rinity are overshado:ed 7y a co$$on nature. his Western vie: conceives .od not so $uch in personal and concrete ter$s as it does as an essence characteri#ed 7y various relations. ho$as ACuinas capsuli#ed this :ay of thin+in" in his identification of the Bersons :ith the relations. ACuinas had a very 7arren idea of personality, thou"h, for the relations are not the Bersons, 7ut are the personal characteristics of the 4ather, Son, and Holy Spirit. ;Bersonal characteristics do not constitute the person,< St. .re"ory Bala$as stated, ;7ut they characteri#e the person.< While these relations desi"nate the Berson, in no :ay do they e6haust the $ystery of each. 9atin Scholastic theolo"y, :ith its e$phasis on the essence of the rinity and its ne"lect of heir Bersons, :ell8ni"h turns .od into an abstract idea. >o lon"er is He the .od of A7raha$, (saac and Daco7 in such a syste$, 7ut He 7eco$es a re$ote and i$personal 7ein", a .od of the philosophers Whose e6istence $ust 7e proved 7y $etaphysical ar"u$ents. he $edieval Western theolo"ians, in their various atte$pts at philosophical ;proofs< of .odGs e6istence, 7eCueathed to the Western :orld its essential concern :ith the Cuestion of :hether or 1))
not .od e6ists. his issue :as then ta+en up 7y $odern secular philosophy and can 7e seen in thin+ers so diverse as ($$anuel Kant, !ertrand Aussell, and AenQ 0escartes. A very si"nificant part of Western philosophical thou"ht, either directly or peripherally, is dedicated to the Cuestion of .odGs e6istence. ,ven today, it is not unusual for an intellect to classify hi$self as a 7eliever or an atheist %or an a"nostic, in the case of the less 7old&. he :ay that a Westerner discusses reli"ion and $ost aspects of theolo"y is lar"ely tied to the Cuestion of .odGs e6istence. o learn of .od 7y Cuestionin" His e6istence is the Western :ay, 7ut not the 5rthodo6 :ay. he 5rthodo6 :ay is to assu$e the e6istence of .od. Also, :hat is i$portant is not that $an can ar"ue a7out the 0eity, 7ut ho: $an can understand and reach the concrete and personal .od, and ho: he can 7e united to Hi$. 5ne e6tre$ely destructive develop$ent of the 9atin ChurchGs false rinitarian theolo"y can 7e seen in the after$ath of the de8Christiani#in" Second 3atican Council. At that ti$e, the offering of praise to the Holy -rinity was suppressed . .odGs na$e :as dropped in $any places of the ne: *ass, and references to any sort of a deity 7eca$e va"ue and deistic, callin" to $ind the delta or "rand architect of free$asonry, rather than the 5ne rue .od, the Holy rinity. %Barenthetically, it is note:orthy that at the sa$e ti$e the 9atin Church restrained the worship of the Holy -rinity , Bope Dohn SS((( 7e"an to carry atop his pastoral staff a crucifi6 :ith bro$en ar$s. his sa$e 7ro+en cross sy$7ol :as devised 7y satanists in the *iddle A"es as a $oc+ery of Christianity, and it has 7een used 7y all popes since the Second 3atican Council to sho: their solidarity :ith the forerunner forces of the antichrist. 4e: $odern Catholics are a:are of this sy$7olis$, 7ut it is e6plained in detail 7y a pious ,n"lish Ao$an Catholic :riter in his 7oo+ The .ro$en Cross, :hich "ives other e6a$ples as :ell of the 9atin ChurchGs da77lin" :ith dia7olical pheno$ena ever since the 12-0s&. he filio*#e addition is dan"erous and heretical in its confusin" the Bersons and destroyin" the proper 7alance 7et:een the unity and diversity of the .odhead. he rinityGs oneness is stressed at the e6pense of the threeness, and .od is conceived not in ter$s of concrete personality, 7ut in ter$s of a7stract essence. (n addition, Western theolo"y has in actual fact %if not in theory& su7ordinated the Holy Spirit to the Son of .od. 4r. 3ictor Botapov notes that even the $ost cursory "lance throu"h Western theolo"ical te6ts is sufficient to convince one as to :hat an insi"nificant place Ao$an Catholic theolo"ians allocate to the activity of the Holy Spirit in the :orld, in the Church, and in the lives of individual Christians. he conseCuences of the filio*#e J the overe$phasis on the unity of .od and the su7ordination of the Holy Spirit J have 7een instru$ental in distortin" the Ao$an Catholic doctrine of the Church, for every false teachin" a7out the Holy Spirit stri+es a"ainst the do"$a concernin" the Church. !ecause of the inattention to8, and lac+ of understandin" of8, the role of the Holy Spirit, the 0atin %est has come to regard the Church largely as an earthly institution! organized and administered according to the principles of worldly authority and ,uridical law. And :here the West stressed .odGs unity at the e6pense of His diversity, so li+e:ise did the concept of Church unity triu$ph over diversity, the result of :hich 7eca$e the complete centralization of the 0atin Church and is overemphasis on papal authority . ,ast and WestGs t:o differin" concepts of .od are ine6trica7ly 7ound up :ith t:o different concepts of the Church. -he underlying causes of the 0atin Church's breaking away from the ancient Church of Christ in the 1reat 6chism of )$34 those of papal claims and the filio5ue are very much related to one another.
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)3. %hat do you consider to be the most important point made in this section* he $ost i$portant aspect is the 5rthodo6 rinitarian theolo"y dealin" :ith .odGs attri7utes. As the te6t7oo+ $entions, .od is a7solutely transcendent, He is not cut off fro$ the :orld He has $ade, He is personal J that is, -rinitarian, 5ne ,ssence in hree Bersons, and He is an 2ncarnate 1od.
4. ,an!
is Creation, 5ocation and Failure.
). For what purpose was man made* He :as $ade for fello:ship :ith .od. ". -he creation of man was an act of %hom* he creation of $an :as an act of .od. #. %hat is meant by the a& image and b7 li"eness of 1od in the creation of man* hese :ords are fro$ the ;prophecy of the past,< as St. Dohn Chrysosto$ calls *osesG e6alted vision of :hat the :orld :as in the 7e"innin". And .od said: let Hs $a+e $an in 5ur i$a"e, after 5ur li+eness: and let the$ have do$inion over the fish of the sea, and over the fo:l of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creepin" thin" that creepeth upon the earth. So .od created $an in His o:n i$a"e, in the i$a"e of .od created He hi$N $ale and fe$ale created He the$ %.en 1:2-82/&. Ae"ardin" this act of creation of $an+ind, *etropolitan Bhilaret, for$er 4irst Hierarch of the Aussian Church in ,6ile, e6plained that ;the Creator $ade $an after His i$a"e and li+eness and placed the i$print of this i$a"e on $anGs very 7ein", on hu$an nature itself.< Also co$$entin" on this passa"e, the Holy 4athers dra: a distinction 7et:een the :ords image and li$eness1 5rthodo6 theolo"y lays a tre$endous e$phasis on the image of .od in $an. ($a"e is ta+en to $ean a share in the spiritual attri7utes of the Creator. ($a"e is that :hich distin"uishes $an fro$ ani$al creation, and it includes Cualities of rationality, free :ill, and $anGs sense of $oral responsi7ility, Cualities :ith :hich every $an, fro$ the first $o$ent of his e6istence, is endo:ed 7y .od. o 7e created in .odGs i$a"e $eans that people are .odGs offsprin" and that 7et:een .od and $an is an essential si$ilarity. Ho:ever sinful a $an $ay 7eco$e, the i$a"e of .od in hi$ is indestructi7le. As the 4athers state, the i$a"e is "iven to us in full and cannot 7e lost. *oreover, in patristic theolo"y it is said that the i$a"e of .od in $an is stron"er than in an"els, precisely 7ecause $an has a no#s %the eye of the soul&, :ord and spirit, the spirit Cuic+enin" the 7ody Foined to it, :hich is not the case :ith the an"els. he li$eness of .od, ho:ever, is "iven in the 7e"innin" only potentially, and $an hi$self :as to :or+ on attainin" its perfection. 9i+eness is a "oal, it is :hat $an $ust ai$ at and :or+ for. *an is created in .odGs i$a"e and can +no: and have co$$union :ith His Creator and participate in His nature. *an is also $ade to 7eco$e ever $ore li+e .od for all eternity. (f $an properly uses the faculty for co$$union :ith .od, he acCuires 7y de"ree a divine li+eness. *an 7eco$es, in the :ords of St. Dohn of 0a$ascus, ;assi$ilated to .od 1)/
throu"h virtue.< 9i+eness, or $oral perfection, is so$ethin" $an is called to acCuire throu"h his o:n efforts and $oral choices %thou"h in conFunction :ith the "race of .od, of course&. As Archpriest Seraphi$ Slo7ods+oy co$$ents: he li+eness of .od depends on the direction of spiritual a7ilities. his reCuires that $an :or+ on hi$self spiritually. (f a $an strives for truth and "ood, for the ri"hteousness of .od, then he 7eco$es li+e .od. Ho:ever, if a $an loves only hi$self, lies, $a+es ene$ies, does evil, cares only for earthly "oods, thin+s only a7out his 7ody and does not care for his soul, then such a person ceases to 7e in the li+eness of .od and 7eco$es in his life li+e a 7east, and can finally 7eco$e li+e an evil spirit, a devil = The Law of God, p. 112@. Concernin" the sa$e passa"e Cuoted a7ove fro$ the 7oo+ of .enesis, it is i$portant to note that the na$e of .od %)lohim in the He7re: te6t& has the "ra$$atical for$ of the plural nu$7er. *oreover, the first person pronoun 7s and the possessive adFectives !#r are li+e:ise plural. he sa$e plural for$ of the na$e of .od appears even earlier in the ori"inal He7re: te6t of the !i7le. (t appears in the very first lines %.enesis 1:1&, alon" :ith the ver7 created %bara&, :hich is in the singular. hus, the 7e"innin" lines of 5ld esta$ent Scripture start out 7y revealin" the singular essence of the Bersons %plural& of the Holy rinity. Archpriest Seraphi$ Slo7ods+oy e6plains that these very first lines of the !i7le say, as it :ere, ;(n the 7e"innin", .ods %the three Bersons of the Holy rinity&, created Heaven and earth.< Another of the 5ld esta$ent passa"es that e6presses the -ri(Dnity of 1od %there are t:elve such passa"es& is that of (saiah -:3. he Seraphi$ :ho stand around the throne of .od offer do6olo"y in triple for$, sayin", ;Holy, holy, holy is the 9ord of hosts.< he 4athers see this passa"e as an indirect reference to the Holy -rinity, to 1od's -ri(/ersonal 9eing. Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y lists other indications of the -rinity of /ersons of 1od. his truth, 4r. *ichael notes, is e6pressed in the 5ld esta$ent in a veiled :ay, only half8 revealed, 7e"innin", it 7ears repeatin", in the very first lines of the !i7le, in .enesis 1:1. As another :riter adds, .od did not yet reveal Hi$self as a riune 1od lest the He7re:s apostati#e to the polytheis$ of their nei"h7ors and :orship false ;"ods,< that is, de$ons, for ;the "ods of the heathens are de$ons< %Bs 2):) =Aussian !i7le@, Bs 2-:) =,n"lish @&. As 4r. *ichael concludes, the 5ld esta$ent testi$onies of the Holy rinity are revealed and e6plained in the li"ht of the Christian faith. (n the >e: esta$ent, the plurality of the ri8Hypostatic .od is $ore e6plicitly revealed to 7e the 4ather, Son and Holy Spirit, 5ne in ,ssence, ,ver8,6istin", Hndivided and (ndivisi7le. As Archpriest 3ladi$ir .linds+y e6plains: he $ystery of the ri8Hnity :as sho:n in part in the 5ld esta$ent, and clearly proclai$ed in the .ospel. he 9ord Desus Christ co$$anded 7elief in the Holy rinity and defined (ts Bersons. His Holy Apostles tau"ht the Christians the :orship of the indivisi7le riune .od. After the Apostles, the consciousness of the Church al:ays piously protected the faith in the Holy rinity. (n the fourth century, the ,cu$enical Councils, defendin" the Apostolic faith fro$ heresies, pro$ul"ated do"$as concernin" the individual attri7utes of the Bersons of the rinity, thus creatin" the Creed. herefore, the 5rthodo6 Christian 7elieves, serves, :orships =the Holy rinity and protects@ :ith all
1)1
his $i"ht his faith in the rinitarian ruth =;4unda$entals of the 5rthodo6 Christian 4aith,< !rthodox Life, vol. )1, no. 1, 2001, pp. 30831@. 4. Kuote the scriptural verse which the te'tbook cites to show that we are 1od's offspring. ( said, you are "ods, and all of you sons of the *ost Hi"h % Bs 11:-&. 3. &utline the difference between the teaching of Augustine and that of the &rthodo' Church with regard to man's original state in +den. Au"ustine depicted $an in his pri$ordial state as 7ein" endo:ed fro$ the start :ith all possi7le :isdo$ and +no:led"e. Ada$ had, to his :ay of thin+in", a reali#ed rather than a potential perfection. Su7seCuent to this teachin", Au"ustineGs picture of Ada$ "enerally 7eca$e accepted in the West. 5rthodo6y teaches that $an :as perfect in his first creation, 7ut it stresses that the perfection :as in the potential sense. Havin" 7een endo:ed in his creation :ith .odGs i$a"e, $an :as called to acCuire .odGs li+eness throu"h his o:n endeavors in cooperatin" :ith .odGs "race. Ada$ started out in innocence and si$plicity. ;He :as a child, not yet havin" his understandin" perfected,< St. (renaeus :rote. ;(t :as necessary that he should "ro: and so co$e to his perfection.< (n other :ords, .od set Ada$ on the ri"ht path, 7ut Ada$ had a lon" Fourney ahead of hi$ 7efore he reached his final "oal. ;. -he te'tbook presents a significant 5uote from 6t. 1regory /a(lamas on the nature of man. %rite out this 5uote. St. .re"ory Bala$as :rote: ;When .od is said to have $ade $an accordin" to His i$a"e, the :ord man $eans neither the soul 7y itself nor the 7ody 7y itself, 7ut the t:o to"ether.< <. %hy does the priest (or deacon7 cense the people as well as the icons in the church* (n censin" the faithful, the priest or deacon is salutin" the i$a"e %or icon& of .od in each person. Censin" also e6presses the desire that the "race of .od $i"ht envelop the faithful, even as the s$o+e of incense envelops the Church. he practice of censin" is so$eti$es $isunderstood 7y those outside the Church. his :riter heard the re$ar+, for e6a$ple, that if Christ :ere to return to the :orld today, the only Church in Christendo$ He :ould not reco"ni#e is the 5rthodo6 Church as it had "one so far astray throu"h its practice of censin". Berhaps such a notion is not unco$$on a$on" individuals of $ainstrea$ reli"ious "roups that have stripped all $ystery and ritual fro$ their :orship services. Ho:ever, the assertion is not tena7le inas$uch as censin" :as instituted in :orship 7y .od Hi$self, as is sho:n in the 7oo+ of ,6odus %cf. ,6odus 2):-, 30:/82, 3':1), '0:),2/, et al.&. Censin" is an e6pression of :orship, of deep than+s"ivin" to .odGs countless 7lessin"s to $an+ind, the "reatest of :hich is His sendin" His 5nly8!e"otten Son to sacrifice Hi$self to save the :orld. 5rthodo6 use incense as an offerin" to .od, li+e the offerin" of A7elGs altar that 7urned and "ave off a clean s$o+e that arose to Heaven %.en ':18/&. hey also offer incense to e6press their infinite "ratitude to Christ, the Saviour of peopleGs souls, Fust as the $yrrh87earin" :o$en 7rou"ht perfu$es :hen they :ent to the to$7 to venerate Hi$. (t is for these reasons that the priest censes 7efore the holy altar ta7le, the icons, and all of the church at certain $o$ents durin" the services. Censin" also e6presses the :orshipersG respect
1)2
and reverence for these holy thin"s. he priest censes especially durin" the 0ivine Sacrifice, :hen the 7read and :ine 7eco$e the All8Bure !ody and !lood of Christ. (ncense is also a sy$7olic representation of a heart prayin" to .od, *oreover, it e6presses a desire that the prayer of Christians "athered in church :ould 7e heartfelt and truly fervent, and that it $i"ht ascend to Heaven li+e the s$o+e of incense. he prayer that acco$panies incense does indeed rise to Heaven. As Holy Scriptures state: ;9et $y prayer 7e counted as incense 7efore hee< %Bs 1'0:2&, and ; he s$o+e of incense, :hich ca$e :ith the prayers of the saints, ascended up 7efore .od out of the an"elGs hands< %Aev 1:3,'&. When 7ein" censed 7y a priest or deacon, Christians respond :ith a 7o:. >. %hen 1od created man! He did not want a slave. %hat did He want man to be to Him* .od :anted $an to 7e a son to Hi$. ?. %hat sort of doctrine of grace does the &rthodo' Church re,ect* (t reFects any doctrine of "race :hich infrin"es upon $anGs freedo$. )$. %hat is the meaning of the term synergy* Syner"y, or synergia in .ree+, is fro$ syn %:ith& and ergon %:or+N :hence syner"ic, syner"etic, syner"is$, Zc.&, and it $eans cooperation. St. Cle$ent of Ale6andria coined the :ord in order to e6press the action of t:o ener"ies Foined to"ether: "race and hu$an :ill. )). Kuote the verse of 6cripture which the te'tbook offers in order to demonstrate the doctrine of synergy. We are fello:8:or+ers =synergoi@ :ith .od %1 Cor. 3:2&. )". 9ased on the brief and light discussion of the matter in the te'tbook! give your understanding of the difference between the &rthodo' and the %estern understanding of grace and free will. 5rthodo6y 7elieves that $an has his o:n part to play if he is to achieve full fello:ship :ith .od. Althou"h $an can do nothin" to:ard this end :ithout his hu$an :ill 7ein" anticipated and upheld 7y .odGs "race, and althou"h the :or+ that .od does is of i$$easura7ly "reater i$portance than the :or+ done 7y $an, $an nevertheless $ust $a+e his o:n contri7ution to the co$$on :or+. *anGs :or+ to:ard fello:ship :ith .od is the surrender of His :ill and the confor$ity to divine :ill, inas$uch as $anGs :ill %rather than his intellect or feelin"& is the $ain hu$an $eans of union :ith .od. ;Sacrifice and offerin" hou :ouldst not.... 9o, ( co$e to do hy :ill, 0 .od< %He7 10:), 2&. A personGs union :ith .od reCuires the cooperation of t:o uneCual, 7ut eCually necessary forces: divine "race and hu$an :ill. he te6t7oo+ does not deal at "reat len"th on the Western controversies concernin" "race and predestination. Ho:ever, it does state that the West, since the ti$e of Au"ustine and the Bela"ian heresy, has seen the $atter of "race and free :ill in different ter$s, and it states that those 7rou"ht up in the Au"ustinian tradition %particularly Calvinists& have vie:ed the 5rthodo6 idea of syner"y :ith suspicion since they feel it ascri7es too $uch to $anGs free :ill, and too little to .od. )#. %ho is the supreme e'ample of synergy* 1ive your own e'planation of why the te'tbook makes such a statement. 1-0
he heoto+os is the supre$e e6a$ple of syner"y. he te6t7oo+ can $a+e such a state$ent since *aryGs fiat and her entire life stand as the "reatest possi7le e6a$ple of cooperation 7et:een the free :ill of $an and the purpose of .od. .od, Who al:ays respects hu$an li7erty, did not :ant to 7eco$e incarnate :ithout *aryGs consent, and He therefore :aited for her response. Althou"h *ary had the choice to refuse, her reply :as, ;!ehold the hand$aid of the 9ordN 7e it done unto $e accordin" to your :ord< %9+ 1:31&. his response :as far fro$ a passive one, for *ary :as an active participant in the $ystery. As >icholas Ca7asilas co$$ents: he (ncarnation :as not only the :or+ of the 4ather, of His Bo:er and His Spirit... 7ut it :as also the :or+ of the :ill and faith of the 3ir"in.... Dust as .od 7eca$e incarnate voluntarily, so He :ished that His *other should 7ear Hi$ freely and :ith her full consent =!n the Ann#nciation@. *oreover, as St. >i+olai 3eli$irovich e6plains, ,ve first fell into sin, and her sin too+ place in the 7ri"htness of Baradise, :here everythin" protected her fro$ sin. *ary, on the other hand, :as the first to overco$e all te$ptations, and she did so in the dar+ness of the :orld, :here everythin" pulls to:ards sin. hus, *aryMs o7edient su7$ission to .odMs :ill stands in direct contrast to ,veMs diso7edience in the .arden of ,den, and for this reason, *ary is the >e: ,ve. )4. -he te'tbook 5uotes .evelation #H"$ in demonstrating the &rthodo' teaching of synergy. %rite out that verse! and also write out the te'tbook's e'planation of that verse. !ehold, ( stand at the door and +noc+: if anyone hears *y voice and opens the door, ( :ill co$e in %Aev 3:20&. he te6t7oo+ e6plains: .od +noc+s, 7ut :aits for $an to open the door J He does not 7rea+ it do:n. he "race of .od invites all 7ut co$pels none. (n the :ords of Dohn Chrysosto$: ;.od never dra:s anyone to Hi$self 7y force and violence. He :ishes all $en to 7e saved, 7ut forces no one.< ;(t is for .od to "rant His "race,< said St. Cyril of Derusale$ %O31-&N ;your tas+ is to accept that "race and to "uard it.< !ut it $ust not 7e i$a"ined that 7ecause a $an accepts and "uards .odGs "race, he there7y earns merit. .odGs "ifts are al:ays free "ifts, and $an can never have any clai$s upon his *a+er. !ut $an, :hile he cannot merit salvation, $ust certainly :or+ for it, since ;faith :ithout :or+s is dead< %Da$es 2:1/&. )3. 6ummarize your understanding of the difference between the &rthodo' and the Augustinian doctrines of the fall and the first human sin. 9e sure to discuss the two concepts of the fate of unbaptized children. Hp to a point, 5rthodo6y, Ao$e and classical Brotestantis$ are all in fairly close a"ree$ent concernin" the ancestral sin %or :hat Western Christians call the original sin&. .od "ave Ada$ a free :ill either to accept or reFect his callin" to live in union :ith divine la: and rule over all creation. Ada$ :as seduced into thin+in" that he could 7eco$e li+e .od solely 7y his o:n effort and :ill, and he reFected his callin" and turned aside fro$ the path $ar+ed out for hi$ 7y .od. he fall lay in Ada$Gs diso7edience to the :ill of his CreatorN he elevated his o:n :ill a"ainst .odGs, and in so doin", he separated hi$self fro$ .od. 1-1
Ada$Gs re7ellion resulted in a ne: for$ of e6istence: disease and death entered in. (n turnin" a:ay fro$ .od, Who is i$$ortality and life, $an defiles his hu$anity :ith evil and puts hi$self in a state contrary to nature. his unnatural condition eventually led to the disinte"ration of Ada$Gs physical 7ein" and to his physical death, and the sa$e conseCuences e6tended to all his descendants, to the :hole hu$an race. As St. Baul repeatedly insists, :e are all $e$7ers of one another, and if one $e$7er suffers, the :hole 7ody suffers. hus, 7y virtue of this $ysterious unity of all $an+ind, not only Ada$, 7ut the :hole hu$an race 7eco$es su7Fect to $ortality. he disinte"ration also "oes 7eyond the $ere physical level: since $an :as cut off fro$ .od, Ada$ and his descendants :ere 7rou"ht under the rule of evil and death. All hu$ans share the sa$e tra"ic fate: all are 7orn into a :orld that ;lies in :ic+edness< %1 Dn ): 12&, one ;"roanin" in travail< %Ao$ 1:22&N all are 7orn into a devilGs princedo$ :here it is easy to do evil and hard to do "ood. *anGs :ill is :ea+ened and perverted 7y :hat the .ree+s call desire and the 9atins conc#piscence1 All hu$an 7ein"s are su7Fect to these spiritual effects of the ancestral sin. !eyond this Functure, ,ast and West are not in co$plete a"ree$ent as !lessed Au"ustine of HippoGs teachin" on "race and free :ill is not in har$ony :ith the consens#s atr#m, the consensus of the 4athers. !lessed Au"ustine :as the only $ain theolo"ian the early Western Church had, :hereas in the ,astern Church there :ere $any. hus, theolo"y in the ,ast :as $ore 7alanced, includin" the theolo"y on salvation. he 5rthodo6 Church holds a less e6alted vie: of the state of $an prior to the fall, and it also sees the conseCuences of the fall in less severe ter$s than the West. Where Au"ustine %and thus the West& held that $an fell fro$ a state of all :isdo$ and +no:led"e, 5rthodo6y 7elieves that Ada$ fell fro$ a state of undeveloped si$plicity. hus the ,ast is less severe than the West in its Fud"$ent of Ada$Gs trans"ression. Hndou7tedly the fall resulted in the dar+enin" of $anGs $ind and the i$pairin" of his :illpo:er so that he could no lon"er hope to attain the li+eness of .od. Ho:ever, 5rthodo6y does not teach that Ada$Gs fall deprived $an co$pletely of .odGs "race %althou"h after the fall, "race acts on $an fro$ the outside rather than fro$ :ithin&. 5rthodo6y reFects CalvinGs vie: that after the fall $an :as co$pletely depraved and entirely lac+in" in "ood desires. 5rthodo6y li+e:ise reFects Au"ustineGs vie: that $an is under ;a harsh necessity< of co$$ittin" sin, and that ;$anGs nature :as overco$e 7y the fault into :hich it fell, and so came to lac$ freedom< =!n the erfection of %an's Righteo#sness , (382@. his pessi$istic vie: ca$e fro$ the 7elief that the hu$an race :as not only :ounded 7y Ada$Gs trans"ression, 7ut also inherited his "uilt and thus :as deprived of .odGs "race. %At the end of his life, Au"ustine :rote an entire 7oo+ of retractions, in :hich he deferred to the Fud"$ent of the Church all he had ever :ritten&. ,ven thou"h .odGs li+eness can 7e distorted 7y sin, $an still re$ains created in the i$a"e of .od, and that i$a"e can never 7e destroyed. (n the :ords of a hy$n sun" at the 5rthodo6 funeral service for the laity: ;( a$ the i$a"e of hine ine6pressi7le "lory, even thou"h ( 7ear the :ounds of sin.< And 7ecause $an still retains the i$a"e of .od, he still retains a free will, ho:ever restricted in scope it 7eco$es 7ecause of sin. St. 0ositheus, Batriarch of Derusale$, e6plained that even after the fall, .od ;ta+es not a:ay fro$ $an the po:er to :ill J to :ill to o7ey or not to o7ey Hi$< =Confessions, 0ecree iii@. Hpholdin" the idea of syner"y, 5rthodo6y reFects any interpretation of the fall :hich discards the idea of hu$an freedo$. he idea of original g#ilt tau"ht 7y Au"ustine %and :hich is still accepted in a $iti"ated for$ 7y the Ao$an Church& is reFected 7y the vast $aFority of 5rthodo6 theolo"ians. An occasional Au"ustinian vie: on the fall :ould creep into so$e 5rthodo6 literature in ti$es past, 1-2
7ut it usually too+ place as a result of Western influence, such as the Scholastic influence on Kievan Aussia at the ti$e of Beter of *o"hila. *ost ,astern theolo"ians hold that $en auto$atically inherit the corruption and $ortality of Ada$, 7ut not Ada$Gs "uilt. *en are "uilty only insofar as they choose to i$itate Ada$. *ost Western Christians hold that nothin" a $an does in his fallen and unredee$ed state can 7e pleasin" to .od since all actions are tainted 7y ori"inal "uilt. he An"lican Church teaches that :or+s 7efore Fustification have the nature of sin and cannot 7e pleasin" to .od, and li+e:ise the 9atin Church spea+s of C#stificatio prima and C#stificatio sec#nda, and the i$possi7ility of $anGs actions 7ein" pleasin" to .od 7efore !aptis$ and Fustification. All 5rthodo6 :ould 7e very hesitant to thin+ in these ter$s, for 5rthodo6yGs vie: of fallen $an+ind is no:here near as harsh and conde$natory as the Au"ustinian or Calvinist vie:. Also, 5rthodo6y has never tau"ht that un7apti#ed infants, 7ecause of their taint of ori"inal "uilt, are conde$ned to hall %a vie: advocated 7y Au"ustine and $any others in the West&, nor has 5rthodo6y ever $aintained that they "o to limbo. Accordin" to Ao$an Catholic theolo"y, li$7o, fro$ limb#s infant#m or p#er#m, is a place :here 7a7ies are consi"ned :ho died :ithout actual sin %personal sin&, 7ut :ho did not have their ori"inal sin :ashed a:ay in !aptis$. he :ord limb#s first appeared in ho$as ACuinasG ,#mma Theologica, :hich declares that un7apti#ed infants are ;e6cluded fro$ the full 7lessedness of the 7eatific vision.< his teachin" :as declared de fide 7y the Second Council of 9yons %12/'& and confir$ed 7y the Council of 4lorence %1'32&, and the teachin" is "enerally accepted 7y Ao$an theolo"ians. St. .re"ory of >yssa :rote a treatise entitled Concerning (nfants ,natched Away remat#rely. (n it, this 4ather states that infants departed fro$ life neither find the$selves in a painful state nor 7eco$e eCual to those :ho have stru""led to 7e purified 7y every virtue. hey are in .odGs providence. St. .re"ory adds that any:ay, the Fourney to .od and participation in the uncreated li"ht constitute a natural state of the soul, and infants cannot 7e deprived of these thin"s. He concludes 7y notin" that 7y the po:er of divine "race, infants can attain deification. ,ven thou"h 5rthodo6y 7elieves that $an retained a free :ill after the fall and still :as capa7le of "ood :or+s, the ,ast :ould certainly find co$$on "round :ith the West in the 7elief that $anGs sin has set up a 7arrier 7et:een .od and $an, a 7arrier that $an can never 7rea+ do:n 7y his o:n efforts. Sin stood in the :ay of union :ith .od, and $an needed to 7e saved. !ecause $an could not dra: near to .od, .od ca$e to $an. As !ishop Ale6ander of !uenos Aires and South A$erica of the Aussian Church in ,6ile instructs in this re"ard: ;(nas$uch as people, havin" sinned out of thou"htlessness and havin" fallen a:ay fro$ .od, turned out to 7e too :ea+ to repulse the onslau"ht of the po:ers of dar+ness, the Son of .od :as o7li"ed to co$e into our :orld and to raise up a :ar a"ainst the$.< );. %hat word does the te'tbook use to define the act of 1od's 2ncarnation* he te6t7oo+ defines .odGs (ncarnation as an act of .odGs philanthropia. (t interprets this :ord as .odGs lovin"8+indness to:ards $an+ind. )<. %ould 1od have become incarnate even if man had not fallen* (t is the vie: of $any ,astern :riters J Saints *a6i$us the Confessor and (saac the Syrian, a$on" the$ J that even had $an never fallen, .od in His love for $an+ind :ould still have 7eco$e $an. he (ncarnation, then, is not seen si$ply as an ans:er to the fall, 7ut as part of the eternal purpose of .od.
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)>. 9ecause of the fall! the 2ncarnation of 1od the %ord became even more than an act of love. 2t also became an act of what* !ecause of the fall, the (ncarnation 7eca$e an act of salvation. !y unitin" $an and .od in His Berson, .od the Word reopened the :ay for $en to 7e ;at one< :ith .od. Christ de$onstrated in His Berson :hat the true li$eness of .od is, and 7y His savin" and redee$in" sacrifice, He put that li+eness 7ac+ :ithin the reach of $an. Christ, the >e: and 4inal Ada$, entered the :orld to reverse the effect of the first Ada$Gs diso7edience. )?. %rite out the 5uote of 6t. -heophan the .ecluse. +'plain this 5uote. St. heophan the Aecluse %O112'&, a Aussian 7ishop and an ascetic of the 5rthodo6 Church, :rote: ;!ehind the veil of ChristGs flesh, Christians 7ehold the riune .od.< (n these :ords the 7ishop is e$phasi#in" the divine glory of Christ, that in addition to His 7ein" 7orn in the hu$an flesh, Christ is eternally87orn of the Hn85ri"inate 4ather. he 5rthodo6 doctrine of Christ, as defined in Holy Scriptures and in the ,cu$enical Councils, is that He is true .od and true $an, one Berson in t:o natures, :ithout separation and confusion, a sin"le Berson, 7ut endo:ed :ith t:o :ills and t:o ener"ies. Christ is ;the i$a"e of the invisi7le .od< %Col 1:1)&. ;(n Hi$ d:elleth all the fullness of the .odhead 7odily< %Col 2:2&. hus the person :ho sees Christ sees .od the 4ather. Christ is ;true .od fro$ true .od,< the >icene Creed states, ;of one essence :ith the 4ather.< He is the ;reflection of the "lory of .od and the e6press i$a"e of His Berson< %He7 1:13&. As ChristGs 7eloved disciple :rote: ;(n the 7e"innin" :as the Word, and the Word :as :ith .od, and the Word :as .od< %Dn 1:1&. "$. At what two moments in Christ's life was His divine glory made especially manifest* he first "reat $anifestation of ChristGs divine "lory :as at the ransfi"uration, :hen the uncreated li"ht of ChristGs .odhead shone li+e the sun, and the Apostles Beter, Da$es and Dohn sa: that ;in Hi$ d:elleth all the fullness of the .odhead 7odily< %Col 2:2&. % he 7i7lical accounts do not $ention the na$e of the $ountain, 7ut St. Cyril of Derusale$ assu$es that it :as *ount a7or&. he second "reat $anifestation :as at the Aesurrection, :hen Christ s:allo:ed up death forever and rose triu$phant fro$ the dead. "). %rite out in full the two 5uotations given on page "#) of the te'tbook. hrou"h all the vicissitudes of her history, the .ree+ Church has 7een ena7led to preserve so$ethin" of the very spirit of the first a"e of Christianity. Her 9itur"y still enshrines that ele$ent of sheer Foy in the Aesurrection of the 9ord that :e find in so $any of the early Christian :ritin"s. %B. Ha$$ond, The Waters of %arah&. he the$e of the Aesurrection of Christ 7inds to"ether all theolo"ical concepts and realities of ,astern Christianity and unites the$ in a har$onious :hole. %0. Aousseau, ;(ncarnation et anthropologie en orient et en !ccident'D fro$ (reni$on' vol. 2-&. "". %rite out the three hymns given on page "#" of the te'tbook! and e'plain the point that the te'tbook is trying to make with each of them. He Who clothes Hi$self :ith li"ht as :ith a "ar$ent, Stood na+ed at the Fud"$ent. 5n His chee+ He received the 7lo:s 4ro$ the hands :hich He had for$ed. 1-'
he la:less $ultitude nailed to the Cross he 9ord of .lory. oday is han"ed upon the tree He Who han"ed the earth in the $idst of the :aters. A cro:n of thorns cro:ns Hi$ Who is the Kin" of the an"els. He is :rapped a7out :ith the purple of $oc+ery Who :raps the heavens in the clouds. We :orship hy Bassion, 5 Christ: Sho: us also hy "lorious AesurrectionW ( $a"nify hy sufferin"s, ( praise hy 7urial and hy Aesurrection, Shoutin", 9ord, "lory to heeW (t is readily apparent to any outside o7server that the Foyful spirit of the Aesurrection pervades the entire life of the 5rthodo6 Church. !ecause of 5rthodo6yGs devotion to the divine "lory of the 9ord, ho:ever, it cannot 7e assu$ed that the Church overloo+s ChristGs hu$anity or $ini$i#es the i$portance of the Cross. A co$$on and incorrect assertion is that the ,ast concentrates on the Aisen Christ, :hile the West concentrates on Christ Crucified. he te6t7oo+ e6plains that throu"h these three .reat 4riday hy$ns, the ,ast and West si$ply loo+ at the Crucifi6ion in different :ays. he first hy$n sho:s that 5rthodo6y does not thin+ of the 9ordGs hu$an a"ony and distress si$ply 7y itself, 7ut rather in ter$s of the contrast 7et:een ChristGs out:ard hu$iliation and His hidden, in:ard $aFesty. he second hy$n sees in the (nnocent Sufferer not only the s#ffering h#manity of Christ' 7ut a s#ffering God on the Cross. (n the third hy$n, the te6t7oo+ is sho:in" that 7ehind ChristGs 7leedin" and 7ro+en flesh, 5rthodo6y still discerns the riune .od. 5rthodo6y sees that the Crucifi6ion and Aesurrection are 7ut a sin"le action, and they are never separated. ,ven in the sadness of .reat 4riday, the Church conte$plates the Aesurrection of Christ. .ol"otha is a heophany %a divine $anifestation&. Calvary points to the e$pty to$7, and the Cross of Christ is a si"n of ChristGs co$plete victory. "#. %rite out the prayer from the first e'orcism before Holy 9aptism. From this prayer! can you e'plain why it is important to use the correct of the 0ord's /rayer (deliver us from the evil%one7* Also! which verse from the epistle to the Hebrews refers to the last line of this prayerE he te6t7oo+ "ives this prayer fro$ the first e6orcis$ 7efore Holy !aptis$: he 9ord ca$e into the :orld and d:elt a$on" $en, that He $i"ht destroy the tyranny of the devil and set $an free. 5n the tree He triu$phed over the po:ers :hich opposed Hi$, :hen the sun :as dar+ened and the earth :as sha+en, :hen the "raves :ere opened and the 7odies of the saints arose. !y death He destroyed death, and 7rou"ht to nau"ht hi$ :ho had the po:er of death. 1-)
he translation ;deliver us fro$ evil< in the 9ordGs Brayer is incorrect. Christ stated: ;0eliver us fro$ the evil(one.< he ;,vil8one< $eans crafty or cunnin" personality, and this na$e refers to the devil J the $ain source of all evil in the :orld. e$ptations $ay arise fro$ $any different sources: fro$ people, fro$ unfavora7le livin" conditions, 7ut, chiefly, fro$ our passions. 4or this reason :e $ee+ly confess our spiritual :ea+ness at the end of the prayer to our Heavenly 4ather, as+in" Hi$ to +eep us fro$ sin and to defend us fro$ the intri"ues of the prince of dar+ness J the devil. "4. &utline your understanding of the difference between the &rthodo' and non(&rthodo' understandings of Christ's Crucifi'ion. hose 7rou"ht up in the tradition of the $edieval and post8$edieval West vie: ChristGs Crucifi6ion in isolation fro$ the Aesurrection and so co$e to stress ChristGs sufferin" hu$anity at the e6pense of the i$a"e of Christ as a sufferin" .od. he West d:ells on the *an of Sorro:s and sees Christ as the 3icti$, :hereas the ,ast sees Hi$ as the 3ictor. *oreover, Western Christians have 7een inclined to vie: the Crucifi6ion as an act of satisfaction or su7stitution $eant to appease the :rath of the 4ather, thus $a+in" it ta+e on penal or Furidical aspects. 5rthodo6y, on the other hand, sees the Crucifi6ion as ChristGs triu$phant victory over the po:ers of evil, and it sees the Cross as an e$7le$ of that victory. St. Dohn Chrysosto$ said: ;( call Hi$ Kin", 7ecause ( see Hi$ crucified.< hat is to say, 5rthodo6y sees Christ as the victorious Kin" not in spite of the Crucifi6ion, 7ut 7ecause of it. "3. Christ's work of redemption cannot be considered apart from what* ChristGs :or+ of rede$ption cannot 7e considered apart fro$ the Holy SpiritGs :or+ of sanctification. ";. %rite out 6t. 6eraphim of 6arov's description of the whole purpose of the Christian life. St. Seraphi$ of Sarov %O1133&, one of the $ost revered of Aussian saints, e6plained that: Brayer, fastin", vi"ils and all other Christian practices, ho:ever "ood they $ay 7e in the$selves, certainly do not constitute the ai$ of our Christian life: they are 7ut the indispensa7le $eans of attainin" that ai$. 4or the true ai$ of the Christian life is the acCuisition of the Holy Spirit of .od. As for fasts, vi"ils, prayer and al$s"ivin", and other "ood :or+s done in the na$e of Christ, they are only the $eans of acCuirin" the Holy Spirit of .od. Concernin" this e6planation, in his e6tensive research on ancient African 5rthodo6 Christianity, 4r. Baisius Altschul sho:s that the path of influence of ,"yptian $onasticis$ has 7een traced fro$ the ,"yptian he7aid to the farthest corners of the Christian :orld. (n Aussia, as else:here, he notes, ascetic recluses patterned their spiritual stru""le on the $onastic principles that had 7een developed in the ,"yptian desert. As for St. Seraphi$, althou"h he :as separated 7y fifteen hundred years fro$ the 0esert 4athers, the spirituality :as the sa$e. 4r. Baisius also notes that the saint did not clai$ that his teachin" :as anythin" ne: or uniCue, 7ut only that it had 7een lost. He further e6plains that St. Seraphi$Gs ideas are to 7e seen in the ho$ilies of St. *acarius the .reat of ,"ypt. !oth saints often use the sa$e :ords, i$a"es and para7les, and 7oth descri7e the need to acCuire the Holy Spirit. 9i+e:ise, 7oth e6plain the .ospel para7le of the ten vir"ins 1--
in the sa$e :ay, statin" that the oil needed for the la$ps is the "race of the Holy Spirit, and statin" that the acCuisition of the Holy Spirit is the oil that the vir"ins lac+ed. he si$ilarities 7et:een the t:o are stri+in". 4r. Baisius concludes that the point is not :hether St. Seraphi$ +ne: the ho$ilies of St. *acarius the .reat, 7ut that 7oth saints :ere parta+ers of the sa$e tradition and :ere i$7ued :ith the sa$e Holy Spirit. "<. According to Gladimir 0ossky! what is summed up in these words of 6t. 6eraphim* 3ladi$ir 9oss+y, an 5rthodo6 theolo"ical :riter, states that the saintGs :ords su$ up the :hole spiritual tradition of the 5rthodo6 Church. ">. 6ummarize your understanding of the work of the Holy 6pirit in the Church. he 9ife8"ivin" Holy Spirit is the third Berson of the Holy and 9ife8creatin" rinity, and He is co$pletely one :ith the 4ather and the Son. Concernin" ChristGs :or+ of rede$ption and the Holy SpiritGs :or+ of sanctification, they are very $uch interconnected. As St. Athanasius tau"ht in this re"ard, ; he Word too+ flesh that :e $i"ht receive the Holy Spirit.< *oreover, 7ecause the Church is the !ody of Christ, it is also the te$ple and d:ellin"8place of the Holy Spirit. St. (renaeus instructed that ;:here the Church is, there is the Holy Spirit, and :here the Spirit is, there is the Church.< he Holy Spirit ca$e to the Christian Church at Bentecost %Acts 2: 3& as the final fulfill$ent of ChristGs earthly $ission, and as the co$pletion of the 5ld esta$ent prophecy that in the ti$e of the *essiah8Kin", the Spirit of .od :ould 7e ;poured out on all flesh< %Doel 2:21, Acts 1:1'&. With His descent, the Apostles :ere "iven the "ift of inspired preachin" and the "ift of preachin" in various lan"ua"es previously un+no:n to the$. Ae"ardin" this event, :hich is cele7rated every year on the feast of Bentecost, it is e6plained that: he Holy Spirit descended in the for$ of ton"ues of fire to sho: that He is not separate fro$ the livin" Word and also to e$po:er the Holy Apostles :ith the use of :ords, for they :ere to teach the $ultitudes and 7rin" the$ to Christ. He descended, then, in the for$ of fire to sho:, on the one hand, that .od is a consu$in" fire, :hile on the other hand, the need of purification, and His "race rested upon the$ in ton"ues. (n for$er ti$es those :ho :ere of one lan"ua"e :ere confused and divided into a $ultitude of ton"ues, 7ut no: those :ho +ne: only one lan"ua"e received a $ultitude of ton"ues so that they could "ather those of different lan"ua"es :ho :ere scattered to the far reaches of the :orld. his all happened on a day of festival so that there :ould 7e a lar"er nu$7er "athered to"ether, and so that throu"h the$ the ne:s :ould 7e spread far and :ide. Also, so that those :ho had 7een present at the ti$e of Bascha and :ho had seen all that had happened to Christ :ould have reason to 7e a$a#ed. his happened on the day of Bentecost 7ecause it :as fittin" that the "race of the Holy Spirit 7e poured out at the sa$e ti$e that the 5ld 9a: had 7een received, Fust as Christ :as the ne: and true Bascha in place of the old Bassover =,ynaxarion of the Lenten Triodion and entecostarion , p. 232@. (n addition to the descent upon the Apostles, there is a special $inistry of the Holy Spirit to those :ithin the Church. Ae"ardin" this $inistry and the $anifestation of .odGs "race in the ChurchGs Holy *ysteries, 3ladi$ir 9oss+y :rites:
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As =the Holy Spirit@ descended upon the disciples =at Bentecost@ in ton"ues of fire, so =He@ descends invisi7ly upon the ne:ly 7apti#ed in the Sacra$ent of Holy =Chris$ation@.... he Holy Spirit is operative in 7oth Sacra$ents. He recreates our nature 7y purifyin" it and unitin" it to the !ody of Christ. He also 7esto:s... divine "race upon hu$an persons. (t is on account of this inti$ate connection 7et:een the t:o Sacra$ents of !aptis$ and =Chris$ation@ that the uncreated and deifyin" "ift, :hich the descent of the Holy Spirit confers upon the $e$7ers of the Church, is freCuently referred to as 7aptis$al "race.... !aptis$al "race, the presence :ithin us of the Holy Spirit... is the foundation of all Christian life =%ystical Theology, pp. 1/08/1@. he Church lives 7y the Holy Spirit, Who insures the e6istence of .odGs +in"do$ on earth. he Holy Spirit "uides Christians to .odGs life, truth and love. As Christ told the Apostles, ;When the Spirit of ruth co$es, He :ill "uide you in all truthN for He :ill not spea+ of His o:n authority, 7ut :hatever He hears He :ill spea+, and He :ill declare to you the thin"s that are to co$e< %Dn 1-:13&. *oreover, throu"h the Holy Spirit, Christians are $ade children of .od. As the Apostle Baul instructs: ;All :ho are led 7y the Spirit are sons of .od. 4or you did not receive the spirit of slavery... 7ut you received the Spirit of sonship. When :e cry, A77aW 4atherW it is the Spirit Hi$self 7earin" :itness to our spirit that :e are children of .od< %Ao$ 1:1'81)&. he Holy Spirit also "ives Christians life. As St. Baul :rites: ;(f the Spirit of Hi$ Who raised Desus fro$ the dead d:ells in you, He Who raised Desus fro$ the dead :ill "ive life to your $ortal 7odies throu"h the Spirit Who d:ells in you< %Ao$ 1:11&. he Holy Spirit also appears and is reco"ni#ed 7y His actions in other :ays. 4ro$ sacred history, the action of the Holy Spirit is seen in the ancient "ifts of divinely inspired prophecyN in the superhu$an stren"th of the $artyrs, :ho :ere su7Fected to tor$ents for their Christian faithN in the preservation of the truths of Sacred radition fro$ distortionN and in the ChurchGs preservation of divine ruth. 4urther$ore, the Holy Spirit "ives Christians every "ift fro$ .od and divine help for those spiritually la7orin" to "ather :ithin the$selves spiritual fruits. A$on" these "ifts, St. Baul enu$erates the follo:in": :isdo$, +no:led"e, faith, healin", the :or+in" of $iracles, prophecy, the discernin" of spirits, and the "ift of ton"ues and their interpretation %1 Cor 12:'8 11&. ,lse:here, St. Baul sho:s that the Holy Spirit "ives the possi7ility of sharin" .odGs divine nature and life, and the a7ility to love one another. (n his epistle to the .alatians, St. Baul teaches: he fruit of the Spirit is love, Foy, peace, lon"sufferin", "entleness, "oodness, faith, $ee+ness, te$perance: a"ainst such there is no la:. And they that are ChristGs have crucified the flesh :ith the affections and lusts. (f :e live in the Spirit, let us also :al+ in the Spirit.... 4or he that so:eth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruptionN 7ut he that so:eth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlastin" %.al ):2282), -:1&. Hlti$ately, a co$plete listin" of the "ifts of the Holy Spirit is not possi7le. As St. Dohn the !aptist stated: ;.od "iveth not the Spirit 7y $easure unto hi$< %Dn 3:3'&N and as St. Baul stated: ;!ut the $anifestation of the Spirit is "iven to every $an to profit :ithal< %1 Cor 12:/&. Also, the "ifts of the Holy Spirit have de"rees, and in order to acCuire the$, repentance is necessary.
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; hen Beter said unto the$, Aepent, and 7e 7apti#ed every one of you in the na$e of Desus Christ for the re$ission of sins, and ye shall receive the "ifts of the Holy Spirit< %Acts 2:31&. he 5rthodo6 Church lays "reat stress upon the :or+ of the third Berson of the Holy rinity, the All8Holy Spirit. With its every sacra$ental action, and $ost nota7ly at the cli$a6 of the ,ucharis8tic Brayer, the Holy Spirit is sole$nly invo+ed. *oreover, introducin" the risa"ion is the follo:in" prayer, one :hich is also recited at al$ost every 5rthodo6 service, and :hich is recited 7y 5rthodo6 in their daily private prayers that 7e"in each day. hrou"h this prayer to the Holy Spirit, 5rthodo6 place the$selves under His protection: 5 Heavenly Kin", Co$forter, Spirit of ruth, Who art every :here present and fillest all thin"s, reasury of "ood thin"s and .iver of life: Co$e and d:ell in us, and cleanse us of all i$purity, and save our souls, 5 .ood 5ne. ($portantly, this prayer is an affir$ation of an additional $inistry of the Holy Spirit, one outside the purvie: of Cuestion 21. (n addition to the special $inistry of the Holy Spirit J that is, His work in the Church, there is a general $inistry as :ell, one towards all creation. (n this "eneral $inistry, the Holy Spirit fills all thin"s :ith the ener"ies of .od in His role as the divine a"ent of Hi$ 7y Who$ ;all thin"s consist< %Col 1:1/&. St. Athanasius of Ale6andria notes in this re"ard that the Son is said to 7e co :or+in" :ith the 4ather in creation and :ith the Spirit in consu$$ation, so the Spirit co8:or+s :ith the 4ather in creation and the Son in rede$ption. he Holy Spirit :or+s in all creation, in providence, and in the entire history of salvation, activities that are "eneral operations shared in 7y the three Bersons of the Holy rinity. As one :riter also notes, the Holy Spirit creates %.en 1:2, Bs 10': 30, Do7 33:'&N He redeems %(sa '':3,23&N and He offers gifts to creatures %.en 2:/, '1:31, ,6od 21:3, 31:3&. (t is also noted that the Holy Spirit illu$ines reason, ena7les political order, and restrains the capacity for hu$anity to destroy itself. Additional ;"eneral operations< of the Holy Spirit that are shared :ith the 4ather and Son include %7ut are not li$ited to& the offerin" of life, supportin" ne:ly "iven life, and nurturin" and stren"thenin" continuin" life J all life, :hether plant, ani$al or hu$an. "?. 1ive the definition of theosis. heosis is the process of deification or divini#ation, :here7y Christians 7eco$e ;partakers of the divine nature< %2 Beter 1:'&. St. 0ionysius the Aeropa"ite states in his :ritin"s that the spiritual life has three sta"es: purification, illu$ination, and perfection. his e6planation is li+e:ise "iven 7y all the Holy 4athers of the Church. *oreover, as *etropolitan Hierotheos of >afpa+tos "oes on to add, these sta"es are not to 7e conceived as :ater8ti"ht co$part$ents, 7ut as de"rees of participation in the "race of .od. he 5rthodo6 Church teaches that to 7eco$e a "od is the final "oal at :hich every Christian $ust ai$. St. !asil the .reat e6pressed this idea :hen he descri7ed $an as a creature :ho has received the order to 7eco$e a "od, and St. Seraphi$ of Sarov li+e:ise tau"ht of the necessity of theosis :hen he e6plained that the "oal of each Christian is the acCuisition of the Holy Spirit. Also, as a prior chapter noted, St. Athanasius stated that .od 7eca$e $an that $an $i"ht 7eco$e "od. (n spea+in" of theosis, it is necessary to refer 7ac+ to the distinction 7et:een the essence and energies of .od %vide chapter 1 ans:er '&. With this difference in $ind, 3ladi$ir 9oss+y e6plains that the union to :hich Christians are called is neither hypostatic %as in the case of the 1-2
hu$an nature of Christ&, nor is it su7stantial %as in that of the three divine Bersons&. (nstead, it is a union with 1od in His energies, or union by grace, $a+in" people a7le to participate in the divine nature, without their essence becoming thereby the essence of 1od =Cf. The %ystical Theology of the )astern Ch#rch' p. 1) ff@. 5rthodo6y understands that "race is the very ener"ies of .od Hi$self. hrou"h the $inistry of the Holy Spirit J a $inistry that involves 7oth "eneral and special activities J these ener"ies are $ediated to $an+ind. (n !rthodox America, a periodical of 5rthodo6 traditionalis$, the editor *ary *ansur e6plains that $an 7eca$e ill :hen the nous %:hat the Holy 4athers call the eye of the soul& 7eca$e dar+ened 7y sin. (t :as overco$e 7y reason and 7eca$e su7Fect to the passions, and the result :as the disruption of the :hole inner functionin" of the soul, she e6plains. As *etropolitan Hierotheos of >afpa+tos adds: *anGs 7asic pro7le$ is to learn to see his internal $alady, :hich is specifically the captivity and dar+ness of the nous.... (f :e i"nore our inner sic+ness, our spiritual life ends up in an e$pty $oralis$, in a superficiality =;4ro$ the !oo+shelf: he (llness and Cure of the Soul in the 5rthodo6 radition,< !rthodox America, vol. 11, no. -, 2000, p. 11@. And that is the point :here Western theolo"y is. he $etropolitan also states that :hen :e understand 5rthodo6y as a therapeutic $ethod, it 7eco$es clear that the: ... *ysteries and all the ascetic tradition of the Church are $eant to lead us :here Ada$ :as 7efore the fall J that is, to the illu$ination of the nous, and fro$ there to divini#ation, :hich is $anGs ori"inal destination =(bid@. 0eification %theosis& should 7e the "oal for all Christians. As the Cuotes fro$ Scriptures and the 4athers in this :or+ sho:, there is a solid 7i7lico8patristic 7asis for the tradition of this teachin". #$. %hat! in the te'tbook's words! lies behind the doctrine of theosis* he te6t7oo+ states that 7ehind the doctrine of theosis there lies the idea of $an $ade accordin" to the i$a"e and li+eness of .od in the Holy rinity. #). %rite out the verse of 6t. @ohn's 1ospel cited by the te'tbook to demonstrate the idea of theosis. Christ prayed at the *ystical Supper, ;*ay they all 7e one: as hou, 4ather, art in *e and ( in hee, so also $ay they 7e one in Hs< %Dn 1/:21&. #". How does 6t. =a'imus the Confessor describe the saints* St. *a6i$us the Confessor descri7es the saints as those :ho e6press the Holy rinity in the$selves. ##. %hat idea is e'pressed constantly in 6t. @ohn's 1ospel and in 6t. /aul's epistles* St. DohnGs .ospel and St. BaulGs epistles repeatedly e6press the idea of a personal and or"anic union 7et:een .od and $an, a union of .od d:ellin" in His people and His people d:ellin" in Hi$. St. Baul sa: the Christian life first and fore$ost as a life ;in Christ.<
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#4. %rite out the verse given from the Apostle /eter's second epistle which demonstrates the idea of theosis. hrou"h these pro$ises you $ay 7eco$e parta+ers of the divine nature %2 Beter 1:'&. #3. %hat stipulations does the te'tbook place on our understanding of union with 1od* Lour answer should have three parts. 4irst, 5rthodo6yGs teachin" on deification reFects all for$s of pantheis$. Hnion :ith .od in no :ise involves union :ith His divine essenceN it involves instead union :ith His divine energies. ;He :ho is deified throu"h "race acCuires all that .od has, :ithout also 7ein" identified :ith Hi$ in essence< %St. .re"ory Bala$as&. Secondly, $an al:ays retains his full personal inte"rity, no $atter ho: closely he 7eco$es united to .od. Althou"h the union 7et:een .od and $an is a true union, Creator and creature do not 7eco$e fused into a sin"le 7ein" in it. 5rthodo6 $ystical theolo"y reFects the notion of ,astern reli"ions that $an is entirely a7sor7ed into the deity. *an in his deified state is distinct fro$ .od %althou"h not separate fro$ Hi$&. Dust as the $ystery of the Holy rinity is a $ystery of unity in diversity, so it is a$on" those :ho e6press the rinity in the$selves: they still +eep their personal characteristics. When St. *a6i$us the Confessor :rote that ;.od and those :ho are :orthy of .od have one and the sa$e ener"y< =fro$ Ambig#a@, he :as not sayin" that the saints lose their free :ill, 7ut that :hen deified, they voluntarily and lovin"ly 7rin" their o:n :ill into co$pliance :ith .odGs :ill. 9astly, $anGs 7eco$in" a "od does not put an end to his 7ein" hu$an. ;We re$ain creatures :hile 7eco$in" "od 7y "race, as Christ re$ained .od :hen 7eco$in" *an 7y the (ncarnation,< so 3ladi$ir 9oss+y e6plains. *an can never 7eco$e .od 7y nature, 7ut 7eco$es $erely a created god, a "od 7y "race or status. o 7eco$e a parta+er of the divine nature throu"h theosis, so$ethin" fro$ .od, is not to 7e confused :ith its satanic counterfeit offered in the >e: A"e $ove$ent. At a ti$e :ith the po:ers of dar+ness are pushin" for:ard to:ard the ne: :orld order and "lo7al rule, the sa$e ele$ent has devised the >e: A"e $ove$ent and has presented its reli"ious ideas as so$ethin" conceived 7y the $ost illu$ined $inds, the only e6it out of the current "lo7al crises, the last hope for salvation, and the "reatest "ood for achievin" $utual tolerance and love. Since the lie of the serpent ye shall be as gods is repeated in this $ove$ent, and since only Christ "ives people that :hich the serpent could only te$pt $an+ind :ith, the follo:in" e6planation is "iven of this $ove$ent: he >e: A"e $ove$ent is a con"lo$erate of pa"an practices :ith a $i6in" of ancient $ysteries, Hindu $ysticis$, hu$anis$, occultis$ and 9uciferis$. he $ain concept of the >e: A"e $ove$ent, the idea :hich per$eates and connects all of the various aspects of this ne: reli"ion, their co$$on deno$inator, is the concept of a hi"her force, a "od of forces, in :hich every enli"htened person has a part. (t is, further, an understandin" of the ;"odness< of $anGs essence and oneGs a7ility to tap into this "odhood8of8self 7y $eans of prescri7ed and verified techniCues. Hsin" the :ords of one pro$inent >e: A"e proselyti#er, actress Shirley *ac9aine: ;*an has e6isted fro$ the 7e"innin" of ti$e and space.... *an :as the co8creator :ith .od of the cos$os.... he tra"edy of the hu$an race :as that :e had for"otten that :e :ere each divine.... ?ou $ust never :orship anyone or anythin" other than self. 4or you are .od. o love self is to love .od.... ( +no:
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that ( e6ist, therefore ( a$. ( +no: that the .od source e6ists, therefore it is. Since ( a$ part of that force, then ( a$ that ( a$.< Are *ac9aineGs :ords not a repeat of the serpentGs lie :ith :hich he te$pted the first people 7y sayin", ;?e shall 7e as "ods< %.en 3:)&E (s this not the very sa$e lie :hich 7rou"ht a7out $anGs fall :hen he accepted it, :hich 7rou"ht a7out his eviction fro$ Baradise and 7rou"ht a7out his deathE (s not $anGs acceptance of this lie the reason :hy Christ needed to co$e to earth and ta+e upon Hi$self sufferin" for our rede$ptionE .oin" 7ac+ even further in ti$e, is this not a repeat of the re7ellion a"ainst .od 7y 9ucifer, :ho :as so overco$e :ith pride that he atte$pted to place his throne in place of .odGs throneE Accordin" to a recent poll, t:o thirds of A$ericans 7elieve in so$e aspect of >e: A"e teachin"s. hese ideas have per$eated all spheres of society and education. Ho:ever, this is not sufficient for those co$in" into po:er. hey need to chan"e the consciousness of $an+ind in its foundation. herefore, they have started :ith the $ost availa7le, the $ost naive and suscepti7le "roup. he last and $ost fri"htenin" phase of this onslau"ht has 7e"unN it is a phase in :hich the re$nants of Christian thin+in" :ill receive their final 7lo:. he arena has 7een transferred to the souls of children =; he >e: A"e and Children,< !rthodox Life, vol. '2, no. -, 1222, p. 20@. he anony$ous :riter of these lines "oes on to e6plain that today, 3 is a tool of socio8reli"ious indoctrination throu"h :hich concepts of "ood and evil are presented in totally inverted $anner a"ainst a 7ac+drop of $a"ic, the supernatural and the de$onic. He also sho:s ho: >e: A"e indoctrination "oes on in pu7lic schools, (n vie: of this onslau"ht of propa"anda, it is all the $ore ur"ent to understand :hat true union :ith .od is, and :hat its >e: A"e counterfeit is a7out. #;. 8oes theosis (deification or divinization7 refer only to man's soul! or does it also have relation to the body* heosis involves the 7ody as :ell as the soul. #<. %rite out the short 5uotation from 6t. =a'imus the Confessor given on page "#< of the te'tbook! and give the e'planation which precedes it. St. *a6i$us the Confessor :rote: ;*anGs 7ody is deified at the sa$e ti$e as his soul.< he te6t7oo+ e6plains that 7ecause $an is a union of soul and 7ody, and 7ecause the (ncarnate Christ has saved the :hole $an, then it follo:s that $an is to 7e deified in 7oth 7ody and soul. #>. %rite out the two scriptural 5uotes given on page "#>! and e'plain what point the te'tbook is seeking to make with these two 5uotations. ?our 7ody is a te$ple of the Holy Spirit %1 Cor -:12&. herefore, $y 7rothers, ( 7eseech you 7y .odGs $ercy to offer your 7odies as a livin" sacrifice to .od %Ao$ 12:1&. (t is so$eti$es thou"ht that the 7ody is uni$portant. his idea is a carryover fro$ pre8 Christian .ree+ ideas, and the first Cuote is to sho: that this idea is false. 5rthodo6 asceticis$ does not re"ard the 7ody as evil, nor does it see+ to free the soul fro$ it. Accordin" to the 5rthodo6 teachin", it is not the 7ody that is evil, 7ut a carnal $ind is evil. he 7ody is 1/2
transfor$ed 7y the "race of .od. he 7ody is sanctified in !aptis$, it is sanctified 7y the reception of the Holy ,ucharist, and, as the first Cuote sho:s, it is a te$ple and d:ellin"8place of the Holy Spirit. hey 7ody %as :ell as the soul& 7elon"s to .od. !ecause of the sanctification of the 7ody, 5rthodo6 Christians have an i$$ense reverence for the relics of saints. hey understand that the "race of .od that :as present in the saintsG 7odies durin" life re$ains active in their relics after their repose, and that .od uses these relics as a channel of divine po:er and as a $eans of healin". Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y e6plains in this re"ard that the honor sho:n to relics has a fir$ foundation in the fact that .od Hi$self has dei"ned to honor and "lorify the$ 7y innu$era7le si"ns and $iracles J so$ethin" for :hich there is testi$ony throu"hout the :hole course of the ChurchGs history. As another :riter e6plains, :hen 5rthodo6 Christians venerate relics, they venerate not the $atter itself, 7ut the livin" and life8creatin" po:er of the Holy Spirit, :hich $a+es the$ not only incorrupt, 7ut also healin". 4ro$ Sacred Scripture, it is +no:n that fro$ the touch of the 7ones of the Brophet ,lisseus a dead $an resurrected %' Kin"s =2 Kin"s, KD3@ 13:21&N a :o$an :ith an issue of 7lood received healin" fro$ touchin" the he$ of the SaviourMs "ar$ent %*t 2:20822&N and the sic+ and possessed :ere healed 7y layin" on the$ the Apostle BaulGs hand+erchiefs and aprons %Acts 12:12&. he sa$e divine po:er that :as inherent in the 7ones of the Brophet ,lisseus, the "ar$ents of the Saviour, and the hand+erchiefs of the Apostle Baul, also "rants incorruption and $iracle8:or+in" po:er to the 7odies of the saints to stren"then the faith of Christians. here8foe, as to the attac+s that rele"ate 5rthodo6yGs reverence of relics to the real$ of superstition and "ross i"norance, these attac+s are un:arranted. 4r. *ichael Bo$a#ans+y e6plains that the 7odies of Christians :ho have lived a ri"hteous life or have 7eco$e holy throu"h receivin" a $artyrGs death, are :orthy of special veneration and honor. 4ollo:in" Sacred radition, the 5rthodo6 Church has al:ays sho:n honor to holy relics %in .ree+, ta leipsana, in 9atin, reli*#iae, 7oth $eanin" that :hat is leftN in 5ld Slavonic, moshchi&. 4r. *ichael states that the honor "iven to relics has 7een e6pressed a& in the reverent collection and preservation of the re$ains of the saints of .od, as is +no:n fro$ accounts even of the second century, and then fro$ the testi$onies of later ti$esN 7& in the sole$n uncoverin" and translation of holy relicsN c& in the 7uildin" over the$ of churches and altarsN d& in the esta7lish$ent of feasts in $e$ory of their uncoverin" or translationN e& in pil"ri$a"es to holy to$7s, and in adornin" the$N f& in the constant rule of the Church to place relics of holy $artyrs at the dedication of altars, or to place holy relics in the holy anti$ension upon :hich is perfor$ed the 0ivine 9itur"y. 4r. *ichael concludes his e6planation 7y statin" that in reverin" holy relics, Christians do not 7elieve in the po:er or $i"ht of the re$ains of the saints the$selves. (nstead, they 7elieve in the prayerful intercession of those saints :hose holy relics are 7efore the$. hese relics arouse in their hearts a feelin" of the nearness to the$ of the saints of .od the$selves, :ho once :ore these 7odies. Archi$andrite Bantelei$on of Dordanville also :rites a7out relics. He notes that 7y the :ill of .od, the 7odies of so$e saints re$ain incorrupti7le for $any years. his incorruption is a visi7le :itness of the holiness of the saints, a visi7le si"n of .odGs 7lessin" residin" in their very 7odies. 4r. Bantelei$on notes that in the$, the :ords of 0avid have co$e true J not only in relation to the Saviour, 7ut in relation to His faithful servants as :ell: ;4or hou =9ord@ :ilt not suffer hine Holy 5ne to see corruption< %Bs 1):10&. 4r. Bantelei$on cites various 4athers :ho e6pound on the incorruption and $iraculous po:er of relics. St. ,phrai$ the Syrian, for e6a$ple, states that: 1/3
,ven after death, saints act as they did :hen livin", healin" the sic+, e6pellin" de$ons, and 7y the po:er of the 9ord repellin" every evil action of their tortuous real$. 4or the $iracle8:or+in" 7lessin" of the Holy Spirit is al:ays inherent in holy relics =Puoted in Archi$andrite Bantelei$on, A Ray of Light- (nstr#ctions in iety and the ,tate of the World at the )nd of Time, p. 20@. 9i+e:ise, :ith these :ords St. Dohn Chrysosto$ invited all to approach the relics of St. ("natius the .od8!earer, the second 7ishop of Antioch and $artyr: (f you are sorro:ful, ill, :ron"ed, in so$e other trou7le, or in the depths of sin, run to hi$ :ith faith: you :ill receive aid and depart :ith "reat happiness, sensin" an easin" of your conscience.... his treasure is needful for all: for the unfortunate, since it frees the$ fro$ cala$ities, and for the fortunate, for it confir$s their fortune, and for the ailin", for it returns :ell87ein" to the$, and for the healthy, for it turns a:ay disease =(bid@. he second scriptural Cuote a7ove deals :ith the necessity of the deification of the 7ody. Since $an is a unity of 7ody and soul, and since he cannot sin :ith the 7ody and +eep the soul undefiled, St. Baul e6horts Christians to 7e holy in 7ody. hrou"h this Cuote, the te6t7oo+ is sho:in" that deification $ost assuredly involves the 7ody as :ell as it does the soul. #?. &utline ten important points in understanding the doctrine of theosis. %1& he first fruits of visi7le 7odily "lorification have on occasion co$e to the saints even in this life. he te6t7oo+ $entions so$e saints :ho have shone :ith the divine li"ht in their earthly lives J St. Seraphi$ of Sarov, St. Arsenius the .reat and A77a Ba$7o. St. .re"ory Bala$as states that ;if in the a"e to co$e the 7ody :ill share :ith the soul in unspea+a7le 7lessin"s, it is certain that it $ust share in the$, so far as possi7le, even no:< = The Tome of the 2oly %o#ntain@. %2& he "lory of the saints in the earthly life, ho:ever, is $ost often one of an in:ard splendor, one of the soul alone. he full deification of the 7ody :ill not 7e actuali#ed until the 9ast 0ay, :hen the saints rise fro$ the dead and 7eco$e clothed in a spiritual 7ody. hen the sanctity for$erly hidden in their souls :ill 7e $anifested 7odily, and the saintsG 7odies :ill 7e out:ardly transfi"ured 7y the divine li"ht that the Apostles :itnessed at ChristGs ransfi"uration. %3& Since theosis involves the sanctification and transfi"uration of the 7ody alon" :ith the soul, 5rthodo6y reveres the relics of saints. his reverence does not sprin" fro$ superstition or i"norance, 7ut co$es fro$ a hi"hly developed theolo"y of the 7ody. he relics of the saints contain the sa$e divine "race that :as present :hen the saints :ere alive, and these are used 7y .od as a channel of divine po:er and as a $eans of healin", as :as noted a7ove. he sa$e reverence is sho:n to the 7ones of the saints as is to the 7odies of those :ho have re$ained free fro$ corruption. %'& heosis involves a cos$ic rede$ption. (n addition to $anGs 7ody, all of the $aterial creation is eventually "oin" to 7e transfi"ured. As St. Dohn the heolo"ian :rites: ; hen ( sa: a ne: heaven and a new earthN for the first heaven and the first earth had passed a:ay<%Aev 21:1&. Aedee$ed $an :ill not 7e ta+en a:ay fro$ creation, for it is to 7e saved and "lorified :ith hi$. %Here the te6t7oo+ dra:s attention to a point $ade in a for$er lesson: icons are the first fruits of the rede$ption of $atter&. Scriptures $ention that: ;... the created universe :aits :ith ea"er 1/'
e6pectation for .odGs sons to 7e revealed... for the universe itself :ill 7e set free fro$ its 7onda"e to corruption and :ill enter into the li7erty and splendor of the children of .od. We +no: that until no: the :hole created universe has 7een "roanin" in the pan"s of child7irth< %Ao$ 1:12822&. he 7elief in the rede$ption of the universe, Fust li+e the 5rthodo6 doctrine of icons and the doctrine of the hu$an 7ody, ste$s fro$ a correct understandin" of the (ncarnation: Christ too+ flesh %so$ethin" $aterial& and thus $ade possi7le the rede$ption and $eta$orphosis of all creation J not only the spiritual :orld, 7ut the $aterial :orld as :ell. >ote:orthy in this re"ard is Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+yGs e6planation that: he end of the :orld :ill consist not in its total destruction and annihilation, 7ut in a co$plete chan"e and rene:al of it. he 4ifth ,cu$enical Council, in refutin" the various false teachin"s of the 5ri"enists, sole$nly conde$ned also their false teachin" that the $aterial :orld :ould not $erely 7e transfor$ed, 7ut :ould 7e totally annihilated =!rthodox "ogmatic Theology, p. 3')@. %)& heosis is not a re$ote process reserved for a select fe:, 7ut is rather the nor$al "oal for each individual Christian :ithout e6ception. his process $ust 7e"in for all of the$ in this present life, even thou"h they :ill only 7e fully deified on the 9ast 0ay. .ranted, very fe: in this life attain a full $ystical union :ith .od, 7ut every true Christian :ho tries to love .od and +eep His co$$and$ents %ho:ever :ea+ his atte$pts and ho:ever often he fails& J such a person is already deified to so$e de"ree. %-& A person 7ein" deified does not lose consciousness of sin, for theosis involves a continued act of repentance. Ho:ever advanced a saint is on the path of holiness, he still repeats, ;9ord, Desus Christ, Son of .od, have mercy #pon me' a sinner.< %Concernin" this prayer, the Desus Brayer, :hich is $entioned in one of the novels of D.0. Salin"er, it has the $ysterious property and po:er of e6pellin" de$ons fro$ a person. his property :as discussed 7y the 9ord Hi$self, Who said that those :ho 7elieve in Hi$ in His na$e :ill cast out de$ons J cf. *+ 1-:1/&. he saints "re: all the $ore conscious and sorro:ful of their sins as they pro"ressed in union :ith .od. he te6t7oo+ e6plains that ;5rthodo6 $ystical theolo"y is a theolo"y of "lory and transfi"uration, 7ut it is also a theolo"y of penitence.< %/& he $ethod to follo: in order to 7e deified does not involve anythin" e6traordinary or esoteric. (t involves attendance at church, the reception of the Holy *ysteries %Sacra$ents& on a re"ular 7asis, prayin" to .od ;in spirit and truth,< the readin" of the .ospels, and the follo:in" of the co$$and$ents. %1& 0eification is a social process rather than a solitary, selfish one. As noted, deification involves +eepin" the co$$and$ents, and these are su$$ed up 7y Christ as the love of .od and the love of nei"h7or. he t:o cannot 7e separated, for a $an is a7le to love his nei"h7or only if he loves .od a7ove all else, and ... he :ho does not love his 7rother :ho$ he has seen, cannot love .od Who$ he has not seen. And this co$$and$ent :e have fro$ Hi$, that he :ho loves .od should love his 7rother also %1 Dn ':20821&. 9i+e:ise did St. Anthony of ,"ypt instruct: ;4ro$ our nei"h7or is life and fro$ our nei"h7or is death. (f :e :in our nei"h7or :e :in .od, 7ut if :e cause our nei"h7or to stu$7le :e sin a"ainst Christ.< he te6t7oo+ e6plains that $an, :ho is $ade in the i$a"e and li+eness of .od, can only reali#e the divine li+eness if he lives a co$$on life such as that of the Holy rinity. *an $ust 1/)
d:ell :ith his fello: $en Fust as the three Bersons of the .odhead d:ell in one another. hat is, $an $ust not live for hi$self alone, 7ut he $ust live in and for other people. his +ind of co8 sufferin" love is sho:n in the :ords of a 0esert 4ather :ho said: ;(f it :ere possi7le for $e to find a leper and to "ive hi$ $y 7ody and to ta+e his, ( :ould "ladly do it< =Apophthegmata@. %2& 0eification, even thou"h it involves hei"hts of $ystical e6perience, is also practical, do:n8to8earth, and even prosaic. >ot only does it involve hesychasts prayin" in silence and saints radiant :ith the divine li"ht, 7ut it also involves the co$$onplace tas+s :ith :hich St. Her$an of Alas+a 7usied hi$self. Accounts of his life $ention his carryin" heavy ti$7ers to 7uild the $ission at Spruce (slandN his di""in" a trench to contain a :ildfire that threatened the native (ndiansG ha7itatN his painsta+in" nursin" of those :ho :ere stric+en :ith a s$allpo6 epide$icN his teachin" the locals the arts of a"riculture, carpentry an other useful craftsN and his hard la7ors in feedin" and clothin" orphans and 7uyin" 7oo+s for his students. he $ystical and practical e6periences are not t:o separate :ays, 7ut are one and the sa$e :ay. 5rthodo6y reFects all for$s of Cuietis$ and all for$s of love that do not issue in action. %10& 0eification involves life in the Church and the reception of the Holy *ysteries, for throu"h the$ Christians parta+e of the uncreated "race of .od. he *ysteries are the $eans esta7lished 7y .od :here7y people acCuire the Holy Spirit and are transfor$ed into the divine li+eness. As the >e:8*artyr i+hon, Batriarch of All Aussia, :rote, it is throu"h the Holy *ysteries that a Christian is cleansed of sin and 7eco$es a 7eloved child of the 9ord. 4$. 8oes theosis take place for the soul in this life as part of one's salvation so that the soul of the believer is already deified before it leaves the body* &r does theosis take place only after the 0ast @udgment* heosis $ust ta+e place for the soul in this life. As $entioned a7ove, fe: attain a full $ystical union :ith .od in this life, and people :ill only 7e fully deified on the 9ast 0ay. >evertheless, deification $ust 7e"in here and no: as part of a personGs salvation. 4). %hat is the only real difference in the realization of theosis between the body and soul* (n the present life, the saints have an in:ard splendor, one of the soul alone. he sa$e "lory that is hidden in their souls durin" their earthly lives :ill $anifest itself in the ne6t life in an out:ard :ay. 5n the 0ay of Aesurrection, the "lory of the Holy Spirit :ill co$e out fro$ :ithin and :ill cover the 7odies of the saints so that their 7odies :ill 7e out:ardly transfi"ured 7y the divine li"ht. hus, althou"h deification involves 7oth soul and 7ody, 7odily deification :ill not 7eco$e apparent until the ne6t life. 4". %hat 5uestions were raised in your mind by this chapter and then left unanswered* he Apostle Baul :rote that ;the :hole creation "roaneth and travaileth in pain to"ether until no:< %Ao$ 1:22&. hat is, 7ecause of the fall of the pro"enitors of the hu$an race, the universe :as turned into a cos$ic ce$etery. >ature does not have a $oral :ill, and thus it did not fall 7y itself 7ut :as s:ept alon" to decay 7y Ada$ and ,ve. heir sin had i$$ense conseCuences for nature. Since the :orld is "roanin" in tor$ent until it is saved 7y .od, and since all $e$7ers of the hu$an race and all creation share this tra"ic fate, Cuestions arose concernin" Ada$ and ,veGs trans"ression and ho: it affected not only $anGs e6istence on earth, 7ut also the e6istence of the plant and ani$al +in"do$s as :ell. *ore specifically, Cuestions concerned the presence on earth of 7acteria, viruses and patho"ens in "eneralN of sporo#oan parasites, 7lood proto#oans and every +ind of internal and 1/-
e6ternal parasite causin" sic+ness and $isery to hu$ans and ani$als. Was the evil unleashed in the fall such that the A>A and 0>A of livin" or"anis$s chan"ed to the e6tent that har$ful traits started to e$er"e in certain ones as they $ultipliedE Was $an+indGs first sin the cause of da$a"in" $utations that 7rou"ht a7out insect pests and vectors %$osCuitoes, flies, lice, coc+roaches, 7oll :eevils, ter$ites, locusts, :asps, yello: Fac+ets, hornets, fire ants, etc.&, and the cause of har$ful arachnids such as poisonous spiders, tic+s, $ites, chi""ers and scorpionsE (nvesti"ation into this $atter led to the inelucta7le conclusion that science has no data :hatsoever concernin" the pri$itive life of $an. ,ven a i$e $a"a#ine article ;Ho: *an !e"an< %*arch 1', 122'& contains an open ad$ission that paleontolo"y is a ;data8poor, i$a"ination8rich< field in :hich there are fe: certainties. he entire article, in fact, is saturated :ith #ncertainties such as perhaps' pres#mably' appears to be' seemingly' if, and such8li+e. he fa$ous 4rench anthropolo"ist Katrefa"e "ets to the truth of the $atter in his o7servation that: >either e6perience nor o7servation "ives us the sli"htest facts concernin" the very 7e"innin" of $an+ind. Strict science $ust therefore leave inviolate this pro7le$. He :ho ac+no:led"es his i"norance in the "iven case recedes less fro$ the truth than he :ho does not ac+no:led"e it and strives to press it on to others =Puoted in (van Andreyev, !rthodox Apologetic Theology, p. 131@. 0r. Andreyev states that the one o7liCue proof of the correctness of 7i7lical teachin" in this Cuestion are the $ost ancient traditions of diverse peoples a7out the pri$itive state of the race of $an. Co$parative study of these traditions, the sa$e professor :rites, forces us to conFecture their co$$on source J the actuality in the past of a ;"olden a"e< or Baradise. 0r. Andreyev e6plains that: 0i$ traditions a7out Baradise and its loss throu"h the fall are $et a$on" peoples of Assyria8!a7ylon, the Bersians, the Chinese, the (ndians, the ,"yptians, the ancient .ree+s, the Ao$ans, etc. (n other :ords, 7i7lical teachin" a7out the pri$itive state of $an is not alone. 3arious s of this teachin" are $et in traditions of people of Asia, ,urope, Africa, Australia and A$erica %in *e6ico, Bara"uay, and others&. What can e6plain this re$ar+a7le $utual accord in traditions of various peoples a7out the pri$itive state and fall of $anE he only e6planation can 7e the historical actuality of Baradise and its loss throu"h the fall =(bid@. 4urther investi"ation into this $atter 7rou"ht to li"ht the findin"s of a 7iophysicist, one 0r. 9ee Spetner. his scientistGs research sho:s that all useful "enetic infor$ation :as initially present in each or"anis$. He de$onstrates that chance $utations cannot produce "rand8scale evolution since these $utations result not in increased "enetic infor$ation, 7ut rather in a loss of infor$ation. His findin"s thus support the traditional vie: that the universe is devolving. 0r. Spetner "oes on to posit that the variations that do occur :ithin each +ind of or"anis$ are the result of ;tri""ers< or ;cues< :hich a ;7iolo"ical ,n"ineer< %that is, .od& 7uilt into or"anis$s to ena7le the$ to adapt to their environ$ent =Cf. Not by ChanceE ,hattering the %odern Theory of )vol#tion , 12//@. his postulate and all of this scientistGs research accord :ell :ith the idea that livin" or"anis$s under:ent inFurious chan"es as a conseCuence of $anGs fall. Another Cuestion concerned the e6planation of the cause and spread of evil and sufferin" that is found in pre8Christian .ree+ $ytholo"y. Accordin" to this account, evil appeared and 1//
e6tended across the face of the earth :hen a certain Bandora opened a 7o6 contrary to a co$$and that she :as not to do so. (s this story 7ased on the .enesis account of the curse that follo:ed Ada$ and ,veGs fallE (n all li+elihood it is, "iven the fact that $any different peoples and nations have preserved, in one de"ree or another, a $utually a"reea7le account of another 7i7lical narrative as :ell J that of the flood. As the findin"s of the ,n"lish scientist Arthur Hoo+ sho:, these nations include those of the 4ertile Crescent and adFacent areas J the .ree+s the$selves, a$on" the$, as :ell as the Bhry"ians, Chaldeans, Bhoenicians, !a7ylonians, Assyrians, Ar$enians and Bersians, and also $ore "eo"raphically isolated peoples J the (ndians and Chinese, and even the *e6icans. Also testifyin" to a :idespread tradition that the flood :as an even that "ripped all $an+ind are the co$pilations $ade 7y secular historians %A. Andree, H. Hsener and ... 4ra#er&. (n these, it is sho:n that accounts of a "reat delu"e are to 7e found in cultures all over the :orld, on all continents. (n the $aFority of flood stories, the delu"e results fro$ the sins of a fallen hu$anity, the old :orld is su7$er"ed under the :aters, only a fe: people and ani$als are saved, and a ne: :orld co$es into 7ein" =Cf. *ircea ,liade, A 2istory of Religio#s (deas, vol. 1, pp. -38-'@. A$on" the $ost interestin" flood stories are those of the Australian a7ori"inal people, :hich are filled :ith stri+in" parallels to the .enesis account. Aelated research sho:ed that idolatry developed after the fall and :as the product of $anGs fallen nature. he Holy 4athers state that the develop$ent of natural reli"ions occurred 7ecause the +no:led"e of .od :as still in peopleGs $e$ories. Ada$ :as "ranted a lon" life of 230 years so that tradition could 7e esta7lished J that is, so he could tell $any "enerations of people all that he had e6perienced. ,ven thou"h $ost of his and ,veGs pro"eny lived far a:ay fro$ .od as they 7e"an to scatter across the face of the earth, they $aintained a +no:led"e of .od, ho:ever li$ited, 7y :ord of $outh and $e$ory. Ho:ever, 7ecause of the sins that separate $en fro$ .od, their reason :as clouded, and in ti$e they 7e"an to for"et the invisi7le true .od, the Creator of the :orld. With fe:er and fe:er ri"hteous $en, there :as no one to teach people true faith in .od. Concurrent :ith this develop$ent, as people still retained a need inside to reach so$ethin" divine, $yths 7e"an a7out the creation of the :orld, a7out a universal flood, etc., as :ell as false faith, superstition. he 7oo+ of .enesis $entions t:o "roups of closely related peoples :ho had co$e to inha7it the earth J the sons of 1od and the daughters of men %.en -:28'&. he 4athers understand the sons of .od to 7e the offsprin" of Seth, the chosen race. hese ;Sethites< :ere a people :ho $aintained a +no:led"e of .od, al7eit an i$perfect +no:led"e. heir path :as one of strivin" to:ards personal reconciliation :ith .od and repentance 7efore Hi$ in the hope of so$eday receivin" for"iveness and the return of the condition :hich had 7een lost. (t is fro$ these sons of .od that faith in one .od :as passed on to A7raha$ and his descendants. !y the ti$e of *oses, the other peoples had lost this truth for so$e ti$e. ,ven a$on" the He7re:s, surrounded as they :ere 7y polytheistic nations, the truth of one .od :as 7eco$in" dar+ened, and it :as threatened to die out durin" the ,"yptian captivity. hese sons of 1od are also the giants $entioned in .enesis -:), accordin" to St. ,phrai$ the Syrian. !y giants, one does not need to understand enor$ous $en. Accordin" to St. ,phrai$, 7ecause these people :ere the descendants of 7lessed Seth and :ere d:ellin" in the land alon" the 7oundaries of the fence of Baradise, their produce :as a7undant and full of stren"th. So too :ere the 7odies of those :ho ate that produce stron", tall, full of stature and po:erful. (t is thou"ht that these sa$e "iants :ith their $i"hty deeds of stren"th %$anifested
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perhaps in :ars :ith the offsprin" of Cain& :ould have 7een the ori"in of the ;"ods< of later le"end in .reece and other lands. he Sethites :ere called the sons of .od 7ecause throu"h the$, Christ :as to 7e 7orn. hey :ere therefore to +eep the$selves pure and to preserve in the$selves virtue, and they :ere not supposed to $arry into the line of Cain. Ho:ever, $oved 7y carnal lust, they 7e"an to a7andon their o:n :ives for the dau"hters of Cain. Althou"h the Sethites :ere the chosen people, they eventually 7eca$e corrupt throu"h this practice of inter$arria"e and :ere destroyed, save >oah and his sons. Ae"ardin" this second "roup of people, the daughters of men, these :ere the offsprin" of Cain. hese ;Canaanites< %not to 7e confused :ith the Canaanites& :ere not the chosen people 7ut :ere for7idden people, the outcasts. As 4r. .re"ory >au$en+o points out, the path of the Sethites and the path of the Canaanites are t:o differin" reactions of $anGs reason to the fall into sin and the resultant 7anish$ent fro$ Baradise. After the 7anish$ent, the first people ca$e to +no: hard la7or in their stru""le :ith nature, and they 7e"an to +no: sufferin" fro$ disease and inFury, and finally they encountered death. Already, the first steps of $an outside Baradise :ere covered :ith the 7lood of fratricide, after :hich ca$e ne: cri$es, corruption, :ars, poly"a$y, etc. !ecause of these sufferin"s, the desire to re"ain the 7lessed e6istence of Baradise 7eca$e the all8enco$passin" "oal of the entire hu$an race, althou"h the $eans of atte$ptin" the practical attain$ent of this "oal :ere different. Hnli+e the Sethites, the Canaanites too+ the circuitous %indirect& route and atte$pted to recreate the actual paradisiacal 7lessed condition 7y earthly $eans. hat is, they atte$pted to set up their life on earth :ithout .od, follo:in" the e6a$ple of their ancestor Cain, :ho after $urderin" his 7rother A7el ;:ent out fro$ the 9ord.. =and@ 7uilt a city< %.en ':1-81/&, thus layin" the foundation of $aterial civili#ation. Alon" :ith the appearance of cities, e6ternal culture 7e"an to develop. rades appeared, and $achinery 7e"an its develop$ent, alon" :ith the sciences and art. All these thin"s, ho:ever, :ere only a coarse su7stitute for the free creativeness that Ada$ and ,ven had in Baradise. Concernin" the offsprin" of Cain, St. ,phrai$ states that they :ere s$all. he house of Cain, he e6plains, 7ecause the earth had 7een cursed so as not to "ive the$ its stren"th, produced s$all harvests, deprived of its stren"th, Fust as it is today that so$e seeds, fruits and "rasses "ive stren"th and so$e do not. !ecause these people :ere cursed and :ere d:ellin" in the land of curses, they :ould "ather and eat produce that lac+ed nutrition, and those :ho ate :ere :ithout stren"th, Fust li+e the food that they ate. his sa$e 4ather states that a preponderance of dau"hters :as 7orn to the offsprin" of Cain, indicatin" a dyin" out of CainGs descendants and their desire to $arry the sons of Seth so as to protect their race. With the offsprin" of Cain and :ith those of the other offsprin" of Ada$, there ca$e to 7e two parallel lines of humanity. hese lines :ere i$a"es, as it :ere, of the true followers of 1od and the apostates fro$ Hi$, or as !lessed Au"ustine of Hippo later descri7ed it, the City of .od and the City of *an. (t :as this second "roup of people, the descendants of Ada$ and ,ve throu"h Cain, :ho $i6ed the true faith :ith de$onic ideas, thus "ivin" 7irth to pa"an reli"ion. hus, on the 7asis of this history, it appears all the $ore certain that the $ythical story of Bandora is a $odified account of the 5ld esta$ent narrative of the fall, one in :hich the truth of the 7i7lical account is inter:oven :ith fiction 7y pa"an peoples. All the $ore so :ould this e6planation 7e valid, "iven the distinct pro7a7ility that the "iants $entioned in .enesis entered into pa"an reli"ion and $yth %includin" pa"an .ree+ $yth& as ;"ods.<
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Another Cuestion :as ho: $anGs pri$ordial fall affected $anGs relations :ith ani$als, and also ho: it affected the relation of ani$als a$on" the$selves. Holy Scripture sho:s that the conseCuences of $oral evil spread fro$ the fallen an"els to people, and to the ani$al :orld and the :hole of creation. Aesearch also sho:ed that ani$als did not prey upon one another in the 7e"innin", 7ut that the predatory condition is related to $anGs fall. hus in the t:o hi"hly acclai$ed paintin"s eaceable :ingdom, three anachronis$s are present: there are $ore than t:o people :ith the ani$als, the fierce ani$als sho: no interest in predation, and the ti$id ani$als sho: no fear of the fierce ones or the people. Actually, eaceable :ingdom could have e6isted only :hen there :ere no $ore than t:o people on the earth J that is, before the fall, 7efore the disruption of har$ony 7et:een hu$ans and ani$als, and 7et:een the ani$als the$selves, too+ place. (n Baradise, :hen Ada$ :as the +in" of all creation, all livin" creatures sa: the li"ht of .odGs i$a"e in Ada$Gs face, felt his holiness and sensed the fra"rance of sanctity. All of the$ ac+no:led"ed Ada$ as a +in", and all :illin"ly and naturally su7$itted to hi$. After the fall, ho:ever, after Ada$ diso7eyed .odGs co$$and, this ac+no:led"e$ent :as a7olished, and the unreasonin" ani$als refused to su7$it to $an, the cri$inal. Spea+in" of this ne: state of e6istence, a her$it of *ount Athos states: >icholas Ca7asilas analy#es this ne: condition vividly. *an, he says, is created in the i$a"e of .od. (n Ada$, the i$a"e of .od :as the clear $irror throu"h :hich the li"ht of .od reflects on nature. As lon" as the $irror re$ains un7ro+en, all nature :as lit up. Ho:ever, as soon as it :as 7ro+en and s$ashed, deep dar+ness fell on all creation. All nature, then, re7elled a"ainst $an and no: does not ac+no:led"e hi$, neither does it :ant to "ive hi$ its fruits. hus, $an is sustained :ith an"uish and la7or. he ani$als are also afraid of hi$ and are Cuite a""ressive. ?et, :hen $an receives the "race of Christ, all the po:ers of the soul inte"rate. He is in the i$a"e and li+eness of .od. He 7eco$es a $irror, a li"ht :hich shines forth the divine "race even to irrational creatures. >o: the ani$als ac+no:led"e hi$, o7ey hi$ and respect hi$. here are $any cases recorded :here the ascetic8her$it lives in the co$pany of 7ears and :ild ani$als. He feeds the$, and they in turn serve hi$, =and@ acCuirin" divine "race throu"h the Desus Brayer, he 7eco$es a"ain the +in" of nature, and even $ore, he ascends to a $ore elevated state than Ada$Gs. Accordin" to the 4athers, Ada$ :as in the i$a"e of .od, 7ut he had to reach to the li+eness of .od throu"h o7edience. He :as in the sta"e of illu$ination of the nous and he had to attain to theosis. Whereas the ascetic attains to ;the li+eness of .od< %divini#ation& as far as possi7le, throu"h divine "race, =he does so :ithout enterin"@ into the divine essence. He parta+es of the uncreated ener"ies of .od. ( shall "ive you an e6a$ple of this ac+no:led"e$ent on the part of nature.... When $y ever $e$ora7le "erondas =elder@ :as sayin" the Desus Brayer, :ild 7irds :ould co$e to the :indo:s of his cell pec+in" on the panes. 5ne :ould thin+ this :as the activity of the devil to hinder hi$ fro$ prayer. !ut, in fact, the :ild 7irds :ere attracted 7y the prayer of the "erondasW =*etropolitan Hierotheos of >afpa+tos, A Night in the "esert of the 2oly %o#ntain, p. 12'@. Any such idyllic real$ as eaceable :ingdom has 7een reesta7lished since Ada$ and ,veGs ti$e only a7oard >oahGs ar+, and then in post8>oahic flood ti$es, in the Christian Church a$on" various ascetic recluses and desert anchorites :ho re"ained the li+eness of Ada$ in Baradise. 110
he ri"hteous >oah is li+e a second Ada$. (n >oahGs presence, the :ild 7easts 7eca$e $ee+ and o7edient as they :ere 7efore the fall, and for this reason they do not attac+ one another inside the ar+. Dust as ani$als :ere at peace :ith one another 7efore the fall, so they are also at peace around >oah, the i$a"e of Ada$ and the second pro"enitor of the hu$an race. (n his presence, ani$als :hich are natural ene$ies once a"ain coe6ist in har$ony. (n Christian ti$es, saintly $en and :o$en, havin" purified the$selves throu"h unceasin" prayer to .od, Who$ they loved so deeply, restored the i$a"e of .od in the$selves. !y 7eco$in" dispassionate throu"h prayer and ascetic stru""le, 5rthodo6 saints throu"hout the a"es re"ained in the$selves :hile yet in a corrupti7le 7ody, so$e $easure of pre8fall Ada$. 9i+e Ada$, they :ere i$pervious to the ele$ents, and also li+e hi$, they :ere $asters and ste:ards of creation. Ani$als sensed the purity and holiness in these her$its, and all of the$ :illin"ly su7$itted to these saints in o7edience. Such is the concept of prepodobny in 5rthodo6y: a saint :ho has 7eco$e li+e unto the first8created Ada$. his pheno$enon is seen in the lives of the saints ri"ht up to very recent ti$es. he last Cuestion concerned the consu$ption of flesh. (nvesti"ation in this area sho:ed that $anGs eatin" $eat is a condition related to the fall. A recent Syna6is Bress article, ;Co$$entary on Scientific Creationis$,< $entions that 7oth science and the 4athers confir$ that early $anGs sustenance :as a diet of car7ohydrates, plant proteins and hi"h fi7ers %that is, fruits, her7s and "rains&, rather than one of fleshy proteins. Another source sho:s that the $ost natural food is that :hich :as assi"ned to $an 7y the Creator i$$ediately after the creation: food fro$ the ve"eta7le +in"do$. .od said to the parents of the hu$an race: ;!ehold, ( have "iven you every seed87earin" plant, the so:in" seed :hich is on the :hole earthN and ever tree :hich has :ithin it the fruit of se$inal seed shall 7e to you for food< %.en 1:22&. (t :as only after the flood that the use of $eat :as allo:ed, >oah 7ein" the first to receive this per$ission %.en 2:3&. ,atin" $eat :as allo:ed at this ti$e 7ecause, as the 4athers su""est, $an had 7y this ti$e 7eco$e lo:er, $ore fallen. .od sees that $en :ill continue to 7e evil, and that is :hy He allo:s $eat to 7e eaten, in accordance :ith the lo:er conditions of post8flood hu$anity.
10. "he Church of 0od.

). %hat is the position of Christ in the &rthodo' Church* ;Christ is the Head of the Church < %,ph ':1), ):23N Col 1:11&. (n "ivin" authority to His Apostles 7efore His Ascension, the Saviour told the$ that He Hi$self :ould not cease to 7e the invisi7le Shepherd and Bilot of the Church. ;( a$ :ith you al:ays, even to the end of the :orld< %*t 21:20&. Christ also stated that He, as the .ood Shepherd, had to 7rin" in also those sheep :ho :ere not of His fold so that there :ould 7e one floc+ and one Shepherd %Dn 10:1-&. he Apostle Baul li+e:ise instructed that .od the 4ather ;"ave Hi$ to 7e the Head over all thin"s to the Church, :hich is His !ody, the fullness of Hi$ that filleth all in all< %,ph 1:22823&. ". %rite out the scriptural 5uote and the 5uotation of 6t. @ohn of Fronstadt given at the beginning of this chapter of the te'tbook. Christ so loved the Church and "ave Hi$self up for it %,ph ):2)&. 111
he Church is one and the sa$e :ith the 9ord J His !ody, of His flesh and of His 7ones. he Church is the livin" vine, nourished 7y Hi$ and "ro:in" in Hi$. >ever thin+ of the Church apart fro$ the 9ord Desus Christ, fro$ the 4ather and the Holy Spirit =St. Dohn of Kronstadt@. #. How do you interpret the words of Fhomiakov given in this chapter of the te'tbook* Kho$ia+ov :rote: ;We +no: that :hen anyone of us falls, he falls aloneN 7ut no one is saved alone. He is saved in the Church, as a $e$7er of it and in union :ith all its other $e$7ers.< Kho$ia+ov is spea+in" of the $atter of da$nation and salvation. 0a$nation is an individual $atter: those da$ned to eternal death cannot 7rin" da$nation upon their fello: $en, for each :ill 7e Fud"ed accordin" to his o:n :or+s. As Christ stated: ;4or the Son of *an shall co$e in the "lory of His 4ather :ith His an"elsN and then He shall re:ard every $an accordin" to his :or+s< %*t 1-: 2/&. Salvation, ho:ever, is a co$$unal $atter, one that ta+es place in the Church. As the te6t7oo+ states, since the Kin"do$ of .od is "iven to $en 7y Christ in the Ch#rch, and since it is cele7rated and participated in the *ysteries in the Ch#rch, Kho$ia+ov can ri"htly state that :e are saved in the Ch#rch rather than alone. Addin" to these ideas, Archi$andrite Bantelei$on of Dordanville states that in order that people $i"ht attain salvation for the$selves, Christ founded the Church, His "race8filled +in"do$ on earth, and He i$parts "race %po:er that sanctifies& to all $e$7ers of the Church. Christ also esta7lished the *ysteries %Sacra$ents& for the Church as the $eans 7y :hich Christians receive this "race filled po:er. 4r. Bantelei$on additionally states that the Word of .od teaches that .od Hi$self founded the Church, "athered His children to"ether, and returned to the enclosure of salvation those :ho :ere torn fro$ it 7y ene$y forces =Cf. A Ray of Light(nstr#ctions in iety and the ,tate of the World at the )nd of Time, p. 23 ff@. (n the $atter of fallin" alone, Kho$ia+ov is not i$plyin" that a personGs sin does not effect others. >o sin is personal as it has social and universal di$ensions. An individualGs sins erodes the li+eness of .od in hi$ so that he 7eco$es less a reflection of his Creator and less of a spiritual influence on others. 4or this reason, a personGs sin does affect others. here is a sayin" a$on" the 4athers that ;no $an sins alone.< (n his !rthodox %oral Theology %in Aussian&, Brofessor (van Andreyev relates a >e: ?or+ City ne:spaperGs account of a 228year old child8+iller. When the police arrived on the scene, the tortured child :as already dead, yet the $other :as continuin" to 7eat hi$ and sho:ed no si"ns of re$orse. he police, accusto$ed to all sorts of cri$es, ;:ere not a7le to 7ear the si"ht of the little 7ody,< :hich appeared to 7e nothin" $ore than ;one $assive :ound,< as the article reported. Concernin" this horrific tra"edy, 0r. Andreyev :rites: Since :e are all sinners, :e create evil and our evil 7eco$es a part of the :orldGs treasury of evil. his evil coalesces into a hu"e ener"y of evil :hich see+s vessels of "raceless 7odies to put itself into, and :hen it finds the$, it :ill 7e incarnated in the$ and they :ill do "reat acts of evil.... 9et each one of us consider hi$self... :hat :ere you doin" on the evenin" :hen this un7elieva7le 7ut very real act :as carried outE (ndeed, perhaps it :as your sin, your depravity, your $alice that provided the last drop of evil necessary for this child8+illerGs vessel of evil to overflo:E his is ho: :e $ust understand these
112
$atters if :e are to call ourselves real Christians =;WeepW< translated fro$ Aussian in 5rthodo6 9ife, vol. '3, no. 2, 1223, pp. 31, '18'2@. 4. 0ist those points of difference which the te'tbook makes between the &rthodo' and /rotestant ideas of the Church. Brotestantis$ ne"lects the follo:in" aspects of the Church, :hich 5rthodo6y re"ards as essential: the hierarchical structure of the Church, Apostolic Succession, the episcopate, the priesthood, prayers to the saints, and the ChurchGs intercession for the departed. 3. 2n what sense is the &rthodo' idea of the Church Acertainly spiritual and mysticalB* he 5rthodo6 idea of the Church is spiritual and $ystical in the sense that 5rthodo6 theolo"y never deals :ith the earthly aspect of the Church in isolation fro$ .od. he Church is al:ays thou"ht of as the Church of Christ and the Holy Spirit, and in ter$s of the special relationship e6istin" 7et:een the Church and .od. he 5rthodo6 doctrine of the Church is Trinitarian %it sees the Church as an icon of the Holy rinity&N it is Christological %for the Church is the !ody of Christ&N and it is ne#matological %inas$uch as the Church is a continued Bentecost and is a te$ple and d:ellin"8place of the Holy Spirit. ;. -he te'tbook lists three aspects of the concept of Church lifeH ()7 -he 2mage of the Holy -rinityE ("7 -he 9ody of ChristE and (#7 A Continued /entecost. 1ive your understanding of each. ()7 -he 2mage of the Holy -rinity: he te6t7oo+ $entions that this concept of the Church has 7road applications. he first is that Fust as all $en are created in the i$a"e of the riune .od, so the Church as a :hole is an icon of the rinity in that it reproduces on earth the $ystery of unity in diversity. he Church contains a "reat $any people :ho are united into one, yet each one $aintains his o:n personal identity in the sa$e :ay that the Bersons of the .odhead, thou"h one, are fully personal. Also, the $utual ind:ellin" of the 4ather, Son and Holy Spirit is analo"ous to the co inherence of the $e$7ers of the Church. here is no conflict in the Church 7et:een freedo$ and authority. here is unity, 7ut never totalitarianis$. he :ord catholic, :hen applied to the Church, $eans %a$on" other thin"s& this unity of $any individuals into one. Secondly, each Berson of the Holy rinity is autono$ous. his characteristic is reflected in the Church, :hich consists of a nu$7er of local Churches such as Derusale$, Constantinople, Ale6andria, Antioch, Aussia, .eor"ia and others. Archpriest 3ladi$ir .linds+y e6plains that they are independent in their use of native lan"ua"e, and partly in their out:ard structure, 7ut they are su7Fect to a co$$on canonical code, and, $ost i$portantly, all present do"$atic unity. 5ther:ise, a$on" the$selves, they are $utually dependent, li+e the $e$7ers of the one !ody of Christ, li+e the 7ranches of one tree nourished 7y co$$on roots. Here once a"ain is the $ystery of unity in diversity. Also, Fust as the 4ather, Son and Holy Spirit are eCual, so also are the 7ishops of the Church. >o sin"le 7ishop can e6ercise %or clai$ to e6ercise& a7solute authority over the others. 9astly, the concept of the Church as an icon of the Holy rinity de$onstrates the i$portance 5rthodo6y places on the councils, :hich are e6pressions of the rinitarian nature of the Church. (n a council, $any 7ishops asse$7le in order to reach a co$$on $ind under the "uidance of the Holy Spirit. (n this $anner also is sho:n the $ystery of unity in diversity, :hich is an i$a"e of the Holy rinity. 113
("7 -he 9ody of Christ: he Apostle Baul develops this :ay of thin+in" a7out the Church in his epistle to the Ao$ans: ;We, :ho are $any, are one 7ody in Christ< %Ao$. 12:)&. St. ("natius of Antioch, understandin" that there is the closest possi7le 7ond 7et:een Christ and His Church, :rote that ;:here Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.< % he Catholic Church, it 7ears repeatin", $eans the 7niversal Church to :hich the Batriarchate of Ao$e :as fully united :hen this Apostolic 4ather :rote these lines. he Catholic Church does not refer to the $odern Roman Catholic Church :hich severed itself fro$ the Hniversal Church of Christ in 10)'&. St. ("natius1 idea is in +eepin" :ith ChristGs pro$ise that He :ould forever 7e present, for He said: ;9oW ( a$ :ith you al:ays, even to the end of the :orld< %*t 21:20&. Christ also stated that: ;Where t:o or three are "athered to"ether in *y na$e, there ( a$ in the $idst of the$< %*t 11:20&. Christ therefore did not leave the Church :hen He ascended into Heaven. he te6t7oo+ e6plains that the Church is ;the e6tension of the (ncarnation, the place :here the (ncarnation perpetuates itself.< As the .ree+ theolo"ian Chrestos Androustos adds, the Church is: ... the center and or"an of ChristGs redee$in" :or+.... (t is nothin" else than the continuation and e6tension of His prophetic, priestly and +in"ly po:er.... he Church and its 4ounder are ine6trica7ly 7ound to"ether.... he Church is Christ :ith us = "ogmatic Theology, pp. 2-28-)@. A7ove all else, it is the Holy *ysteries :hich 7rin" a7out the unity 7et:een Christ and His Church. >e: Christians are 7uried and raised :ith Christ at !aptis$, and as $e$7ers of His !ody, the Church, they receive His All8Bure !ody and !lood in the Holy ,ucharist. he ,ucharist unites Christians at once to Christ and to one another, as the Apostle Baul e6plained to the Corinthians. ;We, :ho are $any, are one 7read, one 7odyN for :e all parta+e of the one 7read< %1 Cor 10:1/&. (t :as noted in chapter one that St. ("natius of Antioch descri7ed the Church as a ,ucharistic Society. (t is not :ithout reason that the ter$ .ody of Christ is used to descri7e 7oth the Church and the Holy *ystery. he Church is thou"ht of first and fore$ost in its sacra$ental aspect. 5ut:ard or"ani#ation, althou"h co$pletely necessary, is of secondary i$portance to the sacra$ental life of the Church. (#7 A Continued /entecost: he :or+ of the Son and the :or+ of the Holy Spirit a$on" $en are co$ple$entary to one another. !ecause the Church is the !ody of Christ, it is also the te$ple and d:ellin"8place of the Holy Spirit. Christ unites Christians, it has 7een $entioned, 7ut this unity in the Church has never involved the ironin" out of hu$an variety. 9ife in the Church involves the e6act opposite, for the Holy Spirit is a Spirit of freedo$, and He insures ChristiansG diversity. (t is si"nificant that :hen He ca$e at Bentecost, He appeared as ton"ues of fire that :ere divided and that descended separately on all present. Althou"h the Holy Spirit is a "ift to the Church, He is also a personal "ift that each appropriates in his o:n :ay. ; here are diversities in "ifts,< St. Baul states, ;7ut the sa$e Spirit< %1 Cor 12:'&. So$e outside the Church feel that to 7e a Christian is to have a life of dra7 $onotony. Ho:ever, it is a life of evil that is dull, not holiness. he saints all had very vivid and distinct personalities throu"h the Holy SpiritGs preservation of their hu$an differences. <. 2n what way does the te'tbook apply the dogma of Chalcedon to the Church* 11'
he Council of Chalcedon tau"ht that the Son of .od $ust 7e confessed in t:o natures in one Berson, or Hypostasis. he te6t7oo+ states the do"$a of Chalcedon $ust 7e applied to the Church as :ell as Christ, for Fust as Christ, the .od8*an, has a divine and hu$an nature, so too does the Church, :here there is a syner"y %cooperation& 7et:een the hu$an and the divine. he te6t7oo+ applies the do"$a to sho: that it is not to 7e for"otten that there is a h#man ele$ent in the Church as :ell as a divine. Ho:ever, it "oes on to e6plain, there is an essential difference so far as the hu$an aspect is concerned. Where Christ in His hu$an nature is perfect and :ithout sin, this is not fully the case :ith the ChurchGs hu$an ele$ent, for only a part of her hu$anity has attained perfection J the saints in Heaven. he Church is the !ody of Christ and is therefore perfect and sinless, yet its individual $e$7ers often $isuse their freedo$ and are still i$perfect and sinful. he te6t7oo+ descri7es this condition as a state of tension in :hich the Church e6ists here on earth. >. According to the te'tbook! the mystery of the Church consists in what* he $ystery of the Church consists in the fact that sinners together 7eco$e something different fro$ :hat they :ere as individuals. Sinners in the Church to"ether 7eco$e the !ody of Christ. ?. From what principle does Fhomiakov draw the logical conclusion that the Church is one* Ale6ei Stepanovich Kho$ia+ov, an influential and authoritative :riter, :as ac+no:led"ed 7y $any as one of the "reatest theolo"ians ever produced in Aussia. Kho$ia+ov dra:s the lo"ical conclusion that the Church is one fro$ the fact that .od is one. ;= he ChurchGs@ unity follo:s of necessity fro$ the unity of .od,< he :rites. )$. Can the Church be divided! or can there be schisms within the Church* (n the :icene Creed, Christians confess their 7elief in ;&ne! Holy! Catholic and Apostolic Church.< &neness is the first of these four indispensa7le characteristics of ChristGs Holy Church. he Church is not a set of different deno$inations havin" a co$$on clai$ to follo: Christ or to 7e founded 7y Hi$, united only in so$e invisi7le :ay 7y that clai$. he Church, :hich is the !ody of the Aisen (ncarnate .od8*an Christ, can never 7e divided, for it is one as .od is one. here can 7e only one !ody of Christ since there is only one Christ. he Church re$ains and :ill al:ays re$ain one. herefore, there never :ere %nor can there ever 7e& schis$s within the ChurchN there can only 7e schis$s from the Church. Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y :rites that Christ, depictin" the Church in para7les, spea+s of one floc+, of one Shepherd, of one "rapevine, of one foundation8stone of the Church. Christ li+e:ise "ave a single teachin", a single !aptis$, and a single Co$$union. A"ain, the unity of the faithful in Christ co$prised the su7Fect of ChristGs Hi"h8Briestly prayer 7efore His Crucifi6ion, :hen He prayed ;that they all $ay 7e one< %Dn 1/:21&. ,lse:here Scripture spea+s of ;one 9ord, one faith, one !aptis$< %,ph ':)&, and one Christian Church %*t 1-:11&. 4r. *ichael "oes on to e6plain that the Church is not only in:ardly, 7ut out:ardly. 5ut:ardly its unity is $anifested in the har$onious confession of faith, in the oneness of divine services and *ysteries, in the oneness of the "race8"ivin" hierarchy, :hich co$es in succession fro$ the Apostles, in the oneness of canonical order. *oreover, it 7ears repeatin" that:
11)
he Church does not lose its unity 7ecause side 7y side :ith the Church there e6ist Christian societies :hich do not 7elon" to it. hese societies are not in the Church, they are outside of it =!rthodox "ogmatic Theology, p. 23)@. 5rthodo6y does not vie: the ChurchGs unity as ideal and invisi7le, nor does it separate the ;invisi7le< and ;visi7le< Church, for they are one. 9i+e:ise, 5rthodo6y :ould never say that the Church is invisi7ly one 7ut visi7ly divided. (n this re"ard, Hierodeacon .re"ory of ,tna, a convert fro$ 0utch Aefor$ed Brotestantis$ to 5rthodo6y, :rites that :hen Brotestants atte$pt to identify the !ody of Christ, they invo+e the ne7ulous notion of an ;invisi7le Church< J a theolo"ical fiction that relativi#es the ecclesial nature of Christianity 7y postulatin" an a7stract reality that can 7e e6perienced 7y anyone, re"ardless of deno$ination. 4or this reason, the holy Hiero$artyr Arch7ishop (larion % roits+y& characteri#es Brotestantis$ as ;Churchless Christianity.< he sa$e $artyr of the Co$$unist yo+e also declares that ;it is Brotestantis$ that openly proclai$ed the "reatest lie of all: that one can 7e a Christian :hile denyin" the Church.< ,lse:here the $artyr articulates the 5rthodo6 vie: on this $atter :ith no eCuivocation: =(t@ $ust 7e considered as the $ost vital necessity of the present ti$e to confess openly that indisputa7le truth that Christ created precisely the Church and that it is a7surd to separate Christianity fro$ the Church and to spea+ of so$e sort of Christianity apart fro$ the Holy 5rthodo6 Church of Christ =Christianity or the Ch#rchE, p. 22@. Here on earth, there is 7ut one, sin"le, visi7le co$$unity :hich alone is the one true Church established by Christ. he ;Hndivided Church< is not so$ethin" that ceased to e6ist in 10)' %or at any other point in history&N it is so$ethin" that e6ists now. he Ao$an Catholic Church proclai$s that it is the one Church, and it recently reaffir$ed its pri$acy :ith the docu$ent "omin#s 9es#s, dated Septe$7er ), 2000. his docu$ent, pu7lished 7y the 3aticanGs Con"re"ation of the 0octrine of 4aith %for$erly the 5ffice of the (nCuisition& clai$s that ;the fullness of $eans to salvation can only 7e found in the Ao$an Catholic Church.< At the sa$e ti$e, ho:ever, accordin" to one Catholic ne:s 7ulletin, so$e 5rthodo6 Churches ;have $aintained Apostolic Succession< and they also ;represent the true Church.< hus, spea+in" out of one side of its $outh, Ao$e states that it is the one Church, and then, spea+in" out of the other side of its $outh, it states that so$e 5rthodo6 Churches also represent the one Church. Where is the truthE An 5rthodo6 a77ot "ives this e6planation of the true Church and its oneness: he 5rthodo6 Church, continuin" the principles :hich the Apostles and early 4athers tau"ht and :hich the ,cu$enical Councils of the Hndivided Church defined in precise ter$s, holds that the Church of Christ is &:+ and cannot 7e divided. All divisions and separation fro$ it therefore are from that 5ne Church, not :ithin it. 5ne :ho 7rea+s a:ay fro$ the faith or fro$ the continuin" or"anic structure of this Church ceases to 7e a $e$7er of it, no $atter :hat position he $ay once have held :ithin itN he leaves :ith nothin". A HS citi#en :ho leaves this country and 7eco$es a citi#en in so$e other country can no lon"er clai$ to 7e still a HS citi#en or to vote in A$erican elections J this is true even if he once held so$e hi"h office li+e a Fud"e, senator or "overnor. 5rthodo6y teaches that orders and Sacra$ents 7elon" to J that is, they are the property
11-
of J the Church, not to the individual person, and can 7e 7esto:ed, held and e6ercised solely :ithin its or"anic structure. !y the Ch#rch, 5rthodo6y has al:ays $eant that sin"le, :orld:ide 7ody of $utually 7elievin", $utually reco"ni#in", sacra$entally united Christians founded 7y our 9ord Desus Christ and descendin" :ithout 7rea+ fro$ the Apostles: :ho are openly and visi7ly ;in co$$union :ith< one another and :ith their united hierarchy. All the early Church 4athers and Councils $ade it a7undantly clear that this unity of 7elievers is a7solutely essential, and that anyone :ho leaves that unity, for :hatever reason, is an apostate, a schis$atic, and outsiderN no lon"er participatin" in the sacra$ental life of the Church or entitled to the privile"es of its $e$7ership, unless he returns to the unity and renounces his errors. his :as the unity prayed for 7y Christ in the .ospelsN it :as and still is far $ore essential in deter$inin" :hether one is or is not a Church $e$7er than any ;lines of ,piscopal succession< or hi"h8soundin" titles. herefore, any person :ho has ever 7ro+en fro$ this unity, 7e"innin" :ith the early Christolo"ical heretics, and cul$inatin" :ith Ao$e in 10)', left the actual, continuin" unity of the 5ne Church founded 7y Christ, and 7eca$e apostate. !ishops :ho leave the Church cease 7ein" 7ishops, :hatever they $ay continue to call the$selves. hey $ay %$any do& invent ne:, unscriptural ecclesiolo"ies :hich see+ to Fustify their separation :hile continuin" to clai$ that they so$eho: ;+ept their orders< and ;perfor$ valid Sacra$ents,< :hich, of course, li+e a la$p unplu""ed fro$ the source of electricity, they cannot do. hus the 5rthodo6 Church $aintains that :hen Cardinal Hu$7ert :al+ed out of Saint Sophia =in Constantinople@ in 10)', he left as an ordinary lay$an, since he %and his superior in Ao$e, and all :ho re$ained in co$$union :ith hi$& ceased 7ein" in open, for$al co$$union :ith the rest of the Christian Church :hich continued holdin" Apostolic doctrine and polity. All :ho Foined that "roup of $en :ho left voluntarily the unity of the continuin" Church have re$ained apostates and schis$atics ever since, no $atter ho: vast, :ealthy and vociferous they $ay 7e in clai$in" other:ise. %hoever either voluntarily sets himself apart from the continuing unity of the undivided Church founded by Christ! or who alters the teachings defined by that Church! ceases to be a member of it. 5rthodo6y alone has re$ained unchan"ed throu"hout the centuries, 7oth in her doctrine and in her or"ani#ationN all other "roups, ho:ever hu"e or :idespread, and ho:ever they $ay choose to style the$selves, are not 5rthodo6, not in $e$7ership in that 5ne Church founded 7y Christ. V...V Hndou7tedly .od :ill have $ercy and co$passion on all His creation, includin" those devout and sincere souls :ho "re: up in reli"ious 7eliefs apart fro$ 5rthodo6yN He :ill surely ta+e into account their fidelity to the principles they :ere tau"ht and consider to 7e ;Church teachin",< even thou"h they are not :hat the 5ne continuin" Church of Christ has al:ays held and tau"ht. his is not the issue. he point is that Christ founded only &:+ ChurchN not $anyN and of all the co$petin" reli"ious 7odies callin" the$selves Christian and Catholic and other such ter$s, only &:+ is in actual fact the continuin" Church :hich He founded. And this is -H+ &.-H&8&M CHD.CH
11/
=A77ot Au"ustine Whitfield, ;3alid 5rders,< !rthodox America' vol. 2, no. 1, 1212, p. 1-N e$phasis added@. %(t should 7e pointed out that :hen Cardinal Hu$7ert :al+ed out of St. SophiaGs in Constantinople after the e6co$$unication of the entire ,ast, he actually did not leave as a lay$an in the Church, deprived only of his ordersN he left as so$ethin" even less. At that ti$e, the cardinal had co$pletely separated hi$self fro$ the continuin" Church and :as no lon"er so $uch a lay$an in it, $uch less a 7ishop. (t can also 7e added that, "iven the situation in Ao$e a fe: years earlier, :hen there :ere three papal pretenders, it :as hardly possi7le for Batriarch *ichael of Constantinople to ta+e Cardinal Hu$7ertGs 7ehavior too seriously&. Concernin" the Christian Churches outside ChristGs 5ne Church, Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y "ives this insi"ht: he 5rthodo6 teachin" of the Church, :hich in itself is Cuite clear and rests upon Sacred Scripture and Sacred radition, is to 7e contrasted :ith another concept :hich is :idespread in the conte$porary Brotestant :orld and has penetrated even into 5rthodo6 circles. Accordin" to this different concept, all the various e6istin" Christian or"ani#ations, the so8called ;confessions< and ;sects,< even thou"h they are separated fro$ each other, still co$prise a sin"le ;invisi7le Church,< inas$uch as each of the$ confesses Christ as the Son of .od and accepts His .ospel. he disse$ination of such a vie: is aided 7y the fact that side 7y side :ith the 5rthodo6 Church there e6ists outside of her a nu$7er of Christians that e6ceeds 7y several ti$es the nu$7er of $e$7ers of the 5rthodo6 Church. 5ften :e can o7serve in this Christian :orld outside the Church a reli"ious fervor and faith, a :orthy $oral life, a conviction J all the :ay to fanaticis$ J of oneGs correctness, an or"ani#ation and a 7road charita7le activity. What is the relation of all of the$ to the Church of ChristE 5f course, there is no reason to vie: these confessions and sects as on the sa$e level :ith non8Christian reli"ions. 5ne cannot deny that the readin" of the :ord of .od has a 7eneficial influence upon everyone :ho see+s in it instruction and stren"thenin" of faith, and that devout reflection on .od the Creator, the Brovider and Saviour, has an elevatin" po:er a$on" Brotestants also. We cannot say that their prayers are totally fruitless if they co$e fro$ a pure heart, for in every nation he that feareth 2im111 is acceptable with 2im %Acts 10:3)&. he 5$nipresent .ood Brovider .od is over the$, and they are not deprived of .odGs $ercies. hey help to restrain $oral looseness, vices and cri$esN and they oppose the spread of atheis$. !ut all this does not "ive us "rounds to consider the$ as 7elon"in" to the Church. Already the fact that one part of this 7road Christian :orld outside the Church, na$ely the :hole of Brotestantis$, denies the 7ond :ith the heavenly Church, that is, the veneration in prayer of the *other of .od and the saints, and li+e:ise prayer for the dead, indicates that they the$selves have destroyed the 7ond :ith the one !ody of Christ :hich unites in itself the heavenly and the earthly. 4urther, it is a fact that these non8 5rthodo6 confessions have ;7ro+en< in one for$ or another, directly or indirectly, :ith the 5rthodo6 Church, :ith the Church in its historical for$N they the$selves have cut the 7ond, they have ;departed< fro$ her. >either :e nor they have the ri"ht to close our eyes 111
to this fact. he teachin"s of the non85rthodo6 confessions contain heresies :hich :ere decisively reFected and conde$ned 7y the Church at her ,cu$enical Councils. (n these nu$erous 7ranches of Christianity there is no unity, either out:ard or in:ard J either :ith the 5rthodo6 Church of Christ or 7et:een the$selves. he supra8confessional unification %the ;ecu$enical $ove$ent<& :hich is no: to 7e o7served does not enter into the depths of the life of these confessions, 7ut has an out:ard character. he ter$ ;invisi7le< can refer only to the Heavenly Church. he Church on earth, even thou"h it has its invisi7le side, li+e a ship, a part of :hich is hidden in the :ater and is invisi7le to the eyes, still re$ains visi7le, 7ecause it consists of people and has visi7le for$s of or"ani#ation and sacred activity. herefore it is Cuite natural to affir$ that these reli"ious or"ani#ations are societies :hich are ;near,< or ;ne6t to,< or ;close to,< or perhaps even ;adFoinin"< the Church, 7ut so$eti$es ;a"ainst< itN 7ut they are all ; o#tside< the one Church of Christ. So$e of the$ have cut the$selves off, others have "one far a:ay. So$e, in "oin" a:ay, all the sa$e have historical ties of 7lood :ith herN others have lost all +inship, and in the$ the very spirit and foundations of Christianity have 7een distorted. >one of the$ find the$selves under the activity of the "race :hich is present in the Church, and especially the "race :hich is "iven in the *ysteries of the Church. hey are not nourished 7y that $ystical ta7le :hich leads up alon" the steps of $oral perfection. he tendency in conte$porary cultural society to place all confessions on one level is not li$ited to ChristianityN on this sa$e all8eCualin" level are placed also the non8Christian reli"ions, on the "rounds that they all ;lead to .od,< and 7esides, ta+en all to"ether, they far surpass the Christian :orld in the nu$7er of $e$7ers :ho 7elon" to the$. All of such ;unitin"< and ;eCuali#in"< vie:s indicate a for"etfulness of the principle that there can 7e $any teachin"s and opinions, 7ut there is only one truth. And authentic Christian unity J unity in the Church J can 7e 7ased only upon oneness of $ind, and not upon differences of $ind. he Church is the pillar and "round of the ruth %1 i$ 3:1)& =!rthodox "ogmatic Theology, pp. 2'38'-@. )). 8escribe the theology of communion as set forth in the te'tbook. he te6t7oo+ calls 5rthodo6yGs theolo"y of the Church a theolo"y of co$$union. his ter$ refers to the fact that it is the act of co$$union that holds the Church to"ether. St. ("natius of Antioch sa: each local Church as one of a con"re"ation of faithful "athered around its 7ishop and cele7ratin" the ,ucharist J such is his idea of the Church as a ,ucharistic Society, as discussed in chapter one. he Church universal is then for$ed 7y the co$$union of the heads of these local Churches %the 7ishops& :ith one another. Hnity does not co$e fro$ :ithout J that is, fro$ the i$position of authority fro$ a supre$e pontiff, 7ut it co$es fro$ within' by the celebration of the )#charist. he Church is not and never has 7een $onarchical %as Ao$e $aintains&N it is rather colle"ial. (t is $ade up of the co$$union of $any hierarchs :ith one another, and of the co$$union of each 7ishop :ith the $e$7ers of his floc+. he criterion for $e$7ership in the Church, therefore, is the act of co$$union. Church $e$7ership is ended, conversely, :hen an individual $e$7er severs co$$union :ith his
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7ishop. 9i+e:ise, a 7ishop ceases to 7e a $e$7er of the Church if he severs co$$union :ith his fello: 7ishops. )". 1ive your understanding of the &rthodo' attitude toward the branch theory. he 7ranch theory :as once popular a$on" Hi"h Church An"licans and tau"ht that the Christian Church :as divided into branches. Hsually three 7ranches :ere "iven: An"licanis$, Ao$an Catholicis$ and ,astern 5rthodo6y. he 7ranch theory :as su7seCuently ta+en up 7y the ecu$enists, :ho initially applied it to 5rthodo6y, Ao$an Catholicis$ and all deno$inations of Brotestantis$. his theory $aintains that all Christian Churches are 7ranches of the sa$e ecclesiastical or"anis$, :hich is Christ, and it accepts all Christian confessions as eCual J that is, eCually sharin" 7its and pieces of the truth. Carryin" the 7ranch theory further, ecu$enis$ no: contends that there is a variety of doctrinal principles not only of individual Christian creeds, 7ut of all reli"ions. As the foundation of ecu$enis$Gs theory is the erroneous idea that there are $any reli"ious doctrines that $utually enrich one another. hus, ecu$enis$ pro$otes ;love< a7ove truth, i"norance of do"$a for the sa+e of peace, and disre"ard of differences :hich tend to divide. he 7ranch theory is heretical as it contradicts Holy Scripture, :hich spea+s of ; one 9ord, one faith, one !aptis$< %,ph ':)&, ;one Holy radition< %2 hes 2:1)&, and ; one Christian Church< %*t 1-: 11&. Also, as noted in an earlier chapter, such a false assertion invaria7ly leads to a relativi#ation of .odGs ruth. As Archi$andrite Ser"ius, for$er Assistant Brofessor at the 4aculty of heolo"y, Hniversity of Sofia, !ul"aria, :rites: ; &rthodo'y is not ,ust one of the many forms of Christianity! alongside other legitimate! non(&rthodo' forms of ChristianityE our &rthodo' faith is Christianity itself( in its most pure and one and only authentic form .< As the 7ranch theory is contrary to the fact that the Church is one, it cannot 7e reconciled :ith Sacred Scriptures and 5rthodo6 theolo"y. he only 7ranches of the Church %if one :ants to thin+ in ter$s of 7ranches& are the local autocephalous Churches of the 5rthodo6 co$$union. )#. %rite out the 5uotation from 6t. Cyprian of Carthage which the te'tbook uses to demonstrate the principle that there is salvation only within the Church. St. Cyprian instructed: ;A $an cannot have .od as his 4ather if he does not have the Church as his $other.< (n his 7oo+ The Non+!rthodox- the !rthodox Teaching on Christians !#tside the Ch#rch, Batric+ !arnes, a convert to 5rthodo6y, co$$ents that this state$ent is one of the ;hard sayin"s< %Dn -:-0& for people offended 7y any ecclesiolo"ical e6clusivity. *r. !arnes, :hose o:n search for the truth too+ hi$ throu"h various non8deno$inational Brotestant Churches :hile at the Hnited States >aval Acade$y, then to the Bres7yterian Church, the ,piscopal Church, and finally to 5rthodo6 Christianity, understands fro$ e6perience that this idea runs contrary to everythin" Brotestants have 7een tau"ht a7out the nature of the Church. Brotestants, he states, :restle :ith the issue of 5rthodo6yGs clai$ to 7e the one true Ar+ of Salvation %1 Beter 3:20 ff.& esta7lished 7y Christ and preservin" unadulterated the very criterion of Christianity. Ho:ever, the for$er Brotestant "oes on to point out, Christ :as ;e6clusive< :hen He said: ;( a$ the Way, the ruth and the 9ife, no man cometh #nto the 3ather except by %e< %Dn 1':-&. *r. !arnes notes that since the Church is Christ's 9ody %,ph 1:22823&, then no one can co$e to the 4ather e6cept throu"h Christ's Church. Scripture clearly teaches that Christ, as encountered throu"h His Holy Church, is the only door to the narro: :ay :hich leads to life %*t /:1381', Dn 10:/&. *r. !arnes also notes that 5rthodo6y does not hold its e6clusive clai$s out of arro"ance, 7ut out of love for its traditions. 5rthodo6y has $aintained the inte"rity 120
of faith, this convert discovered, and :ith open ar$s it offers that faith to outsiders %as he once :as& in the pure form as it was handed down from Christ and the Apostles. )4. How does the te'tbook modify 6t. Cyprian's statement* he te6t7oo+ $odifies St. CyprianGs state$ent :ith non8patristic speculation. (t 7e"ins 7y citin" !lessed Au"ustineGs correct assertion that there are sheep outside the Church and :olves :ithin. hus, not all in the Church :ill 7e saved, it is noted. *r. !arnes, the sa$e convert to 5rthodo6y, :rites that unfortunately, this introduction :ith !lessed Au"ustineGs co$$ent could lead one to an i$proper understandin" of 5rthodo6 ecclesiolo"y and the status of heterodo6 Christians. When ta+en in conte6t, this 4atherGs re$ar+ does not support the te6t7oo+Gs later co$$ent concernin" an invisi7le Church $e$7ership or its co$$ent that the heterodo6 $ay 7e lin+ed to the Church 7y ;invisi7le 7onds.< he te6t7oo+Gs state$ents in this re"ard can easily 7e $isread in support of the non85rthodo6 notion of an ;invisi7le true Church,< especially in the li"ht of its clai$ that ;:e +no: :here the Church is 7ut :e cannot say :here it is not.< *r. !arnes a"ain co$$ents. He first notes that there is no dou7t that !lessed Au"ustine 7elieves in the necessity of visi7le $e$7ership in the Church for salvation, a teachin" that is found throu"hout the :ritin"s of the Holy 4athers. he sa$e :riter then $a+es the correct o7servation that the te6t7oo+ incorrectly uses the :ord Ch#rch in t:o senses. hus, he continues, :hen ta+en :ith the te6t7oo+Gs other re$ar+s, one can read its %the te6t7oo+Gs& assertion as follo:s: ;We +no: :here the =visi7le, historical and one true@ Church is, 7ut :e cannot 7e sure :here it =the Church in an undefina7le or $ysterious sense +no:n only to .od and containin" people :ho are united 7y Ginvisi7le tiesG@ is not.< *r. !arnes o7serves that this +ind of thin+in" is not far re$oved fro$ the heretical 7ranch theory. heori#in" :ith re"ard to those outside the Church, the te6t7oo+ also states that $any people, not:ithstandin" their out:ard separation, could possi7ly 7e $e$7ers of the Church, inas$uch as there are $any :ays of 7ein" related to8, and separated fro$8, the Church. Dust ho: and to :hat e6tent they are $e$7ers is i$possi7le to deter$ine, the te6tGs :riter opines, for it is +no:n to .od alone. Ho:ever, he concludes, a person $ust 7elon" to the Church in so$e sense in order to 7e saved. (n connection :ith the te6t7oo+Gs careless lapse in an ele$entary point of theolo"y in this $atter, Hiero$on+ Batapios of ,tna :rites that the Church on earth is a visi7le or"anis$ throu"h :hich its $e$7ers are united to .od and one another 7y their participation in the Holy *ysteries %Sacra$ents&. hus, to 7e ;invisi7ly< lin+ed to the 5rthodo6 Church :ithout the 7enefit of its *ysteries is of no avail :hatsoever, 4r. Batapios states. ,ither one 7elon"s to the Church or one does not. *r. !arnes e6plains that the status of heterodo6 Christians is seen in t:o :ays. With re"ard to their ecclesial status J that is, in their relation to the 5rthodo6 Church, they cannot 7e seen as its $e$7ers as they have not 7een "rafted into the true !ody of Christ throu"h Holy !aptis$. 5n the other hand, :ith re"ard to their eternal status J that is, in the i$plications of their ecclesial separation, the 5rthodo6 leave the$ to the $ercy of .od and do not pass Fud"$ent on the$ or $a+e any pronounce$ents a7out their eternal destiny. o affir$ their separation is not to i$ply their da$nation. he sa$e :riter further states that in +eepin" :ith its apophatic $indset, the 5rthodo6 Church re$ains circu$spect on this $atter. hus, to state that there is ;no salvation outside the Church< is not the sa$e as sayin" that ;no one outside the Church can 7e saved.< Sacred 121
Scriptures sho: that ulti$ately, .od loo+s upon the heart of $an and has $ercy upon those :ho$ He chooses to have $ercy %Ao$ 2:11&, and that He re:ards each accordin" to his intentions and deeds %Ao$ 2:- ff.&. herefore, concernin" those :ho :ere never afforded the opportunity to encounter 5rthodo6y, .od can save the$. (n the concludin" re$ar+s of his 7oo+, *r. !arnes $a+es the follo:in" re$ar+s to a Aefor$ed Brotestant :ho e6pressed an interest in 5rthodo6y: here are certain thin"s that .od has chosen not to reveal to us. 5ne of these is ho: He :ill ulti$ately Fud"e others on that 0ay. He has revealed certain aspects of that 0ay of Dud"$ent in order that :e $ay repent and prepare ourselvesN 7ut He has not told us ho: He :ill J in His infinite +no:led"e of our incredi7ly co$ple6 nature and His providential orderin" of our lives J ulti$ately :ei"h each of us in the 7alance. ;4or *y thou"hts are not your thou"hts, neither are your :ays *y :ays, saith the 9ord. 4or as the heavens are hi"her than the earth, so are *y :ays hi"her than your :ays, and *y thou"hts than your thou"hts< %(saiah )):182&. his 7ein" true, :e should not concern ourselves :ith :hether .od :ill save others or ho:. 4or us it is enou"h to +no: :here and ho: :e can 7e saved. We affir$ this to 7e only :ithin the 5rthodo6 ChurchN 7ut :e can also $a+e a co$pellin" case fro$ Holy radition that :e do not also have to affir$ that He :ill not save a portion of those :ho do not enter the Church in this life = The Non+ !rthodox- the !rthodox Teaching on Christians !#tside of the Ch#rch, p. 1/3@. *r. !arnesG conclusions are in co$plete accord :ith so$e re$ar+s that St. heophan the Aecluse once $ade to an inCuirer :ho as+ed a7out the possi7ility of salvation of those outside the Church. he saint replied: Why do you :orry a7out the$E hey have a Saviour, Who desires the salvation of every hu$an 7ein". He :ill ta+e care of the$. ?ou and ( should not 7e 7urdened :ith such a concern. Study yourself and your sins.... ( :ill tell you one thin", ho:ever: should you, 7ein" 5rthodo6, and possessin" the ruth in its fullness, 7etray 5rthodo6y and enter a different faith, you :ill lose your soul forever. (t is recorded in his ha"io"raphy that St. >e+tary, one of the elders of the fa$ous 5ptina Her$ita"e in Aussia, once told his disciples that: (n the last ti$es the :orld :ill 7e "irded a7out :ith iron and paper. !ut such :ere the days of >oah: the flood :as dra:in" near. >oah +ne: a7out it and told the people, 7ut they did not 7elieve. He hired :or+ers to 7uild the ar+, and they, 7uildin" the ar+, did not 7elieve, for :hich reason they only received :a"es for their :or+ 7ut :ere not saved. hose days are the foreshado:in" of our o:n days. he ar+ is the Church. 5nly those :ho are inside :ill 7e saved. 5ne of ,lder >e+taryGs spiritual children then inCuired: ;!ut :hat a7out the $illions of Chinese, (ndians, ur+s and other non8ChristiansE< he elder replied: .od desires not only that the nations 7e saved, 7ut each individual soul. A si$ple (ndian, 7elievin" in his o:n :ay in the Creator and fulfillin" His :ill as 7est he can, :ill 7e 122
savedN 7ut he :ho, +no:in" a7out Christianity, follo:s the (ndian $ystical path, :ill not =(van Kont#evitch, )lder Ne$tary of !ptina, p. 111@. *etropolitan Bhilaret, for$er 4irst Hierarch of the Aussian 5rthodo6 Church 5utside Aussia, e6pressed the sa$e vie:s. He :rote: (t is self8evident... that sincere Christians :ho are Ao$an Catholics, or 9utherans, or $e$7ers of other non85rthodo6 confessions, cannot 7e ter$ed rene"ades or heretics J that is, those :ho $nowingly pervert the truth.... hey have 7een 7orn and raised and are livin" accordin" to the creed :hich they have inherited, Fust as do the $aFority of you :ho are 5rthodo6N in their lives there has not 7een a $o$ent of personal and conscio#s ren#nciation of !rthodoxy. he 9ord, ;Who :ill have all $en to 7e saved< %1 i$. 2:'& and ;Who enli"htens every $an 7orn into the :orld< %Dn 1:2&, undou7tedly is leadin" the$ also to:ards salvation in His o:n :ay =4ro$ the pa$phlet ;Will the Heterodo6 !e SavedE< %9eaflet T213 pu7lished 7y the St. Dohn of Kronstadt Bress&@. )3. 1ive your understanding of the principle of the infallibility of the Church. he unity 7et:een .od and His Church is spo+en of throu"hout Scriptures, in :hich the Church is referred to as the 9ody of Christ %,ph 1:22823, Ao$ 12, 1 Cor 10,12, Col 1&N the 9ride of Christ %,ph ), Aev 21&N 1od's 0iving -emple %,ph 2, 1 Beter 2&N and the pillar and ground of the -ruth %1 i$ 3:1)&. he Church is a livin" or"anis$ a"ainst :hich even the gates of hell shall not prevail %*t 1-:11&, :hich has as its Head Christ Himself a7idin" :ith it always! even to the end of the age %*t 21:20&. (t is fro$ this unity :ith .od that the Church as a :hole cannot err. he Church cannot su7$it to false teachin", and it cannot allo: any ad$i6ture of falsehood. An error of the :hole Church :ould 7e tanta$ount to its spiritual death, yet, accordin" to ChristGs pro$ise, the Church cannot die. As Brotopriest 3ictor Botapov e6plains: (f the 5rthodo6 Church as a :hole cannot err, her individual $e$7ers, individual "atherin"s and "roups, and even lar"e parts of her can fall into error. And since the opinion of the :hole Church is $anifested at ,cu$enical Councils, the ,cu$enical Councils are the infalli7le custodians and interpreters of divine revelation J not 7ecause the $e$7ers of the Councils are individually infalli7le, 7ut 7ecause the decisions of the Councils are the voice of the :hole Church, :hich is directed 7y the "race of the Holy Spirit %the decisions of the Councils al:ays 7e"in :ith the :ords: ;(t see$ed "ood to the Holy Spirit and to us<& =!rthodoxy and 2eterodoxy@. Additional pertinent infor$ation re"ardin" the infalli7ility of the Church is provided 7y 4r. Dohn Whiteford: >ot only $ust :e see+ that :hich is universal and ancient, :e $ust further hold to those teachin"s :hich represent the consensus of the 4athers, rather than the isolated vie:s of a "iven 4ather or teacher. his is :hat is $eant 7y consent, or the faith 7elieved by all. 2nfallibility resides in no individual in the Church save Christ alone , and so there are e6a$ples of 4athers :ho, :hile "enerally teachin" the faith accurately, at ti$es tau"ht thin"s :hich :ere in error. he difference 7et:een these 4athers and the heretics is that 123
the 4athers tau"ht these thin"s in innocence, :hile heretics teach heresy in opposition to the Church and despite atte$pts at correction. ,ven St. Baul erred, 7ut :as corrected 7y St. Baul %see .al 2&. :ice in Aevelation, St. Dohn tells ho: he :orshiped an an"el, then :as corrected 7y that an"elW =,ola ,cript#ra- an !rthodox Analysis of the Cornerstone of Reformation Theology, p. '2N e$phasis added@. );. 1ive your understanding of the position of the bishop in the Church. -he hierarchy was established by Christ. As St. Baul instructs: ;He "ave so$e, ApostlesN and so$e, prophetsN and so$e, ,van"elistsN and so$e, pastors and teachersN for the perfectin" of saints, for the :or+ of the $inistry, for the edifyin" of the !ody of ChristN till :e all co$e in the unity of the faith, and of the +no:led"e of the Son of .od, unto a perfect $an, unto the $easure of the stature of the fullness of Christ< %,ph ':11813&. Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y e6plains that: All $e$7ers of the Church of Christ co$prise a sin"le floc+ of .od. All are eCual 7efore the Fud"$ent of .od. Ho:ever, Fust as parts of the 7ody have different functions in the life of the or"anis$, and as in a house 7uildin" each part has its o:n use, so also in the Church there e6ist various $inistries. he hi"hest $inistry in the Church as an or"ani#ation is 7orne 7y the hierarchy, :hich is distinct fro$ the ordinary $e$7ers =!rthodox "ogmatic Theology, p. 2'-@. Archpriest Seraphi$ Slo7ods+oy "oes on to note that follo:in" the e6a$ple of the 5ld esta$ent Church, in :hich there :ere a hi"h priest, priests, and 9evites, the Apostles also instituted in the >e: esta$ent Christian Church the priesthood: 7ishops, priests, and deacons. 5f these, the 7ishops co$prise the hi"hest ran+ in the Church, and 7ishops therefore receive the hi"hest de"ree of "race. Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y additionally notes that: he 9ord Desus Christ durin" His earthly $inistry chose fro$ a$on" His follo:ers t:elve disciples J the Apostles %those ;sent forth<& J "ivin" to the$ special spiritual "ifts and a special authority. Appearin" to the$ after His Aesurrection, He said to the$, As %y 3ather hath sent %e' even so send ( yo#1 And when 2e had said this' 2e breathed on them' and saith #nto them' Receive ye the 2oly ,pirit1 Whose soever sins ye remit' they are remitted #nto them- and whose soever sins ye retain' they are retained %Dn 20: 21823&. hese :ords $ean that it is essential to 7e sent fro$ a7ove in order to fulfill the Apostolic $inistry, as :ell as the pastoral $inistry that follo:s after it. he scope of these $inistries is e6pressed in the final :ords of the 9ord to His disciples 7efore His Ascension: Go ye therefore' and teach all nations' bapti&ing them in the name of the 3ather' and of the ,on' and of the 2oly ,pirit' teaching them to observe all things whatsoever ( have commanded yo#1 And' lo' ( am with yo# always' even #nto the end of the world1 Amen1 %*t 21:12820&. (n these final :ords the Saviour indicates the triple $inistry of the Apostles in their $ission: 1& to teach, 2& to perfor$ sacred functions %7apti#e&, and 3& to "overn %teachin" the$ to o7serve all thin"s<&. And in the :ords ;( a$ 12'
:ith you al:ays, even to the end of the :orld,< He 7lessed the pastoral :or+ of their successors for all ti$es to the end of the a"es, until the e6istence of the earthly Church itself should co$e to an end. he :ords of the 9ord cited 7efore this, ;Aeceive ye the Holy Spirit< %Dn 20:21&, testify that this authority of pastorship is insepara7ly united :ith special "ifts of the "race of the Holy Spirit. he three hierarchical $inistries are united in a sin"le concept of pastorship, in accordance :ith the e6pression of the 9ord Hi$self: 4eed *y la$7s, feed *y sheep %the :ords to the Apostle Beter in Dn 21:1), 1/&, and of the Apostles: 3eed the floc$ of God %1 Beter ):2&. he Apostles :ere al:ays citin" the ides of the divine instit#tion of the hierarchy. (t :as 7y a special rite that the Apostle *atthias :as Foined to the ran+ of the t:elve in place of Dudas :ho had fallen a:ay %Acts 1&. his rite :as the choosin" of :orthy persons, follo:ed 7y prayer and the dra:in" of lots. he Apostles the$selves chose successors for the$selves throu"h ordination1 -hese successors were the bishops =!p1 cit. pp. 2'-8'/N e$phasis added@. A"ain, 4r. *ichael stresses, ; he Apostles J those precisely a$on" the$ :ho :ere called to the hi"hest $inistry in the Church 7y the 9ord Hi$self J placed 7ishops as their i$$ediate successors and continuers.< *oreover, he adds, the Apostles placed ; presbyters as their o:n helpers and as helpers of the 7ishops, as GhandsG of the 7ishops, placin" the further $atter of the ordination of pres7yters :ith the 7ishops.< =(bid., p. 2'1@. Co$$entin" on Apostolic Succession and the uninterruptedness of the 5rthodo6 ChurchGs episcopate, 4r. *ichael notes that: he succession fro$ the Apostles and the uninterruptedness of the episcopacy co$prise one of the essential sides of the Church. And, on the contrary: the a7sence of the succession of the episcopacy in one or another Christian deno$ination deprives it of an attri7ute of the true Church, even if in it there is present an undistorted do"$atic teachin". Such an understandin" :as present to the Church fro$ its 7e"innin". 4ro$ the Church History of ,use7ius of Caesarea :e +no: that all the local ancient Christian Churches preserved lists of their 7ishops in their uninterrupted succession =(bid., p. 2)3@. As :as noted in the introduction of this 7oo+, there is a t:ofold nature to Apostolic Succession. 4irst, there $ust 7e an un7ro+en historical consecration of the hierarchy fro$ the hands of the Apostles J that is, an uninterrupted chain of ordinations of 7ishops 7ac+ to the Apostles. Secondly, there $ust 7e unco$pro$isin" fidelity to the correct doctrines and correct practices esta7lished 7y the Apostles. As the introduction also states, the Ao$an Catholic Church cannot de$onstrate an unchan"ed faith or unchan"ed practices as it deviated fro$ 7oth Apostolic teachin"s and Apostolic practices. Apostolic Succession :as severed in the West as of Ao$eGs departure fro$ the Apostolic Church in 10)', althou"h it continued in the ,astern 5rthodo6 Church, :hose 7ishops to this day have a livin" continuity :ith the Holy Apostles. Ae"ardin" the eCuality of the ChurchGs 7ishops, Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y :rites that: A$on" the 7ishops there are so$e :ho are leaders 7y their position, 7ut not 7y their hierarchical, "race8"iven di"nity. hus it :as also a$on" the Apostles the$selves.... he 12)
$utual relations of the Apostles :ere 7uilt upon the foundation of hierarchical eCuality.... he sa$e $utual relations accordin" to the principle of hierarchical "race8"iven eCuality re$ains forever in the Church a$on" the successors of the Apostles J the 7ishops =(bid., p. 2)2@. Archpriest Seraphi$ Slo7ods+oy stresses the sa$e, that all 7ishops are eCual. He adds that the $ost deservin" of 7ishops are called arch7ishops, :hile the 7ishops :hose sees are centered in $aFor cities are called $etropolitans %after the .ree+ :ord metropolis, a lar"e city&. Also, 7ishops of ancient $aFor cites of the Ao$an ,$pire J Constantinople, Ale6andria, Antioch and Derusale$ J are called patriarchs, a title that is also used for 7ishops of the capitals of so$e 5rthodo6 countries. here is no 7ishop in 5rthodo6y :ith an eCuivalent position to the Ao$an pope. he patriarch of Constantinople, ever since the ,ast8West schis$ of 10)', has traditionally enFoyed a position of special honor a$on" all 5rthodo6 co$$unities, 7ut he does not have a ri"ht to interfere in the actual affairs of the other Churches. (n Scripture, the Church is represented as the !ride of Christ, and this union :ith Hi$ is presented in the i$a"e of the $arital 7ond %,ph ), Aev 21&. 9i+e:ise, the 7ishop, as the hi"hest pastor of the Church and the i$a"e of Christ, is represented in Church teachin" as the "uardian of her spiritual vir"inity J that is, inner purity in faith, life, and in all her activity in the :orld. herefore a 7ishop is 7etrothed to the Church, as the Apostle Baul spea+s of hi$self in relation to the Corinthian Church %2 Cor 11:2&. his 7ond of a 7ishop :ith his diocese $ust 7e e6clusive and sin"le. When a Church or "roup of Christians is left :ithout a 7ishop, it is called ;:ido:ed.< hese concepts :ere so strictly understood in the ancient Church that the occupation of t:o sees :as called 7i"a$y, and the unla:ful occupation 7y a 7ishop of anotherGs see :as considered adultery. Since ancient ti$es, 5rthodo6 7ishops have 7een un$arried and celi7ate. With the co$plete renunciation of carnal and :orldly ties, a 7ishopGs union :ith the Church and his diocese is co$pletely pure, spiritual, and independent of the flesh and :orld, as is proper for a 7ride"roo$ of the Church. his attitude of the Church :as "iven for$al definition in the canon of the Si6th ,cu$enical Council in -10, and this definition is a strict rule for all ti$e in the a7sence of another ,cu$enical Council. As a 7ishop e6plains re"ardin" this canon, the rise of $onasticis$ in the fourth century "ave the Church $any "reat 7ishops on the one hand, and on the other hand "ave a lofty understandin" of 7odily a7stinence. (nas$uch as the 7ishopGs ran+ is the hi"hest in the Church, all the $ore $ust a 7ishopGs life 7e directed to total service to .od and Church in 7ody and soul. his consciousness contri7uted to the fact that, already in the fourth century, un$arried 7ishops :ere re"arded as naturally 7asic to Church order. he sa$e 7ishop also notes that even earlier than the Si6th ,cu$enical Council, a council :as called in Cartha"e in 320. his councilGs second canon prescri7ed that a 7ishop $ust 7e un$arried and preserve his vir"inity, and as the 7asis for this decree, the 4athers of the council referred to Apostolic radition preserved 7y the Church fro$ ancient ti$es. 5ther testi$onies as :ell sho: ho: deeply rooted :as the practice of appointin" only un$arried persons as 7ishops. (t is also sho:n that the $aFority of 7ishops ca$e fro$ the $on+s and that these $onastic 7ishops :ere the "reatest lu$inaries of the Church. Writin" of the 7ishopGs position in the Church, St. 0ositheus, Batriarch of Derusale$, states: 12-
he di"nity of the 7ishop is so necessary for the Church that :ithout hi$ neither the Church nor the na$e Christian could e6ist or 7e spo+en of at all.... He is the livin" i$a"e of .od upon earth... and a fountain of all the *ysteries =Sacra$ents@ of the Catholic =Hniversal@ Church, throu"h :hich :e o7tain salvation. St. Cyprian of Cartha"e, :ho, as $entioned, :as one of the $ost authoritative of the early 4athers of the Church, and :ho :as 7eheaded in 2)1, e6plains that ;if any are not :ith the 7ishop, they are not in the Church.< his co$$ent refers to the fact that since Christ is $ade $anifest in His Church throu"h the $inistry of the 7ishops, to sever co$$union :ith an 5rthodo6 7ishop $eans that one is cut off fro$ the Church. he 7ishopGs di"nity that St. 0ositheus spo+e of is derivative of his threefold power of r#ling' teaching, and celebrating the %ysteries, capacities :ith :hich he is endo:ed 7y the Holy Spirit :hen he is consecrated. Ae"ardin" the rulin" function, a 7ishop is called upon 7y .od to rule and "uide the floc+ entrusted to hi$. )pis$opos in .ree+ $eans overseer, and a 7ishop is Fust that: an overseer of his co$$unity %diocese&. He is also a $onarch :ithin his diocese, althou"h not in the connotative sense of 7ein" a harsh and i$personal tyrant, for his is "uided 7y the la: of Christian love in the e6ercisin" of his $inistry. A 7ishop is called upon to 7e a teacher of the faith and to proclai$ the truth J such is his teaching office, :hich is the special charis$a he receives fro$ the Holy Spirit at his consecration. he teachin" $inistry is perfor$ed first and fore$ost in the cele7ration of the ,ucharist, :hen he delivers ser$ons, or :hen other $e$7ers of the Church %priests or lay$en& act as the 7ishopGs dele"ates in deliverin" ser$ons. Celebrating the %ysteries is another function of a 7ishop, and this occupation is aptly su$$ari#ed in St. 0ositheusM description of the 7ishop as ;the fountain of all the *ysteries.< he 7ishop :as usually the cele7rant of the ,ucharist in the pri$itive Church. Ho:ever, pres7yters %priests, the second ran+ of the sacred $inistry under the 7ishop& $ay serve, :ith an episcopal 7lessin", all the *ysteries and Church services, save that of the *ystery of 5rdination and the sanctification of holy chris$ or an anti$ens %anti$ension&. 4ro$ the Apostle Da$es, it is seen that priests perfor$ed the ChurchGs sacred rites %Da$es ):1'&, and also that in the early Church there could 7e several priests in each co$$unity, :hereas only one 7ishop :as appointed for a city and the re"ion around it. Briests act as the 7ishopsG deputies :hen they cele7rate the Holy 9itur"y. Additional duties of the 7ishop include the ordination of cler"y. He alone ordains all the orders e6cept for the order of 7ishop, for :hich at least t:o 7ishops are needed. he 7ishop also consecrates churches. (t is the 7ishopGs Fo7 to oversee and ad$inister all the churches in his diocese. >o church can 7e 7uilt :ithout his per$ission. !ishops also consecrate the anti$ins used on the altar %see chapter 11& and 7less chris$. (n the early Church, as the nu$7er of converts continued to "ro:, it 7eca$e physically i$possi7le for an Apostle or 7ishop personally to lay hands upon each. he Church therefore 7e"an to 7less a $i6ture of oil and spices, or chris$, :hich, :hen applied 7y a priest and acco$panied 7y specified prayers, acts in the sa$e :ay as a physical layin" on of hands. >e: chris$ is periodically 7lessed and the old chris$ is added to it, thus perpetuatin" a chain of 7lessin" reachin" all the :ay 7ac+ to the early Church. (n addition to the special ordained $inistry conferred throu"h the *ystery of Holy 5rders, a 7ishop is involved :ith yet another $inistry, althou"h not one li$ited to his ran+ 12/
alone. his 7ishop and all Christians ali+e are prophets and priests, for the Holy Spirit is "iven to all Christians ali+e. his fact :as especially apparent in the Apostolic Church :here, not only :as there an institutional $inistry 7esto:ed directly 7y the layin" on of hands, 7ut :here .od8 "iven "ifts :ere 7esto:ed directly 7y the Holy Spirit. 5f these "ifts, the Apostle Baul $entions the :or+in" of $iracles, healin", spea+in" in ton"ues, etc. %1 Corinthians&. Althou"h not so $uch evident in $odern ti$es, these "ifts have nonetheless 7een visi7le on occasion throu"hout the ChurchGs history. hey :ere especially pro$inent in nineteenth8century Aussia in the $inistry of the elder. ,ldership, rather than 7ein" received throu"h ordination, :as received directly fro$ the Holy Spirit and :as e6ercised 7y lay$en, in addition to priests and 7ishops. he te6t7oo+ su$s up the 7ishopGs position in the Church :ith the re$inder that even thou"h a 7ishopGs authority is funda$entally that of the Church, he is not to 7e thou"ht of as so$eone set up over the Church. (nstead, a 7ishop is in the Church as one of its $e$7ers, and he is a holder of an office within the Church. Bastor and floc+ are united in an or"anic 7ond so that neither the 7ishop nor the people can properly 7e thou"h of in isolation fro$ the other. St. Cyprian states in 7rief: ; he Church is the people united to the 7ishop, the floc+ clin"in" to its shepherd. he 7ishop is in the Church and the Church is in the 7ishop.< 9astly, it is i$portant to note that a 7ishopGs charis$a does not "uarantee that he :ill not fall into error and preach false doctrine, for he is still a $an and is thus capa7le of $a+in" $ista+es. Here once a"ain is the principle of syner"y: the divine ele$ent does not eli$inate the hu$an. While the Church as a :hole is infalli7le, no individual $e$7er of it is infalli7le, save Christ, its Head. .iven these facts, one can all the 7etter understand ho: a vast nu$7er of hierarchs in $odern ti$es have entered into apostasy :ith their involve$ent :ith the end8ti$es pheno$enon of the panheresy of ecu$enis$. Spea+in" of this apostasy, Arch7ishop heophan of Boltava and Bereyaslav+a, confessor to the last i$perial fa$ily of Aussia, :rites: Ae"ardin" the affairs of the Church, in the :ords of the Saviour, one of the $ost a:eso$e pheno$ena of the final days is that at that ti$e ;the stars shall fall fro$ heaven< %*t 2':22&. Accordin" to the SaviourMs o:n e6planation, these stars are the angels of the Churches, in other :ords, the bishops %Aev 1:20&. he reli"ious and $oral fall of the 7ishops is thus one of the $ost characteristic si"ns of the final days. he fall of the 7ishops is particularly horrifyin" :hen they deviate fro$ the doctrines of the faith, or, as the Apostle Baul put it, :hen they ;:ould pervert the .ospel of Christ< %.al 1:/& =,elected Letters, p. ''@. )<. %hat limitation of the bishop's authority does the te'tbook mention* he te6t7oo+ $entions that no one 7ishop can clai$ to :ield a7solute po:er over the rest. he Church has never 7een $onarchical, centered around any sin"le 7ishop, as Ao$e later ca$e to $aintain. Brior to the .reat Schis$ of 10)', Ao$eGs 7ishop had no $ore authority than that "ranted to any of the patriarchs of the ,ast. )>. %rite out a7 the 5uotation from the patriarchal letter of )>4> to the pope! and b7 Fhomiakov's comment on this statement. Batriarchal letter of 11'1 to the pope: A$on" us, neither patriarchs nor councils could ever introduce ne: teachin", for the "uardian of reli"ion is the very 7ody of the Church, that is, the people itself. 121
Kho$ia+ovGs co$$ent to this state$ent: he pope is "reatly $ista+en in supposin" that :e consider the ecclesiastical hierarchy to 7e the "uardian of do"$a. he case is Cuite different. he unvaryin" constancy and the unerrin" truth of Christian do"$a does not depend upon any hierarchical orderN it is "uarded 7y the totality, 7y the :hole people of the Church, :hich is the !ody of Christ. )?. %hat is the position of the laity in the Church* he Holy SpiritGs "ifts are poured out on the laity accordin" to .odGs econo$y of salvation, and the laity share :ith the 7ishops and cler"y in 7ein" "uardians of the truth. While they do not participate in the 7ishopGs divinely appointed office of teachin" and proclai$in" the truth, they do "uard it, for all of .odGs people possess the truth %Christian do"$a&. As Archi$andrite Adrianos, a for$er a77ot of St. CatherineGs *onastery on *ount Sinai, notes in this re"ard: A decision of the 5rthodo6 Church is never i$posed fro$ a7ove, as it is 7y papis$: the people of .od are the defenders of the faith, :ieldin" a veto, reFectin" :hatever is contrary to radition, and even Fud"in" the 5rthodo6y of any ecu$enical synod that can 7e characteri#ed as a ;ro77er synod.< =A Letter of !rthodox Confession, p. -@. he laity can also ta+e part in the Councils, as did St. Constantine and other Ao$an %!y#antine& e$perors. Ho:ever, all final decisions and for$al procla$ations of faith in a Council are strictly the prero"atives of 7ishops 7y virtue of their teachin" charis$a. "$. %hy! according to the te'tbook! do we pray for the reposed* Brotopriest 3ictor Botapov co$pares the 5rthodo6 practice of prayin" for the reposed :ith the reFection of that practice on the part of the Brotestants. 4r. 3ictor :rites that: he 5rthodo6 confession of faith is co$pleted 7y a lively e6pectation of the resurrection of the dead and the life of the a"e to co$e. Whoever does not 7elieve in the future life, :hoever does not 7elieve in the future last, ri"hteous Fud"$ent of .od, :hoever does not 7elieve in a reco$pense for the ri"hteous and punish$ent for evil is not 5rthodo6 and is not a Christian. Whereas :e 5rthodo6 7elieve in the efficacious po:er of prayer for the dead, sectarians reFect prayers for the dead on the "rounds that there is no direct co$$and$ent in Sacred Scripture concernin" prayer for the dead and 7ecause a $anGs fate 7eyond the "rave supposedly depends e6clusively on :hat he hi$self :as personally durin" his earthly life and, finally, 7ecause 7elievers have one *ediator J the Saviour Desus Christ Hi$self. !ut if prayer for the dead is really not spo+en of directly in the Word of .od, this our duty :ith re"ard to the$ follo:s of itself fro$ the o7li"ation of Christians to support the co$$union of love 7et:een the$selves, :hich is, :ith re"ard to the dead, e6pressed in prayers for the$. he Apostle Da$es persuades us to pray for one another %Da$es ):1-& and adds that ;the effectual fervent prayer of a ri"hteous $an availeth $uch<N the Apostle 122
Baul e6horts to pray for all $en %1 i$ 2:1&N St. Dohn the heolo"ian J especially for sinners %1 Dn ):1-&. 5ne $ust not presuppose that these e6hortations related only to the livin", since the dead are also $e$7ers of ChristGs Church, Fust as :e are, and a $anGs death, fro$ the Christian point of vie:, ou"ht not to 7rea+ the co$$union e6istin" 7et:een hi$ and those re$ainin" a$on" the livin". ;4or He is not a .od of the dead, 7ut of the livin": for all live unto Hi$,< says the 9ord Desus Christ %9+ 20:31&. ;Whether :e live therefore, or die, :e are the 9ordGs,< teaches the Apostle Baul %Ao$ 1':1&. As for the citations 7y the Brotestants on passa"es in Sacred Scripture :herein the $atter concerns the reco$pense to each $an accordin" to his :or+s %Bs -:-, .al -: /, 2 Cor ):10 and others&, these passa"es spea+ either a7out the fact that the dead the$selves cannot chan"e their lot or a7out the condition of the dead after the 0read Dud"$entN 7ut the 7enefit of prayers for the dead is not denied. 4inally, it is co$pletely true that our Saviour, the 9ord Desus Christ, is the ;one *ediator 7et:een .od and $en.< hus the 5rthodo6 Church teaches, and thus it is said repeatedly in Sacred Scripture, especially often in the epistles of the Apostle Baul. !ut, after all, :e 5rthodo6, in our reCuie$ prayers, do turn precisely to Hi$, our Saviour, as children of His Church. Co$$e$oration of the dead and Church prayers for the$ are a pri$ordial, Apostolic radition of the Church, preserved :holly in her throu"hout all the centuries. Already in the fifth century, St. Cyril of Derusale$, a participant in the Second ,cu$enical Council, in e6plainin" the structure of the divine services and $ysteries to the catechu$ens :ho had entered the Church in his ti$e, :rote apropos of the ChurchGs co$$e$oration of the dead at the 9itur"y: ;(t :ill 7e a very "reat advanta"e to the souls, for :ho$ the supplication is put up, :hile =the Holy Sacrifice@ is presented< =%ystagogical Catechesis 3, ch. 2@. Barticles ta+en out fro$ the prosphoras in co$$e$oration of the livin" and the dead are placed on the discos at the foot of the 9a$7, :here they re$ain until that $o$ent :hen they are put into the chalice :ith the :ords: ;!y hy precious 7lood, 5 9ord, :ash a:ay the sins of those co$$e$orated here, throu"h the prayers of the saints.< =!rthodoxy and 2eterodoxy@. here is no division 7et:een the livin" and departed in .od and in His Church. Whether alive or dead, all 7elon" to a sin"le fa$ily, and all are one in the love of .od. he departed $e$7ers of the Church continue to live after death, only in a different for$ than here on earth, and they are not deprived of spiritual nearness to those :ho re$ain on earth. hus the 7ond of prayer :ith the$ on the part of the pil"ri$ Church on earth does not stop. ;>either death nor life... shall 7e a7le to separate us fro$ the love of .od, :hich is in Christ Desus our 9ord< %Ao$ 1:31&. he departed need only one +ind of help fro$ those on earth: prayer and petition for the re$ission of their sins. he Church *ilitant prays for its $e$7ers :ho have died :ith true repentance. (n prayin" for the$ as :ell as for those :ho are alive, the Church follo:s the :ords of the Apostle Baul: ;Whether :e live therefore, or die, :e are the 9ordGs. 4or this end Christ 7oth died and rose, and revived, that He $i"ht 7e 9ord 7oth of the dead and the livin"< %Ao$ 1':182&. 4or this reason, the faithful departed are re$e$7ered in this prayer of the Holy 9itur"y: 200
A"ain :e offer unto hee this reasona7le :orship for those :ho have fallen asleep in the faith: ancestors, fathers, patriarchs, prophets, Apostles, preachers, ,van"elists, $artyrs, confessors, ascetics, and every ri"hteous spirit $ade perfect in faith. he custo$ of prayin" for the dead also e6isted in the 5ld esta$ent Church. (n the days of the pious leader of the De:s, Dudas *acca7eus, an inspection of those :ho had 7een +illed in 7attle revealed that in their "ar$ents :as plunder fro$ the "ifts offered to idols. At that ti$e, all the De:s ;7lessed the :ays of the 9ord, the ri"hteous Dud"e, Who reveals the thin"s that are hiddenN and they turned to prayer, 7eseechin" that the sin :hich had 7een co$$itted $i"ht 7e :holly 7lotted out.< Dudas *acca7eus hi$self sent to Derusale$ to ;provide for a sin offerin". (n doin" this he acted :ell and honora7ly< %2 *ac 12:328'-&. Christ stated that ;:hoever spea+eth a :ord a"ainst the Son of *an, it shall 7e for"iven hi$N 7ut :hosoever spea+eth a"ainst the Holy Spirit, it shall not 7e for"iven hi$, neither in this :orld, neither in the :orld to co$e< %*t 12:32&. (t can naturally 7e concluded fro$ these :ords that the re$ission of sins for those :ho have sinned not unto death can 7e "iven 7oth in the present life and after death. 9i+e:ise fro$ the :ord of .od it is +no:n that Christ has ;the +eys of hell and death< %Aev 1:11&. Christ therefore has the po:er to open the "ates of hell 7y the prayers of the Church and 7y the po:ers of the propitiatory !loodless Sacrifice that the Church offers for the departed. All the ancient 9itur"ies of the Christian Church J 7oth ,ast and West J testify to the ChurchGs re$e$7rance in prayer of the dead. his re$e$7rance is seen in the 9itur"y of the Holy Apostle Da$es, the !rother of the 9ord, in the 9itur"ies of St. !asil the .reat, St. Dohn Chrysosto$ and St. .re"ory the 0ialo"ist. Si$ilar references are to 7e found in the Ao$an, Spanish and .allican 9itur"ies, as :ell as in the ancient 9itur"ies of the Ar$enians, ,thiopians, Syrians, Copts, Daco7ites, and others. here is not a sin"le one of these 9itur"ies :here there is no prayer for the dead. he testi$ony of the 4athers and teachers of the Church spea+ of the sa$e thin". he Church intercedes for the dead in its prayers, Fust as it does for the livin". his intercession is not done in its o:n na$e, 7ut in the na$e of the 9ord Desus Christ %cf. Dn 1':138 1'&, and 7y the po:er of His Sacrifice on the Cross, :hich :as offered for the deliverance of all. hese fervent prayers aid the seeds of the ne: life :hich departed Christians have ta+en :ith the$. (f these seeds have not 7een a7le to open up sufficiently on earth, they "radually open up and develop under the influence of prayers and :ith the $ercy of .od. >othin" can revive rotten seeds, thou"h, and prayers for the dead :ho have died in i$piety and :ithout repentance, :ho have Cuenched in the$selves the Spirit of Christ %1 hes ):12&, are po:erless. he para7le of the rich $an and 9a#arus sho:s that there is no deliverance fro$ hell for these people, that they cannot 7e transferred into the 7oso$ of A7raha$ %9+ 1-:2-&. (ndeed, these people usually do not leave 7ehind on earth people :ho $i"ht sincerely pray to .od for the$, and they have not acCuired friends a$on" the saints in Heaven, :ho, :hen they fail %that is, die&, $i"ht receive the$ into everlastin" ha7itations J that is, $i"ht pray for the$ %cf. 9+ 1-:2&. 5n earth, it is not +no:n to :hat lot each has 7een su7Fected after death, 7ut prayers for the departed can never 7e profitless. (f the departed ones have 7een vouchsafed to d:ell in Heaven, they reply to our prayers for the$ :ith an ans:erin" prayer for us. "). 6ummarize your understanding of the term communion of saints. 201
Althou"h not $entioned 7y the te6t7oo+ in its 7rief discussion of this su7Fect, Brotestantis$ affirms the doctrine of the co$$union of saints :hen it recites the ApostlesG Creed. % his Creed is reco"ni#ed as 7ein" of authentic provenance 7y the 5rthodo6 Church, 7ut it is never used 7y the 5rthodo6 litur"ically&. Ho:ever, Brotestantis$ "oes on to deny this doctrine in actual fact. .iven that inconsistency, and "iven the fact that the veneration of saints has :aned in the 9atin Church, the co$$union of saints is an i$portant $atter to e6a$ine. ,6plainin" the Brotestant and 5rthodo6 positions re"ardin" prayers to the saints, Brotopriest 3ictor Botapov :rites that: he Brotestants do not reco"ni#e the veneration of saints since it, in their opinion, de7ases the :orth of the Saviour as ;the one *ediator 7et:een .od and $en< and contradicts those passa"es of Sacred Scripture :herein it says that one should :orship .od alone. he Brotestants consider the veneration of saints as useless, since the saints cannot hear our prayers. (n the 5rthodo6 teachin" on the veneration of saints, there is no 7elittlin" of the 9ordGs rede$ptive sacrifice :hatsoever, since :e as+ of the saints not that :hich is not :ithin their po:er J the for"iveness of sins, the "rantin" of "race and the future, 7lessed life J 7ut :e pray to the saints as $e$7ers of the Church that have 7een redee$ed 7y the i$$aculate 7lood of Desus Christ and are $ore pro6i$ate to .od than :e, that they $ediate for us 7efore the one *ediator, the 9ord Desus Christ. (n the passa"es of Sacred Scripture cited 7y the Brotestants %0eut -:13, 1 i$ 1:1/&, the renderin" of divine honor to .od alone is spo+en ofN 7ut :e do not render such honor to the saints. We venerate .odGs "race, :hich resides in the$N :e venerate .od, Who, accordin" to the :ords of the Bsal$ist, is ;:ondrous in His saints.< As for the hearin" of our prayers 7y the saints, for this there is no necessity to possess o$niscience, :hich is really proper to .od alone. (t is sufficient to have the "ift of clairvoyance, of :hich the 9ord dee$ed $any of His saints :orthy :hile still on earth, and :hich they, one $ust suppose, possess to a hi"her de"ree in Heaven =!rthodoxy and 2eterodoxy@. Brotestants have no prayerful co$$union :ith the Heavenly Church, :ith the heoto+os, the Holy Apostles, the saints, $artyrs, confessors, the holy an"els or archan"els, and all the ri"hteous. his practice :as present in the ancient Church, yet Brotestantis$ shuns prayer to the saints. Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y e6plains :hat the ancient Christian ChurchGs understandin" :as of the veneration of saints, an understandin" that is retained in 5rthodo6y Christianity to this day. A paraphrase of 4r. *ichaelGs e6planation is "iven here. here are certain Christians that the Church "lorifies and lists in the *enolo"ia. his "lorification, :hich is an e6pression of the ChurchGs conscience, ta+es place :hen the co$$on conviction of the sanctity of a reposed person is confir$ed 7y $artyrdo$, 7y fearless confession, 7y self8sacrificin" service to the Church, or 7y the "ift of healin", especially :hen the 9ord confir$s the sanctity of the reposed person 7y $iracles after his death :hen he is re$e$7ered in prayers. he Church cannot do other:ise than "lorify those :ho$ the 9ord Hi$self calls His ;friends.< ;?e are *y friends... ( have called you friends< %Dn 1):1'81)&. hese are people :ho$ Christ has received into His heavenly $ansions, accordin" to His pro$ise that ;:here ( a$, there ye $ay 7e also< %Dn 1':3&. When this "lorification ta+es place, prayers for the for"iveness 202
of sins and for that personGs repose cease, and they "ive :ay to other for$s of Church co$$union :ith hi$ J sc., a& the praisin" of his ascetic stru""les, since ;neither do $en li"ht a candle and put it under a 7ushel, 7ut on a candlestic+N and it "iveth li"ht unto all that are in the house< %*t ):1)&N and 7& petitions to that person that he $i"ht pray for us, for our for"iveness of sins and for our $oral i$prove$ent, and that help :ill 7e "iven us in our spiritual needs and in our sorro:s. Holy Scripture states: ;!lessed are the dead :hich die in the 9ord fro$ henceforth< %Aev 1':13&, and :e do indeed 7less the$. A"ain Scripture states: ;And the "lory :hich hou "avest *e, ( have "iven the$< %Dn 1/:22&, and :e do indeed "ive the saints this "lory, accordin" to ChristGs co$$and$ent. Christ li+e:ise states: ;He that receiveth a prophet in the na$e of a prophet shall receive a prophetGs re:ardN and he that receiveth a ri"hteous $an in the na$e of a ri"hteous $an shall receive a ri"hteous $anGs re:ard< %*t 10:'1&. ;Whosoever shall do the :ill of *y 4ather :hich is in Heaven, the sa$e is *y 7rother, and sister, and $other< %*t 12:)0&. (t is therefore fittin" that :e should receive a ri"hteous $an as a ri"hteous $an. (f he is a 7rother or sister for the 9ord, then he should 7e such for us too. he saints are our spiritual 7rothers and sisters, $others and fathers, and our love for the$ is sho:n 7y co$$union :ith the$ in prayer. St. Dohn the heolo"ian :rote to the Christians: ; hat :hich :e have seen and heard declare :e unto you, that ye also $ay have fello:ship :ith us: and truly our fello:ship is :ith the 4ather, and :ith His Son Desus Christ< %1 Dn 1:3&. (n the Church, this fello:ship :ith the Apostles continues uninterruptedly, "oin" over :ith the$ into the other real$ of their e6istence, the heavenly real$. St. Dohn also :rote of the nearness the saints have to the throne of the 9a$7, and of their raisin" up prayers for the Church on earth. He states: ;And ( 7eheld, and ( heard the voice of $any an"els round a7out the throne and the 7easts and the elders: and the nu$7er of the$ :as ten thousand ti$es ten thousand, and thousands of thousands< :ho praised the 9ord %Aev ):11&. he Apostle Baul :rites that ;ye are co$e unto *ount Uion, and unto the city of the livin" .od, the heavenly Derusale$, and to an innu$era7le co$pany of an"els, to the "eneral asse$7ly of the Church of the first7orn, :hich are :ritten in Heaven, and to .od the Dud"e of all, and to the spirits of Fust $en $ade perfect< %He7 12:22823&. hus, co$$union in prayer :ith the saints is the reali#ation in actual fact of the 7ond that e6ists 7et:een Christians in the Church *ilitant and those in the heavenly Church. Sacred Scripture "ives nu$erous e6a$ples that sho: that the ri"hteous, :hile still livin" on earth, can perceive $uch that is inaccessi7le to the ordinary understandin". All the $ore are these "ifts present :ith the ri"hteous ones after they have put off the flesh and are in Heaven. he Apostle Beter sa: into the heart of Ananias %Acts ):3&. A"ain, the la:less act of the servant .eha#i :as revealed to ,lisha %' Kin"s, ch. ', 2 Kin"s in KD3&. ,ven $ore re$ar+a7ly, to hi$ :as revealed all the secret intentions of the Syrian court, :hich he in turn co$$unicated to the +in" of (srael %' Kin"s -:12&. ,ven :hile still on earth, the saints penetrated in spirit into the heavenly :orld. o so$e :ere sho:n choirs of an"els, :hile others %(saiah, ,#e+iel& :ere allo:ed to 7ehold the i$a"e of .od. 5thers still :ere e6alted to the third Heaven, :here they heard $ystical, unuttera7le :ords %the Apostle Baul&. All the $ore are these saints, :hen they are in Heaven, a7le to +no: :hat is happenin" on earth and of hearin" those :ho pray to the$, for the saints in Heaven ;are eCual unto the an"els< %9+ 20:3-&. he para7le of the rich $an and 9a#arus %9+ 1-:12831& sho:s that A7raha$, in Heaven, could hear the cry of the rich $an fro$ hell, even thou"h a ;"reat "ulf< separated the$. 203
A7raha$Gs re$ar+ that ;they have *oses and the prophetsN let the$ hear the$< %9+ 1-:22& clearly indicates that A7raha$ +no:s the life of the He7re: people after his death. He +no:s of *oses and the 9a:, and +no:s of the prophets and their :ritin"s. hus the spiritual vision of the saints in Heaven is "reater than the vision they had on earth. he Apostle Baul confir$s this fact in his :ords that: ;>o: :e see throu"h a "lass, dar+ly, 7ut then face to faceN no: ( +no: in part, 7ut then ( shall +no: even as also ( a$ +no:n< %1 Cor 13:12&. Since the earliest ti$es, the 5rthodo6 Church has held the teachin" of the invocation of saints, +no:in" that they intercede for us 7efore .od in Heaven. his is sho:n in the ancient 9itur"ies. 4or e6a$ple, in the 9itur"y of the Holy Apostle Da$es, it is said: ,specially :e perfor$ the $e$orial of the Holy and .lorious ,ver83ir"in, the !lessed heoto+os. Ae$e$7er her, 5 9ord .od, and 7y her pure and holy prayers spare and have $ercy on us. (n e6plainin" the 9itur"y of the Church of Derusale$, St. Cyril of Derusale$ re$ar+s: ; hen :e also co$$e$orate =in offerin" the !loodless Sacrifice@ those :ho have previously departed: first of all, patriarchs, prophets, Apostles, $artyrs, so that 7y their prayers and intercession .od $i"ht receive our petition.< he Holy 4athers and teachers of the Church, especially fro$ the fourth century on, "ive nu$erous testi$onies a7out the ChurchGs veneration of the saints. Ho:ever, even fro$ the 7e"innin" of the second century, there are direct indications in ancient Christian literature :ith re"ard to faith in the prayer of the saints in Heaven for Christians on earth. he :itnesses of the $artyrdo$ of St. ("natius the .od8!earer %7e"innin" of the second century&, for e6a$ple, state: Havin" returned ho$e :ith tears, :e had the all8ni"ht vi"il.... hen, after sleepin" a little, so$e of us suddenly sa: 7lessed ("natius standin" and e$7racin" us, and others li+e:ise sa: hi$ prayin" for us. hese and other accounts as :ell that $ention the $artyrsG prayers and intercession for us, are to 7e found in the $artyrolo"ies fro$ the epoch of persecution a"ainst Christians. "". 6ummarize the importance of the :ame 8ay. A >a$e 0ay is the festival of oneGs patron saint :hose na$e one is "iven at !aptis$. he saints are holy people :ho pleased .od 7y a ri"hteous life :hile they :ere on earth, and they are an i$portant part of our fa$ily J a :orld:ide Christian fa$ily of people fro$ all nationalities, stations in life and positions. herefore, 5rthodo6 Christians honor all the saints, 7ut they also have a special devotion to their patron saint. 4or this reason, they consider their >a$e 0ay far $ore i$portant than their 7irthday. he cele7ration of the >a$e 0ay de$onstrates the reverence 5rthodo6 Christians have for the saints. (n their understandin" of the co$$union of saints, 5rthodo6 do not loo+ upon .odGs favored ones as 7ein" re$ote and o7scure fi"ures fro$ another era, 7ut they see the$ as 7ein" their conte$poraries and friends, and as intercessors 7efore the throne of .od. (n addition to :hat :as e6plained in the previous ans:er concernin" 5rthodo6yGs veneration of the saints, Archi$andrite Bantelei$on of Dordanville "ives the follo:in" helpful e6planation:
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Ho: can :e not appeal in prayer to the saintly ri"hteous, :ho have already entered the heavenly $ansions, :hen :e +no: that even :hile livin" on earth they had the po:er to intercede 7efore .od for sinful people<W .od Hi$self co$$anded a +in" to entreat the ri"hteous A7raha$ to pray for hi$, sayin": 3or he is a prophet' and shall pray for thee' and tho# shalt live %.en 20:/&. he 9ord co$$anded the friends of the lon"8sufferin" Do7, :ho had offended hi$, to as+ his prayers: Go to %y servant 9ob' and he shall pray for yo#' for him will ( accept' lest ( deal with yo# after yo#r folly %Do7 '2:1&. !ecause of the prayers of the ri"hteous, the 9ord often spared people :ho had sinned. *oses prayed for the He7re: people :ho had fallen into the sin of idol8:orship and :ere already doo$ed to destruction 7y .odN the 9ord accepted the prayer of the holy $an and pardoned the stiff8nec+ed people %,6odus 32:2812&. he 9ord once said to the prophet Dere$iah: Tho#gh %oses and ,am#el stood before %e' yet %y mind co#ld not be toward this people =the 2ebrews>1111 Who shall have pity on thee' F 9er#salem' or who shall bemoan theeE %Der 1):18)&. his $eans that *oses and Sa$uel, thou"h already departed 7y the ti$e of Dere$iah, can intercede for sinful people. Dudas *acca7eus sa: a vision of the departed hi"h priest, 5nias, :ho :as ;prayin" for all the He7re: people,< and, pointin" to another $an :ho :as :ith hi$, said to Dudas: This is 9eremiah' the prophet of God' who prays m#ch for the people' and for the holy city %2 *ac 1):12,1'&. And the Holy Apostle Beter clearly pro$ised his disciples that after his death he :ould re$e$7er the$: %oreover' ( will endeavor that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance %2 Beter 1:1)&. (n the !oo+ of Aevelation, the visions of St. Dohn the heolo"ian de$onstrate the saints do pray for us, and their prayers, li+e s$o+e fro$ a censer, rise 7efore .od, and He receives the$ :ith favor. hus, the Word of .od clearly teaches us to call upon the saints in our prayers, and affir$s that they send up their prayers to .od for usN and that He, the $ost "racious, receives their intercessions =A Ray of Light- (nstr#ctions in iety and the ,tate of the World at the )nd of Time, pp. 12813@. While Brotestants divide and separate people into the livin" and dead, 5rthodo6 Christianity +no:s no such divisions, nor do such divisions e6ist :ith .od. ;With Hi$ =.od@, all are alive< %9+ 20: 31&. here is also a ti"ht 7ond of unity 7et:een all the $e$7ers of the Church: all are tied to"ether 7y a co$$on concern and love for one another. herefore, all the $e$7ers of the Church, 7oth the livin" and the dead, pray for one another. he saints hear our prayers and are al:ays prepared to pray for us since :e are all $e$7ers of the one and sa$e !ody of Christ, the Church. *e$7ers of a 7ody help each other, and 7oth co$$iserate and reFoice to"ether. As the Apostle Baul teaches: ;And :hether one $e$7er suffer, all the $e$7ers suffer :ith itN or one $e$7er 7e honored, all the $e$7ers reFoice :ith it. >o: ye are the !ody of Christ, and $e$7ers in particular< %1 Cor 12:2-82/&. herefore, the saints reFoice :ith us or they co$$iserate :ith us in our $isfortune. (t :ould not 7e co$$iseration if they did not co$e to help us. he saints once lived on earth and suffered the sa$e afflictions that :e +no: here. hey +no: fro$ personal e6perience ho: difficult it is for people to stru""le :ith :orldly cala$ities and "rief, and they +no: ho: necessary heavenly assistance is in the 7attle here on earth. Althou"h the saints reside in Heaven no:, they al:ays re$e$7er their ho$eland and are interested in the salvation of the :orld. he saints are al:ays ready to intercede 7efore .od on 20)
our 7ehalf. hey love us spiritually, for they descend fro$ the sa$e ancestors as us and are related to us. hey are our 7rothers and sisters in the faith. hey are also a:are of our condition 7ecause they love .od and are in co$$union :ith Hi$. !y the "race of .od, and 7ecause of their union :ith Hi$, they hear the prayers fro$ the $e$7ers of the Church *ilitant, and they receive those prayers and co$e to our aid :ith the co$passionate and heartfelt liftin" up of those prayers to the one (ntercessor and (nter$ediary, Christ. (f :e, sinners that :e are, can assist our nei"h7ors, all the $ore can the holy ones in Heaven do so for us, for they are not disinterested o7servers of our trou7les. hey have a $ore co$plete and pure love than ours, and they can and do pray and intercede for us 7efore .od. *oreover, .od listens to their prayers for us, for throu"h their e6ploits :hile they lived on earth, the saints earned for the$selves .odGs eternal "ood :ill. hey are .odGs favorite ones :ho have "ained ready access to Hi$. As the Word of .od says concernin" the effectiveness of the saintsG prayers for us, ; he effectual fervent prayer of a ri"hteous $an availeth $uch< %Da$es ):1)&. Ae"ardin" those :ho scoff at the idea of prayer, *etropolitan .re"ory of St. Beters7ur" stated: here are people %:ho are un:orthy, ho:ever, of the na$e& :ho, not 7ein" a7le to understand ho: the 9ord can hear and ans:er our prayers, do not fully 7elieve that He does hear and ans:er the$. 0o not pay attention to the$. We do not understand ho: :e live, 7ut :e certainly do live. he sa$e $ay 7e said a7out prayers to the saints. he saints do hear and ans:er our prayers. !ecause of the prayerful intercession of the saints, the Church ends its every service :ith this appeal to Desus Christ, that He save and have $ercy on us, ;throu"h the prayers of His *ost Bure *other and all the saints.< Also 7ecause of the saintsG lovin" intercession for us, 5rthodo6 Christians al:ays turn to the saints in prayer, and they "ive special honor to their patron saint on their >a$e 0ay. o revere .odGs ri"hteous servants in this :ay is entirely proper. Christ re"arded as His friends all those :ho fulfilled His co$$and$ents, and He said to His disciples: ;He that receiveth you receiveth *e, and he that receiveth *e receiveth Hi$ that sent *e< %*t 10: '0&. (n these :ords, Christ is clearly sho:in" that the honor rendered to His faithful servants and friends is i$parted to Hi$self. hus, in honorin" the saints, Christians honor .od Hi$self, Who$ the saints pleased in their lives here on earth, and Whose "race resides in the$. "#. 6ummarize the reasons for the veneration of the -heotokos. Holy Scripture sho:s that it is $ost proper to venerate the *ost Bure *other of .od. he Archan"el .a7riel venerated her, sayin", ;AeFoice, thou that are hi"hly favored, the 9ord is :ith thee 7lessed art thou a$on" :o$en< %9+ 1:21&. St. Dohn the 4orerunner, as a 7a7e in his $otherGs :o$7, leaped at the $ere sound of the voice of the heoto+os %9+ 1:'1,''&. St. ,li#a7eth also venerated *ary, sayin", ;!lessed art thou a$on" :o$en, and 7lessed is the fruit of thy :o$7: and :hence is this to $e, that the $other of $y 9ord should co$e to *eE< %9+ 1:'28'3&. 9i+e:ise did the follo:ers of Christ venerate *ary. 5ne of the$, after hearin" ChristGs :ords, said to Hi$, ;!lessed is the :o$7 that 7are hee, and the paps :hich hou hast suc+ed< %9+ 11:2/&. ,lder ,piphanies heodoropoulos %O1212& "ives further reasons for the veneration of the heoto+os. o the a7ove Cuoted :ords of St. ,li#a7eth, the *other of .od replied that fro$
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henceforth, all "enerations :ould call her 7lessed %9+ 1:'1&. Who :as the heoto+os, thenE 4r. ,piphanios ans:ers: An un+no:n "irl of >a#areth. Who +ne: herE 0espite this, fro$ then on, e$pires have 7een for"otten, 7ri"ht na$es of :o$en have vanished, :ives and $others of "enerals have 7een for"otten. Who +no:s or re$e$7ers the $others of >apoleon... or the $other of Ale6ander the .reatE Al$ost no one. Ho:ever, $illions of lips in all the len"ths and :idths of the earth, and in all the centuries, hy$n the hu$7le dau"hter of >a#areth, ;$ore honora7le than the Cheru7i$ and $ore "lorious 7eyond co$pare than the Seraphi$. ; Are :e or are :e not, the people of =$odern ti$es@, livin" the verification of this prophetical sayin" of the Bana"iaE =Co#nsels for Life, pp. 12-82/@. he *other of .od, the dau"hter of the a"ed Doachi$ and Anna, and a descendant of the royal line of 0avid, is a real person :ho :al+ed this earth. o understand :ho she is, one need only to loo+ to the Sacred Scriptures and Sacred radition of the Holy 5rthodo6 Church, :hich have re$ained unchan"ed since Apostolic ti$es. he heoto+os :as chosen fro$ a$on" all "enerations to 7eco$e a 7rid"e so that salvation could co$e into the :orld. Her selection to 7e the *other of .od too+ five and a half $illennia after the fall of Ada$ and ,ve 7efore there arose a :o$an :ho :as so co$pletely ;holy 7oth in 7ody and spirit< %1 Cor /:3'& that, throu"h the creative action of .odGs Holy Spirit, .od fashioned fro$ her all8pure 7lood the flesh that :as ta+en 7y Desus, the Son and Word of .od. hrou"h a life of holiness, *ary 7eca$e a pure vessel to contain the Hncircu$scri7a7le 5ne, "ivin" 7irth to Hi$, raisin" Hi$, and protectin" Hi$ in His youth. he Holy 4athers have al:ays tau"ht that ;.od 7eca$e $an so that $an $i"ht 7eco$e divine,< that is, that people $i"ht share .odGs nature %2 Beter 1:'&. Ho:ever, .od did not :ish to 7eco$e incarnate :ithout *aryGs consent, for He al:ays respects hu$an freedo$. *aryGs response :as co$pletely voluntary. here :as the chance for her to say no. Ho:ever, her faith and o7edient su7$ission to .odGs :ill that she 7eco$e an active participant in the *ystery of the (ncarnation counter7alanced ,veGs un7elief and diso7edience in Baradise. *ary loosened the +not :hich ,ve had 7ound, and *ary is therefore referred to as the >e: ,ve, :hich $eans that she is the *other of the ne: hu$an race :hich is to share in the life of .od. Had it not 7een for *aryGs cooperation, there :ould have 7een no (ncarnation, and conseCuently no rede$ption. hrou"h ,ve ca$e sinN throu"h the 3ir"in, salvation. he heoto+os, the Holy Church teaches, is the supre$e e6a$ple of syner"y %cooperation& 7et:een .odGs purpose and the :ill of $an. he *other of .od is, as the Archan"el .a7riel called her, ;full of "race.< St. Dohn of Shan"hai and San 4rancisco :rites that the De:ish slanderers of the *other of Desus soon 7eca$e convinced that it :as al$ost i$possi7le to dishonor her. 5n the 7asis of the infor$ation :hich they the$selves possessed, it :as $uch easier to prove her praise:orthy life. herefore, a7andonin" their slander, :hich as 5ri"en :rites had already 7een ta+en up 7y the pa"ans %cf. Against Cels#s (&, they strove to prove at least that *ary had not 7een a vir"in :hen she "ave 7irth to Christ. hey even $aintained that the prophecies concernin" the 7irth8"ivin" of the *essiah 7y a vir"in had never e6isted, and that it :as therefore entirely in vain that the Christians thou"ht to e6alt Desus 7y the fact that a prophecy :as supposedly 7ein" fulfilled in Hi$. De:ish translators :ere found %ACuila, Sy$$achus, heodotion& :ho $ade ne: translations of the 5ld esta$ent into .ree+. (n these, the :ell8+no:n prophecy of (saiah /:1', 20/
.ehold' a virgin shall conceive , :as altered. (n place of the :ord vir"in, the translators su7stituted a yo#ng woman. hrou"h this altered te6t, the translators hoped to $a+e people 7elieve that Christians thou"ht to ascri7e to *ary so$ethin" co$pletely i$possi7le J a 7irth8 "ivin" :ithout a $an, :hile actually the 7irth of Christ :as not in the least different fro$ other hu$an 7irths. Ho:ever, the evil intent of the translators :as clearly revealed. (ndeed, not only the De:s, 7ut even the pa"ans, on the 7asis of their o:n translations and various prophecies, e6pected the Aedee$er to 7e 7orn of a vir"in. he .ospels clearly state that Christ had 7een 7orn of a vir"in, and fro$ antiCuity the Christian Church has al:ays confessed Christ ;incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the 3ir"in *ary.< his truth :as denied, thou"h, not only 7y the De:s, 7ut also 7y those :ho denied the .ospel, and 7y those :ho did not :ish to hu$7le the$selves and lead a pure life. 4or the latter, the 7irth of .od fro$ the ,ver83ir"in proved a stu$7lin" 7loc+, and *aryGs pure life :as a reproach to the$. herefore, in order to present the$selves as Christians, they 7e"an a ne: attac+ a"ainst the *other of .od. hey did not deny that Christ :as 7orn of a vir"in, 7ut they 7e"an to $aintain that *ary :as a vir"in only ;until she 7rou"ht forth her first7orn Son, Desus< %*t 1:2)&. (n the fourth century, the false teacher Helvidius %and li+e:ise $any others 7efore and after hi$& held that after ChristGs 7irth, *ary entered into conFu"al life :ith St. Doseph the !etrothed and had fro$ hi$ children, :ho are called ChristGs 7rothers and sisters in the .ospels. (n the fifth century, St. Dero$e pointed out that the ter$ brethren of the Lord does not necessarily infer the first de"ree of consan"uinity. As the Se$itic lan"ua"e lac+ed a :ord for co#sin, the :ord achim %7rethren& :as used, and it had a very :ide $eanin", fro$ that of si7lin"s to cousins, and also stretchin" to $e$7ers of the sa$e tri7e. hus .enesis 1':1' states that 9ot :as A7raha$Gs brother, :hen he :as actually A7raha$Gs nephe:. 9i+e:ise, .enesis 22:1) descri7es Daco7 as the brother of his uncle 9a7an. (n $any other places, the ter$ brethren could 7e used to descri7e people not related either 7y 7lood or tri7e %vide Der 3':2, 0eut 23:/ and ,sd ):/&. 5f further note, in no place in the >e: esta$ent are any of the ;7rethren< e6plicitly referred to as *aryGs son or sons J a syste$atic o$ission that additionally sho:s that Desus :as indeed her only son. Desus is al:ays referred to as ;the son of *ary,< not ;a son of *ary.< *oreover, as St. Dohn of Shan"hai and San 4rancisco "oes on to e6plain, the :ord #ntil and :ords si$ilar to it often si"nify eternity. (n Sacred Scripture, it is said of Christ: ;(n His days shall shine forth ri"hteousness and an a7undance of peace, #ntil the $oon 7e ta+en a:ay< %Bs /1:1&. his passa"e does not $ean that :hen there shall no lon"er 7e a $oon at the end of the :orld, .odGs ri"hteousness shall no lon"er 7eN rather it $eans that precisely than it :ill triu$ph. Sacred Scripture li+e:ise states: ;4or He $ust rei"n #ntil He hath put all ene$ies under His feet< %1 Cor 1):2)&. his passa"e does not $ean that Christ is to rei"n only until the ti$e His ene$ies are put under His feet, for He :ill rei"n forever. A"ain, Kin" 0avid :rites: ;As the eyes of the hand$aid loo+ unto the hands of her $istress, so do our eyes loo+ unto the 9ord our .od, #ntil He ta+es pity on us< %Bs 122:2&. 0avid :ill have his eyes to:ard the 9ord until he o7tains $ercy, 7ut havin" o7tained it, he :ill not direct the$ to the earth. Still another e6a$ple is ChristGs re$ar+ to the Apostles that: ;9o, ( a$ :ith you al:ays, even #nto the end of the :orld< %*t 21:20&. (t cannot 7e supposed that after the end of the :orld, :hen the Apostles Fud"e the t:elve tri7es of (srael, that they :ill not have the pro$ised co$$union :ith the 9ord. 201
*oreover, it is not correct to $aintain that the 7rothers and sisters of Christ :ere the children of His *ost Bure *other. As the sa$e St. Dohn points out, the na$es of brother and sister have several distinct $eanin"s. hese desi"nations si"nify a certain +inship 7et:een people or their spiritual closeness, and they are so$eti$es used in a broader or narrower sense. St. Dohn notes that in any case, people are called 7rothers or sisters if they have a co$$on father and $other, or only a co$$on father or $otherN or even if they have different fathers and $others, if their parents %havin" 7eco$e :ido:ed& have entered into $arria"e %step7rothers and stepsisters&N or if their parents are 7ound 7y close de"rees of +inship. St. Dohn notes that no:here in the .ospels can it 7e seen that those :ho are called the 7rothers of Desus :ere or :ere considered the children of His *other. 5n the contrary, it :as +no:n that Desus and others :ere the sons of Doseph, the 7etrothed of *ary, :ho :as a :ido:er :ith children fro$ his first :ife %cf. St. ,piphanius of Cyprus, anarion' /1&. Also, the sister of the heoto+os, *ary the :ife of Cleopas, :ho stood :ith her durin" the Crucifi6ion %Dn 12: 2)& had children. hese children, in vie: of such close +inship, :ith full ri"ht could also 7e called 7rothers of the 9ord. hat ChristGs so8called 7rothers and sisters :ere not the children of the heoto+os is clearly evident in the fact that Christ entrusted His *other 7efore His death to His disciple Dohn. Christ :ould not have "iven her to DohnGs care if *ary had other children other than Hi$self. he other children :ould have ta+en care of her the$selves. Also, as St. Dohn of Shan"hai and San 4rancisco points out, the sons of Doseph, the supposed father of Desus, did not consider the$selves o7li"ed to ta+e care of so$eone they re"arded as their step$other, or at least they did not have such love for her as 7lood children have for their parents, and such as the adopted Dohn had for her. Apin" the ancient heretics :ho 7lasphe$ed the *other of .od, the entire Brotestant :orld is una7le to a7andon its 7lasphe$ous and $oc+in" teachin" on the *other of .od. ,ven to this day, Brotestantis$ refuses to call the all8holy 3ir"in anythin" 7ut *ary. Also, t:istin" all thin"s in Scripture that are hard to understand %cf. 2 Beter 3:1-&, Brotestantis$ 7rou"ht 7ac+ to life the false teachin" that *ary lived :ith Doseph as a :ife :ith her hus7and, and that he fathered children 7y her. Ho:ever, St. DohnGs e6a$ination of Scriptures "iven a7ove reveals :ith co$plete clarity the insu7stantiality of the o7Fections to the ever8vir"inity of the *other of .od. Also, the flippant irreverence of those :ho attac+ her vir"inity is completely nullified by 6cripture, :hich states: A-his gate shall be shut! it shall not be opened! and no man shall enter in by itE because the 0ord! the 1od of 2srael! hath entered in by it! therefore it shall be shut< %,#e+iel '':2&. he Holy 4athers re"arded these lines as a prophecy of the 7irth of .od fro$ a vir"in, and also of the ever8vir"inity of *ary, and the litur"ical poetry of 5rthodo6y often refers to ;the closed "ate:ay of the 3ir"in.< *oreover, as Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y points out, the 7irth of Desus Christ fro$ a vir"in is testified to directly and deliberately by two +vangelists! =atthew and 0uke. his do"$a entered into the ChurchGs Creed, 4r. *ichael e6plains, in these :ords: ;Who for the sa+e of us $en and for our salvation ca$e do:n fro$ Heaven and :as incarnate 7y the Holy Spirit and the 3ir"in *ary and 7eca$e $an.< he do"$a of the 3ir"in !irth teaches that the heoto+os :as a vir"in before Child7irth, d#ring Child7irth, and after Child7irth. he life of the heoto+os is preserved in the ChurchGs Sacred Apostolic radition. 0urin" her earthly life, she avoided the "lory that :as hers as the *other of .od, 7ut preferred instead to live in Cuiet and to prepare for her departure into eternal life. She al:ays "oo+ pains to the end of her earthly days to prove :orthy of the Kin"do$ of her Son. 202
he friends of Christ, the Apostles, $anifested "reat concern and devotion for the 3ir"in *ary, especially Dohn the heolo"ian. After Christ uttered to hi$ fro$ the Cross, ;!ehold thy $other,< Dohn too+ her to hi$self and cared for her as a $other. After *aryGs repose, the Apostles %save ho$as& "ave her $ost pure 7ody over to 7urial. 5n the third day, :hen the Apostle ho$as arrived in Derusale$, all of the$ :ent to the to$7, only to find it e$pty. *ary later appeared to the$ that evenin" durin" their $eal, tellin" the$ that Christ had "lorified her 7ody also and that she, resurrected, stood 7efore His throne. She then pro$ised to 7e :ith the forever. 5f this encounter, St. Dohn of Shan"hai and San 4rancisco :rites: he Apostles "reeted the *other of .od :ith "reat Foy and 7e"an to venerate her not only as the *other of their 7eloved eacher and 9ord, 7ut also as their heavenly helper, as a protector of Christians and intercessor for the :hole hu$an race 7efore the ri"hteous Dud"e. And every:here the .ospel of Christ :as preached, His *ost Bure *other also 7e"an to 7e "lorified =The !rthodox 0eneration of %ary' the .irthgiver of God, p. 23@. he .od8pleasin" Saint Dohn continues: (f .od the 4ather chose her, .od the Holy Spirit descended upon her, and .od the Son d:elt in her, su7$itted to her in the days of His youth, :as concerned for her :hen han"in" on the Cross J then should not everyone :ho confesses the Holy rinity venerate herE =(bid., p. 21@. *ary is the *other of our .od and the $ost e6alted a$on" all .odGs creatures. (n the titles assi"ned to her 7y t:o ,cu$enical Councils, she is the -heotokos %!irth"iver of .od& and Aeiparthenos %,ver83ir"in&. She is also popularly referred to as /anagia %All8Holy&, and in the hy$n *eet (t (s sun" at the 9itur"y of St. Dohn Chrysosto$, she is called ;$ore honora7le than the Cheru7i$ and inco$para7ly $ore "lorious than the Seraphi$.< (t is indeed proper for people to follo: the e6a$ple of the *ost Bure *other of .od and venerate her. *any ti$es each year, 5rthodo6 Christians all over the :orld "ather in churches adorned :ith icons of their heavenly (ntercessor to praise her :ho :as "lorified :ith special honor in Heaven and on earth, and to than+ her for the 7enefactions she has sho:n, and to 7e" $ercy. hey also venerate her in every series of hy$ns in the services, each of :hich ends :ith a hy$n or verse %the heoto+ion& that honors her. "4. +'plain the term Theoto"os. As noted earlier, Theoto$os is .ree+ for !irth"iver of .od. he 4athers of the Council of ,phesus % hird ,cu$enical Council& :anted to $aintain this title, for it protects a correct understandin" of ChristGs Berson. *ary is venerated in the first place precisely 7ecause of Christ. he title heoto+os insures that *ary is not "lorified as an end in herself, or apart fro$ Christ, 7ut only in her relation to Hi$. he veneration of the *other of .od can never detract fro$ the :orship of .od. (n fact, Fust the opposite is true: the $ore :e call ;the very heoto+os< to re$e$7rance and venerate her, the $ore :e ;co$$it ourselves and one another and all our life unto Christ our .od.<
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"3. 1ive some differences between the &rthodo' veneration of the -heotokos and the non( &rthodo' attitude toward her. he West, cut loose fro$ its 5rthodo6 $oorin"s for one thousand years, has for"otten the 7i7lico8patristic teachin" of theosis %divini#ation 7y "race&. hus the 9atino8Brotestant tradition can co$prehend only t:o eCually distorted attitudes that developed to:ard the *other of .od after the West severed itself fro$ ChristGs Church in 10)'. 5ne vie: is held 7y the Aefor$ed Churches, :hile the other is $aintained 7y the Ao$an Catholic Church. he Brotestant Aefor$ers reFected the distorted vie: of *ary that developed after Ao$e left the Apostolic Church in the eleventh century, a vie: that ulti$ately resulted in the false teachin" of the ($$aculate Conception. Brotestantis$ not only reFected the incorrect Western vie: of *ary, 7ut it :ent on to i"nore her co$pletely, thus denyin" her role in the (ncarnation and the part she plays in peopleGs salvation. (n spite of the .ospel :ords ;all "enerations shall call $e 7lessed< %9+ 1:'1&, Brotestantis$, :hich clai$s to 7e 7ased ;on the !i7le,< denies all veneration of the *other of .od, and denies callin" on her in prayer. (n addition, as the :riter Beter Dac+son points out, Brotestantis$ is al:ays Cuic+ to identify the veneration of *ary :ith the :orship of pa"an "oddesses, althou"h for the sa+e of consistency, he also notes, they :ould also have to associate the :orship of Christ :ith His pa"an counterfeits. (f Christians can discern 7et:een the true Christ and the false, then :e should 7e a7le to distin"uish 7et:een the heoto+os and ancient pa"an "oddesses, *r. Dac+son concludes. Western Christendo$Gs second incorrect vie: of the *other of .od is one invented 7y the Ao$an Catholics: a super8hu$an creature, one :ithout a fallen nature, a "oddess and a fourth person of the Holy rinity. While 9atin co$$entators say that *ary :as saved 7y Christ, they understand this fact in the distorted sense that she :as preserved :ithout taint of ori"inal sin in the future $erits of Christ %as defined in the !ull of the 0o"$a of the ($$aculate Conception&. (n the 9atin teachin", *ary received in advance the "ift :hich Christ 7rou"ht to $an+ind 7y His sufferin" and death on the Cross. Also, :ith re"ard to those tor$ents that *ary endured at the foot of the Cross of her Son, and in those sorro:s :hich filled her life, Ao$an Catholicis$ consider these an addition to the sufferin" of Christ. 9atin theolo"ians therefore see *ary as an associate :ith Christ the Aedee$er as a Co+Redemptress1 As the Catechis$ of 0r. Wei$ar states: ;(n the act of rede$ption, she =*ary@, in a certain :ay, helped Christ.< 5r, in the :ords of the Catholic !ishop *alou of !rou"hes: ;(n three respects J as 0au"hter, as *other, and as Spouse of .od, the Holy 3ir"in is e6alted to a certain e5uality :ith the 4ather, to a certain superiority to her Son, and to a certain nearness to the Holy Spirit.< hus, in the teachin"s of the representatives of 9atin theolo"y, *ary is placed side by side :ith Christ Hi$self in the $atter of rede$ption, and she is e6alted to an e5uality :ith .od. Althou"h the 9atin Church has not yet proclai$ed such teachin"s to 7e do"$a, it is presently on the path to a co$plete deification of the *other of .od. At present, Ao$an Catholic authorities call *ary a co$ple$ent to the Holy rinity. 5rthodo6y hi"hly e6alts the *other of .od, 7ut it does not dare to ascri7e any Cualities that have not 7een co$$unicated a7out her in Sacred Scripture or Sacred Apostolic radition. hus 5rthodo6y venerates the *other of .od in the sense of honoring her, 7ut it does not "ive her the :orship :hich is "iven to .od alone. .ree+ theolo"y is very clear on this point. he .ree+ lan"ua"e distin"uishes 7et:een latreia, :hich is the :orship of .od, and d#leia' hyperd#+leia' and pros$ynesis, :hich descri7e the veneration of the 3ir"in.
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5rthodo6y reFects the Ao$an Catholic ChurchGs false doctrine that *ary is ;a creature, 7ut also no lon"er a creature,< that she is a Co8Aede$ptress, that she is a co$ple$ent and a fourth person of the Holy rinity, and that she is eCual to .od. All of Ao$eGs teachin"s in this re"ard strive to "lorify *ary $ore than .od has "lorified her, and all are the fruit of vain, false :isdo$ :hich is not satisfied :ith :hat the Church has held since the ti$e of the Apostles. (n Ao$eGs false teachin"s a7out *ary are the :ords of St. ,piphanius of Cyprus %fourth century& fulfilled: ;Certain senseless ones in their opinion a7out the Holy ,ver83ir"in have striven and are strivin" to put her in place of .od.< =Against the Antidi$omarionites@. 5rthodo6y and Ao$e part co$pany a"ain over the $atter of the 9atin ChurchGs do"$a of the ($$aculate Conception, for the doctrine is an e6tension of the WestGs incorrect understandin" of the ancestral sin %:hat the West calls original sin&, and it is 7ased upon the false assu$ption that Christ $i"ht have 7een tainted 7y ancestral sin. 5rthodo6y li+e:ise reFects Ao$eGs do"$a of the Assu$ption of the 3ir"in insofar as it i$plies that *ary did not under"o a 7odily death. ";. 1ive your understanding of the heresy of the 2mmaculate Conception. he Western e6tre$es consider the *other of .od either 7orn perfect %Ao$an Catholicis$&, or else never havin" 7eco$e perfect at all %Brotestantis$&. Concernin" the for$er vie:, it is defined in the co$pletely blasphemous teachin" of the ($$aculate Conception, a corruption invented 7y the Ao$an Catholic Church and su7seCuently proclai$ed a do"$a of that Church in 11)'. 9i+e all heresies, the false doctrine of the ($$aculate Conception is satanic in nature. he ne: teachin" of the ($$aculate Conception ste$s fro$ Au"ustine of HippoGs incorrect opinion of the ancestral sin, and it :as Ao$eGs atte$pt to cover up Au"ustineGs incorrect vie: :ith yet another false teachin". Au"ustine tau"ht that the "uilt of Ada$ and ,veGs sin :as trans$itted throu"h the hu$an race either throu"h the conFu"al act or throu"h actual child7irth. his idea en"endered a fear a$on" the 9atins that since Christ :as 7orn of a :o$an, He $i"ht 7e infected :ith the ancestral sin. Aather than 7ac+in" up, rethin+in" the $atter, and eradicatin" the first falsehood, Ao$e chose instead to cover it up and try to protect the 3ir"in fro$ all traces of ancestral sin. As the .ree+ :riter Bhotios Konto"lu descri7ed the $atter, ; he doctrine of the ($$aculate Conception is a poor solution to a non8e6istent pro7le$.< St. Dohn, Arch7ishop of Shan"hai and San 4rancisco, "ives a detailed history of the ($$aculate Conception. He :rites that after those :ho censured the $ost pure life of the *other of .od had 7een re7u+ed, as :ell as those :ho denied her ever8vir"inity, those :ho denied her di"nity as the *other of .od, and those :ho disdained her icons, there appeared another teachin" :hich see$ed to e6alt *ary, 7ut :hich in fact denied all her virtues. his ne: teachin" :as raised 7y the devil, :ho could not i$a"ine hi$self defeated, and :ho could not re$ain an indifferent spectator to the "lory of the *other of .od. his ne: false teachin" :as that of the ($$aculate Conception, and throu"h it, the devil continued to :a"e :ar a"ainst the truth throu"h $en :ho do his :ill. he teachin" of the ($$aculate Conception is that ;the All8!lessed 3ir"in *ary in the first instant of her conception, 7y the special "race of Al$i"hty .od and 7y a special privile"e, for the sa+e of the future $erits of Desus Christ, Saviour of the hu$an race, :as preserved e6e$pt fro$ all stain of ori"inal sin< %fro$ the !ull of Bope Bius (S concernin" the ne: do"$a&. (n other :ords, at her conception, the *other of .od :as preserved fro$ ori"inal sin and, 7y .odGs "race, :as placed in a state :herein it :as impossible for her to have personal sin. 212
Christians had never heard of such a teachin" prior to the ninth century, :hen for the first ti$e one Baschasius Aad7ertus, A77ot of Corvey, e6pressed the opinion that the Holy 3ir"in :as conceived :ithout ori"inal sin. Startin" in the t:elfth century, this idea 7e"an to spread a$on" the cler"y and laity in the 9atin Church, :hich 7y then had already cut itself off fro$ the Hniversal Church founded 7y Christ, thus losin" the "race and "uidance of the Holy Spirit. he sa$e St. Dohn e6plains that there :as a tre$endous difference of opinion a$on" the $ost reno:ned theolo"ians of the West, the pillars %so to spea+& of the 9atin Church. !y no $eans did all of the$ a"ree :ith the ne: teachin". !ernard of Clairvau6 and ho$as ACuinas decisively reFected it, :hile 0uns Scotus defended it. 4ro$ the teachers, this division carried over to their disciples. he 0o$inican $on+s, follo:in" ho$as ACuinas, censured the teachin" of the ($$aculate Conception, :hile the 4ranciscans, follo:ers of 0uns Scotus, strove to pro$ote it. he 7attle 7et:een these t:o currents continued on for the course of several centuries, and on 7oth sides :ere those :ho the Ao$an Catholics re"arded as the "reatest authorities. >o help ca$e to the resolution of the $atter 7y the fact that several people declared they had divine revelations concernin" it. he reno:ned fourteenth8century S:edish nun !rid"et spo+e in her :ritin"s a7out appearances to her of the *other of .od, :herein *ary told her she had 7een conceived i$$aculately, :ithout ori"inal sin. A conte$porary of !rid"etGs, ho:ever, the yet $ore reno:ned ascetic Catherine of Sienna, affir$ed that the *other of .od did in fact participate in ori"inal sin at her conception, concernin" :hich she had received a revelation 7y Christ Hi$self, she stated. hus, neither 7y theolo"ical :ritin"s, nor 7y the various contradictory ;$iraculous< $anifestations, could Ao$an Catholics distin"uish :here the truth :as. Hp until the end of the fifteenth century, popes re$ained apart fro$ these disputes. 5nly then, in 1'/), Bope Si6tus (3 approved a service in :hich the teachin" of the ($$aculate Conception :as clearly e6pressed. Several years later, he for7ade conde$nation of those :ho 7elieved in the ($$aculate Conception. he sa$e pope, ho:ever, also declined to affir$ that the ($$aculate Conception :as the un:averin" teachin" of the 9atin Church, and as a result, he did not conde$n those :ho did not accept the idea. hin+in" that it see$ed pious and pleasin" to the *other of .od to "ive her as $uch "lory as possi7le, Ao$an Catholics ca$e to "ive the teachin" of the ($$aculate Conception $ore and $ore support. heir strivin" to "lorify the *other of .od on the one hand, and on the other hand, the deviation of the 9atin theolo"ians into a7stract speculations that led only to see$in" truth %Scholasticis$&, and finally, the patrona"e of the popes after Si6tus (3 J all of these thin"s led to the fact that the opinion e6pressed 7y Baschasius Aad7ertus :as already the 7elief of the 9atin Church. (t re$ained only to have the doctrine proclai$ed as the teachin" of that Church. Such :as one in 11)', :hen Bius (S declared the ($$aculate Conception to 7e a do"$a of the Ao$an Catholic Church. (n that action, Ao$e added still another deviation fro$ the teachin" :hich it itself had once proclaimed prior to )$34, :hen it still adhered to the ancient Apostolic faith handed do:n 7y Christ, :hich faith has 7een held up to no: unaltered and unchan"ed 7y the 5rthodo6 Church. he procla$ation of the ne: do"$a satisfied first the 7road $asses of Catholics :ho in si$plicity of heart thou"ht the teachin" served for the "reater "lory of the *other of .od, to :ho$ they felt they :ere $a+in" a "ift :ith this teachin". he do"$a a"ain satisfied the vain"lory of the 9atin theolo"ians :ho defended it and :or+ed it out. *ost of all, thou"h the do"$a :as profita7le to the papal throne itself since, havin" proclai$ed the ne: do"$a 7y his 213
o:n authority, even thou"h he did listen to the opinions of the 9atin 7ishops, the pope by this very act openly appropriated to himself the right to change the teaching of the .oman Church. -he pope thereby placed his own voice above the testimony of 6acred 6cripture and 6acred -radition. A direct deduction of this act was that the .oman popes were infallible in matters of faith and indeed! the very same /ius 2M! who called himself Athe way! the truth! and the life!B proclaimed papal infallibility a dogma of the 0atin Church in )><$. (n the definition of the ne: do"$a of the ($$aculate Conception, the 9atin Church stated that it :as not esta7lishin" a ne: teachin", 7ut that it :as only proclai$in" so$ethin" :hich had al:ays e6isted in the Church, and :hich had 7een held 7y the Holy 4athers. ,6cerpts :ere then "iven fro$ these 4athers, althou"h the teachin"s contained in the$ do not sho: :hat the 9atin Church states they sho:N they sho: instead only the e6alted sanctity of the *other of .od. (n none of the e6cerpts is there any :ord a7out the i$$aculateness of *aryGs conception. Also not sho:n in these e6cerpts are the :ritin"s of those very same 3athers :ho in other places proclai$ that only Desus Christ is co$pletely pure of every sin, :hile all $en, 7ein" 7orn of Ada$, have a flesh su7Fect to the la: of sin. Contrary to :hat the 9atin Church states, none of the ancient 4athers state that .od $iraculously purified the 3ir"in *ary :hen she :as in her $otherGs :o$7. What these 4athers do indicate, ho:ever, is that the *other of .od, Fust as all hu$an 7ein"s, endured a 7attle :ith sinfulness. (n her o:n 7attle :ith te$ptations, these 4athers state, *ary :as victorious and :as saved 7y her divine Son. St. Dohn of Shan"hai and San 4rancisco "oes on to list five $aFor points :hich de$onstrate the falsehood of the ($$aculate Conception. hese points are as follo:s: %1& he teachin" of the co$plete sinlessness of the 3ir"in *ary is contrary to 6acred 6criptures, :hich repeatedly $ention the sinless8ness of the ;one *ediator 7et:een .od and $an, Desus Christ< %1 i$ 2:)&N ;and in Hi$ is no sin< %1 Dn 3:)&N ;Who did no sin, neither :as "uile found in His $outh< %1 Beter 2:22&N ;5ne that hath 7een in all points te$pted li+e :e are, yet :ithout sin< %He7 ':1)&N ;He hath $ade Hi$ to 7e sin for us, Who +ne: no sin< %2 Cor ):21&. Concernin" the rest of $an+ind, ho:ever, Scriptures state, ;Who is pure of defile$entE >o one :ho has lived a sin"le day of his life on earth< %Do7 1':'&N ;.od co$$endeth His o:n love to:ard us in that, :hile :e :ere yet sinners, Christ died for us.... (f, :hile :e :ere ene$ies, :e :ere reconciled to .od throu"h the death of His Son, $uch $ore, 7ein" reconciled, shall :e 7e saved 7y His life< %Ao$ ):1810&. %2& he ($$aculate Conception also contradicts Sacred radition, :hich is contained in nu$erous patristic :ritin"s. hese spea+ of *aryGs e6alted sanctity fro$ her very 7irth, and :hile they also spea+ of her cleansin" 7y the Holy Spirit at her conception of Christ, they $ention nothin" of any cleansin" at the ti$e of the conception 7y Anna. As St. !asil the .reat :rites: ; here is none :ithout stain 7efore hee, even thou"h his life 7e 7ut a day, save hee alone, Desus Christ our .od, Who didst appear on earth :ithout sin, and throu"h Who$ :e all trust to o7tain $ercy and the re$ission of sins< % hird Brayer of 3espers at Bentecost&. A"ain, as St. .re"ory the heolo"ian states: ;When Christ ca$e throu"h a pure, vir"inal, un:edded, .od8 fearin", undefiled *other :ithout :edloc+ and :ithout father, and inas$uch as it 7efitted Hi$ to 7e 7orn, He purified fe$ale nature, reFected the 7itter ,ve and overthre: the la:s of the flesh.< %(n raise of 0irginity &. ,ven then, ho:ever, as Saints Dohn Chrysosto$ and !asil the .reat spea+ concernin" this $atter, *ary :as not placed in a state of 7ein" una7le to sin, 7ut 21'
continued to ta+e care of her salvation and overca$e all te$ptations. %St. Dohn Chrysosto$, Commentary on 9ohn, Ho$ily 1)N St. !asil the .reat, ,pistle 1-0&. %3& he teachin" that the 3ir"in *ary :as purified 7efore her 7irth so that the Bure Christ $i"ht 7e 7orn of her, is meaningless. (f the Bure Christ could 7e 7orn only if *ary :ere 7orn pure, it :ould 7e necessary that her parents 7e pure of ori"inal sin, and they a"ain :ould have to 7e 7orn of purified parents, and so forth. 5ne could only conclude that ChristGs (ncarnation could not have ta+en place unless all His ancestors in the flesh, even up to and includin" Ada$, had 7een first purified of ori"inal sin. (n that event, ho:ever, there :ould have 7een no need for the (ncarnation of Christ, 7ecause Christ ca$e do:n to earth in order to annihilate sin. %'& Ao$eGs teachin" that the 3ir"in *ary :as preserved fro$ ori"inal sin, and its teachin" that she :as preserved 7y .odGs "race fro$ personal sins, $a+es .od un$erciful and unFust. (f .od could preserve *ary fro$ sin and purify her at her conception, then :hy does He not do the sa$e for other individuals, 7ut instead leaves the$ in sinE (t :ould follo: fro$ Ao$eGs teachin" that .od saves people apart fro$ their :ill, predeter$inin" certain ones at conception to salvation. %)& Ao$eGs teachin", :hile see$in" at first to e6alt *ary, does Fust the e6act opposite: the 2mmaculate Conception belittles =ary by denying all her virtues . (f *ary, even in the :o$7 of her $other, could not even desire anythin" "ood or evil, and :as preserved 7y .odGs "race fro$ every i$purity, and then 7y the sa$e "race :as preserved fro$ sin after she :as 7orn, then :here is her $eritE (f she did not sin 7ecause .od $ade it impossible for her to sin, :hy did .od "lorify herE (f there :ere no effort on *aryGs part and no i$pulses to sin, and she re$ained pure 7ecause of these reasons, then :hy is she re"arded as the $ost holy of all the saintsE here is no victory :ithout an adversary. he sa$e St. Dohn e6plains that: he ri"hteousness and sanctity of the 3ir"in *ary :as $anifested in the fact that she, 7ein" ;hu$an :ith passions li+e us,< so loved .od and "ave herself over to Hi$, that 7y her purity she :as e6alted hi"h a7ove the rest of the hu$an race. 4or this, havin" 7een fore+no:n and forechosen, she :as vouchsaved to 7e purified 7y the Holy Spirit, Who ca$e upon her, and to conceive of Hi$ the very Saviour of the :orld. he teachin" of the "race8"iven sinlessness of the 3ir"in *ary denies her victory over te$ptationsN fro$ a victor :ho is :orthy to 7e cro:ned :ith cro:ns of "lory, this $a+es her a 7lind instru$ent of .odGs providence =The !rthodox 0eneration of %ary' the .irthgiver of God, pp. )28-0@. St. Dohn Cuotes len"thy refutations of the ideas 7ehind the doctrine of the ($$aculate Conception fro$ the :ritin"s of !lessed Au"ustine of Hippo and St. A$7rose, !ishop of *ilan. hese t:o 4athers of the Western Church clearly testify that the false ideas of the ($$aculate Conception :hich spread throu"h the West :ere earlier re,ected by the %est when it was still fully &rthodo' Christian. *oreover, even after Ao$e severed itself fro$ the Apostolic Church in 10)', one of its ac+no:led"ed "reat authorities, !ernard, de$onstrated the novelty and a7surdity of Ao$eGs false teachin". %!ecause of the len"th of these three refutations, they are not Cuoted here&. he ;"ift< of the pope and those others :ho i$a"ine they can "lorify the *other of .od 7y see+in" out ne: truths is no "ift at all. -he 2mmaculate Conception is instead a 21)
belittlement to the =other of 1od . So e6alted :as *aryGs life on earth and so e6alted is her "lory in Heaven, and so $uch has .od Hi$self "lorified her, that hu$an inventions cannot add anythin" to her honor and "lory. he false teachin"s that people invent a7out *ary only o7scure her face fro$ their eyes. As the Apostle Baul :rites: ;!rethren, ta+e heed lest there shall 7e any one that $a+eth spoil of you throu"h philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of $en, after the rudi$ents of the :orld, and not after Christ< %Col 2:1&. he heresy of the ($$aculate Conception is such a vain deceit. 9i+e every other lie, this false teachin" is the seed of the father of lies, the devil %Dn 1:''&. hrou"h the Ao$an Catholic ChurchGs lie of the ($$aculate Conception, the devil has $ana"ed to deceive $any :ho do not understand that they blaspheme the *other of .od. he *ost Holy *other of .od reFects the lie, 7ein" the *other of ruth %Dn 1':-&. "<. 2s the 0atin teaching of the Assumption of the Girgin the same as the &rthodo' doctrine of the 8ormition of the Girgin* he doctrine of the Assu$ption of the 3ir"in, :hich Ao$e proclai$ed to 7e a do"$a in 12)0, i$plies that *ary did not under"o a physical death 7ecause of the ($$aculate Conception. hat is, 7ecause *ary :as ;preserved i$$aculate fro$ all stain of ori"inal sin,< as Ao$eGs pronounce$ent read, she :ould not have died li+e the rest of $an+ind, 7ut :ould have 7een assu$ed directly into Heaven. his doctrine, li+e that of the ($$aculate Conception, is a product of Ao$eGs incorrect understandin" of the ancestral sin, and it is not accepta7le to 5rthodo6 theolo"y. (n the ChurchGs Holy radition, it is recorded that prior to her death, the *other of .od prayed to Christ to deliver her fro$ the hands of the $alicious de$ons that $eet hu$an souls on the :ay to Heaven in order to try to sei#e the$ and ta+e the$ a:ay to hell. Christ heard the prayers of His *other, and in the hour of her death, He ca$e fro$ Heaven :ith a $ultitude of an"els to receive *aryGs soul, :hich is depicted as an infant in His hands in icons of the 0or$ition of the *other of .od. *oreover, all of the Apostles %save ho$as& "athered in Derusale$ :hen *ary died, and they 7uried her $ost pure 7ody :ith sacred hy$ns. ("norin" these facts, the Ao$an Catholic Church once a"ain severed itself fro$ the Sacred Apostolic radition to :hich it itself adhered prior to its departure fro$ the Church in 10)'. 5rthodo6y 7elieves that all $an+ind, *ary included, auto$atically inherit the $ortality of Ada$, althou"h not Ada$Gs "uilt: $en are "uilty only insofar as they choose to i$itate Ada$. While *ary is :ithout personal sin %since she did not i$itate Ada$Gs diso7edience&, she is still a $e$7er of the hu$an race and did under"o a physical death li+e all of Ada$Gs descendants. And li+e all of $an+ind, she needed to 7e saved 7y Christ. he 5rthodo6 cele7ration of the 4east of the 0or$ition of the heoto+os is a "uarantee that *aryGs salvation after 7odily death is the destiny of all people :ho follo: her e6a$ple of cooperation :ith the :ill of .od, and of all :ho follo: her e6a$ple of love, o7edience and hu$ility. (t is a si"n that all .odGs faithful people, after *aryGs e6a$ple, :ill 7eco$e te$ples of the livin" .od and that they :ill share in .odGs Kin"do$. (n addition to the Ao$an Catholic ChurchGs do"$a of the Assu$ption of the 3ir"in, there also developed a cult of the (mmac#late 2eart of the %ost 2oly 0irgin, :hich has 7een universally disse$inated, alon" :ith Ao$eGs cult of the ,acred 2eart of 9es#s. Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y e6plains that applica7le to the second cult is a decree of the 4ifth ,cu$enical Council %the >inth Canon a"ainst Heretics&, :hich states:
21-
(f anyone shall ta+e the e6pression, Christ ou"ht to 7e :orshiped in His t:o natures, in the sense that he :ishes to introduce thus t:o adorations, the one in special relation to .od the Word and the other as pertainin" to the *an... and does not venerate, 7y one adoration, .od the Word $ade $an, to"ether :ith His flesh, as the Holy Church has tau"ht fro$ the 7e"innin", let hi$ 7e anathe$a = !rthodox "ogmatic Theology, pp. 11-8 1/@. 4r. *ichael states that althou"h this decree touches only upon the separate :orship of ChristGs 0ivinity and His Hu$anity, it still indirectly sho:s that in "eneral the veneration and :orship of the Saviour should 7e directed to Hi$ as a :hole, and not to parts of His !ein". He also states that even if heart is ta+en to $ean ChristGs love itself, still, neither in the 5ld esta$ent nor in the >e: :as there ever a custo$ to :orship separately .odGs love, His :isdo$, His creative or providential po:er, or His sanctity. 4r. *ichael adds that: All the $ore $ust one say this concernin" the parts of =ChristGs@ 7odily nature. here is so$ethin" unnatural in the separation of the heart fro$ the "eneral 7odily nature of the 9ord for the purpose of prayer, contrition and :orship 7efore Hi$. ,ven in the ordinary relationships of life, no $atter ho: $uch a $an $i"ht 7e attached to another J for e6a$ple, a $other to a child J he :ould never refer to his attach$ent to the heart of the 7eloved person, 7ut :ill refer it to the "iven person as a :hole =(bid@. With re"ard to the 9atin ChurchGs cult of the ($$aculate Heart of the *ost Holy 3ir"in, 4r. *ichael re$ar+s that one can say the sa$e thin" that :as said a7out the veneration of the heart of Desus. As another :riter e6pounds further on the $atter, the veneration of the heart of Christ and the *other of .od is Fust as inappropriate as the veneration of their lun"s or pancreas J so$ethin" that "oes a"ainst piety and :ould 7e unthin+a7le. ">. 1ive your understanding of the following (bearing in mind that the discussion of the sub,ect in the te'tbook is very brief7H a7 the nature of hell! b7 the nature of the fire of hell! and c7 the nature of the /arousia. A. So$e .ospel readin"s at the 9itur"ies of the three Sundays shortly precedin" .reat 9ent de$onstrate the 5rthodo6 attitude to:ards the 9ast Dud"$ent and hell. he first SundayGs .ospel is the para7le of the pu7lican and Bharisee, and the second SundayGs is that of the prodi"al son. !oth sho: .odGs i$$ense for"iveness and $ercy to all sinners :ho repent. he third SundayGs .ospel readin" is the para7le of the sheep and the "oats. his para7le re$inds Christians of another possi7ility: that one can reFect .od and turn fro$ Hi$ and choose hell. ; hen shall He say to those on the left hand, the curse of .od is upon you, "o fro$ *y si"ht into everlastin" fire< %*t 2):'1&. Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y states that in these :ords of Christ and else:here, the Word of .od spea+s :ith positiveness and certainty concernin" the eternal tor$ents of evil $en. his condition of tor$ent is depicted as a place of tor$ent, and it is called "ehenna. Christ stated: ;(f thy hand offend thee, cut it offN it is 7etter for thee to enter into life $ai$ed, than havin" t:o hands to "o into hell, into the fire that shall never 7e Cuenched, :here the :or$ dieth not, and the fire is not Cuenched< %*+ 2:'38'', also ')8'1&. ; here shall 7e :eepin" and "nashin" of teeth,< Christ stated $any ti$es concernin" hell %*t 1:12 and other places&. St. Dohn the heolo"ian calls this place or condition ;a la+e of fire< %Aev 12:20&. 9i+e:ise the Apostle 21/
Baul :rites that< ;(n fla$in" fire ta+in" ven"eance on the$ that +no: not .od, and that o7ey not the .ospel of our 9ord Desus Christ< %2 hes 1:1&. he tor$ents of hell, as Holy Scripture has handed do:n, are the :ailin" and "nashin" of teeth fro$ despair, 7ein" consu$ed 7y the :or$ that never dies, the a"ony fro$ unCuencha7le fire, and 7ein" cast into outer dar+ness. he ;tor$ents< and ;dar+ness< are the estran"e$ent fro$ .od, and the :astin" a:ay of the souls of the da$ned, tor$ented 7y an evil conscience. Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y states that the Church, 7asin" itself on the Word of .od, ac+no:led"es the tor$ents of "ehenna to 7e eternal and unendin". he Church therefore conde$ned at the 4ifth ,cu$enical Council the false teachin" of the 5ri"enists that the de$ons and i$pious people :ould suffer in hell only for a certain definite ti$e, and then :ould 7e restored to their ori"inal condition of innocence % apo$atastasis in .ree+&. he conde$nation at the Hniversal Dud"$ent is called in the Apocalypse of St. Dohn the heolo"ian the ;second death< %Apoc 20:1'&. 5ne so$eti$es hears that the e6istence of hell is inconsistent :ith the 7elief in a lovin" .od. he sa$e 4r. *ichael addresses this assertion. He :rites that an atte$pt to understand the tor$ents of "ehenna in a relative sense, to understand eternity as so$e +ind of a"e or period J perhaps a lon" one, 7ut one still havin" an end J :as $ade in antiCuity, Fust as it is $ade today. (n this atte$pt, 4r. *ichael notes, are 7rou"ht for:ard conceptions of a lo"ical +ind: the dishar$ony 7et:een such tor$ents and the "oodness of .od is pointed out, as is the see$in" disproportion 7et:een cri$es that are te$poral and the eternity of the punish$ents for sin, as :ell as the dishar$ony 7et:een these eternal punish$ents and the final ai$ of the creation of $an, :hich is 7lessedness in .od. 4r. *ichael :rites that it is not for us to define the 7oundaries 7et:een the unuttera7le $ercy of .od and His Fustice or ri"hteousness. We +no: that the 9ord ;:ill have all $en to 7e saved, and to co$e unto the +no:led"e of the truth< %1 i$ 2:'&. Ho:ever, $an is capa7le, throu"h his o:n evil :ill, of reFectin" the $ercy of .od and the $eans of salvation. As *ar+ the *on+, a her$it of the fifth century, :rote: ;>o one is so "ood and full of pity as .od, 7ut even He does not for"ive those :ho do not repent.< 4r. *ichael Cuotes St. Dohn Chrysosto$, :ho, in interpretin" the depiction of the 9ast Dud"$ent, re$ar+s: When =the 9ord@ spo+e a7out the Kin"do$, after sayin", ;Co$e, ye 7lessed of *y 4ather, inherit the Kin"do$,< He added, :hich is ;prepared for you fro$ the foundation of the :orld< %*t 2):3'&, 7ut :hen spea+in" a7out the fire, He did not spea+ thus, 7ut He added: :hich is ;prepared for the devil and his an"els< %*t 2):'1&. 4or ( have prepared for you a Kin"do$, 7ut the fire ( have prepared not for you 7ut for the devil and his an"els. !ut since you have cast your o:n selves into the fire, therefore accuse yourself for this =(bid1, pp. 3'28)0@. 4r. *ichael states that :e have no ri"ht to understand the :ords of Christ only conditionally, as a threat or as a certain peda"o"ical $eans applied 7y the Saviour. (f one understands it in this :ay, one errs, for Christ does not instill in us any such understandin". 4r. *ichael also notes that such a $ista+en notion su7Fects one to .odGs :rath accordin" to the :ords of the Bsal$ist: ;Why hath the un"odly one provo+ed .odE 4or he hath said in his heart: He :ill not $a+e enCuiry< %Bs 2:3'&. 4r. *ichael "oes on to note that the very concept of anger in relation to .od is conditional and anthropo$orphic, and he Cuotes St. Anthony the .reat, :ho states: 211
.od is "ood, dispassionate and i$$uta7le. >o: so$eone :ho thin+s it reasona7le and true to affir$ that .od does not chan"e, $ay :ell as+ ho: in that case, it is possi7le to spea+ of .od as reFoicin" over those :ho are "ood and sho:in" $ercy to those :ho honor Hi$, :hile turnin" a:ay fro$ the :ic+ed and 7ein" an"ry :ith sinners. o this it $ust 7e ans:ered that .od neither reFoices nor "ro:s an"ry, for to reFoice and to 7e offended are passionsN nor is He :on over 7y the "ifts of those :ho honor Hi$, for that :ould $ean He is s:ayed 7y pleasure.... He is "ood, and He only 7esto:s 7lessin"s and never does har$, re$ainin" al:ays the sa$e. We $en, on the other hand, if :e re$ain "ood throu"h rese$7lin" .od, are united to Hi$N 7ut if :e 7eco$e evil throu"h not rese$7lin" .od, :e are separated fro$ Hi$. !y livin" in holiness, :e cleave to .odN 7ut 7y 7eco$in" :ic+ed :e $a+e Hi$ our ene$y. (t is not that He "ro:s an"ry :ith us in an ar7itrary :ay, 7ut it is our o:n sins that prevent .od fro$ shinin" :ithin us, and e6pose us to the de$ons :ho punish us. And if throu"h prayer and acts of co$passion :e "ain release fro$ our sins, this does not $ean that :e have :on .od over and $ade Hi$ chan"e, 7ut that throu"h our actions and our turnin" to .od :e have cured our :ic+edness and so once $ore have enFoy$ent of .odGs "oodness. hus to say that .od turns a:ay fro$ the :ic+ed is li+e sayin" that the sun hides itself fro$ the 7lind = (bid., pp. 3)08)1@. 4r. *ichael also adds that :orthy of attention are the :ords of St. heophan the Aecluse: he ri"hteous :ill "o into eternal life, 7ut the satani#ed sinners into eternal tor$ent, into co$$union :ith the de$ons. Will these tor$ents endE (f satanis$ and 7eco$in" li+e Satan should end, then the tor$ents also can end. !ut is there an end to satanis$ and 7eco$in" li+e SatanE We :ill 7ehold and see this then. !ut until then :e shall 7elieve that Fust as eternal life :ill have no end, so also the eternal tor$ent that threatens sinners :ill have no end. >o conFectures can sho: the possi7ility of the end of satanis$. What did Satan not see after his fallW Ho: $uch of the po:ers of .od :as revealedW Ho: he hi$self :as struc+ 7y the po:er of the 9ordGs CrossW Ho: up to no: all his cunnin"ness and $alice are defeated 7y this po:erW !ut still he is incorri"i7le, he constantly opposesN and the farther he "oes, the $ore stu77orn he 7eco$es. >o, there is no hope at all for hi$ to 7e correctedW And if there is no hope for hi$, then there is no hope either for $en :ho 7eco$e satani#ed 7y his influence. his $eans that there $ust 7e hell :ith eternal tor$ents =(bid., p. 3)1@. 4r. *ichael concludes that: he :ritin"s of the holy Christian ascetics indicate that the hi"her oneGs $oral a:areness is raised, the $ore acute 7eco$e the feelin" of $oral responsi7ility, the fear of offendin" .od, and the a:areness of the unavoida7ility of punish$ent for deviatin" fro$ the co$$and$ent of .od. !ut to Fust the sa$e de"ree does hope in .odGs $ercy "ro:. o hope in it and as+ for it fro$ the 9ord is for each of us a duty and a consolation =(bid@. !. he Church does not teach that .od tortures evildoers :ith $aterial fire and physical a"ony. Aather, .od :ill reveal Hi$self in such a resplendent, radiant "lory in His Son Desus that no $an 212
:ill fail to perceive His e6ceedin" "reatness. he saints tau"ht that the ;fire< of hell that :ill consu$e those :ho have reFected .od is the fire of .odGs love. ;4or our .od is a consu$in" fire< %He7 12: 22&, 5ne Who ;d:ells in unapproacha7le li"ht< %1 i$ -:1-&. hose :ho have denied .od are not deprived of .odGs love in hell, 7ut for the$ the co$in" of His love and li"ht :ill 7e a sore affliction. 4or the$, .odGs consu$in" fire :ill 7e a cause of sufferin", :eepin", and "nashin" of teeth. St. Dohn of 0a$ascus teaches that ;sinners :ill 7e "iven over to everlastin" fire, :hich :ill not 7e a $aterial fire such as :e are accusto$ed to, 7ut a fire such as .od $i"ht +no:< =)xact )xposition of the !rthodox 3aith , p. '0-@. 3ladi$ir 9oss+y adds that ;the love of .od :ill 7e an intolera7le tor$ent for those :ho have not acCuired it :ithin the$selves.< his fire is also the sa$e fire that :ill 7rilliantly shine in the redee$ed. While the :ic+ed e6perience .odGs love as sufferin", the saints :ill e6perience His love as Foy. St. (saac the Syrian states that: hose :ho find the$selves in hell :ill 7e chastised 7y the scour"e of love. Ho: cruel and 7itter this tor$ent of love :ill 7eW 4or those :ho understand that they have sinned a"ainst love under"o no "reater sufferin" than those produced 7y the $ost fearful tortures. he sorro: :hich ta+es hold of the heart :hich has sinned a"ainst love is $ore piercin" than any other pain. (t is not ri"ht to say that sinners in hell are deprived of the love of .od.... !ut love acts in t:o :ays, as sufferin" of the reproved, and as Foy in the 7lessedW =%ystic Treatises@. C. Barousia is the .ree+ :ord for the Second Co$in". Since the ti$e of ChristGs Ascension fro$ earth to Heaven, the spiritual "a#e of Christians has 7een directed to the "reatest future event of :orld history: ChristGs Second Co$in" to earth. esti$ony concernin" it is "iven $any ti$es 7y Christ Hi$self, 7y the an"els at the Ascension, and also 7y the Apostles. At the 7e"innin" of the Second Co$in", there ;shall appear the si"n of the Son of *an in HeavenN and then shall all the tri7es of the earth $ourn< %*t 2':30&. Accordin" to the universal interpretation of the Holy 4athers, this si"n :ill 7e the life8"ivin" Cross of the 9ord. Christ states that the Second Co$in" :ill 7e sudden and o7vious to everyone: ;4or as the li"htnin" co$eth out of the ,ast and shineth even unto the West, so shall the co$in" of the Son of *an 7e< %*t 2':2/&. A"ain, it :ill appear ;as a thief in the ni"ht< %1 hes ):21&N ; herefore you $ust 7e readyN for the Son of *an is co$in" at an hour you do not e6pect< %*t 2':''&. At that future ti$e, Christ :ill co$e in all His "lory, surrounded 7y innu$era7le choirs of an"els: ;And they shall see the Son of *an co$in" in the clouds of heaven :ith po:er and "reat "lory< %*t 2':30&, ;:ith holy an"els< %*+ 1:31&. ;He shall sit on the throne of His "lory< %*t 2):31&. hus, ChristGs Second Co$in" :ill 7e different fro$ the first :hen He ;hu$7led Hi$self, and 7eca$e o7edient unto death, even the death of the Cross< %Bhil 2:1&. Also, the purpose of ChristGs Second Co$in" into the :orld is distin"uished fro$ the purpose of His first co$in", :hen He ca$e ;not to Fud"e the :orld, 7ut that the :orld $i"ht 7e saved< %Dn 3:1/&, and :hen He ca$e ;to "ive His life =as@ a ranso$ for $any< %*t 20: 21&. (n His Second Co$in", Christ :ill co$e to ;Fud"e the :orld in ri"hteousness< %Acts 1/:31& and to ;re:ard every $an accordin" to his :or+s< %*t 1-:2/&. ,arly Christians, as :ell as the Holy 4athers throu"hout the a"es, have felt that the end of thin"s :as at hand, that ChristGs Second Co$in" :as i$$inent. :o $illennia have since passed, ho:ever, and it has not yet occurred. Were the early Christians and 4athers $ista+en in 220
thin+in" the end :as a7out to co$eE >ot at all. Hiero$on+ Seraphi$ Aose e6plains that: 4irst of all, Christ co$es to each personN each person $ust live in this :orld once and die. herefore, for each one of us, the co$in" of Christ is very soon. his is very true. Secondly, anyone :ho lives 7y faith and loo+s at thin"s $ystically J that is, tries to loo+ 7ehind the eternal events of history J sees that indeed those thin"s are already happenin" :hich are to co$e to pass. (n fact, St. Dohn hi$self says in one of his epistles, ;?ou have heard that the antichrist is to co$eN even no: there are $any antichrists.< ,ven in his days, the end of the first century, already $any antichrists had co$eN that is, $any people :ho :ere in the spirit of the antichrist had co$e, and there :ould 7e $any $ore. he antichrist is 7oth outside and inside the Church. Certainly the Co$$unists are a +ind of antichristN and people :ho try to corrupt the Church fro$ :ithin also perfor$ the role of the antichrist. We can loo+ throu"hout history and see $any :ho :ere very $uch in the spirit of the antichrist, 7ut they :ere not yet the antichrist :ho is to co$e at the very end. hat spirit of antichrist :as present at the very 7e"innin" of the history of the Church, 7ecause the devil instantly 7e"an his :arfare a"ainst it. herefore, since the !oo+ of the Apocalypse is a7out the :hole :arfare of the Church of Christ a"ainst the devil, all these thin"s :hich are "oin" to happen at the end, 7e"in to happen ri"ht at the 7e"innin" of the history of the Church. (n conclusion, :e $ust vie: ;shortly< as referrin" first of all to our o:n death, 7ecause eschatolo"y J the study of the last thin"s J refers to not only the end of the :orld, 7ut also to the end of our life, for :hen each one of us dies, he "oes into that other :orld and there a:aits the end of this :orld. And secondly, it refers to the fact that it indeed is a short ti$e as history is $easured, and in the si"ht of .od. We can "o 7ac+ five, si6, seven thousand years in history. :o thousand years is a s$all part of that. he te6t7oo+ su$s up its e6planation of the Second Co$in" 7y notin" that it is not only a future event, 7ut is so$ethin" that is already 7rea+in" into the present a"e in the life of the Church. As Christians, :e enFoy the first fruits of .odGs Kin"do$ :hile the A"e to Co$e is presently 7ein" inau"urated. he >e: esta$ent ends :ith the :ords, ,ven so, co$e, 9ord Desus. he 9ord Desus has co$e already J in the Holy 9itur"y and in the ChurchGs :orship. "?. %hat do you feel is the most important point in this chapter* his chapter is a7out the Church of .od. As such, its $ost i$portant point concerns the purpose of the Church. Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y "ives this purpose in his e6planation that: he Church is our spiritual Ho$e. As :ith oneGs o:n ho$e J and even $ore than that J a ChristianGs thou"hts and actions are closely 7ound up :ith the Church. (n it he $ust, as lon" as he lives on earth, :or+ out his salvation, and $a+e use of the "race8"iven $eans of sanctification "iven hi$ 7y it. (t prepares its children for the heavenly ho$eland =!p1 cit., p. 22)@.
11. 6rthodo7 Worship.
221
). -he te'tbook cites the story of 1rand /rince Gladimir's emissaries and afterwards makes a commentary on various elements of this story. 6ummarize this commentary! giving a brief picture of &rthodo' worship. Brior to AussiaGs con to Christianity in 211, .rand Brince 3ladi$ir of Kiev %ruled 2108 101)& :as approached 7y various nationalities: the ur+ic !ul"arians :ho :ere *osle$s, the Kha#ars :ho professed Dudais$, the 4ran+s and Scandinavians :ho adhered to 9atin Christianity, and the !y#antines :ho 7elon"ed to ,astern 5rthodo6y. ,ach of these "roups ur"ed the prince to accept its particular faith. Aeali#in" the need to choose a reli"ion for his state, 3ladi$ir su$$oned the 7oyars and elders a7out the $atter, and it :as decided to send ten :ise $en to various countries in order to find the true reli"ion. (n the year 21/, e$issaries :ere sent to the *osle$ !ul"ars of the 3ol"a %not to 7e confused :ith the Slavic !ul"arians of the !al+ans&, then to .er$any and Ao$e to vie: Ao$an Christianity, and finally to Constantinople :here they attended 0ivine 9itur"y in the "reat Church of the Holy Wisdo$ and o7served 5rthodo6 Christianity. hese $en reported 7ac+ to 3ladi$ir and his vassals that: When :e Fourneyed a$on" the !ul"arians, :e 7eheld ho: they :orship in their te$ple, called a $osCue, :hile they stood upri"ht. he !ul"arian 7o:s, sits do:n, loo+s hither and thither li+e one possessed, and there is no happiness a$on" the$, 7ut instead only sorro: and a dreadful stench. heir reli"ion is not "ood. hen :e :ent a$on" the .er$ans and sa: the$ perfor$in" $any cere$onies in their te$plesN 7ut :e 7eheld no "lory there. hen :e :ent on to .reece, and the .ree+s led us to the edifices :here they :orship their .od, and :e +ne: not :hether :e :ere in Heaven or on earth. 4or on earth there is no such splendor or such 7eauty, and :e are at a loss ho: to descri7e it. We +no: only that .od d:ells there a$on" $en, and their service is fairer than the cere$onies of other nations. 4or :e cannot for"et that 7eauty. he envoys :ere so i$pressed that they :anted to $ove to Constantinople so they could continually enFoy the 7eauty they had seen. Within a year of the report they "ave, 3ladi$ir and the Aussian people :ere 7apti#ed into Christ 7y 5rthodo6 $issionaries, for the prince 7elieved that 5rthodo6 Christianity :as 7est suited to the te$pera$ent of the Aussians and that it :as indeed the true faith. his incident sho:s a nu$7er of features that characteri#e 5rthodo6 Christianity. he first is the e$phasis on divine 7eauty of :orship. A$on" outside o7servers J 3ladi$irGs e$issaries a$on" the$ J it is seen that a distinctive and peculiar "ift of 5rthodo6 Christianity is the po:er of perceivin" the 7eauty in the spiritual :orld and e6pressin" that 7eauty in its :orship. Western ,uropean $erchants, for e6a$ple, :hen travelin" throu"h the !al+ans durin" its lon" years under ur+ish su#erainty, :ould invaria7ly co$$ent on the ineffa7le other:orldly 7eauty and $aFesty of the services at the Ser7ian $onasteries. hese Cualities of unsurpassed 7eauty and "lory in :orship can 7e seen in all 5rthodo6 services. ,ven to this day, :hen non8 5rthodo6 people enter into 5rthodo6 churches and follo: the 0ivine 9itur"y, they $arvel and are $oved to tears, for 5rthodo6 Christianity is the $ost 7eautiful reli"ion in the :orld. As St. 3ladi$irGs e$issaries reported: ;We cannot for"et that 7eauty.< (n the second place, it is characteristic that the e$issaries should have stated: ;We +ne: not :hether :e :ere in Heaven or on earth.< 5rthodo6 :orship is nothin" else than Heaven on earth, and the sense of .odGs presence a$on" $en is felt 7y $any :ho have e6perienced 5rthodo6 :orship in $uch $ore hu$7le surroundin"s than the Church of the Holy Wisdo$ in 222
Constantinople. A tellin" e6a$ple is that of a letter :ritten in 123) 7y an ,n"lish:o$an, :herein she states: he $ornin" :as so Cueer. A very "ri$y and sordid Bres7yterian $ission hall in a $e:s over a "ara"e, :here the Aussians are allo:ed once a fortni"ht to have the 9itur"y. A very sta"e property iconostasis and a fe: $odern icons. A dirty floor to +neel on and a for$ alon" the :all.... And in this t:o super7 old priests and a deacon, clouds of incense and, at the Anaphora, an over:hel$in" supernatural i$pression =,venly Hnderhill, as Cuoted fro$ i$othy Ware, The !rthodox Ch#rch' p. 2/1@. 9i+e:ise, in 1-/) Dohannes Her7inius :rote that: he Aussians "lorify the 9ord in $uch $ore sole$n $anner than do the Ao$ans. he parishioners sin" to"ether 7eautifully as they respond to the choir. he har$onies in their sin"in" are 7eautiful.... ( :as so ta+en 7y their sin"in" that ( thou"ht ( stood in Derusale$, :here the spirit of the early Church :as such an inspirational factor =Puoted in 5l"a 0ols+aya, ;Aussian 9itur"ical Choral Aesthetics...,< !rthodox Life, vol. '2. no. -, 1222, p. 1-@. (n the Holy 9itur"y, the te6t7oo+ notes, is so$ethin" that e$7races t:o :orlds at once, for 7oth in Heaven and on earth the 9itur"y is one and the sa$e: one altar, one sacrifice, one presence. (n every place of :orship, no $atter ho: hu$7le the 7uildin", as the faithful "ather to perfor$ the ,ucharist, they are ta+en up to heavenly places. And in every church :hen the Holy Sacrifice is offered, not only is the local con"re"ation present, 7ut the Church Hniversal J Christ Hi$self, the heoto+os, the an"els and saints. (n the :ords of the Hy$n of the *ystical Sacrifice sun" at the 9itur"y of the Bresanctified: ;>o: the po:ers of Heaven do serve invisi7ly :ith us.... 9o the Kin" of .lory enters.< St. 3ladi$irGs envoys stated that they +ne: only that .od d:ells there a$on" $en, and inspired 7y the sa$e vision of Heaven on earth, 5rthodo6 Christians endeavor to $a+e the ChurchGs :orship in its out:ard splendor and 7eauty an icon of the 1reat 0iturgy in Heaven. A third characteristic feature that the incident sho:s of 5rthodo6 Christianity is that :hen the Aussians :anted to discover the true faith, they did not $a+e inCuiries into $oral rules or de$and a reasoned state$ent of doctrine. (nstead, they :atched the nations in prayer. he te6t7oo+ e6plains that the 5rthodo6 approach to reli"ion is funda$entally a litur"ical approach, one that understands doctrine in the conte6t of divine :orship. (t is no coincidence that the :ord !rthodox should si"nify 7oth ri"ht 7elief and ri"ht "lory %or ri"ht :orship&, for the t:o are insepara7le. 5rthodo6y is nothin" less than the Church of Christ on earth, the Church :hich "uards and teaches true 7elief a7out .od, and :hich "lorifies Hi$ :ith ri"ht :orship. (t has correctly 7een o7served that: 0o"$a :ith =the 5rthodo6@ is not only an intellectual syste$ apprehended 7y the cler"y and e6pounded to the laity, 7ut a field of vision :herein all thin"s on earth are seen in their relation to thin"s in Heaven, first and fore$ost throu"h litur"ical cele7ration =.. ,very, The .y&antine atriarchate, p. 2@.
223
hose Cualities that :ere so readily apparent to 3ladi$irGs e$issaries at the Holy 9itur"y in Constantinople J its divine 7eauty in :orship, its heavenliness, the feelin" of the presence of .od, its litur"ical approach J all are characteristic of ,astern 5rthodo6 Christianity. (n an 5rthodo6 9itur"y, ;the faithful can feel that the :alls of the church open out upon eternity,< the te6t7oo+ states, ;and they are helped to reali#e that their 9itur"y is one and the sa$e :ith the 9itur"y in Heaven.< 5ne ele$ent of the story of 3ladi$irGs choosin" 5rthodo6 Christianity for Kievan AusG is of all possi7le si"nificance %althou"h it is not $entioned in the te6t7oo+&. he Aussians had the possi7ility of choosin" any of the e6istin" reli"ions, includin" any of the various paths :ithin Christianity. Althou"h the .reat Schis$ of 10)' had not yet ta+en place %it :ould occur si6ty8si6 years ahead&, the Ao$an Church had actually fallen away fro$ ancient Apostolic Christianity, preserved in 5rthodo6y, long before 10)'. As historians note, history is 7asically an un7ro+en continuu$ in :hich any clear8cut 7rea+ or division is i$possi7le or delusive. (n accordance :ith this principle, the estran"e$ent of the 9atin Church fro$ 5rthodo6y did not ta+e place 7y procla$ation in 10)', to#t co#rt. (nstead, the schis$ ca$e a7out grad#ally, as the result of a lon" and co$plicated process that 7e"an in the ninth century, one that separated the pope and his follo:ers fro$ the traditions of the early Church. he 10)' date is used si$ply for convenience to $ar+ the ti$e :hen Ao$eGs severance fro$ 5rthodo6y :as finali&ed, althou"h the date is actually insi"nificant. hus, the Aussians deli7erately reFected 9atin Christianity. he sa$e reFection is seen a"ain :hen St. Ale6ander >evs+y :as forced to fi"ht the S:edes in 12'0 and the eutonic Kni"hts in 12'2 to prevent the forci7le conversion of Aussians to Ao$an Catholicis$. After his t:o decisive victories over the Ao$an Catholics, he refused any reli"ious co$pro$ise :ith the 9atin Church. ;5ur doctrines are those preached 7y the Apostles,< he stated to the $essen"ers of the pope. ; he tradition of the Holy 4athers and the Seven ,cu$enical Councils :e scrupulously +eep. As for your :ords, :e do not listen to the$ and :e do not :ant your doctrine.< Another i$portant feature of AussiaGs conversion %a"ain not $entioned 7y the te6t7oo+, 7ut e6plained 7y a Aussian her$it& is that St. 3ladi$ir 7apti#ed his Kievan princedo$ and "ave all of Aussia the 5rthodo6 Christian faith at the very ti$e :hen !y#antiu$ had reached its hi"hest point in all phases of spiritual culture. !y that ti$e all the 7asic heresies had 7een identified and uprooted 7y the Seven ,cu$enical Councils, and $onasticis$ :as in full 7loo$. Aussia :as therefore entrusted fro$ the very start :ith the fullness of the pure and true faith, Holy 5rthodo6y. Aussia treasured this holy faith throu"hout the a"es as the supre$e herita"e in its hierarchy of values, thus 7eco$in", in the activities of its 7est sons and dau"hters, Holy .ussia! the guardian of Holy &rthodo'y . Such Aussia re$ained :hen it :as raised upon the cross in 121/, and such Aussia has continued to re$ain to this very day. ". %rite our /rotopresbyter 1eorges Florovsky's words 5uoted on page "<)! and give your interpretation of these words. Christianity is a litur"ical reli"ion. he Church is first of all a :orshipin" co$$unity. Worship co$es first, doctrine and discipline second =Brotopres7yter .eor"es 4lorovs+y@. ($portant as doctrine and discipline are in the life of the Church, there is so$ethin" $ore i$portant: worship, and that :orship is a7ove all else co$$unal and litur"ical in character. (n attendin" the 0ivine 9itur"y, :hich is the central $ystical action of the entire Church, Christians "ather in the unity of one heart, one $ind, and one soul to pray as a co$$unity, to unite 22'
the$selves and their concerns :ith the prayer of the Church and :ith the eternal prayer of Christ, the heoto+os, the saints, and the individual $e$7ers of that particular Christian co$$unity. Bhilip said to >athanael: ;Co$e and see< %Dn 1:'-&. 9i+e:ise, those :ishin" to +no: a7out 5rthodo6y should follo: the e6a$ple of 3ladi$irGs entoura"e 7y co$in" to see the 9itur"y, for it is a $uch $ore direct :ay of understandin" the faith than 7y readin" 7oo+s. #. 2n another statement! the te'tbook observes why Aliturgical changes cannot be lightly regarded.B %hat phrase does it use to demonstrate this fundamental principle* Worship is the faith in action, the te6t7oo+ states. (t is for this reason that litur"ical chan"es cannot 7e li"htly re"arded. ypical of the 5rthodo6 vie:point in this $atter are the :ords of a Aussian :riter of the fifteenth century. When attac+in" the reunion council of 4lorence, he did not address the $atter of the 9atinsG errors in doctrine %althou"h this $atter is $ost assuredly i$portantW&, 7ut he addressed their 7ehavior in :orship. He :rote: What have you seen of :orth a$on" the 9atinsE hey do not even +no: ho: to venerate the Church of .od. hey raise their voices as the fools, and their sin"in" is a discordant :ail. hey have no idea of 7eauty and reverence in :orship, for they stri+e tro$7ones, 7lo: horns, use or"ans, :ave their hands, tra$ple :ith the feet, and do $any other irreverent and disorderly thin"s :hich 7rin" Foy to the devil =As Cuoted fro$ i$othy Ware, The !rthodox Ch#rch, p. 2/2@. he author of the te6t7oo+ states that he cites this passa"e as an e6a$ple of the lit#rgical approach of 5rthodo6y, and he "oes on to state that he does not necessarily endorse the strictures on Western :orship :hich it contains. Archpriest Ale6ey ?oun", ho:ever, a convert fro$ Ao$an Catholicis$ to 5rthodo6y, is not the least 7it eCuivocal in endorsin" the criticis$. Western Christianity, 4r. Ale6ey o7serves, started 7eco$in" so i$7ued :ith the hu$anistic principles of the Aenaissance that $an has 7een $ade the $easure of all thin"s in the West, :ith .od added as an afterthou"ht, if added at all. his process has continued in the West throu"h the a"es, especially in the $assive de(Christianization of the 9atin ChurchGs :orship that :as introduced 7y the Second ,cu$enical Council. At that ti$e, the ancient *ass of the Ao$an rite, $uch of :hich dates to the si6th century, :as destroyed. hen, in its place, ne: for$s of ;:orship< :ere introduced, :ith Catholic priests in psychedelic vest$ents servin" in sanctuaries surrounded 7y +inder"arten8loo+in" felt 7anners. he ne: :orship :as irreverent, uninspiring and banal, and it :as the cause of $illions of Catholics to stop attendin" church. he da$a"e :ent $uch further, thou"h, for 1od's name was dropped in nu$erous places in the ;ne: *ass< and replaced :ith... ;the people.< A horrified Catholic priest, 4r. Da$es Wathen, la$ents: 5f its very nature, the ;ne: *ass< liberates the ;children of .od< that they $i"ht $a+e a game out of :orship.... (ntrinsic to the very idea of the ;ne: *ass< is that the people are $ore i$portant than Christ the Saviour.... (s it not they :ho $ust 7e entertained! accommodated! and emoted overE (n the incessantly repeated phrase the people of God, it is the people :ho, in *ar6ist fashion, are 7ein" acclai$ed J not 1od. -hey have
22)
been given the place of 1od =Puoted in Archpriest Ale6ey ?oun", The R#sh to )mbraceN e$phasis added@. Concernin" the e6tre$es to :hich Ao$an Catholic :orship services have turned J "rotesCue ;carnival $asses,< ;circus $asses,< ;clo:n $asses,< ;Fa## $asses,< and the use of dru$s, "uitars and other instru$ents of secular $usic, one hardly needs to co$$ent. A si$ilar seculari#ation has also ta+en place in Brotestant :orship. 4ran+ Schaeffer, a convert fro$ Brotestantis$, ta+es an analytical loo+ at the de7ased spectacles no: encountered in the Brotestant Churches. Havin" e$7raced 5rthodo6y, *r. Schaeffer no: understands that: *ost Brotestants have no historical litur"ical prayers. hey $ay have fra"$ents J echoes of the historical Christian past J 7ut these are $ere disconnected re$e$7rances. hey are flotsa$ and Fetsa$ of the historical faith, :ashed upon the $odern shore. *any Brotestants $ay :ell 7e deeply spiritual, 7ut nevertheless they have 7een denied the tools of the faith that the historical =5rthodo6@ Church has at its disposal. A study of Church history sho:s Brotestant :orship, as it is usually practiced today, 7ears al$ost no rese$7lance to the sacra$ental litur"ical :orship of the entire Church for the 7etter part of t:o thousand years in 7oth ,ast and West. his is not a theolo"ical opinion, $uch less a $oral Fud"$ent, 7ut si$ply a state$ent of historical fact. he ChurchGs practices are :ell docu$ented. So entertain$ent8oriented, even trivial, has the $aFority of Brotestant :orship 7eco$e that even the fear of .od, accordin" to the teachin" of the Church, the $ost 7asic prereCuisite for individual repentance, see$s to have 7een lar"ely lost. he $ystery of faith has 7een replaced :ith rationalistic theolo"y on the one hand, and frivolous, internali#ed, ;touchy8feely< entertain$ents on the other. he 4athers of the Church :arned of the conseCuences of desacrali#ation lon" a"o. oday these :arnin"s see$ to fall lar"ely on unhearin" ears. St. ,va"rios the Solitary, one of the desert 4athers of the fourth century, :rites: 4or prayer is truly vain and useless :hen not perfor$ed :ith fear and tre$7lin", :ith inner :atchfulness and vi"ilance. When so$eone approaches an earthly +in", he treats hi$ :ith fear and tre$7lin" and attentionN so $uch the $ore, then, should he stand and pray in this $anner 7efore .od theN 4ather, the *aster of all, and 7efore Christ the Kin" of +in"s =The hilo$alia,, vol. 1, p. 3/@. (n co$parison to the ancient litur"ical :orship of the historical Church, even the so8 called litur"ical Brotestant deno$inations, li+e the 9utherans and ,piscopalians %and tra"ically, $any A$ericani#ed Ao$an Catholic parishes&, have left 7ehind their respect for Apostolic authority. 5utside the $ore litur"ically inclined Brotestant deno$inations, in the place of the ancient 9itur"ies of the Church, :e have seen a host of self8invented, irreverent, su7Fective spectacles ran"in" fro$ co$edy, to one8$an sho:s, $ass hysteria, political correctness, e"ocentric preachin", flippancy, to cultic intensity and :ar$ed8over popular culture. hese reli"ious spectacles are led 7y a $yriad of self8appointed 22-
personalities :hose authority to teach, 7apti#e or serve the sacra$ents, see$s to rest not on Apostolic Succession, Holy radition, or even doctrine, 7ut on their personal popularity or cele7rity status ="ancing Alone- the G#est for the !rthodox 3aith in the Age of 3alse Religion, pp. /82@. (n his $ono"raph ;Brotestant 4unda$entalistic hou"ht,< 4r. Da$es hornton, an 5rthodo6 priest and a nationally8+no:n political colu$nist and author, depicts the horrid state of affairs to :hich the desacrali#ation of Western :orship has led. His picture is one :ith :hich :e are all too fa$iliar: (n our o:n ti$e the :hole :orld has 7een scandali#ed 7y the activities of certain pro$inent funda$entalists, and their e6trava"ances, their li$ousines and $ansions, their private Fets, their air8conditioned do" houses, their "arish style of dress and outlandish and "rotesCue hairstyles, their crudities and vul"arities, their ta:dry use of Holy Scripture, their clo:nish antics and near87lasphe$ous inanities, their lurid se6ual escapades, their crass ;B. . !arnu$< co$$ercialis$, and their cynical use of the si$ple people :ho follo: the$. *en :ho clai$ to 7e ordained $inisters of the .ospel of Christ tell their "ulled listeners that they $ust raise so $any $illions of dollars, or else .od :ill stri+e the$ dead.... he use of shills, pitch$en, phony sic+ people :ho co$e for:ard to 7e ;healed,< hidden $icrophones, satanic roc+ $usic, scantilyclad fe$ales, and every $anner of co$$ercial hu$7u" +no:n to Holly:ood, is all no: stoc+8in8trade for these people =pp. 20821@. Archpriest Ale6ey ?oun" co$$ents that the old a6io$ lex orandi' lex credendi %as :e :orship, so :e 7elieve&, certainly holds true. 4. Carefully read pages "<"(>$ of the te'tbook! and then submit an essay. he re$ainder of this chapter deals :ith the church 7uildin" and its arran"e$ent, and also :ith litur"ical theolo"y, that is, :ith 5rthodo6yGs sole$n and 7eautiful :orship, the earthly Heaven, :hich :as handed do:n fro$ the ti$e of the Apostles and early Christians. All the aspects of :orship that the te6t7oo+ descri7es :ould have 7een fa$iliar to the Christians of the early Church, Fust as these aspects are fa$iliar to 5rthodo6 Christians today, for the &rthodo' Church today is the very continuation of the ancient Church established by Christ two thousand years ago. he te6t7oo+ states that in 5rthodo6y, $an is seen a7ove all else as ;a litur"ical creature :ho is $ost truly hi$self :hen he "lorifies .od, and :ho finds his perfection and self8 fulfill$ent in :orship.< !eyond this Functure, the te6t7oo+Gs account of the services pales in co$parison to that of Arch7ishop Seraphi$ Slo7ods+oy. he follo:in" infor$ation is therefore dra:n fro$ the $uch $ore thorou"h e6a$ination of the services "iven in 4r. Seraphi$Gs $onu$ental 7oo+ The Law of God. 4r. Seraphi$ $entions that those services :hich the 5rthodo6 Church cele7rates in the course of one day are +no:n as the daily cycle of divine services. here are nine daily services: 3espers, Co$pline, *idni"ht 5ffice, *atins, 4irst Hour, hird Hour, Si6th Hour and >inth Hour, and the 0ivine 9itur"y. 4r. Seraphi$ e6plains that the ne: day in the 5rthodo6 Church 7e"ins :ith 3espers, :hich is cele7rated to:ards the end of the day. 5rthodo6y follo:s the e6a$ple of *oses in this 22/
$atter, for *oses, :hen descri7in" the creation of the :orld 7y .od, 7e"an the ;day< :ith evenin". (n this service, Christians e6press their "ratitude to .od for the day that has passed. Co$pline is the service co$posed of the readin" of a series of prayers. (n these prayers, :orshipers as+ the 9ord .od for for"iveness of sins and that He "rant the$, upon retirin", repose of 7ody and soul, and that He preserve the$ fro$ the :iles of the devil durin" their sleep. he *idni"ht 5ffice is appointed to 7e read at $idni"ht in re$e$7rance of the prayer of the Saviour durin" the ni"ht in the .arden of .ethse$ane. he service su$$ons the faithful to 7e ready at all ti$es for the 0read Dud"$ent, :hich :ill co$e une6pectedly li+e ;a 7ride"roo$ in the ni"ht,< as the para7le of the ten vir"ins sho:s. Continuin" his e6planation, 4r. Seraphi$ states that *atins is cele7rated in the $ornin" prior to the risin" of the sun. (n this service, than+s is "iven to .od for the ni"ht :hich has passed, and $ercy is as+ed of Hi$ for the approachin" day. he 4irst Hour corresponds to the first three hours of our day %-:00 a$ to 2:00 a$&. (n the 5ld and >e: esta$ents, an ho#r $eant a :atch that lasted three of our hours, and each service of the daily cycle corresponds to one of these three8hour divisions. 4r. Seraphi$ e6plains that this 4irst Hour sanctifies the already 7rea+in" day :ith prayer. he hird Hour covers the ti$e fro$ 2:00 a$ to 12:00 noon, and it recalls the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. he Si6th Hour represents the period fro$ 12:00 noon to 3:00 p$. (t re$inds Christians of ChristGs Bassion and Crucifi6ion, :hile the >inth Hour, coverin" the hours fro$ 3:00 p$ to -:00 p$, re$inds us of ChristGs death upon the Cross. he Holy 9itur"y is ,astern 5rthodo6yGs $ain and $ost i$portant divine service 7ecause in it is acco$plished the "reat *ystery of the ,ucharist, :hich :as instituted 7y the Saviour Hi$self in the *ystical Supper. 0urin" the course of the cele7ration of the 9itur"y, the entire earthly life of Christ, fro$ His >ativity to His Ascension, is called to $ind. he 9itur"y is al:ays cele7rated on the 9ordGs 0ay and on feast days. 0aily cele7rations are less co$$on, althou"h they do occur in $onasteries and cathedrals. %*ore :ill 7e said of the 9itur"y 7elo:&. (n for$er ti$es, $onastics and her$its conducted all of these services separately at their appointed ti$es. 9ater, to acco$$odate those livin" in the :orld, they :ere co$7ined into three "roups of services: evening %>inth Hour, 3espers and Co$pline&, morning %*idni"ht 5ffice, *atins and 4irst Hour&, and daytime services % hird and Si6th Hours, and the Holy 9itur"y&. 5n the eve of $aFor feasts and Sundays, the All8>i"ht 3i"il service is conducted, :hich co$7ines 3espers, *atins and the 4irst Hour. he All8>i"ht 3i"il received its na$e fro$ the fact that a$on" early Christians, and in so$e $onasteries today, the service 7e"an at sunset and continued throu"h the course of the entire ni"ht, until sunrise. (n addition to the daily cycle of divine services, there are wee$ly and ann#al cycles. Concernin" the :ee+ly or seven8day cycle, on Sunday, the Church re$e$7ers and "lorifies the Aesurrection of Christ. 5n *onday, the holy an"els, the closest servants of .od, are cele7rated. he Church dedicates every uesday to the honor of St. Dohn the !aptist, the "reatest of the prophets and ri"hteous one of the 5ld esta$ent, and his $e$ory is also honored on the Church calendar several ti$es durin" the year. 5n Wednesday, ChristGs 7etrayal 7y Dudas is re$e$7ered, for :hich reason Wednesday is a fast day, and services are centered around the Cross of the 9ord. 5n hursday, the Holy Apostles and St. >icholas the Wonder:or+er are "lorified. 5n 4riday, the Church re$e$7ers the SaviourMs death on the Cross, for :hich reason 4riday is also +ept as a fast day, and services %as on Wednesday& honor the Cross of the 9ord. 5n Saturday, the *other of .od is "lorified %Fust as she is also "lorified on every other day&, alon" :ith the ;forefathers, prophets, Apostles, $artyrs, $onastics, ri"hteous and all the saints< :ho have 221
attained salvation. Also re$e$7ered on Saturday are all the faithful departed :ho reposed in the true faith and in the hope of resurrection and eternal life. he Church year 7e"ins on the first of Septe$7er, accordin" to the Dulian %5ld Style& calendar that :as in use at the ti$e of Christ, and it is do$inated 7y t:elve "reat feasts. hese feasts do not include the radiant feast of the Aesurrection of Christ, Bascha, :hich is placed outside the$ in a class 7y itself. ,ver since the ti$e of the early Church, Bascha has 7een the 4east of 4easts and has stood alone in its $a"nificence. 4ro$ the first century of Christianity, the custo$ :as esta7lished of cele7ratin" Bascha after the De:ish Bassover, accordin" to the stipulation of the Seventh Apostolic Canon. his practice :as confir$ed at the 4irst ,cu$enical Council, :hich decreed that the date of Bascha $ust fall after the vernal eCuino6, on the first Sunday after the eCuino6al ne: $oon, and al:ays after the De:ish cele7ration of Bassover. his rec+onin" is 7ased on the seCuence of events in the >e: esta$ent. he De:ish Bassover too+ place on a 4riday and a Saturday. 5n 4riday, >isan 1', Christ :as crucified. 5n Saturday He :as in the to$7, and early in the $ornin" on the first day of the :ee+, >isan 1-, He arose. Also, the >e: esta$ent Bascha is the replace$ent of the sacrifice of the la$7 of the 5ld esta$ent 7y the rede$ptive sacrifice of Christ. As a result, the latter $ust never precede the sacrifice of the De:ish la$7. he 5rthodo6 Church still adheres to all three of the reCuire$ents handed do:n 7y the 4irst ,cu$enical Council, :hereas the Western Churches +eep only the first t:o. (n the 5rthodo6 Church, Bascha occurs no earlier than *arch 22 on the Dulian calendar %or April ' on the ne: style or civil calendar&, and no later than April 2) on the Dulian calendar %*ay 1 on the civil calendar&. Bascha :as also the principal feast on the Church calendar in the pre8schis$ West J that is, 7efore 10)', althou"h in its post8schis$ period, the West "radually ca$e to replace it :ith the feast of the 9ordGs >ativity. .iven the fact that this ;feast< of Christ$as in the West has 7eco$e for the $ost part one of co$$erce and entertain$ent, it is 7lasphe$ous :ith re"ard to the sacred event of ChristGs >ativity. 5f the t:elve "reat feasts o7served throu"hout the ChurchGs calendar year, ei"ht are devoted to Desus Christ and four to the heoto+os. here are also other feasts that honor "reat *onastic Brofession, *arria"e, !urial of the 0ead, Consecration of a Church, and Aoyal Coronation. Additionally, there are a nu$7er of lesser 7lessin"s used 7y the Church. A Aussian her$it e6plains that it :as in the cataco$7s of the first three centuries of Christianity that 5rthodo6yGs 0ivine 9itur"y and other services :ere :or+ed out in an at$osphere of constant e6pec8 tation of death. 5rthodo6yGs divine services are cele7rated in a for$ little chan"ed since that ti$e. he first 9itur"y :as co$posed under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit 7y the Holy Apostle Da$es, the !rother of the 9ord, :hen he :as the first 7ishop of the Church of Derusale$. % his 9itur"y is still cele7rated once a year on his feast day, and it lasts a7out five hours&. 9ater, out of condescension to:ard the :ea+ness of $en, Saints !asil the .reat and Dohn Chrysosto$ shortened this service. hus, there are three $ain 5rthodo6 9itur"ies: St. Dohn Chrysosto$Ms %forth century&, St. !asilGs %third century&, and that of St. Da$es, the !rother of the 9ord %first century&. he 5rthodo6 9itur"y :as never the e6clusive do$ain of the cler"y and learned, such as the *ass :as in the $edieval West J a dra$a, as it :ere, enacted 7y the priests for the people. he 9itur"y :as instead pop#lar J that is, it :as al:ays the co$$on possession of the :hole 5rthodo6 Christian people, and so$ethin" :hich priests perfor$ together :ith the laity. 4or this reason, a$on" the 5rthodo6, one :ould never hear the e6pression so co$$on in the West: to hear *ass. he idea of ;hearin"< a service ca$e a7out in the $edieval West, :hen services :ere perfor$ed in 9atin, a lan"ua"e not understood 7y the people. Ao$an Catholics :ould attend 222
church to adore the ;host< at elevation, 7ut they other:ise treated the church service as an occasion to recite private prayers and the rosary. his develop$ent did not ta+e place in the ,ast, ho:ever, for the 5rthodo6 9itur"y never ceased to 7e the co$$on act perfor$ed 7y the priest and people conFointly. 5rthodo6 Christians co$e to church not to say private prayers %:hich should 7e done in private J cf. *t -:-&, 7ut to pray the pu7lic prayers of the 9itur"y, and to 7eco$e actual parta+ers of the rite of the 9itur"y. As a Western o7server of 5rthodo6y notes in this re"ard: he nor$al 5rthodo6 lay :orshiper, throu"h fa$iliarity fro$ earliest childhood, is entirely at ho$e in church, thorou"hly conversant :ith the audi7le parts of the Holy 9itur"y, and ta+es part :ith unconscious and unstudied ease in the action of the rite, to an e6tent only shared 7y the hyper8devout and ecclesiastically $inded in the West =Austin 5a+ley, The !rthodox Lit#rgy, p. 12@. (t should 7e noted that the author of the te6t7oo+ occasionally uses the :ord *ass interchan"ea7ly :ith Lit#rgy :hen referrin" to the 5rthodo6 ChurchGs central :orship service, so$ethin" :hich is done on occasion 7y Western :riters. he :ord %ass is derived fro$ the dis$issal rite of the Ao$an Catholic *ass: (te' missa est ;contio<' $eanin" .o, ;the meeting< is dismissed. A$on" 5rthodo6, one never hears this :ord used for the 9itur"y. hrou"hout 5rthodo6yGs dar+est days, durin" the lon" do$ination 7y the ur+s and the suppression at the hands of the *on"ols, durin" the 7lood7aths fro$ the forced propa"ation of Hniatis$ 7y the 3atican, and durin" the atte$pted e6ter$ination of the Church 7y the Co$$unists, 5rthodo6 Christians have al:ays turned to the Holy 9itur"y for ne: hope and inspiration. (t is not in vain that they have turned to it. XXXXX 5rthodo6y is :ell a:are of the i$portance of $usic. When Christ served His last Baschal service, He "ave it ne: $eanin", that of the first Christian ,ucharist, after :hich He and the Apostles san" a hy$n %*t 2-:30&. hus sin"in" :as esta7lished in the Christian Church, its litur"ical use havin" 7een 7lessed throu"h the e6a$ple of the Creator Hi$self. he Holy 4athers tau"ht that $usic is the lan"ua"e closest to the soul, and that it is throu"h $usic that the soul, upon departin" this life, :ill first apprehend Heaven. here is "reat po:er in the 7eauty of $usic, in its a7ility to convey $eanin" in a :ay that si$ple speech cannot. he spiritual life of the Church is therefore very $uch 7ound up :ith its $usic as prayer. Dust as they have 7een since the days of the early Church, virtually all of 5rthodo6yGs services e$ploy $usic. 4ro$ the 7e"innin" to end, no sound is heard, other than a ser$on, that is not so$e for$ of $usic. Church sin"in" is usually done 7y the cele7rant and a choir, althou"h even :hen a priest and a sin"le reader are :ithout a choir and con"re"ation, the services are still sun" and never spo+en. (n so$e places, the con"re"ation sin"s as :ell, at least the 9ordGs Brayer and Creed, if not the entire service. When listenin" to $usic fro$ the different 5rthodo6 national traditions, one finds that no t:o sound anythin" ali+e %save in those cases in :hich they directly 7orro:ed fro$ each other&, yet as in icono"raphy, there is al:ays a contrition8evo+in" so7riety and spiritual serenity :hich co$pletely separates :orshipers fro$ the :orld. his Cuality is a distin"uishin" characteristic of 5rthodo6 $usic, re"ardless of the nationality. .ree+8spea+in" 5rthodo6 e$ploy the ancient 230
!y#antine plain chant :ith its ei"ht tones in their ecclesiastical $usic. he sa$e plain8chant, introduced into the Slavic lands 7y !y#antine $issionaries, under:ent e6tensive $odification a$on" the Slavs throu"hout the centuries so that the Slavonic Churches each developed their o:n tradition and style of church $usic. 5f these traditions, the Aussian is particularly stri+in" to Western ears, and $any consider its $usic to 7e the finest in all Christendo$. 5rthodo6yGs services are sun" a cappella, :ithout $usical instru$ents. Althou"h the or"an has 7een introduced in $odernist .ree+ parishes 7e"innin" in 122-, this practice ta+es place in i$itation of Western Christians and at the 7ehest of the ecu$enical $ove$ent, the latter of :hich is for$in" the one8:orld reli"ion of the antichrist. Church canons for7id the use of $usical instru$ents 7ecause they introduce so$ethin" theatrical into the sacred real$, and 7ecause they are a distractin" ele$ent that ta+es a:ay fro$ the $editative at$osphere created 7y traditional 5rthodo6 chants and thus ta+es a:ay fro$ :orship. 0r. Constantine Cavarnos e6plains that the use of the or"an constitutes an innovation :hich the Holy 4athers e6plicitly prohi7ited and :hich is contrary to the ordinances of the first Christians. He also e6plains that: Attentive study of the >e: esta$ent a7solutely convinces us that the Apostolic Church did not use $usical instru$ents. he 4athers, faithful "uardians and unfailin" interpreters of radition, e6plicitly e6cluded the use of $usical instru$ents in the e6ecution of ecclesiastical hy$ns, and also the acco$pani$ent of hy$nody :ith instru$ents, as inco$pati7le :ith the so7er, hieratic, spiritual character of the Christian reli"ion, 7ecause they 7rin" to $ind the fallen :orld and the thin"s of the :orld J parties, lau"hter, disorderly shoutin", and the li+e.... (t is :orth notin" that the instru$ent fro$ :hich the or"an ori"inated :as +no:n to the !y#antines, 7ut they used it in the Hippodro$e and the palace, never in church =!rthodox Tradition and %odernism, p. 2'@. 5rthodo6 Christians feel a need to :orship .od :ith :hat He has "iven the$ J their $ouths and voices. (t is therefore seen as inappropriate to :orship .od :ith so$ethin" $an8$ade, so$ethin" outside the$selves, such as $usical instru$ents. 9astly, the addition of $usical instru$ents causes :orshipers to 7eco$e preoccupied :ith the $usic itself. While $usic is i$portant, it is of secondary i$portance to the :ords of the hy$ns and their $eanin". *etropolitan 9aurus of Dordanville addresses the $atter of the "reat i$portance of the content of the ChurchGs hy$ns. He states: Ho: $any "reat do"$atic truths are unfolded for us :ith our verses and canons in lofty poetical i$a"esW Barticularly the so8called riadica % rinitarian hy$ns&, in a fresh and "raphic :ay infor$ us a7out the "reat truth of the ; rinity in Hnity< J the hree8in85ne 0ivine !ein". he heoto+ia, a$on" :ith the 0o"$atic heoto+ia especially, e6pound for us concernin" the "reat $ystery of the (ncarnation of the Son of .od fro$ the un:edded and $ost pure 3ir"in *ary, concernin" the perpetually confessed do"$a of the Church re"ardin" the ever8vir"inity of the un:edded heoto+os. 4or one :ho can read and investi"ate thorou"hly, this is a full course of do"$atic theolo"y revealin" to us all the do"$atic teachin" of the Church: a7out .od, one in essence and three in BersonsN a7out .od as the Creator of the :orld and $an+indN a7out the Brovider and Saviour of $anN a7out the Son of .od as Aedee$erN a7out the Holy Spirit as SanctifierN a7out the Church as the storehouse of the "race of the Holy Spirit.... And finally, :e have the last
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destiny of the :orld and $an J the Second Co$in" of Christ, the 9ast Dud"$ent, the eternal sufferin" of sinners and the eternal 7lessedness of the ri"hteous. What plentiful $aterial our divine service 7oo+s "ive us in the area of $oral theolo"y J the teachin" concernin" Christian $oralityW (n this area :e find ine6hausti7le e6a$ples fro$ the lives of the .od8pleasin" saints. And a7ove all, :e find the teachin" on prayer in the innu$era7le i$a"es of the $ost diversified prayers for all occasions of life, ans:erin" all the varied needs of the hu$an 7ein". We have a full picture of the :ar continually :a"ed in $anGs soul 7et:een virtue and sin, the lofty e6a$ples of virtues, the censure of sin, the "raphic e6a$ples of virtuous and depraved life "athered fro$ Sacred Scripture, the history of the Church, and the lives of the saints. (n this sphere, especially rich $aterial is provided 7y the 9enten riodion :ith its inco$para7le and e6alted penitential Canon of St. Andre: of Crete, and also 7y the penitential and tender verses of the 5ctoechos =; he Si"nificance of the Bractical Study of 9itur"ics,< !rthodox Life, vol. '), no. ', 122), pp. '38''@. Brotopres7yter *ichael Bo$a#ans+y e6presses the sa$e ideas in his re$ar+s that: he catholic consciousness of the Church, :here it concerns the teachin" of faith, is also e6pressed in the 5rthodo6 divine services :hich have 7een handed do:n to us 7y the ,cu$enical Church. !y enterin" deeply into the content of the divine service 7oo+s :e $a+e ourselves fir$er in the do"$atic teachin" of the 5rthodo6 Church. he content of the 5rthodo6 divine services is the cul$inatin" e6pression of the teachin" of the Holy Apostles and 4athers of the Church, 7oth in the sphere of do"$a and of $orals. his is splendidly e6pressed in the hy$n %or +onta+ion& :hich is sun" on the day of the co$$e$oration of the Holy 4athers of the ,cu$enical Councils: ; he preachin" of the Apostles and the do"$as of the 4athers have i$printed upon the Church a sin"le faith :hich, 7earin" the "ar$ent of truth :oven of the theolo"y fro$ a7ove, ri"htly dispenseth and "lorifieth the "reat $ystery of piety.< = !rthodox "ogmatic Theology, pp. 31832@. 5rthodo6 Christianity acco$$odated itself to local cultures and allo:ed services in lan"ua"es native to a re"ion or country: Ara7ic in 0a$ascus, Dapanese in o+yo, 4inish in Helsin+i, and native lan"ua"es throu"hout Africa. 5rthodo6 $issionaries, fro$ the ti$e of Saints Cyril and *ethodius in the ninth century, to Saints >icholas Kassat+in and (nnocent of Alas+a in the nineteenth century, have al:ays $ade it one of their first tas+s to translate 5rthodo6 service 7oo+s into the local lan"ua"e. As Archi$andrite 9u+e of Dordanville "oes on to add in this re"ard: !ecause the Church used the vernacular and not a universal and so$eti$es inco$prehensi7le lan"ua"e %9atin&, the people found it easier to identify :ith Church life as so$ethin" close to their daily lives. he Church too+ part in and "uided the intellectual life of the people. he people acCuired literacy throu"h the efforts of the Church in their o:n lan"ua"e =;>ationalis$, Aussia, and the Aestoration of the Batriarchate,< !rthodox Life' vol. )1, no. -, p. 2)@. 232
5f course, there are partial e6ceptions to the use of native lan"ua"es. he Slavonic Churches still e$ploy the ninth8century translations in 5ld Church Slavonic, and the .ree+8spea+in" Churches use the .ree+ of the >e: esta$ent and !y#antine periods. (n either case, thou"h, the si$ilarity 7et:een the litur"ical lan"ua"e and the spo+en lan"ua"e allo:s the con"re"ation to understand the service. (n spea+in" of litur"ical lan"ua"es, it is of interest to pause on Slavonic, +no:n to $odern scholars as 5ld Church Slavonic. his lan"ua"e is 7ased on an ,astern Slavic lan"ua"e of :hich the $odern Slavic lan"ua"es are recensions, and it ca$e to 7e the ton"ue of Slavic Christianity. (t :as created ori"inally a7out the $iddle of the ninth century as a literary lan"ua"e 7y t:o $issionary 7rothers fro$ hessalonica, Saints Cyril and *ethodius, for the purpose of 7rin"in" Christianity to the Slavs in a lan"ua"e understanda7le to the$. (n the *iddle A"es, this lan"ua"e 7eca$e, after .ree+ and 9atin, the third international lan"ua"e of ,urope, and it developed in the course of su7seCuent centuries in different parts of the Slavic :orld. o this day, 5rthodo6 Churches in Aussia, the H+raine, !yelorussia, Carpatho8Aussia, Ser7ia, !ul"aria, *acedonia and *oldavia %*oldava& still e$ploy the sa$e Slavonic vernacular of the !al+an Slavs for their 9itur"ies, and this lan"ua"e is used e6tensively in ne: :orld parishes as :ell. he ancient :orship of the Christian Church has al:ays involved standin" as it :as unthin+a7le to the Holy 4athers that one should sit in the presence of Christ. As it is considered i$pious, arro"ant and i$proper to sit 7efore .od durin" divine services, a traditional 5rthodo6 church has no pe:s, 7ut only 7enches around the periphery of the church for the infir$ and a"ed. A .ree+ hierarch points out that pe:s and sittin" durin" services are a Brotestant innovation, the natural conseCuence of services that do not entail a $eetin" of the heavenly :ith the earthly, 7ut the recitation of a ser$on acco$panied 7y hy$ns. he hierarch also notes that the separation of :orship fro$ a sense of participation in the *ysteries of .od, and its reduction to vie:in" and listenin" to a perfor$ance 7y a preacher and choir, are inco$pati7le :ith an 5rthodo6 understandin" of :orship. So is sittin" durin" the services. Hnfortunately, the introduction of pe:s in 5rthodo6 :orship, so$ethin" ne:er than electricity, is a feature of $odernistic 5rthodo6 Churches in A$erica and in so$e places in ,urope. 57viously, thou"h, pe:s violate the traditional architectural concepts and spiritual practices of the 5rthodo6 Church. 4or this reason, in $ost places the 5rthodo6 still $aintain the ancient practice of standin" throu"hout $ost of the services. 5rthodo6 cler"y have "reater freedo$ and infor$ality than that seen outside 5rthodo6y, for cere$onial $ove$ents are $uch $ore natural and less styli#ed than in the West, :here litur"ical "estures are prescri7ed :ith e6tre$e detail. Beople feel at ho$e in an 5rthodo6 church. hey are not $ade to feel as troops on parade, neatly arran"ed in ro:s of pe:s :here they cannot $ove a7out freely, 7ut they feel as children in their 4atherGs house. While 5rthodo6 :orship has 7een called otherworldly, it could also 7e called ho$e8li+e, for it is a fa$ily affair. he te6t7oo+ for this course adds: ;?et 7ehind this ho$eliness and infor$ality there lies a deep sense of $ystery.< Anyone :ho has attended an 5rthodo6 9itur"y :ould have to concur. 5rthodo6 :orship has an unhurried and ti$eless Cuality a7out it, so$ethin" :hich is 7rou"ht a7out in part 7y the repetition of ectenias %litanies&, :hich appear several ti$es, either in lon"er or shorter for$, in all the services. (n these, the deacon %or the priest in his a7sence& $entions the various needs of the Church and the :orld, and the choir responds to each petition :ith Gospodi pomil#i or :yrie eleison %Lord' have mercy, in 5ld Slavonic and .ree+ respectively&. 233
So$e Westerners have the notion that an 5rthodo6 service is of an intolera7le len"th. 5rthodo6 services do tend to 7e lon"er than their counterparts a$on" Western Christians, and services a$on" the Aussians last lon"er than those a$on" the .ree+s. A Saturday ni"ht 3i"il service at a typical Aussian parish of the e$i"ration :ould ordinarily last a7out t:o hours. 5f course, services at $onasteries are $ore e6tended, and the sa$e 3i"il service at the Holy rinity *onastery of the Aussian Church in ,6ile in upstate >e: ?or+ ta+es fro$ three to four hours to cele7rate, :hile a Sunday or feast day 9itur"y $ay run a7out t:o8and8a8half to three hours. he services of .reat 9ent are considera7ly lon"er, ho:ever, and there have 7een services on "reat feast days on *ount Athos that have "one on for t:elve to fifteen hours :ithout a 7rea+. 5ne characteristic apparent to any Western o7server is that the 5rthodo6 $a+e the si"n of the Cross :ith $uch "reater freCuency than it is done in the West. (n addition to those occasions :hen all the faithful cross the$selves, there are ti$es :hen different :orshipers cross the$selves, each doin" it :hen he or she is $oved to do so. Archpriest 0. So+olof e6plains that in "eneral appearance, $ost 5rthodo6 churches are 7uilt in an o7lon" shape, in i$itation of a ship, or as Archpriest Seraphi$ Slo7ods+oy adds, to call to $ind the i$a"e of >oahGs ar+, :hich is co$pared to the Church. A ship under the direction of a "ood hel$s$an carries people throu"h stor$y seas into a peaceful har7or. (n the sa$e :ay, the Church, "overned 7y Christ, carries Christians throu"h the tur7ulent sea of life and saves the$ fro$ dro:nin" in the deep :aters of sin, and it 7rin"s the$ into the Kin"do$ of Heaven, ;:here there is neither sorro: or si"hin".< %(n the :ritin"s of the Holy 4athers, one often finds the co$parison of the Church in the :orld :ith a ship on the sea&. So$e churches are also desi"ned in the for$ of a Cross to si"nify that they are sacred to Hi$ Who :as crucified for the hu$an race, or else they are 7uilt $ore or less sCuare in plan. 5ccasionally a church is 7uilt in a circle, :hich sho:s that the Church of Christ is eternal, :ithout end, and it can even 7e 7uilt in the shape of an octa"on, li+e a star, to su""est that the Church is li+e a "uidin" star :hich shines into the :orld. %As these latter t:o shapes are inconvenient for the inner arran"e$ent of the church, they are not often used&. A7ove the :ide central space is a do$e, :hich is an i$a"e of Heaven, and it is usually painted :ith a depiction of Christ the Bantocrator, the Auler of the Hniverse. Archpriest 0. So+olov also e6plains that the entrance to an 5rthodo6 church is al$ost al:ays fro$ the :est, :ith the church itself facin" east, in to+en that Christian :orshipers enter fro$ the dar+ness of i$piety into the li"ht of truth. % he east is a sy$7ol of li"ht, "ood and truth, the priest notes, :hereas the West is a sy$7ol of dar+ness, evil and error&. 5rthodo6 churches do not have the elon"ated naves and chancels of .othic8style cathedrals and churches, nor are they 7uilt in the "y$nasiu$8style architecture or 7arn8li+e concrete te$ples of $odernis$ and e$ptiness that have co$e to do$inate Western church architecture in recent decades. (n Aussia, the do$es of the churches ca$e to assu$e a characteristic onion shape. 5ne do$e stands for the Head of the Church, Desus Christ, :hile t:o do$es sy$7oli#e His t:o nature: divine and hu$an. hree do$es stand for the three Hypostases of the .odhead, :hile five represent Christ and the four ,van"elists. When seven do$es are present, they represent the Seven ,cu$enical Councils, :hile nine stand for the nine ran+s of an"els. hirteen do$es call to $ind Christ and the t:elve Apostles, and on so$e churches there are even $ore do$es. Atop each do$e is the Cross. (n Aussia, a three87ar Cross is "enerally used. he top 7ar 7ears the si"n 9es#s of Na&areth' :ing of the 9ews . he lo:er 7ar, or foot7oard % s#pendane#m in 9atin&, :as used 7y the Ao$an e6ecutioners in ChristGs ti$e in order to prolon" the sufferin" and a"ony of the victi$. Without this 7ar, the :ei"ht of the han"in" 7ody :ould prevent the diaphra"$ fro$ :or+in", and death fro$ asphy6iation :ould result in a $atter of $inutes. 23'
Sacred radition teaches that :hen the Apostle Andre: preached in southern Aussia, he placed a life8si#e three87ar Cross at his side. While e6plainin" the 9ast Dud"$ent, he tilted the footplate to si"nify that those on the left side of Christ :ill "o do:n to hell, :hile those on His ri"ht side :ill "o to Heaven. (t is for this reason that the lo:er 7ar of the Aussian Cross sits at an an"le. Archpriest Seraphi$ Slo7ods+oy :rites in The Law of God that in the 5ld esta$ent, the 9ord Hi$self "ave directions throu"h the Brophet *oses as to ho: the te$ple should 7e set up for divine :orship. >e: esta$ent churches :ere constructed on the 7asis of the 5ld esta$ent te$ple, :hich :as separated into three portions: the holy of holies, the sanctuary, and the courts. hese correspond to the three sections of an 5rthodo6 church: the altar %or sanctuary&, the nave %the $iddle portion&, and the narthe6 %vesti7ule&. 4r. Seraphi$ e6plains that: As the holy of holies si"nified then, so no: the altar represents the Kin"do$ of Heaven. >o one could enter the holy of holies e6cept for the hi"h priest once a year, and only :ith the 7lood of a purification sacrifice. he Kin"do$ of Heaven, after the fall of $an into sin, :as closed to us. he hi"h priest :as a prototype of Christ, and his action told the people that a ti$e :ould co$e :hen Christ, throu"h the sheddin" of His 7lood and sufferin" on the Cross and Aesurrection, :ould open the Kin"do$ of Heaven to all. herefore, :hen Christ died on the Cross, the veil of the te$ple :hich closed off the holy of holies :as torn in t:o, and fro$ this $o$ent Christ opened the "ates of the Kin"do$ of Heaven to all those :ho :ith faith :ould co$e to Hi$ =pp. )2-82/@. 4r. Seraphi$ e6plains that in 5ld esta$ent ti$es, no one 7ut the priest had a ri"ht to enter the sanctuary %:hich, as noted, corresponds to the nave in an 5rthodo6 church &. (n >e: esta$ent ti$es, ho:ever, all 7elievin" Christians are allo:ed to stand :ithin 5rthodo6 churches 7ecause the Fingdom of 1od is closed to none. While the courts in the 5ld esta$ent te$ple have their >e: esta$ent counterparts in the narthe6, this latter division no lon"er has any essential si"nificance. (n early ti$es, ho:ever, it :as the place :here catechu$ens stood J those :ho :ere preparin" for the *ystery of !aptis$. he :ord altar si"nifies an elevated place of sacrifice. (n an 5rthodo6 church, the altar %or sanctuary&, :hich is "enerally 7uilt hi"her than the other portions of the church, is the holiest place in the church, and it faces east. (t is here that the altar table %or holy table, or throne, as it is variously called&, is located. Hpon this altar ta7le, the 7ishop or priest cele7rates the *ystery of the Holy ,ucharist. ,6cept for special reasons %such as servin" at the 9itur"y&, lay$en are not allo:ed to "o 7ehind the iconostasis into the sanctuary. Archpriest Ale6ey ?oun" o7serves that &rthodo' priests maintain the Church's ancient practice of facing away from the congregation and toward 1od . He "oes on to note that in spite of $any novel and innovative chan"es introduced 7y Ao$e since the .reat Schis$, so$e 7asic doctrines and practices co$$on to the pre8schis$ Hniversal Church :ere preserved in the West, as :ell as a nu$7er of out:ard for$s, until the early 12-0s. At that ti$e, :hen the Second 3atican Council $ade radical, de8Christiani#in" chan"es, the 9atin ChurchGs ;ne: *ass< 7e"an to focus o7sessively on the ;people of .od< rather than on .od Hi$self. (n the ;ne: *ass,< Catholic priests turn their 7ac+s on .od and face the con"re"ation so as to have a ;dialo"ue.< he refor$ers of the Second 3atican Council Fustified this innovation 7y clai$in" they :ere restorin" the ancient practice of the early Church. Ho:ever, the early Church never
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had such a practice. (n fact, the practice ori"inates :ith *artin 9uther and the Brotestant Aefor$ation. he altar ta7le, usually cu7e8shaped, is in the center of the sanctuary and stands free fro$ the eastern :all. Hpon it are t:o sets of vest$ents: a lo:er one, :hich is of :hite linen, and an upper one, :hich is of a $ore e6pensive $aterial, usually 7rocade. (t is upon this ta7le that the Kin" and *aster of the Church, Desus Christ, is $ysteriously and invisi7ly present in the Holy ,ucharist. 5nly ordained cler"y $ay touch the altar ta7le or venerate it. Hpon it are the .ospel, the Cross, the ta7ernacle %or ar+ in :hich the Holy .ifts are +ept for the co$$unin" of the ill&, the Co$$union set, and the anti$ins. his last article, the anti$ins %or anti$ension&, is a sil+ cloth upon :hich Desus Christ is depicted 7ein" placed in a to$7. A fra"$ent fro$ the relics of a saint %7one& is se:n into the reverse side, a practice that dates to the first centuries of Christianity, :hen the 0ivine 9itur"y :as al:ays cele7rated upon the "raves of the $artyrs. he :ord antimins $eans instead of an altar table, and one is not allo:ed to cele7rate the 9itur"y :ithout an anti$ins consecrated 7y a 7ishop. (n order to protect it, the anti$ins is folded into another sil+ cloth called the iliton. !ehind the altar ta7le are the altar Cross and a seven87ranched candela7ru$, the altar fans, and the di+iri and the tri+iri. he di+iri holds t:o candles that represent the t:o natures of Christ, :hile the tri+iri holds three candles that represent the three Bersons of the .odhead. he 7ishop uses the di+iri and tri+iri to 7less the faithful. he altar fans, $etal circles upon :hich the Seraphi$ are depicted, sit atop lon" :ooden handles. (n the early Church, these fans :ere $ade of ostrich feathers or leather and :ere used to +eep insects a:ay fro$ the Holy .ifts. oday they are held 7y the deacons over the .ospel 7oo+ in procession, and also over the Holy .ifts durin" consecration. When the deacons :ave these fans, it represents the presence of the heavenly hosts at the 9itur"y. !ehind these articles, a"ainst the eastern :all of the church, is the 7ishopGs cathedra, or throne. he northern part of the sanctuary is the area of the Brothesis %or Breparation&, and in it is the ta7le of o7lation. At the 7e"innin" of the 9itur"y, the priest uses this ta7le to prepare the 7read and :ine that are to 7e used in the ,ucharist. he ta7le is also used to store various sacred vessels, includin" the chalice. Separatin" the sanctuary fro$ the nave is the iconostasis, a solid :ooden or $ar7le screen supportin" panel icons. 5ne so$eti$es hears that an icon screen :as not a feature of early Christian 7uildin"s. Ho:ever, ,astern Christian :orship :as $odeled on De:ish te$ple :orship at the ti$e of Christ, and it is li+ely that the iconostasis had its ori"in in the :all separatin" the con"re"ation fro$ the holy of holies in s$all rural te$ples. 9eadin" into the iconostasis are three doors, the lar"est of :hich are the royal "ates, so called 7ecause throu"h the$ passes Desus Christ, Who co$es invisi7ly in the Holy .ifts. >o one other than cler"y is allo:ed to pass throu"h these "ates, and a curtain 7ehind the$ is dra:n and :ithdra:n durin" the course of the services. he door to the left side of the iconostasis, the northern door, leads to the area of the Brothesis, :hile the door on the ri"ht side, the southern door, leads to the 0ia+oni+on, :here traditionally the relics of saints and sacred 7oo+s :ere +ept, particularly the 7oo+s of the .ospels. oday this area serves as a vestry. he arran"e$ent of icons inside a church is far fro$ accidental, 7ut is done accordin" to a definite theolo"ical syste$ so that a church 7uildin" $a+es up one "reat icon of the Kin"do$ of .od. he nu$erous icons assist the faithful in that they function as a $eetin" point 7et:een Heaven and earth. As each local con"re"ation of Christians prays and :orships, it is surrounded
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7y i$a"es of Christ, the an"els and the saints, and these re$ind Christians that Christ and all the hosts of Heaven are invisi7ly and unceasin"ly present at the 9itur"y. Hsually the Annunciation and the four ,van"elists are on the royal "ates. A7ove the$ is an icon of the *ystical Supper since the faithful stand 7efore the$ :hen parta+in" of Holy Co$$union. o the ri"ht of the royal "ates, there is al:ays an icon of the Saviour, and traditionally $en stand on this side of the church. o the left of the sa$e "ates is an icon of the *other of .od, and traditionally this is the side of the church :here :o$en stand. he ancient tradition of separatin" $en and :o$en in pu7lic :orship helps lessen distraction in prayer and serves as a hed"e a"ainst te$ptation. he practice is al$ost certainly of Apostolic ori"in, and it derives fro$ the separation of $en and :o$en in the De:ish te$ple. (t is not :idely +no:n today that the practice :as a universal Christian custo$ until the Brotestant Aefor$ation, and even after:ards it survived a$on" so$e Brotestant "roups until the nineteenth century. he practice survives to this day a$on" the 5rthodo6 De:s, *usli$s, and 5rthodo6 Christians in traditionally 5rthodo6 countries, althou"h in other places, revolutionary :ays prevailed, and the practice is not al:ays o7served today. he southern door, :hich is to the ri"ht of the icon of the Saviour, and the northern door to the left of the icon of the heoto+os, "enerally have the Archan"els *ichael and .a7riel depicted on the$. 5ccasionally, ho:ever, icons of the first deacons, Saints Bhilip and Stephen, are on the$, or else the hi"h priest Aaron and the Brophet *oses. Since the deacons freCuently pass throu"h these doors, they are so$eti$es called the deaconGs doors. 5n the far ends of the deaconGs doors are icons of especially revered saints. he first icon to the ri"ht is al$ost al:ays the icon of the saint or feast to :ho$ the church 7uildin" is dedicated. (f the iconostasis is 7uilt :ith $ore than three ro:s of icons, the second ro: usually has icons of the t:elve "reat feasts, :hile the third ro: has the Apostles, and the forth ro: the prophets. 5n top of the iconostasis is the Cross, upon :hich the crucified 9ord is depicted. (n addition to the icons on the iconostasis, icons are also on the :alls and in shrines, and on stands :here they can 7e venerated. 5n enterin" the church proper, havin" crossed oneself :hen approachin" the 7uildin", one nor$ally reverences the central icon in the narthe6 :ith three 7o:s %7endin" and touchin" the floor :ith the ri"ht hand&, or :ith three prostrations %fallin" to the +nees and 7endin" the head al$ost to the "round&. 5ne $a+es the 7o:s or prostrations t:ice 7efore +issin" the icon and li"htin" a candle near it, after :hich one $a+es another 7o: or prostration. XX XX XX Here ends the correspondence course on the ,astern 5rthodo6 Christian Church, :hich is the depository of Apostolic Christian ruth. As this course $a+es a7undantly clear, this ancient Church has an unco$pro$isin" adherence to the ori"inal, unadulterated Christian faith and holds an un7ro+en, unchan"ed trans$ission of ChristGs teachin" since Apostolic ti$es. 5f this priceless treasure, Holy 5rthodo6y, the "reat $iracle8:or+er St. Dohn of Kronstadt :rites: (n the Church are all our s:eetest hopes and e6pectations, our peace, our Foy, to"ether :ith cleansin" and sanctification. (t is there that the truth of the future resurrection, of the victory over death, is so often announced. Who that loves life :ould not love the Church :ith all his heartW ,verythin" that is 7est, $ost e6alted, $ost precious, holy and :ise is found in the Church. (n the Church is the ideal of $an+indN the Church is Heaven upon earth =%y Life in Christ@. 23/
*etropolitan Hierotheos of >afpa+tos "oes on to state: he "reatest "ift of "race :hich :e have is that :e 7elon" to the Church. he "reatest "ift is that :e are in this "reat 4a$ily. We should value this "ift, and :e should feel very deeply $oved and stru""le to re$ain in the Church, e6periencin" its sanctifyin" "race and sho:in" 7y our lives that :e are in its place of rede$ption and sanctification. hus :e shall also have the "reatest "ift of the ;7lessed endin",< :hen :e are "ranted to lie asleep ;in the $idst of the Church< =The %ind of the !rthodox Ch#rch, p. 3/@.
.pilo$ue.
Althou"h it is not for us to +no: the ti$es or the seasons, end8ti$es prophecies a7ound, and
their astonishin" $essa"es clearly sho: that :e are at the very threshold of the end of the a"es. he Apostle Baul, for e6a$ple, :rites that in the last days, people shall 7eco$e: Rlovers of their o:n selves, covetous, 7oasters, proud, 7lasphe$ers, diso7edient to parents, unthan+ful, unholy, :ithout natural affection, truce87rea+ers, false accusers, :ithout self8control, fierce, despisers of those :ho are "ood, traitors, headstron", hau"hty, lovers of pleasures $ore than lovers of .od, havin" a for$ of "odliness 7ut denyin" the po:er thereof %2 i$ 3:28)&. he .ree+ ,lder Bhilotheos Uerva+os %O1210& additionally states that: Concernin" the end of the a"e, =Christ@ did not set the date preciselyN He said only: ;When you see :ars, earthCua+es, floods, dis7elief, i$piety, la:lessness, lac+ of love, false prophets, false $essiahs and deceivers, then consider that the end is approachin".< (n an ancient 7oo+ it :as :ritten that :hen the disciples as+ed the eacher :hen these thin"s :ould happen and He told the$ the a7ove, He also told the$ that :hen $en 7eca$e :o$en and the :o$en $en, then the end :ould ta+e place. And =St. Dohn@ Chrysosto$ said that the 9ord also said this, that the Second Co$in" :ill ta+e place :hen :o$en are lac+in" in $odesty = aternal Co#nsels, vol. 1, p. )2@. 5ne of the $ost stri+in" prophecies for our ti$es is that "iven 7y a her$it of *ount Athos, St. >ilus the *yrrhstrea$in" %O1-)1&. (n it, the saint spea+s in part of the tre$endous technolo"ical advances hundreds of years 7efore they :ere discovered. He also "ives the follo:in" disheartenin" picture, one $odern people can readily reco"ni#e 7ecause of its incredi7le accuracy: ... o:ard the $iddle of the t:entieth century, the people of that ti$e :ill 7eco$e unreco"ni#a7le. When the ti$e for the advent of the antichrist approaches, peopleGs $inds :ill "ro: cloudy fro$ carnal passions, and dishonor and la:lessness :ill "ro: stron"er. hen the :orld :ill 7eco$e unreco"ni#a7le. BeopleGs appearances :ill chan"e, and it :ill 7e i$possi7le to distin"uish $en fro$ :o$en due to their sha$elessness in dress and style of hair. hese people :ill 7e cruel and :ill 7e li+e :ild ani$als 7ecause of the 231
te$ptations of the antichrist. here :ill 7e no respect for parents and elders, love :ill disappear, and Christian pastors, 7ishops and priests :ill 7eco$e vain $en, co$pletely failin" to distin"uish the ri"ht8hand :ay fro$ the left. At that ti$e the $orals and traditions of Christians and of the Church :ill chan"e. 4alsehood and "reed :ill attain "reat proportions, and :oe to those :ho pile up treasures. 9ust, adultery, ho$ose6uality, secret deeds and $urder :ill rule in society. At that future ti$e, due to the po:er of such "reat cri$es and licentiousness, people :ill 7e deprived of the "race of the Holy Spirit :hich they received in Holy !aptis$, and eCually of re$orse. he Churches of .od :ill 7e deprived of .od8fearin" and pious pastors, and :oe to the Christians re$ainin" in the :orld at that ti$eN they :ill co$pletely lose their faith 7ecause they :ill lac+ the opportunity of seein" the li"ht of +no:led"e fro$ anyone at all. hen they :ill separate the$selves out of the :orld in holy refu"es in search of li"htenin" of their spiritual sufferin"s, 7ut every:here they :ill $eet o7stacles and constraints. And all this :ill result fro$ the fact that the antichrist :ants to 7e lord over everythin" and 7eco$e the ruler of the :hole universe, and he :ill produce $iracles and fantastic si"ns. He :ill also "ive depraved :isdo$ to an unhappy $an so that he :ill discover a :ay 7y :hich one $an can carry on a conversation :ith another fro$ one end of the earth to the other. At that ti$e $en :ill also fly throu"h the air li+e 7irds and descend to the 7otto$ of the sea li+e fish. And :hen they have achieved all this, these unhappy people :ill spend their lives in co$fort :ithout +no:in", poor souls, that it is the deceit of the antichrist. And, the i$pious one J he :ill so co$plete science :ith vanity that it :ill "o off the ri"ht path and lead people to lose faith in the e6istence of .od in three Hypostases.... (n A$ericaGs o:n 7rand of enforced atheis$, people have 7een reduced to a chance collection of $olecules, and the ti$e has co$e :hen a7solutes are conditioned 7y an elite. his "ri$ situation is one $anifestation of the 7ar7aris$ of $odernity, 7ut there are others: the near8universal apostasy fro$ ChristianityN the proliferation of false teachers and deceiversN the "ro:th of a superficial, pseudo8ChristianityN the hatred of children for parentsN the insu7ordination to authority and a $assive "ro:th of la:lessness and other disordersN the "ro:in" cold of hu$an loveN the $ultiplication of people in hi"h places :ho :ould li+e to see all reli"ious freedo$s re$ovedN and $any other sy$pto$s as :ell. (n vie: of these develop$ents, even secular co$$entators of the :orld no: spea+ of a ;Cuic+enin"< process. 5ne of the$, the secular philosopher DosQ 5rte"a y .asset :rites that ;7efore lon" :ill 7e heard throu"hout the planet a for$ida7le cry, risin" li+e the ho:lin" of innu$era7le do"s to the stars, as+in" for so$eone or so$ethin" to ta+e co$$and.< he sta"e has 7een set for the one8:orld "overn$ent of the antichrist, the preparations for :hich have already 7e"un throu"h technolo"ical $anipulation. he door is already open to the ni"ht$arish :orld of the future descri7ed in the final 7oo+ of >e: esta$ent Scriptures, and the specter of that cataclys$ no: haunts the entire :orld. (n the :arnin" of the t:entieth8century prophet, ,lder ("natii of Har7in, *anchuria, ;What 7e"an in Aussia :ill end in A$erica.< (n vie: of the pre8apocalyptic ti$es in :hich :e are currently livin", this course $ust conclude on the sad note of so$e o7servations $ade 7y the nineteenth8century 4ather, St. ("natii !rianchaninov, :ho tells us:
232
5ne $ay reco"ni#e the :or+ of the 5rthodo6 faith as approachin" its definite conclusion.... 0o not e6pect fro$ anyone the restoration of Christianity. he vessels of the Holy Spirit have definitely dried up every:here, even in the $onasteries, those treasuries of piety and "race.... he $erciful lon"8sufferin" of .od e6tends and delays the final end for the s$all re$nant of those :ho are 7ein" saved, :hile those :ho are 7eco$in" corrupt attain the fullness of corruption. )ven so' come' Lord 9es#s %Apoc. 22:20&.
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Apostolic Christianity S Kovasevich

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Apostolic Christianity and the 23,000 Western Churches

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istory! "he #e$innin$s.

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2. #y%antiu& and the Church of the Seven Councils.

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3. #y%antiu& and the Church of the Seven Councils 'Continuation(.

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